InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Grudging Loss ❯ Life is Highway, Part Two ( Chapter 25 )

Ch 25: Life is a Highway, Part Two

 

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Special thanks to my awesome and talented betas:
Hedanicree, Theleb K'aarna, Karaumea and Blackdeathmessenger!
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Inuyasha really didn't ever remember feeling this content. He was driving Kagome home and her arms were wrapped around his torso, pulling her body up against his. She was even wearing his leather jacket and that made him smile as well. She was already wearing his red bike helmet, but having her wear some of his clothes somehow made it seem like he was declaring to the world that she was his.

 

She knew who he truly was. Kagome knew that `Ash' and `Inuyasha' were the same person. She had forgiven him—she had accepted him. Oh and the best thing, he thought, as he smirked—he had made love to her three times. Her warm, lithe, nude body had been pressed up against his. Her scent had called to him, enveloped him and had made him claim her body. Suddenly his eyes grew wide in shock as a growing warmth started to pool near his gut.

 

`Whoah. Think of ice,' he thought. `Think of Myoga having sex. Yuck. Think of Totousai and Myoga having sex. Eeeeewww!' The bizarre picture made him snort with disgust and laughter.

 

“What? What are you thinking about?” asked Kagome. Her voice was muffled through the barrier of the bike helmet.

 

“I'll tell you later,” Inuyasha said while grinning. Then he slowed down his bike in his attempt to park at the foot of the Sunset shrine steps.

 

His senses picked up the unusual amount of noise before Kagome did. There were television crews outside of her shrine. They were easily discernable with the long satellite antennas that erupted out of the top of the vans to peer into the sky. He noticed one vehicle with KCAL Channel 9 emblazoned on the side.

 

His mood quickly changed. “Shit!” he uttered as he moved the bike into a higher gear and sped past the congregating mayhem. “Kagome, I'm going to park a few blocks back and then I'll try to sneak you back home.”

 

“What?!” she yelled behind his back as he sped past the shrine and tried to find a secluded area to park.

 

Inuyasha found a residential area close by with tall green trees and long shadows that crept past the sidewalk. He lowered his visor and sniffed the air. When he determined that the coast was clear, he motioned for Kagome to get of off the bike. His amber eyes and flickering ears were on alert as he tied the helmets down onto the bike with a steel cable. When he was done, he bent down and motioned to Kagome to get on his back.

 

“Where are we going?” asked Kagome before a sudden lurch had them both flying high into the sky. After two more leaps they found themselves on the roof of Kagome's two-story home. Though they could not see the commotion below, Inuyasha could hear the muttered noises of disgruntled reporters who had camped out at the front the shrine's steps.

 

His ears twitched when he heard a reporter rap on the front door. “We just want to talk to her,” he yelled. “Just five minutes. Then we'll leave.”

 

The door slammed open and Inuyasha could hear Kagome's grandfather mutter, “She's not here. Go away!” before the door slammed back again in the reporter's face.

 

“Shouldn't we go?” grumbled another voice by the front door.

 

Then another reporter spoke up. “Oh, she'll return to her home eventually. We only have to wait,” the voice paused. “We can bide our time as long as we stay on public property.”

 

Inuyasha started to cuss when Kagome placed her hand over his mouth. She made a slashing motion with her throat before Inuyasha regained his sense of equilibrium. He took in a deep breath and held out his flat palm to motion for her to wait. Then he dropped half of his body over the side of the roof to peer into her room.

 

`Good!' he thought to himself. `No one is here and the reporters are on the other side of the house.' He slowly slid her bedroom window open and motioned to Kagome to get on his back. Once he was sure that she was nestled firmly against him, he slowly hung himself over the side of the roof and then jumped into her room. He quickly closed the window and her pink curtains so that no cameras could peer inside.

 

Kagome let out the breath she had been holding. “Thank you, Inuyasha. I couldn't have gotten in here without you.”

 

Inuyasha's shoulders slumped and his triangular ears flattened against his head. “You wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for me,” he answered glumly. His lips twisted into a pout and his amber eyes were centered on the floor in front of him.

 

“What?” Kagome responded as she wheeled around to look at the sullen hanyou. “Don't ever say that again,” she said as she walked over to him. His entire body radiated guilt so she touched his back gingerly and then hugged him gently from behind. Her voice lowered as she spoke softly into his back. “I chose you. This was my choice, not yours. Don't blame yourself.” She paused to squeeze him tightly before letting go. “Now, I'm going to take a quick shower. Can you make yourself comfortable while I'm gone?”

 

Inuyasha's ears perked up. “Can I shower with you?” he asked expectantly. Inuyasha's golden eyes glimmered with hope and desire.

 

Kagome smiled at him and slapped him playfully on the shoulder. “At your place, yes,” she answered huskily as she drew her body next to his. Then she stepped away and spoke teasingly, “At my Mom's house, no.”

 

Inuyasha let out a small whine as she walked away and grabbed clean clothes from her dresser drawer. She was about to step outside into her hallway when her face furrowed in thought. “Inuyasha,” she said quietly. “If my mom or Souta show up, can you hide in my closet or something?”

 

Inuyasha grinned. It wouldn't be the first time he had hid in Kagome's room. “Sure, I'm an expert at it by now,” he said thoughtfully as he watched Kagome's hesitation.

 

“Why do I get the feeling you are going to make a habit out of it?” she asked. Kagome shook her head and exited the room.

 

Inuyasha smirked at the closed door. “That sounds like a good habit to pick up.”

 

Then he took one long deep breath. `Kagome's room,' he thought. It had her gentle scent all around it. Cherry blossoms, hints of jasmine—everything that made up Kagome's unique aroma was in the room. There was even a salty smell. `Tears? Kagome was crying?' He sniffed again. The scent was the strongest on her bed. `Before the game,' he thought. `While I was drowning my sorrows in sake, she was crying alone in her room.' His hands absentmindedly touched the soft pink quilt before he started to look around her room. She had a small writing desk with a white Mac laptop and a small inkjet printer. Unfortunately, there were no undergarments lying around he realized wistfully. His eyes soon scanned her desktop and noticed an electronic keyboard and some schoolbooks.

 

He looked at the keyboard and bench to find music for `Beethoven's Sonatas' and `Chopin's Nocturnes.' Soon he observed other books on her desk, `Calculus,' `The Demonic Encyclopedia,' `The Holy Arts,' and `Handel's Messiah.' Inuyasha had tried his best to avoid any form of classical music while working on his music major. His only foray into classical music was his Spanish guitar classes. His instructor had been impressed with his classical guitar skills, however he preferred modern rock music.

 

He gazed thoughtfully at her music. Now that he had been kicked off the team he would need to really hone his musical talents. He would never make a living playing for a national demonic team. Perhaps his music skills would be enough to make his way in the world? Didn't Kagome say that she wanted to make a living with her music? Maybe he could do the same?

 

His attention had been drawn to `The Demonic Encyclopedia' and especially the many post-it notes that were neatly tucked within the pages. He carefully opened up a section with the most bookmarks and wasn't too surprised to see that it was labeled `Canine Demons.' A small smile graced his lips as he looked at the other bookmarks. He nodded in satisfaction to see almost all of the bookmarks were under `Dog Demons' and not under the `Wolf Demons' area. He even noticed some pages that had more bookmarks and were more well-worn than the others. He pulled the corner of the pages to him and grinned proudly as he read the section title, `Mating Habits of Dog Demons.' His eyes became quickly entranced with the pages as he noticed increased amounts of yellow highlighting covering this section of the book. `Oh, my sweet, innocent, Kagome,' he thought smugly. `What were you up to?' He smirked. `She's never going to live this one down.'

 

His ears twitched to hear the water starting to run in the bathroom down the hall. He could also make out the sounds of Souta at his computer. Maybe he could get Souta to help him? Inuyasha smiled as he pulled his silver ring off of his necklace. He put the ring on his finger and noticed his sharp claws becoming blunt nails. He watched the ends of his hair darkening until they were black. He put his ear to the hallway door and when he was sure there was no one on the other side, he stepped outside of Kagome's room. He walked quickly down the hallway to where Souta's exclamations of anger and the sounds of a laser battle erupted from computer speakers.

 

“Oi,” called out Inuyasha in his human form as he looked in at Souta.

 

“Ash?!” asked Souta in surprise. “Wait a second, man. I've got to save my game. Are you here to give me a motorcycle lesson? Hey, are you still going out with my sister? You know I saw her on TV and she…”

 

Inuyasha held out his hand in an attempt to stop the kid's chatter. “Kagome's my girlfriend. Don't worry about it…”

 

Souta leaped in the air. “Cool! I hoped she'd pick you,” said Souta as his eyes gleamed. “So what was she doing with that Inuyasha guy? I thought she hated him.”

 

Inuyasha shook his head and tried to restrain a smirk. “In due time kid, in due time… Now Souta, I need you to do me a favor.”

 

“Sure, Ash. What do you need me to do?” asked the kid in glee. “I'm here for you, man. Panties, bras…”

 

The tall man with black hair tried not to laugh as he held out his hand to motion Souta to stop. “No, Souta. I need you to pretend that you let me in the house. You see, I snuck in here and I don't want your mom or grandfather to know that.”

 

“Oh,” said Souta as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “And you don't want Kagome to know as well?”

 

A small grin peeked out of the side of Inuyasha's lips. “Oh, she knows I'm here, kid. We both snuck in together. Now can you help me out?”

 

“Sure,” said Souta as he peered around the corner. “Stay here,” he murmured as he closed his door behind him and snuck down the hall. “OK, coast is clear, Ash. Follow me,” the kid motioned as he crept along the hallway as if he was in a spy movie—clearly enjoying his mission. Both men tiptoed stealthily down the staircase to hear Kagome's mom and grandfather talking in the kitchen. Souta motioned for `Ash' to follow him until they got to the entranceway near the front door. Inuyasha quickly put on some guest slippers, while Souta started to make a racket near the front door. Souta started by banging on the front door and then called out, “Oh, Ash! Good to see you!”

 

Kagome's mother came running around the corner. “Souta! I told you to not let anyone in!” she berated her child before she noticed `Ash' standing there in his UCLA T-shirt. “Oh, who are you?” she asked in confusion.

 

“Kagome's boyfriend! He's `Ash',” answered Souta proudly.

 

“What?” called out Mrs. Higurashi as she looked back and forth between her son and the handsome black-haired young man who stood in her genkan. “I didn't know that Kagome had a boyfriend.” She looked up at him with a question on her face. “Kagome was crying two nights ago. Did the two of you have an argument?”

 

Inuyasha looked down at his slippers. Her mother was sharp. “Yes, Higurashi-san,” he said. Then he looked her in the eye. “But we talked it over. We worked everything out.”

 

“Oh,” said Mrs. Higurashi in astonishment. “Well, I'll tell her you stopped on by, but she's not here…,” she added as her voice trailed off.

 

“Oh well, Souta just told me that she's home and taking a shower,” said Inuyasha as he nudged Souta with his elbow.

 

“What…oh yeah. Hey Mom, I just saw Kagome come out of her room to take a shower. I guess she's been back for a while.”

 

Mrs. Higurashi looked from `Ash' to her son with a questioning look on her face. “She's here?” Kagome's mother steeled her features and then walked upstairs to check on Kagome. “Kagome-chan?” her mother asked as she knocked on the bathroom door.

 

Inuyasha tried to make out the rest of the conversation, but Souta was already grabbing him and leading him towards his video game console near the TV set. “Ash, you promised to play some video games with me. I just got a new Wii system. Have you ever played `Super Smash Brothers'?” Inuyasha supposed it really didn't matter if he had ever played the game or not because the kid was not taking `no' for an answer. He actually smiled as the young boy pulled him into the living room to play the latest video game.

 

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Before Inuyasha knew it, he was deeply engrossed in the video game brawl. He was playing a swordfighting hero named `Ike' and Souta was playing a cute little pink fuzz-ball called `Kirby'. It's too bad that the cute little creature was kicking his ass.

 

“Take that!” yelled Souta as the Kirby character shot beams of energy at Inuyasha's swordfighter.

 

“You'll pay for that!” responded `Ash' as he made Ike slash with the longblade.

 

“Ash?!” called out Kagome in surprise from the top of the stairs.

 

`Ash' looked up at her and smiled. “Hi, gorgeous,” he said. Kagome looked down at him in astonishment as she walked toward him.

 

“Ash, when did you get here?” she asked.

 

“Not long ago,” he smirked as he looked at her shiny, wet hair. He loved the way her hair fell over her shoulders like black ribbons. He wished that he could smell her sweet scent right now. He settled for looking at her in a grey tank top that was damp at the shoulders and black boy shorts.

 

Kagome's mom came back into the living room. “Kagome, dear. We need to talk.” She looked over meaningfully at `Ash' before she motioned her daughter into the kitchen, where Kagome's grandfather was also waiting.

 

“Yes, mother,” answered Kagome dutifully as she followed her into the kitchen.

 

Inuyasha's eyes trailed after Kagome while the computer game continued without him. He could hear his poor `Ike' getting trounced by the silly pink `Kirby'. Inuyasha handed the white game controller over to Souta. “I think I should be helping out Kagome,” murmured `Ash' as he followed after her.

 

He walked into the kitchen to see Kagome, her mother and grandfather talking sullenly over cups of tea.

 

“Where were you last night?” asked Mrs. Higurashi. “We were so worried about you. We saw what happened and who you left the game with…”

 

“I was with Inuyasha and we were trying to avoid the news media,” answered Kagome as she looked into her teacup.

 

“But isn't `Ash' your boyfriend?” questioned Kagome's mom.

 

“Yes, Mama,” responded Kagome with a look of innocence.

 

Mrs. Higurashi pulled back in confusion. “So Inuyasha is not your boyfriend?”

 

“I didn't say that, Mama, but the man who is playing video games with Souta has been my boyfriend for a few months,” Kagome started to twiddle her thumbs. “Not that we ever made it official…”

 

Mrs. Higurashi sighed and pushed back on her chair. “So you spent the entire night last night with Inuyasha? The boy I saw you kiss on nationwide TV during the game?”

 

Kagome blushed and barely murmured, “Yes, Ma.”

 

“But if Ash is your boyfriend, then what were you doing at Inuyasha's home?” asked Kagome's mom--her face furrowed in confusion.

 

`Ash' managed to stand right behind Kagome's chair and put a steadying hand on her shoulder.

 

“Kagome was there with me and my roommates,” answered `Ash' with a grin.

 

“You were alone with all of these males?” quaked Mrs. Higurashi. Her eyes widened in astonishment and both of her eyebrows were raised.

 

“It's the 21st century Mom,” added her daughter with some peevishness.

 

Mrs. Higurashi pinched the bridge of her nose. “So, `Ash' you have no problem with Kagome kissing Inuyasha and spending the night at his apartment?”

 

`Ash' grinned. “No problem whatsoever,” he added while looking down at his self-described girlfriend. Kagome patted his hand that rested on her shoulder.

 

The miko continued. “You need to show them the truth, Ash,” said Kagome sternly as she looked meaningfully at the ring on his finger.

 

`Ash' blanched; he swallowed nervously. “Kagome, I don't think that's a good idea…,”

 

“Now would be a good time,” said his girlfriend as she raised an eyebrow. “My family needs to know the truth. No more hiding.”

 

“The things I do for you, wench,” he grumbled. He pulled the ring off his finger. `This is going to be it,' he thought sadly. `They're going to hate me and yell at me for even attempting to date their daughter. No one wants a demon dating their human daughter, especially if she's a miko.' He cringed as he looked at the faces of her mother and grandfather as his appearance changed again. His blunt nails lengthened into claws, his black hair shimmered into silver and he felt his ears move up his head until they twitched on top of his head. He took a deep breath and steeled his features for what he was sure would be a verbal onslaught.

 

Kagome was peering down at her teacup as if it was the most interesting thing on the table. She didn't seem worried, which surprised Inuyasha.

 

He turned to look at Kagome's mother and grandfather. The old man's eyes turned to saucers in shock. However, the mother had an entirely different reaction. She did seem to be astonished about his sudden change in appearance, but within a second her face morphed into curiosity. Suddenly her eager face was right next to his.

 

“Oh, can I touch your ears?” exclaimed Mrs. Higurashi. Before Inuyasha could even react the older woman was rubbing his ears with glee.

 

“Wha…!” exclaimed Inuyasha in absolute confusion.

 

Souta had come into the kitchen just as the scene was being played out. “Ash, I thought you might want to…,” Souta stumbled over his words as he saw the strange sight of a silver-haired dog demon in his kitchen wearing `Ash's' clothes. “Ash, you are…you're?” The young pre-teen opened and closed his mouth like a fish gasping for air.

 

“Inuyasha,” continued Kagome calmly as she sipped out of her teacup.

 

Souta blinked and then his face beamed a winsome smile. “Oh, can I touch his ears too?” asked Souta. He ran over to Inuyasha and waited in line next to his mom.

 

Inuyasha's ears simply twitched in annoyance as he crossed his arms. His eyes narrowed in irritation. `What is with this family and my ears?' he thought tersely.

 

Suddenly, a voice yelled excitedly from outside of the kitchen. “They're here!”

 

Inuyasha and Kagome's family turned to see a reporter pressing his face against the glass of their kitchen window. A journalist was frantically calling for his compatriots to join him as he continued looking in on the scene in the kitchen.

 

Inuyasha stomped over to the window and pulled down the kitchen blinds. Wooden slat blinds fell to the sill with a splat and obscured the news reporter. He frowned and folded his arms in front of him. “That should take care of them.”

 

Mrs. Higurashi only sighed. “Inuyasha, that is your name right? Not `Ash'?”

 

Inuyasha nodded wordlessly in agreement.

 

“They have been here since last night. We haven't had an iota of privacy since then. Closing a window blind will keep them at bay temporarily, but it won't make them disappear.” She stopped speaking and carefully pulled her teacup to her lips and took a slow sip.

 

“What do you mean? I can get rid of them!” exclaimed Inuyasha proudly. He flexed his claws at the Higurashi family. “Just leave them to me!” He was quite prepared to rough up the reporters in order to impress Kagome's family.

 

Kagome walked over to Inuyasha and put her hand gingerly on his shoulder. “Thank you, Inuyasha. But I don't think that is the solution.”

 

Inuyasha pouted as he looked back at her. “But then what should I do?” he asked plainly. He really saw the solution as being very simple. `Rough `em up. They'd leave. End of story.'

 

“They won't leave until they hear from me. And I don't want my family suffering from unwanted media attention. I'm going to go out to face them.”

 

“What!” yelled Inuyasha. “No way! They'll eat you alive. I've been around the press. They're merciless.”

 

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha with a smile on her face. “I have been in front of the media as well. This will not be my first time. Trust me,” she added. Kagome moved forward to kiss him on the cheek.

 

Inuyasha's posture immediately changed and his crossed arms fell to his sides. He took one hand and pressed against his cheek where Kagome had just kissed him. “Uh,” was all he could add as Kagome started to walk away and made her way to the front door of the home.

 

“Wait for me, wench!” he called out from behind her. “You can't do this alone!” Inuyasha hurried and was right behind her back when she opened her front door. “Are you ready wench?” he asked carefully. Kagome answered by taking a deep breath and nodded with determination. She closed the door behind them and it didn't take long for reporters to notice them. They walked towards the reporters and were immediately swarmed by the news media.

 

A cacophony of noise erupted around them. Cameras flashed and camcorder floodlights nearly blinded the two as they stood outside her home. Inuyasha could hear yells and shouts, but couldn't make out a single discernable sentence.

 

Kagome put her arm in front of her eyes as additional lights flashed. Inuyasha felt the overwhelming need to protect Kagome from the intruders that had converged upon the shrine grounds. He brought up his hands so that they rested on either side of her hips and growled.

 

“Shut up! One question at a time or we're leaving! We'll be here for five minutes! That's it. Everyone better be gone after that!” yelled Inuyasha as he glared at the cameras, camcorders and sounds mikes that had been thrust into their faces. Kagome lowered her arm and turned to smile at him and then steeled her resolve as she stared at the crew in front of her.

 

The crescendo of volume lowered momentarily as the reporters tried to rephrase their questions in a more orderly fashion.

 

Inuyasha could hear several voices call out questions. Now the din of noise was not as loud.

 

“Did you plan this?” “What were you hoping to accomplish by throwing the game?” “Was the game rigged?”

 

Inuyasha raised his hand and opened his palm in a gesture that meant for them to stop. He gazed at them wearily, but it was Kagome who answered the questions.

 

“Neither, Inuyasha nor myself planned for any of this to happen. No, it was not RIGGED!” Kagome seemed to bristle at that question. She then took another deep breath. “I wasn't hoping to accomplish anything. I just couldn't hit Inuyasha with another arrow of sealing. How would you feel if you had to shoot the guy you loved in the heart?”

 

When Kagome finished her sentence it took less than a second for the reporters to yell out additional questions. “Are you going out?” “How long have you two been together?” “Do your parents approve?”

 

Kagome smiled shyly at Inuyasha and put her hands above his on her hips. “I met Inuyasha when we were children. We played together here at the Goshinboku tree,” answered Kagome as she pointed to the immense tree that cast dappled shadows down onto the group below. “Yes, we're going out and I think my mom and brother adore him.” Kagome paused to gaze up at Inuyasha with the warmest eyes he had ever seen. “And I love him...”

 

Inuyasha's eyes widened in astonishment and he smiled for the first time since they had been thrust in front of the cameras. He had to try to fight his own instincts to not kiss her in front of the media.

 

“Were you going out before or after the game?” “Did your coaches know about you two?”

 

Kagome turned to look at Inuyasha wearily. “Could you answer that one?” she asked.

 

Inuyasha only swallowed as he turned from Kagome to the crowd of reporters. `OK. Just a modified version of the truth,' he thought. “We, uh, we were going out before the last game. No, our coaches had no idea that we were seeing each other.”

 

The reporter from KCAL Channel 9 spoke up, “Inuyasha, how do you feel about the investigation that Myoga is now under for unsportsmanlike behavior? Coach Kaede alleged that he hired an actress to cause emotional distress to her players…”

 

“What?!” answered Inuyasha. He tightened his grip on Kagome's waist. He had been against Myoga's and Sesshomaru's harebrained scheme from the beginning. But he knew enough about the truth and what would be uncovered to know that his coach was in deep trouble. Myoga would probably lose his coaching job over this. “I…I…Myoga was a good coach. I owe him a lot...,” Inuyasha couldn't continue as his shoulders sagged. His coach was going to lose his job because he had told the USC team the truth about Myoga's deception. Coach Myoga was the first person at UCLA who had believed in him. In a bizarre way, Inuyasha had to conclude that he wouldn't have even gotten together with Kagome if it had not been for his coaches' influence.

 

Kagome glanced up at him and noting the sorrow on his face, continued for him. “We feel badly for any fallout this may have on our coaches. They really don't deserve it. We should be the ones who take the blame for our own choices.”

 

One reporter called out, “Do you know that you have both been thrown off your teams?”

 

Kagome's face fell and then her face became expressionless again. “No, I did not. Koga had already told Inuyasha that he was no longer on the team. I'm not surprised. I understand why Coach Kaede removed me. I would have done the same thing.”

 

“But aren't you under a scholarship to a very expensive university?” “How can you stay in college without one?”

 

Kagome swallowed. “I will take things one day at a time. I hope to continue my education, but yes, it will be difficult to afford my yearly $35,000 tuition without the scholarship. Maybe I will attend part-time after this.”

 

Inuyasha held Kagome closer to his body. Her shoulders were slumped in defeat. He kissed her briefly on the top of her head and then regretted it immediately as the cameras started flashing again and the crowd around them talked with excitement.

 

The reporters didn't miss a beat. “Give us a smooch for the cameras.” “Inuyasha, kiss her like you did during the game!”

 

Inuyasha's eyes blinked and he gritted his teeth. “You have had enough of a peep show for today. Get off of Kagome's property! The news conference is over!” Inuyasha bellowed as he grabbed Kagome and pulled her back inside of her house.

 

He slammed the door shut as he muttered about the damn reporters. He was so angry that he surged forward only to be stopped by a petit woman who was smiling up at him.

 

“Do you want to kiss me?” she asked as her fingers found purchase in the belt loops on either side of his jeans.

 

Inuyasha almost stuttered his answer. “Yeess…,” he barely made out. His anger quickly dimmed with thoughts of kissing and touching Kagome.

 

“Good,” Kagome responded as she pressed her warm, soft body against the harder planes of his chest and pressed her lips up against his.

 

He had wanted to kiss her and to draw her body closer to his since he had arrived here. However, propriety and a worry about what her mother might think had overcome his desires. That wasn't happening anymore.

 

One of his hands swept back into her hair, bringing her lips closer to his and the other hand drew her waist flush against his body. His mouth opened as he breathed and took in her tongue.

 

`I think I can get used to this,' Inuyasha thought as he deepened the kiss.

 

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Please read and review. It really does help to inspire me to write!
See you in two weeks.
Private messages were sent to all reviewers.
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Author's Notes:

#1: Special thank you to Brakken for helping me choose some music books that Kagome would be studying.

#2: A super big thank you to Hedanicree who helped me come up with the news reporters questions that I used in this chapter.

#3: Genkan: entranceway at all Japanese homes where you take off your shoes. You can either walk around in your socks or you may be offered guest slippers to wear. Never wear your shoes into a Japanese home, it's considered dirty and uncouth.

#4: Yes, it is currently a little over 35,000 USD/year to attend USC as a full-time student. That does not include books or room and board.

#5: I really don't know how many more chapters this story will be—maybe two more chapters, maybe more… I can tell you that I am in the final arch of the story and I am trying to conclude things. At the same time, I don't want to rush this story or its' ending. It drives me crazy when I read a fan fict and the denouement happens (in this story that was Ch. 22)—and there is no resolution. Well, that's not happening with this story! Please just sit back and enjoy until it concludes.

#6: My betas had a lot of comments about Souta in this chapter. Well, I am basing Souta on his character in Inuyasha, Happosai from `Ranma 1/2' and my own two younger brothers. My brothers had no compunctions about taking anything out of my room and they were complete video game fanatics. Sound familiar?

 

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Next Chapter: Life is a Highway, Part Three…I swear this is the chapter that got away from me. It was only supposed to be one chapter. `Immortal Sin' plays again!