InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Beast ❯ One Forward, Two Back ( Chapter 26 )

Disclaimer: Look! I drew Piggy! …Oh, wait… (flips through notes) I mean, I don't own Inuyasha. Nor that very obscure reference.

A/N: I'm feelin' weird! Lemme at `em! Though I do think a slight gruesomeness warning should be in effect, `cause I just saw The Grudge a few days ago. Not the kind of inspiration you really need, kids… (glance over shoulder)

…And Tessira Aleyn, why on Earth would I mind being nominated for the IY Fanguild awards? You and Dori flatter me immensely. ; ) Seriously, you guys rock.

Beast

Chapter 26

As awkward as staying awake the whole night probably would have been for both of them, neither Kagome nor Inuyasha really would've regretted it had they known what kind of dreams would greet them when their minds finally allowed their bodies to relax enough for sleep.

Inuyasha's dreams usually either presented clear-cut misery or vague unhappiness, and this was no exception: he `awoke' to find himself in the Tree's glade, with the stench of Kikyou's blood in his nostrils, on his hands, claws, chest, everywhere…. And the priestess, standing unaided near the trunk, looking down at her crimson-soaked and shredded garments, white kimono nearly the same shade as her red hakama-she extended her horrifically gashed arms to him without raising her head, letting her unbound hair slide down to partially cover them. His stomach twisted. "Ki…"

"Have you changed your mind?" The bloody figure did not move. Inuyasha half hoped, was half terrified that she would raise her head. Her supplicant posture but darkly toneless question sent ice snaking through his veins.

"Kikyou, I d-" Inuyasha choked on his protest as her face tilted upwards, very slowly, giving him a sickeningly unimpeded look at the contrast between the untouched, flawless left side and the red mass of ruined flesh that was the right.

"Have you changed your mind?" Kikyou's eyes, the right barely open, glittered with palpable menace. "Think of me."

Inuyasha's hands snapped up blindly, but the violence of the gesture woke him up, half-lunging at the predawn darkness. He tried to lower them, eyes going wide and breath panting more harshly as the image of the dead priestess burned in his mind, imprinting itself all the more deeply when he clenched his eyes shut. Fuck. He pressed the heels of his hands against his eyelids, but that damning look and the question wouldn't leave him. Damn it...

There was no way Kikyou could've already known what had happened last night; besides, he hadn't shared his decision, the one he knew the dream-Kikyou had meant, not with himself aloud, nor Miroku, Sango, or…Kagome.

No, it was only his mind toying with him, testing his resolution and ensuring he wouldn't renege on his own pledge to make it through the curse as best he could…then ask, if necessary beg Kikyou to use the Jewel to spare the rest of the castle in exchange for his own death, painfully self-inflicted if need be.

Inuyasha was not afraid of dying; the first night he'd been told just what was going to happen once the three months were up, he'd resolved to wait out the time as a kind of penance and then follow Kikyou into death without dragging everyone else down with him. But Kagome had come painfully close to making him start to contemplate the possibility of the only surefire way to ensure the castle citizenry's safety…

He had to smile, just a little, and very grimly, at the curse's exquisitely vicious subtlety. Being accepted, aside from his awareness of its impossibility, equated betraying the woman for whom he'd been willing, ready and eager to give up his very life - what did it matter if he became physically pathetic and short-lived compared to his hanyou self, so long as he was with her? - but whose death his indecision and petty temper had ultimately caused, however indirectly. And Shimoko and her damn "Don't look back" crap advice can kiss my ass, for all I care…

Not being accepted…well, his whole life had taught him that he was lucky enough to find people like Miroku and Sango, who were unusual enough themselves to not mind the stigma of associating with a half-demon and accept his company, without hoping to be accepted by a complete stranger who knew him only as a cursed, demonic-looking monster who wanted either to marry her or kill everyone around him. That he could deal with, he was pretty sure, but he wasn't quite at peace with the idea of going berserk and murdering everyone in cold blood.

Of course, he had a few slim hopes, aside from Kikyou taking mercy on the castle. Another reason he tolerated the wolf hanging around was the knowledge that, much as he despised the idea of him even touching Kagome, Kouga wasn't forced to do more than stay within the curse's boundaries till the three months were up; he and Inuyasha had confirmed right at the onset, through very careful questioning, that the wolf lord would be allowed to escape if he so chose in the small space of time between the three-month period officially coming to a close and Inuyasha's blood overtaking him. The implications had initially irritated the hanyou to no end - he knew the exception was being made largely to deprive him of the sure knowledge of being able to kill Kouga - but now Inuyasha could be sure there was a way for Kagome to escape at the very, very least. No way the wimpy wolf's gonna leave her here for me to come after her, and if they're not here once everyone else is dead, well, that's that.

Right on the heels of strong - if slightly morbid - relief, which he'd been studiously ignoring for weeks now, a twinge of utterly ridiculous jealousy nagged at him. Can't believe I have to be happy that that damn flea-ridden…wolf gets to protect her from me!

His ears flattened, and he tried to do the same to the slight rumble he could feel building in his chest. What the hell…what am I getting so worked up about? As long as she'll be safe, it's none of my business. Just `cause she all but jumped on me last…

Big mistake. All that brought forward was unnervingly vivid recollection of taste, sound and smell that had him twitching all over. He would never be able to eat that flavor of beef ramen again without thinking of her instead.

Inuyasha grimaced at the lump under the sleeping bag to his right, willing his heart to slow down and his mind to focus on something else. Dammit. What was she thinking?

What had possessed her to lunge at him like that? Dark as it still was in the treehouse, she couldn't have mistaken him for someone else or something…especially not with the way he'd…neck…and…

Shit. Inuyasha shook his head irritably to clear it, with little success. Just a fluke. That and all that shit about liking me. She's too damn trusting for her own good… He had had no clue her good nature would lead her quite that far, though, or else he would've been more careful to ignore her scent. Most human females seemed to smell like that from time to time anyway-why couldn't he stop making stupid assumptions that Kagome was any different and learn that it wasn't always a deliberate invitation?

One thing was for sure, though. He had to make it clear that even if kissing was just something friends did in this era, it was not okay for her to be that friendly with him whenever she felt like it-if it hadn't been for the odd business with his fangs distracting him, he wasn't sure when he would have been ready to stop. Bad enough Kagome's stuck with me here…I can't just up and decide to spend the rest of my time taking advantage of her when I'm just waiting to die and be with Kikyou. He winced at the very thought. It wouldn't be right. And it'd be even more unfair to Kagome than all this shit already is.

Kagome stirred as Inuyasha awkwardly pulled the sleeping bag closer around her, then snuggled herself deeper and let out a disconsolate little sigh. Inuyasha's ears flicked uncertainly as a tiny thread of sorrow worked into her scent. Did I do that?

He had no way of knowing that, for once, he wasn't on her mind at all. She had started dreaming uneasily about going to an old, fancy Western restaurant with her family and eating a fish that cursed at her each time she chewed, so that her mouth was squeaking with shrill profanity in no time, when her father had looked at her expectantly. "Kagome?"

Kagome reflexively chewed once more and swallowed before speaking, producing a steady line of "Bitch!" (gulp) "Yes?"

Of course, it was a dream, so her family was unperturbed. "Are you going to decide any time soon?" Yoshio asked matter-of-factly.

Kagome's brows drew together. "What're you talking about, Dad?"

"Whether to tell us about your mom." The faces ringing her all smiled in eerie, uncharacteristic unison.

The knife and fork slipped from her shock-slack fingers. "About…what?!"

"You know," Souta chimed in on her left. "Mom."

"No, I don't know! What're you talking about?!" Kagome felt slightly lightheaded as her family merely smiled wider and drew closer. "Stop looking at me like that!"

"Is this guilt I see?"

Kagome whirled around and nearly whacked her jaw on her chair back. "K-Kikyou, what the hell are you doing-?!"

"This is a dream, girl, an expression of the soul's state of being. I'm more than familiar enough with this soul to see it when I so choose." The priestess smiled coldly at the vacant faces around the table. "You wish to unburden yourself about something, and, forgive me for leaping to conclusions, but one presumes that you also have some slight misgivings about…your mother?"

"Leave me alone." Kagome turned back to her plate, stabbing the fish and sawing another piece off despite a tiny cry of "Get bent!"

She could still feel Kikyou's eyes on the back of her head. "You've adopted Inuyasha's pleasant ways of avoiding conversation, then." The feeling increased, and she shrank down into her chair as her family leaned in closer, Kikyou's noiseless footsteps somehow sounding in her ears, coming to rest directly behind her. "You're hiding something. What is it?"

Kagome made no answer, except to stab the fish again for a shrill "Go to hell!"

"I see." Kikyou came around and knelt so that Kagome was looking slightly down at her; she suppressed a shudder at the cold brown gaze. "We'll see how long you can keep yourself hidden, then. Till next time…" She placed her hand, not on Kagome's shoulder, but just behind it, and Kagome yelped as the skin seemed to ignite under the icy grip, heat bursting from underneath the cold to envelop her whole body.

Inuyasha was debating whether he should just slip out while she was awake or not when the sleeping bag erupted with flailing limbs, strangled protests and the nerve-scraping scent of alarm.

"Oi!" He leapt back defensively, grabbing her arms as gently as he could, considering the way she was struggling. "OI! Wake your ass up, Kagome!"

"Let go!" Kagome tried to free her hands to clutch at her shoulder, but someone had turned out the lights, and now the fish wouldn't even let her move! "Let go, dammit!"

"Why? So you can hurt both of us? Oi! Wake up!" He transferred both wrists to one hand and used the other to shake her shoulder, mindful of his claws and infinitely greater strength. "Kagome! Kagome!"

The sound of her name gradually got her attention, and she slowly ceased her attempts to pull away, hesitating and then finally letting her arms go limp. In the soggy gray light drifting in through the open window, Kagome's eyes soon adjusted to pick out a very distinct white-topped silhouette. "Inuyasha…?" Heart still thundering, she swallowed and twisted around, as if she would be able to see her left shoulder throbbing. "Let go for a second…"

Disturbed by her odd tone, Inuyasha unthinkingly let her wrists slide free, and she promptly reached around to her left shoulder, hissing as her fingers brushed the skin of her upper back. "What did she do?!"

"What did who do?" Instantly forgetting most of his resolutions, Inuyasha picked her up by the waist, set her down so that her back was facing the window and the light, and tugged at her T-shirt collar. "Lemme see."

"NO!" Kagome skittered back on all fours as if he'd held out a cattle prod. "I mean…it's just a weird dream I had." She flapped one hand frantically, managing a smile that he guessed was supposed to reassure him-it looked more like she'd just eaten a chunk of wormy dirt and was trying to convince him it was pretty good.

"You're full of crap. And I've seen more skin on you than that, remember? It's not a big deal." Inuyasha scowled as she didn't move. "Come on, wench, I'm not in the mood for this. If you're hurt, just lemme see." A sudden thought set his ears half-folded back. "It's…not where I grabbed you last night, is it?"

"Oh, no!" She shook her head frantically. "No, I don't even feel those anymore."

Inuyasha glared at her. "How do I know you're not just trying to keep me from seeing how deep they are?"

Is he trying to manipulate me? Kagome glared right back. No, the idiot's serious-I don't think he even knows how to manipulate anyone. "Fine. You can see one side." Scooting forward, watching him with exaggerated caution, Kagome eased her right arm out of her sleeve, down and out of the shirt, flipping the material into a bunch on her shoulder to expose her back but keep her chest securely covered. Thank God I wore a bra last night, didn't know I'd be sleeping out here…

Ears still folded with apprehension, Inuyasha came around behind her and peered closely at the smooth, almost unblemished skin, dotted with four tiny red marks spaced in a loose semicircle. One was barely even noticeable, but the deepest was slightly swollen and red around the edges. "Dammit…see?" He tapped it without thinking, then flinched away.

"Oh, don't be such a baby. That didn't even hurt." Shifting her other, still-aching shoulder impatiently, Kagome twisted around to give him a sardonic look. "They're not going to be fatal, I promise. Can I put my shirt back on now?"

"You can't see `em, wench, so be quiet." Inuyasha slid one knuckle under her bra strap to edge it aside for a closer look, and she jumped. "Hold still."

"Are you done yet?" This was all she needed after last night; he'd wanted to forget about it, hadn't he? Anger spurred her into nudging back with her elbow. "Hey."

Inuyasha grunted, absently stroking underneath the row of punctures, and she couldn't help shivering a little. "Get Sango to clean `em for you later." He found himself leaning in closer and stopped cold when he realized he was about to start cleaning them himself. That plus the scent coming off the soft, warm flesh plus a casual glance at her neck made him reach up and yank her shirt down swiftly enough to scare both of them.

"So, am I going to live, or what?" Kagome tried not to melt back into him. "Forget about it, forget about it, forget about it"…

"Depends. Lemme see the other side."

"Oh, no you don't!" Kagome pulled her arm back into her sleeve and scooted away-or tried to. The arm that materialized around her waist neatly prevented that. "Inuyasha, let me go. Please."

Concern and curiosity warred with his better judgment; the latter enlisted the pleading note she ended on, but just as his hand was starting to relax, the opposing parties pointed out that Kagome still smelled and acted as though she was in pain, and he gave in without a second thought. "If it doesn't hurt, why aren't you moving it? And why do you smell scared?" He didn't need the slightly stronger light to catch her guarded expression. "I'm not gonna hurt you, Kagome. I just want to know whether I did it or not."

"You didn't," she said simply.

Inuyasha growled. "Then lemme see."

"That makes no sense!" Kagome tried to pull his arm off with her right hand, but she felt like a fly trying to pull a branch off an oak tree. A big, dumb, fuzzy, insensitive…! She gritted her teeth and swatted his hand away from her left shoulder. "If you're so worried, let me go see Kaede for it and you can ogle me later, you hypocritical pervert!"

"Hypocritical?" he snapped, but his hands were gentle as he eased her back. "How am I a hypocrite for getting freaked out by you waking up like you're getting attacked and then not letting me try to see what the hell is wrong?!"

"You…" Kagome swallowed the angry words she'd been ready to spit at him. How was she supposed to remind him what they'd…what she'd done last night and tell him to get his hands off now if he was just worried about her? Not like he's attracted to me unless I start smelling like that again, so it's not the same thing, is it? "Nothing. Just let go."

"No." Grimly determined and irritated at how much her sudden attitude shift bothered him, Inuyasha locked his other arm around her middle. "I can wait all day, Kagome…"

His ears disappeared into his hair at the string of words she snapped at him. He didn't need to hear that: rage was mixed heavily into her scent, stinging his nose till he thought his eyes were going to start watering. What the…?!

Kagome hadn't been so irritated in a long time. Of course, he had no clue that Sango had once noticed Kagome's shoulder, not long after she arrived, in the tub, and Kagome had said shortly that she didn't want to talk about it. Sango had naturally complied, and had gotten so used to it that she'd forgotten about it entirely. Big stupid jerk…he's probably seen it and just doesn't remember it. She knew she was just adding fuel to the fire by refusing, but after that dream and the priestess's remark, Inuyasha's cluelessness was just too much for her frayed nerves to handle.

"Look," she snarled after perhaps thirty seconds of taut silence, "I've got a weird scar on there, and I'm kind of sensitive about it, and if you see it, you're going to ask about it, and I'm going to make something up, you're going to smell me lying and bug me, and I'm going to try to claw your eyes out. Does this sound like fun to you, or are you gonna let me go?!"

Panting, Kagome tried to turn around and glare at him, but the pain in her shoulder flared again and she was forced to hunch over, clutching it and hissing through her teeth.

Through a haze of pain and frustration, Kagome barely heard Inuyasha's mumble. "Come one, wench, it's just a scar, not your…parts…or anything. Just lemme see it, okay? If you do, I promise not to say anything stupid. Deal?"

"That's impossible." Kagome shook her head, giving into the urge to smile. "You can't not say anything stupid unless you stay quiet, and if you stay quiet, I'll get paranoid about what you're thinking." She hesitated as the urge to just get this over with crept up and began prodding her. A very cruel little voice whispered that it didn't really matter what she showed him, after all, as he wasn't going to be able to tell anyone who knew her. And why the hell would I care if he did? Defiance straightened her spine and gave her enough confidence to nod and ease her left arm out of her sleeve. "Just think before you talk, okay?"

Inuyasha was expecting something pretty bad after all the hoopla - and especially after that damned dream, with…no, he wasn't going to think about it - and, had there been no fuss or preamble before Kagome finished adjusting her shirt so he could see the raised scar below her left shoulder, he might've been suitably impressed. As it was, he softly gave his trademark "Keh," then bit his lips and rethought his callousness as he became aware that she was trembling slightly. "Kagome? You cold or something?"

His hopes that she hadn't heard him were dashed when Kagome snorted, speaking almost as harshly as he usually did. "What does your nose tell you, dog-boy?"

He let that one slide and inhaled deeply next to the much lighter pinpricks he'd made last night, just under the thick, shiny, slightly discolored mark. It looked like a gash that hadn't healed quite right, almost two inches long and a little less than an inch wide. Inuyasha scowled. "What're you scared of? I'm not gonna hurt you."

"Shut up. I know that. I just don't like showing it to people, `cause then they ask where I got it and I have to either make something up or tell them…" Her head whipped around as he gently traced one jagged edge. "Watch it…Inu…yasha?" Kagome's eyes widened, and she rotated the shoulder gingerly. "Whoa. What'd you do?"

"Do?" Inuyasha leaned away as she wriggled her left arm more vigorously. "I didn't do anything."

"Whatever. Well, it doesn't hurt anymore." Kagome sighed in utter relief and leaned back against him without thinking. "Satisfied?"

"Hold on…" He pushed her forward lightly and ran his thumb over the scar, nudging the intruding bra strap aside. "I thought I heard you bragging about your healers to Sango the other day. The old bat here could've fixed this up better any time. What were you saying about-"

"It got infected." Kagome made an irate noise. "It's not much of a story."

Somehow, Inuyasha doubted that, and perverse curiosity egged him on. "What were you saying before, about lying about it?"

Kagome froze, mind flitting over the pros and cons of telling Inuyasha a story of which not even Souta knew the full details. He's been pretty good about not prying before…and he told me plenty of stuff, too, and…and I've never told anyone, and it's getting old keeping it super-secret. Watch, I bet it doesn't even faze him.

"If you really want to know…" She took his silence for acquiescence, snorted slightly and rested her hands on his arm. "I got it when I was eleven. Nabiki pushed me down the stairs."

"Nabiki? …Oh, one of your sisters." Inuyasha scowled at the puckered flesh. Don't tell me that's it. "I'd have given her the same."

Kagome was quiet. She threaded her fingers through his and began tapping the razor-like claws absently, marveling at the control he must've had to exercise constantly to keep from accidentally cutting everything he encountered into shreds. Really, a couple of pinpricks is nothing. Wish he could see that……now, how much more do I mention?

"What is it, wench?" Her scent had sharpened into sadness. Inuyasha found he couldn't stop playing with the scar, trying to figure out where the ends began and her own skin gave way.

Hmmmm…healthy storytelling, or pity party? Kagome hesitated. From the way the big dope was messing with her scar, he couldn't be that turned off.

"If you're gonna say something, say it." Inuyasha smoothed the old gash down, bemused when it came right back up. He'd never scarred before, and seeing a badly healed wound up close was a perverse novelty.

"I…well, I was too small to get her back, and besides, the others were on her side." Kagome drew her fingertips absently down his palm, unaware of how intimate the tiny gesture felt to the hanyou, who had to bite his cheeks and concentrate sharply on what she was saying to distract himself. He almost regretted doing so when she swallowed and continued. "It probably got infected because I locked myself in the bathroom and Dad didn't notice till the next day."

"The next day?!" Inuyasha shook his head in sheer disbelief. "Your dad's a dumbass, but he couldn't have not noticed his youngest daughter was bleeding from a huge wound for…how long? Over a day?! And why didn't you go get help? Why didn't your brothers say anything?"

"I told you, they were on Nabiki's side. I was afraid to leave the bathroom, and Dad was on the phone most of the time." She was immensely sorry she'd brought it up now. Whoever said confession is good for the soul must've lived in a tiny box his whole life. And I hope he suffocated!

"What's a-"

"It's a device that lets you talk to people over long distances. He…he had a lot to do, and it's not his fault, okay? He still feels bad about it."

"Good. And what the hell was up with them trying to get you? I thought you weren't used to the idea of siblings hurting each other."

"I haven't thought about it in a long time, for some reason, and I don't think about it unless I have to. I usually don't have to, either." Kagome shook her head. "Is that good enough?"

"You're the one who started talking about it. Why were they after you?"

"…"

"Kagome?" Inuyasha pulled her back against him to try to get a look at her averted face. Her scent had subsided to muted hints of the anger and sadness she'd been broadcasting freely; she was obviously trying to get herself back under control. "Oi."

All he could see was her profile, and the slight, gentle half-smile twisted his heart in three places-and not just because he'd often seen the same expression on Kikyou's face countless times. Not the same, not really…can't explain it… She glanced at him. "It's funny. I know it wasn't my fault, but I can't blame them for blaming me. Does that make any sense?"

Blink. "…Kagome?" was all he could say, utterly lost.

She twisted around to pat his cheek very gently. "C'mon, let's go inside before Sango sends the whole castle out after us."

"Huh?" What kind of follow-up was that?! "Oi! Wait!" Inuyasha's mouth worked, fishlike, as she pulled her shirt down and slipped off his lap, into her shoes, and waved merrily from the ladder. "OI! That's not fair! Come back here!"

A snatch of unmistakably evil laughter drifted up at him, and he swore, leaping to his feet and bounding out after her.

To Kagome's sheepish amusement and Inuyasha's frustration, Sango actually was sitting right next to the main entrance, and collared them as soon as they crept in, more joking about sneaking in than serious-after all, who amongst the servants was actually going to wait up for them?

"Kagome-chan. Inuyasha." They froze and turned as one. The slayer looked awful: dark hair mussed, eyes bloodshot and shadowed, and evidently in the same clothes she'd worn yesterday. "I trust you have a suitable explanation for staying out all night, again?"

By the time Miroku wandered out of Kagome's room and caught sight of them, Sango was just winding down with, "…ever worry us like that again, I'll tie both of you to pillars and have Kirara watch you at night! Don't think I wouldn't, either! Where were you?! The same place you were last time you-"

"Sango, my dearest and most exquisite treasure, I do believe they've had enough." Miroku came up behind the slayer and literally swept her off her feet, bowing with a half-concealed yawn. "Morning, Inuyasha, Kagome-sama…I owe you nothing at the way you deprived me last night, as she refused to come to bed at all, but we should discuss it further after we've had sufficient rest." The monk paused, pretending not to notice the woman in his arms glowering at him till Kagome expected to see a hole burned into the side of his head. "One assumes, of course, that your absence means that you did not get any r-"

Any hope of escaping the servants' notice vanished with the morning quiet at Inuyasha's reaction, and Kagome's ears did not recover until she had hurried Sango back into their room for a long, detailed explanation, which of course lead to Shippou's unwilling expulsion so they could indulge in some much-needed Girl Talk.

"You…" Sango was at a complete loss for words, and not just from exhaustion. "With his teeth? However did you manage that?!"

"Very carefully," Kagome said dryly, skirting the strange way his fangs had receded-from what she could see that morning, they were back to normal now. "I don't see what the big deal is. He's just as much a guy as Miroku is."

Sango gave her friend a very narrow look. "Kagome-chan. Don't tell me…you didn't move any further than that, did you?"

"No." Kagome didn't bother to hide her disappointment. "He accused me of just being curious and almost left. I was so embarrassed that I said I'd stay there, but then he changed his mind and stayed, too."

"Just being curious?" Sango repeated, frowning at the ceiling. Kagome had urged her to go to sleep, but she insisted upon hearing the story first, and Kagome was secretly glad of the opportunity to discuss it so soon. "You wouldn't do such a thing out of curiosity…"

"Of course not. I'm not so desperate for a guy that I'd go for him like that if I didn't…" Kagome shrugged as Sango's head shot up. "Well, you know what I mean."

Sango stared at her for so long that her neck began to ache, but she hardly noticed. "Kagome-chan…are you…in love with him?" She prayed her friend would roll her eyes, or laugh, or shake her head…nothing. "Kagome-chan?"

A quiet sniffle was all the answer she needed. "Oh, gods…" Sango rose from her futon and crouched next to the bed, letting Kagome sit up and lean into her shoulder. Guilt, despair, exasperation and disbelief tumbled through her freely, and she gave Kagome a little shake as the younger woman began to sniffle in earnest. "Gods, Kagome-chan, what were you thinking?"

"Same thing you were thinking when you fell for a guy with a curse," Kagome mumbled back, and Sango had to concede the point, even as she tried to think about the implications.

"Are you…will you accept him, whenever he asks next?" was the slayer's next question, and her heart fell further at the numb headshake. "But…"

"But what if we did and the curse got broken? We live in this place for the rest of our lives with no money, no education or records for anyone here, no way to deliver enough food for everyone, Kouga and Sesshoumaru breathing down our necks, my family sponging off us?" Kagome didn't mean to let everything go quite so sharply, but unlike in the treehouse, she couldn't seem to stop unburdening herself now. "And Inuyasha gets stuck with a consolation prize: his real love's face slapped on an annoying modern chick, for the rest of his life, however long that is with his brother after the land? I have no idea how any of this is going to work out, Sango-chan, and it's been eating me alive for God knows how long!"

"I'm so sorry, Kagome-chan…" Sango knew something had been bothering Kagome lately, but with all the fuss over Miroku, she'd just assumed that her friend would bring up anything important without having to be prompted. Her head drooped till it was almost resting on the mattress next to Kagome's. "Forgive me?"

"You haven't done anything, Sango-chan, and there's nothing for you to be sorry for." Kagome hugged her and lay back, drained by the outburst. "I try not to think about it, or the alternative. It's just not a fun situation either way."

"True." Sango stroked her hair, sighing quietly. "…About money, though…" Kagome raised her head. "If five hundred years have passed since we were last awake…well, nothing has been changed. Wouldn't a few of the sets of demon armor or older kimonos sell for a fair price?" She flushed at Kagome's blank look. "If it's a stupid idea, I apologize. I just thought-"

"Sango-chan, you're a genius!" Kagome almost tackled her, and Sango's exhaustion prevented her from breaking the fall entirely, so that they ended up in a laughing, tired heap on the floor. "I really should think about it more carefully, shouldn't I?" she said conversationally, climbing back onto the bed.

"Maybe you should, Kagome-chan." Sango didn't bother to cover a huge yawn as she slipped back into her futon. "But please tell me the next time you'll be out all night, or I really will tie you to a pillar."

"I know. Good…uh…morning, Sango-chan."

"Mmmmmm." The slayer was almost instantly asleep.

It began raining not long after they `snuck' back in, and to Inuyasha's relieved irritation, the general word amongst the servants was that Kagome-sama had probably had to save him again, from what, no one knew or cared; somehow, to his amazement, it was even agreed that this was a good thing, as no one knew what would happen if he died before the curse ended conclusively, and besides, it was amusing that the great and terrible Inuyasha would have to rely on a human female for protection. That one pissed him off, and Miroku had to patiently explain that this was also to their benefit.

"As I've said, Inuyasha," the monk said slowly, pronouncing the words carefully, as one would to a none-too-bright child or pet, "it means they like and respect Kagome-sama. It's obvious to everyone with eyes - that is, all but you and perhaps Kouga - that Kagome-sama likes and almost even respects you. Also, the fact that you are not invincible creates a favorable impression, once they cease to gloat over it."

"Still pisses me off," Inuyasha grumbled, propping his chin up and watching the rain patter the roof tiles out his window.

"Lamentable, but hardly uncommon." Miroku got to his feet. "Would you care to eat with the ladies, or are you going to stay up here and exacerbate the weather?"

Inuyasha grunted, and the monk bowed himself out with a little shrug. If the hanyou wanted to stay grumpy, well, Miroku had always rather liked the rain.

Boredom without any company and curiosity as to how Kagome was doing dragged Inuyasha out of the room soon enough, though. As he descended the steps, he caught the broken rhythm of running on the bottom floor and scowled. Damn brats need to learn some manners before I learn them for `em. Or…yeah. Besides, Kagome was probably still feeling down, and if the kids bugged her, she wasn't going to be much-

"Help!" The moment his feet left the bottom step, a pack of children came swarming at him, hard on the heels of a red-and-black blur that dodged behind him just in time to avoid-water?!

"What the hell?" The kids stopped dead, latecomers crashing into their quicker fellows, as Inuyasha raised a hand to swipe at his face. He glared up at the ceiling, failed to see any leaks, and glared at the children instead as they fell to their knees, postures slightly hampered by strange devices in their hands. "What the hell are those?"

"Water guns. See?" Kagome stepped out from behind him and held up a lumpy blue object like the ones the kids were holding. She aimed it away and pulled the trigger: he jumped slightly as water streamed out in a thready but strong line, then fell away. "We were bored, so I dug these up. We were having a water fight."

"The whole purpose of these is to get wet?" Inuyasha's nose wrinkled. He held out a hand. Kagome pressed the gun into it, directed his index finger to the trigger, and tried with little success not to snort as he sniffed it, turned it directly at his face, and almost squeezed the trigger. The children glanced up when he didn't speak further, just in time to see him catch himself. As they watched, he sniffed it again, letting it drift toward Kagome before suddenly firing.

"HEY!" Kagome belatedly held one hand up to block it and attempted to snatch the toy back with the other; Inuyasha easily held her off, eyeing the gun with more interest and squirting her again. "You-gimme that! I didn't say you could play, too!"

"Hmmmm…" Inuyasha raised the toy high above his head, and Kagome hopped for it in vain, hands just short of his. He quirked a smug eyebrow at her. "What if I don't wanna give it back? I think I'm starting to see the point."

The children gaped as one as Kagome crossed her arms, then suddenly stepped onto the staircase and made a valiant leap onto his shoulders, nearly wresting the water gun away. "Nuh-uh, wench," he grunted, twisting it away from her loose grip and switching hands, unfazed by her weight on his back. It was the work of moments to wait for her to lean over his right shoulder, then aim another shot at his back over the left, and she yipped indignantly, dropping to the floor with protests of gross unfairness, faking genuine pique till he bent close enough for her to grab the neglected toy and nail him right in the face.

The little altercation might've dragged on all afternoon if it hadn't been for the toy's minute capacity, and as Kagome caught her breath, it suddenly occurred to Inuyasha how they'd looked fighting over an empty child's plaything. He swiped at his face with his sleeve and gave the kids his best glare: their heads snapped back down towards the floor, but he had a feeling they weren't taking him too seriously. "If you're all done with your chores, go run around outside. You'll get wet quicker, plus you won't bug anyone." He smirked over his shoulder at Kagome. "Go dry off, wench." Most of the gun's water had ended up on her. She stuck her tongue out and headed for her room, winking at the nearest little girl she passed on the way. Inuyasha caught the girl's eye as he waved a dismissal. "You there, come here a second."

The knot of siblings and friends around her evaporated, leaving them alone in seconds. Gulping only a little and trying to remember what Kagome-sama had said about him not being likely to eat anyone despite what their mothers told them when they misbehaved, the child crept forward and bowed lower. Inuyasha hesitated, glancing around to make sure no one was watching, then grabbed the empty gun and crouched, holding it out. "Tell me, do you know how to refill this thing?"

At Kagome's suggestion, they ate dinner in her room with Miroku and Sango for a slight change of pace, and the conversation quickly turned to childhood stories. For all the unhappiness Inuyasha had thought her life had held, Kagome had a surprising store of anecdotes to tell, seemingly few of them anywhere as morbid as the one she'd so infuriatingly left off that morning.

"I don't know if you can imagine this," she said once they were done eating, all full and lounging around, sipping tea or sake. "But there he was, six years old, in his little soccer uniform-even children who play sports in groups all wear uniforms. He was completely in his own little world…" Kagome was already grinning despite herself. "He just kind of stood there by himself on the edge of the field while all the other kids were trying to kick the ball around, and for some reason…" She started giggling. "The little weirdo starts making these really loud noises, points to some flowers, and screams, `Fire!'"

"Fire?" Sango and Shippou repeated as one.

"Yep. With over fifty other people watching and absolutely nothing wrong with the flowers or with him besides an overactive imagination, Souta decides that the plants are all on fire, so he starts hopping around in circles and screaming his lungs out." Kagome buried her face in her hands at the memory. "Dad had to grab him off the field, drag him back to the car kicking and screaming, and ask him what was wrong. And Souta just looked at him, then picked his nose, held it up and said, `Look, Daddy, fire!'"

Discussion of the relative intelligence - or existence thereof - of small children and adults followed as soon as they were able to speak normally again, and Inuyasha was rather neatly diverted once again from asking about the story she'd started in the treehouse. In fact, it was several days before he was able to bring it up again, and by the morning Kouga strolled back in unannounced, it was only one of several issues he found vying for his attention.

A short but rousing argument the second Kagome declared their usual English lesson over for today sent her stomping back to her room and him out to glare at the forest, vaguely aware of a strange tightness in his skin but too irate to pay much heed. Stupid wench thinks she can spend all the time she wants with that stinking wolf and then tell me I'm the one who's getting touchy? He shifted restlessly. Is it just me, or is she avoiding me?

For once, he was correct on that score. Kagome deliberately left the room before Sango could return and went up to the second floor, wandering around the great, empty chambers. Stupid Inuyasha. She doubted the hanyou even remembered that night in the treehouse anymore; if anything, he'd seemed offended when she remembered and took any evident care not to touch him. Might as well give up. If he doesn't want me to and I don't want to, then…

"Good morning."

"I'm not in the mood, Kikyou." Kagome didn't look at the priestess, though she could easily sense that she was behind her and to her right.

"So upset from such a small thing?" She mentally tracked Kikyou's silent approach, determined to keep her apprehension buried. "Has Inuyasha lost his novelty to you already?"

"I said I'm not in the mood for this, Kikyou. And he's not a novelty, and you know it." Kagome forced herself to keep her eyes on a well-stocked weapon display.

"Oh?" There was that beat of drawn-out emphasis again. "He fails even to amuse you anymore, then? You're quite easily diverted."

Spite rose and weakened her resolve for the briefest of moments. "What are you getting at? If you're trying to trap me-"

"Into what? Confession? But that would imply wrongdoing." Kikyou glided closer.

Kagome thought desperately, mind settling on what seemed like a reasonable question-and maybe one that might throw the priestess off. "Tell me, Kikyou, why does Inuyasha's face change?"

The priestess stopped. Kagome detected the barest edge of caution in her neutral reply. "Does it change?"

"I think you know why, and not just his stripes. And I think I'd like to kn-"

Fury rose behind her, strongly but swiftly hidden and buried under the calm façade. Kagome realized, far too late, her big mistake: if she knows why it changes, then she probably knows when it changes, such as him being kissed…

Kikyou spoke tightly, slowly and calmly enough to give Kagome a chance to catch her breath. "Supposing I knew why, girl, why would I suppose you would have had a chance to discover the change-say, to his fangs?"

She does know, then. Well, no point beating the bush around now; coming from Kikyou, that was the equivalent to `Fess up and quit wasting my time, dammit. Kagome swallowed hard, battling down renewed embarrassment and guilt. "Maybe because they went away when I k…um…kissed him?"

Speaking as quickly as possible did not have the desired effect: Kagome nearly choked at the priestess's barely-controlled reaction. "Look, Kikyou, it was just an impulse I had! It wasn't like he came after me! Calm down!"

"You ignorant, self-centered child." Kikyou would have been clenching her teeth had she been alive to do so. As it was, the words were almost hissed. "Have you even tried to apply your feeble powers of deduction to your situation? Or shall I tell you directly that the fact that he even permitted you close enough to try is an insult to everyone concerned, much less his tolerance of your familiarity and his fangs receding?!"

Kagome had to swallow twice before she could speak, and only curiosity kept her at it against her survival instincts. "So what's it mean that they…"

"That he permitted it! Did you truly think a mere half-blood demon would have fangs that size? Or did you not realize the curse binds him more ways than one, and it was specifically made so that no woman in her right mind would even think of attempting what you so casually did on impulse? Even the wolf lord and the fox child knew that!"

Gulp. "So…they're not real?"

"They are his, girl. Don't be any more foolish than you already have been." Kikyou was `pacing' and making Kagome very, very nervous. "But your attempts to take all the blame are pointless, because if he had not accepted your `impulse,' you would have felt nothing more than what you usually see at his lips." She chuckled humorlessly. "I suppose he must have been as confused as you when he discovered what had started to happen. I don't believe it was deemed necessary for him to know about it."

"So it only happened because…?" Because he liked it? Kagome's face burned. Oh. But… "Why? If he's not supposed to be able to kiss anyone, why bother doing the fang thing? And if that's not normal, wh-"

"You should know as well as anyone that the rules of the curse make little sense. I would only surmise that it was added as an afterthought, perhaps to let someone or something know if Inuyasha grew too serious in his courtship." She felt Kikyou shrug. "It matters little. I will speak to Inuyasha about it soon enough."

"No! Leave him alone!" Kagome whirled around, shaking her head frantically at the empty room. "Don't pull this crap on me now!"

Naturally, there was no answer. Kagome heaved a long sigh and headed downstairs, wondering if there was anything to be done for damage control. It's not even lunchtime yet. Damn, this is gonna be a long day…

A/N: Ugh. Feel very very not-good…suspect bug acquired from paternal unit. (Thanks, Dad.) And I keep noticing that ff dot net likes to hack out tiny chunks of sentence here and there…I'm too anal about grammar and punctuation not to have noticed, but I'm also too lazy to try reuploading entire chapters for the sake of one newly created run-on sentence. (It always happens at key parts, too…) Another chapter up as soon as my head turns right-side up again, I promise…