InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Beneath It All ❯ A Competitor, A Confession ( Chapter 13 )

MS- Another chapter, another insanely late update.

(Sobs) This lowly Misera is sorry!!

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On better news, Beneath It All has been nominated to be Dokuga's 2nd Quarter 2.0's Best Alternate Universe Story.

Thank you all who nominated this lovely story!!!

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Enjoy this chapter!

--- Edited by Infinite Silence

Beneath It All
MiserablySweet

Chapter 13 - A Competitor, A Confession

Previously...

"Who are you?" Bankotsu asked and stepped in front of Sesshoumaru and Kagome, blocking the male's view of them.

"Me?" He pointed a finger at himself. Bankotsu nodded. The black clad male smirked and replied, "I am her boyfriend."

Present...

'This... can't be happening,' Kagome groaned warily. She had no idea who the guy, rather handsome guy, was in front of her. He was introducing himself as her boyfriend! 'This can't be happening!' She heard the hushed gasp from Sesshoumaru. She was scared, no horrified, that he would misunderstand the situation. It really wasn't the fact that she might enjoy spending time with him. It was that she doesn't like to be involved with rumors, gossip and mainly troublesome misconceptions.

"Sesshoumaru, it's not how he says it is. I don't even know him!" Kagome shrugged out of Sesshoumaru's arms and stared him in the eyes. 'He has to know the truth,' She was convinced that misunderstandings between her and Sesshoumaru was not a smart idea. Before Sesshoumaru could even register what Kagome had said, a strong arm wrapped around her slim waist from behind and pulled her back. Kagome's heart skipped a beat. Who was that was holding her?

"Now now, my precious Kagome. What misunderstanding? You've agreed to date me since we were in Kindergarten together," the stranger donned on a charming smile and brushed the side of her jaw. Kagome gasped and attempted to wriggle out of his warm grasps.

"Please, I don't know you," Kagome sounded rather frantic and scared. Her voice came out as a hushed whisper. She didn't want to be in his arms. Definitely not. Even if she knew him, she would never go as far as to hug a man in public. She was conservative and discrete... somewhat.

Bankotsu and Sesshoumaru picked up on Kagome's distress through her voice. Sesshoumaru had, had enough. First, he was taken by complete surprise and was kneed in the gut. Now this man, no boy, in front of him claims to be Kagome's lover. 'Impossible,' Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes dangerously at him. "I suggest you release Kagome now. Or else," Sesshoumaru flexed his fists.

Sesshoumaru had no idea why he was so possessive over Kagome. He never thought in his whole life he'll fight over a woman. Then again he was never the one to fight, but he was not one who will back down from a challenge. And that stranger was challenging Sesshoumaru to his limit.

"Or what?" The chocolate eye male smirked arrogantly. He slowly released his grip on Kagome. Who in return dashed out of his reach and into the safe arms of Bankotsu.

"Are you alright, Kagome?" Bankotsu looked at the frightened girl in his arms. Kagome nodded. She wasn't scared of him. No, that wasn't it at all. From the look of those two, Kagome could tell there would be a fight. Over her. 'Why?' Kagome questioned. She was scared that she had caused all this trouble for everyone she had just met. She didn't want any of this. She never planned to have a boy claim himself as her boyfriend, or a group of extremely handsome males to be her friend. All she wanted was to keep Souta in her care until he was old enough to take care of himself. 'Is that too much to ask for?'

Kagome held her breath when she saw a sudden emotion flash through the black clad male's features. It was a raw, unrestrained emotion to fight and win. She looked over to Sesshoumaru. He too, had a very determined look on his face.

"Are you challenging me? " Sesshoumaru sneered at the over confident teen.

"Yes, " the stranger replied. It was a simple and short answer, it was all the stranger had to say before setting Sesshoumaru's temper off.

"You look pretty confident that you'll win, " Sesshoumaru stiffened his body, readying himself to react when needed to.

"Oh, I know I'll win. I'll beat you and make you look like a fool and then I'll take Kagome as mine again, " the black hair male grinned with great arrogance.

"She was never yours. You won't win, stand down, " Sesshoumaru kept his body on heightened senses. His eyes stared down at the shorter teen, daring him to make a move.

"What makes you think I can't beat you? From the looks of it, you don't look very strong, " the stranger taunted. He was more than sure he'll win, nothing can stop him from defeating the overly arrogant silver hair teen.

The rest of the group stood silently as they spectated their converstaion. Kagome's body grew rather numb and cold with every reply they exchanged. `Did it matter who will win or not? Why is there a fight anyway?' She blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to think why in the world would they fight in a place like this. No matter how hard she try to think of a reason, it wouldn't come to her.

"Bankotsu, why do they look like they're about to fight?" Kagome asked her friend with a frightened whisper. "Is… Is it about me?"

"Partially. That guy challenged Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru never backs down from a challenge. The fight that's about to happen is no longer about you, but about their pride and strength. Whoever wins will be the strongest one between the two, " Bankotsu swallowed hard. He wasn't worried for Sesshoumaru's well being. He was convinced Sesshoumaru can take care of himself. What Bankotsu was worried about was their Principal. `What will he think of this?'

"Aren't you going to stop them?" Kagome whipped around to face Bankotsu with her frightened eyes. Bankotsu shook his head,

"Sesshoumaru wouldn't appreciate it."

"No..." she whispers. She didn't want to see Sesshoumaru fight. She didn't want to see anyone get hurt. She's never witnessed a fight in her entire life, and she wasn't going to break that today. "Stop," Kagome wanted to yell out for them to stop. But her fear consumed her body, seeping into her very core, her voice was above a mere whisper.

'Please, stop...' Kagome silently begged. Her eyes widen dramatically when the two males charged at each other. The distance between the two was a good sixty feet apart, with each step they took the distance between them slimmed. The window of opportunity to stop them was closing, quick. Kagome swallowed her fear, she can't allow this to happen. This started with her, and now it'll end with her. She darted into the closing distance of Sesshoumaru and the stranger. She ignored the frantic call of Bankotsu. She ignored the sudden gasp and cry of Sesshoumaru and the strange male for her to get out of their way. The two well built males attempted to slow down their speed. But their momentum was too fast, it was too late.

Kagome clenched her eyes shut, she knew the impact was going to come sooner or later. She just prayed it wouldn't be horrendously painful. That second of collision seems like minutes to Kagome. She awaited the impact and watched through squinted eyes. She silently prayed for a quick, sharp pain followed by immediate blackout.

`Here we go…' Kagome clenched her eyes shut and her body tensed, preparing itself for some form of massive pain. Kagome's mouth shot open as the two teens collided into her. The pain was unbareable, she was unable to make a sound due to the sheer force of the two teens. Her body was like a cushion in between the two males. The unknown male slammed into her back, and Sesshoumaru from the front. The impact was strong enough to knock the air out of Kagome's lungs and send them quivering into shock. The pain was short lived, she blacked out immediately; just as she hoped would happen.

Everyone watched with baited breath as Kagome's small frame crumbled onto the concrete floor.

"Oh my freaking god," Miroku swallowed nervously. All he wanted was to finish his time quietly, hoping not to be sent to the Principal off again. He felt the pit of his stomach churn and twist in fear. He knew his Principal had something special planned for Kagome. If the Principal finds out about this, they would be punished all over again. Miroku shook his head to clear his selfish thoughts, 'Her health is our first priority now.' He looked over to Bankotsu, whose body was visibly shaking in shock. "Banko, we need to check over Kagome. Kouga, call the ambulance," Miroku spoke as calmly as he could at the current situation, but it came out rather shaky and unsure.

Bankotsu nodded numbly, "Yeah." Miroku was right, Kagome's health was definitely the cause for concern. She was just released from the hospital. Miroku, Kouga, Bankotsu and Inuyasha rushed over to the two strongly built teens hovering over Kagome's body.

"What do we do?" the stranger panicked and slid his hand under Kagome's limp form to try to haul her up. "Maybe we should lift her up," his hoarse voice raked against the heavy tension in the small group.

Sesshoumaru snatched one of the stranger's wrist before he lift her body up, "No. It's better if she remains on the ground until the paramedics come."

"Why?! She needs to get up!" The male in black attempted another try to haul Kagome's body up. Bankotsu quickly grabbed his shoulders and squeezed it firmly. The male in black instantly released his grip on Kagome and stared at Bankotsu with a deadly glare. "What was that for?"

"What she needs is to stay down until the paramedics arrive. We don't know if her ribs are broken, if they are... Moving her might puncture her lungs," Miroku's firm eyes never left the stranger's chocolate orbs. 'I don't know who you are, but you have no authority to order us or Kagome around,' Bankotsu narrowed his eyes ever so slightly in distaste. He had no idea whatsoever who he was. But he knew Kagome would tell them, if not them, then just him if she had a boyfriend, and he didn't trust the stranger one bit.

"The ambulance is on it's way," Kouga flipped his cell phone and stuck the device in his pocket. He wasn't too worried about Kagome to be honest. If she survived the fire that nearly killed her several weeks ago, she can get past this. What he was worried about was the familiarity of the teen in front of him. For some odd reason, this wasn't their first time meeting each other.

The stranger ran his hands through his bangs, brushing them to the side. "Well, what do we do now? We can't just sit here and wait for her to die!"

Sesshoumaru was confused. He sensed sincerity in the stranger's voice. Was it possible he really did care for Kagome. Or, he really believed he was Kagome's boyfriend? 'Impossible,' Sesshoumaru shrugged away those ludicrous thoughts from his head. He looked down to Kagome. Her body was still and quiet, except for her ragged breathing. "Is it possible her ribs were still damaged from the prank, Bankotsu?" He questioned his best friend, concealing as much worry from his voice as he could.

Bankotsu on the other hand, was shocked by the sudden question. But that made him think, "It is possible. We don't know for sure. All I know is that she told me she was released with a clean bill of health."

Sesshoumaru shook his head, "It takes longer than a week to mend a broken rib, doesn't it?" This was not looking good for Kagome at all. It was highly possible the rib that she broke while falling down the stairs might've broken again.

"Wait, what? Prank? What prank?" The black hair teen sensed something. 'Why was her rib broken in the first place? How did they know that it was broken... What prank?' He waited patiently for the group to answer his question. They looked at him with an annoyed expression and turned their attention back to Kagome. He tried again, this time louder and angrier. "I said, What Prank?!"

Bankotsu's patience was as thin as a sheet of paper for the stranger. "We scared her down a flight of stairs covered in red paint and nail polish remover. She slipped and fell and broke her rib," he kept his answer as short as possible without giving out too much. He knew he used the term 'we' instead of they. It didn't matter, they were friends. He hoped after this answer, the stranger will be silent until help comes for Kagome. But little did Bankotsu know, that answer has set off another flame.

"You son of a bitch!" The stranger launched himself at Bankotsu. Who in return scoffed.

Bankotsu was one of the best kendo and martial art fighter in the whole school. In fact, the whole group was the top five fighters in martial arts, self defense and kendo artists, with Sesshoumaru being the best. But the stranger didn't know that.

"I can't believe-" The stranger lunged his fist towards Bankotsu's cheek "- you bastards would do something like that." Sadly, his attack missed. Bankotsu simply dodged his advances and avoided hitting the emotion driven teen. "I can't believe-" The teen attempted to launch another set of blows, each one missing by a hair, "- Kagome had to go through all that pain!" With each missed blow, the teen got angrier and more determined than he was before.

"Enough child's play and keep quiet," Sesshoumaru tossed his annoyed opinion over his shoulder. He heard enough of the stranger's sincerity towards Kagome. He didn't want to hear it anymore. What he did want, were answers. Answers only the strange teen can give him and to Kagome as well. He was convinced Kagome was just as surprised as he was when the stranger claimed to be her boyfriend.

Bankotsu nodded in acknowledgment. He waited for the next fist the black hair male threw at him and he snagged onto his wrist. "Enough is enough. Fighting will only upset Kagome when she wakes up."

"How do you know?!" The stranger glared at Bankotsu with as much animosity he could muster. But it didn't phase Bankotsu one bit.

"She's hurt and unconscious because she didn't want to see you and Sesshoumaru fight. Is that enough proof for you?" Out of spite and anger Bankotsu swung the stranger's arm away from his face with great force. He watched with bittersweet triumph when the stranger's shoulder slumped and looked away in defeat. It was true after all.

The group heard the siren of the ambulance not too far away from them. But a louder sound of an car engine drowned out the siren.

"Oh no..." Inuyasha gulped. His body was suddenly stricken with fear. He knew the sound of that engine. It could mean no other than...

"INUYASHA!" A feminine shriek sounded through the enormous school yard. A well dressed, black hair teen stomped up towards Inuyasha with fury and fire burning in her eyes.

Inuyasha's body grew numb and unresponsive, "Hey... babe..." he mustered sheepishly. It was all he could manage to say.

"Don't you 'babe' me, Inuyasha. I told you I hate being called that. What is the matter with you? You were supposed to meet me at my house an hour ago!" Kikyou jabbed her manicured finger in Inuyasha's chest.

"I was busy with the cleaning!" Inuyasha gathered up his courage and shouted out his answer. It was a little too loud for his girlfriend's comfort.

"Are you yelling at me? How dare you?! Wait until I ..." Kikyou stuck her head out and stole a glance behind Inuyasha. 'Hey, I know that girl.' Kikyou saw Kagome laying listlessly on the ground. "What's wrong with her?" It was a miracle for Inuyasha, and the rest of the group's ears. Kikyou's scolding can really send you to hell.

"She's unconscious," Bankotsu answered. He for one, was not scared of her one bit.

"Ane-ue (elder sister)," the stranger bowed his head slightly to Kikyou. Who in return gasped, and suddenly squealed in happiness.

"Naraku! When have you returned from Japan?" Kikyou embraced her adopted brother with loving arms. She always loved him as her little brother, whether he was adopted or blood related to her. Her heart nearly broke when he had to go to Japan with her father when he was in kindergarten. 'Oh how I've missed you!' She admired her little brother's handsome face. Kikyou saw regret and pain swirl painfully in his chocolate orbs. She was instantly alarmed, "What's wrong Naraku?"

"Kagome... she's hurt because of me," Naraku solemnly nodded to Kagome on the ground.

"What... did you do exactly?" Kikyou was somewhat skeptical that Naraku cared about the girl he just met.

"I saw this guy hurting Kagome. I went to stop him and somehow Kagome didn't remember me at all. It was weird, that's for sure. The guy challenged me, and we were about to fight but Kagome came in between us and... got squished." Naraku briefly explained to Kikyou.

"You're Kikyou's brother?" Bankotsu questioned with wonder. Naraku hesitantly nodded. He was still a bit wary of Bankotsu.

"How do you know Kagome?" Miroku couldn't help but repeat the question.

"I will tell you all when Kagome is awake and safe in the hospital," Naraku firmly stated. He didn't want to tell them anything. Kagome, was the first person who he wanted to remind who he was.

Kikyou sighed dramatically. "Well, it seems like the ambulance is here," she noted at the blaring siren and the flashing lights. Kikyou turned her attention to Inuyasha, "Honestly, Inuyasha. What do I have to do to keep your hands off of a girl when I'm not around?!"

"What?! No! This time it wasn't me! It was Sesshoumaru and your stupid brother!" Inuyasha pointed at Naraku. "It was his fault this time. Why the hell do you always think I'm cheating on you?!" Inuyasha raised his voice louder and louder. He had enough of Kikyou accusing him day in and day out. Was she that insecure?

"Maybe because you give me something to accuse you of," came Kikyou's silent whisper. She hated the loud sirens, it racked her brain into pieces. And she hated Inuyasha's attitude towards women. She's had enough of her boyfriend. She reached over and grabbed Naraku's wrist softly and pulled him away, "Come little brother. We're leaving." With that said, Naraku cast a final glance at Kagome's body before silently following his elder sister to her car. It was not wise to provoke a hurting woman.

Inuyasha stared at her retreating figure, 'What is she talking about?' His eyes never looked away for a second as the paramedics swarmed in around the group to help Kagome into a gurney. His eyes were glued to the spot where Kikyou stepped into her car and drove away. 'Does... this mean we're over?'

-0-0-0-0-0-

"How is she, doctor?" Bankotsu worried over his new friend. He was still a bit confused as why he cared for Kagome so much, but it was not a time to think about such trivial matters.

"Considering she was just released from the hospital from her previous injuries," Dr. Masuyo pushed his glass further up the bridge of his nose. He had a solemn look on his face. 'When will these kids learn? She may recover now, but the injuries like these can cause fatal problems when she's grown old...'

"Dr. Masuyo?" Bankotsu urged the doctor to continue. He held his breath. He prayed Kagome had no fatal injuries.

"Let's just say, Kagome is like a daughter to me. Her grandfather has been my patient for a long while now. If anything happened to her... it will not be one life, or two lives. But three lives on the line. I pray you boys will be careful with her. These repeating injuries are taking a toll on her already stressed body," Dr. Masuyo paused shortly after his small speech. He took in their somewhat guilty faces and sighed, "She is fine, except for a few bruises around her chest and below her back shoulders."

Sesshoumaru let out the breath he was holding since the doctor came into the room. He understood what the doctor was trying to say. He readily agree to it too, but... what happened was out of his control. It was never planned. He... He felt a surge of jealousy and anger when the stranger claimed to be Kagome's boyfriend. But the main question was; why?

"Thank you Dr. Masuyo, we'll make sure she will be safe from now on," Bankotsu escorted the expereinced doctor out of the room.

"You know. Kagome's going to freak when she realizes she's in the hospital again," Kouga joked and folded his arms in front of his chest. The response to his joke was two pairs of eyes glaring at him, another pair of eyes staring into space and another pair looking at him with confusion. "What? I'm just trying to lighten the mood. Tough crowd." Kouga scoffed and headed out of the room. He felt rather unappreciated at the moment and wanted to do something to lift up his mood. 'Maybe flirt with some hot nurses,' he smirked. Miroku caught on his smirk and promptly followed his friend out of the room.

Bankotsu sat at the edge of the hospital bed. He look a quick glance at his best friend who was sitting there like a rock. "Sesshoumaru?" He was worried for his childhood friend. He hasn't been acting like himself ever since they met Kagome. Could Kagome be the cause of all this commotion? "Sesshoumaru, are you alright?"

"Yeah," Sesshoumaru whispered in a monotone voice. He was obviously in deep thought over something. However, Bankotsu didn't know about. But he dare not ask what it was about. Sesshoumaru might seem cool headed most of the time, but Bankotsu knows better. Sesshoumaru can raise hell if someone pushes him to the edge. It was almost like the look on Sesshoumaru's eyes when he was facing Kikyou's brother.

'Can it be?' Bankotsu felt he was coming to an odd conclusion. He glanced around the room to see if Inuyasha was still around. Surprisingly he was nowhere in sight. 'Maybe he left a while ago?' Bankotsu shook his head and directed his attention back to Sesshoumaru and Kagome. 'Well, it's now or never.'

"Hey Sesshoumaru, can I ask you something?" Bankotsu placed a warm hand on Sesshoumaru's should to snap him out of his thoughts.

"What?" came Sesshoumaru's icy response.

"I don't know how to ask this but," Bankotsu felt a sense of deja vu coming. It was like asking Kagome the same question. Will his friend deny it too? Is it even wise to ask Sesshoumaru while he's so grumpy?

"What is it Bankotsu?" Sesshoumaru bit out in annoyance. He wasn't in the mood to wait for his friend to ask him a question that might not have anything to do with him. But then again, Bankotsu was never the one to waste time. "What is it Bankotsu. Spit it out already."

"Do you like Kagome?" Bankotsu blurted out after Sesshoumaru urged him to tell him the question faster. He watched Sesshoumaru's eyes widen slightly, then squint, and close for several seconds before opening them once more. Sesshoumaru looked at Kagome with confusion swirling in his eyes. "Well Sesshoumaru? Do you like her?"

Sesshoumaru was silent. He didn't know how to answer that question. He wasn't sure of the answer himself. All he knew was that Kagome, was different from the girls the group hung out from time to time. "I don't know," Sesshoumaru responded honestly.

"Well Sesshoumaru, that's quite an answer," Bankotsu laughed softly, "it's quite different from Kagome's answer."

This caught Sesshoumaru's attention, "You asked her if she liked me?" Sesshoumaru felt his heart skip a beat. 'What the hell?' It was uncalled for. His fingers felt tingly, like a thousand tiny needles poking him endlessly. He felt his neck grow hot and sticky, was it him or the room was getting hotter by the second?

"Yep." Bankotsu smirked. 'So he does care after all. My my my Sesshoumaru, you are only denying your own feelings.'

"Well? What was her answer?" Sesshoumaru pressed on. He really didn't know why he wanted to hear her answer. Subconsciously he hoped Kagome liked him. With that answer, he can convince himself she was a witch and put a spell on him. 'What?' he questioned himself for that stupid thought. He scoffed and threw the idea aside. Sesshoumaru wanted to know. Maybe her answer will help him decide whether or not he should like her or give her up to Naraku.

"I can't tell you, Sesshoumaru. You'll have to ask Kagome yourself," Bankotsu didn't want to play matchmaker. He just wanted to know why his friend was acting this way. And well, he got his answer. It was Kagome. Plain and simple. 'Well, there's nothing simple about her,' Bankotsu shook his head softly with a smile on his face.

Sesshoumaru grunted in frustration, "You're impossible. You know that? I can never get any answers from you."

"Yes, I know. But I want an answer from you," Bankotsu pointed at Kagome's sleeping face and wagged his finger vertically. "Do you like Kagome?"

"I told you, I don't know," Sesshoumaru was getting frustrated all over again. He really didn't know. All he knew, honestly knew, was that he didn't want to give Kagome up to that stranger. He would rather not acknowledge his name.

"It's simple, I'll give you what I think if you answer my five questions with honesty. Unless, you can't handle it," Bankotsu challenged his best friend. His friend never backed down from a challenge for as long as he knew him. It was a good fifteen years of friendship since they met in Kindergarten when they were both four.

"Go ahead," Sesshoumaru arrogantly replied. 'What do I have to lose anyway?' Yes, testosterone can be a very tricky hormone.

"Would you give Kagome to Naraku? As in, let them become a couple?"

"No," Came Sesshoumaru's sharp and quick reply.

Bankotsu smirked 'One point to Like.' He nodded and asked Sesshoumaru his second question, "When you kissed Kagome, did you like it?"

"Which one?" Sesshoumaru asked and regrets it immediately. He heard Bankotsu's gasp. Sesshoumaru mentally scolded himself. His friends never knew about the kisses Kagome and him shared other than the elevator kiss and the forced kiss in the schoolyard.

"Wow Sesshoumaru, how many did you even share with her?" Bankotsu was rather shocked to hear that question from Sesshoumaru. He wanted to pat his friend on the back and say 'Well Done,' but who knows how he'll react.

"Is that another question?" Sesshoumaru grimly retorted. Bankotsu shook his head in response.

"You didn't even answer my second question. Did you enjoy the kisses you shared with Kagome?"

"Yes," came Sesshoumaru abrupt answer. "Wait, No." Sesshoumaru paused again, "... maybe..."

"Well, which one is it Sesshoumaru. That was three answers," Bankotsu didn't want to admit it but, he enjoyed seeing Sesshoumaru with his composure down. He was like any other babbling fool without his mask.

"My answer is... maybe," Sesshoumaru concluded. Bankotsu nodded, 'Another point for Like.' It was obviously true Sesshoumaru enjoyed kissing Kagome, somewhat at least. He just didn't want to admit it. 'That's two points for Like, zero for Don't Like. Oh Sesshoumaru, I wonder how you'll score.'

"My third question, The moment you heard Naraku say he was Kagome's boyfriend, were you jealous or angry?"

'That is a good question, I was... angry... and jealous,' Sesshoumaru furrowed his eyebrows. He wasn't sure were Bankotsu was going with this, but he can tell Bankotsu was taking in every second of amusement from this as he could. "Both. Jealous and Angry."

'Ah-ha, Three points for Like,' Bankotsu nodded to himself, 'I wonder how he's going to take it?' He shrugged softly and began his fourth question, "What would you do if Naraku really kissed Kagome before you stopped him?"

"I wouldn't let him kiss her. I'd stop him in time," Sesshoumaru responded confidently. "Bankotsu, what does this have to do with anything?"

"You'll see, Sesshoumaru. But there's one more question I want to ask you." Bankotsu waited for Sesshoumaru nod and asked his final question. "Would you take her on a vacation?"

"What?" Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, "What kind of question is that?"

"Just answer it," Bankotsu stood up on his feet and walked to the couch. He sighed softly as he leaned back against the soft couch and waited for Sesshoumaru's answer.

Sesshoumaru was taking his sweet time thinking over this question. Would he take her on vacation? 'What kind of stupid question is that? I mean, sure if she'll go. If he means would I pay for her vacation, then yes... why not?' Sesshoumaru sighed, he had no idea where Bankotsu was going with these odd questions but hey, like he said before, what harm can it do? "Yes Bankotsu, I would."

As if on cue, Kagome stirred in her sleep, catching the attention of Sesshoumaru immediately.

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome mumbled softly under her breath. Where is she now?

"You're in the hospital. What were you thinking? Are you sick in the head? Have you stressed yourself out so much that you'll throw your body in danger? What the heck is wrong with you?!" Sesshoumaru yelled out the last question. Kagome narrowed her eyes dangerously at Sesshoumaru.

"No! You! You, stupid, rich.. idiot! I was trying to stop a fight!" Kagome sat up on the hospital bed and glared down at Sesshoumaru. Who, in return, stared at her with twice the anger she was directing to him.

Bankotsu chuckled softly to himself, "Five Points..." Unknowing to Sesshoumaru and Kagome, he has formed a plan to bring those two stubborn idiots together. He sprang up from the couch, "I have to get going. I'll leave you two alone." He then walked over to Sesshoumaru and brought his mouth to Sesshoumaru's right ear, "Just for the record Sesshoumaru. You like her." Bankotsu whispered as softly as he could. He didn't wait for his friend's reaction and immediately left the room.

Sesshoumaru's body stiffened, "What?"

"What?" Kagome glared at him with resentment. She didn't like him too much at this moment. She wakes up sore and groggy, and he throws all these questions at her. And worse yet, he yelled at her for no apparent reason! 'Gah! Men,' Kagome huffed to herself and folded her arms in front of her chest and looked the other way.

Sesshoumaru blinked several times in confusion, still shocked from Bankotsu's response. He looked at Kagome and subconsciously asked himself, "I like you?" How did Bankotsu know when he didn't know it himself?

Kagome's breath hitched in her throat, "What?" she whispered. Her head swirled like a whirlpool in a middle of a raging typhoon. 'What the heck did he just say?!'

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Misera - WEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! SHOCKA BABY SHOCKA!

(giggles) sorry for my childish behavior, but I couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear while writing the last portion of this chapter.

I'm so sorry for the late update, it's a long story and I rather not write it for public view!

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Please review!