InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Divine ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

A/N: I'm so sorry about taking so long! The computer has been having trouble starting up and it's only recently been fixed. That and all the studying for exams I've been doing has taken a lot of my time - but hopefully now that the computer's alive again, I won't take so long next time. I feel so bad about the wait!

Divine

Chapter Two

"But when a young lady is to be a heroine, the perverseness of forty surrounding families cannot prevent her. Something must and will happen to throw a hero her way."

Jane Austen "Northanger Abbey"

Ah hah… there she is!

Kagome broke out into a gentle jog across the school's playing fields. "Ayumi!"

Aforementioned girl started as if someone had shot at her with a sniper rifle. Her expression turned stricken when she saw Kagome trotting towards her. "Oh… Kagome-chan…" Standing beside her, Yuki and Eri gave each other 'here we go again' glances.

Kagome arrived beside them, only mildly out of breath. "I wanted to ask you something…"

"Um… maybe later, Kagome-chan?" Ayumi tried to smile, but simply wound up looking incredibly pained. She shuffled her feet uneasily. "I need to go borrow some notes off Hojo-kun and-"

"Then I'll be quick." Kagome brushed aside her obvious attempt to get out of the conversation.

"But I really have to get those notes before he goes home." Ayumi shuffled a little more.

Kagome shuffled after her. "Hojo wants to walk me home today - you and I can go meet him together… after I've asked you my question."

"Actually… I think my mother is having a go at me for not doing my homework by myself so I better not borrow his notes..."

"Alright then. So you and I can talk now, right?"

Yuki and Eri stood motionless by the sidelines, their eyes following the conversation between Kagome and Ayumi like watching a ball at a tennis match. Ayumi looked extremely nervous, fidgeting with a curly lock of her ebony hair, probably feeling very cornered.

"Don't look so scared," Kagome smiled at her reassuringly. "I only wanted to ask why you ran away so quickly after reading my palm last Monday." It's been driving me insane ever since!

"Oh… um…" Ayumi perked up slightly and beamed. "I saw my watch and remembered my doctor's appointment. That's all."

Kagome looked at her blankly. Ayumi was lying to her. "Ok then… do you mind if you read my palm now?"

"Oh Kagome-chan…" Ayumi went back to looking like a cornered mouse. "I don't know. The lunar cycle isn't very good right now and my powers of foretelling are a little hazy, so-"

"It's a full moon tonight." Kagome interrupted. "The lunar cycle has never been better."

Ayumi giggled nervously and this nervousness translated over to Kagome. Why was Ayumi so determined not to read out her fortune. What was so terrible in her palm that it couldn't be uttered aloud?

"Come on, you don't really believe in fortune telling, Kagome-chan." Ayumi tried to cajole her. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

Yuki sighed loudly from beside them both. "Jeez, you two are terrible. Ayumi - tell Kagome her fortune before her blood pressure gets to high, and Kagome - when she's done that, try not to play cat and mouse with her."

Eri just nodded as if this was reasonable.

Kagome turned back to Ayumi with a flourish. "There you go - just tell me my fortune and I'll be on my way."

Ayumi still seemed reluctant, and slightly wan. "You won't like it…"

"Oh it's not like I'll take it seriously, anyway." Kagome shrugged and waited.

For a moment, Ayumi just stood there uselessly, chewing her lip in indecision and shuffling her feet incessantly. Then finally she seemed to toughen up that bottom lip and lifted her chin. Without a word she grabbed Kagome's wrist and tugged her away from their other two friends who were left behind, looking stunned. Kagome followed her until they drew to a stop, out of earshot of the others.

"Ayumi-chan…?" she questioned softly.

Ayumi remained determined, but slightly saddened now. "Don't say I didn't give you fair warning…" Then she stepped closer and put her lips to Kagome's ear… and whispered her fortune for Kagome alone.

When she'd said what she'd needed to say, she stepped back and looked across at Kagome timidly. "Well…?"

Kagome didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She decided to laugh, just for the Ayumi's benefit. "Well… that's so silly!" she laughed lightly. "I don't know where the stars have been looking - but they couldn't be further from the truth!"

"It's true that the readings aren't always accurate…" Ayumi said slowly. "But… yours was such a strong reading…"

Kagome shrugged. "Ayumi-chan, there's nothing to worry about. I'd know about something like that… you must have read wrong - or perhaps my palm can't spell properly."

Ayumi looked a little better. But still worried.

An awkward silence pressed down on them.

"Well…" Kagome resisted the urge to rub her itchy palms as she back away from her friend. "I better not keep Hojo waiting… so I'll see you tomorrow." Or not, considering there was a strong chance Inuyasha would be back again tonight to try and persuade her to return with him.

She tried not to think too much about him… just the thought of how he'd tried to persuade her last night was still playing havoc with her heart.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then." Ayumi waved back at her and turned to head off towards Yuki and Eri. Kagome kept her fixed smile as she turned heel and moved in the opposite direction. The moment they couldn't see her face, her expression turned tragic. With a muffled groan she clapped her hands over her face and fought the urge to scream.

"I'm so dead…" she whined to no one in particular.

If Ayumi had foretold this at any other time, Kagome really would have been able to laugh it off and say it was nonsense. But after some rather strange and recent events… Kagome couldn't be so sure anymore. She didn't know how to react. She didn't know what to do.

After all… what did you do when your best friend told you that you were destined to lose your virginity by the end of the week?

Apparently, Kagome only had three days of chastity left.

"Are you ok, Inuyasha?"

The Hanyou twitched slightly and merely grunted in reply to Sango's question. He'd been sitting in his corner of the hut, away from the quaint little fire and the pointless small talk of his companions, all evening.

To be honest, he was feeling spectacularly paranoid that day… after what he had done with Kagome the previous evening. What if she'd been awake? What if she'd woken up after he'd left and figured it out? What if, what if, what if? He was almost too scared to face her… not after what he'd done when she'd slept. Perhaps his conscience would be easier if she had been awake. At least then it wouldn't have been called 'taking advantage of'. When she slept she was defenseless. It was his official duty and responsibility to protect the bearer of the Shikon jewel - and his personal duty to protect Kagome. What kind of protector took advantage of the protect-ee?

I'm scum…

Not only had he done a Miroku on her, but he'd then jerked off in her own well-house. What kind of animal was he?

Answer: A dog. A simple-minded mutt with only one-thing on his mind - the bitch in heat. Not that Kagome was in heat or anything… and even when she was in heat, she went through it very quietly. For some reason human females didn't seem to have any intention of letting their males know when they were fertile… Inuyasha could pick it up with his nose, but it was no way near as strong as a canine or youkai heat. The only difference between a fertile Kagome and a non-fertile Kagome was the mild fundamental shift in her scent… and perhaps she was slightly more agreeable with him when she was fertile… she also liked touching him with every opportunity - however casually - around that time of the month.

That time had yet to come round… although it wasn't too far off. She usually went into her mild human 'heat' a day or two after the full moon.

"Inuyasha, did you have another fight with Kagome-sama." Miroku queried innocently.

Were they still trying to talk to him? When would they get it through their heads that he was antisocial? He didn't want to talk.

"You better go and make up with her before she decides the seal the well and never come back." Shippo said doggedly, peering at Inuyasha suspiciously. "Whatever you did this time, you better make it up to her."

"What? I will not make out with Kagome!" Inuyasha gasped, totally outraged by the perceived suggestion.

Shippo hopped to his own defense. "I said make UP not OUT!" he yelled back.

"…oh…"

Sango chuckled lightly as she idly stroked the fiery feline that sat in her lap. Kirara purred in response. "Either way, Inuyasha, you should probably go back and fetch her. Even if you did argue, you should know that a girl likes to know that you care enough to come and see her even if it isn't to apologize."

"Really…?" Miroku glanced over at her, probably expecting that this would soon be his source of tips on women.

"Forget it." Sango bit out at him.

Shippo carried on scowling at Inuyasha. "So… are you going to go see her."

Inuyasha shrugged them off his case. "Maybe later."

"See you tomorrow, Hojo-kun!" Kagome called cheerfully as she sent him on his way with a pleasant wave. As soon as he was around the corner she started up the steps towards the shrine and her house, allowing herself to finally chew her lip anxiously.

Ayumi's little prophecy had her a little worried, admittedly. If Inuyasha hadn't accosted her in bed the other night, she wouldn't have been so worried. But now that she'd been told that her virginity would be lost to her within three days… she was a little scared. Not only that, but Ayumi had warned her that something terrible would happen as a result.

If something terrible happened because she had paired with Inuyasha… she wanted to avoid it at all costs. Oh, and she didn't really want to lose her innocence yet.

She hadn't really thought about something as drastic as that last night. She'd been caught up in the moment, as it were, reveling in the knowledge that Inuyasha really did want her…

Kagome had been too happy and frankly, too stunned, to think as far ahead as actual sex… although she doubted Inuyasha's mind hadn't wondered that far.

Kagome forced herself to laugh as she reached the top of the stairs and headed towards her house. It was a silly fortune read off her palm - she'd had those lines on her hand for as long as she could remember. Surely the exact time of her ascension into womanhood wasn't marked down on her palm for all to see?

Besides… all she had to do was avoid getting into any kind of situation with Inuyasha for the next three days and she would be fine. When the week was up, she'd know for sure that her fortune was false and she wasn't in any predetermined danger of losing her chastity. Then she would rest safe in the knowledge that she wouldn't end up as a teenage mother.

Simple.

Now all she had to do was avoid the kind of situation that would lead to sex!

Scenario #1: The Abandoned House

"Mama! Souta! Grandpa!" Kagome shouted as she kicked off her shoes inside the front door. "I'm home!"

There was no reply. Frowning slightly, Kagome wandered through the hall to the living room. The television was switched off, meaning Souta evidently wasn't home. She pattered into the kitchen next and was mildly surprised to find her mother wasn't bustling around with the washing up. Pushing aside the drapes and peeping out the window, Kagome realised that her Grandpa wasn't even outside sweeping the steps.

"That's strange…" Kagome turned back to look around the kitchen… and that's when she saw the note on the table, pinned underneath a towel-covered bowl of Oden.

Kagome resisted the urge to eat now and ask questions later, and so went over to pick up the note.

Dear Honey,

Your Grandpa, Souta and I have all gone to Eiko-chan's house to stay the night. No reason. We just felt like it. A spur of the moment, if you will. Anyway, we thought you would probably be going back to the Sengoku Jidai tonight so we didn't bother telling you before hand. Here's a bowl of Oden for your supper and there's a few packs of ramen for your canine friend from the well, if he comes visiting.

Have a nice time and hopefully we'll see you in a week or two?

Lots of love,

Mama

Xxx

"Jeez… I can sure feel the love." Kagome rolled her eyes at her family's flighty tendencies as she dropped the note back down and took her bowl of Oden over to the microwave for a quick zap. Afterwards she sat down at the table and reread the note as she dipped into her meal.

One particular line made her choke on her food.

…ramen for your canine friend from the well, if he comes visiting…

Kagome stared at the note, reading over that line at least a dozen times before the direness of her situation finally hit her.

"Oh… no…" She set down her spoon shakily and sat very quietly in a the still house.

This was terrible! Here she was in an empty house with no family due to arrive back until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest… there were no particularly close-by neighbors. Being stuck in a house beside a Shrine tended to set her home apart from the rest of the neighborhood.

And if she was stuck in the house all by her lonesome - then what would happen when Inuyasha came to pick her up?!

Stuck in a house… alone with Inuyasha…

This was how her palm had divined that she would lose her virginity. In Kagome's mind, she had completely tossed aside the fact that palm reading was a very inaccurate pastime. In Kagome's mind there was no other conclusion to being in an empty house with Inuyasha…

Kagome and her innocence were doomed…

Glancing at her watch she began to panic. It was beginning to push six o'clock which meant that Inuyasha would be arriving some time between now and midnight if she knew her Hanyou as well as she thought she did.

Leaving the rest of her Oden in the dust, Kagome made a mad dash out the kitchen and up the stairs to her bedroom. She hauled the yellow bag from beneath her bed and threw it on the mattress. Then she unceremoniously began tossing all the odds and ends she needed for a trip to the past inside it, not pausing to pack properly. She was too desperate to get out of her empty house to organize herself.

When all was done she tugged the pack onto her back and set off downstairs again, mentally chanting a small simple prayer inside her head. Please don't let him arrive yet, please don't let hime arrive yet, please don't let him arrive yet!

She was just rushing past the kitchen when she screeched to a halt and remembered something vitally important to her 'survival'.

Ramen.

If Kagome ever found herself in a sticky situation with Inuyasha (she cringed at her choice of words) she could just throw the ramen one way and run another. Inuyasha would choose ramen over sex any day. Hopefully.

I can't believe I'm getting so worked up over a silly fortune that probably isn't even true… But still, Kagome couldn't quell the panicky feeling inside her chest. For some reason she just knew it was true. For some reason she just knew the stars were plotting against her this week and would end up doing something with Inuyasha that she would probably regret. Not that she would regret it in the bad way… but there were so many complications that could arise from something like that. Right now there were too many strings attached to them both… if they went rolling around together those strings would bring many a bad situation.

The first one being Kikyo.

Stop it! Kagome hissed at herself. She could see where this might turn into a big depressing debate about Kikyo or Kagome's place within the love triangle… but she didn't want to go there. She had to concentrate on getting out of the house and into the company of her usual companions before Inuyasha caught her alone.

Although, if something terrible were to happen after she lost of virginity, Kagome was willing to bet on the Shikon that Kikyo would have something to do with it. It was either her or Kouga and Inuyasha attempting to behead one another.

Armed with one seal cup of ramen in hand and half a dozen more in her backpack, Kagome went to the front door, slipped on her shoes, and quietly slunk out of the house. It was still quite light outside and she darted quick looks around the Shrine grounds to make sure she really was alone before making a beeline to the well house. She was unstoppable! Right at that moment, no force on earth could have stopped her mad dash for the abandoned structure -

Unless…

Crash!

Something shattered against the patio behind her. Kagome's heart leapt into her throat with a painful thud and her feet staggered to a halt. Whipping around she opened her mouth to call his name - to keep him at bay or to simply stall for time.

But it was Buyo who blinked back at her. He sat on the kitchen's window sill, having just completed the task of pushing off a pot of Mrs Higurashi's favorite daffodils to make room for his lardy behind. He gave a very cattish yawn and lay down with his toes tucked beneath his chest.

"Oh thank god…" Kagome pressed a hand to her pounding chest. That had nearly been the death of her…

Gathering her wits together with a small sigh, she headed off to the well house again, slightly less jumpy than before. She slid the old door open and stepped into the dank interior, closing the door behind her in case Buyo was tempted to stalk after her and give her another heart attack.

Kagome peeked down into the well cautiously. No Hanyou. Good.

Carefully, she swung her legs over the side and then dropped down…

…And not for the first time while she fell, she wondered anxiously if the well would even open for her. She had experienced the previous panic of what it felt like to be stuck on one side of time with no way to get through… stranded…

But it was a split second panic that passed the moment the warm light engulfed her and she knew she was on her way…

She touched down on the ground gently and immediately looked up. Sunlight streamed through. She was back in the Sengoku Jidai and out of her abandoned house.

She almost cackled at her own genius. Let's see if Inuyasha can get me laid now! She thought as he climbed up the ladder and popped her head out of the top.

"Kagome!"

Her foot slipped on one of the wooden rungs of the ladder and she nearly slipped straight back into the well - and into the future for that matter. Her hands clapped over the rim of the well to keep herself from falling as she gaped with a stricken face in Inuyasha's direction.

The feeling looked mutual, judging by how pale Inuyasha had suddenly gone.

"Inuyasha…" she found her feet again and pulled herself up a little. "Hi…"

"I was… just coming to get you…"

Dodged a bullet there, old girl. Kagome smiled slightly as she pulled herself out of the well, pack and all. But she couldn't help but feel she'd fallen straight into another risqué scenario.

"I was getting worried…" she said lightly. "When you didn't come to collect me last night I thought something terrible must have happened."

Some of the tension eased on Inuyasha's face, and she realised with a sneaky feeling of triumph, that he must have been worried that she'd figured out what he'd done. Part of her felt like gloating and torturing him slowly with her information… but then she remembered the fortune and realise it would be in bad taste… and might end up giving them both the wrong kind of ideas.

"We should probably get going to the village. It'll get dark soon." Kagome reminded him. Not that it would get dark for at least another couple of hours - giving them plenty of time to walk back to the village. It wasn't like the dark had particularly ever worried them either… wondering around at night wasn't so bad when the most dangerous creature for miles was walking alongside you, usually talking about ramen.

"I guess." Inuyasha shrugged. He seemed a lot less worried now and even smirked at her. "Glad to see you've finally got it in your head to return to us."

Kagome gave him an incredulous look, feeling herself relax. "Inuyasha… if you'd just hold your horses and stop being so impatient with me, you'd eventually find that I always come back whether you want me to or not."

"Keh…"

Kagome grinned at his rolled eyes and toddled after him as they started back towards the village. It looked like everything was going to be alright after all. Maybe that fortune had been a fake after all?

But then Kagome's foot caught under a root and all ideas of relief were shot to hell.

Scenario #2: The 'Innocent' Fall

Kagome screamed as she pitched forward, unable to free her foot as she went down. Inuyasha turned belatedly and watched as she hit the ground with a thud. "Well that was clever." He commented.

"Ouchie…" Kagome winced as she felt pain shooting up her left leg. Her ankle was still caught under the root at a very awkward angle. She'd twisted it. She lifted her chin to glare at Inuyasha. "Thanks for catching me there, by the way."

"You're the one who should be watching where you put your feet - not me." He shot back.

Kagome gasped in both exasperation and discomfort. "Whatever… just give me a hand, will you?" she stretched out her hand to him.

He took it and began pulling her up - too quickly for her poor, injured ankle. "Wait, wait!" Kagome yelped, making him freeze. "Not so hard… I think I sprained my ankle."

"Oh for fuck's sake…" He grumbled, but eased her up more carefully, mindful of her foot. Kagome hissed in pain and let her bag slide off her shoulder and onto the earth. Inuyasha was urging her towards the evil tree that had tripped her up in the first place. "You'd better sit down."

Kagome didn't bother protesting… her ankle was throbbing in pain. She just slung onto his shoulder as he lowered her down with her back against the trunk. Once seated between the gnarled roots, she was mildly surprised when Inuyasha pulled her injured foot towards where he was kneeling and began to take her shoe off.

"What are you doing?" she asked in mounting panic.

"Taking your shoe off." But at that point he was already pulling her sock off.

"But you don't need to-" the sock sailed through the air and she simply sighed and sat back. "Never mind…"

Inuyasha was inspecting her ankle with great attention, careful not to touch it. "It seems ok…"

"What are you talking about?" Kagome gestured at it. "It's already swollen!"

"Is it?" Inuyasha blinked at it.

"What, did you think I just had fat ankles?" Kagome glared at him. When he didn't reply she was tempted to boot him in the face, injured foot or not. But perhaps he wasn't answering for reasons other than shame… because that was when Kagome noticed how tenderly he was holding her foot.

One hand was softly resting against the bridge of her foot, warm and surprisingly gentle. The other hand was placed a little higher than her ankle, but his strong fingers were moving slowly against her skin. Kagome was mesmerized by it, as was Inuyasha. She didn't even think to stop him when his hand moved, seemingly with a mind of its own, further up her leg to hook underneath her calf… still moving in that tender caress. She could feel the tips of his iron-like claws running over her flesh, making her spine tingle and a warm fluttery feeling develop in the pit of stomach.

It was no longer the attentive touch of someone testing an injury… this was something else entirely. Besides, Inuyasha's attention was no where near her ankle anymore as his hand smoothed up her calf towards her knee.

Kagome had no mind to stop him. Her mind was blank with stunned surprise, she could only watch helplessly as his hand moved to the top of her thigh. Her breath was getting shorter and shallower, as if the further her got up her leg, the less air she was able to take in.

The pad of his thumb chafed her inner thigh and Kagome almost started to realise how similar this was to the previous night when she had feigned sleep while he'd touched her, oblivious to her consciousness.

Kagome lifted her chin sharply to look up into his face, and the movement of her head caused him to look up at the same time. They were both locked in a speechless gaze… but something powerfully and utterly dangerous was pulsing between them. They'd both been caught in an age-old spell between a male and a female, admiring each other and needing to be closer.

But… the fortune came back to weigh heavily on Kagome's mind and she found herself pressing her legs together and shying away. She had three days to survive as a virgin and then she'd know that there wouldn't - or shouldn't - be any dire repercussions.

Which meant no naughty situations with Inuyasha till Monday.

"Or maybe Tuesday to be sure…" She blurted.

"What?" Inuyasha blinked, pulling his hand back.

Whatever spell that had lain between them was now shattered.

"Uh… nothing…" Kagome shook her head.

Standing up, Inuyasha took her hand and pulled her to her feet - or foot - flamingo style. He cleared his throat. "I'll carry you back." Yet his voice remained slightly strained.

Kagome watched him collect her shoe and sock, then her pack, before crouching down before her. "Get on." He said tersely.

Again, Kagome didn't protest as she slipped onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck as he stood up again.

On Inuyasha's back, Kagome always marveled at how strong and lean he was. Being draped over his back gave her a good idea of all the planes and muscles of his body from his shoulders to his waist. Maybe his hair got in her face a lot, but more the excuse to discreetly bury her nose in it and breathe him in. He smelled worldly, like he'd been everywhere and picked up the scents to prove it. Kagome picked up the sweet forest in spring, the crisp snow of winter, the faint spice of smoke from the evening campfires they shared and even the earthy smell of rain and rivers.

Kagome let her forehead fall miserably against his shoulder as they passed by the Goshinboku tree.

Hell… I'm not going to make it till Monday if this keeps up.

>TBC<