InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Freedom of Choice ❯ Bad Habits Die Hard ( Chapter 5 )

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I had *gasp* EXAMS!!!!! But now I'm back! So enjoy!

Disclaimer: Sadly to say, I don't own Inuyasha

Translation:

Miko: priestess

Hanyou: half-human, half-demon

Jii-chan: grand-father

Nee-san: older sister

Baka: idiot

Osuwari: sit command that Kagome says to subdue him

Tetsusaiga: The name of Inuyasha's sword, for those who don't know. ^_^

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Chapter 5: Bad Habits Die Hard

Inuyasha woke up by the sunrays beating down on him from above while he slept on a tree near the village. He had decided to sleep in a tree and not in the hut because of Kagome. He didn't know if he could handle himself any longer with Kagome so near and her scent lulling him to sleep. However, he also was afraid that she would notice that one of her pictures was missing. But, in the end, she didn't find out and he even fell asleep in the tree. He cursed himself out-loud. He knew he calmed down whenever Kagome was near, because then he knew she was safe.

He stalked over to the hut, but he knew something was wrong. Then it hit him like a tidal wave. Kagome's scent was missing. He ran the rest of the way and burst into the hut.

"Where's Kagome?" He nearly shouted at the rest of the group that was preparing for breakfast.

"She left to go home for a couple of days, just a second ago to collect more supplies." Miroku calmly stated at the enraged hanyou.

Inuyasha growled at them and stormed out of the hut before leaping into the trees and making his way to the Bone Eater's Well. He spotted Kagome sitting down on the well with her feet dangling into the well, just ready to jump.

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha shouted at her. She turned towards him with a shocked look and then a smile crept onto her face making Inuyasha almost want to forgive her, the keyword being almost. He stomped towards her until he was directly in front of her. He pulled her up so she was standing on her feet and he crossed his arms and glared down at the miko in front of him.

"Hey, I was going to tell you, but when I found you, you were sleeping so peacefully, that I didn't want to disturb you." She told him.

"Feh!" He snorted at her. "You aren't going back for a couple of days, WE'LL get the supplies and be back in an hour."

"Inuyasha! I'm not going to see my family for some time now, since you probably won't let me go back regularly and I don't want to wear my school uniform anymore." She yelled out making Inuyasha's ears flattened against his skull.

"I don't care!" He shouted back, trying to pick her up and take her back to the village.

"OSUWARI!" She screamed out as Inuyasha pummelled towards the ground.

"WENCH!" He yelled out before he had time to think. As soon as it was out, he regretted it. He turned his head towards Kagome to see her teary eyes.

"Kagome! I'm………" He began, struggling against the rosary.

"Save it Inuyasha!" She shouted before she jumped into the well.

Inuyasha got up after the spell wore away and looked towards the well. He crawled over until he was facing into the depth of the well. A pained look crossed his face until a scowl replaced it. Suddenly, Inuyasha whammed his head on the edge of the well repeatedly.

"Stupid, baka, shit-head, bastard………." He cursed himself repeatedly until he was dazed. He rested himself against the well, his back to it as he stared up at the cloudless sky above. He pulled the picture of Kagome out of his haori and admired it.

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Inuyasha's POV

`I'm so stupid. I can't believe I actually said that. I guess the saying that Kagome says sometime is true, `Bad habits die hard.' But I haven't said that to her in over a year and she hasn't `sit' me in a long time too. So, it's her fault to begin with.'

`…………………'

`What am I saying, it was my fault. I was being selfish! Since we became good friends, whenever she needed to go home I would let her, so why all of a sudden did I not want her to leave? Is it that it hasn't been even a day since I saw her? I mean, she just got back………'

`But what she said was true. Since she doesn't have to go to that sc-h-ool thing anymore, she'll be staying here longer and won't see her family in weeks. I should apologize. She already cries for me, I don't want to be the person who makes her cry by saying stuff to her. Ya, that's what I'll do.'

I stood up and placed her picture delicately in my red haori. I glanced back into the woods wondering if I should tell the others where I am going, but shrugged it off. They probably ALREADY knew where I'm going. Bunch of lousy, good for nothing friends.

I turn back towards the well and jump in hoping MY Kagome would forgive me, that and hope she wasn't crying, which was a hopeless wish.

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Normal POV

As soon as Kagome reached the security of her room, she locked the door and cried into her pillow. She couldn't believe Inuyasha had said that. She knew he didn't really mean it, after all she knew bad habits died hard. However, it still hurt when he said that. By this time, she had stopped crying and was staring at the bedroom ceiling.

She loved him, she knew that, but she wouldn't tell him because he loved Kikyo and she didn't want to ruin their friendship. She had made a promise to follow him and to be with him and she wouldn't back down from it. She only hoped that Inuyasha didn't go to hell with Kikyo. She winced when she thought of that. But it suddenly dawned to her that they haven't been running into Kikyo lately. It had been many months since they all last seen her.

Come to think of it, when they did meet her those many months ago, Inuyasha wasn't his usual `Oh Kikyo' self and chasing after her.

"Maybe he doesn't love her anymore. Maybe he loves m…………no, we're friends, but what about the ear petting?" Kagome murmured to herself, before a smile crept across her lips.

Suddenly there came a little knock on her window. She knew it was Inuyasha, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to face him, even if he said it by accident. It still hurt her. The knocking continued until an unusual voice was heard.

"Kagome?" A pained and regretful voice asked. Kagome gasped out-loud. She had never heard Inuyasha talk so much in pain. She pulled open her curtains and opened the window. She had to will herself not to cry. Inuyasha had a regretful look on his face. His eyes flashed with remorse, pain and regret and his white ears were flattened against his skull.

Kagome flung herself onto Inuyasha, her arms around his neck in an embrace. Inuyasha stiffened at first in shock, before he returned the embrace, his arms going around Kagome's waist.

"I'm sorry." Kagome whispered to the hanyou.

"Sorry? I'm the one who should be sorry. I was being an ass again." Inuyasha's soft and gentle voice said to Kagome. She looked up into Inuyasha's golden eyes and saw relief flashing through his eyes. She smiled through her tears when all of a sudden a clawed hand gently wiped them away. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes in a comfortable silence until Inuyasha broke it.

"I'm sorry for calling you that. I didn't mean it. I never really meant it the other times either." Inuyasha said.

"I know Inuyasha, I forgive you." Kagome stated as she buried her face into his haori. Inuyasha blushed at her close proximity, but didn't say anything since it somehow felt right, her in his arms. Once Kagome realized the position she was in, she reluctantly left the warmth and stepped away staring intently at the floor, willing her blush to go away.

A clawed hand reached up under her chin and lifted her head up to meet golden eyes. She lost her self under the gaze and looked into Inuyasha's soul. It was like she was finally home and that she felt she belonged there. His soul was battered, she knew, but she also knew she could fix it.

Kagome suddenly noticed that her face, as well as Inuyasha's face, were getting close together.

`He's gonna kiss me, my first kiss!' Kagome thought as she closed her eyes and leaned forward. Inuyasha mimicked his love as he bent down. Just as they were centimetres apart, there came a rattling of a doorknob, followed by disruptive knocking.

"Nee-san! The door's locked. Mama says to come down for lunch. Nee-san did you hear ME?!" Kagome's now thirteen-year old brother, Souta, shouted in the hallway.

Kagome managed to tear herself from Inuyasha and also managed to find her voice.

"Ya, I'm coming!" She said to her brother nicely, though she was cursing to him in all the curses she knew, courtesy of Inuyasha himself. She stopped with her cursing in her head and realized that she had picked up his bad habit of cursing. She inwardly groaned at this. He had rubbed off on her, not that she minded though. She realised that it meant they had been with each other for a long time.

She turned towards the hanyou to see his red face and realised what they almost did. Her face suddenly looked like a replica of a tomato.

They didn't talk for a couple of minutes, each yelling at themselves mentally for being so stupid and trying that. They quietly prayed that the other wouldn't bring it up, not now while they were still embarrassed of almost being caught.

If the door wasn't locked, Souta would've walked in on them………well almost kissing and would have ran off to tell Ms. Higurashi and jii-chan.

Kagome and Inuyasha didn't know what Kagome's mom would of done, but they knew what her jii-chan would of done.

He would have `tried' to exorcise Inuyasha and then Kagome, claiming that a demon had possessed her. Then he would `try' to pull Inuyasha into the well and `try' to seal it with his ofunda.

They both grimaced at that thought as it crossed their minds. They looked at each other and noticed that they had a similar look on their faces. They busted out laughing at the realization.

"Jii-chan." They both managed to say as they fell to the floor in their laughing fit.

Once they had calmed down, they sat side-by-side, content that they weren't uncomfortable around each other after that weird experience. They knew that their friendship had suddenly changed somewhat, but didn't bother to discuss it now since they were happy. They would talk about it later, but not now.

Kagome reluctantly got up. Inuyasha looked at her as she turned to him and held out her hand.

"Let's go get some lunch!" She said cheerfully. He put his hand onto Kagome's and got up. They walked out of the room, their hands clasped together in companionship………………..or more than companionship, one would say with the side looks they were giving each other when the other wasn't looking at each other.

Once they had reached the dining table, they quickly let go, not to arouse any suspicion and panic, in the case of Kagome's jii-chan.

They settled themselves to eat lunch, Kagome's jii-chan giving a grunt to Inuyasha. Ms. Higurashi was much warmer to Inuyasha's presence, greeting him kindly. Souta as usual was admiring his hero and was asking tonnes of question to the dog demon and to everyone's surprise, he answered them patiently, even jii-chan was in shock.

Kagome couldn't help but smile proudly at her hanyou. She knew that after three years, Inuyasha thought of her family as his family. Her family had gotten to know him and greatly accepted him as part of the family, even jii-chan sometimes.

Though jii-chan wouldn't say it to anyone, he admired the dog demon and was happy that he protected his granddaughter so well. He understood that Inuyasha had a rough childhood and wasn't looking for any pity, so he wasn't going to give him any. Plus, he had to make sure that Inuyasha was worthy of Kagome's affection and heart. Yes, though he was old and probably senile, he wasn't a complete fool. He knew that Kagome was in love with Inuyasha, so of course, being the man of the house, he had to find out if Inuyasha was worthy of Kagome's love. However he had to admit the hanyou was doing a good job. He always protected her when she was in danger and because of Inuyasha, his granddaughter had developed her miko powers greatly. He was happy to know that when he passed away, his granddaughter would be capable of taking care of the Sunset Shrine. He silently thanked the dog demon and went on about his lunch.

After lunch was over Kagome and her mother went to do the dishes, their grandfather went to meditate, and Inuyasha was dragged by an enthusiastic teenage boy to play something called video games. So all in all, a normal occurrence in the Higurashi household.

Inuyasha and Kagome decided to stay the night and go back tomorrow to resume their journey of collecting jewel shards. As they settled themselves for the night in Kagome's room, Kagome on the bed and Inuyasha by a nearby wall, they couldn't help but reflect on that almost kiss they had. They were both too shy to talk to the other about it and decided that they would deal with the consequences later.

With that settled they got ready to sleep.

"Goodnight Inuyasha." Kagome said to him, even though she couldn't see him. When there wasn't a response, she turned towards the wall with a frown on her face. Then ever so softly as she began drifting off to sleep, a voice spoke out quietly, though Kagome heard it as plain as day.

"Goodnight Kagome."

With that she fell into a blissful sleep, a smile playing at her lips.

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Inuyasha's POV

When her breathing evened out I knew she was fast asleep. I wondered if she heard me when I said goodnight, after all she was almost asleep by that time.

I got up from the wall I was residing on with a pillow and blanket and silently crept towards Kagome. I leaned over her to see the smile that she had while she was sleeping. I couldn't help it if a smile graced my lips too. Figured that she heard me. I shook my head and gently stroked her hair as she slept. (A/N: Not in a weird way people, inu is not some crazy pervert) I noticed what I was doing and pulled back my hands as if I had burned them. If I had waked Kagome up, there would either have been hell to pay or an awkward silence. I really did not want that.

I took one last look at her before dragging myself to the wall. I placed the pillow between my head and the wall and the blanket around my body. I fell asleep with a smile on my face, hugging my Tetsusaiga.

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A/N: Hoped you enjoyed that! Watch out the next chapter or so for the return for Sesshoumaru and Rin! LOL! If anyone wants me to add some Sango and Miroku fluff, say in your review!

If you have any suggestions, just add it in your review!

R & R PLEASE!

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