InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Gen-Ex ❯ Challenges, Challenges ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

Chapter 3: Challenges, Challenges

`Run!' InuYasha thought desperately as he looked into Kagome's determined face, `Run away, now!'

But he couldn't move. He was captivated by her fiery blue eyes and the intriguing lure of her scent. So he sat there, like an idiot, eyes wide.

"I am such an idiot!" Sango opened up the tent flap and started to crawl in, "What made me think that Miroku was-" She suddenly noticed that Kagome was not alone in her tent. That she, in fact, had her face very close to the person she was busy not being alone with. "S-sorry Kagome, I didn't know you had company."

She blushed and attempted to back out of the tent, and situation, as gracefully as possible.

"Sango! Wait!" Kagome lunged from InuYasha to grab her friends arm, "The coolest thing just happened!"

"Hey!" InuYasha hissed, "Keep it down! You'll get me caught!"

Sango allowed herself to be dragged into position next to Kagome, facing InuYasha.

Kagome grabbed her flashlight and turned it on, facing it at the opposite wall. It reflected off of the fabric and cast a dim gray/green light on Kagome, Sango, and InuYasha, who was now wearing a sour look. He was about to comment that this was not a freak show when Kagome turned to Sango and whispered, "Sango, this is the guy that pulled me out of the well and carried me to camp, this is InuYasha!"

Sango stared openly at the annoyed young man in front of her. When Kagome told her who he was, she allowed herself to make a mental checklist. Yes, this boy had long white hair and golden reflective eyes, and dog-ears. She couldn't see if he had fangs, and his arms were crossed in a way that prevented her from seeing if his had claws. All in all, he could pass for the legend, if you toned it down a bit.

"Keh!" InuYasha turned his face away from the girls, angry, embarrassed, and unsure of what he should do, "What are you looking at?"

Kagome elbowed Sango in the ribs, "InuYasha, this is my best friend Sango. She's a big fan of yours." Kagome paused and looked thoughtful for a moment, "So… InuYasha, are you a youkia?"

"Am I a what?" InuYasha whispered harshly.

"Legend says that you're a youkia." Kagome explained, "Sango and Miroku believe that you are a youkia. So now that you're here you can tell us yourself."

"I'm not a youkia." InuYasha said indignantly.

"Well I guess that ends that, huh Sango?" Kagome smiled widely.

"Sango, wait I'm sorry I-" Miroku had followed Sango and was now entering the girls tent to apologize when he saw them staring at InuYasha, "That's- that's" he stammered, "is that InuYasha?"

"Yeah, he's the one that saved me and then he brought my jewel to me, and I almost killed him!" Kagome turned back to InuYasha, "Are you sure you're ok? Here let me see."

InuYasha tried to protest, but before he could, Kagome had his chin firmly in the grip of her graceful fingers. And, just like when she had been stroking his forehead before, he tingled where her skin met his and electric shivers ran throughout his body. He had not been in direct physical contact with a human in a long time.

She turned his head to get a better look at the ugly bruise that had grown on his temple. "I'm sorry, that must hurt."

"I'll live." He whispered. He tried to sound tough, but the sensations caused by her closeness, and simple human touch, was effecting him greatly.

Miroku stumbled fully into the tent and leaned precariously toward InuYasha on his hands and knees, "You're InuYasha." He whispered.

Sango rolled her eyes, "I believe we've established that, Miroku. At least that is who he claims to be. And he says he's not a youkia."

"Not…"Miroku looked at Sango, one hand out stretched as if to touch the frowning white haired youth, "not a youkia? Then what is he?"

"Miroku!" The girls cried.

InuYasha scowled at Miroku's hand. This is what he was waiting for, now they would reject him, make fun of him. Maybe worse, maybe they would expose him.

"What?" Miroku asked, he looked at the scowl on InuYasha's strangely foreign face, "If he's not a youkia, how does he do those things the legends say he does?"

"They've probably been exaggerated," Kagome put her hands on her hips, "like I've said all along. Now will you stop stalking him?"

"Yeah, yeah," Miroku withdrew his outstretched hand and used it to wave at Kagome dismissively, "I'll stop… if, if he proves to me that he's not a youkia."

Kagome ignored Miroku, and turned to face InuYasha again. InuYasha was trying to leave again, so she reached out and pulled him back, "I told you your not going anywhere yet."

"Like you could stop me bitch." InuYasha roughened his already rough voice.

"I just want to thank you properly, that's all." Kagome gave him a hurt look, "Please don't let Sango and Miroku scare you off. They've just dedicated the last five years to discovering youkia, and you. They don't mean to be rude, they don't mean to hurt your feelings. Please, don't leave yet."

InuYasha paused, "I wouldn't let them hurt my "feelings". What do you want to do? To "thank" me."

Kagome froze for a moment, she couldn't just let this boy that had saved her life disappear into the woods again. Not all alone and so… bitter. An idea struck her and she grasped franticly at the tent floor around her knees, her hand soon closed around her rose crystal sphere.

"Here." Kagome crawled on her knees until she was right in front of him. She held out the hand holding her crystal, "The chain is broken, but I want you to keep this."

InuYasha stared at her open hand, "Why?"

"We're friends." Kagome said, "It's good for your heart, and I want you to remember that you have a friend."

"Why are we friends?" InuYasha asked.

"Because you saved my life." Kagome replied, "Because you haven't run away yet. I know you could if you really wanted to, so that means something. I want to get to know you. InuYasha, I want you to take the jewel, my arms getting tired."

"Keep your jewel, you love it." InuYasha turned away.

"It is kinda girly Kagome." Miroku spoke up.

Kagome sighed and cast her friend a glance, "Fine, then just keep it for me until I can find you something more appropriate."

"Take the jewel InuYasha." Sango urged.

"What makes you think I want to remember you?" InuYasha was slowly retreating. They weren't reacting right.

"… I don't know, I just don't want to let the chance to know you slip away." Kagome lowered her hand sadly, "you seem… interesting."

"… So you want to be my "friend" because I'm a freak?"

"Well, it does make you more interesting then the boys at school." Miroku looked up at the slanted ceiling.

Sango hit him on the back of his head.

"Um, kind of." Kagome dipped her head shyly, "But you have lived on a mountain your whole life. And that's interesting, and you did save me. Why is this so hard for you to understand?"

InuYasha looked at the girl kneeling in front of him and shrugged. It's not like he'd ever see her again anyway, she lived in a city. So he grudgingly took the crystal from her hand, "Whatever."

Kagome smiled brilliantly at him.

"Well, I hate to be the one to put an end to this wonderful moment," Miroku spoke up, "but the guides will be patrolling the camp periodically. And I, for one, do not want to be caught in a girls tent."

InuYasha grunted in reply and the boys crawled out into the forest.

"Good night, InuYasha," Kagome whispered after him, "come back and see me before I leave."

"Feh." InuYasha replied and jumped straight up into the trees.

Miroku and the girls looked up trying to see where he went, but as soon as he was on a branch he was gone.

*

Kagome yawned as she followed the others up the path towards the hermit's cottage. It was only just coming up on mid day but she had spent most of last night thinking about InuYasha. Had he spent his whole life on this mountain? Was he really the InuYasha from the legends? How many legends were true? How had he ended up here in the first place? What about his parents? Mostly she just wanted to see him again. He seemed like a nice person. Kinda… lonely, like he didn't want to be lonely anymore.

"Hey, Kagome," Kouga startled her out of her thoughts, "about the other day… I'm sorry for leaving you like that. I didn't think you'd try and get it your self. You're usually less… stupid."

"Yeah, I've heard that before," Kagome said dryly, "thanks."

"So," Kouga folded his arms and tried to look casual, "I figure I owe you for losing you your crystal, and leaving you to get hurt like that. Maybe, when we get back to the city, I could take you to lunch and we could figure out how I can make it up to you."

"It's alright Kouga," Kagome was looking into the woods to the side of the trail wondering if InuYasha was following them like she expected he had been before, "everything worked out. Don't worry about it."

Kouga searched Kagome's face when she gave him a distracted smile, "Are you Ok Kagome? You seem out of it."

"I'm fine Kouga." Kagome sighed. A lot of people had been asking her that today. "I just didn't sleep well last night, that's all."

Kouga nodded and walked off to talk his with friends. Sango and Miroku fell back so that they were with Kagome.

"Kaio says that we should reach the cabin in a few minutes." Miroku said, "That's the cabin where InuYasha was supposed to be raised by the old man!"

Kagome leaned toward him with narrow eyes and whispered, "Why are you excited about this? After last night I thought you would have had it out of your system."

"Now it's even better!" Miroku whispered excitedly, "Sure he's not a youkia, but we get to see the birth place of a legend! A real life living urban legend!"

"Shut up Miroku!" Sango whispered fiercely, "We don't know anything, remember?"

"Look we're here." Kagome pointed up to the front of the line.

Up ahead there was a small clearing with a small, neat cabin, with its back up against the trees on the other side. All the windows had shutters closed tightly over them, and there was a porch around the front.

"Before any of you ask," Kiao stood on the first step and addressed the group that was piling up, "This is the old hermit Monks cabin. This is thought by many to have housed InuYasha. If you believe that sort of thing. This cabin and the clearing around it has a real… um, mystical, history. So listen up-"

Kaio continued to tell the long history behind the clearing that lead up to the cabin being built, and a holy man taking up residence a couple hundred years ago. But Kagome wasn't interested in the ancient history. She was more interested in the resent inhabitant. Since she was in the back of the group it was no problem for her to slip around, unnoticed by anyone, to the side of the building.

She was looking for an open window; she wanted to know if InuYasha really lived there, if he still lived there. And what it was like for him if he did.

There were no windows on the side of the building so she continued around the back.

"What are you doing here?" InuYasha growled.

Kagome spun around alarmed, and put her back to the wall. InuYasha was leaning against a tree a few feet away. His long white hair was tied back; he wore a broad rimed hat with a baggy crown and large dark sunglasses. Last night she couldn't see the clothes he was wearing but now he was dressed in thick, dark green pants and a matching, many pocketed, jacket, just like Kaio and the other guides. Under that he wore some kind of off white shirt, and he was barefoot.

He was giving Kagome an angry look and had his arms crossed in the sleeves of his jacket.

Kagome looked up at his hat and took few steps toward him, "Is this your cabin? Do you live here?"

InuYasha saw were her eyes were focused and ignored her question. "Their still there." He turned his face away from her.

"I… I just, isn't that uncomfortable?" Kagome motioned to the hat.

"It's not that bad." He looked back at Kagome. He twitched his ears and the loose fabric moved slightly.

Kagome let out a nervous laugh, "I'd… like to see them."

InuYasha turned away again, "You saw them last night."

"No, I didn't." Kagome took a deep breath, "It was dark, even with the flashlight I didn't really see them. I'm sorry if I offended you…. I don't know how to talk to you."

"Then why try?" InuYasha snapped.

"Because you're here." Kagome explained. She didn't really know why herself.

InuYasha didn't know why he hadn't left yet either. Or why he couldn't stop talking to her, "You didn't offend me." He pushed away from the tree and faced the cabin, "I lived there, with the old man. Until he died. Then his grandson, Kaio's brother, came and lived there with me, he died too. Everyone that meets me dies."

"I'm sure that's not… fate or anything." Kagome said. "Did you live here with Kaio after that?"

"No." InuYasha gave the wall a hard look, "I could take care of myself then. Kaio stays there sometimes, when he's up here. I stay there when the weather is bad. But I stay out side mostly."

"you really are wild." Kagome giggled, "I'm sorry, about your family."

"I don't need your pity." InuYasha sneered.

"I don't pity you, InuYasha." Kagome stood beside him staring at the same spot on the cabin wall. Only her look was soft and kind of sad, "When I was ten my father died. So I know what it's like. I don't know you, I'm not pretending to. I don't know what life was like for you up here. I don't pity you or feel sorry for you, cause I don't know you well enough. But you seem to have done alright for yourself, so why would I pity you?"

"You shouldn't." InuYasha discreetly studied her profile.

Kagome turned to say something to lighten the moment and caught him looking at her. Even with his sunglasses, she could tell he was studying her.

A tense moment passed before being interrupted by Kaio's unfriendly voice.

"What the hell do you think your doing?" he growled.

InuYasha spun around to see Kaio glaring at them from the corner of the cabin. for a moment he stood frozen in something like fear before regaining his composure. He stood straight and crossed his arms defiantly.

"Talking." InuYasha said blandly.

"I can see that." Kaio walked towards them, stopping when he was a few feet from arms reach, "Who the fuck told you you could expose yourself like this? Huh? You stupid little boy, what do you think will-"

"Shut the fuck up!" InuYasha yelled, "I can talk to whoever the hell I want to old man. You don't know shit-"

"I know you boy!" Kaio yelled, he glanced at Kagome who was watching wide eyed from behind InuYasha, "You aren't allowed to talk to people because you are incapable of human interaction. Hell InuYasha you should know by now how they react and you-"

"Stop it!" Kagome screeched. InuYasha ducked his head and held his hands over his ringing ears, "Both of you! Stop that yelling, stop talking like that."

"Kagome," Kaio said, slightly surprised, "stay out of this. Join the others, but don't say anything, I'll talk to you later."

"No." Kagome crossed her arms defiantly, "InuYasha's my friend, or something, and I won't let you talk to him like this."

Kaio studied Kagome silently, seeming to be in thought. But this was lost on InuYasha and the girl, because InuYasha had recovered enough to comprehend what was going on.

"I don't need your help bitch! Stay out of this" he growled.

"I don't care!" Kagome arms uncrossed and her hands came to rest on her hips as she leaned forward into the fight. "I'm going to help you anyway. If all you two can do is cuss at each other your not going to get anywhere!"

With her last word she stomped one foot on the ground and moved forward slightly. InuYasha moved back half a step in response. He was surprised by Kagome's reaction. He still wanted to fight his own fight and didn't quite see her point, but was she really this passionate about helping him?

Kaio smirked, "She's right InuYasha." He said smoothly.

"What do you mean?" InuYasha looked at Kaio with narrow eyes.

"And that's why you'll never survive in human society," Kaio continued cruelly.

"I can-"

"You're incapable of even holding a polite conversation, you can't sit still, you always run away, you can't have a friend InuYasha, you can't handle being human," Kaio grinned maliciously, "you're too much of a coward."

InuYasha growled dangerously, it startled Kagome with how dog it was, and said, "I'm no coward Kaio."

"Prove it." Kaio crossed his arms and leaned back smugly, "you're too much a coward to leave the mountain, too afraid to let yourself be seen."

"Fine!" InuYasha yelled again, "I'll go! I'll leave the mountain! I'll show you I'm no coward!"

InuYasha turned his back to Kaio, with the intention of leaving the mountain right away. Only to see Kagome's worried face.

"Where will you go?" She asked quietly.

"Go?" He stopped short, where was there to go? He only ever knew the mountain forests. "I…"

Kagome straightened up sticking her chin in the air, "You can stay with me. I'm sure Mom will understand. Stay with me InuYasha."

InuYasha just stared ahead blankly, `stay with her?'

Kaio nodded behind him, "I don't care what you do InuYasha, just don't come back. And get your stuff out of the cabin, that old medicine bag too. I don't want anything of yours left here." He grumbled.

InuYasha gave him a glare before making a move toward the cabin.

"Are you coming with me InuYasha?" Kagome asked, almost hopefully. She didn't like the thought of InuYasha alone in the big world of people.

"Feh." InuYasha said before disappearing into one of the cabins back window.

"That means yes." Kaio told Kagome gruffly.

Kagome glared at him, she had tears in her eyes, but she didn't really know why.

"Your horrible." She whispered softly.

Kaio nodded sadly. What could he say? She wouldn't understand.

"Go down the trail to the station at the bottom. InuYasha will catch up." He started walking around the cabin toward the trail. "There's a phone there, call your mother."

*

A/N: A couple of notes, first InuYasha's reaction to Kagome's touch. I guess that since I'm using the InuYasha cast I should explain more then I would. Not much though.

InuYasha is touch starved. Basically, if you don't know, if you don't have physical contact with people for long enough a number of things happen, including your body rewarding you for any physical contact you get. It's kind of hard to explain, so just trust me.

Kagome is drawn to InuYasha, he saved her life, returned to jewel and she almost killed him. That's enough reason for her to befriend him.

And a warning, bad science ahead. Now you have to remember that this was the eighties and Gen-Ex was kinda out there anyway… but there is still bad science involved, unless something happened during the years I've had my buried in my actual major. Not that you'll see much of it, that's not what this story is about, exactly. But when it does come up, please remember that this is an Alternate Universe, and pretend it makes sense. Feel free to correct me, and I might post "the truth" in an author's note in the next chapter, if you like.

Oh and their ages. Their all around 15, and attend the same school. Miroku and Sango are self-proclaimed scientists. Although they do have "the right stuff" to be paranormal investigators, or something. Why did I make them 15? …I don't know. I'll still work most of this stuff into the story but some of it was difficult to put in right away and I'm not sure when it would come out so this is probably the longest AN you'll see.