InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Good Advice ❯ This Can't Be Happening ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

I do not own Inuyasha and I make no money from these stories.

Chapter 4 - This Can't Be Happening - (Dead or Alive - 1969)

"I don't know what to do, Inuyasha!" Kagome whined. "He's so... so different now, but I don't think I can trust it. What if he's faking it? What if he's just pretending to be this great guy?"

Inuyasha frowned, wrapping his arm around his best friend. "Why would he fake it? What sense does that make?"

"I'm the only girl who's never fallen all over themselves for him and I know it irritated him. Hell, I did it on purpose, made sure he knew that I wasn't impressed, that I didn't care what he looked like or how popular he was. What if he's trying to teach me a lesson? Trying to get in close, get what he wants, prove that no woman can resist him, and then dump me like a hot rock. I can't risk that. I don't even know if he's interested in me at all. It's just... he's always there, being so sweet and smart and helpful. But it's not him! He was never like this before."

"Really Kagome, how do you know? How do you know what he was like before? You ignored him, stayed as far away from him as possible. How can you be sure he really was this jerk you always made him out to be?"

"Tell me you're not on his side, Inu! You're my best friend!"

"And he's my brother. He's not a bad guy, Kagome. Yeah, he can be an ass, but he's not nearly as bad as you think. It's not his fault that all the girls like him. He didn't ask for that. He doesn't go out of his way to attract them, it just happens."

"Uh-huh. His jeans just happen to be that tight so everyone can see his nice ass. His shirts clinging to him like saran wrap is just a happy coincidence. Sure, I believe that."

"Did you just say Sesshoumaru has a nice ass?" Inuyasha asked with a grin. His brother would kill to be a fly on the wall during this conversation.

"Ugh! No! See, this is making me insane! I need to get away from him before I do something stupid."

"Something stupid like what?"

"Like throw myself at him! I always swore I wouldn't be caught dead with him, no matter what he said or did. Now I only feel really alive when he's around. He's going to be the death of me, Inu. I'm going to fall for him and he's going to break my heart."

"How can you be so sure he would hurt you?"

"Because he could have any girl in the whole school, as many as he wants whenever he wants. He would never settle for me and even if he did, he would never be faithful and he certainly wouldn't stick around for long."

Inuyasha sighed in frustration. "It's been weeks now, since he transferred into your classes. Has he even once given you the impression that he'd do any of that? No. He's never really dated because he doesn't want some girl that only wants him for his looks or because it would make her instantly popular. He doesn't want a gold-digger who's going to expect expensive gifts in exchange for her time. It's not really his fault he's arrogant. You try growing up like that, with everyone always telling you how wonderful you are. It would inflate your ego too."

"Of course you'd defend him. You're no help. I... I have to go. I have to find a way out of this. Maybe I'll see if I can change classes! That would fix things! If I wasn't forced to spend so much time with him, all these stupid, messed up feelings would disappear. I never felt like this before he transferred in. I've... I've got to go."

"Where are you going, Kagome? Classes start in ten minutes."

"Home. I can't deal with this right now."

"You can't skip just because you're confused, Kags."

"I have a headache. I'm gonna go to the nurse and see if she'll call my mom. She'll let me come home."

Inuyasha sighed but nodded. "Alright, but you realize that running away isn't the answer."

"I'm not running away!"

"Really? Because transferring out of your favorite classes to get away from Sesshoumaru because you're starting to like him sounds a hell of a lot like running away to me."

Kagome groaned. "Just... just leave me alone, Inuyasha. I can't. I just can't."

Inuyasha watched as his best friend walked away, heading towards the nurse's office. Once she was out of sight, he pulled out his cell and typed quickly before hitting send.

'Hey, we've got a problem, Sess. Meet me at the north entrance as soon as possible.'

-

Sesshoumaru rushed to where Inuyasha had said to meet up, worried. He couldn't think of anything else this could be about but Kagome. He'd thought things had been going so well! She talked to him, said 'hello' when they passed in the hall. He would classify her as a close friend now. They had shared stories about their pasts and their plans for the future. She told him about her problems. He'd made real progress and had been planning on taking it to the next level soon. He wanted to ask her on a date, but was afraid to do so too soon and ruin everything they'd been building towards.

Inuyasha came into sight and the look on his face had Sesshoumaru's stomach in knots. "What is it?" he asked gruffly.

"You've got her head all fucked up, man. She's so confused and she's thinking about changing classes so she can get away from you."

"Get away from me? But I thought we were getting along. I thought she might even consider me a friend."

"Yeah, the problem is she's starting to like you as more than a friend and it's freaking her out. She thinks you're faking, that you are only out to prove that she's like all the other girls and can't resist you. Kagome's afraid you're going to make a fool out of her and break her heart."

"I would never do such a thing!" Sesshoumaru snarled in frustration.

"You gotta admit, you've changed an awful lot since you transferred into her classes. I'm not surprised she thinks you're just pretending to be someone she would like."

The taiyoukai allowed a sigh to escape him, running his fingers through his long hair. "But I haven't. I didn't change for her. I switched classes to be close to her. I did all that research to impress her, yes, but I've really come to enjoy all the electives. I like creating things in Pottery. Drama is a new way for me to express myself. I am even planning on auditioning for the play that is coming up. In Journalism, I just got approval from the editor to write my first independent article.

"I will admit that, at first, I most likely only wanted her because she didn't want me, but that has changed. I have learned so much about her in the last few weeks. She's shown me so many new things, has changed my entire outlook on life. I would never hurt her. I... I think I'm falling in love with her."

Inuyasha's eyes widened in shock at his brother's confession. He'd never expected to hear those words from Sesshoumaru, any of them. The fact that the taiyoukai was actually enjoying activities that he at one time had mocked was surprising, but his declaration of love, even just the first stirrings of it, was nearly unbelievable.

"You're serious?" the hanyou asked.

"Of course I am. I do not make a habit of lying, especially not about something so important. Kagome means everything to me and I cannot lose this chance. I have been trying to find the right time to ask her out for a while now. She can't transfer out. Then I will never get to see her! There has to be some way to fix this, some way to make her realize that I am being completely honest."

"I don't know, dude. She's never trusted you. Now you're acting so different. It's no wonder she's suspicious."

"Where is she now? She hasn't gone to see the guidance counselor already, has she?"

"No, she went to the nurse. She said she had a headache and wanted to go home. Besides, I'm pretty sure it's too late in the semester for her to transfer out. She'd get incompletes and then she wouldn't be able to graduate in time. Not everyone has six extra credits because they're an obnoxious overachiever."

Sesshoumaru growled dangerously at his sibling. "Now is not the time to trifle with me, Inuyasha. This is serious."

"Alright," Inuyasha said with a laugh, raising his hands in surrender. "Maybe Miroku will have some ideas. This is his mess to begin with."

-

"Okay, so let me get this straight," Miroku said, trying to make sense of all the information he'd just been given. "She is starting to like you."

"Yes! Way to go, man. I knew you could do it," Kouga, who had just sat down and thus missed the previous conversation, congratulated loudly, only to be shot a glare by Inuyasha.

"But she is afraid of her feelings because she believes you are pretending to be someone you are not."

"Oh, that sucks!" Kouga was smacked on the back of the head by Miroku who was quickly growing tired of his interruptions.

"Well, I can see where she's coming from. You have been behaving quite differently lately."

"Yes, but I am not faking. I have not changed for her but because of her."

Kouga, ignoring his previous reprimands, interjected again. "You have seemed different. You've been less angry, seem less stressed. Hell, you actually seem happy."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "I am, and it is all because of her. If I had not changed classes to get closer to her, I would never have experienced everything that I have. I have learned so much about myself in the last few weeks, discoveries I would have not otherwise made. I have her to thank for my current happiness, but how can I explain that to her?"

"I don't know how you could without telling her why you transferred in the first place, and I don't think she would appreciate that bit of information."

"No, she would not. I freely admit that in the beginning, I more than likely wanted her only because she didn't want me, but that has changed. I have gotten to know her and now I am attracted to who she is, not by a desire to make her want me."

Kouga frowned. "Yeah, she can never hear that, at least not for a very long time."

"Maybe not until after you're mated," Inuyasha said with a laugh. He'd meant it as a joke, but when Sesshoumaru did not immediately protest, they all looked at him in shock. "Are you serious?"

The taiyoukai smiled. "She would be the perfect mate, but we have a long way to go before we get there, the first step being getting her to admit she likes me and to give me a chance."

"Well," Miroku said thoughtfully, "I have one idea."

"Spit it out then, monk!" Inuyasha growled.

"It worked once. Who's to say it won't work again."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly as he considered the suggestion. "That just may work, indeed."

At that, all four males leaned in closer to the table and began plotting. This was very likely Sesshoumaru's only chance, so they had to make it work, not only for him, but for them as well. If Kagome rejected him, the taiyoukai would take his anger out on everyone else and no one wanted that.