InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Guilty Hero ❯ Changes in Attitudes ( Chapter 38 )

HaHA!! I am alive! I bet y'all thought I had given up on GH! But it is not so. The switch from working 20 hours a week to 50 hours a week was just a little bit harder to adjust to than I originally thought. With a crippling case of writer's block on top of that… Well, I'm sure you understand.

A big thank you goes out to any and all who reviewed. I love your comments. ^__^

Also, a special thanks to Sassy for giving me constant encouragement, and to hedanicree for doing a fabulous job of editing. You guys are the best. ^__^

More author's notes at the end.

Guilty Hero

Chapter 37: Changes in Attitudes

“You needn't be so nervous.” Kagome broke the silence in the hallway as they stared at the door to Sango and Miroku's office. They had been there for well over a minute; Inu-Yasha seemed to be rooted to the spot, staring blankly at the door with an unreadable expression. “They didn't sound angry over the phone at all.”

“Who the hell said I was nervous?” Inu-Yasha growled, speaking for the first time since they had arrived at the Order's headquarters. “I ain't nervous. I've got nothing to be nervous about.”

Kagome tried to smother a laugh. Inu-Yasha had been a miserable wreck for the past two days; nervous and jumpy, he twitched every time she flipped the television on and tensed whenever he heard someone passing by outside his apartment door. She knew what he was concerned about, for he had explained the events of the day to her over his desperately needed whiskey the same night of his return. Although she knew he would never admit it, it was guilt and fear that made him so anxious.

Having long since calmed down after learning the devastating news of the branch's closing, he understood, with some gentle prodding from Kagome, that his explosion at Sango and Miroku had been unwarranted. His actions made it very clear to her that he hated treating them so poorly. Over the next two days, she often caught him staring expectantly at the phone with a worried expression, and by the end of the day, his mood was a strange mixture of frustration and relief that they had not called to yell at him.

Then, there were the repercussions of his attack on the mayor to deal with. It was nerve-wracking for him as he waited for his display to be broadcasted on every news station, but when the broadcast never came, the wait became even worse. That, on top of waiting for Sango and Miroku's assessment of his actions, practically drove him to madness.

That was why it was such a relief when, two days after the incident, the telephone rang and Sango and Miroku checked in. Kagome answered the call while Inu-Yasha hovered nearby, too frightened to get close enough to hear but too curious to stay away. The conversation lasted several minutes, but once it was over Inu-Yasha immediately demanded to know the details. She had refused to tell him anything except that they were to meet with Sango and Miroku the next day. He was very upset and had acted like a petulant child for the rest of the evening.

His behavior this morning was hardly better, and it was the reason Kagome found so much amusement at his denial. But still, despite her attempts to keep quiet, Inu-Yasha's superior hearing caught her mirth and he whipped his head around to glare at her.

“What?” he snarled, clearly in a foul mood. “Think this is funny, do you? At least you know what to expect when you go in there—I'm goin' in blind.” He waved a hand irritably at the door to the office. “I wish you would just tell me what's gonna happen.”

“I told you enough, Inu-Yasha,” she said patiently. “I told you that they didn't sound angry over the phone. You do realize that, if you really want to know what's going to happen, you could just knock on the door and go inside, don't you?”

He scowled at her. “That's tellin' me nothing! Just because they didn't sound angry over the phone doesn't mean they aren't angry at all! Besides, they like you, why would they bother yelling at you? No, they're still mad, I just know it. And as soon as I walk in there—”

“Inu-Yasha.” Her calm voice made him pause and stare at her, pouting in defiance. She smiled at him in return. “Inu-Yasha, Sango and Miroku are trying their hardest to be better friends to you. Now, I know you're used to focusing on the negative things in life, but perhaps, just this once, you could try and think the best of somebody. I've already discussed things with Sango and Miroku, and they really just want to have a talk with you today. That's all.”

He stared silently at her, his defiance lessening as what she said sunk in. Finally, after several moments, he sighed, lifted his hand and knocked on the door.

Miroku opened the door after a couple seconds, smiling calmly at the pair. “Come in, come in,” he said, stepping aside as they entered. “Sango and I were beginning to wonder how long the two of you were going to stand and chat outside.”

Kagome laughed, going over to sit in one of the two chairs set up in front of their desks. Inu-Yasha, however, didn't seem to find much amusement. Frowning, he watched Miroku carefully as he went to sit behind his desk, then glanced quickly at Sango before slumping down next to Kagome, not meeting anyone's gaze.

“So, Inu-Yasha,” Sango began, making Inu-Yasha twitch at hearing his name. “Are you doing all right?”

“I-I—what?” He glanced up at her in confusion, for the question was far milder than what he had been expecting. Despite what Kagome had told him, he was still waiting for Sango and Miroku to attack him with a harsh barrage of punishments, yelling about his poor behavior and how disappointed they were with him.

“Are you doing all right?” Sango repeated patiently. “I know the news that the defense branch was most likely going to be cut off really shocked you, and we just want to make sure you're doing all right.”

“I-I… I'm doing fine,” he mumbled softly in reply. His cheeks burned in embarrassment at the mention of his outburst. To be honest, the loss of the defense branch hadn't been one of his top priorities in the days after the incident. He had been far more concerned for his friends, though he was loathe to admit it.

“Look,” he grunted, keeping his gaze locked on the floor. “I just wanted to—”

“You just want to know what's going to happen to you once the branch is cut off, right?” Miroku interrupted. “I can hardly blame you. Believe me, Sango and I have been working to find a way to keep you on the force.”

Inu-Yasha frowned, a little confused. “What? No, that's not what I was trying to say.”

“Oh, I'm sorry. What is it?”

Shifting a little under the combined gaze of both his superiors and Kagome, he finally said, very quietly, “I'm sorry for yelling at you guys.”

Quite embarrassed, for getting an apology out of him was akin to pulling teeth, he hesitantly glanced up from his tennis shoes to see their reaction. Both, who had been friendly yet very businesslike when he first entered the room, visibly relaxed and smiled.

Sango and Miroku had not expected an apology from him, but they had been more than willing to move on. They had been very upset with him and his actions; it was the reason they had waited two days before calling his apartment. Trying to take Kagome's words to heart, they knew that yelling at him would have done little good, so they tried to rein in their tempers first. Figuring that by showing him they had moved on, he might be able to overcome his anger. However, his apology had come as a great surprise, but a welcome one. It was a major sign of improvement.

Miroku, after casting a quick look at Sango, turned back to the embarrassed Inu-Yasha and grinned. “Thank you,” he replied simply.

Noticing Inu-Yasha looking quite relieved, he took that as a sign to drop the subject. So, with a slight nod at the demon, he turned his attention back to his paperwork.

“Well, Sango and I have been working to try and garner support for our side in order to go against Muso and his insane policies,” he said. “While most politicians have been coerced over to Muso's side, he still has yet to sway the public. We are hoping that might keep him at bay, but with this government…” He shrugged helplessly. “Who knows?”

Sango stepped in to the conversation. “So, in the event that the branch really is going to go under, we have been trying to come up with ways to keep some of our fighters hired by the Order. Most of our fighters will be reassigned to the police department, as per Muso's request, but we're hoping to keep a select few on board, including you, Inu-Yasha.”

Inu-Yasha frowned a little. “Doing what?”

“Well… unfortunately, we don't have that many open positions, particularly ones that would use your talents. So it would just be a simple office job, doing paperwork.”

The grimace on Inu-Yasha's face forced Kagome to stifle a laugh.

“I know, I know. It's not ideal. But really, it's all we've come up with at the moment.”

“I'll pass,” Inu-Yasha growled. “I ain't gonna be some pencil-pusher.”

With a sigh, Miroku crossed out something on a piece of paper. “There goes our only idea, then. Let's just pray that the public won't buy anything Muso throws their way.”

“You know, that reminds me of something I wanted to ask,” Kagome cut in. “Why hasn't Muso broadcasted this incident over every news channel in the city? One would think that the City Hero attempting to kill him would be just the thing he needs to get the public on his side.”

“That's one of the things we've been trying to figure out. According to the chief of police, Muso wants to keep this whole thing quiet. Now, while we don't know why that is, Sango and I aren't going to argue the point. For now, we're safe, and all we need is some time to get things straightened out and find out what exactly Muso is trying to achieve.”

“And just how are you gonna do that?” Inu-Yasha grunted, shifting a bit in his seat. He obviously was feeling awkward due to the conversation topic. “Don't you have Myoga working on the demon case? Isn't that more important?”

Sango groaned and rested her head in her hands. Miroku sighed at the comment. “Actually, Myoga chickened out on us. He was scared enough when he went down in the quarry the first time, but after Kagome,” he paused to nod at her, “informed us that there was at least one, possibly more, jewel shards down there, he refused to crawl back.”

Inu-Yasha snorted and crossed his arms. “I'm not surprised. He's a damn coward.”

“Indeed,” Sango agreed. “So now we're considering sending Myoga to hide out in Muso's office. However, that means we won't have anyone on the demon case. Kaede will be returning from her tour of the other divisions of the Order very soon, and we hope she'll have some ideas on how to handle this.”

“Are you sure we can afford to wait around like this? Muso's been moving awfully fast with his new policies.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Miroku couldn't help but smile again. It was refreshing to see Inu-Yasha so involved in his work. He and Sango were more used to the demon pulling out of drunkenness for only a few hours to do an assignment, and then dropping out again once the task was finished.

“True, Inu-Yasha, Muso is doing his best to get his policies passed. However, Kaede should be back within a day or two. Muso won't be able to change public opinion that quickly, neither will the city's government be able to vote our defense branch out that quickly. We'll be all right for now.”

“Besides, you have something else you need to be focusing on right now,” Sango spoke up. “Kagome, would you like to explain?”

Inu-Yasha frowned, turning to stare at Kagome in confusion. “Explain what?”

Shifting a little, Kagome met his gaze. “Well… You've been doing very well in your regimen, and I felt that it was time to add something in. By adding proper exercise, it will not only build up your strength, but it will also help with your stamina and endurance. Waiting for six o' clock to roll around won't be quite so difficult.”

“Hmph.” He growled slightly. “Who said it was difficult to wait? I'm fine with waiting.” The look on Kagome's face told him that she saw right through his bluff, so he sighed and rested his chin in his hand. “What kind of exercise are you talkin' about?” he mumbled, looking none-too-pleased.

“Sparring,” Miroku piped up.

“What?”

“Sparring,” Miroku repeated. “That's the best way for you to get exercise. Kagome mentioned your rooftop runs, but she doesn't feel that it's stimulating enough. So, Sango and I have arranged for you to get our training room here at headquarters for a few days a week. We've also found the perfect partner for you.”

“Partner… what?” Inu-Yasha asked, confusion and frustration battling for dominance. “Who?”

With a small grin and a glance at Miroku, Sango stood up. “You'll meet him down there. I suggest you go now; he's probably been waiting a while.”

Kagome stood up, too, and then looked expectantly at Inu-Yasha, who seemed to be quite confused by everything. “Inu-Yasha? Are you coming?”

Glancing up at her and then back at Sango and Miroku, he finally got to his feet and followed her to the door. He paused and looked back at the pair of them, a skeptical expression on his face. “Are… are you sure you're not mad?”

Miroku, who had already gone back to his paperwork, didn't even bother to look up. “I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about.” A small grin tugged at his lips.

Sango added, “You'd better hurry and get down to the training room.”

Still a little confused, he growled, “Fine, fine,” and quietly shut the door behind him.

“Well!” Kagome said brightly as they headed back for the elevator. “That went quite well, didn't it? I told you you had nothing to worry about.” When silence greeted her, she looked over at Inu-Yasha. He was staring at the floor with his brow furrowed in contemplation. “Inu-Yasha? What's wrong?”

“Huh? Oh…” He punched the button for the elevator and waited for Kagome to step inside before joining her. “I just… It feels weird, leaving like that.”

“What do you mean? They seemed perfectly fine with what went on in there.”

“That's just it! They were fine! Why weren't they angry at me? They didn't seem mad at all, and… Well, they've punished me a lot worse than that for things much less stupid than attacking the mayor. I just don't understand why they weren't pissed.”

Kagome looked up at his worried face with a reassuring smile. “Did you ever consider the fact that maybe you aren't the only one who has problems?”

He cocked his head in confusion. “What the hell are you talkin' about?”

“You may be the alcoholic, Inu-Yasha, but Sango and Miroku have their own issues to deal with as well. One issue is the fact that they tend to blame everything on you. Their tempers can get a little too high a little too fast, and they take it out on you.”

Falling silent, Inu-Yasha stared blankly at her. He had never thought of that before. Since he was the one drugged with whiskey and unable to think clearly, he had always assumed that Sango and Miroku were right in their actions when they were upset with him. Besides, he had always been willing to punish himself at every available opportunity, so he accepted any anger directed at him.

Seeing the light turn on in his head, Kagome continued, “When I started working with you on your alcoholism, I realized that one of the road blocks on your road to recovery would be them. It seemed that every time you took a step in the right direction, they would beat you back down again for a simple mistake and destroy any progress you made.” The elevator shuddered to a halt and the doors slid open, depositing them on the second floor. She continued to speak as they slowly started down the hall toward the training room.

“I couldn't allow that to go on. They shouldn't have been calling themselves your friend if that's the way they treated you. So, I spoke with them and voiced my concerns about things.”

“And?” he asked softly, staring at his shoes.

Slowly, she reached out and took his hand in hers. “They were horrified when I told them the consequences of their actions. They really do care for you, Inu-Yasha, but they were on the verge of losing hope and they didn't know how to handle it. So, I've been trying to help them lately and give them a few pointers on how to handle situations. It's the reason they didn't call for two days after you attacked the mayor. They were very upset by your actions, but they knew that calling and yelling at you would do far more harm than good. So, they waited until they calmed down before calling. And see how nicely things turned out after that?” She gave his hand a squeeze in reassurance.

Inu-Yasha, who had been keeping his gaze locked on the floor, peered at Kagome out of the corner of his eye, trying to cover his admiration of her. He was shocked by what she was doing. Not only had she put up with him and all his antics for months now, not only had she endured his fierce temper and poor attitude, not only had she pulled him out of the black hole he had dug, but now she was even going so far as to help him face Sango and Miroku. She cared enough for his success— maybe, possibly, cared enough for him—that she would go to such lengths to help.

A blush slowly spread across his cheeks as he gently squeezed her hand in return. He let out a soft grunt in response to her speech, swallowing hard as a strange feeling blossomed in his chest. Unsure of what the feeling was, he rubbed his chest, but the feeling never went away. And when Kagome looked up at him in concern, his blush seemed to burn brighter from her gaze.

“Are you all right?”

Letting out a short cough to cover up his embarrassment, he muttered, “Fine, fine. Just a little—”

“Well, well, well. If it isn't the great mutt himself.” Inu-Yasha was interrupted by a loud, obnoxious voice, one that made him drop Kagome's hand and jerk his head to glare at the offender.

Recognizing the man in an instant, Inu-Yasha snarled back, “I thought I smelled somethin' nasty. What the hell are you doing here, you mangy wolf?”

Leaning casually against the doorframe into the training rooms, Koga met Inu-Yasha's snarl with a cocky grin. “When I was approached by the bosses to accept the task of beating the crap out of you on a regular basis, how could I refuse?”

“Oh, do you two know each other?” Kagome asked innocently, looking back and forth between Inu-Yasha's smoldering glare and Koga's confident gaze. “That's good. It's always better to spar with someone you know.”

At the sound of her voice, Koga's ice blue eyes flicked over to her as though he just realized she was there. With a small sound of surprise, he said, “Pup, what do you think you are doing, traveling with such a beautiful creature as this? You shouldn't be near her, for your ugly looks might rub off. I cannot allow that.” Swiftly, he stepped between the two and took Kagome's hand in his. “I am Koga, leader of the wolf tribe here at the Order. And you are…?”

“Kagome Higurashi,” she replied simply, oblivious to his penetrating stare. “I assist Inu-Yasha.”

“Really? Well, surely you must agree with me that trying to do anything with that mutt is a lost cause. However, we at the wolf tribe would love to have you among our ranks—”

“She works with me, Koga. So get your flea-covered paws off her.” Koga suddenly lost his grip on her hand as Inu-Yasha tugged Kagome back.

A bit confused by the hostility, Kagome gently shooed Inu-Yasha away and tried to smile encouragingly at them. “Um… Well, since there's no need for introductions, why don't we go inside and get started?” She quickly turned and walked into the training room.

“Certainly, Kagome. We should finish this quickly, and then perhaps afterwards you would allow me to buy you a cup of coffee and a Danish—”

His response was suddenly cut off, though Kagome barely noticed as she continued to speak. She turned her back on the training mat as she set her purse and coat down on the observer's bench. “Since it's been a little while since Inu-Yasha's really been in a fight, I think it's best to start out with a low level workout. Something not too strenuous, so as not to strain anyone yet. Then, once you've warmed up a bit, we could pick up the speed and technique and—”

She abruptly stopped speaking when she faced the training mat. Apparently, Koga's offer for coffee had been interrupted by a punch in the jaw by Inu-Yasha, and her words were unheeded. The men were locked in a full-out fistfight, one or the other flying across the room from a well-aimed blow. “Oh dear. Um… guys? Could you possibly… Er, Inu-Yasha if you wouldn't hit quite so hard, you don't want to over-exert yourself. A-and Koga, Inu-Yasha hasn't been in a fight for a while, so perhaps if you could slow things down a bit? I… um…” Realizing that her presence was being utterly ignored by the two brawlers, she sighed and slumped down on the bench. “Well, I suppose this still counts as exercise.”

Meanwhile, on the training mat, Inu-Yasha held nothing back as he leapt in for a strike. “You keep away from her, you bastard!” he snarled, aiming a punch at the wolf's chest. Koga twisted away at the last second and used his momentum to swing a kick into Inu-Yasha's back, sending Inu-Yasha flying.

“I'm afraid you can't tell me what to do, pup. For Kagome's sake, I'll have to keep her away from you. We don't want her pretty face getting marred from your temper, do we?”

“What the hell do you mean by that?!” Inu-Yasha growled back. He was on his feet in a second and launched his body at Koga.

Lifting his arms in defense, Koga grabbed both of Inu-Yasha's wrists and whirled around, slamming him into the wall and pinning him there. “Stop being such a fool, mutt. Don't think I don't know what you did to Miroku after the gala a few years ago. I'm just concerned you may do the same to Kagome if she stays around you too long. And one as lovely as she should not be subjected to that.” A malicious grin spread across his face as he saw Inu-Yasha's temper rise.

“Stop saying that!” the hanyou shouted furiously, and then smashed his forehead into Koga's. Reeling from the blow, he was forced to release his grip and stagger backwards a few steps.

“Saying what?” he goaded as Inu-Yasha barreled towards him like a bull. “That's she lovely?” Inu-Yasha's frustrated growl told him all he needed to know. Leaping aside from Inu-Yasha's next attack, he continued, “Too bad for you, mutt, because she is beautiful. I'm thinking about asking her out sometime—”

“NO!” Inu-Yasha bellowed, skidding around and leaping at Koga once more. His breathing was becoming harsher, but this time he moved quickly enough that the wolf wasn't prepared. A fist to the jaw sent Koga crashing to the floor.

“Oh-ho!” Koga growled in reply, on his feet again in a second. “You know, Inu-Yasha, I haven't seen you this protective of a woman since Kikyo! Is there something going on between the two of you?”

His face burning a bright red, Inu-Yasha wheezed, “Of course not! I-I'm just… Well, what about that girl you were dancing with at the gala? You shouldn't cheat on her!”

Taking advantage of his embarrassment, Koga leapt up and swung his leg around, catching Inu-Yasha around the neck and sending him flying against the wall. “You mean Ayame? Oh, that's just an on-again, off-again thing, pup. We're `off-again' at the moment, and I make sure to take advantage of my time without her.”

Snarling furiously, Inu-Yasha staggered to his feet, coughing a couple times, and then went in for another attack. “Well, it doesn't matter! You can't have Kagome! She's busy working all the time; she can't go out with you!”

“Busy working with you, you mean?” Koga teased, blocking Inu-Yasha's first fist, then grunting in pain as another punch landed solidly on his cheek. “I'm surprised, dog-boy, I really am. I thought you were only capable of loving your whiskey. Though you still do, judging from the smell of you.” He swung his fist and knocked Inu-Yasha aside.

“Shut UP!” His voice a little hoarser and a sputtering a cough once more, Inu-Yasha pounced on Koga and knocked him to the ground. “That isn't your place to say! You don't know anything about that!”

“Then why are you so protective of your nurse, filthy mutt? I see no other reason than lo—” Taking Inu-Yasha's next punch right in the face, he was forced to stop talking as blood spurted from his nose. However, with his legs fully functioning, he kicked Inu-Yasha off and sent him crashing against the wall.

It was at this point where Kagome stood up from the observer's bench, growing concerned. Up until now, she had simply reminded herself that these were two demons fighting; demons could take a punch much better than any human could. However, now things were starting to get a little rough, and she wasn't sure if she should step in or not.

Starting to get irritated, Koga wiped some of the blood off his face and staggered over to Inu-Yasha, where the demon was had slid to the floor and was gasping for breath in between coughs. “So, if it isn't love, damn mongrel, then you shouldn't care if I ask Kagome out, should you?”

Inu-Yasha growled weakly, slowly pushing himself to his feet. “Don't you dare…” he ground out, glaring at the wolf.

A broad grin spreading across his face, made more grotesque with the blood, Koga said gloatingly, “What do you think, then? Dinner and a movie? Or just take her out for a cup of coffee?”

Inu-Yasha snapped. Leaping forward with his claws bared, he roared, “She likes TEA!!”

Seeing the claws and realizing it was time to end it, Koga, much faster than he had moved prior, shot forward, grabbed the front of Inu-Yasha's shirt and heaved him across the room. Inu-Yasha collided with the opposite wall with a sickening crunch, then slid down to the floor and stayed there.

A strange hush fell over the room, and in the silence the sound of Inu-Yasha's harsh wheezes seemed to be amplified. Listening to it, Koga slowly walked over to him and stared down at him, crossing his arms. “Finished yet, pup?”

Struggling vainly to get to his feet, Inu-Yasha growled hoarsely, “N-not hardly,” then immediately started to cough. The sound was deep and throaty, and it wracked his body each time, rendering him helpless. Koga looked down on him in pity as Kagome quickly rushed to his side.

“We're done for today,” she said firmly, kneeling beside Inu-Yasha as he gasped for breath. “Koga, if you would please wait for me by the door, I want to talk to you before you leave.”

Nodding, Koga silently walked away so Kagome could tend to her patient.

Rubbing his back soothingly as he slowly stopped coughing, she handed him a bottle of water. “Small sips,” she murmured before he started to drink. “We don't want you to choke again.” With a slight nod in between gasps, Inu-Yasha did as he was told.

They sat in silence for a couple minutes as Kagome waited for his coughing to cease and his breathing to calm down again. Once he was only panting lightly and able to take longer swallows of water, she asked quietly, “Do you mind if I go speak with Koga now? I'll just be a minute.” His eyes narrowed at the thought, but he was unsure if his voice was strong enough to speak just yet, so he just nodded shortly.

Pausing once to make certain he was all right, Kagome then climbed to her feet and quickly went to join Koga in the doorway, where he was waiting for her with his hands in his pockets.

“Look, I'm sorry about that,” he said before she could even speak. “I know it got a little outta hand. I didn't think he'd get quite so angry.”

Kagome, who had been about to reprimand him on that, let out a soft sigh. “I didn't think he would, either. However, while his temper still needs to be worked on, you were the one goading him. Don't think I couldn't hear what you boys were saying.” She raised an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged in reply.

“Anyway, I must ask a couple things of you for the next time this happens. Please, do not make cracks about his drinking. You have no idea the struggle he's going through right now with gaining sobriety, and jabs like what you were making just pull him down.”

Koga raised an eyebrow. “Ah… So that's what you're with him for. I didn't know he was trying to quit drinking. I just thought Sango and Miroku hired yet another nurse, and those have never done him any good. Well then, as per your request, I won't say anything about it to him.”

Kagome nodded. “Thank you. And, for my other request, I ask that you not bring up Kikyo, either. That's a wound that has barely healed, and Inu-Yasha's still quite sensitive about it, as I'm sure you noticed.”

“Uh-huh.” Koga rubbed his jaw where a nasty bruise was quite visible.

“All right, then. As long as you promise not to bring up those things, then I think we're done here.”

Koga raised an eyebrow. “So you still want me to keep doing this for the mutt?”

“Well… yes, why wouldn't I want you to?”

Koga frowned at her in confusion. “He can't really fight, can't you see? I don't know what the hell he's doin' to himself, but that cough is bad. Every time I've fought him, he's never dropped out so quickly before. He needs to work on that before he can fight again.”

“I do know that's an issue, Koga, but I think the two of you failed to realize that we were calling this activity `sparring', not `brawling'.” She smiled sternly at him, and he grinned back at her.

“Fair enough, Kagome. Well, if we are done here, then…” He took her hand and gave it a light kiss. “May I take this moment to ask if you would care to join me in a coffee sometime?”

Gently tugging her hand from his grasp, she replied, “Thank you, but no. Inu-Yasha was right—I do prefer tea. Besides, I'm sure your Ayame would be fairly displeased to hear of it.”

A worried expression crossing his features, Koga quickly straightened and backed away. “Indeed, she would. Very well, then. I'll give up on this venture. But just know, should that mutt ever threaten you, just ask and I will beat the crap out of him.”

Kagome laughed. “Thank you very much for the offer.”

With a wolfish grin, Koga waved and then left the two alone in the training room.

With a small sigh, Kagome turned and went back to join Inu-Yasha against the wall, stifling a laugh at his expression. He was glaring intently at her, jealousy hardly concealed in his eyes.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, kneeling beside him once again. “Any better?”

He nodded shortly, his breathing now down to just a slight wheeze.

“Good. Do you think you can stand now?”

Slowly, he got to his feet, his limbs rather shaky from the beating they just endured. Leaning heavily against Kagome, he barely made it over to the bench before abruptly sitting down again. Kagome, ever-watchful, moved her things aside so she could sit next to him. “There's no rush. Let's just sit here and rest for a little while. That workout was more intense than I intended for you.”

Inu-Yasha made no complaint at the comment. They sat in silence together, Kagome pretending like she was staring at her lap as she kept a close eye on him and Inu-Yasha finally allowing his thoughts to catch up with his emotions.

Finally, he broke the silence by asking in a hoarse voice, “You aren't busy later, are you?”

A little confused, she asked, “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean… You're not meeting Koga, or anything like that?”

A grin spread across her face, and she laughed. “No, Inu-Yasha, I'm not meeting Koga anywhere. I've got all the company I need with you.”

A blush exploded over his cheeks at the comment, and he quickly diverted his gaze to his shoes so she wouldn't see. “Oh. Good.”

Silence reigned again, although this time Kagome kept catching Inu-Yasha sneaking a glance at her. She was fairly certain she knew why.

“I was able to hear what you boys were shouting during the fight,” she said after a few minutes, making Inu-Yasha start in surprise.

“O-oh… Did you?” He quickly looked away, his hands twisting nervously in his lap. “I-I'm sorry about that. Just, the heat of the fight, he was tryin' to trick me—”

“It was sweet, what you were doing,” she interrupted, hoping to put him at ease. “That Koga sure seemed to be a womanizer, so I appreciate you trying to protect me from him.”

Inu-Yasha almost opened his mouth to argue, saying that he was just trying to keep her for his own selfish reasons, but he realized it just in time and kept quiet. Admitting something like that was too embarrassing for him at the moment, especially after his defeat. He hated appearing so weak in front of her.

“Yeah, well… That mangy wolf's a damn idiot. There's a reason I beat him up all the time. You shouldn't be hanging around people like him.”

With a small smile, Kagome patted him on the knee. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Hmph.”

Deciding that they had probably sat there long enough, she got to her feet and turned to face him. “Do you think you can make it to the car now? You'll feel better once we get you home. I'll make you a nice dinner while you take a long soak in the tub, how does that sound?”

It did sound very nice, but, much as he hated to admit it, the need for his whiskey was starting to tug at him harder and harder. With his body weakened from exertion, he had little strength left to fight the desire. However, already being made to look the fool once today, he didn't dare expose another weakness to Kagome. So, with a slight nod, he carefully climbed to his feet and together they left the training hall.

Taking it slow, they meandered down the hall to the elevator. Kagome kept quiet out of respect for Inu-Yasha; she assumed that he needed as little stress as possible at the moment, and silence always helped to soothe him. Inu-Yasha, however, was quiet for a different reason.

He was confused and exhausted. The day had been tumultuous and draining, both physically and mentally. He had been nervous about seeing Sango and Miroku, yet content and happy around Kagome, then Koga had to show up and royally piss him off and now he was simply confused. All he wanted was a drink, a smoke and a nap with Kagome on the couch to end the day with.

Still, something was bothering him that he had yet to ask her about, and he knew he wouldn't be able to rest without knowing the answer. So, though he dreaded to hear her response, he finally asked, “Why can't I fight very long?”

“Hm?”

He frowned. “Why couldn't I fight for very long without losing my breath and coughing? It happens every time I work too hard. I know you noticed it during my rooftop runs. It's damn annoying, and I wanna know why it happens.”

“Ah.” Kagome took on a worried expression. “Well… Tell me, how long have you been smoking?”

His frown slowly turned into a glare. “Since I was thirteen. Why?”

She sighed heavily. “That's why you can't exert yourself. You've got fourteen years of smoke and tar in your lungs. Anytime you need a greater intake of air, your lungs can't provide that for long, which is why you start coughing. That's part of the reason why I wanted you to start sparring. It would be an easy workout that would help you breathe a little easier in a full-on fight. Of course, things would be much easier if you didn't smoke, but—”

He growled in frustration. “Are you tellin' me that I have to quit smoking too?! Dammit, Kagome, quitting drinking is hard enough, why—” He abruptly stopped talking, clamping his mouth shut and taking a deep breath. He shouldn't yell at her. It was just his nerves, stretched thin by his wild changes in emotion today. But still, the thought of having yet another problem with him that needed to be fixed was practically more than he could bear.

Reaching the elevator, they silently got on and waited through the ride. Kagome, though still expecting another burst of anger from him, said quietly after a moment, “I'm not trying to tell you to do anything, Inu-Yasha. All these decisions you make have to be of your own volition. You don't have to quit smoking if you don't want to.”

He sighed heavily. “But you want me to, don't you?”

“That doesn't matter.”

He didn't say anything in reply, but he did reach out and take her hand in his. Little did she realize how very much her opinion did matter.

As the elevator deposited them into the lobby where Rin waved cheerfully at them in goodbye from the front desk, Inu-Yasha yawned widely, ready for the day to be over. “Let's go home,” he mumbled, rubbing his aching head as they exited the building.

“Absolutely,” Kagome replied, a hint of her usual joy seeping into her voice now that she knew he wasn't upset with her. “Why don't you—hold on.” She suddenly stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, her tone serious.

“What?”

“Don't you sense that? A demon…”

“A demon?” Inu-Yasha tensed, glancing around. The streets were fairly empty, for the Order's headquarters were not in a busy part of the city, but he didn't see anything that looked out of the ordinary. Nor did his nose tell him anything. However, with his body weakened as it was now, he didn't fully trust his senses. “Where?”

“I'm not sure,” Kagome replied nervously. “It's a very weak aura, and I can't place—”

Out of nowhere flew an attacker. Letting out a bloodcurdling shriek, it dived at Kagome, head butting her in the stomach and driving her with incredible force into the side of the building. There was the sickening sound of her skull hitting the brick wall, and she slumped to the side, unconscious.

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I know, I know. You all hate cliffies. But I am going to endure your hatred and fight on through. ^__^

One more author's note to make: for any who are interested, there are now pics for GH! InuyashaReader has posted one on his Deviant Art page, the link for which can be found on his profile, and I have posted some on my DA page as well. Here's the address: http://eggry.deviantart.com/

So, thanks very much for reading, and please leave a review. I would love to know your thoughts.