InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Ichi no Tama ❯ Getting Comfortable ( Chapter 4 )

 

Disclaimer: My Burt's Bees chapstick is very satisfying, but it is no Inuyasha.

A/N: Yowza, three new reviews! I gave you both a shout-out at the bottom of the chapter. Ch-ch-check it out.

 

Vocab in this chapter:

Sake - Japanese rice wine.

Udon - thick wheat noodles (YUM).

Vegetable tempura - veggie bits rolled in batter then fried (DOUBLE YUM).

Gyoza - Dumplings, generally fried.

Itadakimasu - what the Japanese say before a meal. I can't remember the exact translation, but it's vaguely equivalent to “let's eat!”

Furikake - a seaweed and sesame seed sprinkly thingy. It's salty, but really good.

 

 

Chapter 4: Getting Comfortable

 

 

“Mother fucking shit piece of ass FUCKER!”

 

Kagome turned to the man she was supposedly married to. “Something wrong, dear darling?” she asked sweetly.

 

Inuyasha growled. “Just stubbed my toe, Hanako…” he managed to reply through gritted teeth. He was rewarded with a derisive cackle as Kagome left their new bedroom. Scowling, he pushed Kagome's dresser against the predetermined wall. Inuyasha's own was already in place, as were the nightstands and the bed. The only thing missing was the futon Kagome and Inuyasha had agreed they would take turns sleeping on, but since the apartment was currently crawling with movers, that would have to wait.

 

Inuyasha was finding this particular undercover assignment remarkably difficult. He had assumed it would be a breeze - he was, after all, the best agent in the YTF - but he was quickly discovering that having a partner made everything much more complicated.

 

Not to mention annoying, he added silently, disgruntled. It seemed that Kagome and Inuyasha had used up all their good relations during their apartment search the week before. Now, as they moved in, their dealings with each other had taken a steep downward plunge. Naturally, Inuyasha blamed Kagome.

 

Stupid bitch can't even be nice for two hours, he griped to himself, sulking.

 

“Inuyaaaaaaaaaashaaaaaaaaaa,” Kagome called in an ear-grating sing-song voice. “I need your hee-eelp!”

 

Said hanyou made a sour face, but sucked it up as he followed the sound of Kagome's call to the living room. He froze as he saw his partner, standing by an ominous silver rectangle that lay on the ground.

 

“No…” he breathed, recognizing the sight for what it was: his prized flat-screen high-definition plasma television…face down on the floor. “Ka- Hanako, no…”

 

“It fell from the stand,” Kagome said with a pout, but her eyes sparkled with a wicked amusement. “Can you help me put it back up?”

 

Inuyasha whimpered. “Oh, you're fucking me,” he whined, swooping down upon the expensive electronic. “No, no, no…”

 

“C'mon, Inuyasha, let's put it back up,” Kagome chirped cheerfully.

 

Inuyasha sent her a death glare as he lifted the screen on his own. When he had placed it in its nook of the entertainment center, he hastily checked it for damage. At first, he thought it might have escaped harm, but his heart sank as he looked in the very center.

 

“Oh dear,” Kagome sighed. “It's scratched!”

 

Inuyasha whirled around, teeth bared.

 

“Must have happened in the moving truck,” she conjectured with a sly smile. “Oh well, I'm sure it works fine!”

 

Inuyasha found himself plotting the most excruciating death he could imagine for Kagome as she flounced away. He couldn't believe the nerve…

 

Of course, Kagome felt no remorse as she directed the fresh wave of movers and the boxes they carried from the truck. Maybe I'd be sorry if he wasn't such a jerk, she thought, disgruntled. Not that she had done the deed herself; in fact, she had only lain the television down in order to see Inuyasha have a heart attack. The scratch had been there before. She might be angry, but she wasn't that malicious.

 

Even so, Kagome couldn't help but feel that Inuyasha deserved it after the way he'd been treating her. It certainly wasn't her fault that Inuyasha was in such a foul mood. She had started the day off happy and - though she was loath to admit it just then - a little excited to move into the beautiful apartment with the equally beautiful hanyou. However, when Inuyasha had arrived to pick her up, he was clearly not the almost friendly companion Kagome remembered from the last time she had seen him.

 

“Fucking get moving, bitch!” he'd screamed into the phone when he had pulled up outside her complex, so loud that she could hear him through her window as well as her cell. And as if that had not trashed Kagome's congenial demeanor thoroughly enough, things had only gone downhill from there.

 

Which left Kagome with her current predicament: How in the fuck was she supposed to convincingly act as this shit-for-brains' wife?

 

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>& gt;>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Inuyasha grunted quietly with the effort of carrying his prized leather couch up the stairs. He could have gotten help, or even allowed the moving guys to do it themselves, but after the damage his television had taken, he was not about to let another expensive possession fall victim to the stupid humans Kagome had hired.

 

And now Inuyasha was stuck hauling a motherfucking couch up 20 flights of stairs.

 

Of course, it wasn't that the furniture was too heavy for him; he'd carried more weight without problem before. It was just so damned awkward, and the stairwell was so small…

 

Inuyasha let out a small shout of irritation as the couch smacked the stair railing yet again.

 

“Stupid Kagome,” he muttered darkly as he changed his hold to avoid smacking the rail another time. Of course, the woman was not directly involved in his current plight, but Inuyasha was sure it all tied back to her somehow. He had heard the way she'd laughed when he'd stubbed his toe; she had to have something diabolical up her sleeve.

 

Somewhere, very deep down, Inuyasha recognized he was being unfair. He knew the real reason for his bad mood, and Kagome had nothing to do with it; she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

Kikyou, a voice whispered from the back of Inuyasha's mind, reminding him of exactly why he was so pissed.

 

Inuyasha frowned. Stupid bitch had come to his home the night before to “say goodbye” or some shit, but really she'd just fucked him and ran after he fell asleep.

 

Slut, he thought, but the sentiment lacked real conviction. For whatever reason, Kikyou's refusal to stay with him on their last night together felt like a betrayal, and Inuyasha honestly felt hurt by it.

 

Forcing the thoughts from his mind, Inuyasha climbed onto the 20th floor landing. The door to the hall was mercifully open, as was the apartment. Inuyasha was glad; he was in no mood to practice his balancing act while he attempted to open doors. His day was already bad enough without a few broken bones to ice the cake. He squeezed into the genkan and slipped off his shoes, trying to see past the couch to make sure he wasn't about to run into someone.

 

“If you're in the way, you'd better fucking move,” Inuyasha called as he eased down the hallway. There were no shouts of indignation, no jolt as the leather and wood found soft body. Satisfied, Inuyasha carefully felt out the two steps leading into the living room and set the couch down in front of his (scratched, he thought with a wince) television.

 

His duty done, Inuyasha took a moment to admire the sight. His furniture from home was nearly perfect for the modern architecture of the room and, not for the first time, he was glad this was the apartment they'd chosen.

 

Inuyasha pulled at the collar of his t-shirt, objecting to the sweat that was sticking the fabric to his back. Taking a quick second to glance around, he pulled his top off when he was satisfied stupid Kagome wasn't anywhere nearby. She had gotten angry when he'd tried the same thing earlier, and had screamed at him until he relented.

 

The things I put up with, Inuyasha grumbled mentally as he picked up the nearest box. The truck was nearly empty when Inuyasha had grabbed his couch, and since there was nothing heavy left for him to bring, he decided he might as well start to unpack. It was getting to be late, around five-thirty by his guess, and he wanted to have enough things out of their boxes in order to have a comfortable night.

 

He was starting to think a little about his dinner when he caught a familiar scent. Pretending to be absorbed in his task, Inuyasha simply let one ear flick backwards to listen. Kagome was standing at the entrance to the kitchen, or so he guessed. Her heartbeat was faster than normal, her breathing a little shallower, but her scent carried no hint of embarrassment or anger like the last time she'd seen him shirtless, so Inuyasha was pretty sure she didn't know he'd noticed her yet. He smirked egotistically. She was staring at him.

 

“Keh, don't you have something better to do?” Inuyasha asked derisively without looking away from the stereo he was hooking up. “We live together; you'll have plenty of opportunities to see me without a shirt on.”

 

The delicate smell of Kagome's embarrassment wafted across the room, but no rage. Inuyasha was glad. His poor ears couldn't take anymore shrieking.

 

“S…sorry,” Kagome apologized quietly. “I just came to tell you the movers are leaving…”

 

Inuyasha let out another soft “keh,” but said nothing further.

 

“And I was wondering if you wanted something to drink?”

 

Inuyasha turned at that. Like he had imagined, there was Kagome at the top of the two steps to the kitchen, still blushing a little. But there was something he hadn't pictured: she held out a bottle of beer in what could only be taken as a peace offering.

 

Inuyasha frowned, his eyebrows snapping together in suspicion. “What'd you do to it?” he demanded.

 

Kagome looked taken aback. “Nothing!” she protested sincerely. “It's still closed and everything.”

 

Inuyasha stood and crossed the room quickly. He took the bottle gently from her, pleasantly surprised when he found it was cold, and inspected it. Nothing seemed amiss…

 

“Yeah, ok,” he said finally. “Thanks.”

 

Kagome smiled warmly and opened her own bottle. Funny, Inuyasha hadn't even seen either the beer or the bottle opener…

 

Shrugging, he peeled back the cap from his beer with his fingers. It popped off with little resistance, but he had been expecting that. Little round pieces of aluminum had nothing on hanyou claws. He took a long drink, still a little surprised when absolutely nothing happened, despite his thorough inspection.

 

Inuyasha looked at Kagome with renewed respect. Maybe she's not as bad as I thought.

 

He smiled.

 

Kagome beamed.

 

“See, this won't be so bad,” she admonished, though whether the statement was directed at him or herself, Inuyasha couldn't say. Regardless, he couldn't help but agree with her a little.

 

“Good beer,” he grunted in response, then slipped past Kagome on his way to the kitchen. “What do we have for dinner?” he asked over his shoulder.

 

Kagome followed her new partner to the refrigerator. “Not a whole lot,” she sighed. “Beer, ice cubes, and spices, and that's just about it.”

 

Inuyasha made a face. “Shit,” he muttered, leaning back against the countertop. He liked alcohol, but not that much. “We'd better get groceries then.”

 

“I'll go,” Kagome offered dully, grabbing her purse off the island. “Do you want anything in particular?”

 

Inuyasha scoffed. “Don't be stupid. I'm coming; no way can I trust you to buy my food.”

 

Kagome smiled gratefully. She really hated grocery shopping alone. It had always seemed so…well, lonely to her. “Okay,” she agreed, a little shyly.

 

“Keh. C'mon, bitch.” He grabbed her arm above the elbow hand pulled her after him, but he was much more gentle than usual, a fact that was not lost on his companion.

 

Kagome bit back a grin. “You planning to go out dressed like that?” she inquired, giggling as she eyed Inuyasha's naked chest with amusement.

 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “I'm grabbin' my shirt on the way out, stupid,” he tossed back nonchalantly, but in truth he had completely forgotten about his state of undress. A faint blush crept onto his cheekbones as he went to retrieve his top.

 

“There,” he said, scowling at Kagome. “Ya happy?”

 

The woman beamed. “Yes,” she answered, no hint of malice in her tone.

 

Inuyasha shook his head, marveling at his new partner. “Crazy bitch,” he admonished, but the rude words sounded more like a term of endearment than an insult. “Let's go.”

 

Kagome obediently followed Inuyasha out of the apartment, her heart much lighter than when they had entered it that morning.

 

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>& gt;>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Kagome clutched her aching stomach as she laughed breathlessly, the grocery bags she had been carrying long since forgotten on the elevator floor. “I…can't believe…that…just happened!” she gasped, doubling over.

 

Inuyasha pressed against the elevator wall for support, grasping the railing to hold himself up. “You stu…pid bitch!” he wheezed, tears clouding his vision as he continued to snicker. “The eggs…fuckin' everywhere!” He was trying to breathe deeply, to gain control of himself so he could string a few more words together, but it was no use. The whole situation was just too damn funny.

 

Kagome stumbled toward him, hand outstretched to wipe his chest. “S-sorry, Inuyasha,” she hiccupped, cleaning his tee of the eggs as best she could. “I promise I d…didn't mean…to…”

 

Inuyasha took huge gulps of air as his mirth subsided a little. “Yeah, sure you didn't,” he chuckled.

 

The elevator was silent for a few moments as Kagome continued to wipe up the egg remains that covered Inuyasha's body. They were nearly to their floor.

 

“So. Inuyasha,” Kagome began casually. “How do you like your eggs in the morning?”

 

That was all Inuyasha needed to set him off again, and when he started snorting in his efforts to keep himself quiet, Kagome followed his lead. They could barely make it out of the elevator as the doors pulled apart with a faint “whoosh,” though by clinging to one another, the pair somehow managed to make it to their apartment with the remainder of their groceries intact.

 

“Fuckin' A,” Inuyasha breathed as he pulled off his shoes. “What a night,” he chuckled.

 

Kagome looked at her new partner, grinning. “It's your own fault,” she reminded him, poking his ribs.

 

Inuyasha danced away from her touch. “Yeah, whatever it is,” he teased. “I'm gonna go clean up.”

 

“Good. You're starting to stink.”

 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes with a smile, but made no effort to retaliate. He just hoped Kagome would have the sense to make some motherfucking dinner; he was hungry.

 

He stripped the instant he was in their bedroom, not even bothering to close the door. His dirty clothes stayed where they fell. Within moments, he was in the shower. The water was still cold, but Inuyasha didn't mind. Lukewarm water would help dislodge the yolk from his hair just as well as hot.

 

He still wasn't exactly sure what had happened, just that one minute he'd been speeding to make a light that had just turned yellow, and the next Kagome was screaming and eggs were smashing all over him. Normally, he'd be angry, but that night the whole situation had seemed just hilarious. Maybe it had to do with her, but Inuyasha supposed -

 

“Inuyasha, I brought your shamp- oh shit!”

 

The hanyou whirled around. There, clearly visible through the unfrosted glass of the shower door, was Kagome, holding the bathing supplies they had bought at the supermarket. Her eyes were shut tightly, but judging by the cherry hue of her face, she had gotten a good view of Inuyasha's ass a second before.

 

“Ah, sorry!” Kagome stammered, turning her back to him. “The door was open, so I just assumed -”

 

“Don't worry about it,” Inuyasha assured her gruffly as he stepped out of the shower. Kagome visibly stiffened when she heard him. “Just hand me the shampoo.”

 

Kagome obeyed, eyes still squeezed together. “I'll knock next time,” she promised as he took the plastic bottle from her. “I'll go make dinner now…”

 

Inuyasha stepped under the stream of the then-steaming water as the beet-red girl retreated hastily. He chuckled as she high-tailed it out of the room; damn woman was 35 years old, but she acted more like 13. It was amusing, but a little frustrating at the same time. Inuyasha knew Kagome felt sexual desire - he'd smelled her attraction for him the moment they'd met - but she ignored the feelings, just blushed and pushed them away. He had to wonder exactly how far her experience with such things went. She can't be a virgin…

 

Resolving to work his questions into a later conversation, Inuyasha turned his attentions to removing the egg slime from his hair.

 

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>& gt;>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Half an hour later, Inuyasha was out of the shower and somewhat dry. He had still not dressed; his towel was wrapped around his waist. He hoped Kagome meant it when she'd said she'd knock…

 

Inuyasha looked at the aforementioned girl's hairdryer wistfully. He'd like to use it on his own sopping, unruly locks, but he had a feeling that if he did, he'd never hear the end of it. In the privacy of his own home, it was a convenience that made life more comfortable. In the minds of other people, however, using a hairdryer made you either female or a fruitcake. And Inuyasha Himezu was not a fruitcake - he was a man, goddammit!

 

Turning away from the appliance, Inuyasha left the bathroom to go root around in the closet. Normally, he'd just throw on a pair of boxers and be done with it, but something told him Kagome would scream bloody murder and then commit said crime against him. The thought made him snicker. She really did get embarrassed far too easily.

 

Settling on a comfortable-but-not-too-comfortable outfit of jeans and a wifebeater, Inuyasha sniffed the air as he dressed. Whatever Kagome was making for dinner smelled delicious. The aroma was similar to ramen, his favorite, but it lacked the manufactured, freeze-dried scent of the godly instant stuff. There were other dishes, too, one of which was clearly tempura. His mouth watered. He could tell by scent alone that Kagome was an excellent cook.

 

A soft knock sounded from the closed bedroom door. “Inuyasha?” Kagome's voice questioned from the hallway. “You dressed?”

 

Buttoning his pants quickly, the hanyou called back an affirmative answer.

 

Kagome poked her head around the door. “Dinner's ready,” she informed him.

 

Inuyasha stretched upwards. “All right,” he groaned. He followed her out of the room and into the kitchen. Kagome had set everything out on the island. She had placed the barstools Inuyasha had bought on the close side of the counter, and there was a bottle of warm sake accompanying the food.

 

“Looks good,” Inuyasha commented casually. “What'd you make?”

 

Kagome sat down on a stood, patting the seat beside her. “We've got some udon, vegetable tempura, gyoza, and rice. Is that enough?”

 

“Course,” he replied, accepting her wordless invitation as he flopped onto the stool. He immediately started dishing up. It had been a very long time since he had eaten such a traditional Japanese meal. Not since Mom was alive, he realized with a smile. He poured himself some sake, the offered the bottle to Kagome. She took it with a nod of thanks.

 

“Itadakimasu,” she intoned quietly, and they both started eating.

 

Inuyasha was beginning to wonder if Kagome was stil embarrassed about walking in on him earlier. She had been practically silent since she'd come to get him…

 

“So did you get all the egg out of your hair?” she asked teasingly.

 

Inuyasha grinned. “I did, actually, thanks to that shampoo you brought me.”

 

Kagome blushed as she shook some furikake on her rice. “Glad you appreciated it. I certainly suffered in order to give it to you,” she quipped.

 

Inuyasha chuckled. “Suffered my ass,” he replied.

 

“Exactly,” Kagome countered.

 

Inuyasha shook his head, hands up in defeat. “Ok, ok, peace,” he snickered. “You win.”

 

Kagome smiled and sipped the last of the sake in her cup. Inuyasha refilled it obligingly. He was hoping that the alcohol would help them both relax a little sp he could have a good conversation with the woman. His interest had been piqued; she had so many sides, and while a good many pissed him off or annoyed him, all the personas were fascinating. He wanted to know how she had become the argumentative yet ultimately kind adult that sat beside him. What had her childhood been like? Who were her parents? Her siblings, her friends? Why did she become a police officer? Hundreds of questions begged to be asked.

 

“Inuyasha?” Kagome interrupted his reverie. “Can I ask you a question?”

 

“Sure,” he replied, dipping a piece of green bean in his soy sauce.

 

“Was it hard? Growing up as a hanyou, I mean.”

 

Inuyasha nearly choked on his tempura. How could she have known…? he wondered incredulously. He swallowed his bite without asphyxiating, but did not reply for some time as he thought his answer over carefully.

 

“Yes,” he began slowly, “and no.” He took a deep breath. “It sucked, of course, but Mom tried to save me from the worst. She sent me to an all-demon private school so I could learn about youkai stuff, the things she couldn't really teach me. And she kept away from the humans we didn't know, since most of them don't really understand. But there was plenty she couldn't protect me from - especially the shit from all the full-bloods at my school. They thought they could kick me around, you know, since I'm only half. But I could hold my own, and I beat enough of them that eventually they started leaving me alone.” Inuyasha shrugged. “My mom did pretty fuckin' good, all things told.”

 

Kagome smiled sadly, but Inuyasha could tell it was from empathy, not pity. “Your mother must be an amazing woman,” she murmured.

 

“Was,” Inuyasha corrected without malice. “She died when I was 16.”

 

Kagome bit her lip. “I'm sorry,” she offered.

 

Inuyasha shook his head. “Don't be. It was a long time ago.”

 

The woman sighed, taking a sip of her sake. She wanted so badly to ask how it had happened. His childhood sounded so similar to her own…she wondered where the details split. Still, somehow she knew she'd been pushing her luck so far - she didn't want to ruin their nice evening.

 

Pushing aside her curiosity for a later date, Kagome moved on in her questioning. “What about your father?” she asked. “You didn't mention him.”

 

Inuyasha snorted. “He wasn't around. I'm illegitimate, and he's famous. He loved my mom, and I'm pretty sure he still does, but he can't afford to acknowledge me. He made sure we were well taken care of, and we've met a couple times, but any more than that would be dangerous.”

 

Kagome looked down at her hands. Obviously, their lives had been very different after all. She was amazed that Inuyasha hadn't turned out a complete wreck. Clearly, his mother had been incredible.

 

“Fuck, Kagome, don't worry about it, ok? I'm fine. I turned out all right, didn't I?”

 

Kagome grinned. “That could be debated…” she teased, and Inuyasha smiled.

 

“There's that cold-hearted bitch I know and love,” he drawled, rolling his eyes. Kagome covered her mouth to muffle a giggle. She was well into her third cup of sake, Inuyasha noticed with amusement, and the alcohol was making her flush prettily. He himself was nursing his fourth, but he had always had a high tolerance. Something told him Kagome, being so slim and petite, would not.

 

Inuyasha picked up the now-lukewarm bottle to feel how much was left. It wasn't much; just enough to top off his cup. He sighed and poured the last of it in Kagome's.

 

“Thanks,” she said, lifting her glass in appreciation. She sipped a little, then put it back on the counter. “Oof. I don't know about you, but I'm full.”

 

Inuyasha looked at the woman's plate; she had eaten a huge portion of rice, two gyoza, and half of the tempura, as well as a whole bowl of udon. He was impressed.

 

“Somehow I'm not surprised; you pack it in like a fucking teenage boy,” he teased, and Kagome made a face.

 

“Whatever, I didn't eat lunch,” she countered, sticking out her tongue.

 

“Don't stick that out unless you plan to use it,” Inuyasha ordered without thinking.

 

Kagome blushed, and sucked in the offending appendage. Inuyasha, too, turned red when he realized what he'd said.

 

“Um…” he began awkwardly, trying to cover up his charged comment. “Wanna go watch a movie?”

 

Kagome looked at the dishes from dinner forlornly. She really didn't want to clean them up, but she couldn't just leave them. “Yeah, let me just get these dishes cleaned up…”

 

“Keh,” Inuyasha scoffed. “We'll do them in the morning. It's late; let's just relax for now. We have a big day tomorrow.”

 

Kagome looked at him in confusion. “What d'you mean?” she inquired.

 

“We have to go join Ichi no Tama, remember? There's a Meeting at two.”

 

Kagome groaned. For all that she had been so excited about this undercover job, it actually kind of scared her now that she was truly and honestly facing the lion's den.

 

Inuyasha sighed. “Don't worry about it now, ok? Like I said, we can just watch a movie and relax tonight. The more you loosen up beforehand, the better it'll be. Trust me,” he lied through his teeth.

 

Kagome yawned. “Yeah, ok,” she replied, sliding off her stool. “Let's watch a movie.”

 

Inuyasha smiled and stood up as well. “Go pick something out, ok? I'm gonna grab something to drink.”

 

Kagome slipped out of the kitchen to find the box with all of Inuyasha's movies, while said hanyou pulled out a bottle of red wine and opened it. He took along two glasses as well, and followed his partner into the living room. “What are we watching?” he asked as he filled both glasses.

 

Kagome shrugged, not even looking up from her task as she sifted through the dozens of movies Inuyasha owned. “I don't know what's good,” she replied absently, reading the back of one of the DVDs.

 

“Keh, stupid woman,” Inuyasha admonished gently, sitting down on the floor beside her. He reached into the box and pulled out a DVD without looking. “Here, we'll just watch this one.”

 

Kagome looked at the title and laughed. “`Back Door Booty: Part Two?'” she asked incredulously. Inuyasha turned scarlet.

 

“Ah…it…th-that's not mine!” he protested, ripping the case from Kagome's hands and throwing it behind him.

 

Kagome snickered. “C'mon, Inuyasha, I'm 25; I know how guys are!” She shook her head and started looking again. “How about Love Actually?” she asked, holding up the movie.

 

Inuyasha snorted in disgust. “Chick flick!” he proclaimed, diving back into the box. “Terminator III!” he exclaimed, grabbing the aforementioned title.

 

“Yuck! I'm trying to relax, remember?”

 

The two bickered for nigh on half an hour before they finally agreed on Walk the Line.

 

“Stupid fucking chick flicks,” Inuyasha grumbled as the opening credits began to roll.

 

“Shut the fuck up, Inuyasha,” Kagome replied smoothly, the alcohol making her much more explicit in her word choices.

 

“Stupid fucking chicks.”

 

Kagome just laughed and stretched her legs out on the couch, laying them on Inuyasha's lap.

 

“Oi, watch where you put your goddamn feet,” he complained, but really he didn't mind. She wasn't close to anything important, anyway.

 

“Shut the fuck up, Inuyasha.”

 

“Stupid fucking bitch.”

 

Kagome sighed and tried to pay attention to the movie, but Inuyasha was just too distracting. He was huffing and puffing and generally putting on a show, but Kagome knew he really didn't mind the movie as much as he was trying to make her think. After all, Kagome thought, he does have it in his collection…

 

She chuckled. She wondered if he'd bought it of his own volition or if some girl had been involved…maybe a girlfriend?

 

That thought made her realize how little she knew of Inuyasha's real life. For all she knew, he could be married!

 

Kagome glanced at the sullen hanyou, and almost laughed aloud at the thought. Part of her doubted that he would ever marry.

 

The other part thought he'd make a very good husband, if that night was any sort of indicator.

 

Kagome blushed as the idea occurred to her, and was suddenly glad Inuyasha had turned off the lights to see the TV screen better. If he saw her flushing, it could lead to some awkward questions…none of which she would be able to answer.

 

“Hey Kagome.”

 

“You said my name!” Kagome cried, raising her arms upward. “It's a miracle!”

 

“Shut up. I have a question for you,” Inuyasha berated.

 

“Oh, since you were so kind in asking my permission, Inuyasha, please, by all means, ask me anything you like,” Kagome countered sarcastically.

 

“Are you a virgin?”

 

“Are you seriously asking me that?” Kagome asked, amazed. “You have got to be kidding me.”

 

“I'm just curious, ok?” Inuyasha said defensively. “You're just so…I don't know, shy around guys when they're, like, naked and things. You're 25, so you can't be that innocent, right? But even when I just had my shirt off earlier…”

 

“That has nothing to do with being a virgin,” Kagome snapped.

 

“Ok, ok, touchy subject, I get it. I'm sorry.”

 

Kagome sighed. “It's not that, you just caught me off guard,” she relented quietly. “I rarely get asked that sort of question. But since you're…since we're living together now, I ought to be truthful, I guess.” She took a deep breath. “I'm not a virgin, no. But I'm not…I haven't…” Kagome shrugged. “It's just been a while, I guess. I'm not the kind of girl who sleeps with every guy she meets.”

 

“Obviously,” Inuyasha quipped, gesturing to his lap.

 

Kagome snickered. “Yes, obviously.” She relaxed back into the couch, watching the movie for a few moments as she considered something. “What about you?” she finally questioned.

 

Inuyasha let out a bark of a laugh. “Not a chance,” he replied. “I have more than a couple notches in my bedpost.”

 

Kagome frowned, but said nothing more. Somehow, this new knowledge made her stomach turn just the slightest bit.

 

Am I…jealous?

 

 

 

A/N: Yikes! Ok, I know what it looks like…but they're not really falling for each other yet, I promise! It's just sexual attraction/friendliness. Don't worry, things will be more normal in the next chapter.

 

Speaking of updates, I really meant to get this out earlier, but we had a series of big windstorms where I live that knocked out the power periodically…usually right before I was about to save everything I'd typed up. At least I got this chapter out…it was much different originally, with better dynamics I think, but I lost most of it last night. Oh well. You'll live.

 

Ok, a few shout-outs:

EMC, glad you liked it. I really appreciate your support. I'm used to few reviews, no worries. ^_^

Jake1184, thanks for the tip! I think this new summary has drawn a couple more readers…it's still not awesome, but it's better.

inu-baby, I hope this update was soon enough…thanks for reading!

Kelly-Jo, thanks for the support!

inuyasha_is_my_lover, I fucking love YOU. Thanks for reviewing!

 

R&R, boys and girls! It makes me update faster when I think people are waiting (even if it's not true…humor me, guys.)