InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kurayami no Naka de Hikari ❯ A Pleasant Afternoon ( Chapter 6 )

Kurayami no Naka de Hikari

Notes: 7,224 words/12 pages LOL! I KNEW I was gonna piss people off with the last chapter! That's what I was aiming for, to be honest! Sorry Saria Forest14! I wasn't trying to make you puke, honest! Trust me, it was necessary for the plot and since its rated M, I felt all the details were essential. Trust me; I'm not a Kag/Nar fan either. I needed to show the depth of control he has over Kagome.

Okay, a bit of a crisis is going on in my life right now so updates may be sporadic for a bit. I'm really sorry to everyone enjoying this story, it really can't be helped right now.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters thereof. Even though that is the case, please don't steal my plot, concept, or story out of respect for my creative endeavor as I would not do this to anyone out there.

- l - l - l - Change of scene, time, etc.
'Thoughts/dreams' will be in single quotes (IE: ' ')

Chapter 6 – A Pleasant Afternoon

Kagome awoke the next morning feeling infinitely better than she had all week. She had the man she had fallen in love with back and was determined not to screw it up again. That meant avoiding Inuyasha. She felt sadness wash over her at the thought of not seeing the arrogant, handsome hanyou again. 'Wait...' Kagome paused in her thoughts as her eyes popped open and she felt her cheeks heat up. She shook her head to remove an imagined portrait of him standing with one hand on his hip and his shirt flung over his shoulder and hanging down his back. His chest was chiseled and glistened with a light sheen of sweat as his hair moved in an imagined breeze. 'Enough of that, girl!' She scolded herself as she quickly changed that mental picture with one of Naraku, only turned slightly so she caught a hint of the giant spider tattooed on his back.

She sat up and stretched, not surprised to see that Naraku was no longer holding her. He would tend to wake up in the middle of the night and go watch a movie or take walks. He was an insomniac so he would only sleep for two or three hours any given night. What she didn't expect was the smell of bacon that filled the apartment. She stood up and grabbed Naraku's button-up shirt from the floor and slipped it on. It came down to her mid-thigh and she only buttoned the top two buttons to keep the chill air off. Before she left the room, she picked up the small velvet box and fastened the delicate chain around her neck.

"It smells good out here." Kagome called as she opened the bedroom door and stepped into the office. She could faintly hear the sizzle of grease in a pan as she entered the kitchen. Naraku stood at the stove, spatula in hand as he flipped the popping bacon.

"Good morning." Kagome said with a smile as she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her cheek against his broad back. She felt him squeeze one hand, his other still occupied with breakfast.

"Breakfast will be ready in twenty. Go grab a shower, koibito." Naraku's answered with one of those smiles that never touched his eyes.

"All right." Kagome said as she planted a quick kiss on the spider tattoo that spread across his back. As she turned her back, she squealed as she felt his hand slip under the back of the shirt and pitch her bare cheek. "You look sexy, koibito." His voice was suddenly right in her ear and she felt hands rubbing up the insides of her thighs and gasped as a ripple of anticipation ran from the places his hands grazed. "I'll ravage you again later." He whispered sensually into her ear, pleased with the low moan that escaped her throat. As long as he could make her give off those sounds, he knew she would never leave him. He released her shortly after that and she jumped in the shower.

After Kagome got out of the shower and had eaten, she had to fly out of the door with a quick peck on Naraku's lips so she could catch her bus. She was panting by the time she reached the stop and she was thankful there were a lot of people lined up to get on so it was delayed long enough for her to catch it.

- l - l - l -

Kagome walked into her first class with more bounce in her step than she'd had all week. Kouga waved and motioned for her to sit by him. She sighed as she realized she had no choice since she'd made eye contact with him. She normally busied herself with something in her pocket or with pretending to check her text messages, but today she'd been in such a good mood, she'd forgotten to do any of it. Therefore, Kagome walked over to the desk next to Kouga and set her bag down.

"Well there you are, Kagome-san." Kouga said with a wide grin as he took her hand and kissed the back of it. Kagome blushed slightly and then shivered as she felt multiple pairs of eyes glaring certain death at her back. "You look like you're feeling better. You looked like you were about to collapse all week." Kagome laughed sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head, thankful he had just thought, like her classmates, that she had just been getting over her stay in the hospital.

"Yes, I feel a lot better." Kagome said with a forced smile as she stealthily took her hand back and sat down. She was aware of him talking to her as she dug in her bag for a pencil and her book full of notes for her class, but couldn't focus on what Kouga was saying. As nice as he was to her, she just couldn't connect with him the way he seemed to want. She was saved having to answer a question he'd asked when the professor entered the room and called for quiet. Kouga seemed put-out at her lack of response but she ignored it and began taking notes.

When the class let out, Kagome bolted, effectively avoiding the closing group of 'fangirls' that swarmed him and prevented him from following. She was vaguely aware of him calling after her but ducked around the corner, pretending she hadn't heard him. She let out the breath she'd been holding as she stepped out onto the sidewalk and headed for her next class.

She walked into her next class fifteen minutes early and headed for her normal desk at the back of the classroom. She paused as she looked at the desk and set her bag on the ground. Sitting in the middle of the desk was a single white lily and a card with her name written on it. She picked up the card with an elated smile. She didn't know Naraku had known lilies were her favorite flower. She picked up the flower and breathed in deeply, enjoying the familiar scent. She flipped the card open and her eyes widened in surprise.

'I noticed you stayed by these the longest at mom's.'

'Inuyasha'

She felt a smile cross her lips as she brought the flower up and breathed in the sweet scent. She hadn't realized he'd been watching her that closely that night and was touched that he'd paid that much attention. That's something that was very different about him; he was observant and thoughtful even though he tried to hide it with arrogance and indifference. The flower brought her dream about the secret garden back to the front of her mind and her face started to heat. 'If only that had been real...' Kagome wondered to herself and immediately berated herself when she remembered her boyfriend. She knew this sweet gesture was Inuyasha's way of apologizing to her and she readily accepted it, feeling butterflies rise in her stomach as she thought about him.

Kagome forced her thoughts back to her boyfriend and pictured him barefoot with a pair of loose-fitting jeans that hung down a few inches, revealing the top of his boxers. His shirt was off as her mental picture roamed upward, seeing his chiseled chest and abdomen. He had his hands on his hips and stood with his legs at shoulder width, confidently. His eyes were different though... her mental mind had given him a pair of glowing, golden eyes that bore into hers out of a slightly younger face. A fang poked down over his bottom lip and there was a familiar arrogant smirk plastered on his masculine features. Kagome's eyes shot open as the remnants of her daydreaming session began to fade from her mind. Why had Inuyasha's face been on Naraku's body?

Kagome shook her head and silently scolded herself. She was happy with Naraku. He loved her and took care of her; he had given her a family when hers had gone away. But there was something about Inuyasha that intrigued her. Then a memory made her blood run cold... 'I'll kill him...' Naraku's low, cold voice echoed through head and her happy mood quickly began to dissolve.

- l - l - l -

When Kagome walked out of her class, she wasn't surprised to see sunlight glinting off of silver hair to the right side of the door. She noted that he seemed a little nervous and couldn't help but smile. He hadn't been sure she would accept his apology.

"Thank you, Inuyasha." She said when he turned toward her. He had, undoubtedly, caught her scent as soon as she had stepped outside of the building. "Lilies are my favorite." She noticed the nervous tightening around his eyes relaxed and his ears perked up visibly.

"Here, put this on." Inuyasha said simply as he pushed a helmet into her hands. She looked down at the helmet, then at her bag of books and wasn't sure what to do. He growled low in his throat and took her bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "Just put on the helmet, baka." He said dryly as he began walking down the sidewalk. Kagome puffed out her cheeks, annoyed at his behavior, but followed anyway.

When they got to his bike, he stashed her bag under the seat and put his own helmet on. Then he turned back to her and offered a clawed hand to help her onto the back. She put the helmet on and, with a smile, took his hand and let him help her get settled into place. She blushed slightly as she pressed herself against his back and he wrapped her arm around his waist, holding onto her hand long enough to give it a soft squeeze. The small gestures he made her heart beat madly and jump into her throat. She had to admit, though, that holding on to him as they flew down the street was exhilarating!

"Where are we going?" She asked as he started the bike up.

"You'll see when we get there, Kagome." Inuyasha said as he looked over his shoulder at her. "Hold on tight." Kagome instinctively tightened her grip on his waist in anticipation of his takeoff and wasn't disappointed when he shot out into the street.

Kagome laughed in excitement and happiness as they passed all of the cars on the street. Inuyasha weaved in and out of traffic naturally and smoothly. She now understood what Sango meant when she mentioned Inuyasha could drive the hell out of that bike. She had trouble picturing him on anything else, but of course, the day he had saved her he must have been in a car. He wouldn't be stubborn enough to ride in the rain. Then there was the winter months when there was snow on the ground, he certainly wouldn't risk his life riding it then. She busied herself with thinking about what kind of car he would drive as she watched the scenery whip by.

Before Kagome knew it, Inuyasha was slowing down. They were in a part of the city she didn't really know, but there was greenery everywhere. She scanned her surroundings more closely and noticed that there were more trees lining the streets the further they drove until there was a soft, green canopy hanging over the street. She smiled as white petals rained down on them from the over-arching trees. Kagome definitely loved spring.

Inuyasha pulled into a small parking lot a few minutes later and cut the engine. He helped her off the bike and hung both helmets from the handlebars. Kagome breathed the spring air in as she stretched under the shade of the trees. Inuyasha grasped her hand and began dragging her along a path that was nearly concealed by large, leafy green hostas on either side that were spilling over the red brick path.

"Where are we going?" Kagome asked as she watched a butterfly float past and land on a large flower that several bees were buzzing around.

"We're going to eat lunch, where did you think we were going?" He asked gruffly as Kagome, again, had to quicken her pace to walk beside him instead of behind him.

"I've never been to this park. It's breathtaking." Kagome said as she heard the tell-tale buzz of a hummingbird fly by, which sounded like a very large bumblebee. She caught the faint hint of a smile on his lips before it turned into his normal smirk. His confidence was back in full-gear as the pair walked deeper into the park, hand in hand. As a friend, Inuyasha did thoughtful things without thought that Naraku hasn't done in five years of being together.

They finally walked out into a clearing that was surrounded by trees covered in flowers of all colors that were all showering them in a rain of multi-hued petals. Kagome laughed and dragged Inuyasha along with her and she stood under the various trees, telling him what they were. One thing she had learned from her grandfather as a child was how to identify plants and trees. She hadn't paid much attention to his recitations of history, but she has been interested in the wildlife that surrounded her. She had grown up in Tokyo were forests and flowers were more often overpowered by the scent of diesel exhaust and garbage from cans and dumpsters near the sidewalks so she had developed a great appreciation for the things that grew.

Inuyasha couldn't hide his grin as the dark-haired girl dragged him around the clearing and told him the names of all the growing things that surrounded them. He had been right to assume she liked nature. After his conversation with Miroku the night before, Inuyasha had thought long and hard about something that would mean something to her, that's when he remembered how she had looked when he took her into the gardens at his parents' home. He had not seen that sad smile that he saw so often even once. Her eyes had danced with pure jubilation so he had gone over every detail in his mind. She had gone up to almost every lily they had seen that night so he decided she was fond of them. He smirked to himself at his own cleverness.

"Yo! Kagome-sama! Inuyasha!" A voice faintly yelled to their left. Kagome was pleasantly pleased to see Miroku and Sango sitting at a table with a large basket sitting on the end. There was a faint smell of charcoal smoke that grew stronger as they neared the other couple. Kagome grinned broadly and gave Sango a hug, releasing Inuyasha's hand for the first time since he'd helped her off the motorcycle.

"Hey friend." Miroku said to Inuyasha as he walked up to him and clapped him on the back forcefully. Inuyasha did the same to Miroku with an evil smirk. Being a hanyou, Inuyasha had enhanced strength and as a result, Miroku went wheeling forward and his outstretched hands landed on something firm and round. Both hands were cupping one of each of Sango's butt cheeks.

"Pervert!" She shrieked as she brought her hand across his face, startling flocks of birds into flight all around the clearing. A loud giggle escaped Kagome's throat as Sango began chasing the profusely apologizing dark-haired monk around the clearing. Inuyasha hated when Miroku called him friend and it was the perfect opportunity to hear Kagome's musical laughter again.

"So, you like burgers?" Inuyasha asked as he dug in the basket and pulled out a spatula and a box of partially frozen beef patties from a cooler at the end of the table. Kagome just smiled and nodded. She had always loved cookouts. The smell of charcoal, the slightly charred food, having to worry about ant attacks...It was very peaceful and relaxing to her.

Inuyasha put a handful of burgers onto the foil that had been placed on the grill and smiled in satisfaction at the familiar sizzle. Like many men, Inuyasha enjoyed grilling, though he had shared that with no one. Not even Miroku. Everyone thought all he could cook was instant ramen. Ramen was definitely his specialty as well as his favorite, but he liked to grill too. He had put mixed different seasonings into the beef patties before he froze them so he was hoping the spices had time to flavor the meat up to his standard.

Kagome watched with a small smile as Inuyasha places the burgers precisely in place on the grill with care. He then took a pair of metal tongs that were covered in soot and started to rearrange the glowing coals underneath of the sizzling meat until they were in the perfect position. They smelled absolutely wonderful to Kagome. Sango and Miroku were lying in the grass quite a ways away engrossed in a pretty in-depth make-out session. She blushed and turned back to Inuyasha only to find his familiar golden eyes inches from her face.

"Would you stop staring already?" He growled as he frowned at Kagome before he sat down beside her. Kagome let out a breath she had drawn in on instinct when she had found herself almost nose-to-nose with Inuyasha. She put her hand to her chest and took slow, even breaths to slow her rapidly beating heart.

"Don't DO that!" Kagome said a moment later as she looked away from him. "You scared me, baka." She mumbled but there was no heat behind the insult.

Inuyasha's ear twitched as he heard Kagome draw her breath in sharply. He had been observing her closely and immediately picked up on the sound of her rapid heartbeat. His own heart was beating quickly as well, he had been so tempted to take a taste of those sweet lips of hers again but had stopped himself when she'd turned back unexpectedly.

He hadn't been upset that she'd been staring at him; he was more along the lines of self-conscious. He would get many looks when he was out, whether from youkai who thought hanyous were worthless or humans that were afraid of youkai; but he had never had someone look at him with a content smile like that before.

Inuyasha cursed inwardly as a wave of nervousness swept over him. He suddenly didn't know what to say to the beautiful young woman sitting beside him at the table. The sun was glinting off her hair, revealing natural blue highlights much like the feathers on a raven and her eyes were shining with joy as she scanned the clearing. Almost out of sight was a small lake that was reflecting the sun and Inuyasha knew there was something hidden pretty far back in the woods behind the lake that few people knew about. He wanted to take her to that special place. He made a mental note to do it when Miroku and Sango weren't around.

"You're such a lecher, Miroku!" Sango's shrill cry broke into Inuyasha's musings.

"Come back, Sango-chan!" Miroku called weakly as he stretched out one hand from his place on the ground.

"You always go too far, houshi!" She yelled as she stomped over to the table. Kagome couldn't help but laugh at the exasperated look on Sango's face. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was mussed from their little 'tumble' in the grass, but the look in her eyes was amusement rather than anger. While she didn't always appreciate his roaming hands, mostly when he tried things in public, she had to admit she liked the attention from the sometimes-charming monk wannabe.

"He just doesn't know when to stop." Sango said with a flush as she grabbed a bag of chips from the basket and plopped down across from Kagome. She opened the bag and put it in the middle of the table so all three had access to it and gave Kagome a welcoming smile.

"Hey, Sango-chan." Kagome said with a grin as she grabbed a chip from the brown ponytailed girl's hand and popped it in her mouth.

"How was your class?" Sango asked as Miroku finally made his way to the table, sitting beside Sango. Besides the grass stains he had on his jeans and the back of his shirt, there was a distinct handprint on his cheek and the tread of a sneaker stood out prominently on his chest.

"You should know when to give up." Inuyasha said dryly as he glanced at his best friend across the table. "I'm not sure why you're into these super athletic chicks. You know they can beat you up." Miroku laughed sheepishly as he brushed grass off the front of his shirt and went in for another squeeze while Sango and Kagome were chatting.

Kagome was somewhat disappointed when it was time to head back to the school. She had had so much fun in the park with her three new friends. They treated her like they'd known her for years and Sango was so happy to have another female so she was no longer smothered in testosterone all the time. It was a very pleasant afternoon, but it seemed that when you're having fun, time seemed so speed up and when you were bored, it slowed to a crawl. That's why Kagome sat at her desk nearly falling asleep from boredom in her final class of the day. She was regretting that she hadn't just skipped it that day, but with finally looming in front of her, she couldn't afford to skip.

Kagome sighed as she looked at the clock again... only two minutes had passed since the previous time she'd looked. She tried to balance her pencil on its somewhat worn eraser to hopefully ease her boredom. It didn't help... She and Sango were going to the gym that night. It wasn't Kagome's favorite thing to do, but she knew even if she was skinny, she was still out of shape. If she tried to run somewhere, she would probably cough up a lung. Especially now that her immune system was completely worthless from being sick.

Again Kagome looked at the clock... one minute... She sighed in annoyance and her head banged into her desk top with a dull thud. She wasn't the only one watching the clock either. Just about the whole class was staring above the professor's head at the clock on the wall.

"All right class." Their professor said with a heavy sigh. "I can see you're all distracted because of the beautiful weather so I'll let you go early this one time." A grin spread across Kagome's face as she quickly stood up and headed for the door. Her phone was already ringing Sango's number by the time she was walking down the hallway toward the exit.

"Hey Sango! We got out of class early; I'm headed for the bus now." Kagome said into the receiver as she reached the exit and queried up to leave the building.

"Change of plan, Kagome-chan." Sango's voice sounded on the other end. "Do you like to swim?"

"Yeah, I love swimming. I was one of the best on the swim team in high school." Kagome explained as she slowed her pace.

"Good!" Sango's excited voice said on the line. "Meet me at the gas station and we'll go grab some swim suits really quickly. I have Inuyasha's credit card."

"Eh?" Kagome stopped walking in surprise. She still had the lily Inuyasha had given her; she had it tucked behind her ear. "He's already spent a lot of money because of me. I couldn't ask him to spend any more."

"Oh hush! Inuyasha's 'allowance' every month is more than some people make in a year. I don't think he cares or he wouldn't have given ME the card!" Sango explained, emphasizing the word 'me'. "Besides, I don't think he'd mind seeing you in a bikini." At that, Kagome's cheeks heated as a brilliant blush filled her face.

"Sango!" She cried in embarrassment as she tried to conceal her blush by putting her face in her hand.

"Just come to the gas station, all right." Sango said into the receiver. She could hear the embarrassment in Kagome's voice and smiled to herself. Inuyasha seemed really taken by Kagome and Sango knew the hanyou would treat Kagome right so she had decided to subtly try to hook the two up. This was definitely the first step, bathing suit shots! It was the perfect plan!

"A... all right." Kagome finally relented as she headed for the gas station on foot.

- l - l - l -

Kagome tried to pull the bottom of her swimsuit down further to cover her behind a little more. There was a brilliant blush across her cheeks as she stood in front of the full-length mirror in the changing room. Sango had insisted she looked completely hot in the red bikini, but she felt half naked instead. She couldn't recall how she had been talked into picking this particular suit.

"Quit being self-conscious! You look great, Kagome-chan!" Sango said reassuringly.

"Easy for you to say! You have a one-piece!" Kagome cried as she wrapped her towel tightly around her shoulders to effectively hide all but her long legs. Sango was indeed wearing a one-piece, though it had large cutouts in the sides that left only the center of her belly and back covered. She, apparently, worked out often because she was perfectly tone without an ounce of fat visible on her form.

"Relax. Inuyasha won't be able to take his eyes off of you." Sango said with a wink. This prompted an indignant noise and fiery blush to issue from Kagome.

"Who says I 'want' him to look at me?" She asked as she peeked over her towel at Sango. "I have a boyfriend, remember?"

"So, that doesn't mean you can't show off your curves once in a while." Sango said as she grabbed Kagome's towel and yanked viciously before running out of the locker room with a very embarrassed Kagome running after trying to get her towel back.

"Come back Sango-chan!" Kagome cried as she rounded the corner after her ponytailed friend. Kagome had pulled hers up into a matching one, though it was wavy and didn't hang down her back as far as Sango's. Kagome was forced to stop and almost ran into a stopped Sango. She quickly snatched the towel back from her friend and wrapped it tightly around her.

"Ready to swim?" Miroku's amused voice broke into Kagome's frantic flight for coverage and she peeked shyly around Sango and caught a glimpse of the two young men.

Inuyasha was wearing a pair of red trunks that hung below his knees and showed off his well-toned chest and six-pack abs. She felt a blush creep to her face as she hid behind her towel shyly and studied the people around her. All three of them were extremely in shape and toned. Kagome felt the urge to feel the soft, tanned skin that was exposed on Inuyasha and mentally smacked herself for having such a thought form in her mind. Like Sango said, though, there was nothing wrong with looking at his exposed body. She vaguely thought that only a god would be that tone and chiseled without being bulky or 'buff'.

"You coming or what?" Inuyasha's voice broke into her thoughts and she shook her head to clear them and then nodded and followed.

"You know you can't swim with a towel wrapped around you." Inuyasha said lazily as he threw his own towel over his shoulder. Kagome just turned and childishly stuck her tongue out at her.

"Shut up, baka." Kagome said with pink-stained cheeks. "It's really cold in the hallway." She made up a quick excuse. She didn't want to say she felt like a cow with her love handles while none of them seemed to have an ounce of fat on them.

The four people entered the large pool room and a humid warmth greeted them. Kagome sighed and continued to clutch her towel close. She noticed Inuyasha's nose wrinkle at the smell of chlorine permeated the room. She imagined it was a bit strong to his sensitive nose and grimaced in sympathy.

"You gonna lose the towel or what?" Inuyasha asked dryly as he looked down at the dark-haired young woman beside him. She squeaked in surprise and shook her head 'no' quickly before turning on her heel and following after Sango to the jacuzzi. Inuyasha frowned in slight disappointment then grabbed Miroku's wrist, who had been watching Sango's swaying hips as she sashayed toward the jacuzzi. He spun his dark-haired friend around and flung him into the pool, smirking as he landed in the middle of the deep end right where he'd aimed. Miroku bobbed to the surface after a few moments only to get hit full in the face with a wave Inuyasha generated with his cannonball.

Kagome tossed her towel to the side and quickly followed Sango into the jacuzzi. They were the only people in the pool house but it was still early so more people would probably come in when the schools let out. Kagome sighed in contentment as she sunk to her neck in the hot tub. It had been a long time since she'd been able to relax like that. The jets were a welcome massage on her back.

"So." Kagome said as she looked slyly over at Sango. "How serious are you and Miroku?" She noticed a blush staining Sango's cheeks and she tried to hide a smile with an annoyed look.

"That perv chases anything with two legs and a vagina. I don't see him like that at all." Kagome gave her a knowing smile and shifted slightly so the jet was no longer in the middle of her back.

"That's not how it looked earlier at the cookout." Kagome teased, which caused Sango's face to turn a brilliant shade of scarlet that had nothing to do with the heat of the water. "Things looked pretty heavy and serious out in the field." Sango sputtered in embarrassment as she tried to come up with a good excuse.

"Well it was... I mean... we do things... umm..." She trailed off into mumbling and then just stared down into the water with a slight smile on her lips. "You won't tell him, will you?" Kagome giggled to herself. It was pretty apparent Sango hasn't had many female friends in her life.

"Of course not, Sango-chan." Kagome said with a wink at her still-blushing friend. "Girl talk stays between girls." Sango let out a sigh of relief and nodded with a smile.

"Well we've dated on-again, off-again for years but he never seems very committed so we always go back to being friends again." Sango explained in a quiet voice that wouldn't carry to the boys, who seemed to be seeing who could jump the farthest off the diving board. "Miroku just doesn't seem to like me enough to leave the other women alone." She said sadly.

"Hmm... I think I have a plan." Kagome said after a moment of thought. "We just have to make you irresistible to him. Do you still have Inuyasha's credit card?"

"Of course!" She said with a wink.

"Good. Tomorrow we're going on a shopping spree and then you can show up at Miroku's favorite club. You need to act nonchalant and aloof, though. I have a feeling it will drive him crazy!" Sango giggled and agreed immediately. She'd never tried the 'hard to get' role so she was interested to see how it would turn out. She was normally aggressive and sometimes downright hostile so this was definitely going to be a challenge.

"You're going to have to give me some pointers while we shop." Sango said as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I'm not sure I can pull off looking 'cool' like that."

"Sure! This is going to be so much fun!" Kagome squealed as she reached across the jacuzzi and hugged Sango.

"Am I interrupting anything, ladies?" An unfamiliar male voice broke in. Both girls turned to see a tall, brown-haired man about their age standing by the stairs. Kagome stared dumbfounded at the shaggy-haired man. 'No... freaking... way...' She thought to herself as her mouth dropped open and anger started to build in her gut.

"Hojo?!?" Kagome cried as she stood up and pointed at her ex-boyfriend angrily. "What are YOU doing here?!" She demanded, forgetting about her bikini she'd been previously hiding in the hot tub.

"Kagome, wow." Hojo said before a broad smile broke out on his face. "Wow, you look really great." He said and Kagome immediately blanched when she realized just what she was wearing. Her red swimsuit had large black and white flowers and stretched straight across her chest with no straps. The bottoms were the same print in the traditional bikini cut but had two strings hanging down on either side to easily tighten them. With a bright blush on her face, Kagome submerged herself back in the water with a splash.

Inuyasha hadn't been able to hear what Kagome and Sango had been talking about, but when he heard Kagome yell he immediately spun around and caught sight of her smooth, pale skin. His breath caught in his throat as he caught sight of her pale flesh from the waist up. She wasn't all muscle like Sango, but she had gentle curves and supple breast that he couldn't keep his eyes off. He watched as the water trailed down her flat stomach and licked his lips, wanting to wipe the tracks of water away with his tongue. Her skin was flawless and he longed to run his hands over her curves. He shook himself out of his fantasy before he started to pitch a tent in his swimming trunks. He growled low in his throat when Miroku elbowed him in the stomach and gave him a suggestive smirk. Then using his youkai strength, Inuyasha flung the monk halfway across the pool again.

"What are you doing here?" Kagome demanded, now safely hidden in the bubbling water.

"I'm a member of this club. I didn't realize you had the kind of cash to below to this place, Kagome." Hojo said with a bright smile as he walked into the hot tub and sat beside Kagome. She immediately shifted so she was out of fondle reach if he tried something in the bubbles.

"It's Higurashi to you." Kagome said, her voice dripping venom. He seemed surprised at the amount of malice in her tone and even more surprised when the beautiful brown-haired woman mirrored the look.

"I take it you two aren't friends?" Sango asked in a low voice as she glared at the young man with messy brown hair.

"We dated in high school." Hojo said brightly as he ignored the tension in the air. "I don't really remember why we broke up, to be honest."

"Baka..." Kagome muttered in outrage. He knew very well what he did that caused her to break up with him. She had yelled at him about it until he had taken her home that night. "You tricked me, got me drunk, and tried to take advantage of me." She practically yelled as anger suddenly burst into her being.

"Hmm?" Hojo said as if he were trying to remember. "No, that doesn't ring any bells. But wow, you look great." Hojo said as he moved closer to Kagome and placed his hand on her inner thigh and slowly began to move his hand upward. "How about we go have a drink?"

"What?" Kagome squeaked as she tried to move away only to have him grab her hip and hold her in place. "Take your hands off of me." She said dangerously.

"Come on, Kagome-chan. For old time sake?" He asked as he captured her hand and kissed the back of it.

"I suggest you remove your hands immediately." An angry male voice growled close to Kagome. She looked up to see a growling Inuyasha dripping wet cracking his knuckles.

"Inuyasha..." She breathed as his wet silver locks clung to his skin. She was vaguely aware of a flash of red that came across his eyes, but they quickly returned to their burnished gold color.

"Takahashi-san!" Hojo jumped up in surprise as the son of the richest man in the city approached them. Sango was also on her feet with her hands outstretched to grab Hojo from behind, a look of disgust directed at Hojo.

"The lady said she wasn't interested, temme." Inuyasha growled as he reached a hand out toward Kagome. She immediately placed her hand in his large, clawed one and in using little of his strength, pulled her from the hot tub and into his arms, cradling her bridal-style.

"You're with Kagome-chan?" Hojo asked dumbly as he saw the intimate way Inuyasha held the raven-haired woman. A brilliant scarlet stained Kagome's cheek as she looked up at her, once again, savior.

"Yeah, she's my lady!" Inuyasha said as his own cheeks tinted slightly pink. Kagome could hear his heartbeat quicken with those words as her head was pressed against his chest. She felt her own heart speed up in response and the sensation of skin to skin contact finally sunk in. His chest was slick and cool from the pool water, but felt like she was being pressed up against a rock. She wanted to trace her fingers over the defined muscles of his chest, but stopped herself after she placed one hand palm down in the middle of his chest.

"You all right, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked as concerned golden eyes swiveled down to meet expressive chocolate eyes. She nodded in response and leaned against his chest, thankful to him for saving her again.

"Please forgive me Higurashi-san, Takahashi-san." Hojo said as he bowed to the pair. "Please don't have me fired."

"Get lost." Inuyasha said dangerously. Hojo didn't need to be told twice. He turned around and sprinted from the pool room.

Inuyasha felt the tension finally leave Kagome's body as she lay against his chest. She could feel him walking but didn't pay attention to where they were going. She smiled to herself as she held onto Inuyasha as he walked. After several minutes, she felt him pause and felt a comfortable heat surrounding her shivering body. He sat down on a bench with Kagome in his lap and it prompted Kagome to open her eyes a look up at him. She saw they were alone in a steam room and blushed faintly at how close they were together.

"Keh, I see that guy once in a while. He acts completely oblivious as he pinches women at pop's office." Inuyasha said as he tucked a strand of Kagome's hair that had escapes the ponytail behind her ear.

"I went to high school with him." Kagome explained as she broke eye contact. "We dated briefly until he spiked my drink and tried to take advantage." She said somewhat bitterly. "So you saved me again and I still don't know how to pay you back." Kagome said as she looked back up into burnished gold with a playful smile.

"I thought of something." He said quietly and Kagome's heart skipped a beat as she saw him leaning closer to her, closing the distance between their faces slowly. She was going to protest at first that she had a boyfriend but all thoughts of Naraku disappeared from her mind as she felt his hand cup her cheek gently and draw her face toward his. His lips were soft and gentle against Kagome's as she felt her body meld into his chest. One hand went to Inuyasha's cheek while the other wrapped around his waist as he drew her closer and deepened the kiss.

Kagome vaguely thought about how good her imagination was because when she'd kissed Inuyasha in her dream garden, it had felt the same. She felt his tongue trace her bottom lip, begging admittance into the cavern of her mouth. Without a thought, Kagome granted his request and felt as his rough tongue ran over hers. Her body fit perfectly pressed up against him as they explored the other's mouth with their tongue. Kagome felt a burning between her legs and something hard was poking her in the thigh when she pulled away, out of breath. Inuyasha's clawed hands moved to Kagome's back as he pulled her close and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. His lips trailed down her neck as he placed gentle kisses on the soft flesh, sending chills shooting down Kagome's spine that had nothing to do with being cold.

Inuyasha trailed his hands down her back and gently gripped her hips as he trailed kisses along her collarbone, flicking his tongue out to run it along her silky skin. She smelled so good... the scent of arousal met his sensitive nose and he couldn't help but run his tongue over her skin. He determined that she tasted just as good as she smelled and he wanted more. He ran his hands back up her back and over her shoulder before he gripped her head and lightly tipped her head back to capture her mouth in another passionate kiss.

Kagome shivered at what his hands and lips did to her and allowed him to continue sliding his hands over her. Her body fit in with his like a puzzle piece and she couldn't deny that he felt good pressed up against her partially naked body. His tongue slid back into her mouth as he gently caressed the insides with his tongue and pulled her head closer into the kiss with a hand on the back of her head. She felt him pull the band out and her hair spilled onto her shoulders as his fingers ran through the newly freed strands. She wanted more as she ran her hands up his bare chest and responded hungrily to his kiss. She fought his tongue for dominance and promptly lost as he took control and she happily surrendered to him as he laid her back on the bench and lay atop her with his hips pinning her down. Her hips instinctively moved with his as the ground against each other. 'I'll kill him...' A deep voice echoed in Kagome's mind, making her eyes fly open. She put her hand on his chest and pushed him away, panting as she tried to catch her breath.

"I... can't..." She panted as she slid out from under him and headed for the door. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha..." She said from the doorway with her back to him. "I really can't see you again..."

"Kagome..." He whispered as she whipped around the corner and was gone. "Damnit!" He growled as he punched the wall next to him. Her scent lingered in the steam room and he breathed in deeply, aching with desire at the sweet scent of her arousal that still lingered. He was perplexed though... by the scent of fear that hung heavy in the air after her departure...

::FIN::

June 15, 2011

Well that's it for this chapter! I hope you enjoyed some nice fluff at the end, I know you were all disgusted by the ending of the previous chapter XD I hope you enjoyed this little bit of Kag/Inu gooeyness! Now for review responses!