InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Legend of the Labyrinth ❯ Night on the Town ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter 6

*~*~*~*~*

Three days later, as the chariot of Apollo began its downward descent, they arrived in Athens, the greatest of all city States.

Cough, "Disgusting, smelly humans!" Cough.

…and neither of them was in a good mood.

"Inuyasha will you stop complaining. It's not that bad!"

"Bah! You're just saying that cause you're one of them!" His disguise was making him cranky again in the crowded streets. Damn humans.

Growl, "Inuyasha…"

"Keh!"

Kagome sighed. Okay, maybe the market did smell a little bit, but even then, it was making her hungry. All around her people were buying and selling food, and she needed some, desperately.

"Inuyasha, be quiet. You're supposed to be a helpless old woman, remember?"

Snarl, snarl, grumble, snarl.

Kagome shook her head and allowed herself another sigh. Nothing had changed. The morning after the fight, he'd woken up, perfectly "fine" and as charming as ever. The only difference was that he now sported a large gash in his middle which had yet to heal completely. Kagome hadn't been much better. A cool night spent passed out flat on a rock plateau had made her bruised ribs unbearably stiff. The next day, she couldn't sit up (and still breathe at the same time) and bending over had been impossible. Even now, her whole chest was simply a gruesome shade of blackish blue.

"Look, do you want food or not? If you do, shut up or I'll never be able to figure out how to get it."

"Keh! Its right there, moron. You just stick your hand out and grab it! Then we can leave."

Kagome felt her eyebrow twitch. "We are not stealing Inuyasha, it isn't nice."

"Oooooh, it isn't nice-"

"How would you like it if someone came along and, oh I don't know, stole your sword? What would you do?"

Inuyasha growled. "Keh! You know what I'd do. I'd rip his fucking arm off! Bastard Sesshoumaru!!" Grumble, grumble, snarl…

Kagome let her shoulders slump in defeat. This, was getting them nowhere, and she was so hungry she could hardly see straight. Food, if only she could get food! Hell, she could probably have eaten one of those radishes she had hated so much, if only they had some left. Unfortunately, their meager supplies had run out around noon yesterday. She was so hungry, she almost didn't notice when someone yelled out "DEMON!!"

"Ahhhh! It's the demon!"

"Run for your lives!!"

Huh?

A few shrieks went up, and people began running. Kagome's first thought was that Inuyasha had blown his cover. However, that theory went down the drain when people began running into them in an effort to get away from whatever the real danger was. The first one bumped into her sore ribs, the second sent her stumbling backwards into Inuyasha, who let out a light grunt. They were quickly surrounded as more people flitting past the pair, carelessly whacking them with their goods and flapping toga's. Before long, Inuyasha's patience was at an end. Within seconds, the cloak was off as Inuyasha leapt into the air, leaving Kagome behind to fend for herself in the raging stream of people. He spotted the demon almost instantly, a giant pinky ball floating just above the tent tops of the market.

"Oi you!"

The demon didn't react. It pointedly ignored him, and continued floating in the air.

"Hey! You! Fucking bastard, Don't ignore me!"

That said, he charged.

*~*~*~*~*

Meanwhile, Kagome slowly getting beaten down by the crowd. Her front side had been hit repeatedly, the pain causing her to double over, and run slower than the others. She was just at the point where she was about to get trampled, when someone stepped in front of her, and pulled her up to her feet.

Kagome found herself being pressed firmly, but gently, against the warm wall of a man's chest. In fact, the warm, protective hold felt so much like a fond embrace, Kagome found herself blushing furiously by the time the crowd had passed, leaving her and her mysterious protector alone on the abandoned street. Furiously she fought to get a hold of herself while she waited for her savior to release her from the hold.

She waited…

…and waited…

…and waited…

…and then something that felt suspiciously like a hand began rubbing itself against her butt…

*~*~*~*~*

"WaaaaaahhhhHH!"

Inuyasha watched, confused as the large floating demon suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke, replacing it with a…a…

"What the hell are you?"

It was a boy, well at least it looked like a boy, minus the fluffy tale and animal hind legs. If you looked at those he looked more like a…a… Oh well, Inuyasha couldn't quite remember, but it was an animal of some sort. Curious, he released it's tail to hold it up by the foot instead, then the arm, then the hair. The hair, now that held something. It was almost orange, was that important? He couldn't remember...

"Eeeek! Put me down you big jerk! Wahhhhh! Miroku!!"

…it certainly was loud whatever it was…

"Shippo!"

Huh?

Inuyasha turned his head lazily to watch the arrival of some guy with a black robe, a pony tail, and a red hand print on his face. Another strange looking guy…

"Oi, you know him?" Inuyasha aimed a finger at the kicking ball of fur in his hand.

The man didn't answer. He stood there, and regarded Inuyasha from a distance, a dangerous, calculating glint in his eyes that Inuyasha had seen more than once, and had come to hate. He growled.

As if he had received a cue, the strange man turned to the side and walked purposefully over to the nearest, abandoned vendor's stand. He stopped just short, giving a quick examination of the thin support pole before him. A swipe of his arm cause the whole stand to collapse in a horrendous crash as jars and beams broke and splintered. The man stared at the mess curiously, then at the pole in his hand, then at the mess. Then he shrugged and walked calmly back out into the middle of the street as if nothing had happened.

"Miroku! Help! He's going to eat me!! Heeeelp!!" The brat ended in a high pitched squeak that hurt Inuyasha's ears.

The man took up a fighting stance as his eyes locked with Inuyasha's own. Recognizing the threat, Inuyasha let the brat go and deepened his growl. The man spoke.

"Demon, if you do not leave us in peace, then in the name of Dionysus, you meet your doom here, with I, Miroku of the order of high priests."

Inuyasha smirked, boy did this guy seem cocky. "Keh! This Dionysus must be a real wimp, 'cause I've never heard of him!"

Miroku raised an eyebrow. Looking slightly offended, he challenged, "Oh? And who might you be then, to scoff the name of a god?"

Monster. Murderer. Worthless Hanyou.

Inuyasha allowed his eyes to narrow and pushed those thoughts out of his head. "Inuyasha…" Reaching for the blade at his side, he drew one foot back, and charged, "Now die!"

The dramatic effect was ruined, however, when Inuyasha's blunt sword stuck in the wood of the tent pole and refused to go any further. He snarled again, this time at the blade. It was blunt! Why? Why was it still useless?

"Inuyasha? Hmmm, strange name. Can't say I've ever heard it before. Hup!"

The kick came out of nowhere, given that the guys feet were hidden by his robe, and struck Inuyasha dead in the center of his stomach. He slid backwards with the force, pain shooting out from his wounded center as he doubled over, still clutching his sword.

Damned sword? Why hadn't it changed?

The he remembered the pulse. That's what was missing. Last time it had a pulse.

Miroku was back on him. Inuyasha dodged by leaping to the side and springing on the recoil. This time, he made to use a horizontal slash. The priest turned his staff and it stuck in sideways. Inuyasha was on the defense again.

"If you would like to know, Dionysus is the God of Wine and Merriment." No, Inuyasha didn't want to know, but he was too busy dodging to say so. This human fought will a fluent grace that almost matched that cheesy bastard Sesshoumaru, and it was starting to piss Inuyasha off.

"He's actually quite popular here, second only after Athena. Why people want to worship that celibate brainiak is beyond me. In my opinion Dionysus is much more fun." What on earth was this jerk babbling about. Who Fucking cares?!

"Although, I can see the attraction, I suppose. Nothing is closer to the Elysian Fields than the innocent sigh of a virgin-"

"Will you SHUT UP!!" Inuyasha was sick and tired of this fucker and his flapping tongue. Enraged, he tossed the sword aside and began using his fists, instantly gaining the upper hand. He drove the priest backwards, pummeling splinters from the old piece of wood between them. Just a little more, and he would have him. Just a little more…

"You know what you need my friend, is a good woman." Miroku panted as he held Inuyasha back. "Hmmm, yes…a young one, of course, long hair, sparkling eyes, and a fiery temperament to match yours. That could help you get rid of some of this energy you seem to have no lack of. "

He made a quick twist and they broke apart. A sudden idea struck Miroku.

"Come to think of it, I met one on my way here…"

Inuyasha wasn't listening. There had been something about a girl. Something he should be remembering…

"Kagome! Fuck, where did she go?" Inuyasha spun around quickly, but was unable to see her. Scowling, he made a giant leap, and was soon soaring high above the city, busily scanning the streets in the direction she'd been.

He was glad he did, even if he couldn't see Kagome. In the not so far distance, Inuyasha could make out the flash of swords and shields, slowly headed their way.

Damn! Soldiers, that was all he needed.

He landed with a wince, pressing his hand to his stomach, surprised to find it moist. His wound had re-opened again. Fuck! What else could go wrong? Oh yeah, shit. That guy!

Inuyasha whirled around, prepared and ready to find the bastard trying to sneak attack him from behind…

The man hadn't moved, he just stood there, almost as if he was waiting for Inuyasha to get back into the fight.

Miroku blinked and took up his staff again. "If you wish to continue…"

But why? People weren't supposed to wait. They were underhanded, low down bastards who did whatever was necessary to get the job done…

This guy must be planning something. Whatever it was, he could handle it. There were foot soldiers coming. Keh! So he'd handle them too. He was still wounded though. But he wouldn't run away! Where was Kagome? What should he do?

At that moment, a shrill girlish squeal of delight shattered his thoughts.

"Awwww! CUTE!!"

"Hack, Urk…let go, you're strangling… me…"

Inuyasha knew that voice, and Miroku must have too, for within seconds, they were both running for the small alley from where the voices originated.

What they came upon, was a cooing Kagome, single arm-ed-ly squeezing the life out of a slightly strangled Shippo.

"Aaaah! Miroku! H-Help me!"

Kagome turned and realised they had an audience. Embarrassed, she let go of the boy, who instantly climbed up to sit at the top of the fruit stand and out of Kagome's reach.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha and blushed again. "Oh, hi Inuyasha." She gave a small wave.

"Keh!" Was Inuyasha's reply as he strode up to her. Come on wench, we're leaving."

"B-but, Inuyasha!"

Miroku took this opportunity to interject, " Excuse me, but do you two know one another?"

Kagome and Inuyasha gave each other a dry look.

"...I said come on bitch, we have to go. They've called out the fucking army and they're almost here."

He tried to drag her away as the tailed kid started to scream. "Aaaaah! The army! Miroku!!"

The monk punched the air in an angry gesture. "Dammit, I haven't even had a chance to steal anything yet!"

Blink, blink…

"…I, uh…I mean um…" There was a moments pause before Miroku gave up trying to think of excuses.

And suddenly, it all fit together inside Inuyasha's head. He whirled on Shippo. "You mean to tell me, you fucking pretended to attack the market so this blabbering asshole could steal from it when everyone ran away?!"

Shippo gave the obvious knee jerk reaction, "Eeek! Help Meee!!" and leapt for the security of Kagome's arms. She caught him, wincing as he landed against her bruised flesh. The sac she had been carrying slipped from her hand and hit the ground with a suspiciously heavy thud.

A silence, before Miroku raised his hand to stroke his chin thoughtfully. "Seems like we weren't the only ones, now were we."

Inuyasha stared in disbelief as the fruit rolled on the ground. "Ka-Kagome!!?!"

Kagome's, blush of embarrassment and guilt deepened substantially. "Um, well…I was hungry…a-and I thought…"

"B-but…you're the bitch going on about how bad it was to steal!!" Inuyasha still couldn't believe his ears, or his eyes.

Fortunately the topic was stopped there as Miroku slid up next to Kagome, who was too embarrassed to notice…

"Ah! A woman after my own heart!" He cooed as he placed his arms around her. "Do you believe it when they say 'great sex comes when people think alike?'"

Kagome's eyes bugged out of her sockets for just a moment before she turned and raised her hand…

Kapow!!!

Kagome stopped in shock. The man she had been about to slap was now wearing a fruit stand, and in his place was…

…Inuyasha's fist?? "I-Inuyasha?"

He was staring at his fist, the amount of shock in his expression easily matching Kagome's own. Why he had done that, he didn't know. Somehow, just seeing him like that, with her…Kagome…

The instant he met her eyes, his face fell dead pan once again and his fist dropped. He turned away and crossed his arms over his chest. "Keh! Annoying Asshole!"

The moment was further ruined by a pained groan as Miroku detached himself from the fruit stand. He wavered a moment, before giving his head a shake and straightening up.

"My apologies, for sure. I had no idea she was already accounted for-"

"Keh! Like I care for a wench like her!" Inuyasha's voice was just slightly too vehement.

Kagome frowned and glared at him.

Inuyasha refused to look at her.

Miroku watched this and smirked. He an idea forming in his head…

"…As a gesture of peace, I could offer you lodgings for the night. Our temple is quite cozy, and we always have rooms to spare. You can tend to your wounds, eat as much as you like and we even have warm water baths, if you would care to take…"

"YES!!"

Inuyasha's ears flattened at the decibel level, only to perk straight up again afterwards. What had she said?

"We'd love to spend the night at your temple, wouldn't we Inuyasha?"

"Hell NO!!"

"See, he agrees." and before giving him a chance to argue, "Now let's hurry before the army gets here! Inuyasha, can you carry the bag?"

Inuyasha felt a growl rising in his throat, but clamped down on it as he reached to do what he was told. Humans were just too strange to follow. Kagome was stealing, the monk wasn't trying to kill him, and the kid had a tail. Inuyasha decided he didn't want to face an army at the moment, his head hurt.

So quietly, he followed behind the group, carrying the bag, and retrieving Tetsusaiga, glaring at all those who dared whisper as he passed.

*~*~*~*~*

"Why didn't you tell me he was a priest of Dionysus!"

Inuyasha took a step back to avoid the spray off Kagome's hissing.

"Keh! You're the one who wanted to come here."

Kagome steamed, but realised he was right, so she turned her attention straight ahead, seemingly intent on ignoring him. That was fine with Inuyasha, this way Kagome wouldn't be distracting him. He had all his senses on full alert, searching out possible threats within these strange walls.

For strange they were. They had just passed from a very large open courtyard into a smaller hallway, and though both were abandoned, they had a smell and feel about them that told him there were used often, and by large groups of people.

Here the cool marble walls were decorated and painted with the most bizarre images Inuyasha had ever seen. There were images of wooden barrels filled with purplish liquid, and the liquid flowed out and all over the ground and people gathered it up in cups and drank it. They weren't wearing clothes. None of the people in any of the pictures were wearing clothes. And they were all crawling on top of each other, touching, kissing and hugging. Sometimes they were in two's and other times there were three or more, all piled on top of each other. In one of the pictures, a boy with a giant man-part was with a very beautiful woman…

Inuyasha felt his skin crawl at the sight of it. He could never imagine himself getting that close to someone, ever! People were smelly and disgusting! And what the hell were they doing any way? Carefully he speculated the figures bodies, and made note of several things missing on the women, and several of those same things standing up on the men. Was this what they looked like without any clothes on? Were they different like that? He'd never stood up like that. What did it mean? And why was it on a wall?

And as much as a part of him was disgusted, and a part of him was confused…

…a part of him wanted that… To touch, to be held

… like that night with Kagome…

"Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha came out of his thoughts to realise the others were slightly ahead of him by now. He had subconsciously stopped to stare at one of the paintings. The one with the boy. Kagome was walking up to him, she looked mad.

"Ah yes, that one's one of my favourites. There you see the mother and father of our Deity, Dionysus."

By the time Miroku had finished, Kagome had reached Inuyasha.

"Pervert!" She made a fast yank at one of his white forelocks of hair, and began dragging him away.

*~*~*~*~*

Kagome sighed as she put on a borrowed white gown and crawled into her bed. It was supposed to be their bed, seeing as how Miroku had said that they could only supply her and Inuyasha with one room. However, when she had protested, Inuyasha had said something about preferring to sleep outside, instead of near the "smelly wench," and gone off in a huff. Kagome had barely seen him since. Not that she cared. Served him right for being a jerk. While everyone else was outside partying and making a racket, Kagome was inside, with a room and a double bed all to herself. Inuyasha could stay out there all night and ogle the naked woman for all she cared.

Just thinking about that flared her temper. The nerve of those people! She had finally been able to go take her bath, only to discover it wasn't a private bath! There were men everywhere, and when she tried to get them to leave, they just laughed at her. Angrily, she had decided she would just have to bathe with a pair of spare priestess robes on. Why they had them, she didn't know. Certainly no woman around here was qualified to be a priestess.

In the end, her efforts had been futile. The cloth was white, and once wet, everyone could see every inch of her bruised body. They had quickly grimaced and looked away, and Kagome wasn't sure she should be offended or relieved. To make matters worse, Inuyasha had chosen that moment to walk in, strip, and join her in the water. Kagome had fairly screamed at him to get out, but he had just growled and ripped away the bandages around his stomach. He proceeded to clean his wounds and his clothes, a steady growl in his throat as the echo of whispers bounced off the walls. Kagome briefly noted that he had been bleeding again, before turning back around and staring into the water. A few minutes later he walked out again, shook himself dry, wrung out his clothes and crawled back into them, completely wet. Kagome sighed and then got out as well. Stripped and then changed so that her black and blue, yellow, green and purple front side faced everyone present. Once again, they had quickly looked away.

The rest of her time had been spent mainly in Shippo's company. He was a very sweet little kid, or…demon, or…whatever he was, who managed to look completely innocent, even though Kagome had a very high suspicion that he wasn't. After all, he spent most of his time around Miroku, who had turned out to be more perverted than Kagome could ever have guessed possible. During dinner he and another so called priest had held a debate of which position they each thought was better. What made it even more freaky was that they were both incredibly calm, fluent and civil while doing it. A fact that turned Kagome's list of morals upside down and backwards. If it hadn't been several months since she had last eaten a hot meal, she would have lost her appetite.

The moment it began to turn dark, people had started arriving at the temple. They came in groups of twos and threes, consisted mostly of beautiful young women, and always left everything but their sandals at the door. Kagome now understood why the priests had all been carrying large staffs around since dinner time. It seemed that there was a limit on how many men could be allowed into the temple compared to how many woman, and all of them had to be young, handsome and fit. Of course, not everyone turned away left peacefully, and soon, there were as many unconscious men outside, as there were naked women inside, if not more.

Kagome hadn't stayed long after that. The wine kegs were open, people were drunk. and she wanted nothing to do with it. Now, she was just about to doze off when there was a loud banging at the door.

"Dammit wench! Let me in or I'll break the door!!"

Inuyasha? What did he want? Out in the hall there was a moan, a giggle and then Inuyasha's voice "Hey! Watch where you're going you assholes! KAGOME!!!"

She sighed, so much for a private room. "Hang on, I'm coming."

Wincing, she used all her strength to lift the heavy door bar from it's perch, which she had put there in case of drunken perverted men. No sooner had she done this then the door was wrenched open and Inuyasha fairly ran into the room. He bumped her. She swayed, tilted, and then started to fall. She hit the floor and expected to be squashed a moment later by a heavy door bar, only to find she wasn't. When she opened her eyes, Inuyasha had single handedly caught the bar, holding it out as if it were a feather. He grunted something, and then turned to place the bar securely back in it's holdings on the door.

Kagome stood up wincing, "Well, what do you want?"

"I'm sleeping here tonight."

"WHAT!"

She screamed it so loud his ears flattened back. He whirled to glare at her before sticking his nose up in a typical "Keh!" gesture. Then, he folded himself up into the darkest corner of the room and closed his eyes.

Kagome watched this with a sort of half stunned interest before crawling back into her own bed and trying to get to sleep. It was a little difficult though. Inuyasha's annoyed presence seemed to fill the entire room, making it feel crowded and uncomfortable. It didn't help any when he started to huff to himself at odd intervals, and then to growl.

"Inuyasha, will you shut up, I'm trying to sleep."

"Keh!" was all the reply that came. Something about that felt wrong, but it took Kagome's brain a foggy minute to figure out why. Then she realised.

"That's it?"

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and gave her a funny look. Kagome scrutinised him. That was it? No wench, no insults, no comment about her smell? Not to mention the fact that he'd just been growling. "Are you feeling okay, Inuyasha?"

"I'm FINE WENCH!! Go to sleep!" He snapped, and Kagome could sense his tension mounting. In the pale moonlight, she could make out the scabbard of his sword resting on his shoulder. Even from this distance, every thing about him, from the way he was sitting to the random flicking of his ears suggested he was tense. She was about to ask him about it, when the bed in the next room began banging against the wall in a tell-tale rhythm. Inuyasha's growling became instantly louder as he jumped to his feet and began screaming at the wall.

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!!"

He looked for all the world like he was about ready to attack something, and Kagome began to worry. Trying to stay calm, she said, "Inuyasha, just ignore it. They'll stop in a minute…"

She knew it was a bad choice of words when he turned to her.

"Ignore it! FUCK! I've done nothing but listen to THAT ALL NIGHT!! It's not only them! It's the people down the hall, and across it, and even in the FUCKING courtyard!! And it's driving me INSANE!!" I HATE IT! I HATE THIS PLACE! I HATE PEOPLE! I HATE THEIR NOISE! I HATE THEIR SMELL! I HATE THEIR DISGUSTING DRINK! I HATE THE WAY THEY FEEL! I HATE EVERYTHING! AND IT'S DRIVING ME INSANE!!!"

"He looks it," Kagome thought, fear in her heart. He had brought his hands to his skull, squishing his palms over the furry triangles and flattening them to his cranium. His body was tense, fingers fisting into his hair in frustration, claws scratching at his scalp, arms shaking in tension. A flushed face, red with emotion and anger stared at her, counteracted by two of the most desperate eyes Kagome had ever seen.

"He's throwing a tantrum like a two year old," she thought, then, "He's been overwhelmed." She knew she had to help him or he really would go nuts. It was a little hard to think, however, with his intense gaze on her, begging her, pleading with her to make it stop, make it all go away. She had to bite her tongue to keep her head straight and not give in to the desire to run to him and hug him, or start crying herself.

"Inuyasha, come here." She found herself acting on instinct anyway, forgetting all the morals and etiquette she had learned about never seeming too forward with men. She patted the bed spread in front of her, smiling a comforting smile. Inuyasha obeyed without a word, his tension seemed spent, or at least moved to focus on his throat and jaw. She could see the muscles jumping in the moonlight. He refused to remove his hands from his head as he sat, cross legged on the bed before her. The banging had finally stopped.

"Turn around so I face your back."

Inuyasha spared her a wary glance before obeying, shifting awkwardly without the ability to use his hands. Kagome sighed before bringing her hands up to rub at his wrists. He flinched slightly, but stayed where he was. After a moment he seemed to relax a little. Kagome moved from the back of his hands, slowly down to his fingers, before finally reaching the top of his head. Her fingers worked gently around his, feeling some small bit of triumph as the claws stopped making puncture holes in his scalp and began to relax. This was what she had wanted. Slowly, ever so slowly, the relaxation spread, moving down his finger tips, to his hands, and wrists. He lifted his fingers slightly, giving her more access.

She made use of it, and rubbed a bit harder, until she finally reached the backs of his furry ears. They were so soft, she thought, just as he pulled his hands away. His ears flicked back to life, and she felt him shudder as they seemed to focus on some sound that only he could here. Instantly the hands were back in place, Kagome's hard work ruined. She sighed and stopped her ministrations, which only made him tense up more.

But she needed a more permanent solution. Inuyasha couldn't keep his hands on his head for the whole night. Then, she realised she was sitting on one.

Inuyasha almost jumped at the sound of ripping material. Alertly, he turned around and watched as Kagome twisted something in her hands, and held it out to him.

"Here, try using these instead of your hands."

Inuyasha held out a hand and looked at them confused until Kagome made a gesture that he should stuff the little balls of rolled up sheet into his ears. Uncertain, he thought about it a minute more until that same sound hit his ears again. Cautiously, he slipped the little twists into his ears, careful to leave some sticking out so they didn't go too deep. Instantly, he noticed the difference. He could still hear Kagome's shuffling behind him, but nothing outside of the room. He sighed in relief before turning to look back at Kagome. She smiled at him, and asked, "Better?"

He nodded, and turned once again to face away from her. Kagome continued her ministrations from where she left off, slowly moving outwards and down. She got to the back of his neck before she spoke.

"Is your wound still bothering you?"

"No."

"I think I saw it bleeding today..."

He shook his head, careful not to dislodge her fingers. It felt so nice, her touch. Not like that other woman's…

"I'm sorry," came her soft murmur.

Snort, "Why?"

She sighed, "I guess I haven't been very nice lately."

His head dipped lower, "It's not you…"

She finally reached his upper back, digging her thumbs deeply into the fleshy part between his shoulder blades. His head shot up and his back arched beneath her hands.

Kagome instantly softened her hold. "Sorry, did I hurt you?"

He managed to sound between clenched teeth. "No." Okay, so it did hurt, a little, but it felt like a good hurt, "Keep going."

Kagome nodded and continued to attack the knots in the muscles on his back. He had a very nice back, she decided. She could feel it through the fabric of his shirt. She asked him, "Then what's bothering you?"

Inuyasha had to wait a moment before he could think clearly again, then he lowered his head. "Nothing."

"Inuyasha…" There was a sad tone in her voice, like saying, "You don't trust me?"

Inuyasha grazed a fang along the inside of his mouth thoughtfully. First the smelly city, then the freaky pictures, then people acting out those pictures all over the place, and finally some strange woman falling all over him and… Inuyasha shuddered.

He'd been sitting in the corner of the courtyard trying to ignore the sweaty, clingy smell that was beginning to spread over everything, and trying even harder to ignore the people that were causing it. It was difficult to do. His gut instincts recognised all humans as threats, and kept trying to keep tabs on the movement of every being in the area. He could hear them moaning and panting as they crawled on top of each other. Why, Inuyasha couldn't guess, because the thought of doing that just made him feel mostly sick. He didn't want to think about the other feeling it evoked in him, so he again, just tried to ignore it. He must have been doing a very good job of it too, because he hadn't heard the woman come up to him. He hadn't herd her soft, staggered footsteps or smelt her strong, sweaty odour until she had completely fallen into his lap.

Inuyasha had been too shocked to move, so the woman did. Her large chest pressed firmly against his, her hands snaking around his neck, her lips pressing against his own, and her light but uncomfortably hot weight against his hips.

That other feeling, the one he had been trying to ignore, slammed though his body so fast he felt like it meant to consume him, only to have his logical side rebuke it twice as strong, and make him fight back. He was revolted, disgusted, and angrily brought his fist up to punch the girl away. She let out a startled squeak, and (almost) everyone in the courtyard had turned to look at them. By the time most of them did however, Inuyasha was already gone.

Hiding on the roof, he'd been ready to bolt, to leave, to do anything to get away from these humans. The feeling was still there, and it seemed to taunt him every time he heard a moan or groan from below him. He was just about to leap off of the roof, when he realised he had no place to go. The labyrinth was too far away, and Kagome was still in the temple.

He contemplated a life wandering aimlessly through the hills in solitude, before heading back down to the room Kagome was in. Now, with her, he was finally safe from that awful, empty, consuming feeling he had felt when that woman had attacked him. Silently he cursed himself for being so weak, yet at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder, why had she done it?

"Kagome?"

There was a hesitant tone in his voice, Kagome noted. "Hm?" She continued to work at his lower back.

"What…" half a pause, "What are they doing out there?"

"Eh?" Kagome stopped. What were they doing? Wasn't it obvious? She'd never heard of anyone being so indiscrete about "what they were doing" than these people. Did he really not know? Oh wait, of course not. Then she had to tell him!…er…wait…maybe that wasn't such a bright idea.

Noticing the silence, and the way he had suddenly become tense again, Kagome decided to speak. "Well….um…." Should she lie? Honey coat it? Would she even be able to do that much without dying of embarrassment??

"They're making babies." She blurted out suddenly, and prayed he would leave it at that. She didn't know why, but talking about this with him made her uncomfortable.

"Babies?!" he was astounded. Uh-oh. "But…You mean they're trying to make MORE stinking humans? There's already too fucking many as it is!"

Oh damn. Her face was growing warmer by the second. "Well…not everybody want's a baby, some people just like doing that…" Even she could hear the slight squeak in her voice.

"So, they're not making babies?"

"No, well…yes…er. Sometimes?" She shook her head to clear her flustered thoughts. "Maybe. You…You don't get to choose if it happens or not!"

"Oh…" Inuyasha was facing her now, but he was gazing at the bed, thinking. "Then these people…like doing this?"

Gulp. Nod. Kagome, braced herself. 'Here it comes…'

"Why?"

Having guessed the question, Kagome's mind was already racing ahead, trying to think up a decent answer… How come he had to ask her these questions? The gods were so unfair… "Because having babies hurts."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her, "It does?"

Kagome nodded again, an decent explanation forming in her head, "It hurts to have babies, so if people didn't like making babies, then nobody would do it."

"So people like making babies, but hate having them?" That was just confusing!

"No! I mean…" Kagome's patience and humility were almost at an end. Her modesty could only take so much. "Some people want to have children, and others just like making them and don't really want them. Alright?"

She looked up, intending to give him a frustrated glare, but it died quickly as she noticed the sudden burning hatred in his glowing yellow eyes. Great, what had she said now? Damn her and her temper! Wait, did she just think damn?

Inuyasha abruptly got up and walked over to the far corner of the room again, effectively ending the conversation. Silently, he sat against the wall, pulling out Tetsusaiga to rest his head gently against the scabbard. Kagome watched, thoroughly confused and frustrated, before snuggling back into her covers with an exasperated sigh. It only took a few seconds before sleep began to over take her. She had never been able to sleep very well on the ground, and she still wasn't used to doing so much exercise in one day. Groggily, she remembered to wish Inuyasha good night before drifting into a deep, deep slumber.

*~*~*~*~*

"Good night, Inuyasha. Sweet… dreams…"

He slipped one of the sheet knots out of his ears long enough to listen as her breathing evened out, and he knew she was asleep. Funny, he thought. Most nights she would toss and turn for a few hours before finally drifting off. She must have been really tired tonight. He jammed the stuffing back into his ear as he began to pick up those other sounds again. Didn't these people ever stop? He huffed in irritation.

So, people could have babies without wanting them. Of course, he'd always suspected that to some extent, but having Kagome confirm it just brought up another old question. One Inuyasha knew, he could never find the answer to. Had his parents wanted him? Or were they just enjoying "making babies," and he was the result? He thought of his mother, and how she had always looked so sad whenever he saw her. Probably not, he realised. He had been unwanted from day one…

...Growl.

Not that he cared, of course! After all, she had only been a human wench, right? Who cared what she thought, who cared what anyone thought. He needed nobody! He could get along just fine on his own!

So thinking, he lifted his gaze to once again stare at the bed, and the girl sleeping soundly upon it. Twice now, she had helped him, touched him even, in a way he'd never felt before. And even when they weren't touching, he could still feel her, see her, smell her. When she was around, there was always a slight, full feeling in his chest, and it seemed to get just a little bigger the closer he got to her. He knew, because every time he thought of leaving her, he would feel just that much more empty, and alone.

Day by day, piece by piece, she was giving him a world he was growing to understand. He needed to know more though, much more, and only she could show him…

He didn't know where this "Delphi" place was, but he hoped it would take forever to get there.

*~*~*~*~*

End chapter 6

*~*~*~*~*

Author's Notes: Concerning the writing of this chapter.

Athens is about a 2 and a half hour drive from Sounion and the temple of Poseidon. So I figured walking while wounded, and over much harsher terrain (because they didn't have TNT back then) would probably take a few days.

Dionysus was considered the god of civility, wine and "merriment." His mother was the fabled Venus, goddess of love and beauty, and his father was a boy with the largest wiener man kind has ever seen. He had an occult on the hill across from the acropolis and the temple of Athena. It later became a monastery, but still retained it's "lecherous" reputation... or so my tour guide said.

As for the plot...it... more or less wrote itself. A priest of Dionysus is a more than suiting position for Miroku. Shippo provided an excuse to get them to meet. Kagome would never turn down a bath...and that brings us to the temple, and Inuyasha's reaction to it. I had to keep him in character as best I could, given the situation. I admit, the chapter gave me a lot of trouble, and got way too close to some stuff I didn't want to write about. After all, I'm a woman. How am I supposed to know anything about men's feelings?

Even so, any feedback, suggestions, etc, would be appreciated. I felt everyone was really out of character, I just didn't know what else to do. So, R and R!!