InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Let Sleeping Dogs Lie ❯ A Prince or a Badass? ( Chapter 4 )

Author Notey-thingy: Ohayo everyone!   To angelbabe17: “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie” is still on fanfiction.net, and was previously hosted at Iridescent Dreams. (is that website still alive? Does anyone know?) So yes, it was on other websites. ^-^ It was also here on MM under the pen name Saiyan Conga Line- I decided to stick with one (better known) pen name from now on.   Alright minna-san, enjoy the chapter!   ------------------------------------------------ Chapter Four: A Prince or a Badass? -----------------------------------------------   

The next morning, sunlight filtered in through the window in the Higurashi's living room, coming to rest on the sweet couple that was fast asleep on the couch. Kagome blinked sleepily, not wanting to move from the warmth that enveloped her. Her eyes widened as she took in her surroundings. Her head was tucked underneath Inuyasha's chin, and his arms were wrapped around her. She grinned happily, and ran a hand through Inuyasha's hair, delighting in the way the sunlight reflected all the bright hues. It was true, Kagome really did have a thing for light hair- especially silvery white like Inuyasha's. She grinned as she saw his cute furry ears. Giving in to temptation, she rubbed one of his ears, giggling when a low rumble of happiness came from Inuyasha's chest, and he leaned into the touch. Blushing, she gave his ear a few last strokes, and pulled her hand away.

Kagome bit her lip, wondering how she was going to get out of the hanyou's hold. She gently pushed his arm away, but his grip only tightened. She sighed, and tried again, slipping his arms over her head. She managed to squirm free and giggled as he reached for the warmth that was no longer there. Smiling, she tucked the blanket around him. Breathing a sigh of relief, she looked towards the stairs. "Time to take a shower!"

------------ 

Blink.

Inuyasha opened one sleepy eye, groggily glancing around the room. He was content and felt safe, a feeling that he hadn't experienced in quite some time. Now... where was he again? He sat up, remembering the Higurashi's living room. Oh yeah... he was with that girl, Kagome. A slow smile tugged the corner's of his mouth at the thought of her name. Stretching his arms out above his head, his ears swiveled around, listening for a sound from the girl. Hearing the sound of rushing water from the upstairs bathroom, he guessed that she had gone to take a shower. He blinked again, and looked down at his rumpled clothes, consisting of a black shirt and stone washed jeans. Oh well, it wasn't like he had anything to change into anyway.

The hanyou stood up, tossing the blanket on the back of the couch. An evil grin crept onto his face as an idea popped into his head. So Kagome was in the shower then, was she? Inuyasha grinned as he sauntered to the downstairs bathroom. This would be good.

Upstairs, Kagome hummed a soft tune as she took her shower. Grabbing some shampoo, she began to wash her hair. The events from the previous day flashed through her head, and she sighed. What exactly have I gotten myself into? True, it was rather odd that a half dog demon was currently staying in her home. She wasn't really sure she believed it herself. It had all come out of the blue... and then Miroku had suddenly showed up. She smiled, giggling at the memories of the two boys. Ducking her head under the spray of water, she rinsed her hair off. She had only met Miroku and Inuyasha the previous day, but she felt extremely close to the two. Why? She frowned, wondering how she had grown so close to the mischievous duo in such a short time. She barely even knew them for crying out loud! And Inuyasha... she blushed. Inuyasha was unlike anyone she had ever met before.

And that's exactly what Kagome was looking for.

Kagome's whole life had been pretty normal. She got good grades, did well in sports, and had a few really close friends. She was even well liked at school. Or at least, no one hated her. And it seemed as though Houjo had a bit of a crush on her. But there was always something missing... something exciting that she wanted. It may have sounded odd, but Kagome was very glad she had met the dog demon and his friend. Not only were they wonderful companions, but they were exciting! How many people could claim to have a demon for a friend? Kagome grinned. She would have to be careful though. There was still a lot she didn't know about the two boys, and she'd have to be wary not to be too trusting. And she did sort of like Inuyasha...

The spray of water suddenly turned ice cold, and Kagome let loose a shriek of surprise. The sound of a toilet flushing downstairs and Inuyasha's laughter could be heard. Kagome cursed, jumping out of the shower.

"INUYASHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!"

The hanyou's laughter only grew louder. Kagome's fist tightened as she wrapped a towel around her wet body. Stomping down the stairs, she headed towards the downstairs bathroom, where the laughter was coming from. Flinging the bathroom door wide open, Kagome pointed an accusing finger at the boy, who was currently doubled up with laughter. "You!"

Inuyasha laughed, holding his sides as though in pain. Kagome stomped her bare foot on the floor, wishing the boy would stop. "Would you shut up? I can't believe you did that! Do you have any idea how cold that was!?"

Inuyasha made an obvious attempt to quiet his laughter, and shrugged as he stood up. "I know, but I couldn't resist... I'm-" His gaze finally came to rest on the girl, as his brain registered what exactly it was that he was seeing. His eyes took in her furious form, dripping wet, covered in naught but a towel. One fist was planted firmly on her hip, while the other held the towel together. Her eyes were ablaze with anger, and her hair was starting to curl into ringlets as it began to dry.

She was beautiful. And right in front of him. And they were alone in the house...

Inuyasha stuttered for a moment, and Kagome's expression changed from anger to confusion. She stepped toward him, concerned for the sudden blankness of his face, and her hand reached out to him. "Inuyasha?"

A furious blush spread across the hanyou's cheeks as he watched the towel slowly slip down Kagome's form. She wasn't even paying attention to her modesty! He was only a man... well, dog demon man... whatever! How can she stand there and look so damn good and not even notice?!

Kagome took another step towards the frantic hanyou, and the towel slipped down again, starting to let her ample chest show through. Kagome frowned as Inuyasha gulped and took a step back. "Inuyasha, are you ok? You look-"

"I'm sorry! Uh... Gotta go!" The dog demon burst past the startled girl, running out the door and into the back of the shrine grounds. Kagome stood in shock, wondering what had just happened. She glanced down at her body, suddenly realizing her state of undress. A heavy blush spread across her cheeks, and her eyes widened. "Oops.."

As the full impact of the situation registered in Kagome's mind, she burst into laughter. Giggling, she gasped for breath. "Oh no... Inuyasha... I'm sorry..." She continued to laugh as she headed to her room to get dressed.

Fifteen minutes later, Kagome was dressed and had dried her hair, ready to greet the day. She headed to the kitchen, pausing to search through the refrigerator. Hmm... there wasn't a whole lot in there. She would have to go shopping... again. Closing the refrigerator, she leaned her back against it. Inuyasha probably needed to go shopping too, he would need clothes and such for himself. But he didn't have any money... well, she didn't mind paying. He was her friend after all. How long did he plan on staying with her, though? Miroku had said that he had a home- wouldn't he want to go back? Oh well, she'd just have to ask him. Where was the crazy hanyou anyways? Following his earlier hasty path of departure, Kagome walked into the backyard of the shrine. Her eyes scanned over the grounds, finally coming to rest on the upper branches of Goshinboku, the sacred tree of the Higurashi's shrine. How did he get up there?

She walked underneath the huge limbs of the tree, staring up at the pensive boy through the branches. His back was resting against the trunk of the tree, and his golden eyes were staring at the morning horizon in thought. Kagome looked over his serious profile, wondering what was on his mind. Figuring she had been staring long enough, she called out to the boy. "Hey, Inuyasha!"

The boy jerked, startled out of his reverie. Glaring down at the girl, he growled. "What?"

Kagome gulped, confused at his sudden change in demeanor. What was his problem? Well, maybe he was still embarrassed from earlier? Or was it something else? Kagome shook her head to clear her mind. "I just wanted to know if you'd like to come shopping with me. Do you want to come with?"

Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow, a visible sign of relief passing over his features. Shrugging his shoulders, he nodded. "Sure." Swinging his legs to one side of the branch, he pushed himself off.

Kagome screamed as the boy seemingly fell off of the tree, but he landed deftly on his feet, crouched with one hand on the ground for balance. Kagome's mouth hung open in amazement, and Inuyasha smirked. "Did I scare you?"

Kagome's mouth clicked shut, and she whacked Inuyasha on the top of his head. "You did that on purpose!"

Inuyasha grinned, pushing himself into a standing position. "Of course. You didn't really think I'd get hurt, did you?"

"Well... " Kagome blushed, shrugging slightly as she glanced into the branches of the Goshinboku. "You were pretty high up there. A normal human would have been killed, but you landed perfectly." Astonishment registered in her eyes, and Inuyasha looked almost hurt at her words.

A normal human, huh? He was anything BUT normal. "Yeah... guess I'm just lucky." The hanyou muttered, and his ears drooped.

Kagome grinned. "Yeah you are, that was so awesome!"

Inuyasha started, looking at the girl in disbelief. "Wha?"

Kagome nodded, a happy smile fixed on her face. "It must be great to be a hanyou! You have so many great advantages over humans. You’ve got some serious strength, great vision, and your claws have got to be great in a fight," she ticked the reasons off on her fingers, as Inuyasha stood in confusion. Kagome continued "And judging by your ears, you've probably got really good hearing too. I mean, I'll bet I don't even know what half of your abilities are!"

Inuyasha slowly shook his head. This girl actually thought being a hanyou was cool ? Dear gods... the only other person who ever thought anything even remotely similar to that was Miroku! Normal humans were either scared out of their minds by him, or they... taunted him endlessly. Inuyasha blinked. But Kagome did neither of these.

Inuyasha snorted and crossed his arms. "Well, you’re right so far. Even about my stupid ears."

Kagome frowned. "They're not stupid."

Fire blazed in the hanyou's eyes, and he took a few steps closer to the startled girl. "Oh really? These goddamn ears are the worst out of everything I have from being a hanyou! They're a dead giveaway that I'm no where even close to being normal, much less human! Do you know how much that makes people hate me? They despise the fact that I have advantages over them! Or, they're scared out of their minds. And if not that, they make my life a living hell by berating me every fucking minute of my life!"

Kagome gulped, a determined look in her eyes. "Well I'm not like that!"

Inuyasha growled. "Then you're one in a million, because everyone else on this planet other than you and Miroku fucking hates me. And it's mainly because of these goddamn ears!!"

Kagome broke her fierce gaze with the enraged demon, a slight blush spreading on her cheeks, and two small tears formed in the corner of her eyes. "I-...I'm sorry. I didn't know, Inuyasha. I just thought you ears were cute..." She stared at the ground, avoiding the demon's piercing look as her blush increased. She blinked, and the tears slipped down her cheeks.

Inuyasha's heart broke as he looked at the girl. Damnit... what had he done now? He made the girl cry, and now he felt terrible. The enraged fire in his eyes burned out, replaced with remorse. "Kagome..."

The girl kept her eyes firmly fixed on the ground. "I'm sorry Inuyasha. I thought that being a hanyou would be cool... I didn't know people hated you for it. I like your ears, too."

Inuyasha's ears perked up, a faint blush tinting his cheeks. "Kagome... look at me." His hand reached out, pulling her chin up so her gaze met his. "I'm not mad at you." He sighed, breaking the contact and running a hand through his hair. "My ears are just..." he blushed, "A really sensitive subject with me. I didn't mean to take my anger out on you. It's just that people have done a lot of damage to my pride in the past. Please don't cry..."

Kagome smiled though her tears, throwing her arms around the hanyou in a hug. Inuyasha jerked, startled, as his arms slowly came to circle around the girl's waist. The girl sniffed, trying to stop the tears. "I know you're not mad at me, Inuyasha. It just makes me so sad that people would be so prejudice against you, just because you're a hanyou! I mean, you never did anything to them, right?"

Inuyasha blinked, realization dawning in his golden eyes. She was crying for me? But the girl barely even knew him! She didn't even know what his younger years had been like, and yet she was crying for him. This girl, Kagome... she was something else. His thumbs lightly stroked her hips where his hands held her. Kagome was something else, and he liked it.

A slow grin spread across the boy's face, and a happy rumble came from his chest. "So," he drawled, "You like my ears?"

Kagome tore herself out of the boy's grip, averting her red face. "Well... yeah. They're different and..." she mumbled, "Kinda cute."

"So, you don't mind the fact that I'm different?"

"No!" She blinked. "Well, I mean it's a bit shocking that you have all these awesome abilities, but I like them." She grinned, meeting his gaze again. "And I'm kind of envious too. I can't wait to see just what you're capable of!"

Inuyasha smirked, male pride and ego fully ablaze. Little girl, you have no idea what you just got yourself into. He chuckled and Kagome quirked an eyebrow at him. "What?"

His smirk widened and he waved a hand. "Nothing. You said something about shopping...?"

Kagome nodded, checking her purse to make sure she had enough money. "Yeah. I really need to get some groceries, and I'm guessing you'll probably want some other clothes and stuff. So we can go to the store that's kind of close by, instead of going to Walmart like last time-"

"Good," Inuyasha cut the girl off. "Let's go."

"What? ACK!"

Inuyasha had abruptly picked up the girl, and deposited her on his back. He smirked over his shoulder at the her startled expression, and she gripped his broad shoulders. "You said you wanted to know what my other abilities are, right? Well now you get to experience it first hand! Oh, and you might want to hang on." He grinned.

Kagome was still a bit shocked, but complied, gripping her legs against the hanyou's hips. "Um ok, what are you-"

Kagome shrieked as the hanyou bounded off, taking a running start and deftly jumping on top of the shrine's roof. She had locked her hands to the boy's shoulders, gripping fistfuls of his shirt. She had squeezed her eyes shut, and she warily opened them to stare at the ground that was now two stories below her. "Whoa..."

Inuyasha smirked. "Heh. Now, which way is the store?"

"Umm..." Kagome shifted her position, wrapping her legs around the hanyou so she could balance better in order to see. The boy grunted, a blush spreading across his face that went unseen by the human girl. "To the east, right by that big sign in the distance. The store is about a block away from that."

Inuyasha nodded, and Kagome resettled herself against his back. "Here we go!" Grinning, the hanyou leaped off the roof, landing on the roof of a house that was a good distance away. He paused, then took off again. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, over offices, houses, and apartment buildings. Kagome laughed happily, her hair flying in the wind, and Inuyasha laughed with her. He hadn't felt this good in a long time, and it had been ages since he'd been able to exercise freely is his hanyou form.

Inuyasha let loose a whoop of joy and flipped through the air, with Kagome shrieking in surprise. The hanyou laughed, and continued onwards. The store was now in sight, and Inuyasha dropped down into an alley next to the store. He set Kagome back on her feet, and he was delighted with the giddy and ruffled look on her face.

She grinned. "That was the most fun thing I have ever done in my entire life."

Inuyasha smirked. "It's the only way to travel."

Kagome laughed, and Inuyasha joined her. The girl tried to fix her wind tossed hair, combing it with her fingers. When she was satisfied, she tugged Inuyasha towards the store entrance. "C'mon, let's go get some food."

Inuyasha complied, and she let go. They walked through the entrance, only to be greeted by an older woman behind the cash register. "Good morning, Kagome!"

Kagome turned, and greeted the old woman. "Hello Kaede, I haven't seen you in forever!" A warm smile graced the girl's lips. The store was run and owned by Lady Kaede. The store was by no means small, especially for a local food shop. But Kaede was the only one who ever ran the cash register, for reasons known only to her. Kagome sometimes helped out at the shop, and it was her favorite place to buy groceries.

Lady Kaede smiled. "Been busy with school, lately? I bet you're glad you have this vacation time off."

Kagome grinned. "Boy am I ever! Those finals were really hard."

Inuyasha snorted behind her, and he received another odd glance from a passing shopper. That was the tenth time someone had stared at him- what was their problem?

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I forgot to introduce my friend. Lady Kaede, meet Inuyasha." The hanyou nodded in the older woman's direction, and a spark of knowledge flashed behind her eyes.

Lady Kaede grinned. "It's a pleasure to meet you Inu... Yasha. Don't you think it's a bit too early for Halloween, though?" The woman's eyes focused on the two furry ears atop the boy's head

The hanyou scowled, about to ask what the hell she was talking about, when rational thought kicked in. His ears! They were in plain sight for everyone to see! He mentally kicked himself. Stupid, stupid, idiot! He glanced at the startled girl next to him. Great, not only had he blown his own cover, but he was with Kagome. There was no way in hell that she would want to be seen in public with a lowly hanyou. He'd be better off just leaving and-

Kagome interrupted the boy's self degrading thoughts. "Umm... actually it's an experiment we've decided to try out. It's for a downtown costume shop, and the ears are a prototype. They're powered by batteries to simulate the movement of real dog ears and uh... well, don't they just look so realistic?" The girl laughed nervously, praying the woman would go along with it. Lady Kaede was as sharp as a tack, but luckily she had a soft spot for Kagome.

The old woman tapped her chin thoughtfully, deciding to go along with the plot. But the knowledge in her eyes told the hanyou and girl that she wasn't fooled in the least. But they were lucky for now. "Yes, they really are very realistic looking. A bit scruffy though..."

Inuyasha growled and started to defend his ears, but Kagome elbowed him in the ribs. "I suppose. Well, we'd better go get our groceries. See you later Lady Kaede!"

Laughter passed through the old woman's eyes. "Of course. See you in a bit."

Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's hand, pulling him away from the woman. They passed through a small crowd of people who murmured compliments on the realistic quality of his "fake" ears, but Kagome continued on with a purpose.

She gripped the boy's hand, pulling him after her toward a specific section of the store. The boy glanced down at their interlocked hands, strangely happy that Kagome had not hesitated to touch his clawed hand. Many humans merely flinched at the sight, but this girl was holding his hand willingly! She was a rare one indeed. A happy grin slowly crept onto his face. And she hadn't left him alone! He had been sure that the girl would have been embarrassed and disgusted at being seen with a hanyou, but yet she seemed not to care. And she had even made up an excuse for him. If he didn't know better...

"Alright." Kagome let Inuyasha's hand go, and let loose a big sigh of relief. "That was a close one." She grabbed a black bandana off a nearby rack, and handed it to the boy. "Here, put this on."

Inuyasha looked at her hand for a moment, then up at her face, a quizzical expression apparent on his features. "Why didn't you leave me?"

Kagome frowned. "Huh?"

"You didn't leave me back there... you weren't embarrassed that you were seen with a hanyou. You're not bothered by the fact that you've just been in plain sight with a hated demon?"

"Nope. Should I be?" Kagome cocked her head slowly to the side.

Suddenly, Kagome found herself enveloped in the boy's arms, as he hugged her tightly. He buried his nose in her hair. "Silly girl," he mumbled. "Why must you be so different from everyone else?"

He abruptly pulled away, snatching the bandana from her hands and tying it around his head to conceal his ears. Kagome gaped, amazed at the boy's sudden show of affection. "Um..." she shook her head. "We need to go get some food. Do you have anything in mind?"

Inuyasha secured the bandana around his head, and glanced up. "Keh. Whatever, as long as it's edible."

Kagome giggled. Apparently the boy was embarrassed by his show of affection. Well that was just too bad. "Although," Inuyasha edged, "That ramen stuff was pretty good."

Kagome grinned. "Alright. Let's go find some ramen then, shall we?"

Forty-five minutes later, Inuyasha and Kagome returned back to the cash register where Lady Kaede was, their shopping cart full to the point of busting. Inuyasha had packed the bottom part of the cart full of instant ramen, and Kagome had picked up a ton of both healthy and snack foods. She did plan on having a party sometime soon, so she'd need to have some food on hand. Kagome grinned sheepishly as she loaded the food onto the counter. "I guess we got a little carried away."

Inuyasha snorted and Lady Kaede merely shook her head playfully. As the older woman rang up the items, a thought suddenly struck Kagome. "Hey, Inuyasha?"

"Eh?" The hanyou cocked an eyebrow.

"I just thought of something... we still need to go shopping for clothes, and I don't feel like lugging all the food around with us. And I don't want to bring all this food home, only to have to come straight back out to the mall again." She sighed. "But I guess we don't have a choice."

Lady Kaede cleared her throat pointedly. "Actually..." she glanced at the boy and girl. "If you wish, you may leave your food here while you shop. Just pick it up on your way home."

Kagome grinned. "Wow, you'd do that for us? Thanks! But wait... won't some of it spoil?"

Lady Kaede merely waved a hand. "I have extra freezers."

"Alright!" Inuyasha smirked as Kagome cheered. "Thank you so much Lady Kaede!" Reaching into her purse, Kagome pulled out the money she would need to pay the hefty bill for the food. Receiving her change from the woman, she glanced back at Inuyasha. "So, you ready to face the chaos of Tokyo Plaza mall?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Of course." Inside, he blanched. He never really was one for big crowds. Oh well, he needed the clothes.

Kagome waved at Lady Kaede as she exited the store, her hanyou friend in tow. "Thanks again Lady Kaede, we'll be back later! See ya!"

Kaede waved back at the two, grinning. "Hmph," she mused. "Of all the demons to wind up with, Kagome stumbles upon Inuyasha. I'll be damned..." The old woman shook her head as she began to store Kagome's food.

---------------------- 

"Woohooo!!!"

Kagome threw her hands into the air, as she and Inuyasha bounded across rooftops. "This is so awesome!" Kagome was clinging to Inuyasha's back again as the duo made their way towards the mall. Kagome was having the time of her life, enjoying the ride as Inuyasha leapt across huge expanses between buildings. Every now and then she could hear a deep chuckle from the hanyou, as he laughed at her crazy antics.

Kagome grinned and closed her eyes. It almost felt as though she were flying, and it was incredible. And it was so fun! Opening her eyes, Kagome peered onto the horizon. "Hey, Inuyasha! There's the mall up ahead to your left. We're almost there."

Inuyasha nodded, then grinned. Time for a bit of fun. As he landed on a rooftop, he paused, grabbing Kagome off of his back. The girl blinked, confused as to why she was suddenly in his arms. The hanyou gave the girl a wolfish grin, then launched her into the air. She shrieked as the boy tossed her into the air, but Inuyasha merely chuckled. Taking a running start, he bounded upwards, catching the girl in mid air as she began to make her descent.

Kagome threw her arms around the hanyou, burying her face in his neck, refusing to let go. Inuyasha's laugh rumbled in amusement at the girl's reaction, shaking his head. "Did I scare you?"

"Hell yes!" Came the muffled reply. "I cannot believe you just did that! I mean, GEEZ! You scared the hell out of me!"

Inuyasha chuckled, tightening his grip on the girl. "If you trust me, then you should have known I was going to catch you."

The girl snorted. "Baka." She sighed, relaxing her death grip on the boy. "You're right though... I knew you'd catch me."

Inuyasha rumbled happily again, somehow satisfied with her answer. Dropping off the rooftop, he landed in an empty parking lot, and set the dazed girl on her feet once again. He was reluctant to release her from his arms, but he brushed the thought aside.

Kagome once again tried to fix her windblown hair, but left it as a lost cause. Who knew, maybe she'd start a new hairstyle trend or something. People were weird like that. Straightening her clothes, she fixed her gaze on the boy next to her. "So, you ready?"

Inuyasha fidgeted, tightening his bandana on his head and scuffing a foot across the ground. He coughed, and returned her gaze. "Of course I am."

The dark haired girl quirked an eyebrow at the boy. "Inuyasha..."

The boy growled. "What?"

Kagome stuck her hands on her hips. "You don't like crowds, do you?"

All she got in reply was a growl.

"You don't like crowds!" Taking his growl as a yes, she glared back at him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

The boy threw his hands up into the air. "Well, fuck! Can't a guy have some privacy?"

"Of course you can you moron, but I wouldn't have dragged you to the mall if I had known you didn't like big crowds!" Kagome huffed in annoyance.

"Exactly!" Inuyasha shoulders slumped, looking away from the girl. "I don't like fucking crowds, ok? But... we need to buy some stuff, and I don't want to skip out on it just because I don't like being around annoying masses of idiots who have nothing better to do but stand around and get in other people's way." He crossed his arms and angrily kicked a stray stone.

Kagome's eyes softened at the hanyou's words. There was definitely more to his fear of crowds than the boy was letting on. But he was being his usual self and covering it up with anger. Well, no matter. She would just have to ask him later. "So... uh," the girl paused, looking for the right words to say.

"Let's just go get the damn clothes." The boy flipped his hair over his shoulder, stalking towards the mall entrance.

The girl blinked, then grinned. She easily caught up with the boy, who still had his arms crossed. Keeping pace with him, Kagome walked toward the mall. Inuyasha's arms slowly came down from their defiant position as he prepared himself to enter Tokyo Plaza Mall.

The duo walked through the automatic doors, and Kagome immediately felt the boy next to her stiffen. His muscles were taught, and his eyes were wide, the golden orbs flashing with anger. The boy stood stock still, looking for all the world like he had just seen a mortal enemy.

Kagome wildly looked around for anything that could be threatening to Inuyasha, but she found nothing. What was setting off his anger like this? It was almost like he was preparing to defend against something... wait. Kagome squinted, meticulously searching Inuyasha's face. His eyes were a bit unfocused, almost as though he was remembering something. Maybe the crowd had brought up some bad experience from his previous years? A low growl grew in the boy's throat and Kagome's eyes widened. She had to do something soon, or Inuyasha might start attacking something- or worse, someone!

Pushing back her fear, Kagome clasped her hand around Inuyasha's and forcibly pulled him away from the entrance, deeper into the mass of people. The boy's grasp tightened almost painfully on her own, and his head whipped to face her, a growl escaping his lips. She could feel his claws prick her skin, and Kagome prayed that Inuyasha would snap out of whatever the hell had happened to him and recognize her. She continued to pull him along behind her, intent to keep moving. Suddenly, Inuyasha snarled and stopped, yanking her arm back so she stood face to face with the enraged hanyou. Something was seriously wrong, it was as though he didn't know what he was doing!

A few passing shoppers gave the couple odd glances, but continued on their way. Inuyasha glared down at the girl in front of him, a glazed look in his eyes, but anger was still prominent. His grip on her hand tightened again, and Kagome winced. For the first time, serious fear entered Kagome's mind. What if Inuyasha attacked her?

She forcibly pushed that thought out of her head, and looked back at the hanyou. What the hell was going on? "Inuyasha?" Her voice was hesitant, full of worry and fear, both for herself and the boy.

Kagome watched in amazement as the boy's grip slowly slackened on her own hand, and his eyes slowly began to focus on her. He blinked, looking confused as his eyes fully refocused. "Wha... Kagome?" He shook his head as though to shake off a sleeping potion. His look was bewildered, and a bit scared. "What just happened?"

Kagome grinned, throwing her arms around the boy in another unexpected hug that day. Letting go, she backed away. Shaking her head, she shrugged. "Honestly, I have absolutely no idea. You kinda freaked out as soon as we entered the mall... I think the crowd has something to do with it."

Inuyasha nodded slowly, gazing around him. He nodded as if to confirm what she had just said. "Yeah..." His gaze focused on her hand, and he gasped, pulling her closer to inspect. Purple bruises were beginning to form on her skin, almost in a hand print. He scowled, his look full of guilt. His golden eyes locked with Kagome's gray-blue ones, as he carefully held her hand. "Did I do this?"

Kagome winced. "Um, yeah. But it was actually my fault. I know you didn't mean to. It was pretty stupid of me, see, I didn't know what to do and you looked like you might attack someone and I figured maybe if I pulled you away then... um..." she babbled on, trying to get the guilty look off of the boy's face.

Inuyasha scowled, full of remorse. He shuddered, unable to shake the feeling of self-disgust. How could he have done this? Kagome should just leave him behind, he didn't deserve to even be close to her. Look at what he had done when he wasn't paying attention! Who knows what could have happened...

Inuyasha dropped her hand, growling. His fierce gaze met with her own, and Kagome took a step back, startled at the intensity in his eyes. "Inu-"

"I'm sorry." He cut the girl off, turning his back so he didn't have to face her. "I don't know what happened, but..." He clenched a fist in anger, "If I can't even control my own strength, then it's not safe for you to be around me."

Kagome shook her head. "It was just an accident, it wasn't you fault. Come on, let's go..."

He whirled around violently, making the girl take a step back again. "Don't you understand? Didn't you hear what I just said? It's not fucking safe for you to be around me!" The crowd around the couple starting to whisper curiously, shooting glances at the boy and girl. Inuyasha's eyes blazed and stepped up to Kagome. "I don't want to hurt you ok? You don't even have the slightest idea of what I'm capable of!"

Curiosity entered Kagome's eyes. "Just how strong are you, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou scowled. "Really fucking strong, alright? Aren't you listening to me?" he gave her a slight push backwards. "Get out of here. It's not safe around me, just look at your damn hand! Just stay away and-"

SLAP.

Inuyasha clutched a hand to his stinging cheek, a faint red mark visible. His eyes were wide, watching as Kagome lowered her hand. She had slapped him? She DARED to slap HIM? Just who did she-

"Shut the hell up, Inuyasha." Kagome grabbed the boy's arm, pulling him after her. She shoved him into a deserted corridor of the mall, the hallway having been closed off for renovations.

Inuyasha pulled his arm out of her grasp. "Look, bitch. I don't know what you’re trying to pull. Don't think you can just haul me around like some puppy." He noticed Kagome wasn't even paying attention to him. In fact, she was glancing around the hallway, as though looking for any people. "And what the hell are you doing?"

She glanced around a few more times. Satisfied, she turned around to face the hanyou. She glared as he opened his mouth to speak again. "Shut up." The hanyou's mouth clicked shut, fury rising in his eyes again. Kagome sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Sending a pleading look to the furious demon, she grasped his shoulder. He threw her hand off, crossing his arms and glaring at her.

Kagome rested her hands on her hips. "Look, I know you're pissed off. But just listen to me for a second, ok? Please?" Her eyes pleaded with him, and he grunted in acceptance.

Kagome flashed a grin at the boy, startling him. That was NOT what he was expecting. Wasn't she going to yell at him again or something?

"Alright," Kagome stated. "First off. I'm not trying to just push you around, ok? I just wanted to get away from all those people out there. You should have seen some of the looks they were giving you. A couple people looked like they wanted to call security." She grinned wryly at the hanyou. "I'm guessing that an angry demon must look pretty threatening."

The boy blushed as he realized just how many people had seen his little display. Whoops. That was definitely bad.

"Second," Kagome continued, "Don't you even think I'll leave you, because I won't. Ever. You got that? I'm your friend, and I'm not just going to ditch you, so stop acting so surprised!" She glared as the half demon looked shocked at her words. Exasperated, she threw her hands up into the air. "Gods, Inuyasha! I'm not going anywhere! And you'd better stop telling me to leave too! You’re not dangerous."

This got a response out of the boy. He pushed away from the wall he had been leaning against. "Yes I am! Just take a look at you fucking hand Kagome! I did that, and I wasn't even paying attention."

Kagome looked at her hand, then back at Inuyasha. "That's not what I meant. You're not dangerous to me."

Inuyasha paused, then glared. "The bruises on your hand would prove otherwise."

Kagome shook her head, smiling softly. "I think I've got it figured it out, Inuyasha. I believe you had a flashback. It wasn't me you were seeing, but some past enemy. I think the crowd set it off."

Inuyasha started to say something, but merely growled. "So what. I still hurt you."

"True, but you didn't mean to hurt me. You were trying to defend yourself against something from your past." Kagome stepped closer to the hanyou, trying to see through his shaded eyes. "What happened?"

The boy began to fidget, and his muscles tensed again. "I don't like crowds," he mumbled.

Kagome laughed dryly. "So I gathered. Inuyasha, what happened?"

Inuyasha sighed, rubbing his forehead in frustration. Why was it that he could never keep anything from this girl? "It was a long time ago..." He looked up, his mind's eye recounting the experience. "When I was little, we hadn't found a concealing spell to hide my youkai features yet. So, I went to a secret school for demons. It was so weird," he smiled ironically. "I was so excited to meet other demons, but by the end of the day I never wanted to see another demon again." His shoulders slumped. "And I never even did anything to them."

Kagome's heart wrenched at the pitiful tone of his voice. What was he talking about? What happened? "Inuyasha?"

"They all hated me. Every single fucking one of them." He scowled. "All because I was a hanyou, a lousy half demon. That's it. I don't know how they knew, maybe my scent is different or something. But the very first day, they all hated me. Wherever I went- in class, in the hallways, at lunch, outside, the taunting, laughter, kids kicking me, throwing stuff at me- it wouldn't end. And the teachers didn't care. They looked the other way, or worse, they picked on me too. That first day was hell, and recess was the worst." He choked, but continued on. "We had a half an hour break to go outside and exercise, play, whatever. I was alone by one of the trees, sitting on the ground. I hadn't done a single damn thing."

Inuyasha slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a huge crack and a gaping hole. "But they came anyway. Fifty or more demons surrounded me, some older, some the same age, maybe even a few were younger than me. Humans might make fun of each other, but they don't have youkai powers to inflict serious physical pain on each other." He shook his head. "I was a sitting target for all of them to test their powers on. One against fifty. A lousy hanyou against fifty full blooded demons."

Kagome gasped in horror. How could they do that? They were just children! Poor Inuyasha...

He laughed sarcastically. "Yeah, I lost a lot of blood that day. I passed out after about thirty of the bastards threw their attacks at me. And it hurt like hell. One of the teachers supposedly took me inside and arranged for my father to come and get me. I really don't know what happened. I didn't wake up until the next morning, so my father could have found me unconscious outside for all I know." He shrugged. "But I'm a stubborn bastard, I get it from my mom." He grinned sadly. "I woke up the next morning, and went to school."

Kagome shrieked. "You WHAT? How? You had just woken up from practically being beaten to death!"

Inuyasha nodded. "I never said I was smart, just stubborn. I went to school that day, and for the rest of the week too. And the same thing happened every single goddamn day. I kept thinking 'they'll get bored sometime, it has to stop eventually’, but it never did. If I wasn't a hanyou, I'd be dead right now."

"But they were just kids!" Kagome could not, for the life of her, see how these children could be so sadistic. "How could they do that?"

"Demon kids are a tad bit different from humans. They like pain and blood. Of course, the school I went to was for high blood demons, and that played a part in it." Inuyasha shrugged. "My father was the Great Demon of the Western lands, so supposedly I'm some sort of prince."

Kagome's jaw dropped, staring at the boy in front of her. He was... he was... he was a prince!? Why didn't he tell her this before? Kagome felt slightly dizzy as information flooded through her brain. Inuyasha was a demon prince, rejected by his own kind, and tortured as a child. By the look on his face, there were many more painful memories that he wasn't willing to share. "Um..." Kagome stuttered, totally at a loss for what to say.

Inuyasha rested his head against the wall in front of him. "All those memories... they just came flooding back as soon as I walked through the door. I couldn't handle it, and I just lost it..." His gaze turned toward the girl, and odd expression on his face. "Gods Kagome, I must have scared the shit out of you..."

"Well..." Kagome tried to shake herself out of her stupor, but she just sat down on the floor instead. "No... I was just worried about you. It looked as though you were in pain. I didn't want you to be in pain..." She was looking at him, but almost seeing through him, her brain still playing catch up with her turbulent emotions.

Surprise registered in the hanyou's eyes, and he sat down next to the girl, placing his hand over hers. "You know," his soft voice tickled her ear, "It's been a very long time since anyone has cared about me, much less worried about me."

Kagome turned to look at the boy, as his thumb absently stroked the soft skin of her hand.

Inuyasha smiled slightly. "Kagome… thanks."

Kagome blinked a few times, finally gaining control of her crazy emotions and thoughts. She smiled back at the boy. "No problem Inuyasha. That's what friends are for. I never want to see you get hurt." She tugged on his hair playfully. "Besides, I need you around so I can kick your butt in video games."

Inuyasha grinned, crushing the girl against his body in a bear hug. Picking the girl up in his arms, he dipped her backwards. "Well we'll just have to have a rematch then, won't we Princess Peach?"

Kagome's heartbeat quickened at the boy's sudden change and his close proximity. She grinned back at him. "Well I guess we will, Wario."

Inuyasha smirked, and unceremoniously let the girl go, causing her fall backwards. At the very last second, her grabbed her arm and righted her. Kagome's head spun at the sudden movements. She seemed to be getting dizzy a lot today.

Inuyasha grinned. "Oi, don't we still have to go shopping?"

Kagome snapped her fingers in remembrance. "Oh yeah! Geez, I almost forgot."

Inuyasha snorted. "Apparently. Come on," he jerked his head towards the crowd of people. "Let's go mingle."

Kagome quirked an eyebrow at the hanyou. "Are you sure?"

"You'll be with me, right?"

Kagome nodded.

"Well then I'll be fine. The sales people had better beware, because extreme shopper Inuyasha has entered the building!" Inuyasha laughed haughtily, and Kagome rolled her eyes, walking past him and into the mass of people in the main corridor of the mall.

She turned to look over her shoulder. "Come on you baka, show me your extreme shopping skills!"

Inuyasha snorted and caught up with the girl, and together they headed towards the first of many stores.

------------------------

"Inuyasha! You can't just buy something without trying it on first! Get in the stupid dressing room and try it on!" Kagome pointed at said dressing room that Inuyasha adamantly refused to enter.

"I know my own size in clothing, alright? I don't need to try on some damn shirt to know it fits! I can tell by looking. And this is not some freaking fashion show!" Inuyasha clutched a red pullover sweatshirt in his hand, some logo emblazoned on the front.

Kagome poked the stubborn hanyou in the chest. "Fine. Maybe you know it will fit, but just because it fits doesn't mean that it will look good. This is where a woman's touch comes in handy. You have to show me everything before you buy it, because as you know, I'm paying for it."

Inuyasha growled, but stuck his tongue out in defiance. "Fine. I'll show you what the stupid clothes look like. But I'm picking them out, not you."

Kagome smiled. "Deal." She took a quick glance around the store. "Inuyasha, I'll wait over there, ok? I'm just gonna go browse for clothes in the girl's section, it's right across from the men's so you can't miss it. And don't try to sneak off!"

The hanyou gave a small "Keh," and stalked off to pick out some outfits of his own. He quickly checked to make sure that the bandana was still firmly in place. It would not be good to reveal his demon heritage twice in one day. After he had compiled an armful of interesting clothes, he headed towards the dressing rooms. Kagome wanted to see the outfits, did she? Inuyasha smirked. Well he would just have to make this interesting.

Back in the girl's section of clothing, Kagome browsed leisurely through various outfits, nothing really catching her eye. She spotted a leather mini skirt and grinned. She had never owned anything even remotely sexy like this, and she thought it was time for a change. She kept the skirt with her, planning on making a purchase of her own.

"Oi. Does this outfit meet your approval?"

Kagome grinned as the harsh male voice reached her ears. Leave it to Inuyasha to turn shopping into a challenge of wills. Oh well, Kagome sighed. Might as well see what he picked out...

The girl turned around, her gaze coming to rest on Inuyasha. Her jaw dropped as she took in the sleek jogging pants, and a zip up red hoodie, which Inuyasha had completely left open, leaving his bare chest in plain view. Kagome's eyes traveled over the boy's toned muscles and remained completely oblivious to the full blown smirk currently taking up half the hanyou's face. He had shocked her and he damn well knew it. He had to choke back a laugh as he watched the girl openly stare at him.

"So, does this work?"

Hell yes, was the only response Kagome could think of. Finally registering the boy's arrogant smirk, Kagome shook herself out of awe. She coughed nervously, a blush staining her cheeks. "Um... yeah. I like it, it looks good." She quickly turned back to the rack of clothes next to her.

Inuyasha nodded, content with her reaction. Mission Accomplished. Tom Cruise, eat your heart out. Inuyasha smirked as he sauntered back to the dressing room, curious as to what Kagome's reaction to his next outfit would be.

Kagome absently passed over clothes, the image of an almost shirtless Inuyasha stuck in her head. Damn him, he did that on purpose! The bastard... a really hot bastard... GAH! She shook her head, trying to dismiss the path that her thoughts were going down. Bad, bad, bad, bad, BAD Kagome. Oh well, the boy knew how to pick his clothes.

"Higurashi?"

Kagome froze at the sound of another calm male voice entering her ears. Oh no, not now. If it was who she thought... Kagome turned around came face to face with exactly who she was dreading.

Houjo.

Kagome winced, but quickly covered it with a smile. "Houjo! What are you doing here?"

The boy smiled brightly. "Higurashi, it is you! It's so good to see you!"

Kagome nodded, praying for Inuyasha to get stuck in the dressing room, anything for her to stall and get rid of Houjo. Now don't get her wrong, Kagome liked Houjo- but in a strictly platonic way. Sure, he was sweet, cute, and very athletic... but he was kind of dull. There was something missing that Kagome yearned for… excitement and adventure. But if Houjo saw her with Inuyasha, rumors would fly and neither she nor Inuyasha would have a moment's peace for the next two weeks. Maybe she could direct him towards the nearest flower shop?

Houjo suddenly took Kagome's hands in his own, a blush on his cheeks. Alarm bells went off in Kagome's head, warning her to run like the wind. But of course, no one ever said Kagome was smart...

"Higurashi," Houjo stuttered, "Um, I was thinking about you the other day, and I haven't seen you in awhile... not since school let out. I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go to dinner and a movie with me?" His eyes shined hopefully, begging her to say yes.

Kagome choked, and tried to pull her hands away from Houjo. "Uh... that's very sweet of you Houjo, but I'm kind of busy..."

But Houjo wasn't smart either, and apparently he couldn't take a subtle hint. "We could go to the fair instead! It's later in the night, and it would give you time to finish whatever you're busy with! Ayami already said that you'd be willing to go with me. What time should I pick you up?" Houjo flashed the girl a dazzling smile, and Kagome felt a bit of guilt well up in her heart. She had said that a week ago... before she met Inuyasha...

"I'm really sorry Houjo, but I can't. I'm really quite busy." She once again tried to pluck her hand away from Houjo's grasp, but failed again.

A bit of the light had gone out of Houjo's eyes. "What are you busy with, Higurashi?"

Suddenly a rough male voice entered the conversation. "Oi, asshole. Get your hands off her." Inuyasha stepped forward, coming to stand directly next to Kagome.

Apparently, Inuyasha believed in intimidating appearances. Kagome gaped at his clothes. He had donned a pair of baggy black jeans, a loose chain hanging around one of his hips. A tight black tank top clung to his torso, and he had somehow gotten a pair of black biker gloves. Add to that his previous addition of the black bandana, and Inuyasha was the living embodiment of the word Badass. With a capital B.

The hanyou's golden eyes blazed, his silver hair offsetting his totally black outfit. He calmly pulled Kagome's hand out of the stunned Houjo's grasp, wrapping his arm around Kagome's waist, pulling the girl flush against him. He fixed his gaze on the impudent boy in front of him. "Kagome happens to be busy with me, bastard. So unfortunately she can't go out with you. Ever."

 

---------------- ------------------------------

Tada! enter Inuyasha, the badass. - so what will Houjo do? Will he fight for his right to Kagome? Or will he be a pansy and run away? Find out next time on the next episode of "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie". Erm... Don't mind me, it's currently 2 a.m. and I am waaay too hyper. So, leave a review if you can, and tell me what you think Houjo will or should do. I'm interested to hear your guys' opinions. Thanks for reading everyone! (I know Sango was supposed to come in this chapter, but I have another entrance planned for her, so no worries. And Shippo too. -) Ja ne, minna!

This time, you guys all get a black bandana like Inuyasha kick-ass one. Heh. ::hands bandanas out to everyone.::