InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Let Sleeping Dogs Lie ❯ Who Ever Said Emotions Make Sense? ( Chapter 5 )

Author Notey Thingy: Welcome to the newly revised chapter 5!  Glad to see people are still reviewing- I love to hear your thoughts. ^-^   On with the show!   -------------------------------------------------------------- --    Chapter Five: Who Ever Said Emotions Make Sense? ---------------------------------------------------------------- &nb sp;  

Silence reigned between the group, expressions varying on each person's face. Inuyasha had his attention completely focused on the boy in front of him. He narrowed his eyes, completely ignoring the halfhearted attempts Kagome was making to break away from his grasp. He wasn't entirely sure what had come over him, but he wasn't about to question it. This was his time with Kagome, and he'd be damned before some twerp of a human boy got between them.

A slow smirk spread across his face as the hanyou watched fear enter Houjo's expression. The human was utterly confused, and beyond scared. Keh. Served him right if-

"Higurashi..." Houjo cut off Inuyasha's thought process, and the demon growled.

"Um..."  Crap. Kagome shot a warning glance at Inuyasha. "Yes, Houjo?"

Inuyasha's grip tightened on the girl, and he continued to watch Houjo, waiting to hear if the boy's next words would be his last. ‘Alright punk,’ he thought, ‘I dare you to ask her out again. I DARE you..’. The hanyou's blood boiled, fierce possessiveness alive in his body. Just why was he doing this anyway?

Houjo cleared his throat, and a sudden light bulb almost seemed to go off over his head. "Higurashi!" His eyes were alight with realization as he looked from Inuyasha to Kagome. Houjo pointed at the hanyou. "This is your brother, isn't it Kagome? Souta, right? I always thought he was younger than you... of course, I've never actually met him. Odd hair color I might add." Houjo frowned slightly, but continued on. "Nice to meet you, Souta Higurashi! I'm glad I finally-"

"You are the biggest moronic ass I have ever met in my entire life." Inuyasha spat. "I'm not Kagome's brother, I'm her-"

WHAM!

A sharp elbow caught Inuyasha in the gut, cutting off the rest of his sentence. Kagome slowly shook her head in a quick 'no,' turning her attention back to the human boy. The weak pathetic excuse for a human boy... Inuyasha glared at said boy.

"Houjo..." Kagome sighed, wondering exactly she was supposed to do in a situation like this. "Houjo, this isn't my brother. This is my friend, Inuyasha."

Houjo looked a bit confused. "I've never seen him with you before... but that's ok!" His earlier happiness had returned, full force. "Anyways Higurashi, there's this festival tonight, and I would really like to take you-"

"Go the fuck AWAY, moron! You're not wanted here!" Inuyasha's anger had also returned- if it had ever really left. "Kagome's not going with you to some stupid festival, and she won't be anywhere with you, period." He grabbed Kagome's wrist. "C'mon. We're leaving."

In a bold act, Houjo plucked Kagome's hand from the hanyou's grasp, tugging her behind him. His gaze sharpened, and Houjo's calm and easy going nature began to turn to one of his rarer emotions: anger. "Look, you may be Higurashi's friend, but that doesn't give you the right to speak for her. I don't care if you don't want me to go out with her, it's her choice!"

Inuyasha clamped his fists shut, willing himself not to attack the boy. He had a point after all. It was Kagome's decision, not his. "Fine..." he ground out. "...Kagome?" He raised his eyes, locking his gaze with the flustered girl.

"Heh... heh… right…" Kagome stuttered, glancing between the two boys. Great, now she had to choose. She turned her gaze to Houjo: sweet, calm, ever polite... and a tad dull. Kagome smiled softly. The boy was great in his own way, but Kagome didn't really want to go out with him. He was better as a close friend. Although she'd have to talk to Yuki and the others... they seemed to be encouraging the poor boy a bit too much, and they were giving him the wrong idea. Kagome just didn't like Houjo like that. For the life of her she couldn't figure out why, but she wasn't drawn to the brunette boy at all.

Then she turned her gaze to Inuyasha: rude, arrogant, extremely strong, some personal issues... but he was sweet when he wanted to be, and Kagome could tell he cared for her in some way. The dog demon had just suddenly appeared in her life, entering her thoughts and home as though he belonged there all along. In a strange way, it felt natural to have him around. Kagome shook her head, not willing to go down that path yet. It was still too confusing. She examined his appearance, the sharp demon characteristics giving him an unruly and dangerous appearance. His outfit of choice suited both his attitude and his looks. His muscles were taunt, almost in a panicked way. He seemed scared to hear her reply. Almost afraid... maybe that she would pick Houjo?

Kagome gave the hanyou a wink, making his expression change to slight shock. A small smile spread over his face. His tense muscles eased slightly, and he threw a confident smirk at Houjo, who seemed oblivious to it all.

"Houjo... I really appreciate your offer to take me to the fair, but I'm really busy and-"

Another blindingly bright smile came forth from Houjo. "That's alright, Higurashi! If you're busy, maybe we could go tomorrow. Or maybe even next week! I don't mind waiting."

Kagome could only gape at the boy, and she winced as she felt the anger from Inuyasha roll off in nearly tangible waves. Oh, this was not good. Inuyasha + Anger someone gets beat down. She sighed. Houjo, you idiot.

Inuyasha growled. Just how stupid was this kid anyways? Couldn't he take a hint? Kagome belonged with him, damnit, and-

Inuyasha gaped as Houjo wrapped his arm around Kagome's waist, slowly leading her towards the exit. He was chatting away about the festival, talking about how it continued for an entire week, and not to worry, they would have plenty of time to go. Kagome was riveted in shock and utterly confused as how to get away from Houjo without hurting his feelings.

Inuyasha growled again. Sometimes there was only one way to handle these situations. He cracked his knuckles, slowly following the boy and Kagome. This ...this scum was blatantly ignoring his claim over Kagome, and he didn't even pay attention to Kagome's subtle hinting that she didn't want to be with the human jerk. Inuyasha snarled. The boy thought he could take Kagome away from him?

Oh HELL no...

"Oi." Inuyasha's voice rang out, deadly calm.

Houjo's mindless babble stopped, and he scowled. "You're still here? I'll take Higurashi home. With all the anger you have right now, I don't think it's safe for Higurashi to be around you. I don't care who you are, I'm taking her to the fair." The boy released Kagome, turning to face the hanyou. "Besides, you're not worth her time. You need to learn to control your temper."

Well, you had to give the boy credit. It takes guts to stand up to an enraged demon. Too bad he'd have to die for it.

Inuyasha slammed his fist into Houjo's face, knocking him out cold. The boy's body crumpled to the floor as Inuyasha looked on with a smirk. "Hmph..." He snorted. "All it took was one punch. He really is weak."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome glared at the now satisfied demon. "I can't believe you- you... you just decked Houjo! He was only asking me out on a date! What right do you have-"

"Every right." Inuyasha's possessive gaze turned to Kagome, and the girl was startled at the flashing intensity of his golden eyes. "He ignored my claim, and you even told him you were busy. He brought it upon himself." Inuyasha snorted, giving the boy a small kick. "Moron..."

"Now wait-" Kagome was cut off as a shout rang out. Her head snapped around, focusing on a mall security officer. Crap! She glanced at the unconscious Houjo, then back at mall security team. The officer was motioning for a few other officers to follow him, and they were quickly heading towards her and Inuyasha. They needed to get out of there fast. She panicked, quickly turning to the hanyou next to her. "Inuyasha!"

"Let's go." He scooped her up in arms, bounding past the confused officers.

Kagome tossed some money to the officers, shouting a quick "For the clothes!" as they ran past. The couple burst out the exit doors, into the warm air outside. Inuyasha paused, then took off again. Kagome's heart pounded, trying to straighten out her crazy thoughts. Houjo was unconscious, and she and Inuyasha were probably some sort of criminals now. When had her life turned so crazy? She sighed, resting her head against the solid wall of Inuyasha's chest. Her thoughts tumbled around inside her head, chasing each other in a twisted game of tag. She closed her eyes, trying to reach whatever sanity was left in her jumbled emotions. She snuggled closer to Inuyasha, hearing him give a satisfied rumble. She giggled, glancing up at his face. His golden gaze was straight ahead, concentrating on getting them to... wherever it was they were going. Kagome didn't really care at the moment. She studied his face, taking in his sharp features. The wind whipped his hair around, making it billow in crazy patterns- though the bandana stayed firmly in place.

Inuyasha felt Kagome's gaze on him, and he looked down into her smoky gray-blue eyes. She smiled, merely muttering a soft "Hey."

He found himself giving her a small smile in return. "Hey. You alright?"

She nodded, sighing again. "Yeah... my life is just so insane right now. But... it's sorta fun." She settled against him, closing her eyes.

Inuyasha ruefully shook his head. Fun? Crazy girl... but she was his crazy girl. No stupid human was going to take her away. They could just... go do whatever, as long as it didn't involve Kagome. Inuyasha snorted. Ok, so maybe his logic wasn't the best, but he was aggravated, damnit! Stupid human boy...

Inuyasha landed his hasty journey in the shrine yard, carrying Kagome through the back door into the kitchen. He nudged the girl softly, as she seemed to be asleep. "Um, hey. We're here."

"Wha...?" Kagome blinked sleepily. "We're home? But don't we still need to pick up our food?"

Inuyasha froze. "Uh..." He set her back on her feet, holding her shoulder to steady her.

Kagome waved her hand absently. "Nah, we can just go back later. Don't worry about it." She took a step towards the hanyou, poking him. "What I want to know is why the hell you knocked out Houjo!"

Inuyasha growled slightly, using his height advantage to glare down at the girl. "Why should I explain it to you?"

Kagome stomped her foot. "Because I'm totally confused! Why were you so possessive? I don't like Houjo and I didn't want to go to the festival with him, but you didn't have to knock him out! Honestly, I just met you a few days ago, and now this, geez! This day has just been so-"

Inuyasha placed a finger to Kagome's lips, immediately silencing her tirade. He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, trailing his hand along her jaw line. He smiled softly, pulling her closer to him. "Haven't you figured it out yet, little human? Something’s happening here… between us…"

Kagome's eyes widened slightly, her attention totally focused on the hanyou. "But... but we barely even know each other and ... and..."

Inuyasha rubbed his thumb over the bare skin of her neck, making her shiver slightly. "So?" A low rumble came from him as he smiled. "Who ever said emotions make sense?"

"Yeah..." Kagome's gaze locked with Inuyasha's, and they slowly moved towards each other. Kagome's focus slipped to his lips, merely inches away...

And Miroku burst through the back door.

"Hey guys! What's - WHOA! Umm..." he slowly backed into the doorway. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?" He smirked slightly. " I knew you two liked each other!" He gave a small thumbs up sign. "I am so good!"

Inuyasha and Kagome were frozen inches away from each other, furious blushes staining their cheeks. Inuyasha's expression darkened, and he growled, slowly releasing Kagome. "Excuse me. I have to kill Miroku now..." He slowly turned his head to glare at the pony-tailed boy, snarling a warning.

"So... ah, I'll just be going then..." With a small exclamation of 'eep!’ Miroku took off running for all he was worth.

Of course, Inuyasha took off right after him, screaming something to the sound of "Get back here you damn lecher! You should bloody well knock next time!!!"

Kagome shook her head, trying to cool her red cheeks. Inuyasha had almost kissed her! She was almost sad that he hadn't completed the action. She sighed, flopping down at a kitchen chair, resting her chin in her hands on the shiny new table. Who was she kidding? She really wished Miroku hadn't barged in... he was so close to kissing her!

A loud crash sounded from the yard, and Kagome quirked a questioning eyebrow. What was going on out there? Rising from her seat, Kagome walked outside to watch the commotion.

Inuyasha was chasing Miroku all over the yard in an all out brawl. The dark haired boy was dodging Inuyasha's claws, while at the same time trying to toss explanations over his shoulder.

"I swear I didn't know! Why are you so worked up about this?"

A snarl came from Inuyasha. "Like hell you didn't know! You have a sixth sense for these things! I bet you were just dying to interrupt, you goddamn son of a-"

Miroku dodged, tumbling on the ground to avoid another slash. "I didn't know! Besides, it was just one kiss! I bet you've kissed her a million times by now."

Inuyasha paused, blushing slightly. "For your information you perverted sack of stupid monk, I haven't laid a finger on her. Unlike you, I do posses some self control."

Miroku choked slightly. "You mean to tell me that you've been alone and living with her for two days and you haven't even kissed her yet? What kind of stupid are you?"

Inuyasha scuffed a foot on the ground, looking for all the world like a reprimanded school boy. He mumbled something under his breath, blushing.

Miroku frowned, crossing his arms. "Could you repeat that a little louder? Not all of us have demon hearing you know."

Miroku heard a distinct mutter of "asshole" as Inuyasha copied Miroku's stance. "I said, I don't know if she feels the same way."

Miroku's jaw dropped. He gaped, and pointed dumbly in the general direction of the kitchen. "Dude, did you not see her like two minutes ago? She totally likes you! Besides," he polished his nails slightly, "I am a master of detecting such things."

Inuyasha growled. "Which is exactly why I think you interrupted on purpose! And it's more complicated than that!" he snapped. "You don't just kiss someone and add 'hey do you like me?' as an afterthought." He paused. "Well, you might, but that's not the point! And what the hell are you staring at..."

Inuyasha turned to look over his shoulder where Miroku's gaze was riveted. His eyes widened as he saw Kagome standing by the door, looking a little shocked. A sheepish smile graced her lips, and she waved. "Uh, hey guys."

Inuyasha blushed. Damnit! Did she hear everything? By the look on her face, he was gonna go with a big yes. He panicked, and did what he normally did in a romantically complicated situation.

Ran like there was no tomorrow.

With a few bounds, he was away from the shrine, running down the street as a black and white blur. Kagome stared after him in shock. "He... wha... gone..." She pointed dumbly after him.

Miroku sighed, and brushed the dirt off his clothes. "Yeah," he sighed. "Gone. Let's go catch ourselves a half dog demon." He walked past Kagome towards his car, which was currently parked in front of the shrine. "You coming, Kagome?"

"Uh, yeah!" Kagome blinked, then caught up with the dark haired boy. "So, does he do that a lot?"

Miroku snorted. "Sort of. When he doesn't know how to deal with a situation, he bolts. No common decency, honestly. I try to have a serious conversation with him, but no, all you get is a vacant expression, or the dust he leaves behind." Miroku gave a long suffering sigh, and rubbed his forehead. "Moron."

Kagome paused as they reached the other boy’s car. “Really Miroku… purple?”

Miroku grinned. “Favorite color.”

Kagome shrugged, and plopped down in the passenger side of the car. "So where do you think he went to?"

Miroku started the engine, tossing a knowing smile to Kagome. "Trees. Really, really, big trees. Got any national forests around here?"

Kagome smiled. "Take the next right."

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Inuyasha sighed, staring absently out into the horizon. He was struck by an odd sense of deja-vu, but he brushed it aside. What the hell was up with him today? Getting all possessive over one simple girl- one he barely even knew for crying out loud! And then he went and tried to kiss her... stupid Miroku and his lecher self. Couldn't he have waited five more minutes? Keh. No, of course not. Fate was against him. It was always like that. Have a few things go your way, and then Armageddon comes out of nowhere. Well, it wasn't that bad yet, but he could feel it. A shudder passed through his entire body. Something bad was going to happen, but he didn't know what...

His claws absently shredded the bark beneath his fingers. He wasn't quite sure why he looked for solace in the height of trees, but it always seemed to soothe him. It was his one stronghold in his crazy life; his anchor to reality. Though reality seemed to be slipping up lately.

Ok, time for a quick checklist of his life. He was missing some of his memories(thanks to the wonderful bitch known as Kikyo) he had been turned into a full fledged dog at least twice, he was currently residing with a girl he barely knew, and he seemed to be falling in… He shook his head. No, he just kinda liked her. Yeah…  He growled and continued on. Miroku was here, (god knows how the boy had found him) and he had beat down one of Kagome's friends. A small quirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. Yeah, giving that Houjo wimp what he deserved had felt really good. That’ll teach the moron to mess with his girl...

GAH!

There it was again. The possessiveness of Kagome. Why?! What the hell were all these crazy emotions tumbling around in him for? He sighed, passing a hand over his face. How had he managed to fall for Kagome so fast? It was all wrong, too little time... strange situations could do that to a person. Make you feel emotions that weren't true, adding sentimental value to meaningless things. But the question was, did he seriously like Kagome, or was he making this out to be more than what it was?

Only fate knew the answer to this, and time would soon reveal the answer. But would he be satisfied with whatever fate had planned for him?

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"So Miroku, how'd that date last night go?"

The car took a violent swerve, almost colliding with a passing car. Kagome grasped the dashboard tightly, sending a wry look towards the boy next to her. "That bad, huh?"

Miroku's knuckles were white, encasing the steering wheel in a death grip. He gave a terse reply of "No."

Kagome snorted in disbelief. "Right. Now stop gripping the steering wheel like it's a lifeline."

Miroku blinked, looking down at his death grip on the wheel. He sighed, and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry," he eased some of the tension out of his fingers, making his hands return to their normal color. "Well, the date wasn't bad... per se. It was definitely different though." He shook her head. "Kouga, the friend I'm staying with- and his girlfriend Ayame had a great time. That left me with Ayame's friend." His eyes took on a hazy quality, and Kagome shot the boy an odd look. "She was gorgeous. Dark hair, pink eye shadow, great body..." Kagome coughed, and Miroku shook his head. "Anyway, about halfway through the date-"

"There he is!" Kagome shouted suddenly, pointing out ahead. Sure enough, the figure of Inuyasha could barely be seen in a high treetop. That is of course, if one was looking for him. Apparently the guess of the national forest had been correct. And boy, he was really high up in the tree!

Miroku brought the car to a screeching halt near Inuyasha's tree, shooting Kagome a glare. "You didn't have to shout, you know."

But Kagome wasn't paying attention- she was already jumping out of the car, racing to the tree where Inuyasha was calmly sitting. She squinted through the branches, just barely able to see him up above. Damn, why did he have to go so high?

"Hey Inuyasha?" She paused, waiting for an answer. She waited, tapping her foot impatiently. Maybe he didn't hear her? She tried again, raising her voice. "Inuyasha?" She waited again, peering up into the branches. She couldn't even catch a glimpse of him now, so maybe he had left. She was about to call out again, but a rough male voice rang out from above.

"...Go away."

Kagome jerked, glaring up at where she thought Inuyasha was sitting. "Inuyasha, come on. Let's just go home, ok?"

A dry laugh descended down the tree, irritating Kagome. The hanyou's hollow voice only muttered a defeated "Leave me alone."

Kagome crossed her arms, still glaring. "No way. Now come down from that stupid tree." She waited. "Inuyasha?" Another pause, with no response. Kagome growled. "Damnit." Pushing her sleeves up her arms, she took a good look at the trunk of the tree in front of her. Well, it wouldn't be impossible to climb, but it would tough. She rubbed her hands together, searching for a handhold in the trunk. Slowly, she began to climb upwards to Inuyasha.

A surprised sound came from above. "What are you doing?"

"Climbing. What's it look like?" Kagome winced as her hand scraped against the bark, but she continued on anyway. "Ouch. Got any more bright questions, Einstein?"

She heard a sound suspiciously like 'Keh' and grinned ruefully. She continued to climb, trying to make her way towards the stubborn hanyou. "Come on Inuyasha. Won't you at least talk to me?"

Only silence met her question, and Kagome's anger rose. Why was he being so difficult? Damn him and his stubbornness! She climbed further, scraping her knees and the palms of her hands against the rough bark. She was getting torn up, but he was going to talk to her! She yelped as a piece of sharp bark dug against a fresh cut in her hand, and she squeezed her eyes shut against the pain. Just how high up was she, anyways? She slowly dropped her gaze to the ground, which was really quite far down. She hadn't really been keeping track of her progress, and she was way higher than she'd like to be. A sudden panic of falling kicked in, and Kagome tightly shut her eyes, afraid. "Oh god... please don't let me fall." A frightened plea was sent heavenward as Kagome clutched the tree desperately.

"You should have just left. Silly girl..."

Kagome's muscles tensed, registering the close proximity of the hanyou's voice. Oh, he had finally decided to talk to her, had he? Nice to know he wanted to say something before she fell to her death! Kagome refused to open her eyes, not moving an inch. "Shut up Inuyasha."

"Kagome."

Kagome ignored the hanyou, imitating his earlier actions without realizing it.

"Kagome. Look at me."

"No!" She clutched desperately to the tree, suddenly deathly afraid. "I'm going to fall!" she laughed bitterly. "I am such an idiot, thinking that I could just follow you up here."

A warm hand covered her own, and Kagome looked up, suddenly surprised. A soft golden gaze met her own, and Inuyasha looked concerned. "Kagome, let go."

"What?!" Her shriek pierced the air, and Inuyasha winced at the sharp noise. His statement only made her grasp the tree tighter. "Are you trying to kill me?"

A small smile crept across the hanyou's face. "Not likely. I don't usually try to kill the people I like. Give me your hand."

Kagome looked doubtful, but hesitantly grasped the hand that covered her own. Inuyasha smiled. "Good, now the other hand."

Kagome hesitated again, but after a moment, she closed her eyes and firmly grasped his hand with her own. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for Inuyasha to drop her. After a moment, she cracked an eye open. Inuyasha was smiling in amusement, silently mocking her. Was she dead? She fully opened her eyes, noticing Inuyasha had pulled her up to the branch where he had been sitting. She flushed in embarrassment. "Uh... thanks."

Inuyasha sighed. "You wanted to talk?"

Kagome nodded firmly. "Definitely. There's a few things we need to need to straighten out."

Inuyasha plopped down on the sturdy branch, resting his back against the trunk. "Sit."

"What? Up here? No way, I am not si-"

"OI!" Inuyasha yelled, cutting her off in mid-sentence. He frowned at her in annoyance. "Don't say 'sit'! Or have you forgotten what happened last time? I'd rather not try to climb down a tree as a dog." He shook his head, adding a "Bitch," for effect.

Kagome glared at him, slowly sitting down on the tree branch. Inuyasha gave her a dry look, quirking an eye at the space she had attempted to put between them. "You know I don't bite..." He reconsidered, flashing his fangs, "...much." He smirked.

Kagome rolled her eyes, scooting closer to the hanyou. "Happy?" He nodded and she sighed. "Ok. Right... first of all, no more knocking my friends unconscious!"

Inuyasha raised a skeptical eyebrow, and Kagome glared. He rolled his eyes in response. "Fine. As long as they don't try to seriously hit on you. I cannot be held responsible for my actions after that."

Kagome glared, and poked Inuyasha. "Yeah, about that- why are you suddenly so possessive, huh? What gives you the right to say who I can go out with, or whatever? You're not my boyfriend, and so-"

"I know." A low grumble cut her off, and he imitated her voice sarcastically-"I'm your 'friend’. At least that's what you told Houjo. What am I to you, Kagome? You heard my talk with Miroku. I like you." He averted his gaze, glaring out into the horizon beyond. "I like you a lot. God knows why..." He smirked to ease her glare, but then frowned. "But what do you feel for me?"

Kagome stuttered, a bit confused at the sudden change of topic. "Well..." What should I say? Her thoughts were swirling in crazy patterns again, and her head was starting to hurt. She took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind. Just tell him the truth, and go from there. Don't worry about your pride right now… if it gets shot to hell, then so be it. " I ..." She concentrated on the bark on the tree branch, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. She sighed. "I like you a lot, too Inuyasha." She looked up, and flashed him a genuine smile. "You can be rude, arrogant, and a selfish bastard," Inuyasha gave an indignant snort at this, "But I really like you. Honestly. You're really interesting, and you can be sweet if you try. And I just like to be around you. It doesn't make any sense, but I feel like I've known you forever."

Inuyasha's face was a schooled mask of nonchalance. "Do you care that I'm a hanyou? Does it scare you? Disgust you?"

Kagome smiled. "Nope. If anything, I think it kicks ass. Otherwise, it doesn't really matter to me. It's part of what makes you who you are. Inuyasha, the half dog demon- the guy I’m starting to like." Kagome reached behind his head, untying the bandana and tugging it free. His ears popped up, an expression of relief conquering his features. Kagome gently rubbed one of his ears. "I like you for who you are, Inuyasha. Cute dog ears and all."

Inuyasha's eyes slid closed and he leaned into her touch, murmuring a soft "thank you." He had to forcefully pull her hand away from his ears, blushing slightly. He cleared his throat, averting his gaze. "You shouldn't really do that right now." He coughed lightly, but Kagome just looked confused.

Inuyasha stood, offering his hand to Kagome. "Ready to go?"

Kagome smiled, readily accepting his hand. "Very much so." Inuyasha pulled her to her feet, though he kept her hand held in his. He stared into her eyes, wishing that he could put his emotions into words. He merely smiled, earning a grin from the girl in return. "Thanks Kagome."

From down below, Miroku looked on in annoyance. Getting impatient, he decided to yell a suggestion to his hanyou friend. "For the love of god, kiss her already!"

Inuyasha scowled, flipping Miroku off. Kagome laughed, rolling her eyes. "Come on Inuyasha." She tugged at his hand. "Let's go home."

He smiled, scooping Kagome up in his arms. "Yeah. Let's go home." Grinning, he took a flying leap off the branch, making Kagome gasp in surprise. Feh. Girls were so easy to scare. He laughed, landing safely on the ground as Kagome repeatedly called him a baka.

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In another part of the city, Houjo stumbled wearily away from the Tokyo mall. He had a splitting headache, and his vision was slightly fuzzy. Apparently he had been knocked out by Higurashi's friend… Inuyasha or whoever. And well, that was a bit rude.

Houjo continued to walk on, swerving slightly, unable to walk in a straight line. He glanced up, and saw a girl walking toward him. In fact, Houjo squinted… she looked just like Kagome! Houjo waved, "Hey, Higurashi!"

The girl looked confused, frowning at him. As Houjo neared the girl, he realized that this girl's hair was different, and her eyes were brown. This wasn't Kagome, this was someone completely different! The similarity was uncanny though. Houjo blushed sheepishly, bowing in apology. "Sorry, miss. I mistook you for a friend of mine. I'm sorry."

The girl nodded coolly, inspecting the boy. Houjo fidgeting under her gaze. Something about this girl was a little off… he got a weird feeling from her. The girl nodded as though she approved. "Have you seen a boy with white hair around here? His name is Inuyasha."

Houjo scowled. "Yeah, I've seen him. He punched me! He's so possessive of Higurashi. I don't why, Higurashi said they were only friends." He glared at the girl. "Why? Are you a friend of his?"

"Not exactly. I just need to find him. Do you know where he's staying?" The girl stood, looking completely unruffled and uncaring to the world.

Houjo looked at the girl cautiously. "Well, I'm not sure. But I bet Higurashi could tell you. She lives at the Sunset Shrine, about a mile that way." He pointed towards the shrine, and flashed a smile. "I'm sure she could help you out."

The girl walked past him, continuing at a steady pace. "Thanks."

Houjo stared at her in confusion. "Hey!" The girl stopped. "What's your name?"

The girl looked over her shoulder, her ice cold gaze sending a shiver through Houjo. "My name is Kikyo."

 

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Hooo, boy! ::cackles evilly:: let the plot twists begin! The story line should pick up from here on out, so buckle your seat belts kids! Thanks to everyone who's reading- I hope you're liking the story so far! Oh, and does anyone know how to get a good mailing list? I want to start one for "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie" since some people have asked me to email them when I update. Any comments are appreciated, thanks guys!

::gives everyone a mini Goshinboku tree, just cause trees are cool.:: Ja, minna-san. Thanks for reading!