InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Of Strings and Kevlar ❯ Denial ( Chapter 5 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters. They're super fun to play with, though.

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Once the apartment door shut behind her, Kagome sighed in relief, feeling safely distant from the emotional pressure Koga had just placed upon her with his marriage talk. When exactly had he started in with this line of thinking? Had there been warning signs that she had missed? She couldn't be sure. Yes, she knew him well, but they only saw each other once or twice a week; hardly often enough to pick up on any matrimonial-suggestive behavior.

She sighed and rubbed her temples with her fingertips. Now was definitely not the time to think about this. All she wanted to do at the moment was take a hot bath, study her music, and forget about pushy boyfriends.

“Kagome, is that you?” Sango called from the kitchen.

`Ugh.' She frowned, knowing she was in for an interrogation, and kicked her shoes off near the door. “Yeah, I'm home,” she replied, letting her bookbag fall to the floor.

Her cousin appeared in the kitchen doorway, her eyes narrowed and her hands on her hips. “All right, spill. What's wrong?”

Rolling her eyes, Kagome tried to play it off. “What are you talking about? Nothing's wrong, I'm just tired.” Edging past her into the kitchen, she took a glass from the cupboard. “Do we have any OJ left, or did the hentai drink it all?”

Sango snatched the glass out of Kagome's hand, earning her a scowl. “Oh, no, you're not getting off the hook that easily. Something happened, because you weren't like this when Koga picked you up this afternoon. Did he say something?”

Damn that woman and her ability to pick up on every little emotion! “Sango, really. Do we have to do this now? Can't I have a night to myself without an investigation into my personal life?”

“Maybe, if you were upfront with me to begin with. Come on, Kagome, you know I'm not going to leave you alone until you tell me what's going on, so you might as well tell me. What happened?” She put a hand on Kagome's shoulder. “Is he still pushing the sex issue?”

“No!” Kagome shoved her hand away, and then suddenly looked down uncomfortably. “Well, maybe just a little, but that's not what's -”

“Damn him! You gotta tell him to back off, Kagome! Guys like that won't listen unless you're -”

“Sango, relax!” she cried exasperatedly. “That's not the problem… exactly. He's just….” Kagome sighed and rubbed her head again, feeling a headache coming on. How in the hell did she end up talking about this anyway? “He's just… making assumptions.”

Sango rolled her eyes. “Kagome, will you cut out the vague shit? Just tell me! Making assumptions about what?”

“About us!” she retorted, confused by the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She turned away from her, facing the kitchen window and gripping the countertop as if it were a lifeline. “He politely informed me tonight that we'll supposedly be getting married someday.”

“What?!” Sango reeled back, the shock apparent in her voice. “Married? I—I don't…”

Kagome had to laugh, still in disbelief herself. “That's what I said.” She shook her head. This was exactly why she didn't want to tell Sango. Now her emotions were careening all over again, and all she wanted to do was forget about it.

Sango must have finally sensed her need. Wrapping a supportive arm around her shoulders, she steered her out of the kitchen and proceeded to instantly lighten the mood. “I know what you want. You want a bath, don't you?”

She chuckled in relief, knowing Sango wouldn't need an affirmative answer; she knew her too well. Sango guided Kagome into her bedroom. “Go ahead and get undressed, and I'll run your bath. Bubbles?”

Kagome nodded and smiled at her cousin who was far too good to her. As soon as Sango returned her smile and left her room, Kagome flopped onto her bed and hugged her pillow. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and released it slowly, blowing the events of the day out of her body and her mind. Between Inuyasha's torment and Koga's expectations, she wasn't sure of the last time she lived a day that was so infuriating. Of course, there had been some good parts, too. She made section leader again. That was good news, at least.

Sighing heavily again, she sat up on her bed and pulled off her shirt. A good, long soak in the tub was exactly what she needed to refocus and prepare for tomorrow's rehearsals… day-long rehearsals in which she would see Inuyasha, she realized. For a very brief moment, a hint of a smile came to her lips, but then it disappeared just as quickly and was replaced by a gape. Was she actually looking forward to seeing that jerk? After all of the anguish he had put her through in the past twenty-four hours? What the -

“Kags? Your bath is ready!”

“O-okay!” Kagome raised her hands to cup her cheeks, feeling the heat already rising to the surface of her skin. Before she could dwell on her brief lapse in sanity any further, she shed the remainder of her clothing, wrapped herself in her bathrobe, and quickly made her way to the bathroom as if she were running from the truth itself.

***

Inuyasha smirked, knowing what the reaction of a certain girl would be once the following words left his mouth: “Okay, guys. Let's run that section again.”

Pointedly watching Kagome, he noticed with much amusement the sharp glare she threw his way, and he couldn't help but chuckle. Over the past week, they had run through this particular piece of music just as much as the other pieces, but the section with the suspended cymbal part had been a heavy focus for the hanyou since it allowed him the opportunity to mess with the girl. Of course, he never let it interfere with his duties to the section, but whenever he got the chance, he made sure to throw a little torment her way just for his own amusement. Never mind the fact that this torment had taken a turn in the direction of flirtatiousness, but there was absolutely no deeper reason for that. He just saw it as another powerful weapon in his war to make her life hell; he certainly didn't have any intention of flirting with her for any reason beyond torturing her. Yeah. That's why he did it. Just to torture her.

When Miroku glanced his way with a knowing grin on his face, Inuyasha shrugged. “I just don't think we have it yet.” When Miroku simply shook his head and laughed, the hanyou leaned in and spoke in a low voice. “Last time, I promise. I'm just enjoying seeing her squirm.”

Nodding, Miroku allowed him another chance to tease Kagome. He had reminded Inuyasha earlier in the week that Kagome was his good friend and he didn't enjoy seeing her upset, but he had also admitted that she was a big girl and could stand up for herself. However, deep down, Inuyasha suspected that if Miroku felt at any time that he was taking it too far, he would let him know.

Miroku waited a moment for everyone to get in their places and counted off the section in clicks. Once everyone started playing, the cymbal players took their places in front of the snare line and turned to face them, raising one cymbal and suspending it in front of their respective drummers.

Kagome stood in front of Inuyasha, holding the cymbal for him to play and glaring at him all the while. Never missing a beat as he played, he shot her a disarming smile, knowing it would infuriate her. When there was no immediate reaction, he puckered his lips and blew her a kiss. He wasn't disappointed.

The way her mocha eyes narrowed and her pink lips pouted in vehemence of his display led him to believe he would surely be in for it later. But again he only smiled and watched the emotions play across her face. The wench was clearly miffed by their little interaction, and there was no end to his amusement because of it.

Laughing to himself as the cymbal line moved on to their next position, he pondered why he was enjoying getting such a rise out of Kagome. It wasn't as if he was still angry with her over the “Music Building Incident,” as it had so mockingly been named by the other music students. In fact, he was slowly starting to realize that at some point within the last week, much to his irritation, he had started developing a slight attraction to the wench, although it was hardly anything to get bent out of shape about.

Who was he kidding? She was constantly on his mind, and for all intents and purposes, in his pants, at least psychologically. The mere fact that he had woken up with sticky sheets this morning—something that hadn't happened since middle school—after a disturbingly erotic dream featuring the girl could attest to that. Perhaps that was why he felt the need to be especially hard on her today. But why? Why was she so hell-bent on filling his every waking—and apparently sleeping—minute with her beautiful eyes, her perfect breasts, and those damned legs? God, what he wouldn't give to run his tongue up those gorgeous stems toward what he could only imagine to be her sweet, sweet center as she lay beneath him, calling his name in breathy moans….

“Inuyasha.”

`No, her voice would be softer, and more feminine; not sounding so much like Miroku's. Wait, what?'

“Yo, Inuyasha!”

The hanyou blinked a few times and looked around him, noticing all eyes were on him. They had apparently finished the piece without stopping where they normally would have, and God knows how long the rest of the drumline had been waiting on him to say something. A few members were laughing at his lapse in awareness, but Miroku was just looking at him like he had grown an extra head.

Shaking his head and clearing his throat, he did his best to hide the blush that was surely staining his cheeks and waved his sticks in the air. “Uh, yeah. I think that'll do it.” He looked to Miroku for help, uncharacteristically at a loss for words.

Miroku looked perturbed, but shook his head and took off his drum. “Let's take a break. Meet back here in fifteen.”

With that, Inuyasha walked to the edge of the tree line, painfully aware that he needed to keep his drum harnessed for a few minutes as it effectively hid his body's reaction to his all-too vivid daydream. `Fuck! What the hell is wrong with me? It's bad enough I dream about her at night, but I gotta deal with these fantasies during the day, too? I do not like that bitch. I don't… like her.'

As expected, Miroku followed him to the side and set his drum down on the ground before confronting him. “Dude, what the fuck is going on?”

“Nothing.” Inuyasha's voice cracked, and he coughed to play it off. “Uh, nothing. I guess I'm a little tired. I didn't get much sleep -”

“Yeah, right. What I saw wasn't `tired.' You were lost in space.” Miroku leaned a little closer and spoke softly, keeping an eye on the others several yards away. “I think your little plan is backfiring.”

`Shit.' “Nah, man, it's just….” He watched the recognition wash across Miroku's face and knew the jig was up. Looking around to make sure nobody could overhear them, he sighed and lowered his voice. “Look, you may not be completely wrong. But it doesn't matter, because I'm not going to mess with her anymore. I'm fine.”

Miroku shook his head in disbelief. “All righty, then. But you might want to take care of that boner before break ends.” At Inuyasha's incredulous glance, he rolled his eyes. “Why else would you still be wearing your drum, dipshit? You got twelve minutes left. I suggest you use them wisely,” he hinted, nodding toward the Percussion Annex.

Sure that his face matched the red bandana holding his hair back, Inuyasha flipped him off and turned away. Once he was safely facing away from any prying eyes, he removed his drum harness, set it next to Miroku's, and quickly made for the Percussion Annex with the intention of handling his current predicament, quite literally.

He reached the building and was about to pull open the door when it abruptly swung toward him, nearly hitting him in the face. “Hey, fucko, watch where…” His mouth suddenly stopped functioning.

There stood Kagome, looking just as staggered to see Inuyasha as he was to see her. Her lips parted prettily as if to stammer out a half-assed apology, but apparently she, too, was suffering from brain malfunction. They stared at each other awkwardly for what seemed like days, lost in the clumsy crash of chocolate and amber, and Inuyasha couldn't help but wonder if she felt the same inexplicable pull that he was feeling at that moment.

Kagome recovered more quickly than he did. Closing her mouth and setting her warm eyes cold once again, she mumbled a rushed “Excuse me,” before pushing past him and returning to the others. Inuyasha didn't turn to watch her walk away, though the temptation to do so was maddening. Instead, he stood where he was, facing the door for a few more seconds to gather his wits before entering the Annex and heading upstairs to the bathrooms.

Once inside the sanctity of the men's room, Inuyasha made sure he was alone before approaching the sink and splashing some cold water on his face, momentarily forgetting his original reason for escaping to the bathrooms in the first place. He was too distracted confronting a horrifying truth that had just slammed into him with the force of a wrecking ball. His attraction to that woman was quickly escalating far beyond sexual and into the dangerous realm of emotional, where vulnerability also dwelled and thrived. Such was not a place he wanted to revisit anytime soon, but he was coming to the devastating conclusion that he was no longer in control of this path.

He braced his hands on the sink and hung his head, the water dripping off his chin and nose to splatter on the white porcelain finish. `Why do I like her? Why can't I get her out of my head? What is it about her that I'm so drawn to?'

Inuyasha remained still and quiet for several minutes, willing the answers to be revealed. When nothing came, he stood up straight and closed his eyes, suppressing the urge to punch the mirror in frustration. Regardless of the meaning behind the madness, this had to stop. Now was the exact, completely wrong time to be dealing with emotions, especially those involving women. As much as he hated to admit it, his father's death was still playing heavily on his mind, and he didn't need any more drama to deal with. He had already determined before moving to America that he was going to distance himself from women so he could concentrate on his final year in college with as clear of a head as possible. That, and also so he could avoid any potential self-important, disloyal sluts that sometimes masqueraded as “good girls” before they sunk their claws in and showed their true colors.

`Fuckin' Kikyo.' He gritted his teeth and looked at his ragged reflection in the mirror. That was it. That was exactly why he needed to stay away from women. No games. No nonsense.

No Kagome.

`Besides, she's already dating someone,' he rationalized, and was unprepared for the surge of white hot jealousy that streaked through him. Closing his eyes again, he tried to control his emotions, trying to convince himself again that he didn't have time for women. Even a woman who was as gorgeous as Kagome, and whose spitfire attitude was so much fun to play with, and who was probably a complete animal in the sack… and who was dating a wolf youkai.

`…Shit.'

Inuyasha glanced at his watch and realized the fifteen-minute break was almost up. He splashed some more water on his face and ripped a paper towel from the dispenser. After drying off, he gazed at his reflection again and took a deep breath, hoping that these treacherous feelings would be expelled with the air he blew out of his lungs.

Of course, they weren't.

He threw the paper towel into the wastebasket and pulled open the door. He knew what he had to do. Being center snare, he couldn't very well avoid Kagome completely, but the teasing he had been dishing her was going to stop immediately. He would no longer associate with her in any way unless it was completely necessary. No more looks, no more winks, no more banter. He would leave her be from now on, and hopefully that would be enough to drive away whatever it was his heart was building for her. Hopefully…

…Hopefully whatever his heart was building for her wasn't already too large to tear down.

***

“What in the hell is going on between you and Inuyasha?”

Kagome avoided her cousin's glare, doing her best to concentrate on stirring the roux in the pot on the stove.

Sango wasn't having it. She leaned against the kitchen doorway and crossed her arms. “Don't ignore me, Kagome. You've been acting really weird lately, and I know it has something to do with the way Inuyasha's been fucking with you. Something's up.”

Kagome furrowed her brows but still refused to meet her critical gaze. “What are you talking about?”

She stepped closer and put her hands on her hips. “I'm not blind, Kagome! I've seen how you've changed! At first, you were always mad at him when he would jerk you around, and now, you're still mad, but it's different. I see it.”

Kagome turned away from her, pretending to scan the cupboard for some thyme, but Sango rounded her and stood on the other side, facing her more directly. “You can't hide it from me. I know you, and as much as you will surely deny it, I'm going to state the obvious: You like that he pays attention to you.”

Cue overly-dramatic reaction. “Sango! Are you nuts?” Kagome laughed and shook her head, still making sure she never looked her in the eye. “I can't stand him! For some reason, he gets a kick out of messing with me, and -”

“`For some reason?' Are you completely delusional?” Sango cried, now falling into her own ridiculous laughing fit. “You're not dumb, Kagome! This is basic, junior high school relationship logic. He's messing with you because he likes you, too!”

Kagome winced. That was not what she wanted to hear. That made things entirely too complicated.

Sango sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. “Look, I'm sorry I just threw that in your face like that, but I just want you to be careful.” She paused while Kagome dumped the peppers, onions, and celery into the pot and resumed stirring, resolutely keeping her eyes down. “Kagome, do you remember how I had to learn all about youkai habits when I was younger?”

She nodded. Sango's mother's family descended from a line of taijiya, who were obviously no longer needed now that youkai and humans coexisted peacefully. However, some descendants of the youkai warriors kept up the traditions of old by training their young in the practice, which had now become more of a martial art than an occupation. Under her mother's guidance, Sango had undergone that training beginning early in her childhood and throughout high school, so she was consequentially very knowledgeable on the many different youkai customs and practices of both the old and the modern ways.

“Well, I just want to give you a little bit of insight on youkai tendencies when it comes to courting.”

“Sango, I remember what you said about youkai and dating when I first started seeing Koga.” She paused, suddenly realizing where Sango was headed with this. “And what does it matter? I'm certainly not going to be courting Inuyasha! Geez, Sango, I thought you would -”

“Spare me, all right?” Sango snapped. “Look, I'll let you off the hook for now, so you don't have to go into any further detail on whatever it is you two are cooking up. But I'm not dropping this until you hear me out, okay?”

Kagome finally looked at her cousin in mild shock, noticing the ire quickly building in her light brown eyes. Sango was obviously concerned about something, and although Kagome wouldn't admit to herself why she should listen, she had a feeling that she did, in fact, need to hear what Sango had to say. Swallowing her pride, she nodded for her to continue.

Her expression softened a bit as she began. “Okay, so you remember what I said about youkai and courting, about how possessive they can sometimes be, about mating and all of that, right?” Her eyes focused. “Well, I remember learning about inu youkai… that's what Inuyasha is, in case you didn't know.”

Kagome shrugged. “I guessed as much, although isn't he a hanyou?”

Sango nodded. “It doesn't matter. He'll still exhibit the tendencies of a full-blooded youkai. Anyway, about inu….” She hesitated and bit her lip. “Kagome, the inu breed is of the most ruthlessly possessive of all youkai. They tend to be jealous, aggressive, dominant, over-protective….” She shook her head. “Look, I'm not going to tell you what to do, and I know you wouldn't listen to me anyway. But can I just ask one question? And I want you to answer me honestly.”

Kagome had a fairly good idea she wasn't going to like this question, but she nodded.

“Do you want anything to happen between you and Inuyasha? Anything romantic, that is.”

Her defenses screamed to laugh and blow Sango off as if she were asking the silliest question of all time. She wanted to scoff and shake her head and forget about this entire conversation and finish getting the gumbo ready for dinner. But, she knew that if she did any of that, Sango would see right through her. She thought about the question for a moment more, realizing that she honestly didn't know the answer to it. So, in that case, she could say anything and technically it wouldn't be a lie, right?

“…No.”

Sango pursed her lips together, and Kagome suddenly realized that her cousin knew her better than she knew herself. “Well, then I'm going to give you one last piece of advice, and if you really meant what you said, you'll heed it.” She took the wooden spoon from Kagome's hand and set it on the counter so she could grasp both of her hands in her own. Locking eyes, Sango spoke seriously, deliberately. “Don't let him kiss you, Kagome.”

Kagome's eyes widened, a staunch rebuttal on her lips, but before she could react, Sango's grip on her hands tightened. “Do not let him kiss you.”

Noting the gravity in Sango's voice, Kagome promptly shut her mouth. This was serious. She hadn't heard that tone from her cousin since Kagome's father had died so many years ago. Sango was obviously taking this matter very sincerely, and that was a very clear indication that she should as well. So, her voice having escaped her, she could only nod.

Apparently satisfied with her response, Sango nodded as well and released her hands. Handing Kagome the spoon, she gave her a small smile in an attempt to clear the air. “Now. Do you want me to get the chicken and sausage ready for you?”

***

A week later, Kagome groaned as she set her cymbals on the rack in the Percussion Annex and reached her arms over her head, stretching her stiff shoulders. It was Friday and the last day of camp, and she was exhausted. All of those hours holding and crashing and suspending those sheets of metal had taken their toll on her sore muscles, and she near the point of being willing to pay an obscene amount of money for a decent massage to loosen her up.

As everyone else was busy putting gear away, she picked up her Camelbak and made her way for the sofa near the wall, rolling her aching shoulders as she went. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Inuyasha putting his snare in his bin and removing his harness. He turned suddenly and their eyes met.

The world stopped moving for a single beat, and Kagome could almost feel the breath being squeezed out of her lungs. The tension was suffocating.

His face an unreadable mask, Inuyasha quickly turned back toward his bin and shut the door before walking away, and she couldn't keep the disappointment from creeping upon her as she flopped down on the couch. He had been ignoring her, treating her as if she were a disease. When he would interact with her, it would only be out of necessity, and even then it was kept at the barest of minimums. Gone was the teasing, the laughing… dare she say, the flirting? In its place was extreme awkwardness and nothing more.

It had been this way all week, she realized as she sipped her water. Kagome wasn't sure what had happened, but she was pretty sure it had begun after bumping into him outside the Annex last week when she was coming out from using the restroom. She cringed as she remembered the look on his face, and the gripping fear that he could have been thinking the same thing she had been thinking at the time: that in that brief moment, everything around them had come to a halt and it was just the two of them standing there, transcending space and time, staring into each other's eyes with something dangerously akin to longing.

It had been terrifying.

But what was even more terrifying was the realization that her cousin had been right the week before. In some sick, twisted way, she had liked the attention he had been paying her. And now, she missed it.

Kagome sighed pitifully and moved to stand, ignoring the ache in her legs as she contemplated her bizarre feelings regarding Inuyasha. She had just risen when something grabbed her arm and whirled her around. Yelping in a mixture of surprise and pain, she fought with her captor before realizing it was none other than Sango, pulling her over to the corner of the room behind a wall of lockers.

Once there, Kagome ripped her forearm from her cousin's grip. “Sango, have you lost your mind?!” she hissed.

“Out with it! What is it now?” Sango cornered her and dared her to try to escape. “You've been moody all week, and I would forgive you if it were just at rehearsals, but you've been at it at home, too. Whenever I see you, you're all mopey and depressed, and I know for a fact that you're avoiding Koga. He called the house last night looking for you when you were here practicing. He said that you hadn't returned any of his calls since early last week when you two went out to dinner.”

Kagome froze, thinking back. It was true that she hadn't spoken to Koga in a while, but she didn't think it had been that long.

Sango narrowed her eyes. “So? What's the deal? Because if it is what I think it is, I'm going to be pretty pissed.”

She gasped in shocked anger, coming back to the present. “What business is it of yours? The last time I checked, I don't answer to you! Really, Sango, what makes you think you can make demands like that of me? You're not my mother!”

Sango reeled back. “Kagome, what has gotten into you? I just want to know what's wrong. I'm worried about you! Why are you fighting me?”

Noticing they were drawing the attention of a few of the students in the immediate vicinity, Kagome clenched her fists and spoke in Japanese. “You're going beyond concern. I'll admit, I haven't been in the best of moods this week, but what makes you think dragging me into a corner and grilling me is going to make me open up to you? Dammit, I feel like I'm under the headlamps!”

“I'm sorry, but I just don't know what else to do!” she replied, also in Japanese. “I've been watching you all week, walking around as if someone shot your dog. And what worries me the most is that I think a certain dog is exactly what this is all about.”

Kagome blanched. “Just drop it, Sango!”

“Tell me I'm wrong!”

Her lips trembled in the loaded silence, and Sango had her answer. “That's what I thought. You're playing a dangerous game, Kagome. I thought you said you didn't want anything to happen between you two. YOU said that. But it's obvious that was a lie! You like him, just admit it!”

“Stay out of it!” Kagome warned through gritted teeth. “I don't have to answer to you, I don't have to explain myself to you, and I sure as hell don't have to do what you tell me to do!”

“Hey, hey, ladies!” Miroku interrupted, concern marring his handsome features as he approached. “What the hell is going on? What are you two arguing about?” He looked between the two girls, but neither of them answered or acknowledged him. “Sango? What's wrong?” he asked, genuinely confused.

Ignoring him, Sango sniffled, her eyes shiny, but switched back to English for his benefit. “Kagome, I'm sorry that you feel I'm butting into your life,” she said softly. “I was under the impression that we were close, but I guess I was wrong.”

Panicking, Kagome grabbed her hand. “Please, Sango, it's not like that. You just… you just come on a little too strong sometimes.”

Sango held her hand a moment, then looked away. “I'll leave you alone for now.” She sniffled again as Kagome squeezed her hand. “Are you going to the party tonight?”

Kagome shrugged. “I don't know. Maybe.”

“Okay.” Sango looked into her eyes once more, offering her a small smile. “Well, I guess I'll see you either there or at home. You will be home tonight, won't you?”

“Sango, it's not that bad. Of course I'll be home.” Kagome smiled warmly at her cousin, whom she loved dearly, hostility and all.

She returned her smile and released her hand, turning toward a very alarmed Miroku. “Come on, Hentai. Let's go.”

His face lightened, cheered a bit by her playful nickname for him, even if he didn't know its meaning. “Okay, but are you okay, Kagome?”

“Yes, I'm fine.” Kagome blinked her eyes to hold back the tears. “I'm just going to relax a little before heading out.”

“Okay.” Miroku glanced around. “Looks like almost everyone has already left. Are you sure you'll be all right?”

She smiled bravely. “I'm sure. Go on, you two. I think I will see you at the party.”

“Atta girl!” Miroku smiled before wrapping his arm around Sango's shoulders and leading her away.

Kagome turned toward the corner as they left, finally letting the few tears in her eyes fall. Never before had she and Sango had it out like that. Sure, they had had their share of arguments over the years, but nothing like what had just happened. Why was Sango being so aggressive with her lately? Was she really that worried, or was there something else to it? Kagome shook her head and wiped her eyes. They would have to sit down later and talk about it; she couldn't stand to have this tension between them. Maybe they could go to lunch tomorrow, just the two of them. They hadn't done that in months.

She sighed and ran her hands through her sweaty hair. Having regained her composure, she decided a shower was in order before heading to that party at Chimes. Hopefully Sango wouldn't use up all of the hot wa -

Kagome gasped. Just as she had turned around, her eyes had fallen upon Inuyasha, standing no more than ten feet in front of her. His dark eyebrows were sewn together, his cute furry ears were hidden in his silver hair, and his lips were drawn into a curious pout. He stood with his hands stuffed into his pockets, his tank top wrinkled from being wadded up in his locker all day. His sweat-glistened, toned shoulders and arms were gloriously on display, now tawny from hours spent rehearsing in the sun. She blushed furiously and quickly looked down at her feet.

“What's wrong?” he asked, his voice sounding loud in the awkward quietness of the large room.

She looked up again, meeting his eyes, and held her breath at the emotion she saw in them. He looked as though he already knew the answer to his own question, which puzzled her for the briefest of moments before she came to a startling realization: he was Japanese… he spoke Japanese! And even if he had been outside, with his superior hearing…. `Oh… SHIT!'

Inuyasha took a cautious step forward, then another, and then another. Kagome's hands instinctively flew together and starting fidgeting, but her feet didn't move. She was frozen to that spot on the carpet, defenseless and exposed to the predator before her. Her mouth went dry, her heart pounded inside her chest, and her palms began to sweat. What was she going to do? If he spoke to her again, if he touched her, she was sure her resolve would disintegrate into a pile of dust at their feet. And if he tried to kiss her…. Sango's warning rang in her ears, and she gulped loudly.

Finally, he stopped a hand width away from her. Going against her instincts, Kagome tilted her head back slightly and met his stare, and she was ensnared by the depth of his eyes, carefully scrutinizing every bright fleck in the irises and the long, vertical pupils contained therein. They were gorgeous, really. Maybe too strong a word, but in her raw emotional state, she found herself veering toward the superfluous as she lost herself in his honey-sweet gaze.

So spellbound was she that she didn't notice his hand rising until it was upon her cheek. She shrieked at the unexpected contact, making him coil back in surprise. Realizing what had just happened, she relaxed slightly, embarrassed beyond belief, and he took that as his cue to try again. The pads of his fingers brushed against her cheekbone, and she closed her eyes, believing she could very surely melt into a pile of goo from his touch alone. She felt his claws glide softly down her cheek, but she remained still, finding it odd that she trusted him completely not to so much as scrape her with those deadly weapons.

His fingers stilled on the side of her face, and she felt his thumb stroke her chin. She sighed, finding herself in complete relaxation in his presence, content under his feather-light touch. A wisp of warm breath fanned her face, and she opened her eyes to see him leaning toward her. She lowered her eyes to his lips, soft and inviting. She licked her own unconsciously, forgetting all of the possible consequences even as he tilted her face up to be an inch away from his.

Suddenly the door on the other side of the building slammed opened loudly, and it was the proverbial bucket of ice water dumped on her head. Her eyes widened and she gasped loudly, backing out of his reach as he gaped at her in confusion. What in the hell was she doing? She almost allowed him to kiss her, even after everything Sango had said! But more, she almost betrayed Koga! She had to get out of here, now!

Her movements no longer restricted, she looked away from his eyes as she hurriedly squeezed between him and the wall to make her escape. The brush of his bare tricep against her shoulder made her shudder, but she didn't dare stop. Grabbing her Camelbak where she had dropped it on the couch earlier, she fished her keys out of the front pocket and bolted out the door.

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