InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ On a Leash ❯ Curing the Itch ( Chapter 6 )

A/N: Congratulations to Why?What?Shutup for being the 100th reviewer on FanFiction.net! (Kind of funny, huh?)

Chapter Six:Curing the Itch

"Now, Kagome, explain to me again why you and Inuyasha left that obedience school?" Mama asked for the umpteenth time.

The girl, seated on the beige sofa of the family's living room, sighed rubbing her dog's ears absently. "Alright, well, Mama, Ms. Kaeko was really unkind to us." She watched her mother's face carefully, hoping that she wouldn't erupt. Not like she would; Mama almost never got to that point of anger, but she had that look that told Kagome that if she didn't think of a good explanation, she'd be up creek in no time. "You see, she picked on us, knowing we hadn't been there as long as some of the other people there. She made really biting remarks for no real reason, and all she did was yell at us. Isn't that so, Inuyasha?" she queried to the canine sitting by her toes.

"Damn straight." The hanyou wagged his tail in assent, tipping his head back to peer at his mistress's visage. So far, she'd left out the part about how Kaeko-bitch made her cry, and one couldn't tell that about an hour ago she'd been near bawling her eyes out, which had pissed him off to no end. He had to give her credit for cleaning up so well and holding her own at the end, if nothing else. But he had some pondering to do, like his reactions to things recently…

"Besides, Mama," Kagome went on, standing up carefully while she loosed her toes, "Inuyasha and I don't even need that school. He can do everything perfectly. I think he just didn't like the headmistress."

Inuyasha shot Mrs. Higurashi a doglike smirk, tongue slipping over the edge of his jaw slightly. He was the epitome of canine cockiness.

The older Higurashi studied them both warily, thinking the situation through, fingertips lightly resting on her cheek. Coming to a conclusion with a little nod, a warm smile on her lips, she said, "Show me then."

Gulping, the lass gazed down at Inuyasha again. How was she ever going to get that monstrosity to listen to her? Nervously laughing, feeling imaginary beads of sweat roll over her face, she thought desperately, Please do what I ask you to do… "Uh, ok. Inuyasha, um, lay."

He glanced at her anxiety-carved features, to Mama, wondering if he should listen or not. He had put her through a lot of hell by being a maverick to everything, so maybe, just this once, to keep the wench out of trouble…. Promptly easing his front paws forward, the dog lowered his chest to the honey-stained floor.

Releasing a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, Kagome let out a giggle of delight. "Inuyasha, sit." A smile slowly began to spread from ear to ear as she issued each command and they were acted upon.

When Mrs. Higurashi beamed and got up to pat Inuyasha on the noggin, they both knew they'd saved their hides from trouble.

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"You mean Houjou asked you out?!" Eri squeaked, leaning over the lunch table, practically in Kagome's tray-with several guys from nearby tables watching her with interest.

"Yeah, I guess," she mumbled, poking at-what she supposed was--a frozen strawberry atop her angel food cake. Recoiling a bit, she chanced a glance up to the other girl's face. "What's the big deal?"

Yuka's jaw dropped, her pint of milk halfway up to her mouth before also becoming near nose-to-nose with the accosted girl, the milk mutely thumping on the lunch table. "Hello! Kagome! Have you not come from behind your textbook recently to see what hunks we have at our school?!"

"Not really," was her quiet answer as she scooted nearer to her best friend, Sango.

Sango shook her head, making her dark hair sway in the low ponytail it was in; she was very strong, but a very good-hearted person, as well as pretty; Kagome looked up to her a bit like a sister. "Leave poor Kagome alone. She's probably just in shock." She smiled amiably at her pal. She began stacking her flotsam and jetsam from lunch onto her tray.

"Never been on a date before, Kagome?" Ayumi, the curly-haired friend, inquired, negligently tearing pieces of crust off her peanut butter sandwich.

At that, the girl in question turned sixteen new shades of pink. "Of course I have…" Not… The awareness of this tidbit of information hit her like a wet towel to the face. Quickly, she gaped at her food, not wishing for her friends (excluding Sango) to catch her uneasiness and poke fun at her. Or worse, give her tips.

Maybe if she stayed quiet and didn't answer…

"You're a terrible liar, Kagome."

Yuka and Eri, who had just sat down, shot back up again. "You've truly never been on a date?!" they interrogated in flabbergasted unison.

"Uh…"

Maybe not…

The duo went off a million kilometers an hour, detailing the best way to do her hair, what make-up to wear, how she should dress for the next night; constantly prodding at her clothing and skin and pulling at her silky tresses like she was some fashion doll.

Now she knew how Inuyasha felt when he was loomed over by random people on the street during their walks. It really was no wonder why he backed up and seemed so annoyed.

Because it was irritating!

As Ayumi joined in, and as the assiduous clucking persisted, Sango nudged her friend. Gesturing with her cranium to the double doors that led out of the crowded cafeteria, the pair managed to sneak away, trays and all.

"So, how does that sound to you, Kagome?" asked Yuka, peeking up from the huddle to where said female had sat. "Kagome?" She glanced around rapidly. "Kagome? Where'd she go?"

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"Thanks, Sango," the sought after lass said as they trotted it to the school library.

"No problem. They really were jumping on you, weren't they?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I haven't exactly had the time to go on a date and I just-"

"Kagome," Sango said soothingly when the reached the library, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder, "you don't have to explain to me. I know that you're supposed to be waiting for him to show up and take his place. You're worried he's not going to be nice."

Quietly, she bobbled her head, knowing full well what her friend was talking about. "Yeah, that's true." Pushing the swinging door open, she followed up, "I guess I want whoever my fiancé is that I'm supposedly bound to won't be mean. " She tilted her head to look at Sango, chewing her lip in slight concentration and wryness. "After all, he's the only who can use what's in the mini-shrine, whoever he is and whatever he is."

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"She can't go on a date with that guy!" Inuyasha groused from atop Kagome's bed. His head rested on his paws since he was sprawled out over the length of the mattress. "Why would she want to go with that loser anyway?!" He'd been laying there all day, only wanting to brood over this current predicament. Narrowing his buff orbs, the hanyou grumbled and grunted about not wanting to let some stupid, scrawny, human man-child take his mistress anywhere.

She was his Kagome, damn it!

Sighing, as he pawed at his muzzle, Inuyasha's thoughts whirled around all the things he and Kagome had done, when this whole obtuse arrangement came into play, which expanded across the timeline from telling that obedience school off till now.

Today was Tuesday.

Somehow, he really didn't like Tuesdays.

Terrible days.

Terrible Tuesdays.

Stupid dates with guys called 'Hoho' or something lame like that occurred on Tuesdays.

Stupid Tuesdays…

Stupid six o'clock Tuesday night…

The dog hazily watched as Kagome brushed her hair, humming to herself. She still smelled wonderful after that shower she'd taken; and with his sensitive nose, Inuyasha could pick up the lightly floral and herbal scents easily. She had an inky skirt on with coffee colored hose and a creamy, long-sleeved shirt. The girl turned from the mirror to Inuyasha with an unreadable expression like she'd had the whole day. "So, what do you think?"

"Ya know, Kagome, that skirt's a bit short," he commented from his roost, giving her a firm look. "It's too short. Maybe something a bit baggier and longer would be better. Or you could wear a couple of paper sacks." That way that little so-and-so wouldn't get too good a look at her figure…

What was wrong with him?

He'd been so defensive of her recently.

Well, of course, he was her guard dog-but…it had been more than that it seemed--more than just a guard dog's reaction; Kagome hadn't really been in any life-threatening situations, with the exception of that stupid math test she stayed up till 2 AM studying for that damn near killed her a couple of days ago.

His heart would clench tightly if he smelt another male had been near her, a growl would rise in his throat when another male spoke to her, he would feel woozy when she would stroke him, his stomach would wind up in baffling knots when she'd talk to him with that smile he'd come to treasure. Even the conjecture of her being with another caused a bothersome itch in his heart and under his skin that only seemed to be relieved when he had his Kagome to himself. It didn't make any sense to the poor hanyou. His mind swam and pounded as he contemplated continually without yielding the entire day.

Perhaps it was because she was actually pretty nice to him, and it'd been so long since anyone had shown him such kindness. He had honestly believed Kikyou was treating him with tenderness; however, it was when she asked him if he'd be willing to become a full-human for the rest of his life, it frightened him. Inuyasha never knew why it made him so uneasy, yet it had. Kikyou had betrayed him anyway; she hadn't loved like he did her.

Ironic how closely his new mistress and that bitch physically resembled one another, but there was some differences. Kagome wasn't as pale as Kikyou, and she was more cheerful. Kikyou's hair was iron-straight and extremely long, and her eyes lacked the sparkling luster and warmth Kagome's did.

He liked Kagome's eyes.

Truthfully, though he wouldn't ever let anyone-meaning Buyo-know he'd grown quite fond of having Kagome around over the course of the month he'd lived with her, this whole thing of her not being in his sight-and alone with an unfamiliar boy, moreover-made him perturbed and his heart twinge.

Inuyasha blinked widely, staring at the girl who twirled in front of the mirror with a sweetly innocent, pondering visage, entranced for a moment until his cogitation led him to something so he'd botched to keep in mind. Has it already been a month? Popping up, he peeked out the window.

The sunlight was fading into evening fire.

Bounding off her bed, the canine barked furiously at his mistress.

Glimpsing down, Kagome inquired in bewilderment, "What is it, boy? Hmm?" She stretched her fingers down and rubbed one of his silky ears. "Hmm? What is it?" Her cobalt gaze slotted as she scrutinized him. That's weird…that aura that surrounds Inuyasha…it seems a little off for some reason.

Only barking again in response to her query, Inuyasha trotted over to her calendar and stood on his hind legs to get a good look at the date. In the right hand corner was a solid black circle with the words 'New Moon' printed below it. "Shit…" he swore as he dropped back to all fours. This was bad, very bad. "What the hell am I gonna do?"

"Inuyasha-" Kagome started when her mother called.

"Kagome! Houjou's here!"

"Coming!" she hollered back. Peering at her dog for a moment, she knelt fore him and massaged his head affectionately. She looked him straight in the eyes as she instructed, "Behave. Stay here, Inuyasha. You can't come with me." Giving him a kiss on the tip of his black nose, the girl rose, grabbed her backpack purse and headed out the bedroom door.

His ears drooped as he pouted for a second. "I don't want you to go with that human spawn! Kagome!" He chased after her, yapping loudly. "Kagome! Kagome-stop! Heel! Lay! Sit!" Of course, as he presumed, she didn't. She only waved and yelled a farewell, tapping her boot as she passed through the entry way, a smile on her face as the front door slammed shut on his protests and his heart. Coming to a halt, Inuyasha whimpered his immense displeasure with a great deal of colorful language. Tail hanging lower than usual, ears pitching back, the hanyou sauntered his very pathetic and sorry-looking ass back up to Kagome's room.

The sky was an onyx mass by that point, with one, thin strip of the sun still lighting the horizon. Convinced that the family downstairs wouldn't be coming up anytime soon-Souta was playing video games, Gramps was checking charms, and Mama was making dinner-he managed to work the door closed and smacked the lock with his paws. Pacing to and fro, Inuyasha didn't pay any mind to the cat that had stalked in right after him, now taking up residence on Kagome's pillow.

Any minute now, he thought, licking his chops anxiously.

That's when he felt it.

Soft at first, then gaining in strength.

A pulse.

It tingled throughout his body and he ceased his back and forth march.

That was followed by another.

And another.

And another.

It didn't hurt.

Not really.

It just was very slow going as he felt his bones rearrange and alter in length, an odd feeling indeed. He stretched what had been his front paws forward, which were gradually turning into calloused hands with long fingers, which gripped tightly at the blue carpeting of the girl's room. Hind legs, likewise, became elongated and more linear. The snout regressed back into a human nose, mouth, and cheekbones; which was pulled into a tight grimace, as the width of his face became fuller and more oval-shaped. His eyes adjusted in position, and he squeezed them tightly shut. Torso becoming broader, and muscles applying themselves in shifted location, the boy flopped to the floor completely on his belly. He laid there for a while, catching his breath.

It hadn't stung this time or anything, it was just so strange that Inuyasha always found himself holding his breath behind grinding teeth.

Gradually, he sat up, charcoal-hued hair washing in a lengthy fall over his bare back and chest. He opened his indigo eyes and gazed around the room curiously. Everything of Kagome's room seemed completely different. Probably because he'd normally have to stand on his back paws to reach even this height. Carefully rising to his feet, swaying a bit from side to side, Inuyasha staggered his way to the same mirror the girl had stood at only minutes ago.

Despite the fact that this happened only once a month, Inuyasha had to admit he didn't look too haggard like the last time he'd changed. Still, he frowned at his waist-and-up reflection. That damn collar was still fastened tightly around his throat, which had so conveniently adjusted itself to his thicker neck. "I wonder if I can get off now," he whispered to himself, voice cracking from infrequent use as he raised his fingertips to the silver clasp. "All those other times I reverted to a human, Kikyou had bound me hand and foot before the change took place." Pushing on the scaly choker, a sudden effervescent light nipped at his working hands, lashing out at his palms. Hissing and growling simultaneously, Inuyasha blew on his lightly singed flesh. "Damn bitch. Her stupid shield still works."

Shaking his more burning hand, he resumed pacing. "What should I do…?" He gave a quiet snarl, mindful to keep his voice low so as not to be detected; that wouldn't look good to find a stranger up in Kagome's room. Still… "She's off on a date with that guy. I don't like it. Wonder what fucking theater they went to."

"Cinema 27. I think it's a complex in downtown Tokyo."

Glancing over to the bed, the boy spotted Buyo, curled up in a ball staring at him. "I can still understand you?" he asked in an amused sort of astonishment.

"Guess so. Anyway, it's a pretty popular place to go see movies." Buyo's tail twitched as he sought to remember details. "I think Kagome's said it was on Mikoto Street. That's all I really know."

Inuyasha nodded. "More than I did. First thing's first…" he glanced down at his bare-flesh body, thanking the gods that Kagome wasn't around to see this as that would be pretty discomfiting plus hard to explain; however, if another member of the family should…. "I need to get some clothes." Sneaking over to the closet, he began rummaging for anything that might've been unisex and enormously jumbo-Kagome size.

"You're not actually going to go after her, are you?" inquired the feline as he hopped off the bed with a thud, trotting on his chubby legs to the dog-turned-boy.

He continued to fumble around, and responded in a muffled voice, "What of it? I ain't letting her go with that Homo kid." Finally finding something for the moment, although rather embarrassed at the idea of wearing it, he stood up with the long robe. "I'm going to follow. I don't trust that whole nice-guy-I'm-so-innocent routine."

"What if the guy really is that naïve?"

"If he's that fucking nice," Inuyasha slipped one fuzzy pink sleeve over an arm, "then there's no way I'll allow him with Kagome. If that stupid jack ass is probably some form of pushover, and if someone hones in on that, she could be in serious trouble." He pulled the bathrobe closed and haphazardly secured it around his waist. "Even if I haven't lived in Tokyo for fifty years, I can still tell that it hasn't changed much in regards to big city life. I gotta keep an eye on her and make sure…nothing, uh, happens." Whirling swiftly on his heel, he started to scan the room for some outside clothes.

That would be a lot more awkward to be walking around in Tokyo proper with only a teenage girl's bathrobe on.

Not saying anything, Buyo went over to the bedroom door and scratched at the wood, looking back at the guy. "Let me out."

"What the hell?!" shushed Inuyasha, stopping mid-search of Kagome's shirt drawer, glaring at the calico. "Are you crazy?! I could get caught---like this!" He gestured to his present form.

"Well, the late Mr. Higurashi's clothes are still kept in his wife's closet. Just give me a couple of minutes and I might be able to find something. The closet's always open so I can nap in there, so I should be able to get it to you pretty fast."

"You'd better, cat," admonished the boy as he strode to the portal, unlocking and cracking open the door, "or you won't be so 'cute and chubby' anymore."

With merely a flick of his tail, Buyo disappeared into the hallway.

Deciding to leave it ajar that tiny bit, Inuyasha ambled to the desk, as no one would see him unless they entered the room, and took a seat in the chair. Felt odd to be able to move his limbs freely, but it was nice, in addition, able stand up to his full height; the transforming-into-a-nude-teenage-guy thing was something he was used to. He didn't find it pleasant, but after fifty years of it occurring, it just got to be a ritual of sorts; it'd happened roughly six-hundred times, after all. Kind of funny to turn into the Furless Wonder one night a month.

Waiting for the cat was a bit boring, so he poked at the books Kagome had left on her writing table. Her Trigonometry book was pushed to a far corner along with a notebook. It was bookmarked at one page. He was about to find out what she'd been reading when he heard the hinges make a soft creak. He ducked under the desk for a moment, until he spied Buyo dragging a pair of black jeans and a red sweater soon after that. Crawling out from his hiding place, he watched as his feline pal brought a pair of fish patterned boxers over to the pile of clothing.

Buyo sat back on his wide rump and stared at Inuyasha as he hastily slipped the garments on. "That's all I could get. You're on your own when it comes to getting in the theater and shoes."

The boy bobbled his noggin as he finished zipping up the pants and started pulling the sweater over his head. Straightening his clothes out, he glanced down at the cat with a fond smile. Getting to his haunches, he gave his animal friend a quick rub down before standing up and getting to the window. "I think I can get the rest from here, Buyo. Thanks." Stalking to the sliding window, Inuyasha lifted one leg on top of the ledge, judging his distance from where he was currently at, and the tree outside the porthole. With almost unearthly grace, he got his tough soled feet on the slider, one hand grasping the frame a little.

"Are you going to jump?"

Turning his head with an arrogant smirk, "How the hell else am I supposed to follow if I can't get out through the front door? Later, cat." With that, Inuyasha leapt out the window and caught hold of one of the tree boughs. Swinging and hopping, he descended till he landed fairly inaudibly on the patch of grass below. Straightening up, he took off, hoping he'd be able to find Kagome and that guy.

Hopefully the street set-up hadn't changed too much in fifty years.

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A/N: I think my chapters are getting progressively longer. Anyway, this is my most popular story. What did you think of this chapter? I hope you all are enjoying this, and the reviews I am getting are making me pretty damn cheerful. Did you all have a Happy New Year? I hope so. Mine was pretty funny. Are you glad I managed to sneak Sango in? More plot twisting for you all. What do you think is going to happen on this "date" of Houjou and Kagome's? What will be Inuyasha's role? I'm just curious at what you all are thinking right now.

Inuyasha: *is sitting quietly with his back to the authoress*

What're you doing?

Inuyasha:….

Hello?

Inuyasha:….

*walks over to see what he's doing* 0.0 Why are you playing with a gelatin cube?

Inuyasha: *confusedly* I don't get why it keep wiggling….

Ok…

Anyways, people can either suggest new Inu-torture, or you guys can ask him and Kagome questions. ^^ Hehehe….

Jane,

~Moonlight Shadow