InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Phony Digits ❯ Third Time's the Charm ( Chapter 23 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

Chapter Twenty-three: Third Time's the Charm

Like every Sunday morning, InuYasha was drawn from sleep by the chiming of his phone. He didn't even have to look to know that it was a text from his mother trying to guilt trip him into going to church. He'd received similar or identical texts nearly every Sunday morning since he'd left home. He rarely acknowledged them, but as he was feeling uncharacteristically droll on this particular morning, he sent her a reply saying that he'd be attending Mass at St. Mattress of the Springs, to which she didn't respond.

He had arrived at Kagome's apartment eighteen minutes early, and had sat in his car for thirty minutes, so as to arrive just late enough not to appear over-eager, yet not so late as to piss her off and make her change her mind about having lunch with him.

When he rang the bell, it was a sleep disheveled Rin who answered the door.

"Did you just wake up? It's after noon." Was his cordial greeting.

"I got to bed late." she defended, followed by a yawn for dramatic effect. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I'm here to pick up Kagome. She's here isn't she?"

Rin nodded and stepped back to allow him entrance. "Yeah. I think so. I just woke up when you rang."

"I'm here. I'm coming!" Kagome's voice called out from the direction of her bedroom.

"She's here. She's coming." Rin reiterated and she and InuYasha both chuckled. "Are you gonna come in, or what?"

InuYasha stepped inside the door and took a look around the now furnished apartment as he entered. "You got furniture I see."

"Yeah, me and Kagome went furniture shopping yesterday and had it delivered."

InuYasha ran a hand over the obviously high-end leather sofa, and commented: "Still riding that gravy train I see."

"Hey! You're the crazy one for not riding it." Rin said, poking him in the chest with a freshly manicured finger. "You better believe I'll be riding it off into the sunset." She plopped down on the sofa, grabbed the remote from the end table and turned on the TV. "Besides, Grandma and Grandpa want to spoil us. Might as well do what makes everybody happy."

"Keh. Whatever." InuYasha responded just as he heard the sound he'd been listening for. The rattle and click of Kagome's doorknob.

He was relieved to see her emerge from her room with her usual bright smile plastered across her face. (That is, the bright smile she usually wore for her friends as opposed to the scowl she wore when fighting with him or bleeding out the mouth.)

"Took ya long enough." InuYasha quipped before immediately kicking himself mentally for his uncontrollable rudeness.

"Don't act like I kept you waiting. You just got here two minutes ago. I heard you come in."

"Keh."

"Hey look! You guys match!" Rin cried out with a giggle pointing back and forth between them.

InuYasha looked over Kagome's outfit, then looked down at his own; their shirts were a similar shade of maroon, and the wash of their jeans was virtually identical.

"Hey, what are the chances?" Kagome said with a chuckle as she moved toward the door. "Are you ready to go?"

"You're not still gonna wear that, are you?"

Kagome looked down at her clothing and furrowed her brow. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because it looks like we're wearing matching outfits on purpose."

"Inuyasha," Rin interjected. "you wouldn't have even noticed if I hadn't pointed it out."

"But the fact that you noticed means that other people will notice."

Kagome rolled her eyes theatrically and grabbed his forearm, pulling him toward the door. "C'mon, let's go."

"At least change your shirt."

"I'm not changing." she said in a tone that brooked no argument.

"Well, I ain't going out in public with you looking like tweedle dum."

"Fine." Kagome ground out. "I guess we won't be going anywhere, then." She crossed her arms and planted her feet firmly on the floor. "And since we aren't going anywhere, I guess you can just be on your merry way."

"Are you worried about running into someone you know, InuYasha? Because I don't think you have anything to worry about. You have to actually know people in order to run into someone you know." Rin teased.

"Everybody's against me." InuYasha grumbled under his breath. "Fine. You know what, let's go. Who cares if we look like a couple of weirdos."

If she were anyone else he wouldn't let her call his bluff, but he could see that she wasn't going to budge, and he'd made a vow to himself that he wouldn't mess this up again. As much as he hated losing, winning wasn't worth blowing what would no doubt be his last chance to make things right with her. And as much as he also hated being interested in such a difficult girl, well, he just couldn't seem to get her out of his damn head.

So if being seen in public wearing matching outfits was what he had to do, then he'd do it, but that didn't mean he had to be happy about it.

The two of them said goodbye to Rin and left the apartment, heading down the stairs toward the exit.

"So, where do you want to go?" InuYasha asked her as they stepped out of her building and onto the sidewalk.

"I don't know. You're the one who invited me, I thought you'd pick."

"Well, I thought about it, but I was afraid you'd think it sounded a little too much like a date." he said. "And heaven forbid."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Well, why don't we just walk around and see what we find?" she suggested. "Maybe we can find a place that will let you check your attitude at the door."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." he said flatly.

"I wasn't trying to be funny. Now c'mon." she encouraged as she briskly started her way up the sidewalk, towards the more business oriented end of the neighborhood.

"We're just going to waltz into some place we know nothing about?" he asked as he jogged to catch up with her. "What if the food sucks?"

"Then we'll know not to eat there again. Where's your sense of adventure?" she asked, slapping his arm with the back of her hand.

InuYasha rolled his eyes. "I'd hardly call this an adventure."

"Look." Kagome said, pointing down and across the street to a place with a sign that read 'The Pancake Pantry'. "What about that place?"

He shrugged. "That sounds okay...I mean, it's kinda hard to fuck up a pancake."

"InuYasha!" She slapped his arm again, this time significantly harder and with her open palm. "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

He grimaced. "No, why the fuck would I kiss my mother? That's disgusting."

Kagome gave him an impassive look. "You mean you've never kissed your mother on the cheek?"

"No. Why would I do such a creepy thing?"

Kagome only sighed and shook her head in response as the two of them made their way to the crosswalk—despite InuYasha's protests that simply jumping across the street would be much faster—and entered the small, but busy, restaurant. There didn't seem to be a hostess anywhere in sight, and the wait staff were too busy to notice them.

"Are we supposed to just sit down or…?"

"I have no idea."

"See, I told you we shouldn't have picked some random 'hole in the wall' place." InuYasha grumbled as he jammed his hands into his pockets.

Kagome sighed. "Come on, let's just find a table. Someone is bound to notice us eventually." She grabbed him by the shirt sleeve and pulled him along behind her toward an empty table that had caught her eye.

Along the way, InuYasha noticed Kagome exchange a friendly wave and passing 'hello' with a man sitting in a booth along with wall.

"Do you know that guy?" InuYasha asked as they took a seat.

She shook her head. "Not really. I went on a date with him once...but to be honest...I can't even remember his name."

InuYasha snorted. "Must have really left an impression." he said facetiously.

"Well, see, the thing is, I've been on so many terrible dates that Sango and I...well...we sort of got into the bad habit of referring to them by nicknames we would make up."

InuYasha raised a brow at her.

"I know, I know,," she continued. "it seems sort of mean, but I promise you they were all asking for it. Like, the guy I just spoke to," she lowered her voice. "I called him 'Pickle' because I had a lunch date with him, and he took the pickle off of my plate and ate it without asking."

"And you wouldn't go out with him again over a pickle?" InuYasha asked incredulously.

"No, that's just how I came up with his nickname. I didn't go out with him again because he was was a domineering and condescending jerk."

InuYasha gave a nod of understanding. "So, what did you call me?" he asked with a sly grin.

"You already know, I called you 'Phony Digits'."

"No," he shook his head. "I mean, after we met in person and I pissed you off. What did you call me then?"

"I just called you by your name."

"Really? No 'rat bastard', or 'asswipe' or anything like that?"

She shook her head and giggled. "Not that I recall." she said, as she lifted the laminated menu from the table. "So, I wonder what's good here?"

"Well, I'm no expert, but since the name of the restaurant is 'Pancake Pantry', I'm gonna go out on a limb and say probably pancakes."

Kagome lowered her menu and glared at him over the top. "No need to get snippy about it. Besides, don't you know you aren't supposed to judge a book by it's cover? Maybe they have world famous omelets or something."

Just then, the waitress arrived at the table to take their order. "Do you two know what you'd like or do you need a few minutes?"

"Do you have any recommendations?" Kagome asked her.

"Well, the pancakes are our most popular item." the waitress said, and Kagome pointedly ignored InuYasha's smug look of victory that she could see from the corner of her eye. "But," the woman continued. "I personally think the western omelet is the best thing on the menu."

Now it was Kagome's turn to gloat. "Oh do you? Well in that case, I think I'll have the western omelet." she ordered, pointedly emphasizing all the right words to make her point. She turned to InuYasha with a smirk and an air of satisfaction as she passed her menu off to the waitress.

"And for you?" the woman asked InuYasha.

"Pancakes." he said, his eyes focused on Kagome's as if in challenge.

"O-kay." the waitress said, confusion and amusement written over her face in response to the bizarre standoff that seemed to be going on between the two customers. "I'll have that right out." she said with a smile before walking away.

"FYI, I don't share food, so I don't wanna catch you eyeballin' my pancakes when she brings out your shitty trash omelet."

Kagome rolled her eyes at him. "Look, I know we both have some things we want to say, and to be honest, I'm just ready to get it over with. I think the longer we put it off, the more tense we're both going to be, so can we get to the point of why we're here?"

InuYasha crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. "Do you want to go first or should I?"

"I think it might be easier if I went first, since I think I already know some of what you're going to say." Kagome said.

He furrowed his brow. "You do?"

"Yeah...well, sort of. I mean, Rin may have mentioned something about me looking like...someone else."

InuYasha nodded and seemed to relax somewhat as Kagome continued.

"Umm...okay. So, I guess what I want to say is, I'm sorry I acted so...crazy when we met before. I guess I sort of...built things up in my head and...I-I've never really been rejected before and I think maybe I had gotten my hopes up a little bit and…" she let out a nervous chuckle as she wondered whether her cheeks were as red as they felt. "Umm, I don't really have a good excuse. I jumped to the wrong conclusion, and my feelings were hurt and I overreacted…" she admitted honestly. "but, in my defense, if you would have just told me the truth then, we could have avoided the whole mess."

"I agree." he said with a nod.

"You do?" she looked up to meet his eyes.

"Yes, I do."

"Oh…" Kagome wasn't sure why, but she'd expected him to be more defensive. Her gaze dropped back down to where her hands were resting in her lap, fingers twisting together nervously. "So...yeah...anyway... That's pretty much it... I can see where you were coming from...although, it's hardly fair to me. I mean, it's not like I can help how I look."

"I know that, Kagome, I know it wasn't fair to you, but in my defense, I was with her for a long time and we ended things on bad terms. I had no closure at all and I just…" he sighed and leaned forward on his elbows before continuing. "when I saw you at that coffee place… I just kept seeing Kikyo's face when I looked at you...and I admit I judged you unfairly because of that. It was wrong of me, I know, but I just didn't know what to think. I was blindsided...". He shook his head. "Maybe I thought it was a bad sign or something, I don't know, but...I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry, and I just wish you could forgive me and give me another chance."

"When you say 'another chance', what does that mean? Are you saying you want to start over from square one? Is that what you're asking for?" she asked for clarification.

He shrugged. "Well, square one...or two, or three... Whichever square we were at before everything went to hell in a handbasket."

Kagome let out a chuckle that trailed off to a moment of silence before she voiced her next question. "You said you didn't have closure with her before. Do you feel like you have closure now?"

He nodded. "I do have closure now."

"And who do you see now when you look at my face?" she asked.

"I see you." he answered with confidence.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

Kagome smiled, happy with his response, although there were still several more things she wanted to know. "Would it be okay if I asked you a few more questions?"

He nodded. "I don't see why not."

"How long were you and Kikyo together?"

"Almost five years."

She raised her brows in surprise, but didn't comment. "And did you break up with her or was it the other way around?" she continued.

"Well, technically it was the other way around, but it was a pretty mutual split."

"What made her decide to end things?"

"We just weren't on the same page. We never really had been, truth be told."

"How so?"

"We just weren't compatible...actually, I believe mismatched was the word she used."

Kagome nodded. "Five years seems like an awfully long time to stay with a person you're incompatible with."

"I don't think either of us ever really realized we were incompatible until after it was over. I got comfortable with our arrangement. It was a convenient, low-maintenance relationship, and that worked for both of us for a while, but inevitably she decided she wanted more and I didn't."

"So she outgrew you." Kagome said, her tone slightly condescending.

InuYasha shook his head. "I thought that too, at first, but now that I've had time to think about it, I don't really think that's the case. I mean, she was always way more mature than me, I won't deny that. But I think deep down she always thought that I was eventually gonna turn into some slick-suit, corner-office big shot. Or at least she hoped..."

"Well you certainly are loyal, I'll give you that much." Kagome said.

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"If it causes you to waste years of your, and someone else's life on a stagnant relationship, then yeah, it is a bad thing."

"It wasn't loyalty that kept me with her, I told you, I just got comfortable with the way things were and I hate change." InuYasha had begun to notice a change in her disposition over his last few comments. "I know I'm not exactly sayin' all the right things here Kagome, but I'm just being honest with you."

"Oh, I know...and I appreciated it. But just for the record, it's better to be dumped than to be strung along. I think any woman would agree with me on that." Kagome said in response. It was more than a little concerning to her, the fact that he would stay in a relationship for years for little more reason than he didn't like change. She'd give him the benefit of the doubt, since she didn't know both sides of the story, but still, it was concerning. It certainly wasn't the sort of relationship she'd ever want to find herself a part of.

"I never thought of what I was doing as 'stringing her along', and she never thought that either. I thought we were on the same page, and if I'd have talked to her half as much as I'm running off at the mouth right now with you things would have probably played out differently. Communicating never was our strong suit. But trust me, I've felt my fair share of guilt over it, and I promise you it's not a mistake I'll ever be making again."

"So basically, what you're saying is that you stayed with her because it was better than being single?"

"Well...I mean…" he hedged. "I don't know if I'd say it like that…"

"But I'm not wrong, am I?"

"I guess you're not completely wrong…"

"You know, InuYasha, maybe it would be good for you to just stay single for a while. To face that fear of being alone."

"I don't have a fear of being alone, I just don't prefer it. Nothing's ever gonna change that. It's just the way I'm wired."

"Well, I still think it would be good for you."

"Well, I don't." He firmly disagreed.

"And why, pray tell, is that?" Kagome asked.

He shrugged. "Personal reasons."

Kagome pursed her lips and folded her arms over her chest. "Are the reasons personal, or is a person the reason." she asked pointedly.

"Keh." InuYasha scoffed weakly, not missing her insinuation.

Kagome giggled at his obstinance. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

InuYasha looked up and sighed in relief at the sight of the waitress heading their way. He couldn't think of a time he'd ever been happier to see food arriving, and for him, that was really saying something.

The waitress sat their food in front of them. "Does everything look okay?" she asked.

"Is this it?" InuYasha said, looking down at the three enormous pancakes stacked before him.

"No. They're all-you-can-eat. I can bring more when you are finished with those."

"I can eat a lot more than this." he told her.

"Would you like me to bring you more now, sir?" the woman asked, her cheery tone obviously false.

"Yeah. And bring like twice this much." he said, pointing to his plate.

"Of course." she said. "I'll have it right out."

Kagome kicked his shin under the table when the waitress was out of earshot. "InuYasha!" she scolded.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"For you being a jerk to the waitress! You'd better leave her a nice tip."

"I wasn't being a jerk." The sincerity in his tone convincing her that he really didn't believe he was being impolite.

"Yes you were you rude dude!"

"Rude dude?" he repeated with a chuckle. "Is that supposed to be an insult? Damn. Someone needs to teach you how to cuss."

"I know how to cuss thank you very much. I just choose not to because I'm not a-"

"Rude dude." he finished for her with a smirk.

"Just eat your stinkin' pancakes." she grumped as she grabbed her fork and dug into her food, closing her eyes and letting out an 'Mmm.' after her first bite.

"Good?" InuYasha asked through a mouthful of pancake.

"Yes. Yours?"

"Never met a pancake I didn't like." he said before continuing to shovel.

Kagome smiled. "So what kinds of things are you into? I mean, besides eating and trying to turn everything into a competition."

He shrugged. "I don't know. The usual stuff I guess. Baseball. Pretty much all sports really. I like going camping and that kinda stuff. I don't go as much as I used to, though."

"Do you go by yourself?"

"Sometimes." he nodded. "Sometimes Miroku would come with me, but the last time I took him was a couple years ago. We were planning on hiking the Appalachian Trail. Not the entire thing, of course. I mean, I'd like to, but I could never take that much time off work and neither could he. Anyway, we headed north, and on the second day he stepped in a hole and broke his foot. We had to call someone to come pick us up at the nearest access point, which was nine miles south from where we were and I had to carry him back the entire way... Last time I ever go hiking with a human, I can tell you that much. They just aren't cut out for the wilderness thing."

"They? I'm a human, you know." Kagome said.

"Oh, how well I know."

"So, what if I wanted to go camping sometime...you wouldn't go with me?"

"No I would not." he said matter-of-factly.

"Ah!" she squeaked. "Why not?"

"Because your clumsy ass would probably fall over a cliff or something."

"I think I'm a little more coordinated than that!"

"Says the girl who falls going up the stairs."

"Are you ever going to stop teasing me about that?"

"I don't plan on it."

Kagome crossed her arms in a huff. "Fine. I wouldn't want to go camping with you anyway. You'd probably push me off a cliff."

InuYasha chuckled. "So what kinda things are you into?" he turned the question on her. "You don't exactly seem like the outdoorsy type."

"Well, I might be the outdoorsy type." she argued weakly. "But to be honest, I wouldn't really know. I've never taken the time for that sort of thing...or much of anything just for my own enjoyment. School and work have always taken up most of my time." she said, sounding disappointed.

"It's paid off though, right? I mean, you've gotta be like one of the youngest people ever to have your job."

"Well, I'm not really sure about that, but I finished highschool in three years, graduated from university and got all my firearms and toolmark examiners certifications in three more, then worked and studied under an expert with the state police for a year before getting this job just a few months ago. I had no social life at all until I started working at my current job. Never had time for it."

"Social lives are overrated anyways." InuYasha said.

Kagome chuckled. "You are so depressing."

"So are you a cop? I mean, like, could you arrest someone?"

Kagome shook her head in the negative. "No. Why?"

He shrugged. "Just curious."

"Have you ever been arrested?" she asked him.

His fork stilled in the space between his mouth and plate. "Eh…" he hedged.

"I'll take that as a yes." Kagome said. "What was it for?"

"Um…" He lifted his hand go rub the back of his neck. "I'm gonna go with vigilante justice."

Kagome laughed. "Fighting, then?"

"Well, the first time was when I was fourteen and I punched a guy for insulting my mother. I won't repeat what he said, but I promise you I was justified on that one. Not to mention he was older than me, and a full blooded youkai...fucking coward..."

"You said 'the first time'? So you've been arrested more than once?"

He nodded. "Four times actually."

Kagome's eyebrows raised at his admission. "Any of them recent?"

"No." he shook his head. "The last time was almost ten years ago."

"And all four times were for fighting?"

He nodded. "Yes. And all four times I was provoked. None of them ever pressed charges though. He never admitted it, but I think my old man probably paid them off. Either that or they were just too ashamed to admit they got they ass handed to them by a half-breed."

Kagome winced at his derogatory choice of words, but chose not to comment on them. "So what does he do for a living?" she asked. "You're dad, that is." She'd been curious ever since realizing that InuYasha's father was the owner of her apartment building.

"His company builds giant gaudy houses for people who have more money than they have sense."

"And they build apartment complexes too, right?"

InuYasha shook his head. "No, those buildings are just investments. His company didn't actually build them. My brother manages all the rental properties. He's got that certain constitution that makes him a good property manager."

"The bureaucratic type I take it?"

"No, more like a dictator type." he corrected.

Kagome giggled. "Yeah. He's a little intimidating."

"Don't let him intimidate you. He likes it. Don't give him the satisfaction."

"The way Rin talks about him you'd think he was a saint. She's crazy about him."

"No, Rin's just plain crazy. Period. That's the only way to explain it. No one in their right mind could be crazy about that asshole."

"So the two of you have never gotten along?" she asked.

"No."

"Not even when you were kids?"

He shot her an incredulous look. "Kagome, he's over two-hundred years old. He was an adult when I was born."

Kagome's mouth dropped open. "Oh wow...I didn't even think of that… No offense, but he looks younger than you."

He snorted. "Yeah, trust me, I know. "

"So, you said your parents moved to the U.S. before you were born, right?"

InuYasha nodded. "Well, that's the short version."

"What's the long version?" she asked.

InuYasha chuckled. "Somehow I just knew you were going to ask for the long version."

"Well?"

He inhaled deeply. "My mom was born and raised here in the city. My dad met her when he was here on a business trip in the late seventies and she moved back to Japan with him for a few years before he decided to move his company here. I'm the third generation born in the states on my mom's side of the family. Her parents, my grandparents, met in an internment camp in Arizona when they were teenagers, and both of their parents were immigrants."

"Aww...it sounds like there's a romantic story in there somewhere."

"Keh! Romantic my ass." InuYasha scoffed. "I don't think they ever even talked to each other. I'm pretty sure all their children were somehow conceived telepathically."

Kagome laughed. "Are they still alive?"

"No, my grandpa died when I was maybe ten or so, and my grandma died last year."

"I'm sorry." Kagome said sympathetically.

"Don't be. I barely even remember my grandpa, and my grandma was the actual devil incarnate."

Kagome snorted. "That's a terrible thing to say." she said, trying to stifle a giggle. "Don't you know you aren't supposed to speak ill of the dead?"

"I don't care. She was pure evil. After my grandpa died she came to live with us and she treated us all like shit. My dad used to say grandpa died just to get away from her. She was a nasty old hag. She called me 'cat ears' my whole life, never once called me by my real name. She treated me and my dad like dogs. And I'm not speaking metaphorically. I mean she literally treated us like we were actual dogs."

Kagome frowned. "That's horrible…"

"Tell me about it. The first time I brought a girl home to meet my parents, she smacked me in the face with a rolled up newspaper for putting my elbows on the table. I've never been more fucking embarrassed in my life…" he chuckled, making light of the situation.

Kagome let out an appalled gasp. "InuYasha, that is not funny…"

"Well, it wasn't funny at the time, but I can joke about it now."

"You shouldn't joke about it at all." she said.

"It feels good to joke about it. I hated that old hag. To this day the smell of sewing machine oil makes me physically ill."

"Sewing machine oil?"

"Yeah, she was a seamstress and she was so stubborn she refused to use anything but her old treadle sewing machine. One year my mom got her an electric sewing machine for Christmas and she threw it in the pool."

"Wow. How petty."

"Well, the whole thing started because my mom converted religions just to piss off my grandma, then she would buy her Christmas gifts every year just to rub it in."

Kagome snorted. "So your mom was being passive aggressive too."

"Yeah, it was the only language my grandma could understand." he joked. "Anyway, enough about my dysfunctional family, what about yours?"

"I told you about my dad before, right?"

InuYasha nodded.

"Well, me and my mom and brother moved here from Japan after he died to live with my grandpa."

"Why does he live here?"

"The company he worked for sent him here to manage one of their factories. He's retired now though and actually lives in one of those fancy senior citizen community things. My mom and brother still live in his house. My brother will be graduating highschool in a couple months, and my mom is a school nurse."

InuYasha just gave her a blank stare.

"What?" Kagome asked. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, that's just the thing. You didn't say anything wrong." he answered. "If I'da known your family was the Cleavers I wouldn't have told you all my dysfunctional family shit."

"The Cleavers?" Kagome repeated, furrowing her brow.

"Yeah, you know. Like from the TV show."

Kagome shook her head slowly in confusion.

InuYasha gave a frustrated sigh. "Nevermind. All I'm sayin' is...well...your family sounds awfully normal compared to mine."

"Oh, I'm sure your family's not that bad."

"Yes they are. You'll see."

"I will?" she asked, thinking he was getting a little ahead of himself.

He nodded. "It's only a matter of time before they pop in unannounced to visit Rin. I'm kinda surprised they haven't already."

While they were talking, the waitress brought the rest of InuYasha's pancakes along with their bill, which both of them grabbed simultaneously.

"I got it." InuYasha said, tugging the slip of paper out of her hands.

"No." Kagome said as she made a quick grab for it, but he was quicker and snatched it away.

"I said I got it."

"And I said this isn't a date, so I'm paying for my own meal." she argued.

"Why are you so damn adamant about that anyway? What would be so wrong with this being a date?"

"You said it yourself. You just got out of a relationship. I just don't think now would be the best time for you to jump into anything."

"Not the best time for me?" he said, pressing a hand to his chest. "Don't tell me what's best for me, and don't put words in my mouth."

"Those words came out of your mouth, mister. Now give me the check." she said, thrusting her hand out toward him.

"No. I invited you to lunch, and I'm paying. End of story."

"Fine." Kagome huffed. "I'll just pay next time then."

"Fine." he said, looking down at the bill and trying to hide his excitement at her insinuation that there would be a 'next time'. "And just so you know, that whole argument was worth six dollars and twenty-five cents. I hope you are proud of yourself."

"It's not about the money, it's the principle of it."

He gave her an incredulous look, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're the most stubborn person I've ever met, I swear to god."

"You are calling me stubborn?" she folded her arms over her chest and let out a derisive snort. "Talk about the pot calling the kettle black."

InuYasha grabbed his napkin, balled it up and lobbed it at her, bouncing it off her nose.

Her mouth fell open in surprise. "Oh, that's real mature." she said as she picked a cube of ham from her omelet and chucked it at him in retaliation.

The tiny chunk of meat sailed through the air, nearly clearing InuYasha's head, and it would have, had it not been caught by one of his pointed ears and fallen down inside.

"Dammit!" InuYasha cursed. "Why did you do that?!"

"Do you think I did that on purpose?" she defended.

"Oh yeah, right. As if you could. You probably couldn't hit the broad side of a barn" he quipped as he carefully picked the ham from his ear and popped it into his mouth.

"EWW!" Kagome exclaimed with a visible cringe. "Tell me you didn't just eat that!"

"What?" he shrugged. "It's my ear. It's not like I ate it out of somebody else's ear."

"That is the most disgusting logic I've ever heard."

InuYasha just chuckled and started back to shoveling pancakes into his mouth.

"Miroku was right. You are not a cool guy." she commented off-handedly.

InuYasha looked up from his food and furrowed his brow. "Miroku?"

"Yeah, you know, Miroku. You're roommate. Black hair, about yea tall." she said facetiously, holding a hand above her head.

He rolled his eyes. "I just didn't know you'd met him, is all."

"I just met him the day before yesterday. He had coffee with me and Sango."

"Why were you all talking about me?" InuYasha asked.

"Uh...he was just...uh…" she tried to come up with a quick lie. She wasn't about to admit the truth, that they'd been talking about how she was intimidated by him. "He was just wondering if I'd talked to you since moving day."

"And me not being a 'cool guy' had something to do with that somehow?"

"Umm...I don't really remember what brought it up." She felt slightly guilty about lying.

"Keh. He doesn't usually need a reason to insult me. He was probably just being an ass."

Kagome giggled. Relieved that he seemed to be dropping the subject. She looked down to her plate at the half eaten omelet. "Do you want the rest of this?" she asked, lifting the plate toward him.

He nodded and took the plate form her hands, dumping the omelet on the plate with his pancakes and handing it back to her. The two of them continued to make small talk while InuYasha finished his lunch and paid their bill.

"So, are we good now?" InuYasha asked her as they walked the short distance back to her building.

"Good, as in…?"

"Good, as in, are you over being butthurt?" he elaborated.

She shot him an angry look. "Excuse me, but I had a valid reason to be butthurt you jerk."

"Whatever, just answer the question."

Kagome let out a long-suffering sigh. "Yes we're good. For now anyway..."

"So, what? Are we like, calling a truce or something?"

"No, it's called making friends, InuYasha. I know it's apparently a totally foreign concept to you, but you should try it sometime."

"Keh. I have friends."

"Oh really?" she said, raising an eyebrow at him skeptically. "Name one friend besides Miroku."

"Sango." he shot back.

"Someone you don't know through Miroku."

He paused a moment, then asked, "What was the name of that little guy that helped you move?"

"They don't count as a friend if you don't even know their name."

"Okay, fine." he huffed. "I don't have any friends. Is that what you want to hear? Does that make you happy?"

Kagome smiled at him. "You've gone from having only one friend to having three. You're doing pretty good!" She exclaimed as she patted him on the back.

He was sure the deceptively friendly gesture was meant to be patronizing—although he was too busy enjoying the physical contact to care. "Three?" he questioned

"Yeah. Miroku, Sango and me." she said, pressing a hand to her chest. "You consider me a friend, don't you?"

Friend.

Why did the word sound more like a curse than a blessing?

"Keh. Yeah, I guess." he responded as they approached the front door of Kagome's apartment complex.

He opened the door for her to enter, and as he made to follow her she turned around and halted him with a hand to his chest. "Where do you think you're you going?"

"Don't you want me to walk you up?" he asked, sending a confused look down to her hand, then back up to her face.

"No." she quickly answered. "This isn't a date, remember?"

He rolled his eyes at the seemingly broken record. "How could I possibly forget? I was just trying to be chivalrous or whatever."

"Well, thanks anyway, but I'm perfectly capable of getting upstairs by myself." she said, and instantly regretted her choice of words, realizing that she'd set herself up to be teased.

"You sure about that?" InuYasha said with a smirk.

She turned and narrowed her eyes at him. "You're already on thin ice. Don't press your luck."

"Keh." he scoffed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "It was just a joke. You shouldn't be so sensitive."

Kagome sighed as she turned and headed toward the stairs. She could see the downward trajectory of the conversation and was determined to leave on friendly terms. "Bye, InuYasha." she called out over her shoulder.

"Keh. Bye. Take the elevator." he responded.

"Take a hike!" she loudly retorted, just before disappearing through the stairwell door.

InuYasha shook his head and chuckled to himself as he headed back out to the street. The cheeky wench sure was a lot of trouble, but somehow he had a feeling she'd be worth it.