InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Girl and the Band ❯ The Challenge ( Chapter 7 )

A/N: Next chapter. Finally getting into it. And I think I finally gave this stupid fic a plot. So there's a little more than the original, get Kagome and Inuyasha together plot. Unfortunately it involves Kikyo. Trust me. I hate her as much as you do, but it must be done. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I still don't, haven't before, won't later, and don't plan to own Inuyasha. It would be nice, but then so would riches, gorgeous men, endless weekends, and a magic carpet. We don't always get what we wish for though.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Challenge

The motorcycle came to a skidding stop in front of a building the size of the White House. The girl was tucked firmly against the driver, still shaken from the abrupt stop.

"We are here." Inuyasha slowly got off his bike, making sure that Kagome didn't fall from still holding to a now moving person. The limo that had carried her bag had arrived long before. Kagome had been having such a good time, as well as Inuyasha, that he had decided to prolong the ride, taking every possible detour to the mansion that he could remember.

Kagome looked up at the house, if that was what she could call it. It was huge. Apparently Inuyasha spared no expense. Nope, no apartment room for him, he lived in a building comparable to the empire state.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome as she stared at his house, her expression showed her apprehension. He shrugged and grabbed her hand, carting her through the large double doors to the lavish foyer. Instantly, three butlers surrounded them, taking Inuyasha sunglasses and Kagome's purse and then disappearing just as fast. Inuyasha didn't seem to notice.

"Nice service you got here."

"Huh?"

Kagome sighed as she followed Inuyasha into another room to the right. 'Rich people.'

This room looked like a living room, a very large and furnished living room. Miroku was on the computer in the corner, his headphones on as he chatted on the Internet. Shippo was playing a video game that Kagome recognized as one Souta liked. Quick assessment revealed that the boy was good.

Sango was lying on the huge couch in the middle of the room in a big robe and fluffy slippers, flipping through TV channels, sipping a cooled beverage, and looking like she had just got up.

Both Inuyasha and Kagome had the same idea in mind as they marched over to her. "What happened to picking me up, Sango," said Kagome sweetly to cover her irritation. Sango peered up at Kagome, her innocent expression reminiscent of Shippo.

"I already told Inuyasha that," said Sango matter-of-factly before returning to her show.

"Yeah, and what happened to cleaning, Sango," growled Inuyasha, sparring no sweet tone in his irritation.

"About that, it was all done, sorry," Sango answered while still watching the TV. She yawned loudly and stretched out, showing Inuyasha the beauty sleep he had missed and that she had cunningly achieved. She glanced sideways at the two glowering at her, her eyes sparkling. "So…how was the ride?" she asked innocently.

Inuyasha leaned down over her to seem more intimidating. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"You know I would."

"And I should care about this why?"

"Awe come on, tell me, I set it up, you can't ju…"

"Ha, so did set it up. Not wise Sango, paybacks are hell."

Sango smiled again, too pleased with her work to feel daunted. She had noticed the flush on both their faces when she had asked how it had gone. This was too cute. "I think I'll take my chances."

"Your funeral."

"Gee, I'm so scared."

"Ooo, I love this show, Sango, turn it up." Kagome leapt onto the couch, all formalities forgotten as she tuned all her attention to the soap opera. Inuyasha sighed and stalked over to Miroku.

"Hey, you want to help me polish and tune the instruments?"

"Nope, too many people I'm talking to, maybe later."

Inuyasha bent down, grabbed the Internet plug, and pulled it from the computer, prompting a message from the computer that the connection had been severed and a glare from Miroku.

"Hmm, guess they had to go. Well then you can help me now."

"You do realize that I hate you."

"Yep."

The two made their way downstairs to the music room where the group practiced and kept all their instruments, and set to work.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kagome wiped her damp eyes with the handkerchief that the butler had brought her. Sango, much in the same condition as Kagome, sniffed as she dabbed at her puffy eyes.

"Did you know that he was going to die?" she asked, still in disbelief.

"He was sick, but not that sick. And yet he had to die."

"Why, why did he, he was so cute."

"I know, but he's leaving this show for that new drama starting on Saturday and he couldn't do both at the same time." Kagome shrugged, her tears dried.

Sango looked recovered as well, "Oh, well then it wasn't a waste, I'll just start watching that one." They both smiled at each other, and then giggled at their silliness. "I'm really glad you're here Kagome. Living with guys is fun, but it can get trying." Sango rubbed her temples at the memories of the troubles she had endured.

"Speaking of boys, where are they?" The two looked around and found Shippo still in the same position, playing the same game. They both laughed at his child nature that allowed him to be oblivious to the world and spend hours doing one thing.

Sango stood up, stretching the kinks out of her body. "Maybe they went to go practice. We should go check downstairs." As she said this, she took off her robe to reveal her fully clothed body." Kagome eyed her with suspicion. Sango caught her eye and noticed what she was looking at. "What. I said I set him up to go get you, I didn't say I trusted him to do it. You got to have backup plans. Besides, I never sleep past six am, I'm an early riser."

Kagome looked at Sango as she processed the explanation before they both stared to laugh again, getting up to go downstairs still laughing.

And that's how they were as they approached the boys at the bottom of the stairs, still giggling, until they heard a conversation that stopped them and interested them into listening instead.

"Miroku, you don't know what your doing. You might be able to play, but you can't tune or polish worth shit. You're clueless."

"Maybe, but I am not always clueless."

"Sure you are."

"Name one such occasion."

"Every time you open your mouth or move around Sango."

Sango tensed, as all of a sudden she became the topic of the boy's discussion.

"What do you mean?"

"She likes you to death and you don't have the brains to see that at all. And you go around groping other girls, when you know you only like Sango, stupid. Don't know why though, that girl is scary."

Kagome had a time of holding back her friend from barging in the room and killing the two boys and trying to silent her laughter at the same time. It was not an easy task.

"I don't know why you insist on commenting on my love life…"

"Or lack there of," Inuyasha interrupted, making Sango lunge again, Kagome barely holding her.

"Quite…when you yourself seem to be struggling."

Both girls went very still. They both wanted to hear one, if the next topic was to be Kagome, and two, what they would say.

"What do you mean?"

"Allow me to explain slowly, I know of your incapability's when it comes to the fairer sex." All that could be heard was Inuyasha's answering growl.

"You suffered a horrible break up with Kikyo, a girl that you should have seen was no good from the start, and now," Inuyasha's growl grew in volume, "You are in love with a girl that you only just met and I bet you didn't even know you were in love until a few seconds ago when I mentioned it." Inuyasha's growl had completely stopped. "I may not be able to read a girl's feelings, but you my friend, you get confused by your own."

Inuyasha sputtered and the hidden girls were thunderstruck. 'H-he l-l-oves-s, m-me?'

"I don't love her." Kagome was drawn sharply from her daydreaming at Inuyasha's outburst. "How could I love her, she's not even pretty, and she is stubborn. Hmph, me love her, yeah right."

It was Kagome's turn to fume and Sango's to keep her from charging and keep their presence hidden by controlling her laughter.

"You've got stuff confused, you're the one in love, with Sango."

"Sango is exquisite, but I'm am in love with the women of the world, they all deserve my equal attention."

Behind scenes, role reversal had occurred again, Kagome's plight forgotten, as her friend was insulted.

"You are a lecher. You stay away from Kagome."

"A bit afraid she might prefer a gentlemen to you are we."

"Maybe, but if she does she ain't gonna find one here."

"What do you think I am?"

"A pervert."

"I am a simple drummer."

"Yeah, a simple perverted drummer."

"You have no respect."

"Keh, not for you. How bout we make a bet. Who can win over their girl first? That should settle who is the better man." Kagome was furious.

"Deal." They were both furious. "But be careful where and when you speak my friend, these walls have ears." That was about all the girls could take. They both came stomping down the stairs with anger in their eyes and death for a couple of jerks in mind. Both boys jumped back when they saw the two topics of discussion enter the room ready to kill.

Miroku gulped as Sango stared at him. "Sango?"

Inuyasha was also at a loss. "Kagome?"

"Bet, huh?" snapped Kagome.

"Thought you'd both make a little wager after your cute little discussion, did you?" said Sango with the same tone.

"Well, let us inform you both, the walls definitely have ears…"

"As well as arms, fists, legs, feet, and plenty of pent up anger just dying to gain release."

"Gee Sango, isn't it nice that we found ourselves a couple of punching bags, hn?"

"Quite, Kagome lets test them out, shall we."

"Oh, we shall."

"Keh like you could hurt me."

Kagome cracked her knuckles, as well as Sango, as they both closed in on their prey. "Only one way to find out isn't there."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Miroku looked the worse. He had bruises all over. Sango looked the best. She was all smiles. Inuyasha and Kagome had come out the same. Kagome had been ready to pound him, but he was fast and strong, and had caught her from behind. But being so small, she had twisted in his grasp and used his own unbalance to force him to fall, her on top of him. They had both wrestled, neither willing to give up. But once Miroku had been beaten to a pulp, recovered, saw the two, and made a comment about 'supposed to be fighting, not flirting', the brawl had abruptly ended. Both were still fuming.

Sango looked around the messy room, made much worse by their fighting and those two's peculiar…romping. She assessed that not much actual damage had been done, and that the boys could handle it while she and Kagome got a latte.

"Well, since you boys started this with your chatter, me and Kagome are giving you the pleasure of cleaning it." She whisked Kagome up and guided her up the stairs, her head giving one last peek around the corner to the destroyed room. "Have a nice time."

'Keh, stupid Sango. Stupid, stupid Kagome. I don't love you. Do I? I can't, I don't know you. But I do know I want to be with you. You are so strong, but so soft and fragile.' Inuyasha let out a long sigh, remembering the tremble and shivers in his body at feeling her close to him, "Stupid confusing wench."

"I know exactly what you mean. You know, I think we deserved that."

Inuyasha smirked at the bruised drummer. "That what? Nothing happened to me."

"That's because my woman is strong and yours is not."

"She is not my woman…and she is not weak."

"Oh yes she is."

"Is not."

"I don't hear much cleaning down there. If I have to come down there again, you will both get it." The two boys winced as the sounds of Sango's threat drifted to their ears.

"So, maybe we get back to clean'n and polish'n then."

"I believe you are right."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kagome and Sango both had calmed down substantially due to their lattes. Kagome was impressed that they had never left the house, like she would have had to, but that Sango had made sure that one of the first pieces of furniture in the house had been a latte machine. For her nerves Kagome guessed. And she understood why.

They both headed down the stairs laughing at the day's earlier events as they descended. Unfortunately, the room looked worse than when they had left. They might have been mad, if the anger from the boys had not only been amusing, but also showed that they had truly tried to do what the girls had assigned.

"It can't be done, this stupid guitar string wont fit, ever," Inuyasha groaned.

"Well then you try cleaning this God forsaken room and I'll put all my efforts into one guitar," Miroku answered.

"Don't you dare start with me Miroku."

"Its your fault were down here in the first place. You're the one who started it. 'How bout we make a bet'," Miroku mimicked Inuyasha's earlier suggestion. "Good idea, it really went places…right out the window."

"Your going next if you don't shut it."

"Boys! That's enough thanks. We will take it from here." Kagome's voice broke through the quarrel between the two boys.

"Like you could do better."

Sango sensed the challenge. "Step aside please." Both Inuyasha and Miroku stepped up to the stairs, sitting on the steps as the two girls slowly worked their way through the mess. Miroku would occasionally mutter words to Sango, indicating that she needed to do something differently even though she was doing her job perfectly compared to Miroku's earlier efforts. Kagome sat down with the guitar Inuyasha had been unable to string and placed it on her lap. Inuyasha gave a snort, as if to say that her stringing the guitar was impossible. Kagome stared at the room, a thought coming to mind.

"You know Sango, this scenario reminds me of a saying my grandmother used to say."

"Oh yeah, what was it."

Kagome's eyes became distant, her fingers still fiddling with the guitar string. "Man who says it cannot be done…" She paused, Sango looked at her expectantly and both boys were also listening closely. She looked down to the guitar and stringed it, giving both of the shocked boys a triumphant gaze, "…should not interrupt woman doing it." She turned to Sango and they both stared at each other, and then burst out laughing.

"What is that supposed to mean," Inuyasha interrupted their laughter, his face reflected wounded male pride.

"It means that girls are better than guys, we are the better sex, anything boys can do, girls can do better. Is any of this making sense?"

"Keh, your not better than me little girl."

"Care to wager that."

"Whatever floats your boat." Inuyasha and Kagome were growling at each other again and instead of fight the challenge between the two, Miroku and Sango joined it.

"A bet is a fine idea, but we need to specify the rules," piped in Sango, hoping to distract the glaring pair.

"How about this. Till the end of the month, we will have sporadic competitions chosen in turn by each side that face girls against guys. We will keep score of wins, and at the end of the month, the side with the most wins can request anything of the opposite side. Fair enough."

Sango nodded, "Sounds good to me."

"Fine with me."

"Same here."

"It's settled then, a hand shake." Miroku grabbed Sango's hand and gave it a gentle but suggestive squeeze then bent to kiss it. Pulling up, he smiled at her. "When I win Sango, perhaps I will kiss a place much more favorable than your hand." He smirked when her face turned scarlet and she pulled her hand away. "When I win, your penalty won't be nearly as forgiving as was that of your most recent beating, if you catch my drift."

Sango leaned towards Kagome and whispered into her ear. "We better win Kagome. Aside from a kiss, there will be no living with that man if we loose."

Kagome didn't take her eyes off Inuyasha, as she answered, "We won't lose Sango I promise." Her tone darkened and her words directed back to the man she was glaring at. "We will win Inuyasha, and then you will be my servant for the rest of your life."

"And when I win, maybe I'll force you to stay here, I enjoy annoying you." Kagome looked appalled, as if her suggestion was any less dramatic.

Both stared into each other's eyes and clasped hands, giving one stiff shake, "There is no way you can win. You are going down little bitch."

"Dream on arrogant bastard, you will rue the day you met me."

'And I'll love every minute of it.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Shorter than before, but it came out extremely fast. The characters are slipping slightly out of character to the original, but they are different people in essence and are living different lives, so it suits them, but I do apologize for the slight and necessary OOC. Hope you liked it and where it is going. I have much in mind for the competitions. Mostly from my own experiences cause it is easier to write that way so it won't be skydiving or mountain climbing, but it will be cute enough. Review please, thanks for reading.

Chase