InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Price of Freedom ❯ Baited Date ( Chapter 7 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: RozeFire 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Angst / Suspense / Romance / Police / Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.31.2003 | Pages: 4 | Words: 2.5K | Visits: 2.5K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Angst / Suspense / Romance / Police / Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.31.2003 | Pages: 4 | Words: 2.5K | Visits: 2.5K | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: same as chapter, one, two, three, four, five and six.
(A/N: Be warned - whatever you may read in the next chapter - this is still Inu/Kag pairing, ok!)
The Price of Freedom
Baited Date
"Coa-Coa... a cure for all that ails you." Kagome handed the warm mug to Inuyasha across the kitchen table. He was dressed - she wasn't - the one thing she didn't have to worry about in his presence was dressing up efficiently. So she was still in her flannel pyjamas.
"Can it cure blindness?" Inuyasha griped like he usually did in the morning.
"It might. But it cures... hunger... and..." she looked thoughtful. "And thirst."
"Wow, you're really pushing the brain out." He took a tentative sniff and then a small sip before spluttering a bit. "Hot!"
"You have to blow on it before you sip." She pointed out a little late.
He pulled a face and did as she advised and slowly took another sip. "Mm... it would probably taste nice if my tongue wasn't burned."
Kagome was about to answer to that when the doorbell went. She closed her mouth and looked through the kitchen doorway to the front door. Inuyasha immediately lifted his head and growled. "Kouga."
"Kouga?!" Kagome jumped to her feet and grabbed Inuyasha's arm to tug him away from the table.
"Hey!" Inuyasha protested as the hot chocolate spilled on his thigh.
"No time! Hide!" she stuffed him into a bedroom and closed the door behind him before composing herself to answer the door. When she did so she opened it with a big wide smile. "Oh hello again, Kouga!"
"Hey Kagome." He greeted simply.
"You still looking for your friend? - Cause I haven't seen him yet." She said, her fingers twitching behind her back randomly like they usually did when she told a blatant lie.
"Nah... actually I wanted to ask you if we could talk sometime." He cocked his head slightly, his gaze sliding past her to the bedroom door again where he was certain he could hear faint sounds coming from.
Kagome, who couldn't hear anything with her average hearing, didn't realise what he was doing. "Talk? What about?"
"Stuff... maybe over a drink and something to eat in Starbucks." He shrugged and flashed a handsome boyish grin.
Kagome just didn't have the heart to disappoint him. "Ok... when do you want to talk?"
"Tonight if possible." But only because this was the only chance he would get away from Kikyo who was back with her military folk along the coast. If they found the house and Inuyasha - Kouga didn't want them to find Kagome as well and punish her too.
"O-ok." She stammered slightly, hoping she wasn't blushing too hard.
"Great, see ya around then." He grinned again and turned.
"Bye!" Kagome sighed and shut the door.
A large bang of the bedroom door being forced open snapped her mind back into perspective. "Oh no..."
"Kagome!"
"Don't start on me, Inuyasha!" she turned and raised a finger to berate him as he stormed toward her, basically knowing his way around the house by now despite his lack of vision.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he growled, coming face to face with her.
"Going on a date! Got a problem with that?" she growled.
"But he's one of them!" he hissed.
"Isn't he like you?"
"He was born and raised but he's one of only a handful that actually work for the institute. It's their only chance at getting out of the compound occasionally - he's a low, back-handed coward! And he'd sell his own mother down the river to maintain his position as lap dog!"
"Oh, you're exaggerating." She waved a hand in dismissal and brushed past him. He followed her like a shadow nonetheless.
"You can't see him!" he snapped like an over protective father/brother/boyfriend/friend.
"Why not?"
"Because he'll hurt you!" he snapped.
Kagome sighed and turned to face him, making him run into her unexpectedly. When she'd steadied them both she started again. "You're overreacting. He wouldn't try anything in such a public place - and anyway - if I see him then I might get some information about the search for you that will work to our advantage."
"As if - you only want to face suck with him!"
"Face-suck?!" she gaped at him. "You're unbelievable!"
"Why? You did it to me!"
"Call it kissing, ok? Just kissing!"
"So you're saying you will kiss him?" he narrowed his eyes.
"I'm saying I will do what I have to do to help you." She replied evenly and headed off into the kitchen. "Besides. I'm getting bored. I've spent ages cooped up inside this house with nothing to do other than stare at you." She moved past the fridge to the cupboards.
"You stare at me? That's freaky... well... how would you like it if I stared at you?" he pretended to stare at her - or more - at the fridge.
"I'm over here, Inuyasha." She told him flatly from the sink.
"I knew that." he said self-consciously and found himself a seat to sit down.
^_^
"Watch the house, ok?" Kagome called as she collected her bag and keys from the hall.
"Think about what you just said." Inuyasha told her.
"Um... ok... FEEL the house while I'm gone, ok?" she grabbed her jacket.
Inuyasha shot up from his position on the sofa. "Where are you going?!"
"On the date."
"I thought we discussed this." He snapped angrily.
"No, we argued, and I won, remember."
"Must have that pesky amnesia again." He said sarcastically.
"Whatever, I'm going." She said flatly and left by way of the kitchen door.
"I forbid you to go see him! He's nothing but bad trouble!" Inuyasha shouted, but received nothing but silence. "Kagome? Are you sulking?... Kagome...?"
^-^
A ctually, half way through the evening, Kagome was starting to wish that she had heeded Inuyasha's warning. Not that Kouga was scaring her to death or anything... he was just boring her to death...
He just sat there gloating over this and that and how he must be the luckiest man on earth to get a date with such a kind hearted girl. She was flattered at least the first time he said it. But then she started to get bored and her gaze inched down from his eyes to the table, beginning to notice the little face patterns in the wood grains.
"So!" she jumped in when he took a pause to breathe. "How's the search for your friend going then?"
He watched her a moment before answering. "Not very well." At least that was truthful.
"When did you lose him?" Kagome asked with innocent eyes as she sipped her coke through her straw.
"Almost a week ago. He fell off a pier... got a bit damaged on some rocks below and we haven't seen him since." He told her calmly.
"'We?'" she queried.
He seemed to bite his own tongue for his slip up. "His other friends and me are looking for him."
"Wow... you must really be fond of him to go to all this trouble. How many of you are looking?" she was really going for gold here.
"Well there's me... his girlfriend, Kikyo... and at least three other people looking around the coast."
Kagome just didn't believe the bit about the girlfriend. That was too improbable considering Inuyasha had told her about what went on in hat institute they belonged to. Even thinking about it made her feel a little queasy.
"Sorry, Kouga... I don't think that chicken sandwich really agreed with me... I fell a little sick." She pressed a hand to her stomach to overstate. "Can I go home?"
"Do you want me to walk you?"
"Sure." After all, she didn't fancy walking home in the dark on her own. After a while Kagome began to shiver due to the cold night air... so Kouga kindly offered his jacket.
They walked home, chatting idly on the way, with sometimes a few long lulls in conversation where they walked in silence. When they finally reached the holiday home by the coast Kagome turned back to Kouga, remembering to feign her illness. She made them both stop by the gate of the drive, not wanting him to approach the house completely because Inuyasha was probably still in there. Unless he had decided to go for a walk on his own and had fallen off a cliff somewhere.
"Thanks for the evening, Kouga." She smiled weakly as though the mere twitch of lips was causing her grievous pain and handed his jacket back.
"You sure you're ok from here?" he asked with genuine concern.
"I'm sure I can find my way." She looked to the house that was only a few metres away now.
"Never mind then. Maybe next time." He chucked her chin affectionately and started off.
Kagome watched him leave, making sure he was definitely going before heading back into the house. "Inuyasha?"
"You sneaky little bitch!"
A shoe came flying out of the lounge doorway to hit the wall only a metre away from her. She jumped automatically from surprise, but she knew that Inuyasha must have been aiming to miss even if he was blind. Because he never missed.
"What's got your boxers in a twist?" she poked her head around the lounge door.
"You! I can't believe you! You only went out with him to piss me off!"
"Maybe!" she said haughtily, even though that hadn't been the reason at all.
Inuyasha staggered up from the sofa and found his way over to her, leaning in slightly to inhale deeply. "You wreak of him!" he accused hotly.
"How would you know?"
"He's been all over you, hasn't he?!" Inuyasha snarled.
It took Kagome a little while to understand why she smelt of Kouga, but before she could answer, Inuyasha was stalking out of her line of sight. "Whatever... I don't care what you did."
Kagome followed him into the kitchen. "Yes, you do, otherwise you wouldn't be acting like this."
"Like what?"
"Like your jealous."
He scoffed. "I am NOT!"
"Yes you ARE!" Kagome scoffed right back and slid in front of him to block him from stalking away again. "Aren't you?"
"You're delusional!" he turned away from her and sat down on the nearest stool he found. "And I don't want to talk about Ookami anymore."
"Fine." Kagome stood stiffly for a while with her arms folded and a grim line on her lips. "I found out more about your search."
"I just said I don't want to-"
"I don't care what you said, Inuyasha!" she interrupted. "He told me there is him and a woman looking for you and maybe three others along the coast. Meaning there could be a minimum of five people outside right now, scouring the sand for you!"
"You went on a date to find THAT out?" he pulled a face.
Kagome clenched her fists. "It might help us stay out their way. So if you hear anyone named Kikyo pass - run for your life."
"Run where? And it's not like I ever get out." Inuyasha grumbled.
Kagome relaxed a little. She didn't realise that she'd been so tense ever since Kouga had told her about Kikyo being Inuyasha's girlfriend, even though she'd known it had been a ridiculous notion. But she was still relieved to hear the proof that he hadn't reacted to her name. He'd probably never met her before, considering he'd managed to avoid women for how many years?
She took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "Just give it time ok... Miroku's dropping by in a few days... by then you should have your sight back and I can take you out safely."
^_^
"My word..."
"What?" Kagome looked anxiously between Inuyasha and Miroku. Sango stood behind Kagome, looking on in worry.
"How on earth did you heal so fast?" Miroku asked Inuyasha.
But Inuyasha's lips were pressed tightly together and he refused to speak. Miroku looked to Kagome for some help. So she answered in Inuyasha's place. "He's... a fast healer I suppose..."
"Not even any scars." Miroku touched the other boy's shoulder slightly, as if testing the skin. Kagome saw Inuyasha's fists clench and cleared her throat in warning.
Kagome glanced back at Sango who was clearly keeping out of the way. In truth Inuyasha seemed to make her nervous... plus the fact that she wasn't supposed to be here didn't help. She'd sneaked off with Miroku in his car without her father's permission to accompany her boyfriend to give the stranger a check-up. And she kept anxiously reminding Kagome that her mother wanted her back pretty soon and had to be wondering what Kagome was up to all on her own.
"Are his eyes healing?" Kagome asked abruptly as Miroku seemed to wondering off the main situation since Inuyasha's healing ability awed him.
"Oh yeah..." Miroku took out a penlight from his pocket and switched it on. "Look straight ahead."
Kagome waited for Inuyasha to come up with a smart-assed come back to what Miroku had just said, but surprisingly his mouth stayed sealed. Though he didn't look like he was straining to see straight ahead.
Miroku flashed the light in Inuyasha's left eye, then the right and frowned a little. Kagome didn't like the way he frowned. "What is it?"
"It's like he's had a drink of pure menthol or something..." Miroku sighed.
"In Lamen's terms, Einstein." Sango told him.
"Can you see the light from the penlight?" Miroku asked.
By the way Inuyasha frowned, Kagome didn't think he'd even known Miroku had been shining a penlight. "He can't see it."
"What, are you a psychic?" Miroku looked at her. "Why can't he talk?"
"He won't talk to you. You're a doctor." Kagome said simply, shooting Inuyasha a nervous look.
"And...?" This clearly didn't cross Miroku's mind as something to shy away from.
"He doesn't like doctors." Kagome shrugged. He hadn't told her why he didn't particularly like doctors yet, but now was not the time to ask. "So what's the prognosis with his eyes?"
Miroku sighed sadly and waved his hand before Inuyasha's eyes. "He can't see light... and can't differentiate between light and dark even after two weeks. Most people suffering from retinal damage would have recovered at least that much if they were ever going to get their sight back."
Kagome's blood froze. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying he's shown no sign of improvement... and after two weeks there will be no chance of recovery." He told her quietly. "I'm afraid this is going to be permanent."
The silence that followed was practically painful. Miroku and Sango stared at Kagome who could only hear the sound of her rapid heartbeat pounding in her ears. Inuyasha's head dipped slightly... unnoticed.
(A/N: next chapter Kikyo enters and starts messing things up (no surprise there))
(A/N: Be warned - whatever you may read in the next chapter - this is still Inu/Kag pairing, ok!)
The Price of Freedom
Baited Date
"Coa-Coa... a cure for all that ails you." Kagome handed the warm mug to Inuyasha across the kitchen table. He was dressed - she wasn't - the one thing she didn't have to worry about in his presence was dressing up efficiently. So she was still in her flannel pyjamas.
"Can it cure blindness?" Inuyasha griped like he usually did in the morning.
"It might. But it cures... hunger... and..." she looked thoughtful. "And thirst."
"Wow, you're really pushing the brain out." He took a tentative sniff and then a small sip before spluttering a bit. "Hot!"
"You have to blow on it before you sip." She pointed out a little late.
He pulled a face and did as she advised and slowly took another sip. "Mm... it would probably taste nice if my tongue wasn't burned."
Kagome was about to answer to that when the doorbell went. She closed her mouth and looked through the kitchen doorway to the front door. Inuyasha immediately lifted his head and growled. "Kouga."
"Kouga?!" Kagome jumped to her feet and grabbed Inuyasha's arm to tug him away from the table.
"Hey!" Inuyasha protested as the hot chocolate spilled on his thigh.
"No time! Hide!" she stuffed him into a bedroom and closed the door behind him before composing herself to answer the door. When she did so she opened it with a big wide smile. "Oh hello again, Kouga!"
"Hey Kagome." He greeted simply.
"You still looking for your friend? - Cause I haven't seen him yet." She said, her fingers twitching behind her back randomly like they usually did when she told a blatant lie.
"Nah... actually I wanted to ask you if we could talk sometime." He cocked his head slightly, his gaze sliding past her to the bedroom door again where he was certain he could hear faint sounds coming from.
Kagome, who couldn't hear anything with her average hearing, didn't realise what he was doing. "Talk? What about?"
"Stuff... maybe over a drink and something to eat in Starbucks." He shrugged and flashed a handsome boyish grin.
Kagome just didn't have the heart to disappoint him. "Ok... when do you want to talk?"
"Tonight if possible." But only because this was the only chance he would get away from Kikyo who was back with her military folk along the coast. If they found the house and Inuyasha - Kouga didn't want them to find Kagome as well and punish her too.
"O-ok." She stammered slightly, hoping she wasn't blushing too hard.
"Great, see ya around then." He grinned again and turned.
"Bye!" Kagome sighed and shut the door.
A large bang of the bedroom door being forced open snapped her mind back into perspective. "Oh no..."
"Kagome!"
"Don't start on me, Inuyasha!" she turned and raised a finger to berate him as he stormed toward her, basically knowing his way around the house by now despite his lack of vision.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he growled, coming face to face with her.
"Going on a date! Got a problem with that?" she growled.
"But he's one of them!" he hissed.
"Isn't he like you?"
"He was born and raised but he's one of only a handful that actually work for the institute. It's their only chance at getting out of the compound occasionally - he's a low, back-handed coward! And he'd sell his own mother down the river to maintain his position as lap dog!"
"Oh, you're exaggerating." She waved a hand in dismissal and brushed past him. He followed her like a shadow nonetheless.
"You can't see him!" he snapped like an over protective father/brother/boyfriend/friend.
"Why not?"
"Because he'll hurt you!" he snapped.
Kagome sighed and turned to face him, making him run into her unexpectedly. When she'd steadied them both she started again. "You're overreacting. He wouldn't try anything in such a public place - and anyway - if I see him then I might get some information about the search for you that will work to our advantage."
"As if - you only want to face suck with him!"
"Face-suck?!" she gaped at him. "You're unbelievable!"
"Why? You did it to me!"
"Call it kissing, ok? Just kissing!"
"So you're saying you will kiss him?" he narrowed his eyes.
"I'm saying I will do what I have to do to help you." She replied evenly and headed off into the kitchen. "Besides. I'm getting bored. I've spent ages cooped up inside this house with nothing to do other than stare at you." She moved past the fridge to the cupboards.
"You stare at me? That's freaky... well... how would you like it if I stared at you?" he pretended to stare at her - or more - at the fridge.
"I'm over here, Inuyasha." She told him flatly from the sink.
"I knew that." he said self-consciously and found himself a seat to sit down.
^_^
"Watch the house, ok?" Kagome called as she collected her bag and keys from the hall.
"Think about what you just said." Inuyasha told her.
"Um... ok... FEEL the house while I'm gone, ok?" she grabbed her jacket.
Inuyasha shot up from his position on the sofa. "Where are you going?!"
"On the date."
"I thought we discussed this." He snapped angrily.
"No, we argued, and I won, remember."
"Must have that pesky amnesia again." He said sarcastically.
"Whatever, I'm going." She said flatly and left by way of the kitchen door.
"I forbid you to go see him! He's nothing but bad trouble!" Inuyasha shouted, but received nothing but silence. "Kagome? Are you sulking?... Kagome...?"
^-^
A ctually, half way through the evening, Kagome was starting to wish that she had heeded Inuyasha's warning. Not that Kouga was scaring her to death or anything... he was just boring her to death...
He just sat there gloating over this and that and how he must be the luckiest man on earth to get a date with such a kind hearted girl. She was flattered at least the first time he said it. But then she started to get bored and her gaze inched down from his eyes to the table, beginning to notice the little face patterns in the wood grains.
"So!" she jumped in when he took a pause to breathe. "How's the search for your friend going then?"
He watched her a moment before answering. "Not very well." At least that was truthful.
"When did you lose him?" Kagome asked with innocent eyes as she sipped her coke through her straw.
"Almost a week ago. He fell off a pier... got a bit damaged on some rocks below and we haven't seen him since." He told her calmly.
"'We?'" she queried.
He seemed to bite his own tongue for his slip up. "His other friends and me are looking for him."
"Wow... you must really be fond of him to go to all this trouble. How many of you are looking?" she was really going for gold here.
"Well there's me... his girlfriend, Kikyo... and at least three other people looking around the coast."
Kagome just didn't believe the bit about the girlfriend. That was too improbable considering Inuyasha had told her about what went on in hat institute they belonged to. Even thinking about it made her feel a little queasy.
"Sorry, Kouga... I don't think that chicken sandwich really agreed with me... I fell a little sick." She pressed a hand to her stomach to overstate. "Can I go home?"
"Do you want me to walk you?"
"Sure." After all, she didn't fancy walking home in the dark on her own. After a while Kagome began to shiver due to the cold night air... so Kouga kindly offered his jacket.
They walked home, chatting idly on the way, with sometimes a few long lulls in conversation where they walked in silence. When they finally reached the holiday home by the coast Kagome turned back to Kouga, remembering to feign her illness. She made them both stop by the gate of the drive, not wanting him to approach the house completely because Inuyasha was probably still in there. Unless he had decided to go for a walk on his own and had fallen off a cliff somewhere.
"Thanks for the evening, Kouga." She smiled weakly as though the mere twitch of lips was causing her grievous pain and handed his jacket back.
"You sure you're ok from here?" he asked with genuine concern.
"I'm sure I can find my way." She looked to the house that was only a few metres away now.
"Never mind then. Maybe next time." He chucked her chin affectionately and started off.
Kagome watched him leave, making sure he was definitely going before heading back into the house. "Inuyasha?"
"You sneaky little bitch!"
A shoe came flying out of the lounge doorway to hit the wall only a metre away from her. She jumped automatically from surprise, but she knew that Inuyasha must have been aiming to miss even if he was blind. Because he never missed.
"What's got your boxers in a twist?" she poked her head around the lounge door.
"You! I can't believe you! You only went out with him to piss me off!"
"Maybe!" she said haughtily, even though that hadn't been the reason at all.
Inuyasha staggered up from the sofa and found his way over to her, leaning in slightly to inhale deeply. "You wreak of him!" he accused hotly.
"How would you know?"
"He's been all over you, hasn't he?!" Inuyasha snarled.
It took Kagome a little while to understand why she smelt of Kouga, but before she could answer, Inuyasha was stalking out of her line of sight. "Whatever... I don't care what you did."
Kagome followed him into the kitchen. "Yes, you do, otherwise you wouldn't be acting like this."
"Like what?"
"Like your jealous."
He scoffed. "I am NOT!"
"Yes you ARE!" Kagome scoffed right back and slid in front of him to block him from stalking away again. "Aren't you?"
"You're delusional!" he turned away from her and sat down on the nearest stool he found. "And I don't want to talk about Ookami anymore."
"Fine." Kagome stood stiffly for a while with her arms folded and a grim line on her lips. "I found out more about your search."
"I just said I don't want to-"
"I don't care what you said, Inuyasha!" she interrupted. "He told me there is him and a woman looking for you and maybe three others along the coast. Meaning there could be a minimum of five people outside right now, scouring the sand for you!"
"You went on a date to find THAT out?" he pulled a face.
Kagome clenched her fists. "It might help us stay out their way. So if you hear anyone named Kikyo pass - run for your life."
"Run where? And it's not like I ever get out." Inuyasha grumbled.
Kagome relaxed a little. She didn't realise that she'd been so tense ever since Kouga had told her about Kikyo being Inuyasha's girlfriend, even though she'd known it had been a ridiculous notion. But she was still relieved to hear the proof that he hadn't reacted to her name. He'd probably never met her before, considering he'd managed to avoid women for how many years?
She took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "Just give it time ok... Miroku's dropping by in a few days... by then you should have your sight back and I can take you out safely."
^_^
"My word..."
"What?" Kagome looked anxiously between Inuyasha and Miroku. Sango stood behind Kagome, looking on in worry.
"How on earth did you heal so fast?" Miroku asked Inuyasha.
But Inuyasha's lips were pressed tightly together and he refused to speak. Miroku looked to Kagome for some help. So she answered in Inuyasha's place. "He's... a fast healer I suppose..."
"Not even any scars." Miroku touched the other boy's shoulder slightly, as if testing the skin. Kagome saw Inuyasha's fists clench and cleared her throat in warning.
Kagome glanced back at Sango who was clearly keeping out of the way. In truth Inuyasha seemed to make her nervous... plus the fact that she wasn't supposed to be here didn't help. She'd sneaked off with Miroku in his car without her father's permission to accompany her boyfriend to give the stranger a check-up. And she kept anxiously reminding Kagome that her mother wanted her back pretty soon and had to be wondering what Kagome was up to all on her own.
"Are his eyes healing?" Kagome asked abruptly as Miroku seemed to wondering off the main situation since Inuyasha's healing ability awed him.
"Oh yeah..." Miroku took out a penlight from his pocket and switched it on. "Look straight ahead."
Kagome waited for Inuyasha to come up with a smart-assed come back to what Miroku had just said, but surprisingly his mouth stayed sealed. Though he didn't look like he was straining to see straight ahead.
Miroku flashed the light in Inuyasha's left eye, then the right and frowned a little. Kagome didn't like the way he frowned. "What is it?"
"It's like he's had a drink of pure menthol or something..." Miroku sighed.
"In Lamen's terms, Einstein." Sango told him.
"Can you see the light from the penlight?" Miroku asked.
By the way Inuyasha frowned, Kagome didn't think he'd even known Miroku had been shining a penlight. "He can't see it."
"What, are you a psychic?" Miroku looked at her. "Why can't he talk?"
"He won't talk to you. You're a doctor." Kagome said simply, shooting Inuyasha a nervous look.
"And...?" This clearly didn't cross Miroku's mind as something to shy away from.
"He doesn't like doctors." Kagome shrugged. He hadn't told her why he didn't particularly like doctors yet, but now was not the time to ask. "So what's the prognosis with his eyes?"
Miroku sighed sadly and waved his hand before Inuyasha's eyes. "He can't see light... and can't differentiate between light and dark even after two weeks. Most people suffering from retinal damage would have recovered at least that much if they were ever going to get their sight back."
Kagome's blood froze. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying he's shown no sign of improvement... and after two weeks there will be no chance of recovery." He told her quietly. "I'm afraid this is going to be permanent."
The silence that followed was practically painful. Miroku and Sango stared at Kagome who could only hear the sound of her rapid heartbeat pounding in her ears. Inuyasha's head dipped slightly... unnoticed.
(A/N: next chapter Kikyo enters and starts messing things up (no surprise there))