InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Sweetest Escape ❯ To Save You ( Chapter 13 )

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

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, Rumiko Takahashi does. I don't own Hot Wheels either, though I'll admit I have a set or two…

Author's Notes:

Some happiness! Then some angst…then a little more angst…then more happiness! You all know my modus operandi, by now.

Chapter 13: To Save You

“Miroku, that's the worst wrapping job I've ever seen in my life,” Sango said flatly. The boy picked up the gift he'd wrapped and turned it over in his hands, observing his work critically.

“Oh, come on, Sango, it's not that bad,” he defended, pouting.

“Yes, it is. The tape's all crooked. What are you five?”

“I'm a guy. I don't particularly care about the wrapping. All guys care about is what's inside. I don't care, and I don't think Inuyasha will care,” he muttered.

“I gotta go with Miroku on this one Sango, sorry. I really don't think Inuyasha will care what the wrapping paper looks like,” Kagome giggled, whilst tying a bright red ribbon around her own gift.

“What about mine, Kagome? Huh? What about mine? Do you think Inuyasha will like it?” Souta asked excitedly, bouncing up and down from his seat on the kitchen floor, his hands atop a large, flat, brightly colored box that he'd yet to wrap. Kagome smiled at him, nodding.

“Of course he will, Souta. I'm sure he'll love it,” she assured the boy. She wasn't going to tell the eight-year old that Inuyasha was probably a bit too old for a race car set. But when Kagome had told everyone of her plan, Souta had painstakingly saved the pennies of his allowance and bought the Hot Wheels set, complete with remote controllers for each tiny vehicle. While Inuyasha probably would refuse to take it home with him, she had no doubts that he'd entertain Souta with it when he came over. Besides that…Kagome was sure that Souta had only bought the toy for himself, using Inuyasha's conveniently placed birthday as an excuse.

She watched her friends as they helped her wrap Inuyasha's gifts. Nothing too personal. She, Sango, and Miroku had all chipped in for a nice, new sweatshirt, gray, because she was going to murder him if she saw him in that black one again. Her mother's gift was the cake, Souta had the race car set, and her Grandfather…well…he'd announced that his gift was the history he brought to the dinner table each and every night. Kagome cringed. She'd have to persuade him to refrain from regaling them with tales and lore of the Feudal Era. For everyone's sake…

Kagome also had two gifts for him that would be only from her. One was a gift card to a local art shop. She hadn't told anyone else about that one, because she was fairly certain that Inuyasha wanted to keep his talent a secret, though for the life of her she couldn't understand why. She was so proud of him that she wanted to announce his talents for him.

The second was a bit more personal. A digital photo of them together that she'd replicated four times into different color schemes, and added caption to. She'd taken extra care to have it specially framed and wrapped in extra-special paper, though she was sure, as Miroku had said, that he wouldn't care about how it was wrapped. A smile curved her lips at the memory.

“And you should have seen Akuran's face when I showed him your test! It was priceless, I swear. His jaw completely dropped!”

“Really?” Inuyasha asked, a tiny smile of pride tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Yeah.”

“Huh. A ninety-three percent. Who knew?” he murmured.

“I did,” Kagome insisted in earnest. He smiled at her fondly and picked up another rock to toss into the little brook in front of them. Beams filtered through the dense overhead of the tree canopy, bathing the area in which they sat in dappled spots of light. It was perfectly quiet, save the trickling of the water that fell over the boulders and logs in the tiny stream, and the occasional chirp of birds. It was perfect for pictures, early springtime was, though it was still quite chilly; the touch of wintertime had not yet worn off. And late afternoon was her favorite time of day to go on nature walks for that very purpose. And since she and Inuyasha had been hanging out all day long, it only made sense that she'd invite him on one of her private walks. She'd been wanting to do so for a while anyway.

Unexpectedly, Inuyasha reclined against the grassy bank, one arm folded beneath his head, the other draped lazily over his stomach. He closed his eyes. With a fond smile, Kagome readied her favorite old dinosaur of a camera and snapped his photo, the stippled sunlight spotting his perfect face and hair. Unhurriedly, she lay down next to him, leaving a scant seven inches between them, hoping that he was okay with that. Only the deep blush that spread over his cheeks indicated that he was aware of her change in position. He didn't open his eyes.

“It looks familiar,” he commented, his voice soft.

“This is where I took that picture in the darkroom that you liked. The one hanging up? I was right here,” she told him. His eyes slid open to regard the view above them, and Kagome snapped a shot of the tiny space of open sky. Feeling his eyes on her, she raised a hand above her head, and shaped her fingers in a `peace' sign, the rays stretching out dramatically behind her fingers, and snapped the picture. She would like that one, she was sure.

“It's nice here,” he whispered. “Really quiet. Nice.”

“It's my second favorite spot,” she informed him.

“Darkroom is the first, right?”

“You got it.” Rolling onto her side, she snapped a picture of his profile, a most absolute look of peace dominating his features. She sighed inwardly. How could one guy be so…so… `Breathtakingly beautiful,' she thought finally. She could photograph him forever.

“How come you do that?” he asked, his tone curious.

“Do what?” she asked, snapping another.

“Take pictures of me when I'm not posin' or anything.”

“I told you before: candid shots are best,” she said with a shrug. `Well, some candid shots are best,' she thought with a smile. She thought about the picture of him flipping her off in the album that sat on her desk at that very moment. He'd been prepared for that one. She didn't take offense to it. Rather, she thought it was quite cute—his expression of `Haha, got you!' was what made the photo. It was so…Inuyasha. He regarded her out of the corner of his eye.

“Let me take your picture,” he demanded. Kagome clutched her camera away from him.

“No!”

“Why not?”

“Because…”

“Because why?”

“Because…it's mine!” she argued, knowing that it didn't make any sense.

“So?”

“So…I only like photographing, not being photographed,” she emphasized. The mischievous look that settled on his face unnerved her. “Inuyasha…Inuyasha, don't you—“

Quicker than she could register, his hand shot out and wrapped quite securely around both of her wrists, locking them together. One of his ankles locked both of hers flush against the grass. His other hand snatched the camera away from her, and held away from her grasping hands.

“Inuyasha, give it back!” she pouted, squirming against his hold. If she allowed herself to lay there for long enough and think about it, she could permit some very naughty thoughts to enter her mind about her position with the dangerously attractive boy above her.

“Not a chance!” he exclaimed, a mirthful smile on his face. Kagome couldn't help but smile back at him. How often did she get to see a face like that? She kept that look trapped in her mind: the boyish flash of his teeth, the small dimple in his left cheek. Whatever deep-rooted sadness that he kept trapped inside had trapped with it the beautiful smile that she'd only recently found he possessed. She wished he'd reveal it to her more often, as she reveled it.

“Okay, okay, but at least be careful! It's really, really old!” she warned.

“I won't break it, I promise,” he told her, and brought the large thing to his eye to snap her photo from his vantage point, suspended above her. The camera wheezed and groaned, rolling the film for the next exposure. “Smile,” he commanded her softly. She sighed with exasperation and briefly flashed her teeth in a loose-lipped little pseudo smile. It wasn't very attractive, and she knew it. She just wanted to be difficult, since he hadn't allowed her to have her way. He pulled the camera away from his face and frowned, shaking one finger at her.

“Now, that's not good,” he said, mock-scolding her. “Come on, Kagome. Give me a cute smile. A pretty one,” he instructed lightly. Kagome didn't miss the little blush that dusted his face. Purposefully, she gave him her most radiant smile, still pulling at his vice-like grip, while he captured the picture. He rewarded her with one of his own. “That's better,” he whispered. A few locks of hair slipped over his shoulders, and the tips brushed against her cheeks. Kagome held her breath. Had she been braver…she would have strained her abdominal muscles as much as she could to lean up and kiss him just then. But…then again, it was probably better that she didn't. He could be incredibly skittish when he felt so inclined, and she had no doubt that her pulling a trick like that on him would warrant very skittish behavior indeed. Even still…she could think it, imagine it in her head. A secret smile crossed her lips.

“What are you smirkin' at?” he asked lightly, finally releasing her wrists and settling back on the grass next to her.

“Nothing,” she said, that grin still in place.

“Fine, don't tell me,” he snapped sulkily. Kagome shot him a look.

“It was nothing, really. But…I am wondering when my portrait will be done. You've seen so many of my pictures, but I've yet to see that picture you've been keeping under wraps. It's been weeks, and it's not fair,” she said. Now it was his turn to smile secretly.

“It'll be done when it's done. I'm not gonna just rush through the damn thing,” he shrugged. “Patience, Kagome, is a virtue,” he said solemnly. Kagome rolled her eyes.

“Oh, don't give me that. You sound like my mom. Besides, you're one to talk. Mr. Impatience himself, telling me to be patient,” she scoffed, whacking him lightly in the chest. He winced and stiffened, a hand flying to the spot. Kagome was confused for a moment. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said, his voice a bit tight.

“I'm sorry…I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't you that hard. I thought it was soft,” she apologized.

“It's alright.”

“You sure? Because—“

“Kagome, it's fine!” he exclaimed, chuckling a bit. “Kami, you talk so much!” he laughed.

“Okay, okay. Sorry,” she muttered with an embarrassed smile. She surreptitiously scooted a bit closer to him, and lifted her camera above their heads, lens facing them.

“What are you doing now?”

“I just realized: I've got pictures of just me, I've got pictures of just you, but none of me and you,” she explained. “So smile.”

“No.”

“Come on, Inuyasha, don't be difficult.”

“But I'm always difficult. Difficult is my middle name.”

“Okay, then, Inuyasha Difficult Chikamatsu. Smile for the damn camera,” she laughed.

“I thought you said candid shots were best?” he added quickly, smiling because he knew she was getting a bit frustrated.

“Just show some teeth!” And she snapped the picture, smiling hastily into its flash to catch her own grin.

“I think you missed us completely,” he told her quietly, amusement running thick in his voice. “Gimme.” He took the camera from her hand, and to her surprise, leaned his head towards hers, holding the camera out and using the advantage of his longer arm. Kagome looked up at him, her vantage point giving her quite the view of his lower jaw bone, and resisted the urge, yet again, to press a kiss there. The flash blinded her for a second, and she hoped she was smiling.

She hoped he would like it. She certainly did. She'd made a copy of the photo for herself, and kept it safely tucked away in her room. She quite liked how it had turned out.

Kagome looked over Sango and Miroku, still squabbling about the level of Miroku's wrapping skills, her little brother, messily cutting a length of balloon-patterned paper from the roll to wrap his gift with. Kagome smiled at them.

“Thanks, guys,” she told Sango and Miroku.

“It's our pleasure, Kagome. You know we all like Inuyasha,” Sango said lightly.

“I don't,” Miroku pouted. The two girls and Souta stared at him, dubious expressions marking their faces. He crossed his arms.

“Why not?” Sango asked, voicing the question they all had. Kagome frowned. She thought they had gotten along quite nicely all the times the four of them had hung out.

“He beat me!” Miroku whined plaintively. At his declaration, the girls burst out in laughter, relieved to see that his ire held no true ill feelings. Kagome patted his forearm comfortingly.

“Well, maybe tonight he'll give you a rematch,” she said, placating him with a barely contained smirk. The boy rolled his eyes at her and turned away. Kagome wouldn't soon forget that event.

She and Sango had gone upstairs to her room, so that Sango could change her top. Buyo had suddenly come down with an upset stomach, and well…the result ended up on Sango…

They came down the stairs, ready to gather the boys and head off to their movie, and entered the kitchen, only to find that Inuyasha and Miroku were in the middle of a war. A hot sauce war.

The stage was set. Inuyasha sat at one end of the table, Miroku at the other. Between them sat about twenty small Dixie cups of the thick red liquid, and a few crumpled bills and a couple of coins. Buyo, apparently over his upset stomach, watched idly from the top of the refrigerator, his tail swishing back and forth like a metronome. Souta sat between the two boys, acting as referee, his hand in the air.

“Miro—“ Sango started forward, ready to stop them undoubtedly. Kagome stopped her friend, motioning for her to be quiet, a smile on her face. This she had to see.

“Okay, are you ready?” Souta asked. The two older teens nodded solemnly, eyeing each other over the rows of cups, each with a hand poised and ready to grab the first cup. “Okay, then. On your mark…Get set…Go!”

Each shot out a hand, snatching the little cups and chugging them at breakneck speed. Miroku was fast—but Inuyasha was faster. Much faster. And…he seemed to be able to hold his hot sauce much better. He slapped his hand flat on the table with a loud `smack!'

“Ten!” he crowed with delight, holding up the last drained cup. “Done! I win!” he exclaimed. Miroku stopped in mid-chug. He pulled the cup away from his mouth, a red-hot sauce mustache adorning his upper lip.

“Aw, man! No fair…” he whined. Inuyasha just smiled, sporting his own hot sauce mustache, and pulled the crumpled money to himself. Miroku's face blanched. “Oh…oh, Kami…I don't think that was such a good idea…” he groaned, pressing his hands to his stomach. Inuyasha smirked, stuffing the cash into his pocket, though he himself looked a bit strained.

Needless to say, they hadn't gone to the movies that night. She and Sango had spent the rest of the evening laughing their brains out at the two retching boys as they emptied their bet into the toilet.

`Boys will be boys,' Kagome thought fondly.

“He'd better give me a rematch,” Miroku said darkly, no doubt plotting his strategy. “I've been training.” That night had been hilarious, and she'd been grateful that Sango and Miroku heartily agreed to help her with Inuyasha's birthday party, as she rarely got to see the boy having fun.

“Okay, so is everything set? Because if it is, I'm gonna go and get him,” Kagome announced standing. With an appraising eye, she inspected the house. The bright streamers decorated almost every inch of the walls, balloons floating against the ceiling. The large `Happy Birthday!' banner swung merrily in the archway of the kitchen; it would be the first thing he saw when she led him into the house.

“I think that's everything,” Sango said thoughtfully. “When do you want us to hide?” she asked.

“I'll text you when I've got him in the car,” Kagome said, shrugging into her jacket. “Then you guys can wait about ten minutes, then hide. He lives kind of far,” she explained. “Make sure you're absolutely silent! It's got to be the hardest ever to surprise a half demon, so you can't talk at all once you hear my car, alright?”

“Okay, Kagome quit worrying! Just go!” Miroku laughed, he and Sango practically pushing her out the door. “We'll be ready!” he assured her as she walked across the courtyard.

Kagome parked her car in front of his house, staring up at darkened structure. `It certainly isn't the most inviting looking place,' she thought. Shrugging and unbuckling her seatbelt, Kagome exited her tiny vehicle, ready to execute her plan.

In all reality, she hadn't thought this out too well. Inuyasha would be surprised with her being there: of that she was sure. There was no way he knew that she remembered his address from one glance at his grade report all those months ago. He was sure to be shocked. But after opening the door…well…Kagome fully intended on kidnapping him, and taking him home with her. Just how she was going to kidnap him, she wasn't quite sure. `Maybe his dad can throw him in the car for me,' she thought with a giggle. A thought struck her. She'd never actually met Inuyasha's father. She really hadn't heard much about him at all, and suddenly, she was curious.

Her knuckles fell sharply against the wood of the front door, the knock sounding hollow within. There was no response. She banged on it with the side of her fist, hoping to have someone hear. `What if he's not home?' she thought, panicked. `Way to go, Kagome. That really throws a wrench in the plans.'

“Hold on, Dad! I'm coming! I'm almost done, I swear, okay?” a shout came from deep inside the house. Kagome frowned. She was sure that sounded like Inuyasha…but…why did he sound so terribly afraid? “Please don't be mad, okay? It was a lot to clean…” his voice came again, this time, coming much closer to the door, as though he were actively walking towards it. He was still speaking. The door flew open. Several things happened at once.

“…couldn't quite get the stain ou—“

“Happy Bir—“ Kagome exclaimed as he was talking. She immediately cut herself off and clamping her hands over her mouth at the sight of him. His eyes widened. Hers filled with tears. The blood drained from his face, his pale skin creating quite the contrast with the coating he sported everywhere else. “Oh…Kami…” Kagome murmured, her voice muffled behind her hands. Her eyes trailed down his form, and she struggled not to cry out, not to let the water fall from her eyes.

`No, no, no, no, no,' was all she could think. Over and over. He stared at her, ashamed. Kagome took in the horrific sight: the hideously swollen black eye, the busted, bleeding lip, the claw marks that marred the pale flesh of his abdomen and chest, the blood that oozed from the deep lacerations, the rivulets that ran freely down his stomach and stained the waistband of his sweatpants. The vicious bruise that left a ghost of an image on his throat: four fingers and a thumb. The ends of his long hair were plastered to his body, pink in some areas, deep crimson in others, from the worst kind of stain. His face…it broke her heard.

“What are you doing here?” came his question though tightly clenched teeth. Kagome didn't think she could make herself speak. Her mouth gaped and closed behind her hands, nothing but muffled squeaks able to be heard. She shook her head, willing those tears not to fall. That would only make things worse. “I said, what are you doing here?” he shouted, his face splitting into a frightening grimace. He was glaring daggers at her, more upset than she'd ever seen him, and it all seemed to be directed at her. “Answer the fucking question!”

“I…I-I j-ju-just…came t-to…” she stammered horribly. She could hardly think straight, let alone speak! “To…to—“

“Go home,” he ordered, his voice suddenly quiet. His eyes burned with unbridled fury, bored a hole in her. His fingers clenched the edge of the door so tightly that the knuckles turned white with the force. She cringed.

“No!” she burst out. “No, Inuyasha, I can't leave you like this—“

“You can and you will!” he growled. “Go home, Kagome!”

“Inuyasha, you're hurt! I'm not going to just leave—“

“Leave it alone! Leave me alone! Just leave! Get your ass away from my house, get the fuck in your car, and go the fuck home!” he bellowed, spittle and blood flying from his chapped and bleeding lips in his frenzy. His dark brows pulled down and together dangerously.

“But—“

“I don't wanna see you anymore!” he screamed, throwing the door fully open, though Kagome was sure he hadn't meant to do so. She could now see into the house, the darkened interior revealing broken bits of something…perhaps plates. There was a splintered piece of wood from some furniture, and some dark substance smeared haphazardly across the wall…Kagome didn't even want to let herself think about what it was. A bucket and a mop sat in the middle of the mess, undoubtedly what Inuyasha had been using to clean.

“You don't…wh—“

“I don't wanna see you! I don't wanna talk to you! I don't wanna know you! Just leave me alone!” he choked out, and Kagome could have sworn she heard a sob tear from his throat. He was shaking, and against all of her urges, she didn't wrap her arms around him. His trembling was violent, and he was volatile, and she didn't want to invoke his wrath any more than she already had. “Just go away,” he whispered.

“But I want—“

“Can't you hear? What are you, deaf? Go away! He's gonna be pissed when he finds your scent all over the fucking porch! Just go! You're making things worse!” he cried. And he slammed the door in her face, the wood only a hair's breadth from her nose. Kagome struggled to control the labored wheezes that were her breath. Hurrying to her car, she got in and slammed the door, fastening her seatbelt with hands that shook terribly. She started the car and sped off as quickly as she could.

It wasn't until she was on the expressway back to her home that she let her tears fall. They flowed in hot streams down her cheeks, collecting under her chin and falling onto her jacket front. They fell silently as Kagome processed what she'd just seen, what she'd heard.

He wasn't mad at her. At least, she didn't think so. She sincerely hoped not. But he'd sounded so…malicious. So desperate to get her to leave. She knew, hoped against hope that he wasn't angry with her, so much as he was angry that she'd found him like she had.

She didn't have to wonder what happened. That was painfully clear. There was no need to ask, to wonder, to question.

Inuyasha's father beat him.

Another bout of tears stung her eyes at the thought alone, so bare and laid out for her to see. She clenched the steering wheel tightly, her vision blurred and impaired.

It was clear. The way he'd called out for his father not to be upset when she'd knocked on the door. His worry of some unnamed entity being pissed at her scent…there was no need for names. Kagome knew…

How could she have missed it? That was the question that plagued her. How could she have allowed herself to look over such a humongous problem with the boy that had become her best friend, the boy who'd worked his way into her heart? She knew he had problems at home. She knew that he had a dysfunctional family: an apathetic brother and a deceased mother…but how had she missed the abusive father? Kagome cursed herself, blamed herself for missing that crucial detail.

How could she save him?

More importantly, would he let her?

Inuyasha leaned heavily against the door, his palms flat, the slam of the wood still ringing in his ears. His breathing was horribly labored and rough, his head throbbing. Pressing his still sore and stinging back against the door, he slid down it, allowing himself to sit on the floor, his back propped up against the smooth wood. His heel slid through a few fragments of shattered glass that he'd yet to sweep up.

He allowed his head to loll backwards, his crown just barely brushing against the oak. He tried to control his breathing, but to no avail. And internally, he raged.

“What is wrong with you?” he screamed at himself, his voice echoing through the empty house. He hated that. He hated that his house echoed. It wasn't a home. Not really. “How could you just…just…chase her away?” He ran and agitated hand through his bangs, wincing as he unwittingly brushed against a fresh scrape on his forehead. He didn't want her to leave him alone. Not really. He was alone enough as it was.

It was over. It was over, over, over, and he knew it. And he hated himself for it. `If I'd only…only…If I'd just looked through the fucking peephole, none of this shit would be happening,' he thought, enraged. `She wouldn't hate me…' Inuyasha took in a deep, shaking breath. He tried to push past the large lump that had formed in his throat; he swallowed thickly, and his eyes stung.

He'd been so afraid. So terribly afraid that his father had come home early. He hadn't had nearly enough time to clean up the mess that had resulted after his punishment, and he knew, from prior experience, that one mess unattended to would result in much pain for him. He hadn't even thought about it. As soon as he heard the banging on the door, he'd just blurted out his apology. Had he known Kagome was on the other side of that door…he would have never opened his mouth. He would have let her knock and knock until she came to the conclusion that no one was home, and left. And then, she still would have thought him to be normal. Well…as normal as he could be. She still would have liked him…she still would have wanted to be his friend.

Inuyasha choked, his face collapsing at the thought. There was no way she'd want to be his friend now. Not with what she'd seen. He covered his chest up, folding his arms over himself, suddenly cold, and self-conscious for no reason. He shivered and bit his lip, ignoring the stab of pain that shot through his aching head. How could she? How could she want to be his friend, knowing what she knew? Seeing him like that? `If being a half-breed weren't enough…' he thought sadly. `Now, I'm a half-breed that can't even stand up for himself…'

He was shocked to feel the scalding tear that made its way down his temple from the corner of his eye. He hadn't cried in years. Not since he was a little kid. But now that he'd lost her…he had to have lost her. He was positive he'd lost her. With all that he'd said—no. With all that he'd shouted at her, there was no way. He didn't know why he'd yelled those things. There were in no way true. He always wanted to see her. He always wanted to be near her. He was ecstatic that he'd gotten the chance to know her. He could only conclude that he'd said those things because…because…he was embarrassed. Cripplingly so. If that weren't enough, he'd made her cry. He could have kicked himself for that. He laughed self-deprecatingly, darkly.

“You're fucking pathetic,” he told himself in a whisper. “Kagome would never want to be around you. Not anymore.” Another burning tear found its way down his bruised face. Inuyasha frowned deeply and brusquely wiped it away with the heel of his hand, hissing as he pressed a bruise.

“I'm so sorry, Kagome.”

It was a profoundly subdued and sullen Kagome that greeted the guests at the Higurashi shrine. They had all frozen when she entered the house, thinking that they had ruined the surprise because they hadn't been in their spots.

“Kagome!” Sango exclaimed. “Where…Where's Inuyasha?” she asked, peeking around the morose girl.

“Oh…he…um…”

“Kagome, is everything alright?” her mother asked, concern etching into her face at her daughter's downtrodden expression. Kagome didn't dare look into her mother's eyes. Surely the woman would be able to see the sorrow…

“Yeah, yeah…everything's fine,” she lied, putting a chipper note into her voice and praying that it didn't sound too forced.

“Where's Inuyasha?” Miroku repeated Sango's question.

“He…he um…” Kagome scrambled for an excuse. It hadn't even crossed her mind to think of one on her way home, she was so absorbed in thinking about Inuyasha's situation. “He's sick. Really, really sick. Stomach flu, actually. He's…just…barfing all over the place. He wouldn't even let me come in, because he thinks he's contagious and didn't want to spread the germs,” she explained finally, satisfied that her lie would adequately give him an out. Ms. Higurashi clicked her tongue.

“Oh, well that's too bad. The poor dear. Sick on his birthday. Do you think we should bring something over? Some soup or—“

“No, no! I…I mean, uh, Inuyasha doesn't want to risk spreading anything…he—he'd feel terribly guilty if any of us got sick because of him,” Kagome said quickly, hoping to deter any visits. “Anyway…I didn't tell him about the party…so, maybe we can reschedule? For another day?”

“Yeah, sure, that's fine,” Miroku agreed, and Sango nodded her consent as well.

“Thanks, you guys. That's great. You…you guys can go I guess. Sorry to have taken your time for nothing…” Kagome mumbled.

“It's fine, Kagome, don't worry about it,” Sango said lightly.

“Okay…so…I'll, um…I'll call you. Whenever…we can reschedule, okay?”

“Okay.”

Kagome shut the door after her two friends, watching out of the window as they descended the shrine steps. She sighed heavily and clenched her fists, turning to head up to her room. She needed to be alone.

“Kagome? Sweetheart?” came her mother's voice. She laid a gentle, warm hand on Kagome's shoulder. “Honey, are you sure you're alright?” she asked softly, concerned. Kagome turned to look at the woman, seeing all of the love in her eyes. The concern, the tenderness. All she could think of was how Inuyasha didn't have any of that. How Inuyasha hadn't had that since he was a very small child…how she wanted to give him that again.

“Oh, Mom,” she whispered brokenly. She allowed herself to slump into her mother's embrace, taking the older woman's warmth and using it to build herself up again. “Mom…mom…” she murmured over and over again, the tears threatening to overcome her once more.

“Sweetie, what happened over there?” she asked. Kagome could hear the shock and fear in her mother's voice. She wanted to tell her. She wanted to break down and tell every bit of what she saw, to get her mother's advice. But she couldn't. She couldn't do that to Inuyasha. She couldn't betray his trust.

“Inuyasha's just really sick, Mom. He's really, really sick,” she murmured.

She hadn't seen him all day. It was quite obvious that he was avoiding her. He hadn't shown up at their usual secluded little lunch table, he wasn't in the library or outside on the front stairs at the school entrance, all places where she could usually find him. She was worried. Perhaps he wasn't just avoiding her…maybe he wasn't at school today. With the injuries she'd seen…perhaps that was enough to take him out of commission for a day.

All those worries left her, however, when she walked into Biology class 7th hour and saw him at his lab bench, hunched over his notebook and scribbling furiously. Kagome took what had become her usual seat next to him. He didn't acknowledge her presence; he didn't even look up from the homework he was desperately trying to finish before the bell rang. Kagome waited patiently until he finished. She waited until the bell rang, and waited until the teacher had collected the homework and had gotten well into her lecture before she attempted to speak to him.

“Are you just going to ignore me forever?” she whispered. He didn't answer. She wished she could see his face. But with his ever-present hood in place, all she could see was the tip of his nose from over the edge of the fabric.

It had been a long period. Kagome felt like it took forever for the bell to finally ring and release them from their prison so that she could finally pull some words out of him. Enough was enough.

But he'd bolted. As soon as the bell sounded, he bolted from the room, leaving Kagome to follow as quickly as she could. She jogged after him, feeling a bit pathetic at the way she was trailing him, but feeling as though it were necessary. She couldn't let him drift away from her for too long; she feared she'd never be able to get him back.

He made his way briskly to the small pavilion that was the bus stop, clearing the little space faster than anything she'd ever seen. Her heart clenched at the way the people repelled from him, the way they didn't want to be anywhere near him, even to get on a bus that they needed, as though he were some disease. `If they only knew…'

He didn't way a word as she took a seat on the hard bench beside him. He only kept his intense focus on the ground, his hands clenched into tight fists in his lap.

“You're that mad at me, huh?” she asked, fiddling with the flap of her bag. “You're that upset with me that you don't even want to come over to study today? Inuyasha, look, I don't know what I did, but I don't want you to be ma—“

“I'm not mad at you, alright?” he cried, his voice cracking sharply. Kagome could only stare at the side of his hood. The distress was clear in his tone.

“Could have fooled me,” she muttered. “You haven't talked to me since that day…you've just been avoiding me…what am I supposed to think?” He wouldn't answer her. “Inuyasha, talk to me,” she pleaded.

“What do you want me to say?” he asked desperately, finally facing her. “Hm? What the hell am I supposed to say?”

“I don't know, Inuyasha! I don't know! I only want to know why you've been avoiding me—“

“Did it ever occur to you that I'd be embarrassed?” he shot back darkly. He crossed his arms.

“Embarrassed…” she repeated, as though trying the word on for the first time. “Inuyasha, you have no reason to be embarrassed—“

“The hell I don't!” he snorted. “Why shouldn't I be embarrassed? I have every reason to be! Kami, if everything weren't horrible enough! Now you see me all fucked up—“

“Inuyasha, you're not the one who needs be embarrassed or feel ashamed! He is!” Kagome exclaimed. There was no reason to explain who `he' was.

“Well, I do, okay? Dammit!” The silence that ensued seemed to stretch into eternity.

“How…how long has he been…doing this to you?” she whispered the question. Inuyasha growled harshly, crossing his arms over his chest and turning his back to her.

“I don't want to talk about this,” he spat.

“Does it happen every day? Or only once in a while? Or—“

“Kagome...” he sneered warningly.

“What about Sesshomaru? Why hasn't he said or done anything? Or…oh, Kami, does he hit your brother, too?

“Kagome! What part of `I don't want to talk about it' do you not fucking understand?” he snarled viciously, his posture tightening with the force of his words. “Shit! Just leave it the fuck alone!”

Kagome bit the inside of her cheek, torn. She couldn't, simply couldn't, leave him to stew in his thoughts. This had been stagnant for far too long.

“Why don't you call the police?” she asked finally. He sighed heavily, obviously giving up. He knew she wouldn't let it go. She was persistent to a fault.

“Who's gonna care, Kagome? What cop, human or demon, is gonna care about some stupid half-breed? They'll…probably say I deserve it,” he mumbled.

“No, they wouldn't say that! It doesn't matter what you are, they'll still help you! It's not right for him to do that to you, Inuyasha!”

“No, Kagome, they won't! They won't care, alright?”

“How do you know they won't?”

“How do you know they will?” he retorted. She was silent. “Just believe me, alright? They won't care. They won't give a shit.”

“What about…what about group homes? Or…or—adoption! What about adoption, Inuyasha, or a foster home at least?” Kagome was tired of talking to his back, and she moved to sit in front of him on his opposite side.

“Are you out of your mind?” he said nastily. “Who's gonna wanna adopt me, huh? Who's gonna want to take me into their home? Even if only for a few weeks. Do you realize how low in the pecking order I would be for adoption? The ones with the best shot are the infants!” he exclaimed. “Not only am I a teenager, but I'm a boy, and a hanyou! You can't get much worse off than that!” He growled low in his throat and looked away. “That'd never work. I've done some research. Believe me, it'd be useless.”

“Have you…have you considered emancipating yourself?” she suggested meekly, bracing for him to shoot the idea down. “You could, you know, have a judge grant you emancipation…then you could get a job…your own place. Maybe you could stay in your flat for a while until you got on your feet—“

“I have no job. The odd jobs I do for Totosai wouldn't pay for food. I'm a hanyou. No one would hire me. I can barely keep my grades up when I have a stable place to stay. There's no way I'd be able to—“

“And abusive home is not stable,” Kagome insisted hotly. Inuyasha looked into her eyes, and absolutely broke her heart with the immense sorrow in them.

“I'd never be able to make it,” he whispered. “There is no option for me, Kagome. There's nothing. All there is is the house, and Dad, that's it. There is no choice.”

“Inuyasha…I can't…I can't take it…” she stammered. He shut his eyes, clenching them tightly against the rejection he knew was coming. “I can't take—” `Being your friend anymore,' he finished for her in his head. `Just say it and get it over with. Just fucking say it,' he thought painfully. He waited.

“I can't take the thought of him hitting you,” she whispered. Her hands gripped his sleeve tightly. “Just…it was horrible…seeing you like that…”

“Kagome…” he breathed. She pushed the impeding hood off of him, and brought up a hand to cup his cheek; he blushed hotly. His heart contracted wildly in his chest. Her thumb moved to caress his skin, and Inuyasha almost shut his eyes at the feeling. Kagome's eyes fell to the `v' of skin that his sweatshirt zipper hadn't closed to cover. She could still see the faint print of blood under his pale skin, the bruise that was shaped like a hand. She looked at his face, studying it for evidence of his black eye, his busted lip. All that was left of those injuries were a small scratch on his cheekbone and a tiny cut on the edge of his lip.

“Were you ever gonna tell me?” she whispered. He looked at her guiltily.

“No…I…I didn't want you to ever find out…” he admitted.

“Inuyasha—“

“I know, I know…you don't think I should be embarrassed. But…Kagome, why would I want you to know that? Huh? Why would I want you of all people to see that I'm weak?”

“You're not weak! Inuyasha, he's a lot older than you, and he's full demon! You can't really think that you'd be able to take that kind of beating—“

“That really doesn't make me feel any better,” he muttered, and she fell quiet.

“I'm sorry. I just mean that…you shouldn't have to go through what you go through…it's not right.”

“Some would say it is.”

“They'd be wrong.”

“You sound so sure.”

“It's because I am.”

“I don't understand you.”

“I know. But that's alright,” she said softly. Her hand hadn't moved from its spot on his cheek. Moving her hand toward herself in a leading sort of way, Kagome pulled him into ha hug, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He blushed again as his mouth and nose were inadvertently nestled against the crook of her neck. He let out a shaky breath as he took the time to really feel how close they were, as he discovered the incredible potency of her remarkable scent from his position. He could feel the steady thump of her pulse, so firmly against his bottom lip and he shuddered. He resisted the urge to pucker his lips and press a gentle kiss to the spot. His eyes went hazy.

“Don't shut me out, okay?” she whispered into his hair. Her throat vibrated against him as she spoke, sending more shivers down his spine. He sighed contentedly.

“I didn't want to shut you out in the first place,” he admitted. “I don't want you to leave me alone…not really.”

“And I won't,” she said adamantly. His heart rejoiced.

“I was only…just—”

“I know. I know,” Kagome told him. Her hands smoothed the hair on the crown of his head. “Just…tell me. When he hurts you…I want to save you,” she murmured, her last words just barely audible, even to his superior hearing.

“You already have…” he sighed, his own voice just barely above a whisper. “In more ways than you know…”

He'd missed his bus. He didn't care.

Inuyasha followed behind Kagome as they made their way up the shrine steps. Was still embarrassed; still ashamed that she'd found out his dirty little secret. But even still, he couldn't deny, even to Kagome, that he wanted to be near her. And so he'd study with her that afternoon. Even if his heart wasn't into the actual schoolwork, as it rarely was, he'd go through the motions, if only to be with her, near her, talk with her.

She seemed a bit on edge as they drove to her home, and even now as they ascended the stairs. Inuyasha didn't know whether that was due to the little heart to heart they'd had, or simply because she was still reeling from the events a few days earlier. Either way, he wished he knew what the matter was so that he could try to—

“SURPRISE!!!” A flash went off.

“What the hell!?”

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, INUYASHA!!!” The boy in question could only stare, mouth hanging open to his chest as the five people before him threw bits of sparkling confetti at him, most of which got promptly stuck in his hair. The sixth person, with a sly smile on her lips, deftly slipped a multi-colored cone hat on to his head, complete with an elastic string chin-strap.

“Gotcha,” she whispered in his ear, tiptoeing to reach the appendage that flicked against her lips. She held up the camera that had apparently flashed upon his entry. “Come on,” she smiled, taking his hand and leading the shocked boy further into the house.

“Did we surprise you, Inuyasha? Did we get you?” Souta asked excitedly, tugging on the older boy's sleeve, jumping up and down.

“Yeah, yeah, Souta…you got me…” Inuyasha said, dazed, as he looked around the house. There were balloons everywhere, of every color and shape, even. Streamers hung from the door frames. A large banner hung in the doorway of the kitchen. `Happy Birthday!' it proclaimed in loud colors. The entire house smelled wonderful: of food, family, and Kagome. Inuyasha's heart was in his throat. “How did you…how did you know—“

“Grade report,” Kagome said quickly. He needed no further explanation than that. The girl had somehow managed to remember every important thing about him from one look at his grade report all that time ago…he didn't know how she'd done it. But he was glad she had.

After they'd fed him enough to last him a week, Souta promptly shoved a huge gift into his lap, beaming at him expectantly.

“Open it, Inuyasha! Hurry and open it!” he demanded impatiently.

“Okay, okay, I'll open it,” he laughed. He would open it. After he took a moment to absorb…the moment. The expectant, smiling faces surrounding him, the stupid hat that Kagome insisted he wear, the aromatic smell of the huge sheet cake that read `Happy 17th Birthday, Inuyasha!' in electric blue frosting. He'd never forget it. He'd never had a birthday party. His mother had done the best she could…she'd tried to make his birthday festive, and he'd been satisfied with what she'd done. But this was more than he could have ever hoped for. After she died, his birthday had become nothing more than simply another day on the calendar. This was an unprecedented jump in the opposite direction.

He carefully stuck a claw under one of the folds of paper to cut the tape. Souta huffed with annoyance.

“Not like that!” he exclaimed. He ripped the paper away himself in a flurry of skinny limbs and crinkled paper. “Like that!” he said happily, the present bare.

“`Hot Wheels Alien Attackers'” Inuyasha read from the box. Well…he'd never had a race car set before…he supposed it was never too late… “Wow…thanks, Souta,” he told the boy with a knowing smile.

“Hey…ya wanna play with it now?” he asked, practically jumping out of his skin. Inuyasha laughed.

“Yeah, sure. Go set it up.” Souta all but snatched the box from Inuyasha's lap and ran into the living room.

He'd get around to racing cars with the child right after he'd been given Miroku, Sango and Kagome's gift.

“Hey, you got me a new one!” he exclaimed upon opening the box.

“Yeah. That means I never want to see this thing—“ Kagome pinched the hood of the jacket he wore. “—ever again.”

“Okay, okay,” he grumbled with a smile.

It had gotten late, and because it was a school night, Miroku and Sango bid them their farewells, promising a movie that weekend for a real celebration.

“Now that you're finally seventeen,” Miroku reasoned. “We don't have to stick to stupid `PG-13' movies. We've upgraded to `R',” he said conspiratorially. “Believe me, my friend. The…ahem, benefits…of R-rated movies are fantastic…”

Inuyasha wasn't quite sure he knew what Miroku meant when he said that.

Eventually Souta had been sent to bed, after they'd all gotten their fill of cake. Inuyasha couldn't believe the effort they'd all put into a day to celebrate his birth—had he allowed himself, he might, just might have been able to squeeze out a tear. Kagome had taken several pictures of the event, including several close-ups of him in that abhorred hat. She laughed musically and insisted that he'd love them when they came out. Eventually, though, it came to the time when Inuyasha knew he had to get home, or face a worse punishment than what already awaited him. He'd already stayed later than he should have.

“Wait,” Kagome murmured, grabbing his wrist as he reached for his jacket. “Before you go.” A secret smile played on her lips, and Inuyasha felt warmth pool in his stomach; he bit the inside of his cheek as she led him to her room.

“Another present?” he asked in wonder as she put a flat envelope into his hands.

“You didn't really think I'd only chip in for a sweatshirt for you, did you? Inuyasha, come on. You know me better than that. At least, you should,” she scoffed. “Go ahead, open up.”

The shiny silver card fell out into his lap as he opened the envelope's flap.

“ `Aihara's Art Abode' Kagome…”

“You like?”

“ `S perfect.”

“I figured it would be. Now you can get more paint supplies…maybe you can finish my portrait faster…” she said leadingly, jokingly.

“Ah, so there's an ulterior motive,” he smiled, tucking the card into his pocket.

“Of course there is!” she laughed. “My portrait…seeing you smile like that…all a part of my big plan,” she said earnestly. Inuyasha swallowed thickly and his face heated, a shy smile tugging at his lips.

“Keh…well, thanks—“

“Oh! That's not it!”

“Kagome, it's too much—“

“No, it's not,” she insisted, pulling the pièce de résistance out of her drawer. She pushed the rectangle into his hands, smiling softly. “Okay. Last thing, I promise.”

Inuyasha could feel it was something important; his fingers trembled as he carefully slid off the bow and opened the paper. He held his breath as his eyes fell onto the picture he'd taken of them that day in the forest. He was smiling, genuinely smiling at the camera; Kagome was looking up at him, a radiant smile painted on her lips, her head partially pillowed on his hair. `Damn, Kagome…' he thought breathlessly. The girl in question leaned her head on his shoulder, peeking over at the picture along with him, her face pressed flush against his own.

“We're pretty damn cute, aren't we?”

“Yeah…” Inuyasha murmured with a smile. `Best Friends' the caption read. “Really?” he asked, pointing to the words.

“Of course. What'd you think?” she said. His heart almost stopped when her arms wrapped around his middle from behind, joining at his stomach, which promptly erupted with a hoard of butterflies. He was positive she could feel the heat from his blush against her own face. “You're my very best friend, Inuyasha,” she whispered.

“M-mine too,” he uttered, voice quaking. He felt hot all over.

“Stay here tonight,” she blurted after they'd been quiet a few moments.

“Huh?” Inuyasha grunted articulately. He turned his head to look at her, and quickly realized how close their faces were, and immediately righted his position. He thought his head would explode with the amount of blood that was rushing to his face.

“Stay. Here,” she repeated, tightening her embrace around him. “I…I can't stand the thought of him hitting you…not tonight. Not when you've enjoyed the whole night…it wouldn't be fair…”

“Kagome…I can't…”

“Please,”

“I…I want to…” he strained. `I'd absolutely love to,' he added silently. The thought of spending a night in Kagome's room, her scent enveloping him, being able to wake up and see her first thing in the morning…he wanted to badly. “But…I just can't…” He was afraid to. If his father found out? He'd be dead.

“I understand,” she whispered sadly. “But…Inuyasha…when he hurts you…whenever he hurts you…you come to me. Okay? I don't care what time it is, when it is, or how bad it is…come to me, okay? Since you won't go to anyone else, come to me, alright?”

“Alright.”

“Promise me you will. I'll take care of you, I promise. I'll take such good care of you,” she pledged quietly. She pressed her forehead against the side of his face, her nose against his cheek, her whispers soft against his skin. Inuyasha shut his eyes and smiled, feeling the warmest he'd felt in years. Feeling alive. He tentatively pressed a gentle hand to her hair, and smoothed it between his fingers.

“I promise…Kami, Kagome…thank you.”

Author's Notes:

…And on three: One, two, three: AAAAWWWWWW!!!!! I know, I know…*wipes tear* oh, it was so beautiful….LOL

Hey did anyone notice that Inuyasha's fake initials are IDC? Like `I Don't Care' ? lol, I just noticed that while I was proofing…you guys probably don't care either, lol.

I really like making Inuyasha happy. If you couldn't tell, He's my favorite anime character ever. (I know, I put him through grief…but it's all tough love hehehe)

And FYI, yeah, I've done a hotsauce chugging contest…it's not a good idea at all. So if you were considering it for any reason at all, refrain. You will vomit.

Review!

Wowzer313