Friday, September 24, 2004

   inuyasha 7
Kagome stared up at Inuyasha with something akin to true horror as the hanyou wrapped his arms around his stomach, threw back his head and laughed so hard and so loud that she clapped her hands over her own ears to dampen the sound and cringed away from him. As she watched, he sank to his knees, tears rolling down his cheeks freely as his entire body shook from the force of his laughter. The numbness wore off slowly and Kagome moved with painstaking caution in an attempt to escape the laughing hanyou's attention. Edging towards the well, her only escape, she forced her shaking muscles to move step by wary step.

Inuyasha was rolling on his back now, knocking his head back against the ground and still his laughter rang out, making her ears ring from the sheer volume. She very carefully eased onto the lip of the well, her eyes still locked on his face. For a moment she just stared, half transfixed by the pure unadulterated glee in his expression and laughter while her other half stayed horrified at his reaction. She had to get away before he regained control and she caught the end of whatever he would wind down to.

Kagome shoved off quickly, closing her eyes and waiting for the silence that would indicate she was back in her time.

She had barely begun to fall when two clawed hands caught her beneath the arms and hoisted her up out of her only escape avenue. Still laughing, Inuyasha tossed her into the air, twisting his hold to turn her so that when she came back down he could catch her again under the arms... Facing him. His eyes were open now, glittering gold and showing the same excitement that filled his laughter.

Inuyasha still shook, his laughter bubbling over even as he made a very obvious, conscious effort to get it under control. The laughter quieted to a more bearable level, but he finally shook his head and stopped trying to silence it completely. He yanked her forward, his mouth locking onto hers in a hard, quick kiss that was over just as quickly as her stunned brain registered it had happened.

And then she was casually tossed over his shoulder as he turned away from the well and bounded off towards the village with dizzying speed.



***



Inuyasha burst through the door to Kaede's hut, 'still' shaking with laughter, but the sound had finally died down to a softer level. He held Kagome over his shoulder with an arm around her waist as he sauntered in, his eyes gleaming wickedly and wearing a smile so broad it was a wonder it didn't split his face in half.

His companions backed away nervously from this completely unexpected turn of events. Shippo's mouth gaped open as he looked from Inuyasha's face to Kagome's, taking in her rather shell-shocked expression. "Wha-what did you do to Kagome?" he squeaked out, his little hands fisting in the fabric of his pants.

Sango hadn't thought it was possible, but Inuyasha's grin grew even larger and he swept Kagome forward, setting her on her feet in front of him with exaggerated care. He took a quick step back as she balanced herself, folding his arms over his chest and very distinctly singing out, "Stay!"

Kagome instantly dropped into the cross-legged, sitting position, shooting him a fierce glare as stunned gasps filled the air around her. Her mouth opened to let him have it with his own spell, but Inuyasha quickly pressed a clawed finger over her lips. Smirking down at her, he started that deep chuckling again, "Not unless you want me to make up for two years in the next ten minutes, Ka-go-me."

Her brows lowered and she growled out, "Fuck you."

"Kagome-chan!" Sango's eyes went huge and she involuntarily lifted a hand in front of her open mouth as Kagome's response only served to set the hanyou off again.

Miroku cleared his throat, eyes wide as he stammered out, "A..a subduing spell? On Kagome-sama?!"

"How did such a thing happen?" even Kaede's voice was full of confused shock.

"I don't know," Kagome muttered irritably, refusing to meet Inuyasha's gaze as the hanyou sat down in front of her with a smug grin.

"Who cares?!" Inuyasha flung his arms out in an expansive gesture.

Kaede gave Inuyasha a dry look, "You don't want to know 'how' you can subdue Kagome?"

He shrugged, "I know what to say and that it works. Why should I care why? I obviously did something right!"

"Kagome?" Kaede shook her head at the hanyou and turned her attention to the blushing girl. "This is why you wanted to know if there was a way to break a subduing spell, isn't it?"

Kagome hunched her shoulders, her attention focused on her lap as she quietly admitted, "Hai."

Miroku was shaking his head, "Every time you fell... Inuyasha had said 'stay,' hadn't he? You just didn't want any of us to know you were being subdued as well."

She looked more and more miserable, but nodded once and said in an even softer voice, "Hai."

"HA!" Inuyasha rocked back on his heels with a delighted shout.

"Sit!" she barked out at him.

"Stay!"

"Baka!"

"Bitch!"

"If you're 'quite' finished...?" Kaede interrupted the pair before the fight could escalate further. Inuyasha's smile hadn't wavered and his voice was downright cheerful as he responded to Kagome. She didn't trust the outcome with Inuyasha looking so blatantly delighted and Kagome looking as though she'd do the hanyou serious damage if given the chance. The role reversal was unsettling and she wasn't sure how to handle this situation.

Satisfied when Kagome averted her face and Inuyasha just snorted, propping his chin on upraised hands and looking for all the world like the happiest man alive, she cleared her throat and looked at the grumbling girl, "Kagome, I have some questions for you."

She sucked in a breath, pondering for a moment whether or not to answer. After all it wasn't like they could force... Her eyes drifted to where Inuyasha smiled at her just a little too sweetly... 'Damn.'

She finally released the indrawn breath in a defeated sigh and nodded, motioning for Kaede to continue and sneaking another glare at Inuyasha when the hanyou started to giggle softly.

"How did this happen?" the old miko repeated her earlier question, her voice full of the authority given only by someone who would have nothing but the complete truth.

Kagome winced, but she was determined to keep at least a part of her secret. No need for anyone to find out about the oh-so incriminating tattoo, and definitely no need for Inuyasha to find out she'd been drunk, "I told Sango about the night I had out with my friends..." She shot Sango an almost pleading look not to speak up before looking back at her lap again, "I don't really remember what happened. There was just this... this shrine and an old monk or a priest or something. I remember meeting him, but the next thing I knew I was back out in the street as though nothing had happened and the shrine was gone."

Sighing, Kagome ran a hand through her hair, still refusing to look at Inuyasha, "I didn't think anything of it, but when I came through the well the first thing I heard was Inuyasha yelling. The first word I heard him yell was 'stay,' and all of a sudden my legs just went totally numb and down I went."

When Inuyasha snorted, she was practically growling at him herself. He just winked at her, mouthing "stay," and she immediately subsided. Kagome fidgeted nervously for a moment to see if he intended to follow through on his threat before she relaxed. When he simply motioned for her to continue, brows raised suggestively, she frowned and spoke again.

"I panicked," she shrugged. "I wasn't sure I was under a spell! I mean, I hoped I wasn't, but in case I was I had to ask and see how it could have happened. I don't have a rosary or anything so I wasn't sure how it could have been cast..."

"You asked about tattooing," Kaede reminded, watching Inuyasha's ears perk up.

"The spell's tattooed on? This just keeps getting better every fucking minute!" Inuyasha was instantly laughing again, trying desperately to smother it behind his hands and failing. He might have said he didn't care how it happened, but if Kagome was spilling her guts about it, he definitely wanted to hear it. And a tattoo would mean 'her' spell was permanent! Inuyasha could barely believe his good luck.

"No! It's not-! I don't-" Kagome tried several times and then threw up her hands in frustration and told an all out lie, "I have no idea how the spell is in me. It just is!" she growled, folding her arms across her chest and fighting the urge to smack Inuyasha upside the head.

Luckily, with the irritation in her voice and the fact that her blush had been present for nearly the entire conversation, no one thought to question it. Kaede simply sat back, looking thoughtful while Sango looked dizzy and Miroku had an almost pained look on his face. Shippo was shaking his head and sniffling, as though he was on the verge of tears.

"Kagome, if you can't 'sit' Inuyasha then who's going to save me?" the kitsune gave her a watery look before burying his face in his little hands. "I'm gonna die!" he wailed out miserably.

Kagome made a face and tried to reach out to the kit as best she could while her lower half was being held immobile from the spell, "It isn't that I CAN'T do it, Shippo, it's just-"

"It's just that now *I* can do it back," Inuyasha cut her off to exclaim smugly, catching her wrist with one hand to keep her from reaching Shippo. "AND... Now you can't go back to your stupid time unless *I* say it's all right."

The look Kagome gave him was coldly furious, "Inuyasha, that's not fair-!"

He tilted his head to one side, arching one brow mockingly, "Oh really? I'd say this is as fair as it gets, Kagome. Now I don't have to worry about you using the fucking spell on me," he was grinning again, idly toying with the rosary. "I can say yours just as easy as you say mine."

Kagome started getting to her feet, "Inuyasha-!"

"Stay," he closed his eyes and sighed happily when she dropped right back down again. "Ah, sorry, Kagome, but I just couldn't help myself," his shoulders started shaking again when she started cursing beneath her breath, biting her lip in an effort to keep from screaming out a long line of "sits."

'He's right, he has two years that he'd just love to make up for,' Kagome scowled at him before closing her eyes and reaching back to rub the small of her back. 'There is no possible way this day could get any worse for me.'

Kagome's eyes went wide when she felt herself being lifted again, "What the-?! Hey! Inuyasha, what do you think you're you doing?!"

Inuyasha grinned at the rest of the group, tossing her back over his shoulder and turning to go with a wave, "Kagome and I have a lot to talk about. I just came here to show you what was going on so you don't worry. We'll be back sometime later, so don't bother coming to look for us."

"I refuse to talk to you until you stop that goddamn laughing!" she hissed at him as he was once again out the door and bounding off towards the woods, leaving behind a hut full of very shocked humans and a sobbing baby youkai. When she felt his chest and shoulders vibrate with his laughter again, she smacked him on the back with her palm, "I mean it, Inuyasha, I'll say it!"

"You do and we both fall," he responded with a shrug that had her grabbing onto him in fear of a sudden tumble. "Ease up, Kagome, I'm not planning on dropping you," he reached up with his free hand and patted her leg in what she imagined was supposed to be a comforting gesture.

"You just want to drag me off somewhere private before you break my spine," she grumbled, pouting as she watched the treetops pass by in a blur.

"Did I say that?" Inuyasha questioned, his voice once again taunting and smug. "I have something completely different in mind. You and I are going to sit down and talk for once, and if you get mad and 'sit' me or try to run off, I'm using mine. Neither of us is going to go anywhere until we've cleared up some things that have been bothering me."

"I hate you," she tugged on a lock of his hair in a pique.

"Mmm, I'm sure you do," she could feel him smile when he leaned his head against her leg. "Probably just as much as I hate you."

Kagome let out a grunt when Inuyasha dropped rather abruptly from the sky, coming to an easy stop in a small clearing of the forest. He'd purposefully picked a place far enough away from both the village and the well for his own peace of mind, despite his newfound control. This confrontation had been years in the making and he was taking no chances on getting interupted before he was through.

Inuyasha slid Kagome down his chest, smirking at the sudden jump in her heartbeat, but wiping the expression off his face before he again held her beneath the arms and said, "Stay."

Kagome sucked in a breath sharply, supported only by Inuyasha's hands as the hanyou eased her down to a seated position in the thick grass before he took up a similar position directly in front of her. Frustrated and suddenly feeling infinitely weary at the whole complicated mess, Kagome just propped her elbows on her knees and let her head drop into her hands. Shoulders slumped and looking utterly defeated, she spoke in a flat tone, "What do you want to know, Inuyasha?"

He was quiet for a long moment, just watching her and letting the tension sweep out of him. Two long years of walking on eggshells around her, never knowing when she might take offense to something he said and drop him with the damn rosary so she could go running home. It would never happen again.

Suddenly everything made sense.

Kagome refusing to "sit" him no matter what he tried and instead taking 'his' usual avenue of responding. He tried to remember how many times she'd fallen only to say she tripped and fought the urge to chuckle. So now she knew what it was like to be rendered totally helpless with a casual word... He couldn't say he felt bad for her, on the contrary, now he felt better than he had in ages. Like he had absolutely nothing to worry about. He might still be under the rosary's spell, but dammit, if she let him have it, she was going to get it right back just as much!

That brought his thoughts back to the one "sit" she actually had given him last week, the one that had been unexpected and, as he thought, totally undeserved. He'd just dropped her for what had to have been the tenth time that day without knowing it and she'd snapped. He did smile as he reached out and tucked a long lock of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingered a moment to feel the silky texture, "I'm surprised you didn't bite off your tongue."

"It was a near thing," Kagome looked up at him, supporting her chin in her upturned hands and trying to ignore the way her heart pounded at his fingers gently grazing her skin.

"Did you mean it?" Inuyasha inquired curiously, softly, searching her eyes for any hint of deception. "When you apologized, I mean. Did you really mean you were sorry or were you just doing that because you knew I would find out about this sooner or later and you were hoping I wouldn't go crazy with it?"

She shook her head, her lips briefly quirking in a regretful smile, "I meant it."

He folded his arms in the sleeves of his kimono and continued to watch her with that piercing gaze, "Why? I want to hear it from you."

Kagome started to turn her face away, but Inuyasha was faster, catching her chin in his hand and turning her eyes back to his. He shook his head at her, not relinquishing his hold, "Talk to me like this, Kagome, or I'll use it again. I already told you, I have two years worth of 'sits' that you have against me and unless you want me to use them all now, you have to do things 'my' way."

"Keh," she snorted, immediately shutting her mouth and blushing as she realized she'd just made a very Inuyasha sound in front of what had instantly become a very amused hanyou. He was chuckling again, low and comfortable this time, but no less amused than he'd been previously.

He squeezed her chin lightly, eyes twinkling as he smirked, "Damn, Kagome, just how much *did* you pick up from being around me?"

Her blush deepened and she grumbled, "All the bad things apparently."

"We'll get to that," Inuyasha promised in a tone that almost had her flinching again from the depth of promise in it. He nudged her chin up again to get her to open her eyes, waiting for her to do so before removing his hand and giving her an imperious nod, "Why are you sorry, Kagome?"

She sighed, reaching out to lightly touch his knee, "Look, Inuyasha, I just... I never stopped to really think about what it had to be like. It was just something to make you leave me alone or... or get me home before you caught up."

"Or whenever you decided you were annoyed," he made a face at her.

Kagome nodded, "Or even then. I hadn't realized it might actually hurt."

His brows rose when she rubbed the small of her back again, "Sore, are you?"

"I suppose you know just what that feels like," she gave him a dry look when he smiled again. "I don't have any idea how you don't hate me. You don't even want to know some of the things that have gone through my mind about you lately."

"Apparently fucking myself is one of them," he bit his lip in an effort not to laugh out loud again at the very disgruntled look on her face. Every word out of her mouth was lifting his spirits, making him almost euphoric as the helpless feeling he'd always seemed to have around her melted away. She was honestly apologizing. He hadn't needed to bully her or threaten or anything! It just took a couple weeks of him unknowingly subduing her to realize what sorts of hell she put him through on purpose. They were suddenly on equal footing.

'And you kissed her,' a little voice reminded him, drawing his eyes down to lips that were turned ever so slightly downward in a guilty frown. He sucked in a breath, eyes widening as he remembered, 'Holy fuck, I... I did, didn't I? I kissed Kagome! I wasn't even thinking about it, it just... it just seemed so... natural. She...felt good.'

"I'm sorry about that too," she had blushed again, not noticing the sudden stillness that came over the hanyou as he was wrapped up in his own thoughts. "I was so angry at you for saying what you did, but I just couldn't bring myself to say...you know. I figured you were just being you." A thought struck her and she looked up at him suspiciously, "Were you actually trying to trick me into saying it?"

Inuyasha blinked rapidly, clearing his throat as he tried valiantly to swallow his own blush from not only the reminder of his "plan," but the thoughts presently chasing around in his head, "Maybe..."

Kagome stared at him in disbelief before shaking her head and letting out a tiny laugh, "God, you probably didn't know 'what' to think. Did I really say it that much before?"

"Fucking constantly," he growled, grabbing the rosary and giving it a little tug.

She arched one brow and eyed the necklace meaningfully, "Don't think I'm taking that off you, Inuyasha."

He flashed her a grin, the laughter again dancing just below the surface and lighting his eyes, "Why not? Don't you know that I just might be more inclined to be lenient if you took it off for me? You ought to placate me now for all those times you slammed me into the ground."

Kagome reached out and grabbed the necklace, twisting it once in her fist to put a stop to the false sugar-tone in his voice, "If I'm going to be fucking subdued with a word, then so are you."

Inuyasha burst out laughing again, pressing his hands gingerly to his chest as he managed to get out, "I think...I'm breaking... my...own... ribs!!"

"Serves you right," she stuck her tongue out and started to rise.

"Stay."

Right back down again.

"What the hell?! I didn't 'do' anything!" Kagome tried to lunge at him, but Inuyasha pressed a hand to her chest and gave her a little shove. Kagome gave a shriek of surprise and toppled back, her legs still crossed, but the rest of her lying flat on the ground.

Inuyasha leaned over her with a smirk, one brow arching in an obvious taunt, "You know, now I think I understand why you said it so often."

"Sit!" her brows lowered at his amusement.

Not having taken Inuyasha's position into account at the time, Kagome was unprepared for the wind getting knocked out of her when the hanyou came crashing down half on and half off her. Kagome was quite literally frozen in place, not just from him slamming into her, but for the fact that Inuyasha's face was hidden at her throat, his chest flattening hers, and one of his legs between her own. And from the way his chest was shaking, he was still laughing his head off at her expense.

"This isn't funny, Inuyasha!" she ground out, trying to ignore the shock of contact and what exactly it was doing to her insides. Feeling him smile against her neck, her eyes went wide and she tried to work her hands under his shoulders, "Get the hell off me!"

"Can't," he shrugged, his voice thick with suppressed amusement. "You should know that, it's what you used to run away all the time. I'm stuck here until it wears off."

"What if someone sees us like this? They'll think we... Ah, that you and me..." she hissed at him, shoving at his shoulders a little desperately when she couldn't bring herself to complete that thought out loud. "Dammit-"

"You really shouldn't swear so much, Kagome," Inuyasha lifted his head and grinned down at her.

Her entire body went so stiff Inuyasha was sure she would crack her own spine any second. She was dying to scream at him, he knew it, could practically taste it radiating from her. But Kagome took several deep, shaking breaths and very quietly said, "You really are a sonofabitch, you know that? Who do you think I learned it all from, hn?"

Inuyasha's lips compressed in a thin line and the laughter won out again as he choked out, "I had no idea I was such a great teacher."

Kagome gave up, smacking him upside the head with a sour look, "This *isn't* funny! And stop enjoying it, you baka!"

"I don't know what it is to you, but this is damn hilarious for me!" he lifted his torso, bracing his weight on his forearms and patiently waited for the feeling to return to his own legs. He didn't trust Kagome to not attempt to do him some damage with as much as he was teasing her. "Hell, Kagome, do you have any idea how great I feel right now?"

She sighed, rolling her eyes and nodding before admitting hesitantly, "Yeah, I... I think I do."

"Really? Tell me," he propped his elbows on the ground and again rested his chin in his hands and looked down at her curiously.

Kagome searched his eyes, her own narrowed as she looked for something she apparently didn't see, because she sighed and forced her tense muscles to relax, "Well... Think about this from my perspective. Before now, that is. I mean, for two years all I had to do was say one word and you went down. 'The great Inuyasha.' It..." she blushed and looked away from his eyes. "It felt good to..."

"Have that kind of control?" he arched one brow, laughing softly when she blushed again. 'The great Inuyasha, hn? Is that how she thinks of me?'

"I'm not exactly the strongest person that ever lived," she muttered, embarrassed. "And you're... well you're you! You already know how powerful you are."

Inuyasha shook his head and sighed, reaching out to trace her cheek with one claw, "I still would have protected you, Kagome."

Stunned, Kagome's eyes went wide as she froze, transfixed at the unexpected and completely uncharacteristic action, "I-Inuyasha?"

He flashed her a cocky grin, knowing now that she was too surprised and probably confused to notice that the spells had worn off. That meant he was going to stay right where he was, "Maybe not at first, but don't you trust me now? Be honest," he growled lightly, a stern warning, when she opened her mouth.

She snapped it shut again, frowning at him for a moment before she huffed in irritation and grudgingly admitted, "I always have."

Inuyasha nodded, satisfied and relaxing even more, but...he wanted Kagome to relax too, and she was having some trouble with him laying on top of her. Regretfully, he pushed himself up, sitting calmly as he tried to read the emotions flashing in her dark eyes. Finally, he just shrugged and reached out a hand to help her sit up as well, "How about we come to some kind of an agreement about this whole thing."

'That's it, the world is turning upside down,' Kagome just stared at Inuyasha blankly. 'Inuyasha is being calm and reasonable! Ah hell, of course he is. He's back at the advantage and loving every minute of it.'

"I'll try not to say yours if you promise to do the same," he offered, nodding proudly to himself even as he snagged her arm and dragged her possessively under the curve of his shoulder. Holding her there with an arm wrapped around her shoulders, he continued with his terms, "And absolutely NO sneaking off to your time or else I'll definitely say it. As many times as I have to until you stop." He halted her quickly forming protest with a grunt and an upraised hand, "You want to go back, you have to convince me first. AND I go with you. No exceptions."

"But-" she started to protest.

"That part isn't open for discussion," Inuyasha shook his head, his arm tightening around her shoulders. "I'm not going to lie and say I'm not happy about what happened 'this' time you went alone, but what if it had been something else? Something that wanted to hurt you?" He sighed, absently squeezing her shoulder at the dark imaginings trying to make their way into his thoughts, "No. I go too, or you don't go at all. End of discussion."

Kagome tried to shrug off his arm, but he held tight, growling at her when she lifted her hands to try to shove it away. She finally gave up, folding her arms over her chest and voicing her previous observation, "You're loving this, don't deny it."

"I won't," he admitted with a heart-stopping grin that had her staring up at him as though she'd never seen him before. "Now I have a much better way to keep you close; where you belong. Whether you like it or not, that spell means you're bound to me. Just like I've been bound to you. I finally don't have to feel so fucking helpless around you."

Kagome's brows drew down in confusion, "Helpless? You? You have to be kidding..."

"Keh, how the hell do you feel knowing I can open my mouth and send 'you' to the ground with a word, hn? It's serious enough that you haven't tried to run off even once yet and 'that' has to be some kind of damn record with the two of us." He chuckled when she bit her lip and looked away with yet another blush that had his mind momentarily wandering. He shook off the distraction with a bit of a rueful chuckle and chastised his overactive imagination, 'Okay, Inuyasha now is not exactly the best time for these kind of thoughts.'

"Now imagine what it would be like if you didn't have 'sit' to use against me, but I still had st- ah, I still had mine," he suggested, quickly biting off the end of the word that would have sent her to the ground again. 'Wow, that "is" kinda hard...' he frowned briefly at the panic on her face before it relaxed into a thoughtful expression to show she was obediently making the effort to see things his way.

Her eyes widened slowly and she shot a quick look up to his expectant gaze, "Oh...."

"Exactly," the smile he gave her this time had her sucking in a breath sharply. Warm and genuine and...and all for her. "And," he reached up and tapped her forehead once, "now you 'have' to stay."

Kagome swore when she slumped into him, barely catching herself with her hands on his thighs with Inuyasha unsuccessfully trying to smother his laughter even as he patted her back, "Sorry! Sorry! That slips out a lot easier than I thought!"

"No kidding," she growled, but after a tense moment, just sighed and gave up without responding in kind. Inuyasha covered his smile by hiding her face against his chest, things were definitely looking up for him.

'I had no idea it meant that much to him for me to be here,' Kagome's mouth opened, but she closed it again when she couldn't think of what to say aloud. 'Is he really this excited just because he can do the same thing to me that I do to him?'

Inuyasha dragged her up into his lap, hoping that her lack of resistance wasn't just due to the subduing spell. He tucked her head beneath his chin, closing his eyes and letting a feeling of peace go through him. He was back in control... For the first time in two years, and it was restoring his confidence and pride as nothing else could have done. Not just that, but Kagome was bound to him now. He'd find out exactly how eventually, but for now it was enough that some higher power had obviously decided to show her what he had known from the first time he'd protected her.

Inuyasha smiled gently, wrapping both arms around her and pressing her into him until he could feel her heart beating strongly against his chest. He sighed, reaching up to stroke a hand through her hair, knowing he was probably shocking her out of her wits with as much as he was touching her.

'That's too fucking bad, she'll just have to get used to it,' he thought, reveling in the way she was slowly giving in, leaning back into his embrace. His chest rumbled again with soft laughter, but this time, Kagome just relaxed into him even further. When her arms tentatively circled his waist, his smile widened.

Kagome belonged to him.

And soon enough, she'd know it too.


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Thursday, September 23, 2004

   inuyasha 6
Kagome fingered the vial with the Shikon shards as she distractedly regarded their newly acquired piece. Maybe as some bizarre payback for how difficult her life had been for the past almost two weeks, the fight with the youkai holding it had been almost disgustingly easy. Inuyasha had barely even warmed up by the time it was over and he was still grumbling about that now as they made their way back through the woods towards Kaede's village.

The only problem was that the hanyou was staying close, and he kept watching her as though he was waiting for something. Annoyed, she turned to look at him, "What?"

Inuyasha jumped a bit, surprised at her tone, but shaking it off to glare at her, "What? You've gotten so damn clumsy that every time I turn my back you're on the ground. I don't want you slowing us down."

Her eyes narrowed sharply and her mouth opened to form the word, but she snapped it shut. For a moment an almost pained look crossed Inuyasha's face, but he turned away from her and kept walking.

'She was there! Dammit, she was going to say it, I know she was!' he clenched his hands into fists and glared back at her. She had her hand on her hip again, but she was just resting it there instead of rubbing this time, and her expression was distant. 'Why does she keep stopping herself?'

And then his brows lowered dangerously, but this time the anger was completely self-directed, 'And why the fuck am I trying to figure out why she won't do it? Am I that big of an idiot? I should be happy, dammit!'

Somehow, though, he just couldn't be. It was just too weird! She had always used the subduing spell, almost on a whim it seemed at times. So what was stopping her now?

Resolutely, he turned forward again to puzzle over what Sango had told him about Kagome. She definitely knew the girl thing, he thought with a snort, right down to not telling him everything Kagome had really said. She was holding back, he was sure of it, but he also knew there was nothing he could do to get the rest out of her. And that left Kagome.

"You give me a fucking headache sometimes, bitch," he growled low.

"That about makes us even then," Kagome's dry response had him stumbling in consternation.

When had her hearing gotten so good?



**



"Baba, we need to talk," Inuyasha stood in the doorway to the hut, shooting the others a glare to suggest they made themselves scarce. "Now, while Kagome's busy."

Kaede's brows rose at that, but she nodded and motioned for the others to leave, "What seems to be troubling you, Inuyasha?"

He waited until the others filed out, growling when Sango shot him a glare and grabbed his hair to yank his head down. He yelped when she hissed in his ear, "You made me tell you what Kagome told me, so I expect 'you' to do the same."

Inuyasha shook her hand loose and scowled at her, but she simply gave him back a hard glare of her own before she followed Miroku and Shippo out. He set his jaw and turned back to the old woman, leaning against the doorframe rather than taking a seat so he could watch for Kagome's return from the river. He fought the urge to smirk, she was bathing in the first place he'd seen her naked and briefly he wondered if he should sneak up on her to see if THAT would finally get a "sit." He shook off that idea and looked back at Kaede; it was more important to find out what the old woman knew about what had happened to Kagome.

"Kagome talked to you when she came back from her time," he started, his ears flicking back and forth as he folded his hands within the sleeves of his haori. "Tell me what's going on, baba."

Kaede blinked several times, her brows drawing together in confusion, "Has something happened?"

"Don't play fucking dumb with me," Inuyasha bared his fangs threateningly. "I heard her talking to you. She had to have told you what that monk in her time did to her."

She rose slowly to her feet, giving the hanyou a disdainful look, "Inuyasha, I haven't got the faintest idea what you're talking about. All Kagome spoke with me about was your subduing spell. She wanted to know if a spell could be cast into something like a tattoo, or if the spell word could be changed. That was all."

Confused, he shook his head, "That can't be all."

"She also asked if there was a counter spell or some way to break it without her removing the necklace," the old miko shrugged. "She seemed very nervous, but the more we spoke, she seemed to relax. It was a very strange conversation, Inuyasha, but she said nothing of her time to me."

Inuyasha frowned, looking off towards the forest, "There are too many things about all of this that just don't make any sense. She's acting so strange... Baba, do you know of any spells that would make someone fall constantly. For no reason," he added in annoyance when she looked pointedly at the rosary.

"There are spells for nearly everything," Kaede replied matter-of-factly. "Have you noticed anything else that would indicate she's enchanted?"

He averted his profile when he felt his cheeks heat, "She, ah, has said some things she... normally wouldn't say. And she's only used this damn thing once no matter what I say to her," he tugged at the necklace absently.

Kaede's lips twitched and she cleared her throat, "You have been trying to get her to use the spell?"

Inuyasha rounded on her defensively, "Look, she's acting weird, okay?! I'm trying to get things back to normal!"

"Why not ask Kagome?" she offered stoically, although it was obvious she was still highly amused at the thought of the hanyou attempting to trick Kagome into sitting him.

He snorted, "Keh, she hasn't told me anything yet. If she wanted to, she'd have done it already. She obviously doesn't want to talk."

"When has that ever stopped you?" Kaede sat by the firepit, stirring at the pot of herbs casually.

Inuyasha cocked his head to one side, reaching up to toy with the rosary. He hadn't felt this unbalanced in ages, everything jumbling together in a big chaotic mess in his mind. Kagome acting odd, saying things he never thought to hear from her; monks in the future casting falling spells... Kaede was right, he wasn't acting like himself either. He was NEVER this uncertain. His gaze turned inward, unfocused and thoughtful as he heaved a deep sigh, "I feel like I'm losing my fucking mind."

"You're worried about Kagome-sama," the old woman said softly. "I believe under these circumstances it is understandable."

He nodded shortly, turning away from the doorway towards the forest, "Keep her here until I return, baba. Don't let her go to the well. I have to think."

"I will do my best, Inuyasha," Kaede promised as he leapt off towards his forest in a red and white blur.



**



"Kagome!" Shippo walked along the path, following her scent as he called for her. "Kagome?"

The little kitsune hopped onto a high boulder, scrambling over the side and letting out a happy sigh when he caught sight of the Kagome stepping into her funny clothes. The sigh turned into a confused frown, however, when he saw a blur of dark red on her hip for just a split second as she finished pulling up her jeans.

Kagome was pulling a small purple shirt when she heard the loud shriek and spun around only to have an orange and white ball of fluff crash into her stomach and knock her flat on her back.

"WAAAH! You're hurt! You're bleeding!" Shippo squealed, clinging to her stomach and hiding his face against her shirt.

"Shh! Shippo, calm down, I'm not bleeding!" she sat up quickly, her eyes darting around as she prayed Inuyasha was far enough away not to catch the kitsune's cries. "Look at me, Shippo, I'm okay. Really."

He sniffed, wiping his arm over his eyes and peering up at her, "But-but I saw it!"

"It's just a bruise, Shippo," Kagome stammered out quickly, her mind working a mile a minute to come up with a plausible excuse. "I caught my hip on the...edge of my desk right before I came back. That's all. I'm not bleeding or hurt, Shippo, it's really nothing!"

He looked up at her, his eyes suspicious, but he let his little hand moved down to poke her hip where he'd seen the "bruise." She looked worried, but she didn't move when he dug his little claw into the fabric of her pants. Nodding in satisfaction, he stood, but only to change position and sit on her stomach, "You're sure it's nothing?"

"Hai," she fought the blush creeping into her cheeks, covering it up by wrapping her arms around the kitsune and rising to her feet. "Just don't tell Inuyasha, you know how he's been about me being clumsy lately."

"But you have been!" Shippo protested, craning his neck to look up at her pink cheeks. "Don't be embarrassed, I'm sure you'll stop falling!" he scrambled up to her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her neck.

Kagome sighed and nodded, patting his head, "I hope so."

"I'm hungry," he announced, remembering his reason for coming in search of his surrogate mother in the first place.

"Where's Inuyasha?" she stuffed all her soaps back into her bath bag, folding the damp towel and setting that on top before turning back in the direction of the village.

"He's speaking with Kaede-baba," Shippo made a face. "They kicked us out."

Kagome's heart skipped a beat, half hopeful and half terrified, "Shippo, could you do me a favor?"

Shippo puffed out his chest proudly, "You bet!"

She smiled warmly, ruffling his hair, "Okay, I have to go back home for a little bit-"

"But you can't go yet!" he was instantly protesting.

Kagome pressed a finger to his lips quickly, "Just an hour or so. I'll bring you back a treat for after dinner if you watch my pack and make sure Inuyasha stays out of it."

Shippo thought for a moment, then closed his eyes and nodded solemnly, "Chocolate."

She burst out laughing, cuddling him to her, "I never should have given you that."

"Too late," he gave her his sappiest smile, wagging his little tail. "Please?" he tried to make his eyes as big as possible.

"Okay, okay, chocolate," she kissed him on the nose and set him down. "If Inuyasha leaves Kaede's hut, try to distract him."

Shippo nodded and raced off down the path while Kagome pivoted in the direction of the woods and ran off.

'Perfect!' Kagome silently prayed her luck would hold out as she made her way through the woods. 'Inuyasha's busy and that means I have a straight shot to the well! I won't have to worry about him arguing with me about "staying" here,' she cringed at the thought of the usual flow their arguements at the well took. 'I can be there and back before he even realizes I've gone.'

However, she couldn't quite shake the feeling of impending doom nagging at the back of her mind.



**



Inuyasha looked up at the sky, searching for answers that continued to elude him no matter how hard he thought. Everything that was going on just seemed like broken pieces of a puzzle; too many holes for it to fall into place and start making sense. Kagome taking up a sudden interest in his subduing spell... His ears flattened as he recalled what Kaede had said, 'No fucking way she's tattooing the thing into me!'

But why now? After so long when he was sure she loved being able to smash his face into the ground without fearing any sort of repercussions, why would she develop a sudden aversion to using it?

There was the story of the monk in her time, but why wouldn't she remember anything about it? Had she been put under a spell even before that and her own miko powers kept them from blocking out everything? But why would a monk in the future want to cast a spell on Kagome that didn't do anything but make her clumsy? Had it gone wrong somehow?

And the language she was using lately! Was it just that she had been around him so long that she was picking up on it or was it something more serious? He'd never had her call him anything worse than "baka" and suddenly she was telling him to go fuck himself?

How did all of it tie into her new habit of rubbing the scar on her hip? She looked like she was in pain some of the times she rubbed it, but other times, she just looked distant. It was like her thoughts were drifting a million miles away, and from the expressions that would cross her face, he didn't think they were pleasant musings. There were times she almost looked afraid....

Okay, so that was what was really bothering him. The thought that Kagome was afraid of something and refused to talk to him, her protector, about what had scared her so badly. Didn't she trust him to take care of it? He might not always be as nice to her as he could be, but, dammit, that didn't mean he'd stand for anyone else giving her trouble! As soon as he found out who'd dared to do something to his Kagome he was going to rip them to pieces. Slowly...

Inuyasha sat straight up when a very familiar scent reached him, ears swiveling in the direction it indicated as his brows lowered in a frown. Grunting, he leapt up into a shadowed branch and waited, his amber eyes gleaming with banked anger, 'Keh, couldn't that old hag do better than that?'

Kagome came into view a moment later, her bath bag slung over her shoulder as she looked behind her nervously. He couldn't help but smirk at that. 'You really think I'm stupid enough to not think you'd try and take advantage of this, little girl?' he shook his head and waited.

Kagome took deep breaths, letting the bag slide off her shoulder as she backed towards the well, her eyes darting around the woods. She hadn't been able to shake that foreboding feeling in the pit of her stomach and it was putting her on edge. Better to get this over with and get back in a hurry. No telling when Inuyasha would-

"Oi!"

"Gah!" Kagome spun around so fast, she tripped on her bag and would have gone down if Inuyasha hadn't reached and caught her by the front of her shirt.

He was sitting very calmly on the lip of the well, the smirk on his face smug in the extreme at the sight of her alarm and chagrin. He shook his head and tsked in disapproval as he released her, "Running away again, Kagome?"

"Inu-Inuyasha!" she clutched her hand over her heart, hoping she didn't drop dead right there from the fright he'd given her. "I was just-"

"Running away," he nodded, cutting her off. "What's wrong, bitch, did you think I wouldn't notice?"

He watched in amusement as a dark blush spread over her cheeks and she looked away guiltily. This was much more fun than chasing after her and screaming, just waiting for that sit that would slam him to the ground. She was completely flustered and obviously embarrassed. Oh yeah, this was fucking great, his smile widened.

"Shippo said you were, ah, talking to Kaede-sama," she mumbled out, biting her lower lip and trying to gauge how long it would take her to knock him out of the way and get down the well.

Inuyasha rose to his feet with the grace only a deadly predator is capable of using, "Did he?"

Now Kagome was getting really nervous. This wasn't like Inuyasha at all! He was being calm, goading almost and he was... Her head snapped up to his face and she was instantly scowling. 'Damn him, he's *enjoying* this!'

"Thought you'd take the chance to go back to your stupid time without fucking telling me?" now his voice rose slightly, showing the anger that was simmering just below the surface. The familiar anger that seemed to swamp him whenever he realized Kagome was trying to leave him.

"It's just for an hour or so, Inuyasha, I'll be right back, I promise!" she swallowed her own anger at his attitude to swallow her pride and plead. "You can even come get me if you want to make sure."

Inuyasha's brows rose and then lowered suspiciously, "No."

"C'mon, Inuyasha, I promised to get Shippo a treat," she set her jaw, biting down on the "sit" that was trying to work its way free.

"No," he shook his head, reaching out to grab her arm as he hopped off the well and started back towards the village. If she wasn't going to "sit" him, then she wasn't going anywhere. That was the only reason he ever let her go back anyhow... Simple as that.

'No help for it,' Kagome let out a frustrated huff and yanked her arm out of his grip. "Sit," she whirled to make a dash for the well.

Inuyasha was instantly snarling from his prone position on the ground, all thoughts of this getting things back to normal gone from him mind. She was only doing it to leave him...again! "Dammit, Kagome, you're staying here!"

Thump.

Inuyasha's ears pricked up at that sound. Kagome was still on his side of the well, he could smell her. Cursing the fact that he was facing the wrong way, he instead smirked to cover his annoyance and called back, "What's wrong, bitch? Did you trip again?"

Kagome sat silent, her hands tightly fisted on her thighs and her eye twitching with surpressed anger as she looked from Inuyasha's prone form to the well just barely out of reach. She ground her teeth together in desperate frustration, 'He can't find out about this, Kagome, he just CAN'T!'

"Oi, didn't you hear me?" Inuyasha had enough mobility back that he could pry up his upper half and he craned his head back to look at Kagome. His brows rose suspiciously when he saw her sitting cross-legged a foot away from the well, her entire body shaking as she looked between him and the little wooden structure. Everything about her body and scent just screamed that she was dying to run away, but she wasn't...

"Just please don't fight me this time, Inuyasha," she pleaded, her legs twitching when the muscles slowly began to regain feeling. That meant Inuyasha would be up momentarily as well. If she could just make it before he reached her! "You don't understand! I need to go home!" There! The feeling was back! Kagome shot to her feet.

"Keh, you're the one who doesn't understand!" he was yelling as he leapt up, already rushing at her. "You're supposed to stay-!"

"Dammit!" Kagome dropped instantly. A very surprised Inuyasha went skidding past her even as she yelled out, "Sit!"

For a long moment, Inuyasha lay unmoving in the dirt, his mind reeling. 'She swore again...when she tripped. But I didn't see her trip, she just kinda dropped? ...wait....'

Kagome started getting worried. She leaned forward as far as her frozen legs would allow and called out tentatively, "Inuyasha? Inuyasha, are you okay?"

A very interesting suspicion was slowly gathering in the back of Inuyasha's mind, but before that thought went any further, he had to test it... 'She swore when she fell and she fell when I said...' He let out what sounded like a resigned sigh, lifting his face to give her what he hoped was an annoyed enough expression, "Fine, you want to leave, bitch? Go! Get back to your fucking time!"

Kagome pulled back, looking at the well and down to the waiting hanyou. She fidgeted nervously, rubbing her thighs and leaning forward in an attempt to cover her immobility, "Are...are you sure you're okay?"

Inuyasha snorted, even as his eyes narrowed on her hands, "Do you think a weakling like you could hurt me? Go on! What are you waiting for?"

Kagome's spine straightened at the insult, her hands fisting again, "I'm not going anywhere until... until you apologize!"

One brow arched and he experimentally flexed his muscles, the "sit" was wearing off. Soon... "And what the hell do I have to apologize for?" he cocked his head to one side and regarded her flushed cheeks. 'You're definitely trying to be secretive, Kagome. Could it really be...?'

"What else? Being so rude to me!" she answered, her legs tensing as the last of the spell began to fade.

Inuyasha propped his chin on his upraised fists, if he was right.... "No."

Kagome's face filled with relief when her control returned, so distracted that she didn't notice Inuyasha's own eyes lighting up with what could only be called a fierce sort of victorious delight. She was already jumping back to her feet and spinning towards the well. Inuyasha's hand snaked out, catching her ankle and knocking her off balance. Kagome fell on her stomach, nearly knocking the wind out of herself as she rolled over to glare at Inuyasha, "I thought you told me to go home!"

He waited until she had stood again, a dangerous gleam in his eyes, "But I'm not finished, Kagome..."

A chill went down her spine at the softness in his voice and fear filled her eyes and scent when she caught the look on his face. She backed away from him slowly as he rose to his feet, looking down at her as though studying a new species or a very interesting piece of prey. "Inuyasha, wha-what's gotten into... you?" she tried to swallow her panic. 'Don't let him have figured this out! Dear GOD, don't let him have figured this out!'

"Really, Kagome, you should *stay* here," he emphasized carefully, smirking at her as his eyes narrowed wickedly.

"SIT!" Kagome yelled out as she felt her legs buckle; Inuyasha hitting the ground immediately with her.

She sat cross-legged, her back to the well with Inuyasha's head not a foot from her lap. Even the wind seemed to be holding its breath in the heavy silence that followed her frantic shout. He was again lying motionless, but this time Kagome was leaning away from him, terrified and panicking. 'He said it. He said it on purpose! Be guessing, Inuyasha, please...!'

On the ground, Inuyasha's shoulders began to shake.

Kagome's eyes widened even more, if such a thing were possible and she tentatively extended a shaking hand, "Inu...Inuyasha?"

The shaking grew worse, taking in his entire body from head to toe.

"Oh God, what have I done?" she whispered, both hands now hovering uncertainly over his head. "Inuyasha? Please be okay! I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

She broke off when a sound escaped the shaking hanyou.

A sound suspiciously like a...like... a....

*Giggle?!*

Kagome was again leaning away, her voice shaking and unbelievable hesitant as she whispered in disbelief, "Inu...yasha?"

Inuyasha very slowly raised his head, his golden eyes glowing triumphantly with inner fire and a smile of pure, unholy excitement and feral ecstasy spread wide across his face.



***



*BWAH HAH HAHHAHAAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!*



***



Miroku and Sango froze in place, eyes widening as they turned in the direction of Inuyasha's Forest. Birds and animals were scrambling madly from the trees and bushes while that nearly maniacal sound echoed painfully loud through the previously quiet, still air. Shippo and Kirara both tried to hide in Sango's hair, cringing as all around them, activity came to a complete halt. All eyes were turned in a mixture of terror and confusion in the direction of that horrifying noise.

And that great, rumbling laugh just kept on going, getting louder and louder...

"What...what IS that?!" Shippo whispered fearfully, hands clamped over his ears.

Miroku turned a look full of disbelief to their concerned faces, blinking as he haltingly admitted, "I...believe it is...Inuyasha..."

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Wednesday, September 22, 2004

   inuyasha 5
Kagome was still laughing softly to herself every now and then as they walked along the narrow path towards the next village. Her good mood was due mostly to the fact that Inuyasha had barely spoken more than two words to anyone all day. The hanyou had been more or less avoiding her, but every now and then, he would turn and look back at her. His face was always set in a strangely pensive expression, his eyes full of bemused concern, but with so many thoughts and feelings racing just beneath that she couldn't even begin to decipher all of them. He looked...miserable. And she was nuts for thinking it was the most adorable thing she'd ever seen.

When he wasn't looking at her with those big puppy dog eyes, he was glaring accusingly at Sango. Then he would growl and huff for a bit before turning his face away from all, occasionally even bounding off ahead of them. But he was always back in less than an hour and the whole thing would start over again.

She shook her head, deciding to put it all out of her mind and just enjoy the reprieve for the moment. She absently reached to rub the small of her back, grimacing a little as she did so. Getting dropped all the time was certainly painful, and she was sure her entire backside had to be black and blue by now. She glanced idly to where Inuyasha had reappeared, scowling at her again. So that's why Inuyasha was always complaining about his back when she went a little overboard.

Sighing, she hurried to catch up to him, reaching out and touching his shoulder to get his attention, "Inuyasha?"

He hunched in on himself a bit, ears flattening as though he was half-afraid of what she was going to say. Growling, he turned his head away to keep her from seeing his face, "What?"

Kagome interlocked her hands in front of her, fidgeting nervously as she softly said, "I'm sorry for all the times I got angry and used the rosary. Especially when I did it more than once. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Inuyasha froze as she kept walking past him. His eyes widened and for the second time in as many days he was shocked out of his mind. 'At least this time it was a "nice" kind of surprise,' he winced to think of the other words still fresh in his mind. There was only one time Kagome had ever apologized for sitting him and that had been so long ago... She'd been trying to share food from the villagers and she had said it absently, the apology almost joking when he'd felt like killing something. So why now?

He started after them thoughtfully when he realized how far he was lagging behind, 'What the hell kind of spell is she under?'

Kagome almost smiled when Inuyasha caught up, walking beside her and shooting her searching glances when he thought she wouldn't notice. Okay so maybe this would work out somehow, she let her own gaze drift to him when he sighed and walked on ahead.

"Stay close, Kagome," he muttered gruffly.

*Thump.*

Maybe not.



**



"Inuyasha, we can stay here for tonight!" Miroku waved the group closer to the large house in the center of the village. "The elder has very graciously offered us rooms as long as I exorcise the spirit hanging over his home."

Kagome had gone tense from her place on Inuyasha's back when the monk spoke and he frowned at that, but shrugged it off, grumbling to himself, "Of course the nicest home in town is the one with the fucking evil spirits."

"He's just trying to help us out, Inuyasha," Kagome released her grip when she noticed how stiff she become and nudged his side with her knee in a hint to be let down.

Inuyasha had ruined her ability to stay mad yet again when he'd turned around after she fell, shaking his head and backtracking to her. She had been entertaining a few of her favorite murderous thoughts when he had just scooped her up and settled her on his back. He hadn't said a word, just kept going as though nothing happened and Kagome had sighed, shifting herself into a better position and wrapping her legs high around his waist when the feeling in them returned. Inuyasha had grunted, but hooked his hands under her knees to hold her more securely and kept going.

"Not all of us can find a perfect tree like you do," she teased lightly, giving his shoulders a brief squeeze beneath her hands.

Inuyasha's grip on her knees tightened momentarily in response and he blushed, hiding his face with his hair as unhooked his hands and let her slide down his back, "Keh."

She might have been comfortable enough in her "jeans" to lock her legs around his waist, but he was still a bit shaken at how much he had enjoyed the sensation. He was reluctant to give it up, but he had already noticed the looks the surrounding humans were giving Kagome as they realized he was a youkai. He cast her a sideways glance to gauge her reaction, but she seemed perfectly oblivious, straightening her shirt and absently running a hand through her tousled hair.

An elderly woman standing with the man who was apparently the village elder cleared her throat as she looked Kagome over with a critical eye, "Would you like to bathe, child? We could get you some proper clothing as well if you'd like."

Kagome blushed, tugging self-consciously at her shirt, "Ah...a bath would be... nice. Arigato..."

Inuyasha's brows lowered, growling deep in his throat when the woman gave him a disapproving frown, making it clear she felt he was the reason for Kagome's outlandish attire. Kagome just sighed and shook her head, reaching out to lay a restraining hand on the hanyou's arm. He looked down at her sharply, brows arched in silent inquiry.

"Let it go, Inuyasha," she murmured low enough to only reach his ears. "She doesn't know what she's talking about. Don't let it get to you."

"Keh," he folded his arms over his chest and averted his face.

He looked back at her when he heard her go walking away from him. He frowned again when Kagome bowed to the old woman and was led away, shifting his eyes to Sango. When the exterminator started past him to enter the house, he leaned over to lightly kick her in the shin.

"Hey!" Sango yelped, turning to glare at the source of her newfound discomfort.

Inuyasha's face was schooled into his best impression of innocence as he looked up into the sky as though it was the most amazing thing he'd seen in his life. When Sango huffed impatiently and started to turn her back, he coughed suggestively and jerked his head in the direction Kagome had gone.

Sango rolled her eyes, sighing heavily but giving him a nod to show she knew what he was "hinting." She bowed to the elder, "Would it be possible to get a bath myself? Kagome-chan and I could share if it's not too much trouble."

"Of course not," the man nodded, motioning for her to follow him. "Our bath is definitely large enough for you and your young friend."

"Great for the girl thing," she muttered beneath her breath with a sideways glance Inuyasha. She shook her head at how proud the hanyou looked of himself, thinking that some behavior was just universally male rather than human or youkai.

*

Kagome twisted, prodding at the tattoo in frustration, "Damn you, you aren't supposed to get darker! What does it mean? Aren't you bad enough already?"

'Great, Kagome, you're going crazy. You're talking to a tattoo,' she winced when she realized how ridiculous that was. Then again, there were times when the stupid thing seemed to pulse on it's own, like a heartbeat, and lately it was doing it more and more often. She was losing the feeling in her legs a lot faster now too, the sensation more like she was being pulled down instead of just falling. 'This is so unfair,' she groaned, sinking down into the bath and burying her face in her hands. 'Inuyasha's spell hasn't changed,' she pouted.

Then again, she never asked about it, maybe this was normal? Was it stronger now than it had been at first? She couldn't just up and ask about it without him getting suspicious, and they were too far from Kaede's village to make a trip back until they found this new shard.

'What did I ever do to deserve this?' Kagome leaned back against the stone ledge of the bath, folding her arms behind her head. 'It really is so completely unfair!'

'You've been doing it to Inuyasha for two years and it never bothered you before,' an annoying little voice scolded in the back of her mind.

'That's different!' she argued back, a blush staining her cheeks. 'He tried to kill me and that's why he's got it in the first place!'

'But since then he's saved your life so many times you can't keep count,' it returned smugly. 'Admit it, you never thought twice about dropping him until it started happening to you. You just don't like losing that sense of power over him.'

'It's not like that at all-!' she scowled, but stopped abruptly and slapped a hand over her eyes with a loud groan. "Oh God, I'm arguing with myself. I really have lost it."

"Kagome-chan? Are you all right?" Sango's voice had Kagome going stiff with a yelp of surprise.

Kagome spun around, slapping both hands under water to cover her hip, "Sango-chan! Oh, you startled me!"

Sango blinked in surprise. Now that was odd... There had been a few times when they had been bathing when Miroku had made the attempt to peek at them. 'Well,' she closed her eyes, a tell-tale twitch starting at her right eye, 'more than a few. But the times he got close enough and surprised us, she covered her chest. She's more concerned with covering her scar? Why?'

"Kagome-" Sango slid down into the bath, pinning the younger girl with a hard look. "What's wrong? And don't tell me it's nothing, everyone's worried."

Kagome blushed so hard, the rosy tint went all the way down her chest, "E-everyone?"

"Ah-ha! Something *is* wrong!" she pointed triumphantly. "C'mon, Kagome-chan, tell me what's going on."

She sighed in resignation, puzzling through what she ought to tell Sango. She really 'wanted' to tell her everything, but she just couldn't... "I don't really know, Sango-chan," she raked a hand through her soaking hair.

She leaned forward eagerly, concerned at the hesitation in her voice, "It was in your time, wasn't it?"

"Hai," the blush hadn't decreased at all and to distract herself, she started to absently twist her hair in her fingers. "My friends from school... ah, they thought I... needed some relaxation. They had this whole thing planned out and they got me really drunk..."

"Drunk?" Sango tensed, trying not to jump to conclusions, but by Kagome's blush and her very hesitant explanation she was getting worried. "Kagome-chan, did someone-?"

She looked at her blankly and then gasped, waving her hands to deny the unspoken question, "Ah...ah, nothing like that! It was just... I just am kinda hazy about the whole night. I remember seeing this strange little shrine and there was magic coming from it, and well, I was drunk..."

"What happened in the shrine?" Sango relaxed, sending a silent prayer to whatever powers that be that she had been wrong with that first fear.

"That's where I'm not exactly sure," she frowned, her gaze turning inward. "There was an old man, at least I think he was old...a priest or a monk I think. I can't remember his face, but he was...tattooed," she self-consciously rubbed her hip, making sure to keep herself twisted just enough to keep Sango from seeing the darkening mark. "The place was full of magic, but the next thing I remember is being back on the street with my friends. I couldn't find the shrine again."

Frowning, the exterminator sat back, rubbing her chin as she pondered that, "And then what?"

Kagome let out a heavy breath, shrugging as she reached over the edge of the bath in search of a towel, "I went home and then I came here. Nothing... nothing's different, except... Except there are times I just fall. For no reason. I don't know what's going on..."

Sango reached out, gently setting a hand on Kagome's shoulder. She tilted her head to one side curiously when she jumped, but shook that off, "Why didn't you say something?"

"I just didn't see a point," she chewed on her lower lip nervously. "It isn't like it's a big problem. I mean I feel like a total klutz, but I figure it'll go away eventually."

"You should at least tell Inuyasha," she urged as the younger girl eased out of the bath and wrapped the towel around her. "I don't want him telling me to do the 'girl thing' every time you trip."

Kagome made a face, "And have him blow up at me with another reason not to go home? No way. He fights me enough over school, just imagine what he'd do with this!"

Sango rubbed the back of her neck, "I see your point. Maybe you could just... ah, omit portions of it or something."

She shook her head, "I'll think about it."

Sango leaned back, closing her eyes, "You've been around Inuyasha way too long, Kagome-chan."

"Hn? Why do you say that?" Kagome paused in pulling on the simple kimono the old woman had provided.

"The longer you're with him, the more stubborn you get," she flashed her a teasing smile.

"Keh," Kagome snorted, then clapped her hands over her mouth with her eyes wide.

Sango threw back her head and laughed as Kagome slid her hand down to cover her throat. 'Good God, that did NOT just come out of me!' she blushed fiercely, shaking her head in denial.

"Maybe it's more than just the pig-headed attitude," she grinned broadly at the shocked look on Kagome's face.



*

Sango was rather abruptly snatched from the walkway on her way back to their respective rooms. Instinctively, she spun around to attack, only to have her fist caught in a clawed hand, "Oi, calm down, Sango, it's just me."

"Inuyasha," she used her other hand to smack him upside the head. "Can't you just ask to talk to me like a normal person instead of grabbing me like a thief?"

"Nevermind that, what did you find out?" he demanded impatiently, rubbing his head.

"Mou, Inuyasha, you make it sound like an interrogation," Sango shook her head. When he just glared at her, she let out a long sigh and repeated what Kagome had told her. Well, 'most' of what she had told her anyway. She decided to leave out the part where Kagome's friends got her drunk. And seeing Inuyasha's expression grow darker, she decided she'd made the right choice. Let Kagome fill in the holes later, but at least this would get Inuyasha calmed down a bit. Or off her back finally... She hoped.

"Damn, I keep telling her she needs to stay here where I can keep an eye on her," he growled, clenching a fist and sending a sharp glare towards the darkened room Kagome occupied. "That bitch gets into more trouble than any other creature I've ever seen!"

Sango shot him a dry look, "Of course, being the guardian of the Shikon no Tama has nothing to do with that."

"Keh!" he folded his arms over his chest.

Sango couldn't stop the quiet laugh that escaped, thinking back to Kagome's very 'Inuyasha' response in the bath. "Relax, Inuyasha. Let's just get the shard and go home. You can speak with Kaede-sama about it."

Inuyasha nodded shortly, turning his back on her and letting himself sink down into his thoughts. Weird monks in the future doing things to his Kagome that she couldn't remember; making her clumsy for no apparent reason. Her new habit of rubbing at her hip all the time... It all jumbled together until it was completely blocked out by the single thought that still bothered him most. Kagome's voice still repeated in his mind saying... saying 'THAT!' Although she 'did' apologize for sitting him all the time. Still... What the hell had that monk done to her?

"Ite!" Inuyasha was pulled from his thoughts rather abruptly when a sharp pain streaked through his ear. Growling angrily, he snatched Shippo by the tail and dragged him down to face him, "That fucking hurts, you little brat!"

"You're scary when you think, Inuyasha," the kitsune made a face at him.

"Why you little-!" his eyebrow twitched in suppressed anger.



"If they're not careful they'll wake the entire household," Sango muttered sourly, looking out at where Shippo ran squealing from the fuming hanyou.

"Let's just hope we get this shard quickly," Miroku sighed wearily.


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Tuesday, September 21, 2004

   inuyasha 4
Inuyasha had never been so stunned in his entire life.

The breath left his lungs in a rush, mouth falling open is total disbelief and not a little horror as his eyes went so wide it was a wonder they didn't start tearing. He felt paralyzed, not even his ears moving as the sound of her voice saying those three little words repeated in his head like a macabre echo.

Kagome just turned around and sashayed off, letting a huge smile settle on her lips the moment her back was turned to Inuyasha. That had felt so unbelievably fantastic and the look on his face was *well* beyond priceless. Maybe instead of "sitting" him from now on she should just say something like that again and at that thought, she fought the sudden urge to giggle. Well HE said worse on a regular basis, so it wasn't like he could complain or anything without looking like a complete idiot. After all, whether he knew it or not, he had been the one who taught her how to swear.

She finally chuckled softly, the sight of Inuyasha's face at that moment ingrained into her memory for all time.

Kagome's steps were lighter than they had been in ages as she returned to her friends and settled in for a quiet dinner. She was so engrossed with reliving the expression on Inuyasha's face over and over that she completely missed the curious looks and then dismissing shrugs from the monk and exterminator watching her closely from the other side of the fire.

*

Inuyasha had no idea how long he stood rooted to the same spot, his eyes unblinking and mouth just gaping open as his poor brain tried to process what had just happened. His body was completely frozen as he vaguely registered the scent of dinner as it came and went, followed soon by the murmurs and rustling of the others as they broke off for the night and settled down to sleep.

And still he stood, perfectly motionless in the soft, quiet night.

Kagome... His sweet, kind, innocent Kagome had just looked him in the eye and told him quite clearly to go fuck himself.



***



Inuyasha was still awake as the sun lightened the sky from dusky violet to pale pink. However, he was now sitting on the ground less than a foot away from Kagome's head, his eyes glued to her face as they had been ever since he had rather numbly stumbled back to camp and planted himself in that spot. Out of habit, he had registered Miroku's place against a tree, his staff held loosely against his shoulder in an upright position, and Sango curled up with Kirara a fair distance from the lecherous monk. Shippo, as always, was snuggled in with Kagome, his ear pressed to her heart as he snored lightly. The damn runt hadn't moved once the entire night, but then again, neither had Kagome.

And here he sat, crouched on all fours, ears twitching as his gaze finally strayed down to watch her chest rise and fall almost hypnotically with the even breaths of deep sleep. His head was foggy, still spinning, and he was certain it wasn't going to stop anytime soon. He couldn't possibly have heard her right. Kagome, 'his' Kagome would never dream of saying that to anyone! Well, okay, she could shout it at Naraku until she was blue in the face and he wouldn't care, but that would be different. For her to say it to 'him' as though it was the most natural thing in the world? He was more convinced than ever that something was seriously wrong with the girl.

There were youkai in her time, so... couldn't there be witches too? Had someone or something in her time enchanted her and she just wasn't telling them?

That thought hurt. Didn't she trust at least him enough to tell him if something like that had happened? They'd been through very nearly everything together and he'd protected her! He'd nearly been killed on a few occasion; she'd damn well better trust him!

Inuyasha was quite abruptly knocked to the ground, his head throbbing as he growled, glaring up from his prone position into the disapproving face of the monk. "And they call me hentai," Miroku clucked his tongue, fingering his staff meaningfully. "It is not proper to stare at a Kagome-sama's breasts when she is sleeping, Inuyasha," he scolded.

"And grabbing them when they're awake is?" Inuyasha fumed, righting himself and rubbing his head.

"That is different," Miroku gave a superior sniff, turning his back on the growling hanyou. "I am merely showing my appreciation for the female body," he waved it off nonchalantly.

Inuyasha's hair fluffed out like an angry cat, "Appreciation, my ass!"

Miroku sighed, smacking Inuyasha over the head again almost absently and knocking him to the ground before bending down to stoke the fire, "I am a monk, Inuyasha."

"You're a fucking lech," he muttered from the ground even as he picked himself up and began stretching out kinks he hadn't even realized were there.

"I am merely looking out for Kagome's welfare," he cast a bored look at him over his shoulder. "Which is more than I can say for you lately. What happened last night?"

Inuyasha sputtered, instantly flustered at the reminder of what had him staring at her all night in the first place. There was no way in hell he was telling the priest THAT! With a huff, he ambled over to the fire and sat cross-legged, looking off into the woods with his arms folded in stubborn silence. Readily conveying to the surprised priest that he would add no more to the conversation.

Miroku gave a long-suffering sigh and bent to his task, ignoring the arrogant boy across from him. If the hanyou was going to start the day off irritably it was none of his concern.

"Oi," Inuyasha finally, quietly broke the heavy silence. "You said you felt strange magic around Kagome that day..."

Miroku nodded, glancing up once before looking back at the sleeping girl, "Indeed."

"Have you felt it again?" he demanded.

The monk shrugged, "Kagome has a very strong aura around her at all times, it is sometimes difficult to separate any specific magic in her, and-"

"Yes or no, priest."

Glaring for his impatience, he rake a hand through his hair, "I believe so."

So that was it, Kagome had to have been enchanted in her time when none of them were there to help her, Inuyasha thought grimly, his mouth set in a hard frown. Why else would she say something like that to him? "When?" he growled, trying to cover his hurt that she refused to confide in them... in him.

"I have caught a feel of it once or twice," Miroku expounded on his previous words. "When I 'can' sense it, it is usually when she trips. However, I had no clue what the source is or what effect it could be having on her. Do you have any suspicions, Inuyasha? Any reason to think it could be unnatural?"

Inuyasha flinched, grumbling under his breath before he spat out, "What else could it be? She must have been put under a spell."

Miroku shook his head, "She hasn't said anything to suggest that."

"She just doesn't trust us enough to say anything," his voice lowered coldly. "But something happened... There's no doubt about that. She's acting so... so..."

"Unlike herself?" the monk offered helpfully, sighing again when the hanyou only grunted at him and went stiff. "I agree that she has been acting odd, but I don't believe she would keep something from us purposefully. At least not if it was truly serious."

"And what if she didn't think it was serious?" Sango's soft comment had both men jumping guiltily and looking over to where the exterminator was calmly sitting on her bedroll. She shrugged at their expressions, "She might think she shouldn't bother us with it."

Miroku blinked several times, calmly his rapidly beating heart, "How long have you been awake, Sango?"

"Not long," she yawned, covering it with her hand. "If we're going to try and figure out what's wrong with Kagome, you should have woken me yourself though, houshi-sama," she frowned at him in annoyance.

Inuyasha felt some of his tension seep away as he processed Sango's idea that Kagome just didn't think the spell important to the rest of them. 'Could it be that she isn't keeping it from me on purpose? Does she just think it isn't serious enough to talk about? Stupid little bitch just doesn't realize how much she needs me to take care of her,' he turned a glare at the sleeping girl in annoyance. Everything would go a lot smoother if she just admitted he was right and stayed here where she belonged.

Catching the direction of his own thoughts in surprise, he growled and turned his gaze back into the woods. It wasn't as though he would care one way or another, it was just that he hated having her disagree all the time. She had a job to do, after all, and it was damned irresponsible of her to run away from it all the time.

Sango was stretching her arms over her head, "Think about it from Kagome's perspective. The only problems she ever talks about are those test things that she has to take. We all know she has more concerns than that," she gave Inuyasha a pointed glare.

He jumped slightly, looking behind him and finally realizing she meant him, "Keh."

"Inuyasha, was Kagome injured when we weren't around?" Miroku turned the conversation before it got really ugly and glanced at the hanyou before sneaking a look at the girl in question to make sure she was still dead to the world.

Inuyasha shook his head, "'Course not, why?"

"You noticed it too?" Sango glanced at the monk curiously and then smacked herself on the forehead. "Mou, what am I thinking? A lecher like you was sure to notice."

When Inuyasha growled, Miroku hurriedly explained, "She's been rubbing her hip a lot, is all. She's never done that before and I thought she might have a wound that was healing."

Inuyasha grudgingly subsided with a short nod of agreement, "That's where the Shikon jewel was inside her when she came here at first."

"Could Naraku be using her connection to the jewel to do something to her?" Sango was instantly concerned, her brows arching with alarm.

Inuyasha snarled, eyes darkening and fangs bared, "No fucking chance I'll let that bastard do anything to Kagome!"

"Shh!" Miroku hissed when Shippo grunted and turned away from them and Kagome stirred restlessly. "None of us will let Naraku bring harm to Kagome-sama, Inuyasha! Besides, she definitely would have told us if it was something like that. And don't you think he would have have tried something else by now?"

"So what do we do?" Sango moved closer to the fire, leaning in so they could keep their voices even lower while Kagome began to rouse.

Inuyasha and Miroku share a look before they both turned resolutely to face the exterminator.

"You talk to her," Inuyasha muttered, glaring at the surprised woman. "Since you're a bitch too she might open up to you."

Sango blinked several times as she stared back at the embarrassed hanyou. He'd sounded so casual, so matter-of-fact when he'd said it that a tiny suspicion began to nudge the back of her mind, "Inuyasha... is it possible you aren't actually 'trying' to be rude every time you call Kagome-chan a bitch?"

Inuyasha turned his face aside sharply, using his hair to hide his flushed cheeks, "She 'is' a bitch."

Sango coughed behind her hand to cover up her sudden amusement, sharing a look with the smiling priest, "I... see."

Miroku cleared his throat, rising to his feet, "At any rate, I believe Inuyasha is correct, Sango. You *are* the only other woman, in addition to being Kagome's friend, and women seem to speak more freely with each other than with men..."

She rolled her eyes and leaned back before muttering with barely revealed sarcasm, "Can't imagine why. Okay, so what do you two suggest I do? It's not like I can just drag her off, ask her why's she acting so weird, and expect her to be honest. She'll blow it off and say she's fine, you know she will."

"Hell, Sango, you're a girl," Inuyasha gave her a dry look and gestured to her as though it should have been obvious. "Fix it!"

Sango arched one brow skeptically, "What?"

"Do the girl thing!" he barked at her, frustrated at her confusion.

"The... girl thing?" she repeated slowly in a disbelieving tone, eyes wide as Miroku nodded in solemn agreement with the hanyou. "And just what 'girl thing' would that be?"

For a moment, Inuyasha was at a loss for words, tilting his head to one side and frowning at her. She was supposed to know this herself, so why was he having to explain? "Ahhh... you know. The...the weird talking and the giggling and shit. That thing girls do when they get together and fix each other's problems!"

Sango just stared at them both for a long moment, her lips twitching. She tried. Oh how she tried, but in the end it was just too much and she threw back her head to roar with laughter. She laughed until tears rolled down her cheeks, pounding at the ground with one fist while she wrapped her other arm around her aching stomach. The sound waking Kagome and Shippo while Inuyasha and Miroku backed away from the laughing woman in growing alarm.

"S-Sango?" Miroku blinked owlishly at her as she stumbled to her feet and made her way to Kagome's side when the girl sat up, looking around for the source of the noise.

Sango caught the arm of a sleepily confused Kagome and started tugging her off in the direction of the river, managing to gasp out, "Wait... just wait until you hear *this,* Kagome-chan!"

When the exterminator had dragged a bleary-eyed Kagome out of their sight, Inuyasha, Miroku and Shippo sat in various stages of bemusement. The three looked at each other wide-eyed until the sound of nearly hysterical laughter from both girls shattered the thick silence. Inuyasha pinned his ears back, wincing at the sound while Shippo clapped his hands over his own ears. Miroku was still staring off in the direction they had gone, tapping his staff against the ground nervously. The rings clinked steadily as the monk shot the hanyou a frown.

Inuyasha recovered from his initial shock, straightening his spine and lifting his head in as regal a pose he could manage with his ears pinned flat against his head in an effort to block the sounds of laughter, "See? The girl thing! Sango *does* know it."

"Somehow I'm not comforted," Miroku groaned, covering his eyes with his hand.

Shippo just looked back and forth between them, his eyes huge as he tried to figure out what Inuyasha and Miroku could have possibly done to Sango to get such a god-awful noise out of her AND Kagome at the same time. Then again, he thought as another piercing shriek filled the air and sent him burrowing into Kagome's sleeping bag for protection, maybe some things were better left to the realm of the unexplainable.


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Monday, September 20, 2004

   inuyasha 3
By the end of the week Kagome finally understood why Inuyasha was always swearing.

There were just some things in life that required violent, filthy words to adequately portray the depths of frustration and helpless anger a person felt when they had been pushed beyond any limit they had ever known.

And after imagining no less than fifty-seven completely different, yet slow and agonizing ways to torture, maim, and/or kill Inuyasha, Kagome had very nearly bitten the tip off her own tongue to prevent herself from letting loose a string of profanity that would put the hanyou at his worst to shame.

In that time, they had left in search for more shards as Inuyasha wanted, and Kagome had the irrefutable confirmation that she *was* under a subduing spell; Inuyasha "owned" it; and the word that send her to the ground was none other than "Stay." Every time that evil, horrible, cursed word crossed his lips, the tattoo flared with heat, throbbing steadily even as her legs went numb and crumpled beneath her. Her legs refused to respond for roughly the same length of time it took Inuyasha to recover from a "Sit." She'd at least found out that much when her frayed temper had snapped and she'd screamed it at him after yet another unexpected trip to the ground.

Bringing Kagome to her current position. Once again, seated on the ground, massaging the ache at her temples in an effort to calm herself. Wondering, as her right eye twitched with subdued anger, just how many damn times Inuyasha could use the word "Stay" in casual conversation. On the heels of that, she wondered how many more times it would take before she finally cracked and gave into her urge to throttle him.

"Oi, Kagome, when did you get so clumsy?" Inuyasha's voice broke through her rather dark imaginings and brought her attention up to the hanyou's curious face.

She closed her eyes, counting to ten just to keep her voice even as she answered, "Just lucky, I guess."

Sango had rejoined them a few days ago and now looked over at her, her brow creased with worry, "You aren't ill, are you, Kagome? You've been falling an awful lot lately."

Kagome shook her head, pointedly ignoring Inuyasha, "I'm just a bit tired. And sore," she added with a grimace as she reached behind her to rub her abused tailbone.

"Inuyasha, we shouldn't push Kagome-sama when she's obviously not well," Miroku scolded, seating himself against the trunk of a nearby tree. "We need to rest," he glared at the hanyou meaningfully.

"All right, all right," Inuyasha growled at them, folding his arms across his chest. "We'll fucking stay here for the night."

The feeling that had been returning to Kagome's legs drained away instantly and Kagome decided right then and there that the first thing she was doing when the Shikon no Tama was completed would be to wish herself immortal just so she could spend the rest of Inuyasha's natural life giving him every form of hell she was capable of producing. Then she was going to "Sit" him into oblivion, tie him to the God Tree, and extend an open invitation to Sesshoumaru and pray the youkai lord would take him time toying with his half-brother and let her watch.

Shippo hated seeing his favorite member of the group looking so frustrated and angry. He'd been doing his best to make her smile every day, and felt like chomping off Inuyasha's ears whenever the hanyou sent all his efforts and success tumbling down the wayside. Determined, he planted himself in front of her and pulled her out of her thoughts as he held out an apple to her, "I saved this for you, Kagome."

"Arigato, Shippo-chan," she gave the little kit a brilliant smile that had him grinning back at her proudly. He was delighted to have put a smile back on her face and he quickly hopped into her lap to take advantage of the cuddling that would win him. Sure enough, no sooner was he in her arms then he was being petted, twisting his head this way and that to guide her to all the best places just to hear her giggle.

Inuyasha glared at both of them, but more directly at the kitsune who merely sniffed and turned up his nose with a swish of his tail. His eyes slid to Kagome's hand and a frown settled on his face when he watched her rubbing her hip yet again. Either she had developed a new nervous habit, or there was something wrong. That was the exact spot where the centipede demon had ripped the Shikon no Tama from her body and from the look on her face, it had to be either aching or giving her some sort of pain.

He fought a brief battle in his head and finally let out a resigned sigh and crouched down in front of the surprised girl, "Are you sure you're okay, Kagome?"

Kagome's painful fantasy sputtered and died the moment her gaze met the concerned amber eyes looking into her own with genuine concern. She blinked up at him and swallowed the urge to kick him in the shins for looking at her like that and speaking in that soft tone that made her want to melt. 'Wonderful, now I can't even think about hurting him without feeling guilty,' she sighed and nodded, the hand rubbing her hip moving down over her thigh in an effort to speed the return of feeling.

"I'm sure, Inuyasha, don't worry about it," she reached up absently and toyed with one of his ears.

His eyes widened and he reared up as she giggled brightly at the reaction. He snorted at her, the sound suspiciously like a woof as he turned his back on her and leapt into the nearest tree. She shook her head, wincing as her legs finally responded and straightened out in front of her. Kagome kept rubbing her thighs for a moment before she rose to her feet and made her way to her pack.

Digging out the smaller bag containing her toiletries, a fresh towel, and a clean change of clothes, she started off in the direction of the nearby river, "I'm taking a bath. And I'm only going to say this once," she turned frigid eyes on first Miroku and then up to Inuyasha. "I catch either of you peeking and I'll tear out your spleen."

Miroku's brows rose in surprise and he help up his hands in a placating gesture, "Why, Kagome-sama, I'm shocked you would hint that we would do such a thing! You have nothing to fear."

She was nearly growling as she turned away and muttered to herself, "Like hell."

Unfortunately, Kagome had forgotten that at least one of her companions could quite easily overhear that remark and had she looked up at Inuyasha before she disappeared through the woods, she would have seen the hanyou's shocked expression.

'Like hell?' he gaped after her. That was just so...so... NOT Kagome! She NEVER said things like that! She hadn't been acting like herself ever since that day... Hn, that's right, whatever it was that was making the girl act so weird had started when she'd come back the last time. Miroku had said something about strange magic and Kagome HAD gone off immediately to talk to Kaede. But all he'd caught was the end of the conversation... Damn, now he wished he hadn't wasted time with the priest. All he'd found out by the time he got there was that she felt guilty about the subduing spell. No telling what she'd confided in the old hag before he started eavesdropping.

Inuyasha sat back in the tree, folding his arms over his chest and idly kicking one foot as he realized for the past week he'd argued with Kagome plenty of times, but there had only been one "sit." That brought on a scowl, he hadn't even deserved that one! He'd just been talking to Miroku about where to stop for the night and she had yelled it at him out of the blue! She'd tripped again, but she was glaring at him, and she'd looked pissed. Like she was blaming him for her sudden bout of klutziness.

Okay, something was definitely up.

Slowly, a plan began to take shape in the hanyou's mind.

***

Kagome sighed as she made her way back to camp, again wearing dark jeans and a simple cotton shirt. She started wearing them for the higher waist and thick fabric, feeling much safer with the incriminating tattoo more securely covered. Lately, though, she was starting to find the clothing not only easier for all the trekking about they did, but less expensive than replacing uniforms left and right. Not just that, but she didn't have to try and think up excuses to give the school for why she kept needing replacements. 'I'm such a ditz, why didn't I think of this a long time ago?' she scolded herself absently. 'It's not like I'm going to school here.'

She was still several feet from the campsite when a red and white blur dropped from the trees in front of her. Kagome gasped, stumbling backwards and falling flat on her ass under her own steam. Nothing could have sparked her banked anger more, and the scowl she turned up to Inuyasha very clearly said so.

He simply grunted at her, inwardly patting himself on the back for getting this plot of his off to such a good start. "Took you long enough, bitch. What the fuck were you doing for so long, hn?" he growled at her, arms folded and giving no indication he would help her up any time soon.

Kagome stood, rubbing her tailbone yet again and silently praying she wasn't doing that particular bone any permanent damage. Telling herself over and over not to blow up at the hanyou, she ground out, "Couldn't this have waited until I was back? I was on my way, you know, and I wasn't in danger or anything."

"With as weak as you are?" Inuyasha pointed a clawed finger at her and gave a short bark of laughter. "Without me, you'd be dead in an hour, human."

She bit her tongue on the "sit" hovering just below the surface. Who knew it was such a reflex to his attitude? "I already know how you feel, Inuyasha. Now if you don't mind-" she started past him with her spine stiff and nose in the air.

'That should have gotten a "sit" for sure,' he frowned at her, catching her arm as she tried to brush by him. Her jaw was set, the muscle in her cheek flexing with as hard as she was grinding her teeth together. Oh, yeah, Kagome was beyond pissed, so why hadn't she sat him yet?

"Let go," she shrugged, trying to give a physical hint to drop her arm as well. "I'm going right to bed, Inuyasha, you can growl at me all you want from your tree."

He bit his lip, wracking his brain for something that never failed to get him flattened and finally settled on one. He hated to use it, but he was getting desperate! With that thought firmly in mind, he dropped her arm and stepped away from her. Inuyasha waited until she had turned her back before he tossed his head and scoffed, "Keh, I wouldn't have to 'growl at you' if you were more like Kikyou. At least she was strong... and pretty."

Every muscle in Kagome's body froze and Inuyasha grinned triumphantly. That would get her out of this weird slump. She'd "sit" him until his back nearly broke, sure, but then they could get back to normal and Kagome would start arguing with him again. He made sure to wipe the smile off his face when Kagome turned around very, very slowly, her eyes nearly darkened to violet and her expression a mix of disbelief, rage, and hurt.

'You know what it feels like, don't "sit" him, Kagome! He doesn't know any better; he's just being himself!' she repeated over and over in her mind as her lips trembled from the effort it took to keep for shrieking it to the rooftops and stomping on his head while he was down for good measure. How DARE he snap that out as though it was nothing!

Her face was set in the familiar expression she got whenever she was about to let him have it, and she took three very precise steps closer to him. He had a strange glint in his amber eyes and he was watching her...expectantly? Surely he wasn't actually TRYING to get sat, was he? Had she turned Inuyasha into some twisted masochist? No. No, that couldn't be right, she just wasn't thinking straight. Still, she couldn't bring herself to do it. It was humiliating, painful, and horrible to lose control like that, and if she hated it so much herself she could only imagine what it was like to a hanyou. Especially a proud, unnaturally strong one like Inuyasha.

However, there was something she had been itching to say ever since she first realized the power in the mysterious tattoo.

Inuyasha was getting nervous, 'She should have done it by now. Why is she just standing there? C'mon, Kagome, say it. Say it!' He wanted to scream it at her, wanted the old Kagome back, not this Kagome that was so gratingly polite instead of fighting back.

When she leaned forward, eyes blazing, he took an instinctive step back, crossing his fingers hopefully behind him, "K-Kagome?"

"Inuyasha," her voice was flat, calm...dangerous.

'Yes! It's going to work!' he braced himself for the pain. 'Good girl! Give me your worst and let's go back to normal!'

"Go fuck yourself."

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Sunday, September 19, 2004

   inuyasha 2
"I...I have to talk to Kaede-sama!" Kagome stammered out, jumping to her feet and pivoting to race off in the direction of the village. She was gone so fast that Inuyasha didn't have a chance to do more than open his mouth to ask what was wrong again. Three very confused men were left blinking at her retreating figure, trying without much success to reason out what exactly had just happened.

Shippo was blinking owlishly before he hopped onto Inuyasha's head and wondered aloud, "What's the matter with Kagome?"

"How the hell should I know?" Inuyasha scowled at the kit, hefting Kagome's forgotten pack and walking along the path to the village slowly. There hadn't been any blood smells or any signs that she was hurt. Maybe she had just tripped from her side and rattled her own senses from the fall? He shook his head, denying his own attempted explanation. She wouldn't have been in such a hurry to talk to the old miko if it was just a fall.

Miroku fell in step behind them, rubbing his chin and sighing, eyes closed as he murmured, "Maybe it had to do with that strange magic..."

Inuyasha froze, "What strange magic?"

The monk's eyes opened, "You mean you didn't sense it?"

He grabbed him by his robes, yanking him forward and baring his fangs and he snapped out irritably, "Would I be fucking asking if I had? Spill it, priest, what strange magic did you sense?"

Miroku very calmly smacked the hanyou on the head with his staff to gain his release, clearing his throat before he continued towards the village, "When Kagome-sama appeared from her time there was a strong pulse of magic around her right until she stood and ran off. I have not felt that from her before."

Inuyasha growled in frustration, recalling the shocked look on her face and leaping off towards Kaede's hut, Kagome... What happened while you were gone? I wasn't there to protect you. You were afraid...

**

"Well, yes, I suppose a subduing spell could be cast into a symbol like a tattoo, but why do you ask? Are the prayer beads not working as they're supposed to?" Kaede regarded the nervous girl speculatively at the unexpected and -if she wasn't mistaken- desperate question. "I can't imagine Inuyasha causing you alarm like this, child, but then again a tattoo would take a long time. Inuyasha would never agree to it or sit still long enough for it to be done."

Kagome shook her head, fighting the urge to grab her hip through the jeans she had decided to substitute for her skirt, "I...I was only curious. I want to understand more about the subduing spell is all."

Kaede stared at her a moment longer in silence before shrugging and turning back to the steaming pot of herbs she was stirring over a small fire, "Very well. Is there anything else you wish to know?"

"Ah...well," Kagome nervously chewed on her lower lip and tried to think of a careful way to word what she wanted to ask. "The spell can only be broken by removing the... necklace, right? There's no counter spell? Or will it wear off after a while?"

The old miko shook her head, "Do not concern yourself, Kagome. If a subduing spell is cast properly there is no reversal. It will not wear off, nor is there a spell Inuyasha could use to break it. Now, granted the spell can be removed if you took off the necklace, but that is the only way. The owner of the spell has to remove it and as you have seen, there is only one owner." She smiled faintly as a thought came to her, fighting the urge to chuckle at the mental image her thoughts conjured up, "If you somehow managed to tattoo the spell into him it would be quite permanent. Even if you wanted to remove it, the very nature of such a spell would prevent it."

I was afraid of that, Kagome's hopes deflated instantly and she sighed. "Can the subduing 'word' be changed?" maybe there was another way.

She shook her head, "It is the first word of subduing that is utter by the owner. You cast the spell with 'sit' and 'sit' it will remain. Are you, by chance, feeling guilty about subduing Inuyasha, Kagome?"

Outside the hut, Inuyasha froze with his hand just an inch away from the door, his ears instantly perking up. Nani? She feels guilty about this fucking necklace? Slinking down into a crouch, he slid along the wall silently and crouched under the window to eavesdrop.

Inside, Kagome sighed and with Kaede's back turned felt safe to rub her aching hip, "Of course I feel guilty about it. I mean, sometimes I feel like he deserves it, but I really don't want to actually hurt him, and being smashed into the ground has to be uncomfortable. It can come in handy though..."

Kaede nodded sagely, "Sometimes it is the only way you have enough time to escape through the well, yes?"

"Hai," she muttered. This last time had been like that, and well...just think what would have happened if she hadn't had it the time he tried to destroy the well to keep her here! But then again, if she was right and that stupid tattoo had really been a subduing spell she was in for a lot of trouble. If he found out he could drop her to the ground just as easily as she did him then she doubted she'd ever get to go home again! 'Of course, Inuyasha would be absolutely delighted,' she thought, wrinkling her nose in annoyance as her imagination went wild, shuddering as she pictured the look on his face if he found out. And if it really was 'stay?' How humiliating!

'Then again, poor Inuyasha has to live with sit...' she leaned back against the wall with a heavy sigh. 'But he's a dog; at least it fits,' she felt her lips twitch in fleeting amusement.

"I'm afraid there is no way for you to change the way the spell works, Kagome," Kaede was saying. "You would have to remove the beads to break it and I do not believe you are ready to do that."

Inuyasha grunted when Kagome sighed. So, she felt bad about slamming him into the ground all the time, but not bad enough to take them off? Even as he started mentally cursing spells in general and one in particular, in the back of his mind he admitted he didn't quite want them gone either, knowing he could always use the necklace as a back-up excuse to stay around her. 'That and the Shikon no Tama,' he sighed and leaned back against the wall, folding his arms in the sleeves of his robes. But what had brought on the sudden attack of conscience? He frowned at that thought. Inuyasha didn't believe for one second that after the such a long period of time she had developed an aversion to having something to hang over his head. Hell, most of the time he would have sworn she got some weird pleasure out of being able to flatten him with a word. She did it often enough... It just didn't make sense!

This would definitely need some further investigation.

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Saturday, September 18, 2004

   inuyasha
Fog was beginning to collect on the mirror.

There was nothing like complete and total shock to make you forget the little things like headache, nausea and severe light sensitivity. All of which had promptly vanished the moment Kagome glanced absently towards the mirror on her way into the shower.

A small white square of gauze had been taped down over the small scar that had been left when the Shikon no Tama had been rather forcefully removed from her body... Well, most of it had been white, but the very slight smudge of reddish brown had alerted her that sometime during the blurred evening she must have been cut.

It had all been a plot, of course, her friends showing up right after school let out and dragging her off despite her half-hearted protests. A part of her had wanted very badly to go with them, had wanted to just forget about everything that had turned her life upside down for several years. And so, against her better judgment, she had agreed to spend the night traipsing along with her girlfriends and let responsibility slide away.

Her friends, however, decided that for that night Kagome needed to let herself totally unwind. And so every single drink they brought her from the time they carted her off had been liberally spiked and mixed to disguise the taste. Never suspecting her friends would do such a thing, Kagome had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.

Never trust a group of teenage girls with a mission, she thought distantly, her eyes so wide it seemed as though they would swallow her unnaturally pale face.

The longer she stared at her reflection, the more hazy bits seemed to drift back to her scrambling mind. She recalled feeling an odd vibration of power from a small building that had almost looked like a tiny, ancient shrine. In her inebriated state, curiosity overrode caution so quickly it was sick and she had stumbled away from her giggling companions to investigate.

There had been a very old man inside, a bald old man wearing a loose, gray yukata and covered in tattoos. He had welcomed her inside expectantly, saying something about having been expecting her before serving her tea. After that it was all a blur. She could vaguely recall a tingling feeling and hearing a buzz like a swarm of bees had been doing laps around the small room. Yet it was all blank until she was standing in the street with her friends, and when she'd looked back, the building was nowhere to be seen. She had shrugged it off, letting her friends take her home and bid her an enthusiastic good-night.

Her finger rose, trembling violently to her side to gingerly touch the dark crimson mark now covering the small scar. She flinched involuntarily at the slightly raised flesh, her mouth moving soundlessly as she looked away from the mirror and down to the curve of her hip. Heat seemed to radiate from the mark, growing stronger as her fingertip traced over the precise lines until her entire body was throbbing. Chaotic questions tumbled through her mind so quickly they made her dizzy.

How had it happened? Who was that old man and how had he know? And how in the world had it been infused with magic so strong it made her tremble? More importantly, what was the magic for? What would it do?

Her eyes rose again to her reflection when all those questions melted away to be replaced with the one that concerned her the most. How in all the seven hells am I going to explain this if anyone finds out?

Biting her lip, she turned to give herself a perfect unobstructed view of her hip, her fingers again tracing the blood-red marking. The kanji was precise, ancient, flawless...

Inuyasha.

****

"She'll return soon, Inuyasha," Miroku sighed, leaning casually against the thick trunk of a tree as he watched the hanyou pace back and forth in front of the well restlessly. There had been a new rumor early that morning from a traveling merchant and predictably the hanyou had nearly burst with his impatience to go after it. It had taken them quite a bit of talking and wrestling with Inuyasha to convince him not to go racing off to drag Kagome back to go in search of it.

"She's late," he growled, giving the well a withering glare as though blaming it for all his troubles with the young woman. "She belongs here, not in that damn school she keeps running off to."

The monk shared a look with the small kitsune reclining in his lap and sighed, "It's obviously important to her and she always returns."

"Maybe if you weren't such a jerk all the time she wouldn't think it was so important," Shippo interjected, lazily scratching at his ear with his hind foot. "Kagome seems to go back every time you yell at her," he paused to stick out his tongue at the fuming demon.

"That's because she has a job to do here!" he yelled out, facing the unconcerned pair. Growling menacingly, he pointed at the well with a clawed hand, "She's not supposed to go running back to that time! She needs to stay-"

Thump.

Inuyasha broke off abruptly at the unexpected sound from deep in the well, sniffing lightly and relaxing when Kagome's distinctive scent filled the air. Sighing, he put on his best annoyed face and turned to lean over the side as Shippo let out a cry of delight and came racing to his side. He blinked down at her, a little surprised to see her sitting cross-legged at the bottom of the well wearing long, black pants and a gray shirt instead of her usual uniform. His surprise grew when he noticed that instead of looking back, she sat with a dazed look on her face and her enormous pack beside her.

"Oi, what the hell are you just sitting there for, bitch?" his ears swiveled towards her and his voice filled with a confused sort of curiosity.

When Kagome didn't answer, just sat there with a wide-eyed look on her face, he shook his head and sighed. Moving onto the rim of the well, he climbed down enough to pluck both the pack and girl off the ground and hoist them out into the grass. Shippo was immediately hopping up and down, arms outstretched like a child wanting to be picked up and calling her name over and over like a chant.

Inuyasha set her on her feet, a little concerned at her continued silence and pale face. The moment he let go, her legs buckled and she again sat in the same position she'd been in at the bottom of the well. She absently stroked Shippo's head with a shaking hand, eyes wide and unfocused.

Now completely confused and definitely worried, Inuyasha dropped her pack and tilted his head to one side to regard the girl even as he sniffed for any obvious injuries that could cause her to act like this, "Kagome? Kagome, what's wrong with you?"

She finally looked up at him, her mouth slowly falling open. She stared at him for a long moment, perfectly oblivious to the two other voices raised in concern as she moved one hand down to her hip. Shaking her head, she turned her gaze away to look at Shippo and Miroku's questioning, concerned faces.

Her gaze returned to Inuyasha and then went to her lap before lifting to again focus on nothing as she whispered very slowly, "Oh my God."

Kagome had just appeared in Sengoku Jidai, her pack slung across her back when she heard Inuyasha's voice raised in unmistakable anger, "Stay-!"

Instantly, her hip had gone from a dull throb to intense heat and her legs went numb. She gasped as her legs buckled, dropping her pack and blinking in surprise as she tried to absorb what had just happened. Her tattoo was pulsing as though it had its own heartbeat, slow and steady, and her legs felt like lead. Worried, she willed herself to move, to stand, but no amount of effort would get her stubborn legs to obey her mind. Everything else worked fine, just her legs...

Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open, It couldn't be.

Then Inuyasha was lifting her out of the well, grumbling at her under his breath, but gold eyes moving over her in confusion. When he released her, her legs had again refused to support her and she dropped, the implications of what had possibly happened sending her mind reeling. Shippo was snuggling against her chest and habitually she stroked a hand through his soft hair, distantly aware of the voices around her.

Her legs tingled slightly and she experimentally tightened the muscles, relieved when they responded as though nothing had happened. Then Inuyasha came into her line of vision and the realization of what had happened smacked her in the face. Her eyes went wide again and she turned to look if anyone else had caught the real cause for her distress. They only looked worried and rather confused at her odd behavior, no small wonder considering she herself felt as though she'd just been back-kicked by a horse and she knew what was going on.

She looked back at Inuyasha as the throbbing in her hip died down, feeling only like a comforting warmth. She couldn't deny it. The little tattoo had done...something at the sound of his voice, and when he'd said "stay" her legs had...Oh god, no...

Kagome tried to say something, anything, but her throat was nearly closed with shock and in the end she could only stare off into the trees, trying to ground her senses. No good, she still felt like she was choking. Horrified and unable to deny or write off the incident, she finally whispered out, "Oh my God."

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   ................
finally weekend.....school's not bad, but it's as boring as hell....
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Friday, September 17, 2004

   .............
does anybody out there speak french? At least a little french......Take the quiz: "The Wildest, Craziest, Most Massive Quiz Ever!"

A Vain Vulpine Vampire Vulture
Omigawd! I survived the biggest, wildest quiz on the internet!
I thought it would never end! Now I am posting this Tongue-Twisting result to dare you to take it.
Can you survive it?
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Thursday, September 16, 2004

   ..............
i'm trying my best to keep my anger down, but i don't think i'll be able to last very long this time....goodbye...
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