InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Waiting on a Wish ❯ Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

His way was definitely faster.

The wind whipped at her hair and snapped the edges of his clothing around them as they soared through the air. She could see the vast expanse of the city below, and she stared in awe. Her hands tightened on his shoulders, pulling herself a little closer to his back as he pushed off the balcony of a nearby building, slinging them back into the sky. He moved lightly, only just touching down on one rooftop before leaping high again. She found it fascinating that he could keep such perfect balance and control, even at so high a rate of speed.

A slight flush warmed her face, and enjoyment lit her features. Her heart pounded in deep, excited thuds, strangling some of the breath in her lungs, and her stomach twisted into delighted knots. This way of traveling felt especially intimate--the two them, pressed close together, weaving their way over the city. She could feel the muscles of his back moving smoothly and efficiently; she was hyperaware of each tiny shift or adjustment his body made to keep them in the air as long as possible before coming down again.

She found it quite…exhilarating.

She should be afraid--after all, a fall from this height would kill her--but she wasn’t. InuYasha’s movements were effortless and confident, and his arms held her close to his body, his hands wrapping firmly around her jean-clad thighs. She knew he wouldn’t let her go.

At first, she’d been completely baffled when, right outside the front door of the orphanage, he’d crouched in front of her and held out his arms, gruffly telling her to get on. She’d blinked, and then blushed--wondering how this was any different from being carried in front of him--but climbed onto his back without a word. He’d hooked her legs over his forearms and stood, lifting her with him.

Making sure she was secure, he’d muttered a brief, “Hang on.” Then he’d leaped into the air, using first a tree, then the fence to propel them up over the city. The distance and height he’d managed in one vault had ripped a sharp gasp from her lungs. It reminded her forcefully of the extreme strength that youkai could have, especially those with human forms. She wondered how strong he really was--stronger than she’d originally thought, she was sure.

Her initial awkwardness evaporated instantly in the first rush of excitement, and a smile bloomed over her face. Contentment welled in her chest--unexpected, but welcome. She wondered idly how InuYasha could make her feel so protected and safe, even while in a controlled fall several hundred feet above the ground. Sighing, she rested her chin against his left shoulder, losing herself in the ride, enjoying the feeling of being draped over his back as they flew through the atmosphere.

Her thoughts wandered back to the orphanage. Her smile widened.

InuYasha had yelled at her. Somehow, though, the bite in his words and tone shrank in consequence when she took into consideration his motives. His anger that morning had only been concern for her welfare. He’d known about the danger, and he‘d come after her to make sure she was safe. She liked that he‘d worried over her--the fact that he’d been so concerned revealed a lot about how much he cared, whether that had been his intention or not.

His temper, in retrospect, hadn’t been nearly as bad as it had seemed at first. Thinking back, Kagome realized with a start that his surprised reaction to her own fit of temper indicated that he hadn’t expected her to take his yelling very seriously. He’d just been venting the tension and worry of the night before.

He cared more than she’d thought. The idea was…reassuring.

Her apartment came into view much sooner than she would have liked. She suppressed a sigh as he alighted nimbly on the balcony in front of her door. For an instant, they paused on the landing, both savoring the closeness of the unique position.

Then InuYasha loosened his grip, letting her slide gently from his back. His hands skimmed along her legs, his claws raking softly over the rough material. The slight scraping sensation they created sent a brief quiver through her stomach--and the lack of actual sensual contact prompted a fleeting longing for her old school uniform.

The one with the obscenely short skirt.

Fighting back a blush at the errant thought, Kagome cleared her throat and reached for her keys, glancing at him as she moved to the door. “That’s…amazing, that you can do that.” She was disconcerted to find she was slightly out of breath. “Do you…travel like that often?”

He shrugged, folding his hands into his sleeves, reflective golden eyes following her movements intently. “When I want to get somewhere fast, or when I want to avoid the regular ways of travel. I don’t like trains at all, or the roads when they’re crowded.” His lip curled just slightly, showing his disgust. “Too many scents together in one place. They get to me.”

His gaze turned assessing, taking in the excited flush on her skin. “I have a very sensitive nose…in case you didn‘t know.” His voice held just the slightest hint of a smirk.

Kami help me, will I never stop blushing in front of him? Flustered, she turned away, fitting the key to the lock. She decided that his sense of smell wasn’t the safest topic for discussion at the moment. “Aren‘t you afraid that the police will find you a little suspicious, jumping over buildings like that? What if they tried to stop you?”

The door swung open and she stepped into her apartment, kicking off her shoes in the entryway.

InuYasha followed close behind, shutting the door behind him with one bare foot, and leaning negligently against the wall next to the kitchen. “The human police?” He snorted, a small sound of contempt. “Feh. Even if they could catch me, I’m a hunter, remember? All hunters answer only to the Alliance. If the Japanese bigwigs have a problem with something I do, they can file a complaint with the Alliance paper-pushers. That’s what the pathetic little bastards are there for.” His eyes scanned the interior of her apartment, taking in the layout.

This was her first real home away from the shrine. It was a small place, cut in half by a short hallway, paneled mostly in wood. The kitchen sat to the immediate left of the entrance, the living room to the immediate right, and her bedroom and the bathroom were on either side at the end. Simple in design, but it served her needs.

She wondered what the place he lived in was like. Her little brother Souta--an obsessive hunter fan since he hit middle school--had once told her the kind of money a successful hunter could make. Sango had said InuYasha was good at what he did, and Sango never gave compliments lightly. That meant that InuYasha was very good. Wherever he lived, it was probably much nicer than anything she could afford.

Kagome smiled at the thought, wondering how her tiny apartment compared to what he had now, then quickly decided she didn’t care. This was her home, and she loved it. Let him think what he wanted.

It occurred to her that he actually stood in her home. She allowed her gaze to skim over his careless pose--arms crossed within his sleeves, a bare foot propped against the wall--and then down the hall toward the Americanized bathroom. She was going to have to change her clothes, and stand completely naked underneath a shower, with InuYasha only a few thin walls away. She bit her lip as turmoil twisted low in her belly.

Talk about a temptation.

She drew a deep breath and exhaled slowly, determined to calm the jitters. Work was on her immediate agenda--not a peculiarly developing relationship with a strangely compelling hanyou. Remembering suddenly that she was hungry, she brushed past InuYasha and into the kitchen.

“So the police don’t have the power to arrest you? Does that mean that hunters don’t have to follow the same laws as everyone else?” She glanced at the clock and frowned.

He focused his attention back to her, following her into the small kitchen and leaning back against the doorjamb, watching her rummage around in her pantry. “No. Everyone within the city limits are bound by the law--including the sitting lords and hunters of the Alliance.”

“But if the police can’t arrest you for breaking the law, then it’s pointless anyway, right?” She noticed him eyeing the cup of dried ramen in her hand, and it occurred to her that he probably hadn’t eaten yet today, either. She held up the cup, suppressing a grin. “Would you like some?”

He nodded so fast that she almost laughed. She turned to heat some water, and he moved to sit at the tiny table that took up the majority of the free space in her kitchen. “It’s sure as hell not pointless. The police might not be able to punish anyone associated with the Alliance, but the Alliance can. If an Alliance hunter or lord is found guilty of committing a crime by the Council, the punishment can be a lot worse than for a regular citizen under Japanese law.”

“Worse?” She glanced at him. “How much worse?”

He shrugged negligently. “Depends. It’s usually physical. Some lose a limb or have their powers temporarily sealed--although stuff like that is mostly for minor infractions. Serious crimes are dealt with by banishment or death.”

She was horrified. “Death? But that seems so…extreme.”

He darted a glance at her. “Not for a hunter.”

“Why is a hunter different?”

“Feh. It’s just the way the Alliance does things.”

She frowned. “But--”

“Think about it, Kagome.” He stretched out his legs, sprawling back in his chair. “The Alliance is around to keep the peace between humans and youkai. They use hunters to control the youkai who threaten it. Most hunters--except maybe Sango’s family--are youkai, with youkai powers. If the Alliance allowed its hunters to run around doing whatever they wanted without fear of consequences, they could cause a lot of destruction, and take a lot of human lives.”

He shook his head. “Something like that would cause serious tension in the city. If the Alliance punishments seem harsh, it’s only to make sure their hunters don’t cause the problems they’re supposed to stop.” His brow furrowed. “Come to think of it, the Alliance handles most crimes involving youki--the police turn anything involving youkai powers over right away. Most of the time, a hunter ends up handling it.” He shrugged again. “Everything works out that way.”

She set the two cups on the table and joined him. “You sound like you agree with their policy.”

He sighed, clearly not liking her statement. “I wouldn’t say I agree with any of those bastards. I just don’t disagree. Their reasoning makes sense. Youkai are stronger than humans. We can do more damage, and our bodies can take more damage--makes sense that the punishments would be harsher. Besides, it keeps the humans happy. Nobody wants to stir up unrest because one side thinks the other is getting special treatment.” He frowned unhappily at his chopsticks, but still managed to grab half the noodles and stuff them into his mouth in one bite.

She watched him eat for a minute, picking at the noodles in her cup, thinking. “Ok…what about last night?”

InuYasha looked up, surprised. “What about last night?”

“You were fighting last night, weren’t you? A lot of property was destroyed. People got hurt. You had to have been using your youki. Weren’t you breaking city laws then? But you don’t get punished for that, do you?”

He relaxed, and turned back to his cup. “Keh. That’s why hunters are under the Alliance. When we hunt, we’re fighting youkai who don’t care about human rules.” He snorted. “How can we follow human laws when we’re tracking down youkai who have no respect for them? If we did, the Alliance wouldn’t have any hunters left to execute for not following their rules--and the city would have been overrun with rogues a long time ago.”

“So, you follow normal laws just like everyone else…except when you’re hunting?”

“Something like that.”

“And the Alliance can just kill you if you do something they don’t like?”

He paused mid-slurp and blinked. “Heh. I guess you could put it that way. I never really thought about it.”

Kagome sat back and strummed her fingers on the table. Hunters took on a dangerous task to begin with, and now she learned that dealing with the Alliance was just as dangerous as dealing with a rogue. She narrowed a troubled gaze at the hanyou finishing his ramen. “You do follow the law when you’re not hunting, right, InuYasha?”

He stopped, staring at her. “What?”

“I mean, you don’t put yourself at risk by breaking laws that you find stupid or inconvenient, just because you can. You’re very careful to follow the laws in the city, right?”

He hesitated, his gaze turning guarded.

Her eyes narrowed further.

“Uh, don’t you think you should be getting ready for work?”

She sighed at his evasion and looked down at the table, a creasing forming between her brows. Reaching out, she tugged at the sleeve of his haori. “Just be careful, InuYasha. After all the trouble I went through to save your life, I don’t want to see you dead because you‘re too impulsive to think about consequences. You put yourself in enough danger when you hunt.”

He blinked at her bowed head, startled. His features softened slightly. “Tch. Baka. Don’t worry about me. The Alliance doesn’t go around executing their hunters for stupid stuff. I would have to do something pretty bad for them to try and kill me.”

Her fingers tightened in the coarse red material. “Just…don’t do something stupid and give them a good reason.” She glanced up. “I definitely wouldn’t like that.”

He stilled, searching her expression. His hand moved to grasp at her fingers. “Kagome…”

She blushed, tearing her gaze from the amber of his. Her eyes fell on the clock over her stove.

“Aiiiiii!” She shot up from her chair. “Gods! I really am going to be late!” She darted from the room, pausing only briefly in the doorway to look back at him. “InuYasha, I’m going to shower. Don’t you dare even think about coming back here!”

“Feh.” He crossed his arms into his sleeves. “As if I would peek.” He paused, then sent her a measuring look from the corner of his eye. “I’ll only do that when I have the right to.”

It took her a minute. The flush on her face deepened, her eyes widened, and she blinked in astonishment. Then, finding herself embarrassingly speechless, she turned and dashed the few steps down the hall to her bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

InuYasha waited until she had gone before he let out his snicker. “Heh.”

He glanced around the kitchen, then reached over and snagged her half-eaten cup of ramen. No point in wasting it.

His ears twitched as he tossed the contents into his mouth, listening to her movements as she turned on the water. Huh. Silly girl. As if I would really do something like…. An image of her standing naked under the spray flashed through his thoughts, and he stopped chewing. He blinked and shook his head to clear it.

Damn. I’m getting worse than that perverted monk. Annoyed, he stood. Determined to take his mind off temptation, he tossed both empty cups into the garbage and wandered across the hall into the tiny living room. A low beige couch, a nicely polished coffee table, a small bookcase in the corner, and a television on a stand were the only furnishings in the room.

He’d already decided that he liked her apartment. It was much smaller than what he had, but it was neat and comfortable, and everything reminded him of her. He inhaled deeply. Her scent saturated everything. He wanted that smell in his place, in his bed, permeating the air that he breathed--he wanted her scent fused inextricably with his own.

Somewhere in the building, a door slammed and a child screeched. He winced, irritated. He wondered how long it would take to convince her to live with him. The neighbors he could definitely do without.

He eyed the television. He bet she never turned it on. She was way too busy to ever actually watch anything. She always seemed to be running off to another destination, exhausting herself to help people. Or falling asleep in chairs. Maybe that’s why she was always so tired.

“Feh.” Stupid woman. He’d have to make sure she took better care of herself.

The conversation with Kaede at the orphanage flashed through his head, and he grimaced, swearing mildly to himself. He was still recovering from the shock. The old bat had broadsided him, and she’d done it deliberately. She’d been testing him.

He shouldn’t have been caught like that. He should have recognized immediately…

It wasn’t really a surprise that he hadn’t remembered her name, though. He’d only heard it once, many years ago, and back then he’d had more important things on his mind than memorizing the name of someone he hadn’t even known.

He frowned. Hadn’t realized he’d known. A few things had changed since back then. The big question was what her intentions were.

And then there was Kagome. His hands clenched at his side. If what the old miko said was true, then protecting Kagome had just become a hell of a lot harder than he’d originally thought.

Nothing was ever simple.

He sighed wearily, relaxing his stance. Fuck. This was harder than he’d thought it would be, and he had a sneaking suspicion that it would get worse. There were too many unknowns. It wasn’t like he could complain--he had been warned. Blindly, he stared across the room.

Power.

It was always power.

His lip curled in disgust. The last thing he wanted to hear about.

Power--excessive power, the kind that drove both men and youkai to obsession--was a royal pain in the ass. Rotten cowards everywhere sought out that kind of power when it didn’t belong to them, and didn’t care who they had to destroy to get it. It drew evil like a magnet. That kind of power caused nothing but pain and suffering. It was dangerous as all hell.

He thought he’d been done with it.

And now he had to deal with it.

He hadn’t considered that her power would be a problem. But if it did exist inside her…demons would be plaguing them for the rest of their lives, even if everything else turned out all right. FUCK!

He’d really thought it was….

He closed his eyes, his jaw clenching. Things were never what they seemed.

The old woman was right. The best thing was for Kagome to train, for her to learn to control what was inside her. She needed to learn how to protect herself--just in case he wasn’t with her. His lids lifted, eyes resolute. He would find a way to protect her, no matter what.

His ears twitched and swiveled. The bathroom door slammed, followed quickly by her bedroom door as she darted across the hallway. His features smoothed out, and a grin twitched at his mouth as he inhaled, taking in the warm, clean scent she left in her wake. In the meantime…

When she emerged from her room a few minutes later, he was waiting in the entryway, one bare foot tapping impatiently.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

She spent the whole way over asking him stupid questions about his job, just to see how he reacted. “Can you steal a car, if you had to?”

He snorted, not even breaking stride as he ran across the next roof and sprang off the edge. “How the hell would I know? Why the hell would I? Ask the monk.”

Kagome goggled at the unexpected reply. “Miroku’s actually stolen a car?”

He snorted again at her tone, this time with involuntary laughter. “Not that I know of. But I wouldn’t put it past him. It’s just that he would know the rules better than I would. He breaks enough of them.”

She smiled briefly, pleased at the affection that threaded his voice whenever he talked about their mutual friend. Then she shrugged, deciding to drop the ridiculous line of questioning. For a moment, she considered him carefully.

“You know Miroku well, don’t you?”

“Heh. Something like that.”

Her smile faded, and her head tilted. “You and Miroku are both the same as Sango, right? Because of your families, you’ve worked in the Alliance your entire life.”

If she hadn’t been so close, she wouldn’t have felt the fine tension that momentarily invaded his muscles. “Mostly.”

She blinked, and her brow furrowed curiously. “Mostly? What…do you mean, mostly?”

He didn’t answer.

She frowned, slightly disappointed, but not quite willing to let it go. “InuYasha--”

He deliberately misstepped, missing the next rooftop and sending them plummeting towards the cement forty stories below. She shrieked as her stomach jumped through her throat, and she clutched at his shoulders, digging her face into his back. Her question was lost in her panic.

Suppressing a chuckle, he kicked out at the nearest wall, pushing off with his toes. He landed on one of the trees lining the road. He hopped deftly along the branches for a few moments before bounding lightly into the wide courtyard that fronted the multi-floored, cheerfully yellow stone building where Kagome worked.

Cars crowded the parking lot beyond the courtyard, testifying to the busyness of the clinic--no surprise after last night. A couple of humans sat waiting on the stone benches in the courtyard, while two demons and a male nurse stood smoking over by the ambulance bay on the side. A few of them glanced over briefly, curious at their arrival.

Kagome still had her head buried in the back of his neck, and her hands still crushed the material around his shoulders. This time, his laughter slipped out, a small snicker that sounded briefly before he cut it off.

“You can look now, we’re--” his nose twitched and he broke off. A strange look passed over his face.

Kagome lifted her head and peeked around, gasping when she saw they were in full view of the glass double doors fronting the clinic. She twisted slightly in his arms, sliding from his back and onto the ground. He let her, sniffing the air suspiciously. He frowned, then sniffed again. A black scowl twisted his features. “What the hell is that smell?”

“Smell?” Distractedly, she plucked her bag from his shoulder. Turning, she headed for the entrance, waving self-consciously at the people who watched from the ambulance bay. They just stared. She sighed. “I don’t smell anything unusual.”

“You wouldn’t.” He followed, right on her heels. This particular stink seemed familiar, and it was coming from the clinic. “It smells like…wolf.” Just a hint of a growl underlined the word ‘wolf‘, and he glared at the clinic, looking as if he expected the building to get up and attack him.

Kagome stopped short, and InuYasha almost ran her over. She darted a surprised glance over at him, her eyes wide. “Wolf?” She bit nervously at her thumb, then peered at the entrance doors warily, trying to see through their mirror surface. “Are you…sure?”

“Hell yes, I’m sure. In fact,” golden eyes narrowed menacingly, and his growl deepened, “I know this stench.” He started for the doors.

Kagome whirled, slapping her hands on his chest to stop him, uneasiness in her midnight eyes. “Ummmm, InuYasha, thank you for bringing me to work, but maybe you should…”

Behind her, she heard the doors burst open. She winced at the crack of glass against the stone wall.

“Yo, Kagome! It’s about time you got here!”

Kagome silently groaned at the brash, arrogant voice that echoed around the parking lot, drawing the attention of everyone who hadn’t yet been staring. She didn’t have to look to know who was talking. Oh, no. Her head drooped slightly, jerking back up to stare in shock when InuYasha responded with a snarl.

“Kouga, you worthless bastard--what the hell are you doing here?”

“Dog-breath! What are you doing with Kagome?”

Kagome‘s mouth dropped open. “You…you know each other?”

His lip curled. “Feh. Unfortunately.”

She blinked, darting a look over her shoulder at the sneering wolf-demon who stood a few feet behind her, arms crossed. His black hair sat up in its usual ponytail, and his light blue eyes focused angrily on the hanyou in front of her. She was surprised to see him dressed like he’d been when she‘d first met him--all in brown fur. It formed a band around his head, covered his shoulders, and wrapped around one forearm and both his shins. A breastplate of armor connected the fur on his shoulders to the short fur encircling his waist. The rest of him was bare skin, muscle, and a supremely overconfident air.

Kouga--the young, current leader of the wolf-clan to the north.

She’d seen him in the fur and armor only once before--a brief glimpse before it had been removed--and she hadn‘t bothered to wonder about it at the time. He’d since informed her that it was his hunting garb, a symbol of his clan and his family, and he wore it proudly.

So, they’d both been part of the hunting last night.

This could be bad. Kouga and InuYasha knew each other--and they didn’t seem like old friends. She considered InuYasha. At the moment, he merely looked annoyed. She had a sneaking suspicion that, if Kouga said very much more, annoyed would be the mildest reaction he’d had all day.

Time to diffuse the situation.

Keeping one hand on InuYasha’s chest, she turned to face Kouga. “Kouga. What’s wrong? Did someone get hurt?”

Kouga focused sincere blue eyes on her. “I’ve been waiting specifically for you since this morning, Kagome. One of my men was injured in the fighting last night, and the wound isn‘t healing properly, so I brought him here. You’re the only one I trust to fix him up, Kagome. No way am I letting one of those clueless humans at the hospitals butcher one of mine. You have to help him.”

His gaze darted back to InuYasha, narrowing suspiciously. He took a step forward, bringing himself just inside her personal space, and Kagome suddenly found herself uncomfortably sandwiched between two posturing youkai males. Under her fingers, InuYasha tensed.

Kouga glared threateningly. “Now, you tell me what you’re doing with my woman, dog-breath.”

Kagome closed her eyes and groaned softly. Of all the things he could have said… “Kouga, how many times do I have to tell you--”

“Your woman?! Like hell, wolf-wimp!” InuYasha’s hand wrapped around her wrist and he yanked her safely behind him, outrage clear on his face. “How the fuck do you even know Kagome? And who the fuck gave you permission to use her name?”

“InuYasha, Kouga is--”

Kouga smirked contemptuously. “She did, dog-shit, right after I met her--not that it’s any of your business what I call my girl.”

“Kouga, I’m not--”

“Kagome isn’t your woman, you bastard wolf!”

“Of course she is, dog-boy. Kagome’s the perfect woman for me. She’s smart, useful, and beautiful. She’s an excellent youkai healer, and will be a great asset to my clan. Besides, I saw her first. So sniff off, puppy--Kagome’s mine.”

Kagome was losing patience. “Listen, you two--”

“Like fucking hell.” The hanyou spit out the words like so much gravel. He stepped forward aggressively, one hand grasping at the hilt of his sword. “She can’t be yours if you’re dead, you bastard.”

Kouga took up a fighting stance. “Bring it on, dog-shit. It’ll be amusing watching you trip all over yourself before I kill you.”

Kagome started to panic, alarmed at how fast the situation had escalated out of control. “Don’t you dare start a fight here!” She reached out, grasping at the red material swathing his body, tugging insistently. “InuYasha, please!”

InuYasha halted, still growling. The hanyou and the wolf glared at each other for a moment, both looking just on the verge of going at each other.

The people waiting in the courtyard and around the ambulance bay stared in rapt attention. They had even drawn the interest of some of the nurses--Kagome could see Miso’s head peaking out the glass doors as she watched avidly, turning to mutter behind her every few seconds. Wonderful. Now I’ll never live this down.

Then, to everyone’s surprise, InuYasha loosened his grip on the katana and relaxed slightly. A malicious smirk quirked the edges of his mouth. “Your woman, huh? Heh. Fucking funny, wolf-boy. Your woman doesn’t smell a thing like you, does she?”

The dig hit, and Kouga abruptly lost his sneer. He looked at Kagome--whose face had flared a sudden, brilliant shade of scarlet at InuYasha’s words--and sniffed. His blue eyes blazed with fury. “Kagome, did this dog-shit try to take advantage of you? If he did, I’ll rip him to pieces for you, right here and now.”

“No, he did not take advantage of me!” Humiliated outrage fused through her tone. “All he did was bring me to work!”

Reassured by her adamant response, Kouga recovered instantly, meeting InuYasha‘s smirk with one of his own. “You’re lucky, dog-shit. I would have killed you if you had tried anything. As for her scent--everything in it’s time, dog-breath. Kagome‘s just a little shy in getting around to formalities.”

Abruptly, he turned to Kagome. Swiftly brushing past InuYasha, he clasped one of her hands firmly between his own. “Kagome, Ginta hurt his leg bad. Take a look at it, will you? He needs your expertise.”

“Why, you--” InuYasha looked ready to go for his sword again.

“I’ll be happy to, Kouga,” Kagome cut in hastily, stepping in front of InuYasha and pulling her hand from Kouga’s grip. “Just go inside and have Miso settle him in an examination room. I’ll be there in a minute, ok?”

“Of course, Kagome. I know you’ll take good care of my men. I trust you implicitly.” He turned away, not even bothering to look in InuYasha’s direction as he called back over his shoulder. “Get lost, puppy. My woman has more important things to do than coddle some mangy, panting dog-face. Oh, and keep your hands to yourself--you’re putting your stink all over her.”

“Oi! Where the hell are you going? I’m not done with you, wolf-wimp!”

Kagome dug her heels in and yanked again to keep InuYasha from charging after Kouga as he disappeared back into the clinic--along with the fascinated Miso, much to Kagome‘s relief. “InuYasha, calm down.”

He rounded on her, disbelief on his face. “Like hell I’ll calm down! That disgusting wolf-boy thinks you’re his woman!”

Kagome sighed, releasing the edges of his haori. “I know. But you don’t need to worry about it. He’s been saying things like that for months now.”

“What?!” He turned on his heel.

Ok, so maybe that was the wrong thing to say. She grabbed for him again. “InuYasha, there’s nothing going on between Kouga and me. He just decided all that ‘his woman’ stuff on his own. Nothing I say to discourage it gets through to him. It doesn’t mean anything, I swear. He’s a friend to me, nothing more. Please don’t start anything here.”

He glared at her. “A fucking friend? How the hell do you even know that flea-bitten wolf?”

She breathed a silent sigh of relief that he seemed to be calming down--for the moment--but kept her grip on his arm anyway. “The same way I know you. He was badly injured in a fight with a rogue a few months ago, and his friends brought him here for treatment. When he woke up and found out what I do, he just…declared me his woman.”

“And you let him keep thinking that?!”

“I don’t let him! It‘s just pointless to tell him otherwise!” Kagome drew in a deep, calming breath, forcing her voice to be reasonable. “I never agreed to it. Besides, he never really tries anything. Kouga just stops by the clinic a few times a month and…um…visits. That’s all.” No point in telling InuYasha what Kouga said while he visited. It would only make him angrier. “Kouga’s actually a really good person. He cares a lot about his friends and his responsibilities. He just…doesn’t understand the word no. It’s nothing to get upset over, really.”

“NOTHING?! When he goes around telling the world that you belong to him? Shit, I’ll help that idiot wolf understand the word no!” The snarl was back in his voice. He turned for the doors.

“InuYasha!” Panic threatened once again. Ok, now this was a problem. She had no real way of forcing him to listen to her, and she couldn’t afford for the two of them to be in the same room. A fight between two youkai inside the clinic could hurt a lot of patients--not to mention get her fired. “This is a clinic! You can’t just go starting fights here! Someone could get hurt!” Her heels scraped over concrete as her grip dragged her along behind him.

“The only one who’s going to hurt is that worthless wolf!” He didn’t even look back at her.

She cast around for a way to stop him, but nothing came to mind. Well, something did…but it could cause more problems than it solved.

Ah! No time! They were halfway to the doors. If InuYasha actually got inside the clinic, she was sure there would be a brawl. Things would definitely be destroyed, and people could be hurt. Neither Kouga nor InuYasha struck her as the type to hold back because of their surroundings.

Praying that Kouga had already gotten Ginta out of the reception area, she stopped tugging uselessly at his arm and grabbed at a lock of silvery hair, yanking as hard as she could.

His head tilted around, and his body followed. “Oww! Bitch, what--”

She stood on tiptoe and met his lips with hers.

He froze, a small sound of surprise rumbling somewhere in his throat. She pushed her advantage, taking on the role of aggressor, turning his own game back on him. Her fingers grabbed at his cheek, urging him closer, and her mouth clung to his--as soft and seductive as she could make it. After all, she wasn’t a complete novice at this kissing thing.

For a moment, he didn’t move, suspended with shock, and she was afraid it wouldn’t work. Then he relaxed, his hands dropping to wrap around her waist, pulling her firmly toward him. His head bent over hers, deepening the kiss slightly, and his body crowded closer, surrounding her with warmth and strength. His lips took over, directing hers with gentle, coaxing brushes, teasing her mouth open.

Kagome instantly forgot why she’d started the kiss. Her eyes closed, and she melted against him, her hand sliding around to his neck to press him closer. The fingers grasping at his hair let the strands slide away, seeking out and curling into the more substantial material covering his shoulders.

It didn’t last nearly long enough. She heard him growl slightly, and the pressure of his mouth receded, lessening gradually. The kiss lightened, and his lips nibbled at hers, pulling away slowly, brushing a few lingering caresses before releasing them. His mouth paused, hovering briefly in the air over hers. Then he eased back, staring at her with astonished golden eyes.

Her heavy lids drifted upwards, and she blinked, emerging from the minor haze he had induced. At his incredulous look, a blush spread across her face, and she glanced away, only to be confronted with the fascinated stares of the observers loitering around the clinic. Groaning silently, she closed her eyes again, debating the merits of leaving them that way.

“Just what the hell are you looking at?”

Kagome’s eyes popped open just in time to see the three males in the ambulance bay hastily turn their backs. Those in the surrounding courtyard had suddenly found the potted plants and flowering bushes littering the area much more fascinating than the doctor and the hanyou embracing by the front entrance.

InuYasha glared menacingly for a few more seconds. “Keh.” He looked down to meet her wide gaze, and this time it was he who blushed. “Fucking people need to mind their own business,” he mumbled.

Kagome grinned up at him, and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “Aritgato, InuYasha. That was sweet.” She stepped back, pulling out of his arms. “Thank you for bringing me to work, but I’m safe here. You can leave now.”

Her words prompted another scowl. “Keh. If you think I’m leaving you alone with that stupid wolf--”

She sighed. “I told you, Kouga is a friend, nothing more. Can’t you just accept that?”

“Not until that fucking wolf does!” His arms crossed into his sleeves in his customary pose, and he glared stubbornly at her.

Kagome sighed, irritated. “InuYasha, you can’t just follow me around all day--don’t you have things to do?”

She saw the slight hesitation that passed over his face, but didn’t have time to interpret it. “No.”

She frowned. “You can’t come into the clinic.”

“What?!”

“No. Not until I can be sure you won’t start something with Kouga. Ginta is a friend, and I promised that I’d look after him--I can’t do that with you growling over my shoulder.”

“Keh. I won’t--”

The musical tones of her phone startled them both. Kagome rolled her eyes, pulling her bag from her shoulder and digging through it. “What now?”

It was Sango. Sighing, Kagome flipped the phone. “Sango, can I--”

“He’s with you, isn’t he?”

She blinked, staring at InuYasha. “What?”

“That idiot hanyou who happens to be completely obsessed with my best friend. The ass who disappeared without a word after the hunt last night. He’s with you now, right?”

She saw InuYasha wince defensively, and she realized he could hear everything Sango was saying. She pressed her lips together to hold in her grin. “Ummm, yes, as a matter of fact he is. Why?”

Over the line, she could hear Sango sigh. In the background, Miroku’s sanguine voice spoke up. “There, you see? Didn’t I tell you he’d be with her? I had no doubts whatsoever. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so agitated over a simple rogue attack in my life. It was obvious he was worried about Kagome.”

InuYasha rolled his eyes and glanced away. “Keh. Stupid monk.”

At the same time, Sango sighed again. “Alright, fine. You were right. I swear, Kagome, men are a pain. Sometimes their egos just aren’t worth it.”

“Sango, love of my life, you hurt me with--”

“Just…shut up, monk.” Kagome’s mouth twitched at the smile she could hear in Sango’s tone. She loved listening to their banter.

Before she could say anything, Sango spoke again. “Kagome, tell InuYasha…never mind--I know he can hear me. InuYasha, get your ass over to the Alliance now. The Council wants the report you were in too much of a hurry to give last night.”

Kagome’s eyebrows shot up in surprise as she stared at the frowning hanyou in front of her. “Nothing better to do?”

He ignored her. “What the hell has Miroku been doing?”

Kagome opened her mouth to relay the message, but Sango beat her with a reply. “They want this one in person, not proxy, InuYasha.”

“They can go to hell.” He scowled. “I’ve got better things to do than bow down to a bunch of humans and youkai who think they’re hot shit.”

Miroku spoke up again, closer now, his voice serious. “InuYasha, it’d be wiser for you to do as they ask. It’s not about money this time, my friend. It’s about the attacks themselves. Something big is happening.” He paused. “Besides, when was the last time you actually bowed before the Council anyway? Just think of this as another opportunity to deny them the respect they’re so convinced they deserve.”

InuYasha sighed and reached for the phone in her hand. She stepped back. “No way, I want to hear this.” He glared at her. “What? It’s my phone, remember?”

“Oh, and that reminds me, Kagome. Tell InuYasha that the next time he wants to avoid calls, he doesn’t have to turn his cell phone off. There’s this marvelous little feature called ‘vibration’, you see. It allows one to ignore calls without missing them completely. I myself especially enjoy the way it--”

“Give me my phone back, you disgusting pervert!”

“Ow. Owowowowowow!”

There was a slight scuffling noise, and Sango spoke again into the receiver. “InuYasha, just get over here, now. It’s important.”

Apparently, he knew Sango well enough to recognize the seriousness of her tone, because he blew out a breath and stared at Kagome, brow furrowed. “Shit.”

Allowing herself the smallest sigh of relief, she nodded her head encouragingly. “You can go, InuYasha. I’ll be fine here. I have to work until late tonight anyway.”

InuYasha’s scowl darkened. “Dammit. Fine. But if that wolf so much as touches you…”

“Kouga will be on his best behavior,” Kagome promised solemnly.

“Kouga?” Sango sounded shocked. “Kouga’s there? With you and InuYasha? And they’ve seen each other?”

“Don’t ask.” Kagome pulled a long-suffering expression. “You couldn’t have called ten minutes ago?”

Miroku, in the background once again, perked up. “Kouga and InuYasha? In the same place? Has anyone died yet?”

Sango sniffed delicately. “Not unless Kouga actually spoke to Kagome within InuYasha’s hearing. Kouga considers her his woman.”

“Like hell he does.” InuYasha glared at her phone again. Kagome didn’t see why--it wasn’t like they could see him.

Miroku’s first reaction was astonishment. “You’re kidding.” Then delight. “Really? I see. That is a problem.” He gave a keen sigh. “I imagine that was quite a conversation.”

InuYasha growled. “Shut them the fuck up, will you? Tell them I’m on my way.” He paused. “Hey. Why the hell doesn’t Kouga have to come, too? He was hunting last night.”

Sango heard him. “Kouga already appeared before the Council, InuYasha.”

“Indeed--another interesting conversation,” Miroku agreed. “Kouga has almost as little respect for the Council as you do, InuYasha.”

Kagome grinned, immensely enjoying the fact that four of them were managing a reasonable conversation over just one connection--until she realized how late it was. “Ah! Sango, he’s on his way, and I’m late for work. I have to hang up, but I’ll call you later, ok?”

“Fine. And Kagome? Be careful. The city still isn’t safe today.”

Kagome’s gaze flicked back to InuYasha, who still looked concerned. “I will take the utmost care today--I swear.” She poured as much sincerity into the statement as she could muster, hoping to allay some of his unease. She was relieved when his shoulders lost some of their tension.

She turned to the front doors, flipping her phone closed and shoving it back into her purse.

“Hey.”

She looked back at InuYasha. He hadn’t moved from his position, and his gaze had taken on that intense, indecipherable quality that always gave her flutters in one part of her anatomy or another. She inhaled, bringing air into her lungs.

“What time do you get off?”

She blinked at the softness of his tone. “Umm, my shift is until eleven--but since I’m late, I’ll probably stay some to make up.”

He nodded. “I’ll be here when you get off. Don’t go anywhere without me, ok? It’s still not safe.”

She exhaled slowly, then nodded. Turning, she took a step. Then panic hit, stopping her in her tracks. “Ummm, InuYasha? I think I’ll be spending the night at the orphanage again.” She kept her back to him.

“What! Why?”

She could almost see his scowl, and she bit back a smile, despite her anxiety. She was actually starting to like that expression on his face. “The children are sick, and so is their main caretaker. I think I’ll be able to help more if I actually stay there.”

His silence dragged out. Kagome swallowed.

“I told you I wouldn’t let you run away, didn’t I?” His voice was low and rough--and right up against her ear.

She jumped, and electricity zinged along every nerve ending in her body. He stood so close she could feel his heat against her back. Her heart raced. Gods. How does he do this to me? She cleared her throat. “The children are more important, InuYasha. I’m their doctor--I have to be there for them. That’s not running away.”

“Huh.” Another long silence. She could feel his gaze considering her. “I’ll be here to take you to the orphanage, then. Don’t leave unless I’m with you, got it?”

She stepped forward, away from the heat that was interfering with her brain function. She refused to turn around and look at him as she pressed against the doors. “InuYasha? You be careful too.”

He grunted, and she stepped inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The chairs were mostly full with people waiting to see a doctor. They stared in fascination as she walked through them towards the reception desk. Most were only mildly sick with viral infections or minor to medium wounds. All true emergencies--and they had their fair share in such a large city--were always shuffled quickly around back for immediate care.

Miso sat behind the computer on the desk, and her fingers typed rapidly, but her gray eyes trained intently on Kagome as she stopped beside her. Kagome liked Miso, had known her the longest because they had started at the same time, and they were on a first-name basis despite the professional setting. But if there was one thing everyone who met her knew about Miso, it was that she lived for a good gossip story. And if she personally witnessed it, well….

Her eyes twinkled merrily as she handed over Ginta’s chart to the young doctor. “Examination room four. I looked at him for you--it would have been bad if Kouga’d decided to come see what was taking so long and saw you in your little open-hanyou-PDA.” Delighted laughter lit her tone, and Kagome knew she’d just made her day. “His friend’s leg looks bad--it’s slightly gangrenous, with major ongoing tissue decay. Most likely poison.”

Kagome--who was, frankly, over her embarrassment quota for the day--just shook her head, ignoring Miso’s comment. “We’ve been getting a lot of those recently, haven’t we?” She frowned, thinking back to her first glimpse of InuYasha in this very clinic. Had it really only been five days ago? She turned, heading for the time clock.

“Oh, don’t worry about signing in, Kagome--I already did that for you.”

She turned to stare at the nurse. “But I wasn’t even--”

Miso shook her dark brown curls, a grin splitting her features. “You were preventing a fight that could have caused major damage to our equipment and patients. I’d call that working if you asked me.”

Kagome sighed. “Don’t remind me, please.”

Miso turned a mock sympathetic gaze on the doctor. “Having a hard time today?” She shook her head in a dramatic, mournful manner. “I understand. After all, having two incredibly strong, sexy males almost literally fighting over you would put a damper on any female’s day.”

Kagome snorted, and turned, tucking the chart under her arm as she went to find a coat. “That was stressful, Miso, not romantic.”

The young nurse leaned back into her chair, watching the doctor as she headed for the closest room in the blue-toned hallway behind the reception desk. “Looked romantic to me--especially the part with the hanyou mini-feast. Quick thinking, by the way. You stopped him and you got a little treat. Yum. Care to share what the whole meal tastes like?”

Kagome giggled in spite of herself as she shrugged into her coat. “I wouldn’t know.”

“You wouldn’t?” Miso looked surprised. “Oh, wow, really?” She leaned forward excitedly and picked up her phone, dialing an up-stairs extension. “Hey, Juri? You already heard what happened, right? Ok. As of right now, I’m taking bets on how long it takes the great white-eared half-god to get Higurashi horizontal. My money’s on within the week.”

Kagome turned to stare, surprised not at the bet--she’d already figured she’d be the subject of an intra-clinic pool before the day was out--but at its wording. “What, Kouga’s out of the running?”

Miso covered the mouthpiece with her hand and shot her an incredulous look. “Are you kidding? With your reaction to hanyou delight out there? Oooh, no way. Kouga’s been coming around for months, trying to get you to notice him--and gets nothing for his trouble, the poor thing. Adorable ears shows up out of nowhere half-dead one night--and no-nonsense Dr. Higurashi is all trembly and bothered after only a few days?” Miso gave her sly look. “No contest. This guy’s got your number, Kagome. It’s only a matter of when he calls it.”

Her eyebrows wriggled suggestively. “Lucky you.”

And Kagome had thought she was done with blushing for the day…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ah, school’s only just started, and already I need a break. I’m just about out of my mind.

I have a wonderful announcement: as of this chapter, blackberry has graciously agreed to beta for me--thanks so much for the input, you help keep this thing on track. (And, as a shameless plug, I’d urge everyone who hasn’t already to read her story, Okaeri on MM or FF. She’s an incredibly well-written author. Anything you might choose to read of hers is going to be grammatically perfect, plot-pleasing, and thoroughly engrossing. I highly recommend. J )

Anyway, school aside, I’ll still be uploading for a while longer before I’m caught up. So, everyone enjoy, and let me know what you think. Cheers, your friendly neighborhood Quill.