Gambling with Ice and Fire

Kagome awoke to the familiar sounds of a pissed off Inuyasha guarding his small, every moving territory.

"Why are you still hanging around here? I thought you ran scared after our little fight yesterday!" Inuyasha barked at his sibling.

"I did not run, I chose to leave while your bitch had you incapacited so that I would not be forced to kill you," Sesshoumaru replied with steel in his veins and ice in his glare.

"I am NOT his bitch!" stood, poising her arrow in his direction. Before she could even blink, her arrow was snapped in her fingers, and the dark lord was standing behind her, his hand on her throat.

"You try to harm me? Pathetic," he said into her ear. Just at that moment, Kagome remembered her deal with Inuyasha, so smiling and letting her words escape in a slight pur, she lifted her arms, one to caress the back of his neck and the other to stroke his muscular arm.

"Whoever says that I was aimed at you? Perhaps I had it aimed at Inuyasha, or even that delectable looking bird perched in the tree."

Inuyasha's jaw dropped in time with everyone else's, everyone that is except Sesshoumaru. He simply released her neck and stepped away from her.

"You would not have had the arrow aimed at Inuyasha, if you had wished to stop him from attacking me you would have done whatever you do to make him kiss the ground," he stated before turning to leave. "Inuyasha, you and your party are travelling through my territory. I would expect you to adhere to my law, and if you don't, I will be back to deal the punishment."

He was gone in moments, everyone still staring after where he dissapeared, and to Kagome. Finally, Inuyasha broke the silence.

"You... what do you think you were doing?!" he screamed at her.

"Remember our little deal, Inuyasha? I just decided to get started breaking that ice," she glared back at him.

"But... acting like a whore? Jeez Kagome, I thought you had more decency than that!"

"I will use my methods however I damn well please!" she growled at him, her face turning red with fury.

"I will not stand by and watch you throw yourself at that asshole!"

"I was not throwing myself at him! I was using my feminine charms!"

With that, Inuyasha laughed. "Feminine charms! Ha! Like you have any of those!"

"Inuyasha?"

"What?"

"SIT." Kagome walked over to him, kicked him in the ribs, and ordered him to sit yet again.

"Bitch," could be heard coming from the figure laying face down in the dirt.

"Never. Ever. Call. Me. A. Bitch!" she growled, her hands clenching into tighter and tighter fists, her face getting redder and redder and the anger rose within her. Kagome could feel her miko powers rising for control, but she chose not to use them. No, she had a much more satisfying method of revenge.

She sat him into submission.

She sat him throughout breakfast.

She sat him the entire time they packed up camp.

And for good measure, she sat him ten times before they set off to continue their travels.

"Wow, Inuyasha must have really made Kagome mad!" Shippo exclaimed to Sango and Miroku as she sat him in mid-leap.

"I don't think any woman likes being called things like that, I guess this is just Kagome's way of dealing with her anger," Miroku speculated.

"Sometimes I wish I had some of those beads for you, houshi," Sango muttered, leaving a nice red welt on his face.

Kagome sighed. She was still thinking about what she had done to Sesshoumaru. She didn't even know that she had that in her, to be able to attempt to seduce someone. Heck, she didn't know the first thing about seduction. She made a mental note to talk to Miroku later about what she should do to break the ice, but thought that maybe she wouldn't take everything he said completely seriously after hearing a loud slap from Sango.

They travelled for two hours before coming to the next villiage, still looking for leads as to where some more possible Shikon Jewel shards might be located. Upon seeing the villiage, Inuyasha stopped in his tracks.

"What's the matter Inuyasha?" asked Shippo, the first one to notice his hesitation.

"Why don't you guys go on ahead, I'll just wait here," he said, taking a seat in the nearest tree.

"What's gotten into him?" Sango asked aloud.

"It's possible that these villiagers have somehow offended him in the past, or that he's had bad experiences here previously," Miroku speculated, only to get thumped on the head by an irritated hanyou.

"So I don't want to go to the villiage? What's the big deal?" he growled.

"The big deal is, is that you're usually the first one rushing in causing panic, just so you can find the damn shards!" Kagome nearly shouted at him. "Why are you so interested in them, anyways? It's not like you've ever tried to steal any from me, or even ask to use them!"

"Maybe I wanted to wait until the jewel was whole again before I tried to take it!" he countered, anger radiating off him.

"So that's it! I'm just a damn shard detector to you!" Kagome's eyes grew wide at the realization. It made sence to her, him brushing her off, him constantly running off to find Kikyo, his impatience when she was in her home time. "It's true, isn't it?" she demanded.

His ears flattened against his head. "It used to be," he said quietly. "But not anymore, Kagome. You're more to me than just a shard detector."

"Yeah, I'm the cheap copy until the real thing comes sauntering by," she spat at him with malice. His eyes widened, his nose twitching as he smelled the salt in her teary eyes, the sadness mixed in with her anger.

"No, Kagome, please, don't say those things," he begged her.

"I'm sick of it, Inuyasha. You're such a pig," she growled. On impulse, she reached out her hands to lay them on his chest and pushed away with all her strength, sending him sprawling on the ground.

"Kagome," he moaned.

"You stay here Inuyasha, and I'll go to the villiage. I bet Kikyo's nearby and that's why he wants to stay," she half pouted, half growled.

"No, Kagome," he sat up, grabbing at her ankle as she turned to leave. "That isn't why I want to stay."

"Well than what is it?" she demanded, turning on him with hate in her eyes.

"This villiage, this is where I lived with my mother," he said, his voice cracking a little. Kagome's face instantly softened. "Those villiagers, they're the decendants of..."

"Shh, you don't need to say anymore, Inuyasha," she cooed, kneeling beside him. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"No, it's ok Kagome. Just, know that I do care about you, and not just because your the reincarnation of Kikyo."

Kagome nodded, still not believing him, and stood to leave. "We'll be back before sundown," she told him and headed for the villiage.

"Kagome-sama is scary when she's mad," Shippo whispered to Miroku.

"All women are, Shippo."

"This woman is going to be awfully quick if you don't move your hand, monk," Sango growled. In response, Miroku began sliding his hand up and down on her bottom, eliciting a painful responce.

Sango stepped up her pace to catch up to Kagome, and Shippo looked at Miroku. "Why do you always do that if it makes her so angry?" he asked innocently.

He looked at the kit with a small smirk on his face. "Somethings are worth the pain, Shippo. When you're older you'll understand about the appeal of a woman's buttocks," he replied, his eyes on the object of his desire. Shippo groaned.

"If I ever grow up to be lecherous like you, I'll make sure that I stay away from women like Sango."

----------

The foursome got some curious looks as they entered the villiage, but none were filled with contempt due to a certain hanyou's absence. People were used to full fledged demons such as Shippo, and monks and demons slayers like Miroku and Sango. There were many were mostly curious as to Kagome's attire, although rumors of a strange new priestess had floated through their regions, so some simply assumed that this was the woman they had heard about.

The group was greeted by the headman of the villiage, a rather short, plump man with a balding head and a hearty grin. "Welcome to my villiage, travellers! Please, tell me how I can make your stay here welcome!"

Kagome smiled at him. "We're searching for demons who seem to possess unusual power, or have suddenly changed their habbits in the past few months, or even the past year."

The man frowned with concentration. "Well, the only demon who I can think of who has seeminly changed in the past while is the lord of these regions. He used to despise humans, but recently he took a human child as his ward."

"You wouldn't be talking about Lord Sesshoumaru, would you?" Miroku inquired.

"Why yes! I would!" the man grinned, his slightly yellowed teeth glowing at them. "You have heard of the Lord?"

"He is our companion's brother," Sango replied. The man eyed Shippo.

"He doesn't look like an Inuyoukai, he looks like a kitsune," he said cautiously, knowing full well the extent of the wrath of an insulted demon.

"Not me! Inuyasha!" Shippo nearly shouted, catching the attention of several nearby townspeople. One woman dropped the basket she was carrying, her mouth hanging open. Everyone who had heard the little fox demon stared at the group in shock.

"You... travel, with a hanyou?" the headmaster gaped at them. "Not just any hanyou, but Inuyasha?" his eyes widened.

"Yes," Kagome said, wondering what would happen, if these people would remember the poor little half breed who grew up in the villiage.

"He... is he here now?" a woman said, holding her child closer to her breast, looking around frantically.

"No, well, he's waiting outside the villiage," Kagome frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"That Inuyasha, he came here when I was a childe," an old woman said, stepping out of the hut behind the headmaster. "He destroyed the villiage, said it was for vengance he did. Said that it was payback for the pain our forefathers caused him and his mother he did. Said he would come back one day, that he wouldn't let the generations forget the pain caused by their ancestors. Ah, I remember it like it was yesterday, the terror he caused. Killed a few men he did. Nobody could take that terror down."

Kagome gasped. "Inuyasha did THAT?" The woman nodded.

"This villiage has always been warned of the creature known as Inuyasha, the hanyou bent on revenge," the headman shuddered.

"He's different now, he really is," Kagome tried to comfort the villagers who were looking around nervously.

"Yeah! Kagome here can make him stop being a jerk!" Shippo piped in. A young girl came over to them and looked at Shippo who was now standing in front of Kagome. She reached out and rubbed one of his little ears.

"They're so cute!" she giggled. "Daddy, can they stay with us?" she asked, turning her big brown eyes pleadingly on the headmaster.

The headman looked the group over. "Surely a demon slayer, a monk, and a priestess can control the hanyou," the girl begged. The man accepted, saying that if Inuyasha were to cause any trouble they would all be chased out of the villiage and hunted by their Lord.

All four bowed with gratitide, then excused themselves to go fetch Inuyasha. "One more thing," Kagome said loudly, catching the attention of all the villagers. "Please try not to stare at him, he's very sensitive, especially around here."

Half an hour later they had managed to convince the hanyou to come back to the villiage, if only for a hot meal and a comfortable place to sleep. The second they got within view of the homes, the headman's daughter ran to greet them. "Hi! I'm Aiko by the way!" she smiled up at Shippo, who was riding on Kagome's shoulder. He jumped down and presented his paw to her, introducing himself. She shook it happily, then smiled with glee as he reached into his kimono and pulled out a leaf, transforming it into a flower before handing it shyly to her.

"Why does Shippo have all the luck?" Miroku moaned.

"Perhaps it's because he doesn't grab at them," Sango retorted, grabbing his wrist before his hand could make contact with her rear.

----------

The headman showed them to their rooms and served them dinner, never letting Inuyasha from his sight which made the hanyou rather uncomfortable. He leaned in to Kagome and whispered, "why does he keep looking at me like that?"

Kagome shot him a dirty look. "Perhaps it was something that happened around sixty years ago here," she glared back at him. His eyes widened.

"I didn't think that they'd remember THAT."

"The headman's mother was a kid here when it happened," Kagome replied. Inuyasha looked up to the woman seated across the room from them and stood. The woman's eyes widened as he walked nearer to her. The headman's hand fell on the hilt of his sword, preparing to defend his mother.

Both were shocked, however, when the hanyou fell to his knees and took the womans hands, looking into her eyes with remorse in his own.

"I am terribly sorry for all the sorrow I caused in your life, and the fear you have lived through since you were a child,"Inuyasha said. He paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and continued, "but you see, that is exactly how my life here was. I was sad and constantly fearful. It was not an easy life, and if you people have come to know how my life was, then you have known how hard it is to be a hanyou."

The woman's eyes glazed over with confusion, then suddenly, it dawned on her. "You were that boy, Inu No Taisho and Izayoi's son." Inuyasha nodded. "Then, I am sorry for the pain our people put you through in your past."

Inuyasha glanced briefly back at Kagome and the others. "I've realized now that there are people in this world, however few, that accept hanyou's for who they are."

----------

Kagome was stunned by Inuyasha's appology at dinner. Usually he was such a jerk, but tonight, well, he was being so nice. She noticed the incence burning in every room of the house, and thought that that might have been making him a little loopy.

Kagome was sitting on the steps under the moonlight. The headman noticed her by herself and came to chat with her. "Beautiful night, isn't it?"

"It is," Kagome replied with a slight smile. Whenever the moon in the sky was that particular cresent shape, it always made her think of Sesshoumaru, and she told him so.

"Ah, yes, the Lord. You know, even when it was said that he despised humans, he was never a cruel lord, unless of course, you angered him of inconvenianced him." Kagome smiled. "Ah, but after he found that girl, well, he changed, you know. I can't say just what it was about him, but it made him seem, different. Not his old self."

With that comment, Kagome was listening intently. "Rin? She's a nice little girl. I wonder sometimes how she met Sesshoumaru, or even why he decided to let her stay around."

"Oh, is that the girl's name? I never knew," the headman laughed. "It seems to me that I saw her first around the time that his arm was cut off in battle."

"Yeah," Kagome thought about it, then frowned. "I don't know why Inuyasha had to show off and cut his arm off. It just wasn't nice."

The headman jumped backwards three feet. "Inuyasha did that?" he demanded, a slight panic look in his eyes.

"Yes, they were fighting over that sword that Inuyasha has at his side, Tessaiga. The only problem was that Sesshoumaru couldn't touch it because he was all demon, so Inuyasha took it, and they fought."

"So this, Inuyasha, must be a very strong hanyou indeed to stand up to Lord Sesshoumaru," the headman speculated.

"Yes he is, in fact, after he learned one technique, he would have killed Sesshoumaru if it hadn't been for Tensaiga, which saved him from the attack," Kagome said, remembering the fierce battle.

The headman just sat in silence for awhile, so long in fact that it started to make Kagome uncomfortable.

"Do you think that anyone could break his frosty attitude?" she blurted out. He stared at her with wide eyes.

"Well, Rin seemed to help him, so maybe she is the key to his heart?" he smirked. "But I thought you were with his sibling, Inuyasha."

"I think I'm going to bed now, goodnight," She turned and headed for her room, a plan brewing in her mind for the days to come.

**********

Author Notes and Review Responces:
As a reply to one of the reviewers, yes, there will be Inu/Kag in this fic (you can kind of see some of his affection for her here) but I think it will mostly be Sess/Kag... and like I said in the description, possibly some Mir/Sang...
In addition, no Inuyasha and Kagome won't really be together, he's just going to be chasing after her and she's going to be lusting after Sesshy ^^ But of course, as per the characters, she will still have feelings for him in the first while... Thanks for Reviewing Everyone!

Okay, so we've established that Inuyasha and Kagome have this bet going. Now, we'll see how Kagome tries to make him warm up!

If anyone has any suggestions to add, ways for her to break his ice, then let's hear 'em!

Thanks for everyone's support so far!