An Entirely Different Kind of Cheating

A/N: First off, thanks so completely much to my reviewers! You guys are not only utterly awesome, but really inspiring me to get to work on this story.
Okay, there won’t be any citrus in this chapter, but that’s because this is the chapter in which things will be…okay, I don’t want to say they’ll be explained, but the perceptive reader just may be able to figure out a little of what went on to cause certain neuroses in the characters. Well…Miroku and Kagome, anyway. Inuyasha’s past will remain a mystery for a while. Sadly, chapters may start taking a little longer to come out after this one, seeing as I already had chapters one, two, and three written before I published anything, but I’m a pretty fast writer, so it shouldn’t take too long. Feel free to guess about the secret, and, as always, PLEASE review!!!!

Okay, responding-to-reviewer time!

Chokoreto: Oh my god, that’s such a huge compliment! Thank you so much! I’m glad you liked it, and I’ll definitely do my best to keep updating.

Crazy-ezcaped fan: Yeah, I’m a little hesitant about how fast their relationship is developing as well…but it’s so much fun to write! I’m really flattered that you reviewed! It’s good to hear that I can get my readers all riled up. That means I’m doing something right, right? *Big sigh of relief* Thanks so much for the review!

Keik0: Thanks, I had fun writing it. *guilty laugh* Glad you enjoyed, and thanks for reviewing!

Fallenangel7583: Wow, I’m not used to people flattering me like this! *fans face* thank you soooo much! I can’t even describe how glad I am that you like my version of Inuyasha so much. As an Inuyasha fangirl myself, it’s always thrilling to find a great version of him, and to think that people see the one I created like that…I get all bubbly and disgustingly happy. I was very impressed at how close you were with your guess, especially since your guess was made before reading this chapter, where it goes into that sort of thing. *Doles out the virtual pocky* I absolutely loved your review! THANK YOU!!!!!

Keke: Your wish is my command! Thanks for reviewing!

Now, onto the story!!!

$~$~$
*****
$~$~$

Chapter Three

$~$~$

Inuyasha blinked slowly into consciousness, reveling in the warmth and comfort which surrounded him.

He stared down at the naked girl sleeping in his arms. She was purely adorable, and she snuggled closer to him as he shifted slightly. A smile grew on his face, and he put his arms around her again.

Things between them were moving so fast.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so content.

The feeling of Kagome in his arms surpassed any positive adjective. It felt right, and that feeling brought a distinct comfort and affection that he couldn’t remember ever feeling before.

Inuyasha took a deep breath and noticed scents on the edge of his mind, the ones which had awoken him in the first place.

He shook his head to clear it, and inhaled again, singling out the smells and trying to place them. They seemed familiar, or one did, but his sleepy mind refused to deal with it, and, as such, he lay back down and smiled as Kagome nuzzled his chest in her sleep. He rubbed her back lazily, and she made wonderful little sighing, mewling noises.

Inuyasha faded back into a sleep just heavy enough to fail to notice the footsteps bringing those scents closer.

He did, however, jerk completely awake as the door to his bedroom burst open.

With demonic speed, he pulled the covers up around Kagome’s shoulders and sat up with the blanket around his waist, attempting to block Kagome from view of that which he deemed an enemy.

Why he had failed to lock the door the night before was beyond him. He supposed he’d been a little distracted.

Now, as a result, a very angry man and a very bemused woman were standing in his doorway.

Another good question: where the hell was hotel security? Some employees would be out on their asses by the end of the day.

“You fucking bastard!” Miroku jerked forward to run at Inuyasha, but the woman grasped his arm to hold him back. “Let go, Sango, I’ll fucking kill him!”

Inuyasha growled venomously as he heard Kagome’s heart pick up speed, and she sat up, curling herself behind him. Instinct had Inuyasha put a hand on her waist behind him, ensuring that he covered her from view, and offering her at least a little comfort.

“What the hell are you doing in my room?” Inuyasha asked coldly.

“You bastard! Get your goddamn hands off my cousin!” The girl was barely containing him as he struggled to shake her off and get his hands on the hanyou.

Inuyasha’s scowl darkened. “I would suggest that you get out of here right now.”

“Kagome, what the hell are you doing with him?!” Miroku practically shrieked. “How could you possibly think that it was a good idea to sign yourself on as the next in his infinite list of sluts?!”

Inuyasha glanced back to make sure Kagome was covered by the sheets, and in a flash, he was gripping Miroku by the throat, tearing him out of the woman’s hands, and slamming him against the wall by the door. He happened to be wearing nothing but his boxers, but decided to ignore that for now, as he had more important matters to take care of.

“I really hope you’re not insinuating what I think you are,” he growled violently, and hitched him higher, putting more pressure against his throat. He was practically seeing red. How dare this asshole barge in without permission, interrupt them, threaten him, and call Kagome a slut? Inuyasha would teach him a lesson or two.

The girl Miroku had called Sango was yelling at him, gripping his forearm in an attempt to free her boyfriend, but he ignored her, eyes fastened directly on Miroku’s hateful glare.

A pair of slim arms came around his waist, and Kagome pressed her face to his back. “Stop, Inuyasha. Please,” she whimpered.

He hesitated a moment, hands shaking with want to tear the offensive man apart, before removing his hands and letting Miroku drop to the floor.

He could hear Miroku panting for breath as he turned to take Kagome in his arms, determining that she was in need of comfort. She had the bed sheet clutched around her.

Miroku muttered a curse. “Kagome, get away from him.”

Inuyasha looked up, surprised to find that the human had recovered more quickly than he had suspected he would, and he was shrugging off Sango’s hands. Inuyasha gently pulled Kagome away from him, aware of Miroku’s intent.

Miroku surprised him again with his speed as he attacked, and Inuyasha just barely managed to dodge out of the way. He remained on the defensive, blocking and maneuvering around Miroku’s strikes. The guy was actually a good fighter. Inuyasha, however, was half demon, and there was no way he would lose to this asshole.

The girls were doing the girly thing; yelling for them both to stop, gripping each other’s hands, and he could smell tears rising in Kagome’s scent. He didn’t like it one bit.

“Inuyasha, please,” she begged, tears falling down her face.

“I would if I could, Kagome,” he panted as he dodged an impressive kick, “but your cousin is kind of trying to kill me.”

Inuyasha felt something permeate from Kagome’s aura, and spread towards the combatants.

At first it was just a feeling, a warm tingling sensation, but then a wave of pink light issued through the room, and passed over Miroku and Inuyasha, stilling their movements.

Inuyasha gasped as the light seeped through his skin, held him tightly and seared his body. He cried out and dropped to his knees, feeling his flesh sizzling. He fell to all fours and struggled against the power gripping him tightly, pressuring him with a burning touch on every inch of his body.

He could feel his limbs shaking, and he had to bite back a scream as he could feel his youki receding painfully.

Then, all at once, the sensation was over, and he was left trembling on his hands and knees.

“Inuyasha?” Kagome whispered.

“K-Kagome…why?” He gasped for breath.

“Inuyasha?!” She scrambled over and dropped in front of him, grasping his shoulders. “What happened? Are you alright?! I just wanted to stop the two of you from fighting! It was just a simple spell to separate you and hold you still!”

“Dammit, Kagome, did you think that miko energy wouldn’t hurt me?! I’m a hanyou.” He couldn’t even raise his head to look at her.

There was a beat of silence, then Kagome threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and sobbing brokenly into his neck. “I’m sorry, Inuyasha! I-I didn’t think about that! I’m so sorry! Are you alright?”

He wanted to grumble “Do I look alright?” but refrained for Kagome’s sake, nodding weakly instead. She took one arm and pulled it over her shoulder, then struggled to help him stand. He stumbled to his feet as well, putting as much effort as he could into getting himself over to the bed.

“Kagome,” Sango said softly once the two of them had succeeded in laying Inuyasha down. “I’m sorry about this. I tried to stop him, but…I don’t know what’s going on with Miroku.”

Miroku grumbled unintelligibly, and Kagome nodded.

Sango smiled weakly and left them alone, dragging a vaguely immobilized Miroku behind her.

Inuyasha felt literally fried alive, but it seemed to ease, just the littlest bit, as Kagome lay down next to him, still wrapped fully in the silver silk sheet. She brought the blanket gingerly over him, and stroked his face apologetically.

“I’m so sorry, Inuyasha. I never meant to hurt you.” She dropped her face into the crook of his neck.

Inuyasha smiled. “It’s okay. I’ve been in worse positions than this one.” He tilted his head and weakly kissed her temple. He would have hugged her, but he couldn’t find the strength.

“But this time it’s my fault!” She started sobbing, gripping his still-bare torso.

“Hey, koishii, don’t cry. It’s okay, I promise.”

She raised watery eyes to his own. “But…but…”

His eyes flickered shut for a few seconds before he forced them back open.

“I-Inuyasha, your hair is streaked black!”

“As a human I have black hair. You just purified me a little, that’s all.”

This statement did not have the calming effect on her he hoped it would. She sobbed harder, and her hands gripped his arms. “Will you be okay?” she demanded.

“I’ll be fine. I just need a little rest, so my youki can restore itself.”

“Are you sure?”

He nodded weakly.

“And you’ll go back to being a hanyou, right?”

“Unfortunately.”

Her eyes widened. “Unfortunately?”

He raised one eyebrow with much effort. “Oh come on. Nobody likes a hanyou.”

She frowned, stretching herself out next to him. “I do. I like you just the way you were.”

Inuyasha blinked a few times, amazement filtering through him. “Why?”

“What do you mean, ‘why,’ you big dope? You’re Inuyasha, and Inuyasha is a hanyou. That’s exactly the way I want you to be: as yourself and nothing else.”

He smiled softly at her. “Kagome…” Somehow, her teary, loving face gave him strength enough to reach up and enfold her in his arms.

$~$~$

Kagome hadn’t yet scrounged up the courage to return to her hotel room to confront her cousin. She’d stayed with Inuyasha, and stroked his ears until he fell asleep, then lay down to rest with him.

She unintentionally dozed off, and awoke when Inuyasha did.

She’d been following him around ever since. Kagome could just picture the look on Miroku’s face, and the lecture she would get when she returned to the room. The thought of it made her nervous. She could tell Inuyasha sensed her anxiety as he silently pulled her closer.

“Holy shit, is that who I think it is?” Kagome gasped.

Inuyasha looked in the same direction. “Hm?”

Kagome pointed out the tall, built figure she was eyeing. The man was strongly built, and dressed in a sharp tuxedo. A long, unruly ponytail spilled down his back.

Unexpectedly, a growl rumbled through Inuyasha, and a fierce one at that.

“Who do you think it is?” he muttered unhappily.

“Oh, I don’t know, only Tamiyo Kouga!”

“It’s not such a big deal,” Inuyasha growled. “The bastard comes in here all the time, and I hate every second of it.”

Kagome’s eyes widened as she turned to face Inuyasha. His hair was now completely white again, and he seemed to be perfectly back to normal, much to Kagome’s relief. “But…he’s Kouga! He’s supposed to be all charming, and suave!”

“Yeah, well that’s just what the media picks up. His personality rivals that of a rabid warthog.”

Kagome winced. “That bad?”

“Worse. He’s the most annoying being on the planet.”

Kagome could see Kouga glaring at Inuyasha, and she realized that the well known wolf-youkai movie star had heard Inuyasha’s insults.

“Uh…I think he heard you.”

“Who the hell cares? He’s in my debt, so it’s not like I have to be polite to him twenty-four/seven.”

“He’s in your debt?” Kagome raised a brow.

“Is that so hard to believe?”

“Well…wouldn’t that mean that you did something nice for him?”

Inuyasha snorted. “Hell no, not for that bastard. His pack-mates picked a fight with a bunch of hyena-youkai. They would have gotten their asses kicked, if I hadn’t stepped in. It was Kouga’s fault for not keeping better track of his pack, so he was indebted to me.”

“Ah. I see. Well, that was very noble of you Inuyasha.”

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t patronize me.”

She giggled and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek.

Inuyasha turned his head at the last second, stealing a kiss and taking her weight off her toes and into his arms. He kissed her sweetly.

“So how much did you pay to get a beautiful girl like that on your arm, Inu-kurro?”

Kagome pulled back, aghast at the rudeness of the person addressing them. It turned out to be none other than Tamiyo Kouga.

Inuyasha was growling and pushing her behind him immediately. “Excuse me? What did you just say, you bastard?”

Kouga was peering around his shoulder to peek at Kagome. “Why don’t you introduce me to the sweet little bitch hiding behind your back? Or have you forgotten your manners?”

Inuyasha clenched his fists. “Back the hell off, Kouga, or you’ll be thrown out of my casino. Again.”

Kouga smirked. “It ain’t your casino, ko-inu. Did you forget that it still belongs to your daddy?”

“I don’t feel like arguing with you, Kouga; I have much more important things to do.”

The wolf-youkai smirked, and, with blinding speed, dashed around Inuyasha, and took Kagome by the hands, pulling her a few yards away. “What is a beautiful woman like you doing with a moron like Inuyasha.” His hand caressed her cheek, and his other hand slid to her waist. “How about you come with me tonight, and I’ll show you what a real youkai can do.”

That was the crappiest pickup line Kagome had ever heard. Before she even had a chance to jerk away, Inuyasha’s fist was colliding with Kouga’s face.

Inuyasha’s hands gripped the lapels of Kouga’s suit, and threw him to the ground. “Security,” he barked, accenting the word with a harsh kick to Kouga’s ribs.

Guards appeared. “Get this filth out of here. What the hell do I pay you people for?!”

Kouga was carted off, and Inuyasha realized that he needed to up the security in his hotel. Then again, the security was probably totally aware of what was going on, but didn’t want to interrupt him while he punished his enemy.

Inuyasha took Kagome in his arms and led her away from the commotion Kouga was causing, as he kicked and scrambled (unsuccessfully) for his freedom.

“Are you alright?” he asked her concernedly. “Did he hurt you?”

“No, I’m fine.” She frowned. “I can see why you hate the guy though, he’s a real asshole.”

He smiled down at her, and bent down to pick up from where they’d been so rudely interrupted. He couldn’t get enough of her kisses, her caress, the way she felt wrapped securely in his arms. He wouldn’t let anyone take her away from him.

Ever.

$~$~$

Sango eyed Kagome perceptively. “You miss him don’t you?”

“Wh-what? No!”

Sango laughed. “Yeah right, Kag. It’s written all over your dreamy face.”

“It is not!” She chuckled, then settled down a bit and sighed. “Is it that obvious?”

“More than that obvious, I was just being nice in not mentioning it before,” she teased.

Kagome laughed and swatted at her friend.

Sango was relieved that Kagome had gotten back into the hotel room at the perfect time, while Miroku had just stepped into the bathroom. Kagome quickly changed into a cream cami with beautiful Asian detailing and a pair of boot cut jeans, since she’d still been dressed in the green dress from the night before. Sango had sneakily called a fast goodbye to Miroku, telling him that she and Kagome were taking a walk, and they were scrambling out the door before he had the chance to emerge from the bathroom.

Sango smiled perceptively at her friend, silently thinking that this guy was actually good for Kagome. Besides giving them a free pass to cheating their way into obscene amounts of money, the guy seemed to…well, to cherish her, almost. He was constantly touching her, holding her.

Kagome had never noticed all the stares she received from half the male population she met. Even now, as they walked down the street, guys passing by on the sidewalk would stare at her appreciatively. It was the cami. That particular camisole drove the men-folk wild. Well…it did when Kagome wore it, anyway.

Sango wasn’t self-deprecating in thinking that she wasn’t as attractive as Kagome. Kagome had a purely beautiful appearance, that’s all there was to it. It worked out fairly well for Sango, who, despite her own good looks, had never desired to have any attention at all from men. That is, until she’d met Kanshu Miroku.

Miroku had moved into the shrine with the Higurashi family when Kagome was almost fifteen. Sango, being Kagome’s best friend, met him soon after. Sango had always been attracted to the boy who was three years older than Kagome. She had thought that Miroku shared her attraction, until she learned that Miroku shared his attention with every female with a nice bust. They had finally gotten together many years later, at Kagome’s seventeenth birthday, and he’d been good about staying true to her ever since. Granted, his perverted ways sometimes led to Sango being groped in public, but he’d gotten better about that as well.

Sango had thought it was ridiculous; how Miroku would chase after every girl he could get his hands on, but was fiercely protective of Kagome, scaring off any of the guys who were interested in her. Kagome had never minded; she’d never wanted a relationship like that…until Inuyasha.

Now Sango and Kagome were walking down the street, taking in all the sights, and looking for a good café or restaurant so they could sit and talk.

$~$~$

Miroku shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked down the street. Within minutes, he spotted Sango and Kagome sitting under the umbrella of a café table. They were laughing.

Without a word, he approached the table. They saw him coming, but returned his silence. Miroku grabbed Kagome by the upper arm.

“Come on,” he said simply before dragging her out of the chair.

“Miroku! What the hell?” Kagome yelled as Miroku practically made her trip all over her feet in his haste to get away.

“Sango, we’ll see you later,” he called over his shoulder.

He didn’t let go of Kagome’s arm until they were safely in the hotel room, and he’d locked the door behind them.

Kagome sat down on the edge of the bed, her arms crossed sourly and a scowl on her face. “Christ, Miroku, you could have just asked to talk to me. I don’t know what the hell has gotten into you lately, but you’re making our trip really suck because of your attitude.”

Miroku clenched his teeth and leaned over Kagome, putting his hands on the bed on either side of where she was sitting. “My attitude makes the trip suck? Kagome…I’m fully aware that you think that I’m just being overprotective and annoying, but there are many reasons for that, and you’re too caught up in your own childish playtime to stop denying that you know fully well what’s going on.”

“No, actually, I have no idea whatsoever as to why the hell you’re acting like a total spaz.”

“Yes you do!” Miroku stood up and walked a few steps away from her. This wasn’t how he wanted their vacation to be. “Kagome…did you honestly think that I would sit back and watch you throw yourself at one of the most dangerous men in the country?”

“He’s not dangerous to me, Miroku, so you can stop hovering over me like this.”

“I don’t know why you’re being such a stubborn child and refusing to see the truth, but since you don’t seem to plan on coming out of that stupid phase anytime soon, you can sure as hell bet that I’m going to do as much as I can to protect you.”

“I don’t need your protection, Miroku!”

Miroku spun around, an expression of rage on his face. “That’s what you said last time, Kagome!”

The girl opened her mouth to reply, but found no words, and retired to silence.

“You know I’m right.”

“It’s different now!”

“Dammit, Daishyo Inuyasha is a murderer! What the hell makes you think that he’s any better than-”

“Shut up!” Kagome screamed. She buried her face in her hands. “Just shut the fuck up!”

Miroku sighed, knowing he’d come close to pushing her too far. He knelt beside the girl and took her into his arms. Despite her anger, she latched onto him. Miroku had always tried his best to fill the place of protector in her life. He’d always protected her, at any expense.

“Kagome,” he whispered softly. “I’m not trying to hurt you, I swear I’m not. I just don’t want to see you betrayed again. You’re a beautiful girl, Kagome, and I know that you’re going to have boyfriends. I just wish you’d wait until you were a little older to get so serious with them. And I wish that you wouldn’t get involved with ones who are so dangerous. Men like that have only led to bad experiences in the past, what makes you think that it’ll be any different now or in the future?”

“Miroku, I-” Kagome cut herself off, and seemed to struggle to spit out the words. “I know you think I slept with him. But I didn’t. I mean…I slept with him, but….we didn’t…”

“I understand.” Miroku had to admit that relief flooded through his veins. “Although, I’d feel a little better if you promised that you weren’t going to in the future.”

Kagome shook her head and sniffled a few times. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” she mumbled against his shoulder.

Miroku nodded slowly, and lay down with Kagome curled into his arms. He stroked her hair and felt her slowly relax.

He remembered countless times throughout Kagome’s childhood when he’d done this for her, been there as the only person who fully understood her past, and her emotions. He’d always been there for her, and he’d sacrificed so much for her. He’d sacrificed his conscience, and he’d sacrificed every moment of dreamless sleep to the nightmares that always came to him in unconsciousness because of the guilt which came at the expense of protecting this girl. He wasn’t sure if he had ever forgiven himself, or if he ever would. But more importantly, he didn’t know if Kagome would ever forgive him either.

$~$~$

Kagome felt like a child.

What nineteen year old girl was scolded by her cousin for her preference in boyfriends, then cried on his shoulder and let him comfort her for half an hour after that?

She always felt like such a small child when someone comforted her like Miroku had. She hated the feeling; the clinging resonance of childhood which refused to die and let her move on. This numbing metronomical passiveness which plagued every hour she spent thinking about her past was too much to handle.

And so, outside the cloistered recess of the hotel room, she pushed away the edges of terrifyingly tantalizing regression, and went to do the one thing that ensured herself of her adult ability to make her own choices and live her own life. She gambled.

$~$~$

Inuyasha was finding it hard to concentrate on Osa Toutousai, his father’s long-time business partner who was sitting across the desk from him. He could see Kagome playing blackjack in one of the security monitors.

“Where’s your head, boy?” Toutousai asked in his old, scratching voice.

Inuyasha smiled slightly, acknowledging that if Toutousai, of all people, was criticizing him of losing his head, and not the other way around, he was definitely more distracted than he needed to be.

He’d long-since realized that Kagome wasn’t like any of the many other girls he’d ever been with. This realization was solidified by the fact that he couldn’t keep his mind off her, even when trying to seal a business agreement that should have been taken care of months ago.

“Sorry, old man,” Inuyasha apologized half-heartedly. “I was distracted.” He’d never been respectful to his father’s friends.

Toutousai raised an eyebrow. “By that pretty girl on the security monitor you keep looking at?”

“W-what?” Inuyasha was amazed. To think that Toutousai had actually noticed something without it being physically, forcibly beaten into him by some poor frustrated other person was simply astounding. “Am I that obvious?”

“Eh?”

“I said, am I that obvious?”
“About what?”

“About….about that girl you were just talking about.”

“What girl?” Toutousai turned and glanced around the office, but, seeing that they were the only two in there, turned back to Inuyasha suspiciously. “Are you trying to play a trick on an old man like me, Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha sighed. “Of course not.” Once again, saved from complications by Toutousai’s senility. God bless it. “So about that tricky clause on page sixty-two…”

$~$~$

For once Kagome saw Inuyasha coming before he snuck up on her.

“You look beat,” she said sympathetically, and turned back to her cards.

“I feel beat,” he agreed. Inuyasha edged into her and slipped his arm around her shoulders in a possessive gesture. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Inuyasha bear his fangs menacingly at the greasy old guy sitting to her right who’d been staring at her chest all evening.

The guy gulped and on his next turn, he threw down his cards and left the table.

“I missed you,” Inuyasha growled into Kagome’s ear. He bent down a bit to level himself with the high chair she was sitting in, and his free arm slinked across her stomach. He gently bit her earlobe, and she started a little, and stared up at him, all the wrong thoughts going through her head. She wanted to be thinking of how gorgeous he looked, and how lucky she was to be lathered by his attention. Instead, she was worrying that Miroku was right. She wished that she wouldn’t let her cousin’s sheltering rants get to her, but they always rung true in her mind throughout the day.

Inuyasha frowned, and for a moment, Kagome was sure he could somehow see in her eyes what she was thinking, until he said, “You smell like your idiot cousin.”

Kagome blinked a few times, frowned, and went back to her card game. She didn’t want to smell like her cousin. “I do?” she asked quietly.

He nodded.

“I hate that,” she said bitterly.

Then Inuyasha was grabbing her shoulders and swinging her around to face him, intensity in his eyes. “Kagome, did he do something to you?” he demanded.

“What?” Kagome gasped.

“Did he? Why is his scent all over you?!”

Kagome shook her head rapidly. “He didn’t do anything to me,” she told him. “I promise. Miroku isn’t like that at all. Besides, he’s my cousin.”

“Yeah, well, the guy gets under my skin, and I don’t trust him. Especially not with you.”

“I can take care of myself.” Kagome felt like that must have been the thirtieth time she’d said that all day.

Inuyasha loosened up a little, but still watched her warily. “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should have to.”

Anger rising, Kagome threw down her cards and slipped off her chair. “I shouldn’t take care of myself?” she asked sharply as she marched away from the table. “What the hell is it with guys trying to convince me that taking care of myself is a complete impossibility and, worse, an insult to their stupid male ego?!”

“It’s not like that, Kagome,” Inuyasha said. He was suddenly in front of her, holding her shoulders and peering into her eyes seriously. “You’ve got it wrong. Sure, I want to be there for you, but I’m not saying that you can’t take care of yourself. I’m just saying that I want to take care of you.”

“Well, maybe I don’t want to be taken care of! Maybe I would like to be independent for once in my life.”

Inuyasha touched her cheek tenderly. She wanted to pull back, but his touch was too sweet. “Kagome…look, I’m sorry for getting you so pissed off. That definitely wasn’t my intention. I actually came down here to find you and invite you to dinner. I just got a little sidetracked when I smelled Miroku all over you.”

Kagome cringed. “Is it that bad?”

Inuyasha shrugged. “It’s annoying, smelling another guy on you, but I’ll live.”

“He just hugged me, that’s all. He’s always so worried about me. I really hate how overprotective he gets.”

Inuyasha took a step closer and cupped her face in his hands. “I bet we could replace that smell pretty fast, don’t you think?”

She smiled up at him and went up on her toes a little as he bent to meet her in a kiss. Why had she bothered arguing with him in the first place? Sure, she’d been in a rotten mood, but this method of distraction was immensely more enjoyable.


$~$~$
*****
$~$~$

A/N: Alright, the offer still stands: Virtual pocky for anyone who correctly guesses what was hinted at in Miroku and Kagome’s conversation!
So there was chapter three: devoted entirely to character development! Yaaaaay character development!
Yeah, that whole thing with Kouga was really put in solely to exaggerate Inuyasha’s protective feelings for Kag. Plus…well…making Inuyasha protectively violent is just so much fun!!
Thanks once again for reading, and, although chapter four currently barely exists at all, I’ll do my best to quickly change that! In the meantime, PLEASE review!
~Schrodinger’s Cat