Kiss and Control

Inuyasha had followed the girl from school, and so far, all he had learned was that she was oblivious. He didn't doubt that he could walk right next to her, and she wouldn't notice. To test this theory, he had come within a few feet of her several times, close enough that if he had wanted, he could have reached out and touched her, and she never even glanced over her shoulder.

Not wanting anyone to get suspicious, he fell back about five yards and contented himself to just watch. The last thing he needed was some crusader for good, to inform the girl that she had a stalker.

The young Higurashi seemed to be in high spirits, it seemed her conversation with Kouga had more of a lasting effect than he had figured. Then again, this girl was probably as pure as he was dark - a virgin who blushed at the thought of sex, and got sick from cigarette smoke. Something like a grin crossed his face, if only for a moment before he watched the girl start to cross a very busy street.

"Damn," he swore. Now he would have to wait for the next red light to cross, and he might lose her. He knew she was heading in the direction of her home, but if she chose to make a side trip, he was screwed. He was still a good thirty feet away when the girl’s bag broke and spilled all over the road.

"What the fuck?!" he growled as she bent down to pick up her stuff. Was this girl out of her god-damned mind?! She was in the middle of a fucking highway! His heart skipped a beat as he saw the big rig barreling towards her.

"Fuck!"

His sluggish human legs broke into a run, even though he knew it was already too late.

There was no way he would be able to make it in time.

"FUCK!"

His heart almost went out to the girl as she looked up in absolute terror. It probably would have been better for her if she hadn't looked - at least she wouldn't have seen it coming.

At that moment, a feeling he hadn't known in a long time came over him. A feeling that urged him to protect this girl. Without much thought, as much as instinct, he ripped the beaded rosary from his neck and launched himself into the street.

'You're too late, she’s dead.' said a voice inside his head. Inuyasha growled as he reached out towards the girl, his claws raking over her shoulder. He could feel the heat from the engine pouring over him in waves as he gripped the girl as tight as he could without breaking her collar bone. He pulled her against his body as his descent brought him into the next lane of traffic. He must have cleared the semi's grill by only inches. It was a shame he hadn't seen the SUV that was coming from the opposite direction. Inuyasha's breath was ripped from his chest as his body crashed into the windshield of the other car. Shock, more than pain, attacked him as the car braked and sent him and the girl in his arms rolling across the asphalt.

It seemed to take forever for their bodies to come to a stop. Opening his eyes, he gasped for air as his eyes made a quick assessment of his and the girl’s conditions. Her eyes were squeezed shut, she didn't look particularly hurt, and her rapid breaths were enough to assure him she would be fine, as long as she didn't have a heart condition.

Other than a few scrapes and bruises, he was fine. His back was a little sore from having the air knocked out of him, but he would live.

His ears swished back as the girl gasped. He blinked for a moment, staring into her chocolate-colored eyes...and she was staring right back at him.

It was then he realized that in his left hand, he still clasped his sacred rosary. That’s right, he was in his true form. He couldn't remember clearly when he had taken it off, but he knew that without his hanyou speed and strength, this girl would have been dead, and probably himself as well.

He could hear the sounds of footsteps and car doors slamming. Looking the girl over once more, he quickly released her and jumped to his feet.

One leap was all it took to carry him to the nearest rooftop, and not once did he look back as he fled.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The pain Kagome felt as she stared into the truck's headlights was shocking to say the least. She felt as if she was having an out of body experience - surely the burning in her shoulder was from the metal beast in front of her. The next several seconds were a blur… she felt like she was flying, and maybe she was...

She remembered feeling encased in something warm before a hard jolt sent her body once again sailing - only this time she was rolling, again and again and again...

And then everything was still.

Slowly, one by one, her senses started coming back to her. The first thing she realized was that someone was holding her. Their body was warm and pleasantly comforting, enough to make her forget about the pain in her shoulder. She could hear their breath coming in hot pants as it grazed her ears. And when she opened her eyes, her heart once again stopped.

Above her, holding onto her tightly, was a white-haired god. Long silver hair framed his handsome face, his lips parted as he gasped for air... And his eyes were the golden color of honey. Never before had the urge to touch someone come to her so strongly, or even at all.

But god, if she didn't want to reach out and touch him, just to make sure he was real. Was she dead? Had she gone to heaven? If she was, she never wanted to go back. She could lay here beneath him forever, his chest pressed against hers, until she couldn't tell whose heartbeat belonged to who.

Kagome’s calm was broken instantly, as the man next to shoved her away, and before she could even call out, he was gone.

"Miss! Miss! Are you okay?"

A man rushed to Kagome’s side, clearly distressed, and it took her a minute to remember why.

"I saw what happened, and an ambulance is on the way. Are you hurt?"

"Am I...." Kagome’s still restarting brain seemed to think the question over. “No, no I'm fine..."

The man seemed to frown at her, before calling over his shoulder, "She's in shock..."

Kagome looked at the man indignantly.

"I am not! I just told you I'm fine..."

A small crowd had formed around the girl, who was feeling slightly awkward she tried to sit up. The man looked as if his eyes might fall from their sockets.

"Wait! Don't move, you could be seriously hurt!"

"Look at all that blood..." said the voice of a small child. It was those five words that caught the girl’s attention.

"Bl...blood?"

For the first time, Kagome let her gaze fall to her own dishevelled body, and when her eyes fell on the spreading red stain on the front of her shirt, she fainted. It was lucky for her that the man next to her managed to catch her before she fell back and busted her head on the concrete.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Once he was a safe distance away, Inuyasha slipped from the roof into an empty alley. Cursing, he placed the rosary around his neck and hissed at his pain as it renewed itself.

He would've healed within an hour or so in his hanyou form, but that would mean that all the dirt and gravel embedded in his flesh would have been sealed in. An infection was the last thing he needed, so he was just going to have to deal with the pain until he could find somewhere to wash the shit out of his wounds.

His book bag had saved his back, which was lucky, because the dress shirt he had been wearing had practically disintegrated when he slid across the road.

His arms and legs felt as though someone had just went over him with a cheese grater.

He had two choices.

He could put on the mostly undamaged hoodie from his bag, and hide the road rash on his arms, then deal with the consequences later, when the material dried against the wound.

Or he could make his way home looking like someone had used him as a street cleaner, drawing unwanted attention from anyone with eyeballs.

"Fucking Christ!" Inuyasha growled as he took out his jacket.

"It’s going to be another great fucking night..."

As he walked, the sleeves already started to cling to his arms, and the sting was almost unbearable. Especially whenever he adjusted the straps on his shoulders....the sleeves would move and rip open the wounds again.

'It's all your fault, you know...you're the one that ran out in the middle of the road after that stupid girl,' jibed the voice inside his head.

"Shut up... I had to protect the target."

'You just keep telling yourself that. We both know the truth - you still have a weakness for bitches. You remember what happened last time.'

"Fuck you, it’s not like that. If that bitch gets in my way, I'll kill her just as dead as her father."

'Now we're getting somewhere.'

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome screamed as she tried to wipe the warm goo from her hands, but it just kept coming. The blood continued to flow from nowhere threatening to drown her.

"NO! NOOO!"

"Miss Higurashi..."

She couldn't see, she knew she was bleeding, she knew she was...

"Miss Higurashi!"

Kagome’s eyes opened and the scream on her lips died in her throat. It was a dream... just another dream.

"I.. I uh..."

A nurse was standing beside her bed. Kagome could tell she was a nurse from the overly cheerful cartoon characters that were also staring at her from the woman’s scrub.

"Miss Higurashi, you have a visitor."

"A what?"

Kagome’s nose was assaulted by the smells of what must have been a hospital. Alcohol disinfectant and cleaning chemicals.

The woman smiled kindly at her as the door opened.

A man in a business suit with wide rimmed glasses that seemed to magnify his already large brown eyes, entered and walked to her bedside.

The nurse quietly excused herself as the man took a seat. His face was kind, even beneath the wrinkles that seemed to be engulfing him, though his hair was still ink black with not a sign of gray.

"How're you doin', kiddo?" he said as he reached out to pat her head.

"D-daddy?"


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A/N: Merry Christmas everyone! ( or Hanuka or Kwanzaa or any other holiday! ) Stay safe and may you all get what you wished for! Thank you guys for reading my story and thanks for those who reviewed! And for my wonderful Beta Atelaar a quote!!!


"To write is human, to edit is Divine" ~Stephen King