Insatiable

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does.


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Chapter 05: Sunday Spar
 
 
Two worn out and battered forms lay sprawled out in the park grounds. Both pairs of chests heaved, panting, inhaling sweet scented oxygen as sakura petals fell relentlessly upon their tired forms. Three people watched them with amused grins.

The two had just finished an all out grappling match after a close proximity fist and kick-fight. Now, tired, bruised and definitely aching, Inuyasha and Kagome laid side by side. Whatever transgression the other had done was forgotten as they stared up at the trees and the early morning sky.
 
I need aqua. Kagome thought. She was parched.

On the other hand…
 
Awww! Inuyasha groaned in his thoughts. He hurt. But then, he smirked at the thought of Kagome as a sparring partner. She was not too bad - for a girl.
 
It was simple how they got themselves in a rumble again. It was coincidence.
 
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For four years now, Kagome had been sparring with Jinenji every Sunday at the park. Jinenji was a 28-year old martial arts instructor from a local training school just near Kagome's block. When he graduated high school, instead of going to college, he took over his deceased father's school and taught young kids, teenagers and young adults the art of self-defense. Kagome had met him during her last year of bartending at Sacred Arrow. She was still a junior then. They had become close friends after that. She treated Jinenji like the older brother she never had, and since, both of them were fitness junkies, they had decided to spar with each other every Sunday morning.
 
Despite her small frame, Kagome was not a newbie in the field of kicking someone else's ass. She had gotten self-defense lessons when she was a sophomore in high school. Upon knowing that Kagome wanted to go to the University for college, her mom had insisted that she took one despite her objections. She still remembered how her mother had lectured her about the dangers of living alone in the city. It had gone in the lines of “Better be safe than sorry.” Call it motherly paranoia, or simply Mama Korari Higurashi being her caring self, but it was a must-be-obeyed-or-else-no-college-in-the-city type of lecture. After a month of convincing, Kagome relented. And just like almost all the things that she did with her life, she took the classes with passion.
 
And right now, she was passionately punching and kicking the hell out of Jinenji, imagining him to be the silver-haired maggot that she loathed so much. He may be the sexiest guy she had ever met, and though, Inuyasha always took her breath away, but god she loathed him so.
 
Damn you! Damn you! Damn you! Takahashi, you maggot! She chanted in her mind timing it with every punch and kick she threw on Jinenji, who was trying his hardest just keep up.

Jinenji gritted his teeth, as he tried to block Kagome’s attacks.
 
“Kagome, you've got to slow down a little. We're in a spar. Not in a real fight!” he told her hoping that his plea could get past through the haze of concentration she had.

She heard none of it. Instead, her eyes narrowed as she recalled what happened in the parking lot with Inuyasha. Gathering all that was left in her, she had controlled her raging emotions. She didn't want Shun to notice that she had cried. It would have been disastrous. Much that she hated Inuyasha at that moment; she didn't want his relationship with Shun to be ruined because of his gutter mouth. But that would prove to be difficult because her eyes were close to puffballs and were getting red due to her rubbing. Exhaling heavily, she had tried her hardest not to hiccup. She always did that when she cried. Then out of nowhere, she felt a hand in front of her. Staring at it, she saw a dark blue handkerchief held by a very worried but very guilty Inuyasha.

Guilty, my ass. She snorted as she gave Jinenji a rather strong kick from the right. She was kicking him in succession when she noticed a guy jogging in place not far from them. He looked familiar, but she ignored him.

“Kagome, let’s take a break for a while.” Jinenji was grunting as he blocked her attacks.

“Not yet.”

Jinenji sweat-dropped. Shit. He cursed in his thoughts. Her hits were getting harder by the minute. Kagome was a woman but she had technique. She knew how to move her body together with her attacks to make it deadlier. She had told him once that she had been invited to participate in a martial arts competition during high school but she declined. She had said she would rather draw houses than kick someone’s ass. He doubted that now because she was rather enjoying kicking his ass.
 
I am so dead. He told himself.
 
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Inuyasha jogged along the familiar path around the park early that morning. Other than the several couple of new faces that he was seeing, it hadn't changed at all after 6 years. The sakura trees were as scenic as ever. There were still kids playing along while their parents watched over them. There were some people on their daily morning walk. And there were some middle-aged group doing dance exercises near the fountain, where the hotdog stand selling his favorite cheese dog still stood. Still sitting on the same bench near the pond and drinking their morning tea were the old geezers he sometimes played shoji in the past.
 
Stopping, he jogged in place and watched a pair spar against each other. He chuckled as the woman landed a strong jab on the man's chest. To him, it seemed that the woman was whooping the guy’s ass. He studied the woman's form and unconsciously nodded his head in approval.
 
Nice form.

Nice body.

Nice ass. 

He praised. Ass-kicking women were sexy as hell. They were irresistible.
 
He sighed at the thought.
 
That was right. Irresistible. Just like the one who slapped his face swollen. Not to mention, she also ruined his favorite handkerchief. His heart had ached when he saw her tears. She was heartbreaking when she cried because she hiccupped, so he offered her his handkerchief. She had glared at him as she took the piece of cloth from his hand.

“I won't thank you. So don't count on it.” She had hissed at him.

Chuckling at the memory, he rubbed his cheek. He always did that whenever he thought of Kagome that night. That slap she gave him hurt but he knew he deserved it. Knowing his behavior was uncalled for; he had damned himself for the rest of the night, even now.

He had been gratefully impressed when she had covered up for them both when Shun had asked what had happened. There she stood in the dimmed parking lot with a smile and a poker face, as she chattered a lame excuse about cherry blossom petals stinging her eyes.
 
Yeah, that was some lame excuse. But she sure was admirable that night. He thought with a sad smile. Other women would have sobbed at the sight of their fiancée after their interlude, but Kagome didn't. She hadn’t.

Sighing, he decided to jog once more, enjoying the serene atmosphere when he heard a roar.
 
“Damn you, Takahashi!”
 
Who the fuck! He cursed, as he whirled his head towards the direction of the enraged voice.

And stopped.
 
”Kagome…” Her name came out a whisper from his lips.

There she was on her black Nike trainers, black racer back top and dark steel blue sweats. She was kicking her sparring partner in succession. Her hair was braided and up giving her a rabid-woman-don't-mess-with-me look.
 
Being drawn, Inuyasha approached the clearing where she was. She and her partner were near the pond. As he got closer, he could clearly hear her lethal murmurs, a mantra that would tell any man to stay away, especially if you were that man she so furiously was trying to mutilate in her mind. But no, he would not stay away.

Why?
 
Because Inuyasha was not any man, he was THE man! God, he was a cocky fool since he just told himself that. 

He was now standing only a foot away from her, when suddenly…

KICK!

But Inuyasha blocked it. Didn't I tell you he was the man?
 
“YOU!” Kagome spat venomously like the sight of him was some bloody poison. Her eyes showed that he was the worst and last thing she wanted to see at this time. Not taking her eyes away from him, she steadied her form as she was now standing only on her left foot. Her right leg was still being held up, trapped in Inuyasha's hands.
 
He stared at her, while she glared at him.
 
Inuyasha smirked.
 
Kagome fumed.
 
Jinenji blinked.
 
The old geezers continued drinking their tea.
 
The birds chirped.
 
Everybody was oblivious to the dangerous tension brewing between the two of them.
 
Finally, Inuyasha broke it.
 
“Hi,” he greeted.
 
“Hi, my ass! Why the hell are you here Takahashi? Get out! This is my fucking park!!” she hollered.
 
Inuyasha released her leg and smirked. The effect was so cocky; it had further ticked off Kagome. He held out a hand to her.
 
“All right, I'll leave. But first, show them.” He was a damned fool. He should have left, but instead, he was beaming with amusement.
 
“Show what?” she shot back.
 
“The deed of ownership to the park. If it's really yours, show them. And besides, do you see any sign saying this is Kagome’s park.” He looked oh-so-smug crossing his arms across his chest.
 
Smart-ass! She glared at him and placed her hands on her hips.
 
“If I were you, Takahashi, I better walk away before I get my ass whooped,” she suggested with a sneer.
 
“Isn't it too early to pick a fight wench?”
 
“It certainly is early enough to kick your ass. And stop calling me wench!” she shouted glaring at him.

He matched her glare with a smirk as he moved towards her. He towered over her.
 
“I don't pick fights with girls, wench,” he said rather calmly.

She grunted and rolled her eyes. She was all fired up. She would never back down from him.
 
“Why not, Takahashi? Are you scared?” she taunted. He was so tall she needed to tilt her head to look straight at him. “Or maybe you're just a gutless fag. No wonder your mouth runs faster than you.”
 
Her eyes gleamed sadistically upon seeing him tensed up. His look hardened as he clenched and unclenched his right hand.
 
“Stop taunting me wench! And NO! I am not scared of you. And I'm definitely not a fag! I - I just - I just don't want to hurt you,” he said and turned his head to look somewhere else avoiding her gaze.

She was quite taken aback by what he had said. He sounded sincere when he told her he did not want to hurt her. Moreover, he sounded cute. It almost made her smile. But she steeled her resolve and snorted in response.
 
“Well, you've certainly made it your business to hurt me enough last night so there's no need to hold back now, isn't it?” she shot back.

He sighed guiltily. He knew she would say that.
 
“Okay, fine. I'll fight you. But don't blame me afterwards if you get hurt, deal?” he told her.

She gave a firm nod and watched him as he walked only a meter away from her.
 
Inuyasha could not believe he had agreed to fight a woman. To make it worse, it had to be her. Turning around, he faced her with a frown.
 
“Is this what you really want?” he asked.
 
“Yes,” she said.
 
“Are you sure?” Just to be sure…
 
“Will you stop talking like you're going to take my virginity any second from now?” she blurted out and felt heat rushing to her face. Does he have to ask that before a fistfight? She added in her thoughts.
 
Smirking at her, he took his shirt off.
 
“What the hell do you think you're doing? Put your shirt back on!” She was frantic.
 
He looked at her incredulously. “What? This is a white shirt. If I fight you with it, it'd be ruined.”
 
“But you're supposed to ruin your shirts when you fight. That's their purpose,” she reasoned, looking everywhere except his finely chiseled chest.

Inuyasha noticed her discomfort and grinned inwardly.
 
“Does it distract you?” he teased.
 
“N-No, of course not,” she denied heatedly.
 
“Then… why don't you take a peak, Higurashi?” he teased some more. He just couldn't help it. He just had to taunt her.
 
She stumped her feet on the ground. He was sure he just saw steam coming out of her ears, and that the air around her heated up.

By now, the old geezers sitting nearby were placing bets on them.
 
Old geezer 1: “A thousand yen for the silver hair! He's got some serious thing going on with those babies,” he said pointing at Inuyasha's six-pack.
Old geezer 2: “I'd bet a thousand and five hundred for the feisty lady. I don't know but the lady sure has some wild fire in her,” he said taking his money out and placed it on top of the park bench.
 
The fight went like this. Half-naked Inuyasha taunted Kagome. Fuming Kagome stepped forward, giving Inuyasha a one-two punch and kick combination. Half-naked Inuyasha blocked Kagome's attack while taunting fuming Kagome that she fought like a girl. Fuming Kagome fumed some more making half-naked Inuyasha laugh. Jinenji, who refereed laughed with Inuyasha, causing fuming Kagome to kick Jinenji’s butt, literally. Laughing half-naked Inuyasha, unaware of fuming Kagome's proximity brought his guard down, giving fuming Kagome the chance to kick his gut. Not so fuming anymore, Kagome cheered. While not so laughing anymore but still half-naked, Inuyasha sneered.
 
“You pack quite a kick wench.” Inuyasha caught Kagome’s kick in the upswing. He suddenly grabbed her left hand locking it around her back. Using his other hand, he hugged her waist tightly, trapping her other hand between their bodies. He brought her roughly against his chest.
 
“But let's see how well you grapple,” he grunted as he tightened the hold of his body lock squeezing her. He was highly aware of the way her body melted against his. God, she felt good.
 
Kagome gasped feeling her body being constricted. Determined to get the upper hand, she hooked her right leg around his and tripped him backwards. They hit the ground with a loud and painful thud. Kagome's sudden counter attack had caused Inuyasha to loosen his hold from beneath her. Quickly, she crawled down his body and turned him on his stomach. She straddled his thigh, took hold of his left lower leg and yanked, pulling his left leg on a very tight leg lock. Inuyasha grunted as he felt his leg strain from the force Kagome was yanking it.
 
“How's that Takahashi? I've wrestled with my brother and I’ve always won. Hah!”

She was a spitfire, and she was sexy as hell. And he loved it.
 
Rolling to his side, he brought her body close to the ground. Twisting his right hand, he caught her small waist. He yanked hard at her waist giving him the chance to free his trapped leg. Now free, he pounced on her and pinned both of her arms above her head. With his full weight on top of her, he took hold of her right leg for a leg lock. He looked at her smugly, his face so close that their breaths mingled at the proximity.
 
Grinning, he panted. “Just so you know, wench. I also have a brother and I wrestle with him too.”
 
Kagome only glared at him and huffed out air. She knew she had lost the round.
 
“1 - 2 - 3. Inuyasha wins!” Jinenji shouted.
 
Both panting, Kagome and Inuyasha stared at each other. He loosened his hold on her arms and leg. Tired from the exertion, he slumped over her. His hard body was heavy on top of her. Kagome would have minded if she hadn't been too tired, but she was. So she let him.
 
Old geezer 1: “I win! Now pay up,” he said dancing a little.
Old geezer 2: “Will you stop that? And I will not pay.”
Old geezer 1: “AND WHY NOT?”
Old geezer 2: “Because the fight isn't over yet,” he said as he pointed at Inuyasha and Kagome.
 
Inuyasha stood up feeling all so cocky with himself. Smirking, Jinenji gave him two thumbs up. He gave a little victory dance. He was about to help Kagome stand up when he felt a kick to his right ankle tripping him backwards straight to the ground.
 
“Awww,” he groaned.
 
What just happened? He asked himself when he heard a very feminine, yet boisterous laughter beside him. That laughter was later joined by Jinenji and the old geezers' laughters. He narrowed his eyes. Sneaky little wench!
 
“I won!” she yelled excitedly.
 
“No, you didn't. You cheated. That last kick wasn't counted,” he protested.
 
“I did not cheat. I won fair and square, Takahashi,” she said picking her tongue out to him as Inuyasha narrowed his eyes some more and pouted.
 
Inuyasha crossed his arms across his chest. He had been glowering, but that's only on the outside. Inside, he had been cheering. Kagome had been laughing with him - okay she had laughed at him a while ago, but that didn't matter.
 
Chuckling, Jinenji shook his head. If he didn't know any better, he would suspect that the two of them were close friends, or in a relationship just by listening to them bicker. But he knew better. Kagome would never call her friends with their last names. And judging Inuyasha's character, so would he. But there was something that he couldn't put his finger on while watching the two. He knew there was tension between them but there was something more, something basic to human nature. Something called attraction. Grinning, he watched Inuyasha staring at Kagome while she continued watching the morning sky.
 
Too bad Kagome was already engaged. Speaking of getting engaged, he still did not understand why Kagome had kept that little tidbit from him. Hell, he was not even aware that she was in a serious relationship. He knew she had been dating some guy, but he thought it was all a fling type of thing. Usually she would tell him everything important that happened to her. Getting engaged was definitely important. Moreover, he did not trust this Shun person, since he had not seen him. Kagome had not even introduced this Shun guy to him. For him, that was very telling on what Kagome really felt about her engagement. Perhaps, she was unaware that she was sending those signs.

Now, he watched Kagome. She was giggling like a child, laughing heartily at the childish antics she and Inuyahsa were doing. Two grown adults lying side by side on the grass. They were continually kicking each other's feet, and throwing grass blades to each other’s face. Kagome burst in laughter when poor Inuyasha swallowed some of the grass.

Jinenji hid a smile. Was Kagome aware of what she was doing? Was she totally clueless that her body language was not that of a taken woman? But of someone who was open to the attraction she shared with someone like Inuyasha?

He could not answer his own inquiry though. This was the first time he had seen Kagome flirt. And it was working. Inuyasha was smitten.

“Hey you two! Get off the ground and get your asses over here,” he called them. He had been sitting on the bench the two old geezers had vacated.

Inuyasha and Kagome stood up and cleaned each other’s clothes, which were full of sticking grass. Kagome was particularly slow when it came to the grass stuck in Inuyasha’s chest. Good thing Inuyasha helped her. Kagome was quick when she walked to the bench. Inuyasha followed her closely, taking his shirt from the ground to wear it again.
 
“Here.” Jinenji handed two ice-cold mocha java and two cheese dogs. “The old man who won the bet wanted me to give you these. He specifically wanted me to tell you Kagome that you're some nasty piece of ass. And Inuyasha, he wanted me to thank you for being a fag.”
 
“Why that little - I am not a fag. She fucking cheated!” he yelled and pointed a dirty finger at Kagome.
 
She only smirked, and took a bite from her cheesedog.
 
“Yeah, right!” Jinenji grinned. “Oh. And here are some cold cream and painkillers. You don't want those bruises to hurt.”
 
“Thanks,” Inuyasha and Kagome chorused.

Jinenji checked his watch and sighed. “I've got to go Kagome. I need to open up for Sunday morning classes,” he said and gave Kagome a hug.

Satnding up, he offered to shake Inuyasha’s hand. “Hey, Inuyasha, it's so good to meet you. You know, you should join us sometimes for sparring. I couldn't handle Kagome by myself. She's a rabid bitch sometimes.”
 
“Yeah, I know.” Inuyasha said as he shook Jinenji's hand.
 
Suddenly…

BONK! BONK!
 
“Aww!” “That hurt wench!”
 
“Don't call me a rabid bitch!”
 
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 Soft hands gently caressed bruised flesh as a pair of amber pools softly gazed at the woman who owned them. Inuyasha had been surprised when Kagome roughly turned his head to face her. He was about to protest when she silenced him with a glare. He closed his mouth and flinched at first contact of her caring hand, but slowly relaxed as he felt her soothingly rubbed his bruises with the painkiller.
 
He watched her, took all of her in and memorized every contour of her face. God, she was amazingly beautiful. How could he have been such a fool? Calling her all those horrible things last night, hurting her and causing all those tears? He knew what he had to do. He had thought about it all night and the rest of the morning that he had spent with her.
 
Swallowing the lump on his throat, he whispered her name, “Kagome….”
 
“Hmmm,” she hummed, not taking her eyes off her task.
 
“I'm sorry,” he said, closely watching the play of emotions on her face.

Her hand stiffened stopping for a split second and then resumed its work. But she did not respond.

That unnerved him. He cleared his throat. “About last night, I'm sorry. My behavior was uncalled for.”

She kept on ignoring him.
 
He sighed. Of course she would not want to speak with him about it. She was still hurting. He had seen her rage during their spar this morning. It was scary. What had happened last night was still fresh and pushing the issue would just be too much to ask for. So he remained silent.

So did she, until…

She sighed deeply. “I know.”

She had whispered those words so softly that if he hadn't been paying attention, he would not have heard her.
 
“You do?” he asked as she tilted her head to look at him.
 
“I know that your behavior was stupid, jerk-ish and assholic.” She was being sarcastic. And she was telling the truth.
 
He sighed. “I'm sorry.”
 
“You called me a liar,” she started.
 
“I know.”
 
“You implied that I was a cheat and a fake. You accused me of being a whore.” Her face never lost the angry frown she wore. “You judged me, insulted me and condemned me without even getting to know me!”
 
He bowed his head low, looking like the scolded boy. “I know and I'm sorry.”
 
“Sorry doesn't cut it,” she said firmly as she finished tending his bruised cheek. “You hurt me. You made me cry. You were a jerk and a pain in the ass.” She was now poking his chest to make her point.
 
“I know I was all that. I'm sorry,” he said dejectedly. It seemed those were the only words he could say at the moment.
 
Kagome rolled her eyes. “Is that all that you have to say for yourself? That you know, and that you're sorry?”
 
He sighed. “No. I still have things to say. But I don't know if you'll - if you'll…”
 
“If I'll what?” she exclaimed rather impatiently.
 
He looked at her, determined to make her understand.
 
“You see. It's just that… fiancées have been extremely sensitive subjects for us, especially between Shun and I,” he tried to explain. He was about to elaborate but thought otherwise. “Look, you wouldn't understand.”
 
She looked him straight in the eye. “Try me.”

Silence greeted them for a while.

He took a deep breath. “Six years ago, Shun had a fiancée. No offense, but he had loved her so much. In my opinion, a bit too much.”

“You did not like the girl?”

Inuyasha shrugged. “Everyone has their own preferences. And no, I did not like the girl.”

Nodding, she waited for him to continue. “What happened?”

“Let’s just say something bad happened in the past and she was the center point of all that.”
 
She noticed that he was gritting his teeth. “Hmmm… That bad, huh?”

Inuyasha watched her closely. He could tell that she had something in mind. He just did not know if she would share it with him.

She shifted on the bench that they shared. Now, she sat forward. “Are you talking about, Shizuru?”

That took him aback. “You know her?”

Giving him a small smile, she eyed his puzzled face. “I’ve met her… um… once.”

She chuckled when he kept on staring at her. “What’s with the look? Is it that so unbelievable?”

Taking his eyes away from her, he slowly rubbed his bruised cheek. It was not that it was unbelievable - just totally unexpected. He had known Shizuru had gone to England to stay there for good after she and Shun had broken up a few years ago. Perhaps, Kagome had met her before she had gone to England. Moreover, he wondered who introduced the two of them.

Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly blurted. “Was she nice?”

Such a peculiar question. Kagome grinned. “No, she was awful.”

That put a grin on Inuyasha’s face.

“You’re smiling.”

“That’s because I agree with you.”

Chuckling, she leaned against the bench. “I thought she was pretty though.”

Inuyasha snorted.

Kagome found his reactions interesting. Yet, they were familiar, since she had always seen the same reactions from her other friends when Shizuru was brought up. Judging from these reactions, Shizuru was disliked, maybe, even hated.

“Your friends don’t like her that much, too.”

“She’s a sour point from the past.” He could feel her watching him. Curious, he wanted to ask her how much she knew about the past. Did she know what happened six years ago that almost destroyed Shun and the friendship he had with his friends? Did she know that that was the reason why he had left Japan and had not returned only after six years? Knowing his friends would never volunteer the painful recollection, he doubted she knew everything. And it would remain that way if he could help it.

She watched him carefully. She had not known everything about the past because whenever she asked Sango, or Miroku about it, they’d immediately brush her off and ignore her inquiries. They seemed to hate talking about the woman. Seeing the frown on Inuyasha’s face, she could tell that he despised talking about Shizuru, too.

If the others were tight-lipped about Shizuru and were often displeased with her, Shun was different. He had not talked about the terrible things that happened six years ago. But whenever he talked about Shizuru though, he was all praises towards her. It had pissed the hell out of Kagome because Shizuru had once been a sour point in their relationship. They would end up fighting when that happened.

What happened must have been painful. She wondered if his dislike for Shizuru was somehow the reason why he had acted like a bastard to her the other night. Which caused her to question. “Do you dislike every woman Shun has a relationship with?”

“What?” Inuyasha felt insulted. “Why’d you ever think that?”

Shrugging, Kagome worried her lower lip. “Nothing, I just want to understand why you were such a bastard to me last night.”

Inuyasha sighed. “Look. As much as I have been a pain in the ass that night, I’m normally very friendly. And no, I don’t hate every woman Shun has a relationship with.” He took a quick look at her.

She gave him a small smile, and then, she stared at the pond in front of them.

“Besides, that slap you gave me that night corrected all my bastardly ways. It hurt like hell by the way.” Rubbing his cheek, he grinned at her profile.

Trying not to smile, her eye twitched. She knew he was staring at her.

He raised his right hand in a pledge. “I promise not to do it again.”

Abruptly, she faced him crossing her arms across her chest. She looked rather amused. “You better not. Or else.”

With that, she stood up flashing him a flirtatious smirk before she walked away.


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R & R!