Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. The characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi!
Author Note: I don't want anyone to get the impression that I am giving up on this story. That is simply not true.
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Chapter 14
Double Encounter
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His mouth hung open and he appeared to struggle for words. Kikyo let her hand drop to her side, though they were dying to touch the demon again. It almost pained her, watching the gleams of sunlight that flickered over his golden eyes. They could bring a girl down to her knees; exhaust the offender with guilt, those eyes. And Kikyo knew, for she had much to be guilty about.
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"It's been a while," Kikyo cleared her throat and smiled hesitantly. Keeping her eyes trained on his chest, the newcomer shyly reached out and straightened the hanyo's uniform. She gasped when his hands suddenly lifted and clasped around her forearms. His swift action had brought her eyes darting to his face for assurance. What she found instead was puzzlement and skepticism. With a stiff push, Inuyasha effectively put distance between the two.
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"What made you come back?" the demon sneered. "The Private Academy not good enough for you?" An unfazed Kikyo took the insult in stride and bowed her head patiently. She would let him vent out his hatred for her until she found something she could work upon.
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Inuyasha balled his hands into fists and delivered the next blow. "Two fucking years Kikyo—that's how long I waited." She visibly flinched at his searing language. He was growling now, a mixture of frustration and worry poured forth.
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"You didn't even have the guts to tell me you were leaving," Inuyasha added bitterly. "For a year and a half, I couldn't do so much as breathe." Kikyo opened her mouth as if to speak, but then wisely chose to remain quiet. She kept her eyes downcast.
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Inuyasha sighed in resignation. "I blamed myself, Kikyo. I know now I was never good enough for you." With that said, Inuyasha strode away. Surprising even herself, Kikyo stood still and watched Inuyasha disappear through the stadium doors. None of the coaches tried to stop him. Nor did any of the soccer players. The match resumed, but not without discomfort. Players glanced at each other, and surreptitiously, their eyes would follow the tall and slender figure of the young woman Kikyo as she departed in the opposite direction from their captain.
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(In the Stands)
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Yura was looking peeved. What the hell kind of reunion was that? She turned to Kagome to make some excuse to cover for Inuyasha's treatment of his supposed lover Kikyo, but found that both her companions had silently took leave.
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"Please, let's try and be realistic," Sango protested, pulling her friend back a couple paces. Kagome responded by leaning forward and using all her bodyweight to make an advancement.
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Kami when has she gotten so strong? Sango wondered, digging her feet against the ground. It was like a game of tug of war, only with two people and no rope. Sango was half afraid she might pull Kagome's arm right out of its socket. But the sheer indecency of what Kagome was about to do (on top of it being anatomically impossible for a person using sheer strength alone to rip another's arm off) banished all concern.
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"But Sango, I know he's in there," Kagome whined, twisting her arm with hopes of escape.
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Sango rolled her eyes lethargically. "Well that's obvious. But it's still no reason to go barging into the boy's changing room!"
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"I need to speak with him—"
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"What difference will it make?" Sango snapped crossly, letting her friend's arm go. Kagome fell forward a few steps and reached for the handle for support.
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"Do you honestly think that he'll appreciate your constantly butting into his life?"
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Kagome tensed and stared at her hands. Her knuckles had turned white from griping the door handle so tightly. I look so pathetic right now…chasing after Inuyasha when Yura already said…that I could never have him for myself.
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The look on Kagome's face stopped Sango mid-tirade. With a weary groan, Sango shook her head. "You really care about him don't you?"
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Kagome bit her lip uncertainly. "You're not mad at me, are you?"
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Sucking in a breath of resolution, Sango reached out and tugged on Kagome to detach herself from the door handle. As a best friend and in a sense, an older sister, Sango felt it was her duty to help Kagome and follow the younger girl's instincts.
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"Will you come with me?" Kagome asked hopefully.
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Sango smiled kindly and rubbed her forehead. "Only until we find Inuyasha…I think it would be best if I left the two of you alone." Kagome blushed.
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Sango studied the boy's locker room as if it were a foreign land. It even had a unique scent to it. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of old socks and dirty laundry. There were stone benches and lockers painted brick red, like those in the girl's room and Sango engaged herself in picking out which belonged to Miroku.
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"It's Inuyasha!" Kagome gasped, quickly pulling Sango behind a wall of lockers. Sango peeked behind the corner in the direction Kagome had pointed and giggled at her friend's absurdity. Inuyasha sat with his back facing them, brooding no doubt. He had changed out of the red uniform, and had thrown on a blue hoodie and dark blue jeans. His long, silver mane streamed down his back in wild, glistening strands giving him a just out of the shower look, which was exactly the case.
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"He can't see us, Kagome-chan," Sango chastened, raising her voice just a notch to deliberately annoy the younger girl. "Nor can he hear us."
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"Shhhh!" Kagome responded sternly. Sango playfully pushed her friend in the proper direction and promised to wait around until they were done talking, however long that may take. Kagome shot her best friend a thankful smile and silently made her way towards Inuyasha. The demon hardly lifted his eyes, since his keen sense of smell and sharp hearing had warned him beforehand that he wasn't alone. At first, Inuyasha had been surprised at it being Kagome of all people, but then that surprise was replaced with bewilderment at his being able to ascertain her scent so promptly.
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"Kagome?" Inuyasha had not meant to voice out his question, but it came out that way nonetheless. The schoolgirl stopped dead in her tracks. In his mind, Inuyasha could almost see her toying nervously with her skirt as she thought of something to say. He saved her the trouble by asking what she was doing here.
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"Umm, well, you see…" Kagome continued to fidget with the hem of her skirt. Inuyasha lifted his eyes halfway and smirked. I knew it.
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"I hope you don't make trips like this on a regular basis," Inuyasha chuckled. Kagome felt her face heat up at his implication. She wanted to stop her foot on the ground and scream, "no way!" but forced herself to remain composed. Inuyasha was only teasing after all.
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After a few moments of silence, Kagome decided that it would be for the best if she sat down and could make eye contact with the dog demon, since he seemed less inclined to stand up himself. Kagome kneeled down beside Inuyasha and gave what she hoped was a non-threatening smile. Yura did say that I looked like Kikyo…and after the way he reacted to her today…I don't want him confusing me with her. Inuyasha watched her curiously, but didn't seem angry at her wanting to sit beside him. In fact, he seemed so content with her company that his eyes practically whispered, amuse me.
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Kagome patted down her skirt respectfully, and then cleared her throat for his attention. Inuyasha smirked and really couldn't help himself when he reached out and ruffled up her fresh and tidied skirt. Kagome shot him what she hoped was a dirty look, but only made him snigger. He smiled lazily at her and tapped her nose. "You couldn't scare a fly, Kagome."
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She blushed prettily and swiped at her nose. "I could too! You just haven't seen me at my scariest!"
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"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed, rolling his golden eyes. Kagome gave up trying to convince him of her being a real intimidating sort of girl and moved on to the imperative.
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"I came to see you because—because—" The last thing Kagome wanted was for Inuyasha to think she was nosey, so she blurted out the next thing that came to mind.
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"WillyoubemydateforYura'sparty?" Kagome's face absolutely lit up on fire.
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Oh. My. God. Her eyes widened significantly. Somebody shoot me now. I can't believe I just asked Inuyasha Takahashi to be my date for Yura's party. Did I really? Or am I just hearing things? Please let it be the latter! Please! Please! Please!
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Inuyasha raised a brow quizzically. "Care to repeat that? Except a little slower maybe?"
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Thank goodness! He didn't catch it on time! Yessss! Kagome coughed a little. "Umm, I just said, uh, great game today Inuyasha!" Kagome emphasized her point by clapping the dog demon on the back several times and sustaining a wide grin on her face for as long as possible. Her happy façade belied a stormy apprehension. What if he actually heard! I couldn't have spoken that fast could I?
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"You're such a bad liar Kagome," Inuyasha observed. He left it at that and began picking at a stray fiber that protruded from the shoulder of her school blouse. Kagome glanced sideways at the arm which semi-rested on her shoulder. All she had to do was move her head a fraction to the side—like now—and the two would come in skin-to-skin contact. His right hand grazed her smooth cheek and paused. She blinked up nervously at him. Kagome was ashamedly aware that she had purposely brushed against him. But would he know it?
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His amber eyes softened and suddenly, the hand that had previously been tugging at a loose thread skimmed across her cheek. Kagome shivered in delight and excitement. Inuyasha's lips curled into a slow smile as he gently tucked back a strand of hair behind her ear, all the while, his face slowly descending. With a last adjustment on Kagome's part, Inuyasha tilted his head to the side and pressed his lips tenderly to her own.
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Had the kiss been longer, Inuyasha might have felt the full extent those five seconds of kissing had given Kagome. The moment their lips touched, he had something—what was it? He had definitely felt a spark—a pulse. The feeling was nothing short of incredible. Kagome was overcome with giddiness, but disappointment at their having to break apart on account of the arrival of the hoard of soccer players.
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Wait a second…something didn't sound quite right…
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"KAGOMEEE! We have to get out of here!" Sango popped up like an apparition out of nowhere and snatched Kagome by the arm. She steered the frazzled girl towards the back exit, not giving her a moment's dispute. Kagome glanced back at Inuyasha and saw the same bemused expression written across his face as he watched her being dragged away. Before he disappeared completely from view, Kagome saw a tiny smile make its way into his face and she sighed inwardly.
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"Wipe that smile off your face this instant!" Sango commanded, heat spreading across her cheeks. Kagome was crashing at Sango's for the night, so the two could discuss the events of that evening. So far, Kagome was making communication very difficult because all she ever did was let out heavy sighs smile dreamily while playing out a certain scene in her mind. Frankly, it drove Sango haywire for she had her own share of embarrassment. That evening, Sango had just happened to discover Miroku's gym locker when who other than the playboy himself had come in for a quick freshening up. Apparently, he had scrapped his knee rather nastily and coach Hattori ordered him to put a bandage over the wound and take it like a man.
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Imagine his surprise, when, instead of finding an empty locker room (well besides Inuyasha—but everyone knows it's safest to leave the dog demon alone when he's brooding), he finds Sango digging through his locker instead.
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(Flashback)
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"When you're done digging through my stuff, could you hand me that bottle of rubbing alcohol?" Miroku asked, unable to keep the mirth from his voice. Sango whirled around and pressed herself against his locker in self-defense. It closed with a loud clatter.
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"I didn't mean to look, honest!" she confessed, dropping a photograph of a young brunette, five times more beautiful than herself. Miroku reached down to scoop up the picture. He winced when the throbbing pain in his knee intensified. Sango immediately tried to retrieve the picture, which was a mistake, because it caused her head to bang against his own.
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As painful as it was to herself, Sango could only apologize profusely for hurting Miroku. God she was being such a klutz!
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"It's fine, really," Miroku rubbed at his sore head and seated himself on a bench. Sango bit her lip and looked down at his swollen knee. Here goes nothing.
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"Could I have a look at that?" She indicated with her eyes what she wished to have a closer look at, but Miroku didn't seem to understand right away.
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"Excuse me?" Sango swallowed thickly and pointed to his knee. Miroku chuckled and passed it off as nothing by moving his injured foot away from her line of vision. Sango tried again to coax him, but Miroku refused to give up the "tough guy" demeanor, which only frustrated the stubborn brunette.
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"Damn it, Miroku. Let me see it this instant!" Sango clamped her mouth the instant the words came out. Oh God, he's going to think that I'm…that I'm…overbearing or something.
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Finally caving in, Miroku presented his leg for inspection. Sango sucked in a breath at the bloody mess. The wound was just below the knee, and it tore a deep gash through his skin. Don't they usually wear some kind of armor?
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"I figured I wouldn't need my shin guards today," Miroku admitted sheepishly. "So I left them in here." Sango gave him a tight lipped smile and began rummaging through the med kit she'd found inside his locker. Pulling out an assortment of cotton balls, Sango began dipping them in the rubbing alcohol solution and dabbing at his wound. Miroku yelped at the initial sting but settled down once he got accustomed to the pain. Once his cut was cleaned and bandaged, Miroku's cockiness returned full swing.
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"So tell me Sango," the gentleman began seductively.
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"What did you want to know?" Sango asked, keeping her voice neutral.
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"Are you stalking me?" He whispered the last part huskily whilst bringing their faces closer together. To his surprise and disappointment, Sango let out a pearl of laughter.
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"Good one Miroku," the brunette giggled and leaned forward, inadvertently placing herself within danger zone. Only, Miroku made no moves to touch her, nor did he feel prone to after her laughing in his face. His eyebrows were raised and he was so being so silent that Sang couldn't help but cough herself conscious.
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"Eh hem, anyway," Sango tore her eyes away from Miroku and tried to scoot away without making it appear as if she were the least uncomfortable. "You should probably head back—"
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"Why do you hate me?" The question was unexpected and so out of the blue that Sango found herself hacking out the words "what?" rather incredulously. Miroku shrugged and repeated himself, his deep blue eyes fixed on her own startled, slightly widened eyes.
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"I don't hate you." Sango replied bluntly. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she stared down at the floor tiles. Obviously, Miroku didn't buy in to her assurance because he had yet to say anything. Sango lifted her chin bravely, but still could not look him in the eye.
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"I don't," she repeated, daring to look as high as his chin. "Hate you, that is."
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His next words caused goosebumps to erupt across her skin. "Then prove it."
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(End of flashback)
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Kagome had fallen asleep while Sango sat musing. Pushing herself to a standing position, Sango shuffled over to her sleeping friend and tucked the blanket securely around her lithe form. A glance at the alarm clock confirmed it being 4: 56 a.m. Sango paced around a little more before collapsing on the red futon propped against the wall. Her last thoughts were unclear. Whatever had happened between Kagome and Inuyasha had remained a mystery to the older brunette. And so would the incident between Miroku and herself.
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The next morning, the two arrived at Shikon High with only five minutes to spare before the tardy bell.
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"Ahhh!" Sango cursed, fumbling with her seat belt. Kagome exited from the passenger's side and slammed the door with a resounding thwack.
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"Go on ahead, Kagome," Sango urged through the open car window. "Tell Mrs. Kurabo I'm having car troubles and will miss a few minutes of her chem. lecture."
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"Oh my gosh, are you stuck!" Kagome shrieked and was by the driver's side in a flash.
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"Kagome," Sango struggled with the annoying contraption (seatbelt) while sternly addressing her best friend. "Go tell Mrs. Kurabo now—or we'll get detention again."
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Reluctantly, Kagome walked towards the school building. She only sped up when Sango yelled something about strict tardy punishments. When the sophomore was out of sight, Sango again tried to free herself, but after fruitless tries, gave up. The seatbelt refused to be unbuckled.
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"Great." She muttered, stifling a yawn. "Just Great."
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And couple minutes later, and without knowing it too, Sango had fallen asleep on the steering wheel. When she awoke, she found herself tucked safely in bed at home. Her eyes, heavy with sleep, sagged closed in gratification.
A/N: Leave a review if you're curious as to what Miroku and Sango did. Can't promise that I'll tell you in the next chapter, but it'll come out eventually. :)