I still do not own Inuyasha…though I wish I did body and soul…

The Infallible Hanyou

Chapter One

Kagome Higurashi, age eighteen, ambled up the shrine steps toward her grandfather's house after her late babysitting job, muscles aching from constant wrestling matches and piggy-back rides from two very hyper-active boys. The night's chill caused her to shiver slightly before wrapping her arms tightly around herself. She sighed softly and smiled to herself now that her frazzled brain was able to function at a much slower pace. The sky was dark and the steps were hard to decipher before her, but she knew these steps better than the depths of her own eyes.

Taking the steps two at a time, she glanced around her while rubbing warmth into her arms. The small hairs on her arms and on the back of her neck were standing on end. If she didn't know any better, she would've bet all the happiness in the world that someone was watching her. It was unnerving, feeling someone's eyes you cannot see and may not even know bore into the side of your face, or the back of your head. Tonight wasn't the first night she felt as if someone was watching her—following her—but so far nothing had come of it, so she learned to brush the feeling away. Whoever it was could've easily caused her harm if they had watched her before, and since nothing bad ever happened, why should she worry too terribly?

When she came to the top of the shrine's stairs she could've sworn she heard a rustle in the Goshinboku tree, which further proved that someone was indeed watching her since there was a nonexistent wind. Peering up into the branches warily, she was secretly relieved when there was no further sound or movement. She hurriedly turned on her heel and jogged quickly to the front door of her house, letting herself in to what she considered safety.

When she hopped into bed that night she dreamed of strangely luminescent eyes watching her where ever she went, never coming nearer, yet never fading, either.

"Eri, I'm telling you! It was that same, strange feeling! I think…I think someone might be out to get me…" Kagome whispered to her three confidants and close friends.

Eri looked at her as if she turned into a white Unicorn who stated she was the spawn of Satan and recently landed on Earth from Mars. "Out to get you? Like, kill you?" All three of Kagome's friends were giving her disbelieving stares now while trying to hold back the growing humor Kagome didn't quite share with them in the situation. "Honey, I think you've been watching a few too many scary movies. What was it you watched last night? Mars Attacks? The Ring?"

It was Kagome's turn to stare at her friends in disbelief. "You don't believe me!" She shouted, and realized it as truth as soon as it left her lips. "I don't understand—I can't believe why—"

Ayumi reached over and lightly patted Kagome's shoulder in what was supposed to be a comforting gesture, but only added to Kagome's aggravation and frustrating anger in her friends' lack of trust in her.

"Why don't you believe me!" Kagome cried, looking at first one girl, and then the other, until she had looked each one in the eyes. "Yuka?"

Yuka shook her head. "Sorry, Kagome, but if someone's out to get you and watched you on your entire walk home, then why are you still alive and standing with us here, today?" Yuka folded her arms across her chest as if she solved the world's biggest mystery, a serious expression on her face. Suddenly a wide grin appeared and Yuka leapt to where Kagome stood gaping, and grabbed both of her hands. "I know what you need!" Yuka shouted for the whole school grounds to hear. Suddenly she was her hyper, bubbly, match-making self, the gleam in her eyes giving everyone around fair warning.

Kagome suddenly found her throat dry as she tried to swallow. "What—what do I need?" She asked, wincing before the answer even came.

"You want attention! And what better way than to go over there and ask Houjo out for a date! The guy's completely smitten for you and yet you won't give him the time of day! Why don't you two go to a movie tonight, and he'll give you all the attention a girl could ask for!"

Kagome suddenly went deathly pale. "I-I don't think—"

"That's a great idea!" Exclaimed Auymi, who was now jumping up and down with glee, her eyes already scanning the crowd around them until she spotted her victim. "Hey! Hey, Houjo! Com'ere! There's something Kagome-chan wants to ask you!"

Kagome groaned pathetically, burying her face in her hands. "You guys! Houjo is my ex-boyfriend, if you remember correctly. The one I said was…well…not who I was looking for, to put it lightly…"

"Come on, Kagome! You totally crushed his heart! You only went out with him for a week! One week! You don't want to have a bad reputation around school for not being able to keep a guy long enough to get to know him, do you?" Eri asked, eagerly anticipation Houjo's arrival. "Besides, he'll do you good. He's the sweetest gentleman on Earth!"

Kagome's glare could peel wood. "If you remember correctly, I was the one who dumped him, so how could I have a reputation around school about not being able to keep a guy, huh? Most of the guys here just aren't what I'm looking for." She turned to look all three of her friends in the eyes. "Besides, a week is plenty of time to get to know Houjo. Everything about Houjo, he's that boring." Kagome quickly stole a glance over Ayumi's shoulder and wrung her hands together as Houjo came bounding toward them with a big smile on his face. "You guys, I don't want to hurt him again! I don't want to give him false hope—"

"Aww, she's worried about him! I knew she secretly was in love with him!" Yuka gushed.

"What!"Kagome yelped, looking as if she had eaten a truckload of raw fish, eyes, bones, and all.

Eri grinned smugly. "Don't worry, we knew all along. You don't have to hide it from us anymore. We knew you two were perfect for each other from the start! He wants a second chance!"

"But Eri, I don't want—"

"Hello, Kagome," came the cheery voice from the hell-spawn. Okay, so he wasn't that bad, but he was bad enough on all their previous dates while they were going out to make a girl scream herself into insanity! He just wasn't normal!

"Hello…Houjo." Kagome looked like she had swallowed a slug. Three, in fact.

Houjo grinned impishly up at her. "You know, I still like you…a lot."

Crap on a stick! What was she supposed to say to that!

"Uh…isn't that…nice?" Grinding her teeth together Kagome tossed a scornful look over her shoulder at her so-called "friends." They were put up to this! They had to have been!

"So…do you maybe want to see a movie tonight? Either that or we could go for pizza," he offered, putting on his too-charming of a smile.

"O-oh, well, let's see… I think I have a, uh…babysitting job tonight, so…"

He was immediately crestfallen.

"But whaddya know?" Yuka joined in, "I'll be oh-so-kind to baby sit in your place Kagome, so you can go on your date! Isn't that nice?"

Kagome wanted nothing more than to immediately dig her grave beneath the earth and rest there for all eternity. "Yeah," she was barely able to force through grit teeth, "exceedingly nice. Remind me to thank you for it later."

"Great!" Houjo beamed, clasping Kagome's left hand between two of his. "I'll pick you up at seven, how's that?"

He was looking at her so earnestly. If only her friends hadn't done this! Now her friends would cause him to go through even more anguish than before. Why were they doing this to him? To her? Now she couldn't think of a legitimate excuse!

"Um, yeah. Sure. Seven o'clock," Kagome mumbled, never really noticing the face in front of her, nor realizing when he had released her hand. She was too busy dwelling within her own thoughts.

As soon as he was gone she was bombarded with three squealing girls as they jumped up and down and demanded that she call each of them to tell them every minute detail of her date. Kagome was already regretting ever going to school that day. She was tired enough from her late-night babysitting job as it was.

Why do I have a feeling this is going to turn out to be a bigger deal that it already is? She asked herself as the bell rung, signifying there were two minutes left until the start of first period. And senior year was supposed to help me put everything that happened last year out of memory! Grudgingly, Kagome trudged off to Advanced Biology, desperately trying to ignore the three chattering girls around her.

"Did you enjoy the movie, Higurashi-san?" Houjo asked almost conversationally. Everything that came from his mouth was small-talk, which did not help a girl feel comfortable while on a date. His frequent staring had already unnerved her within the first five seconds after he picked her up, and the fact that his parents drove them to the movie since Houjo didn't have his license, let alone his permit, made the date even more dreadful. No wonder she had broken up with the poor boy! She could have driven them if she knew they'd be at the mercy of his parents! She shivered, wondering what they thought of her after dumping their son and now up and dating him again all of a sudden.

A very fast sudden, it was, too.

"Yes, it was very nice!" Kagome said, proud of herself for not having to pause while searching for the right word to describe the movie. If you hadn't been staring at me the whole time and making me sweat and freak out, praying to Kami that you wouldn't kiss me nice! The thought begrudgingly. At least that kiss never came! Perhaps his parents driving us is a blessing in disguise. He can't possibly expect a good-night kiss with his parents in the car and watching our every move!

"Would you like to do something else before you head home? We could go to a nearby pizza place," he added hopefully. When Kagome didn't say anything he amended, "Or how about we go for some ice-cream?" He lightly coughed, chuckling nervously. "After all, we have already eaten dinner…"

Kagome looked up to the heavens above, desperately trying not to show a sign of disgust or resignation on her face. She refused to allow herself to roll her eyes that the thought of dinner. Don't remind me, She silently thought to a clueless Houjo. Dinner, with Houjo's parents had been bad enough. How was I supposed to know they were all strict vegetarians? All I ordered was a chicken breast with pasta in an herbal cream sauce. The expressions on their faces, though, looked as if a most beloved family member had died! No wonder Houjo doesn't have any meat on his bones! I can't believe I forgot!

It had been about half a year since she had gone out with him, though. She couldn't blame herself for not wanting to remember! If she wrote a book about all the dates she'd gone on with Houjo and titles it, Most Embarrassingly Back-Firing Dates in History, she'd probably make millions! Then again, who would want to read about boring, odd-ball encounters, especially when they found out what the "male persona" was like.

Kagome bit her lip.

"Uhhm, are you…allowed to eat ice-cream?" She asked hesitantly.

Houjo's wide grin never deterred. "Oh, no. I'm deathly allergic. My parents say it's bad for my health, anyway. They know all about that kind of thing."

Kagome's brow furrowed, thinking him strange not for the first time in her life. "Then why invite me?"

He looked genuinely surprised. "Because I hear girls like that sort of thing."

Kagome blinked. "Oh." Where'd he hear that from? It's not like we live for the stuff, though it is yummy!

"Besides," he continued, taking a step closer to her as a serious expression came to his face; a serious expression that made Kagome back away a few steps because she knew what he was plotting. "I don't want our date to end, Kagome. I-I want to spend as much time with you as possible!"

That freaked her out!

He took another step toward her, causing Kagome's eyes to dart every which way in hopes of a diversion, a quick exit, anything!

"I already told you how much I like you, Kagome," he continued, closing the much-needed space between them. "And your friends tell me you've always liked me as well."

That snapped Kagome momentarily out of her desperate search for a life preserver of any kind. She stared, wide-eyed and mouth gaping. "Huh—wha? WHAT did they tell you?" She shrieked, now knowing that her dear, dear friends finally crossed the line into enemy territory. "They said WHAT?" She demanded, a dangerous expression on her face.

Houjo gave his never-changing smile that annoyed Kagome to the point of near suicide. She battled her ricocheting nerves and tried to calm herself, fisting her hands in the process. If she wasn't careful, she'd take her anger out on him.

"Don't worry, Kagome-san. I understand that you wanted to tell me yourself, but you really needn't worry about my knowing. As soon as I found out, I realized that it was all worth it, as long as I got you in the end."

He smiled charmingly.

Kagome wanted to gag.

Thankfully, she was saved from both commenting on tis new-found information and retching all over the parking lot when Houjo's parents pulled up and waved merrily. Both eighteen year-olds climbed in back, Kagome trying to resettle her frenzied stomach.

"So, where to?" Houjo's father asked with a brilliant smile while looking at his son an date through the rear-view mirror.

Is it just me, or is this a really odd, extremely fake family? Then a worse thought came to mind. Do they always act like this? It was simply beyond comprehension.

"If you don't mind, I have an early day ahead of me tomorrow," Kagome said with what she hoped was a cheery smile. "My family and I have plans, and I would really appreciate a good night's sleep tonight, so if you wouldn't mind…?"

"No problem dear. We'll send you straight home," Houjo's mother said understandingly.

Kagome leaned back in her seat and relaxed, breathing a long sigh of relief. At least someone wasn't slow on the up-take. Perhaps the Houjo family wasn't as weird as she thought.

"After we take you to the best juice bar in town, of course!" Houjo's mother continued, causing Kagome to momentarily become a statue in the back seat. She couldn't believe it! This date would never end!

Houjo apparently came to the same conclusion, because he was suddenly beaming at both of his parents, looking as though Christmas and his birthday happened to magically coincide.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

It was nearly an hour later when Kagome finally pulled up to the shrine, heaving a sigh of relief while her heart jumped at the thought of freedom. With a huge smile on her face, she thanked Houjo and his parents repeatedly before jumping out of the car and practically running to her front door. She turned around to wave energetically but stopped mid-wave when her eyes spotted Houjo who was scurrying after her. Her happiness deflated as her face fell, but she couldn't very well dash into the house and pretend she didn't see him, could she?

She actually contemplated doing just that before realizing the chance to act had come and gone. She was stuck waiting for him to approach her with any parting words so long as they didn't involve a parting kiss. As Houjo approached her on the front porch, however, Kagome was keenly aware of being watched now more than ever. Her nerves were buzzing and goose bumps prickled her skin in a wave from her head to her toes and back up again. She had a baaaadfeeling about this.

"Kagome-san," Houjo panted as he caught up to her, bent over with his hands on his knees.

She raised an eyebrow. Didn't the boy ever get any exercise? She hadn't been that far away.

"I just wanted to…thank you…for the wonderful evening," He said while straightening up and looking her in the eyes.

Kagome distantly thought she heard the rumble of a storm from overhead, noting that it most likely meant a large storm would be coming. When Houjo abruptly closed his eyes and leaned in for a kiss, Kagome knew it was no thunderstorm. She was positive she heard a rather loud, very distinctive growl from the branches of the Goshinboku. Kagome, alerted from her shocked and frozen state, abruptly turned her head to the side so Houjo's lips came in contact with Kagome's cheek, instead of meeting their mark. When he pulled away with opened eyes Kagome saw the expression she had been dreading all day: one of hurt and confusion.

"Houjo," She started mournfully, not knowing how to make it better without hurting him further or giving him false hope, "I just—It's just that…"

Houjo blinked at her with eyes full of a melancholy pain. Suddenly his expression cleared and it looked as though he had a great epiphany. He glanced back over his shoulder at his parents in the car and looked back at her. "Oh! I get it! How disrespectful of me! You don't want to look bad in front of my parents! Is that it?"

Kagome laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head in a mixture of disbelief at how he simply could not take a hint, and relief for not having to kiss him or hurt him too badly. "Uh…yeah. That's it," she said, smiling weakly. She suddenly looked him in the eye. "You don't mind?" She asked, hoping the guy was really okay.

Houjo shook her off. "Not at all. I'll find the perfect timing when it's just the two of us!" He turned and jogged back to the car, smiling and waving at her in farewell. He got in the car and Kagome waved back, smiling slightly until the car turned and was just barely out of sight. She turned back to enter the house, when she heard a deep, rough voice ground out, "Like hell he will!"

Kagome jumped three feet in the air, nearly screaming but cutting the sound off just in time that she gave an odd strangled yelp instead. Wheeling around she stared into the darkness that was her yard, eyes catching the movement of something falling—no, jumping—from the Goshinboku. A guy who appeared to be Kagome's age stomped over to her, a look of pure unadulterated rage on his face as he scowled at her, glaring daggers. "What the hell was that!" He demanded, stopping only when he was two feet away from the girl.

Kagome stared, openly gaping, before her tongue got the best of her. "What was what!" She finally shouted shrilling, her temper rising to match his. "Who are you to burst over here as if, as if you know me, and start ranting and raving as if you own the place! I don't even know who you are, you jerk!"

It was his turn to stare with wide eyes, mouth gaping. "Wha? Wha?"

Kagome crossed her arms. "Is that all you can say, dog boy?" She lifted her chin in a defiant challenge, taking in his strange red clothing and silver hair, along with the two absolutely adorable dog ears that graced the top of his head. If she wasn't so angry she might've had time to appreciate his looks.

"Oi, wench! It's me. Inuyasha," He stated as if she should already know this little detail.

Unfortunately for him, Kagome only truly heard his first two words. "What did you call me?" She asked, not believing this jerk's manners. Suddenly it occurred to her that he appeared out of the Goshinboku, and her eyes widened before she backed up a few steps and pointed in accusation. "It's you! You—you've been following me! Stalker! What do you want, you creep! Whatever it is…you can't have it!" She was starting to get hysterical now. She'd heard stories of gruesome murders and rape. Was that what this Inuyasha character wanted!

He growled and leapt toward her, grabbing her finger in a fist. "It's not polite to point, wench."

Kagome gasped. Whatever she said, it did not make him seem very happy…

"And I will have what I want! You better make it a point that I get it, bitch, or you won't like what happens," he warned her threateningly, backing her up into the door of her house.

Kagome suddenly felt verytrapped. If only her mother heard the racket, or her brother or Jii-chan. She didn't like this. She didn't know what was going on!

"Now look who isn't being polite!" She shot back, mind thinking frantically as her tongue decided to continue its lashing. "You are the most conceited jerk on the face of this planet! And I am not a bitch!" She shouted, screeching because of the high notes.

Inuyasha winced, his ears flattening to his skull. "Oi! Not so loud, bitch! My ears are sensitive! I'd prefer if you didn't sound like a dying banshee, thank you!"

Kagome was seeing red. "What did I just say about calling me that!" She shouted, outraged.

He growled, baring his fangs. "It's your fault, dammit! If you hadn't been spending time with that stupid Hobo bastard—"

"His name's Houjonot 'Hobo.' Besides, what do you care?" She snarled, currently wishing her day had gone a lot better and hadn't ended with The Date From Hell.

Inuyasha growled louder, turning and punching the wooden railing permeating the porch they were standing on and causing a gaping hole in the siding.

"Hey! That's destruction of private property! It costs money to fix that, you know!"

He turned dangerous golden eyes to hers and Kagome's brain instantly froze. He stepped toward her until they were practically nose to nose, and Kagome didn't know whether to slap the guy or whimper in fear.

"You're not seeing him again." His voice was dangerously deep. The way he said it left no room for argument. If he had said that about anything else, Kagome would've fought back tooth and claw, but the fact that she never wanted to see Houjo again allowed her to not even blink at his words, a calming clarity washing over her mind.

Her eyes narrowed slightly before she blinked and looked away, shrugging one shoulder. "Fine. I didn't like him like that, anyway." Watching him from the corner of her eyes, she noticed the large smirk that slowly stole across his face. Snorting, she continued. "Just because I agreed this once, doesn't mean I'll do everything you want me to!" She shot back, knocking the smirk flat off his face. "If I change my mind later and want to see him, then I will!"

Inuyasha growled deep in his throat and grabbed her upper arms, forcing her against the door once again. His fang was bared on one side, and she could tell he was trying to suppress most of his rage. "You won't!" He barked, his voice barely sounding human. "I won't let you! You're mine, bitch!"

Kagome gasped, staring as her brain tried to catch up with that little statement. Did he just say she was his? Then she remembered what he called her, again, and growled back at him.

"I have a name, jerk-wad! So use it! Kagome! Try it out, for me! Ka-Go-Me!"

He scoffed, sneering at her as if she was the slowest human on the earth. "I already know that, wench. How could I forget?" Now his tone lightened considerably, and he looked at her as if she was a being, not just some thing. There was something in his eyes that caused them to soften, and she didn't understand. She was so confused. She didn't know what was going on! He knew her? How did he know her? Was he some freak who heard her name or saw her picture and turned into one of those creepy stalkers? Was he—

Her brain ceased its train of thought the moment she felt his lips upon hers. She hadn't seen it coming. Every muscle in her body stiffened as her eyes widened in shock. The kiss was gentler than she thought he would've been, but the pressure that was there seemed to make it so she couldn't have moved away if she had the normal functioning of her body down pat. When he started to pull away he lightly nipped at her lower lip, running his tongue lightly over it. Kagome suddenly felt light-headed and shaky, her breath hitched in her throat.

"Wha? What?"

His smirk broke whatever spell had been cast over her.

"You jerk!" She slapped him, catching him by surprise. Fisting her hands she tried to restrain herself from punching the guy repeatedly. "I don't even know you, you asshole!" She shouted, too busy reveling in her own chaotic feelings that she didn't see the calm rage that washed over him, which was much more hazardous than his anger from before. She also missed the slightly hurt expression on his face when she slapped him, claiming she didn't know him.

"Wench!" He spat, holding his cheek in his hand. It didn't hurt, really. Not physically anyway. "Of course you know who I am! I'm Inuyasha Takahashi, your intended!"

Kagome gasped. It couldn't be true! An intended she didn't even know existed until this moment! "I don't believe you…" She stated, wondering if she should believe him, or not.

He snorted, crossing his arms in a cocky attitude that was beginning to annoy. "Oh no? Then why don't you ask your old man? He was supposed to break the news to you, anyway."

Kagome blinked, the color slowly draining from her face. "He's dead…" She whispered, but he heard it.

She could tell from his brief look of shock that he hadn't expected that. The slight pain and understanding in his eyes drew cause to wonder, however.

"Oh. Then it's no wonder you don't know. Is your mom dead, too?"

Kagome stared at him in ghastly horror. He did not just say that! What kind of an apology was that, anyway! "No she's not dead! I still have Souta and Buyo and Jii-chan as well!" As an afterthought she added, "jerk."

"Feh. Well, since your mother never told you about me, I guess I'll give you the short version and then we can head back to my house."

Kagome could've sworn her heart stopped beating. "What! Your house! I don't think so! No way am I ever going anywhere withyou! I—"

"You," Inuyasha interrupted arrogantly, "are coming with me whether you like it or not! It was agreed upon since your eighteenth birthday. You're lucky I let you stay here for this long! I've simply been keeping an eye on you since you became of age." He smirked. "I didn't want anybody taking what wasn't there's." He looked her over as a possessive gleam came to his eyes, unnerving Kagome. "I don't like it when people touch my things."

Kagome gaped like a fish out of water. "I am not a thing!" She shouted, finally realizing how stupid she had been when her hand found the door handle. She should have headed inside long ago! "And I most certainly will not go along with this!" She shrieked, throwing open the door and storming inside, slamming it in Inuyasha's face.

"Mom!" She screeched. "Mother!There's a growing ignoramus outside and he claims that I'm his intended and says his name is Inuyasha Takahashi! If there's something you've been hiding you better damn well tell me this instant!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, not caring if her brother or Jii-chan were in bed or if she gave Buyo a heart-attack. She was about ready to have her own heart attack any minute!

"Oh, dear," came a feminine voice from the kitchen. Kagome followed the voice and saw her mother leaning against the kitchen countertop, looking incredibly weak and at a loss.

"Please tell me it isn't true…" Kagome whispered, not having the heart to chew her mother out after seeing how fragile she had just become.

"Kagome, darling, I was going to tell you, but…I never had the right opportunity. It's kind of hard to simply bring up the topic about your betrothed…"

Kagome timidly walked over to her mother and sank down on her knees at the kitchen table, no longer strong enough to hold herself upright. "Then it's true?" She asked, still not fully able to accept it.

Her mother looked over at her desperately. "It was your father's job to tell you! But…when that no longer became a possibility…" Kagome couldn't form words to speak. "I wanted you to be happy." Her mother continued. "I wanted you to live a normal life; to go out with boys your age and kiss and hold hands. I wanted what was best for you."

"How can this be best for me…when I don't even know his mother?" She asked in a state of frozen shock.

A shake of the head was her answer. "You will grow to know him, dear. Your father and I—we wouldn't have agreed if we hadn't known what we knew then."

Kagome, eyes starting to burn from a feeling of betrayal, managed a weak and cracked, "What was it that you were so certain of?" Her eyes looked almost unforgiving.

"That you were mine."

Thank comment came from near the kitchen door, where an inu hanyou was leaning cockily against the doorframe.

"So you see, Kagome, I was speaking the truth all along." He smirked proudly. "Now, you will be coming to live with me and the rest of my family."

Kagome stood from the ground, not liking the fact that he towered over her. "What if I don't want to?" She demanded, wanting very badly to shock him with her miko powers.

His eyes flicked in her direction. "You don't have a choice."