Title: Seasons change

Author: Adorkablebanana

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I'm working on part III.

Part II: Perfect Blue

"Kagome, Higurashi Kagome," I said, waiting for the beep to forward my message. "Yuka I think there's something wrong with your answering machine. Really, look into it. Call me back when you get home please. Thanks." I hung up, placing the phone back on the receiver. I stared at the phone for a moment until I remembered the guest in my bathroom. I went back out the hallway and in the bathroom connected to my bedroom.

I really wanted to leave the house. I can't believe what's happening. I sat by the ledge of the bathtub, the linoleum reflecting my frown as I stared at it. I said not a word. I kept it that way until Kurama's question interrupted what could have been another peaceful space-out.

"Higurashi-san, hold this out for me." He held out the end of the bandage roll, I hesitated for a moment. His polite attitude and politely talking to me after what happened back in the well house puzzled me. I still think he should do…something, I don't know, something reasonable like hit me or punch me into the clearing—not that I am encouraging violence here, I know he could turn me into a bloody pulp. His lack of revealing anger and response scares me more than a man wilding out.

What's he up to now? I didn't like the options stacked against me. Yet, here we both are in my bathroom, inside my house with no one around. Mom, Gramps and Souta aren't home. Lucky break, eh?

Not really on a more logical scale. This Kurama guy here could hurt me, do that mind thingy that stupefied me and turned me into a pile of slimy, giggling goop or kill me, or maybe even rape me.

"Please? Bandaging my arm one handed is a tad difficult," he said. I assisted him with wrapping the blistered arm and I did my best not to eye the damage done. I wondered for a flying second if commanding the jewel would work, like an order: Bad Shikon-no-tama, bad jewel. Heel!

Still he sounded polite as a gentleman can sound. Ah, scratch that theory—the rape theory of course. He's pretty despite supernatural and demonic abilities, a handsome young man that keeps the girls howling like shameless hounds. He really didn't need help in that department; I bet a good month's earnings he has a flock after him like a celebrity. Comparing him to me—it isn't happening.

Now, now, I'm not putting myself down. That issue is over and done with, I'm only being realistic. I'm an average looking girl. He's not average. He's above it. I don't have a problem with it, its' just fact. That's all. Not that I cared.

"I'm not hurting you, right?" I asked him just incase I tightened the bandages badly. I hope the wound heals and I know for a fact burns are one of the most bothersome wounds anyone can get. "Kurama-san?"

"No. Not right now." The gleam in his eyes caused me to roll mine. His humor is soo appreciated.

But do I prefer him yelling and shouting? Nope. This approach is different that's all. The only person that handled injuries with a ring of humor is Miroku. Everything to him is a joke and I wondered if he really thought so.

I wish I had his skill to laugh and joke it off. Panicking is more my thing. After I finished I pointed to the doorway. Hospitality over and done with. "Now please leave. I'm afraid I do hope there's no future meetings between us," I said as dignified as I could ever be, choosing my words carefully than going with the 'get out and beat it!' routine.

Chin high, I hid my edginess pretty darn well if I do say so myself. Kurama regarded me, exactly as a child would, staring. It seemed a little out of place on his face, but he manages to pull it off somehow. He cracked an unexpected smile. "Likewise, yet I wonder if it is truly so."

I swallowed, stepping back a little, creating enough space that I was comfortable with. I crossed my arms over my chest. I will not let some tall, pretty boy intimidate me. Although what he could do did. "Now don't you start any weird hocus pocus stuff. I'm still onto you about that whole mind deal."

He lowered his eyes in that coy fashion he tend to do a lot, and other guys that are use to convincing people in getting it their way, when insisting his innocence. That's a big mistake to make if you're fooled by it. He's not going to do me in again. Not if I could help it. "I'm serious. Don't start with me. I can't say what will happen next." I stood on defense and I bluffed a bit to ensure my threat wouldn't be taken as lightly.

If I fall into his eyes again there's not telling what will happen and how either one of us will account for it. "No need for unnecessary hostility," he soothed, waving a bandaged hand.

I bristled at that comment. Ha! "Yeah and is this what happens without hostility? I rather act paranoid then chummy up with a dangerous stranger and have my memory erased willingly, buster."

Let's just forget of all the times I made friends with "enemies" in the past. To not be a hypocrite, of course.

"That plan isn't reoccurring, I can assure you. Calm down and rather speak with me and explain what you are exactly?" He turned the conversation my way. I must've looked as puzzled as I felt with the weird question. He tried another way. "A demon couldn't have done this"—he indicated at his arm—"and survived as a result to injuring me. Higurashi-san, come clean with me. I have an idea what aided you but I'm more interested in knowing how is it you can possess this ability?"

Eh? He lost me right there. Then a thought occurred to me. Oh no. Please don't let him know of the jewel. Unconsciously I touched the area the jewel was tucked in, all nestled, hanging safely around my neck. Where it's suppose to be. What am I going to do if he did know of it—what if he wants the jewel too?

The new revelation troubles me. I tried not to show my discomfort. "And survived as a result to injuring you?" I repeated the statement, unsure what he meant by that.

"I would have disposed immediately of them for it," he put it bluntly. My eyes widened.

Now I really scooted away. Grabbing a shampoo bottle from one of cabinets underneath the sink, I held it up in self-defense, and yes I was aware how silly it was on my part to wield a bottle of Sparkling Bubblicious as a weapon but better armed than not. Not that it would make a difference.

"The dramatics aren't necessary, I believed I mentioned this," he calmly, as a spring breeze, went over again. I would have bought that before but no way am I going up that block again. He didn't seem the least perturbed by my relax-paranoia. He is all pleasantries and nothing more.

"I don't have to tell you anything, I'm within my rights," I said, pretty sure of myself.

"On what grounds?"

I blinked, resisting snorting out loud and giving him attitude similar to something the tough girls at school hand the teachers. "I'm not telling you anything. I'm not even completely sure what happened, what do you want me to tell you?"

"Kagome-san, as reasonable as I am going around the matter, I hardly can give your answer the benefit of the doubt." He gave me a pointed look. His dark bangs falling a bit over his eyes.

"Even if I happened to know what did or did not occur out in the well house I don't owe you any explanation. You trespassed on my family's property and tried to harm me, with this I think we're plenty square here." I set the bottle down, feeling silly after a moment with no physical assault from him. Kurama's wear and tear routine weighted heavily on the scale of my patience. He's running out and I was starting not to like him at all, not like I should.

"Hm, you avoid answering my question. Which attracts my suspicion more," he replied with a confidence I'm surprised I hadn't drowned in and exploded. He flexed his arm and examined his handy work.

"And you ignore what I'm telling you over and over," I shot back. The sympathetic feeling I wallowed in earlier steeping away. I glared, my hardening gaze for the first time, challenging him to go onward. God, can't anything annoy the guy? He's calm, cool, collected, and it was annoying the heck out of me.

"Why of course not. You aren't asking the right questions." Kurama gently folded the burnt remains of the sleeve and rolled it up a good measure away from the wound.

"Then you won't have any response from me in return. Simple as that Mr. Rosewhip," I replied saucily. Batting away the smiles I didn't want to give. That would seem smug and arrogant on my part. I didn't have much muscle power to backup my words or any witty comment at the moment. Can't take chances. Mr. Rosewhip is unpredictable.

"Touché." He let it go, as simple as that.

I fidgeted. Just like that he left it alone? I doubt it. I didn't press on it because I didn't know what he might say that could set me off. I didn't trust Kurama at all. His secretiveness and collective attitude keep me on my toes more than a rowdy, loud mouth, troublemaker.

In the back of my mind I left aside the worry InuYasha might come looking for me. I tried to. I promised him I would come back today and if I don't head to the well soon he might pop in and make a special appearance I know Mr. Rosewhip will show interest in.

"Why did you follow me?" I asked. Looking elsewhere from his eyes.

"Why do you think I followed you?" he asked back.

"Well…I think you were going to do something bad to me and I was right on the mark."

"Not at all."

"Pardon?"

"I said not at all." He sounded honest but he could sound just as honest lying too. I'm sure that is a talent of his. If a person such as him can violate a woman's mind with a straight face I'm pretty damn sure he can lie through his teeth and sleep soundly at night.

"Please leave. Now. I feel uncomfortable sitting in my bathroom floor with a boy I just met."

"Is that all really it?" he laughed gently, the sound sending a shiver through my skin. I felt it go all the way down to my toes. Which disturbed me beyond reason. I rubbed my arms, trying to brush off that weird little affect.

I thought about what I said and tried rephrasing it. It did sound a little odd. "Okay, I meant I don't feel right sitting with a guy that snapped out a whip out of a rose and lash to bits a couple of demons without breaking a sweat, who also happened to track me all the way to my place and try to…" I let it go. I didn't want to finish it because what he did bothered me itself. Carefully I crossed my legs not to show anything unnecessary, flattening my green skirt down my thighs with my palms.

Kurama declined adding to it, against it or for it. His silence thickened the awkwardness. "Kurama-san, I'll walk you to the door," I said, moving up on my feet. I didn't look behind to see if he followed behind me. I could cares less as long as I got rid of him.

I just hoped this was going to be the easy way and not the hard way. I opened the front door wide and stayed waiting like an urgent doorman. Kurama didn't need to be told twice. He stepped out and at the doorway he looked at me, nothing showing in his eyes that could be identified as anger or all of the above, instead a calm, like he was sure of himself.

The little unruffled deflection thing of his is really beginning to irk me. Showed how fast he was getting on my bad list.

Kurama, or Youko Kurama's, gaze made me feel small in a way, but I tried not to fall into the intimidation act. I was use to being stared down; this wasn't any different from those times. Of course those times I wasn't in a situation, such as this, alone. I had InuYasha or Sango or Shippou at my side. I couldn't rely on anyone and that scared me a little. "Higurashi-san, you are aware I can't let this go unattended. One way or another we will run into one another."

Just what I was afraid of. I put on my million-dollar smile. If playing the meanie didn't work I'll give my womanly charms a go. No, I don't mean seduction by that. I will never know how to do that. "Unfortunately. But for the record, I'm not going to let you bully me into anything I don't agree to, youkai," I said and the warning was enough to show how serious I was taking it.

The barest of smiles curled his lips; you had to be paying attention in order to see. His eyes looked at me like he was memorizing every detail of my face and the way he did it wasn't the way a man looked like at a woman. It's more calculating.

I ignored the shiver it caused me. It freaked me out.

"Very well, Higurashi-san. Good day to you then," he bid me farewell and he was out the door.

I shut the door. Hard. What I have been holding in I let out. I collapsed. My knees have out and I slid, my back against the door, down to my knees.

What am I going to do?

What am I going to do now?

What—no—how am I going to keep this from InuYasha? That worried me the most. I couldn't keep thoughts out of my head like: How will I bring this up to the guys back at Kaede's? What if he returns? What if this Kurama is spying on me at this very minute? What if he sees InuYasha emerge from the well? What will InuYasha and Kurama do? What can I do?

Ah…I grip my head. All this is giving me a headache. Not cool at all.

I sat there trying to make my thoughts make sense and arrange them into an order that suits me. How am I supposed to solve them if random stuff like this isn't normal to begin with?

You dealt with worse, Kagome. Think a little harder. You can do it.

I stayed in the same spot for a little while longer. First thing is first. I get up and head to the bathroom. I twist the knob of the cold water of the faucet and wash my face and all the sweat my skin is riddle with away. I didn't even realize till now how much that guy got under my skin. It was unreal.

The water felt nice and refreshing. I wiped my face on a towel and stared into the mirror. My reflection appeared somewhat composed. The keyword somewhat. The truth is I don't have a clue what I'm going to do. The prospect of what's to come isn't appealing to me.

"Stalling won't help," I said more to myself than for other ears to catch. I walked out and looked around. I tried to pick up the guy's energy again. I strained my unpredictable and inexperienced senses and tried to reach out and locate his energy. The unique energy demons have. That's what he was, a demon.

I sighed. Nothing. I felt drained already. Well, so much for having the upper hand. I gathered all my things in my yellow backpack before InuYasha comes barging in and hauling me out.

That's always annoying. I prefer to avoid it. Absentmindedly, I looked around for any snooping, eavesdroppers. Jumping at the smallest sound, the rustle of leaves outside my window and even my own shadow startled me. It was becoming ridiculous very quickly.

I think I was too distracted by my own thoughts because when a hand touched my shoulder gently, I jumped on my bed and screeched like someone had shot me with a pistol.

"Hey! Dammit, what gives?!" InuYasha shouted, from a distance in my room, clinging to one corner of my ceiling like Spiderman. I evidently startled him too.

I let out a relieved breath. I almost wanted to laugh. "Thank goodness it's you. I'm sorry, InuYasha. I got carried away," I apologized. Climbing down from my bed to resume finish putting in the last of my supplies.

InuYasha climbed down. He eyed me strangely. "What gives, Kagome? Why'd you scream like a monster was trying to eat you?"

"Nightmares," I said, a little too quickly. I didn't look at him. The look in my eyes would give me away. I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell InuYasha what happened. What pandemonium would ensue thanks to my big, fat trap?

"Yeah right." InuYasha snorted. He turned me around and forced me to look into his, big, angry, beautiful amber eyes. I gulped. "What happened?"

"Nothing," I said, trying to look away. He found my instant reluctance suspicious. I didn't blame him, but I wish this were one of those times he was dense as a brick. No luck in that wish.

"Liar," he said, his lip curling, flashing a fang. "I know something happened, you're strange and all, but this bizarre reaction isn't—" He paused. InuYasha's eyes blanked out for a moment. I felt a panic surge little by little in me. What's wrong? My heart thumped when he didn't respond.

"Inu—" I stopped. He pulled me close and buried his nose in the nape of my neck. I flushed red. What the heck is he doing? "Um…InuYasha…?"

He sniffed me like he was trying to detect something on me. The action made me shiver. I didn't like the tingly feeling he was giving me because it was embarrassingly nice. He explored smelling me deeper and I had enough, I pushed him back and I knew I was red as a chili pepper. My face felt as hot as one. "What are you doing?" I raised my voice. It cracked a little.

InuYasha narrowed his eyes. H didn't seem to care about what I felt or looked like at the moment. He appeared more intent on continuing to explore "sniffing" me. He pulled me in again and he grabbed my arm and sniffed it all around. "What—" Sniff. Sniff. "is that smell?"

"Smell?" Is he talking about my new sweet pea scented body lotion?

"Yes, smell. It's…strange." His tone sounded confused and curious and a little mixture of concerned.

"Strange? How so?" I slipped out of his grip much to his reluctance and went over to the drawer and pulled out the bottle of the lotion he might be referring to. I like it, why is he making it sound like it's a bad thing? I opened the top and held it out for him to take a whiff. "You mean this? I've been using it."

InuYasha shook his head and promptly ordered me to twist the top closed again. "Put it away. That's not what I'm talking about." He sounded pissed now.

"What? You don't like the scent?"

"I'm not talking about that stupid scent," InuYasha growled. "You smell like…roses, but it's off. Not normal roses and…I don't know how to describe it. It's weird." InuYasha's hands went to rest on my shoulders lightly. He thought about it and leaned in and I blushed, moving away.

"Okay, too close there." I pushed him off and tried to tone down the blush warming my cheeks up. "Personal space, remember?"

InuYasha rolled his eyes. "Something's fishy here. I'm going to look into it." InuYasha searched throughout the house and the scent that he claimed to have a weird taste about it (which he was on the mark with that) was scattered. He searched frantically and he stopped in a halt. He looked at me with grave eyes and all I can do was swallow and remain silent. "There's a demon among us," he said almost too softly.

"Really? What makes you say that?" I said, trying to play dumb. My facial and tense body expression must've given it away.

"What happened here, Kagome?" InuYasha eyed me with a hard stern gaze. His golden eyes cut through me like a hot knife. I let out a breath and started explaining.

InuYasha wasn't in the least pleased. He stalked out of the house and I ran after him. "No, InuYasha! It's not a good idea. I sensed a strong demonic presence from him and I don't think it's a good idea to search for him now. Let's put if off for now," I suggested, going with my twisted gut feeling.

InuYasha's disapproving glare was enough to let me know it was going to take a lot more persuading than I was already doing. "Kagome, this demon is dangerous! You almost got killed by it—"

"Not killed exactly, just have my memory wiped," I corrected him.

"Still, it doesn't matter! You were and could still be in danger! I'm going to hunt for him and find out what he was after," InuYasha declared and as he was in mid-process of leaping up on the tree's branches to hop stop from one to the other I screamed, "Sit boy!"

And on cue, he crashed face first to the ground. The ground trembled a bit. I winced.

I quickly went to his side and kneeled down. I said, "I'm sorry, InuYasha. I just don't want you to go and potentially cause a scene in my world. It's too risky. All I want you to do for now is…is stay by my side. I want you to protect me and be there for me."

I frowned and the anger bubbling to the surface in InuYasha shimmered down. He grunted out in frustration. He pushed himself up off the ground, wiped at his dirt smeared face and he laid a hand on my shoulder. "We can't put this off for long, you got that?" he said.

I nodded and leaned into the touch. A part of me wondered where this Kurama was at and what was the real purpose of his entry into the human world?