Punch!
By: MangoCandy64

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Standard Disclaimer

Warning: Explicit language

Chapter 7: Bejeweled

Sango sighed as she aimlessly stared at the numerous doodles that now occupied the first page of her brand new agenda. She then flipped the page to the September calendar where she drew a nice thick X over the box that contained the current date. It was officially day two of the brand new school year. Bored and cranky due to the fact that Kohaku had split a fair amount of OJ on her kilt this morning, Sango observed the noisy classroom from the safety of her desk which never hesitated to fill the air with gossip and unknown projectiles. As she occupied her time with fidgeting in her seat, she watched as the minute hand of the classroom clock slowly inch its way to the large six. At that moment, the bell rang notifying students that class would soon commence. Sango could only slump her head onto her desk as she watched her homeroom teacher enter the class with dread. She stared at the clock again only to have it mock back the time of eight thirty AM. As one of the unknown projectiles landed in her slightly frizzy hair she could only shut her eyes in defeat.

Ah yes, it was definitely going to be one of those days.

"Okay everyone, if you can all take your seats as class is about to begin. I would like everyone to take out their textbooks and flip to page eleven. The first chapter we will explore is on the Feudal Era. Feel free to flip through the rest of the textbook as I take attendance." Ms. Tanaka announced to her class as she took her seat at the front desk.

As the students obediently followed her orders in a hushed whisper, the door was suddenly slammed open causing half of the students to jump out of their seats. Sango only sat up in confusion wondering if class had magically ended while she power napped.

"Did somebody say attendance!?" The overly cheerful voiced boomed from the door.

Ms. Tanaka could only sigh in frustration as her head made its way to lie on her own desk.

"How many TIMES must I tell you Mr. Hoshi to wait OUTSIDE for the attendance?" Ms. Tanaka managed to say through clenched teeth.

"But if I had listened I wouldn't be able to hear your beautiful voice sing me those words every time I stepped in your class defying your request!" Miroku pouted with fake tears in his eyes.

'I swear, they don't pay me enough…' Ms. Tanaka's thoughts screamed as she ignored the student's advances and continued taking attendance.

Miroku smiled deviously as Ms. Tanaka's silence claimed his victory. He leaned against the door as he patiently waited for his favourite teacher to finish taking attendance, watching the movements of her arm slightly jiggle her chest. It was only when he noticed she was wearing a cute white blouse with blue stripes that Miroku's smile had grew tenfold. If "What is Miroku's favourite colour?" ever ended up as a question on some old re-run of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire twenty years from now, anyone who knew Miroku would answer white without a fleeting thought. Some might argue that white is better classified as a shade than a colour but all Miroku knew was that white was the greatest invention ever especially on a rainy day like today.

Now, if only he could get Sango to wear more white.

As Ms. Tanaka put down her pencil, Miroku was by her desk in a heartbeat. She lifted the completed attendance to Miroku's face and stared in his opposite direction for his safety, thinking that she wouldn't be held responsible for her actions if his conniving little face provoked her anymore than it already did.

With a toothy grin, Miroku gently took the attendance sheet making sure to graze his hand against her own as he did. As the contact of their skin caused immediate irritation to flood her facial features, Ms. Tanaka swiftly turned to face the troublesome student only to have him a mere two inches from her face. The class stared in horror as they attentively watched the events that were being unfolded before them. This was ten times better than any gossip that was circulating in the classroom at the moment.

Miroku raised a playful eyebrow as he watched Ms. Tanaka's expression turn from a heated hatred to an utter surprise as a soft red began to dust the apples of her cheeks.

Miroku chuckled a bit before cupping the young teacher's chin in his free hand.

"You should see how your blush brightens up your beautiful face Ayako." Miroku slightly whispered in her ear with a sincere grin growing on his face.

Mouths drop as an 'Oh no, he didn't!' was heard from the audience as a response to hearing the ever so bold student address their sensei by her first name.

Stunned, Ms. Tanaka could only stare at Miroku with her own mouth dropped, too infuriated to do anything but turn a deeper red. Her eyes widened in terror as she noticed that the boy began to lean in closer towards her face.

'Why didn't I listen to mother and become a dentist?' Ayako thought as she mentally screamed for help.

This was it. This was what Miroku had been waiting for. No longer would he have to fantasize what the lips of an older woman would taste like. His heart began to race as she didn't seem to move as he leaned in closer. He slowly closed his eyes and protruded his lips excessively as he heard the bodies of every single student lean over their desk for a better view. It was only a matter of seconds before everyone in school would know his name. He'd be a legend to the male population. There wouldn't be a single living organism in Joshibi Academy from this day on who wouldn't turn their heads and ask themselves, 'Hey isn't that…'

"HOSHI!!" a piercing growl echoed through the room, demolishing every thinking thought the boy possessed.

But before the poor flirt could open his eyes to see what was going on, his head was already the victim of a straight forward collusion with a three pound history textbook.

As Miroku fell with a thud onto the floor, the whole class, including Ms. Tanaka herself, slowly turned their heads to see where the flying textbook had come from. Sango was standing from her seat, panting from the force she had used to throw the oversized history textbook across the room. A girl suddenly broke down in tears when she witnessed the murderous gaze that had formed on Sango's face.

Finally pulling herself together, Ms. Tanaka managed to clear her dry throat before addressing the situation at hand.

"Sango, I must advise that you please refrain from throwing excessively large books at this student…" she said kicking him in the ribs as she continued. "…besides, I believe the steel stool in the corner over there is much more suitable." She said with a vile poison in her tone.

Another student broke into tears…this time a boy.

When Miroku finally awoke from his unconsciousness, he immediately rubbed the front of his head where it had already begun to swell. He was also introduced to a new pain developing right below his rib cage. Had Sango been able to hit two birds with one stone?

When he found enough strength to stand on his own two feet and open his eyes, instant fear froze him into place. Three feet away was the most frightening looking Sango he had ever seen with a steel stool ready to be launched with his name on it…no really, it had his name on it!

Sango's hazel eyes burned through his shirt as he noticed her gaze beginning to sink. She then gave him a wicked smile when her eyes stopped, finally locking on target. Miroku instantly mumbled something along the lines of a prayer as he automatically cupped his manhood in protection. Sango then tighten her grip on the stool. At this point, all the male students had assembled into a lock down procedure in the classroom.

Sango hissed, "I'm giving you a three second head start, Hoshi! One…"

Miroku was out the door before she even began to count.

After a visit from the guidance councilor and several tears later, the classroom sat in a low hush as Ms. Tanaka finally resumed with her lesson.

"Today we will be venturing into the Sengoku Jidai which took place during the Muromachi period around 1467-1568 A.D. Please refer to page eleven as we explore this era throughout the lesson."

Sango slumped her head lower on her desk as she unwilling flipped the pages of her blood stained textbook. It was hard chasing Miroku with the steel stool so she resorted back to the good old fashion textbook. She soon learned that it was just as effective as any stool when used properly. When Sango reached the assigned page, Ms. Tanaka continued on with her lesson.

"Sengoku Jidai, which is also known as the Warring States era, is widely known for powerful warlords that fought battles for land and power. During this semester, we will explore the many battles that took place and study many important war figures of this time. So everyone should be prepared for long lectures and essays in the future of this unit."

The quiet classroom was soon filled with frustrated sighs and "boos" from every direction. Ms. Tanaka slammed the drawer of her desk shut in an effort to regain back the attention of her students. The class fell to a dull roar. She then walked toward the nearest student and began handing out worksheets to the class.

"I am certainly aware of how tedious this unit will be so I decided to start the chapter with something a little more interesting." She declared over the many whispering voices.

When the handout finally reached Sango's sleeping form, she unwillingly opened her eyes to see a beautiful rose coloured jewel stare back at her from the sheet. Sango sat up a bit as she scanned the paper over. The heading of the handout caught her attention as she unconsciously read the bolded words aloud.

"The Shikon no Tama?" she questioned to herself.

"Yes, The Shikon no Tama is an infamous myth that had originated from the Feudal era." Ms. Tanaka continued.

Suddenly a high pitch scream filled the room.

'Ugh, what now!?' Ms. Tanaka thought as she massaged the sides of her head lightly.

Sango knew there was only one person capable of a scream that sounded only of ear-shattering excitement rather than fear. The class turned to see Ayame out of her seat with her eyes glossed over with pure joy. With all that had happened this morning, Sango barely noticed Ayame's presence until now. With that kind of scream, she couldn't see why.

"No way, no way, NO WAY!! We're going to learn about the legend of the Jewel of Four Souls??" Ayame spat in a single breath.

"Whoa, I'm impressed that you know the English translation, Ayame. Not many people are familiar with this ancient Japanese legend although it is one that has lingered on for centuries." Ms. Tanaka said in genuine surprise.

"Know it? It's my favourite bedtime story! My only wish is that it was true." Ayame replied with a pout.

"Why don't you share the legend with the class then? I'm sure it would be a lot more entertaining if told by a classmate." Ms. Tanaka offered.

A wicked smile was suddenly placed on Ayame's face as the rest of the class shook their heads at their teacher's assumption in fear.

"Oh, no." Sango cursed under her breath but it was already too late.

In mere seconds, the classroom was pitch black as construction noises could be heard within the darkness. After a few minutes, a small light flickered at the front of the classroom. The light, from what seemed to illuminate from a sliver flashlight, lit the dark room and shone brightly under Ayame's chin. The class stared in awe as the classroom had been transformed to a night's sky filled with many twinkling glow in the dark stars. Suddenly a 'click' from a CD player was heard and a peaceful melody filled the classroom, er, I mean night air. Ayame giggled a bit before she began.

"The Shikon no Tama isn't just some old man's legend but the beginning of a feudal fairytale! There was a time when ogres, dragons, and other demons merged their bodies together to wage a battle. They fought against one powerful human; a priestess who lived many centuries ago. The court nobles controlled the country at that time. Wars and fathoms dragged on and on. Countless people perished. Demons devoured the dead and the near dead and they were able to grow in great numbers. Many priests and warriors set out to slay them, but only one priestess, known as Midoriko, was able to purify demon's souls and render them harmless. She was considered the most powerful human of her time. In her world, humans, animals, trees, even stones were all created through the four souls. The fours souls are called: Aramitama (Courage) Nigimitama (Friendship), Kushimitama (Wisdom), and Sakimitama (Love).

When they are combined they become the soul of one person housed inside the heart. When the four souls or spirits work together in harmony, it is call Naobi and the human heart is filled with goodness. When somebody does a bad deed the four souls energize evil and the human loses his way. In other words, a soul can turn good or bad. This transformation can happen within a human soul or demon soul. This is why Midoriko was a formative foe towards the demons. Because she was able to purify their souls and make them powerless, but she has not lost the battle yet.

After battling for seven days and seven nights a demon got it's fangs into Midoriko. With her last ounce of energy she reached deep within her own body for strength and ceased the demon soul. But in doing so, she forced out her own soul. What flew out of her was in fact the shikon jewel. She wasn't able to purify the demon's soul. All she could do was to cease and imprison it within herself. Although the flesh was gone, inside the sacred jewel a battle still wages between Midoriko and the demons…"

Every student in the room was transfixed on the mystical story Ayame told. Even Sango had to admit that the legend was pretty magical considering how serious Ayame was when she told it.

"If you think that's cool, wait until you hear the love story revolving around the jewel, a miko and a half-de…MISS?!" Ayame cried to Ms. Tanaka as she flicked the switch of the classroom lights on.

"That's enough Ayame. You've highlighted the main points of the legend. Everyone, back to your seats!"

Everyone was a little surprised to see that they were no longer in their seats but rather on the floor and only a few inches away from where Ayame sat on the edge of the teacher's desk, telling her story.

"But I was just getting to the tragic love story of two star-crossed lovers, not to mention the girl who transcends time and steals the dead miko's man and…" Ayame whined.

"Ayame, this is all myth remember?" Ms. Tanaka reminded her before addressing the class.

"Although the story behind the jewel is only pure myth, the jewel itself is known to actually exist! In the legend, it is said that at one point the jewel was broken into shards and casted all over the land. Even though the jewel was now in pieces, it was said that a single shard of the shikon no tama possessed the same amount of power as the whole jewel itself. Although the shikon no tama having some sort of mystical power is just another myth, shards of the mysterious jewel were being discovered throughout time. The properties of the jewel are tremendous. It is said to be harder than any diamond, having a hardness one hundred times higher than a 10.0 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. It is also consider more valuable than any of the four precious stones; ruby, sapphire, emerald, and diamond. Many fought to obtain this mesmerizing gem causing great turmoil throughout the land. Many say that the Sengoku Jidai itself ignited by the conflict in which this jewel inflicted on society. Although the jewel is no where to be found it is believed that three shards still exist on earth today, one of those shards possibly still in its home country of Japan. However, if this proves to be true, the jewel is of so much value that great chaos could erupt. In a way the jewel does have a power for if it were placed in the wrong hands a great war would without a doubt unfold."

The rest of the morning flew by in a blur as the legend from history class consumed all the inner thoughts of Sango's mind. It was now lunch time, her favorite subject, but the legend of the Jewel of Four Souls had her day dreaming. How could one rock possibly affect an entire nation?

"Sango? Your sandwich is getting cold." Ayame pointed out as they sat at the greasy lunch table.

Sango could only roll her eyes at Ayame's statement. Shuffling in her ketchup stained seat was when Sango was reminded why she'd always make an extreme effort to avoid eating in the cafeteria at all times, but it had been pouring all day so she had to resort to roughing it.

"Hey, sis…I mean, Sango!" A voice cried out to the duo.

Sango whipped her head around to see Kohaku running towards them. When he reached their sitting area, Kohaku was confused at the amount of empty space surrounding them.

"Where's Miroku today?" he questioned a little bit frighten.

"Oooo I know this one! He was escorted to the hospital this morning!" Ayame answered with too much enthusiasm in her voice as usual.

Kohaku cupped himself in fear as he stared at his sister. 'I always knew he was a dead man.' Kohaku commented to himself.

"WAHhhhh!"

"Ay-Ayame what's the matter? Why are you crying?" Kohaku asked in surprise as tears began to form in Ayame's emerald orbs. Man, was she bipolar.

"I heard that my Inuyasha wasn't at school today…you don't think it's possible for him to be expelled already do you? But we haven't even…" Ayame sobbed.

As Kohaku tried his best to console her overdramatic friend, Sango continued to day dream about the shikon no tama. Was it possible for a jewel to cause so much turmoil and destruction? And if so, what if the rumors of three shards still existing in the world were true? What would happen if it did fall in the wrong hands? Sango kept picturing the beautiful rose jewel on her worksheet. It was mesmerizing. It never ceased to amaze her how something so beautiful could end up being so deadly. The more she thought about it, the more the legend puzzled her. There were just too many scenarios in which the jewel could affect humanity. Thank goodness it was just a myth right?

"Earth to Sango!" two voices cried in unison.

As Sango was temporarily pulled out of her thoughts, she made an effort to listen to her friends.

"Where's Kagome?"

--

Hours earlier…

A long whistle was heard as the elevator doors slowly opened to the twenty first floor.

"Nice catch!" he heard the man that was so drunk that it should be illegal call from still inside the elevator as he stepped out.

Why he still lived in this dump he had no idea…oh, wait…child services. He adjusted the unconscious girl that lay limp on his back as he struggled to find his keys in his back pocket. As he continued to walk towards his apartment door, he could feel hot air caress the side of his neck for the one hundredth time. Inuyasha was tempted to toss the girl out a window as her breath caused a million goose bumps to ride up his spine. Funny, he never remembered ever being ticklish. As he finally reached the apartment door with 2106 written across the top, he continued to scavenge his keys out of his pocket. When his fingers finally came in contact with something solid, he quickly pulled it out hoping his prize was a set of keys. He was a bit taken back to see the rose coloured jewel stare back at him. Even under the dim lit hallway, the jewel managed to sparkle upon his palm. Why did he still have this? He only took it hoping he could pawn it for some cash and to get a little revenge on the girl who had sacked him like no tomorrow. He started to wonder if it even belonged to her. So much had happened since that day in August that he wondered if it was all real. He never expected to see the blue eyed freak again and yet her soft, fragile body lay hard against his back…whoa, why did he let his mind wander like that?!

Inuyasha shook his head side to side as he tried to clear his thoughts. He shoved the necklace back in his pocket as he resumed the search for his keys. If it weren't for the stupid hospital, he wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. It took him a good couple of hours to find the hospital from the train tracks. At that time, the pain in his knee throbbed with no mercy as the strain of walking with a person on his back, even if the person seemed to only weight ninety pounds, took its toll. By the time he reached the hospital's main entrance, he had no strength left to carry Kagome inside. So he left her on the pavement as he practically crawled through the entrance for assistance. When he made his way to the Triage nurse, she immediately recognized his face and screamed for him to get out. Apparently he had injured fifteen patients and one nurse from his last visit and no longer had the privilege to obtain medical assistance from the facility for a month. Before he could even mention Kagome's name, he was tossed back outside by five angry nurses. He was sure that the whole situation was illegal and made a mental note to call his lawyer. He was seventeen for crying out loud and he already had his own personal lawyer, oi. To make matters worst, a small runt with reddish-auburn hair thought it was absolutely hilarious to kick a total stranger in the knee, out of all places, and ran inside the safety of the hospital. It would indeed be a humorous childish act if the total stranger wasn't him.

The sound of the steel key in contact with moving gears was music to his ears as he entered his shabby apartment. He plopped the sleeping beauty on the worn out leather sofa and automatically stretched his arms to work the kinks out of his sore back. After downing a couple glasses of water in the small kitchen, he was startled by the sound of heavy breathing. He wondered if his beatnik of an uncle had finally returned home as he took a few steps to enter the living room again. Inuyasha was a little confused when he discovered that the breathing, which sounded more like hyperventilating now, was coming from Kagome's comatose body. Frozen by her unusual state, Inuyasha contemplated on what to do. He slowly neared the sofa unsure if it was wise to disturb her state of unconsciousness. Don't you find it common that one always transforms into a klutz when faced with a dire situation? As he made it to the foot of the sofa, Inuyasha managed to successfully prove this theory and trip over the tiny coffee table. When he finally recovered, he lifted his head from the wood flooring only to come face to face with the hyperventilating Kagome. He flinched slightly at the closeness as he rubbed his very sore head.

From this angle, or rather, from this close proximity, he could really feel the heaviness of her breathing. It seemed like she was desperately fighting to keep her lungs working in order for her to keep breathing…to keep living. A thin sheet of sweat had glazed her paler than white skin. Her dark hair stuck to her face framing the uncomfortable pout she wore on her sleeping face. Although Inuyasha wasn't an expert at any standard, he could tell by just the look on her face that she had a fever. Inuyasha felt some mental vomit rise at the back of his throat. She just looked so…so pathetic to him. She looked so vulnerable with the face she made in her deep sleep. It made him feel weak just looking at her. He would never understand her kind of lifestyle; her weak lifestyle. Underneath her sarcastic and innocent attitude was this; her true form. He convinced himself that he was never fooled by her tough guy act for an instant. He snickered a bit as her body seemed to shudder by his thoughts alone. His smirk eventually turned into a little scowl as he thought hard for a moment. As much as this amused him it was his problem. What would he do with her? The weak always needed saving, keh, what a pain!

As if solving the problem on its own, her breathing slowly returned to normal. The sudden silence broke Inuyasha out of his thoughts. He placed a hand on her forehead out of curiosity and found that her temperature wasn't nearly as high as it might have looked a few minutes ago. He also noticed a tiny bit of colour return to her cheeks bringing her complexion back to its usual pastiness. Had the damsel in distress just saved herself? Inuyasha's golden orbs glowed intensely for a minute. It pissed him off how smug she seemed even when unconscious. At the same time he was flabbergasted. She always seemed to surprise him at every turn. One minute it looked as if she could have stopped breathing at any moment and the next she looked as peaceful as a sleeping child. But she was young and anyone could quickly recover from a little fever. Imagine if he knew that surviving a little fever while infected with cancer was 50/50.

As his slight frustration melted away, he found himself lost in the billows of her hair. He never noticed how long it was. He followed the ebony strands to just above her tiny waist. It looked thick from the way it curled a bit on the bottom. He found himself pushing her hair out of her sticky face as an excuse to feed his curiosity. He found it was silky soft. Damn, she did it again. As her hair fell behind her back, Inuyasha noticed the faded scarlet colour on her neck. As her body inhaled and exhaled, he found himself unable to turn away from her body. He unconsciously licked his lips while staring at his mark that brought back recent memories. His heart tightened. He knew he was losing himself and tried to concentrate on something else. Bad idea. He found himself staring at her thick eyelashes, the soft shape of her nose, and the little colour on her cheeks. But the worst had to be the shape of her lips. She was driving him insane. It didn't make any sense to him. She still looked like Casper the ghost to him, right…right?! Then why did she make him feel guilty if he abandoned her after their scrap with Kouga or deathly afraid when the train was hurtling towards her. Any human would feel like that right? No, it was more than that. As much as he tried to convince himself otherwise he felt some weird attachment to the girl. Now that he thought about it she was right. He would have saved her or at least died trying. It was his mother in him. They always said that he was just like his mother to a tee and this just proved it. As he stared at her lips again she suddenly seemed oddly familiar. Her hair, her lips, her crooked smile, she looked just like…

It was then he remembered his mission with a frown. This bitch was the enemy and he wouldn't let her mind tricks phase him…his heart couldn't afford too. He finally got up from the floor and made his away to his bedroom in deep disgust at himself. Before he managed to slam his door shut he heard a small whimper leave Kagome's lips as she slept.

"Inuyasha…" she whispered in her sleep as she shifted her body more comfortably in the rugged sofa.

Inuyasha shook his bangs to cover his cold amber orbs as a grimace of pain slowly crept on to his face.

He then walked into his bedroom and called it a night.

They say when you're about to die you are witnessed to a bright light shining towards you, as if it beckons you to be swallowed in its warmth and tranquility, allowing you to pass through an entrance to a greater world unknown to man.

For Kagome, it just meant she had lived to see another day.

As the bright light of the room flooded passed her closed eyelids, Kagome stirred in her half unconscious state. She lifted a hand to her face in attempt to escape back into the peaceful darkness. Finding that her efforts were futile, she slowly inched up to a sitting position on the comfy surface. She readied herself by counting to three in her head before opening her eyes that were quickly exposed to the pouring light that desperately wanted in. After the haziness in her vision disappeared she observed the unfamiliar room. The room had a small television set off to the corner which sat opposite of the worn out leather sofa she sat on. A few inches away was a small oak coffee table with a few magazines scattered on top. At the far end of the room were a large glass window and a small hallway which seemed to lead to other rooms.

Very curious at this point, Kagome got off from the sofa to do some exploring. As she neared the glass window she noticed a small kitchen to the right. She peered through the huge window in hopes of finding her bearings but to no avail. As the pitter patter of rain hit the glass, she took in her reflection in the glass window. She was still in her school uniform, which had some grass stains, and found she was missing a shoe. Her stringy hair was sticking out all over the place and her blue eyes had lost some of its luster. But the most shocking feature of her appearance was her deathly pale skin.

As if on cue, a tremendous spasm of pain shot up from her stomach. If her complexion wasn't an indication of how sick she was, the pain definitely was. She was going to hurl. She darted through the small hallway, charging into the first room on the right. Lady luck happened to be on her side as she entered the bathroom. She quickly fell onto her knees in front of the toilet knowing that the sink wouldn't be able to keep up with the fluid about to erupt within her. She shot the toilet seat up and stared directly into the bowl. It only took mere seconds for the warm chunky fluid to flow out of her mouth. Just as her gut couldn't take it anymore her vomit fit came to a stop. She struggled to reach the handle from where she sat but managed to flush the toilet of all its goodies.

"Argggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"

Whoa, was she so sick that she was hearing things? She had to admit that the apartment was pretty untidy but as sick as she was she could still tell it was just an apartment and not a zoo so the sudden growl couldn't have come from some exotic animal…

"Argggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"

…then again maybe that was just the sickness talking.

"You old fart! How many times do I have to tell you not to flush the toilet when I'm in…"

Kagome whipped her head around only to come face to face with a wet, stunned, and very naked Inuyasha.

As they shared their two hundredth awkward silence since they had met, Kagome turned a shade of red Inuyasha never thought was possible.

As he stood in the shower with his sliver hair dripping, Inuyasha turned slightly to the right to turn off the shower.

"Kagome?" he asked apathetically "Get out."

And with that Kagome ran out of the tiny bathroom as fast as her legs could go.

Kagome was back on the leather sofa staring aimlessly at the small television as Inuyasha began to channel surf. Even after their little 'incident', Inuyasha allowed her to take a shower and borrow one of his smaller sweatshirts even though he hadn't said a single word to her since in the bathroom. It was one of those things where he communicated with her through his eyes. As hard as Inuyasha was to read sometimes it was easy to understand him when he made the effort to communicate back.

Inuyasha sighed as the channel he stopped on began to air a rerun of Oprah. He then pressed the power button on the remote to turn the useless piece of shit off. There wasn't anything decent to watch and even if there was it was just too damn awkward with her sitting only inches away. Did he mention that she just saw him naked?

"Errr…Inuyasha I'm…"

"Save it."

Kagome sighed as her attempt to apologize was denied. She fiddled with the sleeves of the sweatshirt that was too big on her. The shirt smelled like him interlaced with Tide liquid detergent. She really was sorry. Her urge to vomit was just too strong for her to notice anything around her. Now that she thought of it, she didn't realize how steamy the bathroom had been when she first entered nor did she even hear the shower that was on…well until it was too late of course.

"Sorry" she whispered softly.

Inuyasha only grunted and headed towards the kitchen. He couldn't stand how her apology aroused him. For a ghostly chick like herself it was mindboggling to him how she could sit on his sofa with her big blue eyes, slightly damp hair, and oversized sweatshirt and manage to make it look so seductive. Or maybe he was just into freaks now.

He tried to take his mind off the issue and focused on his hunger. He opened the fridge and grabbed some condiments, bread, and what sort of still looked like baloney. He kicked the door closed with his foot and settled his ingredients on the counter.

"Isn't it a little early for a sandwich?"

Inuyasha flinched a bit as Kagome popped up from the opposite side of the counter.

"Keh, sorry princess but I hate to inform you that it's three in the afternoon. You sure know how to snore!" he retorted back.

"Wait, three in the afternoon?! You mean school's over?!" Kagome asked in a panic. Great, it was only day two and she was already skipping school.

Inuyasha only rolled his eyes as he spread some mayonnaise on his slice of bread.

"And why do you keep calling me that?! Princess this, princess that, that's all I ever hear from you." She added in an irritated voice.

Inuyasha finally looked up at her as if confirming something in his thoughts as he cleaned his knife in his mouth, licking off the mayonnaise with a smirk.

Kagome turned her head away with folded arms hoping that her annoyed body language would distract him from her burning cheeks.

"Girls work hard to slutify themselves so they can compete with other girls to see which guy will fuck them first. Who ever comes out on top is the bitchiest one of them all and is looked upon by the others as a princess. Besides, every girl wants to become a princess right? Even though it's hard for me to admit, you are a girl and therefore rightfully fall into that category. Does that clear things up?" Inuyasha said as he dipped his knife in some mustard.

Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. Is this how men really classified women? Who knew they had a theory behind it. But one thing Kagome was good at was reading through the words people said. It's amazing how observant one can become when they don't speak for a long period of time. Although she was chatty as ever now she never lost the power to read in between the lines. His statement would get any girl angry and assuming she was reading the double meaning of his words correctly, she was going to hit him where it hurt.

"Really? Because it sounded more like a nickname to me."

"What did you say?" Inuyasha asked in a bit of shock as he put down his knife.

Kagome knew she had hit the bull's-eye with that one because every woman knows that when it comes to men and their food it takes something big to separate the two.

"You know, like a nickname you'd call an ex-girlfriend or something." She continued.

Inuyasha could only blink at her in response too stunned to do anything else. After a few seconds he chuckled a bit darkly shrugging to himself. How she knew about Kikyo was beyond him but he knew exactly where she was going with this and wasn't going to give in so easily.

"I have to admit that you do kinda resemble her so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you'd have her big ass mouth too. I always called Kikyo 'princess' and lo and behold she was the biggest BITCH of them all." He spat through grinded teeth, emphasizing on the word bitch as it was humanly possible.

Kagome instantly regretted she brought it up. She was a little too good at deciphering people's true meanings. But maybe she could help? At that moment her urge to know more about Inuyasha kicked in.

"Kikyo huh. Pretty name just like the flower. What was she like?"

"Kikyo huh. Pretty name just like the flower. What was she like?" How was it that Kagome always knew what to say to piss him off entirely?

"What was she like? Ha! At one point I would say she was a hot slut and a nice fuck but like I said a bitch is a better description. Keh, I guess you two are more similar than I thought."

They both stared off into each other's eyes from across the counter as waves of blue collided with amber.

Suddenly, something soft grazed Inuyasha's shoulder

"Why in cripes sakes are you punching me?" he asked irritated as Kagome managed to hop over the counter and land beside him.

"Because you're wrong about me, silly." She replied in a sadden voice.

"Can you try to make sense please!!" Inuyasha absentmindedly said aloud out of annoyance.

"I'm sorry!! So, so, so sorry! I'm sorry she hurt you Inuyasha, I'm sorry you feel betrayed and I'm sorry she broke your heart but please, please don't compare me to her. I'm Kagome, you hear me?! KA-GO-ME!! I have type AB blood, I'm too sarcastic for my own good, I've never owned a single Disney princess movie in my life, I'm afraid of falling asleep at night, and I-I…just want to be your friend okay?! I want to get to know you Inuyasha so stop pushing me away!" Kagome pleaded in one breath.

Inuyasha could only shake his head in disbelief.

"Why aren't you scared of me?" he asked in a serious tone.

This threw her off a bit.

"What? Because I have nothing to be scared of dummy." Kagome replied in a lighter tone, punching Inuyasha playfully on the shoulder once more.

Kagome's glossy eyes widen in shock as a tight fist wrapped around her wrist which was still inches away from his shoulder.

"Keh, Your stupidity amazes me! You think you can just touch me like I'm your fuckin' pet? Open your Goddamn bloody eyes for a second. You are alone in a room with me and you haven't shone as much as a quiver of fear! I can take advantage of you whenever I please and here you are punching me like we're fucking buddies!! I'll give you one thing though; you sure are a fucking riot!" Inuyasha spat in her face, tightening the grip on her wrist. His eyes danced with excitement as she winced a bit in pain.

"Weak and stupid, huh! Shouldn't you be avoiding situations like this with a combo like that?" he continued.

Kagome only stared back at his laughing face with her blazing blue eyes that held no fear. It was then that Inuyasha's laughing fit was interrupted by her musical voice.

"Weak, stupid, you're probably right but why should I fear something I have faith in. You wouldn't take advantage of me because you'd have already done so. That's just not the Inuyasha I know." She said softly with a tiny grin.

She'd pushed the envelope too far this time. It made him so sick for her to speak so highly of him; like she knew him, please!

In one swift movement, Inuyasha flung Kagome out of the tiny kitchen causing her to tumble backwards landing right in front of the giant window flat on her back. Before Kagome could yelp in pain from her throbbing head, Inuyasha pounced on top of her slender body pinning her arms above her head. She would have blushed at the straddling position he had her in if she wasn't still stunned at what had just happened.

Inuyasha could only smirk as he watched her blue eyes bug out. They were so blue. Maybe she was half American or something. Kagome's senses were overwhelmed at how the scent on his sweatshirt intensified with his body so close to hers. He smelled better than she could have imagined. They remained still for what seemed like years as Inuyasha's devious eyes searched for proper punishment of her taking him so likely. It then hit him like a punch to the face. She was a little virgin right? A little nun who treated her body like a temple and was probably waiting for prince charming to rescue her from her sexual desires. It was so obvious it was criminal that he didn't realize it sooner. Screw the five friggen steps! If he was going to break her heart he would have to start chipping away at it now. How would it make her feel if the person she had faith were to steal away her first kiss!?

'Only one way to find out!' his thoughts eagerly answered.

He leaned in closer to her face, tightening his grip on her wrists for support. Kagome's eyes hazed over a bit but they still remained glossier than ever. Inuyasha was ready to swoop down for the kill until he felt her heart thumping like the wings of a humming bird. Was she scared, nervous? Whatever she felt she hid it well on her face but her heart gave her away. He took his attention off her lips and looked at her face. Wrong move. Her slightly wet hair sprawled around her face like a frame inclosing a picture; a pretty picture. Her skin was still translucent but all it did was emphasis her ocean blue orbs. Who was she again? Kikyo, Kagome, Casper? He couldn't remember. It scared him how fast this stranger's heart was beating. He couldn't steal something that made the victim's heart want to explode or did he?

"You're wrong about me. I am what you see. I am what people say. Why be friends with someone who hates your guts? You were right, Princess just doesn't suit you. You're more of a Supergirl. Just some idiot who believes there is good in people like me and has to be taught a lesson before realizing that the good guys only win in the comic books." He whispered inches away from her lips.

He then loosened his grip on her wrist as he began to shift his weight off of her. Why he couldn't finish her off today and crush her heart with a meaningless kiss bothered him a bit but he was certain he couldn't do it. He still believed she wasn't right about him but maybe he was wrong about himself.

Before he could even lift his head up, warm arms wrapped around his neck. He felt her heartbeat thunder even faster and before he knew it his lips were bruised against soft flesh. He stared in horror as Kagome pushed her lips harder against his own with her eyes glued shut and arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He quickly placed his hands on either side of her head making sure he wouldn't fall on her. Her lips were so soft it just felt good to feel them placed on top of his. He was frozen with so many emotions that he couldn't manage to close his eyes but when he felt something moist lather his lips, he almost had a heart attack of his own. Her tongue felt so slick as it trailed his bottom lip. It was when she slightly parted her lips, inviting him in, that he gave in to temptation.

The heat of her mouth had him instantly intoxicated. She didn't taste sweet like he had assumed but it still gave him a rush. The movements of her tongue were jagged against his own as she kissed him with a rough intensity. It was like kissing lightening. Inuyasha struggled to keep focus as Kagome sucked on his bottom lip. They had been at it for only thirty seconds and she already knew what made his knees buckle. He was absorbed by her heat. The sound of her tongue busy at work was music to his ears. But what made his heart rip through his chest was her passion. It didn't feel like she kissed him for her own personal need. It felt more like she was trying to tell him something. Telling him how much she cared.

It was with that sudden realization that he reluctantly pulled back. He looked back at her with frighten eyes. The sound of falling rain was soon interlaced with broken pants. Kagome slowly opened her eyes revealing her liquid blue eyes. They starred at each other for what seemed like an eternity as they both tried to catch their breath. Inuyasha's eyes continued to search for an answer in her blue pools in attempt to ease his confusion.

"Don't get the wrong idea. That was just in case…" Her musical voice answered as if reading his mind.

She then slid out underneath him, quickly gathered her things and jogged out the front door.

Still stunned and even more confused by her answer, Inuyasha remained on the living room floor on his knees as rain continued to lightly tap against the window. What just happened? He shook his head a bit to clear his mind. Had he scared her into doing it? Why did she kiss him back? Better question, why did he kiss her back? What scared him the most was the sound of his own heart pounding against his chest. Know matter how even he tried to make his breath, it wouldn't slow down. God, what was happening to him? All he could think about was her hot mouth slathered against his own and how unfair it was that she was the one who saw him naked and not the other way around.

His thoughts were than interrupted by a loud ringing. It took him a few seconds to realize that the phone was ringing and managed to pick it up on the last ring.

"Yeah?" He answered wondering if that was the proper greeting when answering the phone.

"And a hello to you too, Inuyasha. It's been a while." A dark voice chuckled through the receiver.

All happiness, confusion, and pleasure vanished from his entire being in an instant as disgust and anger filled him to the rim.

"Naraku."

Just in case I don't live to see you again.

--

A/N: Once again, I apologize for the wait. Let's just say I had way too much fun this summer. If writer's block and summer school wasn't enough, I just kept getting more and more sidetracked that summer was whisked away without me writing a single chapter TT. I'm terribly sorry but I suck at deadlines. This fic is still in progress and as much as I'd like to say that the updating will get better it will most likely get worst :( For those of you who will stick with me, whoa, your crazy but I love and thank you.

Now, allow me to clarify a few things about the chapter. The chapter is called Bejeweled (yes, like the game) because it introduces the Shikon no Tama. I will post the link on my profile in which I got the extensive info on the jewel's story. Background story of Inuyasha and Naraku's relationship will be exposed in future chapters to come and no, Miroku did not die. :)

I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes as I am still searching for a beta reader and I didn't revise it too much because I wanted to get it out right away.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter and don't forget to review! Invite your friends because the more the merrier! (And possibly the faster the chapters will come out with the extra support :)

So its back to school which sucks but I have a spare this semester which will hopefully give me more time to write.

Till chapter eight, Later Dayz!