Chapter 5 - indecision

~*~


The minutes turned into hours. The hours into days. The days into weeks.


And Inu-Yasha made sure to avoid Kagome every second.


Because. . .If he saw her- Smelt her- Just once. . .


He might do something he would later regret.


But staying away from her. . .


It was hard.


When he bolted past her in the halls he could feel those piercing blue-gray orbs follow him, and her scent become hopeful- like he might stop and talk to her.


And then he had to endure that same sweet aroma become poisoned with disappointment when he swept past without a word.


Gods, this was driving him crazy!


SHE was driving him crazy!


Each school day passed like a second- time speeding up so that he couldn't spend long near her; and each night took an eternity- dragging on and on until he could again watch her from a far.


At the moment it was night- A new moon night. And, just like on the full moon, he had a transformation.


But Inu-Yasha didn't find this one very pleasant.


"ARGH!" he yelled in frustration, throwing a clock at the wall as his black hair brushed against his shirtless body.


Kicking his way through the junk that littered his floor, the teen plopped down on the windowsill and dangled his feet out the window, letting the autumn air cool him down. As he allowed the breeze calm him, Inu looked up at the star filled sky, and at the spot the Moon Goddess would be if she were out tonight.


"How can one thing. . ." he murmured softly, "affect my life so much?"


When he had first said it, he had been referring to the moon.


But now that he thought about it, it was a good question about Kagome as well.


Frustration welling up inside him again, he got angrily off the windowsill and whipped around-


To see himself in the mirror he kept in the corner.


He deflated slightly at his reflection.


Tonight he was human, as he was every night the moon was new. His usually silver hair was now ebony black, and his golden eyes lavender. His fangs and claws and ears now resembled the kind mortals' had.


Damn his stupid father- mating with a mortal and giving him this form once a month! Not that his half-bred form was much better, but at least it gave him a little more wolfish appearance. . .


There was a knock on the door.


"Go away," the were-human snarled, eyes glancing over the doorknob to make sure it was locked.


Good.


It was.


"But I don't want to," came Miroku's cheery reply from the other side of the barrier. "I'd much prefer to come in and tell you some news. I think you'll find it quiet interesting."


"Bull shoot."


"Trust me, you will."


"How long will this take?" Inu-Yasha sighed in annoyance.


"Not long, I promise."


"Dirt has more worth then a promise from you."


"Inu-Yasha, you hurt me. But I'll give you credit- you're right."


"I know I am."


There was a short silence in which Inu adjusted his baggy, flannel gray pajama pants.


"So can I come in or NOT?!" Miroku whined impatiently, fruitlessly trying the knob one more time.


The boy sighed and unlocked the door, stepping aside so that his friend could enter. Which he did with a flourish. "So what is it?" Inu asked dully, crossing his arms and looking pointedly at Miroku.


"Well," the werewolf grinned slyly, "I've noticed that you have the hots for a certain NAMELESS *coughKagomecough* GIRL-"


Inu-Yasha's eyes widened and then narrowed into slits- - -


Before he pounced on the older boy.


Even in his human form, Inu-Yasha was incredibly strong. Ergo, the pair battled and blocked with almost equal might as they rolled down the small hall and into the living room, where Sango happened to be seated, reading a magazine.


With one look at her arguing friends, the girl got up and left the apartment without a word.


"WOULD YOU JUST LET ME FINISH?!" Miroku painfully cried through a bloody lip a few moments later, twisting away from another punch.


"If you DARE say ANYTHING to ANYONE- I don't even like the girl, mind, but-" Inu grunted, putting up a hand to catch the fist Miroku threw at him.


"THAT'S NOT IT!" the older werewolf yelled, rolling over quickly so that he was on top of Inu-Yasha before he flopped off completely- leaving the two, slightly panting boys next to one another on the floor.


"Then what IS it?!" Inu growled, gingerly touching his bleeding cheek.


"In school today, during lunch- you know, when you were in lunch detention?"


"Yeah," Inu-Yasha prompted in annoyance, knowing perfectly well where he had been. He had gotten a detention for not finishing his overdue homework (the stuff that he had coincidentally been working on at the library before he began talking to Kag) again.


"Well, I heard Kagome chatting with her friends at her table, and it turns out that tomorrow- - -


Is her *birthday*."


Miroku grinned, obviously proud of himself for making this little discovery. However, Inu-Yasha ruined the dramatic effect of this information with his usual, "perfect" articulation.


". . . so?"


"So?! SO?!" the older werewolf cried in exasperation. "YOU CAN GET HER A GIFT! Surprise her! Pamper her! Tell her that you're sorry for being such a fracking jackass!"


"And why the hell would I want to do any of that?!" Inu blushed slightly, sitting Indian style and turning his back to his friend with a huff.


"Oh come on, Inu-Yasha," Miroku yawned, leaning his head on one hand and examining the nails of the other. "It's no secret that you've got it bad for her."


There was a silence during which the werewolf glanced slyly at his human friend.


". . . Why aren't you saying anything to anyone?" Inu asked suddenly. "I mean, even if I did have the hots for her- NOT SAYING I DO- it would be against the rules."


"Oh- - -pashaw," Miroku stuck out his tongue. "Like you ever follow the rules."


Another silence enveloped, but Miroku's grin was so loud that there was no need for words.


"So. . . ?" he eventually prompted. "You gonna do it?"


"Keh," Inu-Yasha scoffed, getting up and dusting off his pants before heading to his room without another word.


`He's gonna,' Miroku smiled to himself before standing and going off to bed as well.


*


The next morning, Inu-Yasha awoke with his body back to- in his opinion- normal. But his nerves were on the edge.


He sat Indian style on his bed, thinking hard as he counting his money.


*Should* he do something for her birthday?


. . .No.


He shouldn't.


But as he began to put away his cash, a flash of her smiling face graced his memory.


Oh. . . shoot.


Sighing, he stuffed his money in his pocket- just in case. Though he probably WASN'T gonna buy her anything. . . He'd think about it some more.


And so he headed off to school, doing just that.


*


But even after the long walk to school, he still hadn't decided. So he continued to think while he was shuffled through the halls (tripping a few stupid mortals on the way), stopped at his locker (where he stored a new can of spray-paint for the bathrooms), and got to his first hour class (where he tripped a few more worthless humans).


He was so deep in thought that he only half absorbed the morning announcements, which consisted of the lunch menu, a reminder that anyone found in possession of spray-paint was going to be suspended, and that the talent show was coming up soon. But the announcements had been the same for the past two weeks, so who cared? They held as much value as Kouga's speeches.


The only thing he cared about at the moment was this decision.


And he still hadn't made it.


*


Yes.


No.


Yes.


No.


Yes.


No.


Ye- - -


"Inu-Yasha!" barked his teacher, making him jump slightly. "ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?!"


At least this was once question her could answer. Smirking lazily at her as he straightened a bit in his seat, Inu-Yasha rested his chin against his balled fist.


"No."


*


By the end of his after school detention, he was hungry, tired, and irritated. The sun was setting, and the shadows were as thin as his patience.


But he had come to his absolutely final answer: He was NOT going to do anything for Kagome's birthday.


Period.


End of story.


Who cared if he felt a little guilty?


She would never find out that he had known about it, anyway.


Feeling better knowing that he had at least come to his decision before nightfall, Inu-Yasha began to head home- acting as if nothing was bothering him.


But something was.


That fracking little bit of guilt was eating away at him- even though he refused to admit it.


`I will not buy her anything. I do not like her. I will not buy her anything. I do not like her,' he repeated endlessly to himself as he marched down the crowded streets of Tokyo, passing shop after shop.


`I will not buy her anything. I do not like her. I will not buy her anything. I do not li-'


His eyes suddenly fell on a quaint little candy shop in between a pet store and a video arcade. Boxes of sweets and cookies decorated the large display window, ribbons and velvet cushioning the shiny gold boxes.


He subconsciously paused.


Kagome would like cand-


NO.


`I WILL NOT BUY HER ANYTHING,' the werewolf told himself firmly, trying to lift his dragging feet- the feet that continually took him towards the display case. `I DO NOT LIKE HER.'


His eyes fell on a long, thin pink box with a red ribbon, full of sweet, shell-shaped chocolates.


`I WILL NOT BUY HER ANYTHING! I DO NOT LIKE HER!'


*


Five minutes later, Inu-Yasha emerged from the candy store with the box of chocolates, already sniffing his way to Kagome's house.


~*~

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