On the Outside by SunsetMiko

Not Quite

Chapter 19 - Not Quite

*What was hard to bear is sweet to remember.* Stella's Proverbial Challenge

"Inuyasha? What's going on?" Kagome asked nervously. Finding her friend beside his brother and in front of the taiyoukai's evil friends was not what she'd been expecting at all when she set out to find the hanyou that morning. He usually waited for her by her locker and when he hadn't been there, she'd grown worried and went looking.

"Sesshoumaru just told off his friends," the hanyou said with a smirk.

"He what?" she questioned, dragging her friend away from the crowd watching them intently and especially away from Sesshoumaru, who she no longer trusted. For all she knew, this could be a cruel trick meant to draw Inuyasha in to be attacked by the whole group at once.

"He doesn't hate hanyou anymore and he just told them so."

"Bullshit," Kagome hissed. "He would never give up his popularity like that."

"I just did," Sesshoumaru said from behind the miko, making her jump at the sound of his voice.

"Yup," Hiten agreed. "He's a hanyou lover now. Always been a human lover, chasing after you like a lost puppy, but we overlooked that. No more. Now he's gonna pay."

"You would dare challenge me?" Sesshoumaru asked, standing tall and allowing his aura to rise, surrounding the weaker demon who thought he could take over the taiyoukai's position at the top of the school food chain.

Hiten shivered, feeling the massive power of the enemy he was making with his big mouth. Still, he wasn't going to give up without a fight. He was tired of playing second fiddle and he refused to be lower than a hanyou and human sympathizer. This had to be dealt with, and now.

The ringing of the bell quickly brought the confrontation to an end, the halls clearing out, and students going into their respective classrooms reluctantly. Inuyasha quickly said good-bye to Kagome before heading off to his first class, leaving her alone with Sesshoumaru and Hiten.

"This isn't over," Hiten hissed before stalking away.

"May I walk with you to class?" the taiyoukai asked the miko, hoping that the sacrifice he just made, that she was witness to, would be enough for her to perhaps consider forgiving him.

"I know you're faking this to get on my good side," she growled. "I don't believe this act of yours for a second." The miko turned and hurried away, a disappointed Sesshoumaru following slowly behind her to their shared math class. Sitting beside her day after day, knowing that she was no longer his friend, was hell but hopefully someday soon, that would change. Maybe, if he was lucky, she would be his best friend again, and if the gods blessed him, they would be more and this would all just be a memory.