The Intruder Sets the Table

Inuyasha and Kagome had their run in with Kikyo on Monday, and through the rest of the week she had managed to pop up more than Kagome would consider coincidence.  Because Inuyasha and Kagome both had the same major, Social Work, they tended to stay in the same building halfway across campus from the graduate degree programs.  There was really no reason for Kikyo to be in the Social Work building, however a couple times each day, as Kagome and Inuyasha were leaving a class, they would run into her.  

At first it was like she was conducting business and would come out of a professor’s office and it did seem as if she accidentally ran into them, but by Wednesday she was just sitting on a bench in the hallway watching who came out through classroom door.  When she saw Inuyasha her face would light up and she would pop up off the bench, trying to wedge herself between him and Kagome.  He would easily sidestep her, however, and come back up beside Kagome, grabbing her hand.  By Friday afternoon it had gotten ridiculous.

“Kikyo, how is your graduate program going?  You seem to be spending a lot of time in the social work building, and your buildings are halfway across campus.  I can’t figure out how you have so much free time.”  Kikyo had managed to follow them to lunch, and was seated in a booth with them in the cafeteria.  She had gone so far as to put her tray down next to Inuyasha’s then went to go get her drink.  When Kagome got there she pushed the tray across the table to the empty bench and took her place next to Inuyasha.  When Kikyo had come back and saw he tray moved she frowned but slid in, not saying a word.  

“You know, it’s going to be rigorous, but I spend very little time in the classroom.  We get to outline our work for the semester and as long as we show up for our meetings with our mentors with our goals met, we are free to come and go as we please.  So it gives me plenty of time to meet up with Inuyasha… and you.”  She gave her best smile, taking a bite of her salad.

“How fortunate for us.”  Kagome smiled back, taking a bite of her gyro.  “Oh, that reminds me!  Will you make it tonight?  It’s Koga and Ayame’s turn to pick the movie, and I think they are going with the Die Hard series.  Sango and Miroku are making the pies.  Is there any combination you like?  We usually go with a pepperoni, a cheese, and a sausage.  I’m the only one that eats a Hawaiian, which is pineapple, ham, and bacon, so I make that, and it’s our turn to bring the beer.”

Kikyo crinkled her nose.  “You drink beer?”

“Sure.  I prefer the darker ones, though, like Amber Bach.”  Kagome couldn’t believe how snooty this chick was!  She was not going to fit in with their pack of happy go lucky friends.

“I tell you what.  I’ll come by, but I’ll bring what I like for me.”  Kikyo smiled.  There was no way she was going to lower herself to swig beer or eat pizza.

“That’s going to be a problem because we share what we bring.  You can share what we bring, share what you bring, or go without because anything else would be rude, and we don’t do rude.  We’re a pretty happy go lucky bunch and we share what we have.”  Just as Kagome began to wish Inuyasha would step in he did.  She was tired of talking to Kikyo and had had her fill of her snooty assed attitude.

Inuyasha wiped his mouth on his napkin and took a drink of his sweet tea before addressing her.  “She’s right Kikyo.  If you’re going to bring something you have to bring enough for everyone, but you’re more than welcome to have beer and pizza with us.  Excuse me just a minute.”  He put his left hand on Kagome’s thigh and leaned in to whisper something in Kagome’s ear.

Kikyo had no idea what he was saying but he had her full attention and at one point she giggle and shrugged her shoulder as if he were tickling her with his breath.  Then Kagome’s face was flushed and she laughed and pushed him away.  He kissed her cheek, and it was all she could do to not vomit.

“Alright, you two, I gotta run.”  Kagome got up so Inuyasha could slide out.  Before he left he hugged her tight and whispered in her ear again.  Her head fell back in a full laugh and he kissed her throat.  Letting her go he smacked her butt before she sat back down.  Picking up his tray he said, “I’ll see you guys later.  Love you, babe.”

Kagome smiled at him and waved.  “Love you,” she called as he walked off.

Kikyo watched Inuyasha walk away, caught up in her memories of how he felt over her.  When they dated in high school they had fooled around, and although he was more than willing to have sex, she wasn’t willing to do it.  She had no good reason other than not wanting to have sex yet, and he never tried to force her, but she was well aware of how her felt against her and what he tasted like.

“You got a bit of drool there, Kikyo,” Kagome said, indicated a place on her own chin.  They were alone for the first time, and she had every intention of letting Kikyo know she had no place.

“I do, don’t I?”  Kikyo chuckled, unintentionally wiping at her chin.

Pushing her tray aside, Kagome put her hands together and sat them on the table.  “Ok, Kikyo, let’s do this.  I am not stupid, and neither is Inuyasha.  We’ve talked quite a bit about your obvious intentions, so we are aware you are trying to force me out and step into my place.  That isn’t going to happen.”

“He remembers his time with you fondly, and he doesn’t want you to do anything that will force his opinion of you to change, but you are treading on thin ice, and his patience with you is wearing thin.  He feels like you’re on the verge of stalking him, and you’re making him uncomfortable, putting him in a bad position.  I’m asking you to stop before anything unfortunate happens.”

“I’m glad to hear he thinks favorably about me.  That means he still cares enough about me to want to continue to think of me fondly, and it’s really all I need.  All I need is a pinch of emotion from him toward me to put him back where I had him.  You may have him now, Kagome, but it won’t be for long.”  Kikyo had moved her tray from in front of her to the end of the table, the area between she and Kagome clear.

“You were foolish to invite me to your house.  You can’t be home all the time, and eventually you’re going to have to leave him home alone.  That’s all the opportunity I need.  I’ll wear him down, and he’ll leave you.”

“I’m not going to allow you to turn me into an insecure, clingy wretch he won’t be able to stand and he would never cheat on me.  Inuyasha also wouldn’t leave me unless I forced him to.  He has no desire to be with anyone else.  So, sure, you can try, but I won’t lose him.  Not to you.”  And here was the shared truth Inuyasha and Kagome lived with every day.  Neither one of them was going to cheat or leave the other.  It was just that simple.

“And I suppose he told you that,” Kikyo said with a sneer.

Kagome shook her head.  “No, he didn’t have to.  I just know, just like he knows the same about me, and it’s something you don’t seem to understand.”

“Yes, but are you two married?”  Kikyo was trying to make a point she hoped would unnerve Kagome.

“We don’t have to be.  And I doubt that would have stopped you anyway.”

“Touché,” Kikyo said, laughing.  If anyone saw them they would think the women were talking about a serious but amusing topic, not one woman letting another she was going to steal her boyfriend.

“You are a piece of work, Kikyo.  It’s really unfortunate, because you’re so lovely to look at.  It makes you ugly.”  Kagome let the pity she felt for Kikyo show clearly on her face.

“Don’t pity me.  I always get what I want, so it’s not as bad as you might think.”  Kikyo watched Kagome stand and reach for her tray.  “I’ll see you tonight then, Kagome.”  Kikyo smiled at her.

“You bet.”  Kagome smiled back, walking away with a twinkle of evil in her eyes.