A/N: Konichiwa minna-san! Ok, ok, I know, this is a little late. In my defense, I started writing it before Halloween. It's just one of those plot bunnies I just had to write. The beginning is rather cutesy, I don't know why I wrote it that way, it just kind flowed through the keyboard, you know what I mean? But for all of you little rug-rats who may have clicked on this, take note of the rating, it's there for a reason. It doesn't stay cutesy for that long. And I have an idea of it getting a tiny bit steamy at the end, so don't say I didn't wan you. Anyway, I hope you like it! Tanoshii omoi o suru!

Important: If you need translations for any of the Japanese, just visit my author page!

Disclaimer: Come on, if I owned it, Inu-kun and Kag-chan would have gotten together ages ago. So don't even bother asking.

Trick-or-Treat!

-

"InuYasha, how much longer until we get to Kaede's village?" Kagome called up to the hanyou leading their group. They were already running late. If it hadn't been for that bear youkai, they would have been home early the day before. Though, they did get three jewel shards out of the deal, she thought, pulling the red fire-rat haori closer to her body against the late October chill. The cold front had come rather quickly and seemingly out of no where a few days before, and since the weather the last time Kagome had come through the well almost three weeks before had been rather warm, she was significantly unprepared. That's when InuYasha came in. He had slung the warm, jacket-like piece of clothing around her shoulders when he noticed her shivering, grumbling something about not 'holding up the mission by getting sick'.

"We're not too far now, wench. Three hours at most. So don't start whining, or anything." Kagome rolled her eyes at the last part and concentrated on the actual answer to her question. Three hours. She looked up at the sun, which was partially hidden by clouds and already well past its zenith. At this point she wouldn't be back on the other side of the well till almost five at least.

'Damn.' She thought. 'Another Halloween down the drain.' Last year she'd missed it because they were drawn into a fight with Kagura half way across Honshu, and the year before that she had completely lost track of time and didn't even realize it was over until she got back and learned it was already November 3rd. This year it seemed she would get home only soon enough to watch her mother take Souta trick-or-treating and take over Jii-chan's mundane job of giving out candy when he went to bed at a ridiculously early hour. Guess she really didn't have a choice anyway. It's not like she had a costume ready or anything. Kagome sighed as she looked around at the bleak, leafless trees and the slightly browning grass on either side of the well worn path they were traveling on; trying not to think about the houses on her old trick-or-treating rout, some cheerfully decorated with orange lights, others almost as creepy as Naraku himself, that she wouldn't get to see for the third year in a row.

She missed going out with her friends, attacking every house with in a two mile radius they could for candy on the one night in the year they got to be someone they weren't. That was probably her favorite part. The costumes I mean. It wasn't that she didn't like who she was, it was just that she found it amazingly fun to pretend to be something with certain traits she wished she had. Her costumes always said something about her personality to some point. If she'd had time to put something together, this year she probably would have been something dark. She was finding it rather tiring to be nice to everyone all the time, and keep them all happy. Her mom had said she was simply going through her rebellious stage, and that it was a normal feeling. Normal or not, it was damn annoying.

-

Just as InuYasha had said, a little over two hours later, the village came into view. The curling white smoke from each small chimney visible in the cold air. Evidence that the laborious chore of felling trees and cutting firewood had been on the agenda for the last week or so lay about the village here and there. Shippou perked up from his perch on Miroku's shoulder and sniffed intently before excitedly jumping onto hers. "Kagome! Kagome, guess what!" He squealed, but continued before she could speak. "Kaede's making those circle things that you taught her to make! You know, the ones with the sweet white stuff in them?!"

Kagome looked at him and blinked before she realized what he was talking about. "You mean the sugar cookies?" He nodded with so much enthusiasm she was almost afraid his head was going to fall off. "Someone must have seen us coming over the ridge if she's using the supplies I brought for her." She mused to herself.

"I wanna get there before she's done, Kagome! Kaede let me lick the spoon the last time!" Shippou asked his unspoken question of running ahead as he bounced anxiously on her shoulder.

Kagome giggled at his antics, then gave her reply with similar excitement, deciding to humor him. "Ok, Shippou-chan, let's go!" She jogged ahead of the group a little and called over her shoulder. "Race you guys to Kaede's! Last one there gets clean-up duty!"

InuYasha snorted indignantly. "Keh, you think that you can beat me in a race wench?"

Caught up in the moment of child like fun, Kagome giggled again. "I can try, dogboy!" She shouted with a grin. And with that she was off, running as if a demon was on her tail…or in this case a half-demon, as InuYasha had smirked at her reply, then took off after her. His demon side delighting in the thought of chasing his bitch.

'Wait a minute, what?!' He nearly tripped over himself. 'She is not my anything!' He yelled at himself, shaking his head to get rid of the thought, and concentrating on the goal of beating her to Kaede's. He knew she'd never accept him.

"Shall we, my lovely Sango? I think a run would be good for warming us up in this nippy weather." Miroku paused a moment. "Though, I can think of another way of warming you up that might be more fun…" He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Keep dreaming monk. I'm not gonna be slowed down by anything, especially not that." Said taijiya called as she started ahead. "I absolutely hate clean-up duty. Kirara!" The two-tailed cat demon on her shoulder quickly jumped down and transformed into her larger form and Sango vaulted into place atop her as the cat took off into the air.

"Sango! I believe that would be considered cheating!" Miroku yelled as he began running himself.

"Tough luck, Hoshii-sama! I believe Kagome-chan never said anything about this being a foot-race!" She laughed as she sped ahead

-

The race was short-lived, but intensely exhilarating. InuYasha, obviously, made it to the hut first, though was shocked to realize that his breath was slightly labored with his attempt to stay a good distance ahead of Kagome. He was even more surprised when said girl run up to the hut not thirty seconds after his own arrival, huffing and puffing, and beautifully flushed with a thoroughly dazed Shippou clinging to her neck for dear life. She had gotten a lot faster in the two-and-a-half years he'd known her. Guess fighting demons all the time'll do that to you. She slowed to a stop in front of the familiar hut, breathing hard, but smiling like there was no tomorrow as she slumped against and slid down the wooden wall with a small 'oomf', Shippou toppling into her arms. "O…k…you…win." She said between breaths. "But, at least…I'm not on…clean-up duty." She sighed and then laughed as she saw Sango touch down with a triumphant smile and jumping off Kirara.

"I hear that!" The slightly older girl laughed. "Boy you two are fast. Kirara was having a hard time keeping up."

"Hey, where's Miroku?" Shippou asked, shaking off the dizziness.

"Present!" A not-so-tired looking Miroku jogged up beside them.

"Took you long enough." InuYasha snorted.

The monk straitened up to defend himself. "Well, I decided since all of you deemed this race was so important, and as such my defeat was inevitable, I wouldn't waste my energy."

Kagome snickered from her place on the ground. "You just didn't want Sango to pound you if you beat her and Kirara and put them on clean-up duty." The hoshii smiled sheepishly as a cold wind picked up and washed itself over Kagome's mostly exposed legs. She shivered. 'Damn school uniforms.' She thought angrily, tugging at the short piece of fabric. 'The only change from middle school to high school was now it's a darker green. Damn the perverts that choose the uniforms! Why do the stupid skirts have to be so stupidly short?!'

InuYasha noticed her fidgeting and tried to control his gaze from roaming the creamy expanse of skin. He gritted his teeth. 'I shouldn't be thinking of her like this damnit!' So he did the only thing he could think of to get her to stop drawing his attention to the uncovered area. He extended his hand toward her shivering figure. "Come on wench. Let's get you in where it's warm." He grumbled. Kagome was slightly puzzled by the kind action, even though it was said in his normal gruff voice. But she quickly decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth, and took the offered hand, keeping one arm around Shippou as she was hauled to her feet. All present then filed into the hut after her and plopped themselves down around the fire, sighing at the inviting warmth.

Kaede looked up at them from the futuristic 'cookies' baking on a pan over the open flame, her old and wrinkled brow furrowing. "What is this? Ye all look absolutely flushed. What happened to ye?"

Kagome smiled at her. "Nothing, Kaede-oba-chan. We just had a little race, that's all."

The old woman raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And who won this race of yours?"

"InuYasha." They all replied dejectedly. Said hanyou grinned.

"And who came in second?" Kaede inquired.

"Me and Kagome!" Shippou answered proudly.

Kaede nodded. "Well then, Shippou. You can lick the batter off the mixing spoon." She handed said object to the kit.

"What!" InuYasha yelled. "Why does he get a treat when he didn't win?!"

"Oh stop your belly-aching." The old miko gave a one-eyed glare. "It's because if your ego was inflated any more by being given a reward like a babe, then none of us would be able to breathe." The hanyou steamed as the rest of the party broke out in laughter.

"I'll have to agree with you there Kaede-oba-chan." Kagome said trying to stifle a giggle. InuYasha growled, but was ignored with the next question.

"Will you be staying with us this time Kagome?" Kaede asked the girl as she poked at the delicious looking sugar cookies. Deeming they were ready, she shoveled them onto a ceramic plate and offered them to the group. While InuYasha pointedly refused, the rest of them took one and thanked her graciously. Sango and Miroku put theirs on separate plates for them to finish cooling, but Kagome, being the only one experienced with the eating of fresh cookies, played hot-potato with it for a few seconds, blew on it, and took a small bite. Satisfied, she answered the question directed at her.

"I'm afraid not, Kaede. I have to go home for tonight, but I'll be back by tomorrow evening at the latest." She took another bite of the sugar cookie.

"Oh, no you don't wench. You're not going anywhere." InuYasha growled.

Kagome sighed in exasperation. "I have to go home, InuYasha! Our supplies are running low, and I need to see my family. We've been over this already, and you agreed!"

"That last comment you made broke any chance of you going back." He countered.

"Oh, please! Would you stop being such a baby about this! We're not going anywhere for the next couple of days! Why can't I make a quick trip through the well?!" She yelled back.

"Because I said so!" The hanyou answered.

The younger miko copied his growl and lowered her voice. "InuYasha. Don't make me say 'it'. I don't feel like arguing right now."

Said half-demon flinched and backed down slightly. "If you're not back by midnight," He threatened, "then I'm coming to get you. Willing or not." And with that he stood and stalked out of the hut. Kagome sighed at the violently swinging bamboo door covering. After giving him a few minutes to get as far away as he wanted, she stood.

"I'll see you tomorrow guys…or maybe tonight if I can't convince mister alpha-male otherwise." As she made her way to her pack that had been put in the corner when they had come in she realized she still had InuYasha's haori tied around her. She sighed again, slipped out of the garment, folded it as best she could, and placed it in the corner where her bag used to be. Situating said bag on her back, Kagome said her good-byes and headed off to the well.

-

When she got to the other side of the well, her bag was the first thing to be thrown to the top. Climbing up after it, Kagome quickly realized that it was significantly less cold in the modern era than the Sengoku Jidai. 'Just shows how much global warming has really accomplished I guess.' She thought, heaving herself over the lip of the well. She stood up and brushed the dust off of her dark green uniform, then made her way out of the well-house and towards the front door of her home. She opened it and threw her pack into the foyer before turning to survey the area. It was obvious that Souta had found it funny to turn many of the trees on the large lot into toilet-paper mummies, though, thankfully, he left the Goshinboku bare. Various other Halloween related objects decorated the shrine as well. The yellow-orange sun was just above the horizon, punctured by countless spires from the tops of the skyscrapers of Tokyo City, and creating quite a lightshow for anyone who took the time to look.

Kagome smiled at the familiarity of the scene. It was just as it had been every Halloween since she could remember. Her smile turned into a curious frown as three elongated human shaped shadows began to appear over the top of the shrine steps. She squinted as the solid shapes of three female figures made it to the top of the stairs, walked forward a few paces, and stopped. With the golden, setting sun as a back drop she couldn't make out any defining features. The girl in the lead cupped her hand to her mouth and called out. "What? Don't you recognize us Kagome? It's only been three weeks since you got sick the last time!"

Kagome's eyes lit up as she recognized the voice, and who the other two girls must be as well. "Yuka! Eri, Ayumi!" She ran towards them, laughing. "How've you guys been-?!" She skidded to a half-shocked-half-mortified stop a couple of yards away. "And what in hell's name are you wearing?!" She yelled, eyes bulging out of their sockets. Now that she was a considerable amount closer and the sun wasn't impairing her vision, she was able to see each girl in full detail. Yuka stood in front, hands on her hips and dressed in scandalously short, black-leather hot-pants connected to a pair of black thigh-high, healed, lace-up boots with black fishnets, and topped off with spaghetti-strap bodice shirt of black satin ribbon and lace covering a dark red material only showing through the black in certain places. Ayumi and Eri stood slightly behind and to the right and left of her in similar outfits. Their shirts were the same style as Yuka's, but Ayumi's was purple and Eri's was blue, and where Ayumi had an almost-knee-length tight black-leather skirt, Eri had even tighter long pants that flared at the bottom, covering a pair of combat boots. The stomachs of all three were visible as the bottoms were ultra low-cut and the tops barely reached their pierced navels. All had a drawstring bad of black satin on their backs.

Yuka chuckled. "You act like you've never seen a bunch of almost-18-year-old girls before." She teased. This brought Kagome's attention to her face, and she realized each of them sported very real looking fangs along with a generous amount of makeup. Both Yuka and Ayumi held back their short, strait hair with spider-web headbands the same color as their shirts while Eri had her long, wavy hair in a high ponytail.

"Not in clothes like that." Kagome breathed. "I've never seen you in anything like this before. What were you thinking? And are those fangs?"

This time it was Eri who snickered. "Don't you remember our Halloween pact Kagome? 'Always dress like something you're not'. I believe you're the one who actually made up that rule."

"Yeah," Ayumi broke in, "and though I regret to admit it, none of us are extremely sexy vampires. And yes they're fangs. You know that my dad's a dentist. He whipped them up for us." She thought and then laughed a bit. "I guess this is a complete shock for you. If you hadn't been so sick the last two years it would have been more gradual."

Yuka looked at her watch and ten back at Kagome. "We better hurry. It's almost time for us to start our rounds."

Kagome looked down in embarrassment. "Uhh…I'm not actually going this year either. I…don't even have a costume." She said rubbing her forearm.

"We know." Yuka said confidently. "Your mom already told us that you've been too sick to get anything together." She turned and took a fourth black satin bag that Kagome had just noticed from Ayumi. "That's why we took it upon ourselves to put one together for you. That way we can be a group this year, just like the good ol' times." She grinned at Kagome's shocked face.

"You…got me a costume? One…that's like…yours?" They nodded, still grinning evilly. All three walked the short distance toward her, turned her around where she stood, and began pushing the spluttering girl towards the house, Ayumi and Eri at her shoulders and Yuka at her back. "But…but…but I can't wear a costume like that!"

"Why not? You're a big girl. You should have some fun and dress like one for once." Ayumi teased.

Kagome momentarily broke loose of their hold and turned on them. "But all of the things you would have had to buy for me must have coast a fortune! I don't have the money to pay you back!" She tried again.

"Call it pay back for the Christmas presents last year. You made all of us feel so cheap." Yuka said sternly. Kagome remembered the presents in question. Miroku had gotten on the good side of a rather wealthy nobleman by exorcizing his palace of a rather bothersome rat youkai, and they had been rewarded greatly. Taking interest in a very beautiful jewelry set, she asked the others if she could keep it for her friends since someone wasn't giving her time to go Christmas shopping that year. The other's readily agreed, saying they had enough things to sell at market to get them money to keep them covered for half the year anyway. So she had split up the three piece set to give to the girls for Christmas. The ornate twisted gold necklace with a fairly good sized ruby in the center went to Yuka and the matching bracelet and earrings went to Ayumi and Eri respectively. It wasn't until Yuka had made the statement that Kagome realized they were wearing the jewelry in question. She didn't get very much time to admire the beautiful ornaments, however, as her 'friends' grabbed her arms once again and began dragging her backward, while Yuka opened the front door to let them in. Now thoroughly snapped back to the present, Kagome began sputtering for an excuse once again.

"But…but Jii-chan! He's old! He has to go to bed early! Someone has to give out the candy when kids come to the door!" She cried desperately.

"Oh, I can do that Kagome, dear." Mrs. Higurashi smiled as she walked out of the kitchen.

"No! No, no…you have to take Souta trick-or-treating!" She reminded, slightly confused. Mama always took Souta out on Halloween.

"He went out 20 minutes ago with his friends Kagome." Her mother informed.

"What?!" Kagome yelled. So loud in fact that her friends stopped on the staircase. "With out a chaperone?! He's too young for-!"

She was cut off by Mrs. Higurashi. "He's thirteen now Kagome. I think you'll agree that he isn't too young because you lot were going off on your own at that age."

Kagome was stunned into silence. With all the time she had spent in the feudal era, she had forgotten that her little brother was growing up at the same pace she was. Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi took advantage of this state and dragged her the rest of the way to her room.

-

They were at work 45 minutes minimum. When they were finally done and stepped back from what they had deemed their masterpiece, Kagome hardly recognized herself. Her outfit was similar to the others'. But that didn't mean it wasn't shocking. Black, knee-high, lace-up boots, with a three inch heal adorned her feet, then black fishnets snaked up her thighs until they were hidden by a tight, ultra-low-cut, black leather miniskirt that barely reached mid thigh. Above this was a tight, tank-top style, low cut bodice that just reached her artificially pierced naval, with the same black lace and ribbon as the others, but with a dark green under fabric. Her long blue-streaked raven locks were swept up into a high ponytail with two strands hanging, one on each side of her face. They had out done themselves with the makeup. Her eye-shadow matched the green of her shirt, brought out with black mascara and eyeliner. Her lips were painted a blood red, framing two gleaming, ivory fangs. Ayumi's dad really did a wonderful job on those; they were snug enough that she knew they wouldn't fall out anytime during the night, but not to the point of hurting. It was almost like they were real.

Kagome stared at the sexy teenage vampire in the mirror. "Kami…I look amazing." She breathed. She held up a hand to examine the acrylic nails that were filed into points and painted black, and then the two black bands that went from her wrists to half way up her forearms.

"We knew you'd approve." Eri confirmed.

"Now we have a challenge for you." Yuka stated with an unnerving grin, made even more threatening by the demon-like fangs.

Kagome looked at her hesitantly. "O-Ok. What's that?"

"We know that you wish you had a chance to live out your rebellious streak, but you can't 'cuz you're sick all the time." Ayumi explained. Kagome didn't know if she liked where this was going.

"And we've always wanted to see that bad-ass Kagome that was able to snag that hot, possessive guy you always talk about." Eri added. Kagome definitely didn't like where this was going.

She gulped and Yuka's predatory grin widened. "So, we want you to act like you're dressed for the entire night. No questions asked. Let that bad-ass side of you out to play from now 'till we bring you back here and go on our merry way."

Kagome gave a horrified gasp. "What do you want me to do?! Destroy my image?!" She glared defiantly. "You got me in the clothes, and I complimented your work. Isn't that enough?! How do you think people will view me after tonight if I 'act like I'm dressed'?!" She was standing now, feet apart, fists clenched at her side, glaring daggers at the three smirking girls.

Yuka clapped mockingly. "That's what we want to see. That outfit makes you feel powerful, doesn't it? Don't get angry at us though. Just think of it like one of our make-believe games when we were younger. You'll have a legitimate excuse when it's all over. This is Halloween after all. Everyone will understand." She shrugged and Kagome calmed down. She was right. She'd been building up a…well, a demonic side ever since she started dealing with InuYasha over two years ago. It was time that side of her had a little fun with life. She was in the modern era where a little rebellious period was barely given a thought. It's not like InuYasha or the others would even find out. As long as she was back by midnight that is. Heck it was like a little Cinderella story, but with a rather large twist.

Kagome smirked. "You're right for once Yuka. This little bought of bitchy-ness could be good for me. I have a little pent-up aggression that could stand to be let out." She cracked her knuckles in a very InuYasha like manner. "Let's do this shit." She grinned evilly, opened the bedroom door, and walked out, her ponytail swinging in time with her step, and her figure radiating confidence. The other tree girls were stunned at the quick and intense transformation in her attitude. Not that they thought it was a bad thing. They wanted to see what this new side of their friend could do. They looked at each other for a moment, then hurried after Kagome's retreating form. One set of steady thumps could be heard coming down the stairs in the Higurashi home before being joined by three sets of hurried ones. As Kagome hit the bottom landing, she saw Jii-chan come out of the living room, a newspaper in front of his face.

He glanced up at her and quickly looked back at his paper without really processing what he saw. "Ah, Kagome I was wondering if you'd come…" He trailed off as he finally comprehended what the girl was wearing. He looked at her, eyes wide. She stood at the bottom of the stairs in all her vampire-like glory, one hand at her side, the other securing her black satin drawstring bag on her shoulder. He threw his paper into the air and pointed at her, yelling. "Gah! Demon!! What have you done with my granddaughter?!" He threw a sutra at the provocatively dressed figure.

She caught it between two fingers and crumpled it in her hand, raising an eyebrow at his labored breathing. Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi peered over the banister to watch the scene, wondering if she would actually stay in character and disrespect her grandfather. "Relax old man, it's just me." She smirked at him. "Don't you like my new look?" She asked mockingly. The other three girls on the stairs tried desperately not to laugh at the elderly Higurashi.

Jii-chan folded his arms, scowled and grumbled audibly, "Stupid Halloween madness." He pointed at her accusingly. "You've been hanging around that damned hanyou far too much!" He proclaimed.

Kagome's friends looked at each other, all thinking the same thing, 'Hanyou?'

Kagome's eyes narrowed slightly and walked toward him, putting a hand on top of his balding head and tilting it back slightly so he was looking strait at her. "Hanyou or not, I love that idiot. And he's no more damned than you are jiji." Her voice was dangerously controlled, and it left the elderly man so shocked, that when she let go and turned to leave, he lost his balance and fell on his hakama clad but. 'I am so glad that thatidiot is on the other side of the well right now.' She thought, though quickly regained her, now bad-ass, senses. "Let's blow this joint guys." The girl called over her shoulder to the trio on the stairs who were looking at each other in stunned excitement. They quickly scrambled after the apparent new 'leader' of their group.

As they passed the kitchen, they made a quick apologizing bow to Mrs. Higurashi, then scuttled to catch up with Kagome in the foyer. The older woman poked her head around the doorframe of the kitchen and called after them. "Bye, dears! Have fun! Oh, and no motorcycles, please!" She smiled.

"Yeah, yeah." Kagome acknowledged her with a backward wave as she headed out the door, her friends close behind her.

Mrs. Higurashi just shook her head and chuckled. "This should be interesting." She said to herself as she went back to the kitchen, a shocked and amazed Jii-chan staring after her.

-

Outside, three girls were laughing their heads off, while the forth simply smirked. "That…was amazing!" Ayumi gasped.

"I'll say. Who knew you had it in you Kagome?" Yuka patted her friend on the back.

Eri nodded in agreement. "One question though. What did he mean 'hanyou'?"

Kagome sighed, "You heard how he called me a demon?" The three nodded in unison. "Well, he's convinced that InuYasha's a hanyou." She lied smoothly. 'Wow. Everything that requires an attitude is easier to do when I'm like this.' She thought.

Yuka shook her head sympathetically. "Your Ojii-san is senile Kagome."

"Has been for years." Kagome shrugged, and turned toward the shrine steps. "So," She said as she gave a feral grin over her shoulder. "we gonna have some fun, or just stand here gabbing all night?" The four smirked at each other, then raced across the shrine grounds and down the steps as fast as their three inch heals would let them.

The first half of the night was spent as it had been since the four had known each other. Hitting up every house within a two mile radius for candy. Though, this time, Kagome had to admit, was far more entertaining than their juvenile years. Instead of the main treat being chocolate and sweets, it was people's reactions to their costumes and mannerisms. While girls around their own age would compliment them, middle-aged and elderly women would act disgusted at the mire sight of them. One senile old lady even went so far as yell that they were disgraces to their families and throw an egg at them, which Kagome, delighting in the looks on both her friends', and the old woman's, faces, showed off her superior reflexes by promptly catching said egg and redirected it's path at said old woman's car. In response to the woman's rants and raves, Kagome simply walked on by, waving in a rather friendly manner.

Boy's reactions were even more entertaining than that, however. Kagome quickly learned that, however mean it was, she could tease younger teen boys and make their mouths hang open by controlling exactly how much swing she put in to her hips. Wolf whistles and hoots came from any and all, so dubbed, 'older boys' that happened by them. It took all resolution Kagome had not to blush at all the attention she was getting from boys that obviously had one thing, and one thing only, on their minds. As creepy as it was, all four girls found old men's reactions absolutely hilarious. When ever it was an old man who came to the door offering candy, the three would turn on the charm, then tease them by putting a little more swing in their hips as they walked away. Several men must have been caught staring by their not-so-impressed wives, because comical thuds could be heard from halfway down the side walk.

About two hours or so into their excursion, the girls came across a pack of boys they recognized from their high school. A few of them had their backs to the approaching scantily clad females, but quickly turned around to see what their companions were hooting about. One of these boys, to Kagome's dismay, was Hojou dressed as an oh-so-original knight-in-shining-armor. Kagome rolled her eyes and stifled a growl reminiscent of a certain hanyou, as she saw his face light up when he recognized her. It seemed to her that all he needed to complete his costume was a pink stick-horse. Waving his arm in the air like a six-year-old to make sure she had noticed him, though how anyone could miss his stupid get up she didn't know, Hojou called to her. "Higurashi! It's nice to see that my remedies have been put to good use! You don't look sick at all! You look great actually! Maybe you'd be up for a date with me tomorrow night!"

Of all the people who had reacted to her costume, she expected his to be the biggest. And here he was barely reacting at all, like it was a normal thing for her to wear. The bastard. He probably fantasized about her in an outfit like this. "Don't be so full of yourself, jackass. Your 'remedies' are as useless as Jii-chan's sutras." She glared hatefully. She was sick of him. For the passed three years he'd been after her even though she'd tried her best to shake him loose. Now she finally had a chance to end it once and for all.

Hojou's face fell at her tone. This wasn't like his sweet Kagome. The outfit wasn't really her either, but hell, he was a guy, and was not about to question a gift from Kami-sama. "Kagome…? Are you feeling alright?" He asked tentatively

Kagome stalked closer to him, eyes narrow. "I'm perfectly fine, asshole. And now let me answer your other question. I've tried to be nice about this time and again, but it just hasn't managed to get through your overly thick skull to your pea-sized brain." The other boys moved back a few paces. None of them had ever seen Kagome Higurashi like this before. Who knew where she would point her aggression next. Hojou, on the other hand, stood stock still. Half of him not wanting to take his eyes from her fiery stormy-blue gaze, and half of him thinking that if this was his last moment on Earth, he might as well make it a good one and glide his eyes over her luscious, provocatively clad form. Thankfully he chose the path that wouldn't make maters worse. "I am not your girlfriend." She bit out in that same dangerously calm voice she used with her grandfather, "I have never liked you, nor will I ever like you. And as such, I will…not…date…you. So just fuck off. Understand?" She asked harshly, speaking to him as if he were the six-year-old he looked like.

His eyes were still puzzled. "But Higurashi, I thought…"

"No!" She barked, then turned and walked off, looking the most confident person on earth. Though, on the inside, she winced. 'Not the cleanest of breaks,' she thought as she heard her friends start after her, 'but it'll work just the same.' She quickly heard the clamor of boots-against-pavement as her friends came up beside her. "Sorry guys," She said in an unapologetic tone, "but you told me to act like I'm dressed. And I can't let you force me to lead him on anymore."

Yuka shrugged, "Actually we think that was pretty cool. We realized how stupid we've been when we found out he kept a picture of you pasted to a construction-paper heart tapped to the inside of his locker like an elementary-schooler. It was kinda creepy." They cringed.

"Hey, look over there." Ayumi pointed, "Isn't that your brother?" Sure enough, not halfway down the block, stood Souta and a group of his friends, all dressed as pirates. The foursome began making their way toward them.

"Ok. I think we brought in a pretty good haul tonight, guys." Souta said enthusiastically, checking over his loot.

"Yeah, but what I wouldn't do to get me some of that booty." One of his friends replied breathlessly. Souta looked up to find the boy looking past him and off the left a bit. He turned to see what had him so transfixed…and gapped in astonishment. Four women in vampire dress were walking purposefully toward them led by…

"Holy shit! Kagome?!" Souta yelled out. Said girl stepped forward and leaned an arm on her brother's head.

"Hey there, squirt. Having fun?" She greeted as she snagged a lollipop from the stunned boy's open treat bag and popped it into her mouth. He stared up at her as best he could with bulging eyes.

"D-Does Mom know you're out here dressed like that?" He stuttered.

Kagome removed the lollipop and grinned down at her brother. Making him uncomfortable was fun! "Yup." She replied matter-of-factly, "And her only condition was that I stay away from motorcycles."

Souta gapped. "A-And the attitude is from…where, exactly?" He asked.

Yuka stepped forward and smirked. "That's our doing actually. We dared her to act like she's dressed for the entire night."

Ayumi giggled. "Yeah. She even told-off Hojou."

Souta pouted. "Aww man. I wanted to do that. Inu-no-nii-chan is way cooler than him." They all laughed a bit.

Kagome checked Yuka's watch and ruffled her brother's bangs. "You better get your ass home, runt. It's almost ten. Mom'll be wondering where you are soon."

The boy raised an eyebrow. "What about you? Why don't you have to be home when I do?"

"Cuz I'm four years older runt, so my curfew is later than yours." She gave him a shove. He nodded glumly before rounding up his group again and wandering in the general direction of the shrine. Not five minutes after their encounter with Souta, they were greeted by another familiar voice.

"Hey Yuka! Wait up!" The teenage boy dressed in rave attire called as he ran towards them. Kagome remembered seeing him around school, but couldn't remember his name. Apparently Yuka knew him better than that.

"Hiko! Hey! What're you up to?" The girl called. He slowed to a stop in front of them.

He smiled kindly. "I was just on my way to a Halloween party Same said he was throwing tonight. Wanna join me?" Yuka looked at the rest of their pack for approval. When given by all three girls, she nodded.

"Sure. Sounds like fun. We need to hit something exciting before we call it a night." She agreed.

-

Apparently, Same's parents were out of town, which seemed to license the throwing of a very wild party. The moderately sized house was set aglow by hundreds of colored party lights, and absolutely pulsing from the music. The group walked up the front steps led by Yuka, who was on Hiko's arm. The boy rang the bell twice and waited. It was only a few seconds before the door was swung open by another boy from their school. "Hiko my man! I was beginning to think you weren't coming!" He yelled over the blasting music.

"Yeah right, Same! Like I'd miss a party like this!" Hiko yelled back, "I was running a little late anyway, but then I was sidetracked by these lovely vixens! So I decided to bring them along!" He joked.

Same laughed and made a scene of looking the girls over, before nodding. "Can't blame you man! I think I would have done the same thing!" he addressed the girls, "You ladies look great tonight! Come on in and make yourselves at home!" he moved out of the doorway to let them in, giving Ayumi a pat on the rear as she passed. She jumped and swatted away his hand, glaring daggers over her shoulder. Same just smirked.

The large front room was decorated accordingly. The lights had been dimmed so multi colored strobe lights could be utilized to their fullest extent. Fake cobwebs hung from the ceiling and walls. To one side was a giant sound system with a couple of guys waiting to change CD's, to the other was a refreshment table. The center was filled with guys and girls dancing like they were in the hottest of Tokyo nightclubs, some faces were familiar, others were strangers. Kagome and the other three girls left their bags in a coat closet and then joined the crowd.

As Yuka, Ayumi, and Eri went strait to the dance floor, Kagome made her way to the refreshment table for a drink. The table was packed with bowls of chips, Halloween candy, and other snacks. Set in the middle was a large bowl of orange colored punch, which Kagome figured was spiked since most of the teens looked at least slightly drunk. Having no desire to take chances of the alcoholic kind, the raven haired girl chose a can of unopened Coke instead. When she had finished her drink, Kagome weaved her way through the throngs of people to where she saw her friends dancing together and joined in.

Arms above her head, she moved her hips to the fast paced song and let the music wrap it's self around her. After a few minutes she realized that the music wasn't the only thing that wanted to get close to her as she felt a presence from behind her. The suspicion was confirmed when she felt another person's body press against her back while still dancing luridly to the beat of the music. Kagome flamed bright red in embarrassment as she felt his hips grind into her through her tight skirt, but it quickly reverted to rage at the boy's gesture. She abruptly stopped dancing and then swung around and punched the boy square in the face.

He fell backwards, landing on the floor in a heap, with blood dripping from his injured nose. A few people around them screamed in astonishment and the stereo's power was cut to asses the damage. The boy sat up and brought a trembling hand up to touch the red liquid and looked from it to the girl shaking with rage above him. "How dare you." She seethed as she balled her fists, the room going deathly quiet, "You're disgusting if you think you can just go up behind any girl you please and do that. Stay the hell away from me you little fucker." She glared at the thoroughly frightened teen. She turned and walked a little ways away through the crowd. After a couple of seconds the pounding music was put back on and everyone just tried to get on with the party.

Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi came up beside her. "Whoa, Kagome, what was that about?" Yuka asked concernedly. Kagome calmed a bit, but her voice was laced with anger.

"I said I'd act like I'm dressed, but that doesn't mean that I'll just throw all of my morals out the window." She informed tightly. Yuka nodded and said it didn't break their dare since she punched the guy for doing it. Eri made a joke about the incident to lighten the mood and they were eventually able to relax and resume dancing and generally having a good time.

-

Some hours later, the foursome said their goodbyes to those they knew at the party, and left for home. All were begging to feel a bit tired from their all night excursion, not to mention heals were not the ideal footwear for extended time-periods. They approached the steps to the Higurashi Shrine in a fit of giggles. "I don't think I've had that much fun in a long time. It was amazing!" Kagome exclaimed as they ascended the towering staircase.

"I'll say!" Ayumi agreed, "It felt good to have the whole group back together again. And Kagome, I must say that you held up our dare pretty well. Who knew you could be so aggressive?"

Kagome eyed her friend dramatically. "I'm going to ignore the inference in there about me being weak and take that as a compliment." She smirked and the other girls laughed. They were in a comfortable silence until they neared the top of the steps. Not yet able to see onto the shrine grounds, they heard a string of swearwords from a masculine sounding voice.

"Shit, the wench ain't here. Where the hell could she be damnit?!" The voice was gruff, and obviously annoyed. Kagome gasped slightly, her face turning an ashen color almost instantly. She whipped around to face Yuka, and thoroughly broke her bad-ass character.

"Yuka," She said in a strained, pleading whisper, "what time is it?"

The girl checked her wristwatch, and taking the hint about being quiet with her answer, whispered back, "12:17. Why? What's the matter?"

Kagome swore. "Shit, I'm late. And now he's gonna give me hell about it."

Ayumi cocked her head to the side. "Who? The guy up there? Oh, Kami! Is that you're boyfriend up there?!" She whispered eagerly, thoroughly interesting the other two.

"You were supposed to meet him or something?" Eri asked.

Kagome nodded. "And now he's gonna give me hell on how I'm always late." She sighed.

Yuka snorted. "So give him hell right back. You were doing a good job of giving it to everyone else all evening."

Kagome panicked at the thought of being dressed like she was, much less 'acting-like-she's-dressed', around the pissed off hanyou. "But this is InuYasha we're talking about! You know, the violent punk with the attitude problem."

Yuka wasn't swayed. "And if you don't, you'll be breaking our dare. We haven't left yet, so it's still on. And if he's attracted to you at all, I don't think you'll have much of a problem. Now put that smirk back on your face, bring back the fallen angel that was with us for the passed four hours, and get you're ass up there!"

Kagome tried to look for a way out. "But…"

"Weren't you just offended that Ayumi inferred that you were weak? Because, right now, you're just proving her point." Yuka glared. That did it. Kagome had spent the last two and a half years fighting deadly youkai in the feudal era. There was no way she was going to let anyone say she was weak.

Kagome growled lowly, still trying to make it so InuYasha's superior hearing couldn't detect them. "I'm not weak, Yuka."

Yuka matched her threat. "Oh? Then prove it to me." Meeting the challenge, Kagome squared her shoulders, turned her anger at the insult into as much courage and confidence as she could, and began walking the rest of the way up the stone steps. The other girls followed close behind. They did, after all, want to finally see this infamous bad-boy…and his reaction to their work on Kagome.

InuYasha jumped out of the old well house onto the shrine grounds, cursing as he raised his nose to the air. "Stupid girl." He grumbled. The moon was now passed its zenith in the sky, which meant Kagome was now officially late. Damn, that girl could never keep time, could she? The scent he caught around the grounds was hours old, and muddled among the scents of many other humans. "Shit, the wench ain't here. Where the hell could she be damnit?!" He yelled into the still night. He grumbled as he figured he would just have to wait for her, and leaned against the doorframe of the well house. He heard some scuffling on the shrine steps, but what ever it was, it was down wind, so he figured it was just a squirrel or something. It was strange though, now that he thought about it. There had never been this many human scents on the grounds that he had noticed before. Why would all those people be coming up here now?

His ear flicked back towards the steps. The scuffling he had heard had stopped and been replaced by the steady rhythm of footsteps on the stone. He trained his amber eyes in that direction in the dark, trying to see who would come to Higurashi Shrine so late at night. A shadowed feminine figure rose into his line of vision, soon followed by three others. As they stepped on to the flat surface of the grounds a couple of motion-sensor lights flickered on and reveled four smirking women. Three of them stayed at the top of the steps, but the one in front continued purposefully toward him. Man, and he thought Kagome's clothing was reveling.

Just then, the wind changed direction, and the oddly intoxicating scent of sakura and gardenia blossoms swirled itself around his nose. His eyes went half-mast as he breathed in the scent again. Then without warning, they snapped open again. 'Holy fucking shit! That is Kagome!' His eyes bulged as he took in the complete sight of the gorgeous and provocatively clad woman still striding towards him, all memory of anger forgotten. The tightness of her black leather skirt made it seem even shorter than her normal green one, and the shirt accentuated her perfect bust line. Her toned, flat stomach showing in all its glory for his viewing pleasure alone. The tall boots making her legs look even longer than they really were. In short the outfit left very little to his already roaming imagination. As she drew closer, his attention was drawn to the fact that her hair, now illuminated by sapphire-blue streaks, had been swept up in to a high ponytail, exposing the creamy white skin of her neck and most of her shoulders. He had to fight off the urge to moan as she walked right up under his nose and he was hit with the heady scent once again.

Kagome saw the wary look on InuYasha's face as she made her way toward him once she had made it to the top of the steps and the lights flickered on. He didn't even recognize her in these clothes. She felt the cool breeze switch direction and blow towards the hanyou, almost as if it was pushing her forward to finish what she had started. Her nerves were quivering on the inside, but she didn't, wouldn't let it show on the outside. Her confidence soared as she realized he had caught her scent on the breeze and was reacting so readily to it. She had to hold back a giggle and fight to stay in character as she saw his eyes bulge when he finally recognized her. His eyes roamed over every inch of her body, lingering a bit longer on the bare expanses of skin. It made her want to shiver in anticipation, but she couldn't, not yet. As she closed the rest of the distance between them, she saw his hand twitch with want, and almost all doubt for what she was about to do left her mind. She stopped barely inches from him, the boots making her only two or three inches shorter than him.

Kagome raised a delicate hand to his fire-rat covered chest, and slid it up to cup the back of his neck, her artificial talons dragging slightly over his skin sending a shiver down his spine, her fiery dark blue eyes half lidded. InuYasha felt his throat go instantly dry, and he gulped visibly, which only seemed to widen her smirk. Why was she acting like this? What the hell had gotten into his innocent little Kagome? Why the hell wasn't she saying anything?! "K-Kagome…? W-What are you doing?" He tried to keep his voice calm.

She pulled him down a little by the hold she had on his neck, her nails digging softly, sensually in to his skin. Her voice was low and seductive, nothing like he ever remembered it being, and he had to fight back another throaty moan. "Something I've wanted to do for a long time InuYasha." And she pulled him the rest of the way to capture his lips with hers in a passionate kiss.

Yuka grinned from her vantage point near the shine steps. "Come on girls, I think they're gonna need some privacy." She turned and began back down the huge staircase. Ayumi and Eri giggled at the scene, then turned and followed Yuka.

"Let's just hope Kagome-chan is nice enough to give us all the juicy details later." Ayumi voiced.

He couldn't understand it. Actually he couldn't understand a lot of things at the moment, but most of all this. Was he dreaming? Was Kagome really standing there in almost nothing, acting like a bitch in heat? That thought actually did get a moan from him. 'Bitch.' He raised his hands to place them on the sensual curve of her mostly bare hips, bringing her closer to his body. Every sense was filled with everything Kagome. His acute ears trained on her racing heart beat, the feel of her soft skin under his palms with the lace of her shirt just brushing the top of his hands and her soft lips against his, her delicious scent overpowering his mind as it wafted through his nose, and her taste, oh her taste. Never had he experienced anything like this before.

Her soft pink lips attacking his with a passion-driven force. Her free hand gripping the front of his haori. There was no thinking involved as he retuned her kiss with equal vigor. He was in absolute heaven. How many times had he wished for this? Without warning, she ground her hips hard into his, causing him to gasp. Kagome took advantage of his parted lips and forced her tongue into his mouth, tasting every inch of the wet cavern. The hanyou's eyes snapped open. When had she gotten so bold? The girl inwardly smirked at his surprise. To make the picture absolutely clear that she did not want him bolting, she leaned farther into his body, walking him backwards until he was pinned against the side of the well house. InuYasha tightened his grip on her waist in return, closing his eyes again to enjoy his treatment.

Now that he message was clearly across, Kagome decided to experiment. Keeping one hand firmly on the back of his neck to keep him from moving, she untangled her other hand from the fire-rat material at his chest and slid it up to his shoulder, then to the top of his head, groping for the oh-so-sensitive dog ears she knew were perched up there. Once found, her delicate fingers latched on to the nearest one, rubbing and scratching at its base. Her actions were quickly rewarded with a half purr, half groan as the hanyou's eyes practically rolled into the back of his head at the sensation. His mind now more than a bit foggy, InuYasha slid his own hands down from their station at the girl's hips to cup her firm rear, giving it a rough squeeze as he did so, the smooth, tight-fitting leather of her skirt protecting her from his claws as her brought her even closer.

Kagome gave only passing notice to how much the action seemed more likely to come from Miroku than InuYasha as a loud moan was ripped from her own throat. Keeping contact between their lips, Kagome nipped at the half-demon's bottom lip in reprimand with her fangs. 'Wait…fangs? Since when does Kagome have…?' His thoughts were cut short as the beauty in his arms once again ground her hips solidly into his. Instinct began to kick in and scream at him that his bitch should not be the one in control. With that notion in mind, InuYasha pushed off the wall behind him, and switched their positions in a flash, so now Kagome was the one pinned and he stood over her, one hand pinning her hands above her head while the other still held her firmly against him by her round bottom. His eyes were darkened with lust for the beautifully flushed and panting goddess pressed against him.

Before he could dip back down to take control of the kiss as his instincts pleaded with him to do, Kagome moved her head into a position where she had full access to the side of the hanyou's neck. She attacked the new skin with sensual kisses and slow, lingering licks all the way up to just under his jaw bone. He groaned again. 'Fuck. Does she have any fucking idea what she's doing means?!' A low, approving growl started in the back of InuYasha's throat. Whether she knew it or not, she was submitting to him, recognizing him as her alpha. His demon howled with pleasure at the fact that his bitch was submitting to him, saying that she was all his. Wanting the situation in his hands, the half-demon ground his hips roughly into hers, causing another low moan to come from her as she went slightly slack in his arms, her head rolling back to rest on the wall behind her.

Taking this to his advantage, InuYasha stooped down and captured her somewhat bruised lips with his own. Returning everything she had done to him with equal passion, he delved his tongue into her mouth, teasing her own tongue, and running his over the girl's mysteriously acquired fangs, not leaving one crevice untouched. He ravaged her mouth for a while more before releasing it so she could take in some much needed air as he trailed hot, openmouthed kisses and nips across her cheek and down the creamy skin of her neck until he got to his destination of her exposed collar bone and shoulder. She moaned his name and tilted her head to the side to give him better access. His ministrations slowed as he cursed his need for oxygen and placed one last lingering kiss on the gentle curve of her neck before pulling away to rest his forehead on the juncture at the base of it. His one hand let go of hers so they could drop to his shoulders as it came down to join the other around her small waist. He was barely able to breathe with the heavy scent of gardenia, sakura, and arousal overpowering both his nose and his mind.

They stayed like that for several minutes, taking in as much oxygen as they could manage to try and calm their heaving chests. Both noticing the only sound in the oddly quiet air of the shrine grounds was the sound of their pounding hearts. Finally getting a hold on himself once more, the hanyou took a deep steadying breath and slowly let it out as he raised his head to look down at the girl who stole his heart. Stormy blue eyes, still covered with the thinnest sheet of haze, bravely met bright amber ones as the two locked their gaze. "What the hell do you think you were doing?" InuYasha asked calmly, his breath still slightly labored.

"Like I said before," she stated calmly, a smirk rising once again to her lips, "something I've been wanting to do for a long time."

The inu hanyou glared at her suspiciously for a moment. 'She couldn't have possibly…Not the Kagome I know.' "This better not have been some sort of trick wench." He growled.

"Nope," she giggled slightly, returning to her normal demeanor as she snuggled up against his chest, "It was a treat." InuYasha's glare of suspicion softened to one of curiosity as he hugged her tighter.

He sniffed at her slightly and growled at a faint sent he had just noticed. "You've got another male's scent on you."

Kagome's brow furrowed. Another male…? Then she remembered. The party. She snorted. "Yeah, and he gained a broken nose for getting his stink all over me."

InuYasha smirked; he liked this new side of Kagome…a lot. "Is this the reason you wanted to come back? I don't really think I get it. What got into you? And why the hell do you have fangs?" Kagome giggled again at his questions.

"It's Halloween tonight. Well, I guess it's actually last night now. You remember me talking about it before, don't you?" He thought, and then nodded slightly. He did remember something about the weird name. "It's the one night of the year when you can dress up as someone totally different, and no one will even raise an eyebrow." She explained. "That's why I'm dressed the way I am. Because I would never dress like this on a regular basis. This year, though, my friends caught me off guard and dared me to 'act the way I'm dressed' for the night. They thought I needed a break from being nice all the time." She blushed a bit in embarrassment, her actions finally catching up to her. She couldn't see his face and wondered if, maybe, he was mad at her.

"And the fangs?" He asked again.

"Fake." She replied. "Ayumi's dad made them to go with the costume." She looked up at him through her bangs. "Why? You don't like them?"

InuYasha just chuckled. He bent down and nipped at the rim of her ear. "I love them wench." He purred, his hot breath against her skin causing a shiver to go down her spine. Satisfied with her reaction, he pulled back again, taking time to reabsorb her choice of outfit. "So…once you take that stuff off, that's the end of it? No more naughty Kagome?" He asked almost dejectedly.

"Yep, I guess so." She gave him a playful, appraising glare. "Unless of corse…you want me to wear this in the feudal era, where everyone can see me."

The half-demon growled at the prospect, hugging her to him again. "Only for me wench, you'll wear that only for me."

Kagome pulled back to look at him, giggled a little at his antics. "Well then," she said with a coy smile, "we'll just have to see if the fangs alone can make me act like this in private when we get a chance now won't we?"

InuYasha smirked, growling in approval. "Now that is something I can live with."

-

Owari

A/N: Yatta! Wow, it only took me a little over a week to finish this, I'm impressed with myself.P I liked how this one came out. So what if it's a little late? This was really my first attempt at writing a descriptive make-out scene. So, how'd I do? Oh, and if you've never smelled gardenia before, you're missing out. It's the most heavenly smell I've ever gotten a whiff of. Review and tell me what you think mina-san! Arigatou in advance!