An alternative fanfic created by Phlie.
Disclaimers: Inu Yasha is clearly his own hanyou, therefore he can't possibly be owned by me. The rest of the gang still isn't up for grabs, though. No vegetables were actually cut in the making of this story.
Chapter 7 - One Way or Another
*~*One Way*~*
When Inu Yasha got back to their campsite, Kagome was waiting for him. He made his way more cautiously when he realized she was alone. He needed to keep his temper and his sexual urges in check. It hadn't been as hard to keep himself under control the night before. Now that he had back his hanyou form, and the keen senses that go with it, he needed to show restraint. His mind raced ahead to the fight he was sure they were about to have. He didn't want to fight her. She looked so cute sitting on the log, her legs crossed at the ankles. 'It's almost like she's waiting for me to come home from a long day', he thought to himself. Somehow he didn't quite think that was the case.
*~*Or Another*~*
When Kagome saw Inu Yasha coming over the small hill that bordered the forest, her heart started pounding. She tried very hard not to squirm. She had held that pose for the last half hour. 'Why isn't he here yet? He's usually running around everywhere. Mr. Speedy. Now that I want him here quickly, he's taking his own sweet time.' Kagome thought she was gonna die of old age before she got to talk to him. Of course, it was only because she was dreading what she had to say to him. She knew she had to do it, though. Like Sango said, it was only fair.
**Flashback**
"Kagome, I am really happy for you", Sango said, as they got back to the clearing and started preparations for their evening meal. "I think there's someone else who needs to know. Someone who needs to be happy for you."
Kagome looked at Sango inquisitively. "Why do you think Inu Yasha needs to be happy for me? He doesn't care about. He is as bad as the lech. He only wants to paw at me, and that's only if he's not busy being mean to me. At least Miroku is a sweet, caring man. Even if he can't keep his hands to himself."
Sango looked up from cutting the vegetables they would make their stew from and tilted her head, motioning for her friend to sit next to her. "Oh, Kagome. Things weren't always this way. I think Inu Yasha is just confused. Before you fell and forgot everything, you and Inu Yasha were very close. So close that it was almost as if you were one person sometimes. You were traveling companions, fighting partners, and best of all - friends. I think that he would want to know that you are happy."
Kagome had been feeling like there was a part of her missing, and now she thought she knew why. If they were really as close as Sango had made out, then Inu Yasha was what was missing. She needed all the friends she could get at this point. She just didn't know how he was gonna take this news. 'He always gets so jealous over nothing, and now that there is *something*- .'
"You're right. I need to be happy, and Inu Yasha does too. Come to think of it, I know some other friends who deserve to be happy", Kagome said and then winked at Sango.
Just then Miroku came back from collecting wood for the fire. He looked at the two friends sitting there together and just sighed. 'What visions of beauty', he thought to himself. He was rewarded by Sango putting aside her vegetables and getting up to stand next to him.
"I think you're right, Kagome. Miroku does need to learn the proper techniques for catching his prey. He's been to slow about it thus far." With that Sango grabbed Miroku's hand and led him deeper into the forest.
**End Flashback**
As Inu Yasha was about to sit down next to Kagome, the nervous girl shot up from her seat. She brushed against his shoulder, causing Inu Yasha to loose his balance. He wound up with his face in the dirt. It was as if she had told him to sit!
"Oh, Inu Yasha! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"
"Feh. Of course I am okay", he grunted. He was trying to stay calm.
As he got up and dusted off his coat, he noticed that she was looking at his hair again. She lifted her hand to once again free his locks from dirt. "Don't tell me. I'm filthy, like a dog."
Kagome froze. She hadn't been thinking anything of the sort. She knew he must hate her for the way that she had been treating him. She hoped what she was about to tell him would fix things between them.
Inu Yasha looked up at her. She looked almost as hurt as he had felt when she had made fun of him earlier. He grabbed her hand and smiled slightly.
"Want to take a walk", he asked. To his pleasure he saw that her face lit up at the suggestion and she nodded her head enthusiastically. They strolled about for awhile, Kagome making sure that they didn't go in the direction Sango had lead Miroku. For a long time, neither of them said anything. They weren't holding hands anymore. Not long after they had started walking, Inu Yasha had dropped her hand. Kagome had felt the lose. They came to a small hill, and that's when Inu Yasha finally spoke.
"Let's sit behind the hill and talk. We used to do that, back before-", he trailed off. Kagome had already sat down on the ground, her back against the natural curve of the earth, her legs stretched out before her.
"Like this", she asked. Inu Yasha just nodded. "It just seemed so natural, to sit here like this."
Inu Yasha sat down beside her. He closed his eyes and pictured her looking at him with love in her eyes. The kind of looks she had given his human form.
*~*One Way*~*
"Inu Yasha, Sango and I had a talk", she began. She took in a deep breath before she went on. "And well, she thinks that you would want to know if I was happy. Which I am, so I'm telling you", she said nervously. She giggled. She couldn't believe she was having trouble telling him about this. She couldn't talk. The words that she had carefully formulated in her mind wouldn't come out. He was looking at her now. 'Oh, just say it, just say it', her mind screamed.
"I met a boy last night and he's great and I think I'm in love with him and I want to spend the rest of my life with him", she blurted out. She squeezed her eyes shut tight and waited for the yelling and curses to flow over her in waves.
*~*Or Another*~*
'Oh SHIT!' The image of her loving eyes suddenly turned into looks of hatred. She had talked to Sango and now she knew it was him she was with that night. 'Fucking bitch, I am going to rip out that busy tongue of hers when I see her next.' He was seeing red and didn't hear her words for a minute. Then he realized that she wasn't talking. He opened his eyes and looked towards her. She was just sitting there looking like she was gonna be sick. 'What did she say? Something about being happy?' He looked at her more closely and all of a sudden she blurted out something about a boy she had met the other night.
"Nani? Say that again. You were talking to fast."
Kagome opened her eyes and just blinked at him. She should have known that she wouldn't get away with this so easily.
"The other night I went out by myself and stayed out all night. I met a boy and he was very nice. We stayed up all night and just talked. It was wonderful."
"And you said you think you're in love with him?"
Kagome shook her head.
"You forgot the part about wanting to be with him forever", Shippo chanted as he dashed out from behind the hill and jumped on top of Inu Yasha's head.
Kagome just giggled. She was actually very glad that the kitsune had shown up. It saved her from what she knew would have been a huge fight. She grabbed up the child before Inu Yasha could reach up and catch him. Little did she know that Inu Yasha couldn't have cared less. Kagome said that Sango told her he would want to know that she was happy. She couldn't have been more right.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
They casually strolled back to the camp sight. Shippo was once again frolicking in the grass ahead of them, singing to himself. Kagome was so happy that Inu Yasha had taken her news well. Especially the part about how she wouldn't be flirting with him anymore and how she expected him to be a gentleman. He had grabbed up her hand again at that point and told her not to worry about it because they were friends.
Inu Yasha thought to himself, 'If a gentleman is what she wants, that's what she'll get. Just wait and see, this hanyou will be like a saint.'
When they got back to the camp sight they found Sango cooking stew and Miroku whittling. Inu Yasha walked over to the fire and sat down beside Sango. He was so hungry. He grabbed a bowl and handed it to Kagome. He was about to grab a bowl for himself when he got a weird look on his face and looked over at Miroku.
"That's odd", said Inu Yasha. "Since when did the lech do something besides try to mate?"
"Maybe he finally learned how to catch his prey", said Kagome. Sango looked up at the girl and winked at her.
"Speaking of odd", said Miroku, "since when do you make sure others are fed before you?"
'Maybe he has also learned how to catch his prey', thought Sango.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
That night they all went to their separate corners. Inu Yasha went up to sleep in a tree as usual. Shippo snuck into the tent with Kagome. Miroku and Sango both slept separately, but closer than normal. It wasn't time yet to let the world know. They were in a protective bubble that their joining had cast over them, like a spell. Reality was sure to hit them soon enough.
________________________________________________________________________
Well, well. If it isn't our good friend Miroku. Finally saw some action, not to mention he showed up in this chapter more. Let me know if you want to see more of him, cause if not I may wind up killing him off. lol. j/k I know I've been neglecting him, and Shippo too - but I'm trying to be better. Let me know what you think!
Chapter8