Love of friends
Chapter 1: In the beginning, there was fluff
BC: Ok, as of 9/30/2006, the first chapter has officially been re-done! Yes… it's partly a shameful ploy to get more people to read, but I've never fully been happy with it. Now I hope I can get this monkey off my back…
…
BC: (Smashes monkey-on-back in the head with a coffee mug) Darn you evil monkey! Go back home to HADES! (Chases monkey around room, throwing various heavy objects) WHY DON'T YOUR AVERAGE FECAL-FLINGING MONKEYS COME TO CALL, IT'S ALWASYS THE ONES THAT TRY AND GET YOU TO DO SOMETHING!
QJP: Uhh… BC's not in her right mind just now…
PLP: When is she ever?
QJP: Right…
PLP: BC doesn't own Inuyasha, but maybe…
QJP: She owns the monkey?
PLP: Sure, why not.
Kagome Higurashi was having a little trouble getting to sleep. Quietly, she had managed to slip away from camp. She hadn't wanted to accidentally wake anyone… though she was starting to wish she had. Summer wasn't that far off, but she still almost felt chilled sitting along the bank of a dark and quiet river. But that was just her imagination.
Suddenly, she's hit with a wave of loneliness, and a few unbidden tears roll down her face. "What's wrong with me…" Futilely, she wipes at her face, but the stream doesn't slow. 'God… why does he always make me feel like this? Not matter what, he always does something like this. And no matter what that jerk tells the rest of us about wasting time, even a hint of her and he goes running. Why do I even waste my time here? He's told me plenty of times to just go home!… but I don't think I could live with myself if I did. And I can't let the others down, any little bit of help matters! But… he doesn't have to always yell like that! Why do I even bother to love him…'
Kagome's breath catches in her throat and she gingerly places a hand over her slightly parted mouth. Her eyes go wide in shock. "Love him?" she tilts her head to look a little farther out to see the crescent moon's reflection in the water. 'Do I love him? I... I think I do! I do love him! But… why him? Why Inuyasha?'
The moon fazes out and what is left, is different memories of Inuyasha. They were projected onto the water as if it was a screen, Inuyasha being sat, yelling, pouting, and then all of the smirks. The images were unnerving to poor Kagome; she had to get rid of them. And with a quick swipe at the water, nothing was left but the moon's reflection once again.
'Oh God. What am I going to do? He loves Kikyo… not me…' All her thoughts come to a complete stop at a touch on her shoulder. She turns her head to see the worried face of none-other then Sango, " Are you all right Kagome? You really should be asleep now."
She mentally shakes herself, "Huh? Oh… yeah, I'm all right." She looks back to the dark water, no visions of an angry hanyou this time. Instead, she was picturing one of the rare times he had let something slip through his jerky self. She smiles inwardly at the memory and, though it was just for a split second, the impact of it had left the memory fresh and untainted in her mind.
(Flash-back)
At this point in time, the group was traveling through a forest. They had been for a while. Their only rest for that was short and had left Kagome steaming, fuming, ticked off, and a few other dozen words for really mad at someone they had happened to meet. "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"
Inuyasha walks beside the peeved girl. He didn't look happy, but then again he rarely did.
"What is it now wench? And don't yell like that… it's enough to burst my ear drums."
"HE HAS... sorry Inuyasha. But, he's finally hit my last nerve! One can only take so much from him!"
Inuyasha lets out an annoyed sigh, "Kouga? Feh. You don't seem to mind the "great" Wimpy-wolf so much to me."
Well of course she had been peaceable to him. He had a kind heart… but when he absolutely set his mind to something, there was no stopping him! The thing was, she had set her mind to something too. And just because she was, 'his woman', she wasn't going to stop because he wanted to make sure she'd stay safe. And who said she was 'his woman' anyway! Kagome's steps slow, and she snaps at Inuyasha. "Oh yeah? What do you want me to do? Let you kill him?"
"Well, yeah..." It seemed simple enough to him.
"Sorry... no way dog-boy. That's just wrong. He may get on my nerves... but not enough to let me let you kill him."
"We would have more shards... besides, dead wolves can't annoy. No matter how annoying they are." He grits his teeth, "And I'll let that 'dog-boy' go this time."
Even though she was getting away with something like calling him 'dog-boy' had stunned her, it didn't stun her as much as the simplicity of his answer did. And in her state right now, she couldn't help but agree that it did ring slightly true. "Well... I... I guess I can't argue with that. And it might actually stop him from referring to me as his 'woman' all the time... but it's still not right! And you know it!"
Inuyasha looks to Kagome from the corner of his eye, a small smile gracing his face. It was almost unnoticeable. And just after, he changes it to an all-knowing smirk. But it was too late, Kagome had already seen it.
"Inuyasha..." She blinks confusedly, "What was that for?"
"I finally got an argument to stop without a 'sit' in it. That gives me plenty of reason to smirk."
"No... Just before the smirk. Was it a...?"
Inuyasha's face contorts to a quick look of shock, almost reaching to the line of terror, and before Kagome could finish, he had interrupted. "Feh!" He jumps up to a nearby tree in the clearing their small group of six had just entered. "YOU DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING WENCH! And we camp here, now!"
His word law, Sango was almost knocked off Kilala by shock of Inuyasha's voice. Miroku collapses by a tree, his small kitsune rider rolling off while still fast asleep. And as soon as Sango had finally gotten off Kilala, the cat demon changes to her small form and goes to sleep herself.
Miroku manages to push himself up on one elbow, after regaining some strength, "I am not complaining but... just a little while ago, you said we had a long ways to go still... why the sudden change of heart?"
"Monk, you want me to come down there and kick your xxx?"
"Never-mind... you're being very cranky Inuyasha, is it a new moon tonight?"
"I thought I told you to shut-up?"
"Merely an observation..."
(End of Flash-back)
"Kagome? Kagome! You don't really seem "all right", to me..."
"I'm... sorry Sango. I was just, lost in thought…"
"What did he do this time?"
"Oh! Umm… err… Miroku got just a bit too close earli..."
"I'm not talking about Miroku, Kagome. And I think that bump was an accident. Even though a misplaced accident. Knowing him, he was aiming for me, and not you. That didn't stop Inuyasha from almost killing him though ."
"Uh… Shippo once again went looking through my clothes for candy and tore out my..." she nervously swallows, "under-clothes..."
"And I don't mean Shippo either. Also… I think your screams of what an embarrassment it was to have him do that will make him a little more careful the next time."
"Well… err, um Kouga..."
"Ok, now you're just pulling at loose strings. We haven't seen hide nor hair of Kouga for a couple weeks. Besides… you know quite well that I'm talking about Inuyasha."
"No really I... Are you sure you want to know?" The shake of Sango's head gives her little encouragement, but still she tries to go on. "I... I... I think... th-that he's... s-stolen..." She lets out a large sigh, not wanting to finish.
"You can tell me Kagome. I am your friend, right?"
"Right. I think he's... stolen my heart."
BC: Darn it! I don't know if he's just hiding, or gone for a while!
QJP: Well, are there any other parts you want to fix?
BC: Err…
Monkey: (Makes monkey sounds from a ways away)
BC: (Runs after noise) COME BACK HERE YOU BANANA SLINGIN' MENACE! WHEN I GET THROUGH WITH YOU, YOU'RE GONNA HOPE ALL THE REST OF YOUR KIND KNOW SIGN LANGUAGE. JUST LIKE THAT GORRILA WITH THE KITTEN! KOKO!
QJP: (Sweat drops) Uh, I think I'll take that as my answer.
PLP: And I think that might be an empty threat. I mean, she did hit the thing with a coffee mug… and it's still alive!
QJP: Review, for BC's sake of mind. What's left of it, anyway.
BC, over and out!