The group had stopped for lunch – a rather large one that Kagome had been given by her mother. The large blanket was laid out, covered quickly with containers of homemade and prepackaged ninja food. Everything looked delicious, and there was no time wasted in digging in.

Except for one person, who sat holding a bottle of water to her lips. Kagome couldn't shake the line that kept repeating in her head.

"I carry the future of the Hojo family. Your weight is nothing!"

Kagome knew that Akitoki didn't mean it that way, but still – it's not something a teenage girl wants to hear! 'I don't even think the Hojo I go to school with would blurt something like that out…' The food in front of her looked and smelled wonderful, even the preservative-ridden ramen cups that Inuyasha seemed to favor first. It was a shame that Akitoki's words kept on a loop in the back of her mind. She was beginning to think that maybe it would be better if she skipped out on a few meals. Her body could work through its reserves, surely. 'Skipping a few shouldn't be bad for me, right?'

Sango looked up from her meal to see her friend not eating. "Is something wrong, Kagome?"

"Oh! I'm alright, Sango." Kagome tried to brush off her train of thought, persistent as it was, just in case it was apparent in her face. "I'm just not very hungry, is all. I think I might sit this one out."

That didn't sound right. "Are you sure?" Miroku asked. "It has been some time since our last meal. We might not be able to make camp again for a while."

Kagome unscrewed the cap on her bottle and took a drink of the water. "I'll be fine. I've been thinking that I could do with losing some weight anyway."

During this conversation, Inuyasha continued to eat, keeping his ears tuned in to what was being said. If it weren't for their swiveling back and forth, one might have thought he was completely absorbed in his ramen. It was the miko's latest declaration that had him setting down his cup of ramen, half-unfinished.

"What the hell are you going on about, Kagome?"

"W-what do you mean, Inuyasha?"

"I've seen you chow down any time we've stopped to eat. You're not going to sit there and tell me that you're not hungry!"

Shippo jumped up at the hanyou's outburst and moved to sit between Miroku and Sango with his meal. He could almost feel the meltdown and impending sit command that was to come from Kagome at that remark.

"Well I'm not, so just drop it okay!" Kagome would have felt like she had won that small argument if it weren't for her stomach choosing to betray her in that moment. She flushed slightly and covered her midsection, as if it would make the noise go away. 'Way to go, traitor,' she silently cursed her stomach.

"Do you really intend to starve yourself?" Sango looked at Kagome with concern. She hated to admit that Inuyasha was right, but he had a point. Normally Kagome only ever skipped meals if her modern day stores had run out and there was nothing to be hunted in the area, but even then they managed to find something to tide them over. She had come through the well with a backpack full of snacks, in addition to the homemade goods they were currently eating. "What brought this change on so suddenly, Kagome?"

The miko folded her hands in her lap and kept her gaze there. There was no way she could say what she was about to without expecting some form of pity from her friends. "It's…been on my mind for a while now." It wasn't a complete lie, but they didn't need to know that. "I thought that if maybe I dropped some weight, that maybe we wouldn't have to stop as often while we're looking for the sacred jewel shards."

"We're human as well, Kagome," Miroku reminded her. "Sango and I tire just as easily as you do- "

"Are you sure about that?" 'Dangit don't do this…' Kagome rose to her feet. She felt like she was on the verge of tears just admitting that she was out of shape, much less fat, and wanted to run. "You and Sango have trained for years, so you two could travel for longer than I could without rest. Shippo's young and can ride anywhere without complaints. Let's face it – I'm the odd one out in this group! I don't have years of training, I don't' have the abilities you all have – what I've got are useless textbooks and extra body weight!" 'Why oh why couldn't I have just kept my mouth shut!'

No one said anything for what felt like an eternity to Kagome, though it was more likely to just be a few minutes. She was seriously beginning to consider going for a walk while everyone ate, just to get over this emotional meltdown that was looming. Sango looked at Kagome with understanding. Miroku and Shippo were startled by her admission. But Inuyasha…

"Let me get this straight," he paused to finish his ramen before it went completely cold. "You think that by starving yourself, you're going to be a better fighter against Naraku?!"

"Well what am I supposed to do?!" Kagome countered. "My bike isn't the most portable thing to carry around, and you've got enough on your shoulders with Naraku without my fat self being carried all the time!" 'You know it's true. Just shut up and go back to eating so I can go feel sorry for myself.'

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. Something was definitely off with this girl. After the latest encounter with Akitoki and that cursed sword, Kagome had been acting strange, and not just because of her twisted ankle. Each time he had carried her, she seemed less relaxed than normal. She asked to be let down as soon as they arrived anywhere, even attempting to hobble off his back before he had let her go. He thought it was weird, but with her latest outburst, it was starting to make more sense. "What did that bastard Akitoki say to you?" he growled.

"What?"

"You ain't been acting like yourself since that last fight! Did that idiot say that you were fat?!"

Kagome didn't respond, but from the look on her face, Inuyasha wasn't too far off from the mark. He couldn't understand why the clumsy bastard would even suggest that Kagome was overweight, but apparently, he had and it had really upset the girl. The thought alone had Inuyasha slamming down his empty ramen cup.

"Have I ever said that you were too heavy to carry on my back, Kagome?"

"No- "

"Then why are you going to let some weakling man make you think otherwise?!"

"In case you hadn't noticed, Inuyasha, I'm not as scrawny as you say I am!"

Kagome suddenly felt a calloused, clawed hand on her thigh, just above her knee. She looked down in alarm to see Inuyasha inspecting the appendage.

"Feh. You're not the scrawny girl that set me loose, but you're not fat either." Inuyasha looked up at Kagome, not noticing the strange position he was in. "Have you not noticed?"

"Noticed what?" 'Besides your hand on my thigh?' Hard to focus on anything but that at the moment.

"When I first started carrying you on my back, your legs were soft-"

Sango looked over to Miroku and whispered. "Is he serious?"

"Let's wait and see. I'm sure Inuyasha has a plan." Miroku replied. If nothing else, it would be entertaining to see the hanyou find a new way to get sat.

"-and now your legs are firm," Inuyasha noticed Kagome's expression at last and hastily added, "Your legs are still soft, but not soft like they were?" 'Am I making any sense?! I don't know what that look means!'

"I think what Inuyasha's trying to say is that you've become more toned during our journey." Sango couldn't let Inuyasha flounder this time. He was trying his damndest to make her feel better, even if his choice of words weren't the best.

"Exactly!" Inuyasha looked back at his hand that was still holding Kagome's thigh. Flushing, he jerked his hand away and tucked it into his sleeves. "A-anyway, muscle weighs more than fat, right? Only an idiot would be dumb enough to confuse the two…" He flinched when he realized what he said. It was a dig at Akitoki, but he was now afraid she thought he was referring to her.

Kagome slowly sat down again. She was touched by what Inuyasha said. 'Maybe Akitoki isn't as strong physically as he thinks he is. Inuyasha's only ever complained about my backpack's weight. He's never once said I was fat…'

"You don't think I'm heavy, Inuyasha?" she asked, feeling shy all of a sudden.

"Keh! Of course not!" He replied, and Kagome could see a faint blush in his cheeks. "You don't weigh nothing to me!" He pushed one of the unopened food containers towards her. "Now will you stop being ridiculous and eat already!"

Kagome took the container and opened it. Inuyasha watched her until he was satisfied that she was eating before he resumed his meal. Sango looked up to see Kagome lean against Inuyasha and gently bump his shoulder, murmuring a thank-you. She heard a soft grunt in response as the hanyou returned the gesture. Inuyasha could be callous and hard-headed, but he had his moments. Sango just wished he showed his sweet side more often.

A/N: I wrote this back in November for Nanowrimo, just trying to get my inspiration to write back. It's not the best thing I've ever written, but when I was sitting up with my cat I was binging Inuyasha episodes and couldn't help but thing about what Akitoki said to Kagome. If she's been made to feel insecure because of Inuyasha's relationship to Kikyo, how did no one pick up on what Hojo's ancestor told her?

Updates to my other ongoing stories are in the works. I just don't know when exactly they'll be updated, so if you follow those, hang in there I swear they will be finished!