The Love of a Demon

"InuYasha, are you going to come get some food?" Kagome called up the tree into the darkness. "InuYasha, are you even up there?" she called one more time, then turned around and went back into Kaede's hut.

As soon as she was gone, InuYasha leaped down from the tree and headed for the hut. He didn't know why, but he hadn't been able to talk to Kagome for two weeks. All he could do was stutter, so he gave up. Along with not being able to talk, every time he saw her or heard her voice, his heart began doing flip-flops in his chest.

Pulling back the cloth that covered the door, he found that everyone had already started eating. Grabbing a bowl, he sat down and began shoveling food into his mouth.

"InuYasha, where were you? We were worried." Kaede asked to fill the space.

InuYasha shrugged and replied, "Feh. You don't need to be worried about me. I can take care of myself." He threw down the bowl and left.

Kagome looked around at Miroku, Sango, and Kaede, who all seemed to be waiting for her to say something. "What?" she asked. "It's his choice to leave. I can't make him stay."

Miroku raised and eyebrow and replied, "Well, yes, of course, but I thought you would want him to stay for the fireworks later."

Sango nodded and said, "We even went through the trouble of getting two seats near each other for you two."

"What! You want me and him to sit together? Are you trying to make us hook up or something?" Kagome glared around and her eyes fell of Kaede, who had not said anything. "Well, Kaede? Did you know about this?" she demanded.

Kaede carefully considered her words before saying them. "I did think ye two would like some time to talk to each other and sort out your feelings so we could keep working on getting Naraku."

Kagome threw down her bowl as InuYasha had and stalked out. She stamped along the worn dirt path and headed for the tree. Little did she know that someone was already there.

InuYasha hid up in the branches of the tree, thinking. He was wondering what Kaede, Miroku, and Sango had planned. He had seen the look in their eyes. It was always there when the five of them got together.

Kagome sprawled out under the wide branches on her back, staring up into the leaves. It was a hot night, so she opened the first few buttons of her shirt. She wished she'd brought a different shirt.

Miroku and Sango began to clean up the remains of dinner, while Kaede went off in search of Shippo, who had disappeared the day before, only leaving a note saying he was at a friend's house, and come find him for the fireworks.

Kagome sat up and peered intently into the leaves. She thought she'd heard a noise up in the branches, and considering that her shirt was now open, she was wary. Making a stab in the dark, she said, "Sit?" almost as a question.

InuYasha wobbled for a second, then fell off the branch and landed on Kagome. She shrieked and shoved him off, desperately trying to close her shirt.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" she yelled at him.

"I was trying to relax!" he shot back at her.

Kagome had calmed down some, but was still trying to button up her shirt. She said, "Did you have anything to do with what the other three are planning? Because if you did, I WILL hurt you."

InuYasha stepped closer to Kagome and said, "What are you talking about? And why are you here?"

Kagome had managed to get her shirt buttoned by now and she replied, "The other three are planning a stupid 'surprise' for us at the fireworks show tonight. They told me at dinner, and I got mad. That's why I'm here."

"Oh, yea," InuYasha said, suddenly remembering. "We'd better go. Come on."

"I'm not going" was Kagome's defiant answer as she sat back down against the tree. "They've got us seats right next to each other, away from everyone else. I am not going to sit where they tell me. I'll watch the fireworks from here."

InuYasha looked at Kagome for a second, then said, "I'll tell you how they were." As he turned and walked away, Kagome felt an urge to jump up and follow him.

She closed her eyes so she couldn't see him walk away. "What am I thinking?" she said out loud. "He has feelings for Kikyo, not me! I don't love him." She said the last part with finality, and settled back to wait for the fireworks.