Inuyasha, Kagome, and company had been traversing the country side for weeks searching out jewel shards and they'd finally managed to get a much needed break. Kagome dashed home and brought back a few of the wonders of 21st century bathing for Sango. Not that shampoo, or body wash, or shaving, were modern concepts but Kagome's razor blades beat anything back in Feudal Japan.
Kagome set the boys to keep watch while she, Sango, and Shippo bathed and she broke out the big bag of goodies. Scented shampoo, conditioner, body wash, salt scrub, mud masks, pore strips, razors, you name it Kagome had it. She explained and demonstrated how to use her goodies then snuck off to a small protected inlet in the stream where the hot water formed an eddy. It was the perfect spot for a bubble bath. She had one at home, but something about bathing outdoors was totally different. She leaned back against a large smooth boulder and slipped the headphones of her cordless MP3 player over her ears. She closed her eyes and let her tunes roll over her while she relaxed in the softly swirling water.
Meanwhile back at the ranch….
Inuyasha and Miroku climbed a tree that hung far over the river so Inuyasha could have a better vantage point, or take a nap. Miroku's reasons were much less noble. He wanted to spy on Sango. The tree limb they chose was perfect for both purposes, though Miroku wasn't happy when Inuyasha stuck his foot through Miroku's belt.
"If Kagome sits me for spying you are going down too damnit."
Inuyasha settled himself at the base of the large branch and Miroku was one leg length farther out, laying down, staring at Sango. She was quite a sight, sitting in a very shallow pool of water shaving her legs. Inuyasha's gaze drifted down to Kagome, who was almost directly underneath him. Bubbles swirled on the surface of the water, obscuring what he knew to be a sweetly curved body.
Kagome was softly humming, something she rarely did and only when she was really relaxed. Inuyasha felt guilty for a moment, that he kept her so stressed all the time. Shippo's high child's voice carried over the gurgling of the stream
"Sing to us Kagome."
Kagome sat up straighter, smiled and waved to Shippo, which made one pinked tipped breast appear above the bubbles. Inuyasha started to sweat. Kagome was no opera singer, but her voice was clear and sweet as she started singing along with the song playing on her music machine.
"I didn't want it to go this far
I didn't want you to get to me this way
I didn't want you under my skin
I don't need a broken heart again."
Inuyasha couldn't tear his eyes away from Kagome. With the wave pulled out of her hair by the water, she looked more like Kikyo than ever, except that kagome had a softness to her that Kikyo never did. She was under his skin, swirling around his brain, tearing his emotions apart. He loved Kikyo enough to banish all aspirations of becoming full demon just so he could live the rest of his life with her. He'd fallen completely in love with Kikyo's soul and Kagome had it. They were so much alike, but so different. Sometimes Inuyasha wasn't sure who he was looking at.
Sango was looking up at the spot where she damn well knew Miroku was spying on her. What the hell let him look. It was the most he'd ever get until he learned to control his wayward hands and lecherous nature. But still…. he did get to her. When he wasn't groping her or propositioning other women, his gentle voice and kind, sometimes romantic manner made her heart pound. Sango shook her head. Such daydreams were useless. If Miroku didn't break her heart with his wandering eye, she would end up betraying him to save her brother. That was the harsh reality of their current existence.
"Don't you know you're temptin' me
With something almost irresistible
Oh I just wanted something casual
I didn't want you to be wonderful"
Miroku watched the sun gleam on Sango's soapy skin as she ran her hands over her legs as she shaved and through the long strands of her hair as she washed it. She was easily the most beautiful woman Miroku had ever seen and he got to spend everyday by her side. He would lay down his life, hand over his heart to her keeping in an instant if he thought she would have him. But that was just the problem. Miroku didn't want to love Sango, he liked his bachelor life style. Recently though he found he couldn't enjoy it with Sango always by his side. It was a blessing and a curse. The woman he desired more than anything else was always glaring at him and stalking off, reminding him of his shortcomings. And he couldn't even touch her.
"So I gotta run, run, run
Get away get away,
Far away from your touch
Don't look at me, look at me
I'm not ready for this now baby
Don't you know that you're driving me crazy?"
Inuyasha watched Kagome massage miles worth of aches out of her feet and desperately wished to feels her tiny hands on his body. For once he was glad to be out of her sight. She'd developed the uncanny ability to see right through to his heart. She just didn't realize it yet. Sooner or later she was going to see through the front he put up with her. Kikyo had gotten close, but Kagome…. Shippo was right; he was wrapped around her finger.
"So I gotta run, run, run.
Get away get away
Far away from your love
Don't follow me, follow me
A million miles from you baby
Is the only thing that's gonna save me
So I gotta run"
Inuyasha tried living without Kagome and it turned out to be the most miserable 4 days of his life. Would she stay with him once all the jewel shards were found? When it really came down to it, he wanted her to. He wanted her at his side. Why did he fight this so hard? What would it really hurt to give himself over into her keeping?
Inuyasha refocused on Kagome and noticed her picking at the calluses on her hand from her bow.
Kikyo.
That's why he kept Kagome at a distance. Kikyo didn't actually love him enough and he wasn't sure Kagome did either.
"I'm gonna need the fastest horse,
Faster than the speed of love
Sure enough not to fall
Cause if you catch me baby
I'll be gone."
Sango wanted to leave Miroku. She wanted to stay at his side for the rest of her life. She wanted to bear his children. Hell she didn't know what she wanted but couldn't have any of it. She was already half in love with him. If there was any sign, just the smallest clue that he felt the same way, and wasn't chasing her because she was the closest thing in skirts, it would be all over for her. She hated the turmoil o f their current relationship, courtship, whatever it could be called. He was so eager to see her happy and so ready to give her up. Didn't he think he could make her happy?
"So I gotta run, run, run
Get away get away
Far away from your touch
Don't look at me, look at me
I'm not ready for this now baby
Don't you know you're driving me crazy?
So I gotta run, run, run
Get away, get away,
Far away from you love
Don't follow me, follow me
A million miles from you baby
Is the only thing that's going to save me
So I've got to run."
If Sango didn't turn on him to save her brother then Miroku could well end up killing her with his wind tunnel. He didn't dare dream of having a life with her until Naraku was killed, the jewel restored and his curse lifted. Only then could he really look to the future. As Kagome's clear voice suggested, he should be running. Running for his life and for hers. He feared he was desperately in love with her and prayed he would not be tested anytime soon. Or anytime at all for that matter.
"Can't let you get to me, do what you do to me
Can't let you look at me, can't let you"
Thank the gods that Kagome was relaxing and indulging Shippo's whim for some music instead of watching out for Inuyasha. Though he couldn't look away, he didn't want to think about her catching him. Those eyes of hers were dangerous in all the things they could make him do. Glistening with tears when she cried for him, shining with conviction when she cheered him on, or squeezed shut in fear while she waited for him to save her, her eyes were powerful motivators for him to step up and be a man. He didn't like being held captive to the twist and sway of her emotions.
"So I gotta run, run, run
Get away get away
Far away from your touch
Don't look at me, look at me
I'm not ready for this now baby
Don't you know that you're driving me crazy"
Kagome rarely ever touched Inuyasha, he wouldn't let her. When she did, man did it knock him off his feet. The first time she played with his hair he nearly shivered out of his skin.
"So I gotta run, run, run
Get away get away
Far away from you love
Don't follow me, follow me
A million miles from you baby
Is the only thing that's gonna save me
So I've gotta run.
Inuyasha knew Kagome loved him. It was obvious in the way she watched him when everyone else was sleeping, in how she would reach out to him when he was stomping away from her. He also knew she would never say it out loud. He frightened her. Inuyasha should send her home for good, where she was safe. He didn't actually have the strength to let her leave his side. Hell, he hated it when she had to leave for that thing called school. Somehow she's slipped under his skin and wormed her way deep inside.
"That was pretty Kagome, sing another one."
Kagome smiled and sent a splash of water Shippo's direction.
"I think it's time we let the boys have their turn in the water. Wouldn't want to make them wait any longer would we Sango?"
Sango looked up at Inuyasha braced himself for the inevitable. Miroku barely figured out what was going to happed before…
"Sit boy" rung out and both guys, courtesy of Inuyasha's foot in Miroku's belt, went tumbling out of the tree and splashed into the water below.
