Disclaimer: You know the drill, I do not own the Inu-Yasha characters, so don't hurt me. Okay? Okay.
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Inu-Yasha
Just a Demon Boy
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"Inu-Yasha, I'm covered with mud, and if I don't get home to a nice, warm bath right this instant, I'm taking it out on you!"

Kagome announced angrily as she pushed past the half demon.

Inu-Yasha took it quite well, considering the situation.

"Why you stinking imitation! You don't even have Kikyo's sense of duty! Fine, go back to your world, and good riddance!"

Kagome whirled to retort, but found that her friend had already left.

With a sigh, she climbed into the bone eater's well, the only link between her own time and this one.
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"Heavens, Kagome, what is it that you do to get so dirty?!"

Kagome's mother sighed as she started the water running.

"It's that dog eared boy's fault, isn't it. Demon or not, that Inu-Yasha of yours is still just a boy. . . oh!"

Kagome blinked at her mother's startled expression.

"Mom?"

Her mother shook her head.

"You don't have feelings for that wild boy, do you?"

"Of course not!!"

Kagome shouted, then gasped at her own volume and dropped her gaze.

Her mother nodded and left her alone to bathe.

"How could anyone have any feelings for that mangy, loud mouthed, egotistical. . .?"

She left the string of insults unfinished as she stepped into the tub.

Inu-Yasha was half demon, and had no care at all for mere humans.

He'd told her that often enough.

How could her mother believe that she could ever become attached to such a person?

As the steam rose, Kagome sank back into memories.

"Let me protect you!" Inu-Yasha had cried to the startled Kagome.

At that moment, the Tetsu-Saiga came to life, and allowed Inu-Yasha to eliminate the evil demon threatening them.

Later, Kagome had approached Inu-Yasha.

"I'll tell you how to use the TetsuSaiga if you'll promise to keep protecting me with it."

Things had not gone well, as Inu-Yasha refused.

"You said you'd always protect me!" Kagome had shouted angrily.

"When did I ever say that?!" Inu-Yasha had snarled back.

She had left, vowing to never tell him the secret of his father's marvelous sword.

"I don't fight for the sake of mortals." His words still echoed through Kagome's mind.

A loud knocking brought her back to the present as her brother, Sota called to her.

"Kagome, you've been in there forever! C'mon, other people have to use the bathroom, y'know!"

Kagome blushed as she realized that she'd lost track of time. "I'll be out in a minute, Sota!"

She called back, quickly splashing water over her face, and scrubbing the dirt away, or what was left of it.

As Kagome changed into a nightshirt and bid her family goodnight, she wondered that Inu-Yasha had left her alone this long.

Usually, he appeared about the time that she was enjoying dinner. She waited on her bed for a while, but nothing happened. Almost regretfully, she realized that Inu-Yasha wasn't coming this time.

Had he accepted the fact that she needed to return home every now and then?

She doubted it; Inu-Yasha didn't care about her school or home life, all he wanted was to recover the shikon shards.

She was merely his method of doing it.

With a frown, she flung the covers back and threw herself onto the mattress.

"Good, I hope you never come to this time again!" She muttered fiercely in the direction of the well.
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Strangely enough, Inu-Yasha had just come to the same realization.

After waiting well into the night, he reluctantly admitted to himself, that Kagome would not be returning on her own.

He jumped down from the tree he had been sitting in since Kagome's departure, and started for the well to fetch her, then stopped himself.

"What am I doing? I don't need her, she can stay in that world of hers forever, for all I care."

He narrowed his eyes, and shouted into the well.

"Do you hear me, Kagome?! I'm glad you're not here! I hope you never come back again!"

When no one answered him, he turned and left.

"Inu-Yasha!"

A fierce, horse sized spider with googly eyes dropped in front of him.

"You chased Kagome off again, didn't you!"

Inu-Yasha casually smacked Shippo on the head and watched as the young fox demon fell to the ground with a thump, rubbing his head.

"Ow! I told you not to do that anymore!"

Inu-Yasha scowled. "And I told you to leave me alone."

He started off, but Shippo jumped in front of him again.

"No you didn't!" He protested.

Inu-Yasha knocked him aside. "I'm telling you now, leave me alone. I'm not soft for you like Kagome is, and she's not here to protect you from me."

Shippo blinked and watched as Inu-Yasha left him behind. "Kagome, Inu-Yasha misses you. Come back soon." He urged quietly.

The next day, Kagome woke with a leisurely stretch and yawn, and automatically turned to check on Shippo, only to remember that she was home.

She must have been spending too much time in feudal Japan, if she was beginning to expect her demon friends to be there when she woke.

With a shrug, she rose to wash and change into some fresh clothes.

"Who said you could go trotting back home?"

She smiled as she recalled Inu-Yasha's words.

He had been set against her coming home the first few times; he still was, only now he didn't try to carry her back with him.

"Come on, Kagome, we're going."

She almost expected to find the demon boy sitting beside her, she could hear his voice so well.

She abruptly shook her head and got back to what she was doing.

She was disgusted with herself for thinking of Inu-Yasha.

No doubt, he was not having such a hard time eliminating her from his thoughts.

He was probably having the time of his life right now.

Kagome chuckled to herself. "That's right, Inu-Yasha will win back all the shikon shards all by himself."
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Inu-Yasha jumped down from his tree in front of a group of people.

"Hey, you haven't seen any jewel shards around here, have you?"

He was answered by screaming and an arrow that whizzed past his cheek.

"Demon! Run!"

With a muttered "Feh," Inu-Yasha turned away to look elsewhere.
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Meanwhile, Kagome was having problems of her own.

"Buyo, get away from my ramen!" She shooed the cat away, intent on having her first peaceful meal in weeks.

With a smile, she recalled the first time she'd gotten Inu-Yasha to try her food.

"Kagome, this food . . . it's good!" He had gazed at the noodles in awe before stuffing them eagerly into his mouth, just like any boy.

Kagome sighed, Inu-Yasha did have a good side.

There was a part of him that was warm and caring, and eager to please.

If only he would show that side more often. . .

Kagome shrugged and was about to shovel the noodles into her mouth when Sota ran in. "Kagome, I've looked everywhere, where is he?"

Kagome defiantly shoved the food in her mouth and glared at Sota until she was able to swallow. "Where is who?"

She wondered if he meant Buyo.

Buyo's wanderings had been the reason for her first entering the bone eater's well, the event that had triggered the events, that had eventually led to her current situation.

"Inu-Yasha, of course. He always follows you home! Where is he, Kagome?"

Kagome knew she was staring. "He does not always follow me! He stayed back, where he belongs, who'd want an egocentric, loud mouthed, obnoxious mongrel like him around, anyway?"

Sota sighed. "I would, he's never like that to me."

As Sota left, Kagome stared in wonder, momentarily forgetting about the ramen noodles in front of her.

With a sigh, she almost reluctantly finished the meal, then rose and walked quietly outside.
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Inu-Yasha was getting tired of sitting in a tree, and decided to hang from his knees for a while.

He was just beginning to accept the fact that Kagome probably wouldn't be back for a while, when he was dragged out of his tree and subdued by a loud "Sit!"

Gasping to get back the breath that had been knocked out of him, he whirled, snarling.

"What did you do that for, and why did you bother to even come back? I thought I told you that I didn't want you to come back here!"

Kagome just smiled.

"I missed you too, Inu-Yasha."
The End