DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha… I just exploit it ;)
A/N: This is my first attempt at a fanfic, so don't make fun! I've decided to finally sit my ass down and try to do this, because I've been meaning to for the longest time. I love constructive criticism, hate flames (I WILL flame you back), and adore any other comments. Please R&R and R&E (read and enjoy)!
Owarinai Yume
Of Friends and Follies
It wasn't hard to see what was going on. After all, this very same situation had repeated itself countless times since the beginning of creation, and would until creation's end came. Which was to say, never.
"Too afraid to hit me, idiot?" a boy with white hair and dog-ears taunted a dark-haired boy in a breastplate and loincloth. Shinguards were placed on the second boy's calves, a furry headband around the crown of his head, and something that resembled a tail poked out from his ass.
"Not at all. I just don't hit girls," the second boy responded coolly. The two of them were having a stand down in the middle of a road as their companions stood watching from the sidelines. Three girls, three guys, a kitsune, and two-tailed cat made up the bystanders. The first girl, a young thing no older than eighteen and wearing oddly short clothing was burying her head in the second girl's shoulder. The second girl was clad in a red and black body suit with a large bone boomerang strapped to her back, and the third girl was standing next to them, covered in gray and white furs. Two guys that were dressed similarly to their dark-haired companion were deep in discussion with a third male who was dressed in purple monks' robes.
The white-haired boy's left eyebrow began to tic irritably. "What did you just call me?!" his fists clenched at his sides, and his eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
His opponent scoffed. "Deaf and dumb! Why, Kagome, you really should abandon dog-breath here and come be my woman."
"Now wait just a damn minute! She's not going anywhere with you, wolf-boy. I won't allow it!"
"Excuse me?! Won't allow it?! Who do you think you are? You can't tell me what to do, and you certainly can't dictate who I hang out with! SIT!" the girl called Kagome immediately stopped bemoaning her troubles into her friend's shoulder and was now lividly standing over a roughly, half-demon shaped hole in the earth.
The man in monks' robes sighed. "I hate to say it, but you, my dear friend Inuyasha, really are stupid." He shook his head in disapproval, wondering if his friend hadn't learned enough about their female companion in the past few years to still act as if he dictated her actions.
"Yeah, Miroku's right! Miroku's right!" the little kitsune chorused. He was perched on top of said man's shoulder with his small arms crossed over his chest, looking down at the hole in the ground, a look of superiority on his child-like face.
"Shut UP, Shippo!" now out of his hole, Inuyasha was glaring daggers at anyone in the vicinity, daring them to speak after his humiliation. The girl that he had been fighting over with Kouga was now glaring back at him.
With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, Kagome turned away from the staring contest and to Inuyasha's adversary. "Well, it's been lovely seeing you, Kouga, but we really should be on our way." She gave him a bland little smile, which Inuyasha and Kouga both took as an encouragement towards the wolf-man.
"The pleasure was all mine," Kouga replied, bowing deeply towards her while pressing his lips gently to the back of her hand. Inuyasha turned his nose up at the scene and sulked.
Kagome sweat dropped for a moment, before closing her eyes and gritting her teeth. Kouga, as endearing as he was, just tried too hard to impress her. Eyes shining with false admiration in the hope that he would go away and leave her in peace, she said, "That's so kind of you to say! I wish that some other guy I knew was more like you." The last bit was to get back at Inuyasha for being such a royal jerk to her friend, even if Kouga did go a little over the top in his displays of affection.
"So polite! I knew I chose well. Mutt-face," Kouga turned to look at Inuyasha. "I trust you to keep my woman safe while I'm away." With one last simpering look in Kagome's direction, he sped off in a whirlwind of leaves, leaving his two cronies to catch up.
"Not so fast, Kouga! I just caught my breath! Wait up, please!" Ginta yelled, running with one arm out in front of him as if to catch the end of Kouga's tail.
"Yeah, yeah! Wait for us, Kouga!" Hakkaku's position mimicked Ginta's, arm out and a hand cupped to his lips. They were running side by side as fast as they could in hopes of catching up to their leader.
Everyone but Inuyasha watched them go, slightly amused at Ginta and Hakkaku's fruitless efforts to get Kouga to slow down. Inuyasha, for his part, was sitting cross-legged on the ground, face propped up on his fist, sulking, like a small child.
"Good riddance. Stupid wolf," he muttered, more to himself than to anyone in particular. Kouga always came around to bother them. Even if they were feeling down, or if they had just won a small battle against Naraku, Kouga never failed to show up and start doting on his Kagome.
Stupid, annoying, cocky, arrogant, unattached, wolfish prince. Unattached. That was the part that bothered him most. After all, wasn't he, Inuyasha, already attached to Kikyo by a promise that he had made so long ago? Wasn't he bound to another, forbidden to love Kagome? Unable to claim her as his own?
"No brains, doesn't care for his friends, weak, stupid, arrogant, smelly, absolutely mental…" he grumbled under his breath.
"Inuyasha," Kagome's voice wafted over to him. She hadn't moved from her position by his imprint in the earth. "Stop sulking."
"Wha-? Sulking? Who sulking? Me sulking? Keh! Not possible!" his voice rose and sank erratically, squeaking here and there in his attempt to cover up the fact that he had indeed been sulking.
"Yep. Definitely sulking. He gets that way every time Kouga comes around!" huffed Shippo. He rolled his big eyes, then settled his gaze disapprovingly on Inuyasha's form. "Of course, he should! Kagome, Kouga's a much better catch than dumb-ass here."
"Shippo! You shouldn't use such language. Apologize to Inuyasha!" Despite her almost-disapproving tone, Kagome couldn't help but smile at such an attempt to influence her love life. She ruffled his hair and bent down to search in her bag for a lollipop and some "chips potato".
"Sorry… Not!"
A small red mark appeared behind Inuyasha's left ear. "You little brat…!"
"Here we go…" Sango began.
Miroku finished her sentence for her. "Again."