It had been a couple long week of battling demons and looking for shards. The group was now enjoying the few days of quiet that Kami had given them. Sango, Miroku, Shippou and Kagome were around the fire laughing and joking around. Kagome had brought many treats from he time to show the others. Shippou had been munching on candy and Kagome was showing Miroku and Sango many items from her time, like her mp3 player. Miroku quickly became attached to the item when he heard a lovely ladies voice inside it, "Oh my…I wonder if she would bear my children."
Sango automatically knocked him upside the head. "Lecherous monk…After women who aren't even born yet…"
Kagome showed Sango a few young women's magazines. She wanted to show Sango that girls in her time didn't worry about demons or fighting. Sango looked with interested at the images of care free girls. Once Miroku came to, he also looked over their shoulders falling in love with all the girls in the magazine. This erupted into a playful fight about the 3 friends. But Kagome's eyes wandered to the forest.
InuYasha had said he would stand watch. He had jumped a couple yards away. Kagome had no time to stop him. But now she was feeling bad about him standing watch so far away. She hadn't felt any shards in the past two days, so she didn't know why he was staying away from them. She excused herself from the group allowing them free range of her bag and all the goods inside. As she walked away she saw Shippou jump into her bag and sort through it like a kid at Christmas. She giggled softly and walked ahead looking for InuYasha.
She quickly found him up on a high branch, arms crossed, holding the Tessaiga. Of course he could smell and hear her coming a mile away, "Oy, InuYasha! Why don't you come down and join us?"
InuYasha looked down at her, his ears twitching as they picked up the sound of laughter a few yards away, "Keh, why would I want to be near all that noise? You know, you are going to attract demons to us with all the yelling you guys are doing!"
Kagome walked closer, she put her hands on her hips and looked up at him, "We are just having a good time you know! We spend most of our days fighting demons and looking for shards we don't have a lot of time to just sit and rest. Sango, Miroku and Shippou are having a good time why don't you want to be apart of it?"
InuYasha looked back up and ahead, "I told you, someone has to stand watch. All of you are just being ridiculous so I guess it has to be me doesn't it? Just go back to the camp and fire before you freeze out here"
Kagome let her hands drop to her sides and sighed softly. She didn't want to go back to the others and leave him all alone. Why was he being such a jerk about this! Did he just not like having fun? Was it like poison to him? She crossed her and sat down at the base of the tree. If he didn't want to go, then she would just stay. She leaned her head back against the tree and closed her eyes.
InuYasha looked down and saw her sitting. What the hell was that wench doing sitting out here where it's cold. He jumped down from his branch, and looked at her, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
She didn't bother to open her eyes, "Nothing."
A little irked at her simple not explanatory answer he squatted down near her, "I told you to get back to camp!"
Kagome opened her eyes and looked right at InuYasha, "Not unless you come with me."
He was a little taken back by her request; did she really want him to go back with her that much? He quickly stood back up, crossing his arms and looking away from her, "Why are you being so dumb about this? It's not like it matters if I am with you guys."
Kagome looked at him strangely and stood up, "What do you mean it doesn't matter? You're our friend, of course it matters!"
InuYasha jerked at her statement and lowered his head a bit, "Friend..?" He spoke as if the word was completely new to him. It was almost a foreign concept in his mind. Could demons actually have friends? Almost like a flood, the memories of the battles that he and these people he traveled with fought whisked through his head. All those times they had tried to help him and those moments he risked his life for them. Miroku, Sango, Shippou and even Kirara…He recalled all those times Miroku had tried to council him, trying to help him see what was right and wrong. The compassion Sango showed for him even though she was a demon slayer. And how Shippou, even though he tries to insult InuYasha, Shippou stays with him and Kagome, and does not feel the bias other demons feel towards him for only being a hanyou…
Kagome could see the emotion in his eyes, very confused but almost as if he was realizing for the first time that they were all really his friends. She walked up right behind him, "InuYasha…We are your friends and care about you…"
As if he didn't want to believe it he straightened up again and shrugged, "You all only want me around so I can protect you." He smirked trying to just play it off. These emotions were new and disturbing to him. Although he couldn't deny he liked the idea of finally having friends, people he could trust and talk with…But he couldn't think like that because it could all be fake, taken away or used against him!
Kagome, getting fed up with his macho demon acted, grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. She practically pushed him up against the tree and stared straight up at him. "What makes you think we only want you around to protect us? Huh? Miroku and Sango are pretty strong and have fought and killed demons on their own. Shippou is a demon and so is Kirara. With your attitude, you think we'd keep you around only for protection. You're attitude is enough to drive people away!"
That comment actually stung him a bit…but he wouldn't show her, he leaned forward to her and yelled back, "Well if my attitude is so bad why don't you just go back and leave me alone already!"
Kagome huffed and took a step back, "Look, I didn't mean to say it like that…It's just…We all consider you our friend. Accept it. We all care about you. We don't want you to be out here alone…I don't want you to be out here alone…"
Kagome whispered the last part and lowered her head but his doggy ears picked it up. He looked down at her unsure what to say. But Kagome began to speak again.
"You know it's ok…It's ok to have friends. Friends are people you can trust. I mean…You don't feel ashamed when you turn human around us. You trust us to help you in battles. I can understand why this may be strange for you. You lived so long without anyone. And when you finally did find someone you could trust, it ended tragically…" She didn't really like referencing to Kikyou but she wanted him to know that she understood his reservations…
InuYasha remembered how he and Kikyou had become close and how they were torn apart by mistrust. And he saw that the problem was the trust. They had both turned on each other so easily. They didn't leave the thought that it was all misunderstanding or something more devious. Instead they hated each other at the first sign of betrayal. As he looked at Kagome then looked past her toward the camp. He could see the welcoming fire and he could hear the laughter. Kagome had always stayed by him and through her he had become able to trust again and this time it was stronger.
He thought he had learned from past mistakes but he didn't realize his subconscious was learning more. When he awoke from his 50 year sleep he was resolved never to trust again and become a full demon. He would earn respect by instilling fear in anyone he met. Now…he did trust these people…He trusted Kagome, Shippou, Sango and Miroku….his friends.
InuYasha smiled a bit and ruffled up his bangs with his hand, "Geez woman, you just won't quit until you get me over there will you?"
Kagome smiled, "Nope." She reached out with her hand and grabbed his trying to guide him over but she didn't step but two steps when she was suddenly pulled back. She came in contact with a hard but soft surface. A soft pink fell across her cheeks, "InuYasha…?"
He had his arm around her waist and one gently on the back of her head, "Thank you…I know I have a bad attitude but being around a stubborn girl like you does that to me."
She smiled against his kimono and looked up at him, "Well I have to be with you."
They both smiled and stared at each other for what seemed like an hour. But when they realized how close they were they suddenly flew apart. InuYasha rubbed the back of his head and Kagome tried to slow down her heart beat. After a moment Kagome turned around and grabbed his hand again, "Let's go!"
InuYasha nodded and tightened his grasps on her hand as they walked back to the camp.
"Look who I got!" Kagome said happily as she let go of InuYasha's hand. She missed the warmth but she didn't want to be teased by the group and possibly get InuYasha mad.
"Oh! InuYasha! You must come over here and listen to this angelic voice! Oh! Oh! And look at all the pretty ladies in Kagome's time!" Miroku picked up the magazine and pointed to random pictures. Sango used her Hiraikotsu to hit him over the head. "Pervert…InuYasha don't pay attention to him or he'll get you in big trouble." She and Kagome began laughing as a smile tugged at InuYasha's lips. Kirara jumped over to them and landed at InuYasha's feet with a small happy mew and rubbed herself on his leg like a happy cat. InuYasha looked down and smiled.
"Oh, so you finally got Mr. Grumpy to come and join us?" Shippou said with a mouth full of candy. InuYasha didn't hesitate to bump him on the head.
"Kagome! InuYasha hit me!" Shippou ran over to her holding his head. Kagome smiled and shook her head.
"The little runt asked for it!" InuYasha yelled back at Shippou.
"Why you!" Shippou launched for InuYasha and the two wrestled around. Kagome, Miroku and Sango looked on laughing and trying to pull them apart.
Kagome gave up for a moment and looked at the group. They were all so comfortable with each other and even though InuYasha was fighting with Shippou, you could tell he was having a good time. The fought for a couple more minutes until Kagome finally pulled Shippou away. For the rest of the night they talked and laughed and even InuYasha chuckled a few times. Kagome knew that they wouldn't have too many relaxed nights like this but she was happy to see InuYasha having a good time.