I Hate The Way You Smell

By ShadowSpinner

Hey, everyone! This is first Inuyasha story! Double Trouble doesn't count because it is being written by my sister. This idea hit me a few nights ago, and it's been playing around in my head. I hope you like it! Please review!

Told In Inuyasha's POV

That stupid wench has been gone for three days now. Three days! Doesn't she know we have Shikon shards to find? But she acts like she doesn't even care. She just runs off to her time, babbling about a 'test' she has to pass. Inconsiderate. And if I try to stop her, she yells, "SIT!" Her sits really hurt, too! Especially when she's angry.

But anyways, she's been gone three days, which means she'll be back soon. In fact, she has exactly two minutes before she's late and I have to drag her back. She had better hurry up and get here. Until then, I'm going to sit here in my tree and pretend that I'm not worried about her. I'm not fooling myself, but I think I'm fooling the others. Except maybe Kaede. But it's hard to get anything past Kaede.

Wait, there's a scent on the wind...it's Kagome. I'm relieved, but I won't let it show. Instead, I leap from my perch in the tree and run to the Bone-Eater's Well, trying to think of a good insult. When I arrive there, I find her struggling with that huge yellow bag of hers. Sometimes, I wonder what she puts in it that makes it so heavy. She never lets me poke around inside.

"Hi, Inuyasha!" she chirps. "I'm back, right on time!"

"Feh!" I grunt. "Not as if I was worried!"

Her face falls momentarily, and I get a twinge of guilt, but she brightens up almost immediately. "Whatever," she says. "Help me with my bag, please?"

I sigh and pick her bag up. The weight is nothing for me, but she's only a weak human. I tell her that.

"You weak, stupid girl, I'm not carrying this for you the entire journey. What the hell do you put in here, anyways?"

"Essential stuff, like clothes and homework," she says. I raise my eyebrows. "And ramen," she adds. Instantly, I'm hooked.

"Oh. Well in that case, I guess it's okay," I say gruffly. "But only because you're a weak human."

"Why do you always say things like that?" she asks. I raise an eyebrow. "You're always telling me how stupid and weak I am, and how bad I smell. Why?" she continued.

"Well, because you are stupid, you are weak, and you do smell bad. In fact, I can't stand the way you smell," I say.

"Oh really," she says dangerously. We've reached the village by this time. "Sit, boy!" she yells suddenly.

I slam into the ground, her pack landing on top of me. "Oww," I yell angrily. "What the hell was that for?!"

"As if you don't know!" she shrieks. She grabs her pack and somehow manages to drag it the ten feet to Kaede's hut. It's evening, so we won't be leaving until tomorrow. I remain in the dirt for a few minutes, uttering a string of curses. Finally, I pick myself up and leap into the trees, heading towards my favorite branch in the God Tree. I'll spend the night there.

I arrive and position myself on my branch, still cursing Kagome. Settling myself down, I become quiet and listen to the noises of the night. The crickets are chirping in the grass. An animal is rustling in a nearby tree. Probably a bird, getting ready to go to sleep. Far away, at the village, I hear mothers calling to their children. I inhale deeply and take in the nighttime scents: wood, leaf, grass, smoke, animal, and flower. No demon scents. That means I can rest easier tonight.

I doze off. I'm not sure how long I slept, but it wasn't too long. I am awakened by the sound of steps approaching my tree. I inhale deeply, and my nose tells me it's Miroku, the lecherous monk. Probably coming to reprimand me about my treatment of Kagome.

"Inuyasha, I know you're up there," he says.

"Oh, really?" I say sarcastically.

"Inuyasha, why do you treat Kagome the way you do?" Miroku asks.

I sigh quietly. I knew this was coming. "Because everything I say about her is true," I reply. "Especially about her scent."

"I happen to think that Kagome smells very nice," Miroku says.

"You would," I retort.

"She has said you tell her she smells nice when you are in your human form."

"I'm not exactly myself on those nights," I reply.

"Inuyasha, you hurt Kagome deeply by saying the things you do. If you do not stop, she may leave us forever."

"Feh, she's too loyal. She won't leave until the quest is complete. She won't leave forever because she'll miss the kitsune brat too much. Besides, if she does leave, I'll just go to her time and drag her back!"

"What if she seals the well?" Miroku asks.

"She can't do that! She doesn't have the power."

"You know this for sure, Inuyasha?"

I am silent. I can't answer because, in truth, I don't know for sure.

"As I thought," says Miroku. "Inuyasha, I suggest you be politer to Kagome. We don't want to lose her because of some stupid argument you started." With those final words, he leaves.

I'm a bit steamed. I don't start all our fights! I hate how people always assume that. I'll admit that I do start most, but not all. Besides, she's just as stubborn as I am. As for thing about her scent...I really do hate it, but not for the reasons you may think.

When Kagome comes back from her time, she smells like her time. She smells faintly of whatever they have poisoned their air with. She also wears something she calls 'perfume' and 'deodorant'. I imagine that it does smell very nice, to human males, but my nose is just too strong. I can smell what this 'perfume' thing is made of, but not what it is supposed to smell like. It's difficult to explain. It's like...

...Stew or soup. Humans will smell it cooking. They will smell all the scents of the ingredients combined into one, making a unique scent. However, I am able to tell exactly what meats, vegetables, and spices are put into it, just by sniffing. I smell each individual ingredient. It's the same with Kagome's 'perfume". Whatever it's made of smells terrible! I think she called it 'chemicals', once, but I'm not sure. All I know is that it smells terrible. When I'm in my human form, my sense of smell lessens, and I am able to smell the perfume as it is meant to be smelled. And I agree, it smells very nice. Beautiful, in fact.

But my favorite time to smell her is after a long day of traveling in the hot sun. Then, she has sweated out all the 'chemicals' from her time and has taken on the smell of the forest. But more importantly, her scent is sweet and pure, just like her personality. Sweet, pure Kagome. That scent is truly beautiful.

My ears pick up the sound of footsteps below, and a slight sniff tells me it's Kagome.

"Inuyasha?" she calls up tentatively.

"What?" I ask gruffly.

"I-I just wanted to apologize for saying the 'S' word earlier," she says softly.

"It's all right," I finally say. Miroku's words about her sealing up the well frightened me. "I'm sorry for saying those things to you."

"You are?" she asks, surprised. "Very well, I accept your apology. Would you like to stay in Kaede's hut with us tonight?"

I almost retort with something rude, but Miroku's words replay in my head. "Umm, sure," I answer. I leap out of the tree, landing in front of her. She blinks in surprise; obviously, she didn't expect to accept her offer. She stares into my eyes. I can feel my face heating up, so I brush past her. "C'mon, let's go," I say. It's very dim out, so I doubt she noticed my red face. I hear her rush to catch up with me, and soon she is walking along side of me. I glance at her; she seems content. Happy. I like making her feel that way. Maybe I should be nice more often. But that is quite out of character for me. My pride tells me to say something snide right now, to protect myself from being hurt, but I can't. The moment is just too perfect to ruin.

I inhale deeply, and wince at her scent. She's wearing that 'perfume'. She notices my wince. "What's wrong, Inuyasha?" she asks. "Is it me? Is it my scent?"

"No," I say. "You smell beautiful." A bit of a lie, but effective nonetheless. She smiles at me, showing all her teeth. And that makes up for her 'perfume'. A smile from my sweet, pure Kagome.