Give it a chance! I know, it doesn't start out so great, but you can even flame me, just review! Tell me how to make it better. I have lots of ideas for later on, but I had to start somehow. It will improve. I also don't own anything. Nothing at all. No copyright infringement intended, really. ^^

-Fluffy (Yes, I'm going to call myself Fluffy now.)

The sun shone brilliantly in the pool of blue that was the sky, warming the serene landscape of Feudal Japan. Colorful birds were singing their cheery tunes in the tall, proud trees, clad warmly in many shades of green as well the soft pink of Sakura blossoms.

It was the middle of summer in Feudal Japan and a good day to stretch out in the sun and sleep for hours. Perfectly serene, peaceful.

"Dog-turd!"

"Mangy wolf!"

"Dog-breath!"

"Flea-bitten idiot!"

"Mutt-face!"

Two very agitated males interrupted the peace rather rudely with a long line of insults spat with growing fervor. Meanwhile, three humans, a couple small demons, and two larger demons that resembled one of the young men involved in the skirmish looked on with annoyed and slightly bored expressions.

The first one to finally speak up on behalf of all the poor creatures of the forest that up until that point had been enjoying a nonviolent summer's day was a girl with raven black hair and chocolate brown eyes dressed in a modern-day school uniform. "Will you two just give it a rest for once? You've been at it for almost an hour now!"

Both men turned to look at Kagome in surprise.

InuYasha took advantage of Kouga's moment of distraction and hit him hard enough to send him flying into a bush on the side of the road.

Kagome and company all sighed in annoyance. It occurred to Kagome that she could just sit the misbehaving hanyou to make him behave, but then, that seemed to have no effect in the long run, and anyway, Kouga didn't have any beads of subjugation that would allow Kagome to keep him under control as well. And so the fight would continue no matter what she did.

"You're gonna regret that, mutt-face!" a more-than-agitated Kouga snarled, lifting himself out of the bush, coated in leaves and twigs.

He launched himself at InuYasha, this time succeeding in pinning him to the ground.

InuYasha snarled, infuriated. "You've got five seconds to get your flea-bitten hide off of me or else."

"Oh yeah? Or else what?" Kouga retorted.

Kagome sighed. She was going to have to intervene soon. Things were getting more physical, and it wouldn't be good if anyone got hurt.

"I'll kill you!"

"Like some half-breed freak can accomplish anything like that!"

That was it. InuYasha snarled ferociously and reached for the sword at his waist.

"SIT!"

InuYasha met the ground with a resonating boom.

"Uh, I'm sorry Kouga, but maybe now would be a good time for us to go our own separate ways."

"Alright then, Kagome. Until next time." He took the girl's hand in his and kissed it lightly in farewell.

"Uh, right. See ya," Kagome agreed awkwardly, cheeks glowing.

InuYasha was on his feet just as Kouga disappeared in the distance.

Kagome turned on him.

"What was that for?! If you'd used Tessaiga you could have really hurt him!"

"Don't blame me for wanting to teach that idiot wolf a lesson! It's not like he didn't deserve it!"

Kagome could feel herself getting angry despite her resolve not to. Who could blame her? "Ugh! You are so-"

InuYasha turned away and shut his eyes as if he were trying to ignore the very ill-tempered human girl. He crossed his arms across his chest like a pouting child. "Did you hear what he called me?! You never criticize him for any of that but you get all huffy with me for wanting to teach that jerk a lesson?! Besides, that Kouga idiot started it!"

"Sit, boy!"

Crash.

InuYasha rattled on, glaring viciously at Kagome as he lifted himself off the ground. "Doesn't take much, does it? A few compliments and your completely in love with that stupid-"

"Sit boy, sit boy, sit boy!"

InuYasha yelped as he was pressed farther into the growing depression in the flimsy dirt road.

"Maybe Kouga was right! Stupid mutt! Freak! Idiot!" This wasn't the first time he'd suggested that. Was he really so blind? Kagome clearly had no feelings like that for Kouga. He was a friend and nothing more. She was so sick of hearing the same crap from the hanyou all the time. The young priestess continued to repeat every insult Kouga had previously used and more.

By the time she had finally finished and was gasping for breath, everyone present was staring at Kagome with wide eyes (With the possible exception of Ginta and Hakkaku, who were slowly retreating with their wolves in the general direction Kouga had headed off in.). It was rare that she was this upset and she had never before insulted anyone like that, least of all InuYasha.

As for InuYasha, well, he was more than surprised. Several emotions flickered across his face: anger, hurt, confusion, fear, and shock. Finally, his expression settled into a cold, expressionless mask.

He picked himself up, trying not to wince. He faced Kagome and muttered almost inaudibly. "Fine. If that's how you feel, so be it. Don't even bother coming to look for me."

Without another word, he turned and stalked into the forest, which was suddenly as silent as a graveyard, leaving his friends staring awkwardly at each other, at the retreating hanyou, at the ground, the sky, and most of all, Kagome, who looked like someone who had just seen some random person on the street grow a third eye and fangs. Did I really just say all that? What was I thinking?

As soon as the silver-haired half demon was out of sight of his companions, he took off running away from them, from Kouga, and from all these people who didn't and could never understand him.