Chapter Three – Curiosity Killed the Cat

Kagome awoke to the sound of crackling and shuffling. She carefully and very slowly opened one eye. What shocked her wasn't so much that Inuyasha was on the other side of the room, but that his arms were deep inside her bag and the contents were all over the dirt floor. He peered inside, seeming engrossed in his excavating.

She was about to open her mouth to yell at him to sit, but stopped when he pulled out a small square thing. Kagome raised an eyebrow and watched. His interest seemed to direct towards it and finally she realized why.

Oh no, I should have hid that!

The young boy opened the book eagerly, seeming curious as to why it was in his charge's bag. His fingers turned the pages and he crossed his legs, getting comfortable.

Kagome bit her lip, trying to keep herself from jumping up and yelling at him. She couldn't remember if she wrote anything embarrassing in her diary, but she did know that he was in it. His eyes seemed to widen a bit as he read. She watched him for a few moments, unable to help but be entertained while watching his expressions change.

After a minute, she could take no more. Kagome sat up.

"What are you doing reading my diary!?"

The half-demon jumped a few inches. Shock and confusion was plastered on his expression and it took him a moment to collect himself. Finally he did.

"I was just looking!" He yelled back, overly-defensive.

"Maybe you should quit being so snoopy!"

She crossed the room briskly and snatched the small book from his hands. He blinked a few times. Inuyasha opened his mouth to yell some more before pausing. He paused and then seemed to think of something better to ask since he couldn't think of a way to get the small object of small scrolls back.

"Who is this 'Hojo' guy?"

Kagome stuttered. She had at least expected him to huff or yell at her. This was not what she expected.

"He is none of your business!"

Inuyasha grunted, "He is my business if he talks to you so often. What is this 'date' that he mentioned to you?"

"Ugh! Hojo is a friend, period! Quit snooping through my stuff, Inuyasha."

"Fine! But if he asks you to one of these 'dates' again, I'm going! I don't want to have to go avenge your death."

Kagome glowered at him, crossing her arms.

"Why do you care, anyway?"

The boy stopped suddenly, surprised. He blinked a few times before regaining his composure.

"I don't. I just don't want to waste my time saving you."

"Well, I am so very sorry that you got stuck out in a blizzard with me! Next time, I'll be sure to stay out there and freeze to death."

He huffed and stood.

"That isn't what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

The boy swallowed and crossed his arms, too. She was so irritating. Why couldn't she just shut up and go back to sleep?

"Whatever, Kagome."

"Don't 'whatever, Kagome' me. If you don't care, then quit rummaging through my stuff when I'm sleeping! I shouldn't have let you look at it for even a few minutes."

Kagome's mouth fell open. She immediately clamped it closed and covered it with her hand. But Inuyasha had still heard it.

"You were awake? Then why did you let me look at it?"

The two stood, fuming and refusing to break eye contact. She finally huffed and her arms fell to her sides. The young girl balled her hands into fists and turned on her heel, stomping over to the other side of the room.

"Kagome, I asked a question!"

"Shut up! I don't want to talk to you!"

"Wh-"

"SIT, BOY!"

There was a crashing echo that sounded through the small hut. The girl didn't seem to notice, or ignored, when the floor vibrated. She plopped on the floor with a huff and crossed her arms.

"This is my side. Stay over there or so help me, I'll keep making you…you get my point."

She turned her face and focused on staring at the wall.

Inuyasha pulled himself up onto his haunches, throwing a dirty look at the young girl on the other side of the room. Why did she always do this to him? She was so cruel! He had only been bored and wanted to see what Kagome had in her bag. Why did she have to throw such a fit when all he had done was read one of her scrolls?

Damn females. He grunted and wiped a smear of dirt off his cheek with the sleeve of his kimono.

"Fine, be that way." He growled, mostly to himself.