Chapter Six
"SHIT!" Inuyasha dove to the side to avoid a falling and tree. He whipped around to ask Sango what the hell she was doing when he paused to see an odd sight.
Sango's weapon, while mighty and formidable at killing demons with one blow, was not really made for cutting down trees. While he had only to dodge one tree, she had to dodge three. She muttered her own expletive as she barely avoided getting crushed by a tree and missed catching her weapon.
She ran after it only to have to dive out of the way once again as it cut another tree directly in her path.
Almost on top of her really.
Inuyasha just watched it fly away, littering the forest with debris.
"Damn it!" She got to her feet and slapped her clothes angrily, "It's going to take me all day . . ." She trailed off as an almost foreign sound reached her ears.
Inuyasha.
Inuyasha was laughing.
"I haven't seen anything so funny since . . ." he gasped out, "I don't know when . . ."
She blinked at him and glanced around at the mess.
"That was great," Inuyasha calmed, "I think that's more than enough wood Sango."
She was silent.
He sighed and walked past her and pulled her hiraikotsu out from under a tree.
"I don't think I've ever heard you laugh like that, Inuyasha."
He turned and handed her the huge weapon while lifted a dark brow, "I've never seen you do anything so stupid before." He grinned suddenly, "Next time, I'll cut down the trees. You've cut enough to last them all winter."
She couldn't help but return his smile, "They'll need all the help they can get."
He sniffed and flexed his hand, his claws becoming strikingly prominent. With a few quick slices, he had some serviceable planks of wood.
"Here, take these to Kaede's hut," a mischievous gleam entered his golden eyes, "I trust you won't be using hiraikotsu this time."
She lifted her chin, "Of course not, it would be as impractical as trying to cut down trees with it. It won't work."
Inuyasha snorted his amusement and reduced another tree into timber.
Sango kept her calm façade as she piled a bunch on wood into her arms and carefully made her way back into the village, though, as soon as she was out of eyesight, she smiled. It had been a long time since he had seen him be so playful. In fact, she wasn't sure if she had ever seen him playful. Still. It couldn't have been helped. They had met under the most trying of conditions.
It was nice.
She piled the wood neatly and turned to get more.
She could almost see what Kagome saw in him.
She blinked at the stray thought and banished it to the back of her mind. She had no right to think such thoughts.
She grabbed more wood. She would not think about it. She concentrated instead on her task. Pick up wood. Carry it. Put it down. Pick up wood. Carry it. Put it down.
"You know, Sango," Inuyasha intoned dryly, "The village is going to think you're crazy if you take one plank at a time."
She jerked around at the sound of his voice and noticed he was right. She held only one plank of wood. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. "I guess I must have zoned out."
Inuyasha nodded, understanding the future slang perfectly, "Well, zone back in, we'll get this done faster if we carry more than one piece at a time."
She nodded and picked up more wood, "You're finished already?"
"Yeah," Inuyasha lifted an staggeringly amount of wood, "it doesn't take long to cut the wood. It's the damn design that takes forever."
She nodded, "I could see why. The hut you designed for us was amazing. Where did you ever come up with such ideas?"
They walked side by side to the village.
"The future," Inuyasha's eyes went distant, "You think the hut was impressive, then you should have seen the huts in the future. Huge massive castles and she called them houses."
"Houses?" Sango tried the odd word on her tongue.
The half-demon nodded and dumped his wood on the ground, "Yeah."
They worked in silence and soon all the wood had been transported. Due mostly to Inuyasha's ability to carry so much weight.
"All right," the half-demon stalked around the hut and studied it with a critical eye. He nodded to himself and flexed his hands, "Here."
Before Sango could ask what he was doing the half-demon reached out and yanked down half of Kaede's back wall. Screams sounded from the inside while Inuyasha just continued to pull until the wall was gone completely.
"Inuyasha, have ye gone mad?!"
The half-demon glanced at the irate Kaede and snorted, "You wanted me to make your hut bigger, didn't you?"
"I wanted you to make my hut bigger, yes, but not while I was still in it," Kaede remarked dryly, "What would you have done had the entire thing collapsed?"
"It wouldn't've!" He snapped, "I know what I'm doin' alright!"
The women crowded behind the old priestess.
"Be that as it may, Inuyasha, a little advance warning would have been appreciated," she remarked, "You scared them."
The half-demon's posture only stiffened as he sneered, "Maybe I wanted to scare them."
Sango glanced between the two of them and sighed, "We didn't know you were in there."
He snorted.
"Very diplomatic of you," she lifted a white brow, "Ladies, you should all know his bark is worse than his bite."
He snarled then showing his teeth, "You only say that because I've never bitten you."
"My point exactly."
Inuyasha only growled and turned his back on the priestess.
Kaede turned to her pupils, "One of the most important lessons one can learn is to distinguish dangerous demons from friendly demons."
"Friendly?" One of the women spoke incredulously.
"Granted our Inuyasha isn't the most . . ." Kaede paused as she searched for the right word, ". . . joyous of personas-"
Inuyasha's hands fisted.
"-but he has proven a trustworthy person and the most loyal of friends. You may look to him if you have any problems."
The half-demon turned in surprise.
Kaede smiled, "He is also quite thoughtful once you get to know him."
"Am not!" He blurted as a blush colored his cheeks.
"Bashful as well," Kaede added, "Now, let's return to our lesson."
"I am not bashful!" He yelled after them.
"You and Kaede have the oddest friendship," Sango observed.
Inuyasha made an impatient gesture and started organizing his piles of wood. The longer thicker ones would be the frame. The shorter thick ones were would be the connecters. The thinner shorter ones would be the floor. The longer thin ones would be the walls.
"She's just getting some revenge."
"Revenge?" Sango assisted him after observing his thought process.
Inuyasha exhaled harshly, "I . . . might have teased her when she was little, all right."
Sango frowned, "You knew Kaede when she was little?"
"I was pinned to a tree for fifty years, remember?" He glared at her.
"Oh, I see," Sango was silent for a moment and then smiled, "Was she a cute little girl?"
"Kaede?" Inuyasha frowned, "The brat? I guess."
Amusement curved Sango's mouth. The brat? "You must have been fond of her."
"She was okay as a little kid," he shrugged, "She used to bring me food and stuff sometimes."
"And now you bring her 'food and stuff.'" she lifted her chin, "You are thoughtful aren't you?"
"You of all people should know better, Sango," he brushed off her comment, "Come on, let's get started."
The rest of the day was filled with work. Sango handed him planks of wood when he asked for them and also held them in place so he could connect them. All in all it was a slow meticulous process that Sango was surprised that Inuyasha had the patience to do. He laid down every board carefully and would sometimes rip up a whole row to redo them. Personally, she never saw what was wrong with the rows he would suddenly decide had to be redone but she couldn't argue with the results.
The floor alone took up most of the day.
Sango paused to the sweat from her brow. Trust today to be one of the hottest days of the year.
"Sango," Kohaku's voice made her smile, "You must be thirsty."
He held up a pail of water with a ladle.
She nodded with an enthusiastic, "Yes!" She reached for it and then turned to the half-demon, "Here, you drink first. You've been doing most of the work."
He paused and glanced at them, "You sure?"
"Of course," she smiled and lifted the ladle higher.
He lifted a brow and took the bucket. He drank deeply from the bucket and licked his lips. He handed it back to Kohaku.
Sango just sipped from the ladle and then returned it to the bucket.
"Thank you, Kohaku."
He bowed his head in acknowledgment and then asked, "Is he moving in?"
"Now is not the time," she admonished softly. "Right, Inuyasha?"
"Right," Inuyasha's ears flicked, "Too many ears listening."
Kohaku sagged the tinniest bit before he retreated. "All right. Are you going to stop for lunch at least?"
She glanced at Inuyasha.
"Why? You got some food for us?" A corner of his lip lifted in a half smile.
The youth nodded enthusiastically.
"All right," Inuyasha rolled his shoulders, "I could use a break."
Sango smiled, "So could I."
End Chapter
AN: Heya, sorry about the late update. I've been running a bit ragged lately. I would like to thank all the reviewers for their support. Sometimes, you guys are the only ones who keep me going. Thank you. Michelle
