With a giant yawn she pushed herself up from her covers and stretched her arms over her head. Blinking her eyes open she turned her head a bit to the left where Inuyasha had been the night before. But he wasn't there now.

She turned her torso around to stretch out her back, and froze.

Inuyasha sat with his arms tucked into his sleeves while Miyuki colored with her crayons on the floor in front of him. He tilted his head as Miyuki pointed to something on the page; his ears flickered in her direction. Kagome took a breath. He finally raised his head to meet her eyes. She smiled at her sweet hanyou and after a heartbeat he even gave her a little smile back.

"How long have you been awake?" They hadn't been up all night had they?"

"A little while. The squirt woke up early like I told you she would," Inuyasha shrugged one shoulder.

"I don't understand why she sleeps so little. She's still such a baby." How could such a little girl sleep as little as she did? Even if she was youkai, she still needed rest. But Miyuki slept less than she did!

"We can get by with less sleep. It ain't a big deal Kagome." He rolled his eyes. "Ain't that right squirt?"

"Yea," Miyuki raised her head with a crayon in her hand. "Good morn'n 'Ome."

She was pleasantly surprised. "Well, good morning to you too Miyuki." She eased out of the bedding with a pat on Shippo's back to soothe him as she went over in her pink pajamas to sit down next to her red hanyou.

"She likes your wax things," he said to her softly. "You don't mind right?"

For goodness' sake, they were crayons. "They don't cost very much Inuyasha. She can use them all if she wants to." Half of everything she brought over they tried to treat like gold until they realized that it was blasé in her time. Crayons and paper didn't take a lot of yen at the discount store.

Plus, Souta didn't mind her taking all his old ones.

She reached over to take the hand drilling its fingers on his knee and patted the back to calm him a bit as she drew it closer. He flicked his ears again but otherwise he didn't move as she held his large, warm, extremely clawed hand safely in hers. He kept his eyes firmly on the inuyoukai pup working fastidiously on shading with a half-used red crayon.

She smiled at the little picture. She and Inuyasha were standing under a tree staring at them…ok, so they were kind-of stick figures. But she could definitely make out her green skirt and Inuyasha's red clothing. And Miyuki was currently working on what looked like Kilala in the corner. "See 'Ome? Kitty," she noticed her bending to make out the little squiggles.

"Kilala is very pretty Miyuki."

"Ki-la-la," she repeated, sticking out her tongue as she went back to work on the drawing.

"You sleep good then?" Inuyasha asked gruffly. She turned her face towards him and there was a moment. Definitely a moment. His hand was large and warm in hers and his eyes were calm and clear as they looked back at hers, almost warm with that same strangeness that he got at odd times.

"Yeah, I did," she breathed. He never asked how she slept.

There was only the sound of crayons moving over paper as they looked at each other.

What…what is he doing? Is…I think he might. He's going to kiss me! Somehow she attempted to hold onto her breath. Finally he was going to move past everything that had happened to him!

"But we're going to have to start taking the kid to piss more," Inuyasha briefly burst her happiness.

"Oh you—!" That's what he was going to say?

"What are you going on about?" his eyebrows came down briefly.

"You…You're the one acting weird!" She couldn't help the disappointment welling up in her chest. Their faces had been close, he'd been holding her hand, everyone else was asleep…

"I'm the weird one? What the hell are you talking about wench?" Inuyasha let out a small growl of his own.

"Sit boy!" It made her feel better at least.

Lifting his face he glared up at her. "What the hell was that for Kagome? I didn't do a fucking thing!"

Miyuki had dropped her crayons and came to wrap her arms around Inuyasha's head, stunning them both. "Why 'Ome? Yaya not do mad!" She waved her finger at her.

"Move, kid." Inuyasha managed to get his head free. The spell still held him though so he couldn't go far. "You always do this! You sit me for no damn reason at all!"

"Don't act like you don't know what you did!" She knew that he was going to kiss her. She just knew it. Then again, Inuyasha was rather thick and maybe he just didn't want to say it out loud.

"I don't know any damn reason I deserved that you stupid bitch!" She glanced back to see that their friends were awakening and staring at them for fighting so early.

"May I suggest that we do this a bit later?" Miroku's voice drawled to their ears sleepily.

"Shut up!" they yelled in unison to the sleepy monk, and then they resumed glaring at each other.

"Wench!"

"Moron!"

"Bitch!"

"Baka, sit!"

"Ye-ow-ow!"

"Guys!" Sango's yell thundered over them both. "Wait until we're out of the village limits at least until you both act like immature children!"


Kagome marched on ahead without glancing back at him once. What the hell was he supposed to do? She started acting like a bitch out of nowhere and he was supposed to know why?

"Don't act like you don't know what you did!"

What? He'd been talking to her and then she'd just caught a case of the woman-crazies. Hell if they all didn't get it at some point or another. One moment they were talking about the kid and then the next she was screaming sits at him.

"What did you do Inuyasha?" Like he needed the monk's input. The girls were walking up ahead together with the kids and he didn't even know why they were both so PO'ed at him. Damn.

"Who said I was talkin' to you?" He was still miffed at the monk too. Using the damn pup to con women.

"You are still angry at me then," he mused in that oh-I'm-so-intelligent way that he had. It never made him sound any smarter though. "Must you always hold a grudge my friend?"

"I ain't the one at fault here monk."

Miroku sighed. "I am most repentant for even considering…taking advantage of the situation. I should not have endorsed in any manner the actions of those girls. Especially since they were ultimately more interested in you and the little one more so than myself anyway."

All those damn fancy words. "Keh, whatever. You always go on about stuff."

"So it would seem," Miroku gave him a wry smile. "But, I must insist on this matter. What have you done to anger Kagome-sama this time Inuyasha? Was it a mere transgression?"

"I don't have a clue. She's just bonkers." She was. It wasn't his fault that she couldn't hold the crazy in all the time. Why didn't she ever aim it anywhere else though? That's what he didn't get. Was he a shit magnet?

"I would be more than happy to assist you if I knew what the problem was." She was irritated. What did he know? He stuffed his arms into his sleeves while he tried to drone out Miroku's voice. "You should know better than this by now certainly. Did you insult her? Did you offend her with your words again?"

"She's always getting huffy over nothing. How the hell would I know?"

"Kagome-sama is not completely unreasonable my friend."

"Buggers, you don't know her." Miroku chuckled for some reason at that. He had been completely serious.

"Well, I am sure that it will blow over—"

He pushed his legs forward to clamp his hand down on Kagome's shoulder and spin her around. Putting a scowl on his face at the sight of hers he held her shoulders so she couldn't turn away. "Oi, what's your problem Kagome? What'd I do?"

"I'm not talking to you," she said in a cool voice. She was trying to turn away again.

"Tell me what I did stupid." She wasn't going to get away with it that easily. "You don't just sit me like that for no reason and get away with it!"

"You're…" She shook her head—it made all her long wavy hair run dance over his hands for a second. He could feel the others drilling holes in his head. "You know. Don't tell me you don't."

"I don't have a fucking clue! Just tell me wench!" he couldn't stop himself from growling a bit.

Her mouth popped open but it closed again and he watched the blush wash over her cheeks when he wouldn't let her go. She only blushed when she was embarrassed—he could smell it on her. What the hell? Kagome blinked a couple of times and her eyes focused on his forelocks. "Nothing. Never mind Inuyasha. I'm sorry."

"You sat me for nothing?" Something wasn't right here. She didn't sit him quite so much anymore…which he appreciated.

"I shouldn't have done it," she mumbled. He inhaled deeply of her scent.

"Why are you sad Kagome?"He softened his voice purposefully. He didn't even care that everybody was staring at them on this abandoned old road. He wanted to hear her answer.

He saw her glance none-too-discreetly over her shoulder at Sango and Shippo and Miyuki who were watching them. "I don't want to talk about it right now Inuyasha."

She didn't want everybody else in on their conversation.

"I feel that it would be a good time to take our midday meal. Sango?" Miroku's voice cut through the air behind him. He watched Sango nudge Shippo and then they were all bustling to make camp in a few more moments.

"Come on." He reached down to grab her hand before dragging her out into the forest.

When he felt like they'd gone a sufficient distance from those eavesdroppers he spun around to face her. He pressed his hand around hers to keep her from moving. "All right Kagome. What's going on? Why are you sad?"

"It doesn't even matter Inuyasha." Kagome wasn't going to just blow this off like it was nothing.

"It does. Now tell me." He might not like the term but he did have a nose like a damn bloodhound and right now he could smell the tumult of emotions making her sweat, and the hint of tears around her eyes and all the other little scents that told him that she was not happy. "They ain't around anymore. It's just me an' you."

She looked at him for another minute before she completely left him gob-smacked by wrapping her arms around his waist, hiding her face against his shoulder. He inhaled for a second before relaxing his muscles. He enveloped her in the swathe of fabric that was his sleeves and patted her back gently. Something was bothering her and he couldn't figure out what it was. "It's ok Kagome."

"I'm sorry Inuyasha. You didn't deserve to be s—" her voice ended as she realized she was about to say it. "You-know-whatted."

"Come on wench. Just say it." He pressed his nose into her black hair and closed his eyes. Nothing comforted him like breathing in Kagome's scent when she was close like this. If only he could convince her to stop using those stupid chem-a-calls thing on her hair it'd be perfect. Even with the pup's nose as evidence she still insisted on using them on herself because they smelled so "nice".

Keh.

"It's so stupid Inuyasha…" Kagome sniffed. "I've got no right to be jealous but I am." He felt her shift and he lifted his head just in time to meet her eyes. "And I'm sorry."

"Jealous? Jealous of what?" Now he was confused.

"It's terrible of me. But…you've been spending a lot of time with Miyuki and—" Kagome covered her face. "Sorry. I know better than to feel this way but it just kind of hit me this morning."

"Ye ain't gotta feel jealous of the kid." Gently he peeled her hands back from her face and she was blinking up at him again. "I'm always here when you want me. You know that." Kagome didn't say anything but looking at her, as close as they were at the minute, he knew that she was waiting for something. But he didn't know what. Another apology maybe? Who knew. "The squirt's just been takin' up a lot of attention."

Still silence.

His ears flattened reflexively on his head as she just kept giving him that soft look. What did she want? He'd already given her a hug. Maybe she was still upset with him. "You ok Kag—"

His ears flickered at the sound of a twig breaking. He shifted his eyes over to the bushes where suddenly he heard what was unmistakably the pup giggle and a collective "shush" from the others.

"You damn eavesdroppers," he raised his voice. Kagome jerked away from him and turned too. "I know you're fucking there. Come out of the bushes already!" He took his hands back from Kagome and tensed his muscles.

Miroku and Sango rose from the bushes as Miyuki came to hug Kagome's leg.

"Now, listen Inuyasha—"

"AArgh!" he sprinted after them as the two humans and the kit were already turning tail to run. "Stay outta my life!"


At least she didn't feel so distraught about Inuyasha anymore.

Ok, so she hadn't told him the whole truth. But she'd told him most of it. She had no idea how he'd react if she told him that she was disappointed because he hadn't kissed her. But she was doubly glad because it turned out that they'd had an audience.

It was complicated. If only Inuyasha weren't so dense. It kept him from really even noticing half-naked women, like when they were in a village once and they'd strolled past those women bathing in the water. But it definitely didn't help her cause.

He was awfully sweet though. Right now he was arguing with Miroku over the best way to reach the next village. They could either cross over a series of mountains or through some dangerous youkai territory and Inuyasha was all-against wasting time meandering through the snowy mountains. Her all-out direct hanyou boy with crazy white hair.

"Hey! That's mine!" Shippo's shrill voice pierced her ears. She could see where Miyuki had taken one of his spinning tops as he was practicing and she was now sniffing at it in her hands. "Give that back Miyuki!"

"No! Mine!" Miyuki swatted his hands away as he tried to take it back. She was kind of mourning the ribbons that Miyuki had decided that she wasn't going to wear anymore. Her white hair had looked so good with them.

"She's not hurting it Shippo," she interjected. Neither looked at her.

"Miyuki!" Shippo tried to reach around her but she only held it that much more tightly to her thin chest. "Kagome! Make her give it back before she breaks it! I need that!"

"Play," her voice came out a giant whine. "Yaya!"

"Miyuki," she got up and came to kneel between the two. "Those belong to Shippo. He uses them to fight sweetheart. They're not toys." She couldn't blame the girl for wanting to play with them though. They probably did look fun to a little girl.

"Toy!" Miyuki insisted.

She did look rather adorable sitting on the ground clutching on to that little striped thing. She turned her eyes onto Shippo who sat pouting with his arms folded against his chest in angry defiance. "Shippo? Do you think you could play with her, with them? She won't hurt anything."

"I use them to fight Kagome. I was practicing. Not playing!" He seemed so upset that she thought that he was playing with them even though she'd seen him do just that.

"Come on Miyuki. Shippo wants to practice." She looked back at her pile of schoolbooks mournfully. With everything else that had been going on she hadn't been doing much studying and she was afraid that it was going to show on her next test.

She set to prying the little top from Miyuki's supremely strong little hands. "Ome!"

She heard a short, sharp whistle and it was enough to surprise the little youkai pup into releasing the spinning top. They all looked over to where Inuyasha was resting one clawed hand on his knee across from Miroku. He let out a small growl and she was quite shocked to watch Miyuki scramble to her feet and race over to his lap. He set her so that she was facing him with a stern look on his face.

"Yaya," she released a little breath from her chest.

"When Kagome tells you to do something you do it. Got it?" He put a hand under her chin to lift her face. "Answer me pup."

"But Ome—"

"No," Inuyasha growled again. "I don't give a shit what it is. You do it. Any of 'em." He tilted his head in their general direction.

"K." She bent her head and tucked her face against his stomach. He lifted his serious amber eyes back to her. She was so supremely grateful.

"Go back on to your books now. I'll watch the kid while you do all that junk."

"Thank you Inuyasha."