DISCLAIMER: I do not in any way own InuYasha or anything that has to do with InuYasha. And if I make any references to any songs, I do not own them either unless otherwise stated.
A/N: This took a little longer then I would have liked. I have been going camping with no way to work on this and then my computer died. So… Yeah… Not much to work with. It's a little shorter then I would have liked to have given you, but I thought that it was a good place to stop and I did not want those of you who are still holding out to have to wait any longer.
Happy Reading!
:
InuYasha watches Sango run towards the village that he was sure the others had arrived in a little while ago. Once he was no longer able to see the women that his soul was crying for, InuYasha let out a heavy sigh and sat down beside the old well.
The hanyou did not know how much time had passed when he sensed that someone was headed his way. After only a short moment he knew that that someone was Kagome. InuYasha was still sitting by the well looking in the direction of the village when the young mother came into view.
The two friends just looked at one another for a long while. The sun had begun to set and the sky was turning a beautiful red, but neither one was taking notice. Kagome's feet were beginning to bother her and that was when she sat down across from her friend and looked into his amber eyes.
"You are a fool, InuYasha."
The hanyou looked away from his long time friend. He knew that she spoke the truth. He knew that he was acting a fool. He just did not know what to do anymore.
"You should not leave things as they are." InuYasha felt Kagome place a hand on the side of his face and he closed his eyes while turning his head down while she spoke. "You need to show her that you will always be here for her. She needs to know how much you really care."
Kagome smiled softly when InuYasha looked at her and placed his hand on the one that was still on his cheek. The hanyou took her hand into his own and placed it on his lap. "She said that she needs time... Time to mend..."
Kagome did not like that her friend sounded so defeated. The InuYasha that she knew would not sit back and allow things to run their course. The InuYasha that she knew, would take matters into his own hands and do what first come to his mind. Not sit back and think about what should and should not be done.
Kagome sighed and took her hand from InuYasha's lap and placed both of her own on her hips. "Get over yourself!" Her voice was holding an anger that the hanyou had not heard for years. "Be a man, InuYasha!"
InuYasha's eyes were slightly widened from the hormonal mother's outburst. One moment she was calm and caring and the next a loud and grumpy.
"Mind your own business, Kagome!" His voice was loud, but did not hold any malice. He still sounded like a defeated man.
:
It has been almost month since Kaede had passed away. Sango and InuYasha began to start a small romance about two weeks ago. The hanyou had treated the taijiya as a woman. He has made her feel beautiful, wanted and loved. He never made her feel week and needy. He treated her the way that she always wanted to be treated.
She was happy.
He was antsy.
InuYasha knew that he could not rush Sango into anything that she was not ready for. He knew that it would only take them back to a place that he no longer wanted to be. Hence, he waited.
The sun had not been up for more then an hour and the family of wolves had already left. The cubs were getting restless and Kagome wanted to return home before she gave birth, which would not be much longer.
Leaving Sango, InuYasha, Kirara, Miroku and Shippo in the village that they still called home. Rin and Kohaku were still with the small group and InuYasha knew that his brother would return soon to collect the two that he had left in his hands. At the moment, said children were off with Miroku and Shippo. The four were helping anyone that needed assistance with anything.
Since Kaede's passing, Miroku took up the chores of the village's spiritual person. He said that he only planned to help until another priestess could be found, although, he was not fooling anyone. Everyone knew that he was enjoying helping the villagers.
After the departure of their friends, Sango went to a hot spring that was not far from the village. She had told InuYasha that once she returned, she would make something for their first meal of the day. The hanyou was looking forward to the meal. They have not had much time alone and since the others were around the village and would most likely be gone until early evening, he was a happy hanyou.
While he was waiting for the taijiya to return, InuYasha allowed his mind to wonder about how he could try and see just how close he could get to the one that he wanted to mark and make his mate. He remembered a moment that he had spent with his miko friend.
Flashback:
It had not even been a week since Miroku had told everyone about the vision that Kaede had had before her passing and InuYasha was driving himself up the walls. He told himself that he would allow Sango the time that she needed to realize that he loved her and wanted to give her the best life that he could. Being so selfless was not something the hanyou was use to doing and after this, he did not think that he would ever do anything selfless ever again.
"Now I know why Sesshomaru is so selfish."
"Did I hear right, InuYasha? Did you just say that you understand something about your brother?"
InuYasha had been lost in his thought while he passed back and forth in front of the old well. He did not even notice that Kagome had joined him. "Pff. As if anyone could understand that bastard." InuYasha stopped and helped his pregnant friend to rest on the ground.
After Kagome was able to get as comfortable as the unforgiving ground would allow, she looked up at her friend with eyes that showed concern and something that InuYasha could not describe. "You are worried about what is to happen between you and Sango... Am I right?"
"I'm not worried!" InuYasha crossed his arms and stuck his nose up in the air. "I just don't know why I can't just take her and mark her. Would it really be that bad of a thing to do?"
Kagome let out a long sigh. "InuYasha, you just can't rush her. She has been through a lot in her life. For something to seem so perfect as to find someone who will love you and always do right by you... that might be something that she feels is too good to be true."
InuYasha thought about it for a moment before he opened his big mouth. "What should I do? Wait 20 years for her to make up her mind that she really does want to spend her life with me!"
"Sit!" Nothing happened. "I forgot. Man, I wish I did not take those beads off after Naraku was defeated." The young miko crossed her arms as well and glared up at her friend. "I know that you are not the most patient man in the world, but please take it slow. Show her that you are her friend and that you will always be her friend."
"But I don't want to be just her friend!" "I know that." Kagome was getting a headache and started to rub her temples gently. "Just show her that you will always be there for her when she needs a friend. After she is comfortable around you again, do little things to make her happy. Make her feel pretty and wanted."
End Flashback:
Before InuYasha could remember anymore, Sango called up to him to let him know that the food was ready. He cursed to himself for not even noticing that she had returned and walked into the hut that she had walked back into.
:
During their meal, Sango seemed to refuse to make eye contact with her hanyou companion. This, unsettled InuYasha and he began to fidget. "Sango… Another great meal." He paused when she did not even acknowledge that he had spoken, he became very nervous. "I… I'm lucky to be able to… to enjoy your cooking so often."
Still nothing.
InuYasha let out a sigh and continued to finish his meal in silence. He was so lost in his thought that he did not even notice that when he had finished, she was also done and collected both of their dishes. She placed them into a bucket to soak until later.
InuYasha stood and walked over to her. There was about a foot between them. He placed one clawed hand under her chin and moved her head so that she was looking up at him. Once their eyes meet, he inhaled sharply and held his breath. 'Beautiful…' InuYasha let his breath out slowly and was going to ask her what was bothering her when he was stopped.
Sango had moved close enough, with him noticing, to place her lips gently onto his own. As quickly as they came, they were gone. "Thank you." Sango took a step back away from her friend and placed a hand over her mouth to hide her smile, for the look on InuYasha's face was priceless. He looked confused, yet still had a goofy grin on his handsome face. "Let go and spend some time by the river. After wards, maybe we could practice our fighting skills. We don't want to get rusty, now do we?"
:
The two had been sitting by the river for about fifteen minuets. On the way to the river and once there, The taijiya had acted as if she had never kissed the hanyou. This was a little upsetting for InuYasha, but he was able to find peace in the knowledge that she had kissed him and was willing to spend some time alone with him.
InuYasha and Sango were not really talking much and when they did, it was about nothing. Sango was busy watching the fish in the river and InuYasha was busy watching her out of the corner of his eye. He was seeing how close he could come to her before she would notice. She seemed to be really lost in her own world, for she did not acknowledge him until they were sitting side by side with their arms touching.
Sango turned wide, surprised eyes to the hanyou. She was not unhappy with the closeness, just surprised. After a moment, she regained herself enough to speak. "I was wondering when you would try and get close to me."
InuYasha was shocked by her words. She did not sound mad or unpleased. In fact, she sounded, dare he say, glade. With this, InuYasha decided that he would do something that he wanted to do and hope that it was not something that would turn on him. He placed his arm around her shoulder and relaxed when she laid her head on his shoulder.
The two stayed like that for what seemed like just mere moments, but must have been most of the day. The sky was not growing darker, but was changing ever so slightly into a light pink.
InuYasha was about to mention this to the taijiya that was resting lightly on his shoulder when he sensed that his brother was near and would be there soon. With that thought, he shifted so that he could lay Sango on the ground and he could stand and face Sesshomaru.
However, once InuYasha stood and turned in the direction that the Taiyoukai was coming from, Sango awoke. "InuYasha, is everything alright?"
InuYasha turned his head to the side so that she was in his view. "Sesshomaru is almost here." He turned back to the forest. "Maybe you should go back to the village and gather up the kids."
"No." He voice was strong and she was now standing. "Kohaku will stay until we are married. I told him that he could stay and he wants to stay."
InuYasha could hear the hurt in her voice and he did not like it, but he knew that his brother would want to leave and that the kids would go with him. "Sango… He…"
"I said NO!"
"Control your mate, brother."
InuYasha and Sango both turned to see Sesshomaru walk out from the forest with his head held high in the air like the Lord that he was. "She's not my mate… yet…"
Sango could not help but feel the hurt of him saying that she was not his, but with the added yet, she could not hide her smile. With her smile in place, she walked closer to the Taiyoukai until she was standing between the brothers. "Please Sesshomaru, allow then to stay a little while longer. I would love for them to be here for our wedding." She paused to see if she could read his reaction, but he give her nothing to read, so she continued. "You are more then welcome to stay as well."
"What!" InuYasha turned to Sango around and placed both of his hands on her shoulders. "You want him to come to our wedding? Are you crazy? I never said that I wanted him there. Besides, he wont stay anyways."
"Then why get so upset, InuYasha?" She smiled gently and pulled away from his light grip to face his older brother once more. "Will you and the children stay?"
There was silence for a few moments before Sesshomaru spoke his answer. "You will wed tomorrow and then you will become InuYasha's mate."
