Thanks to missloveable! With all the stuff you've got going on I really appreciate you taking time out to edit for me!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

Chapter Eleven

What a Smile Can Mean

Argh! Get out of my head already! Kagome groaned in frustration, she stood leaning on a large oak, knocking the back of her head against it a few times in the hope of numbing her thoughts. It didn't work.

"Damn it! My skull must be thicker than Inuyasha's!" she shouted aloud, then glanced around furtively. Her friends had stopped calling her name a while ago, but she wouldn't put it past them to be lurking around. In truth (although she knew it was selfish and stupid) it had hurt her a little that her friends had seemingly left her all alone in a forest, yet that was what she needed. Time to think. Time to heal wounds.

He gets to me, as if egging me on into a fight then turns around as if it's my fault. He throws me into fits of ire more times than not, he insults me, he irks me, he is anything but the type of guy I should be liking.

And yet…

She heaved a deep sigh and looked up between the branches of the trees, catching glimpse of the sky, random clouds and the silhouette of a bird.

Did we look like that? Kagome thought, bringing her head back down, When stupid Inuyasha, arrogant, tactless and moronic Inuyasha, when he gave me a ride… did we look like that to others? From a distance did we look like one being? Something that was born to fly high?

She tilted her head up again, this time seeing nothing but a clear blue sky amid the otherwise green foliage. It's confusing…he is confusing. He goes from such a brainless, stubborn idiot, who has no idea how to hide emotion from his face, to someone who offers help, makes me laugh, yet whom I can't even begin to understand. Why is he messing with my mind so much now? As she gazed up, feeling defeated, a somewhat sad smile crept onto her face. Kagome closed her eyes and the rush of thoughts stopped. In its place, a melancholy tune crept into her mind.

Inuyasha sat atop a thick branch, his arms folded, one leg tucked under him and the other left dangling. From up on the mountain he had a good view of the fairly dense forest, the flowing river as well as the rooftop of the resort.

Kagome's probably still somewhere in there, I didn't see her coming out with the other two. Grrr… I came here to get away from her, but she's all I can think about! Keh, I sound like some love struck moron.

He let his eyes roam about the valley and a lone bird caught his eye as it breezed above the forest area.

We went around that high yesterday. He leant forward slightly, as if being pulled towards the creature. Recalling the memory of her wide eyes, taking in all that was available, he grinned. Sometimes, as much as I hate to admit it, she acts too cute for my liking, like a child… makes me want to protect her even though she says she's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. He let out a short chuckle. I guess she isn't going to get out of my head for a while after all.

He leant back against the tree again, the bird having flown of out sight. I can't believe I told her to leave like that. I must've hurt her bad… I don't even know her well enough yet to know if she'll take it seriously or wave it off later. He leant back again with a heavy sigh, "I hope that for the sake of our fragile friendship that it's the latter." He said out loud.

Though he was really thinking, I hope for my sake that it's the latter, I'd miss her smile. He took another look at the forest.

Sango and Ayame left a while ago and she still hasn't come out. What if she did go and I just didn't see her? What if she actually did leave but not for the resort? Where else would she go though?

Quickly he jumped off the branch and headed to the forest to find the girl who had invaded his mind. He sprung from tree to tree, his acute gaze searching for among all the green, trying to catch her scent and listening for any sign of her. He slowed to a stop as he heard a soft hum further onwards, moving forward silently he managed to pick out the words of a sweet poem, sung by a delicate voice

"Smiles ease the earth,

They help the pain fade.

Smiles brighten the world,

They show how much you care.

Smiles hint what you're thinking,

They hide a secret from inside.

Smile for me now,

Ease my pain,

Show me you care,

Share your secret with me…"

As the song drew to an end Kagome cast her eyes open slowly with a serene smile on her lips which was replaced by a gasp and her hand swept to her mouth covering it. Across from her stood a stunned Inuyasha.

"Yo-you where listening?" she stuttered a red hue spreading over her face.

"Not intentionally!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Who the hell sings a poem all alone in the middle of a forest?" he countered with his own question.

"Someone who thinks their alone! I don't want people to hear me sing!"

"Why not?" he asked, head cocked to the side.

"Because it's embarrassing! Kami forbid someone like you hearing it! You'd tease me to death."

"Am I teasing you now?"

"No."

"Should I be?"

"I'm expecting it."

For a moment there was a pause as they both looked away from each other.

Finally, Inuyasha looked back at her and spoke, "Do you really think that's all I am?"

Kagome faced him once more, her eyes searching his face, but not his eyes, "I can't be sure."

Again, silence ensued.

"I never knew a smile meant so much." Inuyasha stated, sick of awkward silences.

Kagome forced her eyes to stop searching, "My mother used to sing it to me whenever I cried, it was the only song that stopped the tears."

"Is that why you're always smiling?"

"You know what they say, it's contagious." To prove her point she smiled and Inuyasha couldn't help but grin back. "Close enough." she said shrugging her shoulders.

"Do all smiles mean that much?"

"Depends on the person and the circumstance I suppose."

Seeing the confused expression on his face she decided to elaborate.

"There are people who use smiles as weapons of deception and manipulation. Not always with the same smile but either way, their smiles lie. You can tell because that smile doesn't reach their eyes."

Inuyasha nodded, he could relate to that.

Kagome continued, "There are those who can't help but smile everyday because they can't help but see the goodness in everything, the ones who seek for the lighter side of things."

"Someone like you." he commented.

She nodded, "Yeah, I guess. Then, there are those who smile rarely, because they've been through things others can't begin to imagine. They grin, they smirk, but when you see their true smile, that's the one, the one that really matters. The second you see it, it's as if you've been granted a gift."

Neither of them spoke as they contemplated this.

A smile like yours. Thought Kagome, willing herself not to say it aloud.

I don't know if she got that completely right. Kagome smiles more than anyone I know and I'll never grow tired of it. Her smiles are as much of a gift as Kikyo's. He shook his head at that thought. But Kikyo was one of those rare smilers. I can't compare them. I shouldn't compare them. Kikyo was my girlfriend, Kagome was-ismy friend.

Kagome grew confused as he shook his head, "Something wrong Inuyasha?"

"Huh? Uhh… no, nothing." He glanced at the sky and noticed the gradually diminishing light, the sun was setting. Kagome followed his gaze.

"We should be heading back ne?" she suggested.

"Yeah, let's go." Taking this as permission, Kagome tugged at his hand and started walking, her back facing him.

Inuyasha stumbled forward, not bringing back his hand or holding onto hers. "Nani? Why are you holding my hand?"

Kagome's head flicked back first to his face, then at their joined hands. She blushed, "Woops, my bad. Gomen Inuyasha, it comes naturally to me. Whenever it starts to get dark I usually hold my brother's hand when we're walking." She relinquished her hold still walking forward. Moments later, her mouth opened in shock as she felt him grasp her hand then fall into step beside her. She held on.

"Do you think of me as your little brother then? Because you know I'm older than you right? It's up to me to look after you."

"Of course I know that! And no, I don't think of you as my brother, I just do that to all the people I care of."

This statement surprised both of them. As did the fact that they could already see the trees thinning out, they were already reaching the edge of the forest.

Inuyasha couldn't help himself, he needed to know before the others saw them and possibly heard them, "On what level do you care for me?"

Kagome bit her bottom lip, something she didn't do often, I'm not even sure.

I like Inuyasha, I think, but I'm sure that I don't love him…not yet anyway. I can't love though, I won't love more like. It's all too complicated especially with… her thoughts rounded on a bright, delicate, jewel. Something she was born to protect. With that, she made up her mind.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha prompted, dipping his head down to try and see her face, Kagome had been looking at the ground after he had asked her the question. He stopped walking and so did she. They had reached the edge and were standing between only two trees, a short distance away stood the resort, and it was only a matter of time before someone spotted them.

Kagome brought her head up and met his gaze, "I care for you as a friend Inuyasha." She answered with a smile, trying to sound sincere.

Silently, she let go of Inuyasha's hand and rushed to the resort, spotting Ayame and Sango coming out. Inuyasha stayed where he was hearing them squeal in delight and seeing them hug each other.

"You lied Kagome, your mouth smiled but your eyes were dull."

I know this chap just seems like a long boring walk in the park and boring talk about smiles BUT it will be VERY important in a later event! Hehe, just came back from performing in the school Cabaret, you have no idea how tiring it was… I wrote the poem when I couldn't get to sleep the other night and decided to do something productive with my time; it seemed like a good place to include it. I'm going camping next week even though it'll be freezing. Wish me luck, because if I get hypothermia while surfing I won't be able to update for a while! Might be a little late on the next chap though because of the camp.

R&R!

Ja ne!

Cat