Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

656 words, originally posted 5-7-14

"When the lights go out

We'll be safe and sound

We'll take control of the world

Like it's all we have to hold onto

And we'll be a dream."

Pack Politics

They sat in quiet contentment on the edge of the kendojo floor, Kagome playing with the loose tendrils of his hair, Inuyasha leaning with his fists propped against his chin.

"Why are you so worried about me being friends with Kouga?" Kagome ventured.

"Keh," Inuyasha spat. "I ain't worried."

"Alright. Why do you hate me being friends with him so much, then?" Kagome reworded patiently.

He was silent for several moments. "It's nothin'," he finally muttered.

"You know you can tell me anything, Inuyasha," Kagome assured.

"It's just… that bastard's a demon. Nothing good can come of you getting with someone like that."

"I'm surprised at you, Inuyasha," Kagome admitted quietly. "I would have thought you, of all people… Well, that you would understand me wanting to be friends with someone different. Especially someone so lonely."

"It ain't that," Inuyasha argued.

"Then what?" Kagome asked, looking up from where she had braided a lock of hair. "You didn't seem concerned in the least when you thought I had gotten a human guy. When I had, how did you so eloquently describe it… 'banged him'?"

An angry flush stole up Inuyasha's neck, but his voice was soft as he said, "That's cause if it was a human, he wouldn't… oh hell."

"If he was a human he wouldn't what?" she urged.

Inuyasha seemed to be steeling himself against responding before he suddenly exploded, "If he was a human he wouldn't belong to a pack!"

"Wh— A pack? What does that have to do with anything?" Kagome asked, thoroughly bamboozled. She didn't know what she had been expecting, but it wasn't that.

Inuyasha sighed, resigned to explaining himself. "Kouga is a wolf demon. They're very pack-oriented. But so are dog demons. Right now, you belong to my pack. Well, technically, Sesshoumaru's. And I'm a member of his pack. But if you were to… ah… get with that fuc—" he froze at Kagome's withering glare, "Ah, with that stupid wolf, you would be a member of his pack. Romantic relationships always precede platonic in the demon world. And if that happened… well, then you wouldn't be part of our pack anymore."

Kagome laid a gentle hand on Inuyasha's arm. "Inuyasha, I'm human. I understand that these pack politics are probably a big deal in the demon world, but just because someone considers me a part of their pack doesn't mean I automatically stop being friends with everyone outside that circle. If that were the case, I never would have made friends with you."

Inuyasha flushed at the memory of finding out she already belonged to someone after he had thoroughly decided to claim her as his own. What made it more humiliating was the fact that the person she belonged to was his bastard half-brother.

"Fuckin' Sesshoumaru," he muttered under his breath. Kagome just laughed.

"Oh, come on. You have to admit it all worked out well in the end," she cajoled, lightly bumping him with her shoulder. "If it weren't for him we never would have been able to open Sunset Dojo. And then we would never have met Sango, or Kohaku, or Miroku."

Inuyasha stared at his feet and nodded morosely, not completely willing to give in just yet.

"Just think about it, Inuyasha," Kagome said, patting him on the arm and standing. "You don't have to become best friends with Kouga or anything. But you and Sesshoumaru are both domineering, arrogant, self-centered—"

Here, Inuyasha shouted, "Hey!" but Kagome continued as if he hadn't spoken.

"—male dog demons, and you two manage to be in a pack together without any problems."

("Says you," he murmured sarcastically, and was ignored again.)

"What's one more canine in the mix?" she continued. "Maybe Kouga can become a member of our pack and it will solve all our problems."

She didn't wait for him to answer, turning and heading towards the showers with a smile on her lips.