Chapter Fourteen

"Inuyasha, why'd you do that for?"

"Because...you don't talk about that stuff, and Kagome is really embarrassed now."

"Well what were you doing to Kagome last night?"

"Ummm...well..." Inuyasha stalled, trying to think of how Kagome would have this conversation with him. He knew she'd be mad if he were his usual blunt self. "See Shippo, when two people love each other and they're older, WAY older than you, they have different ways of showing each other how they feel. So last night I was showing Kagome how much I love her."

"Ew ew ew! You and Kagome are in love?"

"Yeah what of it?"

"For how long?"

"Ummm...hard to say. Officially, four months."

"Okay what about unofficially?"

"What'd ya mean unofficially?"

"How long have you had feelings for Kagome?"

"A couple years probably. Since the day I got Tetsusaiga...it was before we met you."

"Oh wow...that's a long time!"

"Not in the grand scheme of things. But you're right. I've felt like this for a while. I'm sure I felt this way before but I didn't realize it until then."

"Why didn't you act on it before recently? You've always been kind of a jerk to Kagome, ya know."

"Oh shut up, what would you know about it anyways? You're just a kid! Yeah we used to argue a lot but now-"

"Now Kagome knows how to wrangle you?"

"Yeah, I mean no! She doesn't wrangle me!"

"She totally does," Shippo laughed.

"Does not! I do what I want!"

"With Kagome's permission," Miroku snickered as he approached the pair.

"Who asked you anyways, Miroku? I was trying to have a conversation with Shippo."

"Sounds more like an argument to me."

"Oh damnit all. I'm going back to the village."

"Yeah I thought I heard Kagome calling for you," Miroku quipped and ducked but he was too slow. Inuyasha put a knot on his head and turned with his nose up.

"Stupid monk," he muttered as he walked away.

Once back to the village, Inuyasha paused outside of Kaede's hut. He heard the three women inside still talking.

'I know I shouldn't but...oh what could it hurt. I already know everything Kagome's gonna say,' he thought to himself as he jumped on top of the roof and laid in the shadows so nobody would see him and give up his hiding spot.

"Are you sore at all, Kagome?" Sango questioned softly.

"Just a little bit. Not much. He was so gentle and sweet. It was everything I thought it would be and more. Really went out of his way to make it special for me."

"That's so...unlike Inuyasha..." Kaede murmured in wonder. Inuyasha scoffed and mumbled under his breath, "old hag."

"Oh I believe it!" Sango came to Inuyasha's defense. "He's so brash and rude during the day but the moment we make camp he's always fussing all over Kagome."

"Is that so?"

"It really is," Kagome's soft voice made his ears stand at attention. "I've watched him sit and shiver in his sleep all night because he insists I wear this, especially when it's cold. He carries me when I get tired, sniffs our hot springs every other day so I can take baths as often as I want to..."

"Sounds like ye have tamed the wild Inuyasha."

"I wouldn't say I necessarily tamed him. I think he's just mellowed out a lot. He used to be all on his own, and then one day he wakes up and he's suddenly not alone anymore. That has to change a person. Right? Surely it wasn't me, or at least not all me."

"Call it what you want, but I believe ye have changed him yourself, Kagome. Dog demon or not, Inuyasha follows you around like a love sick puppy and there's no denying that."

"Excuse me, old woman?" Inuyasha burst into the hut, leaving all three of the women embarrassed.

"Inuyasha," Kagome started. "We weren't talking bad about you, honest. Where's Shippo and Miroku?"

"Back there making fun of me," he pouted.

"What for?" Kagome tried to placate him.

"Well Shippo is under the impression that you're my boss or somethin'! Him and Miroku both wanna act like I gotta have permission to do anything around here!" Kaede and Sango couldn't help but laugh at him.

"Stop laughing! If I wanna do something I do it. If I wanna go somewhere I go. Yeah I take your opinion into account, Kagome. But that's out of respect."

"I know, Inuyasha."

"And it's NOT because you have me whipped or something cause you don't."

"I never said I did."

"No YOU didn't but everyone else seems to think so."

"Why don't you go for a run, blow off some steam?" She suggested gently.

"Fine. But I'm not going cause you told me to. I'm going cause I WANT to." He bent and kissed the top of her head. "Be back in an hour and then we're all leaving," he muttered before walking out the door.

...

Please review :)