Disclaimer: Please don't sue, I don't own Inuyasha! but who doesn't wish they did, huh...? -sigh- anyway....
Legend:
* *: this word should be italicized, but I'm no good with html codes, and my computer won't let me upload html onto the internet, anyway... phooey...
~ ~: thoughts
" ": now if you don't know that, then you're just stupid.
Kagome bent down and grabbed a corner of the canvas tarp covering the Hot Tub. Tugging on it, she peeled some if it back, and smiled as the hot steam rushed up to meet her. Flipping it open the rest of the way, she smiled triumphantly at the steam emitting from the bubbling water. Shippou's grin only widened.
"Go ahead, Shippou. Get in!" she coaxed, and the fox youkai beamed at her, and leapt into the water, creating a small splash. Kagome giggled as some of the water splattered on her leg. "Whaddya think, Shippou-chan? You like it?"
The little demon didn't respond, he simply giggled and splashed around in the water. Sango knelt next to the Hot Tub and trailed her fingers through the water, smiling.
"It's nice, Kagome-chan." She stated softly, and stood up.
"Go ahead, Sango. Check it out! We can all be in there at the same time." she said, and gestured to the water.
Sango smiled lightly.
"All right..." she sat down on the side of the tub, and swung her legs over the side so they were about knee-deep in the water. Slipping into the water the rest of the way until it reached her shoulders, she sighed. "Wow, Kagome-chan! It really is like a Hot Spring!" she brought her hands behind her head, and clasped them.
"Uh-huh! See I told you, Miroku-sama!" she grinned. "Why don't you go in, too?" she turned behind her and faced the monk. "It's fun."
Miroku grinned.
"Don't mind if I do, Kagome-sama..." he walked deliberately to the opposite side of the Hot Tub before getting in.
Kagome smiled, and turned around, facing Inuyasha. She squinted at him. His nose was scrunched up a bit, and his left eye was squinted almost closed. Kagome raised an eyebrow.
"What's wrong?" she asked, stepping up to him.
"It smells funny."
Kagome facefaulted. She had forgotten about Inuyasha's sensitive nose, of course he'd be irritated by the chlorine! I mean, hell, even *she* didn't like the smell of it! And her sense of smell was probably ten times duller than the hanyou's.
"It's only the chlorine, Inuyasha... you'll get used to it...!" she smiled at him, and grabbed his forearm. "Come on."
He rolled his eyes.
She stepped backwards into the Hot Tub, careful not to bump into Shippou. She tugged at Inuyasha's arm again, and he blinked at her.
"What is it that you want me to *do*, exactly...?" he grumbled.
"Get *in*!!" she coaxed, and he blinked again.
"Fine, fine... just let go!"
Kagome let his arm go, and she sank back into the water, watching Inuyasha.
He rubbed at the back of his neck a moment, and got it similar to how Sango got into the water. Kagome smiled.
"See? It's nice, ne?"
He blinked, and nodded slightly, too preoccupied by the bubbles to say anything.
~He's just like a little kid...~ Kagome thought, smiling at him.
"Wait until you find a jet, Inuyasha." she said more to herself than anyone. She stood up, and leaned over him, and turned on the jets. Grinning at Sango and Miroku, who had both leapt up from where they sat, she waved her hand dismissively. "It's okay guys, they're only jets. They won't hurt you, they're just like little currents."
Inuyasha blinked at her.
"Currents? In this thing?" he asked, screwing up one side of his face.
Kagome nodded.
"They're little jets of water, they're kind of like currents in a stream." she explained, and he gave her a lopsided grin.
"Right." he nodded briskly, then shut his eyes and sighed. "These modern thing of yours are kinda cool, Kagome." he opened his golden eyes just a little, and Kagome swore she could've gotten lost in them.
He just had the greatest eyes...
She shook her head quickly. This was no time to be thinking of Inuyasha like that!! Clasping her hands behind her head like Sango had done before, she leaned back against the far wall of the tub. She sighed lightly.
"Relax, Inuyasha. We might be here a while. Oh, can you read out the number that the little red diagram over there says?" she opened one chocolate brown eye, and gestured with her elbow towards a digital diagram displaying the temperature of the water. He sat up a little, and tapped it with a clawed finger.
"One..." he squinted, having a bit of trouble with it. "104." he said after a moment.
Kagome nodded.
"Thanks."
"Is that funny little dot supposed to be there?" he inquired, looking at her with a confused expression. She blinked.
"Little dot...? Oh yes! It's the symbol for degrees. It means the water is one hundred and four degrees in here."
Inuyasha's eyes bulged a little.
"Isn't that awfully hot...?"
"Well you're in it, aren't you?" she asked, giving him a wry grin. He facefaulted.
"True." he shrugged, and sat back down the way he was before, and slipped a bit, sliding to where he was up to his upper arms in the bubbly water. A jet hit his foot, and he yipped, and pulled back.
Kagome jumped, and lurched forward, placing a palm on his shoulder.
"You okay?" she asked softly, and he blinked, giving her a cute little pouty look.
"I think I had a close encounter with one of those so-called... 'jets'." He muttered. Kagome smiled, and chuckled lightly, nestling back into her spot.
Miroku smiled.
"Now you know how Sango and I feel."
"Yea, but no one can know *all* the ways you *feel*, except for you." Sango grumbled, folding her arms across her chest and shooting Miroku an icy glare.
He blinked, and she shut her eyes and huffed lightly, then smiled at Kagome.
"This is really nice, Kagome-chan. Thanks for inviting me to come."
Kagome blinked, and nodded.
"No problem. I'm glad to have you guys along." Kagome smiled warmly at Sango, who smiled back.
Shippou floated to the other side of the hot tub, and Inuyasha stared at him blankly.
"Inuyasha, come here, would ya?" Kagome said softly, looking at the hanyou from one opened eye.
Inuyasha blinked at her, then made his way over to her and kneeled on the side of the seat she was coiled in when she waved him over.
She leaned forward, and grabbed ahold of his shoulders for support when he foot slid out from beneath her. He put his hand over her back, and she blushed lightly as he picked her up by her waist and set her down back in the seat. She twirled a dampened ebony lock around her index finger.
~Gods man, stop looking at her! She's gonna think you *want* her or something if you keep staring at her like this!!~ Inuyasha scolded himself, then a little voice in the back of his head piped up. ~Like you *don't* want her...~ He shook his head quickly. ~No! I... I couldn't! She'd never like me like that anyway...~
Kagome blinked at him.
"Inuyasha are you okay?"
He snapped his head up to meet her gaze, and what he wouldn't give to have smiled. he wanted to smile for her, yet, he didn't want to show emotion. Maybe, he thought... just *maybe*... if he didn't *show* emotions... he wouldn't *feel* them, either. Yeah right. Don't kid yourself, buddy.
"Y-yea. Sorry." he mumbled, and flicked his ears as Shippou splashed a bit of water on him when he jumped off Sango's arm like it was a diving board. Kagome smirked a bit.
"Can you do me a favor, Inuyasha?" she asked softly.
"Sure... what?" he asked in an equally soft tone.
She gnawed on her lower lip, and flushed slightly.
"Well, I've got this killer knot-type thing... in my back... and I was wondering..."
"You want me to give you one of those 'back massage' things...?" he cut in after a moment of her stuttering.
"Uhm... kind of...?" she added sheepishly.
He gave her a sideways grin, and gripped her shoulders, turning her so her back was to him.
She giggled as he ran his claws over her back very lightly, and it tickled.
"Inuyasha...! Quit it...!!" she squealed a bit, and he pulled back, giving her a sheepish grin when she gave him a playful glare. "That tickled." she stated, pouting. He waved a hand slowly.
"Fine, fine, I won't do that anymore. Sorry, I just *had* to do that." he said, and stuck his tongue out at her when she glared again. She pulled out an eyelid and stuck out her tongue back at him, and he gasped dramatically, then gave her an almost serious look.
"C'mon Kagome... you want me to do this or not?"
Kagome blinked innocently at him, and turned her back to him again, placing her chin in her hands, her elbows on her knees. Inuyasha crawled forward, and sat with the soles of his feet together behind her, and gingerly began kneading his hands over her back.
She sighed softly and relaxed a bit.
"Thanks, Inuyasha..." she said slightly languidly.
He muttered some kind of incoherent 'you're welcome', and she pulled forward a little. He let his hands fall back to rest in his lap, and she turned to face him, smiling.
"Thanks. You've got a serious knack for that."
He blushed lightly, and coughed. Turning his head to the side, he choked a little at Sango and Miroku's faces, and turned back to stare at Kagome, then averted his gaze to the water in the center of the Hot tub.
Kagome and Sango giggled, Miroku giving a soft chuckle to chorus with them. Inuyasha's blush deepened a little, and he snapped his head up gruffly.
"Well what's so God-Damned funny, huh?!" he grumbled, and stood up, stepping out of the tub and leaning against a nearby railing. Kagome's laughing face fell to a worried pout. She stood up, and grabbed two towels. Draping one around herself, she held the other one near her heart as she walked over to Inuyasha.
"...Inuyasha...?" she asked softly, and he responded with a simple 'feh', and jerking his head away.
She smiled lightly, and draped the towel over his shoulders. He started.
Looking cautiously over at her, his blush never fading, he swallowed.
"Kagome...?" he mumbled, and stared at the ground. Kagome gave him a sheepish look.
"Sorry about that, Inuyasha... please don't be cross." she said softly, and pat his forearm.
~Dammit, she's so bloody hard to stay mad at!!~ he fumed silently.
"Don't worry about it. I don't care." he grumbled a little, then stared at her, catching her gaze and intaking a sharp breath at the look in her eyes. She looked almost like she might cry. He quickly brought his hands up towards her shoulders, and tensed a little. "K-K-Kagome..!? N-Nakuna... Kagome..." he stuttered. She stared at him for a moment before throwing herself into his arms.
He squeaked.
"K-Kagome...?"
"Gods, Inuyasha I hate it when you do that...!" she mumbled into his chest. he blinked, and pulled back enough to look at her face.
"N-nande...?" he muttered, thoroughly confused.
"When you always push us away. You never tell me--or *anyone*, for that matter-- what's bugging you!"
"But there isn't anything bugging me... really..." he said, blinking. And that was the truth, too.
True, he was a bit irked by how they all laughed at him... but that didn't bother him for but a minute, that wasn't anything she needed to cry about...!
She nodded a litlte.
"Okay.... well you wanna come back in the water? It's kind of cold out here."
He blinked, nodded, and draped an arm over her shoulders after she put both their towels back on the railing.
* * *
A/N: Okay, that chapter was a *little* longer than usual... and I'm going away for the weekend, so I won't be able to work on it anymore until monday... so enjoy! give me... oh I'll say 12 reviews and I'll continue. I've already got seven, so that's only 5 more, not too much to ask, is it? please? arigatou! remember, questions/comments that you don't feel like posting in a review can be emailed to me at keirana@hotmail.com ^_~ ciao!
Legend:
* *: this word should be italicized, but I'm no good with html codes, and my computer won't let me upload html onto the internet, anyway... phooey...
~ ~: thoughts
" ": now if you don't know that, then you're just stupid.
Kagome bent down and grabbed a corner of the canvas tarp covering the Hot Tub. Tugging on it, she peeled some if it back, and smiled as the hot steam rushed up to meet her. Flipping it open the rest of the way, she smiled triumphantly at the steam emitting from the bubbling water. Shippou's grin only widened.
"Go ahead, Shippou. Get in!" she coaxed, and the fox youkai beamed at her, and leapt into the water, creating a small splash. Kagome giggled as some of the water splattered on her leg. "Whaddya think, Shippou-chan? You like it?"
The little demon didn't respond, he simply giggled and splashed around in the water. Sango knelt next to the Hot Tub and trailed her fingers through the water, smiling.
"It's nice, Kagome-chan." She stated softly, and stood up.
"Go ahead, Sango. Check it out! We can all be in there at the same time." she said, and gestured to the water.
Sango smiled lightly.
"All right..." she sat down on the side of the tub, and swung her legs over the side so they were about knee-deep in the water. Slipping into the water the rest of the way until it reached her shoulders, she sighed. "Wow, Kagome-chan! It really is like a Hot Spring!" she brought her hands behind her head, and clasped them.
"Uh-huh! See I told you, Miroku-sama!" she grinned. "Why don't you go in, too?" she turned behind her and faced the monk. "It's fun."
Miroku grinned.
"Don't mind if I do, Kagome-sama..." he walked deliberately to the opposite side of the Hot Tub before getting in.
Kagome smiled, and turned around, facing Inuyasha. She squinted at him. His nose was scrunched up a bit, and his left eye was squinted almost closed. Kagome raised an eyebrow.
"What's wrong?" she asked, stepping up to him.
"It smells funny."
Kagome facefaulted. She had forgotten about Inuyasha's sensitive nose, of course he'd be irritated by the chlorine! I mean, hell, even *she* didn't like the smell of it! And her sense of smell was probably ten times duller than the hanyou's.
"It's only the chlorine, Inuyasha... you'll get used to it...!" she smiled at him, and grabbed his forearm. "Come on."
He rolled his eyes.
She stepped backwards into the Hot Tub, careful not to bump into Shippou. She tugged at Inuyasha's arm again, and he blinked at her.
"What is it that you want me to *do*, exactly...?" he grumbled.
"Get *in*!!" she coaxed, and he blinked again.
"Fine, fine... just let go!"
Kagome let his arm go, and she sank back into the water, watching Inuyasha.
He rubbed at the back of his neck a moment, and got it similar to how Sango got into the water. Kagome smiled.
"See? It's nice, ne?"
He blinked, and nodded slightly, too preoccupied by the bubbles to say anything.
~He's just like a little kid...~ Kagome thought, smiling at him.
"Wait until you find a jet, Inuyasha." she said more to herself than anyone. She stood up, and leaned over him, and turned on the jets. Grinning at Sango and Miroku, who had both leapt up from where they sat, she waved her hand dismissively. "It's okay guys, they're only jets. They won't hurt you, they're just like little currents."
Inuyasha blinked at her.
"Currents? In this thing?" he asked, screwing up one side of his face.
Kagome nodded.
"They're little jets of water, they're kind of like currents in a stream." she explained, and he gave her a lopsided grin.
"Right." he nodded briskly, then shut his eyes and sighed. "These modern thing of yours are kinda cool, Kagome." he opened his golden eyes just a little, and Kagome swore she could've gotten lost in them.
He just had the greatest eyes...
She shook her head quickly. This was no time to be thinking of Inuyasha like that!! Clasping her hands behind her head like Sango had done before, she leaned back against the far wall of the tub. She sighed lightly.
"Relax, Inuyasha. We might be here a while. Oh, can you read out the number that the little red diagram over there says?" she opened one chocolate brown eye, and gestured with her elbow towards a digital diagram displaying the temperature of the water. He sat up a little, and tapped it with a clawed finger.
"One..." he squinted, having a bit of trouble with it. "104." he said after a moment.
Kagome nodded.
"Thanks."
"Is that funny little dot supposed to be there?" he inquired, looking at her with a confused expression. She blinked.
"Little dot...? Oh yes! It's the symbol for degrees. It means the water is one hundred and four degrees in here."
Inuyasha's eyes bulged a little.
"Isn't that awfully hot...?"
"Well you're in it, aren't you?" she asked, giving him a wry grin. He facefaulted.
"True." he shrugged, and sat back down the way he was before, and slipped a bit, sliding to where he was up to his upper arms in the bubbly water. A jet hit his foot, and he yipped, and pulled back.
Kagome jumped, and lurched forward, placing a palm on his shoulder.
"You okay?" she asked softly, and he blinked, giving her a cute little pouty look.
"I think I had a close encounter with one of those so-called... 'jets'." He muttered. Kagome smiled, and chuckled lightly, nestling back into her spot.
Miroku smiled.
"Now you know how Sango and I feel."
"Yea, but no one can know *all* the ways you *feel*, except for you." Sango grumbled, folding her arms across her chest and shooting Miroku an icy glare.
He blinked, and she shut her eyes and huffed lightly, then smiled at Kagome.
"This is really nice, Kagome-chan. Thanks for inviting me to come."
Kagome blinked, and nodded.
"No problem. I'm glad to have you guys along." Kagome smiled warmly at Sango, who smiled back.
Shippou floated to the other side of the hot tub, and Inuyasha stared at him blankly.
"Inuyasha, come here, would ya?" Kagome said softly, looking at the hanyou from one opened eye.
Inuyasha blinked at her, then made his way over to her and kneeled on the side of the seat she was coiled in when she waved him over.
She leaned forward, and grabbed ahold of his shoulders for support when he foot slid out from beneath her. He put his hand over her back, and she blushed lightly as he picked her up by her waist and set her down back in the seat. She twirled a dampened ebony lock around her index finger.
~Gods man, stop looking at her! She's gonna think you *want* her or something if you keep staring at her like this!!~ Inuyasha scolded himself, then a little voice in the back of his head piped up. ~Like you *don't* want her...~ He shook his head quickly. ~No! I... I couldn't! She'd never like me like that anyway...~
Kagome blinked at him.
"Inuyasha are you okay?"
He snapped his head up to meet her gaze, and what he wouldn't give to have smiled. he wanted to smile for her, yet, he didn't want to show emotion. Maybe, he thought... just *maybe*... if he didn't *show* emotions... he wouldn't *feel* them, either. Yeah right. Don't kid yourself, buddy.
"Y-yea. Sorry." he mumbled, and flicked his ears as Shippou splashed a bit of water on him when he jumped off Sango's arm like it was a diving board. Kagome smirked a bit.
"Can you do me a favor, Inuyasha?" she asked softly.
"Sure... what?" he asked in an equally soft tone.
She gnawed on her lower lip, and flushed slightly.
"Well, I've got this killer knot-type thing... in my back... and I was wondering..."
"You want me to give you one of those 'back massage' things...?" he cut in after a moment of her stuttering.
"Uhm... kind of...?" she added sheepishly.
He gave her a sideways grin, and gripped her shoulders, turning her so her back was to him.
She giggled as he ran his claws over her back very lightly, and it tickled.
"Inuyasha...! Quit it...!!" she squealed a bit, and he pulled back, giving her a sheepish grin when she gave him a playful glare. "That tickled." she stated, pouting. He waved a hand slowly.
"Fine, fine, I won't do that anymore. Sorry, I just *had* to do that." he said, and stuck his tongue out at her when she glared again. She pulled out an eyelid and stuck out her tongue back at him, and he gasped dramatically, then gave her an almost serious look.
"C'mon Kagome... you want me to do this or not?"
Kagome blinked innocently at him, and turned her back to him again, placing her chin in her hands, her elbows on her knees. Inuyasha crawled forward, and sat with the soles of his feet together behind her, and gingerly began kneading his hands over her back.
She sighed softly and relaxed a bit.
"Thanks, Inuyasha..." she said slightly languidly.
He muttered some kind of incoherent 'you're welcome', and she pulled forward a little. He let his hands fall back to rest in his lap, and she turned to face him, smiling.
"Thanks. You've got a serious knack for that."
He blushed lightly, and coughed. Turning his head to the side, he choked a little at Sango and Miroku's faces, and turned back to stare at Kagome, then averted his gaze to the water in the center of the Hot tub.
Kagome and Sango giggled, Miroku giving a soft chuckle to chorus with them. Inuyasha's blush deepened a little, and he snapped his head up gruffly.
"Well what's so God-Damned funny, huh?!" he grumbled, and stood up, stepping out of the tub and leaning against a nearby railing. Kagome's laughing face fell to a worried pout. She stood up, and grabbed two towels. Draping one around herself, she held the other one near her heart as she walked over to Inuyasha.
"...Inuyasha...?" she asked softly, and he responded with a simple 'feh', and jerking his head away.
She smiled lightly, and draped the towel over his shoulders. He started.
Looking cautiously over at her, his blush never fading, he swallowed.
"Kagome...?" he mumbled, and stared at the ground. Kagome gave him a sheepish look.
"Sorry about that, Inuyasha... please don't be cross." she said softly, and pat his forearm.
~Dammit, she's so bloody hard to stay mad at!!~ he fumed silently.
"Don't worry about it. I don't care." he grumbled a little, then stared at her, catching her gaze and intaking a sharp breath at the look in her eyes. She looked almost like she might cry. He quickly brought his hands up towards her shoulders, and tensed a little. "K-K-Kagome..!? N-Nakuna... Kagome..." he stuttered. She stared at him for a moment before throwing herself into his arms.
He squeaked.
"K-Kagome...?"
"Gods, Inuyasha I hate it when you do that...!" she mumbled into his chest. he blinked, and pulled back enough to look at her face.
"N-nande...?" he muttered, thoroughly confused.
"When you always push us away. You never tell me--or *anyone*, for that matter-- what's bugging you!"
"But there isn't anything bugging me... really..." he said, blinking. And that was the truth, too.
True, he was a bit irked by how they all laughed at him... but that didn't bother him for but a minute, that wasn't anything she needed to cry about...!
She nodded a litlte.
"Okay.... well you wanna come back in the water? It's kind of cold out here."
He blinked, nodded, and draped an arm over her shoulders after she put both their towels back on the railing.
* * *
A/N: Okay, that chapter was a *little* longer than usual... and I'm going away for the weekend, so I won't be able to work on it anymore until monday... so enjoy! give me... oh I'll say 12 reviews and I'll continue. I've already got seven, so that's only 5 more, not too much to ask, is it? please? arigatou! remember, questions/comments that you don't feel like posting in a review can be emailed to me at keirana@hotmail.com ^_~ ciao!