Disclaimer: I don't--and won't--own Inuyasha.
Inuyasha and Kagome have been getting closer. Can their relationship stand it?
Spring Break
Kagome and Inuyasha were arguing about how long she was going to go home for, but this time there was a twist: Inuyasha wanted her to go home, and she wasn't having any of it.
"Keh, wench, just go home for 3 or 4 days!" Inuyasha shouted. His girlfriend could be so stubborn at times. Who would have thought she would resist the chance to go back to her time when he 'suggested' it? Sometimes, he just didn't understand her at all. After all, she was usually begging him for the chance. Women.
"Quit ordering me around, jerk! Why do you I have to go back, anyway?" Kagome shouted back with equal heat. Since the Kouga incident, the two had finally admitted that they had a romantic interest in each other. Still, that didn't end the fights between the two strong-willed teens, and this was one of the better ones.
"For your protection," he spit out.
"'For my protection.' Protection from what?" she threw right back.
"I can't tell."
"What do you mean, you can't tell?!?"
"I just can't! Get over it. Go visit your friends for at least 3 days."
"Arghhhhh!" she shouted in frustration. She couldn't decide whether she should pull his or her hair out first. She usually liked to go home, but lately she had been finding all manner of excuses why it wasn't really necessary.
Inuyasha really didn't want to have to force her to go home for a few days, but he didn't have much choice. As much as he wanted to, he hadn't kissed her yet. He was rather confident that shortly after he started to do that, he would be sleeping with her, and he wouldn't do that. Even though she was more than old enough to be his wife, mate, in his time, she was just too young in hers. That brought him to the current problem: it was right at the time of the month when she became fertile, and he could not be close to her then. It hadn't been such a big deal before, but now that they were openly close, he would have her whether she liked it or not. He wasn't willing for that to happen, so he did the only thing he could think of: he sent her home. Of course, he was much too embarrassed to tell her the reason. "Just go, or I'll have to carry you and block the well up until it's time to get you," he threatened.
"Fine. I'll be going, then," she huffed, turning to the well.
"Remember, AT LEAST 3 days," he said as a parting shot.
"Bye, love you too," she quipped, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she jumped into the well.
Miroku and Sango just looked at each other from their hiding place in the bushes and rolled their eyes. Those two certainly made life interesting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey, guys, wait up!" Kagome shouted at her friends Arumi, Eri, and Yuka.
"Hi, Kagome!" Eri replied. "I wasn't expecting to see you today."
"I wasn't expecting to be here," Kagome grumbled.
"What do you mean?" Yuka asked, puzzled. Kagome usually wanted to come back to this time.
"Stupid Inuyasha's idea," Kagome grumped.
"We will talk about this later," Yuka pronounced, ending the exchange. "We'd better hurry, or we'll be late for class."
Later that night, the girls got together to get the latest dirt from Kagome. Yuka started. "So, what happened this time?"
Kagome, still in a funk, had a ready answer. "Inuyasha, the jerk, just up and commanded me to come home for at least 3 days! It was 'for my protection'. Of course, he wouldn't tell me what I was being protected from. Idiot," she fumed.
"Uhhh---that's bad?" Arumi asked skeptically. "I thought he wouldn't usually even let you come home."
"Of course it is! I didn't even want to come home." Kagome said, not fully realizing what she had said.
Her friends looked at each other. Eri spoke for the group: "You didn't want to come home?"
Kagome immediately got flustered and lamely attempted to dig her way out of the hole she was in. "Uh---that's not what I meant..."
"Yea, sure it isn't," Yuka said, rolling her eyes. "You just wanted to stay with your boyfriend. What, are you afraid he's going to dump you for Kikyo while you're gone?"
"Guys..." Kagome tried, futilely, to break in.
"Has he even kissed you yet?" Yuka persisted.
"No."
"Then you're going to have to do it. That is, if you're not too scared."
"..."
"Come on, its not like you're 15 any more. What are you, almost 18 now?"
"Or are you afraid you'll go all the way once you start?" Eri added.
At that, the color drained from Kagome's face. She had never really thought of what she would do if Inuyasha finally did kiss her. She knew sex before she got married was wrong, but after so much time spent together, the thought of it was very inciting. Inu had never openly indicated that he would do that, but, well, he could be very difficult to read at times. She had always thought he had little interest in her, either, but that had turned out to totally untrue. She had so many things to think about.
The girls, seeing her pale and her eyes glaze over, quickly turned the topic to something more mundane. This, of course, did not prevent them from making wild speculations after she was gone, but it did quiet things down for the moment.
For Kagome, the next couple days went by in a daze. She would never remember anything that happened from that night until she climbed back out of the well. In the big picture, it didn't matter, anyway.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inuyasha, for his part, got his grilling, what little he put up with, from Miroku.
"So, why did you send Kagome home, Inuyasha? That is somewhat unusual for you," Miroku opened the second night.
"None of your business."
"Perhaps, but still, wouldn't you feel better if you had my help in this?"
"Keh. I'm not going to tell you---you might understand."
Miroku blinked. He had not expected that response. "All the more reason to tell me."
"Wrong answer. Go suck up to Sango or something."
Miroku took the hint. He hadn't gotten a clear answer out of Inuyasha, but at least he'd been able to pin down that it had something to do with Kagome. Now, if he could just find out exactly what it was...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kagome climbed out of the well, her pack full as usual. True to her word, she had stayed home exactly 3 days, and she'd even added a couple minutes just to be safe. She was disappointed that Inuyasha wasn't there to greet her, but it didn't bother her too much---yet. After all, she hadn't said how long she would be gone while they were arguing. After determining he was nowhere nearby, she shouldered her pack and headed to Kaeda's hut.
About half way there, she noticed a few soul collectors coming her way. "Kikyo must be coming!" she mumbled to herself. "I don't have the courage to face her right now. Maybe I can just hide and sneak behind her to see where she's going. She'll probably lead me right to Inuyasha, anyway," she concluded gloomily.
Kagome successfully put her plan into action, only feeling slightly guilty for stalking Kikyo. If that walking pile of dirt tried to steal Inuyasha from her again... Eventually, Kikyo did lead her right to Inuyasha. To her great surprise, he was standing about waist deep in a stream wrapped in some old cloth and covered in bubbles. Bubbles. It seemed he was attempting, rather unsuccessfully, to do 'women's work': washing his clothes. He was so loud with his shouting at them, that she even dared take a picture of him. It was a good thing they were nearly indestructible, or he would have needed new ones by then. Kikyo approached him.
"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Kikyo asked.
"What does it look like? He growled.
Even the stoic Kikyo found this amusing. "I'd say it looks like you're trying to beat you clothes into giving you the bubble bath you've been secretly wanted for years," she said with a laugh.
"Ha, ha, funny. Kagome keeps whining about how much they stink, so I decided to wash them to get her to shut up," he said with a huff. "What do you want?" In fact, he had rather gotten used to the smell of clean clothes after Kagome had washed them in her time, and he couldn't stand the smell, either. In fact, he couldn't even stand his own stench much anymore, and he often washed at night after the others were asleep. It went without saying that he wouldn't admit it, though.
"In a moment, Inuyasha. However, I am surprised that you are willing to show such consideration to my replacement."
"She isn't your replacement! She's Kagome," he replied emphatically.
"And what is she to you?"
"She's my girlfriend."
"So, she is my replacement."
"No, she's much more. I will protect you as you are from Naraku, but I will love her."
"You dishonor our relationship."
"No, I loved you then, but you died. I choose to honor your memory by reclaiming the Shikon no tama and living. It would dishonor you to die to no purpose."
"As you wish. I have news. More Shikon shards exist. Even to me, their pull is faint. Still, they exist somewhere far to the north. I will see you again after you have acquired them." She turned and left.
After Kikyo left, Kagome waited a couple minutes to make sure she was out of earshot. She then ran to the shore, dropped her pack, kicked off her shoes and socks, and ran to give Inuyasha a bear hug. "I love you, too, Inuyasha!"
Inuyasha, dense as he usually is, took a while to respond. Finally, he wrapped his arms around her. "You saw it all, didn't you?"
"Yup," she answered playfully. The whole situation was just too much fun. "You look really cute with all those bubbles on you like that."
"Why, you..."
"Why didn't you just ask? I would have washed them for you?"
"..."
"I knew it: you're too proud to want anyone to know you wash your clothes."
"Grrrrr."
"If you want, I can wash them every once in a while. The others don't have to know," she said. Still, we should get those silly bubbles off you." She splashed him, giggling.
He retaliated by dunking her.
Some time later, the happy couple made their way to Kaede's hut for dinner. Little did any of them know how much Kikyo's revelation would change their lives.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reviewer Response
Mkh2: Yea, Kagome doesn't like them fighting, but she was tired of Kouga thinking of her as an object of his affections. Until she and Inuyasha are married, which doesn't seem at all close to her, this is just about the only way to discourage him.
Author's notes.
This completes this set of short takes. I really wasn't expecting to make more than a one shot out of it, but it felt right to continue. I have a sequel planned, although I may have to do some research for some of it. I really don't know how long it will take, or how long it will be. It will be interesting to see how well I can write a story with a coherent plot line.
For those of you that are wondering, (I know you're out there) they didn't do anything more than play around a little. I'm actually not quite sure whether they kissed or not. After all, it wouldn't have been decent of me to stay around an ogle Kagome, now would it?
Until next time,
Junyortrakr
Inuyasha and Kagome have been getting closer. Can their relationship stand it?
Spring Break
Kagome and Inuyasha were arguing about how long she was going to go home for, but this time there was a twist: Inuyasha wanted her to go home, and she wasn't having any of it.
"Keh, wench, just go home for 3 or 4 days!" Inuyasha shouted. His girlfriend could be so stubborn at times. Who would have thought she would resist the chance to go back to her time when he 'suggested' it? Sometimes, he just didn't understand her at all. After all, she was usually begging him for the chance. Women.
"Quit ordering me around, jerk! Why do you I have to go back, anyway?" Kagome shouted back with equal heat. Since the Kouga incident, the two had finally admitted that they had a romantic interest in each other. Still, that didn't end the fights between the two strong-willed teens, and this was one of the better ones.
"For your protection," he spit out.
"'For my protection.' Protection from what?" she threw right back.
"I can't tell."
"What do you mean, you can't tell?!?"
"I just can't! Get over it. Go visit your friends for at least 3 days."
"Arghhhhh!" she shouted in frustration. She couldn't decide whether she should pull his or her hair out first. She usually liked to go home, but lately she had been finding all manner of excuses why it wasn't really necessary.
Inuyasha really didn't want to have to force her to go home for a few days, but he didn't have much choice. As much as he wanted to, he hadn't kissed her yet. He was rather confident that shortly after he started to do that, he would be sleeping with her, and he wouldn't do that. Even though she was more than old enough to be his wife, mate, in his time, she was just too young in hers. That brought him to the current problem: it was right at the time of the month when she became fertile, and he could not be close to her then. It hadn't been such a big deal before, but now that they were openly close, he would have her whether she liked it or not. He wasn't willing for that to happen, so he did the only thing he could think of: he sent her home. Of course, he was much too embarrassed to tell her the reason. "Just go, or I'll have to carry you and block the well up until it's time to get you," he threatened.
"Fine. I'll be going, then," she huffed, turning to the well.
"Remember, AT LEAST 3 days," he said as a parting shot.
"Bye, love you too," she quipped, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she jumped into the well.
Miroku and Sango just looked at each other from their hiding place in the bushes and rolled their eyes. Those two certainly made life interesting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey, guys, wait up!" Kagome shouted at her friends Arumi, Eri, and Yuka.
"Hi, Kagome!" Eri replied. "I wasn't expecting to see you today."
"I wasn't expecting to be here," Kagome grumbled.
"What do you mean?" Yuka asked, puzzled. Kagome usually wanted to come back to this time.
"Stupid Inuyasha's idea," Kagome grumped.
"We will talk about this later," Yuka pronounced, ending the exchange. "We'd better hurry, or we'll be late for class."
Later that night, the girls got together to get the latest dirt from Kagome. Yuka started. "So, what happened this time?"
Kagome, still in a funk, had a ready answer. "Inuyasha, the jerk, just up and commanded me to come home for at least 3 days! It was 'for my protection'. Of course, he wouldn't tell me what I was being protected from. Idiot," she fumed.
"Uhhh---that's bad?" Arumi asked skeptically. "I thought he wouldn't usually even let you come home."
"Of course it is! I didn't even want to come home." Kagome said, not fully realizing what she had said.
Her friends looked at each other. Eri spoke for the group: "You didn't want to come home?"
Kagome immediately got flustered and lamely attempted to dig her way out of the hole she was in. "Uh---that's not what I meant..."
"Yea, sure it isn't," Yuka said, rolling her eyes. "You just wanted to stay with your boyfriend. What, are you afraid he's going to dump you for Kikyo while you're gone?"
"Guys..." Kagome tried, futilely, to break in.
"Has he even kissed you yet?" Yuka persisted.
"No."
"Then you're going to have to do it. That is, if you're not too scared."
"..."
"Come on, its not like you're 15 any more. What are you, almost 18 now?"
"Or are you afraid you'll go all the way once you start?" Eri added.
At that, the color drained from Kagome's face. She had never really thought of what she would do if Inuyasha finally did kiss her. She knew sex before she got married was wrong, but after so much time spent together, the thought of it was very inciting. Inu had never openly indicated that he would do that, but, well, he could be very difficult to read at times. She had always thought he had little interest in her, either, but that had turned out to totally untrue. She had so many things to think about.
The girls, seeing her pale and her eyes glaze over, quickly turned the topic to something more mundane. This, of course, did not prevent them from making wild speculations after she was gone, but it did quiet things down for the moment.
For Kagome, the next couple days went by in a daze. She would never remember anything that happened from that night until she climbed back out of the well. In the big picture, it didn't matter, anyway.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inuyasha, for his part, got his grilling, what little he put up with, from Miroku.
"So, why did you send Kagome home, Inuyasha? That is somewhat unusual for you," Miroku opened the second night.
"None of your business."
"Perhaps, but still, wouldn't you feel better if you had my help in this?"
"Keh. I'm not going to tell you---you might understand."
Miroku blinked. He had not expected that response. "All the more reason to tell me."
"Wrong answer. Go suck up to Sango or something."
Miroku took the hint. He hadn't gotten a clear answer out of Inuyasha, but at least he'd been able to pin down that it had something to do with Kagome. Now, if he could just find out exactly what it was...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kagome climbed out of the well, her pack full as usual. True to her word, she had stayed home exactly 3 days, and she'd even added a couple minutes just to be safe. She was disappointed that Inuyasha wasn't there to greet her, but it didn't bother her too much---yet. After all, she hadn't said how long she would be gone while they were arguing. After determining he was nowhere nearby, she shouldered her pack and headed to Kaeda's hut.
About half way there, she noticed a few soul collectors coming her way. "Kikyo must be coming!" she mumbled to herself. "I don't have the courage to face her right now. Maybe I can just hide and sneak behind her to see where she's going. She'll probably lead me right to Inuyasha, anyway," she concluded gloomily.
Kagome successfully put her plan into action, only feeling slightly guilty for stalking Kikyo. If that walking pile of dirt tried to steal Inuyasha from her again... Eventually, Kikyo did lead her right to Inuyasha. To her great surprise, he was standing about waist deep in a stream wrapped in some old cloth and covered in bubbles. Bubbles. It seemed he was attempting, rather unsuccessfully, to do 'women's work': washing his clothes. He was so loud with his shouting at them, that she even dared take a picture of him. It was a good thing they were nearly indestructible, or he would have needed new ones by then. Kikyo approached him.
"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Kikyo asked.
"What does it look like? He growled.
Even the stoic Kikyo found this amusing. "I'd say it looks like you're trying to beat you clothes into giving you the bubble bath you've been secretly wanted for years," she said with a laugh.
"Ha, ha, funny. Kagome keeps whining about how much they stink, so I decided to wash them to get her to shut up," he said with a huff. "What do you want?" In fact, he had rather gotten used to the smell of clean clothes after Kagome had washed them in her time, and he couldn't stand the smell, either. In fact, he couldn't even stand his own stench much anymore, and he often washed at night after the others were asleep. It went without saying that he wouldn't admit it, though.
"In a moment, Inuyasha. However, I am surprised that you are willing to show such consideration to my replacement."
"She isn't your replacement! She's Kagome," he replied emphatically.
"And what is she to you?"
"She's my girlfriend."
"So, she is my replacement."
"No, she's much more. I will protect you as you are from Naraku, but I will love her."
"You dishonor our relationship."
"No, I loved you then, but you died. I choose to honor your memory by reclaiming the Shikon no tama and living. It would dishonor you to die to no purpose."
"As you wish. I have news. More Shikon shards exist. Even to me, their pull is faint. Still, they exist somewhere far to the north. I will see you again after you have acquired them." She turned and left.
After Kikyo left, Kagome waited a couple minutes to make sure she was out of earshot. She then ran to the shore, dropped her pack, kicked off her shoes and socks, and ran to give Inuyasha a bear hug. "I love you, too, Inuyasha!"
Inuyasha, dense as he usually is, took a while to respond. Finally, he wrapped his arms around her. "You saw it all, didn't you?"
"Yup," she answered playfully. The whole situation was just too much fun. "You look really cute with all those bubbles on you like that."
"Why, you..."
"Why didn't you just ask? I would have washed them for you?"
"..."
"I knew it: you're too proud to want anyone to know you wash your clothes."
"Grrrrr."
"If you want, I can wash them every once in a while. The others don't have to know," she said. Still, we should get those silly bubbles off you." She splashed him, giggling.
He retaliated by dunking her.
Some time later, the happy couple made their way to Kaede's hut for dinner. Little did any of them know how much Kikyo's revelation would change their lives.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reviewer Response
Mkh2: Yea, Kagome doesn't like them fighting, but she was tired of Kouga thinking of her as an object of his affections. Until she and Inuyasha are married, which doesn't seem at all close to her, this is just about the only way to discourage him.
Author's notes.
This completes this set of short takes. I really wasn't expecting to make more than a one shot out of it, but it felt right to continue. I have a sequel planned, although I may have to do some research for some of it. I really don't know how long it will take, or how long it will be. It will be interesting to see how well I can write a story with a coherent plot line.
For those of you that are wondering, (I know you're out there) they didn't do anything more than play around a little. I'm actually not quite sure whether they kissed or not. After all, it wouldn't have been decent of me to stay around an ogle Kagome, now would it?
Until next time,
Junyortrakr