Author's Note: Here's the final chapter to the fanfic! Thanks to those who
read and reviewed! You guys are the best. ^_^ Happy Holidays everyone!
~~~
It was Miroku who first noticed the difference between Kagome and Inuyasha. He had seen them walking back to the village together that morning, holding hands.
Then Sango began to pick up on the change.
They had another one of their arguments that day, but instead of it ending with a 'SIT!' and storming away, it ended in laughter and shy looks, which was not only strange, but also according to Shippo, "really creepy".
The day passed by uneventfully. The group of travelers settled down for a peaceful night of camping out in the forest.
Inuyasha and Miroku had caught some fish for dinner, which Sango and Kagome happily prepared. After dinner, the girls decided to take a trip to a nearby hot spring. The half-demon and monk stood guard at the camp while Shippo and Kirara ran off to catch fireflies.
~~~
Sango slipped into the hot spring, sighing in relief as the warmth relaxed her tense muscles. Kagome followed suit, resting her head against a nearby rock.
Sango watched her best friend for a moment. "So. Kagome?"
Kagome raised her head. "Yes Sango?"
"What's been going on between you and Inuyasha?"
Kagome suddenly look flustered and turn her attention to the starry sky. "What do you mean?"
Sango smiled slyly and laughed. "You know what I mean! You two have been acting differently around each other. Why is that?"
Kagome laughed nervously and sank down further into the water. "No we haven't! You must be imagining things."
Sango nodded, glancing up at the sky as well. "Oh, I see. So Miroku and I just imagined that you two have been friendlier than ever, and that your arguments today ended in laughter. I must have a really vivid imagination, huh?"
Kagome sighed in defeat. "Alright, you win."
Sango grinned and turned her full attention to Kagome. "Alright! Spill!"
~~~
Inuyasha and Miroku sat opposite to each other, the small fire in between them. Miroku watched the hanyou curiously before speaking out. "So Inuyasha."
Inuyasha peered at Miroku through one open eye. "What do you want, monk?" he growled.
Miroku, unfazed, continued. "It appears that you have finally confessed your love to our dear friend Kagome."
Inuyasha face-faulted into the ground. "WHAT?!"
"Well, it would seem so, my friend, since you two have obviously grown closer over the past few days."
Inuyasha, bewildered and embarrassed, desperately tried to defend himself. "W-w-hat are you talking about? That's not true!" he managed to stutter.
Miroku raised an eyebrow at him, amused. "It isn't? Well then, I suppose it's my duty to let Lady Kagome that you have been misleading her," he said with a sigh.
Inuyasha frowned. "You wouldn't DARE!"
Miroku grinned. "So it is true then! You truly do love her! No wonder your attitude, as well as hers, has changed."
The hanyou blushed and stared at the ground.
~~~
Several moments later, Kagome and Sango reappeared, refreshed and ready to call it a night.
Kagome glanced around the camp, her eyes lingering momentarily on Inuyasha. "Where's Shippo?"
Miroku stood up and moved to his sleeping pack. "It appears that he and Kirara are still running about chasing fireflies."
At the look of worry on Kagome's face, he continued. "They should be back soon. Kirara will take good care of Shippo, and they must be getting tired."
Looking relieved, Kagome pulled out her sleeping bag and began to settle in for the night. Soon both Miroku and Sango had dozed off, leaving only Kagome to stare at the sky from within her sleeping bag, and Inuyasha to sit quietly by the fire.
She turned her head to watch the half-demon, who glanced back. "What is it, Kagome?"
She smiled softly. "Oh, um.. it's nothing."
Inuyasha stood and sat next to her. "No, tell me. You have something on your mind."
Kagome blushed as she stared up at him. "I was.. sorta wondering if you wanted to.." She paused, berating herself for being unable to make a simple request. Inuyasha, however, caught what she was trying to say.
Pleased and somewhat surprised, he blushed brightly. "You mean. you wouldn't mind?"
Kagome blushed a little more. "Well, it's just. it seems to help us both fall asleep, so I just thought."
He placed a gentle finger to her lips to silence her and nodded. Kagome watched his movements, rejoicing inside.
~~~
Shippo and Kirara cheerily raced back to the campsite. The kitsune carried a small jar that Kagome had given him, aglow with fireflies.
"Gee, I hope we didn't make the others worry about us. It's kinda late," Shippo said to Kirara, who mewed in answer.
When the both reached the campsite, they weren't surprised to see everyone already fast asleep. Kirara trotted over to Sango and immediately curled up next to her.
Shippo placed the jar down and went over to Kagome's sleeping bag, eagerly wanting to curl up next to her now that she had returned. But the sight he was greeted him caused him to frown deeply.
Shippo went over to Miroku and tugged on the monk's ear. "Miirrroookkuuu," the child whined.
Miroku woke up slowly, blinking at him. "Hmm? What is it, Shippo?" he asked sleepily.
"I've been waiting for Kagome to come back just so I could curl next to her, and now I can't!" he complained.
Miroku, curious by what the fox demon was saying, raised himself onto his elbows. "Why is that?"
Pouting, Shippo pointed to Kagome's sleeping bag.
Miroku slowly began to grin. "I was wondering how long it would take for this to happen," said a voice from behind them.
Miroku turned slightly to see Sango sitting next to him. "Kagome told me everything," she continued.
Miroku nodded. "As Inuyasha told me."
Shippo continued to frown. "Could someone tell me what's going on? What did I miss?"
Miroku and Sango glanced at each other, then at the kitsune. "We'll tell you when you're older," they said in unison.
~~~
Across from the whispering friends, Kagome lay asleep in her sleeping bag, with a wistful smile on her face.
Her head was resting on Inuyasha's chest, her arm draped around him. Inuyasha too, was fast asleep, his arms wrapped protectively around the girl he loved.
~~~
It was Miroku who first noticed the difference between Kagome and Inuyasha. He had seen them walking back to the village together that morning, holding hands.
Then Sango began to pick up on the change.
They had another one of their arguments that day, but instead of it ending with a 'SIT!' and storming away, it ended in laughter and shy looks, which was not only strange, but also according to Shippo, "really creepy".
The day passed by uneventfully. The group of travelers settled down for a peaceful night of camping out in the forest.
Inuyasha and Miroku had caught some fish for dinner, which Sango and Kagome happily prepared. After dinner, the girls decided to take a trip to a nearby hot spring. The half-demon and monk stood guard at the camp while Shippo and Kirara ran off to catch fireflies.
~~~
Sango slipped into the hot spring, sighing in relief as the warmth relaxed her tense muscles. Kagome followed suit, resting her head against a nearby rock.
Sango watched her best friend for a moment. "So. Kagome?"
Kagome raised her head. "Yes Sango?"
"What's been going on between you and Inuyasha?"
Kagome suddenly look flustered and turn her attention to the starry sky. "What do you mean?"
Sango smiled slyly and laughed. "You know what I mean! You two have been acting differently around each other. Why is that?"
Kagome laughed nervously and sank down further into the water. "No we haven't! You must be imagining things."
Sango nodded, glancing up at the sky as well. "Oh, I see. So Miroku and I just imagined that you two have been friendlier than ever, and that your arguments today ended in laughter. I must have a really vivid imagination, huh?"
Kagome sighed in defeat. "Alright, you win."
Sango grinned and turned her full attention to Kagome. "Alright! Spill!"
~~~
Inuyasha and Miroku sat opposite to each other, the small fire in between them. Miroku watched the hanyou curiously before speaking out. "So Inuyasha."
Inuyasha peered at Miroku through one open eye. "What do you want, monk?" he growled.
Miroku, unfazed, continued. "It appears that you have finally confessed your love to our dear friend Kagome."
Inuyasha face-faulted into the ground. "WHAT?!"
"Well, it would seem so, my friend, since you two have obviously grown closer over the past few days."
Inuyasha, bewildered and embarrassed, desperately tried to defend himself. "W-w-hat are you talking about? That's not true!" he managed to stutter.
Miroku raised an eyebrow at him, amused. "It isn't? Well then, I suppose it's my duty to let Lady Kagome that you have been misleading her," he said with a sigh.
Inuyasha frowned. "You wouldn't DARE!"
Miroku grinned. "So it is true then! You truly do love her! No wonder your attitude, as well as hers, has changed."
The hanyou blushed and stared at the ground.
~~~
Several moments later, Kagome and Sango reappeared, refreshed and ready to call it a night.
Kagome glanced around the camp, her eyes lingering momentarily on Inuyasha. "Where's Shippo?"
Miroku stood up and moved to his sleeping pack. "It appears that he and Kirara are still running about chasing fireflies."
At the look of worry on Kagome's face, he continued. "They should be back soon. Kirara will take good care of Shippo, and they must be getting tired."
Looking relieved, Kagome pulled out her sleeping bag and began to settle in for the night. Soon both Miroku and Sango had dozed off, leaving only Kagome to stare at the sky from within her sleeping bag, and Inuyasha to sit quietly by the fire.
She turned her head to watch the half-demon, who glanced back. "What is it, Kagome?"
She smiled softly. "Oh, um.. it's nothing."
Inuyasha stood and sat next to her. "No, tell me. You have something on your mind."
Kagome blushed as she stared up at him. "I was.. sorta wondering if you wanted to.." She paused, berating herself for being unable to make a simple request. Inuyasha, however, caught what she was trying to say.
Pleased and somewhat surprised, he blushed brightly. "You mean. you wouldn't mind?"
Kagome blushed a little more. "Well, it's just. it seems to help us both fall asleep, so I just thought."
He placed a gentle finger to her lips to silence her and nodded. Kagome watched his movements, rejoicing inside.
~~~
Shippo and Kirara cheerily raced back to the campsite. The kitsune carried a small jar that Kagome had given him, aglow with fireflies.
"Gee, I hope we didn't make the others worry about us. It's kinda late," Shippo said to Kirara, who mewed in answer.
When the both reached the campsite, they weren't surprised to see everyone already fast asleep. Kirara trotted over to Sango and immediately curled up next to her.
Shippo placed the jar down and went over to Kagome's sleeping bag, eagerly wanting to curl up next to her now that she had returned. But the sight he was greeted him caused him to frown deeply.
Shippo went over to Miroku and tugged on the monk's ear. "Miirrroookkuuu," the child whined.
Miroku woke up slowly, blinking at him. "Hmm? What is it, Shippo?" he asked sleepily.
"I've been waiting for Kagome to come back just so I could curl next to her, and now I can't!" he complained.
Miroku, curious by what the fox demon was saying, raised himself onto his elbows. "Why is that?"
Pouting, Shippo pointed to Kagome's sleeping bag.
Miroku slowly began to grin. "I was wondering how long it would take for this to happen," said a voice from behind them.
Miroku turned slightly to see Sango sitting next to him. "Kagome told me everything," she continued.
Miroku nodded. "As Inuyasha told me."
Shippo continued to frown. "Could someone tell me what's going on? What did I miss?"
Miroku and Sango glanced at each other, then at the kitsune. "We'll tell you when you're older," they said in unison.
~~~
Across from the whispering friends, Kagome lay asleep in her sleeping bag, with a wistful smile on her face.
Her head was resting on Inuyasha's chest, her arm draped around him. Inuyasha too, was fast asleep, his arms wrapped protectively around the girl he loved.