Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha..........but I do own this plot so please don't steal!
Authors Note: ug, sappy chapter dead ahead x.x for all you sweety-fluff lovers, you're gona flip. I think I'm going to go get drilled for cavities now.
"Kesshite Doriimingu"
Chapter five
Our Family
"Ah! Miroku!"
An occurrence that had been taking place for as long as anyone had known Miroku, was being set into play once again. Sango had mistakenly let him offer to help her with the cooking, which had resulted in a wandering hand the moment she bent over, and a now throbbing red mark on Miroku's left cheek.
Everyone but the two laughed heartily as Miroku tried to explain himself and Sango kept glaring daggers. Shippo watched them from his seat on a log, busying himself with a treat Kagome had given him, while Kagome scolded Miroku, briefly leaving her work of setting up camp.
Inuyasha watched them from a low tree branch while a pleased smile played across his features. Eventually Kagome shook her head and started back to busying herself with the set up as a smile continued to warm her facade.
It had been an especially long day, but not in a bad way like their first day traveling had been. Now it was their third. They'd been gone for three days now, but things had gone so well as apposed to what had been expected. It was like old times...
She smiled to herself. "You need any help with that?" Kagome looked up, startled out of her thoughts. Inuyasha was standing beside her in a casual manner, arms crossed inside his haori as a soft expression adorning his face.
He'd been so quiet the past few days, she was a little surprised to hear his voice. Not that he had been depressed, just quite; they figured he was thinking. And he still laughed. Though his sudden interest in helping made her suspicious that he wanted to talk.
She smiled brightly. "Of course, I was just finishing up. You can help me get some wood for the fire." she said, dropping the last little stone in place for a fire boarder. He nodded, his eyes flashing a little which made her laugh lightly.
His eye's used to flash all the time, it made this feel really like it used to be. As long as she could ignore the fact that Inuyasha was ill, it was okay.
She smiled to reassure herself, but her eyes flashed a sad look for a moment before she spun around with fake cheer. "Well we better get going, it'll be dark soon!" Her voice sounding a little strange to herself, with all the force pushed into it.
Inuyasha looked at her worriedly for a moment before brushing off the feeling in a blink. Kagome spun on her heel to start walking. He was a lot less wary of his expressions now, she noticed. He rarely ever scowled.
As they headed off into the thicker woods, Sango stopped her throttling momentarily to look after them. Miroku being oblivious just looked at her and then to their other two companions walking away in understanding. "He must want to speak with her." Miroku noted absently.
Sango nodded. "He's been quiet. I suppose he's been thinking of something to say to Kagome." Miroku agreed silently looking after them. He changed his attention then to Sango, who was still looking after them with an emotional glint in her eye, that suggested she was thinking.
He watched her intently as his own features smoothed over and he leaned back on his hands from the floor. "You'll find it someday." Sango blinked out of her daze at the odd comment. "What?"
Miroku smiled. "What you're looking for. You'll find it." Sango just stared at him. Could he mean what she thought he meant? Could he really know what's been troubling her? Now why'd he have to go do that; say something kind when I was trying to be mad at him...if I could only remember what that was.
She cocked her head slightly, but out of habit, and he just closed his eyes simply and rose. Dusting off his hands Sango almost stepped back, realizing how close he was. When he had finished he simply smiled and walked away without a word to start another task that needed to be done.
Sango was just stunned. He was such a leacher, but then every once and a while he was so understanding and it seemed that, that was his true nature. It made her wonder if the groping was just for show. For some odd reason.
She shook it off. Standing there so long would probably have started to worry Shippo. But when she turned, he was gone.
*~*
Kagome picked up another large stick for her growing arm load. She examined it critically closing one as she looked at it from the side. "Hmm, this one might be rotted through, maybe we shouldn't take it?" she asked looking engrossed in her examination of the stick as Inuyasha watched her.
An amused smiled crossed his features. She was so innocent. "I'm the fire won't mind, Kagome." He told her, a hint of laughter in his voice as he stepped toward her. Her brow furrowed as she looked at it again. "I don't know; if it's too rotted it might put the fire out,"
Stopping in front of her, Inuyasha snorted. "You're so weird." he noted, his eyes glinting in the remaining sun. Kagome let go of the log with a smile. "Well you are too." She watched him lazily and took in his appearance. He was a little paler now, not by much and still darker than she, but it was evident the change; his eyes were more dull.
Her smile slowly slipped. And it had only been three days. Biting her lip she looked down quickly and then back up. He was still watching her. "How are you feeling?" she asked softly, cautious and hoping not to have come out as sounding pitiful.
He just looked at her the same way, unwavering. He would never come off looking fearful if he
could help it. "Fine; I'm still breathing aren't I?" "Inuyasha," "Don't." he cut her off, finally
tearing away from her gaze.
"I don't want any pity lectures okay? That's the last thing I need." he finished softly, walking away from her a little. Kagome watched him and bit her lip again out of frustration. There wasn't anything she could say.
"I did," she looked at him hopefully. "I did come here to talk to you though." Kagome's spirits rose a little higher, though she noted the way he sounded like he'd been working up the courage to say that. "The past few days," he spoke standing a few feet away from her, staring in the opposite direction.
"I've been thinking. About, all of this." Watching the back of his head, Kagome couldn't see his expression, but the tone of his voice was so tell tale now, she could practically see his frown.
"Everyone just up and came along, completely shoving off everything they'd explained in their plans; what they'd said they wanted to do when this whole thing was over." Kagome watched his back intently. He seemed to shake his head.
"They didn't even think before they decided 'yes'; and I feel guilty." He said it so solidly and she knew better than to object, though she had to bite her lip harder to keep from speaking.
"I know Sango's worried about her brother. She needs to know if he's still alive." "But she chose to stay-" "That's not the point!" he spun around. "I'm keeping everyone from whats importent to them. I'm keeping you from your family." he pointed out bluntly, staring at her so intensly she tried hard not to break off.
"Doesn't that bother you?" Kagome looked at him. He was so serious about this, he really needed to know. Until now, she hadn't been thinking about her family; yes they would be worried, but they would understand. All that mattered was his well being. She cared to much for him and she wondered briefly, if he even had a clue.
"No," she said simply. He looked a little stunned. "Inuyasha it doesn't bother me. Did you really think that I would compromise your life over seeing my family?" she asked him, her tone holding a little hurt in the idea that he really did believe that.
He looked at her continuously and then broke off to stare at the ground. "I'm not really sure." The frown stayed in Kagome's eyes. "Inuyasha, you mean more to me than you'll care to realize." Inuyasha's ears twitched and Kagome suddenly realized what she'd let slip out.
"What do you mean by that?" He turned to her now very interested. 'Oh no,' was the only thing that flashed through her mind as she searched for something to say. She couldn't think of an answer at all; at all. Not even one that would be completely blunt and ruin their relationship, she was sure. So she started speaking, saying only what her mind could spit out as it reeled in confusion.
She turned around slowly, facing the same direction as him. "Inuyasha, it's been almost, a year and a half now," She spoke quietly, but it was perfectly perceptible for Inuyasha. "Since we first met. We've known each other that long and I guess I've gotten so used to being around you, I can't begin to fathom what it would be like without you." Inuyasha looked awed.
She shook her head with a laugh. "I don't know what I thought I was going to do, when we finished the job. If you hadn't gotten ill..." she trailed off. "I don't know what. I don't even know what I'm saying." she laughed in irony.
"After all that's happened, I even forgot about the jewel." she said, lifting her fingers to touch the perfect pinkish jewel that hung on a magic thread around her neck. White tiger whiskers, she'd been told that's what it was; the only thread that could go through the jewel without penetrating it. So it was perfect. Perfect and whole.
She smiled a little bitterly. "And what's great is no one seems to know how to use it really; not even me." she laughed lightly again, turning to face him to find he was standing so much closer than before.
She looked up to him searching his eyes. "No..." he said. "What do I mean to you?" Her heart jumped, pounding loudly in her ears as all she could do was stare helplessly into his eyes. She wasn't sure if she was ready to answer that.
"I..." Inuyasha found her hand and held it lightly as he continued to watch her for an answer. "I..." He ran his thumb gently across her palm, eyes searing into hers searching for an answer, with a hope that it was the one he wanted. Kagome took a strong breath.
"You mean so much to me, Inuyasha; you're my best friend." Her heart ached painfully from telling him that.
Inuyasha tried very hard not look disappointed. He dropped her hand. "You're my best friend too." He moved his hand from hers up to her cheek, carassing it gently mindfull of his claws. Kagome just closed her eyes and leaned into him when tears welled up hottly.
She couldn't stand to lie like this. "You're more than that Inuyasha, much more." Inuyasha suddenly stopped and Kagome opened her eyes. "Then what am I?" Kagome opened her mouth to answer him, not even sure herself what she'd say, but something prevented her.
"Kagome, Inuyasha..?"
The two of them turned abruptly to find Shippo standing very cautiously a few feet away. "Shippo?" Kagome questioned him and he looked up. The young kit looked so scared.
"What's wrong Shippo?" He shuffled nervously looking at them. "I'm sorry to follow you. I, I was scared, because you left." Kagome looked at him sympathetically unaware of Inuyasha's reaction. "I was afraid that if I didn't follow you, that you and Inuyasha would go away. And not come back." Tears glistened brightly in the little kitsune's eyes as Kagome looked to him in understanding.
Despite how much he and Inuyasha would fight, Shippo really looked up to him; and it was quite obvious that he'd adopted her as his mother from the beginning. The thought of losing them absolutely terrified him.
"Shippo come here." Kagome looked to her side to find that it had been Inuyasha who had summoned him closer. Shippo walked up, stopping at his feet and Inuyasha knelt down in front of him. "Now why would we ever want to leave you?"
Kagome stared in utter amazement at Inuyasha's kindness toward the kit. Shippo looked up to him with such a smile as he blinked away his tears silently. "You're part of our family." Though that, had to be the most surprising thing she'd ever heard him say.
He picked up Shippo and held him in his arms for the first time that Kagome could remember and the three of them just stood there together, looking so...right. Kagome smiled at him as Shippo snuggled into his haori and Inuyasha smiled back.
His approval had meant so much to Shippo; he really looked up to him. And now Inuyasha had made it quite clear that it was all right to call them his family. His surrogate mother and his adopted father, along with Miroku and Sango who could be dubbed aunt and uncle.
So together the three of them walked back slowly to join the rest of their group, realizing that this strange turn of events had brought them all so much closer. Inuyasha quickly forgot about the question he had been asking and the both of them completely forgot the wood.
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Well another chapter for you, and only a day later than expected ^.^ I even added a little Mir/San fluff in there. Now to go write numerous complaint email's about the changing of my pen name...lol
~SNOW