Ooh, I've had a major writer's block for a long, long while now. I think it's finally gone now, though. But I'm starting to grow tired of this story: the ending just keeps evading me. It ticks me off big time.
Have started on another story which I will start posting soon – maybe even today – and which I currently like much better. Aw, what the hell.
Sorry if I'm making Miroku and Sango into comic relief. They might get more serious later.
Claimer: I own Inu-yasha.
………nah, just kidding.
Chapter Eight
"Just like that?" asked Miroku.
"Yep," answered Shippou, looking very pleased with himself. "And then there was a lot of mushy stuff about how they had loved each other for soooooo long, but hadn't dared to tell each other, very cute. And then Kagome cried some, and then she laughed some, and I'm pretty sure Inu-yasha cried some too."
"The strong man? Who'd have believed it," said Sango, grinning.
"Well, he was very happy, of course," said Miroku wisely. "I cried as well when you told me you loved me."
"That was because I'd just hit you with my boomerang for trying to peek down my shirt."
"Shh, entrance of the lovers!" whispered Shippou, and they all turned around quickly, grabbing whatever was closest to hand and trying to look like they were occupied with something. Thus when Kagome and Inu-yasha returned to their camp they found Miroku stirring the kettle with water (there was no fire under it), Sango peeling a potato with her sword and Shippou polishing Sango's boomerang. All were whistling.
"Nice try," said Inu-yasha.
"Aaw, we heard!" squealed Sango, abandoning all pretence. "Finally you get it through your thick skulls that you are meant for each other. That's just so cute!"
Inu-yasha threw Shippou a very dirty look.
"Next time I'll kick you to see if you're awake." Shippou snorted and waved a hand airily.
"Honestly, if you can't even tell the difference between real snores and faked ones, then you deserve to be spied on." Miroku and Sango both nodded agreement, seemingly finding this in proper order. Inu-yasha rolled his eyes.
"Er… how long did you watch us for?" asked Kagome, looking a bit uncomfortable. Inu-yasha stiffened as well.
"I left soon after the "I will always love you"-s. Isn't that a song or something? Why do you want to know, anyway?"
"Never mind," said Inu-yasha, now blushing furiously as well. Sango gave them both a sly look. Miroku looked confused.
"No why? Why? Why? Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me…" said Shippou the Unbearably Curious. Sango took one look at the couple's faces, then grabbed his hand and led him a bit further away, saying something about birds and bees. At this the penny dropped for Miroku as well and he stared at Inu-yasha with an incredulous look on his face. Then he started laughing.
"Inu-yasha, that you should get some action before me! I can't believe it!"
"Feh," said Inu-yasha as even his ears turned red. Kagome, meanwhile, seemed unsure whether to laugh or look angry or blush or just do it all at the same time. She settled for the last option. Miroku was holding on to Inu-yasha to stop himself from falling over.
He finally got a hold over himself and stopped laughing. It was then he noticed a red stripe on Kagome's skin sticking up above the neck of her shirt. He stepped close to her, pulling the shirt down a little over her shoulder and causing Inu-yasha to growl instinctively.
"Miroku, I'm warning you…" The monk stepped back quickly, holding his hands up in a look-I-ain't-done-nothing expression, looking a bit nervous. He was grinning though.
"If those stripes mean what I think they do, we won't have too much trouble with Koga anymore, right?"
"Damn right we won't," said Inu-yasha, smirking with satisfaction.
*************
"Unngh…"
"Well sorry, but we have a long day's travel before us."
"Mmf grrgllg bbzddd gght"
"I take offence from that."
"Inu-yasha, don't tell me you understand what she is saying?" laughed Miroku as he watched his friend trying to wake Kagome up – with, well, as much success as you would expect.
"Of course I do," Inu-yasha answered solemnly. "I've spent far more time with this girl than you have, my dear friend, and during all those long tedious weeks don't you think that I at least learned to speak Kagomian?"
"What do you mean, tedious?" growled Kagome, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.
"And thus the ancient cave-woman spoke her first sentence, and was introduced to the speech of the living," grinned Inu-yasha, getting a bleary-eyed glare in return.
"You're not even supposed to know about cave-men and stuff," said Kagome accusingly. "You live in the freaking feudal era, you're supposed to be clueless! They haven't come that far in History yet… and… and…" She was forced to stop when a huge yawn split her face. Inu-yasha raised an eyebrow.
"And with the look of you right now, it doesn't seem as if the present – or even the future – has gotten out of the cave-men stage yet. In case you didn't know, I'm part demon. We had use of language when the humans were still trying to figure out which was the top end of a banana. And we have passed down the history of our and the humans origins through the generations for… eh… a long time. Not really sure how long. Now what do you have to say to that, huh?"
Kagome thought for a while. It looked like it was costing her an effort. Finally she managed a question.
"Why would humans want to know which is the top end of a banana?"
Inu-yasha sighed in exasperation.
"See, that's just what I mean. You've got no clue at all. Humans, geez. You open a banana in the top end, otherwise it gets all mushed up and yucky. Isn't it obvious?"
"You are all crazy," Shippou announced loudly. "I'm going to try and get adopted in the next village we pass by."
His words caused both Sango and Kagome to run over to him, hugging him and saying "no, you can't goooo!" Miroku sighed deeply and looked at Inu-yasha.
"Now why don't we know how to do that? He gets hugs just for looking cute, is that fair?"
"I'm guessing you mean, now why don't you know how to do that," smirked Inu-yasha. "Because I do. Come on ladies, we need to get going. Stop snuggling the poor kid and eat your breakfast."
Kagome settled down at once. She knew why they were leaving so early – Inu-yasha had finally found a clue as to Sesshoumaru's whereabouts. He seemed so eager to get there, and was hurrying them on every day. Kagome wasn't as…eager, if that was the word. Of course she wanted to see the end of this nightmare too, but at the same time she didn't want to come within a mile-wide radius of the demon lord.
She had been going through all her memories of travelling with her friends, thinking back with pleasure on the nicest of them in case… she didn't want to even think it.
'I can't die now. Not so soon after I and Inu-yasha…'
She remembered something that had happened recently, and smiled in spite of herself. Koga had come hurtling through the forest, stopping just in front of her – and just on top of Inu-yasha. He had started to go on and on and on about how he was doing everything in his power to find the "fiend that hurt you, Kagome", and then gotten started on his wanting her as his mate again, even though she had told him to stop that last time she saw him.
The memory of their conversation rolled up in her mind like a movie, Koga looking first cocky, then angry and then shocked, sad and defeated when she showed him Inu-yasha's claim marks.
"Is this really what you want?" he asked.
"Yes," she answered. "I am happy with Inu-yasha."
"I'm sorry for not seeing it earlier. Can you accept me as a friend, even though I've sometimes behaved like a moron?"
"Of course, Koga."
"I won't stop looking out for you. And I'll still be searching for Sesshoumaru, wanting to kill him for what he did to you. Because I'll still love you."
Kagome smiled as she walked beside Inu-yasha, thinking about how much she loved all her friends and how happy she was that she had them. But for how much longer would she have them?
Each step she took was bringing her closer to the man who had sworn to kill her. She was afraid beyond words, so afraid she had gone through panic and come out calm on the other side. Nothing mattered, really. Our human lives are frail and worthless. What did her single death mean?
"It means something to me, stupid freaking bitch," snarled Inu-yasha. She looked up in surprise. Could he read her mind now or what?
"You just asked what your single death meant," he said as he saw her puzzled expression, looking angry and upset. Apparently she had been talking out loud. "And I'm telling you I'm not going to let you die. I don't care if your life is worth nothing to the world, because it's worth something to me. So lay off that crap already."
He walked on huffily, and she hid his words in her heart like a treasure.
"Thank you…" He stopped as he heard her speak and turned around with the most sorrowful look she had ever seen him wear. Without warning he reached out and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. She wound her arms around his neck as he rested his cheek against hers. His breath gently stirred the hair by her ear, making it tickle.
"You can't leave me too…"
His whisper was so soft she almost thought he hadn't said anything at all at first. When she realized was he was saying she brought her hands up to his cheeks, stroking them gently.
"I won't."
"Hey Inu-yasha, I thought you said get a move on!" yelled Miroku. Damn that monk for not having any tact whatsoever! Blinking away tears in his eyes, Inu-yasha slowly released Kagome.
'I can't lose Kagome now. It would drive me insane…'
"Damn right we have to get a move on. So if Kirara is alright, jump on her and follow us!" Motioning for Kagome to jump on his back, Inu-yasha took off – pretending not to hear the "Hey, wait up!" in the background. Served them right.
"Inu-yasha… You don't think you're a little…tense?" asked Kagome carefully.
"Of course I'm tense," he snapped, then regretted it and spoke again in a softer tone. "We are soon going to battle my big brother and I'm so angry I can hardly control myself. He is a powerful demon and we're fighting him on his own ground. He has all the advantages."
"But you have a heart."
"Feh," he snorted, although blushing up to his ears from the simple compliment. "Like that's going to help."
"Of course it will," she said stoutly. "Plus, you have me. I bet he hasn't got any humans, and all the worse for him." Inu-yasha turned his head and saw her smirking.
'Damn cocky little wench. And she's my cocky little wench, and no one is ever going to take her from me. Especially not my brother.'
Suddenly there was a whirring noise and they both ducked their heads as a boomerang came flying.
"Don't you ever run off like that again!" Sango yelled angrily.
"Plus, I have two more crazy humans with me," sniggered Inu-yasha. "I bet Sesshoumaru's shivering with fear."
*************