Disclaimer: Believe it or not I don't own Inuyasha. Really.
Authors note: Ok, this is something that had been running around and cluttering up my brain so I thought I'd get it out. I seem to have run into a bit of a dry spell with my other fics so I thought I'd get this little one-shot out. It's an Inu/Kag and Mir/San and I warn you now, its fluffy. Nothin' but romance, fluff, and some mild cursing…… ok, so this is Inuyasha we're talking about, maybe its not so mild cursing but that's besides the point. I hope you enjoy my little story and if you have the time, feel free to let me know what you thought in a review. Read On!
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder…..or Impatient….. Whichever Happens First.
We open this story of a Feudal fairy tale on a bright and sunny day. Birds where singing, small animals scurried about the forest floor, and fluffy white clouds drifted lazily across the blue sky. It was truly a beautiful day in feudal Japan.
"WHERE THE HELL IS THAT STUPID WENCH?!"
Oh, yes….and of course one mustn't forget everyone's most beloved half-demon, Inuyasha.
Currently we find said dog-eared male in a position considered common by those who know him best.
In other words, he was sulking up on a branch of his favorite tree.
The wench in question, most commonly called Kagome by her friends, had been absent for two days.
Two WHOLE days.
And of course this was considered completely unacceptable to the dog-demon. Not because he missed her or anything like that of course, but simply that she had a job to do and when she insisted on running off to her time he had nothing to do with his.
Not that he needed her to be around to do anything, he could think of lots of things to do……….
…………….
……………. Tons of things……….
…………………..
…………………..
Ok well, he just didn't feel like doing them right now so that's why he wasn't. It had nothing to do with her.
"Inuyasha, stop sulking and come down for a minute will you."
The Hanyou glared down at the cheerfully smiling monk. Beating the crap out of the monk sounded like lots of fun right now. Swinging his leg over the side of the branch he rolled off and landed lightly on his feet, still glaring. "I wasn't sulking monk, I was thinking." He growled.
"Ah, my apologies." Miroku said with fake sincerity.
Snorting, Inuyasha dropped down into a cross-legged position on the dry ground beneath him. "What the hell do you want?"
"A few beautiful and willing females would be nice-OW!"
The dog-demon suppressed the urge to beat the monk further and snarled his question again.
Rubbing the new bump on his head Miroku sighed wearily. "You are most unpleasant when Kagome-sama is gone Inuyasha."
The Hanyou's white hair fluffed out like an angry cat "I AM NOT! MY ATTITUDE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT BITCH!!"
The monk shot his dog-eared friend a dry look. "Only a complete idiot couldn't tell that your whole world revolves around that girl." then he blinked and looked at the sputtering Hanyou. "Oh, my mistake I forgot who I was talking to."
Grabbing a fistful of the monks robe Inuyasha hauled him forward and shouted in his face with enough force to blow his hair back. "I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH THAT WENCH!!!"
Miroku, used to this behavior, gave his friend a sly look. "Oh, then I dare you to go all day without thinking about Kagome-sama."
Dropping the monk Inuyasha folded his arms. "Keh, to easy."
Silence reigned for a few minutes.
'Wonder what the wench is… No!' He scowled and shook his head, absently reaching up and fiddling with the prayer-beads out of habit. Then glancing down and scowling more at them. 'Dumb bitch, always using the word…GOD DAMNIT!' he dropped the prayer beads and reached up to scratch at his left ear. "What the hell is that's girls fascination with my ears anyway, she's always touching them or petting them, it's kinda nice but…SON OF A BITCH!!' He growled loudly and started pulling at his hair in frustration.
Miroku raised an eyebrow at the twitching Hanyou in front of him. " Alright, maybe that was a bit too much, how about this, I dare you to go one month without seeing Kagome-sama."
Inuyasha ceased pulling at his hair and glanced up. 'The bitch'll be coming back tomorrow so the monks dare will be forfeit, he never said anything about her seeing me, so when she comes back I'll win!' Folding his arms smugly across his chest he smirked. "Keh, you got yourself a deal letch."
Standing up and dusting off his robes Miroku smiled cheerfully again. "Good, because I told Kagome-sama that she could stay in her world for four weeks."
"YOU WHAT?!!" The Hanyou seriously debated whether or not to kill the monk, then turned and shot off in a blur of red for the clearing that housed the well.
Miroku breathed a sigh of relief, then turned at a rustling to his left.
"What are you up to Houshi-sama? You could have gotten seriously hurt just now." Sango raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Ah, my dear Sango it warms my heart to know that you worry for me so." He walked over and opened his arms for a hug.
Sango shifted Hirokatsu purposefully.
Miroku backed away with a disappointed sigh and answered her question. "I am as tired as everyone else with the way those two tip-toe around their feelings for each other, and have decided that it was high time someone did something about it."
She shook her head. "I still don't think I understand."
Miroku smiled devilishly. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." He quoted as he turned and started heading for the village.
The light of understanding dawned on the Taijiya as she turned and caught up with the monk. "You are either incredibly smart or incredibly stupid."
Miroku just nodded wisely. "Yes, it's surprising how thin the line is between those two." then glancing up at the sky as if in deep thought, he commented almost as if to himself. "I wonder when Inuyasha will run into the wards I placed around the well?"
ZZZAACCKK!! "SON OF A GOD DAMNED BITCH!! MONK, I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!!!"
Ah yes, just another beautiful day in Feudal Japan.
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A week had passed, and not much seemed to have changed. Inuyasha was still sulking in his tree. Only coming down for meals and other necessity's. Of course that didn't stop him from trying to do serious harm to the monk every chance he got, and Miroku had learned to avoid walking near the god-tree after being beaned in the head one to many times by large chunks of sacred plant matter.
Shippo was showing similar symptoms of Kagome-withdrawal as the Hanyou, and had taken to sitting near the well all day and drawing pictures of the young priestess.
All of this Kagome-free time had given the Hanyou nothing to do at all except think. Which, depending on your point of view, could be a good or bad thing. Both his human and demon sides had come to the conclusion that he couldn't go a whole month without seeing the wench. But that damned monks stupid barrier scrolls prevented him from going through the well to catch even a tiny whiff of her calming sent. And since both sides of him were working together for the first time that he could ever remember, his human half had come up with a devious plan to see Kagome. Without her or the monk knowing. That way, he could see his bitch and win the bet.
'Did I just call her my bitch?' He blinked. 'Keh, who cares, she is mine. Always has been, always will be.' he thought with a possessive growl. Then he smirked. 'And when this stupid bet is over with, she'll know it too.'
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lets check in and see how Kagome's doing shall we…..
'GOD DAMNED FUCKING MORON!!'
Wait, this is Kagome right?
'I can't believe that I let them talk me into this again! Stupid friends, stupid school, stupid, stupid Hojo!!"
Yep, guess it is Kagome.
The forced separation had done something decidedly odd to the normally kind girl.
Apparently, not getting to see her puppy-eared companion really pissed her off.
'Stupid Miroku, I wish I hadn't agreed to this, but I really want to know how Inuyasha feels about me.' she thought, completely ignoring the chattering young man seated across from her.
The time apart had allowed her to come to some decisions about a few things that had been bothering her. Like where she would stay once the quest was finished.
That one hadn't been too hard to figure out, she'd only been in her own time for a week and a half and she was already having to suppress the urge to do serious harm to her fellow humans. Everything about her time just seemed to bug her right now. The noises and smells and stupid chattering friends and most of all, annoying, pathetic none half-demon males that couldn't take a god-damned clue! She had decided that once the jewel was finished she'd ask Inuyasha if they could use it to keep the portal to the future open. But only to them and her family, that way bad demons and humans couldn't use it. Of course she'd have to talk him out of his idea to use it to become a full demon but she didn't think he wanted to do that anymore anyway.
She had worried for a while that the jewel would send her back to her time automatically once the quest was done, but then remembered that the stupid thing had been whole at the very beginning and it hadn't done anything, so why would it once she got it back together again?
Another thing she had decided on. Inuyasha was not going to hell with psycho-bitch. I mean, she never really had intended to let him go through with it, but she hadn't said anything to the contrary either. Well screw that! Not any more. She'd drag him out of the seventh layer of hell kicking and screaming if she had to. And if he argued with her about it, she'd threaten to tag his ass to that stupid tree of his again if that's what it would take to keep him here. Kikyo was crazy, always had been in Kagome's opinion. I mean, sure Inuyasha's human side was hot, but turning him into a human full-time? You'd lose the puppy ears! What kind of a sick minded person would actually want that?! How could she not be turned on by those ears?! Was she mad?! They were just so fuzzy and soft, and it was just adorable how they drooped when he was pouting or flickered around when he was thinking. Oh, and then when he flattened them back when he got all mad at something…….
"Higurashi, are you feeling well?"
Oh that idiot did not just interrupt her when she was busy day-dreaming about the ears did he? Kagome turned a glare of death on the oblivious boy.
"No, of course not. I'm feeling just fine." she gritted out, her fake smile widening to show a bit more teeth then was probably necessary.
Hojo sighed in relief. "Oh good, you had been coming to school so much more frequently lately, I was worried that you might have contracted another disease. I was so happy to hear that you had gotten over the malaria."
'Note to self: Murder Ji-chan and hide the body in the feudal era. No one would ever convict me. Hell, Inuyasha might even help.' She turned her attention back to the boy, suppressing the urge to growl at him.
Hojo started fiddling with his fork in nervousness, a blush spreading over his cheeks. "Now that your doing so much better I was wondering if……..you might want to be my girlfriend?" the blush spread all over his face now.
'What the hell?' Kagome looked at him in disbelief. Then narrowed her eyes. 'That's it, I've had enough.'
She smiled sweetly at the stupid boy. "I'm sorry Hojo but I can't be your girlfriend, unless, of course, you feel like being disembolwed by a seriously pissed off dog-demon."
Hojo blinked at her and then sighed. "Oh Higurashi, I didn't know that you were still sick." picking up her hand he patted it gently. "I'm sorry I asked, I had no idea that you were suffering from delusions. Just know that I will wait however long it takes for you to get better."
Kagome debated on whether or not she wanted to slam his head against the table or through the large window next to them, but figured that he probably wouldn't notice if she did either one. So instead she started dreaming up all the ways that she'd like to deal with him if she could. Each one more violent then the last.
"Well, lets get you home then before you get worse." he said in his typically clueless and happy voice.
'Fucking finally!'
Once back at her house and after closing the door in Hojo's face she trudged up to her room and flopped down on her bed. Reaching under her pillow she dragged something out.
Looking into the gold colored glass eyes of the stuffed dog, she reached up and ran her fingers over its soft ears, then down to the strip of red cloth tied around its neck. She'd bought the stuffed toy shortly after she'd realized that she was in love with Inuyasha. The little toy had reminded her of the Hanyou so much that she just had to get it. His little scarf was a piece of the dog-demons fire rat haori that had been torn off during one of their fights against Kagura. She'd kept it and then placed it around the little dogs neck when she'd come home afterwards. So now the little dog carried the Hanyou's protective scent as well. It was the only way she could fall asleep in her time when the Hanyou wasn't there with her.
Still petting the stuffed toy she felt a familiar ache in her chest. It had only been a week and a half, and she already missed him so much. How was she ever going to survive another three and a half weeks?
Her eyes began to water and she hugged the little dog close to her heart. "Oh Inu-chan, what am I going to do?"
"Kagome, remember that you promised to go to your friend Yuka's sleepover tonight!" Kagome's mother shouted from the bottom of the stairs.
With a heavy sigh, the young time-traveling priestess shoved Inu-chan back under her pillow and rose off the bed. After packing a few things she trudged down the stairs and out the side door. She stopped at the top of the long flight of stairs that lead down to the main road and threw a longing look back at the well-house. Then squaring her shoulders she turned and marched off to the sleepover with all the enthusiasm of someone going to meet their own execution.
Which, in Kagome's mind, wasn't all that far from the truth.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
A pair of red clad legs moved swiftly through the moonless night. Silently slipping into the clearing that housed a very normal looking well. Of course, the owner of the legs knew that the well was anything but normal. The legs stopped just outside of a barrier of scrolls, then with a snort, passed right on through them without mishap. Jumping up onto the rim of the well they paused, then jumped.
In a flash of purple light the red clothed, black haired figure disappeared from his time.
Inuyasha crept silently out of the well-house, carefully sliding the door shut, then made his way over to the back door of the house. In his current form there was no way he could jump up to her window, so that meant he had to take the boring way. Turning the knob he grunted in annoyance.
'Damn, locked.' he looked around for another way in, then down at the currently useless sword around his waist. With a wicked smirk, he unsheathed it and placed the blade between the door and the frame. With a jerk, he broke the lock and the door swung open. Still smirking in arrogant pleasure over his success he stepped into the kitchen and looked around. Using his significantly stunted hearing he listened for any movement, but could detect none, so moved on to the stairs. After successfully navigating around the squeaky stairs from long practice he made his way to Kagome's room and slowly opened the door.
Damn his human eyes! He couldn't see anything! Carefully stepping into the room he made his way over to the bed and growled as best he could in his human form.
She wasn't there.
With a sigh, he flopped down on the bed and buried his face in her pillow, that way he could at least catch her sent even with his pathetic human senses. A lump under his hand drew his attention. Reaching out he grabbed something soft and brought it up to his face.
Suspiciously familiar looking gold eyes glinted back at him in the dark. He turned the toy back and forth in his hand curiously until the strip of red cloth tied to its neck caught his eye. He blinked at it, then looked at his sleeve, then back at the toy. A grin slowly made its way onto his face. Putting the toy down right in the middle of her pillow with a pat to its white head, he then turned his attention to her photo album, lying on the floor. He flipped through it until he found his favorite picture of her. Shippo had taken it on accident when he'd been messing with her things and it caught her looking at him completely unguarded. Taking it out, he tucked it into his coat and stood up. Then looked back at the toy dog standing guard at the head of her bed.
"Protect her for me." he whispered. Then darted silently out the door.
The little toys eyes flashed, as if in agreement.
+++++++++++++++++++
Miroku sat downwind of the hanyou, keeping an eye on his friend in worry. Inuyasha had been acting strangely. He wouldn't come out of his tree. Ate only rarely. Never chased after Shippo when the fox-demon tried to bait him with taunts. And didn't throw things at the monk any more. Miroku was seriously worried that his friend had become distraught over the absence of Kagome and so had taken to perching in tree's close to the dog-demon so as to keep an eye on him.
The pervert monk was brought out of his musings by a tickling to his senses, glancing up his eyes widened.
"Oh, this isn't good." he whispered.
A soul-stealer glided majestically through the tree's toward the sleeping hanyou. Moonlight glinting off it's iridescent skin.
This was definitely not good. If Inuyasha was as depressed as he thought he was, the dead Miko might just be able to talk him into going to hell with her. Sitting up straighter, Miroku prepared to interfere if he had to. He watched in dread as the ethereal creature glided ever closer to the oblivious hanyou.
Inuyasha never even opened his eyes. But once the thing came close enough his hand snapped out with amazing speed and grabbed it around the neck.
He then proceeded to beat the crap out of it.
Miroku tired to right his balance after almost toppling from his seat out of surprised shock and watched as the soul-stealer glided crookedly away. The dog-boy still resting against the tree as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
Kikyo's appearance a few minutes later didn't surprise Miroku. She came gliding out of the forest with her unnatural grace as was her won't. Soul-stealers trailing behind her. She asked Inuyasha the same question she always did.
The hanyou's response almost threw Miroku from his perch again.
He had rather bluntly told her to fuck off.
Kikyo's expression had gone from confusion, to pain, and then to anger. Then she did something so shocking that Miroku had to cling to his branch to keep his balance.
She smiled.
"So, Inuyasha you have finally chosen. Good for you" she said in her quiet voice. Then she turned and left. Muttering about stubborn dog-demons and finally being able to go home.
Both Inuyasha and Miroku watched her go with identical expressions of confusion plastered across their faces.
++++++++++++++++++++
A pair of gold eyes watched intently as a large yellow backpack came flying out of the well with startling force. A young girl followed next, flopping down on the grass just inside of the barrier and taking huge gulps of air. The girl then turned and started hurling insults at the wooden structure, even going so far as to kick dirt at it. Then she turned and picked up the pack, the heavy thing almost toppling her. After righting her balance she started walking towards the village.
Kagome glanced up as a streak of red came barreling at her and scooped her up. She dropped her backpack out of shock and just hung on, glancing down at the red-clad backside of her abductor.
'Wait, I know that butt.' she thought.
"Inuyasha?" she questioned.
The hanyou didn't answer, merely sped up. Kagome just hung on and enjoyed the ride.
And the view.
Once he stopped, very far into his forest, he sat down and pulled her into his lap.
Kagome glanced up at the features of the face she'd missed so much and then up to the twitching ears. Once she saw those she could resist. She tackled him and began to fondle his ears.
"What the hell? Bitch, get off!" he growled at her.
She didn't get off, just pinned him to the ground harder and growled back.
Inuyasha blinked. 'Note to self: Kagome growling is a major turn-on.' Then shook his head and pushed her back.
She pouted at the loss of the ears but consented to giving Inuyasha her full attention.
He crossed his arms and frowned his most intimidating frown at her.
Of course it didn't have any effect on her at all but he could pretend it did if it made him feel better.
"Why the hell where you gone so long bitch?"
She glared at him. "Because I felt like it."
He returned her glare. "I don't recall giving you permission."
She growled again, ignoring the way he shuddered. "Since when do I need your permission?"
"Since always, bitch. Your mine!"
"Yours?" she asked with deadly sweetness. "And since when have I been….yours?"
"Since always wench."
She stood up, fire in her eyes. "I belong to no one but myself!" she shouted.
He stood up and met her shout for shout. "LIKE HELL, YOUR MINE AND YOU KNOW IT!"
"I DO NOT!"
"YES YOU DO BITCH!"
"NO I DON'T!"
"YES YOU DO!!"
She grabbed at her hair in frustration, then launched herself and tackled him to the ground again.
"BITCH! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" he bellowed.
She glared into his gold eyes. "GOD YOU CAN BE SO FRUSTRATING!! SOMETIMES I WONDER HOW THE HELL I FELL IN LOVE WITH YOU!"
He flipped her over onto her back and loomed over her, pinning her to the ground with his body. "WELL I LOVE YOU TOO BITCH!"
They both stopped and blinked at each other.
"You love me?" Kagome asked in a quiet, hopeful voice.
His eyes softened. "Keh, of course I do. What the hell did you think wench, that I just protected you for the hell of it?"
She gave him a dry look. "Jee, and here I was thinking you only did it because of the jewel."
He snorted. "Feh, I don't give a shit about that piece of crap. I just want to get it before Naraku can use it."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "And what about Kikyo." she winced after saying the name. "I thought you where in love with her?"
He glared again. "Are you fucking crazy?! Why the hell would I be in love with her? I just have to make her happy so she can let go of your soul. The bitch wants to drag me to hell in case you forgot. What the hell is wrong with you, I'm not that-"
"Inuyasha."
"What!" he shouted.
She reached up and grabbed the silver hair hanging in front of his shoulders and yanked his face down close to hers.
"Shut up and kiss me."
He smirked at her. "Keh, whatever you say bitch."
Then he leaned down the rest of the way and proceeded to kiss her until she was breathless.
+++++++++++++++++++
Sango raised her eyebrow as Miroku came strolling up out of the forest.
"Is Kagome-chan back yet?"
He looked up and blinked, then smiled widely. "Why yes, however I don't think we'll be seeing her for a while. Or Inuyasha either for that matter."
She gave his lecherous smile a narrow look. "So your plan worked did it?"
His smile got wider. "Wonderfully, there's just one thing left to do."
She gave him a curious look. "And what's that?"
Instead of answering he reached out and grabbed her, dragging her forward and kissing her senseless. Then he released her.
With a smile he looked into her dazed eyes. "I love you Sango." He said and with a whistle he continued on down the road before she could gather her thoughts.
Sango's eyes cleared and then she turned and looked at the retreating back of the monk. She smiled wickedly.
"Oh he isn't going to get away with that. For a pervert I expected a much longer kiss and I intend to get it."
So with a swish of her hair the Taijiya took of to catch herself a monk. And we all know how ruthless a hunter Sango can be, don't we. But I'm sure Miroku won't mind.
For while absence may or may not make the heart grow fonder, it certainly opens the eyes to things that might not have been noticed before.
Fin~
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Authors note: Well people I hope ya liked it. It's the first time I've done a one-shot so let me know what ya thought.