Inu Yasha sat pensively on a boulder, his back to the river behind
him, while Kagome bathed. He wasn't worried about Shippou or any of their
other companions; they could take care of themselves. Though he knew that
she too could take care of herself, when Kagome had decided to leave camp
so she could bathe, Inu Yasha had felt an overpowering need to protect her.
Now he sat on a boulder, thinking about the mission they had undertaken.
They had gathered the shards of the Shikon jewel, made it whole again, and left it in the care of Kaede. Now they were after another incredibly special item: The Vortex Crystal. It too had been shatterd, but by an ancient's sword, not Kagome's arrow, as the Shikon jewel had. Inu Yasha had suspected from the beginning that the seacrh for the crystal shards would be much harder than the search for the Shikon shards, which had already been proved thus far. Kagome would probably have a scar down her spine where a hawk demon had cut her during their battle for the first shard of the Vortex Crystal. Inu Yasha's only regret after that battle was that he hadn't killed the demon sooner.
Kagome surfaced behind Inu Yasha, startling him out of his thoughts. He unconciously turned to look at her, thinking they might be under attack again. Kagome wasn't looking at him, she was standing in the water, which only reached her knees, staring off toward the forest in front of her. Inu Yasha's eyes began to wander, noticing that Kagome had decided not to wear her swimsuit into the water. He blinked, then, realizing he was staring at her, he blushed lightly and turned back around.
The last time Kagome had visited her own time, she had brought back something special for each member of their traveling group. For Inu Yasha she had brought a nice, modern, mortal oufit that fit him as if it had been made for him. It consisted of a pair of light blue jeans and a black t- shirt. For Shippou she had brought one of her younger brother Sota's long, thick jackets. For Sango, a fighting outfit she could wear beneath her robes. For Miroku, a crucifix necklace. For Sango's cat, a toy that Sango carried in her pack. For Koga, a volume on wolflore from her time.
Inu Yasha sat on the boulder in his jeans, his t-shirt in a pile next ot him. Kagome came over and sat next to him. "Are you ready to go back to camp?" Kagome asked him. Inu Yasha looked at her. She was dressed once more, wearing a light blue, V-neck t-shirt, a pair of loose khaki cargoes, and her favorite pair of slip-on Konichi Ohi-Re tennis shoes. "I don't know, I guess. I'm a little hungry, but that's it. I could sit here like this forever, in the sunlight, thinking about the future. I don't know, are you ready to leave so easily?" he answered, taking a deep breath. Kagome looked around, and then at Inu Yasha. "No, not really." she said, leaning her head back and letting her hair dry naturally. Inu Yasha glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, slowly taking inventory of how the last few months, fighting demons, and the normal course of her mortal life, had changed her body. Inu Yasha shuddered imperceptibly and looked away. He couldn't believe himself. He kept reminding himself that he didn't like her, but he couldn't shake the feeling of wanting to stare at her constantly.
In years, he was way older than her, but his body was only a year, maybe two, older than her. He couldn't remember how old he had been when Kikyo had shot him, but his body was only a handful of months older than he had been back then. If she had been any other girl, he might have admitted he was attracted to her. But she wasn't any other girl. She was Kagome. She was believed to be the reincarnation of Kikyo. She was special, different from the others in more than one way.
Kagome was secretly watching Inu Yasha through squinted eyes, watching him breathe, tracking the expressions that rushed across his face. She was attracted to him, but refused to admit it to anyone because, well, he was Inu Yasha. He had said a long time ago that he hated her. He had said she reminded him of Kikyo, the one who had shot him all those years ago. This new mission of theirs was going to stretch their already strained relationship to or beyond its limits.
They had gathered the shards of the Shikon jewel, made it whole again, and left it in the care of Kaede. Now they were after another incredibly special item: The Vortex Crystal. It too had been shatterd, but by an ancient's sword, not Kagome's arrow, as the Shikon jewel had. Inu Yasha had suspected from the beginning that the seacrh for the crystal shards would be much harder than the search for the Shikon shards, which had already been proved thus far. Kagome would probably have a scar down her spine where a hawk demon had cut her during their battle for the first shard of the Vortex Crystal. Inu Yasha's only regret after that battle was that he hadn't killed the demon sooner.
Kagome surfaced behind Inu Yasha, startling him out of his thoughts. He unconciously turned to look at her, thinking they might be under attack again. Kagome wasn't looking at him, she was standing in the water, which only reached her knees, staring off toward the forest in front of her. Inu Yasha's eyes began to wander, noticing that Kagome had decided not to wear her swimsuit into the water. He blinked, then, realizing he was staring at her, he blushed lightly and turned back around.
The last time Kagome had visited her own time, she had brought back something special for each member of their traveling group. For Inu Yasha she had brought a nice, modern, mortal oufit that fit him as if it had been made for him. It consisted of a pair of light blue jeans and a black t- shirt. For Shippou she had brought one of her younger brother Sota's long, thick jackets. For Sango, a fighting outfit she could wear beneath her robes. For Miroku, a crucifix necklace. For Sango's cat, a toy that Sango carried in her pack. For Koga, a volume on wolflore from her time.
Inu Yasha sat on the boulder in his jeans, his t-shirt in a pile next ot him. Kagome came over and sat next to him. "Are you ready to go back to camp?" Kagome asked him. Inu Yasha looked at her. She was dressed once more, wearing a light blue, V-neck t-shirt, a pair of loose khaki cargoes, and her favorite pair of slip-on Konichi Ohi-Re tennis shoes. "I don't know, I guess. I'm a little hungry, but that's it. I could sit here like this forever, in the sunlight, thinking about the future. I don't know, are you ready to leave so easily?" he answered, taking a deep breath. Kagome looked around, and then at Inu Yasha. "No, not really." she said, leaning her head back and letting her hair dry naturally. Inu Yasha glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, slowly taking inventory of how the last few months, fighting demons, and the normal course of her mortal life, had changed her body. Inu Yasha shuddered imperceptibly and looked away. He couldn't believe himself. He kept reminding himself that he didn't like her, but he couldn't shake the feeling of wanting to stare at her constantly.
In years, he was way older than her, but his body was only a year, maybe two, older than her. He couldn't remember how old he had been when Kikyo had shot him, but his body was only a handful of months older than he had been back then. If she had been any other girl, he might have admitted he was attracted to her. But she wasn't any other girl. She was Kagome. She was believed to be the reincarnation of Kikyo. She was special, different from the others in more than one way.
Kagome was secretly watching Inu Yasha through squinted eyes, watching him breathe, tracking the expressions that rushed across his face. She was attracted to him, but refused to admit it to anyone because, well, he was Inu Yasha. He had said a long time ago that he hated her. He had said she reminded him of Kikyo, the one who had shot him all those years ago. This new mission of theirs was going to stretch their already strained relationship to or beyond its limits.