Author's notes~ Well, I'm back and happy as ever. No pun intended, ^^; er yeah. Anyways, please read, enjoy and review!

Quiet Temptations

Chapter Three






They stayed in the clearing, simply relishing each other's company. Inu yasha sat leaning against a tree as Kagome lay on the grass a short distance away, staring at the clouds. A subtle smile was on her lips as she saw different shapes in the puffy white clouds. Her arms were tucked behind her head and her legs were crossed at the ankles. The soft wind that blew made her shirt and skirt flutter in the wind, her blue eyes staring straight up. Her shiny black hair was fanned out around her. All and all, she was a pure vision of beauty from where Inu yasha was sitting. He rotated his shoulders so that the thick bark of the tree scratched his back through his thick haori and his long silver hair caught pieces of the dark bark, but he didn't seem to notice. The prayer beads around his neck clinked together as he turned his head to gaze at Kagome.


Today seemed perfect…


Kagome blinked and turned her attention away from the sky and looked at the hanyou, who currently was looking at her. Their eyes locked and they both turned away, blushing. After a moment of mild embarrassment, Kagome turned back to the hanyou and motioned for him to come sit by her. Hesitantly, he stood and made his way over to her. He sat Indian style and crossed his arms over his chest, seeming tense and uptight. Kagome smiled tenderly and gently grabbed his elbow, forcing him to lie down. His long legs stretched out, before stopping way past Kagome's toes. He noticed how long his legs were compared to her, how much taller he was. Over the past few months he'd been growing a little, but so had Kagome, though he was doing so at a faster rate.


Kagome turned her body sideways and supported her head by placing it on her hand. She smiled at him and he returned it weakly. Kagome giggled and grabbed his hand, turning him so he was sitting in a position similar to her own and 'helped' him move the hand under his chin to support him.


To anyone outside the field looking in, they would have looked like two lovers staring deeply into one another's eyes, which had been what Kagome was going for. She couldn't deny her feelings for the hanyou, but sometimes the boy was just so dense it was impossible not to get pissed off at him.


"I'm glad you're here, Inu yasha," Kagome said suddenly, completely serious. Inu yasha looked at her in surprise and scratched his ear absently, not quiet sure what she meant by that statement. Right here as in the field, or here in his time, or here…with her?


"Whatever," was the answer he decided to give her. And she smiled; perfectly content with his answer, understanding that Inu yasha always had a hard time showing his affection.


She turned away again and rested her back in the tall grass as she looked back to the sky. The long grass blades tickled her neck and legs and she giggled. Inu yasha leaned over her to look at her, blocking her view from the sky and their eyes locked. They…were so close…


'Gods…I want…to kiss her,' he thought with some distress, true he wanted to, but he couldn't act on these feelings, not when he was still unsure of her feelings…and his own.


Kagome looked at him, 'I…is…he going to kiss me? Lord, I wish he would…'


All too quickly it ended and Inu yasha whipped his head away, his silver strands stroking against her cheeks before they fell against his back naturally. Kagome sat up, trying to mask the hurt in her eyes as she slowly crawled towards him, "Inu yasha…"


"Leave me be, wench," he snapped and Kagome felt her heart clench. She bowed her head and looked away, her hand moving to rest over her hand, where it felt like it had been stabbed. Many times he had insulted her, but for some reason this time it hurt her…


"But—"


"Shut up," he growled out and Kagome felt her pain being replaced by anger. Inu yasha's nose twitched, the familiar smell of Kagome's anger filled his nostrils and he closed his eyes, mentally groaning, he was truly a moron sometimes…


"Well excuse me," Kagome said darkly and stood up, crossing her arms. She glared at him before staring to walk away.


"Hey, where the hell do you think you're going?"


"Home."


Inu yasha felt and heard his growl increase in volume and marched towards the retreating girl. "No way in hell."


Kagome gave him a glare, "Why do you care? I'll come back in three days."


"You're not going any where," Inu yasha snapped.


"Oh?" Kagome gave him a long hard glare. "SIT!"


Inu yasha went plummeting to the ground and a small gasp escaped him before being covered by a large growl. "Of course, I should have known."


"What are you yapping about now?"


"When you lose, you resort to the only thing that will make you feel better," Inu yasha dusted off his haori and smirked at her. "Fucking treat me like a dog, with a damn leash! Whenever I don't say something you like, you make me pay for it."


Kagome felt her fist clench and she started walking towards him. Inu yasha felt his ears slick back and his golden eyes stare at him. Was she going to slap him?


But no…she did something he didn't expect. Kagome grabbed onto his rosary, his eyes only able to widen in shock, before she pulled as hard as she could. The string pulled taut before it snapped in half. The teeth dug into the back of his neck before the glass beads scattered all around him and the teeth fell dully at his feet. Inu yasha stared at Kagome in shock, only to discover tears in her eyes.


"There, you're free! You don't have to hang around me anymore!" she cried and took off, leaving Inu yasha standing in surprise.


He looked around the empty clearing and then at his feet. "…I'm free…but why do I feel so empty?"


He watched the outline of Kagome's shadow disappear into the forest. When her scent disappeared as well, he limply bent down and collected the glass beads and youkai teeth. He held them in his hands tenderly before slipping them into the sleeve of his haori.


Sadly he walked back to the village.