I'm With Him - Chapter 2
By: Sakura Katsana
Disclaimer: Eenie, meanie, minie, mo, catch the tiger by the toe, if he roars let him go, eenie, meanie, minie, mo.
Sakura's Note: I felt a bit random for the disclaimer, ha ha. I'm very glad how big of a success this story has been. I've gotten a lot of emails throughout my time at ff.net about how I get inspired to write my stories. There is no *one* place that I rely on to get inspired, it comes from all over the place.
I'm quite a scatter brain and so sometimes at school my mind drifts off to other things, and half of them can be turned into fics. Music, movies, friends, even the names of very complicated figures in math have been known to give me the ideas I need to write a fanfic. So, all I need to say to you on that note is to just relax and the thoughts will come to you, try to get a bit more than the idea at first and you're set.
Anyway, back to the other blabber of the author. ^_~
A good estimate of length for this story would be around 17 chapters, give or take a few. That depends on how long I make the chapters as well, and how inspired I am.
(Also( if you could do me the favor of telling me the name of the story that I'm about to describe if you know it? It's about Inuyasha being in some kind of place where Kagome's dad works. Rin speaks her sentences backwards, she's one of the patients there. Kagome comes and visits and meets Inuyasha. He is thought to be deaf. I remember reading it a while ago but never bookmarked it and now I would really like to continue reading. If you know the name please add it in your review or an email. Arigatou!
Thanks to: Everyone who reviewed Dreamt Romance and those who reviewed this chapter. I appreciate all of them more than you know. Although they are not the most important thing about writing fan fiction I still love them with all my heart. ^_^
And now onto chapter two. . .
~*~
Chapter 2: It's Quiet. . .Too Quiet
"What do you mean 'you're with him'?" Inuyasha drawled, his chest heaving with every breath.
Kagome blinked, "I thought it was obvious." The pearl-gray-eyed girl blushed, "He's my boyfriend."
The hanyou could feel the weight in his chest falling to his feet, the words were like bombs, shattering and destroying everything he had secretly hoped for. Just as fast as the angst had burrowed into his heart anger filled his mouth.
Wait.
~"Listen for once Inuyasha, I am no longer after Kagome. She has someone . . . Else," Kouga let out a long breath before standing up to head back to his cave.~
'You mean. . .*Miroku* was that someone else?!'
"How the hell can you be with this pervert?!" Inuyasha practically roared, his fists halfway towards the monk. "You(!"
"Inuyasha! Sit!" Kagome watched in satisfaction as the hybrid smashed to the ground, cursing obscenities to the ground.
The clearing became quiet with anticipation as the hanyou rose calmly to his feet. With a deep breath he turned, grabbing the hilt of Tetsusaiga, "When the damn monk grabs your ass don't come running to me."
Both priest and priestess blinked, looking at each other with confused expressions before looking back at the calm, collected Inuyasha before them.
Sango stood up from her spot at the shack with Kirara, watching with interest at his reaction. 'It's working!' "Um, Kirara seems to be doing a bit better, Kagome, I think she can handle travel again."
"I'm glad, she seemed to be suffering because of the rain." Kagome smiled, standing up next to Miroku. "Where's Shippou?"
"Oh, he's been sleeping before you came back from the woods," Sango glanced over at Inuyasha, his anger rekindling. "I haven't been able to wake him up at all."
"Wake the brat up, we should be looking for Shikon shards, not lying out in the grass all staring into each other's eyes." Inuyasha released his sword, glaring at Miroku. "Ready?"
*
Inuyasha's ear twitched.
She was giggling again.
Giggling at something that *monk* was saying. . .
She didn't laugh at things he said!
How could this have happened? Wasn't it her that had said that he wasn't her type?
"He isn't touching me, he isn't touching me!" Inuyasha looked to his right to see an extremely cheerful demon exterminator continuing to hum her very catchy melody, a blissful look on her face.
"I guess you have something to be happy about," Inuyasha muttered, side- glancing her once again. Sango turned, blushing because of her song but nodded anyway. "Well at least you're- WHAT THE HELL?!"
Sango spun around, Hiraikotsu off her back and in her hands, "What is it?"
"MIROKU! GET YOUR HAND OFF KAGO-"
Kagome crossed her arms, "What is the *matter* with you?"
"What the hell's the matter with you? Letting that damned perverted monk to grope you!"
"What are you talking about? His hand is on my back. God, calm down. The way you're acting people would think I'm cheating on you."
The hanyou silenced, spinning back around with a faster pace. "Come on, we have to reach the village before dark."
Sango rose an eyebrow, winking at the 'couple' before resuming her own pace, stroking Kirara absently while humming her new favorite melody.
*
"Miroku-kun got us rooms for the night!" Kagome beamed, allowing him to wrap an arm around her waist. Thankfully he was actually listening to what Sango had said about what he could and couldn't do.
How had she done that anyway?
~ "Now listen up, Miroku. If you do ONE thing that I said you couldn't while we're doing this then I SWEAR you will never be able to ask another woman to have your child again!" Sango roared, her fist close to the monk's face.
"Well, Sango, kissing isn't exactly *needed* in reproduction. . . I guess I could live without my mouth."
"Stop being a smart ass. . ." Sango muttered, still clutching the him by the collar, "That's not what I was planning on making you live without. . ." The monk's eyes widened.
"O-ok Sango, a-anything to help Kagome." 'Gods, she is scary. . .'~
She'd have to ask Sango-chan sometime. . .
"Keh," Inuyasha looked away, "Probably by claiming there was an evil aura about. Why this town, Miroku? A lot of pretty girls here?"
"Inuyasha, you insult me with your words. I have the only pretty girl I'll ever need right here." Although the hanyou glared, thinking of Kagome, it was another name that came to Miroku's mind.
Kagome looked from the heated half demon to her fake beau in anticipation. She could just see the rubber band between them stretching more and more as the day went on.
"Anyway, the innkeeper said we can have as many rooms as we need, his wife even said she'd bring us some food later tonight." Miroku smiled, "So I should get two rooms, right?"
Inuyasha growled, "You are such a pervert. . . She is not staying in the same room with you!"
"That's not what I was-"
"Oh, of course she is!" Everyone turned to see an elderly woman, her eyes slits in thought. "What man and wife do not share the same room?"
"Wha- They aren't-"
"Hush," the old woman waved a passive hand at the half demon, "Come with me, you two, I'll show you to your room."
'Oh no. . .Kagome-chan!' Sango rushed forward, "With all due respect, I think we should get two separate. . .rooms. . ." the aged woman was already hobbling towards the inn, a very nervous miko looking back pleadingly at her best friend.
"Keh." Inuyasha scoffed, "Who cares?" With that the hanyou walked towards the entrance to the inn, being directed to a room without much effort.
The two were practically pushed into the room with a playful wink from the manager's wife. Both left muttering objections to an empty doorway.
Well, this was interesting.
Kagome blinked, shaking all thoughts from her head as she surveyed the room. Maybe it wasn't as bad as her mind was allowing, besides, what *exactly* had the elderly woman been suggesting? The young miko swept the room with her pearl gray eyes.
One futon- red.
One blanket- red.
One window- with red drapery.
Candles.
Extra thick walls- from what she could tell- red lilies painted around as a border.
Ok, now she knew what the lady was suggesting.
Wow. Wonder how they kept the floor so clea- not important right now. Right *now* she had to figure out something for this awkward setting.
One way to do that.
"Miroku- um," the monk stayed with his back turned to her, staring at the very interesting, very flowery wall. Suddenly he turned, a genuine smile on his face.
"Well, I guess we make the best out of this. . ." he mumbled.
"WHAT?!"
The houshi waved a hand, his eyes dancing with laughter. "You know me all too well, Kagome. I meant, with a nice room like this there must be *something* we can do to pass the time until they bring the food." Noticing Kagome's face still fretful he walked to the window, pinning the cloth to the side. "I decided I'd rather listen to Sango than try anything," Miroku sighed, still staring out the window, "Don't worry. I don't think of you like that."
"What exactly did she say to make you so. . .non-Miroku-like?"
Miroku turned, a semi-terrified look flashing past his face, "Oh nothing. Nothing!"
*
"Inuyasha. . .could you stop leaning on the wall? It's embarrassing." Shippou sighed, seeing his plea would go unheard. "People are gonna think you're a pervert, you know, listening into the newly wed room like that. . ."
"Could you shut up? I'm trying to see if he's trying to pull anything funny!" Inuyasha pressed his ear closer to the wall, ignoring the concerned looks from the villagers.
"I'm sleeping with Sango and Kirara tonight, I'm too ashamed to say I know you," Shippou whispered, inching away. "Ew! Look at the pervert at the inn!"
"Why you-! What the hell are all of you looking at?!" Inuyasha growled, "Don't you have anything better to do than butt into other people's lives?"
. . .
That wasn't what he was doing, of course.
This was different.
This was Kagome.
He was checking up on her, not butting in.
The whispers of the villagers slowly found their way into the extremely red room, another voice cursing strings of profanities a mile long.
"Come here," Miroku whispered, his head inches from the inn's wall.
Kagome looked up from her textbook, "What is it? I thought you were supposed to be helping me with my History on Buddhism paper!"
He held up a finger. She blew the bangs from her face, rolling her eyes. Miroku motioned for her to come, mouthing. "Look."
Kagome crawled over, realizing he was whispering for a reason. "Wha-"
Miroku put a finger to his lips, pointing to a very small crack in the wall, which she quickly looked out of, closing one eye tight.
She could make out a fuming Inuyasha, glaring with his ear practically glued to the other side of their wall. Villagers eyeing him and yelling pervert from time to time. She found herself choking on a fit of laughter.
Miroku stood, walking back over to his friend's papers. "So what did you want to know?"
*
It was quiet in there.
Too quiet.
Inuyasha swiveled his other ear around to listen intently on the door.
Still nothing.
He sighed, he'd never admit it but he was tired. The sun lowered behind the mountains, casting long shadows on the inn. People had long ago stopped bothering him, only walking quickly by without a glance.
Looking back angrily at the wall he turned to leave-
"Whew! That was tiring!"
His ear returned to the wall. "What was tiring?!"
Shippou yawned, coming out of the inn, "You're scaring people, can you go inside? You'll be sorry if you don't. . ."
"Who would listen to a midget like you?" Inuyasha growled, trying to peek into the room from a crack in the wall. "Seriously, when are you going to grow?"
"What are you doing? Get away from there!" Inuyasha turned to see the elderly woman from before glaring up at him, the fan she had just hit him with still raised into the air.
"Cut it out Shippou," Inuyasha sighed, "I don't fall for that anymore."
He was struck again.
"Damn it brat! I swear-"
"Inuyasha, what the hell are you talking about?" Shippou lazily walked back out of the inn, a smile crossing his face at the sight. "I warned you."
"Get away from there!" The old woman slapped his face away, "Now! You peeping tom!" Inuyasha dashed away, diving into the inn's entrance just in time to dodge another bashing from the woman.
"Did you hear that?" Miroku looked up from Kagome's Game Boy.
"No. . ." Kagome looked up, "You think something happened to him?"
Miroku sighed, "I don't know, getting what he deserves if it's true. Damn, I was about to catch a Bulbasaur!"
The futuristic girl laughed, "Keep trying." She heard Sango's voice from the other side of the wall. Luckily both Inuyasha and Sango's rooms were on either side of their own. "Kagome-chan!"
Miroku paused his game, looking up in the direction of the demon exterminator's voice with interest.
The raven-haired girl rose an eyebrow, giving a knowing smile in the monks direction before crawling to the wall. "Sango-chan? What is it?"
"I have an idea."
"What is it, Sango-chan?"
Sango lowered her voice even more, "Can you get out of that window?"
Kagome looked over at the window in question, it looked big enough. "Yeah, I think so. Why?"
"The window in my room is the small size as yours, if you can get out and climb into mine then you won't have to worry about Miroku trying anything."
"Hey! I'm insulted!" Miroku hissed indignantly, crossing his arms.
"And I know you," Sango hissed back. A mew showing Kirara agreed.
Miroku silenced, crossing his arms in an overly dramatic pout.
"I'll be over there in a minute Sango-chan."
Kagome yawned, stretching her arms out above her head. Checking her watch she found it to be ten o'clock.
"I'll toss your bag out when you get down," Miroku whispered, indicating the immensely heavy yellow backpack in the corner.
"Arigatou, Miroku." Kagome smiled, going legs-first out the window. Her bag was handed to her, then handed off to Sango, who had been waiting nervously in the next room. She'd seen Inuyasha go past only a few minutes ago.
The girl followed seconds after her bag, landing in a very different scene than the one she had just left. "Thank you, Sango-chan. That felt so awkward!"
"Don't worry about it."
"Where's Shippou?"
"Oh, the innkeeper's wife made him stay with Inuyasha, saying not even a child should stay with the women." Sango rolled her eyes, "That woman had a little too much sake if you ask me."
"At least he hasn't beaten Miroku to a pulp yet," Kagome muttered, changing the subject.
"I didn't think he would, especially when all you have to do is say sit. Besides, I think we already know he's jealous. I saw him listening in on you two for two hours!" the taijiya giggled, motioning to the door, "He likes you, you won't have to be pretending for too long."
Kagome blushed, "I hope not, it's hard to be with Miroku. I don't think of him that way, and it's awkward."
"You can call this whole thing off, I mean, you don't *have* to do this."
~Both Inuyasha and Kikyo in a clearing, soaking wet, kissing.~
"No, I can't think of any other way to see if he cares."
"How about asking him?" Sango looked out the window.
"Hey, you're the one who came up with this," Kagome reasoned, more to herself than anyone. "It'll work, right? He won't just pretend like nothing's wrong or try and kill Miroku, will he?"
"Calm down, Kagome-chan, breathe. You know Inuyasha has a hard time showing his feelings, but there has been more than one time when you were gone that he unintentionally showed how worried he was. The time you left because of the whole Kouga thing he stared into the well like it would tell him the meaning of life."
Kagome couldn't help but laugh, she'd have loved to see that. Thank the gods she had a friend like Sango, and a friend like Miroku who would actually play along.
That was her last coherent thought before falling into a deep, welcomed sleep.
*
"What was tiring? Huh?!" Shippou jumped up, looking in all directions for the owner of the voice. With a sigh his brain finally processed the information, realizing who exactly it belonged to.
"Inuyasha?" Shippou rubbed his eyes, groggily looking over at the hanyou, "Can you go to SLEEP? What's going o-"
"Shut up! I can't hear!" Inuyasha growled, covering the kitsune's mouth and holding him up to the wall. "Do you hear it?"
His eyes slowly drooped, his mind fighting to stay awake lest Inuyasha shake him to death to wake him, "H-hear what?"
"Exactly." He dropped the child, ignoring the scowl on his face. "It's quiet. . .too quiet. What is he doing to her in there?! I swear if-"
"He's not doing anything! It's called sleeping." Shippou crawled back to his futon, falling back off into dreamland. The last words from his mouth, "You should try it sometime."
Inuyasha sighed, leaning his head back onto the wall. Why was she with the damned monk? After all that talk of him and Sango loving each other. . .
Yet Sango seemed to be fine with it, hell, she even had made up a song, new lyrics being added all the time.
With a final sigh he closed his eyes, allowing sleep to claim him.
'I'm not giving in to that perverted monk. . .
Kagome. . .'
***
Well, there's another chapter. Please R&R, I'll get the next chapter out as soon as I can.
Ja ne
~Sakura.
Disclaimer: Eenie, meanie, minie, mo, catch the tiger by the toe, if he roars let him go, eenie, meanie, minie, mo.
Sakura's Note: I felt a bit random for the disclaimer, ha ha. I'm very glad how big of a success this story has been. I've gotten a lot of emails throughout my time at ff.net about how I get inspired to write my stories. There is no *one* place that I rely on to get inspired, it comes from all over the place.
I'm quite a scatter brain and so sometimes at school my mind drifts off to other things, and half of them can be turned into fics. Music, movies, friends, even the names of very complicated figures in math have been known to give me the ideas I need to write a fanfic. So, all I need to say to you on that note is to just relax and the thoughts will come to you, try to get a bit more than the idea at first and you're set.
Anyway, back to the other blabber of the author. ^_~
A good estimate of length for this story would be around 17 chapters, give or take a few. That depends on how long I make the chapters as well, and how inspired I am.
(Also( if you could do me the favor of telling me the name of the story that I'm about to describe if you know it? It's about Inuyasha being in some kind of place where Kagome's dad works. Rin speaks her sentences backwards, she's one of the patients there. Kagome comes and visits and meets Inuyasha. He is thought to be deaf. I remember reading it a while ago but never bookmarked it and now I would really like to continue reading. If you know the name please add it in your review or an email. Arigatou!
Thanks to: Everyone who reviewed Dreamt Romance and those who reviewed this chapter. I appreciate all of them more than you know. Although they are not the most important thing about writing fan fiction I still love them with all my heart. ^_^
And now onto chapter two. . .
~*~
Chapter 2: It's Quiet. . .Too Quiet
"What do you mean 'you're with him'?" Inuyasha drawled, his chest heaving with every breath.
Kagome blinked, "I thought it was obvious." The pearl-gray-eyed girl blushed, "He's my boyfriend."
The hanyou could feel the weight in his chest falling to his feet, the words were like bombs, shattering and destroying everything he had secretly hoped for. Just as fast as the angst had burrowed into his heart anger filled his mouth.
Wait.
~"Listen for once Inuyasha, I am no longer after Kagome. She has someone . . . Else," Kouga let out a long breath before standing up to head back to his cave.~
'You mean. . .*Miroku* was that someone else?!'
"How the hell can you be with this pervert?!" Inuyasha practically roared, his fists halfway towards the monk. "You(!"
"Inuyasha! Sit!" Kagome watched in satisfaction as the hybrid smashed to the ground, cursing obscenities to the ground.
The clearing became quiet with anticipation as the hanyou rose calmly to his feet. With a deep breath he turned, grabbing the hilt of Tetsusaiga, "When the damn monk grabs your ass don't come running to me."
Both priest and priestess blinked, looking at each other with confused expressions before looking back at the calm, collected Inuyasha before them.
Sango stood up from her spot at the shack with Kirara, watching with interest at his reaction. 'It's working!' "Um, Kirara seems to be doing a bit better, Kagome, I think she can handle travel again."
"I'm glad, she seemed to be suffering because of the rain." Kagome smiled, standing up next to Miroku. "Where's Shippou?"
"Oh, he's been sleeping before you came back from the woods," Sango glanced over at Inuyasha, his anger rekindling. "I haven't been able to wake him up at all."
"Wake the brat up, we should be looking for Shikon shards, not lying out in the grass all staring into each other's eyes." Inuyasha released his sword, glaring at Miroku. "Ready?"
*
Inuyasha's ear twitched.
She was giggling again.
Giggling at something that *monk* was saying. . .
She didn't laugh at things he said!
How could this have happened? Wasn't it her that had said that he wasn't her type?
"He isn't touching me, he isn't touching me!" Inuyasha looked to his right to see an extremely cheerful demon exterminator continuing to hum her very catchy melody, a blissful look on her face.
"I guess you have something to be happy about," Inuyasha muttered, side- glancing her once again. Sango turned, blushing because of her song but nodded anyway. "Well at least you're- WHAT THE HELL?!"
Sango spun around, Hiraikotsu off her back and in her hands, "What is it?"
"MIROKU! GET YOUR HAND OFF KAGO-"
Kagome crossed her arms, "What is the *matter* with you?"
"What the hell's the matter with you? Letting that damned perverted monk to grope you!"
"What are you talking about? His hand is on my back. God, calm down. The way you're acting people would think I'm cheating on you."
The hanyou silenced, spinning back around with a faster pace. "Come on, we have to reach the village before dark."
Sango rose an eyebrow, winking at the 'couple' before resuming her own pace, stroking Kirara absently while humming her new favorite melody.
*
"Miroku-kun got us rooms for the night!" Kagome beamed, allowing him to wrap an arm around her waist. Thankfully he was actually listening to what Sango had said about what he could and couldn't do.
How had she done that anyway?
~ "Now listen up, Miroku. If you do ONE thing that I said you couldn't while we're doing this then I SWEAR you will never be able to ask another woman to have your child again!" Sango roared, her fist close to the monk's face.
"Well, Sango, kissing isn't exactly *needed* in reproduction. . . I guess I could live without my mouth."
"Stop being a smart ass. . ." Sango muttered, still clutching the him by the collar, "That's not what I was planning on making you live without. . ." The monk's eyes widened.
"O-ok Sango, a-anything to help Kagome." 'Gods, she is scary. . .'~
She'd have to ask Sango-chan sometime. . .
"Keh," Inuyasha looked away, "Probably by claiming there was an evil aura about. Why this town, Miroku? A lot of pretty girls here?"
"Inuyasha, you insult me with your words. I have the only pretty girl I'll ever need right here." Although the hanyou glared, thinking of Kagome, it was another name that came to Miroku's mind.
Kagome looked from the heated half demon to her fake beau in anticipation. She could just see the rubber band between them stretching more and more as the day went on.
"Anyway, the innkeeper said we can have as many rooms as we need, his wife even said she'd bring us some food later tonight." Miroku smiled, "So I should get two rooms, right?"
Inuyasha growled, "You are such a pervert. . . She is not staying in the same room with you!"
"That's not what I was-"
"Oh, of course she is!" Everyone turned to see an elderly woman, her eyes slits in thought. "What man and wife do not share the same room?"
"Wha- They aren't-"
"Hush," the old woman waved a passive hand at the half demon, "Come with me, you two, I'll show you to your room."
'Oh no. . .Kagome-chan!' Sango rushed forward, "With all due respect, I think we should get two separate. . .rooms. . ." the aged woman was already hobbling towards the inn, a very nervous miko looking back pleadingly at her best friend.
"Keh." Inuyasha scoffed, "Who cares?" With that the hanyou walked towards the entrance to the inn, being directed to a room without much effort.
The two were practically pushed into the room with a playful wink from the manager's wife. Both left muttering objections to an empty doorway.
Well, this was interesting.
Kagome blinked, shaking all thoughts from her head as she surveyed the room. Maybe it wasn't as bad as her mind was allowing, besides, what *exactly* had the elderly woman been suggesting? The young miko swept the room with her pearl gray eyes.
One futon- red.
One blanket- red.
One window- with red drapery.
Candles.
Extra thick walls- from what she could tell- red lilies painted around as a border.
Ok, now she knew what the lady was suggesting.
Wow. Wonder how they kept the floor so clea- not important right now. Right *now* she had to figure out something for this awkward setting.
One way to do that.
"Miroku- um," the monk stayed with his back turned to her, staring at the very interesting, very flowery wall. Suddenly he turned, a genuine smile on his face.
"Well, I guess we make the best out of this. . ." he mumbled.
"WHAT?!"
The houshi waved a hand, his eyes dancing with laughter. "You know me all too well, Kagome. I meant, with a nice room like this there must be *something* we can do to pass the time until they bring the food." Noticing Kagome's face still fretful he walked to the window, pinning the cloth to the side. "I decided I'd rather listen to Sango than try anything," Miroku sighed, still staring out the window, "Don't worry. I don't think of you like that."
"What exactly did she say to make you so. . .non-Miroku-like?"
Miroku turned, a semi-terrified look flashing past his face, "Oh nothing. Nothing!"
*
"Inuyasha. . .could you stop leaning on the wall? It's embarrassing." Shippou sighed, seeing his plea would go unheard. "People are gonna think you're a pervert, you know, listening into the newly wed room like that. . ."
"Could you shut up? I'm trying to see if he's trying to pull anything funny!" Inuyasha pressed his ear closer to the wall, ignoring the concerned looks from the villagers.
"I'm sleeping with Sango and Kirara tonight, I'm too ashamed to say I know you," Shippou whispered, inching away. "Ew! Look at the pervert at the inn!"
"Why you-! What the hell are all of you looking at?!" Inuyasha growled, "Don't you have anything better to do than butt into other people's lives?"
. . .
That wasn't what he was doing, of course.
This was different.
This was Kagome.
He was checking up on her, not butting in.
The whispers of the villagers slowly found their way into the extremely red room, another voice cursing strings of profanities a mile long.
"Come here," Miroku whispered, his head inches from the inn's wall.
Kagome looked up from her textbook, "What is it? I thought you were supposed to be helping me with my History on Buddhism paper!"
He held up a finger. She blew the bangs from her face, rolling her eyes. Miroku motioned for her to come, mouthing. "Look."
Kagome crawled over, realizing he was whispering for a reason. "Wha-"
Miroku put a finger to his lips, pointing to a very small crack in the wall, which she quickly looked out of, closing one eye tight.
She could make out a fuming Inuyasha, glaring with his ear practically glued to the other side of their wall. Villagers eyeing him and yelling pervert from time to time. She found herself choking on a fit of laughter.
Miroku stood, walking back over to his friend's papers. "So what did you want to know?"
*
It was quiet in there.
Too quiet.
Inuyasha swiveled his other ear around to listen intently on the door.
Still nothing.
He sighed, he'd never admit it but he was tired. The sun lowered behind the mountains, casting long shadows on the inn. People had long ago stopped bothering him, only walking quickly by without a glance.
Looking back angrily at the wall he turned to leave-
"Whew! That was tiring!"
His ear returned to the wall. "What was tiring?!"
Shippou yawned, coming out of the inn, "You're scaring people, can you go inside? You'll be sorry if you don't. . ."
"Who would listen to a midget like you?" Inuyasha growled, trying to peek into the room from a crack in the wall. "Seriously, when are you going to grow?"
"What are you doing? Get away from there!" Inuyasha turned to see the elderly woman from before glaring up at him, the fan she had just hit him with still raised into the air.
"Cut it out Shippou," Inuyasha sighed, "I don't fall for that anymore."
He was struck again.
"Damn it brat! I swear-"
"Inuyasha, what the hell are you talking about?" Shippou lazily walked back out of the inn, a smile crossing his face at the sight. "I warned you."
"Get away from there!" The old woman slapped his face away, "Now! You peeping tom!" Inuyasha dashed away, diving into the inn's entrance just in time to dodge another bashing from the woman.
"Did you hear that?" Miroku looked up from Kagome's Game Boy.
"No. . ." Kagome looked up, "You think something happened to him?"
Miroku sighed, "I don't know, getting what he deserves if it's true. Damn, I was about to catch a Bulbasaur!"
The futuristic girl laughed, "Keep trying." She heard Sango's voice from the other side of the wall. Luckily both Inuyasha and Sango's rooms were on either side of their own. "Kagome-chan!"
Miroku paused his game, looking up in the direction of the demon exterminator's voice with interest.
The raven-haired girl rose an eyebrow, giving a knowing smile in the monks direction before crawling to the wall. "Sango-chan? What is it?"
"I have an idea."
"What is it, Sango-chan?"
Sango lowered her voice even more, "Can you get out of that window?"
Kagome looked over at the window in question, it looked big enough. "Yeah, I think so. Why?"
"The window in my room is the small size as yours, if you can get out and climb into mine then you won't have to worry about Miroku trying anything."
"Hey! I'm insulted!" Miroku hissed indignantly, crossing his arms.
"And I know you," Sango hissed back. A mew showing Kirara agreed.
Miroku silenced, crossing his arms in an overly dramatic pout.
"I'll be over there in a minute Sango-chan."
Kagome yawned, stretching her arms out above her head. Checking her watch she found it to be ten o'clock.
"I'll toss your bag out when you get down," Miroku whispered, indicating the immensely heavy yellow backpack in the corner.
"Arigatou, Miroku." Kagome smiled, going legs-first out the window. Her bag was handed to her, then handed off to Sango, who had been waiting nervously in the next room. She'd seen Inuyasha go past only a few minutes ago.
The girl followed seconds after her bag, landing in a very different scene than the one she had just left. "Thank you, Sango-chan. That felt so awkward!"
"Don't worry about it."
"Where's Shippou?"
"Oh, the innkeeper's wife made him stay with Inuyasha, saying not even a child should stay with the women." Sango rolled her eyes, "That woman had a little too much sake if you ask me."
"At least he hasn't beaten Miroku to a pulp yet," Kagome muttered, changing the subject.
"I didn't think he would, especially when all you have to do is say sit. Besides, I think we already know he's jealous. I saw him listening in on you two for two hours!" the taijiya giggled, motioning to the door, "He likes you, you won't have to be pretending for too long."
Kagome blushed, "I hope not, it's hard to be with Miroku. I don't think of him that way, and it's awkward."
"You can call this whole thing off, I mean, you don't *have* to do this."
~Both Inuyasha and Kikyo in a clearing, soaking wet, kissing.~
"No, I can't think of any other way to see if he cares."
"How about asking him?" Sango looked out the window.
"Hey, you're the one who came up with this," Kagome reasoned, more to herself than anyone. "It'll work, right? He won't just pretend like nothing's wrong or try and kill Miroku, will he?"
"Calm down, Kagome-chan, breathe. You know Inuyasha has a hard time showing his feelings, but there has been more than one time when you were gone that he unintentionally showed how worried he was. The time you left because of the whole Kouga thing he stared into the well like it would tell him the meaning of life."
Kagome couldn't help but laugh, she'd have loved to see that. Thank the gods she had a friend like Sango, and a friend like Miroku who would actually play along.
That was her last coherent thought before falling into a deep, welcomed sleep.
*
"What was tiring? Huh?!" Shippou jumped up, looking in all directions for the owner of the voice. With a sigh his brain finally processed the information, realizing who exactly it belonged to.
"Inuyasha?" Shippou rubbed his eyes, groggily looking over at the hanyou, "Can you go to SLEEP? What's going o-"
"Shut up! I can't hear!" Inuyasha growled, covering the kitsune's mouth and holding him up to the wall. "Do you hear it?"
His eyes slowly drooped, his mind fighting to stay awake lest Inuyasha shake him to death to wake him, "H-hear what?"
"Exactly." He dropped the child, ignoring the scowl on his face. "It's quiet. . .too quiet. What is he doing to her in there?! I swear if-"
"He's not doing anything! It's called sleeping." Shippou crawled back to his futon, falling back off into dreamland. The last words from his mouth, "You should try it sometime."
Inuyasha sighed, leaning his head back onto the wall. Why was she with the damned monk? After all that talk of him and Sango loving each other. . .
Yet Sango seemed to be fine with it, hell, she even had made up a song, new lyrics being added all the time.
With a final sigh he closed his eyes, allowing sleep to claim him.
'I'm not giving in to that perverted monk. . .
Kagome. . .'
***
Well, there's another chapter. Please R&R, I'll get the next chapter out as soon as I can.
Ja ne
~Sakura.