I'm With Him - Chapter 5
By: Sakura Katsana
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, just like I don't own Minute Maid.
Sakura's Note: Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter of I'm With Him. Next chapter Inuyasha will start having more and more bursts of jealousy here and there, right now he's trying to hold it in. If you don't get why, it's ok. Not many can understand the insane and overly-complicated that belongs to our beloved hanyou.
I'm trying out HTML format, so if there are a few errors, it's just that. ; (Or my awful grammar)
I also was thinking ahead and there should be about five more chapters after this. So around 9-10 chapters all together.
Everyone seemed to like last chapter, and no one thought it was all that short, so I feel pretty nifty right now.
Also, I just looked and this is a fourteen page chapter! Didn't I tell you they'd be getting longer? School is finally slowing down, and I get out the 14th. So, excluding holidays and promotion (14th) and weekends that's. . .eleven more days! Updates should be speeding up from now on, because finally, after all my praying homework is slowing down!
Shout outs:
Teenitoxipixi: I see Inuyasha as a tough kind of guy, who has trouble coming to terms with his feelings--even jealousy. So, it'll take him a while to get to random outbursts of anger and then total 'Green with Envy' syndrome. But, there are more outbursts from our favorite hanyou (unless you're a fan of one of the other 3) are in this chapter. Thanks for the review!
Thanks to: teenitoxipixi, Devil, Sarcasm Girl8, April-chan, Pinayazngrl, LiRi, damson rhee, TaintedInuShemeeko, Swimchick1614, Moonlight Jade, osuwariIYK, Crimson, UltraNova, ZeLLy907, Karen, and Almost Gone (although you gave me a flame ;).
Enjoy!
Chapter 5: Step Up to the Plate
It was all he could do to not walk straight into a tree. He'd already stumbled over an upturned root so far today. Inuyasha continued staring off into space, his conversation with Shippou still running through his mind repeatedly.
Inuyasha grumbled, kicking yet another unfortunate rock out of his way. When said rock found its way to Shippou's head a smirk crossed his weary face.
"Are you ever gonna step up to the plate, Inuyasha?" Shippou rubbed his head absent-mindedly, turning to look at the hanyou. "Well, are you?"
"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha put on a scowl, looking out at the horizon. Truth was he knew exactly what the kit was saying. The question was would he ever admit it? The answer was, as always, no. Never in a million years. But, now Miroku had her. He automatically clenched his fists, almost drawing blood.
"Don't you care?"
Inuyasha continued ignoring him, crossing his arms and tucking his hands into his sleeves as they continued their search for wood for the night.
"Inuyasha!" the child jumped up, attaching himself onto the hybrid's face. "I might be five times smaller than you but that doesn't mean you can ignore me! What I'm saying is important!"
"Keh, make that more like ten times."
Shippou dropped off his role model, "I dun' want to be here anymore. . ."
Inuyasha rose an eyebrow, "What do you mean?" he cursed how concerned he sounded. Why should he care if the little brat left?
"Kagome's busy with Miroku, you're busy being stupid." the little green-eyed fox demon shook his head warily, "Sango keeps singing, and Kirara stays with her. . ."
The hanyou knelt down, stopping fox demon's murmuring with a hand on his head, "What are you saying? You feel lonely or something?"
Shippou yanked away from his grasp, giving a curt nod.
"You stupid little brat. . ." Inuyasha said caringly with a shake of his head, giving out a dry laugh. "You think I'd ever leave you out on purpose?" Shippou looked up, surprised at Inuyasha's soft tone. "I don't mean to. I mean, leaving you out. You'll get it when you're older, it's easy to get lost in stuff."
"Like what?" He noticed the half demon give him a quick glare.
"Nothing!"
"Thinking about Kagome?" the hanyou growled, accidentally snapping a tree branch from his load.
"Yes, thinking about Kagome-Wait! No!" he was getting angrier by the moment, causing him to slap himself in self loathing. "You know what I mean. Don't try and misinterpret it to mean something it doesn't!"
"I know what you mean, I'm just worried you don't."
The two magenta eyes of the demon exterminator continued to examine her companions restlessly. Kagome caught Sango eyeing the two, giving a thumbs up as she returned to conversing with Miroku.
It'd been days since Miroku had given her the slightest bit of attention, perverted or otherwise. Not that she really minded, of course, but an unfamiliar pang still taunted her stomach more each day. She smiled with fake happiness, turning away from the tranquil 'couple' behind her back to the peeved hanyou beside her.
Her world was turning upside down, and it was- to her disgust- almost all her fault. Although there was one other person to place the blame on. . .and she was standing right next to him.
What was taking Inuyasha so long?
If anything he was fighting to not say anything to the two. She wished she could pound some since into him with Hiraikotsu, but alas that would probably only make him slower than he already was. Of course, if she could see how fast his mind was working at the moment she might have to think otherwise.
Shippou seemed just as melancholy as the two adults he had chosen to walk with. Kagome could see the confusion in his eyes, and the fifteen year old had to admit she felt for the little guy. She had explained the whole jealousy plan to Kouga, but the little kit was still out of the know. So, he, like his older role model, refused to pay much attention to the couple behind him. If she wasn't so heavyhearted at the moment she would have had to laugh at the adorableness of it. When this is all over, the miko thought, Sango and Miroku will be together too.
The demon exterminator noticed a small smile cross Kagome's face, one full of romantic ideas. She quickly forced her eyes back to the darkening sky, letting her mind trail back to her other problems. What if, while all of this is happening. . .Kagome and Miroku develop feelings for one another? That couldn't happen, could it? They had nothing other than they were both from the priesthood in common, no chemistry at all. Except, she knew he had hit on her friend before she came along, but that all had changed. Hadn't it? Kagome, what are you thinking? And, gods, don't let it be about Miroku.
Kagome was starting to doubt their 'master plan' would work.
Kouga turned to her, his clear blue eyes mirroring his laughter. "Dog turd isn't easily fooled, but by the stench of jealousy that hit my nose like a fist when I entered the forest I can safely say you both are very good actors."
So they were good actors, so what? Inuyasha never was one to think about things rationally, the thought it was a set up had never crossed his mind.
So he was jealous. She knew that already by the way he was acting. The thing that made her piqued was the fact he wasn't admitting it. He had always been jealous of Hojo and Kouga, they all agreed on that.
Might as well try and make peace, who knows how long this could last? "How much longer until we reach the next village?" her venturing out with a tentative voice made him somehow even more irate than he already was.
So now she feels uneasy talking to me? "Why don't you ask the monk?" Inuyasha snapped evenly, although it bordered on rude.
"Because I asked you," Kagome barked back, crossing her arms. "You know, I'm tired of your attitude."
"Then why don't you sit me?" the hanyou stopped in the middle of the road, spreading out his arms causing Sango to almost lose her balance. "Oh, that's right! You're too busy with the hentai houshi to have anything to do with anyone else." With a sniff of the air and a quick look at her wrist he answered her question. "Probably thirty minutes. At least I can still rely on your watch."
"Inu-"
He sighed, clutching the hilt of his father's fang, "Don't bother. . .it's not your fault."
What was with him?
One second he was about to earn fifty sits, the next he was almost apologizing!
Shippou looked from Kagome to Inuyasha ruefully. Kagome hadn't meant to think of anything when she saw his emerald orbs except their usual sparkle. Instead she saw something she'd seen somewhere before. . .
A feeling of being torn. Like when you had to chose between your mother and father. Where had she seen it before?
Then it came to her; her friend Eri, she'd seen it that day in the court house when they asked who she rather live with. That exact look.
It was then when she saw Miroku noticing the same look in the kitsune's eyes that they both silently decided to tell him what was going on.
They had gotten soaked by the rain but luckily had been able to get to the next village and next dry huts. But, it seemed like de ja vu to Kagome when the inn keeper's wife insisted Kagome and Miroku stay in the same room.
Again.
What was with these innkeeper wives anyway?
Fortunately, Sango's room was close by. Not as close as in the last village, it was about two rooms down.
Kagome had never been the luckiest person in the world, but that day the fates had been merciless. Her curse of bad luck had come through.
Inuyasha's room was right smack dab in between the two rooms. The two rooms that held Sango and Kagome.
Shippou had been able to stay with Sango this time because of the exhibition of child abuse Inuyasha showed on their way inside the tavern. At least that was a plus, if worse came to worse she would just have to tell him alone. They had thought of her telling them alone in the first place, but it just seemed better for it to come from Kagome instead.
She took a deep breath, praying long and hard about her luck.
The hanyou seemed to have gone back to normal since they had ended their argument, and Miroku said he could sense Inuyasha listening in on the other side.
Miroku had entertained himself by making large noises wherever he had a feeling the hybrid was listening from. His personal favorite was dropping Kagome's textbook on the ground and hear a faint curse from the other side, followed by a rustle and then resettling of cloth.
Kirara had become the girls' personal messenger pigeon as she continued running back and forth undetected with a piece of lined paper tied to her paw. The fire youkai received some strange looks, but being a cat she didn't really care.
'Shippou can distract Inuyasha until you get in here. Then you can tell him back in our room.'
Kagome scribbled down a positive reply. Waiting to see exactly what Sango had in mind.
"Inuyasha!" A ball of fur flew onto the hanyou's head, sticking to him as if he was a giant lollypop.
"What the HELL?!" Inuyasha sat up so fast Shippou almost lost his grip. "Wha- Where?! Where's Naraku?!"
Shippou cocked his head, pondering whether or not to laugh. Then he considered the possible beating he would received. He had to keep Inuyasha occupied. If it meant separating Kagome and Miroku he was all ears.
"What are you doing in here you little runt?" Inuyasha grumbled, grabbing the kitsune by the tail.
"I had a bad dream!" the boy wailed.
Inuyasha lifted a brow, speaking as if to a slow child, "A bad dream."
"Uh huh! About. . .chickens!"
"Chickens?" the kitsune was quickly tiring of his tone. He wasn't stupid! Just not creative!
Shippou nodded vigorously. "They were everywhere! And you were in the ground, except for your head. And they were all running on it!"
"They were running on the. . .ground?"
"No! On your head!" Inuyasha's eyes widened, wondering what exactly the child had eaten that before bed.
"So. What happened next?"
"Well. . ." Shippou thought for a moment. It got hard after fifteen minutes! "Then Kagome came and pulled you out, but the chickens started attacking her."
"But I thought Kagome was in the ground too." Inuyasha stated observantly.
"It was a dream!" Shippou insisted despairingly. He knew Kagome was already in their room, why couldn't he get rid of Inuyasha?
"Keh. It still could make more sense. . ."
"No I couldn't! It's a dream! It's not supposed to make sense!"
"Mine do. I guess I'm just much more sophisticated than you. Keh, being older and all. . ."
"Whatever." Inuyasha shot him an intolerant look.
"You should learn to respect your elders." He chastised, knocking to kitsune over onto his side. "So, what happened next?"
"You got there, but so did Miroku. He tried sucking in the chickens, but they changed into wasps-"
"Ha! Lemme guess, I had to go save the day?"
Shippou's eyes dropped, Might as well boost his ego so he has something to sleep with tonight. . . "How'd you guess? Well, that's all of it. . .I'm really tired, so I'm gonna go back to sleep."
"Yeah, you go do that. It was a stupid dream anyways, I don't see why you had to come and wake me up in the first place. . ." the hanyou grumbled, going back over to the wall to continue 'keeping guard' on Kagome as he slept.
"Thank goodness, Shippou! Where have you been? We only needed you to distract Inuyasha for five minutes or so!" Shippou held up hand to silence the chattering futuristic girl. "Don't worry about it, Kagome."
Sango looked at Kagome for approval, and when she got a nod took a long, liberating breath. "Shippou, we have something to tell you."
His curious green eyes looked between both women before settling in on Sango. "What is it, Sango?"
Both girls looked at each other uncomfortably, "Well, um, Shippou. Miroku and I. . .we're not together. Never have been." Sango and Kagome had to cover their ears to block out the delighted roar of triumph from the little kit.
"You're not? Really?" He whispered, so low both girls had to strain to hear him. Everyone heard a groan from Inuyasha's room. Almost automatically everyone froze, waiting to hear another sign he was asleep. A light snore did it.
Kagome grabbed out a piece of notebook paper from her bag, along with a mechanical pencil, handing them to Sango. 'We're trying to make Inuyasha admit his feelings for Kagome.'
Shippou read, then his eyes burst with a new joy. 'Really?'
Both girls nodded. 'Miroku agreed to help. If he gets jealous enough he'll admit his feelings and then Kagome and Inuyasha will be together.'
'Bout time. . .' Shippou scribbled, causing Kagome to blush and look away.
'Shippou, take this note to Miroku. I have a plan.' the kitsune didn't miss the mischievous glint in the miko's eyes as he nodded, jumped out the window, and headed towards Miroku's room.
Inuyasha watched as the monk and Kagome held hands, talking and laughing the entire time. What for, he did not know. Sango walked by, heading towards the springs with a small parcel under her arms. "Kagome-chan, want to come to the hot springs with me?"
The girl in question looked up with Miroku from where they sat, "Sure, Sango-chan. I'd love to." Inuyasha mentally smirked, anything to get her away from the monk. . .
"Sango-chan, would you mind Miroku-kun coming along?" the hanyou's head virtually snapped in shock to the scene in front of him. With the most shocked face he could have ever made the half demon looked to Sango for an objection. With that song she was singing. . .of COURSE she wouldn't allow Miroku to go-
"Sure, Kagome-chan. He's not interested in me anymore, right?" Sango smiled, although on the inside the words stung like lemon on a cut. "They said there's more than one, you two can use the one next to mine."
"Ok!" Kagome grabbed Miroku by the arm, grabbing up her bag. "Come on Miroku-"
"What in all the hells are you doing?!" Inuyasha shouted, jumping from his tree.
"Gaaah!" Kagome shrieked, "Inuyasha, don't do that! You scared me half to death!"
"So if I scare Miroku twice he'll drop dead?" Inuyasha growled, pointing an accusing finger at the monk.
"Don't say things like that!"
"You're not denying it!"
"So? That doesn't mean it will happen!"
"How can you let that pervert even come near you while you bathe?!"
"I can do whatever I want!"
"Who would want Miroku with them? Huh?!"
"I do!"
They had already chased half the villagers back into their homes by their yelling, but neither had gotten the hint. They were too caught up enjoying their newest argument.
"But he's. . .Miroku! He'll be gawking at you the entire time!"
"No he won't! Will you Miroku-kun?"
Inuyasha glared at the houshi, daring him to lie to him.
"Of course not, Kagome-chan." Miroku gave a smile, one that covered up his most hentai thoughts. . .Inuyasha knew it.
"He's lying!" Inuyasha sputtered, becoming more desperate by the moment. "What's the matter with you?!"
"Nothing, Inuyasha! What's the matter with you?" Kagome huffed, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
"I'll tell you what's the matter with me! I'm pissed off that you are with him instead of-" Inuyasha stopped, wishing his brother would come along and force feed the words back into his mouth. He sensed something about the others, like they were anticipating something--looking forward to something. . . "Go ahead and let him stare at you, why the hell should I care anyway?"
With that the hybrid stomped off, jumping into a tree to watch as the three began heading down the rocky path to the hot springs indifferently.
He almost said it. . . Kagome's heart was still pounding from their newest war of words, He almost said it!
He almost said it. . . Sango's heart dropped down far enough to drag the ground, Why couldn't he have just said it? I don't think I can take much more of this. . .
They reached the hot springs as Sango dropped the small package on the ground, unwrapping it from the cloth to reveal to things Miroku had never seen before.
. . .well. . .never seen without spying. . .
They were swim suits. Two of them.
He couldn't seem to hold in his musings, "But-" Both girls turned to look at the confused houshi. "I thought-" suddenly their looks changed to those of confusion to those of comprehending--and infuriated--mother hens.
"You thought we were going to get in the hot springs naked? With you around?" Sango forced out, teeth clenched and a pointed finger trembling. "You. . ." grabbing up the nearest boulder she could find, tossing it angrily, "Pervert!"
"Sango, please understand. . .I was misinformed!"
"That's not a misuse of information! Those are the thought of a desperate man!" The boulder crashed down by his foot, causing him to freeze in temporary shock before darting away like a pesky gnat from the enraged taijiya.
Kagome sighed, pulling the second strap over her shoulder. "Sango-chan, maybe you should put on your swimsuit. . ."
"But he'll look!" Sango cried, gaining on the offensive monk.
"I'll make sure he doesn't, Sango-chan." Kagome sighed out of resignation, stepping out from behind the tree and sending Miroku a warning glare. He got the message, looking away at the much more interesting tree bark. Gods his friends were scary.
"Kagome-chan?" Sango's head peeped out from the tree trunk, "Can you come here for a second, please?"
"Um, sure Sango-chan, what is it-" She let out a cry before she was jerked behind the tree, a distraught demon exterminator still with a strong hold on her arm. "Kagome-chan, I can't wear this in front of Miroku-sama!"
"Why not? Of course you can, it's just a bathing suit. It's not even a two piece. . ." Kagome looked down at the swimming suit, "It looks much better on you! I'm glad I brought it."
"Kagome-chan. . ." Sango whined, looking desperately from where she knew Miroku was standing to Kagome.
"Oh alright, slide in while I distract him. . ." the taijiya gave a grateful smile. "Miroku!"
"Yes, Kagome?" he turned, surprising both girls that he had not been trying to sneak a glimpse.
"Have you. . .heard anything?"
"Like what?"
"Like, maybe Inuyasha?"
"No, nothing but whispers from you two." Kagome blushed with a relieved smile, giving him a pat on the shoulder. With wonderful form Kagome dived headfirst into the waters, emerging seconds later.
Both girls laughed, looking over at Miroku before they died down. "What's wrong, Miroku-kun?"
"I wanna get in!" Miroku whined. He reminded Kagome so much of her little brother.
"What?!" Sango shrieked, covering her chest even though it was completely submerged in water. "You can't get in here! Kagome agrees with me, don't you Kagome-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
The miko had tossed Miroku something from her bag, and now he was behind the bushes, popping out seconds later clad in only a pair of black swim trunks.
Sango blushed, screaming and diving into the water--headfirst--to avoid the bare-chested monk. How can Kagome submit me to this? The exterminator looked out ahead of her, keeping the last of the oxygen from escaping with her hands. He was in the water, she could tell by his legs. Oh Kami-sama. . .
She felt her lungs give out and quickly resurfaced, only to find herself face to face with her worst nightmare, and strangely, best dream.
Miroku's eyes sparkled with mirth, his body covered in a light sheen of water, droplets cascading down his toned chest and arms, falling back into the water.
Deep down a part of her wished she was that water.
In reality he was about three feet from her, but to her pounding heart he was only a few inches. She gasped when she felt a wave of water come swell towards her, washing over her and then onto Kagome.
"You-!" Kagome splashed, aiming for the cheeky monk, but missed.
This was how most water fights started, one wrong aim and you found yourself soaked from head to toe, take no prisoners.
Sango laughed, feeling something in her shed the tough, refined adult shell and returning to a childhood she had never been given. She didn't even notice until she and Kagome were both jumping on Miroku's back, submerging him in the water before swimming away as fast as they could.
And suddenly, all worries about love were gone, even though it was just for that moment.