Chapter One: Our Adolescent War

Debts of eternal gratitude to Merith for the betaing and Niamh for the NERT.

Chapter title is from "Ghost," by the Indigo Girls. Chapter epigraph is from "Silver Springs," by Fleetwood Mac.

Disclaimer: Have never owned it, never will. If I made money off it, I would be so very confused.

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Time cast a spell on you, but you won't forget me

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The sun filtered down through the cracks between the boards of Kaede's hut. Kagome's eyelids fluttered as her consciousness seeped back like groundwater. I guess I fell asleep again. She pushed several stray strands of hair out of her face. Did I really dream all that last night? She sat up, looking for Inuyasha's haori. It was no longer tangled with the covers, if it had even been there at all.

I dreamed.... She flushed and shoved the covers aside. I can't believe it. Why am I dreaming about him like that? Kagome dug through her pack and found her hairbrush, yanking it hard through her sleep-tangled hair, hoping the pain would clear her head. I know what he wants, and it's not me.

Inuyasha's eyes looking down at me with warmth and affection....

Kagome's heart twisted within her. But, oh, I wish it were.

Stop it, Kagome. She set the brush down. He's already chosen Kikyo. He loved her first.

Inuyasha holding me like he loves me, like I'm not just that girl who sits him all the time....

No! I'm not going to cry!

Kagome pulled a fresh change of clothes out of her pack and began to pull them on with angry movements. There's no point in this. I know he loves her. There's no point in dreaming about something I can't have.

Is there? She stopped, jeans pulled halfway up. What... what's so wrong about dreaming about Inuyasha sometimes? If sometimes I dreamed that he loved me, just a little? She shivered as the images rushed through her mind: being held, cared for, loved....

Lied to.

"It wouldn't be fair," she said quietly to the silent hut. "He's my friend. Whatever else happens, I can't use him like that. It wouldn't be right." She finished putting on her jeans and began to tidy away the sleeping mat.

"Kagome?" Shippo poked his head into the room. "You're finally up!"

"Morning, Shippo," Kagome said over her shoulder. "Here, help me stash this."

Shippo bounded across the room and began struggling with the heavy cover. "It's not morning, Kagome. It's afternoon," he informed her. "Ack!" The coverlet managed to wind itself around the kitsune and he began thrashing underneath it.

"It's afternoon?"

"Yeah," Shippo said. "Inuyasha's been hiding in the woods all morning."

"That mad, huh?"

The lump under the cover shrugged, as it said in a muffled voice. "You know how he gets."

Kagome plucked the cover off Shippo and began to fold it absently. Guess he got over worrying about me pretty quickly. Oh well. "I guess I'll have to apologize."

Shippo snorted, sounding like Inuyasha for a moment. "He's just being an asshole."

Kagome bit her lip as she stacked the cover on top of the mat. It was nice to not be at odds with him for a little while, even if it was only a dream. So much for that. She swung her pack onto her back, glancing around the hut to make sure she had everything.

Shippo beamed up at her. "Are we ready to go?" he asked, holding his arms up.

She smiled at him and picked him up. "I'm ready." The sunlight bored into her eyes and made her yelp as she emerged from the hut.

"Kagome-sama!" Miroku straightened up from Kaede's herb bed and waved.

"I'm really sorry to have kept you all waiting. I can't believe I slept in this late."

"It's no problem." He dusted his hands off on his robes. "I was helping Kaede-sama with some minor chores while we waited for you. Sango's with her, learning to sew. Inuyasha is..." he hesitated.

"Sulking," piped Shippo.

"In the woods," Miroku said. "If you'll fetch him, we can be on our way."

Kagome winced. "I'd really rather not."

Miroku looked surprised, but somehow refrained from commenting. "Very well. I'll get him. Let Sango know you're up, hmmm?" He picked up his staff and walked off towards the woods.

Kagome, you coward. Ignoring the curious look Shippo was giving her, Kagome wandered around to the back of the hut. She hid a smile when she saw Sango frowning down at a child's kimono while Kaede stitched a tear in what looked like Miroku's spare robes.

"I just don't think I can do this, Kaede-sama," Sango said doubtfully. "I can forge weapons and fix armor, but sewing..."

"I'm surprised you never had to learn to sew," Kaede said. "Even the swiftest taiji-ya must occasionally tear their clothing."

"There were several women in the village who were quite good, and Kohaku had a knack for it as well, so I never had to learn."

Kaede shook her head. "What a strange family."

Sango sighed and picked up the robe with a scowl of concentration. Kagome called out, "Good afternoon, Sango, Kaede-baachan!"

"Good afternoon, Kagome," Kaede said peaceably. "It's good to see you awake."

Kagome dropped her pack and flopped down on the porch next to Sango. Shippo slipped down to her lap, peering curiously at Sango's work. "It's so weird that I slept like that. I wasn't even that tired last night."

"It didn't seem that odd to me," Shippo said.

"Sometimes one just sleeps hard," said Sango absently. "Ouch!" She stuck a finger in her mouth. "I don't think I'm going to improve this kimono by bleeding all over it."

Kagome grinned and took the mending away from her. "Let me see. I got a pretty good grade on this in school. Could you move, Shippo?" Sango had attempted to sew a large hole together, making the cloth pucker. Kagome found the scissors and snipped through the seam. Shippo climbed up on Sango's shoulder for a better view.

Sango shook her head. "They really do make you learn everything, don't they?"

"Yeah. See, here it's worn through, not torn, so you'd be better off patching."

Sango peered at the fabric. "Oh, I see. If it were more of a slash, then I could sew it up."

"Right. See if you can find something pretty to patch it with in the rag bag."

"That kimono's for Shizuko's oldest son," Kaede said. "Not too pretty."

Sango laughed and dug into the bag, making Shippo help her choose between some of the brightly colored scraps. Kagome found herself soothed by the simple task of shaping a patch, and had almost forgotten about her lingering unease when a shadow fell across her.

"'Bout fucking time you woke up."

Kagome jumped, stabbing her finger with the needle. "Don't do that!" She licked the blood off her finger and blotted it on the hem of her shirt.

Inuyasha folded his arms over his chest and glared at her. "You shouldn't have sent Miroku after me."

Kagome tried to ignore her fluttering pulse. This isn't fair. He shows up yelling at me and all I can think about is that damn dream! "Why does it matter who I send after you? Anyway, you're here, so we can go now, right?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, leaning against one of the posts. "Right, whatever. Unless you think you need another nap. All that sleepin' probably wore you out."

"Hey!" Shippo started, only to have Sango's hand clamp over his mouth.

"Don't, okay?" she whispered to the kitsune. "They were going to have this argument anyway."

"He's so unfair," Shippo grumbled beneath her hand.

I am not admiring his silhouette against the sunlight, and I'm really not wondering if his haori is as soft as it felt last night. Kagome tore her eyes away from Inuyasha and stared down at the sewing in her lap. "I'm sorry, okay? I don't know what happened."

For a second Inuyasha's expression softened, but he buried it behind a flippant shrug. "Fine. Let's go. But I don't wanna hear anything about how you're tired later."

Feeling any lingering attraction drown under a swamping wave of familiar frustration, Kagome started stuffing the scattered scraps back into the rag bag. She tried to keep absolutely silent to avoid giving Inuyasha fresh ammunition. She'd almost succeeded wrestling her temper down when a small "hmph" escaped through her teeth.

Inuyasha was on it like a hawk seizing its prey. "Hey, you're the one makin' us late."

Damn hanyou hearing. Kagome leapt to her feet, gripping the barely repaired kimono tightly. "I didn't mean to!" Inuyasha shrugged again and turned away nonchalantly. Kagome twisted the cloth until she heard a seam rip.

"So, are we gonna go, or are you too busy with your little girly sewing project?"

I am not going to give him the satisfaction of a sit. Kagome dumped the freshly torn kimono over Inuyasha's head. Sango cleared her throat and stood up. "I'll get houshi-sama. Come on, Shippo."

"But...."

"Now, Shippo."

Inuyasha yanked the kimono off his head and tossed it to Kaede. "Good."

"Great," Kagome mumbled.

"Fine."

Sango heaved a sigh and picked Shippo up. "Try to be ready by the time we get back, okay?"

Kagome tried to make sure all the sewing things were picked up neatly while ignoring the golden eyes boring into her. Finally she dropped the rag bag and snapped, "I can't believe you! I sleep in one time and you're yelling at me!"

"You slept practically the whole day away!" Inuyasha snarled back. "That's not just 'sleeping in'!"

"Why didn't you wake me up? Or were you just looking for a reason to yell at me?"

"We tried to. Besides, I don't need to look for reasons to yell at you."

Kagome felt her jaw drop. Why am I wasting good dream time on this selfish, brainless, boorish.... "I was being sarcastic! I don't believe you! You can't have that many reasons to yell at me."

"Well I sure yell at you plenty, don't I?" Inuyasha said. "So I gotta have reasons."

"You have reasons?" Kagome said.

"I always got reasons."

"Yeah, right."

"Well, I don't yell at you for no reason, that's for sure."

Kagome was still speechless from the sheer untruth of this last remark when she heard the jingling thump of Miroku's staff come around the corner. Miroku turned to Sango as he got a good look at the couple on the porch. "They're fighting already? This has to be some kind of record."

"Actually," Shippo chirped, "it seems pretty normal to me."

Sango shrugged as Kirara transformed into her larger cat form. "I assume, Kagome, that you'll be riding with us today...."

I'm never riding on his back again, that's for sure. Ignoring the small protest in the back of her mind at this assertion, Kagome walked over to Kirara, slinging on her pack. "Yes, please."

"What the hell are you so cranky for, anyway?" Inuyasha yelled at her back. "Maybe you need a little more sleep!"

I have absolutely had it. "You're the cranky one; maybe you should rest for a moment. Sit!"

"It's about time you did that!" Shippo cheered.

Miroku sighed and rubbed his forehead as Inuyasha crashed to the ground, snarling and muttering. Sango rolled her eyes and threw her leg over Kirara's back. "Now we'd really better go."

"A head start is a good idea," Kaede remarked dryly from the shade of the porch.

Oh, God, I forgot she was there, Kagome thought guiltily. "Bye, Kaede-baachan. Sorry about all this."

"Be careful," Kaede said. "That's all I ask." Kagome nodded and took a seat behind Sango. Shippo nestled himself on her lap, pausing only long enough to make faces at Inuyasha.

Miroku paused next to Kirara, eying Inuyasha. "I assume you won't have any difficulty catching up?" Inuyasha managed to lift his head enough to shoot Miroku a very dirty look. Miroku shrugged and climbed on behind Kagome. "We'll see you in a bit, then."

As the cat launched herself skyward, Kagome put her head down for a moment. Why does he always have to make it so hard? A memory of amber eyes warm with something other than irritation slid through her mind, and, for a moment, a warm exhaustion cradled her body.

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I know I could've loved you, but you wouldn't let me