Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha. For now, its bishounen are safe…
.................................................................................................
Somehow, she had gotten through the afternoon.
It had taken all her energy to prevent Hojo's certain death, to face her mother's teasing remarks as she introduced Kouga, and to keep both youkai from devouring and destroying everything they came upon.
Souta was off on a school trip, and Grandpa was out of town on another one of his antique-hunting trips. She had been eager to see all of her family earlier, but now she was immeasurably relieved that Grandpa and Souta weren't home. Somehow, she didn't think Grandpa would think very much of her bringing a full-blooded youkai home. And Souta probably would have had a million annoying questions for her, too.
Yes, the cons definitely outweighed the pros there.
"I still don't understand why I couldn't just kill him," Kouga muttered for the hundredth time later that night as he inspected the clean bandages Mrs. Higurashi had put on him.
Kagome sighed as she laid out the last blanket out on the floor of her brother's room.
"Because he is my friend, and you can't just go around killing people's friends here," she huffed, smoothing out the corner of the blue comforter. "There! I think you'll find this a lot more comfortable than your den back in Sengoku Jidai!"
Her mother had insisted that they stay overnight, and had offered Souta's room to Inuyasha and Kouga. Kagome had not been in any mood to argue. Of course, Inuyasha promptly stated that he'd rather sleep outside, and Kouga took the room for himself. He was more used to sleeping in a cave than outdoors, and Souta's dark room suited him just fine.
Kagome laughed as she remembered how Kouga had bypassed the strange western bed and had curled up on the carpet in the corner of the room.
Kouga looked at the colorful pile he was to sleep on for a moment, then stepped on it experimentally. He shrugged and nodded. "It feels different," he said.
Suddenly, he sat down in a cross-legged position and pulled Kagome down with him. She tumbled gently onto the soft cushion of blankets and landed firmly against his chest. Their eyes met for a second, and she shivered involuntarily as his warm breath brushed her cheek.
"Kouga," she squeaked, but it was interrupted as he brushed his lips over hers. "I…"
"Good night, Kagome-chan," he said suddenly, helping her sit up. "This really is comfortable." He shot her a sly look. "Inukkuro doesn't know what he's missing."
"Good night, Kouga-kun," she said shakily, getting up and walking to the door. She hesitated, and for a moment the wolf youkai thought she was going to turn around. Then, she walked out abruptly, closing the door gently behind her. Kouga sighed and curled up, wincing a bit because of his wound.
Kagome hurried down the hall, holding her fingers to her lips and wondering at the strange fluttering in the pit of her stomach. What was that all about?
She finally reached her room and practically ran inside.
She almost ran back out. Inuyasha was sitting cross-legged on her bed.
He looked up at her when she came in, his ears twitching. "So, is that damned wolf asleep yet?"
Kagome nodded, not yet trusting her voice. Inuyasha looked at her curiously, and his eyes narrowed. "What took you so long? I've been waiting here for an hour already."
That wasn't quite true, but it had felt like an hour to him. She had gone off to show Kouga his room, and he had been waiting for her to come back with a knot for a stomach. He needed to talk to her.
"I…we…I was just fixing some blankets for him," she stuttered. The fluttering in her stomach had turned to an all-out churning.
"Kagome."
Her mouth went dry at his tone. He sounded serious, and somewhat sad. "We need to talk," he said softly.
She was a bit taken aback by his demeanor. He's never this calm, she thought.
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Are you gonna stand there all night, wench? I said we need to talk!"
Kagome sweat-dropped. Scratch that. Same old Inuyasha.
She walked over and sat next to him, still not daring to speak. Suddenly, she remembered their last argument, and she cringed inwardly. She had told him she liked Kouga's kiss, hadn't she?
Inuyasha sighed, apparently having some difficulty initiating the conversation. "Kagome, what happened when you were in Kikyo's body?"
Kagome blinked, a bit startled. "Is that what you want to talk about?"
Inuyasha closed his eyes and nodded, and she felt her heart drop. He wants to talk about Kikyo? He doesn't even care about what happened at the well?
After a pause, she sighed. "I don't really know how to explain it. It was like I was still alive, but just trapped somewhere. I couldn't see, or anything like that. I could just feel." She shuddered when she remembered the intense emotions Kikyo had held.
Inuyasha looked down at her and frowned. "What kinds of things did you feel?"
Kagome stared at her hands, and her voice softened. "Resentment, anger," she said, smoothing out her skirt. "Pain."
The hanyou sighed loudly and slumped further down against the headboard. "So, she really did hate me, didn't she?"
The miko winced inwardly. "No, Inuyasha," she said sadly. "She really loved you. I think, in the end, she was finally able to realize that and accept it. When she…left…she was happy."
"Yeah, I know," Inuyasha murmured. "It's just that, well, I always thought that there'd be some hope for her while she was alive. I thought that maybe she'd stop hating me so much, and would be able to live in peace. It's sad that she had to die to finally do that."
Kagome felt her throat tighten. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I really didn't mean to kill her."
The hanyou looked at her suddenly, and frowned when he saw tears well up in her innocent brown eyes. "Don't be stupid, Kagome," he said with his usual charm. "It's not your fault things ended up the way they did."
The girl hiccuped and stared at him. "Thanks, Inuyasha," she whispered. "Though I could've gone without the 'stupid'."
"Feh." Inuyasha planted a fist firmly on the bed and leaned closer. "Speaking of stupid," he said, his amber eyes focused on hers, "Why did you let that Hojo guy get away with what he did?"
Kagome frowned. "Come on, Inuyasha. Hojo is just a naïve guy from school. Sure, he always gives me things, and he's sweet, and a nice enough guy…"
"Hey Kagome?" Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched, and his claws were digging into her bedspread. "You're telling me why you don't want me to kill him, right?"
Kagome giggled. "Oh, Inuyasha," she said, waving at him. "Don't be so aggressive. He's just a friend, really." She yawned, feeling the need for sleep creep up on her.
"Feh. I don't know what kind of friend is allowed to kiss you. The guy reminds me of Miroku."
Kagome laughed. "Trust me, he's not that bad," she said, leaning against his shoulder. He stiffened, but she was used to it. She missed the blush that crept into the hanyou's face as he slowly relaxed again.
"I don't know how I'm going to explain this to Eri," she murmured. "They'll never believe the truth."
"Uh, the truth?" Inuyasha mumbled intelligently.
"Yeah. About the well and all. The last thing I need is for everyone to think I'm crazy. I've already got everything else wrong with me, according to Grandpa." She yawned again. "Plus it'll totally ruin the scrap of social life I have left."
"Feh. I don't see what the big deal is."
Kagome closed her eyes. "Inuyasha, if everyone thinks I'm crazy I'll never be taken seriously again. That'll kill my chances at a good career, not to mention my future," she mumbled.
"Your future?" Inuyasha glanced down, only to be somewhat disappointed when he saw that she had fallen asleep. Gingerly, he pulled out from behind her and tucked her in. It was somewhat awkward, but he finally got her under the covers.
"Kagome," he whispered, kneeling down on the floor so that his face was level with hers. "Am I in your future?"
"Mm hm," she murmured, turning on her side. Inuyasha blushed when her face slid closer to his. All he had to do was lean forward, and their lips would touch.
Suddenly, his nose twitched and his heart skipped a beat. There was a foreign scent lingering on her mouth, and he recognized it immediately.
Growling, he stood up straight and stalked to the window. He glanced back at the sleeping miko, and his face fell. With a sigh, he leapt out, leaving the curtains fluttering softly in the breeze of the warm summer night.
..............................................................................................................
Miroku was returning from his walk when he saw her. She was leaning against one of the wooden fences at the edge of one of the villagers' garden, gazing at the sunrise, her features illuminated by the light.
"Speak to her, Houshi-sama."
He turned quickly toward Kaede, who was smiling at him encouragingly. "Kaede-sama, I…"
She shook her head to silence him. "I have lived for a long time, young monk. It is not difficult to tell when someone is in love. Especially when ye stare at the taijiya with your mouth agape, as ye were doing when I happened upon ye."
She stifled a chuckle when he blushed. "Speak to her, houshi," she said again, walking away. "Ye do not want to follow in Inuyasha's footsteps."
Miroku stared after the old miko thoughtfully. Then he cleared his throat and started walking.
"It's a beautiful sunrise, isn't it?"
Sango jumped a little at the voice. Miroku had sneaked up on her from behind, a skill she wasn't particularly comfortable with.
"Yes, it is," she answered, turning her eyes back up to the golden rays with a sigh. "I just wish we could be free to enjoy times like these without worrying about other things."
"Like Naraku?"
She nodded. "And Kohaku," she added softly. "I wonder if he ever gets see the sun rise now. He used to love doing that."
Miroku frowned. "Sango, don't torture yourself so. It's exactly what Naraku wants."
The taijiya lowered her head, and the houshi's eyes widened when a sob escaped from her.
"Sango-chan, I'm sorry. I…"
"What am I supposed to do, Miroku?" Her tearful eyes met his, punctuating the pain in her voice.
"Kohaku is my little brother, the only remaining part of my entire life. Now he's in the hands of that cruel beast, and I never know if he's being tortured or even if he's still alive right now!"
The houshi drew her closer, and she buried her face in his shoulder. "How can I not torture myself with these thoughts, Houshi-sama, when Kohaku is all I have left?"
Miroku frowned into her hair. "You have much more than that, Sango," he said softly. "Your friends will help you get him back. Don't ever forget you have friends."
She blinked in surprise as his arms drew tighter.
"And you have me."
Sango's gasp was barely audible, but he felt the heat of her flush right through his robes. His own face was reddening, but he wasn't prepared to let her go just yet.
The taijiya's eyes went from surprise to anger in a flash at the rustling fabric against her bottom.
"Miroku!"
The slap echoed through the quiet night, and the monk withdrew his arms immediately. He grinned helplessly. "Come now, Sango," he started playfully, then froze.
Her face and posture showed anger, but the blatant pain in her eyes was what struck him. She had never looked at him with that expression before.
"Sango," he mumbled, reaching for her hand.
She turned and ran, leaving a trail of tears on the breeze.
Miroku stared after her for a moment. Then, swearing heavily, he started after her.
.............................................................................................................
He chuckled. The houshi was really an idiot. He had managed to hurt Sango in a way that he himself would have never imagined.
If only he'd known how dearly the taijiya cared for that monk, he would have used it long ago to his advantage.
He shrugged indifferently, scanning the grounds nearest to him with a keen eye.
Where was the miko?
It perplexed him to come to this village, where he knew she always went whenever they weren't searching for the Shikon shards, and not find a trace of her nor of the hanyou.
He moved to the next tree, taking care not to ruffle his pelt.
Where could they be?
He was eager to move into the next phase of his plan, but his patience was wearing thin and the girl was nowhere in sight.
The corners of his mouth curled into a smirk, and he jumped down onto the path below just as the taijiya burst through the tree line.
She barely had time to register the warning in her gut before she collided with him.
"Sango, wait!"
The houshi stepped onto the path a few seconds later, a look of fear on his face. He had sensed Naraku and was trying to warn the taijiya.
He looked from the surprised huntress to the baboon mask and decided it was too late.
In one swift move, Naraku struck taijiya in the head and swept her up into his arms.
"Sango!" Miroku cried, moving forward.
"Stop right there monk, or I shall kill her," the evil hanyou ordered.
Miroku hesitated. "Let her go, Naraku," he spat viciously, trying not to let his fear coat his voice.
The hanyou chuckled. "Why, Miroku? You seem very concerned about the well being of our Sango here, I think."
Suddenly, the smirk left his face and he frowned. "Where is Kikyo's reincarnation?"
The houshi's eyes widened, but his mouth remained shut.
"So, you won't tell me?" Naraku turned to look at the unconscious girl in his arms. "Pity, she'd be heartbroken if she found out you cared more for the young priestess's safety than her own."
"Stop! Kagome isn't here, Naraku," Miroku said desperately.
"I've deduced that much myself, houshi. Tell me where she is."
Miroku bit his lip, trying to think of something. He couldn't use his Kazaana without pulling Sango in as well. He couldn't tell Naraku about the well. There had to be something…
"She has gone with Kouga," he said quickly. He watched as the evil hanyou hesitated, and held his breath.
"You lie," Naraku said simply. "You shall pay dearly for your impertinence, houshi." He raised his arm, and a blade flashed in the shaded sunlight.
....................................................................................................................
Yes, I know. I've taken so long to update, only to throw something like this out. Trust me, I haven't had the energy to work on anything lately. Things are finally starting to look better, though, so I expect more writing time. Thank you for your patience. Sincerely, Management…I mean, tell me what you think!