Author's Notes: I am so sorry for my delays in updating all of my stories lately. Personal issues have caused me to have trouble finding motivation. Plus, life has been hectic in general. Hopefully that won't be an issue from now on. I won't be updating Saturday though because I have an anime convention (anime central in Chicago) this weekend. (I'll be there cosplaying as Kagura from IY, Heimdall from "Matantei Loki Ragnarok" and Winry Rockbell from "Full Metal Alchemist." 3 ) So yes, I'm rambling. I may try to update on Wednesday though. We'll see how life goes.

As a random note, for those interested all my other fanfics are InuYasha/Kagome romance. So if you're only reading this one, you may want to check out my profile for the others. (I also just recently finished one "In Order To Break Me.")

I know I've been piling the sentimentality on in these recent chapters, but that's not a continuous thing. All these chapters just kind of tied together and… eh. We'll be getting back to the romance/humor aspect after this chapter.

So as always- read, review, and enjoy.

"A Fortuitous Blunder"

Chapter Eight

What She Wants

By Kelly O'Connor

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InuYasha grumbled to himself as he approached the village. A wet towel was slung over his shoulder and Miroku was at his side shooting him prodding glances every few moments. "Oi, Miroku- stop it!"

"Stop what?"

"Stop looking at me like you're expecting me to do something!" InuYasha snapped. "I'll tell Kagome what I want when I feel like it!" He continued. "So don't bug me about it!" Miroku smiled lightly.

"Ah, so you admit you want to tell her… or ask her?" The Houshi raised his eyebrows. InuYasha crossed his arms and turned away.

"Keh!" He continued walking and his ears perked up when he picked up the familiar voices of Sango and Kagome conversing in front of Kaede's hut. Being fairly late at night, they were the only two still outside in the village.

"Eh, what do you mean Sango-chan?" He heard and strained his ears to better make out their dialogue.

"Well it's the same there right?"

"Marriage is a bit different in my time, but...it's still a commitment between two people that care about one another."

InuYasha's eyes widened in realization of what exactly they were discussing. Dammit, did Miroku and Sango plan this or something? He narrowed his eyes at the monk, who was unlike InuYasha, not able to hear the quiet conversation.

"Oh I see."

"Sango-chan why do are you asking about this anyway?" She went silent for a moment. "Wait are you talking about… me and InuYasha?" The shake of her voice showing her obvious flustered reaction. InuYasha felt his face flush red as he and Miroku arrived at the hut a few moments later.

"Kagome?" He managed. Kagome gulped and blushed brightly herself, hoping he hadn't heard her exchange with Sango.

"InuYasha, I uhh… did you have a good time with Miroku?" She asked awkwardly.

"Keh! I uhh… never mind!" The Hanyou answered lamely, and turned around, shuffling his feet a bit before hesitantly beginning to walk off in need of sorting out his thoughts.

"Marriage is a bit different in my time, but...it's still a commitment between two people that care about one another." Her words flitted across his mind. Was Miroku right? Is that what Kagome wants? Sighing to himself, he leaned against a nearby hut.

"InuYasha wait up!" Kagome's figure caught up to him and relaxed against the house beside him. "Are you okay?"

"Yah- I'm fine," He retorted, his cheeks pink with embarrassment.

"Why did you leave then?" She gave him a concerned look. InuYasha looked away and didn't reply. I don't think that even if he overheard my conversation with Sango-chan he would have freaked out like this… maybe a bit embarrassed but...

Kagome blinked. Wait a minute! She recalled the comment Miroku had made regarding their 'activities' upon the return from Shuurei's. And he just returned from bathing with him… I wonder what exactly Miroku-sama could have spoken to him about? "InuYasha… what did Miroku-sama talk to you about?"

"…Nothing," He stuttered and crossed his arms.

"Was it about… us?" InuYasha hesitated before replying.

"Yah. Yah it was," He grumbled and the couple blushed in unison.

"InuYasha…" Kagome sighed and reached over to take his hand, pulling back when the thought of the spell registered. Instead she turned fully to face him and gave him a reassuring smile. "Whatever Miroku-sama said to you tonight… I know that there have been some… changes between us in the past couple days."

Taking a deep breath, Kagome shook her head. "But InuYasha, whatever happens, whatever anyone says. We don't have to rush anything." She lowered her voice to a cautious whisper as she trailed off. InuYasha's eyes widened and a timid smile made its way across his face.

"You… mean that?"

"Eh? Of course I do InuYasha," Kagome shrugged and placed her hands behind her head. "We have lots of time, you and I so…" She interrupted herself and looked away, hiding the red that crept across her cheeks. "Let's just continue as we are InuYasha," Kagome raised her face to the night sky.

With a nod, InuYasha followed suit, both of them taking in the mid summer starscape. "If we do that… then everything will come in time right?" She brushed a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.

"I guess… it will."

"When we're both ready…?" Kagome ventured tentatively, her eyes meeting InuYasha's. The teenage boy gave her a lopsided smile.

"Yah, when we're ready." He confirmed. The couple leaned against the hut once more; relaxing as the nighttime breezes as well as simply being in each other's presence cooled their skittish emotions.

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Shippou cracked an eye open as the sunlight sifted into Kaede's hut. Grumbling and sitting up, he pouted when he noticed that Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Rin, and Kohaku were still asleep in various places in the home. "I guess everyone else is still tired." The kitsune glanced towards the wall of the hut, and confirmed that InuYasha wasn't present. "I wonder where that idiot went…"

He stretched and slid outside, spotting InuYasha sitting with his back to the kitsune on his signature fence near the hut. Sheesh what is going on with him? He's been acting weird since he got back with Kagome yesterday. Then when he came back with Miroku last night he completely freaked out when he saw Kagome… Shippou, who had been watching from inside recalled. Piecing things together, he approached the standoffish Hanyou. "InuYasha!"

"Huh?" InuYasha leapt in surprise, catching himself before he slipped off the fence.

"You must be really dazed if you didn't notice me coming," Shippou grinned. InuYasha turned around to face him and "Keh-ed" under his breath.

"Shut up brat, I was just thinking."

"Thinking about what you talked about with Miroku?" Shippou crossed his arms triumphantly.

"Wha-what do you mean?" InuYasha was caught off guard by the question.

"Only talking to him about you and Kagome could have caused the reaction you had last night." The kitsune reasoned.

"KEH!" The Hanyou snapped. "How would you know you stupid…"

"So, when are you going to ask her?"

"What?!" InuYasha's eyes widened, not completely certain of the meaning behind his question.

"Kagome and Sango were talking about marriage when you came back last night, and judging from your reaction I'm guessing that's what Miroku was discussing with you… right?"

"I don't have to tell you!" InuYasha leapt off the fence.

"Right right, but you do have to ask Kagome correct?" Shippou continued, undaunted.

"Ask her what?" He feigned ignorance.

"InuYasha, you and Kagome have been through hell and back together. You've always come out the stronger for it… what's one little question going to hurt?" Shippou propositioned.

"Keh!" InuYasha retorted lamely. "Kagome said I didn't have to!" He clenched his first, resisting the urge to pound Shippou on the head. Both of them were unaware that Kagome didn't think that the issue was about marriage at all.

"If she said anything she probably just said it so you wouldn't be embarrassed." The teenage boy frowned. That's not what Kagome meant was it? Shippou is just being stupid.

"Shut up, you don't know anything!"

"Since you two are heading out traveling today to work on getting that curse removed, maybe that will give you some time to think about it." Shippou shrugged and began to walk back inside, pausing momentarily when he saw that InuYasha was just a moment away from inflicting his irritated wrath upon the child kitsune. "InuYasha, I'm going to go get Kagome!" He brought forward his usual threat.

"Keh! She's asleep." InuYasha snapped triumphantly, but balked when he saw the girl push open the flap of the hut with a bleary expression. Yawning, she made her way outside and approached the Hanyou.

"InuYasha?" She began as she stretched her arms in exhaustion. "We're heading out today right?"

"Yah, we are." InuYasha chanced a glare towards Shippou. The kitsune returned the glare with the added addition of sticking out his tongue. Kagome ignored it.

"Well I was thinking that we're nearly out of food right?"

"Right..?"

"I don't know how long this is going to take, but we should probably go back home to get some food and supplies." Kagome explained and leaned up against the fence InuYasha had been sitting on before she'd awoken. The white-haired boy crossed his arms.

"Oi, but what if they see…?" He inquired, thinking back to their conversation on how embarrassing that would be. Kagome tapped her chin.

"We can try to make sure they don't. I suppose it won't be the end of the world if my family finds out."

"From what I've heard about your family it could be bad," Shippou piped up. InuYasha blushed, at the thought of her enthusiastic mother and brother's reactions.

"Nonetheless we should go," Kagome sighed. "If we get there and leave right after going to the store on our own it shouldn't be that much of a risk." InuYasha nodded.

"Keh, I guess you're right. We'll just get there and leave as soon as I can."

"It's not that I don't want to see my family but…" Kagome trailed off and looked up, as the sun rose above the horizon. "It's still very early. Maybe we can get there and back before they even completely wake up."

"Yah and if we leave now Miroku and Sango won't notice." InuYasha pointed out. Kagome shook her head in agreement. As much as she loved her dear friends, she herself had the desire to avoid them to escape humiliation… not that she'd outright admit that.

"So do you want me to tell them where you've gone?" Shippou asked.

"Go ahead, and tell them we're leaving right after we get back." Kagome replied and paused. "And uhh… can you go inside and get my backpack. You're less likely to wake them up." The schoolgirl requested sheepishly. The youkai boy didn't answer for a moment. "I'll bring you back some candy, I promise." She amended, and shook her head when Shippou immediately headed inside after that addition.

"Keh, you shouldn't have to bribe him Kagome." InuYasha grumbled.

"Oh InuYasha, I'm just being nice. It's enough that the poor kid has to tolerate you," She finished playfully.

"Keh! He deserves it. You don't know what he was saying before you came outside!" InuYasha felt a light blush cross his cheeks. Kagome noticed and decided not to inquire him further.

"Well Shippou-chan does say silly things sometimes," She reasoned. "He's just a child after all." InuYasha nodded. Yah, he's just a kid. What he says about what Kagome wants doesn't matter… right?

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Kagome yawned as she pulled herself out of the well the rest of the way, InuYasha following behind to cover her back. He had picked up on the fact that she was still quite tired, and so was following behind with her backpack slung over his shoulders.

"Mou InuYasha," Kagome began as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the wellhouse.

"Eh?"

"Would you mind if I slept for a bit more," She closed her eyes blissfully at the thought of her warm modern bed. "I'm still really tired. You and Shippou-chan woke me up this morning with… whatever you were talking about." InuYasha adjusted her backpack and frowned.

"Keh, sure I guess." He agreed, not able to deny her when she was so clearly in need of sleep.

"Don't worry InuYasha, right when I wake up we'll go to the store then leave." The teenage boy nodded.

"Okay." It's not as if he didn't like it in her era, but the idea of her family being in on the curse was an all too humiliating prospect. Without a word more, the pair exited the wellhouse and made their way across the shrine grounds. Silently, Kagome and InuYasha slipped up the stairs and into her bedroom- the Higurashi household still sleeping.

"You should rest too, we'll be busy today," Kagome yawned and pulled herself into bed, wrapping her comforter around her. After a moment, she reached over beside her bed and pulled out a quilt, handing it to InuYasha. Blinking, he sat down at the edge of the bed and placed it next to him.

"It's hot, I don't need it." He answered. Kagome shrugged.

"True, but if I'm resting you should too." She stretched her arm to take hold of the alarm clock, setting it to go off two hours from then.

"Keh, I guess. It's not like I have anything better to do." He closed his eyes and attempted to doze off. Smiling, Kagome glanced down to him from his place on her bed. He looks so peaceful… so at ease whenever he's here.

Resisting the urge to go and sit down next to him, the schoolgirl closed her eyes and tightened her grip on her comforter. Oh well, once I wake up we'll get the shopping done as soon as we can and be on our way to Shuurei-sama's… I hope. She thought as the faces of her overly enthusiastic family flashed across her mind. Then again, no matter how much we fight it, we may be here longer than we'd planned. Still, I guess it's better than being around Miroku-sama.

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--End--

Next Chapter- It's a weekend at the Higurashi shrine and as such everyone is free of their weekly burdens. So when they realize InuYasha and Kagome have paid them a visit, they decide it's only right to have a little bit of family bonding time.

Anyway- just so you all know I started a collaborative romance/humor/au fic with my good friend and beta reader Tailfluffgirl. It's hosted on our joint account "Ready Steady Go":

http :www. fanfiction. net /read. php? storyid=1829275 (remove the spaces.)

"Under Queer Circumstances"

After being blackmailed by Jakotsu, Inuyasha has three weeks to secure his relationship with Kagome & turn his roommate Bankotsu into the gay-stud Jakotsu's always wanted. It's a little crazy, but hey, it's all in the name of love. (InuYasha/Kagome and Bankotsu/Jakotsu)

Check it out if you wish.