NOTE: This Fic is Inuyasha X Kagome. In fact the next few sections are VERY Inuyasha X Kagome, and a teensy bit racy, just so you are forewarned!
Across the spring in the men's grotto Inuyasha and Miroku were sitting in the hot water trying to soak their battle weary muscles. Miroku sat with his arm propped up to keep the glove that covered the wind tunnel sealed with prayer beads, dry. Both men were quiet.
Miroku and Inuyasha had a stormy friendship. They were so different from each other, but gradually they had developed a kind of mutual respect, and then an odd kind of fellowship.
Miroku had always been the lecherous monk; ogling all the pretty girls they came across, but that behavior had slowly lessened since Sango had joined their group. Recently all of Miroku's incidents of wandering hands had involved the pretty demon slayer, and Miroku had usually been rewarded with a slap. Inuyasha usually just shook his head at the monk's antics.
The hanyou sighed. "I suppose that was really hard on Kagome." He said almost more to himself than to Miroku, who remained silent.
After a long while the monk finally spoke. "What are you going to do about it then?"
"Ah, I don't know. I suppose just continue on and if we beat Naraku, I can clear up this Kikyo mess then." Inuyasha said crawling out of the spring.
"Inuyasha, I don't think you can wait to talk to Kagome. I think she is nursing an injured heart, and that will be detrimental to our cause. I think you should speak to her about this, and soon."
Inuyasha simply grunted and headed back to the hut.
He walked with a purpose. He was going to ask Kagome to go with him on a walk and he was going to straighten this whole thing out.
He saw Sango speaking to some of the village women, so he figured he would get Kagome while she was alone. He thrust the tamiami mat aside and entered the hut. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the dimness, and when they did, he realized that Kagome was asleep on her sleeping bag, even though it was barely midday.
Inuyasha sighed and bent down near her. She had been so tired she hadn't even managed to get back into her clothes or under the covers. He could smell the aroma of vanilla coming from her freshly washed hair. He reached out and touched it. Still damp. His eyes traveled to her legs that were peeking out between the folds of her robe. Her skin was flawless and luminescent. His gaze moved to her lips, which were parted slightly as she breathed in her sleep. He felt a stirring in his stomach. He felt it sometimes when he looked at her, but he usually tried to ignore it. Today it was exceptionally strong. His head felt foggy.
This is just great. How could he lecture her about keeping her head in the game when he couldn't get near her without wanting to kiss her? Some role model he was. He touched her cheek, then pulled the cover over her and left the hut quietly.