Sweet Misery

A/N: Yeah yeah, I know . . :sweatdrop: I got lazy

Session Three

Miroku trampled through the forest, dragging Inuyasha behind him.

"What is that woman thinking! She's pregnant and she goes off running arounf like a wild woman! Ohh when I catch up with her . . "

"You ain't gonna do a damn thing," muttered the hanyou, who had given up struggling.

Miroku stopped and sigh. "She's going to kill me . ."

"Doushite ?"

Miroku looked back at Inuyasha, smiling nervously. "Anou . . well, you see . . Kikyou's gone."

"Whadda you mean . . gone ?"

The ex-monk plopped down at the base of a tree, taking a deep breath to regale the story once again.

..inuyashainuyashainuyashainuyashainuyashainuyasha..

Kagome fidgeted nervously with the edge of her skirt, wondering what was taking Inuyasha and Miroku so long. Did Miroku tell him ? How did, or will, Inuyasha react ? 'Ohh if that baka goes off weeping . .'

The footsteps outside interuppted her thoughts. Sango placed a comforting arm around Kagome's shoulders, scowling at her husband as he entered.

He smiled slightly at her and nodded, to say that he did indeed tell the hanyou. Kagome waited for the hanyou to come in,but he never did.

"Hey Miroku . . "

"He's at the Goshinboku."

She blushed. "Oh . . okay, thanks."

She left the hut, trying to look dignified, but as soon as she got outside, she ran as if the Hounds of Hell were after her.

Sango looked at her husband. "How'd he take it ?"

"He took off right after I told him," he sighed.

She motioned for him to sit beside her, and when he did, she kissed his cheek and leaned against him. "Do you think those two will be alright ?"

"I hope so Sango, I really hope so."

..inuyashainuyashainuyashainuyashainuyashainuyasha..

As she expected, Inuyasha was high in the branches of the Goshinboku.

"Inuyasha ?" she called out timidly.

He ignored her.

"Inuyasha," she repeated, annoyed. "I know you're up there." She softened her tone. "Do you wanna talk ?"

"No," he replied gruffly.

Kagome frowned. Gathering up her strength, she began to climb the ancient tree. Or, she tried to. She slipped on the slick bark time after time, scrambling up to try and fail again.

Then he smelled it. Salty tears of distress.

"Oi wench, why are you crying ?"

"B-because I c-can't even climb the stupid t-tree. I just wanted to help you and I c-cant even do t-that!"

Inuyasha leapt down. Hesitantly, he placed his arms around her. "It's okay Kagome . ."

"No it's not! Augh, why can't I do anything right ? I'm supposed to be comforting you and because I'm totally incapable, it switched around and now you're comforting me!"

Inuyasha didn't know what to do. The only way he knew how to deal with her tears was by being an idiot so she would at least be mad and not sad. But he didn't want to do that this time. "Do you really . . really wanna hear this ?"

She nodded, her back still turned to him.

He sighed and sat, leaning against the base of the tree, Kagome still wrapped in his arms. "To be honest, I feel bad. Not really because she died, but because . . I feel relieved that she's gone."

Kagome sat silently, waiting for him to continue.

"She was supposed to be important to me, and in a way she was but . . it feels like a great weight's been lifted off my shoulders. She's not my responsibility adnymore. And now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever been happy with her. I was always worried that she'd turn around and try to kill me again, or that someone else was gonna kill her. It's just plain stress! But what in seven hells is wrong with me ? Shouldn't I feel some remorse ?"

She turned and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright Inuyasha . . you did what you could."

"But is that really enough ? I'm the one who caused her death. Me, the one who was supposed to protect her!"

SMACK

He looked up at her, shocked. "You . . "

Kagome scowled at him. "Look, I understand your dilemma, and as blunt as this is, there's nothing you can do about it. So you can either help me look for the last jewel shard, or I'm going to leave you here because I don't wanna be stuck with a crybaby. I've never known you to be one, so dont start now!"

"What the fuck!" he yelled. "And you call me insensitive? You couldn't get that damn shard by yourself anyway! Stupid wench . . I don't even know why I came down here in the first place!"

He stood and jumped back up into the Goshinboku.

"Fine!" she yelled up to the tree. "See if I care, but good luck becoming a full demon you big fat jerk!" She looked down at the grass. "Feh, who needs him anyway . ." she mumbled. Kagome sat there for what seemed like hours. Inuyasha hadn't come out of the tree, and every time she looked up, she caught him looking at her and he would look away. 'Odd . .' she thought. "Inuyasha . ." she called softly.

"Keh!''

"I'm sorry."

"No you're not. You just want me to come down so we can get the shard."

"Hello! You're the one who wants that stupid jewel, not me!"

"Yeah but you're the one who's stuck here until it's complete," he retorted, landing gracefully beside her.

She smiled. "I don't think of it as being stuck. I like being here."

The hanyou blushed and took her hand, a silent apology, and walked with her back to the hut.

The couple entered holding hands silently, a solemn but comforting aura eminating from that.

Inuyasha cleared his throat.

"Kagome and I are leaving now. I . . don't know when we'll be back, so will you watch Shippou for us?"

Miroku nodded and Sango looked to kaome, to make sure everything was alright. Kagome also nodded. "Come here Shippou."

The small kitsune trotted over and hugged her legs tightly. "Make sure you come back!"

Smiling, Kagome picked him up. "I promise I'll be back soon Shippou. And if you're good, I'll bring you back a bigger box of crayons and an extra box of pocky."

He nodded and squeezed her neck. Looking hesitantly to Inuyasha, he suddenly leapt on him, hugging him too. "Take good care of Kagome, or you'll be sorry!"

Inuyasha reluctantly patted the ki's head and set him back on the floor. "She'll be fine, runt. Don't worry."

He turned, and taking Kagome's hand once again, left the hut.

They traveled for a short time, Kagome on Inuyasha's back, before they reached the well. Not stopping to put her down, Inuyasha leapt straight into the well, smirking as Kagome's scream pierced through the mystic blue light.

"Uhh Kagome ? You can stop screaming now. We're on the ground."

Opening her eyes, Kagome looked down and saw that they were indeed on the ground. She blushed.

Inuyasha jumped out of the well and bent down so that Kagome could dismount. Walking out of the well house, Inuyasha looked on in wonder. It never ceased to amaze him how much had changed in 500 years.

"Come on Inuyasha!"

He saw Kagome running ahead of him and he scowled. "I ain't your dog wench!"

She stopped and waited for him to catch up with her. When he did, she sprang into his arms and kissed him. "You're my puppy, and don't you forget it."

She giggled and ran inside, leaving a stunned, wide-eyed Inuyasha behind.

..inuyashainuyashainuyashainuyashainuyashainuyasha..

Inuyasha lay on Kagome's floor, the Tetsusaiga within his reach.

"Inuyasha ?"

"Whadda yah want wench ? You're supposed to be sleeping."

He head her turn to face him and rolled his eyes, waiting for her "midnight talk."

"I love you."

"Nani!"

She blushed. That wasn't the reaction she was hoping for. "Never mind," she said, turning back towards the wall.

Inuyasha was torn between snorting and turning away, and crawling into bed with her. He wondered many times what it would be like to wake up with her in his arms. To see her slowly open her warm, chocolate brown eyes and smile at him. To snuggle together in the chill of the morning. He snorted. He'd been reading way too many if Higurashi-san's books.

The former won and Inuyasha turned away from Kagome. 'She said she didn't wanna do that with me anyway. Not that I was thinking about that! Stupid wench . .'

He heard her blankets rustle and the bed creak. Turning to the direction of her bed, he was once again shocked to see Kagome lay on the floor beside him.

"What do you think you're doing?" he spluttered.

She looked at him, hurt. "I just . . I just wanted to be close to you." The pain in her heart quickly changed into anger. "Forget it," she spat, and went back to her own bed.

"Kagome . ."

:"Go to sleep Inuyasha!"

He frowned. Leaving the Tetsusaiga behind, he crawled into bed beside her.

"What do you think you're doing?" she snapped.

Inuyasha held her close, kissing her temple. "I wanna be close to you too Kagome. Now go to sleep. We're leaving early tomorrow."

..inuyashainuyashainuyashainuyashainuyashainuyasha..

They set out after beakfast, fully refreshed and restocked. Inuyasha noted that Kagome's yellow pack was considerably lighter than usual. 'Proabably because we don't gotta lug back a bunch of shit for the other three . .'

"Oi, Kagome!"

She turned to him, sitting on the edge of the well. "Nani ?"

"How come your bag's so light ? Don't you have one of your exams to study for ?"

She cleared her throat, not really wanting to answer his question. "Come on Inuyasha! We gotta get the last shard of the Shikon no Tama!" And with that, she hopped into the well.

'What's gotten into her?' thought Inuyasha, jumping into the well behind her.