Chapter 5
Kagome met up with Inuyasha at a hot spring close to the shrine after she ate her dinner. When she arrived, she found Inuyasha already stripped, and huddled against a rock on one side of the spring, slightly blushing. Kagome blushed, as well. She set her small bath basket down and covered it with the towels, for her and Inuyasha.
Inuyasha made a silent motion for her to join him, and her blush deepend. She, nervously, stripped off Inuyasha's red outfit.
"Feh! I won't bite, you know," Inuyasha said, irritably. Kagome paused.
"I know. I just…I've never taken a bath with a guy, you know…It's embarassing!"
"As if you could say, I'm technically a guy…." He stood up, and spread out his arms. "This was your idea, in the first place," he retorted, sitting back down, and waiting, again.
She sighed, and finished removing the clothing, in a rush. "Better, idiot?" She asked, crossing her arms?
"Much." He smiled. "Wow. I never realized how handsome you were, Kagome."
Kagome rolled her eyes, and joined him, in the hot water. She kept to one side of the spring, and he kept to the other. She dunked herself under the water, then came back up, making sure she was soaked. She stepped out of the pool of water, and began to soap herself down. Inuyasha did the same. She used the wooden basket to scoop water from the spring, and dump it over her. Again, Inuyasha immitated her. Kagome shampooed and conditioned her hair, Inuyasha copied.
Kagome smirked. She gave Inuyasha a side-ways glance. She grabbed her silver-white hair, and tied it into a bun, on the top of her head, then handed Inuyasha a tie. He did the best he could to copy that move. They both soaked in the water, and Kagome felt more relaxed than ever. Inuyasha must have been forgetting to allow himself to relax a little. His body was so tense.
Inuyasha was so relaxed he felt he could just fall asleep. But, the silence between the two was eerie. He cleared his throat and looked at Kagome. She was blushing. "Uh, I thought I-uh-told you not to do that," he said, softly.
"I can't help it. It feels so nice to just relax with you. Without everyone else, especially Miroku." She sighed. "I've been meaning to ask you, um, do you remember anything that was said when you….when you were transformed, at Dream Castle?"
Inuyasha scoffed. "I saw and heard Kaguya all around me."
Kagome looked down, at the water, sadly. "Oh," was all she could mutter, through her disappointment.
"But," he began, again, " I did see you. You were running. Not away from me, but to me. And, for a moment, I was afraid you wouldn't make it to me, but you did. And, I remembered, when you said you liked me as a Hanyou. And, you said it to me, again…only, you said-feh! What does it matter, anyways?"
Kagome looked up. "I love you…"
"What?"
" I said I love you, as a Hanyou. Back at the castle."
"Ya, that's what I heard. But, thanks for saying it. I needed to hear someone's voice, that I knew. Someone familiar. And with all the naggin you do, I definitely knew your voice." He waved his hand. "But, I know you didn't mean it, so your apology is accepted."
"Apology! Nagging!" Kagome's temper was lost. "Me? Apologize? To you! I'm not the one who-!" She, subconsciously, reached to a spot behind her upper arm. There was nothing there. "-Nevermind! I'm going to bed. Good night." She stood up, and wrapped a towel around herself. She gathered her clothes and disappeared into the shrine.
"Hmph! Stupid girl!" Inuyasha whispered.