"The End to the Feudal Fairy Tale"
Chapter 2
Author's Notes: Sorry about the delay folks! I've been really busy, I'm sure everyone says that. Anyhow, on with the show!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, though I would like to. There's just something about those little dog ears. v All characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. The story is mine though, so please respect it.
She smiled. An idea dawned in her. Kagome looked out towards the woods and took a deep breath.
Miroku exited the hut with a sour expression. After the incident yesterday, he'd been forced to stay with the other single men in the village, while Sango had been escorted off to the home of a few other beautiful girls. His frown deepened. Not only was he separated from Sango, the men didn't smell like roses either. He walked forward slowly, but stopped when he saw the wounded Kagome leaning out the door of the hut she'd stayed in last night. "Ah, Kagome-sa-" he began, but stopped when she didn't seem to be paying attention. She was just standing there, and if he wasn't mistaken, she had the puzzling expression that most women got before they caused men pain.
"Osuwari" she spoke quietly. Cupping her ear, she listened towards the woods. The snapping of tree branches and what she could only assume to be a curse echoed back to her. That was all the response she needed.
Kagome walked forward slowly in the direction of the commotion. A few villagers looked up from their daily tasks, but said nothing and quickly returned to work. Miroku simply stared wide-eyed as Kagome walked ahead. She was so calm, and yet, so full of emotion that it frightened him. He held a hand up before his chest and closed his eyes for a moment. "Inuyasha, may the gods be on your side today. You'll need it." When he opened his eyes, he caught sight of Sango averting her gaze. "Ah." Miroku smiled. His hands moved of their own volition, dragging him forward towards Sango- and her bottom.
"Osuwari." Kagome spoke again. This time she could clearly hear Inuyasha's muffled curse. After a few more paces, she stepped into a clearing. Well, it wouldn't normally have been a clearing; it had become one due to the series of round ditches that filled the area. She stifled a giggle; it wouldn't be good to laugh at him right now. She needed to stay mad if she was going to argue with him.
Inuyasha lay on the ground a few feet from her, he was trying to stand up again. "Damn it!" He yelled against the grass. "Stop doing that!"
"Then will you stop running?" She knelt down next to him. Silence answered her. Kagome hoped that was a 'yes.' Waiting a few moments, she let him sit up and cross his legs Indian-style. He opened one eye to stare at her.
"Well wench?"
"First of all, I am not a wench." She snapped. "Now, will you please tell me why you ran off like that?"
He looked away, not meeting her gaze; he just couldn't look her in the eye. "That's because-" He struggled for words, "Does it hurt?"
"Does what?" Kagome looked puzzled. "You mean my arm? Well, it does a little, but it's not terrible. No worse than any other injury I've gotten from this era." She desperately tried to keep her anger in check. He'd changed the subject. "But," Kagome leaned down to look for Inuyasha's eyes, "That's not it, is it?"
"No." He muttered.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Well, then why did you take off like that?" She flared. "You jerk! I was lying there hurt and you just yelled at me and left! I think I deserve an explanation!"
Inuyasha winced as he recalled his actions. He must have seemed like a real jackass, running off when she probably needed help. Even more reason she wouldn't want him. Wind played across the tall grass in the clearing, rustling the trees and tousling Kagome's hair. He watched in awe as, even while angry, Kagome was absolutely stunning. She must have been trying really hard to be serious, her brows were squished down tight and her eyes were narrowed at him. This was bad, he was staring.
"Inuyasha?" Her voice broke the spell of the moment.
"I'm sorry."
"What?"
"I said I was sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." He gestured towards her shoulder. "It was an accident, it won't happen again. But you shouldn't have been that close!"
"I was-" Kagome told herself to relax, he was only trying to apologize. He was just very bad at it. "That's what this was about?"
He nodded.
"Did you think I'd be mad?"
Another nod. Inuyasha looked down at the grass that he suddenly found very interesting. His ears twitched like little radar antenna; he was waiting for a response. She tried to fathom how he could be afraid of her reaction. Inuyasha wasn't afraid of anything, right? "I'll forgive you."
His ears perked up, "Really?"
"Yes."
"Great, then let's go ba-"
"On one condition." She blushed.
At this point, Inuyasha looked very confused. What on earth was she planning? He'd gone from afraid to terrified in a matter of seconds. It didn't help that Kagome had blushed when she'd said that.
"What condition?" He responded with a gulp. She leaned towards him and he felt her breath tickle his ear as she whispered.
"Eh?" Sango bolted upright, her face reddening at an incredible rate. "Eyaaa!" she swung around her Hiraikotsu. Its impact with Miroku's head created a loud "THUMP" sound.
Miroku now bore not only a handprint on his face, but a large lump on his head as well. If he kept this up, he'd probably end up dead. Somehow, even crumpled on the grass with his bumps and bruises, Miroku wore a smile that said, "It was worth it."
"Pervert!" Sango stormed away. Every time he had the chance, Miroku grabbed her butt. "Why is he so fascinated with it?" She grumbled. "It's not even midday and he's tried more than ten times." Walking past the small hut she'd spent the night in, Sango called to Kirara and Shippo. They appeared to be playing outside. Hearing her voice, Kirara mewed and ran in her direction, Shippo was not far behind.
"Kirara," Sango patted her head, "will you come with me to the spring? I'm going to take a bath." The fire cat looked up with big round eyes and purred in agreement.
"What about me?" Shippo pouted.
"I have a special job for you." His pout faded away in an instant. "I need you to keep Miroku away so he doesn't do anything perverted, okay?"
Shippo nodded and bravely started to stride towards the fallen monk.
"Oh!" Sango stood up. "One more thing, could you tell Kagome-chan where I've gone when she gets back?"
Shippo smiled and shook his head. "Sure!" He walked around Miroku to find a stick. Throwing it over his shoulder, Shippo walked back and forth, patrolling the area.
"You want me to WHAT?" Inuyasha drew back.
"It's not like I asked you to do something ridiculous. I didn't think it'd be a big deal." She folded her legs under herself. "In my time, it's really common to do things like that."
"A-a-alright."
"Hmm?"
"I'll do it." He blushed a little. Kagome's expression brightened.
"Okay."
"Now?" Inuyasha seemed suddenly embarrassed.
"Would you rather wait until we get back to Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and the whole vill-"
"OKAY." He huffed. "I'll do it now."
Kagome blushed lightly as Inuyasha scooted closer. He reached out to steady her injured arm, and forced himself to focus. He could hear Kagome's breath quicken, and her heart was thumping loudly in her chest. Leaning in slowly, Inuyasha closed his eyes and placed a chaste kiss on her shoulder. He quickly drew back.
He had seemed really nervous, but then again, she'd been nervous too. She should have been old enough that something like that shouldn't have affected her, but it did. Kagome had felt her heartbeat speed up, and she knew she had no chance of fooling Inuyasha's ears. She was momentarily grateful for his obliviousness. Then, it was over.
"That wasn't so bad right?" She managed.
"Keh." He faced away and crossed his arms. "We should go back now."
"Yeah, I guess."
Inuyasha silently offered his back and waited. Kagome didn't move forward. He turned. "Is something wrong?"
She pointed to her injury. "I can't hold on with my arm like this." Her voice held a hint of sadness and he wondered why. Something about her voice said that she was disappointed. Kagome had asked him to kiss her wound and now she wanted to be carried too?
"Here." He stepped forward and reached for her. Moving one arm under her knees and another under her back, Inuyasha scooped her up. Without a word, he started running back to the village. Kagome sighed to herself; she hoped he would take the long way back.
Shippo paced before a meditating Miroku as Sango and Kirara returned to the village. Sango paused for a long moment and watched. Miroku seemed so handsome and worldly when he meditated. It was as if he was the most beautiful creature on earth in those moments. Perhaps it was because he wasn't trying to grope her, and he wasn't trying to ask another woman to bear his children, and he wasn't acting like an idiot. "Men should be seen and not heard." She mused quietly.
A mew distracted her. Kirara rubbed up against her leg. When she looked up again, Miroku's eyes were open and she silently promised a treat to her demon companion for stopping her before he'd realized she was staring. Now, the young man stood up and walked in her direction. "I see that you have returned?"
"Yes." She nodded. "Have you seen Inuyasha or Kagome-chan?"
"They have not yet returned."
She looked up and spotted her friends entering the village. "They-"
"But," A fox-like grin played across his face, "if you're looking for some way to pass the time we could-"
"Whack!"
Kagome and Inuyasha returned to find Miroku unconscious with a glaring, blushing Sango standing over him. They knew exactly what had happened. Ignoring Miroku entirely, Inuyasha set Kagome down and moved towards Sango. "So, hear anything about Naraku from the villagers?"
"Huh? Oh, that, no I haven't." Sango regained her composure. "The women I stayed with didn't seem to know anything about him." With a sneaky grin she added, "So, where have you two been."
"None of your business!" Inuyasha snorted. Kagome struggled for words and didn't find any. Sango just smiled. She'd have to ask Kagome later.
"In any case," Kagome found her voice, "we shouldn't stay here too long. We don't know when Naraku will attack again and I don't want to see these people get hurt."
"I agree." Sango nodded.
"What about the baggage?" Inuyasha pointed over his shoulder to the still grinning Miroku.
"Well, I guess we should wait until he comes around." Said Kagome.
"In the meantime, why don't we go down to the spring. I'll help you to clean your wounds."
"Thanks, Sango-chan, that would be great." Kagome turned to Inuyasha. "Can you please stay with Miroku?"
"Keh."
"And don't even think about peeking!" She added.
"Like I would. I'm not some stupid pervert like him." Inuyasha grabbed Miroku's robes and held him up a bit. "I'll take him over there." He gestured towards a small oak. "That way he doesn't die out in the sun like that."
Sango waved over her shoulder as she walked away, dragging Kagome by her good arm. "Just leave him, I'm sure he'll live."
"Sango-chan?"
Inuyasha watched as the two girls disappeared towards the spring. "Damn women and their obsession with bathing." He scowled. "Like I'd want to go watch them take a bath, I've already seen Kagome's-" The thought hit him like a bullet train. He peered around to see if there was anyone nearby. Aside from a few girls hanging laundry to dry, there wasn't any movement. "C'mon monk." He threw Miroku over his shoulder and stealthfully walked towards the spring. "If I drag you along, I can blame you. Finally, you're good for something."
Sango helped Kagome with her clothes. With only a bit of pain, she had managed to get undressed. Slowly, she tested the water with her foot. Kagome shivered. "It's cold!"
"I know, but the sun is warm and once you're in, it isn't bad." Sango said over the pile of clothes in her arms. "Just go ahead in, I already took my bath."
Slowly, every so slowly, Kagome eased into the water. She looked around for anything to take her mind off of the chill. Closing her eyes, she took in the rich sunlight. It felt very peaceful. In the distance, some birds chirped happily and she could hear the light breeze rustle the nearby trees. Opening her eyes, she sighed. This was such a beautiful place. "It's a shame that there aren't more places like this in my time."
"Yeah, it must be really different." Said Sango.
"It is. Sometimes I think that I'm happier here than there."
"Is it because of him?"
By 'him,' she had of course meant Inuyasha. Kagome sunk down in the water until it came up to the bandages on her shoulder. "Well. I don't know."
"I think you do." She smiled. "So, where were you two?"
"In the forest."
"Really?" Sango prodded, "So what were you doing?"
"Nothing really. I mean, he ran off and I just went to get him." Silently, Kagome hoped that Sango wouldn't be too brutal today. Somehow that girl always managed to get her to spill every last detail.
"And?"
Several minutes later, Sango had the whole story in minute detail. "Ah, so that's what happened. I thought as much. Though, I had hoped that you'd have more of a chance to talk."
"You know how he is. I never get more than a few sentences in unless I'm arguing with him!" Kagome sighed.
"Yes, but you know that he doesn't mean anything by it."
About twenty feet away, behind a cluster of trees, one unconscious monk and one sneaky half-demon sat. Peering around the trunk of one, Inuyasha managed a glimpse of Kagome, half submerged in the spring. She was breathtaking, even from the back. All those soft curves made his mind turn to mush. Quickly, he turned away and hoped that his blush didn't glow through the trees. Inuyasha closed his eyes and listened for Kagome's voice. His ears twitched as he picked up on their conversation.
"I know, I know. Sometimes I wish he'd just listen to me and give me a chance to tell him."
"But, Kagome-chan, he's not just going to stand there in the moonlight at that perfect moment and tell you his feelings." Sango teased.
"Who the hell are they talking about?" Inuyasha whispered to himself. Maybe it was that 'Hobo' guy Kagome sometimes talked about. He turned his attention back to the conversation, completely absorbed.
"But, it could happen-" Kagome sighed heavily, "Never mind, he's just not the type to do something romantic like that."
"I think you'd be surprised." Sango smiled. "Inuyasha is a very difficult person to understand. He's been through a lot. But, the way he acts towards you, I'm sure he cares."
"Me? They're talking about me? That can't be right. I must've heard somethin-"
"Oh dear. Inuyasha, are you perhaps, spying on those lovely young ladies?" Miroku was obviously awake and interested now.
"Just shut yer trap monk. I don't wanna hear it right now."
"Ah, sorry, sorry. You won't mind if I join then." He sat up and peered around the tree only to be pushed back by a clawed hand.
"You so much as blink at Kagome and I'll kill you." He whispered.
"My, my, protective aren't we?" Miroku grinned. "I'll just look at my dear Sango then."
"She's still dressed, she already took her bath."
"So you've looked then."
"Keh."
"Inuyasha, you surprise me, you're a braver man than I thought."
"If you don't stop grinning, I'll pound you into the ground right here and now." He threatened.
Waving his hands before him, Miroku surrendered and sat quietly, straining his ears to listen.
Shippo hopped down the path to the spring. He'd watched Inuyasha drag Miroku in that direction and that could only mean one thing: FUN! Graciously, Shippo had given the men about 15 minutes before he'd gone after them. He sniffed the air and looked to his left. There was Inuyasha and Miroku, eyes closed, focused. Sure, Inuyasha'd try to grind him to dust later, but if he just stayed near Kagome for a few days, he'd escape punishment. He covered his mouth to stifle a giggle. Making no sound, Shippo crept towards the spring, easing towards Inuyasha's position.
He stole a quick glance to the spring where Kagome had just finished dressing before shouting at the top of his lungs, "HEY THERE INUYASHA, MIROKU! WHAT'CHA DOIN' OVER THERE?"