Hurray! Lots of reviews…… including my first flame (is that even considered a flame?). I'm so happy you guys are so into this story. Therefore, I decided to post a day early. And this chapter is twice as long as it normally would be, but I'm feeling generous. Read and respond por favor!

Chapter 3: Unpredictable

When the two normally couldn't stand to be around each other, now the kitsune and the hanyou sat side by side just a few yards away from Kaede's hut. Their faces alone were enough to signal boredom, but their fingertips also rapped on the ground in synchronization. To prevent themselves from dozing off, their other hands supported their chins. Not a word was spoken between the two. If there was anything they had in common, it was that they found themselves utterly bored when Kagome wasn't around.

The miko was in the past with them, but had all but barricaded herself within the hut doing God knows what. She refused to see anyone, or let them see what she was doing in there. She had mentioned to Inuyasha something about a surprise, with continued to gnaw at his nerves ever since. He really wasn't much for surprises. He hated the unpredictable. Even more when Kagome was unpredictable. 'God, I didn't go through the trouble to bring her back so she could lock herself in Kaede's hut.'

Shippou was first to be pulled out of his boredom when Kirara came along looking to play. At first, she had pranced over to Inuyasha and nudged his foot affectionately. He just repositioned himself, and she got the message clearly that he didn't want to be bothered. She found salvation in the young kitsune, who was more than happy to play with her. They ran off to wherever it was they were going, leaving Inuyasha alone again.

"Shit, why is everyone here being so boring?" He exclaimed in aggravation.

Not finding the patience to wait any more, he made his way to the hut again to see if he could get inside. "Oi, Kagome. We don't have time for any more of this nonsense! We've got shards to find!" He called from the front door.

She heard him loud and clear, but she simply rolled her eyes and chose not to answer. Inuyasha called again multiple times, "Kagome… Kagome… Kagome… Kagome…"

'My God, he's like a child.'

"…Kagomeeeee…"

"Osuwari!"

Inuyasha met the doormat face first. The rough bits of dried grass irritated his skin and the dust from within its chambers irritated his eyes and nose. As he lay there grunting in pain and surprises, the door opened and Kagome stepped over him into the outside world. Miroku looked up from under the shade of a tree to the smell of warm vegetable and shrimp tempura. He called to the others nearby him. Sango appeared with a picnic blanket and laid it out smoothly on the grass. Kagome placed the tempura plate onto the blanket and went back to the hut to fetch more.

By this time, Inuyasha had managed to peal himself from the ground and he shook a fist menacingly at Kagome from the doorway, "What the fuck was that for? We don't have any time for you to stay inside all day cooking! We have a job to do!"

Kagome paid his irritated expression no mind and walked right past Inuyasha and back inside. Inuyasha froze in that position, frustrated that she was not heeding him. She reemerged seconds later with a huge platter of sushi. She went over to the others and placed the dishes before them, and their mouths began to water at the sight and smell of this feast. Inuyasha followed her to the blanket and sat down between Sango and Shippou. He immediately made a reach for the tempura, but Kagome smacked his hand away in time, "Hold on just a second. I just have a few more things to bring out."

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed and crossed his arms.

Kagome brought back individual bowls of rice and bowls of miso soup before she settled her self down as well between Shippou and the hanyou. Someone had to keep Inuyasha from stealing the kitsune's food after all. Finally, she signaled for everyone to dig in.

To say the least, the team was very impressed with her cooking abilities. They all but scarfed down the tempura and soup in minutes, and took the time to lick every crumb and drop from their fingertips and chopsticks. As they began working on the sushi, Inuyasha growled at Shippou as he made a move for his favorite kind. The kitsune trembled, but Kagome stepped in and held the hanyou back so the little one could have his fair share.

By the end of the feast, everyone felt stuffed. Miroku rubbed his belly in satisfaction. "Kagome-sama, that is quite possible the best meal I have ever had. You'd be good for more than just bearing children," he stated, earning a blush from Kagome and a glare from Inuyasha.

Sango and Shippou nodded in agreement. Even Kirara meowed in approval. One had yet to comment. Naturally, even if he did enjoy the food extremely, the hanyou had no intention of showing gratitude. But Kagome hoped he would enjoy what she had next. She turned to the whole group and said, "I'll be right back."

As she walked away, Inuyasha mumbled out of earshot how ridiculous this whole thing was. Sango just slapped him upside the head. The hanyou rubbed his head and glared at her. Miroku spoke what her look implied, "You really should be more courteous, Inuyasha. Kagome is doing this in celebration of our friendships. And on her birthday too, when she is still working hard to please us, you should learn to treat her right."

Inuyasha huffed, "And I suppose you're the authority on treating women right?"

The monk sweat-dropped and blushed, "Uh… this… isn't about me."

Kagome came out once again and this time possessed something they hadn't seen before. It was some kind of brown mound made into the shape of a cylinder. She stood before them. "I made you all a cake," she explained.

She sat down with it still in her lap and she eyed it in admiration of her hard work. "I figured you guys haven't had a cake before. Well this is a sort of unusual one. It's chocolate, but has strawberry mochi inside…"

She put it on the ground and proceeded to cut it into four pieces and started to hand them out to her friends. "It ain't much," she lied, "But I hope you'll enjoy it anyway."

Lastly, she turned to Inuyasha and stretched out a plate for him. "Here you go, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha just looked away and said matter-of-factly, "That's okay. I'm not hungry anymore."

At this statement, the boys stopped eating and looked up from their plates as they sensed the battle that they were about to witness. Sango brought a hand to her head and rubbed her temple, 'Baka.'

Kagome looked at him a bit shocked for a moment, but then pressured him more, "But Inuyasha. I worked really hard on this cake. Won't you at least try it?"

"I'm completely full. Sorry…" Inuyasha said simply, and looked away from her.

Kagome eyed the cake she had slaved over as he continued, "You have it instead."

She held a smile to her face like her life depended on it. How she was trying to be patient with him. She knew it was how he was. But she had worked so hard to please him yet again, in celebration of what had been the turning point of their lives. Even the others could see past her fake smile to the frustration in her eyes. Her eyes angrily pleaded with him to just take the cake. Even if he ended up hating it, if he would just have the kindness to try it for her, that would be enough. Kagome tried to talk calmly through clenched teeth, "I didn't make it for me, Inuyasha. I made it for all of you."

When she had the plate practically in front of his chest, he pushed her arms away from him and towards her, "I don't want it. You take it."

"I don't want it," she said and she pushed back, "Eat it!"

"No!"

"Eat it!"

"No!"

The others began to slowly scoot out of the way of what would soon become the battlefield. Inuyasha said, "I'm sick of all your nonsense."

Kagome's tense face suddenly relaxed. It caught Inuyasha's attention. He saw her doe eyes were beginning to well up with tears. Never in the world had he imagined that a simple cake would do this to her. He wished, prayed that she would saw something. Silence felt like a plague. He didn't like not knowing what was gonna happen. He hated the unpredictable.

But when it came, his wish became more of a punishment when granted. Her voice was in but a whisper, "Nonsense?"

In her own anger and despair, she threw the slice of the mochi cake right at him. It made contact with the side of his head in a comedic splash. Before Inuyasha could even react to the onslaught, Kagome was at her feet. "Nonsense?.!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.

Inuyasha looked up at her with fearful eyes. "Wha-what did I do?"

"You idiot!" she barked, "I am never showing you any act of kindness again!"

The power of her voice boomed into his heartbeat like it had consumed him. He could feel the tremors of her voice causing his chest muscles to spasm slightly. The sound of it came out as a grunt, a mere representation of what he was feeling, which might have been said to be, possibly, guilt. She turned and walked away from them, "You know what this means, don't you? Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha threw his hands over his head and placed his head low to the ground to soften the blow. It didn't occur to him that the chant would only cause his head to dig into the ground instead of just hitting it. She continued, "Osuw… os…"

She clenched her teeth and her fists tightly. No. In her mind, he didn't even deserve a word from her right now. It was time for a silent treatment. No matter how childish she might appear, it was a far cry from Inuyasha's behavior. She allowed her mind and her muscles to relax, and she walked away to try and gain control of her emotions. Inuyasha opened his eyes again as he grunted a small, "Huh?"

He raised his head to see that she was walking off, without a word, the word. Sango looked shocked as well, "Wow… she didn't even sit him. That can't be good."

Just what Inuyasha needed to hear. He got to his feet and went after her. The tears in her eyes and the sound of her breaking voice continued to stir within his memory. But there was just a glimmer of it as it's whole melted into his eyes and dissolved unnoticed into his skin. The naïve boy didn't understand the art of affections, or of admitting when one was wrong even to oneself. He couldn't understand when he was in the wrong, or why he was being punished so cruelly. But since it felt cruel, why was he so afraid that it wasn't happening?

All the other fights they had, she had always fought him tooth and nail, until she would ultimately win, which she always did. If she had suddenly decided not to talk with him, if they could not get pass this barrier between them, he didn't know what he would do. What scared him most, was that she was walking in the direction of the well. Everything was signaling to him that he had messed up big time, and he might be at risk of losing her to the future forever.

He stopped in his tracks. How could he possible go empty handed? He needed something to make her forget what an idiot he had been. But when he had nothing but himself to call his own, there was no precious item available. Suddenly, he remembered his decision on what her present should be: flowers. He turned around and ran to an area he often went to to pick flowers for his mother's grave. They wouldn't be as fancy as those roses from that other guy, but these just had to work. If he could just get her those flowers, she would know that he wanted her to stay. If she accepted them, she would never leave. The hanyou couldn't afford to screw up this time. And as a bonus, he would reobtain something he never wanted to lose again: the glory of her smile, especially for him. How he hoped she would be pleased.

Kagome let the water form a pool in her hand and she buried her face within the dampness of it. When she had left Inuyasha behind, she couldn't stop the tears from coming anymore. A sigh escaped her lungs. This was how it always was. Showing her devotion to that ungrateful hanyou; fighting again; making up and forgetting; then fighting again. No matter what happened, he never really seemed to care, or want to change for her. No… all he cared about was getting the jewel shards. And when she was gone, he would forget all about her. Her heart lurched at the thought. She knew no matter where she was, she would never forget him. Would she even be able to leave him when the time came for her to go?

She had no time to consider such things, because she heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind her, and she knew it was Inuyasha. Knew because even he reeked of something she loved. He smelt of earth and wild flowers, which to the human senses hid the smell of blood and death. He was there. There to yell at her, or make her feel guilty, or look at her in that special way again. The one that made her forget everything except what was right there in front of her: love. She hated him. She loved him. She needed him.

Inuyasha squeezed the flower bouquet that was being hidden behind his back. The stems were already tattered from having the life practically squeezed out of them, leaving the edges damp and crooked. The poor guy didn't know the difference between what a flower was and what a weed was. Therefore, thinking it a substitute for baby's breath had four dandelions strategically placed in his self-made bouquet. Only now did he notice that his hands were damp with sweat. Amazing that one girl could have such an affect on him, to the point where he was scared out of his mind. This felt like the moment of truth for him, the deciding factor whether Kagome would stay or go. If he had his theory right, the flowers would prove that he needed her in his life, Kikyo or no Kikyo.

He had stopped a few feet behind her and waited for some kind of cue. He needed her to give him strength to do this. The stillness of the air was interrupted by the hands of the wind that danced in her raven hair, causing him to lose his breath. Whether he understood his feelings for her or not, he knew his miko well. Her hair always flowed in that certain way that caught his eye every time. Simple hair. They reached into the hair like fingers grasping for freedom. Such was the spirit of Kagome to be free and unconquerable. Every inch of her confessed its need to fly if given the power. Had she sprouted wings, she would take flight without even knowing. She might even fly out of his grasp, to where he could never feel her again. The forbidden beauty of her face and hair told him what was at stake. Mess this up and your bond to her may be broken forever, and she will fly from your side never to return.

There were infinite reasons why he feared her leaving him, but only one he cared to consider, and that was the memory of both his mother and Kikyo. When his mother had died at such a tender age for the boy, it had crushed his spirit, his compassion, his heart. She had not received justice for all the pain she had suffered throughout her life. Izayoi was shunned by both humans and youkai alike for interbreeding with one not of her kind, for loving him. Yet she was still pure of heart and hardworking in whatever she did. She gave her life and honor for this love, and the burden was never satisfied. She died with no one but a hanyou child to mourn for her passing.

He had made a promise never to trust again, nor to feel compassion for any other person who might leave you. However, more importantly, another perhaps contradictory promise had been made. Inuyasha had made up his mind that he would not lose a loved one ever again. So far one promise had been fulfilled, and both had ultimately been broken. Kikyo was the next turning point of his trust. They did not have the time to build so strong a bond as that of Inuyasha to his mother, but he felt certain that he would die for this girl and her happiness. Before the ice in his heart could melt away, the cruel trick of Naraku froze him over once more, and his spirit became stiff as ice.

In times of sadness, he would remember his childhood pain of losing his mother, and the agony of the loss of Kikyo. If his plan worked well, he could save the already torn piece of his heart that belonged to Kikyo's memory. He would pay her the debt of his love that would take a lifetime to fulfill.

Yet that was not enough. There was still one last piece of his promise to keep. He had sworn not to lose another loved one again, and like it or not, Kagome was most definitely a loved one, either as friend or as something more. If he lost someone dear to him again, he was sure his soul would be damaged beyond repair. Neither Heaven nor hell would take his hideous soul to rest as it would be then, tattered and soiled. For the rest of his life, he would be sentenced to walk the land in unholy retribution for his failure. Even the love of Kikyo wouldn't be able to change that fate. This is why he needed her no matter in what way, to keep his soul and heart intact.

This was the only reason he knew for why she made him this way, but it definitely wasn't the whole story.

"Kagome…"

Her name rolled off his tongue like a gentle wave familiar to his senses. Her head slightly turned in his direction, but stopped when he had a view of her profile. She was listening for him to speak, but hiding her true sadness. He saw it in her frail eyes though she tried to hide them. They twinkled in melancholy ways thereby prodding his blood flow. Her facial skin was wet with moisture and glimmered in the same sadness. A few drops fell from her bangs. What Kagome did not know was that the water on her face wouldn't hide the nature of her falling tears. Oh, how could he have forgotten? Another promise had been made, a part of his unconscious mind finally speaking where the rest of him couldn't hear it. 'Kagome, I promise that no matter what I want or need, I will make you happy first.'

The rest of him had not yet heard the secret of his heart, and it told him to remember that promise which had been forgotten.

He clenched his fists harder. He wanted her to speak to him again. The voice he often pushed away he now wanted back. "Oi Kagome?"

She didn't like silence either, but she detested that impartial tone of his at a time like this. "What to do you want, Inuyasha?" She asked, and turned his face from him once more as she rose to her feet.

He gulped deep within his chest and took a few more steps towards her, until he was about two feet away. He brought the flowers out behind him and eyed them for a moment. 'What am I doing? I'm not like this. I hate mushy stuff. She'll think I'm crazy. She'll laugh right in my face. She'll sit me forever. She'll…'

Tired of the silence, she turned to face him before he had to chance to gather his strength. She did not yet notice the flowers, but rather his face. She glared right into his soul and rummaged through it to figure out why he was the way he was. He gulped again. But there was something in her eyes that he did want: hope. Perhaps she hoped he would set things right again, perhaps she hoped that he would always want her near, perhaps she hoped that he would keep her. Finding his answer, he bowed his head low in defeat and raised the flowers to where she could see them.

"Eh?"

He had stuck the flowers up close to her chest, arm stretched out as far as it would go. Silver bangs fell over his eyes so she wouldn't see the worry within them. His teeth clenched tightly behind passively closed lips. Small droplets of sweat behind forming again on his hands and his neck. He whispered in defeat, "Happy Birthday."

The words, and the serene respect they implied, brought one of the miko's hands to her agape mouth and the other to her rapidly beating heart. Had he just done the impossible? Had he given her a gift for her birthday? Had he finally shown to her that he cared? "Are… are…. Those for me?"

Her shaky voice made him wonder if she was about to cry again, and his hope felt shattered. His head fell slightly lower. Still, he heard the sound of her echoing heart through the air, and it comforted him greatly. He pressed a little further, encouraging her to take them. Finally getting the picture, she took hold of them and he let his arm fall to one side.

The miko eyed the creation for a moment. There was no doubt in her mind that she had received the idea from that roses that Hojo had given her before, but he had no way of knowing what it meant. To those in her time, it was seen as a sign of affection. Inuyasha was immune to affection. Perhaps to him it meant something else other than a friendly gesture.

Her first suspicions may have been right, but she became settled on the other idea soon enough. He turned his face away from her and looked for something to focus on. A small blush was on his face, "It isn't like for everyday or something, so don't expect it every day or anything. I just thought people from your time liked flowers, so this might work well enough as a present or something. You're supposed to give presents."

A short silence fell over them, followed by her voice softly saying, "No."

His ears twitched a bit. No to what? To the present? To the obligation to give presents? Was this okay with her? Why wasn't she saying anything informative? How he hated not knowing what she was thinking.

But no words would answer him. Touch rewarded him, and her arms encircled his torso and hugged him tightly. In one swight movement, she buried her face into his haori. He inhaled sharply at the contact, and couldn't stand risking to exhale. 'She… she's hugging me.'

The wind began to encircle the too, and a few leaves fluttered upwards. Somewhere in the distance, birds such as owls and doves acted as the flutes of nature and created their own melody for them. Still, the hanyou didn't know what to do. To turn away from her, or stay and relish in the feeling of her warmth. He didn't know if it was the wind or the girl embracing him, but he could her a voice in a whisper, gently saying, "Thank you."

That was all he needed to be satisfied. He allowed his arms to return the embrace, and he took the ends of her shirt within his fingers. He clutched her close to him and finally let go of any promise he had made. All promises… but one. The wind, the birds, and the grass never stopped their celebration for them. But their gossip, song, and dance went upheard by the preoccupied ears. The hanyou prayed that she would not hear his heart booming in delight, that she was staying with him for good this time. There was nothing to fear anymore. He could always keep her with him, no matter what he chose to do with his life or his love. His naïve victory might have gone unchecked, but any contradiction would have gone unheard. As far as he cared to believe, he was right.

Here was one thing he delighted in that was unpredictable. Only found in his Kagome.

To be continued…

OMG… longest chapter I've ever ever EVER written. I'm proud of myself. And in two days too. Go me! I hope you all enjoy and respond again. I love you all to pieces. Next chapter up in a few days so stay tuned.

BlueMoonDog: kawaii… I'm guessing that means cool and that you aren't insulting me, so thank you. Haha! (hugs)

Random Reader: Lol! Evil rose kid! That's catchy. I have to use that sometime. (hugs)

JediK1: Starts are really hard for me, so I'm glad you enjoyed it. (hugs)

Darkened Soul1: Inuyasha and his schemes. I love it so. Glad you do too. (hugs)

Cerulean Sage: I doubt you're here to read this, but I really detect hints of obsessiveness in Inuyasha. I'm playing on the fact that he is acting very strange, out of his comfort zone, so that change can occur. As a living being, I think he should be expected to evolve either negatively or positively, and therefore, I think it can potential become who he is.

Pan-Chan's Hope: I said I'd put a shout out in, didn't I? How couldn't I? I'm sorry you won't review for a while, but as long as I can have you back sometime. Hahaha! (hugs)

Elizabeth Hemingway: The title is a metaphor that will get introduces shortly. You'll definitely know it when you see it. God, I hope everyone gets the metaphor. Also, yeah I'll try to mention what time of day it is and also how much time passes when it's important. Whenever there's a significant time change, like two weeks or something, I'll definitely mention it. More descriptive is what I live for. I just hope I can find the time to get it all right. I'll definitely add more fluff, because I love it sooo much. (hugs)

CelestialDiety: Or what I make Inuyasha do. Oh no, I've broken the fourth wall! Aaaahh!.!.! (hugs)

minkyo: No way I'll quit on this story. (hugs)

Ouka-Chan77: I really try to stay true to personalities, so hearing that is great news. Thanks a bunch. (hugs)

Hannah: Jealousy makes me go, "aww, that's precious." Haha! I'm glad you think I'm true to the characters, cause that's what I'm aiming for. (hugs)

Caline Daniels: You'd expect it, unless I leave a weird twist and make it suck… nah! Haha! Glad you like it. (hugs)

Orangepencils: LOLOLOL! OMG, you don't even know you've already tied into two parts of the story already. 2! Hahaha! That's crazy! But I won't tell you! But… I did kinda tell you! No, I didn't… (hugs)

Jenn-silent breed: No way it won't get interesting. Just wait. (hugs)

Turante: Always always glad to have your support. (hugs)

Inuyasha-kagome-forever 99: Keep on coming back for more. (hugs)

To those who wrote me outside the system: I'm honored to have your support. I hope to hear what you think of my other fic as well so please check that out too. Catch you around. (hugs)