Chapter Four: Giving Them A Push
Kagome sighed wistfully as she helped Kaede gather herbs from her small garden, at the other members of the group, Inuyasha holding conversation with Miroku and Sango while managing to play some sort of childish game with his niece at the same time. She wondered why Inuyasha had never been as nice with Shippo. Oh well, she hand never understood the half-breed anyway. How could he be so nice and affectionate towards her sometimes and be so harsh and vulgar with her at others? How could he claim to love Kikyo after all that she and him had been through and still make his jealousy extremely blatant whenever Koga came around or when Hojo was mentioned? Maybe her friends from the future, Yuka and Eri were right. Maybe she should give up. She wasn't getting anywhere, whereas Hojo and Koga both obviously liked her a lot. Kagome liked them both back in return, but somehow loves bonds kept her tethered to Inuyasha, and couldn't let her love anyone else the way she did him. And for that, Kagome loathed her own foolishness. She looked again at her niece's play with Inuyasha surprised how much you can think you know someone but actually be totally fooled. From the only example Kagome could take, she would've thought Inuyasha wouldn't be very good with children. On the contrary however Haruko seemed to have more fun with Inuyasha then she did with Kirara, or even her own father. Haruko had somehow found her way on to Inuyasha's head and was pulling on his right ear.
"Ow!" he griped. "Miroku, get this kid of yours off of me! She's pulling my lug off!"
Miroku lifted his daughter off Inuyasha's head and placed her on his own shoulders. "You need to be gentle with your uncle's ears. They're very sensitive."
Haruko looked perplexed. "But Houshi-sama, if that's true then why didn't he complain the first time I tugged his ear?"
"Because he likes to be a tough guy." Miroku replied with a wink.
"Feh. Says you monk." Inuyasha noticed how Kagome kept looking there way with a longing look on her face. "I'm going to go see what's wrong with Kagome." Inuyasha sped over to the garden. "Hey." he greeted. "What's eating you?"
"Oh nothing." Kagome answered.
Inuyasha leaned over and inspected her face closely. "You lie. There's something wrong, isn't there?"
"No. What could be wrong?" Kagome asked in her cheerful façade.
"I don't know, but you always manage to find a problem with your life. You homesick?" Inuyasha persisted.
"No."
"You sure? Cause we could always go to your time if you liked. Nothing is keeping you here." Inuyasha remarked.
"Wrong." Kagome objected.
"What do you mean? I mean, why do you choose to stick around? You could always go back to your time and finish up that school gadget you are always talking about. As long as you promised to visit of course." Inuyasha added.
Kagome looked at him as if he had just grown a second head. "Excuse me?"
"Are you deaf woman? I said you can go to the future and finish school if you like, as long as you visit occasionally." Inuyasha repeated.
"Why would you make me visit?" Kagome inquired.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Because, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Haruko will miss you stupid!" Inuyasha said as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.
Kagome's face fell. "But you wouldn't miss me at all, would you?"
"Well," Inuyasha hesitated. "Maybe a little."
"Really?" Kagome asked excitedly.
"Fine, I'd miss you a lot. Happy?"
"Why would you miss me? I thought I was just your jewel detector."
"Well, you thought wrong wench." Inuyasha replied matter-of-factly. "You are my best friend after all."
Kagome grinned triumphantly. "And all this time I thought you didn't like me!"
"Well, at first I didn't. But you do have some good qualities in you as well. It's pretty hard for me to imagine life with out you." Inuyasha confessed.
"Aww, you're so sweet." Kagome said, giving him a hug.
"Yeah, well don't get used to it." Inuyasha warned her.
Sango leaned on Miroku's other shoulder (the one Haruko wasn't sitting on) and sighed. "Don't they look sweet together?"
"Yes, they do." Miroku admitted. "Pity they are so stubborn."
"Miroku, you know how you said they will never get anywhere without a push?" Sango asked.
"Yes."
"Let's give them one!" Sango suggested excitedly.
"What, you mean like set them up?"
"That's exactly what I mean!"
"Oh no." Miroku denied. He back away and held his arms out parallel in defense. "You are not dragging me into something like that. Doing things like that can only lead to trouble."
"Oh, come on Miroku! What could possibly go wrong?" Sango whined.
"The term 'everything' leaps to mind. Sango obviously you don't remember what happens when members of our group try to set others up. Don't you remember what happened when Kagome tried to set us up? You almost came out of it married to that chucklehead of a lord!" Miroku reminded her.
"First off, Kuranosuke is not a chucklehead. Number two, I never planned to accept his proposal in the first place!" Sango corrected him.
"Why ever not?"
"Because I was in love with you!" Sango answered.
"You were? All the way back then?" Miroku asked incredulously. "Why didn't you just say so? We'd probably have at least half a dozen kids by now if you had!"
"I was shy. But were getting off topic." Sango said, changing the subject back. "You said they need a push yourself. Can't we at least try?"
"You can try all you like. I'm staying out of this!"
"Haruko? Can you come here for a second?" Sango requested. Miroku let her down and the girl scampered over to her mother. "Don't you think Auntie Kagome and Uncle Inuyasha would look good together?" Haruko nodded up and down vigorously. Sango began to whisper in her ear.
Miroku looked at them quizzically. "What are you to plotting?"
Haruko then went back over to her father and latched herself onto his leg. "Please help Mommy get Uncle Inuyasha and Auntie Kagome together Houshi-sama! It would make everyone else so happy!" she pleaded, giving Miroku the puppy eyes.
"No! I must resist!" Miroku closed his eyes tight and turned his head away. "Sango, make her stop!"
"Who do you think suggested she do this?" his huntress asked.
"Please daddy?" Haruko persisted.
Miroku eyes snapped open. She just called him daddy. "If it's for my daughter, I guess we can try."
"Yes!" Sango cheered. "Bonzai!"
A/N: Could write more, but won't cause I'm lazy. Don't worry I may update again soon.