Chapter 3- The Triad of Love
A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update...
Later that same day...Inuyasha's side
The day was surprisingly warm, considering it was mid-fall. A gentle breeze tickled the village, wafting with it scents of mingled men, women, children, and a certain mangy wolf's...Inuyasha wrinkled his nose in displeasure, as he would now have to get down from his tree branch and do the one thing he had tried not to do all day - seek out Kagome. Especially after she had noticed how subtle the dream kept popping up into his mind, then decided to seek him out to see what was wrong( he had, after all, had not looked,or spoken to her all day). And especially after she sat him and he had accused her of having fun with this crippling process of theirs...
" Damned wolf!" he growled, hopping froggishly from tree-to-tree until he came upon Kaede's hut. Unfortunately, the wimpy wolf had already started his brigade of insinuation toward him.
Kouga's voice rang clear and severed Inuyasha's last nerve:" Why, Kagome, you look so thin! Has that mangy mutt failed to feed you all these months? I could take proper care of you, you know..." Kouga reached for the miko's hand, so wrapped up in 'his' Kagome that he had failed to sniff out the competition.
" Oi! Keep yer grimy hands away from my woman, you-" The hanyou stopped in midsentence, aware of Miroku, Sango, Kaede, and Shippou's smug grins, Kouga's narrowed glare, and Kagome's pink, shocked face.
" She's mine, you, you...dogbreath!"
" Skirt-wearing wimp!"
" Half-breed!"
" Shit-face!"
" Mangy-"
Kagome flung herself at Inuyasha, and, when she was two inches behind him, breathed on his neck," Oswauri!"
Inuyasha came crashing downto the ground, dust flying at the miko in vindication of the hanyou.
Once he managed to leap up, he was only able to utter a single comprehendable word in a string of curses:" Bitch!" he sputtered, wiping flecks of dirt off his reddened face. The blush creeping up his neck seemed to give way to a crimson face of anger; without another word to either Kouga or Kagome, he then hurled himself in the direction of the forest.
Miroku's eyes followed the fleeing hanyou, a solemn expression on his features. " I think that was an unwise move, Lady Kagome."
Kouga only smirked. " Typical mutt! Leaving when it gets too tough.. Dearest Kagome, I must leave you now...I'll take care of dogbreath later. " Again, he reached for her hand, but instead of kindly letting him take it, the schoolgirl swung it into stinging slap.
Eyes full of unbelief and resolution, Kagome watched the forest. " I think you should leave him alone once in a while, Kouga. He does more for me than you think, " she said coolly.
For once, the wolf did not say anything and took off in a whirlwind of confusion.
" Are you alright, Kagome-chan?" Sango placed a hand on her shoulder, eyes full of worry.
" I..I don't know. Do you think he's finally admitted...does he...?" Kagome began to walk away slowly, eyes glancing in quick sessions at Inuyasha's exit, as if she was afraid he might come tearing back through the trees in the same manner that he entered them.
