Chapter 9
The next day, the now familiar yet odd group of friends walked down a road they had hoped not to use ever again.
"DAMN IT! Why does the shard have to be near Kouga's den?" Inuyasha grunted under his breath.
"Inuyasha.....calm down. Why do you always get so worked up by him? Are you that insecure about yourself?" Kagome crossed her arms and glared at him threw just barely slitted eyelids as she lifted her chin just enough for her to seem as if she 'knew all'.
"What? .......What do I have to be insecure about?" He argued with her and mimicked her stance in his own way, waiting to see what she could possibly come up with to think 'HE' was insecure.
"Oh.....Let's see.... where to begin. Well ...... 1st, you're fighting. You're an amazing fighter, but you yourself are always finding new techniques to better your abilities. 2nd, your appearance, don't get me wrong, I love how you look," Kagome noticed him arch his eyebrow in question to her comment. "But I'm not everyone else and they try to make you feel inferior. 3rd, your blood. Everyone made you feel insecure as a hanyou, so you sought out the jewel to fix that. 4th, the way Kikyo treated you. Betraying you, even if it was a trick, what she did would make any grown man insecure. 5th, your friendships. You don't really open up and talk to us, as if in the same moment you do, one of us is going to turn on you. It's not going to happen. And don't get me started about your human night." Kagome was really getting into her argument with the stubborn dog. She quickly walked up to Inuyasha and stared at him almost a breath away from his face. Kagome's heart started to race at their close proximity. She gathered it under control before she spoke again. "And....most of all...... your insecure about us, our relationship. After all we've been through, you honestly think I would leave and become someone else's wife. That's what your really worried about isn't it that Kouga could steal me away from you at any time."
"............."
Kagome noticed his lack for words so she decided to reassure him further. "Just because he kidnaps me and tried to steal my heart, doesn't mean he'll succeed. Yes, Kouga is nicer and more polite then you and he shared his feelings with me openly, but there is one major problem about him." She saw his now interested and still questioning gaze. 'Maybe I'm getting through finally.' After she paused for a moment to build up his curiosity, she yelled the three words that she hoped would change things. "HE'S NOT YOU!"
Inuyasha stumbled backwards at her outburst, completely surprised. 'She doesn't like Kouga because he's not.....me! But I know she likes Kouga as a friend, does that mean she likes me as more then a friend. If she does, why won't she say something about it? Maybe she doesn't love me.....like that.' His eyes grew wide, filled with realization and sorrow.
Kagome watched as Inuyasha's expression changed from shocked to sad. For the first time since she had met the half dog youkai, she was confused by his reaction. She had expected him to be glad that she didn't like the wolf youkai in that way and that she liked him. But he looked sad instead. 'Naze.....why has my confession upset him....maybe it wasn't the confession he was wanting.' She took a step closer to him and smiled sweetly up at him, her tail swishing happily behind her. "Inuyasha, Kouga's not the one I love, he's not the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. Kouga is my friend and he'll never be anything more then that."
Inuyasha's sensitive hearing picked up faint whispering and glanced out of the corner of his eye to behind Kagome. Standing a few yards away, Sango and Miroku were whispering amongst themselves, while Shippo sat on Sango's shoulder listening and nodding. 'I had completely forgotten they were there. DAMN IT and we're giving them a show.' What happened next had taken everyone by surprise. Before he or anyone else could blink, his head was being pulled down by a weight on his forelocks. Out of instinct he closed his eyes and waited for earth to meet his face, thinking Kagome had "sat" him. Instead his lips hit something soft and warm. 'I recognize this feeling, this soft, sweet, pleasure surrounded by the smell of honey and wildflowers. This happened before, but this time it's more heated.....Kagome!......Kagome is kissing me.' Inuyasha felt his muscles go limp as his arms folded around her, drawing her closer. Just as he was starting to melt into her, she pulled away and took hold of his face, forcing him to look at her.
She could tell he was a bit dazed by her actions due to the glassy look in his eyes. Kagome gave him a bright and warm smile. "Inuyasha..... You're the one that I love, no one else, and no one can change that." She then gave him a brief, chaste kiss before speaking again. "So get over your jealousy of Kouga, because no one is going to take me away from you." Kagome was relived when a faint smile creased his lips.
Pleased with what she had said and done, Inuyasha felt for the first time in his life, extremely confident and even more ecstatic that she had chosen him and not the 'wimpy wolf.' He took her by the hand and continued down the path, pulling Kagome gently behind him. "Well let's get looking for that shard." There was a small smile on his face as he walked between Sango and Miroku.
Sango looked at Miroku inquisitively, and he looked at her in return. Both just shrugged their shoulders and proceeded to follow after their friends.
~******~
"All that trouble for this small of a piece. Who would have thought?" Kagome held up the sliver of the Shikon no Tama. "This is probably the smallest piece we've found." She then put the shard in the bottle and tried to work out some of the grass and sticks from her hair. She had tried to fight with her Kiseiga, but still being a beginner, she hadn't done very well and found herself thrown into he bushes several times by the giant iguana type youkai.
"You fought pretty well today, Kagome" Miroku commented to her from his laid back position against a tree.
"KEH! She came out with more scrapes and cuts then that youkai did." corrected Inuyasha.
"Ya....but thanks to my youkai blood I'm already healed." Kagome glared at him due to his insensitivity. She had just managed to pull the last stick from her hair when she picked up a light rippling sound. "I hear a stream over there, so I'm gonna go bathe. You guys.....keep an eye on him." Kagome pointed to the monk as she pulled out her bath supplies. In a matter of seconds she was running toward the river. Thanks to her new senses, she found the river in no time. After stripping, she stepped into the tepid water. She was relived that it wasn't freezing and flowed with slight warmth that made the water a comfortable temperature. She quickly cleaned off the dirt and blood and managed to pull the rest of the debris from her hair and tail. "Stupid Inuyasha! You'd think he would be glad that I could now fight more. Not just stand on the sidelines and shoot an arrow." Kagome rested against a rock as she looked up at the stars. 'Seeing so many at one time has always calmed me down. It's so tranquil and peaceful here. I love the fresh air and water, the beauty of nature. It's hard to imagine that one-day this will all be gone.' Kagome let out a heavy sigh as she tried to picture modern day Tokyo over the serene forest. After failing to merge the two times, she let her mind wander, and she let the peacefulness of the night surround her. She was so calm, she felt like doing something she hadn't been able to do in along time.
~******~
The next day, the now familiar yet odd group of friends walked down a road they had hoped not to use ever again.
"DAMN IT! Why does the shard have to be near Kouga's den?" Inuyasha grunted under his breath.
"Inuyasha.....calm down. Why do you always get so worked up by him? Are you that insecure about yourself?" Kagome crossed her arms and glared at him threw just barely slitted eyelids as she lifted her chin just enough for her to seem as if she 'knew all'.
"What? .......What do I have to be insecure about?" He argued with her and mimicked her stance in his own way, waiting to see what she could possibly come up with to think 'HE' was insecure.
"Oh.....Let's see.... where to begin. Well ...... 1st, you're fighting. You're an amazing fighter, but you yourself are always finding new techniques to better your abilities. 2nd, your appearance, don't get me wrong, I love how you look," Kagome noticed him arch his eyebrow in question to her comment. "But I'm not everyone else and they try to make you feel inferior. 3rd, your blood. Everyone made you feel insecure as a hanyou, so you sought out the jewel to fix that. 4th, the way Kikyo treated you. Betraying you, even if it was a trick, what she did would make any grown man insecure. 5th, your friendships. You don't really open up and talk to us, as if in the same moment you do, one of us is going to turn on you. It's not going to happen. And don't get me started about your human night." Kagome was really getting into her argument with the stubborn dog. She quickly walked up to Inuyasha and stared at him almost a breath away from his face. Kagome's heart started to race at their close proximity. She gathered it under control before she spoke again. "And....most of all...... your insecure about us, our relationship. After all we've been through, you honestly think I would leave and become someone else's wife. That's what your really worried about isn't it that Kouga could steal me away from you at any time."
"............."
Kagome noticed his lack for words so she decided to reassure him further. "Just because he kidnaps me and tried to steal my heart, doesn't mean he'll succeed. Yes, Kouga is nicer and more polite then you and he shared his feelings with me openly, but there is one major problem about him." She saw his now interested and still questioning gaze. 'Maybe I'm getting through finally.' After she paused for a moment to build up his curiosity, she yelled the three words that she hoped would change things. "HE'S NOT YOU!"
Inuyasha stumbled backwards at her outburst, completely surprised. 'She doesn't like Kouga because he's not.....me! But I know she likes Kouga as a friend, does that mean she likes me as more then a friend. If she does, why won't she say something about it? Maybe she doesn't love me.....like that.' His eyes grew wide, filled with realization and sorrow.
Kagome watched as Inuyasha's expression changed from shocked to sad. For the first time since she had met the half dog youkai, she was confused by his reaction. She had expected him to be glad that she didn't like the wolf youkai in that way and that she liked him. But he looked sad instead. 'Naze.....why has my confession upset him....maybe it wasn't the confession he was wanting.' She took a step closer to him and smiled sweetly up at him, her tail swishing happily behind her. "Inuyasha, Kouga's not the one I love, he's not the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. Kouga is my friend and he'll never be anything more then that."
Inuyasha's sensitive hearing picked up faint whispering and glanced out of the corner of his eye to behind Kagome. Standing a few yards away, Sango and Miroku were whispering amongst themselves, while Shippo sat on Sango's shoulder listening and nodding. 'I had completely forgotten they were there. DAMN IT and we're giving them a show.' What happened next had taken everyone by surprise. Before he or anyone else could blink, his head was being pulled down by a weight on his forelocks. Out of instinct he closed his eyes and waited for earth to meet his face, thinking Kagome had "sat" him. Instead his lips hit something soft and warm. 'I recognize this feeling, this soft, sweet, pleasure surrounded by the smell of honey and wildflowers. This happened before, but this time it's more heated.....Kagome!......Kagome is kissing me.' Inuyasha felt his muscles go limp as his arms folded around her, drawing her closer. Just as he was starting to melt into her, she pulled away and took hold of his face, forcing him to look at her.
She could tell he was a bit dazed by her actions due to the glassy look in his eyes. Kagome gave him a bright and warm smile. "Inuyasha..... You're the one that I love, no one else, and no one can change that." She then gave him a brief, chaste kiss before speaking again. "So get over your jealousy of Kouga, because no one is going to take me away from you." Kagome was relived when a faint smile creased his lips.
Pleased with what she had said and done, Inuyasha felt for the first time in his life, extremely confident and even more ecstatic that she had chosen him and not the 'wimpy wolf.' He took her by the hand and continued down the path, pulling Kagome gently behind him. "Well let's get looking for that shard." There was a small smile on his face as he walked between Sango and Miroku.
Sango looked at Miroku inquisitively, and he looked at her in return. Both just shrugged their shoulders and proceeded to follow after their friends.
~******~
"All that trouble for this small of a piece. Who would have thought?" Kagome held up the sliver of the Shikon no Tama. "This is probably the smallest piece we've found." She then put the shard in the bottle and tried to work out some of the grass and sticks from her hair. She had tried to fight with her Kiseiga, but still being a beginner, she hadn't done very well and found herself thrown into he bushes several times by the giant iguana type youkai.
"You fought pretty well today, Kagome" Miroku commented to her from his laid back position against a tree.
"KEH! She came out with more scrapes and cuts then that youkai did." corrected Inuyasha.
"Ya....but thanks to my youkai blood I'm already healed." Kagome glared at him due to his insensitivity. She had just managed to pull the last stick from her hair when she picked up a light rippling sound. "I hear a stream over there, so I'm gonna go bathe. You guys.....keep an eye on him." Kagome pointed to the monk as she pulled out her bath supplies. In a matter of seconds she was running toward the river. Thanks to her new senses, she found the river in no time. After stripping, she stepped into the tepid water. She was relived that it wasn't freezing and flowed with slight warmth that made the water a comfortable temperature. She quickly cleaned off the dirt and blood and managed to pull the rest of the debris from her hair and tail. "Stupid Inuyasha! You'd think he would be glad that I could now fight more. Not just stand on the sidelines and shoot an arrow." Kagome rested against a rock as she looked up at the stars. 'Seeing so many at one time has always calmed me down. It's so tranquil and peaceful here. I love the fresh air and water, the beauty of nature. It's hard to imagine that one-day this will all be gone.' Kagome let out a heavy sigh as she tried to picture modern day Tokyo over the serene forest. After failing to merge the two times, she let her mind wander, and she let the peacefulness of the night surround her. She was so calm, she felt like doing something she hadn't been able to do in along time.
~******~
