They had walked almost all day. She had told them she knew exactly where to find Nike. So they all followed her. They stopped only once, and when they did she looked at them with questioning looks, "Are you injured?" She asked them. They laughed, and shook there heads. "Then why did we stop?"
Inuyasha knew what she was thinking. He had wondered that same thing too at first. "They need to rest." He said. She nodded her head. She had hardly said a word the whole day, and every once and a while he could smell the salty tears on her face. Then night fell, and they stopped again. "We will camp here tonight." He said. She nodded. Inuyasha got into Kagome's backpack and took out the few supplies to make the ramen. He made some for her first. He had heard her stomach growled throughout the whole day.
"What is it?" She asked, sniffing it.
"Just eat it." He said hotly. "Or I will!" She handed him the bowl.
"I'm not hungry. You can give it to them or you can have it for yourself." What! That liar! She is too hungry! Fine if she wants to starve she can!
"Fine!" He handed the bowl roughly to Miroku. Miroku and Sango looked at each other with looks that basically said "I think we found someone just as hotheaded as Inuyasha." He gave the next bowl to Sango, and then made one for himself. She just sat there looking at him, his ears his eyes, his claws, everything. He looked up and glared at her. He didn't like people staring at him.
"Stop staring at me!" He yelled. She jumped up, and walked away. He could have sworn that he heard her say, "Sorry." under her breath. She was gone for a long time. Miroku and Sango went to bed, but Inuyasha couldn't sleep. He didn't know where she was. Arrrg! Why should I care where she is? But all the same he got up and went off in the direction she went off to. He smelt the air; there was nothing. A few moments later he could smell salty tears and he fallowed the scent.
He stopped, the smell was strong here, and he should be able to see her by now. He looked around then he looked up. She was sitting in the tree. Legs crossed. "Hey what are you doing up there?" He yelled. She turned around, not letting him see her. He jumped up right behind her; he sat on the branch that was close to hers. She started franticly wiping away the tears. Then she turned towards him.
"What the hell do you want?" She asked. He just looked at her. He knew exactly what she was feeling. He wanted to reach out and hold her, comfort her. But he didn't, she would probably push him off the tree. Plus why would I want to comfort her?
"I know how you feel." He said.
"Ha, no you don't, you have no idea!" She turned again. Tears were starting to fall.
He sucked up some air. "Yes I do. I know what it is like to be alone. I know how it feels to loose someone close." And as much as he hated to admit it. "We are very much alike."
She stopped and considered this. "No, you are not an outcast, you have friends."
He laughed at this. Not an outcast! "I am more of an outcast than you think." She turned around to look at him. Then she reached out and touched his ears. He flinched. She pulled back.
"Sorry, I just wanted to see if they were real." He gave her a weird look, and she burst out laughing. Her laughter was like nothing he had ever heard before. He just gaped at her. "What?" She stopped laughing. He was sad; he didn't want the laughter to stop. Her smile, he decided, was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. It was so weird, he had and immediate attraction to her. He wanted her right then and there, to hold her, but then his thoughts drifted back to Kagome. And he hoped down the tree.
"Come back to the camp, and then I can keep an eye on you." He said.
She sighed "Ok." She was about to step off the log when the bark slipped off, she lost her footing and fell. He caught her. She was shocked obviously she didn't loose her footing often. "Ok! You can let me go now!" He just realized that he had been holding her for a while.
"Well don't loose you footing next time! You stupid clumsy wench!" He put her down.
"Whatever you say," Then she paused and gave an evil cruel smile. "Pup." And she started walking.
"Hey! Don't call me Pup wench!" He heard her give an evil laugh. "I'm serious! Don't you dare call me that again or you'll be sorry!"
"Bring it on!" She flashed her evil smile back at him "Pup."
"Ahhhhh!" He lounged at her. Trying to do a flying tackle. She moved, and grabbed him by the shoulders and flung him up against a tree. The hit didn't hurt him, just knocked the wind out of him.
"You need some work." She said flatly. He fell to the ground, on his hands and knees. When he did get up, she was gone. How did she do that? She is a skinny little thing and she threw me like I was nothing! And I'll get her for calling me pup! When he got back to camp she was on the ground asleep. She didn't have a blanket or a makeshift bed. It wasn't freezing but it defiantly wasn't warm enough to sleep without anything but a thin cloak. He sat by her, close enough to give her some body heat, without touching her.
Then he noticed something. She didn't have a scent either. Maybe she just doesn't have a very strong scent. He leaned nearer to her, Trying to get a whiff of her. Nothing! He bent down more, just inches away from her face and hair. Nothing. What the hell? Then he put his face into her hair. Ahhhh there was the scent and it isn't very strong. It smells like a rose, and it is almost intoxicating. She shifted.
He started to realize what position he had gotten himself into. He was almost on top of her. Not touching her, but very, very close to touching her. She moved onto her side. He moved off of her. He was on his side as well. They were facing each other. He was all of a sudden tired as well. He fell asleep but not for long because he felt something snuggle up to him. He opened his eyes.
She was snuggling into his chest. He felt his cheeks go warm. But it felt good. So he absentmindedly put his arm around her small waist. Oh man when she wakes up she is going to kill me. Then he noticed that she wasn't sleeping. He pulled his arm back. What is going on? Dose she even know what she is doing? Then he heard her crying. "Temari? What are you doing?" She gasped. He pulled away; she obviously didn't know what she was doing.
"Inuyasha, I'm sorry. I just-I just." Then she started full out crying. She's a mess. She's been through a lot. He felt bad for her, so he pulled her close again. She cried herself to sleep.