Photograph
That night, Inuyasha returned to the hut, Kagome's supplies she had abandoned that afternoon cradled in his hand, opting for an apology. He sort of felt bad, really -- she only ever sat him so much when she was really furious with him, and even when she was normally it wasn't much of a big deal, just a big over reaction for the miko. But he had saw the raw hurt in her eyes when he crashed into his half brother and Kagome, and knew that maybe snooping into her business wasn't in his future plans, and, quite possibly, he should just leave the girl alone.
He stooped next to the hut, just standing outside of the door, contemplating as to what exactly say. He wasn't exactly a pro at apologies, and never really took the time to apologize for something anyways, but when it came down to Kagome's feelings he found that maybe it was the right thing to do the 'mature' act and make the girl feel better. Inuyasha could hear her soft breathing, along with everyone else's heavy ones, signaling she wasn't quite asleep just yet.
Inuyasha gently brushed past the mat and saw her form to the right. Making sure not to wake the others -- just the thought of everyone else hearing his apology sickened him -- he tiptoed over to the miko and crouched down by her form, saw her eyes open and glowering at him.
"Hey," he said, just lightly shaking her shoulder, "lemme talk to you. Come outside."
Kagome stuck her face in the pillow and shrugged off his hand. "Leave me alone." She mumbled.
Sighing, the hanyou shook her again. "Come on, Kagome, I'm sorry, all right? Just...I don't want anyone else to hear."
"Yeah, don't let your pride get in the way," she retorted scornfully, facing completely away from him now.
"Kagome, you know I'm not good at apologies, and sometimes I do stupid things,"
"Sometimes?"
He rolled his eyes. "More often than not. But I'm really sorry. I mean...I didn't know you were actually serious with..."
Kagome turned sharply, brown eyes probing his face. "How could you not know?" She looked away then, and bit her lip nervously. "Then again...I didn't know either until recent..."
Inuyasha sat down beside her, aware that everyone's breathing had stilled and was being controlled, but at the moment, he didn't really seemed to care. "So...you and my brother, huh? What's so great about him?" He huffed, but she didn't answer. "Kagome?"
"Inuyasha...I...just don't know, okay? I just know that there is something..."
The hanyou nodded his head sagely, and looked at her with his yellow eyes. "I won't question further." He took a deep breath. "And...I won't meddle in your business anymore. It's just...I don't trust my brother. And I don't know how you do."
"He hasn't given me a reason not to trust him," she lied, hoping he didn't catch it.
If he did catch the lie, he didn't give any indication. "Yeah, you say that now." Inuyasha shook his head, still not able to fathom the way Kagome could handle his older brother. "But some time soon...he might turn on you, Kagome."
"I know, Inuyasha, but I don't think so." The miko adjusted herself in her sheets, pulled them closer to her. "He's...just different is all. A good different. And I'm getting used to it." Her eyes seemed to cloud over just then. "And you can have your Kikyou."
Inuyasha openly cringed. Uncomfortably, he began to rub the back of his neck. "Y-yeah. I guess I can..." Kagome thought he didn't know he could see the redness crawl into his face and neck.
She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Thank you, Inuyasha."
Becoming even redder, the hanyou scoffed and tried to act as though he was above such petty gratitude, but Kagome knew he was just glad to have her on his side again. Kagome settled back into her cot, secretly thanked Inuyasha in her head again, and slipped back into sleep.
The next morning, when Kagome woke up, she was surprised to see that her tripod and camera was missing. She could have sworn Inuyasha had dropped it off in the doorway when he came into the hut the previous night. Confused, she sat up and made sure she was decent, looked around to see that everyone wasn't present. Pursing her lips, the miko stood and brushed past the matt, to see the sun shining brightly and the sun clear. In the distance, she heard an echoing, "Cheese!" and turned.
Sango was holding the tripod while taking a picture of Shippou dancing in the air with his chizuru attack activated. The taijiya was busy keeping the kistune accupied while Inuyasha and Miroku stood on the sidelines, waiting for their turns. They seemed to not know of Kagome's presence, but she kept behind, watching, thinking her friends childish but at the same time enjoyably entertaining.
Miroku stood, hand held over his right palm, the beads that held his Kazanna, and when he revealed the mighty black hole Sango was sure to snap the picture quickly. The monk quickly wrapped up his dangerous hand, and handed the stage over to the hanyou. Inuyasha stepped up, pulled out his Tetsusaiga, and quickly executed his Kaze no Kizu in mid-air, while Sango snapped the photo.
"Hey!" Kagome called, rushing up to them once the powerful swipes of yellow had dissipated in the air. "What're you guys doing?"
Miroku smiled. "We figured since you and Sesshoumaru-sama enjoy taking such photos we should do the same, too. Hope you don't mind we borrowed your camera."
Kagome shook her head, enthused they had conceded with her strange relationship with the taiyoukai. "Not at all. Do you have some good shots?"
"Oh yeah!" Shippou exclaimed, casting his fire. "My pictures are awesome Kagome-chan!"
As they began to crowd around the camera, a presence stirred in the air that caught everyone's attention. Inuyasha sniffed the air, refrained from cringing, and pointed toward the woods. "My onii-san is here, Kagome. I think he wants you."
Kagome nodded, and waved to her friends, following the trail of Sesshoumaru's youki. She found him standing in the first layer of thin pine, eyes locked on hers fiercely.
"Come." Was all he said, turning around, beckoning her with one finger.
Kagome took a hesitant look back before catching up to his disappearing form.