InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ One Step Forward, Two Steps Back ❯ Step 8: I demand proof! ( Chapter 8 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: ArtemisMoon 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Romance / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 10.10.2005 | Updated On: 10.10.2005 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 808 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Romance / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 10.10.2005 | Updated On: 10.10.2005 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 808 | Status: Completed
Yes, I really do feel terribly guilty for how long it has taken me to post anything new! So don't yell at me, okay? ::puppy dog eyes:: I really don't intend to give up on this story (or any of my stories, for that matter) so you really don't have to worry about that, at least. Just be patient with me, and perhaps if anyone has any good suggestions for humorous Kagome/Inuyasha stories that I can read, those tend to help inspire me when I'm in a writing slump like I've been lately...
Anyway, I'm really glad everyone seems to be enjoying this story and that you guys are finding it so amusing (Or at the very least odd, LOL), and I hope you will all continue to read and review for me. I'm always willing to listen to constructive comments or even plot suggestions if you guys have any.
Have fun reading!
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Disclaimer: Oh, don't shoot me for this...please...
There once was a woman from Japan
Who had a very, very talented hand.
She owns Inuyasha, they say
Because she made him up one day,
Like only someone with her imagination can.
.
.
.
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Chapter Eight
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It was finally night, which meant it was time for the group to rest in preparation for another day of shard hunting. But for Inuyasha, it would also hopefully mean salvation from the painfully long day he'd suffered through.
While the small band of travelers went about their nightly routines, Inuyasha found himself a tree and sulked...at least, to everyone else it appeared that he was sulking. In reality, he was mentally beating himself up for his earlier actions - not that he would ever admit such a thing to anyone. It was best if everyone believed he was acting like his usual self, upset because they had to stop for the night to let the weak humans rest.
Not that his little pretense mattered, of course, because nobody was paying any attention to him.
Each member of the little band was lost in their own thoughts, seemingly on auto-pilot as they went through the motions of cooking, eating, and preparing to sleep. It was more than a little unusual, because normally there was a lot of talking and laughing amongst the close-knit group, especially between Sango and Kagome. Those two could talk about everything without actually talking about anything.
Must be a woman thing, Inuyasha supposed.
Thinking of women made Inuyasha's mind go back to two women in particular along with a certain incident earlier in the day that had involved both. What in the world had possessed Sango to lie for him like that and save him from Kagome's wrath? Admittedly, she was one of the worst liars he'd ever met if what had happened that day was any indication, but Kagome had believed it, and that was what really counted.
Still, the fact that Sango would go out of her way to help him even after Kagome had most likely told her about what had occurred on the other side of the well was...odd, to say the least.
Narrowing his eyes in the demon slayer's direction, the now observant hanyou noticed just how closely she was watching Miroku from her spot across the campfire. She couldn't possibly be worried about him groping her, so why would she be staring at him like that? Unless...
Ah, so that was it! Understanding finally dawned and Inuyasha was ready to smack himself for not realizing it sooner.
From the look on her face, Inuyasha could tell that she suspected something and didn't like her suspicions in the least. She must have figured out, at least in part, what was going on between him and Miroku. Which meant that Inuyasha might possibly have an ally against the perverted monk, should he need it.
The thought consoled the half-demon slightly.
Turning his attention to whom he now unconsciously considered to be 'the enemy', Inuyasha couldn't stop a small growl from escaping at the sight of the unusually quiet monk.
Over the course of the day since their lunch break, Miroku and Shippo had been the only ones that had acted halfway normal. They had both talked and laughed as they traveled as if nothing were out of the ordinary, while everyone else had brooded quietly.
Watching the other man acting so cheerful had only served to sour Inuyasha's mood more than ever.
Since they had stopped traveling for the night, though, the monk had grown suspiciously silent and thoughtful, giving Inuyasha the uneasy feeling that he was being plotted against. And the occasional speculative glances Miroku had been giving him off and on all evening wasn't helping to calm his increasingly rattled nerves any.
As if he realized he was being watched, Miroku suddenly turned his eyes towards the already agitated hanyou and a sharp cracking echoed throughout the camp a mere moment later.
Across the small clearing from Inuyasha's tree, Sango took her eyes off Miroku for a few moments to study Inuyasha, her attention having been drawn to him by the loud cracking noise apparently caused by Inuyasha's excessively tight grip on a nearby branch as he stared at Miroku with a disturbing amount of focus.
If she didn't get to the bottom of this little mystery soon, someone was going to end up dead and judging from Inuyasha's expression, it would probably be Miroku. And at this point, even if the hanyou did end up breaking Miroku's neck, she wouldn't blame him in the least.
Not that she wanted him dead, of course. But still, she could understand Inuyasha's feeling in the matter because the way Miroku was acting was downright creepy. Her own hands were just itching to clobber the idiot...
Sighing, Sango reached over beside her and picked up Hiraikotsu along with a cloth that she kept for use on her weapon. Not that it really needed any attention since they hadn't been in any battles lately, but she needed something to keep her hands busy and away from Miroku's skull.
Still, though she steadily worked the cloth over Hiraikotsu, her eyes strayed constantly in Miroku's direction.
She felt it would be a good idea to continue keeping a close eye on dark-haired man, waiting for an opportune time to confront him about his actions. And hopefully that chance would come very, very soon...
Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Miroku's seemingly oblivious figure.
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~*~*~*~*~*~
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Kagome wanted to scream.
It was becoming more and more obvious to the frustrated girl that something was going on that involved Miroku, Sango, and Inuyasha, and she was the only one being left in the dark about it. Well, she and Shippo, but the sleeping kitsune didn't seem to care in the least.
Perhaps she should just take her cue from him and ignore them all?
Kagome watched with annoyance as Inuyasha glared first at Miroku, and then at Sango before going back to Miroku. And Sango would stare at Miroku, glance at Inuyasha, pretend to work, but inevitably end up staring at Miroku again who just serenely ignored both of them while wearing a smile he would normally only wear after successfully groping the constantly on guard Sango.
Throughout all this, no one looked Kagome's way at all.
'I might as well not even be here.' She thought dourly, a frown plastered across her normally cheerful face. 'And when they do acknowledge my existence, something weird always happens that makes me wish they hadn't...'
Like earlier that day, for example. Now there was a good reason why she shouldn't be upset about being ignored. What a weird moment that had been...
Kagome's frown deepened. What had really happened, anyway?
Everything had been perfectly normal until both Sango and Inuyasha had started choking at the same time...at the same time? It hadn't occurred to Kagome while it was happening, but such a thing really was rather strange...
And then Inuyasha had knocked the water bottle away as if he were afraid it was going to bite him, and ended up splashing water all over Sango. Yet, Sango didn't get angry as she normally would have, which was also undoubtedly odd.
After that, when she had tried to get an answer out of someone, Miroku acted as if he were about to confess something to her. Something about...he and Inuyasha? But what in the world could he have been planning to say?
Kagome shook her head in confusion, not understanding anything about the day's events, though she did have a feeling that it was all related...somehow.
But how was what she didn't know, and that fact was frustrating the poor girl to no end.
It was impossible for her to identify any kind of a connection, yet she somehow sensed that all the previous events - such as the choking and what Miroku had been about to say - must have somehow led up to Inuyasha slapping his hand over her chest (She couldn't stop a bright blush from breaking out on her face at that memory) and Sango telling her there had been a spider there and that Inuyasha had only been trying to kill it.
Normally, she would have never believed such a pathetic excuse as a spider with everyone already acting so strange, but she couldn't help but want to give them the benefit of the doubt because Sango wouldn't lie to her...would she? Especially not to protect one of the guys after they did something stupid. Or just plain weird, as the case was with Inuyasha.
Surely there must have been a spider. A very teeny, tiny one...and one that didn't leave any guts when squashed, to boot.
Kagome nearly growled out loud as she once again glanced down at the spotless front of her school uniform in hopes that she'd missed something. So much for Sango never lying to her.
'Why would Sango lie about something like that? I don't get it! Everyone around me is going nuts, and I can't even figure out why!' She removed the sleeping Shippo from her lap and jumped up before heading over to her backpack and violently digging her hand around in it, looking for her night clothes.
"I'm going to go get cleaned up and ready for bed." She glared at everyone around her one by one as she made her announcement, and they all stared back at her, baffled by her sudden attitude and giving Kagome the grim satisfaction of knowing that at least she wasn't being ignored anymore.
"Ah, Kagome-chan, are you okay?" Sango hesitantly questioned. "You seem upset..."
"I'm fine." She responded stiffly before stalking off in the direction of a rather pitiful stream they'd managed to find after Inuyasha had splashed Sango with a good part of their water supply.
Once Kagome was out of hearing range, Sango sighed and stood up, placing Hiraikotsu against a tree and gathering a few spare bathing supplies Kagome always carried for her. As much as she felt she needed to keep her eye on Miroku (his expression was far too angelic looking at the moment for her taste), she felt she needed to check on Kagome more. There was obviously something upsetting the younger girl.
Before she left, Sango gave her standard warning.
"No peeking. At all. Got it?"
She then glared at Miroku and then Inuyasha before turning away from them both in disgust. She didn't even know who to threaten anymore! Things were much too confused...
Waiting patiently with his much-too-innocent expression until Sango was out of sight, Miroku the dropped the facade and turned towards Inuyasha without missing a beat. The perfect opportunity for the plan he'd been concocting all evening was at hand, and he was determined not to waste it, even if he did have to forgo his viewing pleasure for the night. But, oh well, Sango was far too suspicious of him at the moment, anyway.
For now he would just have to concentrate on Inuyasha.
"So, what are you waiting for?" He raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"Huh?" Inuyasha blinked cluelessly.
Miroku sighed. "If you were truly sincere about proving your attraction to Kagome-sama, now would be an excellent opportunity to do so. She and Sango-sama are bathing, and-"
"You mean you want me to go PEEK?" Inuyasha questioned in horror, as if he'd never considered such a thing before. Miroku had to try very hard not to smile or laugh.
"Of course that is what I meant. What else?" The monk punctuated his question with a shrug while carefully watching the hanyou's reaction for what he was looking for. Perhaps just a bit more encouragement would be needed... "Of course, I'll understand perfectly if you weren't serious about the whole thing. Using Kagome-sama as an excuse to avoid your real feelings for someone else is only natural, and-"
"Fine, I'll do it!" Inuyasha nearly shouted, causing the sleeping kitsune and fire cat to stir slightly.
He stood up to leave, looking as if he were about to go to his execution (which, if he were caught, it would be) when Miroku decided it was time to put the next part of his plan into action.
"Wait a moment, Inuyasha. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure I believe that you'll actually go peek." He placed his hand on his chin as if contemplating something very seriously. "What if you just pretend to go, and instead head elsewhere? I think I'll need some proof."
Inuyasha stared at Miroku incredulously. "You want WHAT?"
"Some proof. Only logical under the circumstances, wouldn't you say?"
The hanyou growled. "Like hell! What kind of proof could I possibly bring back?" He paused for a moment before his face darkened. "Oi, why can't you just come, too? It's not like you haven't done it before."
The most pious look Miroku could muster came over his face. "I could not possibly do such a thing. After all, I've sworn off women for good, and as a monk, I must never go back on my word."
Inuyasha snorted, aptly voicing his opinion of that without actually saying anything.
"It pains me to see that you do not understand, my friend." Miroku sighed despondently before going quiet. He seemed to contemplate the situation seriously for a few moments before an evil gleam entered his eyes that he couldn't quite hide from the now nervous hanyou. "Actually, my going could be a very good thing. After all, I don't necessarily have to look at the ladies, now do I? Because with a certain 'someone' there I'll have other viewing material to keep my eyes upon..."
Inuyasha flinched. "Ah...dammit!" He knew the argument was lost and that he should just give in before Miroku could get any other ideas. "Fine! What kind of proof?"
The other man hid a smile. "Oh, I don't know...Kagome-sama's clothes, perhaps?"
"WHAT?!?!"
It was Miroku's turn to flinch at Inuyasha's loud yell, and he could only hope that Sango and Kagome hadn't been able to hear it from the river. They were a fair distance away to allow for privacy, but not so far that it compromised anyone's safety. Which, of course, meant that they were within screaming distance...
"Please calm down, Inuyasha. You wouldn't want to risk anyone over-hearing your plan."
The hanyou balked at the admonishment. "MY plan? Hell no, this is all YOUR idea!"
"Call it what you will," Miroku hummed, unconcerned "but YOU are still the one that they will get angry with if you get caught. So tread with caution, Inuyasha. I'd hate to see them mar that lovely ski-"
Obviously that was more than enough 'encouragement' from the monk for Inuyasha's taste, and Miroku found himself talking to empty air.
"Excellent!" Miroku smiled widely. "Now to wait for his return..."
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~*~*~*~*~*~
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"Now what the hell should I do?" Inuyasha scowled in the direction of the river where he could hear splashing and talking. He was sitting in a tree just far enough away that he couldn't see anything, yet he could hear everything very clearly. It was the best compromise his embarrassment of the situation and his fear of Miroku would allow. "I'm really gonna kill that pervert one of these days. Just see if I don't..."
After throwing that little threat out into the empty air, Inuyasha sat there for several minutes, just listening to the activity near the river and attempting to bolster his courage. It was strange, he realized, how he could just jump into a battle to the death without fear, yet the mere thought of Kagome and Sango catching him could turn him into the world's worst coward.
"Keh. Me, scared? Yeah, right...this is nothing!"
Several more minutes passed, and still Inuyasha remained where he was despite his earlier statement. It was plain to see that he was scared, and that he didn't want to go through with Miroku's little plan. But really, what choice did he have? If there was one thing he'd learned growing up, it was that you had to do what you had to do to survive, no matter what...
"Maybe I can do it without looking..." he muttered to himself.
Yeah, that sounded like it could work. Keep his eyes closed and just depend on his other senses to guide him. With his natural grace and speed, it shouldn't be too difficult, right? He could just grab her clothes, show them to Miroku, put them back and Kagome would never know the difference.
Feeling a bit braver now that he'd decided what he believed to be a good course of action, Inuyasha silently jumped from his perch and headed towards the river. He was careful to avoid anything that might make enough noise to alert Sango to his presence, and sooner than he was really prepared for, he found himself just out of sight of the river behind a wide tree, which was as close as he could get to their clothing (that he had managed to locate by scent) without being seen.
Suddenly he had another onset of nerves.
'I can't do it!' Inuyasha panicked, his eyes darting from side to side as if he were afraid a naked Sango or Kagome might jump out in front of him at any moment. Feeling like a cornered animal, he tucked himself as much as he could behind the tree and prayed to whatever God would listen for a miracle, such as Kagome's clothes magically appearing in his hands.
No such luck.
"Kagome-chan, could you bring me some water to rinse my face with?" Sango's voice startled Inuyasha out of his useless prayers. "I have sham-poo in my eyes and I can't see well enough to make it to the water without falling on my face. And this stuff really burns...we should really start using it to blind demons with when we fight."
The other girl giggled at her friend's slightly awkward pronunciation of the still unfamiliar word, as well as the mental image of her friend being so ungraceful. She was obviously in a much better mood than when she'd stomped off earlier. "Sure, but hold on just a moment. I need to hurry and rinse my own hair before I freeze to death in this water! But I guess that would teach me not to take a bath so late..."
The next thing Inuyasha heard was Kagome taking a deep breath followed by the sound of Kagome going underwater while Sango laughed. From what he could tell, the older girl was sitting somewhere on shore while washing her hair (the water was so cool that they could only stand being in it long enough to rinse off), while Kagome was out in the middle of the stream. And from the smell of it, both were a fair distance from their clothing...
Here was a perfect chance to grab what he needed to and get the heck out of there! His sense of urgency over-powering his fears, Inuyasha darted out from behind the tree without further thought, his eyes firmly closed...
And he got a face-full of cloth almost immediately.
Freezing in his steps and thinking one of the girls must have thrown something at him, Inuyasha waited for the screams to begin.
Surprisingly, not a sound was made.
Cautiously cracking one golden eye open, Inuyasha was met with the not unwelcome sight of Kagome's green skirt, white blouse, and underwear hanging on a tree branch right in his face, along with her blue pajamas that she'd taken with her to change into.
Wait a second...his eyes widened.
They'd been hanging so close to him that he could have just reached around the tree and grabbed them!
Resisting the temptation to curse out loud, Inuyasha quickly snatched all the clothing off the branch (he wasn't going to leave anything and risk Miroku making him go back for something) and darted back into the forest just as Kagome rose out of the water with a loud gasp.
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~*~*~*~*~*~
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"Ah, I feel so much better!" Kagome took another deep breath for good measure after being under the water for so long, and then shivered as she made her way towards the bank. "Are you okay, Sango-chan?"
Her friend had paused in the middle of massaging shampoo into her hair, and a frown was marring her face. "Kagome-chan, did you hear something just a moment ago?" Before the other girl could answer, she shook her head. "Oh, no, of course you wouldn't have heard it. It happened about the same time you came out of the water."
Feeling a bit concerned, Kagome quickly dipped her cupped hands in the water and ran over to Sango, splashing her friend in the face with it. "What do you think you might have heard?"
Sango spluttered for a moment from the face full of water before answering. "I'm not sure...it sounded like clothing rustling, perhaps." Sango rubbed her eyes carefully in an attempt to clear them of the remaining water and suds.
"Clothing?" Kagome blinked in surprise before looking around, her eyes automatically looking for the only clothing in the area...theirs. "Strange. It isn't like you to be hearing things, but I don't know what it could have been. I doubt Miroku was in the bushes peeking or anyth-" Her voice cut off when her eyes fell on the tree behind her.
"Kagome-chan?" Sango finally managed to get her eyes clear enough to look at her friend in concern because she had stopped what she was saying so suddenly. "Is something wrong?" She found the younger girl was staring open-mouthed in the direction of the tree they had both hung their clothing on.
"My-my clothes are GONE!"
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You don't know how happy I am to be working on this story again! I know I said I'd try to finish 'Trouble' first, but I just couldn't stay away from this story once I finally found myself in the mood to write. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed sneaking moments here and there to write it at work, lol! Bad me, I know...
Anyway, I'm really glad everyone seems to be enjoying this story and that you guys are finding it so amusing (Or at the very least odd, LOL), and I hope you will all continue to read and review for me. I'm always willing to listen to constructive comments or even plot suggestions if you guys have any.
Have fun reading!
.
.
Disclaimer: Oh, don't shoot me for this...please...
There once was a woman from Japan
Who had a very, very talented hand.
She owns Inuyasha, they say
Because she made him up one day,
Like only someone with her imagination can.
.
.
.
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Chapter Eight
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It was finally night, which meant it was time for the group to rest in preparation for another day of shard hunting. But for Inuyasha, it would also hopefully mean salvation from the painfully long day he'd suffered through.
While the small band of travelers went about their nightly routines, Inuyasha found himself a tree and sulked...at least, to everyone else it appeared that he was sulking. In reality, he was mentally beating himself up for his earlier actions - not that he would ever admit such a thing to anyone. It was best if everyone believed he was acting like his usual self, upset because they had to stop for the night to let the weak humans rest.
Not that his little pretense mattered, of course, because nobody was paying any attention to him.
Each member of the little band was lost in their own thoughts, seemingly on auto-pilot as they went through the motions of cooking, eating, and preparing to sleep. It was more than a little unusual, because normally there was a lot of talking and laughing amongst the close-knit group, especially between Sango and Kagome. Those two could talk about everything without actually talking about anything.
Must be a woman thing, Inuyasha supposed.
Thinking of women made Inuyasha's mind go back to two women in particular along with a certain incident earlier in the day that had involved both. What in the world had possessed Sango to lie for him like that and save him from Kagome's wrath? Admittedly, she was one of the worst liars he'd ever met if what had happened that day was any indication, but Kagome had believed it, and that was what really counted.
Still, the fact that Sango would go out of her way to help him even after Kagome had most likely told her about what had occurred on the other side of the well was...odd, to say the least.
Narrowing his eyes in the demon slayer's direction, the now observant hanyou noticed just how closely she was watching Miroku from her spot across the campfire. She couldn't possibly be worried about him groping her, so why would she be staring at him like that? Unless...
Ah, so that was it! Understanding finally dawned and Inuyasha was ready to smack himself for not realizing it sooner.
From the look on her face, Inuyasha could tell that she suspected something and didn't like her suspicions in the least. She must have figured out, at least in part, what was going on between him and Miroku. Which meant that Inuyasha might possibly have an ally against the perverted monk, should he need it.
The thought consoled the half-demon slightly.
Turning his attention to whom he now unconsciously considered to be 'the enemy', Inuyasha couldn't stop a small growl from escaping at the sight of the unusually quiet monk.
Over the course of the day since their lunch break, Miroku and Shippo had been the only ones that had acted halfway normal. They had both talked and laughed as they traveled as if nothing were out of the ordinary, while everyone else had brooded quietly.
Watching the other man acting so cheerful had only served to sour Inuyasha's mood more than ever.
Since they had stopped traveling for the night, though, the monk had grown suspiciously silent and thoughtful, giving Inuyasha the uneasy feeling that he was being plotted against. And the occasional speculative glances Miroku had been giving him off and on all evening wasn't helping to calm his increasingly rattled nerves any.
As if he realized he was being watched, Miroku suddenly turned his eyes towards the already agitated hanyou and a sharp cracking echoed throughout the camp a mere moment later.
Across the small clearing from Inuyasha's tree, Sango took her eyes off Miroku for a few moments to study Inuyasha, her attention having been drawn to him by the loud cracking noise apparently caused by Inuyasha's excessively tight grip on a nearby branch as he stared at Miroku with a disturbing amount of focus.
If she didn't get to the bottom of this little mystery soon, someone was going to end up dead and judging from Inuyasha's expression, it would probably be Miroku. And at this point, even if the hanyou did end up breaking Miroku's neck, she wouldn't blame him in the least.
Not that she wanted him dead, of course. But still, she could understand Inuyasha's feeling in the matter because the way Miroku was acting was downright creepy. Her own hands were just itching to clobber the idiot...
Sighing, Sango reached over beside her and picked up Hiraikotsu along with a cloth that she kept for use on her weapon. Not that it really needed any attention since they hadn't been in any battles lately, but she needed something to keep her hands busy and away from Miroku's skull.
Still, though she steadily worked the cloth over Hiraikotsu, her eyes strayed constantly in Miroku's direction.
She felt it would be a good idea to continue keeping a close eye on dark-haired man, waiting for an opportune time to confront him about his actions. And hopefully that chance would come very, very soon...
Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Miroku's seemingly oblivious figure.
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~*~*~*~*~*~
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Kagome wanted to scream.
It was becoming more and more obvious to the frustrated girl that something was going on that involved Miroku, Sango, and Inuyasha, and she was the only one being left in the dark about it. Well, she and Shippo, but the sleeping kitsune didn't seem to care in the least.
Perhaps she should just take her cue from him and ignore them all?
Kagome watched with annoyance as Inuyasha glared first at Miroku, and then at Sango before going back to Miroku. And Sango would stare at Miroku, glance at Inuyasha, pretend to work, but inevitably end up staring at Miroku again who just serenely ignored both of them while wearing a smile he would normally only wear after successfully groping the constantly on guard Sango.
Throughout all this, no one looked Kagome's way at all.
'I might as well not even be here.' She thought dourly, a frown plastered across her normally cheerful face. 'And when they do acknowledge my existence, something weird always happens that makes me wish they hadn't...'
Like earlier that day, for example. Now there was a good reason why she shouldn't be upset about being ignored. What a weird moment that had been...
Kagome's frown deepened. What had really happened, anyway?
Everything had been perfectly normal until both Sango and Inuyasha had started choking at the same time...at the same time? It hadn't occurred to Kagome while it was happening, but such a thing really was rather strange...
And then Inuyasha had knocked the water bottle away as if he were afraid it was going to bite him, and ended up splashing water all over Sango. Yet, Sango didn't get angry as she normally would have, which was also undoubtedly odd.
After that, when she had tried to get an answer out of someone, Miroku acted as if he were about to confess something to her. Something about...he and Inuyasha? But what in the world could he have been planning to say?
Kagome shook her head in confusion, not understanding anything about the day's events, though she did have a feeling that it was all related...somehow.
But how was what she didn't know, and that fact was frustrating the poor girl to no end.
It was impossible for her to identify any kind of a connection, yet she somehow sensed that all the previous events - such as the choking and what Miroku had been about to say - must have somehow led up to Inuyasha slapping his hand over her chest (She couldn't stop a bright blush from breaking out on her face at that memory) and Sango telling her there had been a spider there and that Inuyasha had only been trying to kill it.
Normally, she would have never believed such a pathetic excuse as a spider with everyone already acting so strange, but she couldn't help but want to give them the benefit of the doubt because Sango wouldn't lie to her...would she? Especially not to protect one of the guys after they did something stupid. Or just plain weird, as the case was with Inuyasha.
Surely there must have been a spider. A very teeny, tiny one...and one that didn't leave any guts when squashed, to boot.
Kagome nearly growled out loud as she once again glanced down at the spotless front of her school uniform in hopes that she'd missed something. So much for Sango never lying to her.
'Why would Sango lie about something like that? I don't get it! Everyone around me is going nuts, and I can't even figure out why!' She removed the sleeping Shippo from her lap and jumped up before heading over to her backpack and violently digging her hand around in it, looking for her night clothes.
"I'm going to go get cleaned up and ready for bed." She glared at everyone around her one by one as she made her announcement, and they all stared back at her, baffled by her sudden attitude and giving Kagome the grim satisfaction of knowing that at least she wasn't being ignored anymore.
"Ah, Kagome-chan, are you okay?" Sango hesitantly questioned. "You seem upset..."
"I'm fine." She responded stiffly before stalking off in the direction of a rather pitiful stream they'd managed to find after Inuyasha had splashed Sango with a good part of their water supply.
Once Kagome was out of hearing range, Sango sighed and stood up, placing Hiraikotsu against a tree and gathering a few spare bathing supplies Kagome always carried for her. As much as she felt she needed to keep her eye on Miroku (his expression was far too angelic looking at the moment for her taste), she felt she needed to check on Kagome more. There was obviously something upsetting the younger girl.
Before she left, Sango gave her standard warning.
"No peeking. At all. Got it?"
She then glared at Miroku and then Inuyasha before turning away from them both in disgust. She didn't even know who to threaten anymore! Things were much too confused...
Waiting patiently with his much-too-innocent expression until Sango was out of sight, Miroku the dropped the facade and turned towards Inuyasha without missing a beat. The perfect opportunity for the plan he'd been concocting all evening was at hand, and he was determined not to waste it, even if he did have to forgo his viewing pleasure for the night. But, oh well, Sango was far too suspicious of him at the moment, anyway.
For now he would just have to concentrate on Inuyasha.
"So, what are you waiting for?" He raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"Huh?" Inuyasha blinked cluelessly.
Miroku sighed. "If you were truly sincere about proving your attraction to Kagome-sama, now would be an excellent opportunity to do so. She and Sango-sama are bathing, and-"
"You mean you want me to go PEEK?" Inuyasha questioned in horror, as if he'd never considered such a thing before. Miroku had to try very hard not to smile or laugh.
"Of course that is what I meant. What else?" The monk punctuated his question with a shrug while carefully watching the hanyou's reaction for what he was looking for. Perhaps just a bit more encouragement would be needed... "Of course, I'll understand perfectly if you weren't serious about the whole thing. Using Kagome-sama as an excuse to avoid your real feelings for someone else is only natural, and-"
"Fine, I'll do it!" Inuyasha nearly shouted, causing the sleeping kitsune and fire cat to stir slightly.
He stood up to leave, looking as if he were about to go to his execution (which, if he were caught, it would be) when Miroku decided it was time to put the next part of his plan into action.
"Wait a moment, Inuyasha. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure I believe that you'll actually go peek." He placed his hand on his chin as if contemplating something very seriously. "What if you just pretend to go, and instead head elsewhere? I think I'll need some proof."
Inuyasha stared at Miroku incredulously. "You want WHAT?"
"Some proof. Only logical under the circumstances, wouldn't you say?"
The hanyou growled. "Like hell! What kind of proof could I possibly bring back?" He paused for a moment before his face darkened. "Oi, why can't you just come, too? It's not like you haven't done it before."
The most pious look Miroku could muster came over his face. "I could not possibly do such a thing. After all, I've sworn off women for good, and as a monk, I must never go back on my word."
Inuyasha snorted, aptly voicing his opinion of that without actually saying anything.
"It pains me to see that you do not understand, my friend." Miroku sighed despondently before going quiet. He seemed to contemplate the situation seriously for a few moments before an evil gleam entered his eyes that he couldn't quite hide from the now nervous hanyou. "Actually, my going could be a very good thing. After all, I don't necessarily have to look at the ladies, now do I? Because with a certain 'someone' there I'll have other viewing material to keep my eyes upon..."
Inuyasha flinched. "Ah...dammit!" He knew the argument was lost and that he should just give in before Miroku could get any other ideas. "Fine! What kind of proof?"
The other man hid a smile. "Oh, I don't know...Kagome-sama's clothes, perhaps?"
"WHAT?!?!"
It was Miroku's turn to flinch at Inuyasha's loud yell, and he could only hope that Sango and Kagome hadn't been able to hear it from the river. They were a fair distance away to allow for privacy, but not so far that it compromised anyone's safety. Which, of course, meant that they were within screaming distance...
"Please calm down, Inuyasha. You wouldn't want to risk anyone over-hearing your plan."
The hanyou balked at the admonishment. "MY plan? Hell no, this is all YOUR idea!"
"Call it what you will," Miroku hummed, unconcerned "but YOU are still the one that they will get angry with if you get caught. So tread with caution, Inuyasha. I'd hate to see them mar that lovely ski-"
Obviously that was more than enough 'encouragement' from the monk for Inuyasha's taste, and Miroku found himself talking to empty air.
"Excellent!" Miroku smiled widely. "Now to wait for his return..."
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~*~*~*~*~*~
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"Now what the hell should I do?" Inuyasha scowled in the direction of the river where he could hear splashing and talking. He was sitting in a tree just far enough away that he couldn't see anything, yet he could hear everything very clearly. It was the best compromise his embarrassment of the situation and his fear of Miroku would allow. "I'm really gonna kill that pervert one of these days. Just see if I don't..."
After throwing that little threat out into the empty air, Inuyasha sat there for several minutes, just listening to the activity near the river and attempting to bolster his courage. It was strange, he realized, how he could just jump into a battle to the death without fear, yet the mere thought of Kagome and Sango catching him could turn him into the world's worst coward.
"Keh. Me, scared? Yeah, right...this is nothing!"
Several more minutes passed, and still Inuyasha remained where he was despite his earlier statement. It was plain to see that he was scared, and that he didn't want to go through with Miroku's little plan. But really, what choice did he have? If there was one thing he'd learned growing up, it was that you had to do what you had to do to survive, no matter what...
"Maybe I can do it without looking..." he muttered to himself.
Yeah, that sounded like it could work. Keep his eyes closed and just depend on his other senses to guide him. With his natural grace and speed, it shouldn't be too difficult, right? He could just grab her clothes, show them to Miroku, put them back and Kagome would never know the difference.
Feeling a bit braver now that he'd decided what he believed to be a good course of action, Inuyasha silently jumped from his perch and headed towards the river. He was careful to avoid anything that might make enough noise to alert Sango to his presence, and sooner than he was really prepared for, he found himself just out of sight of the river behind a wide tree, which was as close as he could get to their clothing (that he had managed to locate by scent) without being seen.
Suddenly he had another onset of nerves.
'I can't do it!' Inuyasha panicked, his eyes darting from side to side as if he were afraid a naked Sango or Kagome might jump out in front of him at any moment. Feeling like a cornered animal, he tucked himself as much as he could behind the tree and prayed to whatever God would listen for a miracle, such as Kagome's clothes magically appearing in his hands.
No such luck.
"Kagome-chan, could you bring me some water to rinse my face with?" Sango's voice startled Inuyasha out of his useless prayers. "I have sham-poo in my eyes and I can't see well enough to make it to the water without falling on my face. And this stuff really burns...we should really start using it to blind demons with when we fight."
The other girl giggled at her friend's slightly awkward pronunciation of the still unfamiliar word, as well as the mental image of her friend being so ungraceful. She was obviously in a much better mood than when she'd stomped off earlier. "Sure, but hold on just a moment. I need to hurry and rinse my own hair before I freeze to death in this water! But I guess that would teach me not to take a bath so late..."
The next thing Inuyasha heard was Kagome taking a deep breath followed by the sound of Kagome going underwater while Sango laughed. From what he could tell, the older girl was sitting somewhere on shore while washing her hair (the water was so cool that they could only stand being in it long enough to rinse off), while Kagome was out in the middle of the stream. And from the smell of it, both were a fair distance from their clothing...
Here was a perfect chance to grab what he needed to and get the heck out of there! His sense of urgency over-powering his fears, Inuyasha darted out from behind the tree without further thought, his eyes firmly closed...
And he got a face-full of cloth almost immediately.
Freezing in his steps and thinking one of the girls must have thrown something at him, Inuyasha waited for the screams to begin.
Surprisingly, not a sound was made.
Cautiously cracking one golden eye open, Inuyasha was met with the not unwelcome sight of Kagome's green skirt, white blouse, and underwear hanging on a tree branch right in his face, along with her blue pajamas that she'd taken with her to change into.
Wait a second...his eyes widened.
They'd been hanging so close to him that he could have just reached around the tree and grabbed them!
Resisting the temptation to curse out loud, Inuyasha quickly snatched all the clothing off the branch (he wasn't going to leave anything and risk Miroku making him go back for something) and darted back into the forest just as Kagome rose out of the water with a loud gasp.
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~*~*~*~*~*~
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"Ah, I feel so much better!" Kagome took another deep breath for good measure after being under the water for so long, and then shivered as she made her way towards the bank. "Are you okay, Sango-chan?"
Her friend had paused in the middle of massaging shampoo into her hair, and a frown was marring her face. "Kagome-chan, did you hear something just a moment ago?" Before the other girl could answer, she shook her head. "Oh, no, of course you wouldn't have heard it. It happened about the same time you came out of the water."
Feeling a bit concerned, Kagome quickly dipped her cupped hands in the water and ran over to Sango, splashing her friend in the face with it. "What do you think you might have heard?"
Sango spluttered for a moment from the face full of water before answering. "I'm not sure...it sounded like clothing rustling, perhaps." Sango rubbed her eyes carefully in an attempt to clear them of the remaining water and suds.
"Clothing?" Kagome blinked in surprise before looking around, her eyes automatically looking for the only clothing in the area...theirs. "Strange. It isn't like you to be hearing things, but I don't know what it could have been. I doubt Miroku was in the bushes peeking or anyth-" Her voice cut off when her eyes fell on the tree behind her.
"Kagome-chan?" Sango finally managed to get her eyes clear enough to look at her friend in concern because she had stopped what she was saying so suddenly. "Is something wrong?" She found the younger girl was staring open-mouthed in the direction of the tree they had both hung their clothing on.
"My-my clothes are GONE!"
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You don't know how happy I am to be working on this story again! I know I said I'd try to finish 'Trouble' first, but I just couldn't stay away from this story once I finally found myself in the mood to write. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed sneaking moments here and there to write it at work, lol! Bad me, I know...