InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ You Can't Hurry Love ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

You Can't Hurry Love

 

((The Fiction Formerly Known As, “Attack of the Warm Fuzzies”))

by: Crystal, a.k.a. Akane-Lovely (ff.net), Aquamarine (mmorg) & MissCrystalis(lj)

 

~ - ~

 

Remember, Mama said

You can't hurry love.
No, you'll just have to wait.
Just trust in a good time,
No matter how long it takes.

 

~ - ~

 

Kagome had come to the conclusion that she was much too honest for her own good. As much as she wanted to enjoy the “newer, gentler” Inuyasha, she couldn't squelch the nagging sensation in the pit of her stomach that told her she was taking advantage of her friend. After being cuddled by the distraught half-demon for the longest and shortest five minutes of her existence, he had given her a gentle kiss on her temple before curling up in her lap and falling asleep.

 

She did not allow her eyes to leave the flickering light of the fire - not to check and see if Sango, Miroku or Shippo had seen the kiss, and certainly not to look down at her sleeping companion. A hundred thoughts were racing through her mind all at once, and none of them would stay still long enough for her to analyze it properly.

 

He kissed me!

 

He kissed me?

 

It was a really sweet kiss, too, and the look in his eyes when he did it would have made her knees go all weak and rubbery if she had been standing up at the -

 

Stop it! Kagome growled mentally, brows furrowed. He wasn't in his right mind! He had been drugged! What kind of a person was she to accept the affections of a boy who clearly didn't have any control over his actions? She knew full-well Inuyasha would never act like that under normal circumstances. What would he say once the effects of the powder wore off?

 

Maybe he wouldn't remember this when he came to his senses. Sango seemed to think that he wouldn't. A sigh escaped Kagome's lips as she lost the battle of wills to keep her hands firmly planted at her sides. Delicate fingers smoothed over the surface of Inuyasha's triangular, white ears. Despite his sometimes callous nature, his ears were among the softest things she had ever felt.

 

His nose twitched in his sleep, a clawed hand reaching up to absently scratch it before plopping back to the ground. Looking at his peaceful face as he slumbered, she stifled a groan. What was she thinking? He trusted her, and here she sat trying to excuse her behavior by saying he wouldn't remember it? Would he do the same, were the tables turned? Kagome chewed her lower lip, letting her hands fall back to the grass.

 

No. Inuyasha had always protected her and she knew, somehow, if it had been her doused with a behavior-altering drug, he would have protected her integrity as well. A simple kiss may not have mattered much to some people in her own time, but for Inuyasha, every touch was meaningful. Letting him hold her like that - taking pleasure from his kiss - was it truly any different than the actions of a boy who slipped drugs into a girl's drink in order to get what he wanted?

 

“Oh, God,” her hand flew to her mouth, and she felt a lump in her throat as her eyes began to water. What kind of a horrible person was she? And she called herself a friend? “I'm no better than a rapist!”

 

“Kagome?”

 

The girl's eyes at once left the sanctuary of the flames. To her horror, her other traveling companions were staring right back at her, eyebrows raised in what looked suspiciously like amusement.

 

“Lady Kagome, is there anything you wish to speak with us about?” Miroku inquired. “It seems there is something troubling you.”

 

Kagome shook her head violently.

 

Miroku sighed, looking just a little disappointed. “In that case, perhaps we should turn in for the night?”

 

~ - ~

 

When morning came, Sango couldn't help noticing that Inuyasha was not the only one acting strangely. Kagome kept bumbling about the camp, dropping things and stumbling into people. Whenever anyone inquired after her well-being or general state of mind, the girl would blush furiously before rambling on about the weather or something else equally unrelated. Even more unusual was that the girl had defended Inuyasha to Shippo, something that Sango was certain she had never seen before. The fox demon, at last convinced that Inuyasha was not possessed, but in fact, only under the influence of a behavior-altering poison, had thought to take full advantage of the situation.

 

“Hey, Inuyasha!” Shippo leapt onto the half-demon's shoulder as the group started out on the road again. “Mind if I have what's left of the Pocky?”

 

“Sure,” Inuyasha smiled brilliantly at the fox-demon. “I don't really care about them one way or the other; I just take them from you to tease you.”

 

Kagome, who was walking beside the two, smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. Don't admit to that, you dummy, she thought.

 

“Oh, really?” Shippo's smirk was nothing less than, well, demonic. “And the dried potatoes?”

 

“Well, I actually do like those,” Inuyasha began as his gaze was caught by a butterfly flitting across their path. The winged creature landed a few paces away, in a patch of sky blue irises. “But you can have `em if you want. I don't need `em.”

 

Kagome bit her lip, not sure if she should intervene or not. Although it was great to see Inuyasha being so generous, a part of her felt that what Shippo was doing was tantamount to thievery. “Shippo....be nice.”

 

“Oh, sorry, Kagome.” The kit's face screwed up in thought for a minute, then his smile returned with interest. “Hey, Inuyasha, could I please have your share of the Ramen tonight, that is if you don't mind, of course?”

 

Something within Kagome snapped, at that point. “No! Absolutely not!”

 

Shippo blinked down at her in amazement, as did the rest of the group. “But, I said please...”

 

“That's not what I meant when I said, `be nice!'” She shouted up to the sky before turning to the kit. “You can't just make him give you everything he likes, Shippo!”

 

“I can't?”

 

“No! It isn't right! It isn't fair! Would Inuyasha take advantage of you that way?”

 

“Yes,” Shippo answered, without missing a beat.

 

This had Kagome stumped for a moment. Her mouth hung open for a second, then she snapped her fingers in triumph. “Ah ha! But I wouldn't let him!”

 

“I guess, not,” Shippo pouted, “but, Ka-”

 

Whatever Shippo was going to say was lost in the wind as Inuyasha suddenly made a graceful leap away from the group.

 

“What are you doing?” The fox demanded when the half-demon knelt deftly next to a particularly brilliant iris.

 

“Just thought Kagome might like one,” Inuyasha said casually. Amber eyes inspected a few of the flowers before settling on what he thought was the perfect one. Severing it from the plant with a single claw, he held it carefully in the palm of his hand before swiftly returning to Kagome's side. The poor girl could only gape wordlessly as Inuyasha gently slipped the stem behind her left ear.

 

“I-I-Inuyasha? What're you...” Her body was rigid, leaning slightly away from him. She thought she ought to be heading for the hills, but dared not move least she launch herself in the opposite direction - right into his arms.

 

This isn't him! It isn't him! He doesn't know what he's doing! Don't do anything stupid, Kagome! She chanted the words like a mantra over and over in her mind.

 

“I used to see the girls in the village wearing flowers just like that.” He brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. “I always thought... one would look really pretty on you.”

 

Kagome squeaked. His face was so close, and getting closer! Sango, Miroku and Kirara leaned forward, holding their breath.

 

Shippo smacked Inuyasha on the back of his skull. “Just what do you think you're doing with me still on your shoulder? This isn't the time to be getting all sentimental, you moron!”

 

Although a part of her wanted to scream at the cute little demon to get lost, the rational part of Kagome knew she should be grateful he had broken the spell. While she still had the strength within her to do it, she pivoted on her heals and half-walked, half-ran towards Sango.

 

“Well, thanks for that lovely ki - uh - flower! I think I drank too much tea for breakfast, better run to the ladies room, bush, thing... Sango and I will be right back, so don't bother waiting for us, just carry on, ok?” Kagome rambled on while grabbing Sango's arm and dragging her away from the group. She didn't dare turn around to check if the boys had continued walking or not, and she didn't stop until she had marched for a good five minutes, at which point she collapsed breathlessly onto a fallen log.

 

“Kagome, are you ok?” Sango frowned, watching as her friend tried to gain control of whatever emotions were gripping her, then turning to look back in the direction they had just come from. “They'll probably follow us soon, you know.”

 

“I know, I know,” Kagome groaned, resting her forehead in her hands, “but I needed to get away before we did something really, really stupid.”

Sango sighed and took a seat next to Kagome, who scooted over a bit to accommodate her friend. “Something stupid, like... kiss?”

 

“No!” Kagome shook her head, but refused to look Sango in the eye. “It's not... I mean... It wouldn't really be... I just couldn't... Argh!”

 

“I think I know what you mean,” Sango said, quietly, a small smile playing across her lips. “It would be so easy... Even though you know it would be a bad idea... But, it'd be nice not to fight him. Fighting... It gets old...”

 

“We're not talking about Inuyasha anymore, are we?” Kagome looked up at Sango out of the corner of her eyes.

 

“Of course... who else would I be...?” Sango trailed off. She took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and leaned into Kagome.

 

“We're so screwed,” Kagome told her, letting her head rest against the demon slayer's shoulder. She hadn't realized how exhausted she was, not having slept much the night before.

 

Their moment of peaceful bonding, however, was very short-lived.

 

Somewhere in the distance, three voices began shouting at once, and then the unmistakable roar of a demon could be heard. Both girls were on their feet in an instant, Sango reaching behind her to pull her boomerang off it's strap, and Kagome tightening her grip on her bow.

 

“Come on!” Sango sprinted towards the men's voices with Kagome on her tail.

 

I can't believe I left him alone! I hope he'll still be able to handle himself! Kagome thought desperately, pushing aside visions of Inuyasha trying to offer some behemoth creature a nice cup of tea. Oh, please don't let him do anything stupid!

 

They reached the men just in time to witness a very disturbing sight, indeed. Although Inuyasha had not exactly offered the demon refreshments, the situation wasn't much better. Miroku and Shippo were standing nearest the women, and were quickly joined by the new arrivals. The monk had his cursed hand outstretched towards what was quite possibly the strangest creature Kagome had ever encountered.

 

The closest thing she could compare it to was a cross between a dragon and... kelp; it was long, spindly, and a very dark green, with several dozen clawed appendages running along it's body. And at the end of it's very thin neck, two reptilian eyes were glaring down a toothy snout at...

 

“Inuyasha!” Miroku called to the half-demon. “Get the hell out of the way!”

 

Kagome muttered a curse that would have made Inuyasha proud, but it was lost in the wind as the kelp-dragon roared again. Kagome's heart threatened to beat right out of her chest. Her poor, befuddled half-demon's back was to the monster as he stood recklessly between the monk and the kelp-creature. His arms folded in what was almost the typical, stubborn pose they were all used to as Kirara tried pulling him away by the hem of his haori.

 

“What does he think he's doing?” Sango demanded.

 

“Don't you realize? This is a rare Kombu Dragon!” Inuyasha shouted back to them. “You can't just cut it down like it's nothing!”

 

Kagome very nearly fell over in shock. “He's protecting the dragon?”

 

“Inuyasha, don't be an idiot!” Miroku called back. “You're going to get yourself killed!”

 

The half demon shook his head, oblivious to the creature that was sniffing at him as if he were a delectable appetizer. Kirara gave up trying to pull the boy away from the monster, and resigned herself to stay and fight. She growled up at the thing, ready to pounce if it came any closer.

 

“Kombu Dragons are known for their plundering of villages. That dragon has probably left a wake of destruction from here to the sea!” Sango pointed an accusing finger at the creature. “Just stand aside and let us take care of it!”

 

“I'm sorry, Sango, but I can't let you do that!” The half-demon didn't even flinch when one of the creature's claws went flying towards his head. Kagome screamed his name, Sango and Miroku started running towards him, and Kirara leapt at the dragon.

 

The cat attached it's jaws to the offending arm, causing the dragon's eyes to go red. It screeched and flung Kirara at the two approaching humans. The cat-demon reverted to her smaller size just before slamming into Sango, who was propelled backwards into Miroku. All three landed in a pile on the grass.

 

“Are you guys alright?” Inuyasha hurried towards them.

 

Miroku sighed, wrapping an arm around Sango's waist. “Yes, yes. We're just perfect.”

 

“Argh! Even at a time like this?” Sango shouted, trying to squirm out of the monk's grasp.

“I can't help it, beloved Sango. How can I resist when you've fallen into my arms?”

 

“Pervert!”

 

Kagome didn't wait to see the resolution of that argument, which she was sure would involve a lot of pain on Miroku's part. Rather, she notched an arrow, and pointed it at the dragon who was once again looking at Inuyasha favorably.

 

“Inuyasha! Just step away from the dragon!” She still didn't have a good enough shot of the Kombu, her aim being as unpredictable as it was.

 

“Kagome, I thought you would understand.”

 

“I understand that it's a big ugly dragon that's looking at you like you're its next meal!”

 

“So, it has anger problems. You said I had anger problems, but you never tried to kill me...” He paused, index finger scratching the top of his head, deep in thought. “Well, ok, you never willingly tried to kill me...”

 

“It tried to take your head off!”

 

“But, nothing bad actually happened, right?”

 

The dragon raised another claw.

 

“Fine!” Kagome cried, drawing her bowstring taught. “If you're not gonna listen to reason, Inuyasha, then you leave me no choice!”

 

His ears twitched as her shrill cry reached him. Something about this whole situation was giving him a very nasty (though slightly muffled, due to the powder) sense of déjà vu. “Kagome? Are you... ok?”

 

“This is going to hurt you more than it hurts me, Inuyasha!” She took aim. “This is your last warning. Don't think I won't do it!”

 

Inuyasha started to back away. “Really, can't we discuss this over dinner or something?”

 

Kagome let the arrow fly.

 

“SIT!”

 

Inuyasha was pulled to the ground by Kagome's spell. The arrow flew over him, and hit the dragon right in the nose. With a yelp, and a burst of pink light, the creature evaporated in a wave of purifying energy.

 

Still tangled up in the grass, Miroku, Sango and Kirara released the breath they forgot they had been holding.

 

“I thought she might actually kill him, for a moment there,” Sango confided. Kirara nodded.

 

Shippo, who had been trying to help them out (or hide behind his friends) whistled. “Don't ever get Kagome angry!”

 

~ - ~

 

Inuyasha was in a poor mood. He had the feeling that it would be a very cold day in hell before his friends forgot about the events of the week earlier. Although everything that had happened was a haze in his own memory, Shippo and Miroku had wasted no time in giving him all the gory details. Demon powder or no, he had made a complete fool of himself, and he was not going to live it down anytime soon.

 

Inuyasha tossed the last log into the fire pit with a huff. At least they were gone for the time-being, trying to find something suitable to eat. (Sango didn't trust him with the hunting yet.) He let his eyes drift over to Kagome, who had been diligently avoiding his gaze ever since he had come out of his stupor the day before. She was pretending to read one of her damned spell books again, but her eyes weren't moving along the page.

 

He muttered a curse for all women as he lit the kindling, then padded to a shadowy corner just outside of the fire's reach where he could sulk.

 

This silent treatment was more than Kagome could take. He hadn't spoken a word to her in a whole day, though he kept throwing funny looks in her direction every time he thought she wouldn't notice. If only Shippo hadn't told him about the flower... Her fingers brushed the soft petals of the iris absently while she tried to focus on the textbook in her lap.

 

Let's see... The square root of the angle is inversely proportionate to the -

 

“Thank you.”

 

Kagome's head jerked up. “Wh-What?”

 

Inuyasha was crouching at the foot of a tree, looking off into the forest, but his ears were angled towards her. “For slaying that Dragon...” Amber eyes flickered in her direction, then darted away again. “The thing would've probably bit my head off if you hadn't.”

 

Her eyes grew wider, sucking air in through her teeth. He was thanking her? “Of course. Aren't you always doing the same for us?”

 

“Keh. Wasn't much good to you, then.”

 

His eyes didn't meet hers again, though he heard her set the enormous textbook on the ground, and her approaching footfalls. It wasn't an easy thing, admitting he had been unable to protect her. He didn't like imagining her facing a dragon alone, not only having to worry about her own life, but trying to reason with him in the process.

 

“Even though you were out of it, Inuyasha, you wouldn't have just stood there if any of us were in danger.” She was kneeling beside him now, and he closed his eyes. Her scent always relaxed him, whether he wanted it to or not. “Whatever else you were feeling, you cared about our safety, too.”

 

“Kirara-”

 

“Wasn't really hurt,” she cut him off, “and she was the one who jumped at the dragon.”

 

“Because I was acting like an idiot.”

 

“Because she cares about you! Because we care about you!” Scowling when he only snorted, Kagome reached up and yanked at a tuft of his hair. “Listen to me! I thought you were past this macho, `I-have-to-protect-everyone-and-never-rely-on-anyone' crap! You would have done the same thing for any of us! Do you have any idea how many times you've saved our necks? What's wrong with letting us return the favor once in a while? We're friends, remember? That's what friends do!”

 

Inuyasha watched her, eyes uncertain, for long moment after she had finished speaking. Kagome folded her arms indignantly and returned his gaze, silently daring him to question her sincerity.

 

Seconds ticked by.

 

Neither looked away.

 

An ear twitched.

 

The fire crackled.

 

His eyes fell on the blue flower in her hair.

 

“That has a pretty big spider in it, you know...”

 

“What?” Kagome jumped to her feet and threw the iris to the ground. “Aiiiiiii!!”

 

Inuyasha backed away from the girl who was squealing loud enough to wake the dead, his ears plastered against his head. “Gah! Wench! Do ya have to be so loud about it?”

 

“Don't just stand there!” She snapped. “Where is it! Get it off of me! Ewwww!”

 

“Well - Damn it! Hold still! You're only making it worse!” She froze as he leapt up, took her head in his hands and carefully inspected the tangles she had made in her frantic attempt to locate the spider. A feral grin lit his eyes when he found the arachnid and extracted it from her hair. “Ha! Gotcha!”

 

Her eyes screwed shut. “Just... take care of it! I hate spiders...”

 

“S'not like it was poisonous...” He muttered, picking out the knots in her raven tresses with the tips of his nails. His own hair had seen worse snarls, and she probably could have taken care of it better with her brush, but as she leaned towards him, the top of her forehead rested on his chest and he found himself reluctant to move from that position.

 

“Maybe, but it was still gross.” She sighed. “Whatcha doin?”

 

“Fixin' the mess you made,” He sniffed. “And you stepped on the flower.”

 

“Oops.” Kagome looked on her poor, mangled iris, stamped with her own footprint. She felt a little sad, knowing that she probably wouldn't be getting any more from him anytime soon. “It was a pretty flower, too...”

 

“Keh.” One clump of hair taken care of, he moved onto the next. “You don't really need one.”

 

Kagome's heart sank. “No... guess not.”

 

“Just attracts bugs,” he continued to reason, unaware that the girl he was grooming was becoming more depressed by the second, “and they don't last long after you pick `em.”

 

“No,” she lamented.

 

“And anyway, you...” His hands stilled.

 

“I what?” Kagome waited for a moment. When Inuyasha mumbled something incoherent, she raised her head, parting her hair from her face to look up at him. He was blushing, and seemed to find the blades of grass between his toes exceptionally interesting.

 

“You have a different scent.” Defying the impossible, his cheeks blushed darker, still. “I like it better.”

 

Kagome gasped. The cavernous pit of despair her heart had been wallowing in just moments before became a brightly lit glen filled with flowers and butterflies and cute little furry animals frolicking amongst the trees. Grinning from ear to ear, she launched herself at the flustered boy, enveloping him in a great bear hug.

 

It was Inuyasha's turn to squeak, though he would have never admitted to it. Several seconds passed before the half-demon was able to accept the fact that he was, indeed, being hugged by Kagome, and that the warm, happy feeling in his chest wasn't an after-effect of the poison. It took him a moment, but finally he returned the hug, wrapping his arms around the girl that he was certain he had never done anything to deserve.

 

“Thank you,” Kagome whispered.

 

~ - ~

 

The End

 

~ - ~

 

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha. This fan fiction is not owned, authorized or otherwise endorsed by anyone associated with Inuyasha.

 

AN: In case anyone is wondering what was taking Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara so long, they were in the bushes, spying. ^_^

 

To everyone who has read and reviewed: Kill the toad demon, Pyro pixie, WJ, Lady Barrista, Reptilian Goddess, Mad for Manga, Jiggly Puff25, Aino Minako, and Kikyou the Walnut... Thanks so much for taking the time to leave me a note, sometimes even sending me an e-mail, to let me know you liked the story! I do appreciate it and I'm sorry this took so long to finish but, life happens. After my computer crashed, I lost my rough draft of chapter three. I'm glad now, though, because I ended up changing it and like it better this way. I've changed the title, as you may have noticed, because I was listening to that song as I wrote the last part. Lyrics are from Phil Collin's version of “You Can't Hurry Love.” Everything has been edited and polished til it shines, so I hope you enjoyed it. ^_^ Thanks again!