InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Changing Hearts? ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

Changing Hearts?

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DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inu Yasha and pals. That credit belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. I am pretty sure the idea is mine.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ok, I am stepping away from my usual pairing of Inu Yasha and Kagome...I think. They still haven't told me where they want to go with this storyline. I just know that I woke up with these words in my head. So I will sit back and see where the path leads. I hope that you all like it. As always, read and enjoy.

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Chapter One

Miroku sighed as he watched his two friends fighting...again. They had been arguing almost non-stop since the last time that Kagome had returned from her home. Most of the arguments were based on trivial matters, but they always ran the same course. At first it was just a little yelling, and then the stupid hanyou would make some remark that would earn him a hole in the ground while Kagome was reduced to tears. He had been the one comforting the girl after these fights, and bitter anger was beginning to boil in his gut. It was aimed at one callous half-demon.

Kagome was the purest soul that he had ever met. She was not suited to tears, and not only because they made her soulful eyes red and her beautiful face blotchy. Laughter was her niche in life...her own and that which she brought to the others in their group.

Inu Yasha did not deserve the love that Kagome gave so unconditionally. She waved off his behavior and insults, but Miroku knew that they ate at her memory and heart during the night. Why else would she walk off alone, only to have Miroku find her in tears once again. He followed her not because of his libido but because of his heart. Kagome had touched him (figuratively, although he wouldn't push her away if she had the urge to do so physically) as no one else had. He wanted to comfort her, just as her presence soothed them all. Including the beast, Inu Yasha. Miroku wondered if Kagome had noticed that he had not groped her in weeks. Inu Yasha probably thought that his glares had stopped the groping, but he couldn't be more wrong. He had come to a decision. It was a decision that would take a great deal of self-control and meditation, but he meant to keep it. Kagome needed someone who would cherish her for the treasure that she was. If the half-demon was too blind or dumb to do so, then he would do his damnedest to be that person. He was going to win her over with honesty, respect and kindness.

The monk was drawn out of his thoughts by a lull in the argument. Ugh, that means that the worst is about to come. Not realizing he was doing it, he gently moved the sleeping fox child from his lap and laid him on Kagome's sleeping bag. His hand crept out and wrapped around the staff that he always kept near to hand. He returned his attention to the argument just in time to hear Inu Yasha's last statements.

"...don't know what I expected from a mere human. You are just a weak imitation of Kikyo. I sure wouldn't be here with you if I didn't need your help to find the shards." He smirked. The color drained from Kagome's face and he knew he had scored on that point. He felt bad about the low blow, but he wasn't going to take it back. That comment and her silence meant that he had won the argument. He was surprised when she didn't immediately 'Sit' him. He almost fell over when she finally did reply, although it was so soft that anyone even a few feet from her wouldn't have heard. He knew immediately that he had hurt her more than he had meant to, especially when he saw the tears well in her eyes.

"You're right Inu Yasha. I am just a weak imitation. I can't do anything as well as she could..." Her words were cut off when Miroku jumped in front of her, brandishing his staff at the startled half-demon. His normally placid expression was now flushed with anger. Kagome sank to her knees and began to cry.

"That is quite enough Inu Yasha. If you can't keep a civil tongue in your head, I suggest that you leave until you find one. I will no longer stand for the way that you treat Kagome. She does not deserve it."

"What business is it of yours, hentai?" Inu Yasha snarled. He didn't like anyone coming between him and Kagome, especially when he knew that they were right.

"I told you, I am making it my business."

"And what are you going to do about it?"

"Want to find out?" Miroku asked softly, a cold smile on his face. He was angrier than he could remember ever being in his life. Just the thought that Kagome was beginning to believe that she was as worthless as the hanyou said, made his blood boil. "If you are too stupid to see what you have right in front of you, then maybe someone should take it away."

Inu Yasha stared at the monk in amazement. What was he talking about? Take what away from him? No one was dumb enough to try to take something that belonged to him, with the exception of his brother. He shook his head and turned away from the annoying monk. He also didn't want to see Kagome on her knees, sobbing as if her world had come to an end. He couldn't think with the sound of her crying in his ears.

Suddenly the smell of the grave and spring rain came to him on the night's breeze. He didn't have time for this, Kikyo was near and he needed to go to her. He looked at Kagome quickly to see if she had detected the presence of her incarnate. He could tell that she had by the way that her spine stiffened. He heard her deep sigh.

"Go Inu Yasha, you know that I would never stop you." She got to her feet and trudged toward the tree, where the sleeping kitsune lay. He knew that she was still crying and was torn between the two women that he cared about. But while Kagome would be here with the pervert and the fox child, Kikyo was out there alone.

"I said go." She whispered. She sat down, with her back to the two men. He knew that he was breaking the promise that he made to remain by her side, and he remembered that she told him that she never expected him to be able to keep it. Finally, he nodded and turned to leave, but was stopped by Miroku's hand on his sleeve. He growled, turning to look at the monk.

"You are five kinds of a fool Inu Yasha." Miroku's dark eyes shone with disgust and just a bit of pity. "That you keep returning to the dead, when you are wanted by the living, is still a mystery to me. But take this as a warning my friend, Kagome may not always be waiting for you to make your decision. She can make one as well." Inu Yasha didn't have time to think about what the monk was saying. He had to get to Kikyo, he could almost hear her calling to him.

"Feh. She will still be here when I get back, and I will be back. Be sure that you don't touch her." With that, he raced off into the night, his nose in the air. Miroku watched him go with a shake of his head, and then turned to go to Kagome's side. She was sitting on the bag, gently stroking Shippo's tail.

"He went to her again." She stated, her voice flat. It wasn't a question, just a fact that seemed to break her hear just a little more. Miroku couldn't understand the pull that Kikyo had over Inu Yasha. The woman he had known had been dead for 50 years, and from what he had seen, she hadn't returned with sunshine and flowers on her mind. True, he didn't know what she had been like while she was alive, but he could see her clearly as she was now. He was not blinded by love. Kikyo was nothing more than earth and bones in the form of the hanyou's first love. She ran only on hatred and vengeance. She had to steal souls to keep her body mobile. How Inu Yasha could choose a dead woman over the vibrantly alive woman beside him, Miroku would never understand. Kagome was brave, passionate, friendly, loyal, generous, lovely, lithe... he shook his head to clear his mind. He didn't want to deal with those thoughts right now. He would come back to them later. Right now he had to comfort his friend.

"I'm sorry, but yes, he did." She sniffled and nodded. "Kagome, why do you do this to yourself?"

"Do I have a choice? I love him." He heard her voice crack and felt her sorrow. It only made him angry again.

"There is always a choice." He said softly. "Why do you love him? He treats you badly. you deserve better than that." He looked down at his cursed hand. You deserve better than both of us.

"Do I really Miroku? I really am worthless to him except as..."

"Don't ever say that again." The venom in his voice shocked her, and him as well. His voice gentled, but his dark eyes were still full of fire. "I am sorry for my tone, but don't ever think that you are worthless. It is one thing for a stupid hanyou to say it, but quite another for you to believe it. Don't you know how much you mean to Shippo, Sango and I? How much we need you? You are the heart of our little group." He looked away from her. He didn't see the surprise in her eyes replaced by naked gratitude. She laid her hand on his arm. Miroku turned to look at her again, and she smiled. He placed his hand over hers. She was startled when it didn't begin roaming. Come to think of it, he hadn't groped her in quite awhile. She wondered about it for a few seconds and then shrugged. She wasn't going to complain.

"Thank you. I..." She took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "I needed to hear that. You and Shippo mean a lot to me, too."

"And that I needed to hear." He smiled at her and removed his hand from hers, so that he could brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Now you should get some sleep." She nodded. Then on the spur of the moment, she leaned up and kissed his cheek. They looked at each other for a few long seconds that seemed to stretch into hours, and a blush crept into Kagome's cheeks. She snuggled down into her sleeping bag, as Miroku got up and walked to the other side of the fire and sat down against another tree. From here he would have the advantage of watching her sleep.

His hand reached up to where she had kissed him. He could still feel the imprint of her lips. Maybe all of his restraint was paying off. Kagome deserved respect and he was going to give it to her, even if he had to tie his hands behind his back. That unfortunately didn't stop his thoughts, but hey, he needed some kind of release, didn't he?