InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Forest for the Trees ❯ Time Flies ( Chapter 1 )

Forest for the Trees.

Chapter 1; Time flies….

I sat quietly. Running my fingers over the rough bark of the fallen log that I had chosen to perch myself on. Biting back the urge to heave a bored sigh I looked around at my friends. They had been through so much, saved each others lives, made sacrifices to each other….and yet still I couldn't bring myself to simply chat. You know, the kind of thing that buddies would do over pizza and beer. Maybe the mindless chatter that is spread between girlfriends. No, they had never shared that. It almost seemed juvenile to crave it.

In retrospect, I couldn't remember the last time I had sat down to talk to someone about something meaningless. The years that had gone by had seen me spending more and more time away from my family and school friends. It had been months since I had seen my mother. The time since graduation seemed to sweep by, there was no constant to measure the time here. The teachers in high school had been more willing to accommodate my growing list of illnesses and pushed me into "distance learning" courses. I was able to complete high school with the grades I had expected myself to earn before the well had sucked me in. Sure college was something I wanted to experience, but there were more important things to worry about.

These people, the ones I had no choice but to immerse myself in have become my life. Inuyasha, who in the past year had become more and more concerned about Kikyo's fate, was no longer the school girl crush he once was. I think somewhere along the line without me even realizing it I had come to accept the fact that he would never give me the love and affection I desired him too. He still holds a special place in my heart, always will, but I have more or less given up the dream of 2.5 kids and a white picket fence. He has matured a lot in the years since I un-tacked him from that god tree, and I think we have come to see each other for what we really are. Not half demon and miko reincarnation, but as two individuals, as friends.

Sango was becoming slowly more bitter and angry, not that she was a ball of humor when she first joined us, but it was taking a toll. Miroku didn't dare grope her anymore, she had become too violent. No doubt when Narku is disposed of she will even out, but this whole honor and vengeance thing is getting on my nerves. She has taken to braiding her hair to keep its length from bothering her. She has become more and more concerned about her weapons and is constantly speaking of "being prepared".

Miroku, well, maybe I'm just sorely craved for attention, but his "inappropriate touches" have become the highlight of my day. It's about all the male attention I can hope to receive, in any century. Out of all of us I think Miroku has changed the least. He only uses his wind tunnel in the direst of circumstances. He has also stopped propositioning village girls, and in the past few days (much to my disappointment) his groping has been few and far between. His hair is longer, and sometimes he forgets that ever present smile, but he's the same.

Durring this stirring introspect on the ones I love I let my gaze rest on Miroku…I've been doing that a lot lately. Coming out of my dazed state I find him looking right back at me….ack. I've been caught….

….

"Kagome are you alright?" Miroku asks.

"Sure, um…I….hmm…I was just thinking." I reply with a slight blush. How long had I been staring?!

"About?" He asks with a sly looking smirk.

"…. Oh you are so dirty." I mumble, "I was just thinking that if we are just going to sit here on our thumbs, I should go home. I mean it's been awhile since I've seen mom and Souta. I could restock our supplies too….." Now everyone is looking at me. I'm dangerously close to rambling. "….so, yea….I should just go home for a day or two. We aren't to far from the well, and you guys would be able to hang at Kaede's, you know with a roof over your head and all…." Damn, I'm rambling. "Yea, so I'm going to shut up now and get to walkin', cause, its not like I can just click my heals and get there is it?" Oh damn, pop culture reference, something they have no idea about. Run girl before they think you've gone totally nuts.

..~..

She was so cute when she was flustered. Now she's fidgeting, that's even better. She must have been having naughty thoughts if she's getting this nervous. Delicious. I bet she's just delicious. There she goes, must have finished her delightfully crazy train of thought and seen it fit to flit away….oh, look at her bounce over that log. Mmmmm.

"Kilala, you should go with her." I point out, "You never know what kind of trouble she could get herself into between here and the well."

"Yeah." Inuyasha growls in amusement, "She might get swept up by the wicked witch."

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A/N: Not to sure where this is going…..as much as I hate to conform and ask for public opinion, I will. Your reviews, comments, blatant outrage, whatever is welcome.