InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Lovers and Friends ❯ rivalries and spying ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha no matter how much I crave him!!

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The crew continued on after breakfast. Noone really in the mood for the casual banter. Even Miroku had managed to keep his hands to himself for the whole of the morning. Inuyasha was up front in the lead keeping his ears and eyes open. The girls were in the back seemingly in deep conversation. Trying to look inconspicuous Inuyasha swiveled his ears to the back trying to pick up on the conversation. Whatever they were talking about seemed pretty heavy if their scents were anything to go by. Heading to the north they were going straight into wolf demon territory with no one even realizing it.

Kagome and Sango were so deep in discussion that the miko didn't even sense the two jewel shards headed their way. `Damn'. Hand on the tessaiga it seemed that Inuyasha was the only one to sense Kouga's entrance…. ten seconds before he was actually upon them. Tornado in tow the wolf youkai ran right over the half demon and went straight to the unsuspecting Kagome and grasped her hands.

 

`What in the world?' Surprised would have been an understatement. Looking up she was greeted with the ooh so familiar face of a grinning Kouga, prince of the wolf demon tribe. The miko was in total shock. She had not sensed the shards in his legs or seen him approach so when someone grasped her hands she was startled. Mouth hanging open all she did was gape. Before Kagome could get an inch in word wise Kouga bet her to it.

 

“Hello princess how's the mutt treating you?!”

Feeling totally flustered from the attention and nickname the miko finally found her voice.

“Fine Kouga-kun, everythings fine. How have you been?”

“I've been good. You know with Naraku not too far away from getting destroyed I've been thinking. I think maybe you should come home with me and let me take care of you. You can't depend on dogbreath over there to look after you, not with him going after a dead woman all the time!”

`WHOA, how did he know?' She was backed up into a corner. What could she say to?! I mean he was right after all. The group was speechless. No one could counter what he just said because they all knew too well the incident when Inuyasha had went off after a rumor in search of Kikyou and left Kagome alone. They almost lost her. Ten feet in front of the group a red clad figure was picking himself up off the dirt floor. Stalking over to the couple he was about to put a stop to this once and for all. He had heard enough!

 

`HOW DARE THAT WOLF TOUCH WHATS MINE!!!! His youkai all but yelled. No… that's not right. She's my shard detector …nothing more. I don't necessarily own her. Well maybe I do until after the mission is complete.'

 

For some reason that didn't make him feel any better. Whether it was the insight on Kagome not being his after the mission was over or that she was just his shard detector, he couldn't say. The hanyou would figure that out later. Right now the most important thing was getting that mangy wolf's filthy hands away from Kagome and maybe doing some tessaiga shoving.

 

“Hey get your filthy hands OFF of Kagome before I shove tessaiga up your ASS!”

 

Turning from the miko Kouga faced his rival head on. He wasn't about to back down like all the other times. He had heard about the mutts obsession with the dead and he be damned if he was going to let that slide. Kagome was only going to get hurt or worse if she continued to rely on him to protect her. One of these days he would be gone chasing after that dead woman and leaving Kagome open for attack. Naraku would jump at the chance to attack her if he knew that Inuyasha wasn't there to protect her.

Fist in front of him ready to attack Kouga went in on the hanyou.

 

“What was that halfbreed? You think I'm gonna just leave Kagome in your care while you go sneaking off to see the dead! I refuse to leave her here with you and have her vulnerable for attack! She's coming home with me!”

“Why you Bas….” Kouga wasn't finished with him yet.

“I don't understand why you would go off to see a dead and brittle bitch when you have a living breathing beautiful woman right in front of you! Can't you see that she cares for you…. you selfish bastard?! No your too busy playing footsie with the dead! I've had ENOUGH! I'm not about to stand on the sidelines any longer while you play with her emotions and continue to hurt her. She needs someone to take care of her……to love her. I could do all of that and so much more.”

 

`Whoa…what a mouthful!' Inuyasha was stunned speechless. For that matter the whole group was. No one, I mean no one had put Inuyasha in his place better. The inu crew always took Kagomes side in the Kikyou matter but never had it been put so straight forward. It was obvious that Kouga was very serious about this. Standing stock still the miko didn't know what to say. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she couldn't hold them in. He had just expressed in so many words that he truly loved her and wanted to take care of her. The speech came out so…..passionately she had no choice but to believe him. All other times she thought it was a crush and her sight for the jewels nothing more. But now she could tell that he was totally serious.

Turning back around because he felt that he got his point across to the ignorant mutt he decided to give `his woman' his undivided attention.

`No one has ever openly expressed their feelings for me like that before. He's serious too. I can see it in his eyes and hear it in his tone. He really wants to be with me. If only he was Inuyasha. I would be jumping for joy. What do I say? I mean I really don't have any feelings for him other than friendship. My heart already belongs to Inuyasha. It wouldn't be fair to him if I led him on but I don't want to hurt his feelings either. UGHHH! I can't deal with this right now.'

 

Lifting her head up to Kouga she looked him straight in the eye trying to give him the best smile she could muster under the circumstances. Now was not the time to explain herself to the clueless wolf youkai in front of her. She went for the road most traveled to placate him.

 

“Kouga while I appreciate everything that you just said I can't. Especially right now. My friends need me. I need to complete this mission. Until Naraku is defeated and the jewel complete my place is with Inuyasha.”

 

Not at placated the wolf went in to state the obvious.

 

“That's not the real reason you won't come with me now. You love the loser. I can't understand why. He treats you like a doormat and walks all over your heart. Come home with me and I'll treat you like the princess that you are. I'll be loyal and never leave your side. All you have to do is give me a chance!”

 

The others stood quiet. What could they say?! They didn't want her to go but what he was offering was to heal her heart and help her move on. He was only asking for a chance. It was pretty obvious that Kouga would take care of her and love her unconditionally. Maybe what was best for her was to take him up on it. She had nothing to lose. That's what gave her friends and even little Shippou pause. Would she leave…… and if she did would the group ever be the same? Would Inuyasha be the same?

Blushing beet red at the implications Kagome came out of her stupor. She really didn't want anymore to do with this conversation and no more of her feelings getting aired out.

 

“Kouga please, lets not do this now. I can't………”

Not letting her finish her statement he threw in the towel……..for now.

“Kagome it's ok, I know you have a job to do. I'll leave you be at the moment. Just make sure you be careful. You can't rely on Inu-Kurro over there to look after you. Not when you're not his top priority. Remember what I said. I'll love you like you deserve and remain yours and only yours forever. Never forget that.”

“I will Kouga-kun I promise.” Came the sincere reply.

“Good, I'll check up on you sometime later beautiful.” With that he was gone in the storm cloud of which he came in.

 

Inuyasha was still standing in the same spot with the same stupefied expression on his face. Mouth hanging open he didn't know what to say. He did know one thing though. He wasn't letting Kagome go without a fight. Breaking out of his thoughts he commanded the attention of the rest of the inutachi.

“Well since the wolf is finished making an ass out of himself let's get moving. We wasted alot of time for nothing.”

Walking ahead he continued on, leaving the rest of the group to catch up.

Is that all that he had to say?! I mean really after everything that Kouga said……..that was it? Miroku was stupefied. Do you really let your rival stand you up like that? Any rival for Sango's affections surly would have got the end of his holy staff in the groin.

`Has he really already chosen Kikyou? No, he can't be that stupid! But this is INUYASHA we're talking about so maybe he'll let Kagome slip through his fingers. I surly hope not. The group and lovely Sango would truly suffer if she was to leave the group, but it would serve him right.

 

Once the group all got their head out of the clouds they caught up to the half demon. Falling back in sync they continued onward, none the wiser to the eyes that had just watched the whole confrontation via Kanna's mirror.

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In a castle far away watching the events unfold in a mirror Naraku sat with a malicious smirk on his face formulating a plan.

 

“So the fool still abandons the miko for that witch Kikyou. I believe we can use this to our advantage. KAGURA!”

 

“Yes.” Came the deadpanned reply.

 

“I need you to deliver a message to Kouga of the wolf demon tribe. Tell him I have an offer that will be worth his wild. If he doesn't bite tell him I have a plan to make the miko his. And to bring those precious jewel shards of his for payment.”

“Yes master.”

`Kukuku, this is lovely. What a brilliant plan. What better than to tear them apart and watch Inuyasha suffer. Revenge will be sweet.'