Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Alpha-Beta	By : SplendentGoddess Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > InuYasha/Kagome Views: 14859 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi or VIZ Productions, and I do not gain financially from my fanfic in any way.

Chapter List
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"Let's see, band-aids, antiseptic, gauze..." Kagome counted off aloud as she rummaged through her backpack. Although she'd packed everything the night before, she still wanted to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything.
"Ramen, definitely lots of ramen, and potato chips..."
It was amazing the amount of stuff she could cram into her Tardis of a backpack. As she peered into its depths in search of certain items, she often half-expected to see that its bottom was hollow, and that a stagehand hiding below her was handing everything up to her through the opening. But Mary Poppins magic tricks aside, Kagome was truly a wiz when it came to making twenty things fit in a space designed for ten. Hell, with as lean and flexible as she was from months of traveling in the Feudal era, she could probably contort herself into her backpack if she had to.
Okay, you're really starting to lose it, girl...
The truth was that she was stalling, and she knew it, which didn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense when she really didn't want to risk incurring Inuyasha's wrath by forcing him to come get her in her delay. Not that she would have 'forced' him to do anything, but that would be his viewpoint on the subject. With breakfast already completed, and her bag packed and ready to go, there was nothing left for Kagome to do except hoist the yellow monstrosity upon her shoulders, make a quick stop in the kitchen to pack her special lunches, and be off.
I guess that's it, I'll just make the bento boxes real quick, and then...bye-bye twenty-first century.

Finally making the decision to delay her departure no longer, Kagome shouldered her heavy backpack, thankful as she trudged her way downstairs that for once she at least wasn't packing any schoolbooks. Her departure was delayed a few extra minutes as she made special lunches for everyone, but the bento boxes couldn't have been packed the night before, as she'd wanted them to be fresh. Of course, it wasn't as though she had to pack anyone a bento lunch to begin with, but she still felt so guilty for what'd happened three days prior that she was hoping a certain somebody would recognize the peace offering for what it was.
And if not, at least everyone else has always complimented my cooking.
Lunches made, it was just around time to consume them when she finally said her farewells to her family, warning everyone that she could be gone for a lot longer than usual. She'd sort of filled her mother in on the details, without going into all of the details, about what'd happened during her fight with Inuyasha to go home. She'd told her mother of how she'd accidentally made him bite his tongue, of how he'd spat out a mouthful of blood and had seemed unusually quiet, which could only mean he was incredibly angry. Mrs. Higurashi had scolded her daughter's overuse of the rosary, but had then told Kagome that she supported her in her attempts to make it up to him.
Kagome had left out the bit about him yelping because she knew Inuyasha prided himself on his 'tough guy' image, but the fact of the matter was that that little detail specifically was what Kagome still found the most troubling. There was something significant there, she was sure, that she just couldn't quite put her finger on. He'd been impaled through the chest or gut on numerous occasions, which she was sure had to hurt worse than an unintentional tongue piercing, and when you take into consideration how quickly the human tongue could repair itself, she was sure that Inuyasha's minor injury had been completely healed within a matter of minutes. So why had he yelped like a beaten puppy?
Maybe it was just because the pain of biting his tongue had caught him by surprise. During battle, Kagome was sure that Inuyasha was more prepared to face injury, and he had in fact cried out in pain on several occasions, just...in the more human fashion. To whimper or yelp like a dog was probably more instinctual, and since biting his tongue had probably still hurt plenty in its own right, and had caught him completely off guard, he'd just made the sound without a conscious choice in the matter. Probably half of the reason why he'd seemed so quiet afterwards was because he was embarrassed about it, Kagome decided then. All the more reason to play things by ear, and not bring up what'd happened if he seemed like he was trying to put the whole thing behind them. She just hoped that he wouldn't make a show of still being upset, spending several days giving her the cold shoulder, though she knew she'd deserve it if he did.
Ready or not, here I come... Kagome groaned sarcastically to herself in reference to whether or not she was ready, as she secured her backpack and hoisted herself into the well and the unknown.
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Damn it all, where the hell is she??? Inuyasha cursed to himself as he waited impatiently near the clearing of the well.
He was just within the tree line to mask his presence from human eyes, but that did nothing to stop a certain kitsune from tracking him down as his thoughts were suddenly echoed aloud by Shippou's comment of, "I wonder when Kagome's coming back."
Inuyasha noted that the kit didn't attempt to demand that he go to retrieve the miko, so while it was clear that Shippou was just as impatient for Kagome's return as he was, it was also clear that the runt at least understood why Kagome had to be allowed to return on her own. Either that, or Shippou simply knew that it wasn't his place to demand that Inuyasha do anything, which was fine with the hanyou if that was the case.
Inuyasha was just about to open his mouth to order the kit to leave him the fuck alone when an unmistakable tingle of magic made itself known along his aura.
Shippou's sudden cry of "Kagome!" revealed that he'd also detected the well's activity, but in that moment, instead of seeing a miko, Shippou was seeing stars as Inuyasha quickly and efficiently bopped him on the head.
With a short bark of, "I get to see her first, brat." Inuyasha was gone.
```
Kagome was just trying to figure out how she could manage climbing out of the well with her stuffed-to-capacity backpack throwing off her balance, when a clawed hand clad in a billowing red sleeve suddenly descended into her line of vision.
"Inuyasha?" she questioned in general surprise as she looked up, even though who it was was exceedingly obvious.
"Keh, grab on, wench." was his response, and Kagome hadn't even realized how tense she'd been all morning until she felt herself relax in that moment.
Grabbing his hand then, she allowed Inuyasha to hoist her out of the well, which he did easily, her minimal weight being nothing compared to his hanyou strength. She'd seen him lift entire boulders, so she had no delusions regarding how heavy he truly thought she was. Kagome sometimes wondered if he even felt the difference when he carried her on his back.
She was pulled from her thoughts when she suddenly found herself placed rather gently upon her feet, Inuyasha's nose twitching in a subtle yet obvious manner as he attempted to discretely sniff her backpack as he relieved her of the yellow burden. He did a lot of 'discrete' things that she never let him know she noticed, such as shaking himself dry whenever he got wet, or occasionally scratching his head with a foot as he sat on his haunches. In fact, the more Kagome thought about it, the more subtle little 'dog' things she could pick out regarding his general behavior and mannerisms. Some things were more apparent than others, she knew, remembering how he'd literally torn into his steak the first time her mother had invited him to stay for dinner. Thinking about the documentary she'd watched three nights back, Kagome again wondered how much of his cruel gruffness was due to being abandoned as a child and being forced to raise himself in an environment where everyone wanted him dead, and how much came naturally from the fact that he was half inu-youkai. Taking a moment to think about his older half-brother, Kagome decided in that moment that his gruffness was definitely due to how he'd been raised, but even so, there were several things about Inuyasha that were unmistakably canine.
Speaking of which...
"Yes, I packed us something special for lunch, but don't worry, I made sure to bring you plenty of ramen as well."
She said it in a lighthearted manner with a bit of a chuckle to her voice, not wanting to come off like a soothing mother, which she feared he'd perceive as patronizing. This way, she was merely teasing him for his over-active nose, for once letting him know that his subtle sniffing hadn't gone unnoticed.
Quickly pulling back from his sniffing as he hoisted her bag on one shoulder, turning his head away with a muttered "Keh" and a light dusting of pink on his cheeks, Kagome knew that Inuyasha knew he'd been busted, but the miko was relieved to see that he didn't otherwise seem upset as he glanced back in her direction and offered her a shy smile.
"I'm glad you're back." he mumbled quietly, but loud enough for her to hear.
Phew, well at least he definitely isn't giving me the cold shoulder... the miko thought in relief, thinking his more subdued behavior was a little odd, but definitely a welcomed sight compared to what she'd been afraid she'd face upon her return.
In Kagome's mind, it was clear that he was trying to apologize for their fight, without actually having to come out and say it, so figuring that she'd let him know the gesture was understood and appreciated, she took that moment to take his hand, blushing a little herself at his look of surprise, as she quietly murmured, "I'm glad to be back."
Inuyasha looked as though he was just getting ready to say something else when the jingling of Miroku's shakujo drew their attention to the fact that they were no longer alone. Glancing in the direction of the village revealed both the monk and slayer as they quickly made their approach, already within eyeshot of the well.
Blushing ten shades darker, Inuyasha was quick to release Kagome's hand, and his more gentle expression was instantly replaced by one of impatience as he made a show of tugging on the yellow strap across his shoulder while asking in his usual gruff tone, "So what's in the bag, wench?"
Kagome understood his quick change in behavior, though, and decided in that moment that she'd let it go, smiling to herself at the rare glimpse of gentleness he'd shown her before their untimely interruption. She was just about to answer his question when a young voice calling out "Kagomeeeeeeee!!!!" shattered what was left of the tranquil midday atmosphere.
The miko had about two seconds to prepare herself as a blurry orange ball of fluff suddenly slammed itself against her stomach, causing an unstoppable "Oomph" to escape her lips as she back-stepped to regain her balance. Inuyasha was at her side in an instant, one firm hand placed squarely at her back for extra support, while the other held the guilty culprit upside down by the tail.
"Watch it!" he snapped at the kitsune, and to Kagome's surprise and concern, Shippou seemed to go limp rather than struggle against Inuyasha's hold.
"It's all right, Inuyasha." Kagome said then, her tummy a little sore, but knowing that Shippou's over enthusiasm was due to her own previous and rather abrupt departure.
Upon hearing her words, Shippou instantly began to struggle for freedom, but everyone present was surprised when the hanyou didn't put up much of a fight, instead willingly releasing his hold on the kitsune to allow the boy to jump up into Kagome's arms. Sango and Miroku, both having closed the distance between themselves and their friends by that point, each noticed the rather annoyed expression Inuyasha wore at Kagome's words, and yet, the only hint of argument that he gave was to quietly mutter, "Keh, brat coulda hurt you." which he spoke softly, but not too quietly for the humans to hear.
Offering Inuyasha a warm smile at his words, while still holding onto a frantic Shippou who appeared to be clinging to her for dear life, Kagome said, "Why don't we head back to Kaede-obaa-chan's? I've packed us all bento box lunches."
While her words were seemingly spoken to the entire group, it was clear to everyone present that she was really addressing Inuyasha. Said hanyou nodded his reluctant agreement to her statement, and, after repositioning her bag more properly across his back, began heading in the direction of the elder miko's hut.
Kagome shot Sango a questioning glance, but the shrug the slayer returned to her friend revealed that Sango was honestly just as confused as she was. In truth, Sango was actually more confused about Inuyasha's compliant behavior than Kagome was, since she and Miroku had just been living with him in 'control-freak' mode for the last three days.
```
Lunch went surprisingly well, as everyone complimented Kagome on her marvelous cooking. Shippou especially liked the little baby octopuses...Kagome had given up trying to explain what hotdogs were. Having been conscientious of Inuyasha's sensitivity to most spices, the bento box she'd prepared for her hanyou friend was especially bland in that regard, seasoned with some salt and mild herbs, but nothing that would irritate his overly sensitive tongue or sinuses. Surprisingly enough, or perhaps not considering his subdued nature back at the well, Inuyasha ate his lunch without complaint. Two of the four humans present were seriously starting to wonder if he was feeling all right, but fortunately, at Miroku and Sango's scrutinizing glances, he finally barked at them with an exasperated "What?!?!" that assured the pair that he wasn't possessed after all.
Of course, his odd eating habits hadn't gone unnoticed by Kagome, either, who was especially surprised that he seemed so compliant in that regard.
He must really be trying to apologize... the miko thought, noting how he ate every single bit of food she'd put into his bento without once either criticizing it directly, or asking where the ramen was.
Though that wasn't to say that he seemed overly enthusiastic about it, and if Kagome had to describe his current appearance, she would say he reminded her greatly of a scolded child who'd been ordered to eat all his vegetables.

Sheesh, he doesn't have to be so mopey about it. I'm the one who went too far and hurt him, not the other way around.

Deciding she was getting a little tired of his subtle hints at apology, Kagome decided to break the silence as she collected the empty containers by meeting Inuyasha's eyes as she took his, asking him point blank, "You didn't really care for it too much, did you?"
Miroku and Sango both instantly snapped their heads up to face the miko and hanyou, surprised by Kagome's words, and even Kaede seemed confused regarding the odd behavior between the pair.
Kagome's tone had been gentle, but Inuyasha was wary, suspecting a trick question. He knew better than to insult Kagome's food, he'd made that mistake plenty of times in the past. So what was she getting at? Was she just fishing for empty compliments? But if that were the case, shouldn't she have just asked him how he'd liked it? The way she'd phrased her question insinuated that she already knew he hadn't really wanted to eat the damn stuff. And it wasn't even as if it'd been that bad...she certainly hadn't over spiced it this time, at least. What was he going to do, turn the food down? Kagome had demonstrated her understanding of her position in the pack, providing them all with a nutritious meal, and he was in no position to refuse the gesture. But then again, she was still human, so maybe he needed to take her question at face value. Maybe she was just genuinely concerned that he hadn't liked it, which also went to show her consideration for those under her care. Should he just speak frankly then? Then again, when had he ever not spoken his mind in the past? Just because things were different now, if she thought that meant that he was suddenly going to become her little yes-man, she definitely had another think coming!
Finally, especially considering the way Kagome just stared at him awaiting an answer, he decided to go with the truth.
"Wasn't too spicy this time, so it was eatable. Still ain't ramen, though."
Sango and Miroku both cringed at his choice of words, and even Kaede shook her head at his foolishness, so everyone minus Shippou was extremely surprised when Kagome merely nodded her understanding, smiling a little as though she actually appreciated his crude candor.
Actually, she did. How he'd felt about eating the bento lunch had already been exceedingly obvious based on his expression, so if he'd lied to her by going out of his way to tell her how wonderful it was, she would have been worried that something was seriously wrong with him. Not that she truly believed her cooking was all that bad, and she appreciated the compliments her other companions had given her. In her time, she had access to a lot of herbs and spices that were very rare and expensive in the Feudal era, so from the perspective of the other humans in the hut, they had all been treated to something luxurious. Inuyasha, on the other hand, was simply addicted to his ramen and nothing else could compare, no matter what it was. Kagome understood that, and the simple fact that he had eaten it was testament enough to the fact that he hadn't found it all that disgusting. The reality of it all was probably that he'd liked it just fine, but ramen was ramen was ramen, and nothing could replace his favorite food.
Nodding her understanding, then, Kagome surprised everyone minus Shippou yet again when she spoke up softly with, "I'll make you some ramen, all right?"
Inuyasha was surprised but grateful, and knew when to keep his mouth good and shut, as an appreciative "Keh" was his only response, along with a thankful glance that only Kagome could see from her angle.
Shippou, while mildly jealous of Inuyasha's special treatment, went about dealing with his own position in the pack the best way he knew how. Leaping upon Kagome's shoulder as she dug through her backpack, the kit asked her in his sweetest, most innocent voice, "Did you bring me any candy, Kagome?"
Chuckling and nodding, Kagome pulled out a sucker for the fox-child as well Inuyasha's container of instant ramen. It would be a cold day in the fifth layer of hell before Kagome forgot Shippou's candy. The kit, taking his prize, bound over to the far corner of the room, sticking his tongue out at the hanyou along his way. Inuyasha glared at the boy, but didn't otherwise protest his gloating. It wasn't really all that unusual for Kagome to favor Shippou as much as she did, considering he was just a pup. Pups were allowed to get away with all kinds of things that adult omegas would be severely disciplined for. Kagome had always displayed a maternal protectiveness over the kit whenever he'd tried to discipline the boy in the past, undermining his authority by using her power of the rosary to spare Shippou a punishment she'd felt he hadn't deserved, so it was clear that Kagome wouldn't be putting up with any mistreatment of the boy any time in the near future, either. Sometimes Inuyasha forgot that Shippou really was just a child, a child they'd rescued from sharing his fate by taking him in, when no one had shown him the same luxury when he'd been a boy. But as long as the brat showed that he knew his place when it truly counted most, like when he needed to hide with his yap shut during a fierce battle, Inuyasha would forgive the youth for enjoying the childhood he himself had been denied.
That didn't mean, however, that he wouldn't take full advantage of every opportunity he had to gloat in return, which he did now by discretely sticking out his own tongue when Kagome served him his ramen. Yes, she favored the brat, but he was just a pup. Favoring him, Inuyasha knew, meant so much more, as Miroku and Sango both went without extra helpings of food, claiming in their compliance that they were full after consuming their measly little box lunches.
The monk, meanwhile, couldn't grasp how bottomless Inuyasha's stomach truly was, to be able to put away so much food in a single sitting. A quick glance in Sango's direction told Miroku that the slayer's thoughts were currently elsewhere, not seemingly concerned with the level of Inuyasha's rudeness to inadvertently get Kagome to serve him ramen on top of a wonderful lunch, but rather, she seemed deep in thought on something else entirely. Catching her companion's quizzical gaze, Sango merely shook her head, meaning for Miroku to dismiss her foolishness, as she was sure she was thinking too deeply on things. Not that he could read her mind, but a quick whisper of "Later" assured the monk that his beautiful female companion planned on filling him in on her thoughts as soon as she felt able to do so in private.
Hmmm...perhaps he should take the lovely Sango for a stroll through the village, so she wouldn't feel so...vulnerable...surrounded by so many sets of eyes and ears.
A resounding smack and cry of "Hentai!" later had Kaede asking the group behind a chuckle when they planned on heading back out again. While the elder miko was long used to living alone, she did appreciate the occasional company, and the oddball group of traveling companions were always an entertaining bunch, that went without question. Still, Kaede knew only too well of the importance of reassembling the Shikon jewel.
"Did you guys hear a shard rumor while I was in my time?" Kagome asked at Kaede's words.
"Possibly." Miroku spoke up while rubbing his cheek.
"Feh, waste of time." they heard Inuyasha mutter through a mouthful of ramen.
Sango, rolling her eyes in annoyance at Inuyasha's attitude, quickly finished telling Kagome what they'd learned during their return trip to the village. Apparently, a local fishing village was having an unusual amount of trouble with a group of kappa. There was nothing to directly indicate that either a jewel shard or Naraku were involved in any way, but since that village had always lived in relative peace until recently, both Sango and Miroku had felt the odd occurrence was worth looking into. Kappa were not usually too overly hostile, and only fed upon those who either strayed or were lured into the water. They were not known for storming on land in large groups and terrorizing entire villages.
Inuyasha, on the other hand, had outright dismissed the drunkard, whom they'd stumbled upon along the roadside, stating how they'd needed to return to Kaede's without delay, and that the old fool's blabbering hadn't concerned them.
"We couldn't go gallivanting on the word of some drunken knave! It would've been a total waste of time." Inuyasha grumbled then, and Kagome, deliberately pretending to misunderstand, answered sarcastically with, "Of course, you guys had to wait for my return since I can sense the shards. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long."
"That wasn't-"
"Think nothing of it." Miroku interrupted, having picked up on Kagome's undertone and decided to play alone. He wasn't fearful of upsetting Inuyasha now that Kagome was back.
"Well then," said miko spoke up once more. "I agree with you guys, bogus or not, every rumor should be taken into consideration."
"Feh, you didn't smell how badly he stank of sake." Inuyasha protested.
"Just because he was drunk, doesn't mean he was wrong." Kagome scolded lightly, "And besides, even if there aren't any shards involved, if that village is really in trouble, then we should still offer whatever help we can."
"Fine, whatever." the hanyou relented then as he rose to his feet and headed toward the door of the hut. "You guys coming or what?" he addressed Miroku and Sango at their shocked expressions, while Kagome was too busy repacking her bag and grabbing her arrows to notice the significance of what'd just taken place.
Just like that?? Miroku and Sango both thought at the same time.
```
Three days and one false shard rumor later, and the gang was sitting quietly by their campfire, several trout - courtesy of the newly rescued fishing village - slowly grilling to perfection in its flames. While kappa did not usually attack entire villages, what the wandering drunk had failed to mention in his retelling of witnessed events was how this particular village had recently ceased their decades old agreement of offering cucumbers to the water sprites in exchange for peace and good fishing. Kappa took oaths very seriously, and since the humans had broken their word, the entire clan had rebelled individually, yet simultaneously, as they'd each resumed the various heinous acts they had previously only partaken in on rare occasion. The reason for ceasing the fruit's sacrifice was simple and foolish...the newly appointed headman had merely believed that the ancient warnings of their forbearers were false. After all, no one alive today had ever seen a single kappa in their river, so much like ceasing medication once the symptoms had abated, he'd believed that whatever problem might have persisted at one time no longer existed. Of course, once he'd realized the err of his ways it had been too late, as the aquatic youkai had refused to be duped into promising compliance of any kind.
To everyone's amazement, Inuyasha had only gloated for a fleeting minute about how he'd known that there wasn't a shard involved with the kappa crisis, and to everyone's utter amazement, when Kagome had insisted that they needed to help anyway, he hadn't complained. At least not directly, though anyone who was even remotely acquainted with the hanyou would have easily noticed how reluctant he'd truly been. "Serves the bastards right." he'd muttered under his breath, even as he'd followed Kagome into the thick of things to save all the foolish humans who had only brought their curse upon themselves. Then, the miko had to up and decide that she didn't want to hurt the kappa, since they could sometimes be rather helpful creatures. Bah, damn nuisances were what they were. But still, they had been successful in the end, by threatening the toads with a show of Tetsusaiga's power that'd had them groveling for their lives. In exchange for their continued existence, they had been forced to promise to leave the fishing village alone forever, and kappa had no choice but to honor their promises. Then, in a show of good faith, the village headman had even declared that they would resume their offerings of cucumbers, anyway. All in all, the mission had been a complete success, although a certain inu-hanyou would strongly argue that point. He hadn't even gotten to kill anything...
Turning the fish, Kagome breathed deeply, smiling at the scent that filled her nose. Not that she truly enjoyed the smell of cooking fish all that much, but it was what the smell of cooking fish represented. A simpler time, a simpler life, even if they were on a mission to save the world from a diabolical force of evil. That didn't mean she couldn't enjoy life's simple pleasures, such as grilling fish over an open flame.

Taking a moment to sit back and think, Kagome dared a discreet glance at the man currently sitting across from her. Inuyasha's unusually cooperative nature over the last three days hadn't gone unnoticed by the future-born miko who was seriously starting to worry if something was wrong. Not that she feared something was actually wrong with Inuyasha, as though he were suffering from any form of mental illness. It was quite obvious that he was giving his compliance a little more reluctantly than he probably would had he truly gone bi-polar on her, but so...why wasn't he putting up a fight? What was holding him back? Why was he just sighing, bitching to himself, and then doing exactly as he was told?
At first she'd actually thought it was kind of sweet, if not mildly annoying, how he'd seemed to be acting all apologetic towards her, deliberately going out of his way to avoid further upset because of their oh-so-recent fight. Not that she truly thought he was the one who needed to apologize in that instance, and of all the times to finally decide to do so, part of her couldn't help but to wonder if he wasn't doing it on purpose because he knew how guilty he was making her feel. That theory had been shot to hell, however, when he'd still continued to act just as compliant the next day, and then the day after that, and then the day after that. Whenever she asked to rest he immediately stopped, whenever she was thirsty and took a few drinks, he promptly sniffed out clean water to refill their bottles, and whenever she was hungry, he actually asked her...asked her...if she wanted him to hunt something or if 'only ramen' would be enough. The old Inuyasha could have lived off of nothing but ramen noodles for the rest of eternity, she was sure, the hanyou having only ever gone hunting or fishing in the past whenever somebody else in the group had insisted he do so, or their ramen supply was used up. While this new Inuyasha was seemingly easier to get along with, on the surface, Kagome was truly starting to worry, not that she feared he'd become some sort of brainwashed 'Stepford' hanyou. She recognized forced civility when she saw it, having worn the mask herself on many occasions, especially when certain undead miko who shall remain nameless walked into the picture.
Could that be it? Could Kikyou have come around while I was in the present, and that's why he's acting so apologetic? Kagome worried, shooting the whole 'nameless' thing to hell as she promptly thought of the one person she did not want to think about.
Stamping down her sudden and unwelcome feelings of betrayal, Kagome vowed not to jump to any conclusions until she and Sango had an opportunity to talk in private. Wearing her own mask of civility then, the miko did her best to pretend her thoughts were not currently bothering her as she served up that evening's supper. Why was it that no matter how many fish they each ate, they always ended up with one extra? Seeing Inuyasha and Shippou both reach for the last fish at the same time triggered the prelude to what Kagome feared would be one hell of a headache.
"Kagomeeee!" Shippou wailed as Inuyasha bopped him on the head to take the fish.
"Feh! I need more food than you do, you overgrown stomach. Who the hell wields the Tetsusaiga around here?"
"Inuyasha..." Kagome began slowly, observing as she didn't even need to say the word, as the mere sound of his name caused him to cringe and hesitantly glance in her direction. "You've already had three fish, and even Kirara got two, while Shippou-chan's only had one."
"Keh, brat shouldn't eat so slow." he mumbled, which part of Kagome actually appreciated, because it proved that the old him was still in there somewhere. Nonetheless, at her hardened look, which was secretly a test on her part, he predictably cringed once more before promptly dumping the fish in Shippou's lap. "Whatever." they heard him mutter to himself as he rose to his feet before promptly leaping into the trees.
Yes, she and Sango definitely needed to have a talk...
```
Such an opportunity finally presented itself two days later as, per Kagome's suggestion, they had been heading in the direction of a village they'd stopped at once in the past. Her logic was that since they had previously rescued that village from a youkai attack, the townspeople would be more forthcoming towards their group had they heard any rumors that could possibly lead them to either a jewel shard or Naraku's whereabouts. It was worth a shot, since they didn't have any other leads at the moment, though Kagome knew that the main reason she'd suggested heading towards that particular village was because of the local hot spring that rested not far beyond their borders.
Having spent the last couple of days truly observing and pondering over the recent change in Inuyasha's behavior, Kagome relished in the opportunity to finally discuss her concerns with Sango in private. All things considered, it came as little surprise when Inuyasha didn't protest Kagome's announcement of wanting to bathe, and for the first time in a long time, she had complete confidence that he would keep his word to keep the houshi in line while they did so. With Kirara in tow, the priestess and slayer didn't waste any time, as they were quick to relish in the soothing sensation of heated water relaxing their aching muscles.
But while the miko had hoped that her local-born taijiya friend could shed some light on the subject of Inuyasha's personality change, Kagome was dismayed to learn that Sango was just as confused as she was, although for a different reason entirely. She was relieved to learn that her hypothesis regarding Kikyou was false, as Sango assured her that the undead miko had not been around during her absence, and that Inuyasha had been present and accounted for at all times. What Kagome had not been aware of, and for obvious reasons, was how domineering Inuyasha had actually acted while she was away. While she knew it didn't make very much sense for him to act all apologetic while the one he needed to apologize to wasn't there, she'd honestly just figured that he'd spent the days she was gone sulking in his silent, pouty way. To learn from Sango that he'd actually been rather loud and bossy seemed completely one-eighty from how he was acting now, although to be fair, he was truly only acting like an obedient puppy where Kagome was concerned. Said miko, paranoid of somehow being over heard, immediately started to shush Sango at such a comparison, but the slayer merely pointed out what Kagome had already come to acknowledge, that Inuyasha was half inu. The exterminator then went into a quick retelling of Shippou's domination act, and the subsequent submission he'd been forced into as a result, which Kagome found just as surprising, although it somewhat explained Shippou's behavior back at the well.
"You don't suppose..." the slayer started to ponder aloud, before deciding against voicing her thoughts with a quiet, "No, never mind."
"No, what?" Kagome asked, desperate to hear any theories by that point.
"Well...they're called 'beads of subjugation' for a reason, Kagome-chan." was Sango's reluctant answer, a riddle whose mystery was short-lived as Kagome quickly caught on to what the slayer was suggesting.
"But...I'm human, there's no way I could truly dominate him. He could kill all of us in an instant if he really wanted to."
"That's the key, though. If he wanted to." Sango explained. "Short of attacking you directly, which you know he'd never do, how else is he supposed to fight a power like the rosary?"
Kagome thought about that one for a minute, before dismissing the idea entirely. "But our fight was over a week ago. I could understand him walking on eggshells for a day or two, but an entire week? And why would me dominating him make him bossier to you guys?"
"Maybe to make sure we didn't think we could dominate him as well?" Sango suggested, uncertain if her theory was correct because of Inuyasha's hanyou nature. "He is half human, though, so maybe I'm reading too much into everything." she brushed off then.
"Yeah..." Kagome agreed, although the seed had been planted. What if Sango was right?
He doesn't think of himself as a human, after all... Kagome thought. He thinks of himself as an inu-youkai.
What Kagome didn't know was that Sango had already voiced her theory with Miroku, the two of them having finally found a moment to speak together while Inuyasha had been dealing with the kappa. Though the monk lacked Sango's particular brand of training when it came to the dealings of youkai, he was very knowledgeable in his own right, and he'd found the slayer's hypothesis intriguing. The incident with Shippou made perfect sense when explained from her point of view, as did the glares he'd personally received from the hanyou, if Inuyasha had truly believed that he'd also been about to question his authority. Although, Miroku had raise an excellent point during his conversation with Sango, as well; with as often as Inuyasha insulted the humans for being...well...human...one could hardly believe that he'd consciously apply canine behaviors to an entire group in which he and Shippou were the only canines. That meant that either one: her theory was wrong and Inuyasha was just being a dick because his fight with Kagome had left him all butt-hurt, which was a strong possibility. Or two: he was applying canine mannerisms where they didn't belong on a subconscious level, which would mean that he was much more driven by his natural instincts then he'd led them to believe. Considering how adamant he always was about not being treated like a dog, the monk and slayer had both come to the conclusion that option one was far more likely, though Sango still wasn't ready to dismiss the theory entirely.
```
"And just where do you think you're going, letch?"
"Why Inuyasha, your mistrust wounds me deeply..." Miroku began, earning a snort from his hanyou companion while the nearby kitsune just rolled his eyes. "I am merely going to answer the call of nature."
Inuyasha eyed the monk suspiciously, and then said, "Uh-huh, if that's so, then pee that way." while gesturing in the opposite direction of the hot spring.
Miroku's face fell as he exhaled, but then his disposition brightened again as he apparently thought of a new tactic. However, before he got the chance to try it, it was Shippou who suddenly chimed in with, "You might as well give up, Kagome said to keep you here, and that's what we're gonna do."
The kit then went to resume eating his potato chips, but suddenly found the bag snatched from his hands. "Hey!"
"Feh...mine 're all gone." Inuyasha explained logically as he munched on a handful of Shippou's chips.
"Because you ate them all!" the kit bellowed, but upon Inuyasha raising a fist in threat of bopping the fox-child on the head, Shippou immediately cringed and scooted away from the hanyou. "Meanie." he mumbled under his breath, although he put up no further argument.
Temporarily distracted from his desire to gaze upon feminine beauty, Miroku couldn't help but to grin in amusement as he teased, "What's the matter Shippou? You usually put up more of a fight than that." While Shippou always cried out for Kagome to intervene when the girl was present, the monk was honestly surprised that the kit hadn't defaulted to asking for his help since the women were currently unavailable.
The kitsune's confused expression made Miroku even more confused, as Shippou blinked up at him and answered innocently with, "But when Kagome's gone, Inuyasha's the alpha."
Wide-eyed, Miroku gazed once more in the hanyou's direction, only to see Inuyasha seemingly unfazed by Shippou's proclamation, as he continued to munch on his stolen potato chips. So many things could be taken from the kit's statement, the main one being that perhaps Sango was right, after all. Genuinely forgetting all about his desire to go peep on the women, Miroku began moving in the direction of the forest, seeking a tranquil walk to clear his head while he had so many thoughts running through it. It was bumping into a solid chest clad in fire-rat that drew Miroku's attention back to the path in front of him, as a disgruntled looking Inuyasha stood before him with his arms crossed. Only then did the monk remember that he was supposedly on house arrest, or 'camp arrest', as it were.
"I wasn't-"
"Damn right you weren't." Inuyasha interrupted hotly. "If you think I'm gonna just let you go wander off to spy then that hole in your hand has sucked up half your brains, 'cause there ain't no way in all the hells I'm lettin' you outta my sight."
"Now, Inuyasha-"
"Can it." the hanyou interrupted again, "Kagome said to make sure you stay at camp, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do."
Sighing, and deciding that he really didn't want to get into a fight with his demonic companion, Miroku relented and assumed a seated position near their campfire. Inuyasha then proceeded to plop himself back down and finish off the last of the potato chips as if nothing had happened. Taking a few minutes to ponder over recent events, Miroku decided in that moment that he definitely needed to find time to speak with Sango, and Kagome as well, for that matter.
```
The rest of their time in the hot spring was spent in companionable silence as each girl relished in the soothing sensation granted by the steaming pool. Of course, one couldn't stay in hot water for too long, so it wasn't long before the miko and slayer both decided to return to camp, before they got too flush and wrinkly. With Kirara standing guard in her saber form for protection, both women dressed quickly, the slight breeze in the air making the evening seem cooler to their heated flesh than it actually was. While Kagome had remained quiet after their earlier discussion, that wasn't to say that her mind was at rest, as ideas, theories, and dismissals all continually buzzed around in her brain. Could it be true? Could Inuyasha somehow view her in the dominating role? Like a...like an alpha? But they were humans! Not a pack of wolves. Then she recalled something the man from the documentary had said.
"While domesticated dogs still possess the instinct for pack and pecking order, those raised in solitude often come to associate themselves with their human families..."
Could that be it? Could Inuyasha really view all of them as a pack of some sort, even if only on a subconscious level? Kagome also remembered that the narrator had said most domestic traits in dogs were environmental, as wild stray dogs acted more like their wolf cousins. Inuyasha definitely fell into the 'wild stray' category.
It actually makes perfect sense...from an inu-youkai point of view.

With as often as she and Inuyasha always used to butt heads over this and that, she was sure that from his point of view, her defiance probably showed a lack of submission to his authority. Not that he really ever caved, either, and on the few occasions that he had, like say...when she needed to go home, he was usually really bossy about it, demanding she be back by a certain time, and showing up to drag her back if she was late.
He never came for me this time, but he had to have been waiting near the well to have gotten there so quickly when I arrived.

So was the reason he'd failed to retrieve her because he was submitting to her authority, allowing her the right to return on her own? Thinking about the moment that'd changed it all, Kagome recalled once again the sound of him yelping. He'd sounded just like a beaten dog, and now, Kagome was seriously starting to believe that that was precisely what he'd been. She recalled how he'd just laid there afterwards for a moment, even after she was sure the spell had lifted. Then, the first words out of his mouth had been permission to leave, and when he'd gotten a little sassy about it and she'd started to get angry again, he'd immediately cringed in a way that she'd even thought at the time had looked similar to a cowering dog. She'd just had no idea how dead on her observation had actually been. Applying a canine aspect to those events revealed to Kagome how he could have seriously misinterpreted her actions. After all, she hadn't directly apologized, not in so many words, and she'd still proceeded to go home as per her original desire that had triggered their fight in the first place. She could definitely see how it looked as though she'd 'won' the fight, for lack of a better word, but in the dog world, to win a fight meant...
He thinks I know I'm the alpha... she realized then as she thought back on his altered behavior over the last five days.
While he might start to voice his opinion on something, he always shut up the instant she began to argue, immediately relenting and doing as she asked, even if it was clear he didn't really want to. The ordeal two nights ago with the fish was a perfect example. The old Inuyasha would have eaten that last fish as quickly as possible, ignoring her words of how Shippou deserved it more, as though he were in a race to get the whole thing consumed before she had a change to slam his face into the ground for it. He would've gotten sat for his behavior, but he would've still gotten the last fish. The fact that he'd caved so quickly when she'd barely spoken up against his action showed that he believed he needed to do as she said, and the simple fact that she'd spoken up against his action at all had probably demonstrated, in his mind, how she knew she had the authority to tell him what to do.
Half the time since she'd been back he didn't even look as though he wanted to argue at all, just automatically doing as she asked without voicing any sort of opinion on the matter, like all the times he came to a stop in their marching whenever she said she was tired and wanted to rest for a minute. The old him would have pissed and moaned about their constant rest periods, calling her weak, or at least blaming her tiredness on the amount of crap she'd crammed into her backpack. While he did take the bag from her on several occasions, which she honestly appreciated, he didn't do it with any hint of the attitude he always used to show for such an action. He had to pretend that being nice to her was a burden, after all...didn't he? Didn't he have some fa�ade of toughness he needed to keep going? He'd definitely been unusually tender with her ever since she'd returned, although, Kagome agreed with Sango's poorly worded assessment that he only appeared more compliant where she was concerned. Thinking back on it, Kagome could recall several times over the last few days that Inuyasha had either said something nasty to - or had generally just acted annoyed and put out regarding - the other members in their group. He still bullied Shippou, for example, although the kit surprisingly put up with it a lot more than he used to, only calling for Kagome's help whenever food was involved. She recalled Shippou jumping up onto Inuyasha's shoulder once while they'd been walking, and the hanyou unceremoniously dumping him back onto the ground with the harsh command to ride with either Sango or Miroku, and without even saying a word the kit had complied, leaping upon Miroku's shoulder instead. At the time, Kagome had used such incidents to help reassure herself that Inuyasha was in fact still normal, and that she was probably just imagining things as far as her fear went that something was wrong. The fact that Shippou was acting more subdued as well, at least where the hanyou was concerned, hadn't been enough to clue her in to what was really going on, although now as she looked back on it, Kagome knew it all made perfect sense.
Following Sango and Kirara back to camp, Kagome kept just enough of her awareness on the surface to watch where she was going, as the rest of her mind continued to wander. To learn now that Inuyasha had been unusually controlling while she was gone also made perfect sense if she thought about it from a canine's point of view. If Inuyasha had believed that she and him were in a constant battle for the position of alpha, a position which she'd just unknowingly acquired, then that meant that he viewed himself in the position of pack beta, didn't it? While such a scenario honestly hadn't occurred to her on her own, that was only because Kagome, as a human, didn't naturally think of things from a 'pack' perspective. But that didn't mean that she wasn't aware of pack dynamics, generally speaking. She learned all sorts of things in that 'useless' school of hers, after all. From what Sango said she'd observed, of how Inuyasha had put Shippou into a traditional canine submission, it was clear that the hanyou was asserting his domination over everyone else in the 'pack'. While Kagome may have dominated him, he wanted to make damn sure that nobody else got any ideas.

She'd been reluctant to accept it at first, but as Kagome reentered camp and gazed across the fire to her hanyou companion, noting the way his ears raised and his entire visage seemed to brighten slightly at her appearance, Kagome knew in that moment that Sango's hypothesis was correct. The fact that Shippou seemed to be pouting something fierce, while Miroku seemed unusually deep in thought, only went to further her resolve, as it became clear that something significant had taken place while she and Sango were bathing. Kagome decided in that moment that somehow, someway, she needed to get Inuyasha alone. She and him definitely needed to have a little talk. Perhaps one final test was in order, Kagome thought then, thinking that if it proved successful, she'd kill two birds with one stone, eliminating any trace of doubt in her mind, while getting the hanyou alone at the same time.
"Inuyasha..." she spoke up then, noticing how practically all eyes were on her in that instant, as only Kirara seemed to ignore all the goings on. Figures, she's a cat, after all. Kagome told herself then, knowing how felines and canines were completely different from one another when it came to any sort of 'pack' instinct, or 'pride', in Kirara's case.
Clearing her throat and steeling her resolve, the miko continued. "You should take this opportunity to bathe as well, while we're here."
His ears lowered in a way that indicated he truly didn't want to bathe, but before he could say anything, Shippou chimed up with, "Yay! I'll go with you guys, I haven't-"
"No, Shippou-chan." Kagome had to cut off, nipping his interference in the bud if her plan was to work. "You and Miroku-sama didn't work up nearly as much of a sweat fighting those kappa, only Inuyasha needs to bathe." she excused lamely. Lying never was her strong point.
The monk and slayer both stared at Kagome with confused, yet curious expressions. While they didn't know what she was up to, it was clear to both of them that she was definitely up to something, so they each told her in that moment with their eyes that they would follow along with her game. Shippou, on the other hand, was completely confused, but because Kagome was the alpha, he had to do as she said.
"Okay..." he pouted, which made Kagome want to chuckle. How many children were really that eager to take a bath? But then again, she supposed such a thing was considered much more of a luxury in that time period.
"Fine, whatever." Inuyasha grumbled them, clearly upset at having been unfairly singled out. He didn't stink half as bad as the houshi did!
But then again...Inuyasha knew how important cleanliness was to Kagome, baths being much more common in the century she came from, so maybe she wanted to make sure he was clean because he was more important to her than the others? He had to remind himself in that moment that she'd given him several extra helpings of ramen over the last few days that the others didn't get to share in, so that had to count for something, right? In fact, aside from stating that the runt deserved the last fish, which he supposed fell back to her maternal protectiveness over the whelp because he was just a pup, she hadn't shown favoritism to anyone else the entire time she'd been back.
Feeling a little better about the situation, then, Inuyasha thought he'd go the extra step to show Kagome that he understood where she was coming from, as he approached her before just stomping away toward the spring, asking in as neutral of a tone that he could muster, "You got any more of that soap stuff?"
It was fortunate he was currently facing Kagome, because he missed the looks of surprise everyone, including Kirara, was giving him behind his back at such a question. Somehow managing to school her own features, Kagome did not look surprised, as though him asking to borrow her body wash was an everyday occurrence, as she smiled and answered matter-of-factly that she did still have some, as she then proceeded to remove said item from her backpack, as well as a towel for him to dry off with. Another test, since everyone knew Inuyasha never had a use for towels. But while he might decide against using it in his privacy, he accepted the offer all the same, taking the proffered items from Kagome's hands with a curt nod of acknowledgment. Not quite a thanks, but at the same time, he no longer looked as though she'd just sent him to his own execution.
As soon as he was out of sight Kagome sat down by the fire, mentally counting off how many minutes she felt would be enough time for Inuyasha to reach the spring and get in it.
"So what was all that about?" Sango's voice suddenly chimed in, distracting her from her counting.
Not wanting to risk being overheard just in case Inuyasha was still within range, Kagome answered with, "What was all what about? I just wanted him to take a bath was all, it's my decision." A silent wink followed the statement, which both the slayer and monk took note of.
Without the need for words, it was clear in that moment between all of the humans what was actually going on. A quick glance between the monk and slayer let Miroku know that Sango had discussed her ideas with Kagome during their bath, while the houshi's nod let Sango know that he now believed she was correct. A corresponding nod from Kagome in that moment let both of them know that she agreed with the slayer's hypothesis, as well, and just to test a theory, she got the pouting kit's attention in that moment.
"Shippou-chan..." she started.

"Yeah?" the kitsune asked, raising his head from the meaningless swirls he'd been drawing in the sand a moment ago.
"Were you mean to Inuyasha while Sango-chan and I were in the spring?" Kagome did her best to sound like a stern mother. It was clear from his sulking look the moment she'd walked back into camp that something had happened.
"No!" Shippou insisted then, with a bit of fear in his voice. Then, his kitsune nature showed through as he thought to get the hanyou in trouble with their alpha, as he informed Kagome, "Inuyasha was mean to me! He stole my dried potatoes!"
Kagome was only mildly surprised at that. It figured that Inuyasha would revert to his old ways of tormenting the kit while she wasn't there to stop it.
"He did?" she asked in a soothing manner, like a teacher being informed by a child that another child had pulled their hair.
Miroku took that moment to speak up, knowing where Kagome was going as he explained on the kit's behalf, "But Shippou knew better than to defy Inuyasha in your absence."
"That's true." the kit answered, puffing his chest with pride.
"Well then," Kagome spoke up once more, offering Miroku a thankful nod, "I bet I know what can make up for some lousy ol' dried potatoes."
At her words, Shippou's eyes grew comically larger, an eager expression completely replacing his earlier look of trepidation. Reaching into her bag, Kagome confirmed the kitsune's suspicions, as she magically produced a brand new box of strawberry pocky.
"Thank you, Kagome!" he answered joyously as she handed him the sugary treasure.
"That's your reward for being good, so I need you to continue to be good and stay here at camp with Miroku-sama and Sango-chan until I return again, all right?" Kagome insisted as she rose to her feet, backpack in hand. "Don't leave their sight, you stay right here."
"O'ay 'A'o'e..." Shippou agreed unintelligibly through three sticks of pocky in his mouth.
"So where are you wandering off to?" Sango asked curiously, with a hint of amusement in her voice.
"It's time alpha and beta had a little chat."
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Alpha-Beta