"Oh great, not this again…" Inu Yasha wrinkled his nose as he watched Kagome scramble her way out of the well.
The girl had gone home again for another one of her stupid test things and was just coming back now. For once, Inu Yasha was wishing she could've stayed in her time longer; Kagome was in heat again, and the change in her scent had always made him … jumpy.
"Well," he thought, hopping out of his tree. "Might as get this done and over with…"
Kagome was still trying to haul her over-sized and over-stuffed pack over the lip of the well. Inu Yasha approached, his usual scowl plastered on his face.
"Oi!" he snatched the bag effortlessly from her and pulled it out of the well. "What a surprise! You're back early for a change!"
"I finished the test early, Inu Yasha." Kagome wiped away some sweat. "So to make you HAPPY, I came back to surprise you! Show a little gratitude!"
"Feh!" Inu Yasha spat. "You act as though it's some kind of big accomplishment! Well, let me tell you, finding more Shikon shards is more of a victory than coming back early from your stupid tests!"
"Hey!" she fumed. "Why not just show me a little appreciation for a change! I bet that if YOU were to try taking one of MY tests, you'd fail so badly they'd stick you in a little kiddy's class!"
"Like I'd waste my time on something so useless!" he snorted sharply. "And speaking of wasted time, let's get going! No use sitting around on our asses any longer!"
"No way!" Kagome stamped her foot. "After all that studying, I want a break for a change!"
"WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR A BREAK!"
"WE DO TOO!"
"WE DON'T!"
"WE DO!"
"WE DON'T!"
"Ooo… Osuwari!"
*CRASH*
Lugging her pack with her, Kagome left Inu Yasha eating dirt as she headed back to Kaede's house. The entire way, she continued to fume silently.
"That jerk… it never fails! I try to do something nice, and he doesn't even say 'thank you' for all my efforts!"
She continued on, wincing slightly at a very faint twinge of pain in her stomach.
"Ugh…glad I came prepared… I'll be having to put up with THAT in a few days…"
Muttering a few, quiet curses to himself, Inu Yasha managed to lift his head up a bit in time to watch Kagome storm off. Beneath his sharp-fanged snarl, the hint a smile softened his expression.
"Oooh … the things I do to protect you…"
*********************************************
Kagome tiredly slumped down on the front porch of Kaede's house. The old miko was out, probably tending to someone sick, and Sango was left to watch the house. Miroku had gone with Shippo for a much-needed bath.
"Kagome-chan!" the demon exterminator smiled upon seeing her friend. "Ano… where's Inu Yasha?"
"Eating dirt." Kagome muttered flatly.
"You two had another fight, now, didn't you?"
"What else is new?"
"Kagome-chan," Sango sighed. "Don't you think that you're being a little hard on him sometimes?"
"I made a big effort to finish my exam quickly so that I could come back early and all that I got out of him was 'Let's go find more shards!'"
"That sounds like Inu Yasha…" Sango shook her head. "Ano… Kagome-chan?"
"Hai?"
"Have you…I don't know… ever noticed that Inu Yasha… is meaner on some days more than others?"
Kagome perked her head up at that question. It wouldn't have startled her quite so much if she hadn't been wondering the same thing for the past few months. It was true, though. She had been paying close attention to Inu Yasha's behavior ever since a certain run-in with Kouga.
It had been a rough day of shard searching several months ago, and they had just reclaimed two pieces from a smarter-than-usual kappa. On the way home, they had run into Kouga, who had seemed a little more than fervent to be near her. Of course, Inu Yasha was his usual, jealous self, but something in his eyes had made Kagome think that there was more than just jealously present at that moment. The expected brawl was over almost as soon as it had started, thanks to a certain word and rosary, but a cut-off remark from Kouga simply refused to leave her mind.
************
"I've let you play with her long enough, dog-turd, but she's coming with me now!"
"You touch her and I'll rip your tail off and shove it up your ass!"
"Ha! Like I'll let you take advantage of her being in-"
*WHACK!*
"SHUT UP!"
***********
Inu Yasha had sent Kouga flying into a tree with his fist. Kouga didn't get knocked out, but Kagome wasn't about to let things go that far and subdued him promptly.
Since then, Kagome had been thinking hard about the link between Kouga's remark and Inu Yasha's behavior. What had Kouga been trying to say? She was in what? Insecure? Incapable? In trouble?
A few days after that incident, Kagome recalled that she had had her time of the month. When that happened, Inu Yasha hadn't been half as mean or arrogant as he normally was. In fact, he had actually been somewhat civil to her…
"Kagome-chan?" Sango's voice jolted the future girl from her deep thoughts.
"H-Hai, Sango-chan?"
"You got quiet after I asked you a question. Is everything ok?"
"Actually, Sango…" Kagome stared at the floor. "I have noticed that kind of change in Inu Yasha…I think I know what reason is, but I thought it would be best to talk to you about it first. After all, you are the demon expert of the group."
"Ask away."
"Well… remember that little run-in with Kouga a couple of months back?"
"Hai."
"Then you remember that Kouga and Inu Yasha weren't being their normal selves, right?"
Sango simply nodded, having some idea where the conversation was already going, but deciding the keep her grin from surfacing.
"What was it that Kouga was trying to say before Inu Yasha pummeled him?"
"I knew it…" the taijiya thought. "I could tell you, Kagome-chan, demo, I'm not sure if this is something you really want to hear or not…"
"Sango, please…" Kagome pleaded softly. "I need to know… is there something… different… about me that Inu Yasha's picking up on that's making him act differently?"
The taijiya relented. Her friend seriously wanted to hear this, and she wasn't about to deny her answers.
"As a matter of fact… there is…"
"Go on."
"You see, Kagome-chan, youkai, even hanyou like Inu Yasha, have a very strong sense of smell, and to them, they can tell one person from another just by the way they smell."
"I know that, but is that related to the weird behavior?"
"It certainly is! If a person they're familiar with gets sick or has… other changes in their bodies, their scent changes."
Things were starting to make sense. That obviously explained why Inu Yasha was slightly nicer to her when she was having her period. It even explained the one time he has asked if she was wounded or not even though they had not been in any battles for over a week. She blushed, realizing that his nose had picked up THAT blood scent on her body. Kagome quickly snapped herself back to reality and what Sango was telling her.
"So I'm guessing that Inu Yasha knows…" Kagome paused, a bit shy to ask. "…when… you and I have our… little 'times of the month?'"
"You got it." Sango nodded, a faint blush tinting her face as well.
"Ok… so… Inu Yasha is a little… nicer during THOSE times…" Kagome shifted her gaze several times between the floor, the wall, and Sango. "What do you think would make him more of a jerk than usual?"
Sango could not contain her smile any longer, and her blush deepened a bit as well. If she explained THAT to Kagome the wrong way, the group would have one flattened dog hanyou for a leader. She'd have to be careful with her words.
"Ano… Kagome-chan…" the taijiya sweatdropped. "I worry that the answer to THAT question would make you upset and do worse to Inu Yasha than just a couple of 'osuwari's'"
Kagome's pleading eyes loosened the taijiya's tongue, and Sango could only sigh before spilling the beans.
"Alright, Kagome-chan, I'll tell you." Sango relented. "But promise first that you won't take this out on Inu Yasha, ok?"
"Ok…"
"Inu Yasha is mean to you more than usual when you're in heat…"
"In…heat…?" Kagome's eyebrow twitched.
"H-Hai." Sango lowered her voice, hoping that Kagome wouldn't blow up with what she was hearing. "You see… like… normal dogs… dog demons can tell… when a girl is… ready to bear children… just by the change in their scent…"
"But… why… would Inu Yasha… be mean about it…? Wouldn't he rather be… nicer…?"
"Kagome-chan, the truth is that Inu Yasha IS attracted to you, but he doesn't want you hurt…"
"I…I think… I understand… now… demo…"
"Hmm?"
"Are you saying he's just lusting for me? And if he's mean to me, how come he's not mean to you when… you're like that?"
Sango could not help but smile. She had a feeling that this question would eventually come up and that Kagome already knew the answer, but just had to hear it for herself.
"I guess… you could say that originally he WAS just… in the mood…for you, Kagome-chan…" the taijiya began. "But as for why he ignores me in that state, well…it's as obvious as the dog ears on his head -- Inu Yasha is in love with YOU…"
*THUMP*
"AH! Kagome-chan!"
Kagome had fallen over backwards in disbelief. She had heard it from the mouth of a professional-Inu Yasha DID have feelings for her. And not only that, but he wanted her THAT way and distanced himself from her so that the temptation would be easier to deal with. It finally all made sense.
With Sango's help, Kagome sat herself back up and stared at the floor.
"Are you alright, Kagome-chan? Maybe I've said too much…"
"No, Sango, it's ok… thank you for telling me all of this. It's really helped answer a lot of questions that have been on my mind…"
"You're not… mad… at Inu Yasha for that… are you?"
"No…" Kagome shook her head, a weak smile crossing her face. "In fact, I'm glad to know that now…All this time, I thought that Inu Yasha was being a jerk just for the sake of doing so, but now I realize…"
"Realize… what?"
"Realize… that he's just being cruel… to be kind…"
Kagome stood up and brushed some of the dirt off of her clothes. She then headed for the door and stood there, admiring the scenery before moving on.
"Where are you going?" asked Sango.
"To apologize…" Kagome replied. "Now that I know the truth, I'll be a little more considerate to him the next time this happens. Thanks for your help, Sango-chan."
"You're welcome…" Sango nodded. "And Kagome?"
"Hai?"
"Don't stay too long with him alone…you never know…"
"Sango!"
"Sorry," the taijiya grinned sheepishly. "But I just don't want anything…unwanted… to happen to you."
"Oi!" Kagome laughed. "You're getting to be as perverted as Miroku!"
Sango joined in the laughter.
"I guess that's what happens when you've been around him long enough!"
************************************
Inu Yasha was relaxing quite comfortably in his favorite tree when the wind just happened to blow Kagome's scent in his direction. Peeking one eye open, he cursed silently as he noticed her heading in his direction.
"Shit…" he muttered softly to himself. "What the hell do I have to do to get her away from me!?"
"Inu Yasha?" Kagome's voice came from just below him.
"What do you want now?" he snapped.
"Don't take up that tone with me, Inu Yasha." she replied, keeping her tone as calm as possible. "I came to apologize."
Inu Yasha was about to retort with something nasty, but her words made his tongue freeze.
"What the…?" he stuttered. "Apologize for what?"
"For saying the word earlier when I came out of the well."
"Keh!" he spat. "You haven't apologized for saying it before! Why start now?"
"Because I should be thanking you right now, not punishing you…"
"For what?"
Kagome could only smile warmly at his scowling face. His eyes, tinted with only the slightest bit of worry, confirmed that everything she had suspected and Sango had verified were true.
"Well?" Inu Yasha barked impatiently. "What in the seven hells do you think you should be thanking me for?"
"For being cruel… to be kind…" Kagome nodded and headed back to the village, satisfied with herself.
Poor Inu Yasha could only sit there, watching her silently with a rather dumb look on his face. Cruel to be kind? What the hell…?
"No…" he shook his head, refusing to belief the thought that had just crossed his mind. "There's no way she could've figured it all out…right?"
A bundle of fur landed on his head, promptly distracting him. A low growl rumbled in his throat as he peeled Shippo off of him.
"Hey, Inu Yasha?" the little boy's nose twitch. "I've been meaning to ask you - what's that smell Kagome's giving off? ACK!"
"YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!" Inu Yasha snarled, grabbing the fox by the throat and half-strangling him. "You ever mention that in front of Kagome and I'll skin you alive like the Thunder Brothers wanted!"
A jangling clunk on the head made Inu Yasha drop the fox and curse like a sailor.
"Now, now, Inu Yasha…" said Miroku calmly upon landing. "No use in getting mad at a child for being a child…"
~~~~~~~~~
