A/N- Hey there...back again!
Disclaimer- InuYasha isn't my brain child, but I do enjoy playing with it!
Anyway, enjoy the chapt!
'Thoughts'
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Chapter 7
A Day’s Journey pt 1
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When they got back to the hut Kouga was still sleeping soundly, he must have slipped against the wall because when they entered, he was lying upon his side, one leg up in the air. Kagome couldn’t help but giggle lightly and InuYasha smirked, but that sound must have woken him, because he swiftly got to his feet.
‘Idiot,’ shaking his head, InuYasha let go of Kagome’s hand. She flashed him a smile and moved over to where she had placed the pack she was planing on bringing with them. Rummaging through the stuff once more, Kagome lifted the pack onto her back, she then walked back over to where InuYasha stood.
Not wanting to be left out, Kouga hurried over and attempted to take Kagome’s arm, but she was a step ahead of him.
Successfully sidestepping Kouga’s advance, Kagome gripped the edge of InuYasha’s haori as she pulled him out of the hut in search of Kaede. Luckily the old priestess was on her way back at that very moment and saw that they were prepared to leave, “good luck on ye journey Kagome, please come back and visit.”
Kagome smiled and nodded her head before tugging InuYasha off in another direction, “see yah Kaede!”
Turning from waving, Kagome released the edge of InuYasha’s haori and started forward, heading towards the south. Suddenly remembering something, Kagome stopped and looked down at the bowls that she had in her hands. Letting out a sigh, Kagome stopped and pulled off her pack, setting it down she slipped the bowls into it.
Fastening it closed again, Kagome was about to pull the pack back on when it was pulled away from her. Whipping about, Kagome smirked when she saw that InuYasha had hefted it over one shoulder.
“I’ll carry this for you Kagome, you already have your bow and arrows to handle,” from the look in his eye Kagome had to struggle to keep from laughing herself sick.
“Thanks InuYasha…that’s really kind of you,” taking the hand he held out for her, they started foreword again. They soon were passing the bone-eaters well and the sacred tree, since they were now crossing into the western lands, InuYasha seemed to get extra cautious.
‘His brother is still at odds with him it seems…I wonder if we’ll ever get a chance to just sit down and talk…’ looking at InuYasha, Kagome let out a sigh and turned to look ahead.
InuYasha hadn’t failed to notice the look that Kagome had sent his way and couldn’t stop the small smile that curved his lips, ‘she always catches on quickly.'
They had been traveling for a couple hours when Kagome decided that it would be best if they stopped and had a little to eat before continuing onwards.
Kouga had seemed to be content to lead the way while InuYasha had remained at her side the whole time, not moving away for anything, even the dirty looks Kouga had been sending his way the whole time.
‘I hope we get there soon, the only things we have guiding us are my memory, InuYasha’s nose, and Kouga’s sence of direction. Hopefully it’ll be enough.'
Glancing off to their side and hearing a stream burbling, Kagome couldn’t help the small smile that crossed her lips.
“We can stop here for a little while, it’s about time we had lunch. Kouga, where would you say we are right now?”
Stopping, Kouga sniffed the air a few times before he turned to look at her. “I’d say…about seven, maybe eight hours away from the mountain wolf tribe, Ayame’s territory. From what you have told me, your father’s home should be about a day’s journey from there.”
Nodding her head in acknowledgement, Kagome looked around for flat ground, finding a spot Kagome moved over and dropped her bag down with a soft ‘thump.’
Following at her side, InuYasha could tell that Kagome was exhausted and that she kept glancing off to the side towards the river nearby. Touching her shoulder as she knelt next to her bag, InuYasha gave her a soft look as she turned to look up at him.
“You can go cool off at the river, I’ll handle lunch.” ‘Am I really saying this? I can barely cook...but it’s for Kagome and for her I’ll do anything. Besides, I have watched her cook several times, I just have to copy what I have seen. It can’t be that hard…right?’
Kagome swore that her jaw was touching the ground at what InuYasha had just said and she wasn’t the only one. Kouga was speechless as well, ‘He is actually going to try cooking something? Nah, Kagome wouldn’t allow that, what he makes would be barely edible.’
Shaking herself out of her stupor, Kagome tilted her head as she smiled coyly at InuYasha. ‘He doesn’t know how to cook but he’s willing to try for me…that is really sweet of him.’
“Alright…I have been feeling really grimy lately, so I might take a bath too. Are you sure that you can handle lunch?”
InuYasha snorted as he knelt down and started riffling through Kagome’s bag, thinking of the simplest meal he had seen her make. Stifling a giggle at the serious look that had crossed InuYasha’s face, Kagome turned and walked over to where Kouga still stood, stunned.
Touching his shoulder to get his attention, Kagome motioned towards where InuYasha sat. “Make sure he doesn’t hurt himself, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Without waiting for his reply, Kagome walked off into the trees, leaving Kouga and InuYasha alone in the clearing.
Kouga turned his eyes from where Kagome had just gone to the mutt which sat just a few feet away, “you know, this isn’t going to win her over mutt. Just because you are trying to cook doesn’t mean that you’ll be good at it, so I wouldn’t hope too much.”
A snort was all that greeted his ears, letting his glare deepen, Kouga moved to a nearby boulder and sat upon it while looking in the opposite direction. All the while paying little to no attention to what InuYasha was doing.
At the same time, Kagome had started her bath and when she neared the end, she quickly dressed and started back towards where she had left InuYasha with Kouga.
Reaching the clearing, Kagome was shocked at what greeted her.
Kouga was sitting upon a boulder near the outskirts of the clearing while InuYasha hadn’t moved from the spot that he had knelt in when she left. There was a difference though, Kouga had another of those shocked expressions on his face while InuYasha was smiling merrily to himself.
But that didn’t include what sat before him on a large leaf. They were slightly deformed and crumbly, but there was no doubt about it in Kagome’s mind. He had made rice balls for lunch.
Completely floored, Kagome couldn’t even think of anything to say when InuYasha turned to glance at her.
“Well, now that your back, I hope that these will be alright for lunch. I tried making something else, but that didn’t turn out too good. So I thought that something simple would suffice.”
Kagome smiled as she walked towards him and took the rice ball that he had held out to her. “Thanks,” lifting it too her mouth, Kagome took a small bite, testing the flavor and texture.
Her eyes grew with shock while she stared at the rice ball in her hands, InuYasha saw this and his face fell. He was turning away when Kagome set her hand upon his shoulder.
“It’s alright InuYasha, these are really quite good. Better than mine actually, is this really your first time making them?”
His expression immediately brightening, InuYasha lifted one as well, taking a big bite out of it. “Really?”
Quickly eating the rest of his rice ball, InuYasha sent Kouga a mocking look before looking back at Kagome. She had sat down at his side and was busily eating the rice ball he had given her, she had kept her eyes upon him, still waiting for his reply.
“This is my first time trying to cook anything besides fish or the medicine that my mother taught me about. I’ve never been really good at it and I have been sort of taking advantage of your cooking, so I thought it was about time that I start making up for it.”
Shaking her head, Kagome touched his shoulder lightly, “you know, if you just ask, I can teach you how to cook. It’s really not that hard, all you need is experience, that’s really half the work right off.”
‘I still can’t believe that he made these and they’re so good, on his first try no less! I have never been this good…but what I really want to know is how he knew how to make them. Well, might as well ask.’
“By the way, how did you know how to make these?”
A light blush appeared upon InuYasha’s face as he tried to remain calm, ‘but that is almost impossible. I just can’t help it, Kagome is getting more and more beautiful everyday she is here.’
“All I did was watch you and the others when you cooked, it wasn’t all that hard, I just had to remember what you did exactly while making this. I’m just happy that I didn’t screw anything up.”
Hearing that, Kagome’s smile deepened, glancing over at Kouga she remembered that he hadn’t eaten anything yet. Lifting up one of the remaining rice balls, she got up and walked over to him.
“Kouga here, eat this. Then we need to get moving again, I want to get as far as we can before night falls.” Kouga nodded and took the rice ball, giving it a serious look before taking a bite.
‘Oh… this is good. I guess I can handle this, even if it was the mutt that made it. Anything, if it will make Kagome happy.’
Said person had already gone over to InuYasha’s side, lifting her bag, Kagome looked to make sure everything was back in its place before sliding it back on her back.
InuYasha had finished off the remaining rice balls and got to his feet as well, dusting off his hakamas. Seeing this, Kouga scarffed down the rest of his rice ball before standing as well and moving over to Kagome.
Happy that they could get moving again, Kagome snatched a hold of InuYasha’s haori again and started walking, allowing Kouga the time to take the lead again. They were on their way again and Kagome was getting anxious to see her father again, after all this time.
