Title: The Plan
By: Queen Beryl
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Beware! Lots of fluff ahead! Mmm, fluff! *eats fluff* Tasty, too!
I *hic* don't own *hic* Inu-Yashhhaw *hic* No more shhhugar for meshh.
Morning came, once again, far too early for many people's tastes. Although Inuyasha could handle not getting vast amounts of sleep, Kagome felt like sandbags were weighing down her eyelids. Life was definitely not fair.
Compared to the freezing cold night, the morning was already pretty warm. Kagome couldn't help but roll her eyes. Weather was never really predictable anymore.
"Kagome-chan!" Miroku called, standing up and stretching. "What's for breakfast?"
Kagome rolled over in her sleeping bag and played dead. Suddenly, after a moment of silence, she felt a finger prod her forehead. Her eyes opened instantly to see Miroku in front of her and poking her relentlessly.
"You awake?!" He asked, moving his finger faster. It was worse than Chinese Water Torture.
"I'm up! I'm up!" Kagome wiggled and sat up, shoving the monk away. "Baka."
"Yes, but I'm a cute baka, no?" Miroku winked, sauntering over to the still-sleeping Sango and felt her awake. He was rewarded with a nice crimson handprint on his cheek.
"Not a baka, Kagome. A pervert." Sango corrected, sitting up. "Where's Shippo?"
"He said he'd go take a bath." Miroku rubbed his cheek. "He said it'd make Kagome feel better."
"Yeah, I was meaning to ask you before... are you alright? I mean you came back looking so sad last night, I-"
"I'm fine." Kagome said shortly. How can I tell them he chose Kikyo? How can I tell them how much that hurt me? The unbidden images of Inuyasha kissing Kikyo pounded against her brain. She hated it. It hurt like a broken bone; a very large broken bone.
And thinking of the hanyou, where was he? Had he already left her, never to see her again?
"Kagomeeee!" A small ball of brown kitsune fur launched itself at Kagome's stomach. "Are you feeling better, Kagome?"
"Oh, Shippo, you smell good!" Kagome hugged the boy tightly. "Are you hungry?"
"Yesssss!" Shippo jumped out of her arms and started running around.
"Somebody's hyper." Sango muttered, smiling.
"I had sugar!" Shippo called, chasing a butterfly.
"Who gave him sugar?" Miroku asked, looking at the two females with questioning eyes. They had the same blank stares as he did. As a twig snapped behind them, they all turned, narrowing their eyes when they saw a certain red-clad hanyou.
"It was only a little bit." He protested, holding up a hand as if that would ward off the bad vibes he was receiving. Sango sighed and rolled her eyes.
"I'll make breakfast and let Kagome deal with it." Sango waved and started over to the magical yellow bag. This, too, was a part of "The Plan" that wasn't working as well as Sango would like.
"I'll help!" Miroku sauntered over and started discussing various strategies to bombard the destined lovers with. Unfortunately, many of them involved his lecherous ways, forcing Sango to slap him.
"You're cruel to do that, Inuyasha. Now it won't wear off for at least a day." Kagome tried to keep her tone casual, knowing that if she didn't, tears would come streaming down her face, and she'd demand to know when he'd leave her for Kikyo.
"He's a kid; he needs it." Inuyasha shrugged, his other hand still kept behind his back. Finally, Kagome noticed.
"What's behind your back?"
Inuyasha looked flustered. "Nothing."
"If it's more sugar, I swear, I'll-"
"It's not. I promise." Inuyasha scooted away, keeping his back and whatever it was hiding out of Kagome's view.
"Tch. I'm going to go bathe." Kagome gathered up some soap, shampoo, and a towel and whisked off, hoping to be back before breakfast was done and gone.
Since I'm not good at telling people my feelings... Inuyasha pulled the small bouquet of wildflowers and foxgloves from behind his back. He'd asked Miroku last night what to do to woo a woman. Of course, his advice was to ask the female to bear your child and kiss them, so Inuyasha went to Sango.
"Why do you ask, Inuyasha?" Sango asked, smiling at her own ingenious. He must be referring to Kagome!
"I asked Miroku, and I'm pretty sure his way isn't the right way to go about it. You're a woman, you understand these things."
"You're not by chance, hoping to woo me, are you, Inuyasha?" Sango smiled, batting her eyelashes at him.
"No. And I don't like you, Sango. Please, give it up." Inuyasha sighed.
"Not until something drastic happens." Sango winked, knowing that later on he'd understand what she'd meant. "Now, in order for a woman to fall madly in love with you, you've got to start with small things. Like... flowers when she least expects them. Small, fleeting glances in her direction when you know she's looking is another good one. Let's see, um, little presents or poems or-"
"Poems?" Inuyasha almost sounded affronted. "Like haikus or something?"
"Yes, haikus among others. Perhaps we should start you off light... like with flowers. There's a small meadow a couple of miles away full of the most beautiful foxgloves I've ever seen. You could try leaving those on Kag- on mystery girl's bed or something."
"Thanks, Sango. Your advice is much better than Miroku's."
"Well, I hope so. Next time you have women issues, come to me, okay? I should know; I am one."
Inuyasha couldn't let that one slide. "A woman or issue?" He smirked.
Sango glared fire and brimstone.
Inuyasha set the small package on Kagome's sleeping bag, making sure nobody else was looking. If any of them knew he was the culprit....
But the two humans knew. They even watched him set the flowers down almost lovingly. Of course, they were careful not to be caught. This moment was too precious and unique to be messed up.
"Oi, Inuyasha!" Miroku called casually, earning a quick glance from Sango. He'd better not do anything stupid, or I swear, I'll kill him!
"W-what?" Inuyasha whipped around as if he hadn't been doing anything, save for the guilt etched on his face.
"Breakfast is ready."
Sango attempted to stifle her relieved giggles and failed. The look on Inuyasha's startled face was far too comical.
"What's so funny?" Kagome asked, walking over to the group, her hair still wet.
"Kagome-chan! That was quick!"
"Oh, I only washed my hair that time." Kagome wrapped the towel around her head and grinned. "Where'd Shippo run off to?"
"Who knows." Inuyasha sauntered over to the food as if he really didn't care about Shippo's well being. Food was more important.
"I'll go look for-" Kagome stopped, spying the flowers on her unrolled sleeping bag. She was sure they weren't there when she left to wash herself clean. Somebody must have put them there, but whom? She looked from Sango, to Miroku, and finally to Inuyasha.
"What's wrong Kagome?" Sango asked as casually as possible.
"Did you, by any chance, see who left these flowers here?" Kagome picked them up and breathed in their scents.
"Oh, we didn't even notice there were flowers." Miroku put in, playing along. "Although, I wish I could say they were from me."
Kagome deadpanned.
"Perhaps Shippo brought them to me." Kagome mused aloud, a slight smile on her face. Inuyasha relished in his momentary glory until Shippo bounced up.
"What did I bring?" He asked, hugging Kagome around the waist from behind. "Oh, what pretty flowers! Where did you get those?"
"You didn't bring them?" Kagome asked as the kitsune ran around in front of her. He was still obviously hyped up on sugar.
"Nope. I tried to stay around for breakfast, but I saw a really pretty butterfly, so I went after it and-"
"Then who brought you the flowers, Kagome? Who could be so thoughtful? Oh, do you think that perhaps it's a secret admirer? Some one attempting to... woo you?" Sango inquired almost innocently. However, the emphasis on "woo" earned her a sharp glare from Inuyasha. She doesn't know it was me, does she? he thought desperately. It didn't even dawn on him that he was the only one left who could have done such a thing. Never mind the fact that both Miroku and Sango had been secretly watching.
"I don't know." Kagome's eyes swerved to Inuyasha, who now looked as if he were about to bolt. His face was flushed and his legs were tense. Why does he look so edgy? Kagome asked herself, breathing in the flowers' fragrance again. Maybe he's jealous that someone brought me flowers. Kagome tore her eyes away and laughed.
"Maybe it was Kouga?" Shippo put in, not really grasping the concept either. Miroku snorted into his bowl of rice. "Wait, I'm hungry too!" Shippo sat down to eat as well. The rest of the company joined as Sango spoke up.
"We would have heard him coming, though." The woman said thoughtfully, finishing off her rice and pickles. She swatted Miroku's hand away with her chopsticks even before he had come within two feet of touching her.
"Then who was it?" Kagome sounded as desperate as she could with a mouthful of food. The bouquet was resting contentedly in her lap.
"The flower fairy?" Inuyasha spoke up for the first time since Kagome came back. Miroku and Sango both snorted and laughed heartily. Of all the stupid things to say...
Kagome stared at Inuyasha as if he had turned into Sesshoumaru.
"The what?" She asked, completely stopping her mad eating habits.
Inuyasha hurriedly dug back into his breakfast, which was almost gone. "Youf knowf." He gulped the food in his mouth and tried to hide the pink tint to his cheeks. "The flower fairy."
"I've never heard that one before." Shippo piped up. "What's she like?"
Inuyasha now looked nervous. Really nervous.
"What do you mean you've never heard of her?" Sango demanded, turning to Shippo. She had to help Inuyasha out... he was floundering way too bad. At the human's words he, too, looked at her funny.
"You know about her?" Shippo demanded, inching closer to the demon slayer.
"Of course. She's come many times to me. Whenever I have a problem, and I need some cheering up, I always find some flowers left on my bed, futon, or whatever I'm sleeping on. Sometimes she also delivers little poems or fruit I like. She's very thoughtful." Sango delved into the story as if this "flower fairy" was completely real. Inuyasha and Miroku almost believed her as well. At the mention of poems, however, Inuyasha began to get a little suspicious. Isn't that what she'd said he should do to woo a woman? he scratched his head and quickly glanced at Kagome, who was leaning forward with rapt attention.
"What does she look like?" Shippo demanded, smiling and scooting closer to Kagome.
"Well, nobody's seen her, so nobody knows what she looks like. But I imagine she's really pretty and has long, shiny hair and wears pretty clothes."
"I was hoping she didn't." Miroku muttered just before Sango's fist rammed into his face.
"You would." Sango muttered, her eyebrow twitching. Kagome coughed pointedly; fairy tale or not, the story was interesting.
"What kind of flowers does she bring?" Shippo inquired, ignoring Miroku's comment altogether.
"Any kind. It depends on your mood." Sango nodded. "When you need to feel romantic, you'll get foxgloves. If you need care, you get wildflowers; if you are in love, you get roses... oh, the list goes on and on."
Kagome starred down at the bundle in her lap. "So," she ventured slowly, "I need care and romance?"
Sango looked at the bouquet as if she didn't even realize what kind of flowers they were. "My oh my!" She cried innocently. "Apparently you do! What an amazing discovery."
Kagome was debating whether to believe this bogus story or not. It sounded wonderful, but how can something so far-fetched be true? Wait, what was she thinking? She used an old well to travel into Feudal Japan to collect Shikon shards for a hanyou. This flower fairy just might be real.
"Wait, Sango-chan, so how come I've never gotten any flowers before?" She skeptically stared at her friend.
"You probably didn't need them as badly as you do now." Miroku stated out of nowhere. Man, if he doesn't shut his mouth, it'll be ruined! Sango gave him weak but meaningful smile.
"Miroku, you know about the fairy too?" Shippo's sugar high apparently was coming to an end, much to the rejoicing of everyone else.
"I've heard bits and pieces... but mostly that was a guess." Miroku had finally learned to take hints.
Inuyasha still sat there, dumbfounded. Did they really not know that he'd left Kagome the flowers? Did they really believe in this "Flower Fairy?" Maybe he'd ask in a more relaxed situation later. He stole a glance at Kagome, who was indeed, eating it all up.
"That's completely amazing..." she muttered.
"It's also wonderful. Perhaps the fairy will visit you again tomorrow." Sango stole a fleeting glance at Inuyasha. Suddenly, it hit him. She knew.
By: Queen Beryl
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Chapter Nine: Fleeting Glances and Flower Fairies
& * & FLASHBACK
& * & END FLASHBACK
Apparently, our beloved Inu-Yasha is a bit slower than we would have imagined. Poor hanyou.