The Trouble with Bushes
By: Lara Winner
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Kagome was acting strange.
It wasn't anything too alarming but it seemed as if the young miko could not sit still. She squirmed and sighed, the fidgeted and sighed, and then squirmed some more.
Shippo watched her curiously. She had been acting that way ever since they had returned to the village earlier that morning. Come to think of it, she had been unusually restless during her sleep the previous night too.
Something was bothering Kagome enough that she could not enjoy her dinner nor stop moving or fidgeting for more than a minute. But from the way the others carried on oblivious, no one else seemed to notice.
Shippo frowned.
Sitting around Kaede's hut, the rest of their rag-tag group was at ease. Sango was in the process of cracking Miroku's thick skull, Inuyasha was sitting in his corner watching the erupting argument with an apathetic expression. And Kagome?
Kagome was squirming again.
She looked upset and frustrated. Shippo sniffed the air and thought he could detect the scent of imminent tears. His concern was growing by the second.
So the kit wasn't really surprised when Kagome caught the groups attention announcing that she wasn't feeling well and that she should return home for a few days. However, the declaration sparked Inuyasha's temper and the dog demon began to rant and rave as he followed Kagome from the small hut.
5? 4? 3? 2? 1?
"OSUWARI!"
Shippo shook his. "As if we didn't see that one coming."
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Inuyasha paced beside the well in a trademark display of agitation. He didn't pause the repetitious action until a familiar scent caught his nose followed by the sound of something, or rather someone, moving about in the bottom of the old dry well.
"Oi bitch!" he leaned over the edge of the well and grasped the young girl by her collar, pulling her out in one fluid motion, yellow pack and all. "Took you long enough."
The young miko gave him a pair of evil eyes. "You said three days. It's been three days. Stop complaining."
As she began the short walk back to the village Inuyasha asked, "So whadja have to go home for anyway? More tests?"
Kagome eyed the dog demon warily. "No." Not this time
"Then what?"
"I just had to go home okay!" she snapped.
Inuyasha's ears fell back. "No need to yell. Geez."
"Sorry." Kagome mumbled sheepishly.
"At least you didn't stay a week." He offered, trying to keep the peace.
"If my medicine wasn't ready I may have had to-" The words cut off in a gasp as Kagome eyes widened upon realizing what she'd just let slip.
"Medicine?" The dog demon repeated, the color draining from his face. "Are you sick? Why didn't you tell me?"
Kagome roller her eyes. "I'm not sick. Chill out."
"And I'm not stupid Kagome. You don't need medicine when you're not sick. Is it that you don't trust me? Is that why you won't tell me?"
The puppy eyes sent her way melted her heart. "I trust you. I just don't want you to laugh at me."
Inuyasha blinked. "Laugh?"
Knowing that she was going to regret it, Kagome sighed. "The other night I had to use the little girl's bush and? gods this is so embarrassing."
"Get on with it. You had to piss. So? What happened? Did a sake bite you on the ass or something?"
Kagome blushed. "No. Gods? it was dark and I couldn't really see so instead of grabbing regular leaves to ? you know? I grabbed a handful of Poison Ivy instead."
"What's Poison Ivy?" Inuyasha asked curiously. He didn't like the poisonous part but since Kagome seemed to be okay?
"It's a plant and when you touch it you break out in a rash that itches very badly." To give a better description the young miko glanced about the wooded path and pointed to a small cluster of plant life near the base of a near by tree. "That stuff, right there."
Inuyasha stepped closer to plant in question and leaned in for a good look. He smirked. "You mean Devil's Weeds?"
"Yeah Devil's Weeds."
"So that's why you were wiggling everywhere." It started as a snicker that turned into a chuckle, but Inuyasha couldn't contain himself and bursts out laughing.
"Inuyasha?"
"Baka! Everyone knows you don't touch that stuff. And you?" he cackled, "You got it all over!"
"Inu.. ya.. sha?"
He knew that tone and it did wonders to nip his humor right in the bud. He was expecting to hit the ground face first.
"Osuwari!"
The hanyou wasn't disappointed.
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Shippo was confused.
In the darkness he could hear muttered cursing and the soft rustling of fabric. Kagome was sleeping peacefully at his side with only the occasional twitch. With his excellent demon hearing he knew that the racket was coming from Inuyasha.
Seeing rather clearly in the darkness, he sat up and looked at the dog demon. "Would you keep it down. People are trying to sleep you know."
"Shut up runt." Came the muffled reply.
Taking a closer look Shippo realized that Inuyasha was using the sleeve of his haori to rub his face vigorously.
"What's the matter?"
The only answer the kit got was a muted growl.
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A.N.- This is the product of a sleep deprived mind. I've been writing so much angst lately that even I needed a break. So I hope this pointless bit of humor does the trick. And the term "Devil's Weed" was something I made up. It's not a translation or anything. In fact they may not even have Poison Ivy in Japan. I really don't know. But for the sake of this fic I'm going to overlook reality.
Thanks for reading!
great job Lara
Done that 
