Shaking stray hair from her eyes, Sango frowned thoughtfully as she unstrapped the hiraikotsu from her back. It had been another long day of travel, another tiring day as they chased after the rumor of a jewel shard, which might lead to Naraku's hiding place. They hadn't come across anything though- the rumor of the shard had proved to be just that- a rumor.

'Sure feels nice to sit down for a while.' Kagome laughed. The schoolgirl was sitting with her back against a large tree, facing the campfire. 'I think we moved pretty quickly and pretty far, more than usual.'

'Keh. You were riding that damn contraption the whole time.' Inuyasha huffed, gesturing to Kagome's bicycle. 'You have no right to feel tired.'

'Inuyasha…' Kagome's voice trailed off threateningly.

Miroku placed a placating hand on the hanyou's shoulder, trying to soothe him before it could escalate into an argument, ending with an 'Osuwari!' as usual. Inuyasha growled and shook off the monk's hand, but said no more to Kagome. Unfastening the Tetusaiga from its place on his waist, he sat down next to the fire, away from Kagome, and closed his eyes.

Shippou snuggled up to Kagome from where he had been squatting on the ground. 'Can we eat? I'm starving.' The little kitsune asked pleadingly.

'Sure Shippou. As soon as someone fetches water for this Ramen.' Kagome looked pointedly at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha didn't open his eyes; though it was obvious from the way he hunched his shoulders that he felt Kagome's stare. 'It's not my turn to fetch it today.' He said.

Kagome opened her mouth, no doubt to give him a lecture on sharing chores, but Sango forestalled her by rising from her place and saying simply 'I'll go.'

'No Sango-chan. You did it yesterday. It's Inuyasha's turn and he knows it. He should do it-'

'I'll go.' Sango repeated. Before anyone could argue, she had picked up a large cup and walked away.

Kagome stared after her in surprise. This wasn't the first time in the past few days that Sango had agreed to do someone else's chores. She seemed to be vaguely distracted by something, and Kagome didn't intend to leave off until she found out what.

Well, finding out could wait for the time being. Shrugging, she turned back and started talking to Shippou, telling him stories to keep him entertained. Miroku sat by and listened, his eyes occasionally straying to the place where Sango had disappeared into the trees. He had noticed the change in her too, and it worried him as much as it did Kagome, though he gave no real outward sign of it. Kirara lay curled next to him, watching her companions with her intent crimson-eyed gaze. Inuyasha just sat there with his eyes closed, showing no reaction to anything that was going on around him.

Moonlight sparkled on the water of the stream, mesmerizing Sango. She trailed her fingers in the swift water for a few minutes, wishing the stream could carry away all her doubts and troubles as easily as it carried away little twigs and leaves. She sighed and closed her eyes, losing herself in her thoughts.

Inuyasha she thought. Why do I think about him so much? Why does he torment like this? Why? Ever since that day they had climbed the mountain to fetch the 'special wine' for Mushin, and she had tried to kiss Inuyasha, these strange feelings had been tormenting her. The others had dismissed her attempt to kiss him as merely an effect of the mist, and she was grateful for that, but she wasn't so sure anymore. Just why had she tried to kiss him? And…more importantly to Sango…why hadn't he pushed her away?

At first she had told herself that it was nothing, accepting the others' belief that it was all some kind of trick. Then why didn't those feelings disappear? If anything, they grew stronger. She sometimes lay awake at night, thinking not about Kohaku, but about Inuyasha. She had tried to avoid him, to get away from him, but it didn't work. She tried to convince herself that Miroku was the only one for her, they were promised to each other now, but it didn't work. She did the others' chores voluntarily to distract herself from her thoughts, but it didn't work.

I can't do this. I have to stop thinking about him. After all, he loves Kagome. Or Kikyou. Or both. He doesn't love me. He only thinks of me as a fighting companion. As a friend. Nothing more. I shouldn't take him from Kagome-chan. She loves him. She's my best friend. I couldn't betray my best friend!

Wiping away tears she had never realized had fallen, Sango stood. But if he doesn't feel anything for me, why didn't he push me away? The thought refused to go. Why didn't he? She turned from the stream and started to walk back to camp. Back to the others. Back to Inuyasha. Still the thought echoed in her head- why didn't he?