"Sango," Kagome said to the girl next to her, "there's a stream nearby. Would you like to go for a swim? We can ask Shippou and Miroku to go and I brought a beach ball. I don't want to sit and watch this anymore. It's boring."
Kagome started to rise and reached for her backpack. Sango stopped her with a hand on her arm.
"Kagome, aren't you worried? InuYasha and Kouga could really hurt each other." Sango looked at the fighting men with concern.
Kagome shook off Sango's hand, stood, and slung her backpack over her shoulder. She looked at her friends. Miroku had been sitting on the opposite side of Sango with Shippou in his lap. They all were looking at her curiously.
"Look, guys. They never hurt each other more than flesh wounds. These fights are more like an opportunity to spar, although I realize it's meant to show who is stronger. I would rather go for a swim than watch this another minute. Besides, if I'm not here maybe they'll stop trying to impress me." Kagome said as she walked toward the spring.
"InuYasha!" Miroku called as he followed after the girls and kitsune child. "We're headed for a swim at the stream nearby! Join us when you're through!"
Once the group was gone and the two demons could no longer hear them they stopped their fighting, out of breath. They sat down next to each other and flopped back on the grass gasping for air.
"So, Dog-breath..." Kouga spoke between heavy breathes, "What's the plan now?"
"Well, wolf, she knows I'm strong. Between our sparring matches and the demons we kill she can see I can protect her. She knows I can provide for her, too. When we're travelling I hunt. She can see I'm not showing off. I've backed it up over again." InuYasha groused.
"Yeah, but you have to get her to accept you as her mate. She knows you're strong, you're a good provider and she already loves you. What she needs to know is if you love her. That's important to Kagome. And you're not proving anything laying here." Kouga reminded the hanyou, making him think.
"Keh. Time for a swim." InuYasha said, headed for the spring while Kouga spun off into the forest.