InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Trick or Treat? ❯ Resolving Misunderstandings...and then some ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

 

 

Chapter 3    – Resolving Misunderstandings…and then some

 

 

 

Attempting to salvage as much as they could of what was left of Halloween night, Kagome allowed Souta to stay out Trick-or-Treating a little while longer than usual, telling herself that the boy was older now, and therefore didn't need as early of a curfew as before.

 

Besides, how often did somebody get to spend time with a shikigami of themselves?

 

The miko was a tiny bit apprehensive, considering that shikigami could sometimes be a tad on the unpredictable side, but so far the second Souta-shikigami to have confronted them at Masaru's house seemed to be relatively well behaved. Her brother had agreed that they would send the overgrown paper doll packing as soon as they reached the torii gate to their shrine home, so maybe she was stalling a little bit on Souta's behalf, but honestly, she didn't mind extending her night out with Inuyasha, either.

 

Kagome wasn't really too worried about the shikigami's intentions when she knew that one swipe from Inuyasha's claws would effortlessly fell the creation, and it had also been discussed in private between herself and the hanyou that despite the shikigami's insistence that it would automatically cease to exist come sunrise, they would be dispatching it themselves once Souta wasn't looking, just in case. It wouldn't do to have that thing going back home to tell its master where they lived, after all.

 

Smiling to herself as she saw how much fun Souta was having Trick-or-Treating with his 'twin', Kagome didn't pay much attention to the relatively sour mood of the hanyou currently walking a few paces behind her. She figured that Inuyasha was just sore over the fact that he hadn't gotten to destroy anything other than a barrier, and after all of the panic and heartache that stupid tanuki had put the two of them through, Kagome knew that she couldn't really blame Inuyasha for his feelings on the matter.

 

In fact, she completely sympathized with where he was coming from, and truth be told, she had wanted to bop that raccoon-dog upside the head herself a time or two. But as much as Masaru desperately needed to have some sense knocked into him, Kagome hoped she had been successful in that department with her words, since the kindness in her heart simply hadn't allowed the tanuki to take a beating for just being an idiot.

 

Sighing quietly, the miko just hoped that her warnings remained hypothetical. She didn't want to think about what would really happen if some of the parents out there actually did discover that their children had been replaced with shikigami. Hopefully, most of the children had made it home by that point, relieving their counterparts while their families remained none the wiser.

 

Then there was the issue of having so many shikigami out there running around looking like children, but hopefully they would all simply return to their creator, and if not, then at least they were all set to disband come sunrise. Despite her desire to allow her brother to enjoy as much of the night as possible, part of Kagome honestly couldn't wait until morning, just to know they were all gone and it was over.

 

She also wondered what Inuyasha's thoughts were on the subject, though she knew better than to ask him anything in that moment. She hadn't run it by the hanyou first before consenting to allow Souta some fun time with his duplicate, and the miko was more than a little worried that that was part of where Inuyasha's sour mood was coming from right there.

 

Even overlooking that the second Souta was a non-stop reminder of all of the trickery and bullshit they'd just had to deal with, Inuyasha was probably also on edge over the mild worry that the shikigami could actually turn on them. It was highly unlikely, but theoretically possible, and Kagome actually felt a little guilty for putting that extra concern on his shoulders. The least she could do was let him stew over it in peace and quiet. She had learned the hard way long ago that apologizing could actually make matters worse, at least right away. He needed time to cool off first.

 

Keeping in step a few paces behind the others, so as to avoid the miko's apologetic glances as she silently pondered his current disposition, Inuyasha scowled, running through that night's events over and over again in his head.

 

Yes, it still bugged him a bit that he hadn't gotten to pound on the tanuki, even a little, though even he hadn't really wanted Masaru's blood on his hands once it'd become apparent that the guy was just an idiot and not truly a villain. That didn't mean he couldn't have at least smacked him a time or two for their troubles, but Inuyasha knew that he could eventually let it go. It wasn't really that big of a deal, and at least Kagome had managed to scare the living daylights out of the tanuki with her words of warning and ridicule, so that was something, at least.

 

It also didn't really bother Inuyasha all that much that the stupid shikigami of Kagome's brother was currently tagging along with them, since he knew he could destroy the thing with both hands tied behind his back, and blindfolded. Besides, no matter how badly he wanted to, he couldn't really deny how amusing it was watching Souta have so much fun.

 

No, what was truly bothering the inu-hanyou in that moment, and what he feared would continue to bother him for some time yet, was Kagome's words upon snapping herself out of Masaru's illusion.

 

“It was such a beautiful illusion, that returning to the real world is what hurts.”

 

Gods...

 

He pinched his eyes shut at the echo of her words.

 

Was this how she had felt, back when he'd confessed to having had a vision of Kikyou during Kaou's illusion? If so, then Inuyasha really wanted to kick himself for not realizing how much pain he'd actually put her through back then. He'd been such an ass, he knew, unable to give Kagome a straight answer when she'd asked him if he had wanted to go with Kikyou during the dream. But in reality, that was such an unfair question, and he had feared his answer would've actually hurt her even more than no answer at all.

 

Yes, he had wanted to go with Kikyou, during the dream itself, in which Kaou had been fucking with his mind. In that dream, he had temporarily forgotten all about Kagome, but that had been the nature of the spell. Then her voice had broken through Kaou's magic, reminding him of her, reminding him of the truth, and Inuyasha had woken up then, having realized that the vision of Kikyou was not real. During the dream all he had been thinking about was Kikyou, but upon hearing Kagome's voice, upon coming back into himself, he had been relieved that she had managed to save him, and he had felt guilty for even temporarily forgetting about her, spell or no spell.

 

Still, if he had truly wanted to go with Kikyou, with every fiber of his being, then he would've surrendered fully to Kaou's illusion almost immediately, and Kagome wouldn't have been able to save him if that had happened, he knew. So somewhere in the back of his unconscious mind, Inuyasha actually hadn't forgotten about the future-born miko, after all, despite Kaou's intention, since something had obviously been preventing him from just up and running after Kikyou's image at her beckoning.

 

He hadn't run right into Kikyou's arms. Despite his desire, he had hesitated. But be that as it may, Inuyasha also knew that because he had been unable to explain himself to her at that time, Kagome had been left with the false impression that upon waking up, her voice had actually pulled him from a fantasy he had been enjoying, as if he had somehow regretted reentering the 'real world', which was exactly what Kagome had just told him she'd experienced.

 

It had hurt to come back to him.

 

Gods, how fucked up was that?

 

Of course, a little voice in the back of his head was continually arguing with himself over the fact that she hadn't really said that it had hurt to come back to him, but what else could she have meant? It had hurt to come back to the real world, and the real world currently consisted of her traveling by his side, didn't it?

 

Still, he was trying to convince himself to not take it so personally. She hadn't really said what her fantasy had been, but anything would be better than the current reality of needing to find and defeat Naraku, right? So maybe what Kagome had actually meant was that it had hurt to realize that she once again had to face a world in which the dark hanyou was currently in possession of the nearly completed Shikon no Tama. A world in which that bastard was responsible for countless innocent deaths.

 

That was what she had meant, right?

 

Still, the inu-hanyou couldn't help but to feel a little hurt at the realization that his presence in her life was apparently not enough to keep her from longing for the fantasy world in which there was no Naraku. Inuyasha would sacrifice nearly anything if it would mean getting rid of the dark hanyou once and for all, but he honestly wasn't sure if Kagome could be one of those things. The miko's presence in his life was just about the only thing that actually made life worth living for him.

 

Of course, he also knew that despite his feelings on the matter, she still had a second life on that side of the well, complete with a family who loved her. It was also still much safer in her world than it was in his own, despite the occasional tanuki who apparently liked kidnapping young children to secretly allow them to live out their wildest fantasies from the safety of his home.

 

Shaking that thought free, Inuyasha remembered how, just a few nights ago, he had actually suggested to the miko that she remain in her world until after the defeat of Naraku, but Kagome had rejected his offer, insisting that her place was by his side, no matter what. His heart had soared at her words, despite his continual worry for her safety. He hadn't really wanted to be away from her like that, but he would've dealt with it if she had wanted to stay behind.

 

Yes, as he thought about it, while Inuyasha wasn't sure if he could actually sacrifice Kagome's place in his life just to magically get rid of Naraku, he knew that if it ever truly came down to it, he could sacrifice Kagome's place in his life for her own well-being, if it meant that she would be safe.

 

Still, he was glad that he hadn't been forced to make such a sacrifice, after all. But her insistence those few nights ago that her place was by his side seemed to go against what had transpired here tonight, if it had been emotionally disconcerting for her to remember what the 'real world' currently was. Yes, the 'real world' contained Naraku, but the 'real world' also contained Inuyasha.

 

If she were so willing to give him up if it meant living a safe, Naraku-free life, then why had she rejected the offer when he had presented her with that very opportunity for real? Had she only done so out of obligation? Did she regret that decision now? Had her fantasy that evening included accepting his offer and choosing to remain in her century instead of continuing with their mission in his?

 

A part of him wanted to just ask her about it, but a greater part of him knew that he feared her answer. He didn't know what he would do if she actually confirmed his assumptions.

 

While they had never actually sat down and discussed their feelings for one another, Inuyasha had come to believe in his heart that Kagome loved him. But what if he was mistaken? What if she only loved him as a friend? Never mind the fact that they had almost kissed twice within the span of five days. That fact was conveniently overlooked in the face of his current insecurities.

 

Sighing quietly to himself, Inuyasha knew that his current line of thinking wouldn't get him anywhere. He needed to either confront her about it, or let it go, plain and simple. But could he let it go? Could he pretend that she'd never said anything and just go on as if everything were normal? Maybe he was worrying about nothing. After all, how could he truly judge her opinion of him when he had absolutely no idea what her fantasy world had been about? Maybe it had simply been something so wonderful, so unbelievably amazing, that she had temporarily forgotten about him altogether.

 

Of course, that thought hurt him, too, but Inuyasha knew that he really had no right to pass judgment after experiencing such magics for himself. He was also quick to remind himself how Kagome had still managed to keep her sense of self about her during the illusion, even going so far as to speak to him, proving that she couldn't have completely forgotten about him, no matter how powerful the spell had been.

 

She had also been the one to put a stop to the deception, herself, having found the willpower to remove the leaf from her own forehead. So no matter how wonderful the dream had been, no matter how painful it was to know that it had only been a fantasy, she had still been the one to choose to reenter the 'real world' of her own freewill. That had to count for something, right?

 

Growing tired of looking at the sidewalk, Inuyasha raised his head to once again gaze at the miko walking a few paces ahead of him. She was doing good to leave him alone to his thoughts as they stopped at the various houses that still had their lights on, never once confronting him regarding his feelings, although it was clear to him by her scent of unease that she was well aware of his current mood. Still, Kagome was doing good to project a happy image in front of her brother. She wouldn't let her concerns over the hanyou's feelings make her inadvertently ruin the boy's special night.

 

Of course, Inuyasha had no intention of accidentally spoiling Souta's fun, either, and that was the main reason why he had opted for quiet contemplation for the time being, rather than having it out with the miko over her thoughtless words. He had come to the conclusion that nobody could really be blamed for whatever their minds concocted while in any type of dreamlike state, especially ones triggered by outside forces of magic, but you don't just up and tell the guy to his face that it had been a hard slap of reality to find yourself once again in his presence! Of course, those had hardly been the exact words Kagome had used, that little voice reminded him yet again, but they might as well have been.

 

Kagome...

 

He sighed again, the sound so quiet that he knew she would never catch it with her weak human ears.

 

She was still just a weak human, wasn't she? He tried to tell himself that, that she was still weak, still needed him to protect her. But the truth was she had grown so much stronger since their mission had first begun, that he sometimes found himself wondering how badly she truly needed him by that point. Not that he thought she could really go it alone. She was still only human, after all. But she was also a very powerful miko, and truth be told, he admired her strength.

 

Did Kagome know that? Did she know how much he admired her? Appreciated her? Loved her?

 

Probably not, considering he had never told her any of those things. Oh sure, he'd done his best in more recent weeks to drop a subtle hint here or there about how he really felt, but Inuyasha knew that he could still be guilty at times of putting his foot in his mouth, of inadvertently hurting the miko's feelings because of his own stupid inability to simply say what he meant.

 

Take earlier that evening, for example. How hard would it have been to simply tell her how beautiful he thought she looked, when she had asked him his opinion regarding her Halloween costume? Instead, he had completely skipped over her remark about kitsune turning themselves into beautiful young women in favor of teasing her regarding the 'kitsune' aspect of her outfit.

 

At least he had managed to avoid swallowing his own foot, for once, having fortunately not made any kind of cracks about her not being beautiful. Like he could've lied to her face like that. Maybe back in the beginning, but that was just because he hadn't really liked her all that much at first, so it had been easier to insult her because he had been trying to keep a wall built up between them. A wall she had completely and utterly pulverized with her heart's own barrier-smashing technique, damn woman.

 

Damn beautiful woman.

 

And with that tail, she really is dressed like a kitsune… he thought languidly, unconsciously following the movements of the faux fur accessory as it slowly swished from side to side in time with her steps.

 

Oh kami! Inuyasha suddenly realized. I'm fucking staring at her ass again!

 

Quickly lowering his eyes to once again study the sidewalk as he followed after Kagome and her brother, the hanyou silently prayed that the miko would not choose to turn his way in that moment, while his burning cheeks were surely almost the color of his fire-rat. Inuyasha might not've been a complete and total hentai like the bouzu, but that didn't mean he was blind, and he had admitted, at least to himself, that he had feelings for her. When you had feelings for somebody, physical attraction was going to be part of the deal, right? So he wasn't a pervert, he just loved her.

 

But even though Inuyasha had come to terms with his feelings for the miko, how she truly felt about him was currently open for debate, and he refused to let his hormones get the better of him, even momentarily, until that matter was resolved once and for all. It looked like he would be confronting her about her fantasy, after all.

 

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Just as Kagome had believed, eliminating the shikigami of her brother hadn't been difficult in the slightest. The spirit puppet hadn't even attempted to put up a fight, probably having received last minute instructions from its creator before leaving with them to do whatever they asked.

 

As promised, as soon as they'd reached the torii gate Souta had bid his duplicate farewell, and fortunately with a relatively cheerful disposition. He either hadn't comprehended that even by its own admission the shikigami would more or less 'die' come sunrise, or he had in fact comprehended the deeper truth that the shikigami was in reality not truly alive to begin with.

 

Whatever the case might have been, all Kagome cared about was that it had not turned into a tearful goodbye on her brother's part. How would they have explained his somber mood to their mother?

 

As soon as he had run happily up the steps and across the property into the house, the door closing securely behind him confirmed by Inuyasha's ears, Kagome had instructed the shikigami to hold still while Inuyasha readied his claws for a silent attack. The replica of her brother had merely nodded its understanding and obedience, and two seconds later the shredded remains of a plain paper doll were drifting soundlessly down towards the concrete.

 

Now, as Kagome stood in front of her bedroom mirror, taking longer than was necessary to remove all of the combs and sticks from her hair, the miko couldn't help but to allow her wandering thoughts to swirl towards the subject of the grumpy hanyou currently enduring her brother's endless chatter downstairs. His mood had yet to revert back to normal after their ordeal with Masaru, but even with as annoying as that tanuki had been, and with as panicked as she herself had temporarily felt back when she'd believed her brother and other children to be in serious danger, Kagome still considered it a bit overkill that everything was still bothering Inuyasha so badly.

 

Yes, it had been a pretty fucked up situation, at that time, and she had damn near had a heart attack over worrying for Souta's life, but it was over now. Now was the time for sighing in relief that they'd returned home with Souta safe and sound, no harm done.

 

Still, Kagome knew that Inuyasha could hold a grudge for a long time, and the miko also suspected that it wasn't really so much the tanuki itself that he was still seething over, but more his own supposed failure in that any youkai had managed to get its paws on her little brother. Souta had been his responsibility, after all, or so Kagome was sure the hanyou had considered it in his mind.

 

She would have to find a subtle way of letting Inuyasha know that she 'forgave' him, without inadvertently allowing him to believe that she actually shared his warped viewpoint regarding his own failures, because she didn't. Neither of them had had any idea that there were still youkai of that nature running lose in her time, after all, and with that barrier masking the tanuki's scent except for the briefest of moments in which Souta had passed through it, how the hell was Inuyasha supposed to have known that there was anything out of the ordinary going on in her neighborhood?

 

Truth be told, Kagome was proud of him, for how maturely he had handled the entire situation as a whole, instead of completely losing it and blowing the house to bits in his aggravation. He had also managed to restrain himself from even punching the tanuki's lights out, which Kagome was sure he had desperately wanted to do, and had probably only held himself back for her sake. The miko just prayed that Inuyasha wasn't actually beating himself up over figuring that she was angry with him over what had transpired, because in reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

 

Unsure of how she should proceed should his attitude continue to remain as gloomy as it was for much longer, Kagome sighed in a combination of defeat and relief while pulling the final and largest clip from her hair, her raven locks tumbling freely about her shoulders with a temporary curl caused by their prolonged restraint. Setting the last of her hair accessories on her dresser, the miko turned to head towards the restroom, so as to wash the makeup from her face, and quickly found herself jumping backwards in surprise at the sight of Inuyasha standing in her doorway, fist poised to knock on the opened door.

 

How long has he been standing there? I didn't hear a thing!

 

It was a little disconcerting for the future-born miko to know that he could still sneak up on her so easily, especially when he wasn't even trying. Kagome was in truth much more bothered by the realization that she could still so fully block out her awareness of the world around her, a trait that could easily prove deadly in the Sengoku jidai, than she was by the thought of Inuyasha silently watching her undo her hair bindings.

 

It was also clear from his expression in that instant that he hadn't deliberately meant to startle her, so quickly trying to brush off her surprise, lest he feel any more guilty than he possibly already did, Kagome decided to tease him good-naturedly by blurting out “Don't do that!” while openly laughing at her own foolishness.

 

Her teasing and laughter successfully breaking the ice, Inuyasha chuckled a bit himself before quietly muttering “Sorry?” in a not-so-apologetic manner.

 

Truth be told, the inu-hanyou found it thoroughly amusing that he could still startle Kagome so easily, especially since he honestly hadn't meant to sneak up on her right then. He had only just managed to excuse himself from Souta's expertly edited yet equally ecstatic retelling of that night's Trick-or-Treating adventures to their mother, coming upon the open doorway of Kagome's bedroom just as she was turning around after having sat something down on her dresser.

 

Kagome's reaction to his appearance had made it seem as if he had been standing there secretly ogling her for the last five minutes, not that he wouldn't have been tempted had the thought crossed his mind that he could've actually gotten away with it. Her hair looked so much better down, and with the added volume and wave her sable tresses were currently sporting, Inuyasha realized in that moment that he would've loved to have witnessed each separate ornament being pulled one by one, each releasing small groups of curls to bounce happily in their freedom.

 

Oh man... When had he turned into such a pansy? I was not just fantasizing about her fucking hair!

 

Fortunately unaware of his distressing inner monologue, Kagome stepped away from her doorway to allow Inuyasha entry into her bedroom. She found it mildly surprising when he quietly closed and locked the door behind himself as he entered, but the miko simply figured that he must've wanted to avoid Souta barging in on whatever it was he wanted to say to her. Not that she could blame him, considering what had happened the last time the two of them had been alone in her room together.

 

Of course, that line of thinking quickly had the miko's cheeks darkening to a hue that nicely matched her eye and lip makeup, and she suddenly found herself silently praying that Inuyasha was still caught up enough in his own thoughts that her unexpected shift in mood had gone unnoticed.

 

As it turned out, luck was on our miko's side in that moment, as Inuyasha remained just as blissfully unaware of her sudden and somewhat embarrassing thoughts as she did of his own, as he strode with determination towards her open bedroom window, sliding it shut as well. He really didn't want to risk anyone managing to overhear them.

 

Turning to face Kagome with a mild sense of apprehension, then, Inuyasha squared his shoulders before pulling the sheathed Tetsusaiga from his obi, standing his sword gently against the wall beside her headboard before sitting down cross-legged on her bed. Facing her desk, the hanyou was finding the ability to speak somewhat elusive in that moment, as he silently pleaded with his eyes while briefly glancing her way for her to take a seat beside him without protest.

 

 

Obeying the silent command somewhat nervously, Kagome couldn't really explain the sudden eruption of butterflies she could feel trying to break free from their confinement within her stomach. She was glad that Inuyasha wanted to talk with her, after all, so what was there to be nervous about? He was just upset over everything that had happened in regard to that raccoon-dog youkai and the shikigami, right? He was probably just going to scold her a little over how she was too nice for her own good, and maybe threaten that she was no longer allowed to be in her own time unsupervised, now that it had been brought to their attention that youkai were apparently still alive and well in her century.

 

All things considered, she would agree with him on both counts.

 

With those types of thoughts tumbling around in the miko's head, Kagome was completely caught by surprise when the first words to actually leave Inuyasha's mouth after sitting down were, “What did you see?”

 

Huh?

 

It actually took Kagome a moment to realize what Inuyasha was talking about, and the rosy tint she had only just barely managed to remove from her cheeks was instantly back with a vengeance. She was unable to keep her blush hidden from Inuyasha's notice that time, either, as both his eyes and nose immediately picked up on her instantly flustered state at his question.

 

“That good, huh?” he asked her next, although instead of any hint of playfulness or teasing, his tone of voice implied heartache and dejection. Emotions that were confusing enough for our miko to swallow her own embarrassment in the face of needing to know what was tormenting her friend.

 

“I...I don't understand. What's wrong?” she began slowly, truly baffled over why her embarrassment would depress him.

 

Silently, the hanyou's ears lowered to his head in a crestfallen manner in the face of her obvious confusion. Kami, she was so unaware of his feelings for her that it didn't even dawn on her why her fantasy world would upset him? And what was up with that initial reaction of hers? Among shock and embarrassment, he had definitely picked up a twinge of sexual arousal, as his question undoubtedly triggered a brief memory of some sort. Fuck, just what had been in that fantasy world of hers? The more he decided that he really needed to know, the more he knew that he really didn't want to know.

 

Kagome was beyond baffled. She didn't need the ability to scent out emotional changes to know how upset Inuyasha currently was, and to make matters worse, it was suddenly clear to her that his attitude all night long had actually had nothing to do with the tanuki, or at least not directly. He had been stewing over the fantasy world Masaru had briefly shown her. But why? Simple curiosity? If that were the case, then he wouldn't have gotten so upset at clearly figuring out at least some of what her dream world had consisted of.

 

Well, okay, so she hadn't had any actual visions of that, per se, but she and Inuyasha had been married in her dream, and her reaction now had more stemmed from her own realization of what all that would entail. If only...

 

But getting herself back on track, the miko was truly baffled. His reaction didn't make any sense, regardless of his reasons for wanting to know what she saw.

 

Depending on his mood at any given time, Kagome could anticipate and accept three different reactions from her hanyou upon his realization that she had had a fantasy about him:

 

One, pretend indignation, as he used anger to conceal his surprise, either telling her outright that he didn't share her feelings, or perhaps a less hurtful avoidance in stating that they simply had more important things to be thinking about, like slaying Naraku.

 

Two, egotistical pride, though admittedly unlikely, but if the mood struck him just right – and considering that the two of them were currently alone – she wouldn't put it past him to act a little cocky with his newfound knowledge.

 

Three, and probably the most likely reaction she would have expected from him, embarrassment and shyness either equal to or even surpassing her own.

 

Nowhere on the color wheel of 'Inuyasha emotions' did depression or resignation even come close. It didn't make any sense.

 

Unless...

 

“Oh...no...oh kami...”

 

Great, now she's gonna start apologizing, he grumbled to himself as her scent changed yet again to now include guilt and remorse.

 

“It's okay, don't worry about it. I'm sorry for even bringing it up,” he said quickly, uncurling his legs over the edge of her bed to rise to his feet.

 

Or he would have risen to his feet, had her hand on his thigh not instantly stilled him in that moment. Hesitantly, he gulped, turning his head slowly to find his gaze suddenly locked onto twin pools of twilight love and affection. How could she look at him like that after already revealing that coming back to the real world – coming back to him – had been painful?

 

Not really her exact words... that little nagging voice tried to remind him for the umpteenth time that evening.

 

Well, it looked like he would be hearing her exact words on the matter any second now, and then he could tell that annoying little voice to suck it.

 

“Inuyasha...” Kagome began slowly, making sure she had his full attention before continuing, as she could clearly see some kind of internal battle waging behind his molten gaze of golden honey.

 

There was so much pain in his eyes, pain that she suddenly and completely understood, and felt completely responsible for, for allowing such a misunderstanding to have developed in the first place, never mind allowing it to escalate to such a point. There was no reason for him to feel insecure or unwanted.

 

“My fantasy...”

 

His ears flicked forward.

 

“That vision...”

 

His ears pulled backward, lowering to his head.

 

“That glimpse of my heart's true desire...”

 

He pinched his eyes shut.

 

“Was about you.”

 

He gasped, but it was more than just a quick intake of air. His entire body jolted suddenly at her confession. His ears sprang forward, his eyes flew open, and his heart most definitely skipped a beat or two.

 

“Wh-what?” he managed to get out, mentally kicking himself for stumbling over his words like an idiot.

 

Despite her burning cheeks, the miko plowed forward, making sure to leave no room for any misunderstandings.

 

“In my fantasy world, created by Masaru's magic, you and I were...together...living day to day life happily in a world where all of Naraku's evils had been undone. The jewel was gone, and all of the innocent dead had been revived. Sango's village and family were whole, Miroku's father was still alive, and Kouga's pack had been restored. Even Kikyou had been given a second chance at life, and she...”

 

Inuyasha had become completely engrossed in Kagome's story, her implications behind the word 'together' not lost on him as he felt his own cheeks warming slightly to match her own. He mentally cringed a bit at the sound of her name, although he didn't think the emotion had translated on his face. Refocusing his eyes on Kagome in that instant, Inuyasha found that he was right; she had not stopped her description because of any reaction on his end. She looked genuinely troubled, which confused him, because if this was supposed to have been a fantasy in which she'd had her every heart's desire, then what was there to feel troubled about?

 

“What's wrong?” he asked her then, genuinely concerned, and Kagome had to smile to herself at their sudden role reversals. His hand placed tenderly over her own upon his thigh warmed her heart.

 

“Nothing, just...I didn't want to upset you.”

 

“Feh!” he snapped, removing his hand, although there was a good deal of teasing behind the gesture, as he glanced her way a bit sheepishly, his own embarrassment clear to her by that point. “Just go on, what were you going to say about Kikyou? You said she'd been given a second chance at life, right? So that was a good thing, wasn't it?”

 

“Oh yes, everything in my fantasy world was good,” she managed to confess without her cheeks flaming any darker at the inadvertent possible double-meaning that thankfully went over his head.

 

“So then what were you going to say? Kikyou was given a second chance at life, and she...what?”

 

Sighing, Kagome knew that she would never be able to get him to let it go, and refusing to answer, or answering with anything other than the truth, would only make matters worse in the long run.

 

“She...had given us her blessing.”

 

Eyes widening slightly, as that hadn't really been what he'd been expecting her to say, although to be truly honest he'd had no idea what she'd been about to say, Inuyasha found himself having to clear his throat to remove the sudden lump of nervousness that had formed in that moment, temporarily making speech impossible.

 

Kagome took advantage of the brief moment of silence to replay her own words back to herself in her mind. Not anything she had just said to him within the last five minutes, but what she had originally said to him over two hours ago, upon first pulling herself from the tanuki's spell. All she had said was that the fantasy world had been so beautiful that it had hurt her, in a way, to come back into the real world. She hadn't given him any reason to believe that her fantasy world had included the two of them being together, or that it had included him at all, for that matter.

 

Kagome really wanted to kick herself. She knew how self-conscious and insecure he could sometimes be, even though he usually always masked those feelings with gruff indifference. But gods, how about a little faith once in a while? Had she truly given him no reason to even consider the possibility that he was in fact important enough to her to have been included in her heart's deepest fantasy?

 

Kagome wanted to feel insulted, but one look at Inuyasha's face, still frozen in a comical mix of shock and embarrassment, instantly had the miko remembering why she loved that man so deeply in the first place.

 

Finally, the hanyou's frozen features seemed to melt, as a warm smile slowly blossomed across his face. Had the others been around in that moment, he would've been mortified to be caught having the type of conversation they were currently engaged in, but as it was, they were alone; it was okay to let his walls down, just this once.

 

“I...I can't believe I didn't realize that you...I'm sorry for doubting you,” he finally settled on, and with every fiber of his being, he meant it.

 

Kagome's heart soared at his words, and suddenly realizing that her right hand was still resting motionless upon his left thigh, she decided to tease him a bit by gently squeezing his leg, just a little, as she cooed, “That's all right. No harm done.”   

 

She got the reaction she'd been expecting, as his eyes bugged out in surprise before he quickly reached down to still her hand, his action soon followed by the breathy question, “Wha...what are you doing?!”   

 

Retracting her hand, she chuckled quietly as she wiggled her fingers at him, her eyes shining mirthfully with a look that clearly said 'Got ya'.

 

Face flushing as red as his suikan, the hanyou would admit, at least to himself, that part of him had actually felt thrilled at the simple touch. And Kagome had more or less just told him point blank to his face that she had fantasized about the two of them being together...as in, 'together' together, living together, as man and woman. While he knew that nothing along those lines could rightfully be discussed for real until after the completion of their mission, Inuyasha suddenly realized that there would likely never be a more opportune moment to at least prove to her that he did return her feelings. Didn't they have some expression in her century about the third time being the charm?

 

Kagome's amusement was short-lived as she suddenly felt Inuyasha reach forward to clasp her hand yet again. Meeting his eyes with her own, any thought to speak that she might have felt immediately fled her mind at the intensity of his gaze. His eyes seemed to speak volumes to her, and she knew that she should be listening, should be able to understand what it was they was telling her, but in that moment, the miko honestly found herself simply lost in her admiration for their beauty.

 

And then they were closing, blocking her out, which allowed her to snap back into reality just in time to realize what was actually happening before she felt the gentle pressure of Inuyasha's lips upon her own. Her own eyes opened wider for the briefest of moments before closing in turn, as she instantly melted into the kiss, her heart doing a little happy-dance inside her chest that also seemed to wake up the nearly forgotten butterflies down in her stomach.

 

He was kissing her!

 

Considering that Kagome had actually been the one to first start making the move both previous times that they had nearly kissed, Inuyasha hadn't been too worried about her possible reactions, but it was still a tremendous relief for the inu-hanyou when he felt the woman before him instantly returning his kiss. It also wasn't long before Kagome took what would've been a sweet yet simple chaste kiss, and built upon it, escalating the amount of passion between them as she opened her mouth, her tongue coxing his own to come out and play.

 

Surprised but also equally delighted, the feeling of giddy excitement that had been steadily growing in his stomach soon dropped lower, turning into a much different type of excitement. One that the hanyou knew he had to put a stop to before they both ended up doing something that they'd regret. Not that he would ever actually regret being with Kagome, but right now it was all just too much, too soon, and there were too many variables to consider. To ignore everything else and just follow their passion would be...too irresponsible.

 

Kagome seemed to realize this at the same time as her would-be lover, as she didn't protest when Inuyasha began to pull away from their kiss. Instead, she tightly wound her arms around his back, burying her face in the crook of his neck as she embraced him for all he was worth, her heart soaring anew when she felt Inuyasha instantly return her hug without the slightest hint of hesitation. Desperate not to break the mood, she tried hard not to giggle at the sensation of him sniffing her hair, but he must have noticed her growing mirth anyway, because he pulled back from the hug after a moment, thankfully wearing a happy, relaxed expression on his face.

 

“Sorry,” he muttered through a sheepish grin, explaining behind a light dusting of pink,    “Your scent just calms me down, and, well...” Awkwardly scratching the back of his head, Inuyasha hoped he really didn't need to spell it out for her beyond that.

 

Fortunately, the 21st century teenager was fairly knowledgeable when it came to the workings of the male anatomy, even if it still embarrassed her somewhat to think about those workings in regard to the man currently sitting before her. Kagome was just about to think of some way to tell Inuyasha that it was all right, that she did indeed understand but that there was also nothing to be embarrassed about, when one look directly at his face had the miko giggling uncontrollably.

 

“Oi!” he snapped, somewhat offended. “What the hell is so funny?”

 

Unable to answer him in that moment, Kagome merely pointed to her mirror. As she tilted her head back in an attempt to catch her breath, he caught the first clear glimpse of her lips since pulling away from the kiss, and suddenly, Inuyasha thought he might have figured out what the woman found so amusing. One glance in her mirror confirmed as much, as he instantly solved the riddle as to where most of her lip color had gone. It was on his lips.

 

“Feh, pink is so not my color,” he grumbled good-naturedly, causing the miko to giggle even harder. “Come on, you, let's both go get cleaned up before somebody sees us like this. Kinda hard to hide what we've been doing,” he added as he rose to his feet and offered her his hand to help her stand as well.

 

With the assistance of his superior hanyou senses, Inuyasha and Kagome were able to successfully sneak into the restroom down the hall, where she assisted him with the removal of his unintentional coating of lipstick. He was right; pink was definitely not his color.

 

Not really wanting to be away from Kagome for the moment, and not seeing any reason to leave as she had no need to relieve herself and was only using the sink to wash her face, Inuyasha remained in the restroom with Kagome until she was finished with the removal of her own makeup as well. Then, once both of their faces were washed and dried, they snuck back into her bedroom together, closing and locking the door a second time. Even though they truly had no plains of continuing where they'd left off, they still wanted their privacy.

 

Obediently facing the wall with his eyes closed while Kagome changed out of her kimono and into her Western-style flannel pajamas, the hanyou took that moment of quiet to contemplate everything that had transpired between himself and the miko within the last few minutes. He had made a total ass out of himself, again. Kagome had forgiven him, again. So what else was new?

 

What else was new? Really?

 

Oh, how about Kagome confessing to her perfect fantasy world indeed consisting of a reality free from the evils of Naraku, in which the two of them had been living together happily? How about finally sharing a first kiss, and one doozy of a first kiss at that? He never would've thought he'd one day have the privilege of knowing what Kagome's tongue tasted like.

 

What else was new?

 

Every moment that would come into existence from that second onward would be new, thrilling, and exciting. It would be a moment in which he knew that Kagome loved him, and she knew that he loved her. Oh sure, neither of them had actually said the words, yet, but after her confession, and especially after sharing a kiss like that, Inuyasha didn't need to hear her say the words to know how she felt about him. He wondered briefly if she was still waiting to hear him say it, but while he still wasn't sure if he could find it within himself to say the L word first, he would definitely continue showing her how he felt whenever possible, and if the day ever came when she actually said the words to him first, then he knew he'd be able to repeat them.

 

“Okay, you can turn around now.”

 

Doing so, he smiled at the sight before him. His Kagome was back.

 

While she had looked amazing in her traditional robes, there was just something about those fuzzy pa-ja-ma things that warmed his heart. Then she turned around and wiggled her butt at him, revealing that she had attached the fake kitsune tail to her pajama pants, and he couldn't help but to chuckle along with her as she laughed.

 

“You're an idiot,” he teased good-naturedly.

 

Reaching behind herself and unclasping the clip at the end of the fake tail, Kagome sat the costume accessory on her desk while replying with a shrug, “Maybe, but I'm your idiot.”

 

Turning back his way, Kagome smiled at his expression.

 

“Kagome, I...” love you...

 

“I know,” she answered softly, reading his unspoken words in his eyes.

 

I love you too... her eyes replied, and his expression softened as he nodded his understanding.

 

“Well, off to bed with you,” he said then, effectively changing the subject before he gave in and leaned in for another kiss. “Don't think I'm gonna let you sleep-in for half the morning just 'cause you're going to bed so late,” he added in a friendly, teasing tone, as he moved to settle himself on her bedroom floor for the remainder of the night.

 

“Why don't you...sleep up here with me?” came her hesitant question from behind.

 

Turning to face her again, his gaze held surprise but also desire, and not the smoldering kind. He could control himself. He would control himself. But to spend even one night with Kagome in his arms...

 

Wordlessly, Inuyasha responded to her suggestion by nodding and then making his way towards the bed, and smiling brightly, Kagome immediately scooted herself over to make enough room for him. She was sure that he would be getting up before her, assuming he even truly fell asleep at all, so she would let him have the open side of her bed while she took the side near the wall.

 

Crawling under the blankets, Inuyasha's movements were slow and meticulous, so as to commit every single thing about the moment to memory forever. Lying on his left side and currently facing Kagome who was lying on her right, he offered her one of the truest, most genuine smiles she had ever seen appear on his face. For the first time in his life, he was actually allowing himself to feel happy.

 

“Try to get some sleep, yourself,” she told him then. “And I mean some real sleep. You probably need it, and even if you don't, you definitely deserve it.” She could see the slight hesitance in his eyes so leaning her head forward to quickly peck his lips, she assured him sincerely, “You are safe here. I am safe here. Relax. Sleep.”

 

His gaze softened at her gesture and at her words. “Roll over,” he asked her softly, and although Kagome was slightly disappointed, since she had hoped they could sleep facing each other, she obeyed his command without protest.

 

It only took her a second to realize that she was very glad she had done as he asked.

 

Immediately pulling the miko fully into his embrace, Inuyasha spooned himself up against her, tucking Kagome into every nook and cranny of his larger frame. Wrapping his arms securely around her, he buried his nose in her hair and just breathed.

 

He could smell the soaps she'd used to wash her hair that morning, as well as the products for lasting hold that had been added to assist her with the bun she'd worn that night, but underneath it all, he could clearly and easily pick up the scent that was wholly Kagome. The scent that both calmed his nerves and got his heart pounding. The scent that could just as easily temper his fired up youkai side as it could heat up and melt the ice around his human heart. She both excited him and relaxed him, and he had never felt more content to feel so confused.

 

As for the miko, his movement had caught her off guard, but his proximity was eagerly welcomed. It wasn't lost on Kagome that tonight would probably never be able to be repeated, at least not until after the defeat of Naraku, when at least some of her fantasies might actually stand a chance of coming true. So she had every intention of savoring every minute of it. Unfortunately, the sudden droopiness of her eyelids was telling her that sleep would be finding her before too much longer, no matter how badly she wanted to lie awake all night in his arms.

 

Replaying the events leading up to that moment over and over again in his head, Inuyasha for once decided not to argue with himself over whether or not he deserved to feel lighthearted. There had been a time not all that long ago when he had been convinced that he wasn't supposed to feel such things, but the reason for that reasoning was no longer an issue. He had felt obligated to Kikyou, to avenge her, to ensure her spirit could rest in peace, and while it was true that Naraku was still out there, Kikyou had finally been released from her false existence, and she had passed on as an ordinary woman.

 

It was thanks solely to the woman he currently held in his arms, he knew, because Kaede had explained to him how it had been Kagome's arrow that had purified the evil taint that had been twisting Kikyou's soul. Because of the unending heart, the unending love of the miko he was currently embracing, Kikyou had been able to pass on in peace, which meant that he was now free to live in peace without the burden of feeling guilty for it.

 

Slowly feeling the telltale signs of drowsiness attempting to overtake him, for once Inuyasha didn't fight it, knowing that Kagome's last words to him had been true. It was with an expression of absolute peace and contentment that sleep found our hanyou that night.

 

`````````````````````````````````````

 

Morning came much too soon, as the birds singing merrily outside gave no consideration to the humans, and one hanyou, who had been up late the night before. Cracking one eye open, Inuyasha found that he was in the exact same position he had been in when he'd fallen asleep, decade upon decade of sleeping in trees having programmed his body to remain very still during slumber.

 

What was mildly surprising, though certainly not unwelcome, was the fact that Kagome had not shifted in her sleep, either. The miko usually had a tendency to roll over once or twice during the night, sometimes without even waking up, and he would like to believe that it was being held in his arms that had made the difference the night before.

 

As if wakefulness was somehow contagious, it was only after having regained consciousness for maybe three minutes himself that Inuyasha suddenly felt the girl in his arms start to stir, as she stretched her body in an attempt to uncurl her legs. The results of that movement had Inuyasha's eyes popping wide open, as Kagome's backside accidentally brushed up against something else that had already awakened that morning.

 

Oh shit! I'm gonna fucking get it now! he realized in mild panic.

 

He couldn't help his body's natural reaction to her proximity, but he'd had no intention of actually doing anything inappropriate. But would he be able to convince her of that? There was no way that Kagome could have not noticed what she'd just brushed up against, and with the way she immediately froze in shock, the hanyou was convinced that his fate had just been sealed.

 

```

 

Awareness returned to her in gradual increments. First she heard the distant sound of birdsong, and trying to figure out why they sounded so far away, it took a moment for Kagome to remember that her bedroom window was actually shut. She had gotten into the habit of leaving it open, at least just a crack. Of course, the memory of why she'd had no need to leave her window partially open last night didn't take long at all to return, and as she became aware of the sensation of the arms wrapped tightly around her, of the warm body pressed firmly against her own from behind, Kagome found herself wanting nothing more than to simply lie there and enjoy it.

 

Unfortunately, her lower extremities had other ideas, as her legs quickly started protesting their stationary position. Attempting to argue with the limbs that they'd had no complaints the night before proved futile, as the miko felt her body going into a stretch almost of its own accord. Deciding there was no point in trying to fight it, she went with it instead, giving her morning stretch all that she had. Unintentionally, that moved her backside further into Inuyasha's lap, the significance of which didn't fully register in Kagome's brain until she felt her bottom brush up against something long and stiff.

 

She froze, which in retrospect was probably not the best reaction, as it actually prolonged her accidental contact with his...well...she really should not be touching that! And especially not with her butt.

 

Finally getting her body to obey her mind's frantic commands, Kagome jerkily pulled away before rolling over, her cheeks as red as Inuyasha's suikan.

 

“Umm...sorry 'bout that,” she greeted lamely at the sight of his wide, surprised eyes. What a way to say good morning.

 

To Kagome's mild horror and moderate confusion, his eyes only grew more surprised at her apology.

 

“You...you're not...angry?”

 

She relaxed then, realizing that he had probably been terrified that she was about to flip out on him. Maybe she would've back in the beginning.

 

No, check that, she definitely would've back in the beginning, but after getting to know him like she did, after falling so deeply in love with him like she was...

 

“No, I'm not angry,” she assured him, explaining through her embarrassment, “That's a perfectly natural reaction. I'm just sorry that I accidentally...uh...”

 

“Th-that's okay,” he attempted to assure her in return, once again mentally kicking himself over his foolish stuttering, though at least that time he had a reasonable excuse. “It's just, well...y-you and me...I mean, at least until Naraku is defeated-”

 

“I understand,” Kagome interrupted, and he was clearly relieved at her words. “We have to wait until our mission is over, for the same reasons why Sango and Miroku have to wait. There can be no 'happily ever after' until Naraku is eliminated once and for all.”

 

Exhaling in relief, Inuyasha was grateful beyond words that Kagome not only understood and forgave his body's embarrassing independence, but she also understood the reasoning behind why he had to deny, at least for the time being, what both he and his body so desperately wanted. Her mention of the slayer and houshi did give him an idea, though.

 

“After Naraku is defeated, though...” he started hesitantly, searching her eyes for any hint of doubt on her end, though all he could find within her stormy blue-gray depths was love and understanding. “Would you...would you stay with me? Live with me?”

 

He knew the question was different from when Miroku had asked the same of Sango, and not because he had neglected to add the bit about bearing his children. Inuyasha knew that unlike Sango, Kagome's family was still alive and well, and they resided five hundred years into the future from his time. That gave Kagome a dilemma the taijiya had lacked, and the hesitance he saw in her eyes in that moment spoke clearly of her inner turmoil in that regard, in having to either choose him over her family, or having to choose her family over him. The amount of love he could read in her gaze did not waver, however.

 

“It is my deepest wish...” she began slowly, “...that I will continue to be allowed to travel between both worlds after Naraku and the jewel are gone. I would love nothing more than to spend my days in your arms, and I know that if I were ever truly forced to choose...I could never be happy without you.”

 

Does that mean she would choose me, or stay here and be unhappy for the rest of her life? Inuyasha wondered silently, although he didn't press the issue.

 

It was clear to him that what Kagome was really saying was that she wanted to be with him, most definitely, and that provided nothing horrible ended up screwing them both over at the end, then she would be with him. Who knew what the future held, really? It was probably best if they didn't even contemplate such things. Their goal as of right that moment was to hunt down and kill Naraku, and that was where they needed to stay focused.

 

Speaking of which...

 

“All right, come on. Nothing can happen one way or another until after we kill that bastard, so let's get a move on.”

 

Smiling, Kagome followed Inuyasha's example as he climbed out of bed, and then shooing him out of her room so that she could get changed, the miko's smile didn't disappear as soon as the door closed behind him. She knew her answer had been more vague than he would've liked, but the truth was that she honestly didn't know what she would do if she were ever faced with such a decision.

 

Still, be that as it may, she did know with 100% certainty that she loved him, and that he loved her, and also that he was physically attracted to her, which was a good thing considering that she was physically attracted to him as well. Kagome also didn't imagine that things would start to become awkward between them. In fact, she had the feeling that finally getting their emotions out in the open would actually improve their current relationship. He was her best friend, first and foremost, and nothing would ever change that. But hopefully, if the gods were on their side, a day would come when they could finally be more than just friends.     

 

`````````````````````````````````````

 

“Ahhh, it's so good to be back,” Kagome sighed as Inuyasha helped her out of the Bone Eater's Well. Even with her weaker sense of smell, the miko could still tell the difference between fresh air and smog.

 

“Keh.”

 

Offering her companion a warm smile, Kagome took advantage of their brief moment alone to reach for his hand, squeezing it gently. Her smile grew noticeably bigger when he squeezed her hand in return before letting go. Kagome knew that he wasn't big on public displays of affection, and would undoubtedly feel uncomfortable if she ever tried to hold his hand in front of the others, especially considering the way Miroku would probably tease him, so the miko vowed to herself right then and there that if Inuyasha started to act a little more like his old gruff self now that they were no longer alone, she wouldn't take it personally.

 

“Come on,” she said after a moment, hoisting her backpack a little higher on her shoulders before tightening her grip on the bow from Mt. Azusa. “Let's get the others and hit the road.”

 

“Keh.”

 

It didn't take long for everyone to gather their supplies and get back out on the road again once Kagome and Inuyasha announced their return to the Sengoku jidai. The early part of their travels were spent with Kagome, and occasionally Inuyasha, telling the others of the adventure they had more or less stumbled upon in her supposedly youkai-free century, omitting the part about Kagome's vision, of course.

 

Talk of Masaru's presence in modern-day Tokyo had everyone wondering just how many youkai really still existed in Kagome's world. It did stand to reason that youkai such as tanuki – and kitsune, Shippou so helpfully pointed out – would be more able to adapt to a world in which humans had virtually taken over, but there were more species of youkai than merely tanuki and kitsune that could adopt a relatively convincing human disguise, and not all of them were so friendly. The dark hanyou they were currently hunting immediately came to mind, along with many other villains they had defeated in their travels.

 

Still, the miko logically pointed out that if there were too many evil youkai still around in her century with evil intentions, then the world at large would surely be aware of their existence, in general, because there would have undoubtedly been reports of youkai attacks on the news and such. Therefore, if there really were a few no good youkai still out there that preyed upon humans, then even they were keeping a low profile, disguising their acts as human crimes so as not to draw attention to themselves, and considering that the world Kagome lived in wasn't riddled with crime after crime with talks of how unsafe the streets were at night, she wasn't really all that worried about it.

 

Besides, if Masaru's reaction to her miko powers was any indication, then any remaining youkai in her century would probably view her as a threat to their safety and something to be avoided, as opposed to a target to take greater pride in destroying.

 

As they traveled onward, talk gradually shifted from topic to topic, occasionally interrupted by Shippou's innocent voice asking if he could have another piece of candy, which Kagome was doing her best to regulate his intake of so as to avoid the end result of a frantically bouncing kitsune suffering from the effects of a sugar high. She had learned that lesson the hard way after the first time she'd brought back a bag of suckers.

 

Thanks to her monitoring, Shippou's Halloween candy actually lasted for the next three days, allowing him one piece every couple of hours or so. At least she didn't have to worry about the boy developing cavities, although, considering she had also been snacking on some of the treats she'd brought back for herself and the others, the future-born miko did find herself brushing her teeth a lot more often than usual, her bright pink and white plastic toothbrush a devise her friends had originally thought was completely alien in appearance until she'd gotten them to try it for themselves, with their own brushes she'd bought for them of course, not hers.

 

The design worked a lot better than the simple toothpicks or tassels made from branches everyone used in the Feudal era. Now, she carried three separate toothbrushes in her backpack, identifiable by their different colors. Of course, just like Shippou, Inuyasha didn't have to worry about his teeth thanks to his youkai blood, but Kagome wanted to do whatever she could for her two human friends to improve upon their health, especially considering the time period they lived in. They were grateful for her knowledge, and her assistance.

 

It was on the fourth day since returning from Halloween night in her time that everyone suddenly sensed a disturbing gathering of jyaki in the forest to the north.

 

“What is that horrible evil?” Kagome asked while rubbing her arms. “Is that Naraku?”

 

“It very well could be,” stated Miroku, although the distance was too great for him to be certain.   

 

“Come on, we better go check it out!” Inuyasha insisted mere seconds before swinging Kagome up and onto his back.

 

Fortunately, the miko was used to him just up and grabbing her like that by that point, and she quickly reacted in the appropriate manner of holding on for dear life as he took off over the trees at his top speed, Sango, Miroku and Shippou quickly appearing by their side atop Kirara. After about five minutes of racing towards the dismal patch of jyaki they could all feel coming up ahead, an unmistakable stench reached the hanyou's nose, and he forced his feet to travel even faster.

 

“It's Naraku’s scent!” he shouted for the others to hear. Then Kagome's voice coming from above his ears announced something even more disturbing.

 

“Looks like Kohaku-kun is there, too. I sense a Shikon shard.”

 

“What?!” Sango shouted in surprise, Shippou voicing her confusion when he asked, “Shouldn't Kohaku be with Sesshoumaru?”

 

That's right, Kohaku should be with Inuyasha's brother, Miroku thought as well. “And even knowing that, Naraku attacked?!” This was bad.

 

Of course, things quickly went from bad to worse when Inuyasha announced that he wasn't picking up Sesshoumaru's scent, suggesting that the daiyoukai had actually left Kohaku alone for some reason. This was very bad.

 

“Let's hurry!” Miroku shouted, knowing they didn't have any time to waste contemplating what could have possibly happened to Sesshoumaru. “At any rate, this means Naraku has come to take the last shard that Kohaku holds!” Which also meant it was their best opportunity to confront the dark hanyou, as they would finally be able to face Naraku in person rather than one of his puppets.

 

“Right!” Sango agreed, as she urged Kirara to fly even faster.

 

Hopefully, they would get there in time to save her brother from the evil hanyou's clutches.

 

As they raced towards their enemy, Kagome's thoughts were a jumbled mess of all the 'what ifs' that could have happened had Naraku chosen to attack Kohaku while she and Inuyasha had still been in her time. Had it been foolish, after all, to allow herself the holiday? But it was over now, and apparently, their extended visit to her world had not had any detrimental effects in this one, if Naraku was only just now showing himself four days after the fact.

 

Still, Kagome definitely knew that their main focus had to remain defeating Naraku, now and forever, until the task was finally completed. But even with the mild guilt she felt for taking a selfish night off to enjoy playing dress-up in her century, Kagome was grateful to have been permitted the opportunity, especially considering that it had been the brief misunderstanding she and Inuyasha had shared as a result of what'd happened that night that had finally gotten the two of them to discuss their feelings openly. She wouldn't trade the night they had shared for the world. It had been a very happy Halloween, indeed.   

 

 

 

~ Fin ~