InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unbridled, Unvoiced Passions ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: If only it was I…if only!

AQN: I know you don't like these, but READ THIS FIRST!!! There might be a bit of confusion about this, so I'll clarify. It's now mid-June and Kagome is 18; she'll be nineteen in a few months! I'm going off of the American school schedule *September as the start month (we all know her birthday is the first day of school…such a Harry Potter trait). I may have messed that scheduling up a bit in this story, but I'll try to pay more attention to it now. Dates are pretty important in this fic, remember that. Oi, and don't get all mad at me when you read the interaction between Kagome and Sesshoumaru…there will be more on that moment later (flashbacks and references) Enough babbling…read!

Unbridled, Unvoiced Passions

A bittersweet love story

In the depths of a hidden room, a library aged with the written works and family trinkets of a long forgotten tale. Scrolls, held captive from the brutal maturity of paper, told the secrets of lost time, of forgotten battles, of legends and myths, but mostly of his unbridled, unvoiced passions.

The room, sealed by an ancient magic, is opened after nearly three centuries of dormancy. A girl's curiosity and utmost respect for all things lost to time discovers the secrets of the hidden chambers; a secret she was unknowingly a part of. However, opening the chamber just might have been the biggest mistake of her life.

Chapter 5

Inuyasha crouched in front of the well with his arms crossed over the lip and stared into the dark depths of the time portal. Something was terribly wrong on the other side of the magic slip. Kagome had a secret and it involved their long time enemy, Sesshoumaru.

Funny thing about that was his older brother's reaction to it all. Apparently he was as lost as Inuyasha when it came down to the extent of Kagome's knowledge on the matter. However, Sesshoumaru did seem to know what `secret' Inuyasha was referring to.

Flashback

Inuyasha leapt out of the well in a flash of red, his feet touching the earth for a mere split second before leaping off again. His troubles led him west, to the lands of his ancestors.

He ran unmercifully fast with only one thing on his mind…find Sesshoumaru. Everything he needed to say…all the technicalities and details, he could work that out when he got there in true Inuyasha style; it was his way or the blade.

The trip actually wasn't going to take as long as he had originally anticipated, seeing as Sesshoumaru was just over the hill. The only real setback to that was the fact that the whole situation screamed danger that rang throughout his senses, but it wasn't danger he was used to; he didn't feel as though his life were threatened, only his pride and place as leader in his group. It was an eerie feeling that left him on edge, more or less because he didn't know where the feeling had come from in the first place.

Inuyasha stopped a few meters from his brother and watched him with a wary glare. He was just there, merely standing there…waiting. It's as if he knew that Inuyasha would be coming to find him.

"Took you long enough, brother"

He was right; Sesshoumaru was waiting, but then why? He never thought that it was because Sesshoumaru could pick up his scent from a distance that Inuyasha couldn't even begin to fathom, being the half-demon he was. Inuyasha decided to do something he hadn't done in a long time…he was going to talk with his brother as a calm, level headed man; it seemed logical, given the current situation.

"Tell me something, brother,"

He added the title as an afterthought, a very pronounced afterthought at that.

"Why is it that when I tell my friend that our sworn enemy has come looking for her for more reason than just her death, she shrugs it off as though she knew it would happen all along?"

That look, Gods he could never forget that look; Sesshoumaru was shocked. Granted he didn't show it, but Inuyasha had long learned the fine art of reading his brother; it was all in the eyes, a feature Sesshoumaru couldn't seem to control.

Inuyasha smiled to himself. Once he discovered that little tidbit about his brother, he noticed that he could ignite many different emotions, not just hate or anger; it was a talent he used many times simply to see the demon go through the emotional overload.

After quite a bit of self-composition, Sesshoumaru replied. His voice was level, a dead tone with a bit of a soft ring to it. The tenor was so soft it was almost…fond?

"She is smarter than we give her credit for."

Inuyasha knew that Sesshoumaru wasn't going to just up and divulge his reasons for seeking Kagome, but he also knew that he had to get something more than this. The fact that Sesshoumaru didn't know that Kagome was aware of his curiosity was an interesting turn that laid many accusations to rest long before they left his lips, but it left so many more.

"Why her?"

Sesshoumaru seemed to actually think about that one. It was as if even he didn't know the answer, but he obviously wasn't going to let Inuyasha think that for too long. That would be like admitting he didn't have control over something, and that something was himself.

"She has power brother, or did you not notice? I wouldn't be surprised"

Inuyasha's hands clenched at his sides. How he wanted to simply unleash Tetsaiga on this ass of a relative he had, but that would be too easy an out for the revealing demon.

"Did you change your tactic? Usually you would be swinging that fang around by now."

"Don't give me that shit. You want me to pull this thing out, because that would end this telling conversation. Well…"

Inuyasha watched as Sesshoumaru lifted his perfect brow in obvious disbelief. There was also a bit of under ridden irritation in there that he was proud to say was his doing.

"It's not going to happen. Not today, brother."

He knew there would be no more information if Sesshoumaru were already resorting to battle. With that, Inuyasha turned heal and walked back to his forest without another word.

If he knew how, he bet the ass would be standing there doing the perfect imitation of a fish right about now. At that thought, Inuyasha puffed up a bit and smiled; he could be rational when he really wanted to, and when it came to Kagome, that was a small price to pay.

End Flashback

Gods, when did the world become so confusing? It used to be, enemy finds you and you kill it, end of story. Somehow, somewhere along the lines, he changed. He used to be a `kill now, ask questions later' sort of guy, but lately he had actually been thinking his situations through to the point that he seemed almost civil in battle, resorting often to a political stance rather than fighting when the option presented itself.

Inuyasha knew when his world changed. It was three years ago and all because of her…because of Kagome.

He bowed his head and let out a small laughter in acquiescence; she was changing him and that was all there was to it. For some reason though, Inuyasha was happy for the change. It was for the better, he knew, and it didn't take the Jewel to do it.

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

"I'm home!"

Kagome listened for the tell-tell signs of her mother in the kitchen. How that woman found a way to do dishes all day was anyone's guess.

"Kagome, you're back. How did it go?"

She slipped her shoes off and her slippers on before following her mother's voice further into the house. At the entrance to the kitchen she leaned against the framing with her arms crossed over her chest and gave her mom a lopsided smirk.

"Really?"

Kagome nodded and laughed as her mom ran to her with open arms just before attempting to squeeze the life out of her, or at least that's what it felt like.

"Mom, I can't breathe"

Her mom let her go with a shy smile and laughed with her. Gods she loved this woman.

"So are you going to take your entrance exams for University now?"

Kagome gave her mother a sad sort of smile. She had thought about University for a long time, but there was always the past that came to daunt her plans.

"I'm going to wait"

Mrs. Higurashi turned to the sink and stared at the few dishes that were there for a bit. When her shoulders straightened, Kagome knew she had come to a decision. Her mother turned back to her with a determined smiled and gestured to the stairs.

"You should go pack then. Your friends are waiting."

Kagome couldn't believe her ears. It was sweet music to hear something like that.

She rushed into her mother with a life thankful embrace and let a single tear drop onto the woman's bosom. If there was anything to say about her mother, it was her understanding and gentle, but firm love. Kagome wanted to be just like her.

"Thanks mom"

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

Mrs. Higurashi patted her daughter on the back and waited for her to stand straight again. Her daughter had passed high school, and did well from the looks of things, but decided to forego University until later; who was she to stand in her way when there was a destiny waiting for her somewhere in the past?

She watched as her daughter let her go, albeit a bit reluctantly she noticed, and turned hide aiming directly for her room. Just as Kagome got to the top of the stairs, Mrs. Higurashi remembered something and yelled up to her daughter quickly.

"Honey, what was the score?"

The footsteps came charging back down and a head full of dark hair popped into view. Kagome was gripping the doorframe, ready to sprint back up the stairs, with a large smile on her face.

"I made top 5 percentile!"

With that she was gone to pack.

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

The sun was just setting as Kagome took her faithful yellow backpack and hefted in onto her shoulders. It was unusually heavy, but she didn't mind it one bit.

There was more than enough ramen to satisfy Inuyasha, or so she hoped, and every bit of candy she could think of, from suckers to chocolate sticks, for her dear Shippou. She was exceptionally proud, however, to say that were no books in the trusty bag, not one!

Kagome had said her goodbye's at the back door and was currently standing inside the well house simply staring into its depths. Anticipation and apprehension reigned inside her like two beasts treading on her nerves. Her heart pounded wildly as she grasped the straps to her bag tighter.

After all this time, a little more than ten months, Kagome was finally going back. There was an eagerness that boiled inside her to show them all what she had learned during her `strength training'. That feeling welled up inside her until it burst with a sudden jolt of her muscles, sending her careening back to the feudal era of Japan.

She was much too excited to even care that her body had acted of its own accord; it simply wanted to return home. Kagome smiled into the depths of blue magic at her thoughts; she was returning home now, and it was a complete surprise for everyone.

When the magic subsided, all she could do was stare up to the beautiful stars that graced the skies of the past. It was a truly stunning sight, or would be, if the doggy ears would move out of the way.

Kagome jumped and squeaked in obvious pleasure at seeing her long-time friend obstructing her view of the open air. There was no better sight at the moment.

"Kagome?"

The girl smiled and held her hand up for Inuyasha.

"Hey Inuyasha."

The greeting was so blasé that he nearly fell from his current perch at the top of the bone-eaters well. He shook himself from his stupor and reached his hand down to his very missed friend to pull her up.

As she finished her climb out of the time portal, Inuyasha took a chance to smell her. He had gone so long without her sweet scent that he almost ran himself crazy. Gods how he missed the girl when she went home.

Her excitement and happiness was damn near overpowering her natural scent, but something else caught his attention. There was always an undercurrent of power in her that smelled something like lightning might; there was nothing on earth like that scent. The problem wasn't that it was there though, rather that it was so much stronger, so…dominant.

What had the girl been doing to cause her to unlock so much power? He had to wonder at the things she really did while on the other side of the well. If this was the sort of progress she returned with every time she took an extended stay, then perhaps he should allow that sort of thing more often? No way, he couldn't handle being without her for that long again!

"Inuyasha, hello…"

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

Kagome waved a hand in front of his face and stared into his eyes. They seemed so distant, as though he were actually thinking right then. `No way, he couldn't be'.

Kagome shook her head to dispel the strange thoughts that found their way into her mind and laughed. He still wasn't answering her; she had just gotten out of the well and stood there watching him, waiting for him to do…something. It was a bit creepy with him standing there looking, well, deep in thought.

"Inuyasha?"

Nothing. What on earth was going through the boy's head?

Now Kagome had to laugh at that one. Boy…since when was Inuyasha considered a mere boy? For crying out loud, he was older than her grandfather!

At that Kagome laughed to the point that she had to hold her stomach and try to keep her balance, which was hard since she had put her bulky yellow bag on her back. Inuyasha didn't seem to notice anything until Kagome flipped onto her back while flailing her arms.

Really it was because she had grabbed his undershirt at the collar and ripped him from his feet and out of his thoughts. He barely had a chance to catch himself and found the girl lying underneath him while he did his best to hold himself up with just his arms.

Kagome froze the second she felt the impact of the earth, but found it hard to breathe with the extra weight on top of her. She had closed her eyes for the impact after reaching out for Inuyasha.

Her eyes opened slowly as though afraid of what they would see, even though she knew what was there. When she saw that Inuyasha was indeed on top of her, Kagome became acutely aware of every inch of their bodies that were touching.

A wild burn spread throughout from the contact, initiating a fear she hadn't realized she still had. It scared her to know that she hadn't worked through this problem as she had originally thought.

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

Two years ago, Kagome had seen Inuyasha with Kikyou. The odd thing was her own reaction to the scene; she wasn't hurt, or even sad, just angry. It was pure dark anger that rose up in her and charged at her mind with the memory of his touch.

She had walked away from them then; it was the first, but definitely not the last, time she would see them and calmly walk away. Kagome had known the dead priestess was Inuyasha's choice and yet she remained by his side, as a loyal friend should.

That day was full of life altering events for the young girl. She hadn't realized her own heart was steadily moving away from her first crush until then.

She would have called it first love, but there were only the feelings, no true reason to believe there was anything deeper than a crush. It just didn't seem right to say that you loved someone but never had shown him, or even told him how you felt.

Not only that, but she never asked how he felt about her, not directly at least. Of course she knew that they were best friends, he had said so himself, but that was it. And so she accepted theirs as a relationship that would only ever be as close as siblings.

Four months after that day, after her first true acceptance of Inuyasha and Kikyou's relationship, the group was on another shard hunt and one of the nights they had stopped proved to be a very awakening experience for her.

Kikyou hadn't shown up for almost a week and Kagome could tell that it was wearing on Inuyasha since he knew that she was directly dealing with Naraku at the time. No one had said anything about the clay pot, but then what could they say?

True, everyone had accepted his choice with a little coaxing from Kagome, but that did not mean they had to approve of it. Still, he was on edge and Kagome was obviously his fall back girl still.

They had taken a walk, per Inuyasha's request, and found themselves at the banks of a nearby river watching the nightly creatures go about their business. It was strange but Kagome didn't want to sit with him, so instead she leaned against a tree and watched as his thoughts flittered through his body.

He had asked her to join him and she politely declined, inciting a small grunt of disapproval and a very hurt friend. She couldn't stand to know she was causing him pain, and so resigned to grace his wishes.

She was close to him, too close for her tastes. They were sitting side by side with barely enough space between them for a book.

Kagome wasn't afraid of Inuyasha, but the close proximity he was asking for was one that only lovers should enjoy. Because he had asked for it, Kagome knew he was falling back on her kind heart to make him feel better about Kikyou.

The problem wasn't that he needed the comfort, but rather the way in which he requested it. He wanted her to act the part of Kikyou in a way, by simply being the one to fill his personal moments with soft touches and kind words, something she doubted highly that the dead priestess did anyway.

It made her uncomfortable knowing that he would use her so readily in that way, even if it was an unconscious act of an old bad habit. She couldn't stand to be used, that was why she left the thoughts of a developing relationship behind in the first place.

She told him that it was time to head back to camp, but he wasn't quite ready. He simply placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him with a soft `not yet'.

Kagome knew it was going to only get worse from there and removed his arm. She stood up forcefully and turned to leave, but dogs can be very possessive, especially when faced with the denial of something they wanted.

She found herself pressed against a tree, not roughly, but definitely firmly. He had pushed himself against her and lowered his head to her shoulder. Something about that action scared her beyond comfortable control.

Kagome tried removing him from her person, physically and verbally finding strength in herself, but he refused. He only wanted to hold her, to touch her, to be with her, but he had made his choice, and so had she.

She told him that she did not belong to him, that she was not Kikyou, and that she was not going to give him anything that he was looking for. Kagome knew that he was upset when he pressed his lips to her cheek and whispered in her ear. She could never forget those words.

"I still want you. I'll always want you"

Those words brought fear into her soul that she didn't know even existed. She felt like a child caught in the face of a pedophile…dirty, used and only wanted physically.

Kagome had managed to slip from him far enough to `sit' him and return to camp, but the damage had been done. She feared falling in love with someone for fear of being cast aside once more, but now she realized a new fear of something far worse. Kagome feared the touch of a man.

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

Inuyasha stared down at Kagome with worried eyes. He could sense her discomfort and smelled an old fear in her that he was sure she didn't realize he was familiar with by now.

No, he didn't know what it was she feared, only that it manifested itself whenever she was near a male. He had his own conclusions about that one, but he couldn't really think of anything that he could do to help the girl.

Obviously their contact was bothering her so he stood up and took a step back. If his touch bothered her that much, he would just have to keep his distance.

Inuyasha watched as she stood and brushed off her kimono, her fear dissipating with the action. She was still a bit shaken from the contact, but it was nothing compared to the amount he sensed during the act.

With a small sigh, he lifted her bulky bag from her shoulders and began the short trek back to Kaede's village. He noticed that Kagome wasn't following him and turned to her with a slightly amused look.

"Coming?"

He saw her nod and smile, before running to catch up with him. Really, he had missed the girl way too much.

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

Kagome paused at the bridge that marked the entrance to Kaede's village and closed her eyes with a deep breath. The smells and sounds of the small place made her smile in contentment.

The entire walk back with Inuyasha was comfortably slow and quiet. She took the time to soak in the sight of everything, noting all the smells and weeding them through her memory. She had been gone for far too long.

Kagome opened her eyes and saw Inuyasha on the opposite side of the bridge watching her with a content and slightly amused smile. She exhaled her annoyance and calmly walked across the bridge to her friend. Turning to him, she shrugged.

"What?"

He simply shook his head with a smile and continued on to Kaede's hut where he knew the rest of the group was.

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

Kagome paused at the door and smiled at Inuyasha while placing a finger to her lips in a gesture for him to be quiet. He shot her a questioning gaze that she simply smiled at and gestured for him to proceed.

Inuyasha walked into the hut and noticed that Kagome didn't follow him. He set the bag down and was about to go ask the girl what her malfunction was, but their friends stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Inuyasha?"

He turned to Sango and waited for her to continue.

"Isn't that Kagome's bag?"

Inuyasha turned to the bag and scrunched his eyes in confusion. Why hadn't the girl come in yet? Then he remembered her penchant for surprises and smiled.

"Oh that. I just found it sitting inside the well. Must have fallen in or something…"

Inuyasha shrugged as though it were an every day occurrence to find Kagome's backpack lying at the bottom of her well and sat down near the fire.

Sango looked to Miroku with confusion clearly written in her eyes. Miroku shrugged with the same confusion and looked to Inuyasha, who seemed oblivious to it all.

Of course, Inuyasha was simply watching the scene in complete amusement. Once they realized that Kagome was just outside the hut, all chance of a quiet night went flying out the door. He smiled into the fire and waited.

Shippou was first to notice, he saw, as the kit sniffed around the hut. Obviously he had realized that the scent of Kagome was a bit too strong to put down to just the bag.

He looked over to Shippou and smiled a knowing smile that the kit obviously picked up on. Inuyasha watched his little ears perk up as Kagome giggled; it was too quiet for the humans, but if he heard it then Shippou surely did also.

The boy's eyes lit up with a large, toothy smile as he turned to their friends and gestured them outside. Inuyasha couldn't help but marvel at Shippou's quiet nature; must be part of his maturing, seeing as he would have been jumping up and down shouting his way out the door were it just a year ago.

Sango and Miroku exchanged confused looks but shrugged it off and decided to follow Shippou outside. Inuyasha merely watched in amusement before smiling over at Kirara as she made her way out the door to follow her mistress. She could obviously tell that Kagome was outside and simply chose to wait knowing Kagome's nature all too well.

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

The squeals of happiness were not missed by nearby villagers as their young priestess found her way into an `excitement-fest'. A few of the men in the fields exchanged knowing glances and smiled at their good fortune before returning to their work with a silent vow to welcome her home when they returned later.

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

"Oh my gosh…Kagome!"

"Lady Kagome, you've returned!"

"Kagome!"

Said girl found herself in a nearly bone-crushing group hug as her friends' excitement boiled over almost to the point of no return. They were all so glad to see her that they had foregone the verbal lashing for staying outside instead of coming in to greet them.

"Sango, Miroku…I can't breathe"

The two stepped back, both donning a light shade of pink in their cheeks. Sango was the first to recover, but didn't get a chance to say anything as Kagome spoke in a bewildered, almost stunned tone.

"Shippou? Gods, is that you?"

The kit looked up to his sister and then to his feet with his hands clasped behind his back. He knew he looked different now, but not so much that she couldn't recognize him, did he?

"Oh my goodness, look at you. You're so tall!"

There was no small amount of happiness in that tone. She was beyond excited, and to see that her little Shippou wasn't, well, little anymore, she couldn't think of anything else to do but hold him closer.

Shippou stood just above her waist now, with a stunning little muscular physique. He had let his hair grow out this past year to the point that it would fall just past his shoulders when he let it out of the high ponytail it was in. His feet were human in shape with stubby little claws, and his fingers seemed a bit longer, slender and yet strong at the same time.

Kagome smiled down at the boy and began making her way into Kaede's hut with one arm around the shoulders of her youngest brother while the other was reaching up to pet the small cat demon perching on her shoulder and nuzzling her neck. She glanced to her friends as they followed her in and realized that questions were going to fly in both directions tonight; this was going to be one hell of a long night.

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

Kagome had no idea how right she had been when she thought the night would be long. The entire group had stayed up for the most of the night, only going to sleep when the skies began to lighten into a hazy blue.

She had regaled them with the stories of her `strength training', eliciting bouts of laughter in the face of ignorance on her `teachers' behalf, and they told her about all of the battles they had gone through. Kagome had wondered what was happening with Naraku, but her friend's didn't miss a beat and told her about the half-demon's latest traps. Apparently he was ready to finish this game he was playing, something they were all willing to do.

She looked up to the ceiling from her position next to Shippou and sighed in contentment. Gods she missed being here.

The flap to the hut opened and closed quickly and silently, but Kagome had noticed the draft and looked over to the entrance to see Kaede making her way towards her futon. The old woman looked over to her and smiled with a nod.

"Ye have returned child. I'm glad. Are ye better now?"

Kagome smiled and nodded to her mentor.

"I only just returned at nightfall. We all decided to head out tomorrow, get a good nights rest first."

Kaede nodded and slowly pushed her body down into a sitting position on her mat. Her bones weren't what they used to be, and at seeing more than sixty summers already, she was a testament to old age that most didn't see in this era.

She smiled at Kagome's expression of worry and let out the breath she had been holding during her descent. The night's events had worn her out; she would have to catch up with Kagome when they returned from their jewel hunt later.

"Get some rest Kaede. We can talk later."

Kaede nodded and smiled at Kagome's adept perceptivity. The young woman was bright and caring, two of the many traits that attracted so much attention to her.

She lay down her head and saw nothing but the darkness of her eyelids as they drooped from weariness. Kaede was gone to the arms of sleep before her head even reached the mat.

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

"Inuyasha, yelling at me won't get this done any faster."

Kagome shot him a dry look before returning her attention to the boiling noodles. Really, you would think he would be a little more grateful that she had even thought to bring him Ramen after the overly extended absence.

She shook her head and smiled at the inevitability of it all. It honestly didn't matter if it was a day or a century…the dog always had been, and would most likely always remain, impatient.

"Feh"

Kagome laughed at the familiar answer and reached to her side for the small packet of seasoning. She would never tire of his antics, so long as they were in the comfort zone of friendly chitchat.

"Here you go Shippou"

She handed him a bowl of steaming Ramen and reached down for the next one. Her motions didn't go far as Inuyasha pelted her with insults.

"Hey wench, what about mine? I've been waiting patiently and you go and give him some first? What the-"

"Sit boy"

"What the hell was that for?"

Kagome smiled at Miroku and Sango as they tried to hide their slight laughter behind their hands. She handed them their Ramen with a wistful sigh.

"It's good to be home"

She set Inuyasha's bowl of Ramen next to his fallen form and made her way to the corner of the hut to eat her own bowl. Before she had left his side, Kagome whispered low to Inuyasha something that was quite effectively getting the half-dog's thought process rolling.

"Children first. You aren't a child anymore!"

Kagome smiled into the steam of her food and filed the memory away.

The meal was eaten in comfortable silence as everyone enjoyed the very missed `delicacy'. After that, the group packed up and headed out for a long shard hunt with a few good-byes to the neighboring villagers.

Kagome remembered a few of the faces from earlier that morning that had come to `welcome her home' as they had put it. She didn't fight the bright smile that made its way to her features in their presence.

The fact that so many liked her that much gave her ample reason to grip contentment with a ready mind; she had been unsettled for so long now. The girl was in a truly blissful state for the rest of that day.

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

"Inuyasha, let's stop for lunch at the next village. I'm getting hungry!"

Inuyasha looked down to the boy at his side and ruffled his hair with a nod. He was getting a bit hungry too, and the idea of Ramen made his stomach ache with anticipation.

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

Kagome noticed the small gestures of the two from the back of the group and smiled. Shifting her bag higher on her back, she smiled and watched on as Inuyasha and Shippou strengthened a bond they had actualized unknowingly a long time ago.

"Kagome?"

She looked to the side to see Sango's soft brown eyes asking for her attention as she slowed to walk near Kagome. She returned Sango's look with her eyes, a silent question returned.

"I just missed you is all! How's your leg doing?"

"Oh Sango, don't worry so much. My leg has been healed for quite a while now. A lot of time was spent on my schoolwork back there. I had actually been physically well enough to return for a couple months."

Sango nodded and returned her attentions to the walk. In all actuality she was preoccupied with the sights of a monk and his confident strides, but that was just between her and her maker, or so she thought. She heard Kagome's whisper and flushed a pretty pink rose when she realized what, or rather whom the woman was referring to.

"Have you told him yet?"

Sango stood up straighter and repositioned her bone-boomerang on her back before responding.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!"

The indignation that should have been present with those words didn't seem to come out. Kagome just shook her head and laughed lightly.

"Sure Sango, but if you want to convince me, don't look at him when you say that."

Sango's rosy pink cheeks ascended a few notches to a pretty red as she ducked away from Kagome's annoyingly perceptive eyes.

Kagome watched her friend blush and decided that she had poked fun at her long enough. She supposed it wouldn't be long before the two were planning a wedding with all the bantering her and Inuyasha gave the two, even though Inuyasha was still a bit reluctant to admit that they had anything between them.

She was entertaining thoughts of the beautiful affair but was cut from her daydreams at the old familiar, chilling sensations that ran up her spine. A demon was near, a very familiar demon.

Inuyasha had stopped and cast an apprehensive look to Kagome that she caught and returned with a worried expression of her own. When the `visitor' came into view, everyone went stalk still.

The breeze lifted and played with her hair as she made her way slowly to the front, knowing he was there for her. She was nervous as all hell, but not scared.

Kagome stepped past Inuyasha and whispered low to keep him from stopping her, and to relax his nerves a bit; he was on edge more than her and it wasn't helping at all.

"Don't worry, he won't hurt me"

Of course, she had meant it to calm him down, but it only served to rile him further.

"What the hell do you mean? You're not going any further!"

He grabbed her shoulder firmly to emphasize his point and was slightly taken with the glare she turned on him. It was a clear statement of her intentions to break that command.

"No way Kagome, you said so yourself, you're not sure why!"

He was referring to Sesshoumaru's interest in her and was incomparably thankful for his discretion on the matter in the face of their comrades. She placed her hand on his and gripped it lightly to free herself before pulling it down to the side and releasing him with a smile.

"I'll be fine. Trust me."

Those two words, that was all it took; two words that he could not deny her. Trust me. If there was anything to say for their relationship, it was their strength in trust, and for that he knew that he had to let her go.

She saw his nod and turned back to the demon in question. What he wanted, she could only guess, but Kagome hoped that today he would let her in on the secret.

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

Kagome walked forward with determined steps and stopped just a few meters from him. He was watching her with a great amount of interest that demanded his attention.

She cleared her throat softly and regarded him with a firm, yet unsure voice.

"Sesshoumaru"

Sesshoumaru noticed the familiar way in which she regarded him, but decided to brush it off with a nod.

"Kagome"

He graced her with the same courtesy and watched with satisfaction as her eyes widened slightly with her shock at his familiar demeanor. He realized that she was fidgeting slightly under his gaze and smirked; he could elicit so many emotions from the girl with a simple word.

"Look, we need to talk. Do you…"

Kagome glanced back to her friends and sighed before whispering the last of her question.

"Do you want to go somewhere a bit more private?"

He raised a perfectly sculpted brow and did his best to not portray any of the mirth he felt from that small statement. She might have noticed it, but by the Gods he was thankful no one else could see it.

"Come"

That one word was both a command and an answer to her question. She turned to her friends with a wave and smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry, we'll be right back"

Kagome ran to catch up with the long-striding Demon Lord, leaving behind a very confused and shocked group of friends.

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

Sesshoumaru stood on the top of a hill that overlooked a light meadow. There were many beautiful things surrounding him, but he couldn't help looking to the one thing he had brought with him, Kagome.

She was a spitfire, that one, and currently someone who graced his thoughts more than he would care to admit. Bringing her here, he had thought that they would talk over his reason for seeking her out, but only that. It's true, they had not discussed anything else, but Sesshoumaru couldn't help thinking that she was hiding something.

He didn't understand where the feeling manifested itself, only that what she held was secret, personal, and in some way connected to him. It bothered and confused him to no ends, but he figured they would be together soon enough for him to figure out the mystery that is Kagome. That was the whole point to this parade, was it not?

He watched her play with the ends of her sash and decided to sit by her as per her earlier invitation. They had talked over his idea, and she had asked a few questions, but nothing was really decided yet.

The idea was simply that he wished to defeat Naraku and knew that this girl was the key to the half-demon's demise. Kagome had only to realize her powers and learn to use them properly first; it was something that he could help her with. He would do just about anything to see to the half-demon's demise for daring to threaten his charge.

On her behalf, she would `entertain' his curiosity of the human species during their travels. Yes, he was going to join the makeshift clan of hers and put up with his brother for reasons even he didn't understand yet. He was simply curious to know more about her.

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

Kagome had spent a marginal amount of time contemplating the currents of her situation. She noticed that Sesshoumaru was gracing her the time she needed to arrive at a conclusion. The terms were fairly clear and indefinably easy.

Her choice was rather simple, she had actually already made it, but she was still wondering about his…addiction? Obsession? Curiosity? Interest? She didn't know what the hell to call it.

She had tried to ask about the encounter between he and Inuyasha regarding her, but there really was no delicate way to do it. Kagome had actually gone out on a limb and directly asked him what the deal was and his answer would have floored her, had she not already been seated.

He couldn't lie, he didn't know how, and so he had answered her truthfully. There was still a doubt, however, as to whether or not he was telling her the whole truth.

Sesshoumaru simply told her that he wanted to know more about her, he was curious to know more. It wasn't the all-informing answer that gave her doubt though; it was the pregnant pause between her question and his answer that he took to phrase his reply to his liking.

She wanted to know where his curiosity stemmed from, when his view of her had changed from hated enemy to respected subject. Kagome wasn't fool enough to actually think that he could consider her a friend for even a moment, but the role of respected subject had better chances for life after encounters than hated enemy did.

Kagome looked to the side to see the beautiful demon lord gazing out at the horizon. She realized just then that he didn't know either; his fascination was simply that, curiosity.

"Alright then"

She stood resolutely while brushing the dirt and grass from her kimono. Looking over at him, she realized he was watching her intently.

"Do what you will, not that you wouldn't anyhow, but it helps to know that I don't mind."

He watched her half-amused, half irritated. So she thought he needed her permission did she? But then she had acknowledged that he would have done it with or without her consent. Then again, if he would have, why did he come up with this elaborate scheme to be near her in the first place?

He didn't have an answer to that question and so refused to think on it any further, reveling in the fact that she did just agree to his terms without question or condition of her own, save for the whole `don't kill my friends, that includes Inuyasha' thing. Whatever.

With that he stood and dusted himself off in much the same manner as Kagome had. He noticed she was watching him almost expectantly and wondered why. Then it struck him; he had taken her quite a ways away from her group and she couldn't very well walk there alone, especially if she wanted to get back by nightfall, which was quickly approaching.

Though he loathed the idea of most humans, and resented the touch of just about everyone, he knew that close proximity was needed for flight. He called on his magic and watched as a red mist formed beneath him.

Resigning himself to his honor, Sesshoumaru held out his hand and offered her help. It felt strange to him to be thinking of another's needs especially a human woman, but what was Rin if not the same?

She had accepted his help with gratitude and stepped onto his cloud with little more than a jolt of her muscles. He pulled her closer to him and lifted off into the air.

Kagome shook with an interminable amount of fear; she doubted she could ever get used to flying at all. Her hands instinctively gripped the closest steady object that just happened to be Sesshoumaru.

His smirk brought a scowl to her features; he was amused by her fear of heights. Or was it her instinctual grip on his person? It didn't matter, he was laughing at her and that was that.

She huffed in annoyance and turned her head to the side. A bad move as it provided her with ample view of missing ground speeding by beneath them. She held tighter to his armor, extracting a small noise that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle from the cold demon lord.

`Cold, hah! This guy is hotter than a summer in Kyoto!"

Kagome donned a light pink flush at that and ducked her head further away from Sesshoumaru. Gods, what the hell was she thinking? Hot? Oh wow, if her friends knew what she was thinking right now…she didn't want to finish that thought.

What would happen if Sesshoumaru found out? He couldn't read minds could he?

Kagome daringly peeked up at the demon lord's face and jumped with a surprised `eep' when she noticed his gaze on her. The flush had returned and she figured it had become something of a deep crimson, if the heat she felt from it was anything to go by.

She heard it again, and this time there was no mistaking it…he was laughing at her. How dare he?

Kagome chanced another look at him, but this time it was a glare that clearly told him to cut it out. Her situation was precarious, to say the least, as she realized that she was currently entertaining crushing thoughts about the Demon Lord from the land of All in Alliance to Anathematize Humans.

She must be crazy to entertain such notions of beauty and longing. Such a sight was he, but a forbidden sight. `Forbidden Refinement' Kagome scowled at herself. `Oh how wonderful, now he has a new title!'

She rolled her eyes at her own predictability and quickly chased any betraying thoughts from her mind by gazing back at the distant earth. May as well get used to flying, just in case he decides to play super-demon and scare the shit out of her on a whim or something.

Who was she to say he wouldn't play with her head? She didn't know him like she knew Inuyasha; that was someone she could guarantee would mess with her if he ever found out just how deep her fear of flight was rooted.

Kagome's thoughts wandered in and out of reality as she drifted lazily above the ground with her new protector. His current thoughts were merely set on her job to get Inuyasha to agree to their new pact. This would definitely be interesting.

Sesshoumaru caught her attention and nodded out to some distant view, watching as Kagome lifted her head from his chest plate to see what he wanted to show her. He was slightly surprised when she placed on hand on his arm and the other on his chest in a gentle practice before regarding him.

"Let me deal with them alone, but stay close so that you can hear us, ok?"

His nod put her at ease, and so she rested her head against his armor once more. She was actually becoming quite comfortable with the bone and steel barrier between the two of them.

Sesshoumaru landed gently and held her up until the deep magic dissipated from beneath them. She was grateful to see it gone too, not only for her fear of heights, but also because it was taking everything she had not to purify the damn thing from here to kingdom come.

Gently setting her on the ground, Sesshoumaru watched with poorly veiled amusement as she tried to re-associate her body with the feeling of gravity.

She must have noticed the amusement because she turned her eyes on him with fire and struck his arm lightly, almost playfully even, while attempting to scold him.

"Don't give me that look. It's not like I'm the one that plays superman every day!"

His confused eyes were not lost on her as she sighed in embarrassment.

"Sorry, um, never mind. I'll be right back!"

With that she turned and entered the thick foliage that lead to her friends. Neither of them noticed that they had both overlooked her physical `infraction' on the Demon Lord. Either that or they blatantly chose to ignore it for reasons each separately harbored within.

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

Inuyasha was first to notice her entering the camp. His eagerness to see his friend returned unscathed was clearly written in the critical eye that he used to look her over. When he found nothing out of place or mistreated, Inuyasha turned his gaze to one of expectance.

"What?"

Her eyes held an air of incredulous curiosity. She knew he would want to know what was going on, but damn. Couldn't he wait at least until she had sat down and got comfortable?

"Don't give me that, wench. You leave with a `Don't worry'…right, like that's even possible, then you say `we'll be right back'. Uh-huh, and I thought you were the smart one; it was lunch when you left and it's passed dinner time now…you do the math braniac. What did he want anyway?"

Kagome's eye brow twitched in irritation. His brother, the human-hating Demon Lord, at least had enough courtesy to use her name, so why couldn't Inuyasha? After all that remembering he had just done, you would think that something like her name would be at least habitual by now.

"Sit boy"

Inuyasha hit the ground with a satisfying thud. Kagome simply smirked at his string of curses and made her way towards the campfire to settle in while she had the opportunity.

When Inuyasha was freed from the enchantment, he made his way to sit directly in front of her and glare. She returned his look with a twist of her head and a snotty `what are you gonna do about it' look before beginning her explanations.

None of this went unnoticed by their companions. It was realized, with no small amount of mirth, that the two were definitely beyond the `how do I act around you now' phase and comfortably settling into the `go ahead, try and bite me' stage.

"There are a lot of people that have been affected by Naraku's evils, Sesshoumaru is no different"

At the mention of Sesshoumaru, Kagome sent Inuyasha a look that clearly said `shut up, I don't want to hear it'. His reply was his usual `feh' as he turned his attentions to the flames next to him and crossed his arms. He was pouting and she knew it, but she didn't care.

"We are at the point that all allies are needed…"

Inuyasha looked as though he was going to reply so she set him with a glare and cut him off.

"And wanted! I have spoken with Sesshoumaru and we have come to an agreement."

Everyone turned shocked eyes to Kagome. They weren't expecting that obviously, but then what were they thinking? Honestly!

"He will join in our efforts to defeat Naraku and with that he offers the aid of his army of demons."

"But…"

Sango decided to be the brave one and asked the question Kagome dreaded the most. With no small amount of effort, Kagome turned to her friends and kept on her relaxed appearance in the face of impending death.

"But why? I mean, that's not to say that I disagree with the help, but why would he even want to join with us?"

Now that was the kicker wasn't it? How was she going to explain this one to everyone's satisfaction?

"That is an agreement between Lord Sesshoumaru and myself. Just let it be known that it is enough!"

Kagome looked to Inuyasha and noticed his gaze. He was clearly screaming at her in his expression `we'll talk later'; she'd have to be an idiot not to realize what he was thinking.

Kagome nodded in submission and sighed. She wasn't stupid; she could see the questions and accusations rising up in all of her friends, but for now her answer would stand. They would understand it all later she hoped.

Now that the hard part was done, her muscles took on a more relaxed pose that allowed her to breathe more readily. She glanced behind her at the foliage and glared into the darkness.

"I'll be right back guys."

"Hold it, where are you going?"

Inuyasha sure was on top of things tonight wasn't he?

"It's just…I'll be right back, ok?"

He nodded but she didn't miss his low growl of disapproval. She didn't care though and simply left the camp from where she had entered.

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

"That went surprisingly well!"

Kagome jumped at the voice and nodded.

"You're telling me. You should have seen Inuyasha's face though…he is pissed!"

"It doesn't matter. He does not have a choice."

Kagome sighed and glanced back at the direction she had come.

"Yeah, I know, but that doesn't mean I'm looking forward to the talk later!"

Sesshoumaru raised a brow at her and tilted his head slightly to the side in question.

"Oh, sorry bout that. Um, he wants to know what I um…what my end of the deal is."

"You're going to tell him?"

Kagome stomped in annoyance, much like a child would, and glared at him through blazing honey brown eyes.

"No! But I have to tell him something!"

He raised his brow again, obviously wondering why she had to answer to Inuyasha like that. They weren't lovers; she had said as much herself.

"Stop that!"

"Stop what?"

"The eyebrow thingy! Stop…" Kagome pushed her brow up with one finger to emphasize her point with her opposite hand planted firmly on her hip.

"That. It's so annoying! If you want to know something, then ask."

Sesshoumaru fought a smile, a battle he almost lost, and nodded. He knew that he should be offended or even slightly put off at her quick hand to order him, but it was such a menial request, and things like this simply had to be compromised if he planned on keeping his sanity. Really, why he was doing this, he couldn't say; he had no idea what deity possessed him and was currently laughing at his expense.

"Very well then, why must you tell Inuyasha such information? You said yourself that he was merely your friend."

Kagome sighed and had to wonder if this stickler ever had a friend in his life. He was a dog demon, so surely he understood the art of loyalty.

"He's sort of what you would consider a pack leader. This is his pack, he's supposed to know all this stuff"

"And yet you will fabricate a lie in the face of your leader? I thought you said you were loyal."

"Ayah! One would think that you wanted me to tell him about your…need!"

"Indeed"

"Oh gods Sesshoumaru, just let me handle Inuyasha. If you do it then we'll all be dead by sunrise…not something I'm looking forward to, ok?"

Kagome began her walk back to the camp with one highly amused, haughty Demon Lord in tow. This was going to be a long night.

`-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-` `-`

Alrighty then, I'm DONE! Now let's see what you all think…PRESS THE BUTTON ~__~

Hold on HOLD ON…BEFORE you kill me and go all `this was way too OOC' on me, let me explain something. First off, Sesshoumaru was thrown by Kagome's familiarity with him. Damn, for all he knew, the last encounter they had was a `die human scum' and `give me Tetsaiga' sort of day!

Not only that, but you didn't see the whole encounter…that's later, and he's just so confused about it all that a bit of OOCness was all he could manage, lest he run away with his tail between his legs (pun intended). ::evil grin:: So…now review…okay?