The Road Unkown

by Gwendylion

It was during her patrol of the room that her eyes stopped on the shards of shikon that lay imprisoned in the tiny glass bottle on her night stand. Her eyes were blurred with tears from sleepiness as she began to wonder what was to become of her travels.

A/N: Okay, so I whipped this one up after a long day at work. It has not yet been proof-read. It may still be subject to some changes. Afterall, I did finish writing this at two in the morning. But, none the less, I hope you like it, and let me know what you think. I believe this is the first Inu/Kag fan fiction I've written, so I hope all the Inu/Kag fans dig it =D So without further ado…

The Road Unknown

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Words couldn't even describe the tiredness that lingered in Kagome's eyes and though she longed to close them and rest her head on the soft pillow that she so missed, she had studying that was to be done. At least, if she wanted to have even the slightest chance of passing her geometry test.

A deep sigh submerged from her the bellows of her chest and she leaned back in her chair, gazing at the once familiar walls of her room. It seemed strange to be home. As though it were a privilege. And indeed it was exactly that. A reincarnated miko did not have so many luxuries that she could visit her own time so often. Even though relaxing was the last thing on Kagome's list. After a few short minutes had passed she averted her eyes back to the papers that lay stacked noisily about her desk and resumed her studies. Letters, numbers and shapes merged together to form the chaos that was geometry and with each passing second, more chaos ensued.

"Ugh! This isn't right! I don't understand any of this!" Kagome muttered in utter frustration. She had been out of school this time for three weeks due to "Fungal Milosis" which as her grandpa so lovingly stated, was a fungi that grew in places a respectable person would not speak of. It was expected now for her friends to question her strange symptoms and illness'. And though her friend's still supported her, she wondered if they would continue their kindness if they knew that she had not really been ill and was traveling to the Feudal era of Japan.

Again, she fell victim to her wandering thoughts and with another deep sigh returned to the reality of her uneventful studies.

It was only after Kagome had successfully fallen asleep amidst the papers and books that drowned her desk, that InuYasha peered his head in the window of her silent room. His twitching ears led him to believe that in fact, she was sound asleep with no earthly idea that he had entered her realm. And though one would assume to leave those sleeping, alone, InuYasha was not one of them.

"Oi..Kagome!"

As though, electrocuted, Kagome jumped up with a start, whirled around in her chair and nearly toppled over into the floor. Had InuYasha not been there to catch her, she would have had one nasty bump on the head. Her cheeks tinged with red and then she stood quickly from his arms and placed her hands, irritatingly on her hips. "InuYasha!…." It was in that moment that he cringed for he assumed that the next word would be the one to put him in his grave. He waited for that one word, but it never came. He opened one eye to look at Kagome, but she had already returned to the chair at her desk as if he had never come.

"Are you going to be studying for gee-oom-at-tree all night?"

"I told you I have a huge test tomorrow!"

"So what? I've come to bring you back."

This was not an unusual conversation between the two, and so it continued for five minutes until Kagome finally uttered the word that InuYasha had expected at the wrong time.

"Osuwari…"

After his untimely recovery from the command, he sat up and crossed his arms over his bold chest and huffed. "Well I'll just wait here then" he mumbled incoherently under his breath. It made a small smile cross Kagome's features as she penciled in her notes on the area of squares. He almost always miffed her but never failed to make her smile.

The hour was becoming late as Kagome began to doze off again. It was apparent that she would never finish studying and finally with a whine she removed herself from the mahogany desk and walked to her ever so inviting bed. Once there, she plopped down beside InuYasha and lowered her head. He had actually been nice enough to stay quiet for the remainder of her studying and for that she thanked him. But regardless of her many hours spent slaving over text books, her efforts appeared fruitless. InuYasha finally spoke after the tingling silence that enveloped the room for an hour had worn monotonous on his ears.

"Are you ready to go now?"

Kagome almost laughed as if his question posed as a joke.

"Are you kidding?! I'm sleeping here tonight! My test is tomorrow, I need to sleep in a real bed for once, and I'm not returning until those things have been done!"

"Fine!" he growled so elegantly under her words. "Then I'm sleeping here tonight too!"

And not to argue the point any further with him, she dropped it and fell back onto her bed with every stress leaving her body the moment she hit the tender mattress. InuYasha looked back at her, as if he was expecting her to invite him to lay down, but waited not for her to say anything and then he too fell back on the small bed. The moment he hit the bed, Kagome's cheeks blossomed a gentle pink and she looked over at him as if he were truly implying that they sleep on the same bed. He looked over at her, but said nothing, for he did not know that sleeping in the same bed together meant so many things in Kagome's time.

She tried shaking it off, but her heart began to thump widly in her chest. She only prayed that he could not hear it.

"Kagome..what's wrong? You're heart is racing."

Of course, he could hear it, with those undeniable dog ears that were perched atop his silver mane. "N-nothing.." she stammered as her eyes wandered around the room. It was during her patrol of the room that her eyes stopped on the shards of shikon that lay imprisoned in the tiny glass bottle on her night stand. Her eyes were blurred with tears from sleepiness as she began to wonder what was to become of her traveling to the other realm once the shikon no tama was whole again. She looked to InuYasha who was staring up at the ceiling with a thoughtful look spread evenly across his structured face.

"Inu..Yasha.." she began, her tone much different from their early spat.

"Hm," he replied his gaze fixed to the same spot.

"What happens… once the shikon no tama is whole again..?"

He had never thought about it before, and wasn't sure of how to answer. What would happen once everything was said and done. Would Kagome even be needed anymore? Would she fade from the existence of the feudal era? It was an unpleasant thought for both that neither would admit bothered them at the moment. Unfortunately there was no proper answer to be given, for only time would tell the truth and what would really happen. Kagome gazed up at the dog demon in silence as he looked down at her with an unreadable look in his eyes.

"Kagome.. " was all he could manage to say. And somehow, she was okay with that. Her eyes were watering and this time it was not from lack of sleep. Within a matter of seconds, InuYasha grabbed her side and had pulled her into his chest. It was an unusual move for him, but he felt drawn to her like a moth to a flame. He tried fighting the blush that rose deep in his cheeks but couldn't seem to prevent the imposter of blood rushing to his head and so the tears commenced as she soaked his clothing with salt and sadness.

He held her tight and without knowing what he was doing he ran his claws through her silky black hair.

"Kagome..no matter what happens, I will always be here" he whispered softly against her hair. It was uncharacteristic of him to be so gentle, but if he was caught in the act, the heart of the receiver could be found in a pool on the ground. She sniffled as she nuzzled her head into his neck and closed her eyes. "InuYasha.. I.." but too afraid to say how she really felt, she shook her head some and moved her head as to look at his eyes once more. She was always terrified that it would be the last time she would look at him.

"I know Kagome.." he placed his fingers softly under her wet chin and lifted her face so that he could see it in the moonlight.

"I know.." he repeated. His deep eyes seemed to be never ending in such a predictable and dull world. Kagome's eyes widened with such greatness that InuYasha's mouth curved into an unforgettable smile. It was not often she was graced with this. But unforgettable was quickly replaced when he slowly leaned in to her, his eyes beginning to close. She had lost all sense of thought and quickly lost track of all events prior to the moment.

This was it. Everything was beginning to fade away except for the feeling of his lips pressing so lovingly against her own.

It was only after they had pulled away that she truly noticed how much she loved him. But there was no need to tell him, for he knew. And if he was to always be there, then she could always remind him.

And now the sleep had finally set in. Both curled up tightly in each other's warm embrace as dreams danced about in their heads. No matter what was to come, they would jump over any obstacles that forced it's way into their path. And no matter how difficult it would present itself, they would always find the each other.

It was the hope of two fates intertwined into one that would always connect them, and never fray. For love is the strongest weapon and the heals all wounds in time.