Not mine.

I awoke with a stir. How could I have let myself go to sleep? What if Naraku or some equally horrifying demon had taken Kagome? What would I have done without her? She was my Jewel Detector, after all.

I felt something move against my stomach. I looked down to see Kagome sleeping there, up against my stomach with a small smiling gracing her lips. I thought back. How had we gotten like this? Oh yes... Kagome was having a nightmare...

.:Flashback to Last Night:.

I sat against the tree with Tetsusaiga against my shoulder. Nights were always so boring. While everyone else slept, I'd stay up to watch for demons, despite Kagome's protests that she couldn't sense a shard anywhere nearby and that I should get some sleep. But I usually got a few hours in before the moon had set, and that was enough for me.

I had been spending the past few nights just watching Kagome sleep, though. Ever since she had kissed me in the Castle of Mirrors, I have been unable to take my eyes off her. Luckily, she was too busy looking the opposite direction of me to notice.

I had been pretty stupid not to notice. Kagome knew I wouldn't have sustained such a horrible injury if that arrow Kaguya shot had hit me. But she threw herself in front of it anyways. And then there were those times when I'd see Kikyo, and Kagome would stalk off to her time when she caught wind of it.

And, of course, she had put herself in danger by embracing me when I was in my full-demon form. And that kiss... It was one of the most blissful feelings I had ever felt. Right up there with defeating enemies.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard her whimper.

"No! Inuyasha... don't go! I don't want you to... It's not fair..."

I came over to her and shook her. "Kagome? Kagome? Wake up! You're having a bad dream!"

It didn't work. She was thrashing so much I was afraid she'd hurt herself. I pulled her into my lap, pushing her hair to the sides of her face.

She sat up a moment later, eyes wide and wet.

"Kagome? Are you all right?" I asked her, worried.

She looked at me and buried her face into my shoulder. "Thank the gods it was just a dream!"

"What was a dream?"

Kagome pulled back and looked at me. "I had a dream that you were dying... I was so s-scared," she hiccupped.

I put a hand on her back and patted her awkwardly. "It's all right. I'm right here. I'm not dying." She snuggled closer into my stomach and fell asleep. And me, the weakling that I really was, fell asleep as well. Being that close to her heavenly scent intoxicated me; it was much too large a fight to keep my eyes open.

.:End Flashback:.

I looked up to see Miroku, Sango, and Shippo standing over me.

"What'd we miss?" asked Sango, on the verge of laughter.

"N-nothing!" I said, blushing.

Kagome opened her eyes and looked at me. "Um... hi." she was blushing as well.

I jumped up quickly. "It's not what it looks like! Kagome was having a bad dream so I woke her up and then I fell asleep."

"And she just happened to crawl into your arms while you were asleep?" asked Miroku.

"Well, no. I sort of took her into my arms when I was trying to comfort her."

"Why didn't you just shake her awake?"

"I tried!"

"So you just took her into your arms and she woke up?" asked Sango.

"Only because she was thrashing so much!"

"Hey! Stop talking like I'm not even here!" said an indignant Kagome.

"What was your dream about, Kagome?" asked Shippo.

"Inuyasha dying," said Kagome in a small voice.

Miroku threw his hands up into the air and walked off. I followed him.

"Nothing happened. Really." To my surprise, I heard a hint of disappointment in my voice.

"Why are you so quick to deny that something's there?" asked Miroku. "I knew you felt something for her the moment I asked her to bear my children. And we all saw that kiss, Inuyasha. Don't try to deny you didn't enjoy it. You freaking changed back just to experience it!"

I blushed involuntarily.

"We both know she loves you, and you obviously lover her, so what's stopping you?"

"She deserves better! It may be interesting to be with a hanyou now, but she'll get tired of me. And even if she doesn't, it'd be too dangerous; I have too many enemies and I couldn't live with them hurting her."

"Inuyasha, your enemies have already noticed what you have not. That you always come to rescue Kagome from the clutches even thought it's obviously a trap. So she's already been through most of those dangers."

"All right, fine. I'm scared to tell her, all right? I'm scared to tell Kagome I love her! Happy now?"

"Yes," said a smirking Miroku. I looked behind me to see Kagome's mouth wide open, her backpack on the ground.

I blushed and walked closer to her.

"Baka." she said. I stopped and looked at her, hurt. How could I have been so deluded to think she would love a hanyou like me?

"What took you so long?" she asked, falling into my arms.

"What?" I asked, surprised beyond relief.

"You didn't hear me when I said I loved you in the Castle of Mirrors?"

"I was a bit... distracted."

Kagome laughed and laid her head on my shoulder. I stood there for a moment, trying hard not to fall over from her intoxicating smell.

"Kagome?"

She took her head off my shoulder and looked at me. Before she could say a word, I pulled her closer and covered her lips with mine.

After a moment, Kagome began to return the kiss, opening her mouth to let me in.

Finally, and "ahem" from Miroku broke us apart. We looked over at our companions. Shippo was looking at us from atop Miroku's shoulder.

Kagome reached up and wiped a droplet of blood from her mouth. "Sorry," I said sheepishly.

Kagome laughed. "It's fine, Inuyasha. I don't mind your fangs."

"I would," I heard Sango mumble.

"Does it hurt?" asked Shippo.

"I said it's fine! I... rather like it, actually," Kagome said in a small voice, blushing. I blushed too. I had no idea my fangs had such an effect on her... I'll have to look into that further.

"Not that! I mean, your tongues. It looked like you were eating each other's faces!" said Shippo.

I looked to Kagome, I look of pure horror on my face. She was blushing, but she looked at Shippo. "It's a way of showing affection, Shippo. But don't worry about it. You're much too young to even want to know about that sort of thing."

"But I do want to know!"

"No, you don't," said Miroku.

"Fine. I don't even care much anyways!"

They left, and it was just me and Kagome. Or so we thought. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo all hid behind a shrub, a ways away so that I couldn't smell them.

"What are we doing?" asked Shippo.

"Shh!" said Sango and Miroku in unison.

"Kagome?" I asked, blushing.

"Yes?"

"Will you... will you... er... be my mate?"

Kagome's face lit up. "You think I'd make a good one?"

"Kagome, you'd make the best one."

"What about Kikyo? Has she been your mate?"

"No. I only mate with one person... I want it to be you."

"Now, Inuyasha, I never thought you were still a virgin!"

"I try not to advertise it. Well, what about you? Have you had a mate?"

"Inuyasha! Of course not!"

I smiled and kissed her again, making sure to keep my fangs gentle, yet firm in a way that buckled her knees. This time I didn't taste blood in my mouth and I knew I had found the perfect way to kiss her.

We pulled back for some air, panting heavily. I picked up Sango and Miroku's scent, hearing their hushed whispers as well.

"Kagome? Let's go find a more... secluded place, shall we?" I told her in a heavy voice.

Kagome nodded, and I picked her up bridal style, bringing her into a nearby shack

.:Third Person POV:.

Miroku's eyes were beyond bulging point. "They're... They're going to... Damn it he asks just one woman and she says yes!"

Sango chuckled. "I don't think she's going to bear his children. She says she can make it so that she's protected from his seed... she called it a condor or something."

"Inuyasha, that tickles!"

His laughter, then... "What's this, Kagome?"

"You put it on there, and then we can do this more often without the thought of children... I'm only sixteen, don't you forget."

"What is the point, then, Kagome?"

"Honestly, Inuyasha! You call yourself a male? For the pleasure, duh!"

"Whoa now you know I don't like you to touch my-ahh..."

You could hear Kagome's giggling.

"Wow Kagome, I like you school uniform when it's on... but I like it a lot better when it's off!"

"I could say the same for you..."

"Kagome... don't touch there- wow that feels good!"

"Inuyasha, don't touch there, you pervert! Sit, boy!"

There was a crash. "Not on me!"

"Couldn't help it, Kagome."

Miroku looked to Sango, both thoroughly blushing. "Sounds like they're having fun," he said.

They looked over at the shack and say Shippo looking in. Sango ran over and grabbed him.

"Whoa, they're both naked, but I don't see any water! And they're doing that tongue thing again."

Miroku looked at Sango and sighed. "They're mating, Shippo. I guess since you've seen it in action, you ought to know what they're doing..."

Couldn't help writing this! Hope you enjoyed it! Review, por favor(please)!

Lady Epur out