Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply

A/N: Feb 24 2013

Okay. This chapter until chapter 3 will be edited to conform to grammar rules and to fix some glaring issues that I see after a quick read over. As of today that is not yet done. When I do so I will remove this portion of the notes. However, I won't bother rewriting these 3 chapters in entirety.

I've simply discovered my abandoned fanfics and have decided they must be finished! Obviously, you will see huge changes from chapter 3 to 4 since there is literally a 10 year gap there...Final chapter is currently in progress. It will be published in the next couple of days.

Kagome opened her eyes. The wide expanse of the night sky met her gaze, its cloak

littered by golden orbs like hanging on an endless trapeze. The stars had seen sights not

many have seen for long, they watched in silent vigil the happenings of earth and now

they seemed to look down upon her, twinkling and glinting. She gave a small smile, and

turned her gaze towards the forest. Sleep was elusive tonight it kept hiding around

corners and just when she thought blissful oblivion was near, it darted off again, swift as

the wind.

She let her thoughts weave like leaves swept in the midst of an autumn gale,

leisurely, but with an unprecedented force carrying them at flashing speeds. She had

grown weary of this continuous hunt for the Shikon no Tama; she was truly gaining

nothing from this. Nothing but bruises, insults, there was the constant fear of an attack,

she was doing terribly in her schoolwork and the one thing she truly craved was as

unreachable as domes of the heavens. Her musings turning to Inuyasha she tilted her head

towards the tree he had occupied for the night.

To her surprise he was not sleeping, but watching the moon arch her way through

the sky bathing him in her silver glow. His hair like that of molten silver danced in

languid curves in the gentle breeze, some strands being caught hold by the rustling fabric

of his crimson yakuta that hung in folds from his leg. He seemed deep in thought, one

knee upraised with his arm resting on it and the other leg falling of the branch swaying

like a pendulum.

'That outfit really is way to large for him,' she thought with a smile 'how he manages to

move so deftly in it is beyond me.'

Turning his head Inuyasha looked down at Kagome, holding her gaze "Sleep Kagome,

you'll need the energy for tomorrow."

Kagome caught her breath as he turned to face her, his amber eyes glinting with silver

rays of moon, for once there was no barrier in them. They were unguarded, exposing his

soul to the world in their turbulent depths. She couldn't look away, was caught like a deer

in headlights, whirling farther into forbidden areas, sacred areas. Amber emotions swirled

around her: hope, pain, but most of all a boundless sorrow.

She snapped back to reality by his voice, it sounded so much softer, conveying the

same sadness his eyes had held. How she wished to comfort him, to be able to hold him

close and have him confide in her. She dreamed of stroking his hair, the feel of his silken

tresses slipping and sliding between her fingers and how she wanted to feel his skin. To

be able to run her hands down his chest; to feel the ripple of muscle below her palm and

to trace her way towards hidden treasures. A blush covered her cheeks at the thought, but

it was true! She couldn't deny the fact that despite all her outbursts about Inuyasha and

Miroku being hentai, well not Inuyasha even nearly as much as Miroku, she was guilty of

the same charge; these kind of thoughts just couldn't be that of lady. His lips haunted her

dreams, notwithstanding the foul and insulting things that they said to her she was dieing

to feel them; to press her own against his and lose herself in the warm heat of passion.

And most of all, she wanted to call Inuyasha hers.

With a sad sigh she cast her gaze to the ground. She knew that would never happen, she

was nothing more than a friend. At least she hoped he even considered her that, at most

she guessed she was a shard detector. Yet at times he gave her glimpses of hope, those

were few and far between, but nonetheless they were there. An offhand remark, a

mumble in a daze or whisper meant only for himself yet overheard, but most off all it was

in his actions. Inuyasha acted so protective of her; at times she had dared to call it

jealousy and always he protected her. No matter what he was always there, putting his

own life at risk to save her; maybe it was just she was irreplaceable as a shard detector,

but she dreamed it was because he cared.

With that last thought Kagome finally managed to capture sleep, peace overtaking

her as the moon gently caressed her to the land of dreams, where hopes become reality.

The one place where a person can find solace for above is the realm of dreams below are

the worlds of silence and in-between is chaos.

Inuyasha stared out into the trees, their tall stoic trunks like guardians of the earth.

How he wished his troubles would fade away and get tangles within the canopy so he

wouldn't have to deal with them. To tell the truth he didn't know what to do about Kikyo,

Kagome or Naraku. On one hand everything seemed so simple, forget Kikyo, take

Kagome, kill Naraku, no biggie right? That's how he wished it were, only things were so

much more complicated and he hated complicated. Kikyo plagued his dreams and

conscience, forever twisting the noose of guilt ever tighter. Naraku, well he didn't have

the first clue how he was going to kill him, he'd never tell anyone his doubts. No his

pride wouldn't let him, and the times he had fought Naraku he was strong. When they

would meet for their final confrontation there was no telling how many shards he would

have by then left the thought unfinished. As for Kagome she was the light in his

troubled world.

He had grown to depend on her to always be there, to smile and make everything

better for the time being. To always offer support whether she knowingly did so or not,

and cheer him up with her laugh of bells and sparkling blue eyes. Yet what she gave was

truly not enough, he wanted more, much more. He tried to tell her of his feelings, explain

to her somehow that he cared; she was his best friend and gods how he wished she would

be willing to be more. Yet no matter how he tried he couldn't tell her. His pride wouldn't

allow it, and he just couldn't let his emotions be open like that. It would leave him

vulnerable, helpless and if she were to reject his feelings.

Bowing his head Inuyasha closed his eyes. There was no way he could allow

himself to be exposed so, he couldn't afford to be hurt again. He would continue on

living as he did now, basking in the glow her smile sent, blushing at the offhand contact

of skin to skin, and forever wishing to pull her into a warm embrace, to claim her, for

her to be his.

A/N: Umm, please review. Your criticism is essential and I get my inspiration to write from reviewers. If something here is grammatically incorrect, or the word use is improper please correct me and I will make the proper adjustments in the text, but this is my third language so I hope I'm allowed to make some mistakes ^.^ Also I know this chapter has no action in it at all, I just wanted to get how the characters feel about each other out so I have something to work with. I am also warning that the rating will go up as the chapters progress and there will be a lemon. Anywho I'm falling of my chair now I started typing this too late and now its 3:02 . so ya please review as the coat hangers at the drycleaners say "THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATRONAGE" hehe.I don't know why I like..hehe..heh..