Kagome woke at dusk. I'm still on Inuyasha, she thought, and smiled as the events of last night played through her mind. Was it all a dream? ...No, she could still feel where Inuyasha's lips had been before.
But the thoughts were tossed out of her mind when she heard someone calling her name. She looked for the source of the voice, but found nothing. She looked back at sleeping Inuyasha, who hadn't stirred since she woke up.
The voice called her name again, and this time she recognized it as Miroku. We were out all night, and Inuyasha was human. They must be worried, she thought.
"Inuyasha," she said, as she prodded him in the side. "Inuyasha, wake up."
"Mmf. No." he said, and pushed her off of him.
"Hey!" she said. "Inuyasha, it's me! Wake up! I thought demons didn't get tired easily!"
"Yeah, well, I stayed up all night as a human didn't I?" he said, opening his eyes and sitting half-way up.
"Hah! Now you're awake!" Kagome said with a smile.
"Oh, you're a bother sometimes. Wow, it's dusk already. We slept a long time." Inuyasha said, sitting up all the way now.
"Yeah. And I'm guessing Miroku, Sango, and Shippo are looking for us because I heard them shouting my name before."
"Oh, well, then I guess we should go then." he said, standing up. "Hey, I can hear them...they sound close..."
"Alright then, lets go." Kagome said and started walking towards the direction she heard the voices from.
"Yeah, uh, you wanna make this faster?" Inuyasha asked, walking up behind her, and picking her up like a bride.
"Sure, I don't mind." She said, a smile on her face.
"Alright then, Lets go. Hold on tight," Inuyasha said, and Kagome held him closer. Inuyasha jumped into the air towards his friends.
After a minute or two, Inuyasha said, "Oh look, there they are!"
"Inuyasha! Kagome! Where are you!?"
"We're right here!" Inuyasha said from some feet behind them. He let Kagome down on the ground.
"Oh, hey! There you are! We were looking all over for you! Where have you two been?" Miroku said, walking over to them.
"We were sleeping." Kagome said. Sango and Shippo came up behind Miroku.
"Sleeping? Now?"
"Uh, yeah. We stayed up all night watching the stars together. So we were tired." Kagome said.
"Inuyasha was tired?"
"Well, yeah I was human last night so...yeah."
"So...you two spent almost a day together...by yourselves? And no arguing broke out?" Shippo asked. Inuyasha took Kagome's hand, and Kagome felt her cheeks blush.
"No, there was no arguing." Inuyasha said. Miroku and Sango noticed their hands, but didn't say anything about it.
"Are we missing something here?" Sango asked.
"Yeah I was getting the same feeling."
"Uhm...you wanna tell them Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, shuffling his feet.
"N-no. You can do it." Kagome said, blushing. She looked at Inuyasha, and Inuyasha looked at her. They met each other's eyes, but then quickly looked away, each a deeper shade of red.
"Well, someone better start talking." Miroku said, eying Inuyasha with curiosity.
"Alright then," Inuyasha said, and (taking a deep breath that only he could hear) pulled Kagome by the hand close to him. He pulled her chin up and kissed her on the lips.
"We're in love." he said, and Kagome giggled, and hugged Inuyasha.
"We are." she said. An 'aw' could be heard from Miroku and Sango, and an 'Ew!' was heard from Shippo.
"Shippo, if I wasn't so happy right now, I'd beat you to a pulp for that."
"Huh? Wow, maybe Inuyasha being in love is a good thing." Shippo said, smiling. But Inuyasha and Kagome heard nothing.
All of a sudden, the clouds got dark, and the air turned cold.
"Inuyasha, what's going on?" Kagome asked, scared and shivering.
"I-I don't know." He said, but then a look of fear dawned on his face, and the others all turned to him.
"I smell...I smell...Sesshomarou. He's...he's here."
"What? Why is he here?" Sango asked.
"I don't know." Inuyasha said. He pulled Kagome close. He pushed a stray hair out of her face, and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Miroku, Sango, take Kagome and protect her with your life." He said before pulling away, and turning towards the now swirling clouds, and walking away.
Protect me? With their lives?
"Inuyasha, no, you can't defeat him on your own!" Sango called to him.
"He's my brother. I'll deal with the beast." he said, and continued walking.
"Kagome," he said, and stopped. "I want you to know I love you no matter what."
A small tear escaped Kagome's eye, and she broke free of Sango's and Miroku's grip that she hadn't realized she was in, and ran towards Inuyasha. She hugged him as hard as she could. She knew he wanted to fight to the death, and it was him or Sesshomarou. And Sesshomarou was much stronger.
"Inuyasha, please, let Miroku and Sango help you." she cried.
"No!" he said, with such force that made Kagome stop crying, and draw back. "He's mine, as are you." He pulled Kagome close again, and he kissed her forehead one last time before–
"Inu Yasha. Cuddling with mortals now are we?" a deep rattling voice said from above.
"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered, although it might not have helped, seeing as Sesshomarou was a dog as well, "I love you. Run away. Get as far away as you can."
"Did I hear you right Inuyasha? You love her? How cute." Sesshomarou said with annoying sarcasm.
"No, Inuyasha I won't leave you!" she said.
"See Inuyasha? Mortals are stupid enough to believe they can help you in a battle." the deep booming voice from above spat out.
"Yes, Sesshomarou, she may be stupid for standing by my side, but at least I have someone to love. A feeling your never going to know." Inuyasha replied.
"Hah! Who needs love?"
"I do. Every human does, even ones like me who's blood is tainted with that of a demon."
"Tainted?! I'll show you tainted!" Sesshomarou roared, and sent his green whip towards Inuyasha and Kagome. Inuyasha threw Kagome away from him, but he was to late. She had already been hit.
