A/N: thanks to those who reviewed and I truly appreciate it. ^_^ There's not much else to say except for "on to chapter 3!" ^_^ enjoy!

DogDemon: thanks for your review. Just wanted to let you know I like your observation. ^_^ Your absolutely right there is a plot that I haven't stuck in there yet and I'm also sorry to say that it'll take a while before it gets put in there. I assure you that it's for a good reason but I can't say why cause then it'll just ruin the story.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and co. doesn't belong to me? Are you sure about that? *Readers nod their heads* whahahahahahah! *Runs away crying*

...

*Comes back* Oh well, I guess I can't do anything about it. *Shrugs*

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Chapter 3 Feelings

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"Who are you trespasser?!!!"

She took in his unforgettable scent.

"Shippou?"

All she heard was a startled "huh?"

Akaya felt him lean down feeling his warm breathe feather across her bare neck and could feel the very tip of his nose come in contact with her skin sending a shiver down her spine and heat spiraling up to her face. She herd him sniff a few times and his grip on her instantly loosened and he pulled away.

"Akaya? Is that you?" he asked with surprise and what she could only describe as hope hitched in his voice.

"Hey Shippou." she responded. She drew in a gasp when she felt strong arms encircle her.

"I'm sorry I didn't know it was you. Damn, I could of hurt you, are you okay?"

She brought herself out of her surprised state and answered him. "Um. It's all right. I'm fine." She said pulling out of his embrace.

"You sure?"

Akaya had to laugh at how worried he sounded over a little thing like that. "Don't worry I'll be fine. "They were quiet for a moment. "I really missed you Shippou." she said softly. She looked at him and could tell he was still a head taller than she was. He had a thin yet muscular figure. She also realized his hair had grown down to his waist which was tied up with his same old tie and his tail had grown longer too and wasn't all bushy looking.

"I missed you too. It's so great to see you again!" he said with excitement in his voice.

Shippou could see her clearly with his youkia vision and he doubted that she could see anything more than his outline with her vision but he could feel her gaze on him. He looked at her and had a hard time swallowing and had to open and close his eyes to make sure she was real. He couldn't help the heat that went up to his cheeks and the feel of his heart thundering in his chest. She had a red sleeveless shirt that had a low cut but not low enough to show much. She wore mid-thigh shorts that stopped right under her belly button. She had light soft skin and amazingly dark blue eyes.

'Wow! She looks...beautiful. Looks a lot like her mother. Her eyes are full of life just like when we were little. The same cute ears too.'

Akaya realized she had been gazing at him and turned away but realized he'd been doing the same, which didn't help her blush.

Shippou realized he had been gawking and spoke up to cover his embarrassment. "So when did you get here?" he asked.

"Uh... this morning."

"Damn! I knew I should've made that trip for Sango last week!" He chided himself. Akaya started laughing at him.

"Huh? What's so funny?" he asked crossing his arms over is chest in agitation.

"Nothing, it's just great to hear my old playmate beat himself up again." She said with a hint of teasing in her voice.

"Hey Akaya?"

"Yeah?"

"Tickle fight!!" Shippou shouted while knocking her to the ground and tickling her.

A second later Akaya was underneath him in a fit of laughter and squirming to get free.

"Say mercy!" he commanded laughing himself.

"Never!" Akaya had flipped him over so she was on top and started tickling him.

Shippou started turning red from laughing so hard. But he still had enough strength to flip them back over.

"HA! I'm still stronger than you!" Shippou said proudly and got right back to the tickling.

"Feh! What ever!" she responded and flipped over again when she heard something in the bushes.

"Oh I know you guys aren't playing the tickle fight with out me!" Taiken had been looking for Akaya since she was taking so long when he stumbled upon the two playing their favorite childhood game.

Shippou and Akaya looked over at him just in time to see him run over and jump right on top of them. Before they knew it Taiken had both of them down and tickling them both and laughing like a maniac. Then Shippou decided to get back at him for that and they all started trying to tickle each other at the same time. (A/N: which I must say isn't easy. I've tried tickling two people at once and it really is hard.) But soon everything stopped when Akaya felt a certain someone's hand on her rear.

"AH!!! PERVERT!!"

SMACK!

"Taiken you idiot!" Akaya hissed at him.

"Sorry! I swear my hand has a mind of it's own." He laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. He turned around to come within a mere half inch from Shippou's growling scowl.

"Watch it Taiken!" he growled in a low warning tone of voice.

"Come on guys, lets get back. " Akaya said with her back turned to the two and pulling twigs and leaves out of her hair.

By the time they got back to the hut they were laughing again.

Akaya had finally gotten a good look at Shippou in the light and had the same reaction he did except she felt like she had butterflies in her stomach and turned a fierce crimson. He wore the same fury vest except it looked like it had been adjusted so it would fit his size and he didn't wear the under shirt like he used to which left a fairly tanned muscular chest for the gawking. He had the same fire red hair she remembered. He also had the same pants, which was also adjusted to fit his size. His tail swished back and forth almost hypnotically. But what really caught her attention were his fiercely green eyes when he turned to look at her. The same child like eyes she remembered from before. She found herself not being able to look away. His eyes held hers on the spot and she felt herself becoming lost in his gaze. But there was something in them. Something she didn't recognize.

"Hey what's going on you guys?" Miroku came in and saw that Akaya and Shippou were staring at each other.

She snapped out of it and turned away to hide her blush when Miroku came in. Shippou blinked a few times and realized what happened and turned away himself.

Taiken just laughed and walked off mumbling something about crazy lovebirds.

"Hey Shippou, glad your back. Now we have to find a place for Akaya to sleep." Sango said when she came in.

" She can share my room with me!" Taiken said with a suggestive smile while wiggling his eyebrows.

"NO!" They all snapped at him.

"She can take my room since I rarely sleep in it. I'll sleep outside." Shippou said heading out the door.

"No, it's okay. I can sleep outside. I do it all the time with my dad, so I don't mind. Plus, I love sleeping under the stars and it's a clear sky tonight so there's no way I'm missing this."

"Okay then." Sango said. "Night you two. Don't stay up too late." Miroku said and smiled knowingly at the two. Sango dragged Taiken to his room and Miroku off to theirs.

A few minutes later Akaya and Shippou were sitting shoulder to shoulder against a tree and wrapped up in a blanket looking up at the stars.

"Hey shippou?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm gonna be heading out tomorrow. You want to come with me. I could use a companion. We could get Taiken to go too."

Shippou blinked at the unexpected question. "You want me to go with you?" he asked.

"Yeah silly. Three friends on an adventure. It'll be great." She said smiling at him.

"Sure I guess. Sounds good to me." Before he knew it he had been tackled into a tight hug.

"Yes! Thank you! For a second there I thought I'd be going by myself." She said happily.

Shippou laughed and hugged her back. "What? You scared of being out there by yourself?" he said teasingly.

"NO!" She snapped at him and pulled away and intending on glaring at him. That is until she realized she hadn't pulled away enough and was nose to nose with him. She could feel his breath on her cheek and looked up at his big green eyes that were just as startled as hers. She could barely think with her heart thundering in her ears. She felt the blush come up to her cheeks and instantly let go of him before it got any worse.

Shippou wasn't sure what happened but his heart was racing. She sat down next to him and pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "No I'm not scared." She said more softly. "I just don't want to travel by myself. It'd be boring." She said leaning against his shoulder.

He blushed when she leaned against his shoulder but didn't bother moving. "Don't worry I'll be there for you. " he said. She just nodded her head.

'What's going on with me?! It's like I lose all senses when I'm around her! Not to mention I've only been around her for no more than an hour! Why do I feel like this? She's just a friend...right?" he thought and let out a heavy sigh.

Akaya lifted her head and looked up at him. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh, nothing."

"No. Really, tell me what's up."

"Nothing, I guess I'm just glad to have my old playmate back, Akaya." He smiled down at her.

"Yeah, I am too." She said laying her head back down on his shoulder and snuggled a little closer to keep warm.

'What's gotten into me?! I don't feel like myself! Actually I feel better than I have in years and...Fullfilled? Is this what was needed to fill that empty space in me? To be back here with my old friends and Shippou? I-Is being with Shippou making me feel this way? But how can I feel this strongly around him? He is a friend...right? She yawned and closed her eyes. "Whatever it is I like being this way...I feel...safe.' she finished those last thoughts before she fell into a deep slumber.

He smiled when he realized she had fallen asleep. Her ears rising and falling along with her chest in perfect sync with her breathing. He pulled her closer to him to keep warm and pulled the blanket up to her chin. That's when he realized she had the shikon jewel around her neck. He guessed her mom had passed it on to her for her to protect.

'That's sort of dangerous. The jewel would attract one youkia after another. But I guess it had to be passed on sooner or later. She better be glad I'm going with her. S he's going to need all the protection she can get.' He thought before he also dozed off.

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I hope you like it so far. Took me a long time to write this one. If I don't update again by tomorrow night (Christmas eve) then I won't be updating until June 3rd or something cause I'm going up to north Carolina to the mountains on Christmas eve and I won't have any internet access there. But the good new is I'll be taking my notebook so I can write out the chapters instead. Note: I wrote chapters" with an "S." so ya know. ^_^ Well I hope you guys can review for this one. Thank you again to those whom reviewed and MERRY CHRISTMAS and A HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hehehehehe. ^_^