Previously…. Kagome had awoken and she and Sesshomaru shared a moment, if you call it that…

Now with Sesshomaru….

The group departed the cave and took some extra fruits and dried meat with them. Kagome figured Rin would be hungry once they reached the carefree child, and that would alleviate Sesshomaru's need to hunt. They kept a casual pace as they walked thru the forest. There was no need to panic anymore, or be weary of being watched at random times of the night with Naraku dead. Sure, there were other demons that would lurk here and there, waiting to strike, but only a fool would try to launch an attack on Sesshomaru's party. As Kagome looked to the sky, she realized it felt like the darkest night since her time in the feudal era. The stars were shinning brilliantly, more so than ever before, further hinting at the peaceful days ahead.

The twinkle from the stars caused Kagome to look up at Sesshomaru and remember his eyes upon hers. He was beautiful to her. If he hadn't pointed out that she was obviously in love with him, she may have still been able to travel and talk to him as she normally would. Her face flushed again as she pondered what to do about her new found feelings. She would not wait forever like she did with Inuyasha. She would not be second to no one. He would not tell her what she could and could not do and he would respect her. She would not settle. If Sesshomaru is able to love her - and that's a tall order – what would it be like? She couldn't imagine him smiling bright and shinning teeth at her, nor could she imagine him being as affectionate and possessive as Koga. Curiosity was getting the best of her, and with every step, she continued to stare at Sesshomaru's back.

Shippo observed his makeshift mother staring and pondering. At this point, he wasn't concerned because Sesshomaru had actually provided for them and protected them like a true Alpha. He wasn't abusive and did not say hurtful, mean things to him. He was everything that Inuyasha wasn't. But why was Kagome being more spacey than usual? He figured he would have to keep an eye on her just in case she was sick or had a fever.

Sesshomaru had also felt her eyes upon his person. He wondered what caused her to stare so long. It was going on 60 minutes, and even he was feeling on edge, not because he was worried she would harm him. Definitely not. But because after their strange conversation, he still didn't know the question she wanted to ask. Upon further thinking, the description she gave of her mystery demon almost described him. He didn't want to be too hopeful or optimistic, but perhaps he would test his theory at a later time, when the two were alone. It was the best solution the tactician could think of. Straight-forward and to the point. He has never sugarcoated anything, nor would he start. Otherwise, he would have to be away from his castle even longer, looking for a mystery demon to demolish with no hints, or clues to go on.

Finally, the group arrived to the camp where Jaken and Rin resided. They were both sleeping peacefully due to the time of night. As if having a sixth sense, Rin slowly awakened to the site of her Lord walking towards her. Her eyes popped wide open and she hopped up and ran towards Sesshomaru and grabbed his leg.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Rin is happy to see you!"

He gazed down at his young ward with a twinkle in his eyes. She could always tell his moods, and right now, his eyes said he was happy to see her as well. He was glad that Jaken managed to keep her safe with all the fighting going on, but now, he was being just as useless as always – sleeping on the job and oblivious to his surroundings. Sesshomaru approached the sleeping imp with his usual prowess. Finally, Jaken seemed to have noticed something approach him and opened his eyes.

"Sesshomaru sa- (boot to face) and Jaken went flying somewhere towards the west.

Rin simply laughed as she saw the twinkle in the sky disappear. She heard laughter from behind Sesshomaru as well and noticed Shippo and Kagome.

"Kagome-chan. Shippo! Did you come to see Rin?"

Rin was very excited to see them since she could often play with Shippo, and Kagome taught her so many human things, right from wrong, different games, and always showed her fascinating things like making flower crowns.

"I am happy to see you Rin, and I'm sure Shippo is too. Are you hungry? We brought some dried meats and fruits Lord Sesshomaru picked up for us", Kagome said while she smiled at the little girl.

"Yes, please."

"And when you're done, maybe you would like to play with me", Shippo suggested.

"Hai."

And so, Rin ate, or rather, she shoved food down her throat so fast so that she could hurry and play with Shippo. Kagome warned Rin that if she ran too much, she would get a tummy ache since she had just eaten. The little girl nodded and continued to play anyway. They ran around the camp a little more, playing hide and seek behind trees. Kagome had taught them this game, as well as, "tag" some time ago. While she watched them, Sesshomaru observed her, looking at genuine contentedness upon her face. For whatever reason, his eyes kept looking to her. Anytime she was in the vicinity, he had to gaze upon her, even if only for a brief moment.

Kagome could feel the eyes on her, causing her heartbeat to pick up. Why was he staring so hard? Did he want her attention for something? 'It's my own fault. This is probably payback for staring at him earlier' she thought. She couldn't turn around because now, she was sure her face was red just thinking of him. 'How did I let myself get into this situation again? Oh, right. I have an affinity for dogs and bad boys' she answered herself with a scoff as she rolled her eyes. With nothing to go on, she decided to feel him with her aura. Slowly, she released part of her reiki and began to surround him with it. It stroked him soothingly, to his surprise, and drew out his own aura to meet with hers. Tiny jolts of electricity could be felt between the two, but it was not visible to others, only because the amount of reiki and youki was so small.

Now this was a problem. Kagome felt like Sesshomaru was touching all over her body, in places, she didn't know she had places - even though she initiated the contact. She couldn't think straight and didn't know what to do. The blush that painted her face moments ago now spread well past the collar of the blue kimono Sesshomaru had gotten for her, and to the top of her ears. Her face was flushed, and she began to pant ever so softly. Her scent changed and smelled of strawberry citrus, a scent Sesshomaru associated with her arousal.

He could hear the soft panting noises she made and immediately thought of how loud he could make her scream for him. 'What would it sound like to hear her make those sounds beneath me?' 'She will scream for us'. The thought of touching her and tasting her flesh aroused him and his beast, causing his eyes to widen marginally and nostrils to flare. He licked his lips like the predator he was, as if he was about to pounce a white tail venison, so tender and juicy.

Kagome continued to feel the butterflies in her stomach and the tingle between her thighs as her core began to moisten. (Kagome) Sesshomaru, with his outstanding sense of smell, stood up immediately, with red tinted eyes. Kagome turned and saw him look straight into her eyes, as if they were the window to her soul, and she was even more turned on by his piercing stare.

If Sesshomaru's youki could speak, it would probably say 'I'm going to eat you', at least that's what Kagome got out of it. And Kagome's aura to Sesshomaru said 'take me', in which it was taking every bit of power and control, not to move an inch closer to her. (Kagome) Trying to maintain some semblance of control, Sesshomaru slowly started to withdraw his youki since, thinking logically, this aura fiasco started when she reached out to him with hers. Kagome felt his aura leaving her body, and immediately felt lonely and unfulfilled. Her desire spiked and in her mind, no longer consciously thinking, she would take what she wanted. What she needed. She stood up, with no particular train of thought, except she just didn't want it to end.

"Kagome", Shippo called out again. He had called her a couple times now, but for some reason, unbeknownst to him, she didn't seem to hear him.

"Shippo?" Kagome questioned.

"What's wrong with you? I kept calling you, but you didn't hear me. Your face is red and you're not breathing like normal. Do you need that medicine for fevers? Are you ok?"

Kagome was beyond embarrassed. Shippo had been calling her name, worried about her the whole time, and yet, she was over here playing with Sesshomaru's youki, getting all hot and bothered. She even stood up at some point and didn't remember doing that either! What was she about to do? She turned to look at Sesshomaru again, but by this time, he had turned around.

"I shall return," Sesshomaru stated, indicating that she wait here with the children. He couldn't possibly stay around her right now, with his semi hardened thickness on full display. And, he wasn't sure if she really understood what it meant to follow through on her arousal. If Sesshomaru decided that he wanted a mate, it would be for life. This wouldn't be a quick rut like he had done to a few demonesses in the past. This would be a commitment. She would be his, and would belong to no other. Forever. So, he needed to step away. It was not yet time to cross that boundary yet. He needed to confirm with her his intentions, and say "to hell with uncovering whether or not she loves another." 'Mine!' the beast said in agreement with his thoughts.

With a sigh, Kagome replied "ok", and watched him walk away. As soon as she could no longer see him, she placed a barrier around the group's vicinity again, wondering what would have happened.

Back with Inuyasha

Inuyasha had caught the scent of Sango and Miroku a couple hours ago, and was now closing in on the couple. His wound from Sesshomaru had healed enough for travel, but nothing more than that. He really didn't know the condition he would find them in since, after the death of Kikyo, he was in pain and a very dark place, and paid no mind to his surroundings when they departed. He did recall Miroku saying a prayer for her departed soul, but nothing else. He knew Sango and Miroku had real feelings for one another, no matter how they tried to hide it or fake as though they didn't. But he, of all people, couldn't necessarily say "hey, why don't you two quit flirting all the time and just get married." Look at how long he kept Kagome at bay with his indecisiveness. When they were ready, they would make it happen; he just knew it. And with Naraku finally gone, they could finally be true to their feelings.

Finally, their scent was heavy in the air and he knew they were only moments away. When he found them, he noticed them sleeping together near the fire, closer than they ever have before. No, there was nothing inappropriate about it. In fact he was happy for them. Happy that they could share in one another's feelings. Even though he was only 5 feet away, they didn't budge.

"Figures. You guys must be 'super' exhausted to sleep so vulnerably…", Inuyasha stated. But still, they did not move. He could hear their breathing and see the rise and fall of their chest, so they were definitely alive and well.

"Keh," he scoffed, and hopped into the nearest tree to keep watch over his traveling companions. The branch he jumped on was thick and strong, easily supporting his weight. After Kikyo's passing, tonight was not a day that Inuyasha would sleep even if he wanted to. And so, all he could do was think. For some reason, he felt somewhat rejoiced that Kikyo had forgiven him. If anything, he felt like he should not have been forgiven. Her early death, all of her pain and suffering, it was all his fault. Because he doubted the feelings she showed him, he so easily fell prey to Naraku's trap 50 years ago. But now, for some reason, he felt elated. He felt new and refreshed, as if the weight of the past that clung so desperately to his soul, had finally been lifted.

His eyes caught the twinkle of the stars and his heart constricted. It felt as though it reminded him of Kagome whenever she was passionate about helping people. Her eyes always showed no fear when it came to others, but were radiant with determination once she set her heart on something. Why was he thinking about all these things now? Kikyo was only gone for a few hours at most, and he's already pushed her out of sight and out of mind. However, unlike the other times, there was no guilty feeling; no feeling of betrayal; no feeling of anything, actually. Why was he so relaxed now and calm? He could actually think for once, and that was no easy feat for a boisterous Hanyou who swung first and asked questions later.

Since thinking clearly became easier, he realized somewhat how he treated Kagome. He called her so many names, ranging from weak, to wench, and compared her so many times to Kikyo. Honestly, how would he feel if someone constantly berated him and compared him to Sesshomaru, now that he thought about it? Sure, Sesshomaru was strong, probably the strongest demon he had ever battled. But the cold hearted nature of the bastard always pissed Inuyasha off. The whole "holier than thou" attitude prevented Inuyasha from trying to form any type of relationship with the guy, plus the fact that Sesshomaru never cared for him anyway. It didn't matter though. After the night was over and his companions had awoken, he would escort the two most of the way to Edo, then go and retrieve Kagome from the 'cold-hearted bastard', he thought.