This chapter has a lot of fluff and angst in it. I'm kinda glad it's over because I felt like I was writing a smut book while doing this. I'm so glad that I can go back to actiony goodness with a side of romantic plot next chapter.

I don't own InuYasha.

AN: For those that don't know it, "aisuru" means lover or beloved. I just thought it would sound…odd for…well, I don't want to spoil! I thought it just sounded better than saying "lover."

Chapter 11

Human

Previously on InuTaisho:

InuYasha, Saya, and Kazue take possession of another shard. It is learned how Momoko and InuTaisho were pitted against each other. InuTaisho and Sakura have been left alone in the present. After fighting, Sakura runs off and is attacked and then saved by InuTaisho. InuTaisho and Sakura fluff.

X

Sakura sighed blissfully and rolled onto her side. She felt something warm and hard beside her and smiled when she felt its arms wrap around her waist protectively. She tilted her head back and looked up into a pair of golden eyes and blushed as the memory of the night before came back to her. Her blush deepened.

InuTaisho chuckled and used a claw to gently push a strand of hair out of Sakura's face.

"Was last night…did we really…?" Sakura whispered.

InuTaisho nodded. "Yeah," his hand stilled on her head. "You don't…regret it do you?"

Sakura shook her head. "Never."

InuTaisho grinned. "Good." He then became serious. "You won't go to school today will you? You hit your head pretty hard. You should rest because we leave in the morning."

Sakura looked down. "Well…I guess one extra sick day wouldn't hurt anything. And…you're right." Sakura's mood darkened. She was so weak. She was always getting hurt and attacked. She had just gotten over her injuries sustained in the past and she had gone and gotten attacked. Though…if she had never gotten attacked, InuTaisho would not have needed to save her, and then one thing wouldn't have led to another…

InuTaisho could sense her conflicted feelings. He tensed in response. Sakura looked back up at him with wide eyes. She had a feeling it was time to change the conversation.

"I didn't get to shop yesterday because I left my list here. Maybe we can go tonight? When you're human? We can finish packing today and Gramma and the others will be home soon."

InuTaisho nodded his head and then flung the covers off of himself before standing up and getting dressed. Sakura pulled the covers tighter around her chest as she sat up. Embarrassed, she looked at the opposite wall, unsure of what to do next.

InuTaisho did not look back at her until he was tying the cords of his suikan. Feeling his gaze on her, Sakura looked up at him and blush lightly. Sensing her anxiety, InuTaisho went to the bed and kneeled beside it, taking her face in his hands.

"What's wrong, Sakura?"

The miko blushed deeper. "Look, I'm not one for one night stands. What does that make us? I thought you still loved Momoko? And we're from different times! What if I get pregnant? I'm only fifteen for Kami's sake! I can't raise a baby! And Papa will kill me! I'm not-" InuTaisho placed a finger on her lips and silenced her. Sakura's eyes widened.

"For now, it makes us… aisurus, as you humans would say. Yes, there was a time when I did love Momoko, but she is dead now. And, as for the rest of your concerns, we'll worry about that when and if the need arises. Now, get up and get dressed. We have to prepare to leave tomorrow. I'm not going to let InuYasha gather all the shards without me." InuTaisho calmly explained before smirking.

Sakura blinked. That had probably been the longest speech she had ever heard InuTaisho say. However…the thought of having an aisuru make her grin. She was only fifteen and was having a steamy love tryst. Just thinking about last night made her feel tingly and tense inside.

InuTaisho growled playfully. "If you don't control yourself, Sakura, I'll jump you here and now."

Sakura grinned and a spark lit in her eyes. "Oh, really? I'd love to see you try."

InuTaisho growled deeply and propelled himself back onto the bed. Sakura's squeals filled the room.

X

Sakura emerged from the bathroom feeling fresh. She tried not to dwell on the thought that that could have been her last shower for quite some time. As she walked back to her room, she pulled her thick hair into a ponytail. InuTaisho sat on her pink carpeted floor and was gazing again at the copies of the photos taken from Kagome's room. (Only after Higurashi-sama had said it was perfectly alright.) Sakura had taken them to the local pharmacy and had made enough copies for InuTaisho, InuYasha, Saya, and Shippou. However, the only one InuTaisho wanted was the one of his parents.

The inu-hanyou looked up at her and smiled. "Hey, Koi."

Sakura blushed. She was unused to InuTaisho's sudden terms of endearment. She supposed it was due to the fact that, if he had been human, he would have already been married in his time. Sakura's blush paled as she realized that if she had been from his time, she would have already been married off as well. Probably not even to someone she even loved. Probably to whoever Papa wanted her to marry.

She yanked hard on her ponytail to distract herself. "Okay. We need to put those back in the envelope. Then, we can inventory our supplies. We mainly need food, camping supplies, and medical supplies. Thanks to Kagome's bag, we have a good supply already."

InuTaisho nodded and the two set to work gathering and packing supplies. As they worked, InuTaisho periodically glanced over at the teenaged girl. Everything he had said had been true. He had loved Momoko. At one time. Enough to give up his treasured yokai powers just to be with her. However, he would have never thought of such a thing if she had never asked it of him. Sakura had never asked him to change. She had accepted him. Would that change though? Tonight when she saw his human half? He paused and his hand fisted on the package of bandages in his hand. Would she regret making love to him –twice- when she saw his human side? Would she ask him to find a way to stay human? She had already asked him to refrain from turning fully yokai, but that was because, when it came down to it, it was his silly desire or his mother's life. He was selfish, but not that selfish.

Sakura looked over her shoulder at him. She raised a slender brow. "InuTaisho? Is something wrong?"

InuTaisho handed her the crushed box silently. Yes, something was wrong. There were so many "what ifs" in their new found relationship. How had his own parents found a happy medium?

Sakura slowly reached for the box and when their fingers brushed, an electric charge rushed through their bodies and tingled their spines. Gold and chocolate brown gazes met.

"InuTaisho?" Sakura whispered.

InuTaisho didn't answer. He merely continued to stare into her eyes. There were so many differences between her and Momoko. From nearly the beginning, she had been with him. Yes, she had whined to go home, but when the occasion called for it, she stuck by his side and fought. Momoko, on the other hand, had tried to shove him off. She hadn't really wanted anything to do with him. Yet, he had fallen madly in love with the human miko. Why? Was it because she was the first woman to ever treat him some what like an equal that he wasn't related to or had some connection to through his parents?

Sakura moved closer, worry coloring her aura. "InuTaisho? What's wrong?" The package of bandages fell to the floor, forgotten, when her tiny hands fisted on his suikan. "InuTaisho?"

Suddenly, InuTaisho was no longer standing in Sakura's bedroom; he was back in the past. Back to the day Momoko had come to him. She had wanted to change the time of which he was to wish to become mortal. Why had she wanted to change the time? Had she been that eager to kill him?

"Why, Momoko?" He whispered. He reached out and grabbed the miko before him, not caring when she cried out from him claws scratching her soft shoulders.

Their relationship had been like a game of cat and mouse. He had been chasing her to seek out the Shikon no Tetsu. She never took the final blow. But, why? Was it merely just because it was something to do to pass the time? She had never wanted much to do with him unless she needed assistance in slaying some yokai or the other.

The miko before him called out his name again. His grip tightened. He was blinded to the sights before him as the memory of Momoko's arrow piercing his chest played out in his mind's eye. The look of hate that had burned in her eyes…the same eyes that just a few short hours before had burned with such love and passion. The eyes…that now burned with pain and tears.

He hastily released Sakura when he suddenly collected his bearings. Sakura's eyes widened as she looked up at him. She didn't even glance at the injuries he had inflicted on her. She was more worried for him…the one who had hurt her.

The room began to spin around InuTaisho. Why had Momoko suddenly turned on him? That had been the question he had always asked himself. Perhaps, it was the wrong question. Perhaps he had been right that one time in asking: "Why do you never make the final shot?"

She had had multiple chances to finish him off, yet she didn't. All she had accomplished by not doing so was making Izayio mad at having to constantly repair his Robes of the Fire Rat.

Then…something had changed. She had let him in. She had confided in him her dreams. She had wanted to be normal. To be human. Then, she had asked him to become human. Then, when he had arrived to make the damned wish, she had tried to kill him. After months of toying, she had let him in. He had let her in. Then…she had thrown it in his face. That's what had caused him to backtrack and head back to the village to steal the jewel. To Hell with being human, he would be yokai at long last. Then…she had shown up, covered in blood, from Kami knew where or what, and had pinned him to the Sacred Tree.

Had that been her plan all along? To…seduce him into trusting –into loving- her and then pinning him to a tree in a type of half-death. Did she not respect him enough to fully kill him after that? Did the half-breed only deserve a half-death? He growled savagely. Thank the Gods she had died. If he had woken up and had seen her, he would have killed her on-

A tiny yelp made him look down. Fear colored Sakura's aura now. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

"InuTaisho…are you okay?"

But, he had seen her. He had seen her reincarnation. And he had not felt the need to kill her. He had fallen easily back into their game of bantering. InuTaisho looked hard into Sakura's eyes.

Sakura was Momoko's reincarnation…Was he just setting himself up for more pain further down the road? Was it safe to trust this girl?

Sakura's chest heaved as she tried to hold her tears back. She threw her arms around him and held onto him tightly. "InuTaisho!" She sobbed. "You're scaring me! What's wrong?"

The smell of her tears…She was crying for him. Tears and blood. Those had been the last scents he had smelt from Momoko. But, why would Momoko cry if she had been planning on killing him from the beginning? Had she fallen in love with him too? Impossible. If Momoko had loved him, then she would not have sealed him to the tree. But, why was she crying? Had her wounds hurt that much?

InuTaisho's head began to swim as the smell of Sakura's blood became more profound to his sensitive inu-nose. His eyes flickered down to the rapidly growing stain on Sakura's white blouse. He gently pushed her away so as to better see her wounds. Sakura sniffled loudly as she followed his gaze.

"Oh…" She acted as if she was just noticing the wounds.

"I'm very sorry, Sakura. I just…lost control…" He could not tell her that he had been comparing her to Momoko. He did not even know where those thoughts had come from. He was sure he loved Sakura, more so than he had ever loved Momoko, but he would have to be cautious. Sakura was Momoko's reincarnation. How could he be so certain that none of Momoko's feeling for him remained inside Sakura's soul?

Sakura swatted his hands away gently. "I'm fine. But…" She looked deeply into his eyes. "Are you okay? You called me Momoko before and then you attacked me and you looked like you were in a trance."

InuTaisho snorted. "Keh, you should be worried about yourself. Take off your clothes and bandage that wound. You're of no use to me injured."

Sakura's eyes widened sadly. Why had he suddenly changed? Did he no longer love her? Had he remembered that he, in fact, still loved Momoko? Sakura shook her head and complied, carefully unbuttoning her blouse and sliding it off her torso. She sighed when she glanced at the ruined shirt.

She reached for the discarded package of bandages and some alcohol and ointment. She instructed InuTaisho how to clean the wounds and then dress them and then she quietly sat there as he quietly cleaned and dressed her wounds.

She was so weak. If she had been more than a mere mortal, his claws would not have hurt her as badly as they had. She tried to not dwell on the irony of how they had come to allow her wounds to heal and she would be going back to InuTaisho's time with just as many wounds.

As InuTaisho was tying off the last of the bandages, Sakura's door opened and Kaito strolled in and stopped, his mouth hanging open. Sakura 'eeped' and reached for her ruined blouse. InuTaisho seemed unaffected.

"Sakura…InuTaisho…blood…shirt…" Kaito was at a loss for words.

Sakura shook herself. "Um…I tripped going down the stairs and InuTaisho grabbed me and accidentally cut me with his claws."

"Oh…" Kaito easily bought the story. "Anyway, I just got home from school. Gramma and Papa should be here soon. Are you leaving tonight?"

Sakura shook her head. "No, in the morning. Now, please, Kaito, get out of my room. And don't mention this to Papa or Gramma."

Kaito nodded. "Okay, Sis." He turned and left, closing the door behind him.

Sakura and InuTaisho both relaxed. Sakura threw her blouse to the floor and then crossed her arms gingerly in front of her barely clothed breasts. "Well, I guess we're finished packing. I'll start on dinner and then we can eat early. By that time, the sun should be down and we can go to the store."

InuTaisho nodded silently. Sakura looked up at him. It seems that they had reverted back to how they had been the day before. Despite all they had shared…Tears threatened to spill from her eyes again. She wished he would open up to her more.

Sakura huffed and stood from her bed. She moved to her closet and pulled out another blouse to replace the soiled one. She slid it on and turned back to face her bed. She shoved in a few more items and then turned to leave. She paused with her hand on the door knob when she felt InuTaisho place his hand on her shoulder.

"I truly am sorry, Sakura. I never meant to hurt you."

Sakura slowly turned back to face him, tears lining her eyes. "It's too late for sorry, InuTaisho, because I never meant to love you."

InuTaisho's hand dropped from her shoulder. Sakura whipped back around and left her room. InuTaisho stood still and silent.

"I never meant to love you."

At least now he knew part of his answer. That Sakura did love him. But, was it her feelings she was feeling, or was it Momoko's?

X

Dinner at the Kobayashi Shrine was a quiet affair that afternoon. Sakura had explained to her family prior to that evening of InuTaisho's change and that they needed to eat early so they could finish getting supplies.

After they had all eaten, Sakura gathered the dishes and began cleaning them. That morning, all she had wanted was too spend alone time with InuTaisho, now, she dreaded it. As the sun began to dip behind the mountains in the distance, InuTaisho approached Sakura. She carefully set aside the dish she had been drying as she looked up at him.

"Come with me," he murmured so only she could hear.

Sakura nodded and quickly dried her hands. She followed him outside and he led her to the Sacred Tree. He took a deep breath and slowly turned to face her. She stood in the shadows and he stood in the last of the day's light.

"Only a few people have seen me like this, Sakura," he began quietly. "Of your family, I wanted you to see me like this first."

Sakura nodded her head slowly. "I understand, InuTaisho." She stepped forward and reached for his hand but he held up his own hand to stop her. She respected his wish and remained where she was.

She watched as the light gave way to darkness. InuTaisho seemed to pulse in darkness. Sakura had to squint in the faint light coming from the house and from the half moon to see him.

"InuTaisho…it's dark. Come into the light."

InuTaisho chuckled darkly at her desire. However, he stepped forward. His face remained impassive as Sakura gasped quietly.

"Inu…InuTaisho? Is that you?" She asked quietly.

She stepped closer to the man before her. His hair had darkened to the color of a raven's wings. His face no longer had his purple yokai markings and his inu-ears were gone and replaced by normal human ones on the side of his head. Though, the most startling change, were his eyes. Instead of the golden hues she had grown to love, they were now dark chocolate brown and if she looked close enough, there were specks of indigo in their depths.

She gingerly reached out her hand to carefully stroke his raven hair. InuTaisho watched her warily. She smiled encouragingly up at him.

"Will you be normal in the morning? 'Cause I kinda miss your puppy ears."

InuTaisho let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding. She had seen him human and wanted to see him 'normal' again. She was perfectly fine with his hanyou blood. He grasped her hand that was exploring his cheek.

"Yes, I'll be…'normal' in the morning. So…even though you realize that I am mostly human, you are okay with my yokai side?" He dared to hope. If she answered 'yes,' it meant that her feelings were her own. If not…

Sakura's smile grew and she stepped closer. "It doesn't matter how you look, InuTaisho. You will always be InuTaisho to me. It doesn't matter if you're human or hanyou."

Every doubt he had earlier felt fled from his mind. He stepped closer to her, to better see her with his weaker human eyes. She tilted her head further back. They were merely inches apart. InuTaisho took this opportunity to examine her through his changed site.

He had thought her beautiful before, but now her beauty had changed. Before he had seen her as a mere mortal and then slowly she had become his aisuru. But now, he saw her the way a man would look at a woman. He flushed and turned his head to the side.

"We should hurry and finish. It's getting late. Being human makes me anxious." He grumbled.

Sakura smiled and clasped his hand tightly in hers. "Don't worry. I'll protect you from the big, bad future."

He glanced down at her from the side of his eyes. If only this tiny mortal could protect him from the 'big, bad future.'

X

Sakura sighed as she gently placed her large shopping bags on the table. Kaito and Gramma watched InuTaisho with wide eyes. They were still shocked by his change, but they kept silent about it out of respect.

InuTaisho placed his own bags on the table beside Sakura's and began tearing through them to find the Raman. Sakura shook her head in amazement. She had introduced him to the easy meal because it was just that: It would be easy for a hanyou of the past to prepare on his own when he was alone in the house. One would think he was a neko-hanyou and the stuff was catnip.

Sakura looked over the bags again and groaned. "InuTaisho, I think we got too much Raman."

He paused and looked at her with wide eyes. Sakura laughed at the fear in his eyes.

"Don't worry. We'll take what we can and then I can always come back. After all, Kagome came back too. This isn't a one time stop. And we have to come back next month for sure. Remember? That was our agreement."

InuTaisho nodded his head slowly. "Ya know, I vaguely remember InuYasha mentioning something to me about Ninja Food when I was a whelp."

Sakura pondered that. "I bet that's where you got the taste for it. Kagome probably brought the stuff back with her."

InuTaisho shrugged and moved to the side as Sakura brushed passed him to boil water for the Raman. While the teapot was getting hot, Sakura ran up stairs for her backpack and then came back down. The others watched as she shoved the last of the supplies into the cramped bag before turning just in time to take the screaming teapot from the red hot eye.

InuTaisho felt himself unconsciously relax as Sakura handed him the warm Styrofoam cup. He had not realized he had been stiff in the corner of the room. As he slurped loudly from his cup, Kaito and Gramma announced they would be turning in for the night. Sakura hugged them and told them she would wake them before they left. After a few minutes, Sakura and InuTaisho were alone in the kitchen. Sakura began to hum as she peered through her bag, double checking it.

InuTaisho suddenly understood why he felt relaxed. He had never been relaxed in his human form before because he had been back in Feudal Area and was constantly on guard against someone learning his secret and killing him. Here, he didn't have to worry about that on this one night. However, he somehow knew it wasn't just because of that. It felt…right to be with Sakura. To watch her fix his dinner, to watch her move around her kitchen humming, to kiss her family goodnight. InuTaisho blushed and swallowed his Raman hard. It felt right to with her.

The brown hair teenager looked up at him with wide chocolate eyes. "You okay, InuTaisho?"

InuTaisho nodded mutely and looked down at his Raman. He knew her feelings were her own. He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was in love with her. He knew that he would do anything for her. He had thought being human would change those feelings, but, if anything, tonight he was more sure of his feelings than last night when they had made love.

The picture of his parents flashed in his mind's eye. How had InuYasha known Kagome had been his mate? How had his grandfather, InuTaisho, known that his grandmother, Izayio, had been his mate? Uncle Sesshomaru-sama had a different mother than InuYasha, so that meant that InuTaisho-sama had been with another woman before Izayio-sama. And what of the Kikyo woman Gramma had mentioned the first night? Had his own father had another woman before his mother?

His musing were interrupted by Sakura stretching and yawning. She blinked her eyes and smiled tiredly. "Well, InuTaisho, it's late. I'm going to bed. You should too because we have to leave tomorrow and Kami only knows when we'll get to sleep soundly again. Goodnight." With that, she sealed her pack, smiled at him, and turned and went up the stairs.

InuTaisho slurped up the last of his Raman and tossed it where Sakura had told him the trash belonged. He frowned, knowing good and well he would not 'sleep soundly' that night. How could he? He was a human man, sharing a small bed with a woman he had already had relations with. And…he was pretty sure that Sakura was not his aisuru…but, in fact, his mate.

Yay. We're going back to the past next chapter. Will the others learn of what has happened between Sakura and InuTaisho?

~Azarath101