Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Inuyasha. Those are the property of one Rumiko Takahashi. I thank her whole-heartedly for giving us such an amazing manga/anime to read/watch.

One Heart – Chapter 5

Youkai Inu-Yasha followed Kagome and his human half to Kagome's house, making certain to stay hidden in the shadows. It wouldn't do to alert them to his presence. At least not yet. He would have to be patient and wait for his chance to find Kagome alone.

He watched from the shadows as they opened the door and entered her house. As the door closed, he crept from his hiding place among the bushes and quickly ran to the back of the house, jumping silently to the branches of the tree near Kagome's bedroom window. Once in the tree he sat with his back against the trunk, making certain he had a clear view of the bedroom. Then he waited.

Kagome kicked off her shoes as she entered her house. She noticed that Human Inu-Yasha seemed to be having some discomfort, so she squatted in front of him and helped him remove his sandals.

"You don't have to do that," he mumbled. It felt good to have the restrictive footwear off his feet, but he felt uncomfortable having Kagome taking his shoes off. The touch of her hand on his raw flesh was gentle as she examined his sore feet.

"We'll have to have you soak your feet for a while. You're not used to wearing shoes and you're probably going to have some pretty bad blisters by morning." She stood up and looked at him. "I'll set up a footbath for you after I get cleaned up. Actually, we both could use a good bath after today. I'll go first, if you don't mind."

Human Inu-Yasha shook his head. He was sore and tired and more than a little worried about the fact that there was a youkai version of himself still running loose. He would have to keep an eye on Kagome, make sure to keep her safe.

Kagome took Human Inu-Yasha's hand and led him into the living room. Mama looked up from the mending she had been doing and smiled. It didn't take her long to realize that their serious expressions could only mean that their search had proved unsuccessful.

"Any luck?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.

Kagome shook her head. "We looked everywhere I could remember Inu-Yasha ever going when he was here, but there was no sign of him."

A gruff snoring sound interrupted her. Ji-chan was dozing in his favorite chair, the television flickering in front of him.

"Mama, do we have anything Inu-Yasha can soak his feet with?" She indicated Human Inu-Yasha's red and swollen feet.

"I'll get something," Mama said as she put aside the blouse she had been mending and stood up. She quickly went in search of the Epson salt and a suitable tub to use for a footbath.

"I'll go take my bath. Why don't you watch TV while you wait." She pointed to the couch as she turned to leave the room.

A moment later Human Inu-Yasha heard the bathroom door close. He didn't like being out of Kagome's sight, but tried to relax. After all, nothing would happen to her in there, and he was only a few feet away. He sat heavily on the couch and leaned back, closing his eyes for just a moment.

He awoke abruptly when he felt a hand on his arm.

"Inu-Yasha?" Kagome looked at him as he stared, not remembering for a moment where he was. She was dressed in her pajamas and even with his human senses he could make out the scent of her shampoo and soap. She had used the floral fragrance that he liked so much on her.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep, " he grumbled as he quickly stood up. He winced as he put weight on his damaged feet.

"Go and get cleaned up while I get your footbath ready. Mama found some sweatpants you can use to sleep in. She told me to have you leave the jeans and t-shirt out for her to wash. They'll be ready in the morning." Kagome looked worriedly at Human Inu-Yasha's feet. They would have to find something else for him to wear tomorrow.

Human Inu-Yasha walked slowly to the bathroom while Kagome went to the kitchen. There she filled the tub Mama had found for her wit hot water and added a generous amount of Epson salt. She draped a towel over her arm and lifted the full tub, walking slowly to the stairs and up to her bedroom so she didn't spill the water. Once in her room, she set the tub down and walked to her bed. There she took the towel and folded it in half before setting it on the floor. She walked to the tub of water and carried it to the bed, placing it on the folded towel. The water was very hot, but should cool before Human Inu-Yasha finished his bath.

A sound behind her startled her. She turned quickly, her eyes and mouth opening wide in surprise. There stood the object of their earlier search. Youkai Inu-Yasha. He had apparently come in through her bedroom window, which now stood open.

"Kagome," he growled, a slight smile playing on his lips. He moved towards her.

Kagome gasped, frozen with shock. She had never stopped to think about how he would look as a full youkai.

Youkai Inu-Yasha's long silvery-white hair framed his face as always, but gone were the velvety triangular ears from the top of his head. Instead, the pointed tops of his youkai ears peeked out from the hair at the sides of his head. His eyes were golden and on his cheeks were the same markings that graced Sesshoumaru's face. Mostly hidden by his bangs was the crescent moon shape on his forehead. He was still dressed in his normal clothes, although it seemed to Kagome that something was different. Something was missing, but what it was eluded her.

She had never seen him like this. She realized that she should have expected this, since he was a full youkai, after all.

"Inu-Yasha?" she whispered nervously. She suddenly found herself wondering what to expect from him.

"Good, you don't smell of that human male," he closed the distance between them, grabbing Kagome roughly by the shoulders and pulling her to him. Then, suddenly he lifted her and sprinted to the window, jumping from it to the ground below. He moved effortlessly, even as he carried Kagome with him. He once again cleared the wall that surrounded the shrine complex that was her home.

Human Inu-Yasha finished his bath and dried off. He slipped on the soft gray sweatpants that Kagome's mother had laid out for him. They were less restrictive than the jeans he had been wearing, and the fabric was soft against his skin. He glanced at himself in the full-length mirror that hung on the bathroom wall. Well, if Kagome had liked him wearing the jeans, perhaps she would like him in this. His chest was bare, as were his feet. The sweatpants weren't snug, but they were more form-fitting than his usual garb. His wet hair hung down his back.

"I guess I better dry it," he mumbled to himself, looking around for the contraption that Souta had used on him before to dry his hair. He found it on a shelf next to the sink. After a few moments he figured out how to plug it in and turn it on, taking time to dry his hair before going up to Kagome's room. Once his hair was almost dry, he turned off the hair dryer and unplugged it, taking time to once again look at his reflection in the mirror.

I could get used to this, he thought to himself. Being human wasn't all that bad. In fact, he was starting to discover that perhaps it had more advantages than he had considered. The thought of living here with Kagome's family as a human had possibilities. He wondered what Kagome would think of the idea as he walked from the bathroom upstairs to Kagome's bedroom.

The door to her bedroom was closed. Human Inu-Yasha knocked lightly, expecting to hear Kagome's cheerful voice tell him to come in. After a few seconds of no response, he knocked again, this time harder. Several seconds passed and there was still no response.

"What the hell?" he mumbled as he turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. His footbath lay cooling next to Kagome's bed, but she was nowhere to be seen. Then he noticed the open window. Kagome would never leave the window open when it was this cool outside. His gut instinct told him something was wrong. Very wrong.