She almost cried at the sweetness of it. She had not shared a kiss with him since before she'd vanquished Kikyou, since she'd almost been killed by Sango and Miroku. InuYasha smoothly slid his tongue into her mouth, and she let hers dance with it. The kiss remained the softest, gentlest, most perfect kiss that she had ever had, never moving into the realm of crude sexuality.
Then he broke the kiss. "Kagome, I really still want to know what exactly happened with Kikyou...I mean...how you got the power to kill her."
She blushed, her cheeks flushing with a soft pink glow. "I don't know what happened...but since I've got most of Kikyou's soul...I must have most of her power, I mean, we knew that, because I can make the arrows work. It just took true, total concern and love to bring out the full amount of my power...And now, I have a full soul, and all of her power." Her eyes brightened. "I'll be able to find the shards even more quickly! We can fix the jewel, and out job will be done! I'll be able to go home!"
InuYasha's eyes dropped.
"Oh..." said Kagome, hers widening.
"Where is home, then, huh, Kagome? Is it with your mother, Grandpa, and Souta...or with me, and Miroku, and Sango..." InuYasha fixed her with a cold stare. "You said "go", so it can't be here, huh?"
She looked at him, horrified, her face pitiful. "I-I don't know...mother, Souta, and Grandpa- will want me back. I-"
"-don't want to go. I know you'll say it now, but what about when they ask you? What reason will you give for staying here? You're not even out of school." He said this with tight lips, tearing eyes, and a strained voice. Realizing that he didn't look as formidable as usual, he steeled his eyes and said, in a voice that bit into Kagome's heard worse than Kikyou's arrow would have, "Just go. I've dealt with losing a love before. I can do it again."
Kagome surprised him with a laugh. "I've taken Psychology, but I don't even need it to figure out what you're doing. You're rejecting me before I can reject you. Typical male. InuYasha, I don't have to stay in one place or the other. I have to protect the jewel all of the time, so it'll always be with me. I can go home and come back. I can even finish school, and then...stay here. Although, why would I even finish school if I'm going to stay here?"
InuYasha smiled. "Never give up an opportunity to gain knowledge. Finish school, visit me...then after, we can live together, here or there, as long as I'm with you, Kagome..."
She cut off his words with a kiss. He was so cute, telling her not to give up school...she somehow felt so cliché right now, having just had the "I'm rejecting you before you can reject me" thing happen and then having the "I don't care where we are, as long as I'm with you" type of line...but she didn't care. All that really mattered was that they were together, kissing, under the ancient tree. But, of course, then came a familiar voice...
"Lord Sesshoumaru? What business do we have here?" It was the high- pitched voice of a small child.
Kagome and InuYasha rushed behind the tree to watch Sesshoumaru, Jaken, and Rin walk into the clearing.
"I smell him. He is nearby. InuYasha." His brother's low, cold voice called him.
"Who is InuYasha?" the little girl in orange inquired. She was ignored, but for a little bonk on the head from Jaken's staff.
Sesshoumaru sighed. "I don't have time for this. Rin is with me, I'm not going to fight you."
"It could be a trap," whispered Kagome.
"I'm going anyway. Even if it is a trap, I can still beat him," said the hanyou cockily. Emerging from the trees, he growled, "What do you want, Sesshoumaru?"
"I merely wanted to know the whereabouts of that Naraku creature. As much as I hate asking you for help, I cannot seem to find the beast," said Sesshoumaru disdainfully.
"Ah, wanting revenge for that time he gave you the poisoned arm so long ago?"
"Not that it's any of your business. I can see you don't know where he is. Come, Jaken, Rin." The older demon turned from his brother and walked off, his little companions following.
A thought struck InuYasha as his brother left, but he knew that it was a foolish idea at best. If only he and Sesshoumaru could work together, Naraku would certainly be an easy target. Not that he'd ever get near his stinking conceited full-blood brother anyway. Turning, he frowned. The stupid youkai would probably get himself killed, too. Ah, well. One less enemy.
Kagome emerged from behind the tree. "So he wants to get Naraku too?"
"Who doesn't? He's messed with so many people in his pursuit of the jewel, I'd be more surprised to find a demon who doesn't hate the bastard."
Kagome nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's true. But you know, your brother...along with the rest of us...we'd make an undefeatable team against him."
"I had that idea too. But you know there's no way that the snobby spoiled brat-dog will ever work with us."
"What if he didn't know we were working with him?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, what if he attacked Naraku, but we were there too, and he didn't know it until he was already fighting? Maybe he'd continue and we could beat Naraku!" Kagome thought it was a pretty good idea.
"Naraku moves too much, and we can't follow Sesshoumaru. He'd sense us right off the bat."
"Hm...maybe...but I'll bet that there's a way we can make it work!"
"We can talk it over with Sango and Miroku later. Let's go find 'em, anyway."
The hanyou and the miko began their walk back to Kaede's hut, hand in hand, two lovers walking down a neverending path.