A Tale of Two Hanyous - Chapter Three of an Inuyasha fanfiction based on the anime
By Sandrock (sandrock@sandrockproductions.com)

Legal Disclaimer
Inuyasha do be the property of one Rumiko Takahashi

Content Guideline: PG-13, violence, mild and implied sexual situations

Glossary of Japanese terms

inu no niichan - literally, 'dog elder brother'.
hanyou - this is what Inuyasha is ^_^
ne-chan - older sister (in other context, it can also mean 'Miss')
kimono - dressing-gown type clothes with wide sleeves
youkai - Japanese fairy creature/demon
shikon no tama - Jewel of Four Souls
jii-chan - grandfather
masaka - "impossible", an expression of unbelief
ramen - Chinese style Japanese noodles; Inu-chan's favourite. ^_^
Tessaiga - correct spelling for Inuyasha's sword
kitsune - fox youkai
houshi - Buddhist monk/priest
miko - Shinto priestess/shrine maiden
yokatta - an expression of relief
buji katta na - "you're all right"

Be free, Inuyasha

The words, soft and quiet as the wind and spoken in his dreams, shocked the hanyou back into consciousness, startling him with an understated ferocity that had been completely unexpected.

For a moment, he blinked, his eyes still hazy as sleep reluctantly released its firm grip on his body. One tentative arm reached up, wiping perspiration off his brow.

Where am I?

"Are you alright, um inu no niichan?"

The unassuming, prepubescent voice that had been so familiar all those years ago pierced through the haze, anchoring him firmly back into reality. He stretched a little, sitting up on the futon that had been laid out for him in the Higurashis' television room. He looked at the young boy who was staring back at him with more than a little concern.

He flashed a small grin, reaching out with one hand to pat the boy on the head, "Yeah thanks, Souta. I'm okay. Just a little tired from last night."

Kagome's younger brother nodded in relief, proffering the can of green tea he'd been holding to the hanyou, "Here, for you."

Taking it, Inuyasha nodded his thanks, watching as the younger boy sat down in front of him, his face unusually thoughtful. The hanyou smirked.

"Is something wrong, Souta?"

The younger boy paused.

"Inu no nichan, what happened last night? Why was ne-chan crying? Why why are there two of you now?"

The hanyou's ears twitched in amusement as he looked down at the other boy. Finishing the green tea, he stood up, patting Souta on the head again and tousling his hair, "It's it's a long story, Souta, but don't worry. Your sister's fine, and I'm here to make sure nothing else happens to her."

"Nothing's gonna happen to her."

The reassuring sounds of morning dawning upon Tokyo stirred the girl from restless sleep. For a moment, panic gripped her - a rush of uncertainty as she struggled to recall the events of the night before. When everything came rushing back in a flood, she paused, remembering that all was not lost. They had, after all, escaped.

It had been difficult though. She hadn't been strong enough to carry Inuyasha- the hanyou certainly was heavier than his slim frame let on - and she hadn't any weapons with her. That had left everything up to to the other Inuyasha, and fending off a seemingly relentless horde of undead creatures while trying to carry an unconscious dog-eared demon wasn't the easiest of tasks, even for one of Inuyasha's calibre.

She looked down at the unconscious form sharing the bed with her, silver-white hair resting gently on her lap, his stricken body clad in a spare kimono her mother had found in the storage room for him while his usual garb, bloodied from his fight, presumably spun merrily in the washing machine out back.

Gingerly, she pried open the folds of the kimono, exposing pristine, unblemished skin scarred only by the battle wounds from the night before. What she saw provided some measure of relief from the worry caused by his inability to regain consciousness - in typical hanyou fashion, his wounds were already closing - the ones in his chest caused by the gunfire almost completely healed, though the larger wound in his shoulder still seemed a little raw.

Covering him up again, her hands instinctively went to his head, cradling it protectively. She ran her fingers through his hair, stroking silver-white locks and furry, snow-coloured ears.

No response.

She looked down. Her eyes closed.

Please wake up, Inuyasha. Wake up soon.

Please.

The sound of her door opening broke her train of thought, and she looked up, all hint of despair stripped from her face as she masked her concern with what she hoped was firm confidence. No need to let Mama or Souta see me worry.

Her attempted bravado, however, flew out the window once she saw the familiar figure walk through the door, still clad in the t-shirt and jeans from the night before. She stood up gently, carefully resting the other Inuyasha's head against the pillow.

He smiled at her, folding his arms as he walked into the room, "Good morning. Hope you managed to get at least a little sleep."

Kagome nodded slightly, "A little. You know I never sleep well when when you're injured."

The hanyou's smile widened, "I've said it countless times, Kagome I'm tougher than that, and you know it. It'll take more than a few little cuts like that to get to me."

Placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, he looked her in the eye, brilliant gold meeting light brown, "Besides I'm here, aren't I? That means I lived through -that-."

The girl nodded, looking away.

"I know that but but it doesn't change the fact that he you still haven't woken up."

Silence.

Without warning, the hanyou reached out. Powerful arms enveloped the smaller frame of the girl in front of him, pulling her close and claiming her firmly with a hug that said more than any number of words. One hand came to rest behind her head, caressing her smooth, black hair.

For a moment, they remained so, the girl frozen as she struggled mentally with the unexpected physical proximity.

He was the first to break the silence, whispering softly, "I I never thanked you, you know. For all the times you worried about me. For all the kindness you showed."

Releasing her from his grasp, he shrugged uncomfortably, "Guess it's true that you never really appreciate something until you've lost it."

Stunned, the girl remained speechless. Why why does he keep saying things like that? What really happened? What's what's -going- to happen?

Searching for the answer, she began to ask, and then stopped herself as he pressed something into her hand. She looked down.

The shikon shards he'd taken from her. And a key.

When Kagome looked back up, he was already at the door, his back to her. He spoke softly.
"I have an apartment about five blocks away from where your school is I usually stay there when I'm in Tokyo."

He paused, as though uncertain.

"The address is attached to the key. Drop by after your classes today. I'll explain everything then."

Silently, she watched him go.

"Kagome, stop worrying so much. I have jii-chan in the room watching him and making sure he's alright though if half the things you tell me about him are true, you really should be more worried about your grandfather than your dog friend."

The girl sighed quietly, gripping the receiver more firmly, "Yes, mama."

"But if you're really that concerned about leaving him alone, you'd better come straight back after school. I have to take your grandfather into town to get a new pair of reading glasses, and Souta has soccer practice today."

Kagome nodded, more to herself than to anyone, "Okay, mama. See you later."

Slowly, she returned the payphone handset back to its cradle, leaning against the wall, trying to compose herself. All around, typical middle-school lunch hour commotion reverberated throughout the corridors, a chaotic barrage of sound and motion.

I I never thanked you, you know. For all the times you worried about me. For all the kindness you showed.

Normally, she would go look for Ayumi-chan and the rest, eager to catch up on the latest school gossip and just generally happy to be back in the modern era. She could see them just up ahead, huddling in a corner, whispering and giggling.

Guess it's true that you never really appreciate something until you've lost it.

She turned away.

The soft green grass beneath her provided little solace. As she leaned back against the old tree nestled inconspicuously in one of the more remote corners of the schoolyard, Higurashi Kagome willed herself to calm down.

It didn't work.

This sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen here. There weren't supposed to be youkai rampaging around this world, and there certainly weren't supposed to be undead human creatures.

And Inuyasha.

How old is he now? Why does he look like he hasn't aged at all?

"Higurashi."

The sudden appearance of an unexpected voice startled the girl, causing her to jump slightly. She looked up.

"Oh it's you, Houjou-kun. You you startled me."

The boy smiled sheepishly, running a hand through chestnut-brown hair, "I'm sorry, Higurashi. It's just that I was watching you in the corridor just now while you were on the phone and you seemed worried about something. So, I followed you. May I?"

Kagome nodded. He sat down, next to her. Their eyes met.

"Higurashi, are you eating well?"

She stifled a small laugh, channelling it into a big smile, "Yes, Houjou-kun. I'm eating just fine. But it's nice to know that you're so concerned."

The boy blushed visibly, "Ah well, it's just that you've been ill so much, and it's been going on for so long now you really must watch your health--"

He rambled on in typical fashion, suggesting a list of medicinal remedies that he felt would be good for her, almost losing himself in his monologue. She looked away, her smile fading, yet still visible.

He really is a sweet guy. I'll really have to get around to repaying him for all the times I stood him up

Her mind froze. Beneath the constant droning of Houjou reciting his litany of medicinal herbs, she heard it, the one thing she never wanted to hear again. Abruptly, she stood up, her eyes already scanning her surroundings, trying to locate what she knew was most certainly be watching her.

"Houjou-kun, I think you'd better leave."

The boy was immediately at her side, "What's wrong? Was it something I said?"

Kagome shook her head vehemently, still scanning the horizon, "No no, it's not that. Really. But you really must go, Houjou-kun. Now. It's not safe."

"But"

The pair of creatures dropped down, landing less than two metres away, their high-pitched wail now clearly audible. Kagome's eyes widened.

Instantly, the boy was in front of her, blocking her from the creatures with his larger frame. She looked up at him.

"Houjou-kun"

He glanced back, offering her an uncertain grin. There was an air of confidence about him, though she could see his hands quivering, just ever so slightly, "It's okay, Higurashi. Whatever they want I'm here."

Turning back to face the advancing creatures, he called out, trying his best to sound authoritative, "Who are you? What are you doing here? You're not allowed to-"

He never managed to complete his sentence. The closer once-human raised an arm, lashing out at the boy and sending him flying back, crashing into Kagome. Both collapsed to the ground, the boy already unconscious before he landed.

"Houjou-kun!"

Her heart raced wildly. Shaking the boy's insensate form, she watched helplessly as he refused to respond, a dark ugly bruise already forming where the creature had struck him. She looked up at them.

I have to get away. I have to lead them away from him.

Struggling to push the boy off her without hurting him further, she tried to stand, only to collapse back down as shooting pain lanced through her left leg. Looking down, she stifled a gasp.

Blood. Her blood, seeping out of the wound on her leg and coating the sharp, unseen rock she had unexpectedly landed on.

Damn.

Struggling with the pain, she picked herself up, managing to crawl slowly, edging away from the creatures, once again advancing towards her. Cursing silently, she looked around, hoping against hope that someone else happened to be around and could raise the alarm.

The place was deserted.

Damn. From now on, I'm carrying arrows -wherever- I go.

The first creature was right on top of her. It reached down, bending down with one hand ready to clamp down hard on the girl.

She reacted. Lunging out, she grabbed at the rock responsible for her predicament. Heaving with every ounce of effort within her, she lifted the moderate-sized stone and slugged the creature across the face as hard as she could.

The creature fell to the ground.

And got up again. She stared incredulously.

Masaka

It was then that she remembered, with sickening clarity, that just the night before, she'd seen one of those creatures shrug off one of Inuyasha's punches, even if the silver-haired hanyou had ripped it to shreds moments later. If it could resist a direct blow from someone with as much strength as Inuyasha, then her smacking it with a rock wasn't likely to do much good.

Damn.

Again, the creature reached out. The second one, now having caught up with the first, did the same.

And both suddenly stiffened, as they were yanked unceremoniously two feet off the ground. Kagome's eyes widened, trying to look behind the two aggressors.

The sickly sound of bone being crushed filled the air. Her eyes narrowed.

He was standing there, still in his t-shirt and jeans ensemble, each of his hands clamped firmly on the necks of the now-truly-lifeless once-humans. Black waist-length hair, tied up in a braid, graced his back, and deep purple eyes glanced her over, scanning for injury. He frowned as his gaze came to rest on her injured leg. Dropping the two lifeless forms, he was immediately at her side, assessing the wound. He spoke.

"I was a couple of blocks away shopping for groceries when I caught wind of the scent of your blood. Naturally, I raced over as soon as I could. Seems like it's a good thing I did."

He eyed her, a silly grin on his face, jerking a finger at the two once-humans, "You lied to me. You told me you fell down in school and hurt your leg. You never mentioned -them-."

She found her voice, " Inuyasha?"

He blinked, still smiling, "Let me guess - you're going to ask me if I'm human, right?"

Kagome continued to stare at him.

Scooping her up in one fluid motion, Inuyasha stood, glancing over at where Houjou lay, "Well, it's gonna have to wait. Let's get you back to my place and I'll do something about that wound of yours. Besides, he's about to wake up, and I really don't think I want to be here to answer any uncomfortable questions when he does."

He placed her down on the sofa, muttering something about hoping that he still had a medical kit lying around the place as he disappeared around the corner.

Watching him go, the girl turned back, assessing the room she was in even while shifting slightly to avoid getting blood on Inuyasha's furniture. Her gaze panned across the room.

Despite the pain throbbing in her leg, she found it hard to suppress a smile. It was a modest apartment, sparsely furnished and more than a little unkempt. A fine layer of dust coated just about everything in the room, and a stack of old newspapers balanced precariously on the coffee table. A small heap of unwashed clothes piled up in one corner of the living room, and the overall look of the place was perfectly accentuated by the occasional spent cup of instant ramen strewn across the floor.

Kagome smirked. Some things just don't change.

Sudden motion immediately in front of her caught her attention. Turning back abruptly, she came face-to-face with a pair of familiar dog-like ears, twitching ever so slightly as they sat mounted atop the bed of silver-white hair crowning the head of a hanyou now crouching in front of her and rummaging furiously through a box of medical supplies. She frowned.

And now he's back to normal?

Unable to stop herself, she reached out, flicking one ear with her fingers, causing Inuyasha to jump slightly, his head jerking up to stare at her. He raised an eyebrow.

And, all of a sudden, his form shifted. The ears vanished, his hair turning jet-black. His eyes shimmered, now stunning violet instead of pure amber. And even before she could react to the sudden change, he transformed again, once more taking on the familiar white-and-gold combination she had grown so used to.

Gazing at the shock in her face, he grinned, continuing his search within the box for something with which to treat her wound.

"It's something I managed to teach myself over the centuries - an illusion. You have to admit though, it's easier to go around looking like that than to have to keep on wearing a cap. Besides, it's a good way to remind myself of how I used to be, especially since I can't become human at the new moon anymore"

He trailed off abruptly, realising he'd said too much, too fast.

Kagome paused, "You you're not half-human, anymore?"

He looked up at her, dragging out some antibiotic cream and bandages, shaking his head.

"It's not that. I'm still hanyou. It's just"

He stopped, looking down.

"No, I can't. It won't make sense like that."

The hanyou glanced up at her, golden eyes hinting at deep-seated emotion struggling to come to the fore, "You have to know everything from the beginning. Even even if it's going to be hard to accept."

He looked away.

"It it all began at the last battle."

All around, the air was thick with the scent of blood and destruction. But even through the carnage and gore, one thing was clear. They had won.

Inuyasha crouched down, leaning hard on Tessaiga as he breathed heavily. Pain from the wounds that were the legacy of the battle against Naraku coursed throughout his body, yet the hanyou's grin could not have been wider.

Spotting Miroku on the periphery of his vision, the hanyou turned, elation in his voice as he spoke, congratulating the monk on a battle well fought. But it was the grim expression on the other's face that sent the first threads of doubt weaving through him.

He called out again, "Miroku what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

The monk, his dark robes bloodied and torn, paused for a moment, as though collecting himself, then spoke, his voice wavering ever so slightly, "No, I'm I'm fine. It's-"

Their eyes met. Miroku paused, unable to continue. The prayer beads around his hand, now no longer serving their purpose, fell to the ground. He tried to speak again.

"Inuyasha it's"

Now more than worried, the hanyou took a step towards the monk, until a sound in the distance gripped him and refused to let go.

Shippou was sobbing.

Swiftly turning to face the kitsune's direction, his entire body froze as his eyes immediately picked out the despairing young fox and the fallen form that was without a doubt the object of his distress.

Horror gripped the hanyou.

With a howl that spoke of rage and grief, Inuyasha dropped Tessaiga, breaking into a sprint, instantly at the side of the one whom he'd been too afraid to admit he loved, the one who now lay dying before him with wounds beyond severe - numerous gashes scarred her face, and her clothes lay in shreds, while blood flowed copiously out of the massive wound marring what was left of her abdomen.

Scooping her up gently, he crouched down, not knowing what else to do. He called her name, repeatedly, her refusal to respond bolstering his efforts, as fear and helplessness crept into his voice.

Kagome please please wake up.

Miroku was at his side now, carrying the still-sobbing Shippou and explaining how it had happened. He barely heard a word. He reached out, stroking deep-black hair now drenched in blood.

And she opened her eyes. Looking up at the hanyou, she stared at him for a moment, her face wracked with pain. Tears welled in her eyes. Her mouth opened.

"I..nu"

A fit of coughing drowned out her attempt to speak. The hanyou held her close, blinking back tears of his own, forced to watch the greatest of his nightmares unfold before his eyes.

As the coughs subsided, she opened her eyes again. This time, she raised an arm, reaching up towards his face with a trembling hand. He watched her, uncertain.

She grabbed hold of something. He looked.

The prayer beads around his neck.

Staring back down at her as she lay cradled in his arms, his eyes were questioning, pleading. She gazed back, her eyes half-closed. She managed a weak smile.

"B be free, Inuyasha lo"

Her hand dropped to her side, snapping the beads off his neck. Her eyes closed.

The hanyou threw back his head, roaring with pure, unbridled sorrow, tears openly streaming down his face as he mourned the loss of all he had cherished.

But his grief was momentary. For a moment, something seemed to strike him as his roar subsided. Gently placing her back on the ground, he leapt into the air, landing accurately where the remains of what was once Naraku now lay. In one swift motion, he scooped up the now-whole shikon no tama, the ball of pure energy pulsating a dark malevolent red, racing back to where Kagome lay.

Grabbing her hand, he placed the shikon no tama firmly into her palm, wrapping her fingers around the orb. He brought her other hand up to join the first, before clasping his own around hers. He closed his eyes.

And spoke, his voice laced with urgency and determination. He called out to her, calling her name, urging her to listen to him. He poured out everything to her, begging her not to leave, pleading with her to live again.

"Use it, Kagome. Use it to save yourself. I don't want it anymore I don't want to be youkai not if it means being being without you. Use it please."

The shikon no tama shattered, flashing a bright, blinding red, enveloping both hanyou and human.

The light subsided. The hanyou opened his eyes.

And recoiled in shock.

The one he knew as Kagome lay before him. But she was no longer herself. The wounds that had scarred her body were gone, completely, as were her clothes. She lay before him, immaculate, her eyes closed, hair as silver-white as his now gracing her shoulders.

Unsure of what to make of it, the hanyou reached out. Before he could touch her, her eyes flashed open, and Inuyasha stared, speechless.

The familiar dark brown orbs he had known and loved were gone, replaced by eyes as red and malevolent as the shikon no tama.

Silently, Higurashi Kagome looked down, staring at the bandage now gracing her leg. She spoke, her voice soft, laced with a hint of disbelief.

"I became a youkai?"

The dog-eared hanyou paused, then nodded, "Not youkai. Hanyou, and not an ordinary one at that."

He looked away, "I I later discovered that it was a fatal error on my part. In my desire to save you, I I acted without thinking. I forgot that most of the shikon no tama had been in Naraku's possession for so long that it had become tainted beyond measure. In the condition you were in, you were no match for the evil energy contained within, and while it healed you, it also corrupted you. It it perverted you because, in your condition, you were the easier target...."

He finished, "it was all my fault."

She frowned, "What do you mean, 'easier target'?"

He nodded, "It took me a while to realise, but I did - you weren't the only one transformed by the shikon jewel. After you transformed, you started attacking me, and while avoiding your attacks, I realised that the wounds from the previous battle had healed, faster than they usually do. I was moving faster too, much faster than I used to be able to, and I I just felt stronger."

The hanyou stood up, packing away the medical kit, "The battle continued for a while, locked in a stalemate. It was only after the battle had ended and you had escaped that I realised that Tessaiga had shattered somewhere along the way. Fearing the worst, I told Miroku and Sango to put as much distance as they could between themselves and me."

He looked at her.

"And I waited, waited for the madness to overwhelm me. It never came. Months passed. I never became human. Years went by. I didn't age."

Closing the latch on the medical kit, he dumped it on the coffee table, moving to sit next to her on the couch.

"It soon began to make sense. When it first happened, I thought that your attacks had somehow shattered Tessaiga. But with all the weird things that were happening to me, I realised that the shikon no tama must've done something to my youkai blood - something that allowed me to remain hanyou without turning human at the new moon and stopping my father's blood from claiming my body. That same something was keeping me alive, and worst of all, had bonded me to you... her."

"The tales of a powerful hanyou rampaging throughout the lands were rampant. It was said no youkai stood a chance against this creature, for she was said to be a blending of raw youkai power and the holy power of the miko. None had ever seen anything like her. All youkai that stood against her died, their energy absorbed by her. The houshis and mikos that tried to take her on met with untimely deaths, for nothing seemed to work against her."

"But I didn't need the tales to know. I could feel her presence when she was close by. I knew what she what you were doing."

"After a while, I knew I had to do something."

The hanyou smiled weakly, "And so I did, tracking her down across the globe. For five centuries I've chased her, hoping to be able to do something to correct the greatest mistake I'd ever made. When I discovered that that she had returned to Tokyo, I came back, and realised that you were around. Through the centuries, her powers have grown, from all the youkai power she's absorbed, and she's been recently successfully in preventing me from sensing her presence. That's why I needed the shikon shards. But it didn't work, and all happened as I remembered it."

His smile faded, his expression wistful, "And that, Kagome, is everything as it happened. I'm I'm sorry you had to had to know."

The girl sat, dumbfounded, the immensity of everything Inuyasha had told her slowly sinking in. A part of her screamed within, refusing to accept what fate had dealt would deal her. But another part of her fixated on the one in front of her, sensing five centuries worth of anguish and loneliness.

Instinctively, she reached out, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders, drawing him into a hug. She spoke.

"It's it's alright, Inuyasha. We'll we'll find a way to make things right. We've always always done so."

For a moment, he stared at her, their eyes locked with each other's. His arms moved to envelop her as hers shifted down to curve around his waist. He leaned forward, ears quivering.

His lips met hers. Her eyes widened. For a moment, she froze, unsure of what to do, even as his kiss became more demanding, more wanting.

And she responded.

For an eternity, they remained so. Then, unexpectedly, he broke away, his eyes smiling as he gazed at her.

"I've I've wanted to do that for so long. I I wish I'd had the courage to do that before that we'd had the chance to be closer."

One hand came up to his neck, grasping at prayer beads that were no longer there. He smiled again, a joyless smile, "I I have my freedom, Kagome but what is it worth, without you with me?"

His words struck deep, and she gazed at him, empathising with he who represented the future of the one she cared for so much.

Summoning up some reserve of courage, she leaned forward, locking lips with the hanyou as she kissed him deeply, invitingly. A low growl escaped from his throat as he responded, his eyes closed as he gently guided her, one arm supporting her weight as she lay back down on the couch, their lips still coupled in sheer bliss.

They remained that way, and Kagome opened her eyes, staring up and losing herself in his strikingly handsome features, surprised at the emotions and sensations that were roiling up within her, surprised at just how much and how long she'd been wanting this.

She looked down at the unconscious form sharing the bed with her, silver-white hair resting gently on her lap, his stricken body clad in a spare kimono her mother had found in the storage room for him.

Sudden realisation struck her. She tried to break the kiss, tried to speak, to tell him that this wasn't right. But he was too insistent, too strong, his lips hungrily claiming hers and refusing to break contact, his arms pinning her down to the sofa as he towered over her.

She struggled, even while knowing the futility of her struggles, trying to get his attention, trying to get him to stop before things went beyond their control. He didn't seem to notice. She pushed at him, trying to shove him off. He didn't even budge.

Through the kiss, she screamed for him to stop.

His eyes shot open. He leapt off the couch, his entire body shivering as the realisation of everything that had occurred in the past few minutes hit home. He looked at her, the shock apparent, knowing that he had very nearly hurt her.

Instantly, he was at her side, crouching down, and grasping her hands in his, "I I... Kagome, I'm sorry I don't know I don't know what came over me. I'm"

She shook her head, her body trembling, "It's it's all right, Inuyasha. I was as much at fault as you."

She looked down at the unconscious form sharing the bed with her, silver-white hair resting gently on her lap.

When she looked up, he was standing a short distance away, purposely not looking at her.

She stood up.

"I guess I'd better get going. Mama told me she needed to go out, and that means you're probably alone at my place right about now. I'll I'll see you later, right?"

He turned around, a small smile already on his face, "Yeah I'll see you later."

She nodded. He watched her leave. Alone.

The water felt warm as it struck bare skin, running down her sleek, well-toned body in rivulets as Kagome cleansed herself from the grime and dirt of the day's activities. True to her word, Mama hadn't been at home when she got back, and a quick check in her room showed a still-unconscious Inuyasha, so she'd figured a shower scored high on her list of priorities.

She stood there, motionless, letting the water soak into her skin as it splashed all around. Subconsciously, her hand came up to her face, touching her lips.

His lips met hers. Her eyes widened. For a moment, she froze, unsure of what to do, even as his kiss became more demanding, more wanting. And she responded.

She closed her eyes, angling her face up to let the water splatter across her cheeks.

She leaned forward, locking lips with the hanyou as she kissed him deeply, invitingly.

She sighed.

That was when she heard him scream her name.

Alarmed, she turned off the shower, grabbing her towel and wrapping it hastily around herself even as she raced out into the corridor. Bounding up the stairs, she flung open the door to her room, only to come face to face with her kimono-clad hanyou, his face bearing the fearful look of one who looked like he'd lived through hell.

He stared at her momentarily, then, as though realising who she was, dashed over and picked her up in his arms, crushing her to him, holding her like he'd rarely ever done before. He held her close, burying her head protectively into his shoulder.

He whispered softly, his eyes closing, "Yokatta buji katta na. I I thought something awful had happened to you. I thought I'd I'd lost you."

Realising what he'd just said, he set her down, blushing furiously, as he usually did when he came across a need to express emotion and concern that he couldn't simply sweep aside and ignore.

She remained silent, now knowing what he had seen.

Knowing what she was destined to become.

Knowing that they could never be together, not as she'd often envisioned it.

"I've I've wanted to do that for so long. I I wish I'd had the courage to do that before that we'd had the chance to be closer."

"I I have my freedom, Kagome but what is it worth, without you with me?"

For the second time that day, she leaned forward, kissing the hanyou deeply, nudging him slowly towards the bed.

Momentarily, the hanyou's eyes widened at the unexpected attention. But he did not object, letting her lead him to whatever lay before them.

Ecstasy.

Beyond the door to her room, the hanyou stood, his ears twitching as he tried his best not to listen. A frown creased his forehead, his mind working furiously. A tinge of worry crept down his spine.

This isn't right.

That that never happened. I'm sure of it.

He looked away, walking down the stairs.

What's going on?

TO BE CONTINUED

Author's Note: And there we have Chapter Three! Now, doesn't the title of the series make a lot more sense? Bet you all thought I was referring to the two Inuyashas, right? ^_^; Thoughts and comments most appreciated - tell me what you liked, didn't like, absolutely hated, etc. It really does help in planning new chapters ^_^ - SR