My new story…its Sessh/Kag if you don't like the paring, don't read the story.

**This is a rewrite in order to fit the story as its been progressing! I started this story so long ago it was time to update the writing, and a recent review I got reminded me of this goal! Thanks OnceUponABlueMoonDream !

Bold means a change in location and/ or time or time period. Italics are thoughts or Sesshomaru's inner demon talking, or flashbacks. ** Movements in song

Chapter 1

Kagome laughed as she chased Rin and Shippo around the pond near their camp. The other members of the group were milling around, preparing to make dinner. Sango rinsed foraged vegetables in a bowl on the edge of the pond as Miroku sharpened the cooking knives. Kikyo chopped herbs next to him, and Inuyasha lounged in a tree above her head. Sesshomaru sat under a different tree, watching her with a sulking Jaken next to him. He enjoyed watching her, when he had the chance, regardless of Jaken's clear dislike of it. Their relationship had evolved over her time in the Feudal Era, from enemies to allies and now friends. At first, it was rare for the two groups to combine, but as time passed, they traveled together more and more. And after Naraku's fall, Sesshomaru found himself looking for more excuses to see her. Standing, Sesshomaru walked into the forest, anticipating a need to hunt a protein for the night's meal.

When he was around, he saw how Inuyasha annoyed her, even though Kikyo was given her own soul as a product of Kagome's wish. She'd wished for everyone to have a fair chance at happiness. Kikyo and Inuyasha had the fair chance to be together, and they got married, and mated almost immediately. Sango and Miroku found their new starts in Kohaku's return and a wind tunnel-free hand. Kagome crossed over whenever she had a test, or missed her family, or when they needed modern supplies, but spent the majority of her time with her Feudal Era family. She wanted to raise Shippo and knew she would not find full happiness if she stayed in the present. So, she spent the last few years balancing her lives, transferring most of her classes to a homeschooling format in order to raise her grades. She was busy, but happier than she'd ever been.

"kids," Kagome called, "wash up and get ready for dinner! And don't run so close to the water's edge!" She slowed into a walk and moved to where Sango was chopping the freshly washed vegetables, getting a knife of her own to help. They chatted about the days they'd spent on the road, helping villages with their minor demon issues. They'd finished preparing the vegetables just as Sesshomaru walked about into camp with a huge boar on his back, gutted and ready to go.

Kagome looked up, "Oh wow! Sesshomaru, thank you! I was just about to grab my arrows to find something."

Sesshomaru let a soft smile appear on his face for her to see, before returning to his stoic look as Miroku took the boar from Sesshomaru's arms and cleaned it of its skin and portioned it out for their meal. Sango was in charge of the cooking of the meat, and Kagome was in charge of both appetizers and desserts. Today's appetizer had homemade tortilla chips and wild spinach pesto dip, and the dessert was a wildberry cake. Sesshomaru saw Kagome's concentration while she baked, she had flour on her face, in her hair, and all over the linen pants she wore when they were traveling. Right as the cooking finished, Inuyasha hopped down from his tree, demanding his food.

"Kagome, is dinner ready yet? You've been cooking forever." He whined.

"I truly wish you'd use those eyes and nose of yours…"

"is that a yes?" He chided, looking at the plates being made for the children.

Kagome sighed a soft, "sit", before leaving the cooking area of their camp for the area where everyone had begun eating. It took only a few minutes for Inuyasha to come storming out, yelling.

"Kagome," he skidded to a stop in front of her, "what the HELL did you do that for?!"

"You were stressing me out Yash. Putting me on the edge of a migraine…." Her voice was quiet, angry.

Inuyasha shuddered, 4 years since they first met, and he still knew how Kagome could lose her temper. It was close to his, with a longer fuse. The group laughed as Inuyasha plopped himself next to Kikyo and started eating, muttering to himself. The meal went on smoothly, Kagome presenting the wildberry cake at the end of the meal. Miroku offered to clean up, pulling Inuyasha into the chore as he ushered Kagome and Sango off to their bath at a nearby hotspring.

Sesshomaru had disappeared after dinner, presumably to train. Kikyo had settled in the corner of the campsite, working on the Boar pelts.

At the hot springs, Sango and Kagome soaked in the warm soothing waters, chatting. Sango remarked how much Miroku hadn't changed in his lecherous ways, merely shifting the bulk of his focus teasing Sango about having children. They hadn't noticed Sesshomaru lounging in a tree near Kagome, listening.

"So, Kagome, have you thought any more about that tension?" Sango questioned.

"What tension?" Kagome feigned innocence as Sesshomaru's ears tilted toward them in curiosity.

"Kagome you cannot be serious," Sango laughed, "I see those glances you and Sesshomaru steal to each other. Are you gonna do something about it already? It's not like were enemies anymore."

Kagome laughed, lathering shampoo into her hair, "I don't really know how to approach it. We seem to just dance around it, sometimes I wish he'd just try to hold my hand or kiss me or anything just to get some confirmation that we both feel things at the same intensity."

Sango raised an eyebrow before starting to wash herself, "anything huh?"

"Miroku is a horrible influence on you!" Kagome giggled as she dunked her shampooed head under the water. She resurfaced and looked out to the forest. She'd felt a very familiar demonic aura heading in their direction.

"what is it?" Sango asked, shampooing her hair, "felt something?"

Kagome sighed before turning her attention back to her washing, "It's Kouga. He's probably going to make a camp nearby and come to ours in the morning."

The two rinsed themselves as Sesshomaru silently jumped out of the tree he was in and headed back to camp to ensure that Jaken was putting Rin to bed properly. After toweling off, they changed into oversized sweatshirts and light, fitted sweatpants that Kagome had brought back from the Present.

Looking Kagome up and down to make sure she was fully dressed, Sango sighed as she tugged her shirt into place before saying, "Okay Miroku, we're dressed. You can come out now."

Miroku emerged from the bushes, carrying a basket of now-clean dishes, looking sheepish and mumbling about "having to wash dishes so of course I stopped by to make sure my beloved Sango was safe as she bathed."

Kagome chuckled as Sango tugged the basket from his hands and dumped the clothes she was wearing earlier into his arms in return, saying, "if you like washing so much then here."

The three walked back to camp together, laughing and talking. Nearby, Kouga and his wolves were setting up their camp on the other side of the hotspring. He'd smelled Kagome's scent away from "that mangy mutt's" so he decided they would rest there for the night so he could soak it in, opting to see her in her camp in the morning, just as Kagome had predicted.

When Miroku, Sango, and Kagome arrived back at camp, they separated to do their final nighttime routines. Sango went to say goodnight to Kohaku and sharpen her Hiraikotsu, Miroku went to the edge of the pond to meditate, and Kagome went to her sleeping bag, where Shippo was waiting. Inuyasha was sitting in front of the fire and Kikyo was gone, presumably on one of her meditative walks. Sesshomaru sat under a tree, writing in a journal next to a sleeping Rin, who was tucked into a bright purple sleeping bag given to her by Kagome.

Kagome softly told Shippo a story to lull him to sleep in her sleeping bag that she usually shared with him. It was close to the tree where Sesshomaru sat, since Rin wanted her sleeping bag near to Kagome and Shippo's. Most nights, even though Shippo would be asleep first, Kagome would join him in the sleeping bag after writing in her own journal and reading herself sleepy. Some nights, though, Kagome would fall asleep leaning on Sesshomaru. This was one of those nights.

The two sat side by side as they wrote, not saying a word to each other but enjoying each other's auras. Both Sango and Miroku noticed their auras swirling and blending together, and shared a look before going to their sleeping areas. Inuyasha noticed too, a dark look flashing across his eyes before jumping into the tree he wanted to sleep in. Kikyo would see him and sleep under his tree, as she did every night she returned late.

Soon, Sesshomaru and Kagome were the only two left up. Thinking about the conversation he overheard, Sesshomaru slowly lowered his journal, nudging Kagome to get her attention. When she lowered hers, after finishing the sentence she was writing, Sesshomaru slowly tilted Kagome's chin upward as he leaned closer.

"May I?" his voice was a barely audible whisper against Kagome's lips, she knew immediately what he was asking, and her face flushed.

She nodded, once, before Sesshomaru softly pressed his lips to hers. They melted into each other for a moment before hearing the bushes move with Kikyo's return. The two lurched apart, lifting their journals back up and furiously writing, looking very distracted. Kikyo sat by the fire, staring into it as Kagome yawned and leaned on Sesshomaru's arm, falling asleep quickly. When he knew he wouldn't wake her, Kikyo watched Sesshomaru softly move Kagome to a comfortable position on his lap before closing his eyes himself.

*okayyyy! I'm slowly rewriting these! I think this is much better than what my little 12-year-old mind had. Thanks for reading/re-reading! -Inu'sgurl97*