Inuyasha sat in a corner of the room as Kagome watched over Shigure. Shippo and Kita were asleep in another corner of the room. The moon's light shone down on them through the window, casting a silver shadow on Kagome. Inuyasha stared at her.
"Gods she's beautiful. What I wouldn't give to be able to tell her how I feel, like Miroku could with Kotori. To be able to announce to the world my feelings for Kagome. Wait, what am I thinking? Kagome could never love me. Not after all the things I've done to her.
"She'll think the only reason I'm with her is because she looks like Kikyo. That'll never go over smoothly. Maybe I should talk to Kotori. Maybe she can help me tell Kagome how I feel about her. I'll ask her when she gets back." Thought Inuyasha.
Kagome wiped Shigure's forehead with a cool, damp cloth and noticed Inuyasha staring at her.
"Is something wrong, Inuyasha?" asked Kagome.
"Why would anything be wrong?" snapped Inuyasha.
"Well, you're staring at me and it's really beginning to scare me. Could you just stop it?"
"I'm not staring at you, I'm thinking. Why does everything have to be about you, Kagome?"
"Everything's not about me, Inuyasha! I just asked a simple question!" shouted Kagome, "And what were you thinking about that made you stare off into space in my direction?"
"It's not like it's any of your business, but I was wondering where Miroku and Kotori are. They should be back by now."
Kagome thought for a minute, "Yeah, you're right. Didn't Miroku say that he was going to find Kotori and keep her safe?"
"That's what he said, but I doubt that was what that perverted monk was planing on doing."
"You wouldn't be talking about me now would you?" asked Miroku as he walked through the doorway, holding Kotori's hand.
"Who else would we be talking about you pervert!" said Inuyasha.
"Kagome, how's Shigure doing?" asked Kotori as she let go of Miroku's hand and knelt beside her friend.
"He's sleeping. He should be fine in the morning." said Kagome as she wiped his forehead again.
Kotori took one of Shigure's hands in hers and smiled, "I'm glad that he's okay."
Kagome noticed the burn marks on Kotori's hands, "What happened to your hands?"
"Oh, it's nothing." said Kotori as she hid her hands in the folds of her priestess robes.
Kagome quickly grabbed one hand and examined it. "It looks like you stuck your hands in a bon fire or something."
"No, the blood from that forest spirit must have been poisonous. It burned my skin so I had to quickly wash it off. I have some herbs in my bag that will heal them. It's not that big of a deal." replied Kotori.
"Okay, if you're sure." said Kagome looking worried.
"I'm positive," said Kotori, smiling, "Well, it's getting late and I'm really tired. I think Shigure will be fine on his own, so we all should get some sleep. Besides, you look like you could use a good night's rest, Kagome."
"Yeah I could. Well, goodnight." said Kagome as she slipped into her sleeping bag beside Shippo and Kita.
Kotori laid next to where Inuyasha was sitting and Miroku laid beside her. In no time at all, they were all fast asleep. Inuyasha had kept himself awake and took the first watch, though there was no need.
Suddenly, a scent entered his nose. It came from the sleeping body of Kotori that lay beside him. Though faint, the scent was unmistakable. She had been mated, and he caught the other scent of her mate. Miroku.
"So he took her virginity." thought Inuyasha.
"Gods she's beautiful. What I wouldn't give to be able to tell her how I feel, like Miroku could with Kotori. To be able to announce to the world my feelings for Kagome. Wait, what am I thinking? Kagome could never love me. Not after all the things I've done to her.
"She'll think the only reason I'm with her is because she looks like Kikyo. That'll never go over smoothly. Maybe I should talk to Kotori. Maybe she can help me tell Kagome how I feel about her. I'll ask her when she gets back." Thought Inuyasha.
Kagome wiped Shigure's forehead with a cool, damp cloth and noticed Inuyasha staring at her.
"Is something wrong, Inuyasha?" asked Kagome.
"Why would anything be wrong?" snapped Inuyasha.
"Well, you're staring at me and it's really beginning to scare me. Could you just stop it?"
"I'm not staring at you, I'm thinking. Why does everything have to be about you, Kagome?"
"Everything's not about me, Inuyasha! I just asked a simple question!" shouted Kagome, "And what were you thinking about that made you stare off into space in my direction?"
"It's not like it's any of your business, but I was wondering where Miroku and Kotori are. They should be back by now."
Kagome thought for a minute, "Yeah, you're right. Didn't Miroku say that he was going to find Kotori and keep her safe?"
"That's what he said, but I doubt that was what that perverted monk was planing on doing."
"You wouldn't be talking about me now would you?" asked Miroku as he walked through the doorway, holding Kotori's hand.
"Who else would we be talking about you pervert!" said Inuyasha.
"Kagome, how's Shigure doing?" asked Kotori as she let go of Miroku's hand and knelt beside her friend.
"He's sleeping. He should be fine in the morning." said Kagome as she wiped his forehead again.
Kotori took one of Shigure's hands in hers and smiled, "I'm glad that he's okay."
Kagome noticed the burn marks on Kotori's hands, "What happened to your hands?"
"Oh, it's nothing." said Kotori as she hid her hands in the folds of her priestess robes.
Kagome quickly grabbed one hand and examined it. "It looks like you stuck your hands in a bon fire or something."
"No, the blood from that forest spirit must have been poisonous. It burned my skin so I had to quickly wash it off. I have some herbs in my bag that will heal them. It's not that big of a deal." replied Kotori.
"Okay, if you're sure." said Kagome looking worried.
"I'm positive," said Kotori, smiling, "Well, it's getting late and I'm really tired. I think Shigure will be fine on his own, so we all should get some sleep. Besides, you look like you could use a good night's rest, Kagome."
"Yeah I could. Well, goodnight." said Kagome as she slipped into her sleeping bag beside Shippo and Kita.
Kotori laid next to where Inuyasha was sitting and Miroku laid beside her. In no time at all, they were all fast asleep. Inuyasha had kept himself awake and took the first watch, though there was no need.
Suddenly, a scent entered his nose. It came from the sleeping body of Kotori that lay beside him. Though faint, the scent was unmistakable. She had been mated, and he caught the other scent of her mate. Miroku.
"So he took her virginity." thought Inuyasha.