They left early that afternoon in search of more Shikon shards. They walked till the moon was high in the sky. Then they stopped to make camp.
Inuyasha had volunteered to take the first watch, so he sat away from the campfire just outside a small clearing in the woods.
He stared up at the moon. It was three-quarters dark. "It won't be long now." thought Inuyasha. Suddenly, he heard a rustling in the trees. It was Kotori.
"Kotori, what are you doing here?" asked Inuyasha.
"I thought you could use a drink to give you energy on your watch. Here." said Kotori as she handed Inuyasha the cup.
He sniffed it. It had a sweet smell of blended herbs.
"What? Don't you trust what I make?" asked Kotori.
"Of course I trust you. I just wanted to know what it was, that's all."
"Like I said, it'll give you energy for your watch."
Inuyasha smiled and drained the cup. When he handed the cup back to her, she smiled and said, "Thanks. Do you mind if I sit with you? You know, keep you company for a while?"
He smiled, "Sure. Have a seat."
She sat beside him and looked up at the stars. "Wow, the stars sure are bright tonight."
Inuyasha nodded, but he wasn't looking at the stars. He was looking at Kotori. "Why do I feel this way? Was there something in that mixture she gave me to make me act like this? No, she wouldn't do something like that. I admit that I am attracted to her, but she's got Miroku, and I've got Kagome. Well, sort of." thought Inuyasha.
"Can I ask you a question, Inuyasha?" She hadn't taken her eyes off the sky.
He was startled back into reality, "Sure. What is it?"
She hesitated for a moment, still gazing at the stars, "What do you think of me, Inuyasha?"
"Well, I think you're kind, and noble, and considerate, and amazingly talented..." started Inuyasha.
Kotori put a finger to his lips, "No, I mean what do you think of this?" She took one of his hands and placed it on her breast.
He was startled at how straightforward she was. "Well, I..." he stuttered.
He looked into her eyes and couldn't control himself anymore. He kissed her. Kotori tired not to stiffen against his kiss, but it was hard for her to pretend to like it.
When he released her from the kiss, she sat in his lap, facing him. He kissed her again, this time with more fever and passion. She broke off the kiss and looked at Inuyasha.
"Before this goes any further, answer me one question truthfully."
He nodded.
"Do you love me, Inuyasha?" she asked. She leaned in to kiss him again before he could answer.
She was just about to kiss him when he gave her a reply. "No. I... I love.... Kagome..." said Inuyasha softly.
She stopped before their lips met. "What did you say?"
"I said, I don't love you. I love Kagome." said Inuyasha, loudly.
Kotori sat up and smiled. "Did you hear that, Kagome?" she shouted.
There was a rustling in the trees and Inuyasha saw Kagome jump down from a tree branch.
"Loud and clear, Kotori." said Kagome.
"How about you, Miroku?" shouted Kotori.
"Crystal clear. Shigure?" said Miroku as he too jumped down from a tree branch.
"No question about it." said Shigure as he walked out from behind the tree.
"Hey! We heard it too!" shouted Kita as she and Shippo fell from another branch.
"I thought Shigure and I tied and gagged you two." said Miroku.
"You did. We got rid of the gags, just not the ropes." said Shippo as he and Kita crawled towards them, their front and back paws tied together.
"Yeah, and why did you two do that anyway?" asked Kita as Kotori untied her and Shippo.
"Well, there are some things that are not meant for children's eyes." replied Miroku.
Inuyasha just stared at them.
"Oh, Inuyasha, I'm so sorry. That was the only way that I could find out if you had feelings for Kagome. I made a mixture that brought my curse back and when I asked you to answer me truthfully, if you had feelings for someone else, you would reject me. Curse or no."
"I understand." said Inuyasha.
Miroku walked over to Kotori and said, "Why don't we get Kita and Shippo to bed, Kotori?"
She nodded and they took the two cubs back to the camp with Shigure trailing behind them.
Once they were out of earshot, Kagome sat next to Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha, I have something to confess. I... I love you too. I didn't want to tell you before because I was afraid that you would reject me."
He looked at her, "I felt the same way."
She smiled, "Well, I know that this is sudden, but what do you say we work on our relation...."
Inuyasha cut her off with a kiss. "Does that answer your question?"
"Yes. Yes it does."
Inuyasha had volunteered to take the first watch, so he sat away from the campfire just outside a small clearing in the woods.
He stared up at the moon. It was three-quarters dark. "It won't be long now." thought Inuyasha. Suddenly, he heard a rustling in the trees. It was Kotori.
"Kotori, what are you doing here?" asked Inuyasha.
"I thought you could use a drink to give you energy on your watch. Here." said Kotori as she handed Inuyasha the cup.
He sniffed it. It had a sweet smell of blended herbs.
"What? Don't you trust what I make?" asked Kotori.
"Of course I trust you. I just wanted to know what it was, that's all."
"Like I said, it'll give you energy for your watch."
Inuyasha smiled and drained the cup. When he handed the cup back to her, she smiled and said, "Thanks. Do you mind if I sit with you? You know, keep you company for a while?"
He smiled, "Sure. Have a seat."
She sat beside him and looked up at the stars. "Wow, the stars sure are bright tonight."
Inuyasha nodded, but he wasn't looking at the stars. He was looking at Kotori. "Why do I feel this way? Was there something in that mixture she gave me to make me act like this? No, she wouldn't do something like that. I admit that I am attracted to her, but she's got Miroku, and I've got Kagome. Well, sort of." thought Inuyasha.
"Can I ask you a question, Inuyasha?" She hadn't taken her eyes off the sky.
He was startled back into reality, "Sure. What is it?"
She hesitated for a moment, still gazing at the stars, "What do you think of me, Inuyasha?"
"Well, I think you're kind, and noble, and considerate, and amazingly talented..." started Inuyasha.
Kotori put a finger to his lips, "No, I mean what do you think of this?" She took one of his hands and placed it on her breast.
He was startled at how straightforward she was. "Well, I..." he stuttered.
He looked into her eyes and couldn't control himself anymore. He kissed her. Kotori tired not to stiffen against his kiss, but it was hard for her to pretend to like it.
When he released her from the kiss, she sat in his lap, facing him. He kissed her again, this time with more fever and passion. She broke off the kiss and looked at Inuyasha.
"Before this goes any further, answer me one question truthfully."
He nodded.
"Do you love me, Inuyasha?" she asked. She leaned in to kiss him again before he could answer.
She was just about to kiss him when he gave her a reply. "No. I... I love.... Kagome..." said Inuyasha softly.
She stopped before their lips met. "What did you say?"
"I said, I don't love you. I love Kagome." said Inuyasha, loudly.
Kotori sat up and smiled. "Did you hear that, Kagome?" she shouted.
There was a rustling in the trees and Inuyasha saw Kagome jump down from a tree branch.
"Loud and clear, Kotori." said Kagome.
"How about you, Miroku?" shouted Kotori.
"Crystal clear. Shigure?" said Miroku as he too jumped down from a tree branch.
"No question about it." said Shigure as he walked out from behind the tree.
"Hey! We heard it too!" shouted Kita as she and Shippo fell from another branch.
"I thought Shigure and I tied and gagged you two." said Miroku.
"You did. We got rid of the gags, just not the ropes." said Shippo as he and Kita crawled towards them, their front and back paws tied together.
"Yeah, and why did you two do that anyway?" asked Kita as Kotori untied her and Shippo.
"Well, there are some things that are not meant for children's eyes." replied Miroku.
Inuyasha just stared at them.
"Oh, Inuyasha, I'm so sorry. That was the only way that I could find out if you had feelings for Kagome. I made a mixture that brought my curse back and when I asked you to answer me truthfully, if you had feelings for someone else, you would reject me. Curse or no."
"I understand." said Inuyasha.
Miroku walked over to Kotori and said, "Why don't we get Kita and Shippo to bed, Kotori?"
She nodded and they took the two cubs back to the camp with Shigure trailing behind them.
Once they were out of earshot, Kagome sat next to Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha, I have something to confess. I... I love you too. I didn't want to tell you before because I was afraid that you would reject me."
He looked at her, "I felt the same way."
She smiled, "Well, I know that this is sudden, but what do you say we work on our relation...."
Inuyasha cut her off with a kiss. "Does that answer your question?"
"Yes. Yes it does."