DISCLAIMER-ER: I don't own anything! WHEEE!!

Hehe ; A new fic! And I used to be afraid to post anything... Welps this is an idea I've had for quite some time, and I've only just gotten around to doing anything with it... I'll probably post more of it when I get back (I'm goin to DC for a week... I'll probably write most of the way on the buses .)... Well hope you like! And if you don't mind my shameless plug, PLEASE go read my fic "Wonderland"... so much more time and effort went into that one than this one... and it's my proud creation... ; So anyway... Hope you enjoy the story! Here we go!

Jakotsu: Oh my gosh, thith ith THO fun... -claps sarcastically- When do I get to be in thith?

--

Kagome stared at the starlit sky, the white specks in the endless abyss reflecting in her eyes. She leaned back, stretching her legs out in front of her, and yawned.

I did agree to stay up with him, she reminded herself. Can't fall asleep on him.

"...The stars are pretty tonight..." she mused.

"Feh."

She glanced over at Inuyasha, gray eyes flashing in the firelight. He gazed back lazily, obviously barely awake, just as she was. But it was his choice to stay up all night when he was human, anyway.

"What's with the gloomy disposition?" she asked, following his eyes as he turned away from her. "I thought you'd be happiest of us all, now that this stupid thing is whole again, anyway."

She pulled the chain that held the Shikon no Tama out from underneath her collar, staring at it with the tiniest bit of remorse.

"Feh," he repeated, barely looking at her.

Kagome narrowed her eyes and tucked the Jewel back underneath her shirt. "But maybe I was wrong..." she mumbled, folding her arms across her knees.

Inuyasha yawned, scratching the back of his neck absently. "So..."

"So... what?"

"So, now that the Jewel's complete... and everything's over... what d'you think you're gonna do?"

Kagome blinked, surprised. I hadn't thought about it... "I... I don't know."

"Are you going home?"

...Home?

"To your time, I mean."

Kagome shivered. "Well, yeah, I always do—"

"No. That's not what I mean." Inuyasha pulled the ends of his sleeves over his hands. "I mean... like... for good."

For good??

Kagome blushed, staring over at her companion worriedly. Go home for good... Could I do that...? Would I let myself...? "I... I don't know about that, Inuyasha." She felt her stomach squirm even thinking about it. "Do you want me to?"

Inuyasha made a choking noise and scooted away from her a little, eyes wide. "What... what the hell? Why'd you... How can you even..."

Why did I ask him that?

Do I really think he wants me to go?

...Or is it me who wants to leave?

Kagome shook her head, clearing her conscience. "I... I don't..." She sighed, burying her face in her hands. "I don't know, Inuyasha... I want to stay with you—all of you... but, you have to understand..."

He didn't reply. Just stared into the fire, agitated.

"You have to understand what I'm giving up if I stay here with you."

"And it's better than what you'd give up if you didn't, right?"

Now look what I did. "Inuyasha, I didn't mean it like that."

"Do you even know what you'd give up if you left us?!" Inuyasha exclaimed, hopping to his feet.

"Inuyasha, calm down, you're going to wake everyone up!"

His dark eyes flashed angrily, giving her a sick sort of feeling, but he held himself back and said nothing else.

"That's not what I meant," Kagome said again, startled by his outburst. "What I meant was... I want to stay, but... my family..." She looked up at Inuyasha carefully. "You know what it's like not to have family..."

Inuyasha muttered something incomprehensible under his breath and kept staring unhappily at the fire.

"So... I guess... I've got to go back, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha took a few steps forward and sat right up next to the fire.

No more talking to him, I guess, Kagome thought, and shivered in the sudden chill.

--

Inuyasha yawned widely, rubbing his eyes to keep them open. He looked at the black-haired girl lying a few feet away on the ground, drifting in and out of some kind of dream.

Suddenly Kagome sat bolt upright, and let out a tiny shriek.

Inuyasha looked at her skeptically. "You OK?"

"The spiders..." Kagome mumbled, barely opening her eyes. "The spiders, they... they want me to tap-dance... I don't... don't want to tap dance..."

Inuyasha cocked one eyebrow up. "Yeah..." he agreed doubtfully. "You... tell those spiders, Kagome."

"O- ok I'll... I'll tell them..." She slumped back down, asleep again.

Inuyasha frowned. So much for staying up with me. He gazed up at the stars for a moment, then, thinking the better of it, lay down next to Kagome.

It'll be the first time I ever slept through a new moon... but I think I'll live.

Already falling asleep, Inuyasha's hand found Kagome's and his fingers curled around hers protectively.

If she's going to leave me... might as well make the best of it.

He fell asleep, his face just inches from Kagome's.

Her face relaxed from her "spider nightmare" and she smiled to herself in her sleep.