I don't own Inuyasha or any of the other characters. I wish I did, though. That would be awesome...

The last of his restraint snapped. He had spent all morning watching her as she sat under that tree, the light breeze causing her hair to dance and skim around her shoulders; the way every time she turned a page, she would draw her bottom lip into her mouth. Her full, pink mouth...

Tightening his grip on her and fisting his hands in her hair, he pulled her up against him and crushed her lips with his.

Gods, but she was sweet. For a moment, just a moment, he felt her stiffenwhenhis lips touched hers. But then she softened, leaning further into him. Lines of fire raced along his nerves, and he swallowed the low moan that escaped her lungs. Never had he thought a kiss could be so arousing.

He delved his tongue into her open mouth, starving for the taste of her. A small whimper came from the back of Kagome's throat as she stroked her tongue against his, and he tilted his head to further deepen the kiss. She flicked her tongue against one of his fangs, nipping at his upper lip before drawing it into her mouth and sucking gently.

Somewhere in the background, he dimly heard Souta shouting "Get a room!", and then Kagome was pulling back.

Later, he was going to kill that kid.

"Why did you do that?" She whispered.

"Because I wanted to," He frowned. "What the hell kind of question is that?"

"I don't know." She tilted her head, her lashes sweeping down as she looked away. "But then, I don't know why you just kissed me like that. Here, now."

"I don't know why I didn't do it sooner." The honesty in his answer startled even him. Kagome met his gaze again, her delicate brows knitting together in apparent confusion.

"That doesn't sound like you, Inuyasha. You would never say something like that."

"I also haven't seen you in three years. We've both changed since then."

"You're right. It has been three years. Three long years." She bit her lower lip again, then turned and walked back towards the house.

"Where are you going?" He called after her, but she didn't answer. A hand clapped him on the back.

"Why are you touching me?" Turning, Inuyasha glared at Souta.

"The question is, why are you touching my sister?" Souta shot back.

"You have no right to talk to me like that, boy."

"You fuck with my sister, you fuck with me." Souta pointed a finger in his face. "You have no idea what she's been through since she came back through the well. The last thing she needs is for your to mess with her head again."

"I'm not 'messing with her'."

"You and I both know that you'd much rather be in your own time than here. And Kagome belongs here."

"The well's broken. I'm not going anywhere."

"But once it's fixed again, you want me to believe you're going to stay? That you would much rather live here as a freak than go home where you can live free? Come on!" Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, but bit his tongue. "Take a walk; I don't think Kagome wants you in the house just now."

> > > > > > >

Souta's words kept circling around in his head. Pulling the brim of his hat lower over his eyes, he walked through the streets with his hands in his pockets, his mind deep in thought.

He had messed up things once before; he didn't want to do that again. But, if the well could be fixed, would he still feel that way? Walking through the crowds of people, he wondered. Souta had been right; here, he was a freak. He would never be able to fully be himself; he would always have to cover his ears, run slower, act weaker, and pretend to be human. Pretend to be something he wasn't.

Stopping at a park bench, he slowly sat down and watched the people walk by.

But if he went home, he wouldn't see Kagome anymore. He wasn't going to delude himself into thinking that she would come back with him. Not with her family and schooling being such an integral part of her life. Years later, she might have. She said herself that she had decided to stay; but she would have grown bored, and she would have wished she had done something more with her life. And she would have grown to resent him.

Leaning back, he wearily rubbed his face with his hands. The taste of her was still in his mouth, swimming and dancing through his veins. He had always known she'd be sweet; he hadn't realized how addicting she would be.

Letting his mind drift back to the Shikon jewel, he stopped to consider what he had thought of those three years ago. There was another way, if they could find where it had disappeared to. If the jewel had the power to turn a hanyou into a full demon, as he knew it did, then it could probably turn a hanyou into a full human. Could he do that?

A life with Kagome... it would be within his reach. He would just have to give up the only existence he had ever known.

But then there would be Kagome...

He sat there on that bench long into the afternoon, quietly watching people walk by, contemplating with part of his life he would sacrifice to save the other.

Sorry it took so long for an update! I've got TONS of finals coming up soon, and I wanted to get a head start. I just wanted to thank those people who have taken their time to give me such thoughtful feedback. It's meant so much to me to know that people are enjoying reading this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it.