A/N

Well, I do believe this will be the last chapter of Sesshomaru's trip to Japan. I plan to put a little more time for him to spend with Kagome in this chapter, which is a warning for you all that there will be MAJOR fluffiness in here. I must say that it's been fun, ne?

Disclaimer: I own Inuyasha. I own Inuyasha. I own Inuyasha. . .Nope. No matter how many times I say it, it doesn't sound right. (sigh)

Forget-Me-Not

By: Youkai Yume

Chapter 15: I Don't Want This To End

Sesshomaru sniffed the air. Much better,' he thought. They were now in what Kagome called a park, where there were large fields of grass and a few trees swaying its' branches in the wind. The green scenery eased the demon lord a bit, seeing as it was quiet and empty. Unlike all the other places that Kagome had shown him. The air wasn't as heavily scented with so many different smells; though some of it still lingered, it was an improvement.

"Besides, I think it'll be nice, as this is the closest thing we have to the forests in your time. And I think we can use a bit of peace and quiet after everything what's happened today," Kagome said cheerfully. He followed her as she went to a nearby tree and sat down under the cool shade.

Looking up at the still standing demon lord, she motioned for him to sit next to her. Hesitating somewhat, Sesshomaru gazed around the park and finally moved to sit beside her. Flashing him one of her warm smiles, she sighed and drew her knees up to her chest.

"This place," He started. Kagome turned her head to look at him, listening intently. "Why is it so empty compared to all of the other places that we have been to?" Kagome shrugged lazily, some of her raven locks falling over her shoulder.

"I don't know, I think it's because people are so busy nowadays, they barely have any time to just sit back and relax, or even take a stroll in the park." Sesshomaru nodded, not looking at her though he hung onto her every word.

"It's a shame really, cuz even if they were, they'd prefer watching T.V. or playing video-games over just enjoying nature. It's something we tend to take for granted when we have so much technology and advancements to make our lives easier," she continued, her voice gentle. "I know even I used to do that, but spending so much time in the Feudal Era, has made me realize how beautiful everything can be if you just take the time to look at it. And now that I see it that way, I just wish more people here can see it too."

Kagome leaned her head on her knee, hugging herself tighter. Sesshomaru was staring at her the entire time, noticing the way she seemed to muse in complete contentment when she thought of the world beyond the well. He himself will admit that her world was intriguing, but he'd much rather prefer his time.

The wind blew gently, caressing their still forms as the sky began to turn a beautiful blend of orange, pink and gold.

"The sun is setting," He said indifferently. Kagome nodded.

"Yeah, it is," she mused. "No matter where you are, it's still pretty, ne?" He raised a delicate eyebrow at her when she let out a yawn.

"Tired, Kagome?" She shook her head, rubbing her eyes a bit.

"Well, maybe just a little, but I want to stay out here a little while longer," He nodded his understanding. The moment was so hauntingly peaceful, that it felt like such a shame to break it now. As he watched the sun set further in the horizon, a sudden thought came to him.

"Kagome," he called out gently to her.

"Hmm?" she responded lazily.

"When we return, what do you plan to do?" Kagome lifted a finger to her lips, pondering. The answer was easy, she'd probably just continue on her shard hunt, but first she'll most likely face the wrath of Inuyasha. But she could deal with that when it comes.

"I guess I'll go back to shard hunting again." Sesshomaru looked at her.

"Why do you continue with it? It seems to make no sense, you have everything right here, why would you trouble yourself by traveling back and forth between worlds?" The question had been bothering him for a while now. In fact, ever since he first met her. A sudden look of regret clouded over her serene sapphire depths.

"Because it was my fault in the first place that the jewel was broken. Even though it was an accident, I feel it is my obligation, no, my duty to fix what I had done. It's only fair, as Inuyasha constantly reminds me every time I try to take a break from it," She sighed, and suddenly she smiled, erasing the former look of regret on her face. "But then again, if I had never broken it, then I would've never met Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, or Shippo. . ."

Sesshomaru couldn't help but admire her after hearing all this. Kagome had a sense of honor, something that most are known to rarely acquire, and no matter how much she disliked having to fulfill that honor, she still managed to find a bright side to everything. But all of his thoughts were suddenly cut short when he heard what she said next.

"I probably never would've met you either, Sessho-kun. . ." He blinked. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? He wasn't sure, because he DID try to kill her upon their first meeting. But then again, they had formed an alliance, from what he had experienced with her, she must care for him on some level. Was she trying to say that she wouldn't have acquired him as an enemy? Or as a friend? Somewhere in the pit of his stomach, he hoped it was the latter.

Kagome, who seemed to see the confusion in his eyes added,

"And I'm glad that I did, even though our first meeting wasn't. . .exactly friendly," she giggled, relieving the tension that had clung onto the air earlier. The wind blew once again, and he noticed that the miko edged a little closer to his body. As his body had a mind of its' own , he moved a little closer too.

Not even thinking of what she was doing, Kagome found herself resting her head on the demon lord's shoulder. Sesshomaru stiffened, turning his head slightly to stare with astonished eyes at the serene girl. Her scent seemed to calm him though, and he soon felt himself relaxing back into the tree.

Kagome closed her eyes, sighing a bit, she was so tired. Relaxing even more into Sesshomaru, she soon found herself weaving her arms around his in an effort to keep warm when the wind blew once more. If only things could always be this peaceful,' she thought before drifting off.

Sesshomaru all the while, was completely still as Kagome held onto him. It felt so. . .good to have her so near. He shook himself mentally. She is not even aware of her actions,' he reminded himself. Still, he failed to block out the rising warmth that came to him. He felt her shiver beside him, and unconsciously wrapped his arms around her.

Why am I doing this? Why do I feel such a strong desire to protect her all of a sudden?' His mind flashed back to their recent encounter with the Hojo boy, and how he felt the sudden surge of possessiveness that washed over him. So many were after this miko, he realized. And upon this thought, he held her closer.

Sesshomaru gazed down at her peaceful face. Kagome, what is this feeling that you are beginning to awaken inside of me?' He still couldn't understand it, and at the moment, felt like abandoning all thought of wanting to.

As the two sat there, enveloped in each other's warmth, Sesshomaru felt a sudden peace wash over him. For once in his whole entire life, he felt like he was free. Free from being the Taiyoukai of the West, free of youkai battles and free of his desire of Tetsusaiga. Free of all his responsibilities. The boundary between human and demon dissipated as well, free, the word came to him again.

He felt like nothing else mattered, and the whole world melted away. For this one single moment, it was just him, and the enchanting creature that was Kagome. I don't want this to end,' he suddenly realized. I don't want to go back, I want this to last a little longer.'

Sesshomaru knew he shouldn't be feeling this way, and he felt guilty for wanting to abandon his duties for a single moment. And yet. . .yet he could not stop it. Why?' Closing his eyes and inhaling her sweet scent, his mind tried to change to another subject.

His thoughts wandered back to what she had said previously. She will continue with her duty,' he thought. But. . .' Although he didn't want to end the moment, but he wanted the answer to this one question more. Nudging her awake, Kagome's eyes snapped back almost immediately.

Realizing the awkward position that she was in, she parted herself from the demon lord, blushing furiously.

"Um, Gomen. I didn't mean to fall asleep on you!" Sesshomaru felt the effects of the moment slip away along with her warmth, but pushed it aside to the matter at hand.

"I didn't mean to wake you," He paused, "But there is something else that I have been most curious about," he continued. Kagome looked up at him expectantly, her sleepiness fading away. "What will you do, when you have collected all of the shards and destroyed Naraku?" Sesshomaru saw her gaze avert to the grass.

"I. . .I'm not sure," she replied honestly. "But most likely, I'll just go home, and seal the well." Kagome's voice became laced with a heavy sadness. Sesshomaru could sense it, feel it in the air, and the scent of unshed tears began to taint her scent.

"If it pains you to leave, why not stay?" He asked, it was only logical to him to pursue the choice that led to one's happiness. But why do I care? If she wants to go home, then it is her choice.' Sesshomaru felt his heart twinge a bit as he thought this. If she went home, it would mean she would never return. He would never be able to see her again, never inhale her intoxicating scent.

His chest tightened, and a sudden aching filled him. A life deprived of Kagome. He couldn't imagine it anymore. Why?' He found himself asking for the hundredth time. Why can't I imagine a world without her? Up until now, her existence meant nothing to me. . .'

"I can't stay," she answered, still refusing to look at him. "I have a home and a family here. I left my life on hold so I could collect the shards. When this is over, I need to get back to it," She began drawing circles in the ground. He continued to stare at her. It pained her to say this, he could tell. But he understood. She had no reason to stay in the feudal era, no reason at all. He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her gaze, forcing her to look at him.

"What if you had a reason to remain?" He blurted out, and was surprised he had done so, seeing as he always thought out his words before saying them. Do I really want her to stay that badly?' He waited patiently as Kagome thought it over.

"Well that would be different. . ." She answered finally, giving him a half-smile. Sesshomaru could feel something rise within his chest that felt a lot like hope. WHY?!' He wanted to tear out his silver hair in frustration if it had not been for his dignity. Luckily, Kagome sensed his uneasiness, and stood up.

"But that's a long way from now! Let's just forget about it. . ." Holding out an offering hand to him, she smiled once more. "C'mon, it's getting dark. We should be getting back to my house."

"Kawaii!" Kagome squealed out, causing the Taiyoukai to wince slightly. She was bouncing up and down looking at a window displaying what she had explained to him were plushies. He knew he should be annoyed with her, but she kind of reminded him of Rin when she found something new.

He was brought out of his observations when she tugged on his arm. Looking down, she smiled at him and pointed to a little teddy bear with a bow on it.

"Don't you think it's cute?" He looked at it, and shrugged.

"On some level," he answered. Kagome giggled.

"Too bad Rin isn't here, I bet she'd absolutely adore it!" At hearing this, Sesshomaru took another glance at the stuffed animal. Yes, Rin would like it. Reaching inside his pocket, he fingered the money that Kagome had given to him earlier.

Without warning, Kagome felt herself being dragged into the toy shop, with a demon lord leading the way.

"Sessho---what are you---"

"You said Rin would've liked it," he said, and Kagome's eyes widened in realization. Breaking out into a smile, she caught up with him.

"I'll help you find it," she offered. It wasn't long before they found the stuffed animal rack. Kagome picked up the bear and snuggled it, and held it out for him. He inwardly smiled. She's like a little child,' Taking the bear into his hand, he gestured to her to make the purchase. Kagome nodded and lead him to the cash register, only to stop abruptly when she came across a chibi white dog plushie.

He saw her eyes widen, as she immediately fell in love with it.

"It's sooooo kawaii! I want one. . ." but upon looking at the price tag, she straightened herself and continued walking to the register. Confused, Sesshoamru followed her.

"Did you not want one?" He asked stoically. She shook her head.

"As much as I want it, I can't afford it. In fact, I'm straight out broke. I can't believe I spent all my money already!" She sighed. "Besides, it's not something I really need, I just want it. . .just because. . .so, it's silly!" He eyed the bear in his hand. It looked like it wasn't going to cost much, and he suddenly felt guilty. The money he was going to spend was the money that Kagome traded with him. It was technically HER money, and she would've been able to buy that plushie dog if she hadn't given some of her money to him.

When they approached the register, Kagome placed the teddy bear on the counter. The cashier scanned it's price and said in a cheery voice,

"Is that all for today?" Kagome was about to answer "yes" when Sesshomaru cut in.

"No, it is not," Kagome looked confused up at him. "Kagome, wait here for a moment," he told her indifferently as she watched him go back into the aisles. What else does he want to get for Rin?' She wondered.

Moments later, Sesshomaru came back and placed next to the teddy bear, to Kagome's surprise, the white dog plushie on the counter. Confused, she looked back up at the demon lord, who avoided her gaze.

"But Sessho---"

"Silence, you gave me money to spend it as I wish, and I intend to," He told her emotionlessly. Not saying another word, Kagome instructed him to lay out the right amount of money for the purchase. As the cashier was putting the plushies into bags, Kagome never tore her eyes away from him. Why would he do that?'

When they finally left the shop, Sesshomaru pulled out the dog plushie from the bag and handed it to her.

"This is yours," he said, still not looking at her. Looking down at the adorable stuffed animal, Kagome ran her fingers through its' fur and turned her attention back to the demon lord.

"But why?" Why indeed, he felt himself wondering. He didn't know what to say to her, only that he. . .he had wanted to. Simply because. But that made no sense. He, Sesshomaru always had a reason for doing something. Perhaps he wanted to repay her for all that she had done, yes, that's it. He wanted to give her a gift of thanks. But he didn't need to answer her, even if he DID respect her.

"Are you telling me you don't want it afterall? I could simply give it to Rin as well-" He was cut off by Kagome's hurtling body slamming into his, embracing him in a tight hug as her arms wrapped around his neck. He was caught totally by surprise.

"ARIGATO! ARIGATO! ARIGATO!" She squealed, refusing to let go. Sesshomaru stood paralyzed in her embrace, but slowly, his arms snaked around to hold her form. Happiness radiated off of her like mad, and it sort of leaked into Sesshomaru as well.

HE had made her happy, had made her smile. He found he quite liked the feeling, and wanted to do it again. It felt wonderful knowing that he had been able to make her happy. What is this feeling?' Again, he wanted to know, What is this feeling you are awakening inside. . .Kagome. . .'

After taking a "shower" as Kagome had called it, he felt utterly relaxed. Sitting on the sofa now, he waited for Kagome to finish finding her "video tape." They had the whole house to themselves, as Kagome had found a note earlier from her mother explaining that she and the others went to go visit her sister, who was in the hospital.

Meanwhile he was tugging at his clothes. He had changed out of the ones he was in earlier, and was now wearing a very baggy T-shirt and loose boxers. His tail still draped over his shoulder. It was a lot more comfortable he had to admit than the other ones.

Finally, Kagome came into the room holding a rectangular black box and a bowl of some sort of yellow puffy stuff. It smelled buttery, and pleasing to his nose. Pushing it from his mind, he focused on Kagome, who changed into a white tank top and baggy sweatpants with little stars all over them.

"Okay!" Kagome started. "This is a movie that I'm going to let you see! It's a samurai movie, so I think you'll like it," she explained, and leaned down to pop it into the VCR. Once again, Sesshomaru saw the enchanted box flicker with images, and music began emitting from it. I'll never get used to that,' he mused.

Transfixed on staring at the screen, he didn't even realize that Kagome had seated herself next to him until he felt the sofa shift beneath him. Gazing over at Kagome, she smiled at him and handed him the bowl of yellow, buttery substance.

"Popcorn," she explained. "Most commonly eaten for occasions such as this!" Eyeing it curiously, he picked one up, sniffed it, and finally placed one in his mouth. Finding that he liked it, he popped in another one, and another one. Kagome giggled, and held the little chibi dog plushie closer to her body. Sesshomaru felt warm when he saw her do this. Ever since they had come back, she had refused to let the little stuffed animal go. On top of that, she had named it Fluffy.

"Because it's as soft as your tail!"

He felt a little envious at it for being so close to her body. Shaking his head, he turned back to the movie. Where did that come from?' For the next hour, Sesshomaru found himself engrossed in this "movie." It was pretty interesting! And although the thought of a human being so heroic and skilled as the one in the film was rather ludicrous, he found it to be rather enjoyable.

By the time it had ended, Sesshomaru was left in a state of amazement, though by looking at his stoic face, you probably couldn't tell. It was then that he noticed something leaning against him, and looked down to see a slumbering Kagome snuggling against his tail.

Letting a small smile grace his lips, he reached for the remote control, and turned the t.v. off, just as Kagome had showed him earlier. He was careful not to wake her in doing so. The moon still shone through in the darkened room, illuminating Kagome's peaceful face as she slept. A lone strand of hair was on her face, and he gently tucked it behind her ear.

It was now, that Sesshomaru was truly able to see, that she was beautiful. How could he have NOT realized it before? That she was beautiful from the inside and out? He was long past denying these simple facts, long past wondering why he felt this way, only that he did.

Pulling the blankets up, he held Kagome close to him and whispered into her hair.

"Sweet dreams, Kagome. . ."

End Chapter

A/N

Okay! Drastic change! I know, Sess is OOC, but now I finally got to the part where he realizes that he cares for her more than just a friend or an ally! So, please don't make this any harder on me than it already is! (sob) Besides, I wanted to show everyone a totally different side of him when he feels totally free from the harsh burdens of his usual life, so there! Please REVIEW! And NO FLAMES!