It was a clear summer night.

A light breeze brushed her skin. She savored the clean smell and sighed.It had been a week since she had been in the feudal time. Mid terms had snuck up on her and she had had too leave them. Shippo would undoubtedly have a few things to say to her about inuyasha. She smiled, she had missed the little kitsun. She had brought him more chocolate and crayons so he could draw some more.

She slowly made her way through the trees to kiade's house. Smoke was rising from the little hut and it gave off the pleasant feeling of a home. She sighed again and smiled. It was good to be back.

A voice from the shadows called to her." who's there?" she could here miroku's staff gingle slightly.

"Calm down miroku it's only me. Kagome."She felt a presence sneak up on her and then a hand on her..."miroku you pervert!" she turned around and slapped him. His face was clearly visible in the moon light. He was grinning and didn't look the slightest bit sorry.

"I was just so happy to see you after such a long time. Can you really blame me?"

"Yes I can and I'm going to! Besides I was only gone for a week." miroku sighed and turned away.

"but a week without your shinning presences is like the darkest night..." kagome rolled her eyes and took advantage of the fact that his back was turned. She slowly slipped away leaving him to talk to himself and into the hut. She laughed when she heard miroku's indignant cry when he discovered her departure.

"you sher took your sweet time coming back." Inyasha's voice cut through miroku's protests. She turned to face him. He sat in a corner staring at her with a frown on his face.

"I told you I'd be gone for a while." he looked away and mumbled something incoherent. She sighed and looked around the small hut. Sango and shippo were no where to be seen." where are sango and shippo?"

"Sango left to go check on her village and shippo is outside looking for fire wood." kagome set her bag down and went to sit by the fire. " why didn't you go help him?"Inuyasha moved over to the bag and began rummaging through her bag ignoring her question. Sometimes he was such a jerk.

"Well, don't you want to ask me about my exams?"

"You're what?" he said with his head still in the bag

"My big test? You know the reason I left for a week?" inyasha again ignored her and then suddenly jumped up. He held a container of ramen in his hand.

"I found it!" he smiled gleefully and then went back to his corner to open the package.

Kagome stared at him with a dazed feeling. He was such a jerk. 'I leave for a few days and whenI come back the only thing he can think about is ifI brought him his ramen?' She glared at him and stood up.

"Inuyasha...SIT!" she smiled happily when he went face first into the floor with his precious ramen.

"what'd ya do that for!" he yelled at her as he was trying to get up from his close and personal metting with the floor.

"You really are an empty headed jerk, aren't you?"

" This is all because of some stupid test?" he glared at her from the floor as he tryed to pick out tiny peices of ramen from his hair. Then he smiled evily."At least i'm not the one who's neglecting her duty to find the jewel shards!" he smiled smugly and tried to salvage what was left of his ramen.

"You are such a jerk." she hissed. He looked up and saw the look on her face. She was pissed. he had the nerve to say it was her job to get the shards and it was his falt to that the jewel had split. If he hadn't tryed to take it from kikyo in the first place...

"Kagome... no, don't..." inuyasha held up his hands to try to stop what he knew was coming.

"Inuyasha... sit boy!" she turned and grabbed her bath stuff from her bag." i'm going to the hot springs!"she left without even looking to see what had happened to inuyasha and his precious ramen. She passed miroku who was still pouting over his 'betrayal' as he was calling it.

"Wait kagome... where are you going?"

"I'm going to the hot springs and if you follow me..." she sent him a glare over her shoulder. He took a step back and watched her leave. He laughed to himself and shook his head

"I really must teach inuyasha some manners."

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The warm water felt good against her skin. She smiled and let her eyes slowly close. 'I wonder why inuyasha is such a jerk. It wouldn't have hurt him to just ask how her test had gone. His brother never...' her eyes shot open. She had been thinking a lot about sesshomaru since the last time she had seen him.

He had been after Inuyasha's sword... again. They had managed to hold him off but they had suffered for it. Sango and miroku had taken a direct hit from sesshomaru's new sword. Sesshomaru had looked directly at her and she had felt a shiver run up her spin. He was so powerful, so graceful, and so...beautiful. He was the powerful demon lord of the western lands and a very attractive one. She shook her head.

What was she thinking? Sesshomaru was inuyasha's half brother, a full fledged and very dangerous demon. Yet she found her thoughts often drawn to his memory.To his gold eyes and silver hair...

She sighed and picked up her soap. The smell of lavender filled the air. She would have to remember to thank her mother for the new soap. It was a wonderful gift to give her on her 16th birthday, in other words today.

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Shippo leaned down to pick up another stick. He couldn't wait to see kagome again. she had promised to bring him more of the sweet brown stuff she called "chacolat".

He also had alot to tell her about inuyasha. he had been mean to him the entire time kagome was gone. ordering him about and hitting him on the head. shippo winced as the other incidents came to his mind.

Inuyasha had gone and seen kikyo three times since kagome had left. Sango and miroku made him promise not to tell kagome cause it would hurt her.He had promised because he didn't want to hurt her ever, not like inuyasha did. Shippo sighe,. even if he didn't tell kagome it would happen again and kagome would get hurt like always.

Shippo tensed. He could smell the scent of a powerful demon. It was very close and he was a little scared. Shippo turned around ready to go tell inuyasha and squeaked.

Sesshomaru stared down at the little kitsun that his half breed brother traveled with. He had spotted the little runt scurrying around looking for fire wood earlyer and had desired to speak with him.

" what do you want?" shippo's stuttered and his knees shook but the little runt stood his ground. Sesshomaru smiled to himself. 'The little kitsun has courage.'

"I wished to speak with you." sesshomaru picked him up by the back of his neck and watched as he squirmed in his grasp."I will not harm you if you answer my questions little one." Shippo stopped immediatly. He knew that sesshomaru coulddo anything he wanted to andshippowasn't powerful enoughto stop himbut he also knew sesshomaru never went back on his word.

Sesshomaru was again impressed with the little kitsun. He knew that he would go unharmed if he did what he was told. The runt had considerable intellagaince unlike his brother.

" who is the girl that travels with you and my half breed brother?"

" who, sango?"

" Not the warrior but the priestess."

" Oh, you mean Kagome." 'kagome' sesshomaru heard the name echo in his mind. It seemed to fit the strickingly powerful and beautiful human that his brother used to dicover the whereabouts of the sacred jewel shards. She had intrigued him the first time he had seen her and since then he had never been able to forget her shocking blue eyes.

Shippo watched the demon infront of him. He seemed to be deep in thought and not paying the slightest bit of attention to him. He wondered what he was thinking and what he wanted with kagome. Then a thought struck him and shippo could feel the anger rising within himself." your not going to hurt kagome are you?"

Sesshomaru was pulled out of his thoughts by the little kitsun's remark.He couldn't help but show a little suprise by the conclusion of the small creature in his hand. " I promise that she will come to no harm by my hands." He seemed to relaxe in his hand and then a small smile crept over his face.

" You like her don't you?" sesshomaru was shocked, then he grew angry and dropped the pup. Since when had his emotions become so transparent.

" I am interested in her. That is all." the little kitsun smiled smuggly while rubing his back. Sesshomaru shook his head not caring to wonder what the little kitsun was thinking. " Where is she from?" the pup froze and looked at the ground." i have never seen such clothes and her amnner of speech is most interesting. Where is she from?"

Shippo scrambled for an answer. He wasn't supposed to tell anyone about kagome and the future but he couldn't lie to sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru saw the little runt trying to decide what to tell him. It was obviously a secret which annoyed him to no end. ' I suppose i'll have to ask her myself.' He looked down at the pup. " you are to tell no one that we spoke." He turned and started into the trees.

" Not even Kagome?"

" Especially her." Sesshomaru disappered into the forest leaving shippo by himself again.

"I wonder what that was all about?" shippo picked up the wood he had dropped and walked back to kaide's house. Inuyasha would be mad that he had took so long to bring back more fire wood. He shook his head and sighed."I can't wait till kagome is home and she can make him sit."

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Kagome sighed. She should probably get out of the water and go back. Kagome dreded the thought of having to apologise again. Especily when it was his fault. She had begun to climb out of the water when she heard a voice.

"Good evening." athe softvoice came along the night air out of the shadows. She squeaked and sat down again. she stared into the shadows of the trees but saw no one.

"Who's there?" her voice quivered lightly. A tall figure stepped out of the shadows. His golden eyes glistened in the light of the moon. " sesshomaru...?"she looked at him with wide eyes. Had he come to kill her? Was he here to get even with inuyashia? Her fear paralyzed her and she remained where she was. She could only stare at the terrifying, yet magnificent demon looking down at her.

He could smell her fear. It radiated off of her. But he could also smell the scent of lavender all over her skin. The scent was intoxicating. She sat in the hot springs her breasts halfway underneath the warm water but still giving him a good view of her perfect creamy skin. Sesshomaru studied his own thoughts. She was young and obviously not from this time. The little kitsun had tryed to hide what was apperent to all. Her raven black hair was soft and smelled of lavender and her...

He was obviously was intrigued with the young miko, thatmuch was evident.He thought to himself as he stared down at her. He knelt and looked into her eyes." fear not priestess I have no intention of hurting you." she peered at him closely. She seemed to think about it for a moment and then he felt her relaxe,her heart beat slowed and the smell of fear vanished. She trusted him, just like the little pup.His eyes widened a bit after this realization.

She noticed and looked at him" why are you here sesshomaru?" he crouched next to her his molten gold eyes peering at her with a kind of intensity she had never felt or even dreamed about. Inuyasha had never looked at her like that.

" I am intrigued with you priestess." she stared at him dumbfounded " you interest me. I wish to know more about you."

"well you certainly don't beat about the bush..." he bristled a bit at her comment" whats wrong? Did I say something that has offended you?"

"I do not beat bushes." he stated calmly. She stared at him and then laughed "what amuses you so? Do you truly believe that i would attack bushes?" her laughter filled his ears and swamped his senses. What was going on? Why did this woman have so much control over his emotions?

She just couldn't picture sesshomaru jumping about and whacking at bushes in is spare time. When she finaly succeded in silencing her laughing she said " when I said beat about the bush I meant that you don't waste time. Your very blunt." she smiled at him and his heart stopped." it is an expression used where I come from." he nodded his head trying to rid himself of the sound of her laughter, the sight of her smile, the scent of her skin..." what do you want to know?" he was awaken from his thoughts by her voice." what is it you want to know about me?"

"Now who doesn't, 'beat about the bush'." she smiled and giggled.Her eyes traveled over his chest and came to rest on the furry thing on his shoulder.

" what is this?" she had always wondered but could nvere figure it out. She reached up and brushed it with her finger tips. It was soft and smooth. Much softer then anything she had ever felt.

Sesshomarus eyes drifted lower and he watched as her breasts almost came out of the water. why was her human body so interesting to him.She smiled.

"Kagome..." miroku's voice came to her through the trees. She flinched andlookedup at him.

" Ah, the monk that can't keep his hands off the females." he stood and looked down at her." I shall return later tonight. For now I shall leave you." he turned and walked into the shadows but stopped and turned. He gave her a small smile. It was almost shy but on his face it was sweet and oh so cute.Itdid devastatingthings toher heart. Her breath stopped and her blood pulsed through her body." you may want to put some clothes on." with that he turned and left her with the memory of his beautiful smile.

Miroku stumbled into the clearing from the other side." kagome..." he looked her up and down. " Oh, ecuse me. I didn't mean to..." he was silenced when a huge rock hit him on the side of his head.

"Miroku!"

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He could hear her scream and couldn't help a small smile from spreading across his lips. The monk would pay dearly for his intrusion on her bath. He found himself wishing he could have stayed and talked with the entrancing young priestess. Her smile had brought a warm rush in his blood that he had enjoyed himselfvery much.

Sesshomaru stopped. He heard noises from the clearing up ahead andhe could smell his brother. The reek of bones and dirt swam through the air.' so he his with that dead clay pot he called kikyo.' Slowly he made his way passed the clearing making sure to stay down wind so inuyasha would not catch his scent. He peered between the trees and saw his disgusting half brother and that dead miko embracing. He could feel anger rising in him that he had never felt before for his half brother. oh, it was true that he hated inyasha but this anger was different. It was white hot and boiling.

Sesshomaru searched his mind for the reason of this anger and was mildly surprised when kagome's face flashed across his mind. His half demon brother was playing around withbones and dirtinstead of with that creamy, fresh, young, beautiful...cough, cough, you get the picture

He sneered at his brother and walked on. He shook his head in disgust. Inuyasha had always been a fool.He couldn't see that all the women he could ever want was sleeping beside him every night...