CHAPTER 2

THOSE WONDERFUL PRIVATE MOMENTS

With her arms crossed, Ayame watched out the corner of her eye as Kouga limped over to the entrance of the cave.

"You really shouldn't force yourself like that…" she said a bit bitter that Kouga was trying to walk so soon after waking up. All this just to go see that stupid girl, I'm sure, she thought. Though Kagome was on Kouga's mind, it wasn't the reason why he was in a hurry to get better. He needed to find out exactly what had happened to Naraku while he was asleep. He needed to find Inuyasha and get the details directly from him. Everything else was secondary.

"I'm not forcing myself", he huffed back. He looked down to his legs and saw the huge scars that were left behind as reminders that his Shards were gone. He turned to Ayame and asked, "What happened to the Jewel?"

"I don't know. You'll have to ask "your" Kagome about that once you see her." Her tone was still bitter. She was the one who tended to his wounds and nursed him back to life, not Kagome. She didn't understand why this man loved a human girl so much to risk his honor and place so much loyalty on her when she obviously she didn't feel the same way.

Kouga sensing that Ayame was having some issues with his feeling towards Kagome, said, "I'm not planning on seeing her first."

"Huh?" Ayame was surprised by his comment.

"I need to speak to the mutt first to find out what happened that night. It should've been me that killed Naraku, not him. But even so, in a way, my comrades' lives have been avenged and even it wasn't by my hand, the mutt still needs to be-" He stopped himself. He just couldn't bring himself to say that Inuyasha disserved to be thanked. He looked at Ayame, who was watching him carefully, and began again, "Is there something to eat? I'm starting to get hungry." She beamed, knowing that it wasn't Kagome who he had on his mind and at the fact that he needed her.

"Yeah! Just sit down and I'll bring you something right away, okay?" With a smile that wrapped around her face, she went to his side and lead him to the unlit campfire before sitting him down.

After eating, he looked over to Ayame. She was sitting against the cave wall with one of her wolfs sitting next to her. Her eyes where looking out the cave and into the distance. He could tell she was deep in thought. He cleared his throat.

"Ayame, I want to thank you for taking care of me." She turned to look at him. It stunned her to hear his voice say that to her. She hadn't done it for any other reason, but to make sure he was alright. She gave him a big smile and told him not to worry about it. The goofy face that was smeared on her made him smile in return. He had to admit, she was sweet. She almost reminded him of Kagome. He turned to look at the now lit campfire as his thoughts continued, they share the same tender nature.

Suddenly , he felt a hand touch his thigh. He quickly turned to find Ayame running her fingers down his leg; tracing the scar left by Mouryoumaru. His face immediately reddened and he could feel his body begin to get hot as his heart pounded in his chest.

"Wha-What are you doing", he stumbled on his own words. She looked up at him. Her smile still there.

"You're healing very well. You'll be back to your normal self in no time." She took her hand off thigh and sat back. Her smile was replaced by a serious face before beginning again, "You'll be leaving here soon, won't you?"

"As soon as I can", he answered truthfully. His words struck her like a blow. The thought that she wasn't enough to make him stay almost made her eyes well up. But she tried to play off her broken heart and smiled again.

"Well, as long as you're better." Her insides twisted as he just turned back to look at the fire. How could he be so cold towards her? She couldn't understand. After all the sleepless nights by his side, how could he just brush her off like that?

She let out a depressed sigh and decided to just go out and watch the sun set behind the valley. Leaving him to his own thoughts.

The following day, Ayame woke up feeling a bit more at peace than the day before. She turned to the back of the cave and saw Kouga, leaning against the rocky wall, asleep. His face was calm and at ease. A grin began to grow on her face while she watched him rest. After a few seconds, she stood up and made her way out the cave, towards the springs that flowed from the mountain.

Each step she took brought another tormented thought. Now that Naraku's dead, Kouga will be looking to marry Kagome. Her face distorted itself at the thought. But after a few minutes of travel, she finally reached the spring. Stopping her self inflicted torture.

Ayame undressed and entered the chilled water. Hoping that the sudden shock will jolt Kouga out of her mind, but it was useless. Her heart wouldn't let her mind forget him.

Just as she was about to dive down under the water, she heard the pebbles rustle at the bank. She quickly stood up and turned around; expecting an attacker, but only found Kouga starring back at her. His face red and his eyes wide. Mortified, she turned her back on him and dunked back into the water.

Feeling just as embarrassed as she did, Kouga turned his back on her. The small glimpse that he had gotten of the bathing Ayame left him speechless. He had followed her scent to tell her something that, at the moment, was lost somewhere within his thoughts of the naked girl behind him.

"Uh… I'm sorry! I didn't know you were- I just came to tell you that", the thought finally came back to him, "I'll be leaving tomorrow…"

"Tomorrow! You can't leave that soon!" Still in the water, she turned around to look at him, but was greeted by his back.

"I have to."

"Kouga, I know you're very strong, but it took you this long to get well. You almost lost your life. I don't think you should be pushing yourself so much." He didn't give her an answer. She was right, but his need to put an end to his quest came before everything.

"I'll let you finish", he said to her before walking back the way he came from. She gave out a sigh. This is gonna be a long day, she told herself before submerging completely under the water.