A/N: Sorry I didn't update yesterday, I had a test to study for! And then I had a bit of depression, so writing anything romantic was certainly out of the picture, but I'm better now.

Chapter 9: Always Dreaming of You

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked.

She immediately blushed up. "I-Inuyasha! What are you doing here?"

A blush lit his features as well as he turned to leave. "S-sorry! I didn't—I didn't mean to!"

Kagome didn't want him to leave. "Wait! Inuyasha, its okay. You don't have to go. I'm not mad."

He was surprised, and turned around, trying not to look at her. "Y-you're not?"

She shook her head and came closer to him. "No. What did you want to talk to me about?" He didn't answer. "Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha looked away, obviously troubled. "It's nothing."

Now Kagome was annoyed. "Don't start this again. What is it?"

"It's just…" He started to say, but then stopped. "Kagome, you nearly died on me for the second time…"

She wasn't as worried as he was. "I know, but don't worry about it. I'm fine." She smiled. "You don't have to worry when you're here to protect me."

That didn't get the effect she desired. "Kagome…I'm afraid that one day…you'll leave me…there are other dangerous things out there besides youkai…I might not be able to protect you."

"You can always protect me, Inuyasha." Kagome said, smiling, placing a hand on his cheek. "You're always there for me, to make me feel safe in your arms. I know you'll always be there for me." She paused for a second, and then added, "And that's one reason why I love you."

Suddenly, a grin lit up Inuyasha's features. "Make you feel safe in my arms, huh? Are you sure you always feel safe in them?"

"Of course I do!" she stated. "Unless, of course, there's a reason why I shouldn't be safe with you…" She looked back up at him, a mischevious grin on her face.

Inuyasha gave a laugh. "Heh! You're anything but safe when you're near me, because…I might do this…"

Without wasting anytime, he moved in for a passionate kiss…

Kagome's eyes instantly popped open, breathing heavily from the dream. Her body was shaking, shaking with excitement, and she knew there must have been a fierce blush on her face.

Oh…what in the world did I dream? The dream hadn't exactly been clear. All she had seen was their faces, the rest of the world black, not showing any sign of where their location might have been.

Her eyes flickered to the moon, and around their campfire, and around the rest of the sleeping party, before she found Inuyaha, sitting, sound asleep, against the base of a tree.

The blush on her face went a few shades darker. She dove back into her sleeping bag, shutting her eyes fiercely. First…I nearly kiss him…and now I'm having dreams about us…kissing!

But…she dared to wonder. Was that the future…does it mean that one day…Inuyasha and I will…

She shook her head. No, it would be too good to be true! He'd never start thinking of me in that way!

Kagome's mind was determined to argue. Remember that kiss? He didn't pull away first…and he was practically kissing you back…

It' wasn't a kiss! She exclaimed. I was saving him!

And what about him saying you were helping him by being there?

I've always been there for him! She protested.

Inuyasha did promise not to see Kikyou again, remember?

But, her mind suddenly found reason. But…he did tell me he likes protecting me…

Kagome slowly retreated from her sleeping bag, to look back at the sleeping hanyou. Sleeping…just like he was when I first met him…and then again when I… She remembered when she tried to revive him back at the lake.

She placed her hands on her head, and yelled. "No, don't think about that!"

To her horror, Inuyasha opened one amber eye. "Do you usually scream like that in the middle of the night?"

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at him. "Inuyasha…" she felt herself blushing up.

The hanyou came over from the other side of the smoldering campfire to sit next to her sleeping bag, making Kagome even more embarrassed. He sat down next to her and asked, "So, what are you thinking about?"

You. "Nothing." She said, looking away. "Just…I had a weird dream."

At the word "Dream", Inuyasha stiffened. Kagome noticed. "Inuyasha? What is it?"

He didn't reply to her question. "What sort of dream was it?"

Kagome would have sworn if she had a mirror, that her face was as red as Inuyasha's hakama. "It was just a weird dream. Nothing real important." She tried to roll over, but Inuyasha stopped her, putting a strong hand on her shoulder.

"Kagome, you know you can tell me everything, right?" He said, his eyes obviously sad that she wouldn't share this with him.

"I know, Inuyasha, but I can't really remember it anymore." She lied. "It was a stupid dream. I'm just really tired, so if you don't mind, I'd like to go back to bed." He let her get snuggled back under her sleeping bag. "Goodnight, Inuyasha."

After a small pause, Kagome heard him reply, "Goodnight, Kagome."

The next day, the group was on the move again, everything seemed normal, as it was before the event with the water youkai. They were resting for lunch and it all seemed like before; Shippou was playing, Miroku was getting slapped for his antics…except that Inuyasha and Kagome were still on a few word basis.

"Houshi-sama!" Sango roared, laying a strong slap across Miroku's face once again. The lecherous monk found himself and his hand being scolded once again. Of course, even with the large, red handprint across his face, his smile showed everyone that it was worth it.

This event started Sango off again. "How can you expect me to marry you if you keep doing this?" She bellowed.

But Miroku, being highly experienced in women and their tempers, knew just what to say. "But Sango, you can regard this as an assurance of my affections for you. You are the only women I could ever think of touching in such away, my lovely Sango."

Even though the youkai exterminator had a strong temper, she was still weak to the monk's words. Her anger subsided, as a blush and small happiness went to take its place.

But, being the lecherous monk he was, Miroku just had to continue. "And Sango, your bottom is by far the fairest of them all for such a thing—"

"Quit while you're ahead." She muttered, through a glare. Though she may love him, the monk could still annoy her.

While watching this, Inuyasha felt a bit of jealousy. Miroku usually knew what to say whenever Sango was mad at him, but he was always left to try to figure out something to reply when Kagome was in one of her tirades.

But he didn't need to worry. He and Kagome hadn't had a big fight since the day he saw Kikyou…the day he found out he was in love with her…

He sighed as he remembered that almost-kiss. Sure, at first he was embarrassed, but if Miroku, Sango, and everyone else hadn't been there, he might have grabbed Kagome and kissed her again…that's what he felt like doing.

But common sense always came to take the place of his desires. First of all, he wasn't exactly sure about Kagome's feelings. He knew she must have liked him, since she was the one who had initiated the kiss. But he couldn't help but have the doubt that it really was because she thought he was going to die.

Also, because there were too many complications. If they did get together, Naraku would certainly use that to his advantage. He didn't want to see Kagome get hurt like Kikyou did.

And finally, because he wasn't sure about how he would take it. He loved her now, more than ever…but the fact remained that even though he was half human, he still had youkai blood. And he knew his youkai blood well enough that it might demand he make her his mate.

The truth was, he wanted Kagome as his mate. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, to hold her and to protect her, to never again be separated. Inuyasha wanted to one day, maybe have a family, and start it with her…but he didn't know how Kagome would take it. She was from another era, and in her era, she was young. She had so much waiting for her in her other life, why would she want to stay with him, and be a hanyou's mate?

Kagome…why do you always have to cause me so much anxiety? He asked himself.

But, when Kagome looked over at him, and he returned the eye contact, she couldn't help but blush and smile at the same time, and then turn away.

A smile also came across his face. It's because I love you, that's why.

A/N: Well…this chapter existed solely for the dream sequence in the beginning. Therefore, it explains its lack of a plot…ugh…hopefully the next scene develops the plot more, this one was just fluff…