Alright, I'm back! The rest will be posted in one sitting, starting...NOW.

This chapter is named after the song "Young Folks" by Peter Bjorn & John.

Chapter 3: Young Folks

Kagome slept on Inuyasha's back the entire day.

She didn't stir during usual mealtimes, and once it turned dark and she was still completely unconscious against him, Inuyasha started to grow concerned.

With Kagome asleep, there had been no stops throughout the day. They'd made good progress, but he wasn't thinking about that at the moment. He was thinking about the slumbering woman on his back.

He dropped his bag to the ground and gently slid Kagome around his body so he could hold her steady in his arms, making it easier for him to carefully lay her down on the ground.

He moved her bag for her to use as a makeshift pillow before he got her stretched out.

Kagome was still sleeping soundly.

Inuyasha bit his lip, wondering if he should wake her up.

She hasn't eaten at all today...I should probably wake her up. If anything, she can just go back to sleep afterward. It's night time anyway.

Just like he had that morning, Inuyasha gently patted Kagome's shoulder.

"Kagome?" he said. "Wake up."

Kagome stirred only slightly, taking a long moment to finally open her eyes and wake up.

She looked up at Inuyasha, then the darkened sky, then the forest floor around her.

"What happened?" she asked lethargically. "Where are we?"

"Relax, woman," Inuyasha replied. "You fell asleep after you did your...whatever miko thing this morning."

Kagome stretched her arms and ran her hands through her hair, smoothing it down.

"Did you carry me all day?" she asked incredulously.

Inuyasha shrugged. "Yeah."

Kagome blushed. "Thank you. I'm sorry you had to do that, though. That was probably annoying."

"No big deal," Inuyasha replied, brushing off her apology and gratitude. "It was easier to travel farther without you asking to stop." He paused. "You're probably hungry, though. I'll go catch us something to eat."

Kagome shook her head. "No, let me. I need to stretch my legs. Besides, you caught dinner last night. It's only fair that I do it tonight."

Inuyasha frowned. "How do you expect to hunt for anything?"

"Bow and arrow," Kagome replied as she carefully stood up. "I'm a master archer. Give me ten minutes." With that, she grabbed her weapon and set off into the forest. Inuyasha gaped at her as she walked away.

True to her word, Kagome returned about ten minutes later with two rabbits slung over her shoulder.

"Dinner," she announced as she sat back down. While she was gone, Inuyasha had gotten the fire started.

He raised an eyebrow when she pulled a knife out of her bag and began preparing the meat.

She caught him watching her.

"What?" she asked. Inuyasha shook his head.

"Nothing," he replied. "Just...you seem to know what you're doing."

Kagome hummed. "I almost always catch my own food unless I'm in the mood for bread or something. I don't normally eat meat because the preparations are gross and old habits die hard, but it's not that big of a deal." She smiled. "And you strike me as a meat kind of a man."

After she lay the rabbit meat over the flames and rinsed the blood off with some water, she leaned back on her hands. "It's the least I can do after you carried me all day."

Inuyasha shrugged awkwardly.

"So we're one day closer to the swordsmith," Kagome commented as she went about her task. "Are you excited?"

"Keh," Inuyasha replied.

"Have you ever been to a swordsmith before?" Kagome asked.

The hanyo hesitated. "Kinda. Sorta."

Kagome laughed. "What does that mean?"

We had special swordsmiths back in the castle...but how do I avoid telling her that I might kinda sorta be a youkai nobleman?

"I used to live in a place with swordsmiths nearby," he settled on saying. He rolled his eyes. "My father made a huge show of giving the sword to me. It was a shock when I unsheathed it to see...a piece of crap. He never explained why he gave it to me. Even the swordsmiths could never figure out why it's like that."

"Oh," Kagome replied. "So it's more of an heirloom than a weapon?"

Inuyasha paused. "Huh. I guess so. I wish it were a weapon, though. That would make things easier."

"Things as in traveling so often?" Kagome asked.

She asks the worst questions, Inuyasha realized. Just curious enough to make me almost say more than I should…

"Yeah," he replied curtly, hoping she'd drop any other questions.

"What about you?" he asked, changing the subject. "And your bow."

"What about it?" Kagome replied.

"I don't know...is there anything special about it?"

"Oh! Yes, actually." She smiled. "It's been passed down through my family for generations. It's very old, but we've been able to maintain it. I started learning to control my miko powers when I was five. That's when I was given the bow by my mother." Inuyasha noticed a subtle shift in her mood when she mentioned her mother, and he wondered what could have happened to her.

"So your mother is a miko, too?" he asked. Kagome nodded.

"She was," she replied. "She died several years ago, along with my dad and younger brother."

I wonder if Naraku killed them...

"I'm sorry," Inuyasha said sincerely. "That must have been hard."

Kagome half-shrugged. "I've adjusted. I've been on my own ever since."

Inuyasha hesitated.

"My parents died, too," he admitted. "So...I understand."

Kagome looked at him, locking gazes with him. He felt a sense of understanding pass between them.

Maybe we're more alike than I thought we were.

"It's hard for awhile," Kagome said. "But then it's better."

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah. I agree."

They fell into a silence as Kagome pulled the meat off the fire. It had finished cooking while they talked, so she handed him a few pieces while she took some for herself.

They ate quietly, only talking enough for Inuyasha to thank her and mention it was cooked well.

"Do you want to keep moving?" Kagome asked when they finished eating. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep anymore after being passed out all day."

Inuyasha was a little surprised at the offer, but he was eager to reach the swordsmith, so he agreed.

"I wish we had a light, though," Kagome commented as she started to put out the fire. "It's so dark."

With his youkai eyesight, Inuyasha could see just fine in the dark, but he knew it was vastly different for humans.

"I can mostly see in the dark," he replied. "So just...stay close to me, I guess."

Kagome nodded and got up, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

It seemed like it took her a moment to find Inuyasha with the fire now put out and the moonlight being covered by the treetops.

"Here," Inuyasha offered, walking over to her. "Hold onto my arm or something." Kagome nodded and reached out to gently grip his sleeve.

It was light and she wasn't really touching him, but he could still feel the warmth of her fingers through the fabric of his shirt, and with her so close, he caught the overwhelming scent of chocolate and cherries as they began to walk.

He'd been able to scent it when he carried her, but now she was close to his side rather than behind him on his back, so the aroma was stronger now and more pronounced.

Inuyasha once again wondered if she carried chocolate with her...it was such a unique scent.

"This might sound weird," he began awkwardly, "but...do you have chocolate in your bag?"

Kagome shook her head. "No. Why?"

Inuyasha blushed, grateful it was dark enough to hide it. "Something around you always smells like chocolate. It's weird."

Kagome laughed. "Oh, it's my hair oil. It's cacao."

Makes sense. It was prominent last night after she bathed.

Inuyasha nodded curtly. "Yeah. That's it."

She tugged on his sleeve as they walked. "Does it bother you? I know chocolate is bad for dogs and everything."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I'm not a dog. I'm an inu-youkai. I couldn't care less about what you smell like." Kagome laughed again.

"Okay then. Let me know if you change your mind. I can always switch what kind I use." They fell back into silence as they continued walking.

Inuyasha figured the cherry scent was just what her body produced naturally, but the chocolate...it really was nice, and he didn't mind it. He was never a fan of the camellia hair oils or heavy perfumes that women tended to wear.

Kagome's scent was subtle, but strong enough to appreciate. It was nice.

He mentally scolded himself.

Stop thinking good things about her. That's the last thing I should be doing.

He frowned. I just want to get this over with.

"So how often do you stop in towns?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha paused. When I need a new lead on Naraku…

He shrugged. "If it rains sometimes."

That's a good cover, I guess. It just rained when I was in the town so maybe she'll believe it.

"Really?" Kagome asked. "I love sleeping outside when it's raining. I just find a tree with thick branches and huddle up under it. The rain just smells so good. If there's lightning, then I'll find a place to stay. But if you prefer an inn every time it rains, we can always stop at one."

"Nah," Inuyasha replied. "I don't care. Besides, I don't smell any traces of rain so we should be fine for awhile."

"That's handy," Kagome commented. "Being able to sniff out the weather like that."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Don't say 'sniff out.' I'm not a dog."

Kagome laughed. "Sorry, poor wording. I didn't mean to offend you about that again. But still. It's a nice... skill. Is that better?"

Inuyasha grunted. "I guess. Anyway, I hope you don't expect us to stop somewhere anytime soon."

Kagome shook her head. "I stocked up on supplies in the last town, so I'm good for a while."

"Great," he replied. That's a relief. Anyway...I'm almost out of money so we wouldn't be able to stop at an inn anyway. I'll need to make some before we do anything like that.

Speaking of money…

"How do you make money?" Inuyasha asked, not caring about rudeness. "If you're on the run all the time, how do you have money to buy supplies and stuff?"

"I make things and sell them," she replied. "I can make herbal medicines and teas from stuff I find in forests. Other stuff, too, but mostly that."

"Wow," Inuyasha replied, a bit impressed. "How do you know to do that?"

"Miko are usually skilled in healing practices," she explained. "What about you? How do you make money? Since we're being so forward at this point."

Inuyasha scoffed. "None of your business."

There's no way I'm gonna tell her what I do. She'd think I'm an idiot.

"So you get to ask me," Kagome began, "but I don't get to ask you?"

"Yep," Inuyasha replied. Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Alright, then," she conceded. "You sure are private. I've wound up telling you some stuff I hadn't planned to, but I guess you're not at that point."

"Nope," Inuyasha said curtly.

Kagome hummed. "I see."

"What, does that annoy you or something?"

Kagome shook her head. "No. I just hope that one day you'll trust me, especially since we're spending literally all of our time together now."

Inuyasha glanced at her, the waves of her hair illuminated in the moonlight much like they were the night before.

"I'll tell you...stuff you need to know," he finally said. "When it comes up. Fair?"

Kagome nodded. "That sounds like a great compromise. And how about this? Every time you tell me something about yourself, I'll tell you something about myself. Then it'll be even."

Inuyasha nodded, figuring that was fair enough.

That would mean telling her about my human night when it comes up, I guess, Inuyasha thought unhappily. Unless I hop up in a tree before it gets dark on that night. She's so shrewd, though. She'd definitely pick up on it if something were different. Plus, knowing how full of surprises she seems to be, odds are she can climb trees like a pro. What a pain. That's one of the last things I want her to know about me.

He tried to relax about it. He'd just had a human night several days earlier, so he wouldn't have to worry about it for a while, long after they'd reached the swordsmith's cave and hopefully gotten a lead on Naraku.

They traveled late into the night until Inuyasha figured they should stop. If they traveled all night, Kagome would no doubt just want to sleep the next day.

"Let's stop for the rest of the night," Inuyasha said. "You're gonna be exhausted again tomorrow if we're up all night."

Kagome nodded. "Okay."

Inuyasha didn't bother with a fire. It had been a bit chilly the night before, but they were quickly approaching springtime, so the threat of a chill wasn't as likely. Kagome had a blanket anyway, so he wasn't too worried.

Kagome was asleep almost as soon as she laid down. Inuyasha watched her for a moment as she slept soundly.

It's been a long time since I've traveled with a human, he mused. It's almost reminding me of my own humanity, which is...weird.

Even he was starting to feel a little drowsy, so he settled himself against the trunk of the closest tree. Tilting his head back, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to doze a bit.

When he woke up a few hours later, he wasn't surprised to see that Kagome was still asleep. He stretched and stood up, intending to go find some berries or something for them to eat before setting off again.

When he returned, the sun had breached the horizon, so he walked over to wake up Kagome.

"Kagome, wake up," he said, gently nudging her with his foot. Kagome stirred a bit before opening her eyes and sitting up.

"Morning," she greeted with a yawn. "Did you actually get any sleep last night?"

"A bit. Get up now, okay? Let's get a move on."

Kagome nodded and stretched her arms over her head, noticing the berries Inuyasha had gathered.

"Oh, I could've done that," she said. "You should have woken me up sooner."

Inuyasha shrugged. "It's fine. Wasn't hard."

"Are you ready to keep moving?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha nodded.

They set off shortly afterward, and Inuyasha immediately began to wonder if he'd ever catch Kagome in a bad mood.

She was so... peppy. He'd never met anyone who smiled so much.

Well, aside from his mother, maybe.

The closed off demeanor he'd initially seen from Kagome had started to fade. Not to the point of her spilling all of her secrets, but she seemed...softer. Kinder.

He wondered what it was like to be able to feel that way.

"So, Inuyasha," Kagome began. "Since you can't use your sword right now, would you like for me to help you learn to use a bow?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "My claws would get in the way."

Kagome nodded. "Oh, I didn't think about that. Well, we could still try someday if you wanted to. It might be fun."

Inuyasha nearly rolled his eyes. I don't have time for fun. She's so...I don't even have the words to describe her.

And he couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad one.

For the next week, they traveled relatively peacefully. Kagome still tried to get him to open up a bit more, but he refused to.

She was nice, though, and he would sometimes find himself wanting to open up to her, but...he didn't.

He had a goal, and that goal didn't include being friends with her.

On the eighth day of their two week journey, Kagome offered to catch lunch.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," she said as she walked off into the forest.

Inuyasha got to work on starting a fire, once again cursing himself for not having bought another box of matches in the last town. He picked up some rocks, grumbling as he went about making the fire.

His ears twitched when he picked up the sound of footsteps.

He stood up, realizing that there were definitely more than one.

Who's out there? It smells like a group of humans.

His eyes widened.

Kagome!

He surged forward, following her scent.

"Get away from me!"

His eyes widened when he caught sight of her…

Nocking an arrow on her bow…

And shooting it…

At a man?

A group of five men, no doubt thieves, were surrounding her, and Kagome was warding them off. She'd already shot two of them, one man in the arm with an arrow and another in the leg in an obvious attempt to protect herself but not kill any of them.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha called. "You walk away for five minutes and this happens?"

Kagome glared at him. "You could stand to offer a little help!"

"What do you mean a little help?" one of the thieves teased from his perch on his horse. "We just want to have some fun with the lady."

"You want me to shoot you like I did your buddies?" Kagome shot back. "I won't kill you, but you might wish I did!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and jumped up to punch the nearest thief in the face. It stunned him enough to make him wobble and fall off his horse, which subsequently ran off into the forest.

Assuming a fighting pose again, Inuyasha saw Kagome drawing an arrow, aiming at the thief in front of her.

She let the arrow fly, hitting him in the arm and causing him to yelp in pain and fall off his horse.

But Kagome didn't notice the one behind her.

Inuyasha's eyes widened.

"Move!" he shouted as he ran toward her.

He shoved her harshly, knocking her to the ground and taking the stab of the thief's sword that had been intended for Kagome.

He grunted as the knife hit him square in the chest, barely missing his heart.

If I weren't half-youkai, that might have killed me.

"Big mistake," he growled, punching the guy and knocking him out.

Wincing as he clutched his injury, he looked at Kagome to see her still seated on the ground.

He could smell tears.

"You alright?" he asked, concerned with her crying. "Are you hurt?"

"Are you gonna die?" Kagome asked. "He...he stabbed you in the chest!"

Is that why she's crying?

Inuyasha scoffed and yanked the knife out of his chest before tossing it to the ground.. "Keh. I ain't so easy to kill. Let's get out of here. Can you stand?"

He walked over to her, reaching out his hand to help her up.

He noticed a rather nasty scratch on her face, and a twinge of guilt ran through him.

I might have pushed her too hard by mistake, he realized as he helped right her on her feet. The scratch looks pretty painful. That must be why she's crying. Once we get back to our stuff, I'll take a look at it.

Inuyasha sent another murderous glare toward the pained group of thieves before he and Kagome set off toward their camp again.

Once they made it, Inuyasha winced as he sat down, needing a moment for his healing abilities to kick in.

It was a silent five minutes as he closed his eyes and took deep breaths. He could feel himself healing, but it was still a fairly deep stab.

"You okay?" he asked, opening his eyes and finally looking up at Kagome.

There was still a scent of tears, but he didn't see any fall from Kagome's eyes.

"Kagome, are you okay?" he repeated. "Did you hit your head?" Kagome shook her head, staying silent before she stood up.

"Let me look at your injury," she requested. "I'll clean it and we can wrap it up. I have some stuff in my bag."

"Don't need it," Inuyasha replied. "It's already healing."

Kagome glared at him. "Don't be an idiot. You just got stabbed! I don't even know how you're still…"

Inuyasha paused, realizing she was this unsettled because...of him? Because he was hurt?

Softening a bit, Inuyasha pulled the collar of his shirt down enough to show her the wound, which was already starting to close as he'd expected.

Kagome gaped at his chest. When her eyes stayed glued to him, Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably.

"Keh," he scoffed. "What are you starin' for?"

"This would fall in the category of something I need to know about you," Kagome scolded. "I thought you were gonna die just now!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You think something like that could kill me?"

"Well, yeah!" Kagome replied. "How was I supposed to know getting stabbed in the chest wouldn't do any real damage? You scared the life out of me. Jerk."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "Well, you should've been scared! That thief was coming right at you!"

"That's not what I was scared of," Kagome shot back. "Well, okay, yes. I was a little scared of that. But I was mostly scared of you dying."

He was taken aback by Kagome's words.

She was...more scared of me dying than getting harmed by thieves? And I think she was crying for me...no one has ever done that, except for my mother...it's been so long since someone has cared enough to feel worried about me. I forgot how nice that can feel.

"Does your cheek hurt?" Inuyasha asked, trying to calm his voice. Kagome reached up and rubbed both of her cheeks, wincing when she touched the left one.

"Ouch," she grumbled. "I didn't even realize I'd scratched it."

Inuyasha gently pushed her backward into a sitting position from where she was kneeling in front of him. He stood up, ignoring her annoyed squeak, and grabbed her bag.

"Get your medicine stuff," he said, handing her the bag. Kagome frowned at him and dug around in her bag, pulling out something that smelled like a medicinal treatment.

Inuyasha grabbed his water carrier and splashed some on his hands, trying to clean them as best as possible given their current conditions.

Once Kagome had opened the small container, Inuyasha took it from her, giving her a firm look when she tried to argue.

He felt more than a little guilty for scaring her so much, and he'd been the one to push her in the first place, so...it was the least he could do.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked, her voice quiet.

"I'm treating your wound, stupid," Inuyasha chided. "What do you think I'm doing?"

Kagome's eyes widened. "I can do that. You don't have to."

"Keh," he scoffed lightly. "It's not like you can see your face to apply it. Now let me work, woman."

Being mindful of his claws, he dipped his finger in the medicine and began applying it to her cheek.

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome had been through a range of emotions in the last ten minutes.

She'd nearly been harmed by thieves, she'd watched Inuyasha get stabbed in the chest when he came to help her, she thought he was going to die, and she'd learned that apparently he could heal himself from an injury almost immediately.

It was...a lot.

But what surprised her the most was how gentle he was being with her.

He was close to her, close enough that she could pick up the scent she remembered from him carrying her on his back.

Fresh and woodsy, like a forest...it was nice.

His eyes were narrowed in concentration as he applied the salve to her cheek.

Kagome's heart flipped a little.

Not a lot, but enough that she noticed it.

How long has it been since someone has taken care of me? she wondered as Inuyasha continued treating her wound. I can't even remember the last time.

Having Inuyasha this close was comforting. It was soothing. She felt...calm.

Safe. Protected. Content.

When he sat back to examine his work, he seemed pleased with it. He nodded and wiped his finger off on his pants, getting the small bit of leftover residue off.

"You alright?" he asked. "Does it hurt or anything?"

Kagome shook her head. "No. I'm okay."

Inuyasha nodded. "Good." He rolled his eyes. "I leave you alone for five minutes and look at what happened."

Kagome frowned. "I can handle myself...usually. You caught me on a bad day." She smiled. "But thank you for saving me. I appreciate it."

She saw a faint pink tint in Inuyasha's cheek.

"Keh," he scoffed. "It's not like it was hard. I don't kill humans, but it's not difficult to injure them. We should probably get moving now, though. Those guys will probably be pretty annoyed when they wake up."

Kagome tried to calm herself and focus her thoughts on...something other than what she'd previously been thinking.

As she stood up and set off with Inuyasha, she couldn't help but smile to herself.

I've been alone for so long; I forgot how nice it is to be with someone. I wonder if he feels the same.

They walked long into the day, trying to put as much distance as possible between them and where they left the group of thieves.

When they finally stopped later that night, Inuyasha went to catch something for dinner.

After he'd caught a deer, prepared it, and had it cooking over the fire Kagome built, they settled into silence.

Kagome felt Inuyasha's eyes on her. Looking up, she found he was watching her.

"What?" she asked.

Inuyasha glanced away. "So...you were crying earlier."

Kagome laughed. "Well, yeah. You scared the wits out of me."

"But why were you crying?" Inuyasha pressed seriously.

Kagome's laughter faded at the tone in Inuyasha's voice. It was full of surprise, and maybe a little confusion.

It made Kagome wonder when the last time someone cared about him had been.

"I already told you I thought you were going to die," Kagome replied honestly. "That was scary."

"And...you cried about that?" he asked. Kagome shrugged.

"I mean...yeah," she replied. Inuyasha shook his head.

"But why?" he pressed. "No one...no one has cried for me in a long time."

Kagome smiled. "Because, Inuyasha, you're my friend. I might not be your friend yet, but you're mine. Okay?"

Inuyasha's eyes widened as their gazes locked. He finally nodded, accepting her answer as his gaze drifted to the fire.

The meat had finished cooking, so he handed a few pieces to Kagome before they began eating.

Kagome snuck a peek at him over the fire and noticed a thoughtful expression on his face.

She wondered what was going through his mind as he ate his meat in silence, his eyes never leaving the flames.

Kagome looked away, focusing on her own food.

When they finished eating, Kagome grabbed her bag.

"Is there a river nearby?" she asked. She'd had to skip her usual nightly routine the night before, so she was really hoping to take some time to freshen up.

Inuyasha nodded off to the side. "Yeah, that way," he replied. "Will you...be okay to go alone?"

Kagome smiled. "I'll be fine. I'll take my bow. Be right back."

Inuyasha looked at her a moment more before finally nodding.

"Okay. Be careful."

"I will," Kagome replied as she walked off in the direction of the river.

This has been...an interesting day.

O.o.O.o.O

Inuyasha didn't know what to think.

Kagome had shed tears for him, had worried about him, and now apparently considered him a friend.

I haven't had a friend since Miroku, so I'm a little out of my element here.

But having someone care about him like Kagome obviously did...it was nice.

And being near her when he was applying the medicine, being surrounded by her chocolate-cherry scent…

That was even better.

He stayed lost in thought until Kagome returned from the river. When she was finished, he went down to the river to do his own nightly routine.

By the time he returned, Kagome was already under her blanket, but he could tell she wasn't asleep yet.

"One day closer," she said when Inuyasha sat down on the other side of the fire, repeating her words from the previous night. "Are you excited yet?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You ask the weirdest questions." Then he realized something.

"Oh," he began, "so you have to tell me something about yourself now."

Kagome frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"You said when I tell you something about myself, you would tell me something about yourself. So pay up."

Kagome laughed. "You didn't even tell me about your healing stuff. I had to find out on my own."

"Are you trying to back out of our agreement?"

Kagome laughed again. "No. Let me think of something I can tell you…" She paused to think for a moment.

Inuyasha perked up. "You could tell me what that power thing is."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Don't push it."

"Fine," Inuyasha conceded. "But it can't be anything stupid like when you said 'green is my favorite color,' blah, blah, blah…"

Kagome smiled. "Aw, you remembered that green is my favorite color."

Inuyasha nearly choked. "Shut up, woman. Don't get all excited over something dumb like that." Kagome laughed. "Alright, let's see…oh, I know. The bow is my weapon of choice, but I'm also skilled with a sword and a few other different fighting techniques."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "Really?" Kagome nodded.

"Yep," she replied. "My mother taught me how to wield my spiritual power, and my father taught me how to fight."

"Huh," Inuyasha replied. "That'll do."

"I'm glad you approve," Kagome teased.

"Keh. How's your cheek? Is it hurting at all?"

Kagome shook her head. "Nope. The medicine has a numbing effect. Thanks for, um, applying it for me earlier."

Inuyasha blushed. "Whatever. Now go to sleep."

Kagome smiled. "Good night."

"Good night."

Despite his pleasant surprise at Kagome's kindness and her candor, as well as the relatively peaceful evening they'd had, something was nagging at Inuyasha.

Guilt.

He tried to tamper it down, knowing that he had good reasons for hiding so much of the truth from her.

But that nagging feeling didn't go away.

He didn't sleep that night.

To be continued...