Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

Chapter Ten: Come Back To Me

Her dreams were sweet and beautiful, full of joy and laughter. There may have even been a fluffy bunny or two in there somewhere.

For the first time in a long time (too long), she wasn't plagued with nightmares and confusion or doubts of her sanity. Maybe it had something to do with how Inuyasha held her hand to his cheek for before she went to sleep. Maybe it was how his eyes had warmed to a bone melting honey gold. Or maybe it was how his voice had been so soft and gentle, the voice he sometimes used only for her, and usually only when no one else was around.

Something was changing, she could feel it.

Warmth filled her as she felt something brush across her forehead. Her cheeks turned rosy when the butterfly light touch came back, and she realized that it was a kiss.

Well now, here a problem, Kagome thought to herself as she struggled to stay still and keep her traitorous cheeks from giving her away. Do I try to pretend I'm asleep so he doesn't stop? Or do I wake up and run the risk of running him off? But what if he doesn't run off…

What if this was the moment when her whole life changed? Did she really want to miss it because she was afraid to open her eyes?

When the lips did not stray far, she decided that she was probably safe to wake up. He probably knew she was awake anyhow, drat his super sensitive senses. If she tried to fake sleep for too long it might make things awkward and weird. And the last thing she wanted was a weirded out hanyou just when things started looking up. Then again… what if it wasn't Inuyasha?

Her eyes flew open!

Whew.

Her heart rate returned to normal when she saw that it was Inuyasha. Then it started to speed up again when she realized that Inuyasha had been kissing her. HER! Kagome Higurashi! His mouth on her skin (forehead counts)! Inuyasha kissed her!

"Inuyasha…" She would have been mortified that her voice only came out as a squeak if her brain were still functioning.

Excruciatingly slowly he reached down and touched her face before feathering another kiss on the tip of her nose. Kagome timidly brushed the hair out of his eyes as he grinned down at her.

His dark hair.

At first Kagome thought it was just a trick of the light, or lack of light really. But no, his eyes were no longer gold and his hair was black. No claws or fangs either. Quickly she looked up at the sky, scared that she accidentally fell asleep on his human night and left him to stay awake alone contemplating all those things that made him depressed and feeling weak. Not to mention crabby.

No… there was still plenty of moon left.

She was almost afraid to look around at her surroundings. Was she back in the other world? The crackling of a fire and a soft snore prompted her to look around. Shippo was still sleeping beside her. She could see Miroku and Sango sleeping on the other side of the dying fire.

"Inuyasha?"

"Come back to me," he whispered.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Yesterday he was still sitting with his back against Kagome's door, contemplating his existence. Why does he exist? HOW does he exist?

Yesterday he found out that he was just a dream. Kagome's dream, but still just a dream. Maybe even just a figment of her imagination.

Yesterday his whole world crumbled into dust as he realized that everything he thought that he knew was just some sort of illusion.

Yesterday pretty much sucked.

Well, the date with Kagome was nice, but everything after that left a lot to be desired. He smiled at the memory of the date. His heart warmed as he remembered how her hand felt in his. He remembered how it felt like he was tied in knots, and how it was the best day of his life. Until the whole finding out he wasn't real thing, of course.

In fact, it looked like the only thing in his life that was real was Kagome.

He loved her. There was no doubt about it. His feelings for her were all consuming. He loved her with his entire heart. His entire being. She was his whole world. Giving her up just wasn't an option.

Okay, so now he had to figure out a way to keep her. Should he even tell her that he's just a dream? Would she care? Would she think he was crazy? Or that she was? But, he thought, I am so much more than a dream. He had emotions. He could feel. And somehow, when he felt his soul ripped out of him when Kagome was stolen down the well by the dog demon, he was able to follow her.

Though perhaps it wasn't that he followed her exactly, at least not physically. After all, once she disappeared, so did his whole world, leaving him in a kind of hollow darkness. But… when she was gone (or he was gone, depending on how that whole thing worked) he could still feel her. He followed the feeling, growing stronger and more substantial the closer he got to her. When he saw her sleeping he was able to step out of the darkness and into… well… more darkness. But it was a different kind of darkness. This darkness was simply the middle of the night, not nothingness.

When she opened her eyes and looked at him he could see the love in her eyes, and he couldn't imagine feeling more alive.

I can find a way to be with her. I have to. Perhaps, he thought, if I sweep her off her feet she will forget about the demon. Kagome was, after all, a hopeless romantic. Maybe there was a way he could romance her. Besides, should someone as sweet as Kagome really be with a demon? Even if it was a half demon. Besides, she was always in danger when she was with him.

"Inuyasha…" he heard her whisper his name and his heart soared.

He couldn't help it, he had to kiss her again. So he kissed the tip of her nose. He didn't want to scare her or rush her into anything. Actually, he hadn't really meant to wake her with a kiss, though it was rather like a fairytale. But he saw her and he couldn't help himself. It was entirely possible that he just may burst with the love and affection inside of him. When he thought he was human he had wanted, needed, to be with Kagome. Now that need grew, turning almost frantic.

Her fingertips grazed his face, leaving a trail of fire sizzling beneath his skin as she brushed the hair out of his face. Then she frowned slightly, and Inuyasha's heart skipped a beat.

Eyes traveled over his face, looking closely at his eyes and hair, even his hands and feet. Then she looked up towards the night sky. Her confusion seemed to mount, and Inuyasha began to panic.

She was figuring it out.

All of her other friends were sleeping, though luckily there was no sign of the silver haired demon. His fear mounted with each passing moment as she looked around the camp at her friends and then back at him. He was losing her.

"Inuyasha?"

"Come back to me," he pleaded.

He took her hands in his and lifted her to her feet. Before she could say a word to protest, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. There was no way he could possibly let her go. There just wasn't.

"How…?"

Crushing her lips under his own in a desperate kiss, Inuyasha stopped her question and evidently froze her in place. He didn't know why he was here, or even how it was possible. All he knew was that he WAS here with her. He also knew that he needed her more than anyone else. He loved her. He had to keep her. And there was nothing that could take her away from him.

He closed his eyes and held her tight, allowing himself to melt into her.

One moment he was losing himself in the feeling of Kagome, the next he was upside down after crash landing into a tree as he heard his true love scream his name. The feral growling should have been his first clue that something was amiss. If not, then surely the snarl of rage. But he hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings. Now he found himself with claw marks on his arm, blood down his arm, and quite possibly a broken bone or two.

Inuyasha looked up into flashing gold eyes and some very sharp fangs currently bared at him. So this was the other Inuyasha…

Demon or not, he wasn't getting Kagome.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Author's Note: Ah, the two meet at last (as several people guessed would happen). So now we have to ask ourselves, do they fight or do they talk and work things out like reasonable people?

…

…

…

Yeah, 'reasonable' has always defined Inuyasha. (Insert sarcasm here) Does anyone else hear a little voice chanting "Fight! Fight! Fight!" ?