Kagome's POV

I sniffed the air and scowled, that cave has got to be around here somewhere right? I stumbled through the trees into a small clearing. Sesshomaru stood across the clearing leaning against the cave entrance. "I thought I told you not to go far."

I eyed him closely and glared, he didn't look worried at all, if anything he looked annoyed. "Listen I'm not in the mood for-" I blinked and he was standing in front of me tilting my head up to look me in the eye, I could feel my heart start to pound in my chest.

"You were crying." I blinked in surprise, what? His finger gently wiped my cheek. "What made you cry?"

I pulled away from him and looked into his eyes, there was a flicker of something but was gone to quick to tell what it was. "It was nothing." I tried to pull away from him but he kept me still.

"Something happened. You smell..." his eyes narrowed. "You smell like graveyard soil and death."

I flinched. "Sesshomaru please." I pushed against his chest with my closed fist. "I-" I watched him follow my fist and froze.

"What is that?" He grabbed my wrist and brought it to his nose. He looked down at me in surprise. "Kagome, why does your hand smell like you used to?"

I tried pulling my hand away from him but stopped at his words. "W-what do you mean like I used to?"

He sighed and looked away from me. "You used to smell of purity, sunlight and spring with an underlying of mortality and death."

I sighed and looked away from him my cheeks warm. "What do I smell like now?"

I felt his grip on my wrist loosen. "That's not important. What are you holding?"

I sighed and opened my hand, ignoring the slight pain in my chest. "It's a spark of my purity. I ran into Kikyo in the woods. She told me the only way to find the rest of the shards of the jewel and purify it is with this, but I can't accept it into myself or it will darken."

Sesshomaru nodded. "Then we must keep it safe."

I nodded in agreement. "Yes, she told me I must keep it in something that will never leave my side." I looked at the ground and sighed. "I have no idea what to put it in."

Sesshomaru stepped back towards the cave. "I might have something. Stay here."

I blinked and he vanished. I sighed and shook my head I'll never get used to that. I felt a vibration in the pull and looked up to see him returned.

"Try this."

I looked at his hand, he was holding a black ribbon with a golden crescent moon, a necklace. I looked up at him in surprise. "I-its beautiful, I can't take this."

He sighed and stepped towards me grabbing my closed fist, carefully he opened my hand and dangled the pendant above it. I watched in awe as the spark jumped into it, as the spark dissolved into it the pendent took on its own soft glow. Sesshomaru stepped behind me. "This is a symbol in my family, it is what my father used to ask for my mothers hand."

"Sesshomaru." I shook my head. "I can't-" I felt him tie the ribbon around my neck.

"It is also what I will use to ask for my mates hand." I felt my face grow hot as I felt his warm breath on my ear. "I trust you will keep it safe." I could feel the pull between us vibrating almost as if it were trying to pull us closer.

I slowly turned to face him, the glow of the moon made his hair shine silver around his face and his eyes seemed like molten gold. "Sesshomaru, I-"

He stepped away from me and turned to the cave. "It's getting late. We have a long way to go tomorrow."

I watched him go into the cave and sighed. What is wrong with me? I could still feel my heart pounding from being so close to him. I thought back to what he started to tell me the night before and shook my head. I needed more answers and this time I wouldn't fall asleep.