Shikuro: A Caribbean Fairy Tale

by Inuma Asahi De

Inuyasha was as bad as pirates came, according to his legend. Kagome was a woman of propriety, destined to marry for her family's honor when all she wanted was to live on the sea. What happens when their eyes meet by chance or perhaps by daring fate?

66. Prelude

Blanket Disclaimer: The writer does not own any characters created by Rumiko Takahashi but like everyone else wishes she did. All original characters or concepts are the author's Inuma Asahi De's (with the exception of historical figures).

Chapter Sixty Six

Prelude

"So you understand the plan," Kaede's voice was soft as she stood beside Hiten and Kagura out on the main deck of the Thunder. The night encompassing them was dark, so dark she found it hard to see with the eye patch on her 'good' eye. "It's bad enough Kagura knows." She told herself even as the urge to remove the stupid thing so she could see properly overwhelmed her. "Any questions, Mr. Hiten?"

The demon groaned and rolled his eyes as he leaned against the railing of his ship. "No," He grunted even as his gifted eyes darted all around looking at every little thing with utter scrutiny. This was not a time for screw ups or for prying eyes and ears to interfere. "I'm not deaf and the plan's not hard." He told her a feeling of anxiety welling up within him from the task at hand; the demon in him already feeling true apprehension from the very idea of it.

"Hiten-sama!" Kagura chastised from beside him, slapping him in the chest violently as she sent him a firm glare.

The thunder demon growled darkly in return, sending her an equally angered look before snorting loudly. "Leave me alone woman." He grunted but there was no true bite to his voice, only mild annoyance as usual.

Kagura glared at him one last time before rolling her eyes and turning back to Kaede. "Kaede-sama," She addressed the woman slowly as a prickling sensation hit her stomach that she ignored. "Are yuu sure about-o this?"

"I am." Kaede nodded her head firmly as she turned her gaze towards the door a good hundred feet away from them. The Shinigami eye behind the patch twisted as it looked towards the door giving Kaede sight that should have been impossible. She could see within it, see the shape of its resident firmly snuggled within his bed. "We have to do it now." Her voice was as firm as it was old. "He's asleep."

"But why today?" Hiten inquired easily as he too looked towards the door, not seeing it the same way Kaede could. "Wouldn't it be better to wait till a new moon?" He offered his point with an almost snide voice. "Then it would be less dangerous for me." He bit out the words with a huff as the demon in him readily agreed not looking forward to the possibility of awakening such a beast while stealing something precious from him.

"Because—," Kaede looked at Kagura conveying with the gift of the Shinigami what she wanted the girl to do. "Speak for me."

"Hiten-sama." Kagura interrupted just as she was commanded bringing the man's attention away from the old woman and onto her. "Inuyasha-sama is close." She told him honestly, she had seen glimmers of it for a few days now ever since she had told Naraku to change their heading to that of Delaware, just like Kaede had said. Part of the wind demon feared how accurate the statement seemed to be. As soon as Kaede had said it, as soon as the heading had been changed, as soon as they had arrived within the seas of New England, she had seen the far off shine of a jewel shard, a large one, one that wasn't coincidence.

"How close?" Hiten's face grew serious as he pushed himself away from the railing staring at the wind demon with scrutinizing eyes. "The sooner we get to him," He told himself as he pushed himself away from the railing and moved just a step closer to Kagura, his presence shifting from somewhat relaxed to completely intimidating. "The sooner Naraku dies and the sooner he dies," He narrowed his eyes darkly on the wind demon pressing her for an answer even as another thought plagued his mind. "The sooner the man who killed my brother dies."

Kagura gulped at the inquiry shooting a look towards Kaede. Unlike the old woman she did not process the understanding nor ability to read how far away the jewel shard was until they were within spitting distance of it practically. "How close-u Kaede-sama?" She questioned in her head knowing the old woman was listening.

In response, Kaede closed her eyes (even the unseen one behind the patch) and inhaled deeply. Instantly, the Shinigami eye went to work moving so rapidly behind the closed eyelid that the patch should have moved from the disturbance. An image exploded behind the eye, a fiery white hot flash that should have blinded her before it just as suddenly cooled. The old woman found herself rushing over water as the image took shape. And then as if the journey was but a step and not leagues, she was on a ship staring into Inuyasha's bedroom. Not wanting to pry she snapped the eye back opened behind the patch and told Kagura what she now knew: "By dawn tomorrow."

"So soon?" Kagura thought even as she noticed Hiten's inpatient face glaring down at her. Frowning she growled lightly at him and bared her teeth out of instinct. "Be patient-u." She told him sternly as she crossed her arms over her chest. "It-to takes a moment." She huffed slightly even as she looked at him taking in his subtle body language unconsciously. He was agitated and just the littlest bit apprehensive it appeared; she didn't need Shinigami eyes to tell her that. Closing her eyes to feign concentration, she narrowed her brows and took a deep breath. The rush of sight that Kaede had did not greet her however, merely the after image of everything she had seen before her eyes had closed. Unaware that she should have been disappointed by her own lack of ability, the wind demon opened her eyes again and told Hiten what Kaede had in fact informed. "By dawn tomorrow."

"Dawn?" Hiten's eyes widened and he tilted his head back to look at the waning moon in the starry sky. "That's only a few hours." He told the two women as he bit his lip hard. "We have to do this now or we won't be able to follow the old hag's plan." He licked his lips, "If we follow it." He told just himself as his own hatred for both Naraku and Inuyasha made him wish to deviate from the plan as soon as possible. After all, Kaede wanted to keep both of them alive for now, Inuyasha a lot more so than Naraku and for Hiten that was unfathomable on both accounts.

Kagura glared at the elemental demon for his use of such coarse language with Kaede and huffed loudly before turning back towards the elderly woman. "Ready?" She asked as she watched the tiny woman blink her one visible eye several times.

"Mr. Hiten is the one you should be asking such a question." Was her response as she turned her human eye towards the demonic man.

For his part, Hiten didn't even flinch at her words; instead, he turned his attention solely back to the door that used to be his own. "I know that cabin better than I know my name." He spoke quietly before deliberately turning his head and spitting on the ground, his hate for Naraku causing a bad taste to form in his mouth. "You got the fake jewels," He asked without even turning to look at the wind demon. "Kagura-hime?"

The use of his nickname for her made Kagura feel just a little more at ease and she nodded before reaching into the sleeve of what had once been Hiten's shirt but was now her own. "Here." She extended her hand towards the man and inhaled sharply when he brought his own upwards to take them. For a second their hands simply rested against one another's as he looked towards the cabin without making eye contact. It was a subtle gesture that meant the world to the wind enchantress.

Nodding his head still refusing to look at her, Hiten finally pulled his hand away the fake jewels tucked between his fingers. "Wish me luck." He half heartedly joked before walking away from the two women without another word, trusting them to keep watch while he was inside. Truth be told, there was no one to really watch out for, Naraku had no loyalties upon this ship or any other, but the less people who were involved the better.

-break-

"..."

Kagome's eyes snapped opened and she sat up hastily in bed. "What was that?" She whispered into the Captain's room, her heart pounding in her chest. Half asleep, she blinked as she tried to see the room around her but her human eyes were not adapt at adjusting to the dark. "I thought I heard something." She brought one hand up to rub at her face as a strange feeling began to form in her stomach.

Uncomfortably, she shifted as the feeling intensified only to freeze when the sound of Shippo whining hit her ears. Turning to the boy who practically was laying against the wall, she smiled as she squinted in the darkened room to see him. As always he was laying sprawled out across the bed, his little mouth opened wide as he breathed deeply while mumbling something to himself.

"Maybe it was him." She thought absently even though she knew the chances of that were slim. After all, she had been sharing her bed with Shippo for months now, it made no sense that she wouldn't be used to his little night talks with himself yet. Reaching for the boy, she carefully brought the covers up to his chin once more a soft glow coming to her features when he yawned and grinned before clutching onto the sheet happily. "Such a sweet boy."

Now wholly awake, the young girl brought her hands above her head and stretched, the feeling of anxiety in her stomach easily ignored for now. Bring her hands back to her lap, she debated getting out of bed and grabbing a book and a candle to read by but decided against the idea as quickly as it came to mind. The coldness of the room deterring her for even the thought of movement, she decided to instead snuggle back down into the sheets comfortably. Still facing Shippo she watched the little boy's face for a moment, ignoring the prickling sensation both in her stomach and her head.

Quickly however, staring at the cute child became rather boring and Kagome found herself compelled to change positions so maybe she could look out the window. Turning onto her side she froze, eyes going wide and all semblance of sleep leaving her as the image of someone in the other bed greeted her. The little light that came through the window made her blink as her eyes tried to take in as much of it as possible wanting to see clearly who was lying in the bed even though she already knew.

In the vague moonlight, her eyes made out his hair first, each little strand shimmering slightly for her to see. Her breath instantly left her throat as he turned lightly in his sleep, his lips parted as he mumbled something. "He's talking in his sleep." She realized as little syllables that made no sense left lips she couldn't quite see in the dark. Shaking her head pushing the cuteness of the action out of her mind she frowned drawing the sheets up tighter around herself. "He hasn't slept in here in so long, why now?"

Compelled to find a reason, she squinted just as she had at Shippo watching as his hazy features began to become clear. She could just make out his high cheek bones, his somewhat delicate nose as it twitched slightly as if sniffing, his wide forehead where little strands of hair rested unmoving against his skin, and finally his lips, the upper thin and the lower broader both parted away from each other and moistened by his words. The anxious feeling in her stomach left, replaced by one of complete appreciation as she gazed at that mouth a little voice in the back of her head pleading with her to take the opportunity to taste him.

"He'd never know." The little voice chirped and Kagome instantly squeezed her eyes shut and hushed it. "It's not a matter of him not knowing, it's a matter of time." Her eyes opened slowly as little memories of the short time they had been together now assaulted her. "Three weeks." She smiled to herself enjoying the way her heart fluttered with her thoughts. "I can't believe we've been courting for almost a month and it—it really is going well."

And it had been, since that day in Delaware where he had bought her every book she wanted (which amounted to only five because she couldn't bear to let him spend more than that; books were expensive after all) it had been going wonderfully. There had been no end of secret smiles passed back and forth, of little touches given when no one was looking, of stolen moments when neither yet dared to make a move. Kagome sighed dreamily her eyes closing as she imagined his hands reaching for her elbow, the heat of his skin touching her despite the fabric. She imagined the brush of his fingers on her chin or her cheek before he hastily removed them with a fetchingly seductive smile on his charming face.

"He makes me feel like I'm going to melt when he smiles like that." She told herself as she became cocooned in a dreamy romantic world where the Captain was actually awake right now and they were out on deck underneath the stars. Her mind raced with the fantasy, imagining that smile on his lips as he took her hand, gold eyes staring at her hazily before he kissed her fingers one by one. A twisting feeling in her gut made her eyes open suddenly. She couldn't be absolutely sure but part of her thought that the feeling was not from her fantasies but from something else. "How strange?" She whispered into the dark as the sensation in her stomach started to dissipate.

"O—." The sound of the Captain mumbling something in his sleep made her nearly jump out of her skin, gulping down precious air as she tried to control her steadily pounding heart. "Ka—wa." He grumbled into the air as he turned to his side. "OKa—a—sa," He groaned and turned away from her. "—san—O—ka-a—san."

Kagome raised an eyebrow not putting anything he was saying really into words. "I wonder what he's dreaming about?" She whispered as she pulled the blankets a little tighter around herself watching him with muted grey eyes and a flushed face.

The feeling of twisting in her stomach intensified for just a moment and she swore she heard something trying to whisper to her in the back of her head; but, as her eyes stared at his lips once more all thoughts of anything else were pushed to the back of her mind. After all, her fantasy had stopped with his lips simply upon her fingers and the thought of those lips touching other areas than simply her hand was far too tempting not to desire.

-break-

Inuyasha opened his eyes slowly, the smell of daisies assaulting his nose awakening him. Instantly, the sun shone brightly in his eyes and he gasped snapping his eyes shut hastily. "What the hell?" He whispered to himself as he carefully pushed himself into a sitting position bringing one hand up to cover his eyes as he opened them again. The blinding light of the sun didn't overcome him this time but he still blinked in surprise as he found himself in a field. "Where am I?" He wondered out loud as he looked around feeling completely confused.

Cautiously, he pushed himself to his feet his eyes narrowing as he took in the sights of the field. It was large, he noticed first, so large that he saw no end, not even a forest's edge. It was filled with flowers, he noticed next, little white daisies that twisted and twirled in the field as a soft breeze made its way across them. It was occupied, he noticed last, by a small woman in a beautiful green dress and white apron.

Inuyasha froze when he saw her his eyes widening in disbelief as he watched her long black hair fly freely just like the flowers. "Pretty." He felt the word leave his mouth as he watched her reach one small hand forward grasping for a little daisy with just the tips of her fingers. Unconsciously, his feet took a step forward as she bent at her waist, one calloused hand catching him by surprise as it hovered over a daisy as if in thought.

"What a pretty flower." Her voice floated across the breeze and he froze as it touched his very soul causing tears to instantly spring to his eyes.

Completely unaware of the man across from her, the woman finally reached for the flower, plucking it as she had its sibling. Gingerly, she twirled the small bud, her soft brown almost chestnut eyes studying it with tender affection. She smiled softly as she turned it round and round, her gentle round eyes filling with an emotion he knew was love.

"Flower's of spring-g-g," She began to sing softly as she turned the flower more. "Of winter and fall-l-l," She leaned back, putting all her weight on one hand. "Fit in my hands: gentle and small-l-l." She giggled lightly as she stopped twirling the flower and instead looked out at the field. "A field of dais-i-i-es, tiny, askew-w," Her voice faltered, sadness filling her face. "Will take me back—to—you."

The song stopped dead as she dropped the little flower. The breeze caught it instantly propelling it away from her as her hand fell to her lap. Inuyasha felt his heart sink into his stomach at the sight and then fall even further when her lip began to tremble. Growling as reassuringly as he could, he took a step forward again just as she sniffled.

"This is silly." She told herself firmly as she brought her hands to her face and wiped at her tears. "I shouldn't be sad." She nodded firmly to herself before suddenly raising her head like a frightened doe.

"I'm surprised it took you so long to notice me." A sudden voice from behind Inuyasha made him jump before quickly turning around.

Instantly, brilliant almost silver pupils met his eyes and he blinked suspiciously. Vigilantly, he studied those eyes, eyes he knew very well. "Grandpa?" He whispered but neither the man nor the girl behind him heard.

"Papa?" The woman spoke just as Inuyasha felt his mouth open in shock and he whipped his head around to look at the woman behind him. He knew this man just as well as he knew this woman.

"Why are you crying child?" The man spoke gently as he walked right through Inuyasha and towards his daughter sitting on the ground.

"No reason." She shook her head quickly and turned around, away from the man and Inuyasha, her attention focused on sometime else entirely. "Don't worry yourself on it." She added as her hands reached for something that was obscured by the field and a soft smile formed on her face. "I'm fine."

"Izayoi, you cannot fool me." The man spoke firmly as he took a step towards her.

Inuyasha felt his heart stop in his chest as he watched the man's back, dirty shoulder length white hair with black streaks running through it haunting his mind. "Is this a dream?" He wondered but nobody answered him.

"Women don't just cry—," The man stopped talking suddenly and tilted his chin to the sky with a sigh. "Never mind," He amended his statement with a dry blink, bringing a hand to his head and hitting it lightly as a reprimand. "I have no idea what I'm talking about."

The woman instantly laughed and the man smiled in return watching her as cheer lighted her features again. "You always did know how to cheer me up." She spoke honestly and with great affection.

"Of course." The man smiled kindly as he knelt beside her and reached for the unknown object as well. "You're my daughter," He spoke gently as he ran his hand over something, fondness growing in his eyes with each stroke. "Every father should know how to make his daughter smile."

"I don't know anything about daughters." Izayoi spoke softly and Inuyasha felt compelled to move towards her. He took one step and then another, his eyes searching her kind face, knowing her for who she was. Movement suddenly caught him off guard and he blinked surprised when a flash of silver caught his eye from between the daisies.

"Of course," The man replied to her as he looked down at the flash of silver. "You had to go and have a son." He chastised, mirth filling his voice. "I don't know anything about sons."

"Then we're even." She spoke as she pushed the daises back revealing a little sleeping face that perfectly made a miniature of Inuyasha's own.

The Shikuro creaked as it moved across the sea once more, the ship bobbing ever so slightly as it went over a wave. Laying in his bed, Inuyasha felt himself come back to wakefulness slowly, the dream seeming to evaporate more than stop. Sleepily, he opened his eyes closing them almost immediately as they stung from sleep. Breathing in deeply, he half expected to once again smell the daisies that had encompassed the field but instead he was met with the must only of his cabin and his own scent mingled just a little with Kagome's.

Carefully, he opened his eyes again, this time blinking several times so as to moisten them. Luckily, the stinging sensation didn't appear to have stayed for long and Inuyasha sighed to himself as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. "A dream." He realized his heart clenching in his chest with surprising disappointment. "Okaa-san." He whispered into the dark, the sound of his voice far louder than he thought it was going to be.

"Inuyasha?"

His eyes snapped wide and he turned his head just in time to see the face of Kagome turn towards him in the dark. "I'm sorry." He whispered gently into the night. "I didn't mean to wake you."

The girl smiled back at him, the moonlight coming in from the back window highlighting her face, bathing it in almost supernatural light. "You didn't," She assured softly the memory of her own strange wakeup call only fifteen minutes before coming back to her. She still wasn't quite sure what to make of it or the ongoing turning of her stomach but with the Captain now awake, she couldn't bring herself to question its presence too deeply. "I was already awake." She told him honestly, her voice soothing him.

"Really?" His voice sounded actually surprised as he whispered back to her. "Figures," He told himself a slight feeling of guilt welling in his chest. "The first night I actually decide to use my bed she can't sleep." Gingerly, he turned to rest on his side wanting to feel close to her despite the distance between the beds.

"Yes." She told him just as Shippo's slight meow filled the air. Carefully, she turned herself towards the child, placing her back to Inuyasha for just a second. "It's okay." She spoke softly to the little boy her voice as gentle as she could make it. "Shh—."

Inuyasha smiled as he watched her, the gentle way she coddled the boy reminding him all too much of his own mother. "Okaa-san." He thought again the memory of her gentle eyes, soft skin, and calloused hands making him feel oddly home sick. "It's been a long time since I dreamed of her." He told himself as he eyed Kagome watching as she tucked Shippo in once more, reassuring herself that the boy was asleep by placing a gentle hand against his tiny chest. "It's been a long time since I thought of home."

"Were you dreaming?" Kagome suddenly asked and Inuyasha blinked surprised that he hadn't even noticed she had turned back to him.

"What?" He questioned as he pushed himself into a sitting position on the bed, his shirt hanging opened revealing tight abs and a smooth chest.

Kagome blushed at the sight, deliberately forcing herself to look at Inuyasha's face as she spoke. "It's just—," She whispered as she pulled the covers up tighter around her. "You were talking in your sleep."

"Tal—!" Inuyasha felt the words leave his lips way too loudly and snapped his mouth shut quickly. "Damn it." He yelled at himself as he watched Kagome freeze as well. Behind her Shippo shuffled slightly mumbling something to himself but did not wake. "Thank god." Inuyasha thought as he let out a relieved sigh and brought a hand up to rub against his face. "So I—," He spoke as softly as he could even as overwhelming agitation settled in his throat. "Was talking?"

"Sorry." Kagome apologized with a wince as she heard that agitation mounting. "I didn't mean to overhear." She pulled the covers around her just a little tighter. "It's just," She paused as something in the back of her mind called to her for just a moment. It disappeared as quickly as it had started however, and she frowned deciding to once again ignore it. "Hard to not listen—," She managed to say as she focused her attention back on Inuyasha. "Sorry."

Instantly, Inuyasha felt the overwhelming urge to hit himself in the head. "It's okay Kagome." He grumbled making sure the bite was completely out of his voice. "I don't care if you listen." His ear flicked as he stopped talking, "Her heart—," He thought as he turned to look at her watching as a pleased smile formed on her face. "It skipped a beat." The dog demon felt his own heart tighten in his chest, the knowledge that she had been pleased with something he said calming him down. Taking a deep breath he pushed himself back against the headboard, propping himself up comfortably. "What was I saying?"

"It was gibberish for the most part." Kagome told him actually bothering to shrug as she faced him on her side. "You did say something like—ocrasa," She tried to pronounce making a funny face as she did. "Over and over." She tried to nod her head but once again the gesture looked odd from her position on the bed. "I figured it was some kind of food." She continued with a slight laugh.

Inuyasha returned her laughter with a chuckle but the sound came across as somewhat strained as he moved his eyes away. Leaning his head back, he glanced to his right where the window between the beds stood. The curtain was opened but the window was closed to prevent a chill. Still, he could see out into the night his sharp eyes lighting on the waning moon. "Okaa-san." He said the word for her not sure if it was an intentional action or a slip of the tongue.

Kagome blinked slowly from her bed across from him. "Something in his voice just now," She thought as she slowly pushed herself upwards, the blankets falling from her shoulders revealing a shirt buttoned only to her collar bone and not properly up to her neck. "Sounded so sad." Unsure, she allowed the blankets to pool at her waist while she set up in the bed mirroring his position across from her. "Maybe that was it." She spoke calmly not wanting her voice to give away any of her curiosity. "Okaa-san." She imitated, her mimicking actually spot on.

Still staring at the moon Inuyasha closed his eyes slowly, the image of his mother playing on the back of his eye lids. He could see her gentle smile, see her pink lips upturned and her bright teeth showing brilliantly. Her eyes sparkled in his head, chestnut brown, soft, and warm. "She always—smiled with her eyes first and her lips second." He remembered oddly as the image of those eyes growing warmer and fonder made his heart ache. The sound of Kagome shifting once more across from him made his eyes snap open and he turned just in time to see her step from the bed, her expression worried.

"Inuyasha?" She questioned when she noticed his golden eyes looking at her open and, she could never dare to say it aloud, almost vulnerable. Somewhere inside of her an alarm went off and an uncomfortable feeling welled inside her stomach. "That's not right," She told herself as she froze standing in the spot between the beds. "He shouldn't look like that. I've never seen him look like that."

"Kagome." He whispered as he watched her, taking in the way her grey eyes winced with worry, with affection. "Your eyes," He thought to himself. "Your eyes are just like hers. Your emotions show up in them before they show up on your lips." He felt a smile tug at his mouth then and watched amazed as her face contorted into a look of confusion. Making a split second decision, he pushed himself away from the backboard, throwing his legs around until they were clear of the bed and landed on the floor.

Kagome jumped at the sudden move and nearly fell back onto her own bed but caught herself before she could. "Inu—," She started to say but the words died on her lips when he opened his own.

"Kagome." Inuyasha spoke her name softly again, the soft baritone rumbling up from his chest making Kagome shudder. "You know," He tried to speak stopping only to take a deep reassuring breath. "How Miroku call's me Otou-san?" He spoke quickly before he could change his mind.

"Yes," Kagome confirmed slowly as she watched him apprehensively. Carefully, she brought her hands up to the collar of her shirt bringing the two edges together until all of the skin of her neck was hidden. "It's so improper." She thought vaguely even as her eyes wandered to his bare chest for just a second. Immediately a blush overtook her face and she shook her head quickly. "Um—Miroku said it means father," She spoke as quickly as possible trying to disguise both her insecurities and her own appreciation of what she was being allowed to see. "Where you're from right?"

"It does." Inuyasha confirmed so distracted at the moment that his mind didn't even really register the change in her scent or the way she squirmed as she stood just feet away from him. "Okaa-san," He began slowly his eyes staring at her feet as they shifted back and forth. "Is, well." He licked his lips and inhaled sharply before closing his eyes, a look of pain actually crossing his face. "Is it's opposite." The words were hushed in the quiet of the creaking ship and hard the hear.

Kagome felt her heart beat slow instantly in her chest. Her hands that had been protecting her modesty so expertly automatically falling to her side letting the fabric of her shirt furrow open once more. "Mother." The name left her lips almost seeming to fall to the ground at her feet making Inuyasha wince. "You," She felt the powerful urge to reach for him then but denied herself, clutching a tight fist in order to quail the urge. "Were dreaming about your mother?"

Inuyasha opened his eyes slowly, the supple quality of her voice, the pity he could almost hear within it rubbing him just slightly wrong. Once again he felt like the orphan boy standing on the streets, the child who received the pitting looks, who overheard the whispers of people gossiping to one another about his mother's death. "I don't need your pity." He spoke the harsh words before he could even think about them and shoved himself upwards off the bed.

Immediately, Kagome took a step towards her bed in shock not having expected such a reaction from him. The back of her knees came in contact with the mattress and with a gasp she felt her weight shift backwards as if about to fall. Sensing her distress instantly Inuyasha sprang forward grabbing her by the waist so as to prevent the fall that undoubtedly injury the sleeping kit on the bed. Kagome gasped again at the contact, "His hands," She blushed. "They're so much warmer through the cotton than my jacket." Shaking slightly, she froze, that warmth permeating both her hips. "Inuyasha." She whispered his name on impulse as her heartbeat picked up in her chest again.

The sound of his name on her lips made Inuyasha's heart race as well and instantly he realized his mistake from moments before. "This is Kagome." He told himself as he pulled her just a little tighter her clothed stomach now actually touching his own bare one. He heard a small squeak leave her mouth at the contact and his whole body warmed. Hastily he closed his eyes, the feel of her heat through her clothes, the sound of her heavy breath, the warmth of her skin burning him as he held her waist. "Damn it." He whispered into the dark and pulled away from her his palm's burning where he had been holding her and his stomach turning where their torso's had met.

Now in balance, Kagome felt as if she was about to fall again. Her whole body was shaking first from his initial upset and now from the way the butterflies were fluttering in her stomach. Part of her registered that the feeling was not just caused by him alone but another part of her didn't care. The sensation that Inuyasha had caused far more important to her than anything else. She had never felt like this before, "Well that is I have but—." She inhaled sharply the memory of a time now long passed floating in her head.

She remembered the way he had studied her, as if he had been debating with himself, his eyes focusing on her lips, watching them so intently that her stomach filled with anxiety. She remembered the way her stomach plummeted into her feet when he inhaled sharply and leaned forward.

"He's going to kiss me." She remembered thinking but much to her surprise he didn't. Instead he simply leaned his forehead against her own. "What?" Her mind had thought but she had simply closed her eyes, the sensation of his warm forehead against her own making her dizzy.

She remembered the feeling of his hands moving down her arms, leaving burning trails against her skin until they came to rest on her elbows holding her in place. Not knowing what else to do she had allowed him to stand there holding her elbows tightly as if afraid she might run away. She remembered how it had seemed to go on forever before he had moved his forehead away from hers. She remembered how cold her skin had felt and then the unbelievable warmth that had replaced it.

"Back then," Kagome came back to herself, the precious memory floating away from her as she blinked slowly. "Before he was a pirate," She watched him as he moved away from her, away from his bed and towards his desk. "Before I cut my hair," She reached a hand up instinctively touching a little lock as her eyes stayed on his back watching his slumping shoulders. "He kissed my forehead and I felt just like this." For whatever reason, the thought made her heartbeat grow steady once again and her balance not so precarious to find. Taking a slow step forward towards him she reached out a hand despite being too far away to touch him. "It's okay." She whispered to him in the dark watching as he tensed for just a minute before turning around.

Inuyasha winced as he looked at her wanting nothing more than to grab for her outstretched hand and pull her towards himself but he hesitated. "I—," He started to say but growled once and shook his head. "I don't like talking about her." He cleared his throat hastily as he spoke before turning around again and heading towards the desk chair. With a huff he dropped himself into it glad that it had been facing out into the room so he didn't have to move it in order to sit.

"I can understand that." Kagome spoke softly into the dark as she watched him bring his hands to his face rubbing his temple as if he had a headache. "She was very special to yo—," Her sentence died in her throat. "That's a silly thing to say." She spoke instead, the strangeness of her words making Inuyasha drop his hands to his lap to look at her with raised eyebrows. "She was your mother, of course she was special to you." Kagome gulped slightly, images of her own mother filling her head and her heart. "She gave you life, raised you as long as she could." She sniffled ever so slightly, the sound making his ears twitch on his head. "She gave you your greatest treasure." Kagome bit her lip and raised her head to look at him. "The violin, right?"

Inuyasha blinked in actual surprise at her words, he hadn't expected her to really remember such a thing as that. "Who am I kidding?" His inner voice mocked him. "This is Kagome, of course she'd remember."

"She must have been an amazing woman," Kagome continued to speak when he didn't reply right away. "To have learned such a thing." A still silence filled the room as her words trailed off and she pursed her lips completely out of things to say. Again she thought she heard something in her mind. "Good grief." She shook her head trying to dislodge the strange occurrence.

"Kagome."

Her eyes snapped opened as the voice filled her to her very core. Slowly, she turned towards where she knew the compass rested upon Inuyasha desk, laid out safe but it wasn't glowing like it always had before. It was just sitting there as if dormant. "How strange." She told herself even as the feeling in her gut doubled.

Across from her, Inuyasha took in her words slowly images of his mother floating into his head. He could almost see her holding the violin in her hands, her fingers moving carefully over each string as she drew a misshaped bow. "The first violin she ever had was baroque in style." He shook his head. "I don't know how she ever managed to play that thing with the weird curved bow." He felt a little grin tug onto his face before he could even dare to stop it. "She was." He finally mumbled into the night, catching Kagome off guard.

The girl jumped just slightly in the darkness her eyes snapping away from the compass and to him. For a moment she was lost, unsure of what was going on but then his words finally registered in her mind causing a slow smile to spread onto her face as well. "I'm sure she was," She spoke honestly as she took a step towards him confidence starting to form in her once again as she chose to forget the strange call of her name for now. "I wish I could have met her."

Inuyasha's eyes widened at the girl's words, his heart actually aching with a feeling he hadn't yet completely come to terms with. He watched her in complete awe as she stepped across the distance that had separated them before kneeling down on the ground at his feet. He nearly choked as one of her hands reached out hesitantly before placing itself on his knee. Her warmth instantly filled his body, the demon inside of him reacting to it almost violently. "Stop it!" He chastised even as his heart pounded in his chest from the subtle contact.

The demon in him growled low in response wanting nothing more than to grab for her, to yank her to her feet, to kiss her until he could no longer breathe but there would be time for that Inuyasha knew. No matter how much he agreed with the demon that yanking her towards him would be fun, he knew there would be time for time in the future but not now.

Closing his eyes and calming himself the best he could, he carefully acted on what could only be called human instinct. "She would have liked you." He spoke in his most gentle voice pushing all the demon inside of him aside as he gently directed his right hand to cover her own that rested on his knee. He felt her body quake at the contact and for a moment the demon inside of him snarled once more.

In front of him Kagome stared at their joined hands, the sound of her blood rushing in her ears preventing her from actually hearing what he had said. "Pardon?" She whispered her voice sounding shaky and confused.

The sound of her voice alone made the demon cool this time, its own instincts knowing when its mate was not ready for such things. Inuyasha smiled pleased for the fact before daring to lace his fingers with Kagome's own holding her hand in the most intimate of ways. "My mother," He whispered to her pulling her hand upwards off his knee slowly, his eyes soft and gentle as he watched her blush despite the dark. "She would have loved you." His words were filled with true honesty as he brought her hand to his lips, placing a loving and apologetic kiss to the back of her knuckles.

Heat instantly exploded in Kagome's stomach, a sensation she barely understood registering between her legs. The part of her that still vaguely registered the laws of propriety, that had listened to her mother when she was a child, that knew that courtship's should last longer than three weeks, instantly told her that this was improper. Another part of her however, a part that had always been present but had recently grown stronger, wished to let that sensation between her legs grow until she understood why it felt so good. It wished his lips weren't on her hand but instead on her own. "Stop it Kagome." She told herself just as his lips finally parted from her hand. "I'm sure—," She tried to speak even as her face grew hotter with every word. "I would have loved her too."

Inuyasha smiled at her words even as the demon inside of him groaned low. Instinctively, it forced him to acknowledge the scent in the air, that spicy heady scent that made his mind shut down. "Fuck." He heard the word enter the back of his mind as his body reacted to that scent in a way he couldn't even begin to control. "Shit!" He cursed internally as he realized how turned on he actually was at the moment and hurriedly stood from the chair dragging Kagome to her feet as well. "I'm gonna go on deck." He spoke hastily as he separated himself from her trying his hardest to walk away without her noticing his predicament.

The girl in question though was not so easy to walk away from. "Oh, um," She whispered as she watched him head towards the door quickly although his steps looked almost pained. "You want some company?" She ventured to ask watching in surprise when he stopped dead in his tracks and let out a sound that was suspiciously pained.

"You're tired," He told her without turning around. "So don't worry about it just," He paused for a second as if thinking and actually having trouble doing so. "Go to sleep."

The edge in his voice made Kagome's heart sink in her chest. "What did I do?" She asked herself even as he started to reach for the door. "How can he kiss my hand like that one minute and practically run away the next?" A strange feeling entered her stomach then, one she was actually very familiar with: anger. "Now wait just a second!" She spoke in the loudest whisper she possibly could without waking up Shippo. "How do you know what I am?"

Hand posed on the door Inuyasha just managed to turn around and mumbled out, "Huh?" before she exploded.

"I've been feeling refreshed and ready to go for hours." Her lips moved so fast, saying each word at such a speed that Inuyasha couldn't really even hope to keep up with her. "In fact," She took a step forward actually stomping as she moved. "I was awake way before you were today or do you not remember?" She nodded her head firmly, the bite in her voice actually making Inuyasha wince.

"Well—." He tried to speak but instantly snapped his mouth shut when he realized she was going to have none of it.

"I just don't understand you sometimes." She continued her voice now starting to sound more hurt than angry.

The sound was like a cold bucket of water being thrown over his head. "Kagome." He tried again all semblance of arousal leaving him as he watched the fire leave her eyes replaced by undeniable hurt.

"If I lay in that bed anymore," She fired back thinking his words not to be apologetic but argumentative in nature. "I'll get bedsores."

Inuyasha felt his lips turn upwards and a small laugh leave him before he could even begin to stop it. In front of him Kagome's mouth dropped opened insulted by his reaction. But before she could protest, and protest very loudly, Inuyasha smiled at her, the lopsided grin he knew she couldn't resist forming on his face: boyish and charming. "Well," He whispered, his voice amused as his hand dropped from the door handle. "In that case," He took a step towards her watching as his smile did indeed do the trick. "How can I deny you?"

Kagome huffed just slightly as the haughty words left his lips and glared at the tantalizing smile that graced his handsome features. "I would prefer if you didn't." She retorted, her natural wit running full force through her body.

"Then I won't." Inuyasha counted without a second though, his normally teasing voice coming across as soft and sweet before he turned back towards the door to the cabin. He reached for the knob about to turn the handle but before he could think to open the door a thought struck him. "We should bring the violins." He spoke almost to himself before turning straight around and heading towards his desk once more.

"Violins?" Kagome repeated the quickness of the conversation causing her head to spin.

"Yeah." Inuyasha nodded and he knelt down and grabbed his violin as well as her own. "I think now's a good time for a lesson." He raised himself back up and turned to look at her a genuine smile filling his face as he clutched his mother's violin tightly in his hands. "Don't you?"

For a moment Kagome could only focus on the way his hands held onto the instrument. "It's so important to him." She thought before her eyes rose to his face watching the emotions play across his eyes, emotions that no one but her ever really got to see. Carefully, she allowed a smile to form on her face, one of reassurance and happiness. "Sure." She nodded brightly as she took a step towards him a light feeling forming in her chest that she didn't quite understand yet either.

But somewhere in the back of her mind another feeling reigned one that was dangerous if left ignored.

-break-

As quietly as possible, Hiten opened the door to his old cabin already knowing that it tended to squeak when opened with too gentle a hand. In order to prevent the sound, he pushed down firmly on the handle, causing the weight of the door to shift downwards on its hinged. The hinged barely strained as they normally would, the lack of oil on them elevated by pressing the door down so firmly.

Pausing in the doorway he looked into the room, his eyes going instantly to the bed before turning anywhere else. Laying there, in Hiten's own nice sheets, Naraku Morgan slept appearing for all pretenses dead to the world as most teenagers do as they sleep. Holding back a snort of laughter, Hiten carefully entered the room knowing to stay to the right of the entrance because of a loose board that existed on the left.

Still pushing down on the handle, he pulled the door towards him as vigilantly as possible his sharp eyes never leaving Naraku's form. The knowledge of the doors short comings came in handy luckily for Hiten, and not one squeak sounded in the night. "I'm good." The man smirked to himself as he allowed the door to finally shut, clicking ever so softly into place as he let the handle go back upwards with controlled ease.

With one eye fixated on Naraku, he waited knowing that any trained demon would have awaken at the sound of the slight clicking. Fortunately for Hiten, Naraku was merely a young demon who had never once had to live his life with one eye opened as Hiten had. Completely unaware of anything, Naraku slept on as Hiten silently began to make his way across the cabin. Bare feet touched the ground, years of training on stealth in the Spanish military having taught him the importance of not wearing boots on squeaky floors.

Expertly, he touched one foot down at a time, keeping his body low and in the shadows of the room just in case one of Naraku's demon instincts finally started to awaken. The little bit of moonlight that filtered in through the one opened window at the back of the cabin just barely crossed Hiten's face as he stepped across the floor. He froze at the intrusion on his skin and hastily, albeit with firm control, ducked into a shadowy place right beside him. For a moment, his heart pounded as he realized how easily it would have been for even a demon such as Naraku to spot him in that moment. And although Naraku might be young and inexperienced to espionage, that wasn't what Hiten feared about the child.

"If he sees me." Hiten took a deep breath as quietly as possible. "I'm fucked."

"Remember Hiten," A young Hiten huffed as he watched his father mix water with some dirt to make mud. "When invading enemy territory," His father continued to speak as he mixed the mud with some claw dirt that was a funny reddish color. "You should paint your whole body," The man picked the mud up in his hand and began to smear it on his arms. "So as to look like your surroundings."

"I should have painted myself." He chastised as his father's voice faded into nothing but silence. "It's not like I actually have mud though—shit it's too late anyway." Quickly, he shook off the thoughts knowing it would do nothing for him to just sit her wasting time. After all, the longer he was here the bigger chance Naraku would wake up.

Getting down as low as possible, crouching like a tiger stalking prey, he started across the floor again. Slowly, he navigated the room towards his old desk, skipping floorboards he knew squeaked and dodging those he wasn't sure still did or not. After what felt like an eternity the thunder demon arrived at the desk. Comfortably, he slid his body behind it next to the desk chair enjoying the feeling of being hidden in the large room.

He leaned his shoulder against the desk for a moment, waiting for his heart to calm down and his hands to stop shaking as they were with his own adrenaline. Inhaling slow deep breaths in his nose and then out his mouth he achieved the desired affect easily and using just the limited light in the room looked at the four drawers of the desk. "Now which one?" He asked himself as he studied each drawer. "The ones on the left don't have locks," He told himself, years of using this same desk finally coming in handy. "I doubt he'd put the shards in one of 'em."

Licking his lips he turned towards the right side of the chair, carefully maneuvering himself around it until he was on the other side of the desk. Both of these drawers were lockable and therefore more secure, for a human or an unskilled demon, that is. A man like Hiten who had sailed the seas for over two hundred years and had been a man of less than reputable nature for another hundred years before then was well skilled in picking a simple lock. In the end, there was only one problem.

"Picking locks is loud." He bit his lip hard to keep from cursing as he brought his head to the side of the desk in order to get a quick glance at Naraku. The man hadn't moved at all since Hiten had entered the room. "But I haven't made a sound yet." He glared at the lock absently. "I've never picked my own desk lock, I have no idea how loud it will be." The thunder demon took a deep breath and leaned down to look at the little lock. "It's a ward lock—it can't be too complicated to pick." He reasoned with himself wishing he had a skeleton key on him but he honestly hadn't thought about it until now. "Keh, I've picked harder locks with just a claw."

Resisting the urge to actually chuckle out loud at his own thought Hiten stared at the two lockable drawers trying to decide which one to pick first. On instinct he felt he should go for the bottom drawer as he himself was more likely to stash important things there. However, Naraku's own cockiness was a powerful thing.

"What are the odds," He questioned himself as he stared at the two drawers skeptically. "A kid like that would stick it in the top drawer," He narrowed his eyes on the disconcerting little wooden drawer. "Just because it's easier to get too?" Going with his gut instinct Hiten decided to ignore the bottom drawer for now, somehow knowing Naraku wasn't the kind of man who worried about things like the practicality of using the bottom draw over the top one.

Carefully, he brought his right hand up and using his pointer finger stuck just the tip of a claw into the lock. Feeling inside the hole, he tried to determine how many obstacles the lock had to push down so it would open. Before he could feel if it was one or two however, the lock let out a loud crunching sound in the quiet.

Instantly, the demon froze, claw still in lock and held his breath as his ears literally perked on the side of his head listening. A part of him knew that Naraku as a weasel demon didn't have the worrying hearing capabilities of say a dog or a wolf, but another part of him was so terrified of Naraku when he was awake that he didn't care to adhere to logic. The minutes ticked by and no sound met Hiten's ears. Slowly, his heart beat returned to normal and without allowing his hand to move he elongated his neck until he could see around the desk.

Naraku hadn't moved.

"Thank god." He nearly groaned as a feeling of complete relief filled him to his very core. "Okay Hiten, focus." He coached himself as he turned his attention back towards the lock staring at it as his claw still hung from its mouth. "Just turn your finger." He commanded as he turned the nail with mind numbing slowness to insure no noise permeated the room again. The feel of the lock turning easily made his mind fill with even more relief. "It's only got one obstacle." He told himself as he ventured to reach his left hand up for the handle of the drawer.

Knowing these drawers to be as bad as the door, he carefully started to pull it opened being absolutely insanely careful not to move it so fast that it would groan upon its tracks. Only a soft scrapping sound filled the air however, not even as loud as the earlier squeaking. Feeling more confident he pushed himself up onto his tip toes and looked into the little drawer. The sight of the small box that Naraku kept the shards in instantly met his eyes and he nearly growled in pleasure.

"Damn I'm good." He praised himself as he reached into the desk drawer before hesitating. "I shouldn't bother removing it." He told himself as he looked at the little box skeptically. "If he's actually bothered to protect it removing it could be dangerous." Course of action decided, Hiten opened the lid to the little box inside the drawer, almost sighing in relief when the little shards met his eyes with sparkles. "One, two—three—four, five, six?" He licked his lips slowly. "Is that all of them?" Not completely sure he brought a hand up to his head and scratched at it lightly.

"Um—I'm thirsty."

Hiten froze as the voice floated to him so loud in the quiet that for a moment he was sure he was going to piss himself.

"Where'd I leave my glass?" Naraku muttered as he swung his legs out of the bed and popped his neck lightly.

Behind the desk unmoving Hiten slowly lowered himself down and out of sight. "Pease don't be on the desk." He begged even as his eyes only barely caught sight of the glass, the little bit of deep red wine left in it reflecting the moonlight. "Damn it."

Yawning Naraku put his feet on the floor and stood. The sound of him padding across the wood, not paying attention to nor caring about which floor boards squeaked and which did not, reaching Hiten's ears loudly.

Hiten followed the sounds with rapt attention as he pushed the drawer closed as quietly as possible and shoved himself downwards until he was practically flushed against the ground. His heart pounded in his chest so loudly that he was sure another breed of demon would have been able to easily have heard it. Silently, he thanked any creature listening for that one fact as he pushed himself underneath the desk his five foot eleven inches tall frame not actually fitting below it completely. Licking his lips, he closed his eyes and put all his faith into the fact that a half asleep man would probably get his drink without looking deliberately around a desk for feet sticking out one side.

The squeaking of the floorboards stopped suddenly and Hiten opened his eyes just in time to see Naraku's bare feet standing in front of the desk. The sound of the glass being lifted and the wine inside of it stirring made him wince ever so slightly. Holding his breath, he listened to the sound of Naraku gulping down the drink slowly until it was emptied. "Damn." The teenaged demon grumbled to himself. "I don't wanna go outside for more." He mumbled and his feet instantly turned around, Hiten watching as they turned back towards the bed and began to walk away.

"Please just go back to bed." Hiten begged lightly as he kept an eye on the retreating ankles nearly laughing for joy when he watched the young demon fall back onto the bed without a thought. "Now just go to sleep." He told the other man silently. "Just go to sleep Naraku—please."

Ears fixated and listening for the evening out of breath, Hiten waited and waited, the moon outside the room slowly moving from the two o'clock position to closer and closer to the three. After, who knows how long and what felt like an eternity to Hiten, the young demon's breath evened out signaling that he had in fact fallen back asleep but still Hiten didn't move.

"I have to wait at least thirty minutes." He thought, experience telling him that a man is not truly asleep until he has been asleep for at least thirty minutes.

Groaning to himself without making a single sound, the thunder demon settled himself in for the long wait, his position not allotting him to watch the moon outside but still allowing him to track the progress of its shadow in the room. Time ticked on slowly as Hiten listened to Naraku's breathing noting when it went from simply calm to that of actually shallow. A classic signal that one had progressed into deeper sleep. Still not willing to move just yet he waited even longer until the light from the moon had almost completely filled the room signaling that the moon itself was now by far closer to the three o'clock position than the two.

"That should be enough." He told himself and as quietly as possible dared to actually move out from underneath the table.

The task was a lot harder than it had been earlier, his flow of adrenaline having changed enough that now he was actual able to over think instead of simply move. Literally biting his tongue so as not to curse his own sloppy movements, Hiten pulled himself out from under the desk nearly knocking the chair over in the process. Finally free from the confining space he exhaled slowly to calm himself before turning back to the already unlocked drawer.

Without hesitation, he reached for the handle once more and with just the same efficiency as nearly forty-five minutes earlier opened it with barely a sound. Inside the deep compartment, the box still remained opened and simple to access. Not bothering to stop and think about how many jewels were inside he reached in and simply grabbed them, scooping them up in one large hand. Immediately, he threw them into his right pocket with one hand while the other rummaged in his left pocket for the fake ones.

"How many do I need?" He asked himself hurriedly wanting nothing more than to just leave this room right now. "Six—that's how many were in the drawer so—how many fake ones are there?" Hastily he counted them discerning easily that he had two too many. Licking his lips nervously, he stuck two of the fake shards back into his pocket before dumping the rest into the little box once more and closing it carefully. "Now just close the drawer." He commanded his trembling hands as he pushed the drawer back shut not making even a single noise. "Almost there." He encouraged himself as he stuck his claw back into the lock, clawing at the mechanism and shifting it back into place with a sold click.

Paranoia filled him and he froze completely as the sound of the click seemed to echo in the room. The sound itself felt as if it took at least ten years off his life. But Naraku had long ago reached REM sleep and thankfully therefore didn't even wince. Almost ready to pass out from the adrenaline that had now been pumping through his system far too long, Hiten rested his head just briefly against the side of the desk calming himself back down.

"Just get to the door." He told himself even as his body began to ache from the tension in his own muscles. "Get to the door." Taking a deep breath, Hiten moved back around the chair and around the desk stopping for only a moment beside into to look into the now lit up room. "Damn moon." Hr growled to himself wishing now that he hadn't spent so much time under the desk.

Clutching his hands tightly at his sides and holding his breath for no reason at all except it made him feel better, Hiten started into the light. Dodging every board as expertly as he had before he crossed the room, refusing to even give Naraku a second glance and instead focusing only on the door. If he could just make it to the door there would safety on the other side. The sound of rustling nearly stopped him in his tracts but, fighting his own natural instincts, he kept on moving knowing that in the end it was safer to completely flee than to wait here one more second.

It felt like he hit the door at a full out run, his hands grabbing for the handle, pulling it down slowly even as his body tried to simply break through it. Yanking the handle in the same way he had entered and putting all his weight into it he opened the door. Barely controlling the swing of the actual door, he winced when it managed to squeak ever so slightly on its hinges. Throwing a look over his shoulder he watched the still sleeping face of Naraku with no small amount of complete liberation before he stepped outside onto the deck and not caring if the door squeaked or not any more shut it behind him with a barely audible click.

Resisting the urge to simply slump against the now shut door Hiten continued moving, the sight of Kagura and Kaede standing in the same spot he had left them nearly an hour ago making his heart sore.

"Hiten-sama!" The wind demon smiled at him, her face filled with so much relief that he actually smiled back at her before he could stop himself.

"What took so long?" Kaede asked as she watched the man make his way across the deck, looking for all pretenses and purposes scared for life.

For a moment, Hiten didn't say a word as he focused simply on reaching them over anything else. "I am never," He told them both as he came to a stop right in front of them and reached into his pocket for the jewel shards. "Doing something like that again." Was all he said as he shoved the Shikon shards into Kagura's awaiting and surprised hands before slumping down to the deck floor in exhaustion.

-break-

Kagome stepped out onto the deck slowly, following Inuyasha as he made his way expertly in the dark. With just as much proficiency Kagome followed him, her eyes quickly adjusting to the slight moonlight overhead. "Within the week there'll be a new moon." She thought to herself absently as she crossed the deck as quietly as possible.

By now she knew the deck well, she knew where it creaked and where it groaned, which planks had been fixed and which ones still needed repairs. She wasn't as quiet as the Captain could be when he wanted to but she was pretty close. Absently, she allowed her eyes to roam over the deck searching for the men who sometimes slept outside: namely Totosai. Strangely though, she saw not one man on the deck of the Shikuro this night.

"Where is everyone?" She wondered out loud just as she mounted the stairs behind the Captain of the vessel.

Inuyasha paused at her words frowning slightly at himself as he winced. "Well—they haven't wanted to sleep on deck lately." He told her as he started to climb the staircase once again, a violin case grasped in each hand. "Too cold." He offered even though he knew his own words were a lie. In all actuality the men were sleeping down below because for every night over the past three weeks (until this night that is) the Captain hadn't really slept but instead stayed up all night making far too much noise on deck for anyone to sleep. "It's not my fault." Inuyasha argued with himself slightly. "I just can't focus on sleep when she's so close to me." He frowned just ever so faintly. "Until I pass out from exhaustion today but that's a different story."

"It doesn't seem all that cold to me." Kagome gently pointed out as they reached the top of the staircase and moved onto the helm's deck.

"Inuyasha-sama?" The sound of old Myoga's voice caused Kagome to freeze in surprise having not expected anyone to be up this late.

"Konbanwa." Inuyasha replied in his native language, the fact that Kagome was with him only making him feel slightly uncomfortable using the word. "I'm courting her." He reasoned to himself even as that slight feeling of dread took residence in his stomach.

He had never told a soul the truth about all his heritage or the forbidden land in which he had been born. Not even Miroku knew the absolute truth and unconsciously, he truly worried about letting anyone know what he really was. Setting the violins down, Inuyasha took a second to glance at Kagome out of the corner of his eye. Other than a strange look of curiosity on her face, she didn't seem to question the strange word. Sighing, feeling only somewhat relieved, he reached for the buttons of his shirt. Hastily, his fingers worked knowing that Myoga would be sure to point out the fact the shirt was opened around a lady.

"Konbanwa." Myoga repeated with a gentle smile and a slight bow of his head. "Inuyasha-sama come out-to for night-o fun?" The old man spoke teasingly as he eyed the now closed shirt before looking at Kagome whose own shirt was opened in a way considered inappropriate for mixed company.

Instantly, Kagome felt her face flush brightly from the old man's words and where his eyes had roamed. Quickly, she reached up to do the last two buttons bringing the shirt uncomfortably up to her neck. "I should have grabbed my jacket." She told herself, knowing that the jacket would have allowed her to leave the shirt more opened while still remaining modest.

Inuyasha for his part merely snorted as he finished buttoning the shirt. "Get your head out of the gutter Myoga." He chastised as he finally crossed the deck and motioned for the old man to move. Obeying silently, Myoga took his hands from the wheel only when Inuyasha had a good grip on the old wood. "Why don't you go have a night off." Inuyasha offered as he reached down for the rope that tied the helm's wheel in place. "I'll keep an eye on the ship."

"If-fu yuu sure Inuyasha-sama." The man bowed slightly to his Captain waiting only for Inuyasha's nod before he turned and started towards the stairs walking towards Kagome.

The young girl bit her lip awkwardly when the tiny old man stopped right in front of her and smiled with his strange shaped mouth. Compelled to say something Kagome smiled clumsily before whispering out a soft: "Good night Mr. Myoga."

The old man smiled at her gently in return and bowed his head far lower than he had to the Captain. "Oyasuminasai, Kagome-sama." He whispered to her and although Kagome didn't understand the custom or his words, she knew that something very respectful had just happened.

Before she could manage to say a word on the subject however, Myoga slipped passed her and disappeared quickly down the staircase, his small body able to move quicker than an old man should. "Um?" Kagome managed to say as she looked down towards the retreating back that had already made it to the quarterdeck.

"Don't worry Kagome," Inuyasha's voice brought her eyes away from the disappearing man and back towards her courter. "Myoga was just saying good night."

"Good night?" She whispered somewhat skeptically before turning her full attention towards Inuyasha. The dog demon had just finished tying off the helm and was currently looking up towards the sails, his eyes moving quickly probably checking for anything that could possibly need to be attended to. "So that word—Oyanais um," She stumbled greatly feeling quite embarrassed at not being able to say the word at all. "It means good night?"

Turning his eyes away from the riggings Inuyasha offered her a slight smile even as his mind started to race. This was not a language he had shared with many people, in fact, it was a language that could possibly mark him in many ways. The dog demon licked his lips as he watched his intended, her grey eyes looking at him with inquisitiveness. "Would she—," He heard a small voice in the back of his mind start to wonder. "Want to know?" He shushed the thought before it could progress too far. It was one thing if she wanted to know, it was another if he was willing to tell her. "Well—." He started to say but stopped when she gave him an imploring look.

"I'm just curious." She told him as she offered him a little smile that made all of his resolve waver for a moment.

"O-ya-su-mi-na-sai." He pronounced the word slowly separating out each syllable so it was easy to understand. "It means good night, well," He paused only for a second in thought. "I'm going to bed, would be a better translation." He tapped his chin in thought. "I mean, you can only say it before going to bed," He continued to explain further unaware that Kagome was looking at him with no small amount of awe. "You can't just say it to someone on the street like you can with good night." He finished with a slight chuckle turning his attention to the girl who was still standing in the same exact spot.

Instantly, he was met with her disbelieving expression and her wide eyes. "Such a strange word." She commented as her whole expression seem to change into one of contemplation. "What—language is it?" She inquired, her whole face telling him that she already had a good guess in mind. "Is it your native one?"

"It is." Inuyasha ventured to say even as his own face actually flushed, something that did not happen every day, or every week, or month, or even year. "How much do I tell her?" He asked himself even as she continued on unaware of his dilemma.

"Where is it from," Kagome questioned as she took a step towards him slowly in the moonlight. "Your native language?"

"Oh—um," Inuyasha hesitated to speak, he had never really told anyone anything about himself such as this. Not even Miroku knew the secrets to his origins or the name of the country he had been born in or the name of the one he had been raised in. "Well." He spoke slowly his mind racing a he tried to think of what to say. "I—it's—it's complicated." He finally settled on even as he winced at his own words. "Just tell her." A voice inside of him pleaded but another voice, a far more paranoid and demonic one snarled back. "Don't—when she finds out—." It trailed off leaving a certain amount of dark expectation ringing in his ears. "That is—it's not from somewhere you'd recognize."

In front of him, Kagome frowned, her heart sinking in her chest as she took in his words. "He doesn't want to tell me—me?" She blinked slowly, tears forming in her eyes that she instantly forced away. "It's nothing to cry about." She told herself firmly even as the tears tried their hardest to form and fall. "Everyone's entitled to a secret or two." She reasoned but a small voice in just the back of her head mocked her. "He doesn't trust you." The little voice said and Kagome was hard pressed not to believe it.

The smell of salt that was not the sea or part of Kagome's natural scent made Inuyasha grimace. Almost afraid to look, he glanced at Kagome's face and sure enough found the evidence of forming tears clinging to her lashes. "I'm suck a prick!" He yelled at himself as he watched her tears form. "What would it do—would it kill me to just tell her the truth?" He clutched his fist tightly at his side, knowing deep down in his heart that it wouldn't hurt a thing for her to know and even Miroku or Sango. Being secretive however, is a hard habit to break and when one has kept their past firmly rooted in the past for the better part of their life it is insanely hard to break the trend.

Kagome sniffled slightly as her nose began to run and angrily she shook her head hating herself just a little for reacting the way she was. "You're being silly Kagome." She continued to tell herself forcing her features to calm. "It's not a big deal." She continued the reassuring chant and brought a hand up to her face calming her tears the best she could. "He's a secretive man by nature and you're just the girl he's courting." She closed her eyes as the sentence filled her actually causing a physical sting of pain in her chest that she ignored. Bravely, she forced a smile to form on her face, forced her eyes to open dry, and forced herself to speak. "It's okay.

Inuyasha's head snapped up at her words, the sound of her shaking voice making him feel like even more of an ass. Carefully, he took in the shaky smile on her face and her surprisingly dry eyes no part of him really believing the expert act.

"Everyone's entitled to a secret or two." She spoke her earlier thoughts out loud even as her heart tightened in her chest a small voice telling her, "You don't have any secrets from him." Ignoring the voice she forced the smile to appear brighter on her face, closing her eyes so the pain wouldn't be betrayed in them. "And I know that secrets are hard to tell once they've been secrets too long." She nodded but her eyes never opened and the fake smile never left. "But thank you for telling me at least a little about that word, Oyanaisai." She tried to pronounce again and once more failed miserably.

Instead of laughing this time however, Inuyasha had to resist the urge to just punch himself in the face. "Damn it!" He cursed to himself before quickly turning away from her punching the railing of the Shikuro lightly (by demon standards, that is).

Kagome's eyes snap opened in surprise as she heard the initial hit, the railing cracking under the pressure.

"I just don't get it." He continued to rant in his head berating himself wholly. "I can tell her anything, I've told her things that no one knows." He growled low in his throat aggravated with himself. "I told her my age, I told her about my mother," His eyes unconsciously moved to the violins on the ground before ripping his eyes away, thoughts of his mother leading to thoughts of a troubled childhood. He could almost see the faces of those who had looked down on him for what he was, he could almost hear the voices of the strangers and of the people he knew, was related to. "I told her about the fucking moon for crying out loud." He whipped his head around anger burning in his eyes as he looked at her. "So why?" He asked out loud but whether he was asking himself or her was hard to tell. "Why can't I just—." His voiced stopped in his throat as an image of Sesshoumaru filled his head.

"Because it would make you even weaker than you already are brother."

And that was the truth. The absolute truth. Telling her of his pain, of the life he had lived as a child, the childhood he had experienced in a land so far from here would be the same as a small boy tattling on an unfair sibling. At least, that was the logic that ran about in his own head, whether it was sound or not was highly uncertain. "Why can't I just tell you?" He finally finished the sentence before falling into silence.

Kagome frowned at his words and the anger she could see forming on his face. "What's going on?" She wondered to herself as she brought her hands in front of her and worried her fingers. "Why can't you tell me, Inuyasha?" She really wanted to ask but somehow found the words stuck in her throat as she looked at him watching the anger mounting in his every feature and somehow knowing it wasn't directed at her.

"Fucking damn it." He huffed suddenly and growled low in his throat as he looked at her before snarling in frustration. Snarl still in his throat he turned himself around and actually banged his head on the railing deliberately.

Instantly, Kagome felt herself spring forward on instinct. Moving towards him with speed she didn't know she had she grabbed for his arm yanking him away from the railing. "Don't do that!" She demanded her voice so firm that Inuyasha actually felt his ears go back flat on his head.

"Kagome?" He whispered her name just in time to come face to face with her rage filled face.

"This is nothing to get so upset about." The girl instantly reprimanded her eyes gleaming with barely contained anger. "Especially so upset that you deliberately hurt yourself." She shook her head slowly giving him a look that he swore his mother had once given him as a child when he was in trouble.

"But—," He tried to argue wanting her to understand where he was coming from. He wanted her to know he was angry at himself, that he would never forgive himself for making her cry, and that he was trying his hardest to open his mouth and just tell her the truth. Logically, he knew it wouldn't matter, that telling her wouldn't change whatever was happening in their relationship now. Logically, he knew it wouldn't make him weaker. Logically, he knew a lot of things.

"No buts." Kagome cut him off releasing him to cross her arms over her chest defiantly. "I told you, everybody's entitled to a secret." Her voice was firm and left no room for argument. "And yes it hurts a little that you can't tell me." She admitted in the heat of her speech the words leaving her before she had time to sensor them. "But in the end its okay." Her voice started to become just a little gentler. "Because I know you're not trying to hurt me and that you must have a good reason for keeping your secrets—," She paused for a second as she tried to think of a good word but in the end her vocabulary failed her much to her own embarrassment. "Well secret."

Something inside of Inuyasha in that moment almost seemed to freeze. The demon in him which should have been furious at the way she had just given him commands actually being soothed by her loud words. It was a sensation he couldn't explain, a feeling that no amount of arguing with himself would make go away. "Kagome." He whispered out her name overcome with affection as he watched her haughty face turn to an apologetic one.

"I'm so sorry—." She started to apologize as she realized that she had just yelled at him so openly, something that was completely improper for any woman, even one in a station such as her own.

"Don't be." He replied without thought as his hands moved on their own accord reaching for the fabric of the sleeve which covered her elbow. "I deserved it." His words weren't lies, he honestly felt as if he did. He knew he did. "This is Kagome." He heard the demon inside of him whisper and he knew the true power behind it's words.

"But I—?" Kagome tried to speak again only to find her voice stall instantly in her throat as he pulled her towards himself and into his arms. Instantaneously, a feeling of warmth exploded in her stomach as his hand that had yanked her forward dropped to her waist and his other hand joined it, bringing her completely against his body in a tight hug. His chin rested against her shoulder, her chin rested against his own and Kagome felt for all pretenses that she should have fainted right then and there.

Inuyasha inhaled her scent sharply and, unable to resist, pulled her even closer to himself. The rail of the Shikuro dug into his back as he leaned against it holding her but he could not bring himself to care. "Kagome." He whispered her name and smiled when the scent of her anticipation hit his nose. It wasn't heady or spicy but instead smooth and delicate, the scent of someone who feels as if something wonderful it about to happen, whether that be warm spring rain or a sunset laced with hues of pink. "You're too good for me." He barely mumbled into her hair his pride stopping him from apologizing properly.

She stiffened in his hold as his breath brushed against the side of her neck. "I—um—thank you?" She whispered not sure of what else one should say after having such words whispered in your hair. Arms still hanging limp at her sides, she felt her fingers flick on impulse and suddenly she was grabbing the fabric of the white shirt that he had hastily buttoned earlier.

Inuyasha breathed in sharply as the feel of her slight fingers and human nails pricked the surface of his skin causing goose bumps to dance upon his flesh. "Kagome." He heard his voice but it sounded far away even to his own ears as his body reacted to her touch.

"Yes?" She whispered back, her face flushed and her breath coming out in short pants as she gripped him tighter.

"We've been courting for three weeks." He spoke firmly as if he was already trying to convince her of something. "I bought you practically the whole bookstore back in Delaware." He felt her tense knowing that she disagreed with that statement. In the end, she had only gotten five books (and one for Shippo) after all. "So," His voice was both heady and nervous as he pulled her away from him, the spot where his chin had been resting feeling uncomfortably cold. "Is that long enough for me—to ask to—." He paused and looked straight into her eyes staring into their soft grey.

Kagome felt mesmerized as the molten gold of his irises stared into her seeming to look all the way into her very soul. "I—um." She whispered as her heart started to hit against her rib cage as if trying to escape. "He wants to kiss me." She heard a voice in her head practically yell, somehow knowing the question before it had ever been asked.

He hesitated as he watched emotions well in her eyes: ones of fear, ones of anticipation, and most importantly, ones of want. Carefully, he reached a hand from behind her back, his fingers tracing her body as he made the move. He watched as her eyes fluttered closed from the sensation of his callused fingers outlining the curve of her spin before coming in contact with one of her shoulder blades and then the shoulder itself. He squeezed the shoulder ever so slightly, the feel of the fabric of her shirt underneath his hands oddly unsatisfying. "Skin." He heard the demon within him moan begging to touch her, really touch her.

The dog Captain inhaled sharply, a low growl building in his throat as he allowed just the tips of his fingers to ghost over her collar. The bone itself was covered just as her back, shoulder blades, and shoulder had been but there was something so much more tantalizing about snaking his hand over a part of her that was so close to her perky breast.

Kagome shuddered at the feel of his alluring fingers, her eyes snapping open coming in contact with his own. "It feels so—." Her words trailed off as his eyes borne into her so deeply that she found her throat tightening shut.

Inuyasha froze as he looked at her, his fingers resting against the bone with a feather light touch. "Her heat." He whispered just to himself as his fingers burned despite the separation of the fabric from her skin. Slowly, he licked his lips, staring at the grey pools that looked back at him wide eyed and completely lost.

"I can't breathe." The girl thought just to herself as his fingers burned a hole through her clothes catching her skin on fire. Holding back a sound she was sure she had never made, she closed her eyes unable to look into his own any longer without running scared. "I don't know what to do, I've never—this has never," She gulped trying to breath even as her throat tightened even more. "I've never felt this way before." And she hadn't, this man here before her now had kissed her a total of three times in his life. And each time had been of its own flavor. The first forbidden making her want to cry, the second angry making her want to lash out, and the third surprising making her mind go blank. But this time, the possibility of his kiss was met with completely different feelings. Feelings she had never known.

"My heart," He thought to himself as he watched the small blush form on her cheeks. "It's pounding." He gulped just as her lips parted ever so slightly and her eyelids moved in such a way to let him know she was forcing them to stay closed. "Kagome," He whispered her name but her eyes remained shut tight. "Look at me." He commanded his voice filled with emotions that Kagome couldn't even begin to identify.

Unable to keep them closed at his command, her eyes sprang opened a nervous sparkle shinning in them as the cool moon from behind him reflected in her pupils.

Inuyasha licked his lips slowly, and moved his hand from her collar to dance across her neck before settling to rest just underneath her chin holding her in place with just the tips of his fingers. Inhaling slowly, he tried to smell any minute sign that he should stop but the hotness of her scent told him she was more than okay. With uncertainty still mounting in him he exhaled and leaned just a little closer towards her, a hairs breath away. "Can I kiss you?" He managed to ask forcing her to look directly into his eyes as he said the words wanting to see any feelings of regret or fear not just smell them.

Something in Kagome then began to calm as she stared into those confident golden eyes. It was as if he knew she was going to kiss him even before permission was given. "I wish I could be as confident as him." She thought to herself as her hands twisted even more into the fabric of his shirt.

Amazed, she saw his eyes squeeze shut from the action and his breath hitch in his throat. A slow smile formed on her face as she watched his breathing grow shallow and she knew that she had caused the strong reaction. Feeling bold Kagome allowed one of her hands still holding tightly to his shirt to relax and let go before she brought it upwards to grab at his own elbow.

"Open your eyes." She spoke so softly that his ears actually had to flicker to hear her words. Surprised he blinked and looked at her just in time to hear her breathy reply. "Please." She closed her eyes and licked her lips as she ever so slightly tilted her chin towards him.

Inuyasha felt his gut twist and his heart nearly pound out of his chest. "Damn." The whisper left his mouth just before he closed his eyes and leaned forward resting his forehead just against her own. "Damn." He repeated again as he felt the soft curls of her hair flutter against his skin teasing and reassuring. "How can I say no to that." He whispered listening for her slight giggle before he finally gave in and with practiced ease caught that giggle between his lips.

The taste of her hit his every sense instantaneously, a sweet fragrance a million times more powerful than he remembered, and although he had never actually eaten an Irish lily he was pretty sure that she tasted just the same. Entranced, he moved the fingers that held her chin around to the back of her neck, pulling her soft plump lips forward even more wanting to be as close to her as possible. The hand around her waist tightened its grip, his fingers massaging her skin, mimicking the way his lips massaged her own.

Kagome felt her knees start to buckle as his hand petted at her waist and his lips molded perfectly against her. It was almost as if they were stroking her, coaxing her with just their moist wetness. Her heart galloped in her chest and the fingers that had grabbed for his elbow earlier tightened against the fabric of his shirt. The sound of seams groaning under strain met her ears but she found herself ignoring them completely in favor of listening to the sound of his soft moan. The feel of the noise vibrated against her lips and she gasped ever so slightly as the sensation caused her stomach to plummet into her feet.

Unable to control himself Inuyasha felt his instincts flare, every part of him unable to resist the temptation her opened mouth provided. Immediately, the taste of her intensified as his tongue flicked into her mouth gently searching out her own. He felt her stiffen in his arms as pink hot tongue met pink hot tongue and then startled, she pulled away. But Inuyasha didn't let her retreat for long and instead pulled her back towards himself before she could protest. Instantly, his lips were back on her own and Kagome no longer was able to suppress her airy moan as his tongue ran along the curve of her upper lip.

The sound of him whining somewhere in the back of his throat made the dog demon nearly growl from his own weakness. But he couldn't help himself: the taste of her, the way she clutched his sleeve so tightly, the sound of her little moan, the scent of her appreciation for everything he had to offer her; who wouldn't expect him to beg for more?

"This is too much." A little voice in the back of his head pulled him back to reality even as he finally managed to part her lips once more. "Too much too soon." The voice spoke loudly, Inuyasha vaguely registering its human quality as he felt her shyly and uncertainly begin to react to the intrusion in her mouth without pulling away.

"Mate, claim," The demon snarled suddenly interrupting the human's voice as its intended allowed him to gently massage her tongue. "Now!"

Inuyasha's eyes snapped opened and he pulled himself away looking at her as she too snapped her eyes opened in shocked surprise.

"What was that?" Kagome thought to herself as she panted, trying to catch her breath. Inside her chest her heart felt like it was going to explode and the sensation between her legs grew to a point that she was positive something was wrong. "I didn't know you could kiss like that." She told herself as she sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes going wide unable to comprehend the sensation that had just built inside her whole being. "Are you allowed to kiss like that?"

Inuyasha stared at her his eyes watching as her face flushed not with embarrassment but something else entirely. Instinctively, he pulled her just a little closer to himself as his body reacted to the way her lips were still parted, little puffs of air escaping between them before her tongue flicked out and ran over first the top and then the bottom causing them to shine with dampness.

He gulped and closed his eyes from the sight, never in his life having ever been this turned on by just one kiss. "Kagome." He said her name, a little breath of air in the cool Atlantic morning. "I gotta calm down." He told himself even as his own heart was beating out of control in his chest. The feel of her fingers twisting into the fabric of his sleeve made his eyes pop open once again and instantly he felt himself nearly moan as he watched her take deep breath after deep breath her grey eyes opened and looking straight into his own. "She doesn't know to breathe through her nose when she kisses yet." The thought floated into his brain, both amusing for him and comforting as it meant no one had ever kissed her like that before. "And no one else ever will."

Feeling her stomach flip flop Kagome allowed the hand on his sleeve to lax as she tried to hold herself up even as her knees gave out from under her. "I feel like I'm floating." The words just barely registered in her head as she looked at him thanking her lucky stars that he was holding onto her. "Otherwise, I know I'd fall."

Breathing in deeply, Inuyasha gazed down at her taking in her flustered expression with no small amount of pleasure. "This woman." He realized if only to himself. "I'm never going to let her go." He felt the demon in him growl in pleasure. "No man will ever touch her." He heard the human in him readily agree before adding something that made his eyes widen. "So doesn't she deserve to know—everything? It'd be unfair for her not to."

It was a thought that hit him hard, almost punching him in the gut. Does she deserve to know? He looked down at her watching as she tried to process what had just happened and he knew that more than anyone, she did. Kagome deserved to know. If he was going to continue kissing her like that, going to continue courting her for however long, going to eventually—end that courtship in such a way that she would always be by his side, then she deserved to know.

"The country I was born in," He spoke softly as his hands on her hips massaged gently, his thumbs running across the fabric of her shirt. "If I just," The demon in him thought subconsciously as he moved the fabric with his thumb wanting to push it up so he could feel bare skin. "I'd scare her shitless if I did." The human reasoned lightly even as his fingers continued to rub. "Is called Nippon."

Kagome blinked in surprise, her mind still a little numb and her lips still tingling a bit."Nippon?" She repeated curiously her brain trying to discern if she had ever heard of such a country even as it tried to discern if people could be kissed like that twice and live.

"Yeah." Inuyasha inhaled slowly as he looked at her. To the undiscerning eye he must have looked calmed and poised in that moment but to Kagome's well trained ones it was obvious he felt completely uncertain. "There is an English name. Well, Portuguese really." He paused for a second half hoping something would interrupt him but knowing even if it did he would still speak as he was about to eventually. "Japan."

"Japan?" Kagome furrowed her brows in complete astonishment as everything she had ever learned about geography played over and over again in her head. Vaguely, she recalled a Portuguese trader who stopped in Port Royal mentioning a country with a funny name. "Was it that name? The trader said it was a country in Asia, those country's names always sound so strange." She wondered just to herself as she slowly raised her eyes to look into his face. She had seen a man from India once and one from China by fair luck. As she looked at Inuyasha however, she didn't see any of the features that made them from the giant continent.

Inuyasha licked his lips as he watched Kagome's face become an array of emotions. He saw curiosity, uncertainty, interest, and finally surprise.

"Is it in Asia?" She managed to ask and much to his surprise stayed in his outstretched arms not backing away from him at all.

"It is." He answered honestly even as he shrugged. "Kind of."

"Huh?"

"It's an island." He told her as he resisted the urge to pull her closer and hold onto her tight so she wouldn't run away.

"An island." Kagome smiled at his words her heart racing just a bit as she realized how important what he was telling her was. "He's telling me." A voice squealed in her head happily and she couldn't help but agree with it. "Is it green all year round like you were telling me before?"

Inuyasha's face was the picture of surprise as he took in her words. "You remember that?" He whispered out surprised even as his mind told him he hadn't told her the whole truth yet about the other island that was green all year round unlike Nippon.

"I remember everything you tell me." Kagome blushed slightly as she spoke. "I want to know everything about you."

His heart stopped in his chest at her words, a soft sincere smile forming on his mouth. "You are too good for me." He repeated his earlier words and smiled even wider when he saw Kagome actually laugh and close her eyes.

The sound of his laughter mixing with her own caused her to open her eyes once more a light feeling building in her heart as she looked at him with open fondness. "I—." She started to speak even as a small voice in the back of her head pressured her to lean forward and experience him once more.

"Kagome."

She blinked, the voice so loud in her head that she couldn't dare to ignore it.

"Look."

She frowned but compelled turned her eyes away from him, instead looking out behind him at the sea. The glimmer of something in the distance made her freeze, her eyes watching as the sunrise began to slowly bring the world back into light. "It's morning." She whispered the smile on her face becoming soft and somewhat disappointed before she narrowed her eyes something in the distance catching her off guard. "Inuyasha?"

"What?" He mumbled and turned towards where her chin had indicated. Instantly, his sharp eyes caught the speck on the horizon. "A ship." He grunted all of his senses going on high alert as years of training on the sea flooding back into his psyche. Gently pushing Kagome away from himself he moved towards the helm reaching into a small compartment that was kept beside it. A compass was revealed as he opened the small door and a spyglass as well which he pulled out. Pulling it opened as he walked back to Kagome he placed his elbows on the railing to help keep him steady and placed the spyglass to his eye.

Apprehension welling inside of her Kagome placed a hand on his back grasping the fabric of his shirt for reassurance. "Can you see it?" She asked her voice just a little shaky as her fingers tantalized his spin.

Doing his best to ignore the feeling, the dog demon squinted his left eye as he looked through the spyglass with the other practice allowing him to find the vessel quickly. The sight of the flag that waved above its sails made his mouth go dry and his stomach plummet. "The Thunder."

Kagome felt the feeling from earlier sharpen instantly in her gut. Only vaguely registering just to herself that it had been the compass calling since she first woke up, after all.

End of Chapter

Please Review

Edited for Accents 6/6/2013.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the romance in this chapter and I hope you are enjoying the developing storyline as well. A lot is about to be revealed about Inuyasha, Kaede, Naraku, and even Kagura as well as the mysterious man she works for really soon. It promises to be fantastic!

Bonus Point:

Okaa-san is a polite way of addressing one's own mother in Japanese. However, Inuyasha in the anime tends to use a different term that can only be used by boys in the Japanese language. What is that word for mother?

Last Chapter's Bonus Point:

That's right, the answer is the book "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck in p.1937. It is a very, very sad story but absolutely worth every second to read. The name of the poem that the phrase comes from is called "To a Mouse" (or "To a Beastie" depending) by Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1785 with a traditional Scottish dialect so that the phrase reads, "The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men/Gang aft agley" which means, "The best laid schemes of mice and men/Go often awry." Congrats to the winners!

14 inu-kag, KaUiA, Leomae, SweetHunniiBunnii, Tsukinawa-chan, KittyIchigo1, MKM123008, XxSetsukoxX, Glon Morski, Suyurilrig, Sharp 8394, TheRealInuyasha, kittykritik, Litle C, FridayzGirl, Word Doc, XxxXAiydan's Mommie XxxX

Notes:

Ward Lock – One of the oldest known locks in the word (the pin lock is actually the oldest) probably invented by either the ancient Roman's or Chinese first. They are still commonly in use today in low security situations.

Nippon – 日本 in Kanji, is the name for Japan that has been in use since sometime in the 7th century, its use continues into modernity. Nihon is also another version that has been around just as long but is used only in certain situations such as in association with the term for the Japanese language: Nihon-go. Nihon meaning Japan and Go indicating the idea of language.

Japan – The history of the English word for Japan is generally linked back to Portuguese traders. Most likely, they picked up the word while trading in Malacca (The third smallest Malaysian state). The Malaysians adopted the word from a particular Chinese pronunciation of the characters 日本. This Malaysian word, Jepang, was adopted by the Portuguese traders sometime in the 16th century. By 1577, the word appeared for the first time in English with the spelling Giapan.

Fun Fact: The first western country to reach Japan was Portugal who sent missionaries to the island as early as the 16th century. If you are interest on the subject there is an amazing historical fiction called, "Shogun" by James Clavell that is all about a man who is shipped wreaked in Japan during the 1500's. Very historically accurate and so well written! It is personally one of my favorite books.

Next Chapter:

They Meet Again

Till Next time!

UNEDITED

POSTED

1/6/2012