It was already dark when Kagome hoisted herself out of the well, followed by Inuyasha. They walked in silence to Kagome's house.

"Oh Kagome! And Inuyasha! I wasn't expecting to see you today!" exclaimed Kagome's mother when she saw them.

"Hi mama! Yeah I need to prepare for a longer expedition so I came back to rest a bit and bring stuff with me." she answered.

"Alright, take all the time you need."

"We'll leave early in the morning." Inuyasha mentioned.

"I'll prepare some food to bring with you." Mme Higurashi added.

"Thanks mama! We'll go to my room now."

Kagome packed what she would need for the next days and went to take a hot bath. She needed to feel clean and to relax. Inuyasha was waiting in her room, lost in his thoughts. It was one of his favorite places because everything smelled like her and it appeased him.

Kagome came back, wearing her pyjama and a towel wrapped on her head. She sat at her desk and proceeded to brush her hair. Inuyasha's eyes were drawn to the regular rhythm of the brush passing through her locks. Each stroke sent a whiff of her shampoo in his way.

The miko yawned and stretched.

"I think I should go to bed..." she said in a small voice.

"Afraid of having nightmares?" the hanyo asked, concerned.

"Yeah... But maybe the curse won't affect me here?" she asked, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"I don't know. But whatever happens, I'm here ok?"

"Thank you Inuyasha. It really means a lot to me that you came here."

"Keh! It's nothing." he answered, his cheeks tinted in pink.

Kagome layed down in her bed, under the thick blankets, and Inuyasha sat on the floor, his back against the mattress. A strand of his hair was resting on the bed and Kagome unconsciously twisted it around her fingers before letting it got and roll it back again. The motion calmed her enough to fall asleep.

She woke up in the middle of the night and was alone in her room. She padded to her opened window but didn't see anything out of the usual outside so she closed it.

She walked down the stairs to find her mother in the kitchen.

"Kagome? What are you doing up so early?" she asked.

"I don't know... I woke up and Inuyasha was not with me anymore. Have you seen him?" the miko asked back.

"Yes, he said he was going for a run and would be back soon."

"Oh ok, I'll go back to bed then."

Kagome hugged her mom before grabbing a glass of water and going back to her room. She layed under the sheets but was unable to close her eyes. Feeling like she was overheating, Kagome sighed, frustrated, and got up again to open the window. She stood a while in the refreshing draft coming from outside.

She was about to climb back in bed when she heard three loud bangs: gunshots. Her heart was racing as she peeked through her window in an attempt to see what was going on outside.

"Hurry, call an ambulance!" someone yelled from afar.

Having a bad feeling, Kagome rushed outside. When she arrived at the top of the stairs leading to the street, she saw a dozen of passerby gathered around someone laying on the sidewalk.

"Does anyone knows CPR?" a man asked loudly.

"Oh my goodness. He's bleeding so much!" yelled a woman.

She ran down the stairs, almost falling a couple of times, and crossed the street hastily.

She accidentally shoved a tall man as she tried to clear a passage to the center of the commotion.

"I'm sorry!" she shouted, not looking back.

When she saw what had happened, she fell on her knees, tears rolling down her cheeks. Just in front of her was laying her hanyo, bleeding from three holes in his chest. By miracle, he was still breathing, but each breath was laborious.

He opened his eyes, only a slit of amber appearing. He extended a blood stained hand towards Kagome in an ultimate effort.

"I...m...sor...ry..." he wheezed, before his hand fell back on the pavement.

"INUYASHAAAAAA!" Kagome screamed, as she witnessed the last glimpse of life escape him.

Someone was now shaking her, probably the paramedics that had been called. But she couldn't move nor tore her gaze off of him. She was suddenly pulled backwards and fell...

...into strong arms. Her eyes shot open and she was back in her room, her body shaking and covered in cold sweat.

"Whoa Kagome... I've got you." Inuyasha said after catching her when she was about to fall from her bed.

Panting, she looked at him and couldn't stop herself from roaming her hands all over his chest to make sure he wasn't injured.

Inuyasha blushed under the contact. "I'm here, I'm ok." he reassured her.

He pressed her gently against him, his arms around her body. Kagome finally relaxed a little, warm tears still welling in her eyes.

"Wanna talk about it?" the hanyo murmured.

She took a shuddering breath. "We were here... I woke up and I heard... gunshots. I found you in the street, you were still alive. You... You had been shot. Then..."

The miko shivered and Inuyasha tightened his hold on her. "And then... You tried to speak. You said you were sorry and... and you died right there!! I couldn't do anything to save you!"

Kagome felt the urgent need to see his eyes. She leaned away a bit, and cupping his face in her hands, she gazed intensely in his golden hues.

"I... I'm so sick of these nightmares... I can't do this anymore..." she whispered, her lower lip trembling.

The only thing Inuyasha wanted at the moment was to stop the shaking of her lips. So he did the first thing that came to his mind. He leaned in and kissed her.

It was a short, light kiss, but it worked. He was caught off guard when her mouth crashed on his, harder, needy.

Once the initial shock wore off, he returned her kiss with as much intensity. They clung to each other, and when Kagome licked his bottom lip, he didn't hesitate to part them, giving her the permission to continue.

Her tongue slid against his tentatively at first, but soon it became a passionate exchange, tongues dancing, teeth clashing, lips restless.

Inuyasha ultimately broke the kiss, panting, and he hugged her tightly in his arms.

"See? I'm fine..." he murmured, not really sure what to say.

"Please... Can you hold me while I try to rest a bit...?" Kagome asked shyly.

"Of course."

They both climbed in her bed, facing each other. The hanyo tucked her into his arms, her head resting in the crook of his shoulder.

She finally dozed off, his heartbeat reassuring her subconscious mind that he was indeed alive and well.

They were walking in the forest, back in the feudal era, heading in the direction Kaede had indicated the priestess should be. It would be a journey that would take at least 4-5 days but Kagome was grateful to have the opportunity to spend time alone with Inuyasha. And they were not in a hurry (even if the nightmares were taking a toll on her sleep and mental health), since they had to go meet the priestess on the night of the new moon, that was only in 8 days.

Kagome had offered to go by herself as soon as they get there but Inuyasha was having none of it.

"We don't even know if this priestess is dangerous! Like hell I would let you go alone!" he had spat.

After walking all day, they set up a camp for the night in a small clearing. Sitting side by side near the fire, Kagome sighed and leaned against his shoulder.

"I'm scared..." she whispered.

"I know... I'd wish I would've been the one to have those nightmares instead of you." he answered, leaning his head on hers.

"It's horrible to see the person you love die every time you fall asleep..." she said, her voice cracking on the last word.

She felt Inuyasha shift and she almost whined at the absence of his contact.

She turned her face towards him and was taken aback by the intensity of his gaze. The fire was being reflected in his eyes, the amber turning to gold and then to orange. She felt a bit self conscious as his expression never faltered.

"Hum... Is something wrong...?" the miko asked shyly.

"Did... Did you say the person you... love...?" he answered softly.

Kagome's eyes widened and she blushed at the realisation of what she had said.

"I... hum... Yeah? T-that's what I said..." she stuttered.

It was the hanyo's turn to blush.

"I don't know if you feel the same about me but..." she continued, "I do... love you..."

Her last words were no more than a whisper, but the hanyo heard it perfectly.

"W-why...?" was the only word that he was able to pronounce, as his mind was racing and his heart pounding.

Kagome took a shaky breath before she answered. "I don't need a reason to... When I look at you... I feel this... this profound wave of affection. I feel a deep connection and... I know I can trust you with my life, that you'll always be there..."

She swallowed her nervousness and continued. "I want to give you all the love you deserve but never had. You're worth it. You were always told that... that you were never enough of a human or yokai. But in my eyes... you're the best of both worlds."

The Miko looked at her hands that were shaking. She had said it... Now she was nervous about his reaction. She knew he felt some affection for her, and if yesterday was a reference, some attraction as well... But did she go too far by revealing the depths of her feelings for him?

"Kagome..."

Inuyasha grabbed her wrists and pulled her against him before closing his arms around her. He hugged her strongly but carefully, unable to believe that fate had brought to him this amazing woman who could really see him. Who could feel that way for him with no regards to his origins.

Kagome hugged him back, her heart racing. They stayed like that for a few minutes, relishing in each other's contact and warmth. The hanyo slipped one of his hand in the hair on her nape, cradling the back of her head. She leaned back to look at him. His face was serious, but there was this softness in his eyes, the one she had noticed before in some occasions when he was looking at her, and that always made her heart soar.

She smiled at him softly, sustaining his gaze, her face feeling like it was on fire. God she wanted him to kiss her right now, to feel his mouth molding on hers again, his tongue dancing with hers, his hot breath fanning on her cheek.

She saw his eyes flicker down to her lips and back to her eyes. She nodded subtlety, answering his silent question.

He then erased the distance between them carefully, as if she would disappear, and pressed his lips against hers. She sighed and kissed him back leisurely, as if it was the first time. There was no hurry in their loving embrace.

The fire was crackling in front of them and the sky was showing it's millions of lights. Right there, in that small clearing, the world felt peaceful for once, as two souls were finally able to complete each other.

Inuyasha let go of Kagome's lips, only to bury his nose in the crook of her neck and breathe her sweet scent. His lips tentatively brushed against her skin and feeling her shiver in his arms, he layed a trail of slow kisses following the curve of her jaw. Small bumps formed on her skin as he traveled across her throat to reach the other side. A soft moan escaped her lips when he slid the tip of his tongue along her jawline.

Both hand buried in his wild mane, she guided Inuyasha back to her lips and she kissed him, pouring in all the love she felt for him. Their breaths morphed into pants as they deepened the kiss, their tongues now slowly meeting through their parted lips. It was sweet but exhilarating, soft but making their hearts beat fast. It was a pure and simple expression of the love they felt for the other.

Kagome reluctantly broke the kiss and he hugged her tightly against his chest. They stayed like that, in silence, until the miko fell asleep.

Inuyasha gazed at the starry sky and smiled softly, his heart feeling so light, in a way that he never thought would ever be possible for him.

Kagome woke up an hour later, still leaning against Inuyasha. Feeling her shifting, he squeezed her shoulder softly.

"Hey... I think I fell asleep on you." she said, shyly.

"Yeah. I don't mind." he answered.

She kissed his cheek, making him blush and got up.

"I'll just hum... go a bit further. Call of nature!" she said awkwardly before running in the woods near the clearing to find a more secluded spot.

As she was coming back, she heard a branch snap behind her and low growls. Startled and not having her bow with her, she walked faster towards the camp. But when she heard shuffling and rapid steps following her, she ran.

"Inuyasha!!!" she called, panic rising in her chest as she felt a very strong and menacing demonic aura behind her.

She stumbled upon the glade, but couldn't see Inuyasha. She turned around towards the direction of the demonic aura, her heart racing. The fire having almost died out, only embers remaining, she couldn't see her surroundings very well.

She only had time to glimpse at glowing red eyes before a beast tackled her. She fell on her back and skidded a few meters, the roots and rocks on the ground ripping through the back of her shirt and badly scratching her skin.

Not even two seconds later, the beast pounced on her, and grabbing her by the throat, he lifted her above the ground. Face to face with the foe, she realised, her eyes widening, that it was Inuyasha, heavily wounded, in his full demon form. She tried to say his name but his hand was constricting her airways, depriving her of her voice (and of air).

Tears were now rolling down her cheeks as her vision started to be clouded. In an ultimate attempt to make him recognise her, Kagome's hand reached his cheek, cupping his face softly.

A searing pain suddenly surged in her forearm. The last thing she saw before darkness took over was Inuyasha's bloody fangs ferociously digging into her skin.

Kagome gasped and her eyes shot open. Her face was wet... She was crying. But at least she could breathe. She immediately stared at her arm... No injuries.

She let out a choked whimper as she frantically looked around. She was on her sleeping bag. Another freaking nightmare. A wave of relief washed over her as the horrid images of Inuyasha attacking her started to fade away.

Inuyasha suddenly appeared before her, holding some fruits. He dropped them on the ground when he noticed the salty smell of tears mixed with the acrid odor of fear, and wrapped Kagome in his protective arms.

"Goddamnit! You had a nightmare again..." he growled, mad at himself for thinking he could leave her side for a few minutes to gather food for the morning.

The miko sniffled and nodded, pressing her body against his, his warmth calming her shivers. Inuyasha layed a lingering kiss in her hair.

"Wanna tell what you saw?..." he asked softly, his nose still buried in her soft mane.

Kagome let out a shivering breath. "We were here and I had walked away for a reason. When I was coming back... I heard steps a-and felt a terrible demonic aura...It was you..."

Inuyasha tightened his hold on her, frowning.

"You had transformed and were badly injured... I didn't have time to react and you... you pounced on me and..."

Feeling her body tremble, he had a pretty good idea of what happened.

"And I hurt you..." he finished.

"Y-You killed me Inuyasha..."

Inuyasha was furious. If he hadn't already destroyed that bastard, he would do it right now for putting such a curse on Kagome.

"One day, I'll defeat Naraku and make him pay for everything he did to you." he said in a low growl, the tip of his fangs showing.

They stayed in silence, his protective arms shielding her from the outside world. When her heart rate slowed down to normal, Kagome pulled away a bit and locked her chocolate gaze on his. Needing to erase the last lingering images of the nightmare, she captured his lips in a heated kiss. Craning her neck for a better angle, she slipped her tongue in his mouth, tasting him, devouring him.

She needed to feel him, to ground herself into reality. She pushed him with as much strength as she could muster and understanding, Inuyasha layed down on his back, bringing the miko with him.

Leaning on her forearms and her knees straddling his hips, she pressed her lips just under his jaw and felt him shiver. She slowly kissed her way down the side of his neck, like he did to her a few hours before. But that wasn't enough. She needed to taste his skin.

Kagome pressed an open mouthed kiss on his throat, and felt his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed thickly. She did it again, higher, and again, until she had mapped the entirety of his skin from his jaw to his collar bones.

Inuyasha was panting, lightheaded from her ministrations (or from his blood rushing south, he wasn't sure). What he knew is that it felt so damn good.

Kagome came back to his lips, kissing him languidly. He sighed into their kiss and she smiled.

Gently, the hanyo let go of her lips and tucked her head under his chin, a hand combing through her dark tresses and the other resting on the small of her back. He turned slightly on his side to be more comfortable, Kagome following the motion. Her legs were now entangled with his, her hand caressing his arm up and down.

"I promise you..." Inuyasha whispered softly, "...that from now on, I will never leave your side when you sleep, until the curse is lifted. I don't want you to suffer anymore..."

"Thank you... Inuyasha..." she whispered back, as slumber slowly took over.

The next days, they kept walking towards the priestess' temple, stopping at night to rest. Kagome didn't have any other nightmares, Inuyasha holding her tightly in his arms throughout her slumber. If she was honest with herself, she would say that she was getting addicted to falling asleep surrounded by his scent, warmly cuddled against his strong body. She felt safe and could sleep peacefully.

If the informations the villagers gave them yesterday were correct, they should arrive tonight at the path leading to the hidden temple's stairway. There, they should encounter a strong spiritual barrier they would have to cross to actually see the stairs. It was protecting the place from yokais, so only humans with good intentions were able to go through. Kagome, with her spiritual powers, should be able to sense it before crossing it.

Tomorrow night was the new moon, so the plan was that they would get as near as possible from the barrier, where they would stay hidden until sunset.

Kagome was sitting on a flat rock, her bare feet soaking in the fresh water of a river. The wind was making her hair dance around her face, and her eyes were closed, as she enjoyed the last sun rays.

Inuyasha was setting up their camp while watching her out of the corner of his eye.

They had arrived sooner than expected to the barrier, which Kagome had sensed from afar. They had decided to set their camp up approximately 200 meters from it, under the cover of the dense vegetation. In 24 hours, at sunset, they would cross the barrier and the miko hoped the mysterious priestess would accept to help her.

When the hanyo was done, he joined her on the flat rock, dipping also his feet in the water. The miko placed her head against his shoulder, keeping her eyes closed. They stayed in silence, as the sun ebbed below the horizon. His hair were floating in the breeze, enveloping Kagome like a blanket.

"I'm jealous of your hair." she said, smiling.

"Keh! That's silly." he answered, crossing his arms.

"But they're so silky!" she exclaimed, rubbing a lock of silvery white hair against her cheek.

Inuyasha was blushing slightly. "You're weird." he mumbled.

Once the sun was down, they got back to sit by the fire the hanyo had lit up earlier. Kagome's gaze was lost in the dancing flames. She sighed loudly.

"I really hope the priestess will be able to break the curse... And that she will want to." she said softly.

"If she doesn't want to help you, I'll make her."

"Inuyasha!" she answered, mildly outraged.

"What?!"

"You can't do that!"

"Keh. And why not??" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Because! You don't go to someone's place to demand help! We'll ask for it but we can't insist for it." Kagome answered, also crossing her arms, an annoyed look on her face.

"That doesn't even make sense. I'll give her no other choice but to help you." Inuyasha replied, frowning.

"If you try anything harsh, I'll sit you- Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say it..."

"Why you!?" the hanyo, who had been tackled to the ground by the beads of subjugation, said in a low tone, almost a growl.

"I said I'm sorry! Here."

Kagome stretched her hand towards Inuyasha, in a kind of peace offering. He looked at it, eyebrows still furrowed, and sighing, finally took it. Not that he needed help to get up, but it was nice to hold her hand.

"Let's go to bed now. It's late." Kagome said to change the subject. "Can you... Can you hold me like the other nights...?" she asked tentatively.

"Of course..." Inuyasha replied.

They got up to settle on Kagome's sleeping bag with his robe of the fire rat as a blanket, like they did the nights before. Laying on her side, the miko scooted backwards until her back was pressed against his chest. She loved to feel him breathe, the rising and lowering of his chest being a concrete sign that he was alive and well. His arm slipped almost naturally on her waist and he buried his nose in her hair. Her scent was like a drug for him and he never had enough of it.

Surprisingly, he fell asleep before her. True, he had stayed mostly awake throughout the last few nights, only half dozing off, keeping a close eye on Kagome. He needed way less sleep than her to function, but with the new moon happening tomorrow and the possibility of a fight, he needed to rest in order to stay up all night and be fully alert.

The miko closed her eyes, but she was so nervous regarding the next night that slumber was eluding her. She tried to take calming breaths, to tell herself that everything would be alright, to concentrate on Inuyasha's deep breathing, but nothing worked.

"...gome..." the hanyo suddenly mumbled, before tightening his embrace and nuzzling her neck. "...mmm soft... smells nice..."

"Awww he's so adorable!" she thought, smiling. She intertwined her fingers with his on her hip and closed her eyes, sighing.

When she opened her eyes again, it was already morning. It seemed that she was able to sleep for a bit.

Inuyasha was already awake, sitting crossed legs, facing her.

"Hey sleepyhead." he teased.

"I'll let you know that I fell asleep way after you. In fact, you even sleep talked."

"Hum. Hope I didn't say anything embarrassing."

"Not really. You snuggled against me and said I was soft and smelled nice." she answered, smiling at the blushing hanyo.

After eating some of the food they had brought at the last village, they decided that the best course of action was to stay put until sundown and to try to make a plan for tonight.

Kagome was getting nervous again. If the priestess couldn't help her, the only chance she had to get rid of those nightmares would probably be to defeat Naraku... Which could take weeks, even months! She couldn't tie Inuyasha to her every night! Even if she did really enjoy sleeping in his arms...

"... have to cross the barrier before dawn. Oi. You listening to me?" asked Inuyasha who realised she was not paying attention.

"I'm sorry... I just feel so stressed... and tired." she answered with a small voice.

The hanyo tapped the spot before him and Kagome went to sit there, her back facing him.

"My mother... She used to do this when I was stressed or sad..." he whispered.

Inuyasha proceeded to untangle her hair carefully with his hands, before sliding his fingers from the crown of her head to the tip of her locks multiple times. Once he saw her shoulders relax, he cautiously rubbed her scalp with the pads of his fingers in circular motions.

Kagome was feeling very emotional. She was touched by the fact that he was sharing something personal with her, and also that he was trying to help her relax in his own way.

The more she spent time alone with him, the more she saw that he had a tender side under his gruff personality. She wondered, if his life had been different, if his mother had lived to raise him, would he have such a rough facade? She thought about all those years living on his own as a kid, probably scared and sad... He had survived, being this strong guy, but it must have been awful... She was glad to have met him and to have the chance to know him.

Inuyasha had stopped his massage. He gathered all her hair on one side, exposing her neck. He delicately let his fingers caress her skin, following the curve of her neck, her shoulder, her collar bone...

She shivered as he left a tender kiss on her nape.

The miko leaned back against his chest and turned her head to look at him. He did the same, and Kagome slid her hand on the back of his head, before kissing him softly. He reciprocated with as much tenderness.

Their position was kind of uncomfortable, so Kagome turned her body to be now fully facing him. Kneeling on the ground between his bent legs, she dragged her hands up on his chest and around his neck, before resuming their kiss.

Inuyasha circled her waist with his arms and pulled her against him. Aligning his face in a better angle, he deepened the kiss, which grew in intensity as their tongues explored one another.

After a while, Kagome broke the kiss and layed her head against his shoulder.

"I love you..." she whispered.

The hanyo squeezed her in his arms, a soft smile on his lips. "M-me too..." he whispered back.