Disclaimer: If you don't know, I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters.

So this is supposed to be the last chapter, except its not, so live with it:)

Hidden

There was a strange feeling on her cheek. Like that of an insect crawling on you. Groggily, Kagome reached up to swipe it away...

...and encountered a hand.

She gasped and sat up fully awake.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you." The man said softly. He had seen a strand of hair on her face and he could not resist putting it behind her ear.

"No! I'm sorry for taking liberties in your temple!" Kagome said her heart full of fear.

The man she was talking to, for he was a man because of his height and very broad shoulders, wore a long black cloak with a hood pulled up hiding his face from her view. But the hand that was pulled back into the cloak was clawed.

"It is alright." he said placing his lit lamp on the bedside table.

Kagome realized then, that it was night.

"I am sorry all the same." Kagome said terrified he would take her insubordination out on her village. "I am ready."

"For what?" he asked quietly still looking at her, or Kagome thought he was she couldn't be sure with his face hidden the way it was.

"To be sacrificed as promised." she said bowing her head hoping her end would, at least, come quick.

"Sacrificed?" he repeated a note of humor in his voice. "Who said anything about you being a sacrifice?"

"That was the deal." Kagome said panic filling her throat. "I was to be sacrificed and in return my village's crops would grow and water would return."

He chuckled. It was a deep chuckle. "Is that what your priestess told you?"

"Yes. Please, for my village..."

He held up a hand cutting off her words. "Your village is fine. The river is fuller than ever with fish in abundance and the soil is fertile again."

"But..." Kagome said confused. "I was to be sacrificed in return. Why wasn't I?"

She felt rather than saw him smile. "The god never said the word 'sacrifice'. He said you would make your way up to this temple in exchange."

"I don't understand." Kagome said honestly.

He reached his clawed hands forward and gripped hers lightly. "You are to live here, in exchange. Here, with me. All these things, the food, the room, even the library, is for you."

"Me?" Kagome said.

"Yes."

"Are you an acolyte of this god's temple?" Kagome asked.

"No." he said.

"A priest?"

He shook his head.

"Then..."

He shook his head again. "It doesn't matter what I am." he said drawing close to her keeping her hands tight in his own. "I want you to live here, so I can be with you."

"Why?"

"Because I love you." he said honestly making her gasp. "You do not have to return my feelings, you just met me after all. But live here, and let me love you and earn your love in return."

"Of course." Kagome said thinking of her village.

He took in a ragged breath as if he had been unsure of her answer and pulled her in his arms. "Thank you. Thank you." he whispered to her.

Slowly, unsure, Kagome lifted her arms and held him back.

"May I see your face?" she asked.

"No!" he said suddenly pushing her back but keeping his hands on her arms. "You must never, never see my face!"

"Why?" Kagome asked wondering what she had done wrong.

He must have seen the hurt and bewilderment on her face because he exhaled and placed a hand on her cheek.

"There are things you must know if you are to live here. The first and most important is: you must never see my face. If you do, I will have to leave you."

"But..." Kagome said but he shook his head.

"That, and I will only ever come to you when the sun in down." he looked out the window at the night sky sparkling with stars. "It is the only way. Please." he very nearly begged. How his heart so ached for her when he had only seen her in person that night was a wonder to him.

"Alright." Kagome agreed nodding her head.

She felt him smile again and he dropped his arms and grabbed her hands. "The temple is your home now, so you may go anyway you like. Do anything you like. I promise, while you are here, you will want for nothing."

"Then..." Kagome paused wondering if she could ask this.

"Yes." he said anxious to give her anything.

"May I have, your name?"

He didn't respond for so long she thought he wouldn't tell her. She had just taken a breath to tell him to forget the question when he said, "Yash. Call me Yash."

"Yash." she repeated.

Kagome watched and listened as he told her a story. It was about a brave prince and a strange monster called a Minotaur. His voice boomed and then would quiet down making her lean in to listen. His voice rumbled like a thunder storm in the distance with the same mystique and beauty. And while he talked his hands would move and illustrate the pictures his words painted. It was a marvel to see his long sinewy arms tipped with clawed fingers but they didn't bother her. It was a part of him.

She had lived in the temple for a month now and she had grown quite close to him. It may have been that he was the only one to ever talk to her on this lonely mountain with its invisible servants, but she also felt connected to him. Maybe it was the love he showered her with for it was impossible to stand against the tidal wave that was his affection and attention. She soon found herself drifting out to sea on his words alone for he never showed her his face.

Like he promised, he only came at night, when the Sun God had finished his trek across the sky, but he always came with gifts. She accepted them gratefully though she never asked for anything. When she mentioned this he said that her not asking only made him want to give her more.

Soon she had rare and beautiful silk togas, many leather belts and the finest sandals. She also possessed much gold and silver jewelry; earrings, and necklaces and armbands and bracelets and so many, many rings.

She wore whatever he brought her because she could see that it made him happy that she was pleased with his gifts.

She never went hungry or thirsty for anytime she felt the want for food or wine or water, some would appear at her side instantly.

And because Yash only came at night, she slept most of her days away, she even started looking forward to their moonlit chats. Every time, he would look to the east when the sun was about to rise then he would walk to the temple entrance. He would grab her hands and lovingly kiss each of her fingers then her palms while her heart thundered in her chest. He would tell her he loved her, and that he would see her when night came again, then he would leave.

She would always wait anxiously for his return.

She didn't care for the gifts he brought her, though she did love them, it was he himself she wanted to see. She would long to hear his baritone voice and be able to be held in such strong arms.

But what she wanted most was to be able to see his face, though she had been warned not to. She thought, perhaps, that he had a monsterous face and he wanted to hide it from her. She didn't care, after living with him for a month she soon felt the love bloom in her chest like a great flower opening its petals to the sun.

She told him so one night.

They were sitting on a balcony and he was showing her the land that she could see for so far a distance. They had sat down, with her between his legs her back to his chest and his arms around her and his breath in her ear.

"It's beautiful." She said looking out seeing the river and the trees.

"Are you happy here?" he asked her. He frequently asked her that.

At first she was merely content but now...

"Of course." she said leaning against him, loving the feeling of his hard body pressed against her softer one. "I am with you."

He drew in a shaky breath.

She turned and smiled at him through the darkness of his hood. "I am with the man I love." she said softly.

He gathered her close and hugged her to him.

He wouldn't kiss her, he wouldn't risk her finding something out or seeing his face but....

He kissed her neck and the sides of her face making her lean back and sigh happily.

"Yash..." she moaned as he sucked the sensitive skin at the nape of her neck.

He pulled back and looked at her desperately. "Ask me for something. Please. You've made me so happy, I need to give you something. Anything, just name it."

"I have everything I could want..." She stopped and looked off at the land spread out before her.

"What?" he said caressing her face.

"Please, don't take this the wrong way. I love you dearly and you are the greatest company I could ask for but..."

"Yes?" he prompted.

"I do miss my friend, Ami." she confessed biting her lip.

He was quiet for a moment then turned her face to him. "Then you must see her. I will call her up the mountain so she may see you tomorrow. Will that suit you?"

She smiled brightly letting him know he had done right. "Oh thank you!" she cried throwing her arms around his neck.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Okay so I lied, this is going to be longer than three chapters. :)