Hi, sorry that I updated this late...so yea I just wanted to update another chapter so earily because...TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY! MARCH 3 AND I TURNED 15 WHOOO! Hope you like the chapter and enjoy it as much as I did!

I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA!

Chapter 17: Time can be Suffering

Terror smothers the poor demon as Yuri cries in mournful tears and in despite of a second night in baring the same dream again she becomes conscious with a jerk. Saltwater is the first thing that brings her nose to life as wet streaks run down her pale face. She tries, in effort, to shake the nightmare away but it still remained scared in her mind. She began regretting ever going to sleep last night.

Smudging off the tear droplets that reached down to her chin. Her bloodshot eyes retire from their resting period and it made her focus on the outside world. Catching her breath she reviews the dream once again and seemed to realize that the dream was less foggy than before. And this time voices were heard around her in a begging, horrified attitude. Their cries still ringing in her cranium.

No, don't do it! Don't do it!

Having that echo in her pressured mind she unravels her naked legs from the pink sheets. The cast was now out of her life! Thank kami. Giving her awaken body some time to pump up for some action she flips on her stomach and similar to any other seventeen year old she swings an arm in smacking her palm on the top of the round clock. Her face sucked into the pillow in which had the scent of faint blossoms of her dearly fond friend and looks at the clock. Scouting closer to the nightstand to get a closer sight of time she could detect the aura of the jewel that was smothering inside the nightstand. The pink jewel stands in place for its protection ever since Kagome hid it when arriving into the future.

The clock says that it is early in the morning.

"The sun isn't even up yet. This is going to be a long day."

Exiting the room she goes to the restroom and heads towards the facet while turning it on. In cupping her hands below the miniature sized waterfall and splashing stinging cold water in her face her teal orbs open wide in full awakening. Looking at her reflection with heavy eyes she appears as if she never had any rest at all. Every feeling, emotion, and sound of her dream, of losing something tremendous, tortured her throughout the first few minutes.

Frolicking down the stairs into the kitchen she swipes up a spoon and shoves it into her mouth with only the silver handle sticking out. Crawling into the pantry she became inches away from the box of cereal when she pauses and in changing her mind she walks out of the closet.

I'll just cook something instead…

The other member of the house steadily strolls along the west side of the home. Keeping guard of any uninvited visitors he hears the vibration of feet coming down the staircase. Not in a rush he journeys to the commotion. Swerving through the hallway he doesn't completely expose himself in the kitchen as he spies on her from a distance.

From learning techniques from her practically adoptive mother Mayu and also Kagome, to whom is like a sister to her, Yuri zigzags back and forth in grabbing supplies out of the fridge. Turning on the power a ring of tiny flames shoots out from under a medal pan as Yuri stuffs half a dozen strips of bacon in it. Adding three eggs as well.

Finally the known man steps into the area as his silver mane shone in the sunlight coming from the kitchen window. This time he had his white kimono on but just without his fluff and armor on. He remains barefooted too as he had his swords against his hips. The weapons stick out behind him in showing it's expanding length as the metal tips of its handles shimmer against the streaming rays of light.

A deep voice waves out to batter the back of her head as she swirls her body to the youkai. Beaming at him she relentlessly grips the corner of the counters behind her and with the silverware still lingering in her closed chops a very unreliable scream cries out inside her mouth like a screeching moan.

"Why do you have a spoon in your mouth?" comments the man in a tedious tone.

"Wh-," the spoon spills out of her mouth as she luckily snatches it before it made a clanking noise of humming metal. She makes one of her sarcastic laughs in using her free hand to scratch the back of her head in embarrassment. Her teal irises lock shut, "I was getting some cereal at first but I changed my mind in making some bacon and eggs with cheese. I love bacon how 'bout you?"

She feels like such a baka for using the last sentence as she goes back to food preparation, "Why do you have your swords on you? It's not like some powerful demon will come attack us out of nowhere."

He didn't answer and walks away with Yuri watching him in corner of her eye, "hey, I asked you a question. Why don't you answer my wonders when I kindly answered yours?"

Sensing no pair of eyes burning through his skull it was pointless to view his face at her, "Wonders you say…"

"Yeah…"she got a bit rough on the pan in flipping the bacon over to its uncooked side, "It's only fair…"

"The world isn't fair…get use to it," he continues on with his life in becoming invisible to her vision. And she whispers to herself, "I hope you like burnt bacon then."

Yuri got out some black ink and a utensil or brush for writing and drawing. She creates her first stroke on the thick paper in drawing a thin line and with flickers of her tool she makes tiny lines sway in different directions in resembling grass. Trees appeared here and there, sharp mountains and thin clouds attach to the background, and nothing else was invented as it stood still. Yuri sat there thinking in staring at her masterpiece in humming a rhythm.

"This is not going to hold my interest for that long. Might as well think of something else," she leans back on her chair and crosses both her legs and arms together.

"Bored?" speaks her companion in sneaking up behind her like a spirit. It freaks her out the second time as she growls in fustration, "damn it Sesshomaru would you stop sneaking up on me like that!"

"You should know my distance from you from the strength of my scent woman."

D-Did he just call me woman!

"Ugh, anyway why would you care if I'm bored? Aren't you the type that does really wonder about others or is that just me?" no answer. She could probably ask him a thousand questions and he wouldn't answer. Not a single one, but he has answered her questions lately? Though…why not now? There were just some things she'd never know of this man.

"Okay, why do you act differently around me because I have tons of past proof for ya on things you do while with me than with the gang? Do you feel comfortable showing your 'other side' to me? What!"

Nothing. Just as she predicted. Something then flickers in her head and she runs or more like transports from her demonic speed to the telephone and dials. Sango then answers the phone and began talking in a nonstop way like crazy, "Whoa, slow down Sango!"

"S-Sorry, it's just were ha-having problems over here and I can't stay on the pho- ARE YOU SERIOUS!

Yuri flinches from the roar of the feminine accent in causing her ears to vibrate and tremble in pain from them being so sensitive. Waiting for her to say anything else the background on the other line had been packed with other recognizable voices.

"Gomen Yuri."

"It's okay."

"You said you were having problems," reminds the demon.

"It just got worse…were not going to be able to get back until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest."

"What! How…"

"Alright Miroku, I'm coming! I have to go Yuri bye…" she was gone.

"Something must've gone wrong," the breed looks down at the phone in talking to herself, "well at least I got what I called for."

Zooming back to the lord she sights him looking over her drawing on the coffee table. He is also holding her book 'The Labyrinth' in his hand as she tries to seize it but couldn't with his strength in higher rank than hers, "Can you give me my book…please?"

He surrenders as she thanks him in slouching down in-between the sofa and the miniature table in continuing her drawing, "Sango says that they won't be able to come back until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest." Sesshomaru settles on the edge of the couch and watches her serenely. Though not minding the attention she nervously clasps that he still had his eyes on her, "I can't really draw when you're watching over me you know."

He's still staring! He's starting to piss me off!

Sensing her aura rising in a ticked off way he gladly makes a much camouflaged smirk on his face. He visions her getting up and circling to him in a wound up tone. Eyes shut her brows twitch and bounce in irritation. Yuri them calms down in controlling her demon side from not tearing him up into tiny pieces – though that would be impossible from his fast, invisible moves of being a so called pro in fighting.

"Do you want to go somewhere? I feel like I need some fresh air."

The air is lighter as they were out walking into the city, but it stunk of pollution to both of their nostrils. Sneezing from the brawny stench she quakes her throat in disgust, "this is one reason why I stay in the Feudal era."

They went through a gateway of doors into one of Yuri's hot spots in Tokyo, Ben's Café. A once a week place she went ever since she moved to Japan while living in this populated city. People from all around the world in unique culture came and were invited into the Japanese way of life. They grab themselves a table as Yuri takes a look at the place, "they changed it a bit. That stage was never there…"

Ordering something to drench their thirst the lights went off with only one stream of light illuminating the stage. A chubby man wobbles up the risen platform and snatches the microphone on a shelf in checking if it was on. He seems to be mistaken as a business man from wearing a black suit and a tie that held series of colors that a superhero would wear or in Yuri's point of view an-idiot-with-no-future. The man sang out in a mature vocal, "Hey how's everybody doing today?" The crowd cheers in appreciation as he ventures on in revealing his name, marriage, job, and welcoming new guests.

"Yeah, we are going to have a surprise for you today! Whose up for some Karaoke?" most people around their younger years agree in shrieking voices.

"Okay this is what were going to do," he staggers back and forth, "were going to pick a few of ya'll to come up and sing and whoever sings the best will win a special prize!"

Just as the introductory said they already had three people awaiting on the stage. A few more and the game would begin. Meanwhile, Yuri was praying that Sesshomaru wouldn't be picked because one: they would more than likely force him up there and that would lead to casual deaths and two: she didn't even want to risk in seeing how well or how bad he sings. She, with no doubt, knew that an unseen weight was lowering to her shoulders with an evil laugh as an unspoken search light lands on her. All of the attention centers to her as she presents a mortified smile. Every encounter in this room encourages her as she sighs and lazily gets up and steps up on the platform.

SHIMATA! To hell with Sesshomaru why didn't I pray for myself for once!

Making out the verbal whispers of perverts talking about how hot she and the other females were she presents death glares at some of them. Though she couldn't help but blush she wishes it was from someone else's lips but in a kind, gentle way. Sesshomaru on the other hand helped out Yuri's guy problems in snarling at them.

Suffering, as time runs as slow as a turtle, she never contained so many butterflies in her tummy in her life! Yuri gets terrified in knowing full well that she'll be singing in front of him, a lord. How could just one person affect her so…? She only hopes for the best as she was up. It wasn't that she sucks at singing. She didn't but she'd never been the best…just average. Her mouth dry she stands her ground already bringing the microphone to her now chapped lips from licking and smacking them so nervously. Music turning on she goes to work as her voice flows out like a blanket of silk. It even shocks her at the wellness of her singing. Her voice rang louder thanks to the microphone as the music then turns into a song. And sang she did.

The shining light, another day turns into night,

Eternal Fire, waiting all my life,

Take me away, million miles away from here,

Take me away; find a place for you and me,

You're taking me higher, high as I could be,

Take me away, forever you and me,

Take me away…

The audience sit there in silence but never leaving their gaze on her. Which makes her stomach twist and turn. She didn't give in though as she keeps singing. Her opals then meet a man with a button, collared shirt with knee length, tan pants. His shirt had been long sleeved and white with very thin silver stripes. Markings of the crescent moon and red violet, twin stripes were highlighted on his face. Gold flashing with teal she tried to turn away, but couldn't, she became lost in silver and gold.

Tears I cried, kept them all inside

I needed time, to make up my mind

Take me away, million miles away from here,

Take me away…

Her blushes only grew stronger when the song ended and in just realizing she had been staring at him the whole time she could've swore her cheeks were glowing so intelligently that her indigo, upside down triangle marking on her cheek reddened. She then is granted by a unexpected shout from a young man as he stood up along with others and finally the whole area of people joins him in approval, "Amazing, you were awesome, the best ever, sing us another song!"

Throughout the game others went and gone with each having their ups and downs blow in the wind. Lining up it was time to choose who would get the prize in voting. After a couple of minutes multiples of search lights adventure around the room, and intertwining themselves they all come together as one dazzling source of blinding white. Yuri, hoping and praying – even though it would whack her in the head any second – that the search lights wouldn't be lured to her. Useless, as the light covers her dark form. People were going nuts as they whistle; crying out with their hands in the air as they all explode with enthusiasm. All she could offer to them was a tender smile.

Yuri crashes on the couch in complaining about the events earlier after trashing the wasted prize in the garbage. She didn't know why she is so exhausted. It was only one in the afternoon. She's a demon! She should still be hyper and be having a sugar rush twenty four seven like she always has, but no. She wasn't herself and she could sense it as her life source felt drained. This had been slowly happening ever since the dreams that have terrorized her for the past days that've drove on. She knew damn well it's because of those visions. Comforting her body on the cushions she curls up against a corner of the furniture. Sesshomaru soon follows as he settles down next to her and spies on her in a what-are-we-going-to-do-now look. Like she could read his mind she talks, "I don't know what were gonna do but I'm getting tired for some weird reason…"

Yuri glares at her painting that she abandoned when they left and it made her feel at home. She had painted the lands of the Feudal Era where it stretches off into the distant mountains. She began to imagine the wind ruffling her thin bangs, refreshing air filling her senses, the smell of pine and a faint stream of water. Her eyes began to get heavy at the thought. Readjusting she lays the side of her skull on the arm of the couch with a couch pillow soothing her rough landing.

"Why so tired?" asks the full inu-demon in which compared to Yuri was wide awake. He tilts his head to the side with his hair swinging away from his shoulder blades in awareness. Also his forehead wrinkles as his brows, black brows unite, "You shouldn't be this easily."

"Well someone told me, no more like ordered me, to go to bed no little after eight o'clock yesterday night. And I had to sing two more songs to the crowd thank you very much."

"You didn't have to listen to me," dumbstruck, Yuri feels like she carried no brain at all. Duh, she was practically an adult in this world, not to mention the world on the other side of the well meant she was old enough to be a mother. She could make her own rules; be free to live her own life the way she wanted to! Why'd the heck did she have to listen to some tall, powerful, lean turn-into-a-huge-twenty-five-foot-canine man.

"Oh, shut up," she says under her breath.

"You were upstairs one time, why did I smell saltwater," he mentions in his frequent rasping sound. The young demon then gently eyes at the male adding an unexplainable emotion in her orbs. It only took her a second to then remove it view off her face. He meant this morning. Gleaming at the empty screen of the T.V. she turns against her true mind, "I just had something in my eyes. I'm fine. Really!"

After that she calms, "would you stop looking at me," eyes resting she mumbles. Therefore, Sesshomaru arches his neck backwards to hit the cushion and concentrates on the noises and smells of the modern era. The said adolescence makes him reopen his spectacle, "Do you think you could give me a glass of water?"

Getting off the couch, into the kitchen, and walking back with a shivering glass of ice water he sees the woman past out cold. He huffs through his nose and drinks some of the water and resting it on the coffee table, "never said how much."

Yuri's body begins to shake in less than a couple of minutes. Sesshomaru came back hopelessly for the second time with nothing to warmth her. Sheets didn't steal away the concern in his aura as they held a colder temperature that worsened the crisis. Instead he unbuttons his shirt in knowing that it consumed the warmth of his body. He rings the shirt in clutching it at the collar and like a feather it slowly lays upon in hugging her curves like it was made for her to wear. Wrapping the useless sheet, similar to a cape, over his extensive shoulders to warm the fabric up for back up he pays his consideration to Yuri as her head starts to swift back and forth while she whimpers, "stop it, stop it, stop it!"

Her chest going up and down more frequently she looks stressed as he squats in front of her and rubs her upper arm to warm her up. Wait. She wasn't cold. His eye brows weren't so relaxed anymore, "Yuri?"

Yuri heard a voice in the darkness, his voice, as her eyes blast open and without a moment's notice she dives her hands under the sheets that surrounded his neck. She more or less embraces him. In shock he didn't expect the immediate move as he expands his eyes indistinctly and goes down on his knees to level his balance from falling over. The bedspread tickles his bare back as it falls off of him and mounds on the carpet. Her breaths hit the pulse on his pale neck as he starts to move away to loosen the hug.

Feeling him go further from her she panicks and hurriedly tightens to him as if he would disappear right before her eyes at any moment. She didn't want him to go, "don't you dare leave me! Please!"

He couldn't help but hear the deepness and snivel of her pleading. He knew whatever had troubled her had been somewhat confirmed from her syllables and from the pressure she'd been going through. All he could do for her then is to just return the favor.

Circling his long arms around her tiny waist he leans forward in closing the space between their bodies. Her heartbeats were calming down as he could undergo it against his chest and rubs her back in wrinkling her light green shirt. The lord then senses her aura spike as he again wonders what was wrong with her and what brought her into this unknown universe of pain and torment. His cheek then lands against the dome of her shampooed straight hair, in which lets out an aroma of pomegranate mixed with her rosemary scent. He just about opens his mouth in seeing the tips of his skin piercing fangs to say something when a heavenly sound spun in his elf ears, "W-why do you not have your s-shirt on?"

Yuri had gone back to Earth enough to realize that she is hugging a shirt less Sesshomaru! It freaks her out to wonder why?

Why!

Was he shirtless?

This is out of the question for her as blood rushes to her plush cheeks and slender ears. Happiness, appreciation, embarrassment, petrified, hurt, and care overwhelms her that it felt almost next to impossible to shield it if she didn't get off of him. She didn't want to. Part of her wanted him to know desperately while the other cowered. A battle tore up in her head. Sesshomaru gives a straight answer, "You were cold."

He is concerned for my sake! Shut up, no he isn't. You just mistakenly awoke from some weird voice and jolted on to a shirtless man at the wrong time and moment. I could've sworn it was his voice that called out to me though! It had to be! I know that voice better than anyone! Shirt, shirt, shirt, where is his DANG SHIRT!

Planting her hands on his muscled shoulders she fetches for his shirt and finds it on the one spot she wishes would've never have ended up on. No aid in keeping her skin at its natural pigment she bows her head in a sigh, her mane curtaining her façade. Warmth engulfs around her funny bone as the lord's hands drape around her arms very carefully like if she was as delicate as a porcelain doll. She couldn't imagine how much this man had made her blush today, "W-what are you doing?"

"You're shaking."

"Oh, G-gomenosai!"

"Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything."

She gulps intensively, "you ask too many questions."

"Why?"

"Just because you do!"

"Why do I then?"

"Can you just accept the outcome," she sits up on the couch and throws the shirt to him with him snatching it in mid air as fast as a snake shooting forward to bite its prey. He continues, "Why?"

"Sesshomaru, I'm gonna say this nicely. I got two words for you! Shut. Up." her temper flourishes. He continues…again, "Why?"

"O.K. where you get' in at with this!"

"I'm asking too many questions. Just as you said!"

"You bastard!"

"Immature weakling."

"Piss off!"

"If we're going to keep on doing this Yuri it's going to take a long while because I know many a words that you wouldn't even know nor mean."

"Then don't get me over my system!"

"I won't then," he says, Yuri politely tells him to move so she could step up and twists her neck to him in wonder, "Um…that was the first time you've ever said my name before." In noticing the glass of water she bends her stiff body to seize it. No ice had been there to clank against the clear material and make its own chiming rhythm, "Never did drink this."

Please give some reviews...like i would like them as a b-day present! PLEASE! So the next chapter shall be up next Thursday...see ya then!

Next update: Chapter 18 Humans and Demons