A/N: So sorry for the wait! Major writers block…which explains the shortness of this chapter…eheh

Since it has been so long, I suggest you check out the previous chapter for a refresh in memory, before reading this one…

O-O

Why hadn't he realized before, stupid ,stupid, blind, baka hanyou. Looking in her eyes, seeing her there open and freely unarmed. Glowing with a depth unmatched in any other eyes he had ever seen, just like Kagome's. Her laugh, her scolding, her temper… and...

Why the hell didn't you realized it before numb skull Inuyasha demanded himself while looking in her dark shining eyes, the same eyes he remembered gazing into with such fascination as he fell into their depths that night on the gazebo. He had been so captivated… how could he have not noticed how impossibly identical the Miko's eyes were to Kagome's? Kagome… he thought truly looking and for once seeing her for who she was; actually seeing for the first time as she stood before him honest, completely open to him, and freely unarmed. Vulnerable of her own volition. But,Inuyasha suddenly realized how it was all so unlikely how could she be here? He was sure she'd been nowhere near his portal to the past… yet there the Miko stood, er, actually she - Kagome stood. Her stunning auburn tinted chocolate orbs glowing with a depth unmatched in any other eyes he had ever seen.

His whole body warmed and relaxed at her glance, at her honesty. She had tried to tell me… He felt so blind. To not have seen there similarities, it was just so obvious now that he knew. There were so many questions. How long had she known? From the beginning? Had she kept it from him all this time? She could have just told me out right, takes a chick to sneak around and make things difficult! But still even though she had hidden this from him all that time, she had told him now. Didn't that make up for it? She had given him her secret, and more. So much more… She had shared something with him that no one else could even grasp at the hope of knowing. Her secret identity, the grotto, and her power. Exposing herself, holding nothing back. No deceptions. No lies. No more secrets…How could he be angry, how could he be anything but freaking ecstatic!

All she seemed to want was his acceptance, something he could relate to.

She wasn't alone in this new yet feakishly old world, and now neither was he. He was no longer alone in living a double life, the thought was intoxicating as a release filled him. He understood her and she him. He could feel the joy and happiness welling up inside him their touch foreign but accepted by the lining of his heart… and then there was that feeling of freedom. Freedom from hiding his exciting trips to the past and large part of who he was. And there was no way he was letting this feeling go.

With a smile pressing, he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into a sheltering embrace.

Kagome gasped at the sudden, unexpected contact, before she at first meekly and then boldly returned the heartfelt hug; her arms wrapping gently round his shoulder blades as she smiled, relaxing into the unexpected warmth. She reveled in the steady, strong rhythm strumming from within his cozy, yet tough and sinewy chest and could hardly believe the largely warm, safe feeling it gave her.

It wasn't long before tears of joy welled in her eyes. He knew, He knew and still did not resent her. He accepted her, anomalies, secrets, and all. It was more than she could have ever hoped for or deserved after all of the deceit she had thrown at him in the past days. In his embrace she could feel that shadowing guilt melt away at the edges. His easy acceptance was an unexpectedly tender side of him she had never thought possible to experience, but as they stood there together in that moment, she could see that it was purely Inuyasha. A side of him kept hidden like their past world excursions, a side shown only to her.

O-O

"So" Kagome gave the water at her feet a little swish as she averted her eyes to the stars. "You're not mad?" Any normal person would be mad and inuyasha was not normal, normal for inuyasha would be fury. In her mind he had every right to throw fire balls of fury at her at this very moment. But he wasn't mad and he wasn't furious, and that was weird and relieving.

Inuyasha laughed, perking up on the rock next to the for-once-timid-looking-Miko. "Nope I'm not mad" he replied with a smirk.

"Your not?" Kagome gave a sigh of relief.

"No I'm furious.." Inuyasha said nonchalantly, "can't believe I haven't rung your neck yet…" he cracked his knuckles with a sarcastic smirk.

Kagome gasped edging away, "wha…" her eyes widened. Did he just say he was going to kill her? Okay, that had to be sarcasm.

This only set Inuyasha into a tear streaking fit of laughter…she was just so ridiculous and cute…

Kagome immediately narrowed her wide eyes, scowling at his laughter at her expense, "very funny Inuyasha.." she pursed her lips, she could see there was some major payback in store for him in the future.

"Feh, It's just" Inuyasha wiped away a tear, he couldn't believe he was laughing so hard, pretty stressing day. " I don't understand girls at all, you ask me if I'm angry after I give you a taste of my death grip hug and well, NOT do anything remotely angry like." He stopped laughing and looked over at her bitter face, his own a tad more serious as he asked. "What made you think I could be angry after that?"

Kagome shrugged and smiled, "just a reflex I guess, to ask if someone's angry after you sort of attack them with water tentacles and tell them you've been hiding important stuff form them for like ever, whether the recipient appears angry or not..." Once she put it like that it seemed like one of the most silly, hilarious and awful things she had ever done. It made her giggle.

" I bet that's only a girl reflex."

Inuyasha crossed his arms and smirked at her red face, enjoying the way her innocent giggles tickled his ears. He knew he was right, the rightness of the statement was undeniable. It really was only a girl reflex.

Kagome pushed his shoulder playfully, "Shut up, you sexist pig" she laughed, yeah he was right… but she did not appreciate his obvious sexism.

"Hey hey, no need for name calling.." he put his arms up in mock defense. He didn't feel like bringing on another attack from the water/tentacle thing, as she had so delicately put it.

"Heh." She smirked, in a rather similar way to that of Inuyasha's signature smirk, which, when she realized this, caused her smirk to melt into a gooey smile. she laughed in relief, he really was okay with her, what she was, who she is… what she hid.

They both smiled at each other, relived for the loss of the tension built on earlier. But as there eyes connected, both began feeling as though something new were building between them, a form invisible to the eyes but palpable to the mind. Soft and light, strengthening as it laced between them. It was warm to the touch. A sign of something they were about to experience, something neither ever new life could offer and a connection that would never fade.

There smiles receded as heat rushed to their cheeks. Their widening eyes remained connected no matter how hard they wished to divert them in there equal, childish embarrassment. They couldn't shake of the life changing feeling humming with life between them, as enchanting as the grotto they nestled in.

Eventually the moment faded on its own accord, leaving its ever-present impression and the memory of its odd effect on the two.

Neither of them would ever talk about it, but both would remember it forever.

Inuyasha was first to break the now empty silence, "bout time we head back… huh."

Kagome blushed further, "yeah" she barely sighed, so much as agreed. And then they both walked out together, reluctantly parting ways beneath the misty stars and the flush glow of the moon. Only too meet up a few seconds later at the same spot beyond the ivy both gasping for breath.

"How in the world are you getting home?"

"How the hell are you getting back?" They both questioned each other in unison.

Kagome first to ask was also first to answer " um well there is this well down South at my house" she gestured behind her with her thumb—"that I come and go from, what about you?"

"Oh, well I go through a well up North…"he nodded to the land formations behind him.

"Huh interesting" Kagome commented

"Yeah" Inuyasha shrugged, not being one for many words

"Well see ya later I guess" Kagome started to turn away

"Yeah" again, Inuyasha was not one for many words.

And the two parted permanently under the amused gaze of the night sky.

O-O

The next few day's fell into a semblance of normalcy. Nothing had really changed since the night at the grotto except for the strengthening of the bond between Kagome and Inuyasha. They had become close friends, but still, both ignored what had happened, well maybe not so much as ignored as much as just never mentioned it—ever again.

And so their comedic day's ensued.

"Neh-neh" Kagome gave Inuyasha's drooping shoulder a second shove. It was only five minutes until class would start and already Inuyasha was snoozing away. She wondered if he would snooze away the next hour or perk up as soon as the bell rang…or maybe he was dead… "Hmmm death could definitely be ze possibility", Kagome mused aloud as she stroked her none existent goatee in a very Russian, doctorly manner.

She shifted her invisible glasses on her nose as she cleared her throat. " First I must check ze pulse!" she began to inch her hand past Inuyasha's head, slumped on the desk, and towards his neck, but was distracted by the twitching his fluffy, white, ears seemed to do as her hand skimmed the corner of them. " Ahah! I have found ze cure!" she shouted as she tugged on the triangles of fluffiness.

O-O

I will never again purposefully tug on the sensitive parts of young men. I will never again purposefully…

The statement she was being forced to repeat in legible script on the white board just... sounded so wrong…Kagome set down the board marker with a sigh and how was she supposed to know that tugging on Inuyasha's ears would do - that - thing.

Just thinking about it made her cheeks heat with embarrassment, which made her feel even worse, because the humiliation should be ten times as unbearable for Inuyasha.

There was just something distinctly wrong…or incredibly sexy about an Inu-Youkai purring with pleasure.

O-O

The humiliation was ten times worse for Inuyasha, as within hour school had ended, so had Inuyasha's social life.

Well at least the social life he had had amongst demons, although, surprisingly, he had gained a demented clan of giggling human fan girls who would pop out at him in the most random of moments and follow him around, begging him to let them touch his ears and stroke his fur—he didn't even have fur, just long silver/white HAIR. They seemed to think that he was the cutest rare Persian breed of cat demon, and were dying to make him purr—this had led to many awkward confrontations. Inuyasha hated awkward confrontations, or really, confrontations of any kind or at all. So this was not the best day ever.

But worst, or really best of all, Inuyasha couldn't decide, it had lead to a fight with Koga. This was worst because he could get into serious trouble for being in a fight, due to his past record of delinquency. But it was best of all because, well he had been itching to fight Koga again since the night on the gazebo.

Koga had started the fight because, or so he told Inuyasha, he didn't like how close Inuyasha was getting to HIS 'woman' that she would feel comfortable enough to touch his 'special' youkai parts. Inuyasha had always found it annoying that Koga called Kagome his woman...because she wasn't, and it was just plain delusional. And did the crazy wolf just insinuate that there was something going on between he and Kagome? What the hell, who would insinuate that shit? Although technically their was something going on, it sure as hell wasn't that mushy lovey dovey shit. And he sure as hell didn't didn't ask the stupid miko, er, Kagome to tug on his ears! All he had been doing was sleeping peacefully when the whole entire, tiring, shit hole of a situation was forced on him. He hadn't asked for any of this. He was, for once, completely innocent.

This conclusion however did not stop the teasing, the fighting, or the weird fan girls that ensued the accidental event. And he was going to kill Kagome for starting this, as soon as he could find her, and he finished fighting Koga— as she had been elusive all day. Damn, they needed to have a talk, and he HATED confrontation.

O-O

" Woah, i am so attractive, i dilate my own pupils just looking at myself. Which is, i guess, quite feasible once you take in my dashing good looks."

Inuyasha turned away from examining the slightly fading bruise on his face, to raise an eyebrow at Miroku. Who was also examining his face, albeit in an overtly passionate way that was a bit creepy.

Miroku set his hand on his hip and quirked a chiseled brow " I must say I am a pretty attractive man"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, this guy...

" But maybe it's just too dark in here, as I am not quite my type if you catch my drift…" he made a gesture with his hands that mimicked that of an hour glass for emphasis on his true tastes, before shrinking from Inuyasha's continuing glare of annoyance.

" Ano, where is a light switch?" (For those who may not know, when it is dark your pupils dilate, but this phenomenon also happens when you are sexually attracted to someone, queue the 'appearance' of Miroku's infatuation with himself.)

Miroku hummed softly as he looked bemusedly around the bath room, which quickly converted into a cry of pain as Inuyasha shoved him into the light switch, clearly fed up. "Well geeze!" Miroku wheezed out, as he struggled to keep his footing. " Would it have inconvenienced you so terribly to have just pointed to the light switch?"

"Yes" Inuyasha smirked, rubbing some more salve onto the cuts on his face.

Miroku scowled, but didn't fight back because in truth he felt sorry for Inuyasha. Inuyasha's mother was going to kill him, or at least kill Inuyasha's ears with her shrill, angry screaming. And Inuyasha had some pretty delicate ears… being a dog youkai in all. Miroku genuinely felt sorry for him, despite having been pummeled by the Hanyou a slightly frightening fraction of a moment ago.

Inuyasha seemed to sense Miroku's current thoughts and his frown deepened. "I think this salve with help it heal even faster so that she won't even have to know."

Oh, well Miroku supposed that would solve things, if the so called healing 'salve" Inuyasha randomly turned up with actually worked. Actually, when and how had Inuyasha actually found that thing? He was dying to know. "So uh…" Miroku started, as he let a curious finger trail around the top of the bottle of healing salve Inuyasha continually dabbed onto his bruises. "Where did you get such a—whoa…" Miroku gasped in shock as he looked from the oddly orange colored salve on the counter to the also shocked face of the silver haired Hanyoi in the mirror, whose semi minor injuries had vanished—completely. "Potent salve?" He finished his question quietly, his eyes roaming in awe over Inuyasha's now flawless face.

Inuyasha gulped before composing himself. "It was a gift" he answered gruffly, still surprised at how fast the salve had healed him.

"Ooh, a gift from say a girl?" Miroku teased.

Inuyasha coughed, Ignoring Miroku, and wondered again where Kagome had found it and why she had given it to him. His thoughts traveled back to the other day when she had given the salve to him.

The sun was surprisingly warm that day, despite the fact that they were quite a ways into the fall. He had allowed the rays to settle on his face as he sat on the bench next to Kagome at break, listening to the light hum of the air conditioners working and the easy rhythmic sound of Kagome turning a page in her book every couple of minutes.

It was all lulling in a way, he couldn't remember the last time he had felt so comfortable and lazy at school. He was pulled out of his lull however by the slight rising in the beat of Kagome's heart. He turned, curious to see what what was exciting, or possibly terrifying her. She was paused in the middle of turning a page of her book, she looked smug, a light agleam in her eyes as though she had just thought of something brilliant. Alright, so it was excitement, not fear the sped her heart as she then began to rummage through her book bag. He frowned in confusion as a wild smile took over her face as she pulled a small glass bottle with a jade stopper and slid it over to him without a word.

Inuyasha picked it up, assuming it was for him...as there was no one else around...and she had slid it to his side of the bench...and finders keepers! He wondered what it was. "What's this Kagome?" He asked in a casual, straight forward way. And some how, her smile grew even wider, how big was her mouth, and why was a slight warmth to carrying over his chest? Oh no, he was NOT going to let her pretty smile distract him from the fact that she had not answered his question—something was up.

"Kagome" he now demanded impatiently tapping a finger on one of his crossed arms "tell me what this is!"

Kagome turned and smiled beguilingly at his pout, "It's a gift of course..." she answered vaguely.

His molten eyes lit up momentarily the fact that he had just received a gift from Kagome. Who didn't like gifts? Though, he quickly schooled his pleasure under a frown because although he had just been given a gift, she was also trying to be coy or provoke him or something girly and stupid, which was so not cool. "Girls and their stupid games" he muttered under his breath.

"Pardon?" Kagome asked, her brow quirking at his statement.

"I said thank you!" Inuyasha grunted quickly, he would not play along, he was better than that! Stupid girls and their games! stupid games! Stupid girls, he'd never understand them! stupid bottled thing that he didn't know anything about and probably never would! Stupid asprin bottles that never freaking open! Stupid, stupid, stupid-

"oh Inuyasha! Don't be upset" Kagome smiled, hmmm, she seemed to have gleamed from his scowl that he was not thinking very happy thoughts at the moment. "I was just playing around..." She explained, giggling heartily at his pouty face, which only deepened his scowl further; she was laughing at him, him! "Really, I'll tell you what it is! It's a healing salve I created" she elaborated, to his joy, and then continued in an ominous fashion. Joy gone "...in a super secret place" she said mysteriously "in a super secret way..."

Inuyasha, bristling with annoyance, grumpily watched her sit back to continue reading her book, effectively bringing the conversation to an end. Without thinking he turned toward her and asked sarcastically "uh, any chance in hell you'll tell me how you made it?"

He already knew her answer as she didn't even look up from her reading and replied happily "nope, but you'll find out."

"when?"

"I don't know" she shrugged, and then continued reading.

Hmm, mysterious. Well, that was that for now, but then… he wondered, what was the super secret way she made the salve? And how was he going to get the answer out of Kagome? Cause he was definitely going to get it out of her.

O-O

A/N: Ohoho yes, how indeed will he get the answer out of Kagome? And what is this oh so secret place?...it seems that as one secret comes out, another is set into place. Mwahaha