Disclaimer: I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha.

THE STUFF.

Chapter Three.

She had been back in the feudal era for hours and he wouldn't stop touching her. But, instead of feeling extremely pleased with herself, she just felt… really annoyed. Of course, if it had been her inu-hanyou who was doing the touching, her mood would be 100% better, but instead she's been stuck in Kaede's hut with Sango, Miroku, and the incredibly over-attentive Shippo. The fox kit was sitting on her lap, jumping on her shoulders, playing with her hair; telling her over and over again how good she smelled today.

Stop touching me! Her mind shouted as Shippo moved onto her lap once more, his hand idly rubbing her shoulder in reassuring circles. She was sure this was an unsavory side-effect of THE STUFF that her adoptive son was reacting to… almost as unsavory as Inuyasha's side-effect of running away. She sighed, thinking back on that morning, her mind running away from her with all the "what-if's" and "could- be's" if there had been no interruption. She could taste the bitter disappointment in the back of her throat.

"Are you okay, Kagome?" Shippo asked again, picking up on her mood.

She forced herself to smile at the boy. It wasn't his fault he was being insufferable; she just wasn't in the mood. "I'm fine, Shippo, I'm just ready for dinner." She lied easily. With the way her and Inuyasha's last encounter went, she wasn't really feeling an appetite.

"Me, too," said a rough voice from the door. Everyone looked up to see a very worn-out Inuyasha. He looks like he had run to the end of the earth and back. "What's for dinner?" His golden eyes darkened when he chanced a glance Kagome's way. She couldn't help the shiver that went through her, and one side of his mouth lifted in a sexy grin at her reaction. "Ramen?"

The way he asked the question had Kagome's mind nowhere near food. Miroku and Sango shared a surprised glance, the demon-slayer's eyebrows quirking in question. Miroku shook his head, with a shrug of his shoulders. She knew as much as he did when it came to the unusual pair.

Shippo didn't notice the strange exchange since he was repositioning himself on Kagome (again), climbing onto her left shoulder and burying himself in her hair. "Wow, Inuyasha!" He exclaimed, getting a good look at the half-demon. "Where have you been all day? Battling demons without us?"

Her red-clad hero still hadn't looked away from her, catching her gaze until she felt a blush, hot and heavy, make its way up her neck to her face. He was heating her blood with just a look, and she felt it all the way to her groin; she began to squirm with the unfamiliar feeling of longing.

Inuyasha closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Kagome realized just then that he could probably smell how turned on she was… How he was making her feel. Now she felt that blush all the way to her toes. When he opened his eyes again, the intensity of his desire she saw there made her breath catch in her throat.

"Yes." He answered simply, if not a little strained. He took a seat across the fire from her, in-between Miroku and Kaede, his shoulders tense. She watched him from under her lashes as he helped the old woman put the pot of water over the fire.

Over dinner he made a valiant effort to not look her way, but the few times his self-control wavered, Kagome couldn't help the reaction his hot gaze, full of promises and longing, was inflicting upon her body. She found herself alternately staring holes into her lap and watching him from across the fire, a blush warming her face the entire time. Once it was time to bed down, Inuyasha abruptly stood, making his way to the door.

"I'm gonna stay out here and keep watch," he said dismissively, but he turned and glared about the room. "But we're setting out with the sun tomorrow. We'll need an early start to make up for all the time we've been wasting." His eyes lighted on Kagome, then strayed down over her body. When gold met blue again, she was shaken by the heated look in his eyes.

And then he was gone.

Kagome had to swallow her objection of him staying outside. THE STUFF was obviously having an effect on him, but he was too much of a… gentleman to act on it. She fell back into her bedding with a silent growl, scowling at the ceiling. Shippo cuddled up to her side, and she gave an exasperated sigh. This is not how I wanted today to go at all! She shortly fell into a fitful sleep, with heated looks, fire-light, and the most annoying fox kit you'll ever meet.

He was up on the roof, his head cradled in his hands as he lay on his back, gazing at the stars. Well, he would have been if the noises Kagome was making in her sleep weren't distracting him to high heaven. The fitful gasps and soft moans were making his mind work double-time, wondering what she was dreaming about. Especially when the spicy scent of her arousal assaulted his nose, making his mouth water, and the bulge in his pants became unbearably uncomfortable.

Today had been hard on him. Really hard.

After running himself ragged, trying to tire out his body enough to drain his reaction from her earlier, he'd finally calmed down enough (and was hungry) that he'd made his way to Kaede's hut for dinner. He was expecting the usual rumble in his tummy that usually accompanied Ramen; what he wasn't prepared for was the gut-wrenching hunger that gripped his person the second he got the time-traveler in his sights. He couldn't help staring when he'd first walked in, and was extremely pleased with her reaction to his… reactions.

Her heartbeat had sped up, a pretty blush making her skin rosy in the firelight… not to mention the heady scent of her arousal permeating the hut. It was a wonder he didn't enjoy himself a Kagome dinner/dessert buffet; he knew that if he started, it would take him all night (and maybe some of the following day) to get his fill of her. So, he sat with the fire between them and set about trying to ignore her.

He'd failed.

Not only was she fucking beautiful, her long ebony hair tousled about her thanks to Shippo, but she was showing so much skin with her shorts and tee shirt that he couldn't keep his attention on anything else…

He wanted her. And, if he didn't know better, he'd say she felt the same. But that was a risk he just couldn't take. He closed his eyes and groaned as said girl gave a breathy sigh in her sleep. He had a plan for tomorrow. He didn't know how he was going to keep himself off of her… What has come over him?! It's driving him crazy, this need, this hunger for her.

He would just approach her about it.

He swallowed, hard.

Or maybe he can try to ignore it.