So I decided to cut the chapter size down a bit (a lot) so that I could get more stuff out quicker instead of agonizing over making each chapter a certain length… so here ya go!

Chapter four

Her lips pressed uncertainly against his, her eyes squeezed shut. Maybe it was her lack of experience talking, but even the brush of her lips against his sent a tingle of excitement down her spine.

Kagome pulled back, eager to see his reaction.

"What the hell was that?!" InuYasha's face was beet red.

'Oh dear god, he hated it!' Kagome thought to herself as she scrambled off of his lap. "I'm- I am so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking." She felt tears pricking her eyes. "Excuse me." She bowed to him and made for the door.

"Wait a damn minute, where the hell are you going?!" InuYasha hollered after her. She heard his footsteps racing after her and nearly fell over when he suddenly fell from the sky, landing in front of her.

She turned quickly on the spot, covering her face with her hands.

"What the hell, Kagome? You kiss me and run away without explaining why and now you won't even look at me?" InuYasha said, prying her hands from her face, revealing her tear stained cheeks. "What-?"

"I kissed you because I like you, you idiot!" she yelled at him, jerking her hands from his grasp. He backed up a step looking shocked. "I kissed you because you were being so nice and opening up to me and it made me feel… things for you."

"But why are you crying?" he asked, face red again.

"Because of how you reacted!" Kagome coughed a sardonic laugh through her sobs. "Clearly you don't feel the same way."

InuYasha huffed and she was suddenly pulled into his arms. "God you're so stupid."

She tried to pull but his arms tightened around her.

"Of course I like you."

Kagome felt herself tense up, her face buried in his chest. She could feel his racing pulse, almost matching hers. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Why else would I have shared something so personal with you?" he asked, pulling back to look at her from arm's length. He was frowning, cheeks still bright red. "I mean, I'm no Miroku, but I thought you would have gotten the hint."

"Are you implying that I'm slow when it comes to understanding romantic gestures?!" Kagome felt her indignation rising. "Because you have no room to speak!"

InuYasha huffed again, pulling her a bit closer. "That's not what I'm trying to say, dammit!" His face relaxed slightly when he realized how frightened his outburst had made her. "I was trying to say that I'm not exactly the most open person when it comes to expressing… affection."

Kagome blushed, her heart pounding again. "Oh."

"Yeah, so, I'm sorry I reacted the way I did. I guess I'm not the most observant person when it comes to understanding other people's feelings either." His hands slid from shoulders down to her hands.

Kagome stared hard at the floor, too embarrassed to look him in the eye.

"Yes, yes; you're both complete imbeciles when it comes to noticing things. For example, I've been standing here for quite some time now and neither of you has noticed me." They both turned to see Miroku standing in the doorway, wearing a bemused smile. "So congratulations: you're idiots! But at least you're idiots together."

InuYasha growled, glaring daggers at the monk. "Miroku, you know if it weren't for this damned curse, Sango would be a widow, right?"

Miroku rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes; strong, almighty, purring kitty lord: I quake before thee." InuYasha's face fell. "Now come eat dinner before old Kaede's work goes to waste." Miroku turned and exited the room. InuYasha and Kagome followed, holding hands, faces bright red.

*After dinner, in Kagome's room*

"All right, spill." Sango flopped down onto Kagome's bed. "Something clearly happened between you two, judging from the ridiculous red faces you wore at dinner and the awkward glances you shared."

Kagome pulled the door shut and turned to look at her friend, smiling broadly. "I kissed InuYasha."

Sango blinked a few times. "Wow, I'm impressed… Two weeks ago I would have had to pry that from you."

Kagome laughed and joined her friend on the bed. "He took me to his mother's library and asked if I would share it with him. If I would share her with him. I was so touched and he was being so sweet. I was flustered at first because he was acting so unlike himself and it was the single nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Then I had an attack of the clumsies and he kept me from being injured.

"My heart was pounding like crazy and all I could think of was how much I liked him; plus I had him pinned to the ground anyway, so I just… kissed him." Her hands came up to cup her cheeks, attempting to hide her blush."

"And then…?" Sango needled.

Kagome sighed, recalling the ridiculous ensuing drama. "Well, he yelled at me, I ran, he stopped me from running, I blurted out my feelings and accused him of not feeling the same way. Then he hugged me and confessed his feelings for me." Kagome watched Sango's eyes widen. "With some insults thrown in, of course, because this is InuYasha we're talking about here."

"Of course," Sango added, rolling her eyes.

"And then your husband appears out of the blue and ruins everything."

Sango sighed and shook her head.

"Don't punish him too much, though: InuYasha did threaten to make you a widow."

Sango laughed, dryly.

"By the way, InuYasha mentioned something about him not being able to do so because of the curse. What did he mean by that?"

Sango chewed her lip, seeming to mull over thoughts in her head. "The curse protects the castle staff from InuYasha: any attempt he makes to physically harm one of us rebounds off of us and ends up injuring InuYasha instead."

Kagome frowned. "Was he really that bad?"

Sango sighed before answering. "Not exactly. At least not all the time. For the first few months after his mother, the lady Izayoi, passed, he was extremely hostile, refusing to be touched or let anyone touch her belongings. Afterwards there were a lot of flying objects."

"Wow, I guess he really has changed."

Sango looked deep into Kagome's eyes. "Because of you."

~Naraku~

"Master, I have recovered the information you requested on the half demon named InuYasha." Kagura appeared before Naraku in a flurry of wind and feathers.

Naraku glowered at his minion. "Well, that certainly took an exorbitant amount of time."

"My apologies, master." Kagura made a short bow and righted herself before continuing. "Leads were few and far between: the only information I was able to collect is that he lives in a castle not far from the village border."

"Interesting," Naraku mused, running his long, thin fingers along the line of his chin. "Kagura, I need you to discreetly place a surveillance in this castle."

"Yes, master."

~Kagome~

Kagome inhaled the smell of the aged leather and pressed velum before peering at a row of books from her position on the ladder.

"Whatcha looking at?"

Kagome jumped, her hands releasing the rung in shock. She felt hands on her back, keeping her from falling backwards onto the marble floors below. She glanced back over her shoulder and was met with golden eyes. "InuYasha!"

"We have got to work on your balance," InuYasha said, making a tsking noise."

"Sorry, you just startled me." Kagome grabbed a random book and climbed down the ladder. InuYasha was scratching the back of his head, blushing faintly. "What's the matter?"

His eyes finally met hers again. "Would you read to me?"

"If you really want me to." She clutched the book tightly to her chest, slightly embarrassed at the idea. "I don't know if I'll be any good: I've never read aloud to someone else before."

He grasped her hand enthusiastically and dragged her up the stairs to the second level of the library. The second floor was a cozy sitting area with a plush couch facing a fireplace. InuYasha sat Kagome on the couch and busied himself with lighting a fire in the hearth.

He sat down next to her, leaning his head over her shoulder. Kagome tucked her feet beneath her on the cushion, their arms brushing as she shifted her position. Clearing her throat, Kagome opened the book to the first page and began reading nervously aloud.

Kagome found herself growing more relaxed in her reading as she became engrossed in the story, adding voices for each different character. InuYasha's chin rested on her shoulder, his arms wrapped loosely around her waist. The further they progressed into the story, the further his head craned over her shoulder, as if he was trying to see the pages more clearly. 'I wonder…' Kagome thought to herself, before she closed the book and lay it on her lap.

"Why'd you stop?" InuYasha whined, pulling back to look at her. He was pouting.

Kagome felt her heart beat increase, seeing the adorable pout on this otherwise proper man. "I wanted to ask you something."

His pout persisted.

"Do you know how to read?" Kagome asked.

His cheeks turned scarlet. "Yes I can read!"

Kagome quirked a brow. "Then why am I reading to a man who is perfectly capable of reading to himself?"

His blush grew even deeper as he mumbled something incomprehensible under his breath.

Kagome pursed her lips in frustration. "InuYasha, you have to speak up or I can't hear what you are saying."

He turned away from her, hiding his face. "I like the sound of your voice!"

Kagome bit back a laugh and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Really, what am I going to do with you? Was it really so hard to say that?"

He turned suddenly and threw his head onto her lap. "Shut up," InuYasha grumbled, hands gripping her skirts.

Kagome cleared her throat, glad that he couldn't see the bright blush she was sure now colored her cheeks. "Should I keep reading?"

He nodded his head against her lap.