Chapter Three: Scents

A few weeks had passed since that night in the stream. She missed having Sesshomaru around. He had gone back to his home where, she was sure, he remained as busy as a bee. She certainly had a different demeanor the longer she went without seeing him. She almost felt like a high school girl who's had a crush on the hottest guy in school.

Hell, she probably was just that.

She smiled - just thinking of the time they shared together made her so bubbly. She always felt so happy when her thoughts were on him.

"Kaaaagoooooome," Sango waved a hand in front of her face, snapping her out of her thoughts. "What has you so distracted?"

Looking ahead and realizing that she, Sango, and Kirara had fallen behind the rest of the group, she practically scrambled for the words to say to her friend. "Me? Distracted? Oh come on, I'm only daydreaming."

Sango rose an eyebrow, a gesture that reminded her of a certain someone when he was curious. Kagome gestured to Inuyasha and Sango quickly understood and began slowing her pace so they wouldn't be overheard. "Alright, spill. What has you so... so unlike you?"

"Well, there's this guy..." She began. And of course, Sango had to jump to conclusions.

"Inuyasha finally did something?" She asked, excited.

Kagome shook her head at her friend's excitement and continued. "No, it isn't Inuyasha. It's... someone else."

"Really? Who?"

"Well, promise you won't freak out?" She asked, forcing her friend into the sister-code.

"Promise!" She said, "Now tell me! The suspense has me a little too curious."

"It's Inuyasha's brother," she stated.

"Sesshomaru?" She asked, a bit too loudly, and Kagome hushed her friend immediately. Inuyasha looked back for a brief moment but didn't seem bothered by anything that was being said so far back. He continued his rather boisterous conversation with Miroku and Shippou.

"What in seven hells possessed you to get involved with such a dangerous being?" Sango hissed in her direction. "You realize he once tried to kill you?" She said, berating her friend while at the same time showing her concern.

"I know, and I understand that, but, well," Kagome hesitated, "I see him differently. I'm able to look past it all, and if I do look past it all, who's to say we couldn't be a couple?"

"But he's a demon," Sango hissed again, "you understand that you are a priestess, right?"

Kagome frowned at her friend, thinking she would have been a bit more understanding than this. "Sango, please, I understand perfectly well. It's not like we're talking about having kids any time soon."

Sango gasped. "You've been seeing him? As in... you've had outings? When?" She demanded.

"Well, sometimes, when you and the others aren't around, I'll sort of play hookie for a bit," Sango didn't understand the modern term, so she rephrased it, "When you guys aren't around, I sometimes run into him."

"How often is sometimes?" Sango asked, honestly curious at this point.

"Well," Kagome hesitated, "often enough, but not so frequently. Like, he could end up visiting me today, and I probably won't see him for, maybe, another two weeks."

"I think," Sango said, scrunching up her nose for a moment - a habit she had been trying to rid herself of. "I think you're being courted. It's a term the demons use when they're trying to find a mate."

"No, you've got it all wrong, Sango!" Kagome said with a laugh, "We're only friends, nothing more. I mean, yeah, he's seen me naked, but he's so natural about it, it's hard not to feel comfortable."

She and Sango shared a look, trying to gauge exactly where to go with this conversation. "He's seen you... naked," Sango repeated back to her. "Kagome, I know I really shouldn't be the one to tell you this, after all, you are your own person, and I think this relationship will probably teach you something. But I also know that demons can get very territorial, and they can be very protective, especially the dog kind.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is... it's your life. Do what you want with it, if this is something you want to do, then go for it. No one, not even Inuyasha can stop you. But please, be careful. I don't want him to turn out to be another..." She gestured toward Inuyasha and Kagome got the picture.

"I know," she paused for a moment, looking up to the sky, "we should take a break, I sort of want to be alone right now."

Rain began to come down, lightly, but she had no doubt in her mind that there would probably be a storm that came along with it.

Kagome was kicking a stick to the side, tears sliding down her cheeks. Sango has it all wrong! Sesshomaru wouldn't hurt a anyone. She wanted so much to believe that, but she also knew that, for a fact, he was the killing perfection and her words wouldn't be justified just like that.

Sighing, looking up to the previously clear sky, she watched darker clouds roll in. She should probably head back to the camp. However, as she took a step back towards her friends, a grunt caught her attention. She looked back behind her and saw Sesshomaru with three claw marks going across his face and his shirt ripped clean up the side. The claw marks looked infected with poison, and with a gasp, she rushed to his side.

"I wished to see you," he mumbled, leaning down to her ear so she could hear him over the steadily growing rain. Kagome grabbed his hand and began leading him in a random direction. "This way," Sesshomaru muttered, just loud enough for her to hear as he tugged in her in a different direction along a path.

They came upon a lonely cave that was small, but big enough for the two of them to reside in. Sesshomaru sat, and just as Kagome got comfortable right next to him, lightning streaked across the sky.

Kagome reached forward, turning his head gently so she could take a look at the skin that was beginning to bubble. "What... happened?" She asked, worried for her friend.

"My mother and her... suboardinates are not very tolerant of my associations with humans," he said as he reached up to caress her own hand. "Tis alright, it will heal with a night's sleep."

Kagome could only nod - after all, all of the supplies she carried were back with the rest of her friends. There was literally nothing she could do to ease the pain he might have been feeling. Or was there...?

She placed a careful hand over his wound, causing him to hiss for a moment. A soft, pink and blue glow formed around her hand and a warmth spread from it to his cheek. It was soothing enough to make him close his eyes and relax. When she was through, there was still a mark there, but not nearly as bad as it had been. She repeated the process with his shoulder.

Once through, she looked into his eyes, and for a moment, they just basked in the sound of the rain. "Why did you want to see me?" She asked.

He didn't answer, but instead, looked out to the rain. "We better move further in, the rain will come down much harder and the wind will push it a good ways inward."

Kagome nodded and was helped to her feet before the two of them headed further into the cave.

The rain continued for a good few hours after that. Sesshomaru had fallen asleep, most likely due to the lull of the rain as well as the soothing touches of her spiritual energy.

He looks so peaceful... She thought as she stared at his mask of serenity. She decided to inch a bit closer, growing drowsy herself. She smiled at how comfortable she felt snuggled into his side. She hummed and was soon fast asleep herself.

She opened her eyes and was startled to find that she was laying alone, the rain long gone. She was being nudged awake by Kirara, who sat purring and rubbing her sides against her. "Hey, Kirara," she greeted with a smile and a yawn, "how'd you find me?"

She stood up and looked down at herself - she actually had dirt stains all over the place. She quickly dusted herself off just as Sango came running up to the cave with Shippou in tow. "Kagome!" He cried as he jumped into her arms. "We were so worried!"

Kagome looked down at the little fox demon, clearly confused. "What do you mean? I've been here the entire time." She gave him a reassuring smile which only seemed to make him sniffle even more than he had been already.

"He's right, though," Sango said as she pet Kirara, "you've been missing for a few hours. I guess Miroku was right when he said you probably took shelter from the rain. I'm glad you're safe, but we better get back to Inuyasha before he tears apart the entire forest looking for you."

The two girls laughed before hopping onto Kirara and meeting back with the rest of the group. It was a short, comfortable ride, but not quite so short where they couldn't have a full conversation.

"You didn't go and meet... you-know-who, did you?" Sango asked over her shoulder when she realized Shippou had fallen asleep in Kagome's arms. Kagome pet Shippou's head as he muttered in his sleep.

"I wasn't intending to," Kagome said, "but I did. He was hurt today, and I fixed him up. We sort of fell asleep together, and when I woke up, Kirara's face was right in front of my own. About near gave me a heart attack." Kagome gave a small, humorless laugh. "You sound... off. I don't know, you sound like you truly do not want me to see him."

Sango sighed, "I guess you're right. I would prefer if you didn't, he's a dangerous demon who has many enemies. I guess I'm just worried you might get hurt, in all aspects of the word."

Kagome could only nod her head, "I know you're just worried, but I think if he had wanted to hurt me, he probably would have already."

"You have a point there," Sango said as they came down for a landing.

"Where have you been?" Inuyasha immediately demanded as he and Miroku came running to their side.

"All I did was take a walk, Inuyasha," Kagome retorted, "It started raining so I took shelter in a cave."

And then he took a step toward her, causing her to take a defensive stance. "You were suppose to come back to the group," Inuyasha said, "you should have had plenty of time to get back! What if you got attacked or something?"

"I'm sorry, but the last time I checked I can take care of myself, Inuyasha," she said, her anger beginning to boil.

"You liar, without your bow and arrows, you're useless!" He yelled, causing her to flinch back. Then he paused, sniffing the air around her. He sniffed at her side and let out a string of curses. "What was Sesshomaru doing with you? Did he hurt you? Did he do something to you?"

Kagome panicked for a moment - she didn't want Inuyasha to find out so quickly! She didn't even know if they had something between the two of them just yet! She wanted to be absolutely positive, then she would have said something. "I only saw him for a moment or two," she said, her body beginning to tremble. She was nervous, and she could practically feel Inuyasha sniffing for her lies. "I was walking, it started to rain, and then became a downpour. When I reached a cave, I accidentally bumped into him when practically diving in to avoid some lightning strikes. That's why you smell him. He left shortly after." She swallowed hard, hoping Inuyasha wouldn't catch on to the fib.

"Feh," Inuyasha said, curling back and folding his arms in his sleeves. Shippou stirred in her arms. She was amazed he hadn't woken up with the shouting match the two had just a minute prior. "You're lucky he didn't lop your head off for running into him. At least you came back unharmed, that's all that counts." He took up the lead again and began heading in a random direction.

Kagome let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. Sango gave her a disapproving look before continuing on after the others. Kagome bowed her head. She knew lying was the wrong way to go about this. Though she supposed it was better than him learning the truth... well, for the time being anyway.

What, truly, was she getting herself into?

Alterations Made:
Completely Re-Written & Replaced.
Completely Different Scenes.
Grammatically Checked.