Author's Note: I really, really wanted to post this two weeks ago because it was Wenchster's birthday. I'm ALWAYS late at gifting presents, despite my best efforts. Still, HAPPY BELATED MY DEAR. This chapter is for you.

Warning: There is a section of this chapter in which a main character has to deal with a dead body, and the trauma afflicted in doing so. If you have any concerns before reading, please let me know and I'm happy to give you more details. Stay safe!

That Flesh of Mine

Chapter Sixteen

You are the rite of movement, it's reasonin' made lucid and cool. I know it's no improvement but when you move, I move. You're less Polunin leapin' or Fred Astaire in sequins. Honey, you, you're Atlas in his sleepin' and when you move, I'm moved. When you move, I can recall somethin' that's gone from me. When you move, honey I'm put in awe of somethin' so flawed and free.

(Movement, Hozier)

Inuyasha tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, trying not to glare at the empty doorway. Where the hell were they?

It wasn't unusual for Sango or Miroku to be late when he picked them up from school. The knowledge that he didn't come until after the buses left usually meant they seemed to forget time at all. Still, Kagome was supposed to be coming with them since it was Friday. She was typically more trustworthy on the timeliness front.

Apparently not.

It was so much worse now that they knew there was a demon effectively hiding in the school. It made him want to run inside, inspect every crevice. From his position in the truck, he couldn't sense a damn thing.

And that was part of the problem: just being in the school wasn't enough. There was no way that he could enter that building without being looked at or whispered about. It was one thing to speak to Kagome's mother and play along that he was human, and another thing entirely to walk into a school where kids would do everything in their power to talk to him, gossip about him and figure out why exactly he was there.

Miroku said he had a rough plan, but needed a bit of time. Inuyasha still didn't like it. He wanted to go in there, rumour and issues be damned. If there was a demon remotely near them, Inuyasha was prepared to tear the building to the ground in search of it. That was the problem, his friend insisted, since whatever demon was hiding out was probably doing so as an adult, and many of the teachers and administrators didn't work the Friday. This was a one-time break-in they would have to do. Wasting it on a Friday was too much of a risk.

Inuyasha hated it. Sango had agreed with Miroku though, which was a feat so shocking that Inuyasha hadn't even been able to argue.

But if they didn't come out of that damn school in the next five minutes, he was going in there anyways.

The minutes ticked down and Inuyasha was glaring at his cell phone as he typed a message to Miroku, demanding to know what was going on. If they had just lost track of time, he was going to lose it.

"Don't be mad!" The shout rang through the air with the creaking of the door and Inuyasha growled anyways because he felt like it. Miroku, Sango and Kagome were jogging down the steps towards the truck, red-faced and harried. Sango slid into the back first, hands clapping his shoulder and words tripping out of her mouth.

"We had a plan and it went a little sideways," she admitted.

"What the hell were you doing?" Inuyasha snapped, immediately glaring at the passenger side with the expectation that Miroku would be the one climbing inside. Instead it was Kagome, and it was so strange for a moment that Inuyasha actually balked.

"We were trying to get into the teachers' lounge." Miroku's voice floated in from the back, a little sheepish. "To see if there were any windows or exits we should know about."

Kagome sighed, drawing his attention away yet again. Inuyasha was pretty sure it was impossible to stop it. Between her scent rolling through the car and the rabbit-fast beat of her heart, Inuyasha would be staring at her no matter what. "It was going fine until Mr. Ogata showed up."

"He kept going on and on," Miroku whined. "If he hadn't showed, we would've been in and out without a problem. And here on time." He patted Inuyasha's shoulder, too, like the touch would make him feel better.

Inuyasha twisted to glare at his friends in the back seats. "This is why you have cell phones," he declared. "To text me."

Rubbing at the back of his neck, Miroku winced. "Sorry."

Whatever. They had to get going or he and Kagome were going to be late getting to Kaede's. And he was so looking forward to that. Honestly, could the day get any worse? Peeling out of the parking lot, Inuyasha could feel Kagome's stare, her dark gaze boring holes into him. Or at least, that was what it felt like. A kind of scrutiny that he couldn't shake off, and a large part of him wanted to look back, wanted to see exactly what she would find if allowed.

Dumb, stupid thoughts. Inuyasha was far more tired than he thought.

"We think we have a solution for you to come to the school," Sango announced, and it was only then that Inuyasha realized she and Miroku had been whispering in the back. "It's not perfect, but it should help us to avoid as many students as possible."

Inuyasha grunted. "Was this plan all thanks to you making me wait forever?"

"Someone's grumpy," Miroku grumbled and Inuyasha was this close to glaring at him in the rear-view mirror when Sango sighed.

"Yes, okay? It was worth it. Stop complaining," she demanded. "Miroku and I snuck into the teachers' lounge since apparently there was some meeting dragging them all to the library. But we got stuck when Mr. Ogata came around. Kagome had to distract him to stop him from catching us."

"I was the lookout," she explained, shrugging. "I just wish I noticed him earlier."

"At least he likes you," Miroku said. "He was always a dick to me."

Kagome frowned, spinning around in the passenger seat to look at him. "Really? Why?"

"No idea," Miroku answered, seemingly bewildered. "I got a good grade and didn't screw around in class. He just singled me out a lot. And any time I toed the line of goodness by whispering to my partner, he'd glare at me. Ears like a hawk for someone so old."

"Oh. He's really nice to me." Kagome shrugged and turned back around. "Weird, but nice."

"Well, it worked in our favour," Sango stated. "And that's all that matters."

"So what the hell is this plan, then?" Inuyasha asked. "Please tell me I'm not crawling through any windows."

"More like sneaking through a coat area," Miroku admitted. "But there's an emergency door in the lounge so if you get caught, you can run."

Kagome whipped around. "But what if it's the demon that catches him?"

Miroku groaned, pulling at his hair. "I need more time, okay? It's not easy to sneak someone into the building and avoid all several hundred students plus teachers. It's not like he can just roam the halls either."

"Could you stay outside, maybe?" Kagome asked Inuyasha, looking a little torn. "Check around recess?"

"That would only work on anyone outside," Inuyasha replied, shaking his head.

"What about standing around exits? Not roaming so much as…looming?" Sango tried, wincing. "Could you smell anyone out that way?"

Inuyasha frowned, considering it. This whole thing was making him angry. He still wanted to simply tear the place apart. "Depends on how many people are around. If there are a lot, I wouldn't be able to pinpoint anything. Too many scents."

"While class is in session, maybe? The halls will be empty. Most people will be in class," Miroku suggested. "What about then?"

Inuyasha pulled into the driveway, torn between growling or sighing or just simply grunting. In the end, he had no idea what would work. A school with that many people was bound to be filled with far too many smells. A demonic scent could get lost in it; or maybe not. Inuyasha had never really had to try and pick a demon out from a large crowd of people before. In the end, he scowled and threw the car into park. "We'll talk about later," was all he said, not even swivelling around to see his friends. "We won't be long."

"Well don't rush out of there unless you have the answers," Sango said, and Inuyasha didn't have to look at her to know she was frowning in disapproval.

"We won't," Kagome promised, smiling. "I'll figure out how to find us the Jewel."

"And what's happening with your powers," Miroku added. He reached forward to pat her shoulder before opening the truck's door. "See you guys later."

Sango was slower to get out but Inuyasha could see Kagome give her an encouraging nod before the truck's other door opened and shut. With the two of them alone, Inuyasha took a deep breath and only hated it a little when he felt somewhat better. Kagome's scent was always prominent, especially in the car. Even with his best friends with them, their scents were no match. But there was something about it just being them that made it…better.

Inuyasha bit back a sigh and started to drive again. Even if he sped the whole way, they'd still be late to Kaede's. The thought made him hate going there even more.

"You okay?" Kagome asked, voice hushed.

"Tired," was all he said, sparing her a quick glance.

"Let me guess," she drawled. "You didn't sleep at all last night because you were running laps around the forest?"

He had already dealt with her judgement-filled eyes that morning during their run. He didn't need them again now. "There was no guarantee the wolves were going to leave you alone." One wolf in particular. Inuyasha could feel his lip curling at the thought of it.

"Hey, I'm fine," she tried to reassure. Inuyasha felt a cool hand press against his on the steering wheel, the tiniest of pressures. Inuyasha couldn't help but look at it, and then look at its owner. Kagome seemed exasperated and he hoped maybe even a little fond. She always seemed to look at him like that. "You can't risk yourself for me."

That made him snort. "What the hell kind of risk would I be facing?"

"A pack of wolf demons, for one," Kagome stated, underlying steel within her tone. "But even if there weren't any demons coming after me – which is the truth here – then you're risking hurting yourself by not taking care of yourself. You need to sleep."

"I'm fine."

"You're a pain in the ass," Kagome retorted, drawing her hand back. "You can't destroy another demon if you're too tired to fight."

Inuyasha stared at his hand, the one that once had hers on top of it. He didn't like that he noticed the absence so keenly when she was right beside him. What the hell was wrong with him?

Whether she took his silence for acquiescence, or maybe just as the end of discussion, the two of them fell into comfortable quiet. The truck hummed along, the two-lane highway stretching before them. Kaede's new place wasn't all that far but it was quite isolated in a rural part of Sakura. Inuyasha had never been there before, but all he knew of that part of town was simply farms and fields. Maybe that was for the best. Inuyasha couldn't imagine the old woman living by the forest, knowing exactly what its shadows held.

"I have to find the Jewel," Kagome murmured. He could see the way she slumped into her seat, as if already defeated. "Everything comes down to this."

"Not everything comes down to it," Inuyasha countered, shaking his head. "And trusting that old bat to help you find it is stupid. You need to focus on your own powers."

"What good are my powers if they'll be helpless against any demon who has control of the Jewel?" Kagome countered, more tired than heated. "Sango and Miroku agreed."

"Sango and Miroku are blind."

"To Kaede?" The question didn't sting, but it was meant to throw him. "You still haven't told me."

Kaede says you'll give your soul to me, he thought meanly. For a moment, he even considered saying the words. What would Kagome even say? What would he follow up with? You die for me.

Seeing Kagome beside him, concerned and open and still somehow fond made Inuyasha realize yet again just how true the fortune was. Kagome would die for him, and that was a burden too great for him to bear. He still hadn't been able to tell Sango and Miroku, and maybe that had been a mistake.

"Inuyasha," Kagome pressed, when he still hadn't said anything. "I know you don't like to talk about stuff and I try really hard not to push. To let you tell me on your own time." Shaking her head and looking out the window, Kagome sighed. "But this is Kaede, who is helping me and training me to hone my powers. If there's something wrong, I need to know."

What could he say? To admit it out loud and tell her would be… Would it make it more or less likely to happen? Would it change anything at all?

Maybe it was a mistake not telling her either.

Kagome's hand slowly slid back onto his, a brush of warmth before pulling away. "You know you can trust me."

And it was then that Inuyasha screwed up, because he should have known that one look at her – one look at those dark, imploring eyes with such a goddamn earnest expression – would make him crumble. Years of living with Sango and Miroku hadn't prepared him for this. Inuyasha was positive that nothing in his life could have prepared him for Kagome, from that very first moment when he saved her life. When she saved his, pulling him back from his demonic side with nothing more than touches and worry and forced-calm words.

With a snarl – at himself, never at her, not for this – Inuyasha pulled over to the side of the road and killed the engine. Kagome didn't ask what he was doing, and for that he was grateful. It gave him a moment to breathe, to prepare himself for whatever consequences that would undoubtedly come his way. "When we first met her, just before we left, you went to the bathroom," Inuyasha started slowly, hating every word that leaked out. He could tell that he sounded angry but he was, irrationally so. "Kaede pulled me aside, said she had seen your future."

And that was it. He couldn't do it. He couldn't say it. Gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles bled of colour, Inuyasha held in a snarl.

"You've told me that before," Kagome reminded him gently. She didn't touch him though. Inuyasha didn't know what he would do if she touched him.

"She saw you die." The words were barely more a harsh whisper, venom twisting the words into something more hateful than he could begin to process. "And I was there as you did, standing over you."

"Then it's crap," Kagome replied automatically, dismissive. "You'd never hurt me, Inuyasha."

He couldn't help it. He laughed. If only it was so easy. If only it was him that was the problem, then everything would be fine. Inuyasha would happily leave Sakura if it meant keeping her safe. Miroku and Sango would understand and everything would be fine. They could protect Kagome and he could trust them with it. "You die for me, Kagome. Not because of me."

The steering wheel made a distressing sound, enough to make him pry his hands off. He dug his claws into his palms, let the pain help ground him a little. Out the windshield, it looked almost like life had stopped. There was no breeze stirring the trees, no other cars visible on the road. It was just the two of them, trapped in what could only be hell.

"Oh."

Oh. The word reverberated around in his head, again and again and again, and Inuyasha couldn't stop the growl crawling out of his throat even if his life depended on it. Even hers, because this was her life they were talking about. "Oh?" he spat, incredulous. "That's what you have to say? That's it? That's your big response to what seems to be a goddamn death sentence? What happened to 'it's crap'? Why the fuck couldn't you have said that again?"

Inuyasha took in a heaving breath, and fuck but he was shaking. Anger was coiling around him, a familiar barrier that he wrapped around himself.

One that shattered in seconds because all Kagome had to do was shrug at him, looking as helpless as he'd ever seen her. "It's more realistic than you hurting me," was all she said, like it was that simple. Inuyasha wouldn't hurt her, so the vision was a lie.

"You can't," Inuyasha forced out. "You can't protect me."

It was Kagome's turn to laugh, quick and short and with a smile at the end that was no less genuine than any other smile she had sent his way. "Even if I said I wouldn't, we both know that's a lie." Unclipping her seatbelt, Kagome twisted in the bucket seat until her back was pressed against the door, legs curled up to her chest and facing him. "I'd never just let you die. You, or Sango, or Miroku."

"I'm a half-demon," Inuyasha tried, "I'm stronger."

"And what kind of assurance is that to me when you're dead?" Kagome snorted. It was so casual, so easy. Like this conversation was on par with discussing the weather, or choosing what to eat for dinner. It had to be shock, or disbelief that she simply wasn't sharing. There was no way someone like her could be so calm about a future of death. "I couldn't repeat to myself over and over that you were stronger than me, and that's why I let you be. Why I didn't try to save you. It's— I couldn't live with myself."

"And you think it would be any easier for me?" he barked out, desperately clawing at the anger, haphazardly trying to stitch the pieces together again. Because Inuyasha needed something to survive this conversation and it didn't look like Kagome was going to make any offerings. "How the fuck would I live with myself? When I— Goddamn it, Kagome, how could you—"

"No, you're right," she cut in, lurching forward until her hands clutched at the sleeve of his sweater. She tugged it, shaking her head like it would shake loose words to make any of it better.

Inuyasha had a feeling nothing could make this better.

"You're right," Kagome tried again, swallowing hard. "That was unfair."

He wanted to viciously snap at her again but he'd said far too much already. With a breath, he pressed his forehead to the steering wheel, removing the image of her from his sightline.

"It's crap. Whatever Kaede saw was crap," Kagome repeated, and there was a surety in her voice that Inuyasha clung to. He breathed in deep, let the scent of her calm him, and didn't feel guilty for it in the slightest. The tug on his sleeve was more adamant this time and with tight-pressed lips, he turned his head on the steering wheel until he could see her. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Are you still mad?"

"I'm never actually mad at you." The words felt heavy in the already oppressive cabin of the truck, but they felt right. "But now you know."

Kagome nodded, licking her lips as she pulled away. "No wonder you hate Kaede."

"I wish you wouldn't say her name," he muttered, but there wasn't any heat. Inuyasha was pretty sure it was all gone. His shields depleted, his anger long fled in the face of Kagome's surety.

With a shrug, still as helpless as before, Kagome winced. "I can try to be better at that."

"It's fine." It wasn't, but Inuyasha would be damned before he let Kagome feel guilty for something that was never her fault to begin with. "Did you still want to go to Kaede's?"

For the first time, Kagome seemed a little hesitant but Inuyasha knew – maybe before even she did – that the answer was yes. It had to be yes. There was more at stake, and wasn't that always the problem? With the Sacred Jewel out there, more and more enemies would come to Sakura. The wolves were just the start, just the tip of the iceberg. And Inuyasha knew, deep down, that the monster who had been sending demons their way for months, who has been lurking in the shadows testing them, wasn't going to wait much longer. He was going to come and they had to be ready.

"We should," Kagome answered finally. She made an aborted motion to touch him again but this time Inuyasha reached back, grabbing her hand. He could see the surprise in her eyes, the way her lips parted. No sound came out, but that was fine with him. Inuyasha didn't have any words anyways. With a quick squeeze, he let himself have just one moment before turning away and starting the engine back up.

Maybe the older woman realized something had happened, or maybe she was smarter than Inuyasha originally gave her credit for. Either way, Kaede was relatively quiet as they entered her home, a cottage-like building in the middle of a field. It was as warm as before, filled with knickknacks and blankets and cushions. She didn't bring up any sort of nonsense that would trigger him, nothing that alluded to their conversation long ago that Inuyasha had been forced to relive in his truck just now.

They were late, and it was already nearing dinner time, but that was fine. Kaede didn't say anything about that either.

With three cups of tea sitting on the table between them, Kaede smiled at Kagome. "How have you been holding up?"

"Okay," Kagome admitted. "It's been hard since the dance but I've been focusing on my shielding, trying to meditate, like you said."

"The guided ones?"

"Yeah." The black-haired girl shrugged and Inuyasha had to look away, out a window so that he wouldn't do anything dumb. Tearing her away wasn't going to help anyone, and making her leave town with him and Sango and Miroku wasn't going to do her any favours either. He could hear shuffling on the couch beside him, an attempt to get more comfortable maybe, but Inuyasha realized his mistake only after she continued. "It helps for a little bit but it always comes back. Usually at school, when I'm bored. At home, I can distract myself."

"What comes back?" Inuyasha demanded.

"I told you," Kagome answered, brow furrowing. "Using these powers… It's like a need. I always want to use them. Why do you think I offered so many times to try and find the wolf demon pack?"

"Because you offer to do reckless things all the time," Inuyasha retorted, feeling wrong-footed. He had known this – she had told him on a run what felt like ages ago now – but he hadn't realized it was a constant, persistent desire.

Kagome shook her head at him, turning back to Kaede. "I think my shielding is getting better."

"Good, we can work on it again today," the old woman stated. "But before we do that, I can tell that you have questions. About your powers?"

"Kind of," Kagome admitted, squirming. "It's—You said my powers were different from your sister's, from Kikyo's."

"Yes," Kaede admitted, settling deeper into her sofa. "Kikyo was never troubled with what you have been telling me. Some things are the same, some are similar, and some are vastly different. It appears to me that you're far stronger than she ever was."

"Why say that?" Inuyasha asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Kikyo had always been powerful, according to her teacher," the woman started, eyes glazing over at the memory. "But she had to train, every day for hours on end. It was difficult for both of us, especially since we only had each other. It seems to me, when I consider my sister and Kagome, that Kagome is almost…an amplified version. Purifying demons with one touch. Sensing demons as if reading from a radar. Being able to…interact, or feel their intentions. These were all things that my sister had considered to be gut instincts, small and unreliable, but there occasionally."

Kagome crossed her arms, though it looked a lot more like a hug than anything else. "Why do you think I'm so different?"

"I couldn't say, child," Kaede admitted softly. "Maybe it's simply the way of things. We never knew of priestesses prior to my sister saving me."

"What about—What about the Sacred Jewel?" Kagome asked, hesitant. "Did Kikyo ever see it?"

Inuyasha couldn't help but hone in on the older woman, listening to the way she shifted and considered, her heart beat altering in rhythm. His eyes narrowed.

"My sister—"

"Don't lie," he spat, and whatever unspoken truce he had with Kaede was gone then. He could feel the tension escalate, could feel Kagome shift closer towards him. He only had his attention on the woman before them. "You may have tricked Mushin into thinking you're only here to help, but you've done nothing for us. You've told us nothing. You've helped nothing."

"I do not know everything," Kaede chided, narrowing her own grey eyes at him, sharp as steel. "This is as new to me as you."

"But the Jewel isn't," Kagome added, not unkindly. Inuyasha didn't understand how she could be so nice, even after everything. "If you know something about it, you need to tell us. There are demons coming into Sakura, thinking it's here."

"And a demon that's pulling the strings of others, that's having them attack Kagome, probably to make sure she can't do any damage." Inuyasha felt his claws prick into the arm of the sofa, the material giving way. "You said you're here to help her. So fucking help."

"It is…not that simple." Kaede leaned forward for her cup of tea, taking her sweet time of it and making Inuyasha's irritation grow with each passing second.

"Why not?" Kagome frowned. "You were helping me search for it before."

"That is because it is lost," Kaede murmured, staring into her tea as if the warm steam held any answers. "And I fear my sister and I caused more damage in our actions than we intended."

Inuyasha growled. "This isn't a pity party. What the hell do you know?"

The old woman's grey eyes latched onto him and while he felt no fear, he could smell the change in the air, the shifting of scent as the comfort the room once provided changed into something far more scared. "Kikyo was once the guardian of the Sacred Jewel," Kaede started, the words tumbling out soft and slow. "She alone could possess it. She had a purity in her heart – a goodness – that was claimed to be unmatched. Not perfect, but the best available. It was a burden but one my sister was sure she could bear for the protection of our world against demons." She took a long sip of tea, and even Inuyasha could tell she was bracing herself.

"What happened?" Kagome asked, barely more than a whisper.

When the old woman put down the tea, her hand shook slightly. It wasn't until she was straightening back up, pushing deeper into the sofa that things seem to shift once more in the room, the scent flickering in change. "In the end, it didn't matter because it was a human that killed Kikyo. A human's greed for power and his call. Child, you remember the story I told you of how the Jewel of Four Souls was created?"

"From Midoriko's chest," Kagome confirmed, nodding. "A human wanted her for his own and so he gave himself up to demons and they battled. They both are in the Jewel, fighting for eternity."

"If there's one thing I teach you, and teach you only, it's that history will always repeat itself." Kaede sighed. "There was a man, so badly burned and scarred that he could not move. He could not eat, or drink, or fend for himself. My sister was the one who took care of him and he fell in love with her. When she did not return his feelings, he made a deal. He gave his body to demons, let them consume most of his soul, but his new half-demon status was not enough. He needed more. He needed the Sacred Jewel. So he went after my sister, to take the Jewel and her both. Kikyo hurt him badly but he had hurt her far worse. The half-demon disappeared, never to be found, and she was dying in front of my eyes. Before Kikyo lost consciousness, she made me promise to burn the Jewel of Four Souls with her body as she was cremated. Our intention was to remove it from the world, stop it from being a lure to unimaginable power. I did as she wished, thinking that it would work."

"But it didn't," Inuyasha cut in flatly.

Kaede shook her head. "I don't know but you are right, Inuyasha. These demonic attacks to both the town and to Kagome cannot be coincidence. The Jewel must be out there, somewhere."

"But how?" Kagome asked, frowning. "You said the Jewel was gone after you burned it."

"But the Sacred Jewel is full of power, child. It is more than just a host for such influence; it is in many ways believed to be sentient. I told you that like calls to like. If you were to find the Jewel, Kagome, it wouldn't simply show itself to you. It would give itself to you. It would speak to you. It would work for you. It would grant you what it believed you needed, to continue your bond together."

"Like a wish?"

"Far more dangerous," Kaede warned. "It was the one rule my sister was told upon taking care of the Jewel of Four Souls. She could never, not once, make a wish."

Inuyasha could feel the tension in his muscles. The story was all well and good, but what did it do for them? How did it help?

Kaede seemed to sense his frustration because she looked at him, and the steel was back in her gaze. "I believe in my sister's dying moments that she disregarded the rule, that she made a wish."

No one had to ask the next question, because they all knew the answer.

The dead didn't talk and so they would never know exactly what that wish was. The old woman was right: in the end, it didn't matter. The Jewel was gone and they were running out of time to find it.

Inuyasha stared at Kagome's slumped form, wondering what would be the kinder thing to do. There were warm boxes of takeout on her lap, but she was curled into the doorframe of the truck, sleeping. He didn't really blame her. Everything that Kaede made her do, Kagome wanted to do a hundred times until she had gotten the hang of it, until it was perfect.

She never had been able to sense the Jewel of Four Souls and it hadn't been until Inuyasha grabbed her hand and dragged her upwards that she stopped.

"We're leaving," he had said, never once looking at Kaede.

And it was almost like those words were some kind of catalyst because the entire drive home, all he could hear was the ticking of a clock and the warm, familiar scent of her around him.

It was terrifying and Inuyasha vowed that when the clock finally did stop, when the ticking did end, he would not be standing over Kagome's dead body.

It was the first promise he had made to anyone outside of his family, outside of Sango and Miroku.

For some reason, that part didn't terrify him at all.

Breakfast had been quiet, from the moment Inuyasha had gotten back from his morning run with Kagome. It had surprised him to see Miroku already up, sitting at the kitchen table and looking a little worse for wear. Inuyasha blinked at him, torn between wanting a shower and knowing that if Miroku was here, sitting and waiting for him, that he most certainly wouldn't be getting one.

"Don't mind me," Miroku said quietly, waving at him. "Just couldn't sleep."

Grunting, Inuyasha pulled back one of the chairs and sat down. He leaned back as much as was comfortable and stared at him, knowing Miroku better than he knew himself. If Miroku really wanted to be alone with his damn thoughts, he'd stay in his own bedroom. No, he'd been waiting for Inuyasha, which could only mean one thing.

"What happened?" Inuyasha asked, trying to keep his voice as casual as possible. He knew he didn't really succeed – not with the way his friend quirked a smile at him – but the attempt was enough to get Miroku to talk.

"Sango kissed me."

"Last night?"

Miroku winced. "Uh, no. On Thursday."

Today was Saturday. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at him. "What the hell does that mean, then?"

"See? My question exactly." Miroku groaned and buried his face in his arms. Eyeing the kitchen table, Inuyasha tried not to sigh. He was only a couple years older than them – Miroku by two, Sango by three – but more often than not, he felt far older. Maybe that was simply because Asato was gone and whatever father figure once resided in the house no longer existed.

Mushin was… Too elderly.

"Have you asked her?" Inuyasha questioned. He most certainly was not going to ask if they had kissed again. He was pretty sure that if it had happened again, Miroku would have pointed it all out in streamlined detail.

Miroku didn't even raise his head, just shook it deeper into his arms.

"Then ask her, you idiot. You've loved her for how long? Just ask."

"I asked last time and that blew up in my face quite spectacularly," Miroku grumbled, lifting his head only enough to glare those blue eyes at Inuyasha. "I can't do that again!"

"Won't, you mean," Inuyasha replied, trying to grasp onto his patience with both hands. "Miroku, you know Sango. You know what she's like. She won't make the first move unless you're bleeding out and likely to die. It's not like the two of you haven't been dancing around it for the last few weeks."

Propping his head in his hand, Miroku sighed. "That noticeable?"

"I can smell it in the other room, with my door closed," Inuyasha grumbled, hating the words even as they came out. "It's painful."

"What kind of smell?" The question had his friend perking up, interested. "Like love? Jealousy? What?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and stood up. "I'm not telling you. I'm not the mediator between you guys, no matter what you think."

Miroku groaned again, eyes shutting. "It's not fair that you have a built-in emotional reader. That must make it so much easier with Kagome. It's basically cheating. You're ruining relationships for the rest of us."

"Pretty hard to do that when I'm not in a relationship," Inuyasha pointed out, but he made sure to be already on his way out of the kitchen. There was no way he was going to be able to look Miroku in the eye and say that again, say it without thinking of other things.

Without thinking of Kagome looking at him from across the console of the truck, her dark eyes wide and sad but her smile still firmly in place. How the hell had he gotten here?

"Hey! Wait!"

Miroku's voice was far too loud for the quiet morning. Inuyasha stopped and scowled, glaring at the wall across from him. He didn't turn around.

"You're not going anywhere today, right?"

That made Inuyasha frown, so he spared a glance at his friend. "No. Where would I have to go?"

Miroku smiled and it was a little too coy. He only shrugged though. "Can you help me with homework later? I have to study for a test."

This time, it was Inuyasha's turn to groan so he left the kitchen entirely and departed for the shower. He specifically didn't think about anyone or anything. Not tiny pink jewels, or math equations, or the relationship woes of his best friends.

And – most certainly – not about dark brown eyes.

The pink mailbox seemed brighter than usual, but maybe that was just because of the sun.

Inuyasha sat a few feet away, taking in the colourful gardens and letting the breeze tickle him, the long grass brushing against his arms and feet. This had to be paradise, he thought, closing his eyes only for a moment to take in a deep breath. It was simply forest, warm moss and a whisper of flowers. There was something else, something familiar and comforting underneath it all but he couldn't place it.

"I always felt safe here."

Inuyasha opened his eyes but didn't look beside him. It was an instinct, something feral deep in his bones that made him resist the temptation. He knew that voice. He wanted to see that face.

And yet.

"Your father found it," his mother murmured, like she wasn't telling him the story so much as telling herself. "Wouldn't let me see it for the longest time. I think he was changing it, fixing it. I don't know. The thought of your father building anything seems strange to me."

Frowning, Inuyasha laid back on the grass. He could see the long black strands of her hair, blowing in the wind. He couldn't see her face. "Why?"

"He was the only demon I knew," she admitted, amusement laced in her tone. "I thought demons did things other than build homes."

For some reason, Inuyasha had nothing to say to that. He breathed in the forest again, breathed in that scent, and tried to melt into the ground. This was—

There was the heavy creak on wooden floors and Inuyasha bolted straight upwards, awake, body tense with coiled muscle. He took in a deep breath, ignoring the traces of forest that his imagination forced upon him. After that, it was pretty simple to know exactly what was happening.

Sango was having another hard night.

With an explosive sigh, Inuyasha fell back into his pillows and closed his eyes, listening to the way his friend moved through the house towards the living room like she always did. Sango would possibly put on some TV, or maybe even just sit there in silence, ruminating on things better left alone. It was when she did the latter that he would get up, join her and listen if she wanted to talk.

Inuyasha was exhausted, and when he opened his eyes he automatically looked to the left, where his mother had been in the dream. It sounded like her at least, though he hadn't looked. Why not? What stopped him?

Running rough hands over his face, Inuyasha took another deep breath. The smell of the forest was long gone.

Slowly he slid out of bed, dragging on sweatpants. His t-shirt clung to his body with traces of sweat but Inuyasha couldn't be bothered to change it, not tonight. He needed his sense of smell to normalize, remember the house and everything that was real. Slipping into the hallway, Inuyasha was about to trek towards the living room when he thought of something.

He walked quietly into the room directly across from his, opening the door without a sound and making his way through the dark. Their rooms were in many ways identical, save for the clothes and books piled haphazardly on the floor. Inuyasha managed to avoid them all until he was standing at Miroku's bedside, half-heartedly glaring.

This was the last time, he vowed, and then he woke him.

Miroku groaned quietly as Inuyasha shook him, tapping at his face just to be annoying. "It's me, wake up." Sango always woke up like a bolt of lightning had struck her, which was the complete opposite to Miroku in every way. If he'd been struck by that very same lightning, everyone would have just assumed he was dead for all that he moved.

It wasn't until he upped the ante on the body shaking that Miroku sat upright, blinking wildly in the darkness and barely alert. "Wha— What's wrong?"

"Sango's having a hard time sleeping," Inuyasha whispered, voice hardly more than a low growl. "She's in the living room. Go talk to her."

Even in the darkness, Inuyasha could see Miroku's face screw up, his brain sluggishly trying to understand exactly what was going on. "Sango's upset?"

"Probably." He shook his friend again. "Go make sure she's okay."

Miroku nodded for a moment before sliding out of bed and Inuyasha headed towards the door, wondering if he was going to be able to fall back asleep himself.

"Inuyasha," his friend whispered, barely heard despite the dead silence of the night. "Thank you."

And what could he say to that, exactly? They were his friends, his best friends. All he wanted was for them to be happy. Truthfully, Inuyasha didn't know what exactly happy meant for them because the back-and-forth dance that they'd been doing wasn't cutting it, and Inuyasha was tired. Tired of everything being difficult, of dead bodies and no murderers and missing sacred jewels and helpless shrugs with gentle touches and this.

In the end, Inuyasha didn't say anything at all, simply slipped back into his room and made sure to close the door as quietly as possible. His sheets were the tiniest bit cooler and he sank into them gratefully, pulling up even the duvet. Within seconds he was hot again, but that was fine.

When sleep finally came back, it was to the sounds of whispers with no words and a hope that the next day would be better that the ones before it.

Running in the forest was a need, rather than something that was nice to do.

For one, ever since the wolves had come into Sakura, he hadn't been able to relax. The woods no longer felt safe. The routes he had taken over and over again never felt like they did any good, not with how fast the wolf demons could travel. Inuyasha was strung out with the knowledge that anything he was doing may not be good enough.

For another, Inuyasha simply needed out of the house. Miroku and Sango were doing…whatever the hell they were doing. It had been all shy smiles that morning, enough to make even Mushin look between the two with confusion. The two of them reeked of happiness and love, which was grating against the emotions of fear and exhaustion buried in his chest. He had helped as much as possible with house cleaning before deciding that he needed to go out, to run and track and try to believe that everything was okay, at least for now.

The smell of the forest wasn't the same as the one in his dream, and it bothered him.

At least all was quiet. Other than the scurry of forest animals, nothing could be heard. Winter had officially settled into the trees and the ground, making everything far colder and wetter than it needed. It reminded him of the cloud puffs that left Kagome's lips with each exhale as she ran beside him that morning. It reminded him that the year was ending and that this would be the first time ever that he, Miroku and Sango didn't celebrate with family: no Asato pouring sparkling apple juice or Kohaku sleepily mumbling on the couch.

As he neared his usual spot to turn and come back home, thoughts wrapped up in 'what if' and 'never again', Inuyasha almost missed the scent: char, blood and rotting flesh.

The combination made his stomach plummet, made the half-demon skid to a stop to press his sweater against his nose. His first instinct was to gag but he swallowed it down, leaning against a nearby tree like the roots of it would support him. So much for today being a better day; in fact, it was so much worse.

Worse still because with the scent so potent, the whole area he was in smelled strongly of death. It wasn't a clearing but a sort of canopy, where trees grew everywhere with rocks littering the muddy surface. The body could be anywhere and his nose would be useless in finding it. Roughly, he used his free hand to find his phone in the pocket of his heavy sweater, unlocking it to call one of four people on his Favourites list. It was the least used number but right now, Inuyasha was grateful he didn't have to scroll.

The first call went to voicemail and Inuyasha swore before calling it again, pressing his nose against his sweater as much as possible. It barely helped.

Mushin answered on what felt like the final ring. "Inuyasha?" the old man asked, sounding wary.

"There's another body," Inuyasha stated, trying to keep his words clear despite the thick cotton in front of him. "In the forest. Same as the one on the porch."

"Another woman?"

"Can't tell," he admitted, forcing himself to open his eyes and scan his surroundings. Nothing obviously dead stood out. "I haven't found it yet."

He could hear Mushin moving, could hear the creaking of his footsteps on what had to be the stairs from the basement. "We're coming but we'll need you to come get us, or at least tell us where we can find you."

"I'll send directions to Sango," Inuyasha promised.

"Don't do anything stupid," the old man continued. "Are you in danger?"

How would he know? Inuyasha cursed himself, leaping up into the trees. He hadn't even considered that this could have been a trap. The first body hadn't been, but that was no excuse. Inuyasha was supposed to be the smart one, the one to protect them all. How could he do that if in this moment he couldn't even protect himself?

"Inuyasha?"

"I'm fine." The smell was significantly less strong when higher up, the breeze unimpeded by trunks and branches. The stench of death was still there but after a few clarifying breaths, the cloying sting of it unclenched a little, leaving him open to other scents. It was only him, and the forest that he knew. No other danger that he could recognize. "I don't think anyone else is with me."

He could hear Mushin talking to Sango and Miroku, voice gentle and firm. It took a few moments – moments that felt like long, draining minutes – but finally the old man came back. "Send where you are. We're coming."

Inuyasha repeated that he would and hung up, doing his best to explain his running route to Sango in a text message. He didn't leave the top half of the tree, balanced precariously on its branches. For a long while, he focused specifically on trying to communicate where he was. He breathed in and then out, mind dancing back to a few days ago when he had held Kagome close and instructed her to do the same. Oddly, the thought calmed him. If Kagome was here, she'd be searching for the body already. She'd be scared, and worried, but she would do it because that was who Kagome was.

Despite everything she felt, she was brave.

Inuyasha slid his phone back into his sweater pocket, closed his eyes and dropped.

Now that he had been around the smell, it wasn't as potent as it had been before. It still made him want to throw up, but it was easier, somehow. He put the sleeve of his sweater back over his nose and started to move through the trees, golden eyes scouring every crevice for signs of a body. There were still scatterings of leaves everywhere, filling up holes in fallen logs and tree roots. He moved silently, searching, and while shifting around a massive stump he nearly stepped on her.

The woman, burnt just as badly as the last one, face contorted in a scream. Her body had the worst of it while her face was almost startlingly untouched, licks of flame pressed into her neck. Her cheek had a message but it was not written in etchings, nor did it have his name. It was blood, smeared on, and it held a promise: See you soon.

"Shit," Inuyasha whispered, turning away for a second before forcing himself to look again. This was important. Whatever demon was doing this was doing this to torment him. But how, or why? Inuyasha had done very little himself. Everything had always been wrapped up in the Houko family – their hunts, the demon kills – so why not target all of them?

The woman appeared similar to the first body, though with their burns so different it was a bit hard to tell. Black hair though, long. The shape of her face was familiar, with features that were strange enough to confirm to him he'd never met her. Another random attack then, another poor human used in this twisted game. Inuyasha swallowed down the bile and heard, still far off in the distance, the roaring of ATVs. They were coming then, and he had to find them. The canopy he stood in was too far off of any kind of track. Removing his sweater, Inuyasha hung it over a nearby branch. He took one last look at the dead woman and made a promise to come back. It was useless to her but in some bizarre way it felt necessary.

Inuyasha took off faster than he could remember running in a long while.

His friends and Mushin were easy enough to find though the ATVs had to make their way slowly to get near the body. When they found her, Mushin got the exact same look on his face as before, haunted but filled with steel.

"There's another message," Miroku murmured, almost like he was afraid to speak too loudly.

"It's not a name though, and that's better for us," Mushin stated. He eyed their location, squinting into the trees. "Where are we, exactly?"

"We're pretty much the northwest corner," Inuyasha explained, pointing to help him understand. "That way is the nearest road."

Mushin seemed to huff, clambering over some tree roots to head in the direction he suggested. Miroku shot Inuyasha a confused look before following him, arms out in case of disaster. Watching them, he hadn't noticed Sango coming to his side until their arms brushed.

"You okay?" she asked. She sounded normal. Inuyasha preferred it to Miroku's hushed tone.

He shrugged. What could he even say?

"What do you think it means?" Sango gestured towards the dead woman, looking vaguely sick.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I think 'see you soon' is pretty clear."

"No—Well, yeah. But that's not what I meant." Sango glared. "Think. This is the second body dumped in an area you specifically would find. The first one had your name carved into her. This one promises some sort of visit. But if it's a demon that's after you, why is it taunting you like this? Why isn't it just attacking our house or attacking you during your runs? You're alone. You're an easy target." He scowled but Sango huffed and waved her hands at him. "Easier. You know what I mean."

He hadn't thought of it that way.

"I don't even know who this is." Running a hand down his face, the muttered words were barely coherent. "I don't know anyone outside of you guys, Kaede, Kagome, or Goryomaru with his little band of misfits."

"What about before us?"

"When I was eight?" Shaking his head, Inuyasha sighed and tried to reign in the frustrated anger that was building inside of him. "No. Mom and I never left the house. I'm pretty sure someone delivered us food, even. I don't remember her ever leaving me alone, except to go into the backyard." Inuyasha shrugged, the memories few and far between. "I had never met anyone else before you guys."

Sango squeezed his arm, leaning into him slightly before letting go. She sighed quietly, magenta eyes on the dead woman by their feet. "Maybe Dad's journals have something. Do you ever remember him having one when he spent time with you?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "He could have."

"I feel like all I do sometimes is chase down dead ends," Sango admitted, defeated. "There's a chance that he got rid of them, even if he did have notes on you. Sounds like the kind of thing he would do. He thought of you like a son, you know that, right?"

Inuyasha nodded tightly and Sango seemed to understand.

"Inuyasha!" The shout came from Mushin, slightly out of breath. He could see him crossing over some piles of sticks, hands leaning on a tree for support while Miroku hovered nervously around him. "Where's the nearest trail?"

"You just came from it on the ATVs," Inuyasha yelled back. He shot a confused glance at Sango but she seemed just as bewildered, shrugging back at him. "Why?"

"No, not your trail," the old man corrected. "Walking trails, for the public."

Inuyasha considered, but the closest one was still probably pretty far. Anything for the general public ran on the western side, closest to the town. There was a park that attached to one of the borders, not far from the motel Jinenji and his mother were staying at.

When he relayed this all to Mushin, the older man heaved a breath. "Shit," he cursed, an echo of what Inuyasha had said not long ago. "I'm going to need your help locating this spot later. It's going to take some time to organize."

"Organize what?" Miroku asked. "What are you going to do?"

"Same thing I did last time," Mushin stated. "Get this taken care of. She deserves to be found, if nothing else."

"Wait, we're going to leave her here?" Sango asked, frowning. "That feels—"

"Just for now," the old man soothed, close enough to rest his hands on her shoulders. "I need time to organize, remember? As much as I wish it, I can't carry her from here to a proper spot. I'm too old. And any anonymous tip I send is going to be lost when they can't easily locate her." He sighed, weary and exhausted. Inuyasha could practically see the years of this demonic world piling up on top of him. "It's only for now, so we can do the right thing."

"I'll do it." Inuyasha stared down at the body, so familiar and so strange at the same time. "I'll move her now so you can make whatever calls you need to and she can be found tonight."

"No." Mushin looked furious; his lips pressed into a tight, white line. "Absolutely not."

"It's better than leaving her here."

"It's unacceptable to have you do it," Mushin countered. "I'll handle this. She's—" He stopped, faltering, but the words already dead lingered in the air anyways. Inuyasha knew what the old man was saying, but he also knew that this was because of him. Leaving her out in the elements, even if only for a day longer, felt like a weight bearing down on his shoulders. How could he be in this forest knowing that she may be still out here, rotting away?

Maybe Mushin saw the expression on his face, Inuyasha wasn't sure, because he sighed heavily. He, too, looked at the dead woman. "This life kills more than just flesh," he uttered, the words barely audible even to Inuyasha's ears.

"We can help him," Miroku suggested, breaking the tense silence. "Make this easier."

"No." The word climbed out of his throat before he was even conscious of having made a decision. He knew then it was the right choice; Mushin looked wholly defeated, but grateful.

"Inuyasha—" Sango tried, but he simply shook his head.

"I can do this quickly and quietly on my own. You guys take Mushin back so he can do what he needs to do. I won't be long."

Sango eyed Miroku, but even he looked helpless on what else to do. The camaraderie was almost a relief, one less battle to have to deal with. Inuyasha nodded at Mushin, the old man looking gutted as he followed the other two back through the trees to the ATVs.

He waited until they were gone, his golden eyes taking in the pinkened hue of the sun setting. It was getting late, he realized. They should be having dinner soon. It seemed like such an impossible concept with the body at his feet and the stench of her corpse leaking into him. He was positive he wouldn't be eating for a good long while.

What happened next, Inuyasha would forever try to forget.

Whole as her body was, it was fragile and broken in places that Inuyasha could not have prepared for. The journey to the closest trail was terrifying and the curdling smell of blood and char was so powerful he wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to breathe anything else. Placing the body down had been both the greatest relief and most astonishing horror, a sense of abandonment creeping upon him before he could even take a step back.

Inuyasha swallowed once. If he had been different, he may have said something into the open air, unheard by anyone other than the dead woman's spirit. Maybe even then, Inuyasha wouldn't have spoken a word. What was there to say, really? She had lost her life because of a demon and Inuyasha hadn't been able to figure it out in time to save her.

Home was barely more than a blur. He stripped his sweater off in the garage, stuffing it into one of the garbage bags and tying it off. Sango was at the door when he entered, but there must have been an expression on his face that stopped her from saying anything. Inuyasha had no idea what he looked like but it was probably far from kind.

Mushin was in the basement, his pacing, lumbering steps easy to pick out with his ears. It made it easier to grab a piece of paper and a pen, jotting down the best directions to give to find the body: slightly off the trail from Davis Park, on the right-hand side about a kilometre in. The police would have to look but leaving her out in the open where anyone – even a child – could find her was not an option.

"Is this…?" Sango trailed off and Inuyasha blinked at her, a little startled to realize that she had been following him all this time, a silent shadow.

He nodded, clicking the pen a few times before putting it down. "Mushin can use it. I'm going to have a shower."

If Sango had said anything, Inuyasha hadn't paid enough attention to know what it was. Nothing was getting through to him, and even as he set the water to scalding to scrub and claw at his skin, Inuyasha couldn't escape what he had done, what he had held, what he had let go of.

The scent of death wouldn't leave this time.

Even in new clothes, in a fogged up bathroom as he blew his hair dry, the sickly smell of it was there in his nose. He had to give up, hands clenching at the countertop while his still damp hair hung limply down his back. There was a part of him that knew he should find Miroku and Sango, sit with them and watch television or do anything else to take his mind somewhere else. It was the smart decision, something he knew he would have done if this all had happened five months ago.

Now though, Inuyasha only wanted to do one thing. With one last glare in the mirror, he tied up his hair and tugged his sweater around his neck better, preparing for the cold that was to come. Sango and Miroku were sitting in the living room, her knee on his lap as they sat close together. Both of them looked up at his arrival, worry clear on their faces. All Inuyasha wanted to do was protect them from it; he headed towards the garage.

"Hey!" Sango called out, a cry that kept him in place. When she didn't say anything else, Inuyasha spun around, waiting for whatever was coming. Instead of encouragement or enticement to stay with them, she lifted her cell phone up. "Kagome already knows. She's worried about you."

"She worries too much," he retorted, unable to help himself.

Miroku laughed, but levity towards the situation made it a heavy thing. "Someone needs to." He patted Sango's leg and stood up, crossing the room and hugging Inuyasha before the half-demon could try to avoid it. "Just text us to let us know you're okay," he murmured into his shoulder, hanging on for only a second more before stepping away.

Inuyasha blinked at him, processing what it meant before he nodded. "I'll be fine."

"We know." Miroku shrugged, blue eyes downcast. "Mushin already ordered food so there's leftovers later if you want."

He probably wouldn't want, but it was nice of them to think about him anyways. Inuyasha tried for a small smile, letting the tips of his lips curve up enough to make his best friend happy. "Thanks. I'll see you around, okay?"

"Be careful!" Sango called out, an attempt at motherliness even though she was terrible at it. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and left.

The backyard was dark but the forest was darker. For some reason, Inuyasha wasn't afraid. He should have been: a demon was out in the forest somewhere, taunting him and threatening him. That should have been his biggest worry, but there were too many of those things already. The demon hiding within the school, Kagome's powers, the wolf demons, and the lost Sacred Jewel were all there, all waiting for something that Inuyasha couldn't predict or see. He was too tired to care, after the last couple of hours.

He was too tired in general.

Skidding to a stop by the siding of the house, Inuyasha pressed against it for a moment. He hadn't ever really decided to come to Kagome's house but he was sure that his body knew from the moment he stepped out of the shower. There was need, and then there was this need: to be somewhere he felt safe and quiet and comfortable. The only other times he had ever felt that were here, at Kagome's house. Inuyasha looked up towards her window and then jumped onto the roof.

Kagome was already there, watching him. Her dark brown eyes were soft, just like her smile, and Inuyasha helped her to open up the window so he could slide inside.

"Sango told you I'd be here?" he guessed. Inuyasha figured he should feel embarrassed about that but the room held the same unique scent that only Kagome had, and he could practically feel his muscles relaxing bit by bit. That, and he was too wrapped up in his exhaustion to care.

"No," she replied, shrugging. "I had a feeling."

"A feeling?" Inuyasha frowned. "You didn't do the—"

"Radar thing? No." Kagome shook her head, letting her arms cross across her chest. The movement distracted him and he realized only then how close they were standing there, in her room all alone. "You look tired."

Inuyasha wanted to laugh but couldn't gather enough mirth to do it. Instead, his mouth opened against his will, the words tumbling out before he could stop them. "I can't remember the last time I wasn't."

Frowning, Kagome stared up at him, her dark eyes unwavering. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Nightmares." More words he didn't want to say, but couldn't stop. With a growl, he stepped away, hoping that the distance would give him some sort of barrier against this episode of oversharing. He tried to distract her. "What are you doing?"

"Hmm?" The frown didn't leave her face, but his question did the trick. She gestured towards her desk, at the books stacked high and notebooks open. "Homework. I'm really behind so I was trying to catch up. Can't have Mom keeping me from going out, especially with everything going on." She narrowed her eyes at him. "I tried to come earlier, when Sango texted me but she said not to."

"There wasn't anything you could do," Inuyasha replied. "There wasn't anything they could do either."

"Was it… The other demon? The one we can't find anything on?"

"Probably." The word tasted bitter on this tongue.

Kagome studied him for a moment and Inuyasha mentally flailed for anything he could say, anything he could point to for a distraction. She took a step forward, closing that distance yet again, her hands raised to touch him. "You need to rest."

"I don't—I came to check in," Inuyasha argued, eyeing the window. A part of him wanted to escape back into the night but a much larger, much more vocal part insisted that he was exactly where he needed to be. He fought against it anyways because he was nothing if not stubborn. "Update you," he added, weakly.

"You can still do that lying down," Kagome insisted, her voice gentle as she pushed him onto her bed. She grinned down at him, pleased. "Rest, Inuyasha."

He shook his head. "I can't."

With a smile, she pushed him back, tapping at his legs and arms and shoulders until he was firmly sprawled on the bed, not even close to the edge. It was almost like retreating, but Inuyasha wasn't dumb enough to think that he'd ever run away from her. "Head on the pillow."

"I won't sleep."

"No," Kagome agreed, "you're updating me." She pushed him over once more before sliding onto the bed herself, hands tucking under the pillow as she nestled along the edge. There was maybe a foot of distance between them and Inuyasha drank it in, stunned and unsure and content all in the same measure. "What else did you do this weekend?" she asked, prompting him lightly.

"Uh." Inuyasha licked his lips, eyes going towards the window again before sliding to the door of her bedroom. It was closed, obviously. It didn't make him feel any better. "I was helping Miroku and Sango with homework. Miroku has a math test tomorrow and Sango's having a hard time with history."

"She always complains about it." Kagome smiled then. "It's too bad we don't have the same teacher. I'm not bad at it but I'm terrible at geography."

"Miroku's crap at that, too," Inuyasha admitted. The way Kagome lit up at the words made the contentedness from earlier curl around him, just like her scent, wrapping him up. It was dangerous, that lull. Inuyasha couldn't help but try to pay attention to more than just her. "Sango's meaner though when I'm trying to teach her something. It's probably a good thing you're not in a class with her."

Kagome laughed a little, body shaking the mattress. "I'm sure she's worse with you."

"I know she is." Inuyasha sighed then, remembering that morning. "I'm pretty sure she and Miroku made up."

"Made up?" The question was loaded with incredulousness, even though her tone remained hushed. "Or do you mean made out?"

Cringing, Inuyasha closed his eyes. "So you know."

"Oh yeah," Kagome replied and he didn't have to look at her to know she was grinning like a fool. "Sango's been texting me about it non-stop."

"Better you than me."

"Probably." Kagome laughed again. "I'm glad though. I'm glad they're getting a shot."

"I just hope it doesn't blow up in my face. Anything to do with them usually does," Inuyasha groused. He was exaggerating a little for the sake of conversation, but one look at Kagome's face showed that she was focused on something else entirely. "What?"

"You can relax," Kagome murmured, reaching out slowly to tug on the sleeve of his sweater.

Inuyasha frowned and then tried not to. "I am relaxed."

She pointed towards the top of his head and then twisted a little to look at her closed door. "It's locked, I promise. No little brothers are coming in. No Moms either." When Inuyasha continued to stare at her blankly, she rolled her eyes. "Your ears. They're directed towards the wall by the hallway, but you don't have to worry. No one will come in. I always go down to say goodnight to them anyways."

"Oh." His stupid ears. He never really thought about them giving him away before, but of course the first time that realization would hit was with Kagome, lying in bed with her. "I wasn't sure."

"I know. That's why I told you." Kagome shrugged, like it was all that easy. "I promise you can relax. Rest, Inuyasha. You need it."

"I'm not going to sleep," he argued, knowing the words sounded weak even to his own incriminating ears.

"You can rest without sleeping," she murmured. "It's what I remind myself when I'm stressed or anxious in bed. Especially when I can't sleep." Shrugging, she twisted to lie flat on her back, staring up at the white ceiling. "Weirdly – or maybe not weirdly at all – I don't have that problem as much any more."

Inuyasha let himself sink into the mattress, let the thin pillow cradle his head. With her word that no one was coming, he let himself be wrapped up in the cocoon that was Kagome's room, the scent warm and comforting and familiar. "Why not?" he asked, forcing back a yawn.

"Probably because I'm more stressed when at school, but not about school stuff." She shrugged again, considering. "When there are demons and things out to get you, it kind of makes homework and tests and classes seem a lot less important. To stress over, I mean," she added quickly.

Inuyasha hummed, though it came out as more of a growl. He could feel the reverberation in his chest, his arm draped across himself as he lay on his side. "I don't know if that's better or worse."

"Definitely worse," Kagome concluded but in stark contradiction she turned her head to grin at him, as bright as ever. "It's okay though. I'm glad. I don't know what I would do without you guys."

It was his turn to shrug. "You wouldn't need us. You wouldn't know the difference."

"I would," she stated, without any heat. Just a simple fact of life, presented for the taking. "There would be something missing, I think. Sometimes, when I remember my life before you saved me on that run, I think that I knew something was missing. Or something was being…" Kagome frowned, struggling for the word. "Missed. Unfulfilled?" Letting out a heavy breath, she scoffed. "It's too late to put sentences together."

Inuyasha hummed again, the sound of her voice soothing over him.

"Miroku was texting me about the plan tomorrow, for you to come to the school," Kagome whispered. "He thinks third period is the quietest time."

"Is it?" he asked, mostly just to have her continue on. He didn't particularly care for the answer. Either way, he was getting into that school. He couldn't allow another day to pass by without knowing the danger his family was in, the danger Kagome was in.

"Late third period, probably," she admitted quietly. "I'm going to scope out the best way for you to get in though during second period. The door you pick us up from is right by an administrative window. One of the adults will spot you immediately."

Inuyasha thought he made a noise but it was entirely possible he didn't. The only thing he did know, without a doubt, was that he fell asleep and never woke up when Kagome left the bed to wish her family a goodnight, or when she snuck back into it to fall asleep herself. He was too lost within the cocoon, within the safety net built around him. That space was dreamless and weightless and warm.

When he opened his eyes the next morning, he wasn't even surprised.

The clock's sharp red numbers glared at him. It took him a moment to process, the foggy edges of sleep reluctant to pull away. Soon, in less than an hour, he would normally meet Kagome by the edge of the woods for their run. Her alarm was probably set to go off soon but hopefully he still had a bit of time.

Shifting slightly, Inuyasha felt the press of the wall against his back and the softness of Kagome's duvet below him. Pressed along his side, under the covers, was Kagome still asleep. Her long hair covered most of her face, body curled in towards him like she was trying to steal his warmth. It made his stomach swoop, because he would never admit to it fluttering, and Inuyasha took in a quiet breath so as not to disturb her.

He couldn't pinpoint when, exactly, Kagome had become so important to him, but she had. Just as important as Miroku or Sango. Just as necessary.

Maybe more so.

Carefully, Inuyasha reached out for her hand, lying between them. He rested his own there, listening intently for her heart beat, still steady and calm with sleep.

He loved her.

It was simple and complicated and all too much at once, but Inuyasha didn't move or look away. There was nowhere else he wanted to be, not in that moment, so he let it drag out, let the sunlight peek through the curtains. He closed his eyes again, soothed his thumb over the top of her hand, and breathed her in.

When the alarm went off, it could have been seconds or hours later. Kagome jolted awake before groaning, smacking the clock ineffectively before it finally took. Inuyasha remained pressed against the wall, trying not smirk at her.

"Tell me you're not a morning person," Kagome grumbled, rolling back to bury her face into his pillow. Somehow, they were even closer.

"Don't think I'm one or the other," he replied, voice gritty with disuse. Humming, Kagome squirmed a little more into the covers, her heart rate slowing back into its usual rhythm. Gently, he reached out and shook her shoulder. "Shouldn't you be getting up?"

"Maybe." Kagome peeked an eye open and it was an image Inuyasha wasn't soon going to forget. "I told Mom last night that I'm not running today."

"Why not?"

A slow smile took over her face, and the only reason he could see it was because she rolled onto her back, messy bangs flattening across her forehead. "Figured you could use the rest."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Pretty sure running with you isn't what's exhausting me."

"Hey!" Kagome grumbled, pushing at his shoulder weakly. Her heart wasn't in it, or maybe she was still barely awake. "I was being nice."

"I can see that."

Inuyasha watched the smile come back to her face, her dark brown eyes opening and seeking him out. "How do you feel?"

He weighed his options on how to respond, but none of them felt particularly right. Kagome was close and warm and happy, and it radiated out and into his very bones. He loved her and he wanted her to feel the same. "Rested," he answered finally.

Kagome snorted before raising her arms up, a poorly done exclamation. "I'll take it." She stretched then before slowly sitting up, raking her hands through her messy hair. "I should get up, though. Mom will come looking if I take too long."

Inuyasha eyed the door and while he didn't think he looked alarmed, Kagome burst out into laughter anyways, shaking her head.

"The door is still locked." A small comfort, at least. Inuyasha watched as she got up, mildly stretching once more before turning off her alarm. "Big day today," Kagome murmured, and Inuyasha had no idea how she seemed so upbeat about it. They were sneaking him into the school so that he could find the demon that was hiding amongst them. It should be terrifying, not exciting.

Then again, Inuyasha didn't feel any particular terror within him at the thought of it either. All he could think about, really, was seeing Kagome later.

With that thought in mind, Inuyasha got out of the bed and readjusted his clothes, uncomfortable from being slept in. He hadn't even noticed until that moment. His hair was still tied back and it was probably going to look horrific if he ever took it down.

"Did you want…a different sweater to change into?" Kagome offered.

Inuyasha raised a brow at her. "You mean I could get my sweater back?"

She shrugged. "Well, one of them at least."

That's right, he had let her borrow two. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and put on a scowl, but she only grinned at him like he was making a joke. He kind of was.

"I'm fine," he said last, shrugging. "Thanks though."

"I'll see you later?"

Inuyasha opened the window and spun around, sitting on the sill so he could take one last look at her. Absolutely nothing and everything had changed since coming through it. He smirked. "Well, yeah. How else are we going to kill this demon?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Here we go."

"Someone has to kill it and you three didn't even notice it was there!"

"I noticed it was there," she corrected, shaking her head at him incredulously.

Inuyasha opened his mouth to argue but Kagome closed the distance between them, grabbed his chin and tilted it so that she could kiss his cheek.

He blinked, at a complete loss for what brought that on.

Kagome was still shaking her head at him, but now she was also waving. "Bye, Inuyasha."

Sliding out, it wasn't until he was on the roof that he allowed himself to take one last look. Just one. He had always looked at her before, but it was different now.

When he leapt off of the roof, he felt better than he had in days.

TBC

Responses to Anon Reviews:

Stella: You are not wrong, my darling. This chapter does too. Because as much as it's all cute and fluffy now, you'll all hate me by the next chapter. It all starts now. Well, the end at least. Thank you so, so much! The slow burn kind of kills me, but it kills me even more when people have mentioned that Deductions (which is on like Chapter 6) is already a slow burn. And I'm kind like "whoops?" because we're 200k into this bish and we just got an admittance of love. SO. MY BAD? Hope you liked this, darling :)

Annaoffline: Hehehe as much as Mirou's not really the comic relief in this story, I couldn't help myself. I had to. I'm glad you enjoyed it :) I hope the moments in this made the chapter worth it, the InuKag train is WITHIN SIGHT. Thank you so much!

Guest: I hope you enjoyed these moments then :D You guys deserve them and while you'll probably hate me next chapter it's all starting to happen. All that lovely dovey stuff, within TFOM reason XD You're so terribly sweet and kind. Thank you, dear!

Guest: Eek, yay! I'm so glad to hear that. At least this time I only made you wait 2 months and not like 3 and a bit. It's still not great so I'm sorry about that. But at least there was a lot more InuKag? AH. You're so adorable, calling this crazy slow burn art. THANK YOU, DARLING *sobs*

Lola1991: Hi darling! So lovely to hear from you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. You got some of the answers, at least ;) Thanks so much!

NoYoureNotReal: GAH. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, STAAAAAAP. I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS AS MUCH AS I LIKE YOU.

Ellie: First of all, I love the name Ellie. Completely random, but I felt I needed to tell you. It's probably the sugar rush talking. Secondly, GAH MY HEART. Thank you so much, my dear. You're far too kind. That's such a huge compliment. Thank YOU, my dear.

Tsuki: THANK YOU. It's pretty much all plot reveals from this point forward so I'm both a shaking mess at the thought of screwing one up and extra elated because this story is long as hell and over 400 pages and I thought I was never going to write something this long again after Music, Fame and Hell (seriously don't read that story, let Young Witchy plotlines die). You're a DARLING.

Guest: Aw, thank you! That's so sweet of you to say. It's nice to know that there's a progression in my writing, especially since I look at old stuff and want to die a little (: Hope this chapter was up to snuff, dear. Thanks again!

Guest: Thank you, dearest! I'm so, so glad you liked it :)

Jesse: HAHA okay, I died reading your review. Made my whole day. And made it again because I re-read it just now so I could give a proper response. But HOLY SHIT, a day?! I mean, I've been there but never really thought my writing was up to par with that level of intensity to do so. THANK YOU. THAT IS SUCH A COMPLIMENT. Hehehe, well you won't have to wait very long for the "reveal of the Jewel". It may be coming…next chapter? *nods* Yup. I AM EXCITED. Thank you, darling.

Lalala: I know. Jinenji is my sweetheart and I would die for him. He'll definitely be in the fic more, along with Koga and the wolves, but there is so much to set-up! SO MUCH MORE TO COME. Thank you, my dear!

Guest: THE FIRST? MEE? *sobs* Oh goodness, thank you! And this fandom is so much fun and there are so many good authors here it's insane. Welcome! Also, your words are just so, so kind. Thank you! It means so much. I don't think I imagined this story would be as big and intense as it is, but it's nice to know that the effort is fleshing out in this story (was that a pun? Ugh, I love puns but not…fleshy ones? Kill me). ANYWAYS. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Anon: As you've read now it'll be a little different – Inuyasha's a little too different looking to blend well in school. I know in the anime it wasn't truly questioned, but I have a hard time with that XD But you'll just have to see what happens next time :) Thank you, darling!

Feedback is love.