"Kagome!" Inuyasha screamed.

The girl looked at his frightened eyes not knowing why he was shouting. Suddenly something hit her back and she fell on her knees. When she turned to see what had hit her she saw Miroku open his Kazaana and suck in several demons.

'Thank God...' Inuyasha sighed in relief.

"Inuyasha, watch out!" Kagome screamed and he met her scared eyes.

He immediately turned around and barely avoided being stabbed by a scorpion demon's tail. Inuyasha growled and jumped toward the last remaining demon, finishing him off with a Kaze no Kizu.

Kagome held her hands on her chest breathing hard. 'Thank God, I thought I was going to loose him.' she thought still trying to catch her breath.

Inuyasha turned toward his friends and looked around. Just fifteen minutes ago the clearing they were was covered with flowers. Even he thought it was beautiful and was enjoying the nice scent of the flowers mixed with Kagome's. Now that clearing was covered with dead demon bodies. Blood was every where. The sun was setting and the descending night was making everything look scary even for Inuyasha. He wanted to get away as fast as he could.

"Kagome, are you ok?" he went to her.

"Y-yes..." she said a little surprised from the concern in his voice.

Now that she was alright Inuyasha thought it was ok to yell at her for being slow and clumsy and not paying attention to the fight. He opened his mouth but suddenly found it difficult to say anything at all.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome had been prepared for the yelling but seeing Inuyasha only open his mouth and say nothing worried her.

He stood there and watched her. 'God, she's beautiful...' he couldn't manage to hold this thought.

"Inuyasha, are you alright?" Kagome reached one hand to touch his cheek.

He backed away startled, his whole face red.

"Feh!" he made a step back. "Of course I'm alright!"

'Oh, well... Here it comes...' Kagome sighed.

"I'm not you!" Inuyasha started walking away but continued talking. "I don't sit and watch the demon coming to kill me and not do anything..."

"You sure you're ok, Kagome?" Shippo came to her.

"Yes, Shippo-chan." she smiled at him and then looked at Miroku and Sango who were standing few meters away.

"I'm surprised you didn't sit him, Kagome-sama." Miroku said coming to her and helping her stand up.

"I thought it was going to be a BIG sit!" Sango laughed.

"So that's why you were staying away!" Kagome smiled.

"Can you blame us?" Miroku smiled too.

"No. But Inuyasha was acting strange, don't you think?" Kagome asked looking at the direction the hanyou had gone.

"That's true." Miroku said.

"I wonder what's wrong this time." Sango said and the group walked after the hanyou.

They walked for a while and reached another clearing. Inuyasha was standing there waiting for them. "We should make a camp here." he said and jumped up to a tree.

The others sighed and everybody started doing something to set the camp – Sango and Kagome prepared the fire pit and Miroku and Shippo went to gather firewood.

Some time during the night Inuyasha caught himself staring at Kagome. 'What am I doing, damn it!' he thought. 'She's just the stupid girl Kagome. Nothing more... But she's beautiful...'

Kagome heard a deep sigh and opened one eye. She looked at Inuyasha – he was sitting on the other side of the fire, watching her. She quickly shut her eye waiting for him to jump away or to shout but he didn't even move. Only another sigh was heard. Kagome opened both her eyes to look at him better. He was sitting cross-legged supporting his head with his hands. His eyes were sort of dazed and she frowned.

'Kikyou...' Kagome thought.

"Inuyasha..." she started.

The hanyou startled and raised his head. Kagome's anger turned to confusion as his cheeks became the color of his clothes and he jumped up a tree. 'Shit! She was awake!' Inuyasha thought angry and looked at her confused face.

'I don't understand him anymore... Oh, well... I'd better go to sleep.' Kagome thought and laid down on her sleeping bag.

'What is wrong with me?!' Inuyasha growled in frustration.

On the next morning nobody could find Inuyasha and with a lot of convincing Miroku, Sango and Shippo made Kagome leave the camp without waiting for his return.

"He's going to be mad for leaving him behind." Kagome said and involuntary shivered.

"Don't worry, Kagome-chan." Sango smiled. "It will be nice to have him angry again."

"Yes, I'm beginning to worry about his behavior." Miroku said.

The group was at Kaede's village just when the sun was setting.

"Oh, I didn't expect you so soon." Kaede smiled when they approached the hut.

"We ran out of provisions." Kagome said.

"Well, come on in." the old Miko motioned to them to enter and they did.

"Kaede-sama, has Inuyasha come here today?" Miroku asked.

"No." she answered. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no..." Miroku was just going to continue when Inuyasha entered the hut.

Kagome, Sango and Shippo shut their eyes waiting for the hanyou to start shouting but he just growled and pulled Miroku outside. "Come with me." he said.

Miroku gulped and looked at his friends with pleading eyes. 'Help me!'

Inuyasha dragged the monk to the forest and released him. In the dark of the night only the hanyou's golden eyes could be seen and Miroku thought this was his end. Then to his surprise Inuyasha sat on the ground with his legs and arms crossed.

"I want to talk to you." the hanyou said.

Miroku almost fell but managed to hold his composure. He sat on the ground and looked at Inuyasha. "Well, I'm listening." the monk said.

"I think I'm falling in love with Kagome." Inuyasha stated.

"Wha???" Miroku thought his mouth was going to fall on the ground.

"I think..." Inuyasha started.

"I heard what you said! And you...you say it just like that?!" the monk leaned closer. "Are you really Inuyasha?"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" the hanyou growled.

"It's you alright." Miroku sighed in relief. "So, you think you're falling in love with Kagome..." he said after a while and looked at his friend.

"Yes." Inuyasha said firmly which confused Miroku a little.

"And what makes you think that?" the monk asked.

Silence...

"Inuyasha?" Miroku leaned closer.

"Ok, alright!" the hanyou barked out and then continued a little hesitantly. "I... Well, I..." he swallowed hard and prepared to continue but didn't say anything.

"Yes?" Miroku reminded him that he was there after all.

"I... Um... I like her scent... I think she's beautiful... I feel good with her... She makes me smile... My head starts spinning when she's too near, if you know what I mean..." at this last statement Inuyasha's cheeks reddened a little and the monk nodded with a small mischievous smile on his lips. "I'm scared to death when something bad happens to her..." the hanyou's words trailed off and he looked at the ground.

"Well, my friend, I'm going to ask you only one question." Miroku said.

"What is it?" Inuyasha lifted his head.

"Didn't you have those same thoughts and feeling before?" the monk asked.

The hanyou's eyes widened in realization.

"I think you're already in love with Kagome-sama, Inuyasha. You're just now beginning to realize it." with that Miroku stood up, dusted himself off and turned to walk back to the hut.

"Wait!" Inuyasha yelled after him. "What am I going to do?!"

"You should tell her." the monk shrugged.

"Easy for you to say." the hanyou grumbled and jumped deep in the forest.

Miroku sighed and headed toward the hut.

"Miroku, you're still alive!" Shippo giggled.

"Very funny, Shippo." the monk frowned. "For a moment I really thought it was the end for me."

"Anyway, Miroku-sama, what did Inuyasha want?" Kagome asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just yelled a little about leaving him behind and then ran away." Miroku explained.

"Well, why didn't he yell here?" Sango asked.

The monk shrugged and sat down by the fire. He knew he wasn't going to get away only with that but he still hoped that Inuyasha would return before the girls had interrogated him.

TBC