The sun was beginning its slow descent. She had been laying here on this hill for at least a couple of hours, maybe. Time was elastic here in the past and Kagome was making the most of the rare moment of peace and quiet.

The air around her had that crystalline quality that one only seems to find during a few rare autumn days and the clarity combined with the coolness of the oncoming wane of the season flashed the brilliant sunset colors like a photograph in her memories. Whispers of air twisted the grass around her and broke like a wave upon the orange and red maple trees behind her, causing the brittle chorus to vibrate in her lazy ears… she just couldn’t help herself, the sunset sky, the thin slivers of anemic grass, the small breeze all zoomed out like a bubble, insulating her from the broader, more wicked and cruel world that tickled the edges of her consciousness, even here in this singular peaceful moment.

Everything was perfect and right with the world… except the furious presence she felt approaching her serene vantage point, fast. She had time to roll her eyes to the swiftly dwindling rays in the West before she was in the company of one very miffed hanyou.

“Where the hell have you been?! Shippou said you wandered off by yourself for “a Zen moment” – what the hell’s up with that? You could have been in trouble and how would I have known?!” growled InuYasha.

His eyes blazed as he glared down at her recumbent form and she could swear they burned so brightly she noticed shadows of his hair cast upon his face from their light. She knew she should be a bit – just a bit – apologetic for causing him to worry, hey wait – he was worried?

“Were you really worried about me out here by myself? I only wanted some peace and quiet and the sunset was just so amazing I guess I couldn’t pull myself away.”

“No – I was worried about the jewel shards around your stupid neck! Can’t you get peace and quiet in the village?” Where I can keep my eye on you, my miko, InuYasha added in his mind.

“Can’t we stay out here just until the sun sets? I never get to see it like this at home”, Kagome wheedled, ignoring his outburst with the ease of long practice.

InuYasha knew a bargaining point when he saw one. Cocking an eye at his friend, he folded himself lithely to the ground and made a show of getting his hands just so within his sleeves. Kagome knew she was gonna pay. Looking out of the corner of her eyes at him, she waited for the other shoe to drop.

“You owe me Ramen. When we get back to Kaede’s hut”, came the slow reply.

Kagome swore she could hear the smile on his face. Any victory was worthwhile to InuYasha. She smiled a small smile and continued to watch the colorful sky.

Roses and oranges on mackerel clouds low on the horizon gave way to deep magenta and coral. Rays of palest pink and purple shot from the disappearing sun as it slipped ever closer to the western horizon. The change was so subtle; the kaleidoscopic beams of light dusted everything around them. Kagome lost herself once again in calm inner space as the light waned to cobalt, midnight blue and velvety navy-tinted darkness.

“Kagome.”

“Yeah, InuYasha, I’m ready to go. Man, I didn’t realize it had gotten so dark so fast! Time sure flies when you’re having fun, huh?” wise-cracked the miko.

"Keh."

She couldn’t believe he’d let her stay so long and he’d not complained to boot! Kagome rolled over and stood up, stretching her legs. She looked around and couldn’t believe how dark it was! The crescent moon was a pale sliver and the stars didn’t quite illuminate the bluff and encroaching forest they had to pass through to return to the village. As much as she hated to admit it, Kagome’s night vision sucked. She had a sneaking suspicion it was one of the main reasons she was so clumsy. Clearing her throat a little, she called to her companion.

“Uh, InuYasha?”

“Yeah?”

“I can’t see very well in the dark. Can you uh… help me out a little?” She was really feeling stupid for having to say that and, head down, just waited for the rude response that was sure to follow.

Soft footfalls in the cold grass approached and a grainy dull red figure appeared in her field of vision. He said nothing to her, just looked into her wide, and dilated black eyes with the weirdest look on his face. Reaching for her hand, he put it on his shoulder and began to slowly walk back the way he had came, only with less bounding and anger at being left behind like some big pain in the ass she had to get away from for some peace and quiet! He felt warmth within him that she did indeed need him, that he could protect her for a little while, even if it was just from skinning a knee or elbow or walking errantly into some tree. Someone like her could need someone like him.

Kagome tried to pace her steps with InuYasha’s and after a few near misses with his feet, set a slow, steady pace down an incline she couldn’t see.  She thought of something she’d heard on her last trip home, a very soft song she remembered bits and pieces of the words and some of its frail melody. Kagome started to sing very quietly to herself and completely forgot about her companion’s acute hearing.

“By day give thanks, by night beware

Half the world in sweetness, the other in fear

When the Darkness takes you

With her hand across your face

Don’t give in too quickly –

Find the things she’s erased”

Find the line, find the shape through the grain

Find the outline and things will tell you their names.”

He never would admit to anyone on pain of torture that her voice right then and the feel of her long thin fingers gripping his shoulder made his breath catch in his throat and he so wanted to turn and kiss her so badly that he almost did without really thinking about it. He stopped and after a moment’s hesitation, rubbed his smooth check against the back of her hand and grazed her knuckles with his lips. If she wasn’t paying attention, it might appear he was scratching an inconvenient itch.

Apparently, she wasn’t. Still singing to herself she wondered why they had stopped when she felt a warm pliant softness across her hand. She hitched mid-song and wondered if she was imagining what she just thought she was feeling. Luminescent amber eyes looked at her solemnly for a moment and then it was gone and so were they. She decided to reciprocate and stepped closer to the broad red-clad back in front of her. Snaking her other arm around his chest, Kagome buried her face in InuYasha’s silvery mane, sighed, gave him a slow squeeze and withdrew. Gently squeezing her fingers on his shoulder, she softly asked the frozen hanyou to continue.

“It’s getting cold already. I think something warm to eat sounds wonderful tonight. I think I’ll join you in that Ramen I owe.”

For once, he’d forgotten all about Ramen. But he started to walk again only this time he took her hand in his own and lost himself musing on the last words he had heard her singing. She continued to hum and smiled a small smile, knowing he’d see it.

“I would shelter you and keep you in Light

But I can only teach you night vision.”

Her night vision might really stink but her heart wasn’t blind and now, neither was his. Breath beginning to smoke from their lips in the cold Autumn night, he led them toward the village. He led them towards home.