The next night, Catriona found herself walking along the river with Inu Yasha, since he had said he needed to talk to her about something important. When Inu Yasha stopped walking, Catriona looked over at him, to see him staring at her with a small smile on his face. "Is here a good spot for us to talk?" He asked her.
She nodded. "This is fine with me Inu Yasha... So, what is it that you needed to talk to me about?"
Inu Yasha turned to face her & when she did the same, he took her hands in his own, clearing his throat while he tried to get his courage up. "Cat, what I'm about to say, is hard for me to say," he said, looking down at his clawed hands holding her ningen, claw-free, hands. "It might take me a few moment to get this out, so please be patient for me..."
"Okay," she said, giving his hands a gentle squeeze to assure him it would be okay. "Take your time Inu Yasha."
Inu Yasha nodded & took a deep breath before he brought his amber eyes up to look into her brown orbs. "Catriona, I... You see, I... I think I love you." The last two words came out as soft whispers.
Catriona slowly withdrew her hands from his & stepped back, unable to believe what she had heard coming from the hanyou's mouth. "Inu Yasha, how long have you had these feelings for me?" She asked, her eyes staying locked with Inu Yasha's.
"Think back to the first time you ever came here, before you went home for supplies. Do you remember the night you gave me a massage in return to sit up in my tree with me?"
"What's taking you so long? You've been here for about an hour & a half now..."
"My back hurts from the last 'sit' so I'm relaxing," he answered, lowering his head again.
"Does it help keeping your head down like that?"
"Not one bit," Inu Yasha replied with a sigh before he looked up at her again. "Do you think I deserved the last one?" he asked. He had been eyeing a bug that had been flying around his head & when it landed, he swatted it dead. What he hadn't realized was that he had slapped Kagome's ass in the process.
"You did apologize & explain what had happened so...no I don't think you deserved the last one," she smiled, folding her hands under her chin as she looked ahead over the scenery. "Make a deal with you."
"What kind of deal?"
"Well, back home, before I left, I finished a course in physical therapy in the massage branch. I'll rub out that pain in your back if you let me sit up in the tree with you tonight."
"You can rub out the pain?" he blinked as she looked down at him, nodding. "Alright, you got yourself a deal. Come in the water with me?"
Catriona nodded & walked down the ledge & back across the stepping stones so she could have a place to leave her clothes while she got in the water. She stripped down to her bra & panties, both thankfully black so no water would allow them to be see-through, & waded into the water until it got deeper & she swam over to Inu Yasha. "I'm gonna need you to get up from the rock so I can get behind you."
"You can do this with me sitting up between your legs?"
"Yep. Just back up against me once I sit down." Inu Yasha got up & she sat down, then he got between her legs & shifted so he was comfortable on the rock. When he felt her hand on his back pushing him forward slightly, he let her push him. "Now, where does it hurt the most?"
"In my lower back, the middle of my back."
Catriona sat her hands to work, rubbing along his spine where he had said & she felt the bunched up muscles beneath her fingers. "You've got quite a few knots back here Yasher," she said as she kept rubbing, hearing him moan every now & then.
Catriona thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I remember that night clearly. You had been sat for no reason that time & your back was hurting when I found you."
"I've had feelings for you since that night Catriona, but I knew I couldn't make a move on you because I thought you wouldn't like me the same way. I know I still don't have a chance with you, Catriona, but I couldn't hold these feelings back anymore; I had to tell you."
Catriona didn't know what to say as Inu Yasha hesitated before closing the distance between them, his expression full of nervous & scared feelings. Before she had another second to think about what was going on, Inu Yasha's mouth gently crashed against hers & she found his arms encircling her waist.
-No, this happened once before, with Miroku,- she thought. -I can't do this again. I am not going to fuck up my relationship with Sesshomaru; not when Isamu is worried about that happening...- She slowly pulled away from the kiss, & his hold, & looked at his face. "I'm sorry Inu Yasha," she whispered. "I can't risk ruining my relationship with Sesshomaru once again." She stepped away from him & put her back to him, wrapping her arms around herself, shivering because suddenly it felt cold outside. "I don't want tonight to ruin what was between you & I either," she spoke, turning to face him. "You're close to me & I'm close to you, but I don't want a love type of relationship with you. I'm sorry Inu Yasha."
"It's okay Catriona, I understand," Inu Yasha spoke, giving her a small smile. "Come on, we should get you back to the den before Koga sends out Ginta & Hakkaku to find us."
"Or comes to look for us himself," she said, grinning at him.
He smiled back at her as they began their walk back to the den. -I'm glad she doesn't hate me now that she knows how I feel,- he thought as he glanced over at her to see her staring up at the sky as they walked. -I couldn't stand losing her friendship just because I couldn't stop myself from falling for her...- He looked ahead. -She really is a good friend...-
Back at the caves, Catriona walked to her bedding after saying goodnight to Inu Yasha, & laid down beside Isamu, who was already sound asleep. She smiled a little bit as she ran her fingers through his hair before she lightly traced his faint markings. -He looks so much like his father now, I can't wait to see how he'll look when he's full grown...- She thought as she laid her head on her hands while she continued to stare at her son; the biological copy of Lord Sesshomaru.
She brought her eyes up to Ginta, who lay in his bedding with the three females chosen for him; all four beings were huddled together, sleeping peacefully. Looking at Hakkaku's bedding, she only saw the three females chosen for him & figured it was his night to be on guard duty. Curiosity had her look over in the direction of Inu Yasha's temporary bedding to see the three females he was paired with, then saw he wasn't anywhere in sight.
Glancing down at Isamu, Catriona carefully rose up to her feet & began moving to the cave exit, walking out. When she saw Hakkaku a few feet away, she moved over to him. "Hakkaku, have you seen Inu Yasha?" She asked, getting his attention as he turned to look at her. "He was right with me when I returned to the caves, but he's not in there."
Hakkaku nodded & pointed in the direction of a tall tree that towered over most of the surrounding trees. "He said he was going to sleep there tonight," he answered. "Why?"
"I was only asking where he was... Hakkaku?"
"Yes Lady Catriona?"
"If Isamu, or anyone else, wakes & wonders where I am, let them know I stayed the night with Inu Yasha," she said before she walked off in the direction of the tree Hakkaku had pointed out. Although since it was dark, she had a semi-hard time finding her way to the tree; but when she did, she looked up & saw her hanyou friend.
He looked down at her & jumped down, landing almost two feet away from her. "Why are you away from Koga's den?" He asked. "You could have gotten hurt on your way here, or worse."
"I want to sleep with you in your tree tonight," she spoke, ignoring his comments.
"But...why?"
"Because I only got to do it once & I liked it. So I want to do it again."
Inu Yasha looked at her, then at the spot he had chosen for his spot that night. "Catriona, if we both fall asleep, should you fall & I not know, you could... you could die. I wouldn't want that to happen to you..."
"Then hold me tight," she smiled, trying to show him that she wasn't pushing him away because of his feelings for her. "I know how you don't let go to something when you hold it in your sleep, so hold me against you in your sleep & I know I'll be safe. Please Inu Yasha?"
Inu Yasha gave a sigh of defeat before he picked her up in his arms & leapt up the tree as she held onto him tightly. Once he was on his thick branch, he set her down & carefully moved over to his spot, sitting down in a way so she could sit between his legs so she could be held while being in a comfortable position. He blushed when she sat down between his legs & put her back against his chest, giving him the ability to wrap his arms safely around her. "Are you comfortable?"
"Very," she answered before she laid her head against his shoulder & closed her eyes.
Inu Yasha listened to her breathing as it evened out, signaling she was asleep, before he himself fell asleep, holding onto her as if her life was his own.