Author's Note: Hey all! ^-^ The name's Keiimaru, and I'm relatively new to actually posting stories here. However, I've read at least half of the IY romance stories here, and I've been keeping a close eye on new ones coming out. Granted, I rarely review, but believe me, I do read them. This is my first story, a one-shot Inu/Kag fic, so enjoy! Please R+R! I might even make a sequel ;D It's kinda late for Valentine's Day, but oh well!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. However, I wouldn't complain if I got him for my birthday ;D (*hinthintwinkwinknudgenudge*)

He knew he shouldn't have pushed it. He could already see the extreme hurt underlying her angry expression, and his heart twisted painfully at the unshed tears in her eyes. As usual, though, he let his pride get the better of him, cheeks tinged with red from embarrassment as Miroku and Shippou's cat calls echoed through the forest clearing they resided in.

Kagome's hands fisted tightly and shook at her sides, trying futilely to suppress the tears that were threatening to spill. It was Valentine's Day, and she had only wanted to give a gift to the hanyou who unknowingly held her heart, only to have it shoved back in her face with a cruel sneer from the silver-haired demon. The small heart-shaped box of chocolates lay spilled on the ground before her, and Inuyasha stood above it with his arms crossed and his nose in the air.

Shippou and Miroku had been watching from the edge of the clearing, and had hooted and hollered at Inuyasha's red face when Kagome had held out her gift to him. He had carelessly swatted it away with an indignant 'Feh', and looked away, trying to ignore how much the hurt and betrayed expression on her face made him feel like a heartless monster.

Finally allowing her tears to overflow from her blue-gray eyes and stream steadily down her face, her fists unclenched and relaxed at her sides, and her head lowered so her raven-colored bangs shadowed her eyes. Turning away, she spoke in a low and broken voice, almost inaudible; "I'm going home."

In one last attempt to clear his guilty conscience, Inuyasha opened his mouth to apologize, but the next words that came out were nothing of the sort.

"Fine, wench!" he spat harshly. "Go see that 'Hoho' boy you love so much! Kikyou's company is better than yours anyway!"

He hadn't meant it. He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. Kagome visibly stiffened, her fists once again flexing at her sides in an attempt to control her anger, and silence fell throughout the clearing.

Miroku and Shippou were too shocked to say anything, but both knew they were filling with cold fury towards the arrogant hanyou for hurting their dearest friend in such a way.

Inuyasha gazed at Kagome's back in horror, not believing the words that had just come out of his own mouth. He couldn't speak at all, though he didn't know what he would say if he could. No apology would make up for the pain he knew he had caused her with that last statement, and he wondered absently how she was going to react.

SLAP.

There was no warning before it happened. Kagome spun around, and the flat of her palm connected with the dog demon's face. She stood frozen in place, hand still raised from the slap, shaking as she fought to gain control of her emotions.

Inuyasha stood motionless for a moment, turning his head to look at her from the position it had snapped to by the force of her hit. He winced slightly as he raised a clawed hand to touch the now red mark forming on his cheek. His disbelieving golden stare remained on Kagome's trembling form, shocked that his own sweet, kind, innocent Kagome had dealt the blow. He chose to ignore the fact that he did deserve it.

"I've had it with you, Inuyasha!" Kagome's angry voice finally broke the tense silence that had settled between them. "I am sick of your constant insults, I'm sick of being thought of as your damn shard detector, but most of all, I am SICK and tired of being compared to your dead lover!" Kagome trembled with the effort it took to not break down and cry, but she was determined not to let the hanyou have an opportunity to call her weak again.

It took Inuyasha all he had not to whimper in shame and cringe away from Kagome, but before he could say anything, Kagome abruptly dropped her hand and turned away.

"I'm not coming back this time. Get your damn walking corpse to find the shards for you," she said coldly. She yanked the small glass tube from its chain around her neck and threw it to the ground at his feet, and it shattered from the force of the impact, scattering its contents in the dirt. Kagome's face was void of emotion, making her look disturbingly like Kikyou.

"Sayonara, Inuyasha," she said softly, a small part of her sorrow penetrating the monotone voice she spoke in, then turned and bolted from the clearing.

The hanyou stood rigid as he stared after her retreating form, his clawed hand still touching the red mark that was already starting to face. The pain was long gone, but the initial shock didn't wear off as easily.

"You… you idiot!" Miroku's furious voice rang out through the forest as he regained his composure. A loud 'THUMP' was heard as he hit the surprised demon over the head with his staff. "I can't believe you said that to Kagome-sama! How could you be so cruel?"

The hanyou rubbed his head and shot a glare at the offending monk, but his response was interrupted by and angry Shippou latching onto his head and tugging at his ears. "You stupid jerk! You hurt Kagome again!"

Quickly becoming fed up with his two aggressors, Inuyasha plucked Shippou from his head and threw him at Miroku with a snarl. Miroku caught the young kitsune, but cast a cold glare in Inuyasha's direction.

"Shut up!" the white-haired demon yelled, clenching a fist and waving it towards them threateningly. They both fell silent, but neither ceased glowering at Inuyasha. Shippou was on the verge of tears over the loss of his surrogate mother, who's statement about not coming back hadn't been lost on him.

Miroku had never been so angry in his life, even in his fights with Naraku. He seriously considered sucking up the overly arrogant hanyou into his air void, but then all their chances to bring Kagome back would surely be lost.

"I can't believe you, Inuyasha," the priest said finally, startling the demon out of his thoughts. "Kagome-sama only wanted to show you that she cared, and you thank her by crushing her heart and throwing her kindness back in her face?" His violet eyes narrowed, and his grip on his staff tightened. "You're more of a monster than Naraku."

That last sentence stung. A lot. Mostly because Inuyasha knew that no matter how much he tried to deny it, it was true. Guilt and shame tore at his heart, and he had to turn away to hide his expression from Miroku and Shippou. "Feh. I don't need this," he said finally, and without warning, he took off into the trees above.

As much as he tried to convince himself that it wasn't his fault, he knew it was. He'd gone too far this time, and pushed Kagome over the edge. Perhaps even beyond the limits of forgiveness… and he had no one to blame but himself.

After a good long run through the forest, Inuyasha sighed as he sat down next to the Goshinboku and leaned against its enormous trunk. He stared into the now empty clearing, where the remains of Kagome's gift lay scattered in the dirt. Miroku and Shippou were long gone, and Inuyasha was willing to bet they had told Sango and Kaede what had happened by now. He cringed at the thought of having to face the taijiya's wrath.

Something shiny caught his eye, and he glanced downwards to see the jewel shards and small pieces of glass from the shattered vial scattered and half buried in the dirt. He winced, remembering Kagome's farewell before she threw the shards and ran. Was she really planning on never coming back?

The thought made Inuyasha's heart ache. He knew he loved her, but he wasn't willing to admit it to anyone. It was true that he had once loved Kikyou, but he never felt as strongly for her as he did for Kagome.

He clenched his fist tightly, not noticing or caring when his own claws drew blood from his palm. Why did he have to be such a jerk to her? Whenever she was around, he didn't seem to be in control of his own words. He wished that he could have told her how good she smelled or how pretty she was, instead of spitting at her that Kikyou was better company. What was wrong with him? Couldn't he, just for once in his life, say something nice?

Inhaling deeply, he strained to pick up the remains of her intoxicating scent, hoping it would bring it comfort as it always did. Instead, though, he smelled tears and sadness, and it only made him feel worse. "Kagome…" he whispered softly, looking off in the direction of the Bone Eater's well.

His mind made up, he stood and took off towards the well, debating with himself what he would say to apologize. He was well aware that he had hurt her deeply this time, and could only hope she would forgive him. He didn't deserve it, but she had already forgiven him more times than he could count. Silently, he made a vow to himself not to hurt her again as he leapt into the mouth of the well and was engulfed by a blinding blue light.

Kagome lay motionless on her bed in the dark, staring blankly at the ceiling. Occasionally, her eyes would sting with tears again, and she'd roll over and have a good long cry. Inuyasha's words had hurt worse than anything he'd said in the past, and reminded her all over again that she was only a replacement… a shard detector, who wasn't wanted for any other purpose than her sight for the cursed jewel. She felt her eyes sting again, and a choked sob escaped her before she buried her face in her pillow.

Why him, of all people? Why did she have to fall in love with him? He made it perfectly clear that she had no place in his heart, even as a friend. She stifled the urge to cry out in complete agony, and pressed her face further into her pillow. She was useless, weak, cowardly, ugly and stupid in his eyes, and no matter what she did, his opinion wouldn't change.

Tears stained the already wet fabric of the pillow as she cried, and she shut her eyes tightly and clung to her blanket. He didn't care… he never did, and he never would. It was always Kikyou to him. A soft whimper escaped her lips before she could prevent it, and she curled up and wrapped her blanket around herself, staring at the wall as more tears dropped onto the sheets.

It was dark by the time Inuyasha finally worked up the courage to go see her, and he finally decided on what he would say to her. He leapt up and perched himself on the tree outside her window, looking into the dark room that he knew Kagome was in. His golden eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness, and his breath caught in his throat at what he saw.

The sight of Kagome, broken and crying on her bed, crushed his already wounded heart. His canine ears twitched as he picked up her soft sobs and sniffles, and the salty scent of her tears reached his sensitive nose. Deciding he couldn't stand seeing her suffer anymore, he reached over and eased the window open, slipping inside.

Kagome failed to notice him, too wrapped up in her pain and tears. A soft touch on her back abruptly brought her back to her senses, and she jerked back in surprise, sitting up quickly. She was greeted with a pair of slitted golden eyes staring back at her, and she sighed softly and glared back at him, hurriedly wiping away her tears.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Inuyasha said softly, tenderly brushing a tear away with his thumb and cupping her cheek. Surprised at his sudden gentleness, but not forgetting that she was still mad at him, she drew back from his touch and looked away. 'Probably just being nice to get me to come back and help him find the shards,' she thought bitterly.

Inuyasha sighed and dropped his hand, sitting down on the bed beside her and staring at the floor. He fidgeted uncomfortably, and Kagome started to wonder what was making him so nervous.

"I'm sorry, Kagome," he said finally, disrupting the uneasy silence that had settled in the dark room. He raised his eyes to meet her startled gaze, and he inwardly winced at the sight of her tear-stained face.

"I never meant to hurt you," he continued hesitantly. "I-"

"Don't lie to me, Inuyasha," Kagome interrupted, her saddened gaze lowering to the floor before she closed her eyes. "You've done this to me too many times to say that you don't mean in. I can't take it anymore. Please… just go…" Her voice wavered slightly and her face crumpled, but she turned away from him before he could say anything. She lay back down on her stomach and hugged her pillow, and Inuyasha could smell fresh tears coming from her limp form.

"Kagome…" he started softly, reaching over to rub her back gently. She didn't respond. "Kagome, listen to me," he said, running his hand up and down her back comfortingly. Again, she didn't respond, but he could tell from her slowed breathing that she was listening.

"I did mean what I said Kagome, and I am sorry." He shifted his position on her bed and gently rolled her onto her back. He brushed a few strands of raven colored hair away from her face and burrowed his arms under her waist, lifting her up a little bit to hug her. Shocked beyond words, Kagome hesitantly returned the embrace, putting her arms loosely around his shoulders.

Nosing her hair aside and inhaling her scent deeply, he ran a clawed hand up and down her back soothingly, feeling her relax slightly against him. "I know I've hurt you a lot in the past," he felt her stiffen a bit, and gently nuzzled the side of her head to reassure her, "and for that I'm sorry too. I don't think I deserve your forgiveness, but if you could find it in your heart to give me another chance, I won't hurt you again," he finished.

He felt her go rigid in his arms again, and wondered what he had done to upset her this time. She pushed him back gently, and he reluctantly loosened his hold on her, but only enough to see her face.

"I forgive you, Inuyasha… but… don't make promises you can't keep," she said quietly, looking away.

"What makes you think I can't keep it?" Inuyasha asked with a slightly hurt expression. "You don't believe that I don't want to hurt you?"

Kagome bit her lip. "It's not that… it's just…"

"Kikyou?" he finished for her.

Surprised at his sudden forwardness over the usually touchy subject of the dead miko, Kagome nodded, falling silent once more.

The hanyou sighed softly and tightened his hold on her waist, raising his other hand to touch the side of her face gently. "Kagome, look at me," he commanded softly.

Obediently, she raised her blue-gray eyes to meet his, and the hanyou's breath caught involuntarily as he looked into her eyes. The dim moonlight shone over her tear-filled eyes and made them sparkle in the darkness, and Inuyasha struggled to keep his thoughts on what he was going to say to her. 'Gods, she's beautiful,' he thought to himself, leaning down to kiss away a lone tear that made its way down her cheek.

Stunned by his affection and tenderness, Kagome could only stare back at him, wondering what in the world could have gotten into him. She considered asking him if he had a fever, but decided against it when she thought of what his angry reaction would be. Not that she was complaining this sudden change of heart, mind you…

"It is true that I did love Kikyou once," he was saying, stroking her face gently with his thumb, careful to keep his claws away from her skin. At seeing her downcast expression, he hurried to finish. "But Kikyou is gone now, and I don't think I ever loved her half as much as… as I love you," he finished awkwardly, staring into Kagome's now shocked and hopeful-looking gaze.

"Do you… do you really mean that?" she asked softly, almost afraid of the possibility that it might not be true.

He nodded. "Hai… aishiteru, Kagome," he repeated softly, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck and hugging her tightly. He kissed her neck and breathed in her scent with a content growl as her arms tightened around his shoulders.

Kagome smiled happily and hugged him for all she was worth, resting her cheek on his shoulder as she spoke in a soft whisper. "I love you too, Inuyasha…"

He pulled back a bit to look at her with a startled expression, and Kagome almost laughed at his baffled look. "What? Is it really that hard to believe, dog-boy?" she asked playfully, giving in to the urge to stroke one of his fuzzy ears.

Inuyasha smiled and leaned into her touch, closing his eyes and letting out a content purring sound within his chest. Kagome giggled at his reaction and moved her hand down to scratch at the base of his ear, suppressing the urge to laugh out loud or coo, "awwwww," as he nuzzled his head into her hand.

After a few minutes, Inuyasha opened his eyes and gently took her hand from his ear, lifting it to his lips to press a tender kiss to her palm. A sharp intake of breath signaled Kagome's stunned reaction, and he smiled lovingly down at her surprised face.

Finally regaining her composure, Kagome returned the smile and blushed. She didn't think she'd ever get used to this side of Inuyasha, and wasn't sure she wanted to. She'd take this tenderness for granted, and it wouldn't be as special. It was hard to believe that this was the same arrogant, inconsiderate and conceited jerk that had called her ugly, useless and pathetic, as well as having tried to kill her.

She almost smiled at the memory. Though it seemed so long ago, it had only been a year at most. She fingered the prayer beads around his neck, and an idea surfaced in her mind. Raising both hands to grasp the rosary, she began to lift it over his head, but was stopped when Inuyasha placed his hands on her arms.

"What are you doing?" he breathed, eyeing her curiously.

"I'm releasing you," Kagome answered with a smile. "I trust you. You don't need to be collared, and you deserve freedom." She began to lift it again, only to be stopped by Inuyasha's hands once more as he pushed her arms back down. Kagome looked at him in utter confusion.

"Don't," he said softly, his fingers absently stroking the bare skin where he held her arms. "It's a symbol that I belong to you, if nothing else. My heart is yours, Kagome, and nothing will ever change that."

Shocked and touched by his words, she released the beads and raised her eyes to meet his intense gaze. He only smiled and lowered both hands to the sides of her face, leaning down until his lips met hers.

Kagome started again, but quickly melted into the kiss, unconsciously sliding her arms around his neck to pull him closer. His lips caressed hers softly as he leaned forward to deepen the kiss, sliding one hand down to her neck to pull her closer to him, while the other wrapped tightly around her waist.

His hand absently stroked her side where he held her waist, gently nipping her lips for permission before she opened her mouth under his, allowing his tongue to explore. Kagome ran her hands through his long silver mane, pausing at the triangular canine ears on his head. Inuyasha moaned softly and deepened the kiss as he felt her rub his ears, lost in a world of bliss and ecstasy as he tasted her mouth. His hand massaged her sides as he kissed and nipped gently at her neck, and she continues rubbing at the base of his ears after she caught her breath from the kiss. She almost giggles as she felt him purr against her skin, and he leaned further down to kiss her collarbone tenderly.

Once satisfied with his treatment to her collarbone, he trailed feather-light kisses up her neck and jawline, then caught her mouth again with his. His clawed hands moved to stoke her back under her shirt, turning his head to deepen the kiss and holding her tighter when he felt her respond.

Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck once again to pull him closer, one hand running through his soft hair as she pressed herself closer to him.

Finally breaking the kiss once more, though reluctantly, to let her breathe, Inuyasha smiled down at her and kissed her forehead. Kagome returned his smile and tried to stifle a yawn, but the ever-watchful hanyou caught it anyway.

"You should get some sleep…" he said softly, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand.

Kagome sighed, but nodded in agreement and leaned back on to her pillow. She caught his arms as he started to move away and looked at him hopefully. "Stay with me?" she asked pleadingly.

He paused at the unexpected question, then smiled and nodded his consent. He shrugged out of his fire-rat haori and slipped off his white gi, leaving him in only his hakama as he lay down beside her. Facing her back, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into the curve of his body. He buried his face in her hair and breathed in her scent, absently pressing a kiss to the back of her neck.

Kagome sighed in contentment, snuggling further into his warm embrace.

"Inuyasha?" she asked softly.

"Hmmm?" he answered, his warm breath tickling her neck.

Kagome blushed slightly, fidgeting with slight embarrassment about her question. "Ano… could you say it again? That you love me? Just so I know it wasn't a dream…"

She could have sworn she felt him smile against her neck, and his arm tightened around her. "I love you, Kagome. More than life."

Kagome smiled and closed her eyes, half asleep as she murmured her next words. "And you'll stay with me..?"

Inuyasha nuzzled her head lovingly, brushing away some of the stray strands of hair from her face. "Aa. Until my dying day, Kagome." Another small smile found its way onto his lips. "My Kagome…"

After a few minutes he heard her breathing grow heavy and even, and knew she was asleep. He pressed himself closer to her, golden eyes half-lidded in his own exhaustion. Her scent lulled him into unconsciousness, but he murmured something softly before drifting off into darkness.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Kagome… aishiteru."

Author's Note: How was it? ^-^ That was my first fanfic ever. I'm working on a bunch of them right now, but this was the shortest and easiest to type XD; Even though it's really not that short. Please review if you want me to do more! I've love any kind of input you have to give me! -Keiimaru