"Look wench, you can't go home!" a harsh voice cried back. "I won't let you!"

In the foliage, a monk, a demon-slayer, and a small fox-child were hiding and watching the spectacle enjoyably. Suddenly, noticing Kagome's sweet face and the new tone of voice, the group collectively cringed.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked sweetly, with the puppy-dog eyes and all.

"Wh-what?" He stepped back hesitantly.

"OSUWARI!" she shouted. She stepped aside as the hanyou was thrown to the ground by an invisible weight. "I'm going home! I can't be here anymore! You're driving me INSANE!" She turned and ran off, deeper into the forest.

Inuyasha lay on the ground swearing vehemently to the dirt. He lay there for a few minutes fuming over the fourth 'sit' he had gotten that day alone. He was having a bad day. First Kikyo had tried to drag him to hell again, than he'd kissed her, than, to make matters worse, Kagome had seen it all. She'd been pissed off ever since. The sun was going down on this crappy day, he would soon make it to his post in the tree and he would sleep and then he would tell Kagome what was up, but not before she apologized before going back to her time!

Meanwhile, Miroku the monk, Sango the demon-slayer, and Shippo the young kitsune shook their collective heads at the stubborn hanyou. The three knew that Inuyasha would be pouting for the next few days. But, eventually Kagome would come back, the hanyou would be his arrogant self and things would be back to normal. They had to work out that way. If they didn't, then what would these three do?

While the three waited in the bushes, a furious Inuyasha jumped up and shouted, "She's gonna come back here right now and apologize for that damn sit! I'll make her! The damn wench!" He turned his angered amber eyes in the direction of the three nervous eavesdroppers and flexed his claws threateningly. He jumped into the trees using his full hanyou powers.

He let her make it to the Bone Eaters well before he jumped down in front of her and perched himself precariously on the edge. Inuyasha looked daggers into the girl, who equally looked them back.

"You can't go home, wench!" Inuyasha was furious. He looked over Kagome's shoulder as he heard the rustle of undergrowth. He heard and smelt the three eavesdroppers as they froze in fear.

"What do you mean?" She asked coldly, her voice wavering with her anger.

"Come here," he whispered softly, barely loud enough for her to hear.

She stepped closer interested because he didn't sound mad at all, although he had been fuming seconds earlier. She was curious why he wanted her near him, to protect him from the 'osuwari' she never neglected to hold in, if he deserved it?

She was swept up into his strong arms and felt the ground beneath her feet falling away, he was leaping into the trees that was his private sanctuary. She knew exactly where he was going too. He was going to the God Tree, where they had first met, where he slept when they were near the village and where he waited impatiently for her to come back through the well. His tree.

"Inuyasha?" She asked it quietly, a little breathlessly too.

"Shut up," he said it harshly, no sound in his voice that he was leaping through the trees with a human in his arms. Silently, she marveled at his unfailing strength.

She snuggled closer to the stubborn hanyou. If he wasn't going to talk to her, she would do whatever necessary to throw him off his arrogant stride. She couldn't shout 'osuwari' at him because he would go down on top of her. But, ta-da! Snuggling worked like a charm. She felt him tense up a lot and could feel him slow down a little tiny bit. Not much, but enough that she could feel it.

Above Kagome's head, Inuyasha was a lovely shade of embarrassment. His cheeks had gone pink the moment she couldn't see him. He had turned an even brighter pink as she began to snuggle even closer to his body. Could this be pride? Pride that Kagome wanted to be near him? His stubborn attitude had not pushed Kagome away as he had feared!

"?"

"Shut up," she whispered.

While Inuyasha tried to get over the fact that Kagome was still near him, snuggling him, he was trying to brace himself that for the many 'sits' that were sure to come upon his poor body. Kagome, thinking similarly, was trying to ignore how nice it felt to be next to the hanyou, how wonderfully fresh he smelled, how he was so strong, how he was so arrogant. How he would undoubtedly return to that miko and then forget about ! She couldn't think about that! He never meant anything about it, did he? But it had to. After all, he kept going back to had to stop thinking about that. Instead, she would think about all the 'sits' that Inuyasha had just earned himself.

Kagome nearly fell when he sat down in the God Tree. He caught her and called her a clumsy wench (of course, such a sensitive hanyou and all).

She almost shouted the sacred word but realized that they shared the same branch, she would be thrown to the ground with him.

'Damn it all,' she thought. 'He just had to pick high branch, didn't he?'

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked quietly.

"What?" she snapped quickly.

"Why do you hate me?" he whispered.

"What?" she repeated dumbly. "Did you just ask me why I hate you?"

"Yeah." His face was as red as his haori.

"I don't hate you." She started to blush furiously. "I just it when I when I know your with Kikyo. I can't stand it!"

"Why?" He was just a child. He didn't know any better, right? Right?

"Because, Inuyasha," how she loved to say his name! "Because hurts." She turned to look at the ground far away below her.

"You're-you're hurt when I'm hurt when I'm with Kikyo? Why?"

He needed everything explained to him. She wanted to tell him how exhausting he was, but she remembered the last time she had said that. He wasn't normal until he had been in a fight and protected her, which she was grateful for. Why couldn't he make anything easy?

"Inuyasha, let me down to the ground," she whispered quietly.

"Why do I hurt you?" he pressed.

"Because you do! Because I love you," she whispered. "Because if my being with you means that I have to watch you run off with Kikyo, I'd rather be at home, away from you." She started to cry.

"You love me?" Inuyasha asked incredulously.

"Of course I do, stupid. If I didn't, why do you think I keep coming back to the feudal era? I mean, I feel bad about the Shikon no Tama, but, its also to see you more, so I can learn more about you. But I can't do it anymore. I can't keep coming back here to find that you want to be with Kikyo. I can't do it anymore Inuyasha!" Kagome's feeble flow of tears turned into a river as she bared her soul to him.

Numbly, Inuyasha gathered her into his arms. How had his mom comforted him? She would gather him into her arms, stroke his smooth, silver hair, and kiss his forehead. Inuyasha gently stroked her raven hair, but decided that a kiss would be awkward.

Kagome leaned against Inuyasha, feeling stupid for baring her soul to the hanyou. He hugged her, and stroked her hair lovingly, but was it Kikyo or Kagome that he was holding? Did he really mean to hug Kagome? Why was she plagued by so many questions?

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked shyly.

"What?" she has her face hidden in his haori, her answer was barely audible to any but Inuyasha.

"Look at me," he commanded.

She looked up at him, not bothering to wipe the away the tears that flowed freely from her eyes. It didn't matter though, his claws came up and gently wiped away her tears. A shiver went through her body at his gentle touch. She could see the hurt in his beautiful amber eyes, and the want too. She moved her face back to his haori and hid it.

"Kagome, look at me, please." His voice was so pleading and sincere, that even the rocks would have obeyed him, had they been able.

Kagome couldn't help but look up at him. She looked up and saw how sad he looked. His cute dog ears lying against his skull and his eyes were so large. She wanted to make him look anything but like this. She was frozen as his face moved slower to hers, attempting to lightly kiss her.

"Hey! Dog-face!" A harsh voice called into the trees.

"What do you want, you mangy wolf!" Inuyasha shouted back.

"What are you doing to my woman?"

"Kouga, is that you?" Kagome yelled down.

"Of course, my love! Don't let that stupid mutt touch you. You are MY woman, ya know!" Kouga shouted at Kagome.

Kagome clutched Inuyasha as he prepared to jump down from the tree. Inuyasha turned his face to her hair and inhaled the sweetness that was Kagome's essential scent. Inuyasha leapt down out of the tree and landed in front of Kouga, the wolf-demon.

"What do you mean, 'your woman'?" Inuyasha growled dangerously.

"I mean, I've already claimed her. She's my woman." Kouga exclaimed grabbing Kagome's hands.

"I think you need to go away before you get hurt. Kagome can't be your woman. Sh-she's m-m-my woman!" Inuyasha truthfully admitted.

Kagome's heart fluttered. No way! He had just called me his woman! I'm his woman! She thought as she sank into darkness.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha cried. He shoved the stunned wolf-demon out of the way and caught her falling body. He snarled at Kouga, pulled Kagome close, and leapt off towards the village.

Kouga, still in shock, fell to the ground as Sango, Miroku, and Shippo came striding out of the forest. Sango was pink in her face and Shippo was riding on her shoulder shaking his little head. Miroku, however, was very pleased looking, although he was sporting a bright red handprint across his cheek.

"Kouga!" the small kitsune exclaimed.

Sango gave Miroku a dark look, they exchanged knowledge, and a threat.

"Where are Inuyasha and Lady Kagome?"

"Kouga?" Sango asked delicately after a few minutes.

"I'm gonna kill that dog-breathed, no good, lousy mutt!" Kouga managed.

"Where did Inuyasha and Kagome go?" Sango asked softly.

Kouga looked sadly in the direction of the village. Sango looked at Miroku and nodded.

Inuyasha, it seemed, had taken Kagome to Kaede's village for privacy. But, if that was true, then why was Kouga so depressed in the middle of the forest?

Kouga stood up slowly and began to walk toward his lair, the opposite direction of the village. The monk, demon-slayer, and kitsune, however, turned and headed to the village.

* * * * * *

"Kaede, you old wench! Come over here and make her wake up! She just fell asleep, I can't get her to wake up!" Inuyasha's voice was angry, but a little desperate as well.

"Inuyasha, ye have to wait. Ye can not wake the sleeping child, she is fine. She will wake when she is ready."

"But! But she had to wake up now!" Inuyasha was shouting. He felt like roaring. The last time someone he had loved had fainted, he had been pinned to a tree. She had fainted and died in front of him. He could smell her dying. He had hated it, hated her. She had left him alone and stuck to a tree. Then Kagome had come along, she had woken him up and filled the empty spot he hadn't known about until Kagome had come along.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome's voice floated softly to his ears.

"Eh? You're finally awake? Stupid wench, faintin' on me and shit," he said quietly.

"Inuyasha, did you mean it when you said I was your woman?" Kagome raised herself off the hut's floor and looked sheepishly at the hanyou's tense form.

"Kagome." he started.

She cut him off. "Inuyasha! I love you too! Thank you so much!" She began to cry again.

"Keh! Why are you crying?" he was worried and tensed. What if she was hurt?

"Because I want to!" She laughed through the tears.

Inuyasha relaxed. These weren't the sad tears from earlier. These were different. Happy.

"Kaede!" Kagome exclaimed surprised as Inuyasha jumped three feet off the floor. Kagome had distracted him with her tears and he had missed Kaede entering the room until she had placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ye are awake. Just as I told ye, eh, hanyou?" she said amusedly.

"Yeah, you stupid old wench."

"Kaede, can you give us a few minutes? And could you keep the others out until we come out?"

"Aye," Kaede said as she shuffled out the door.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome scooted over and patted the area she had just vacated. "Come sit with me."

Inuyasha fell to the floor as the rosary pulled him down forcefully. He cursed and when he could get up, Inuyasha stalked over to Kagome and plopped down beside her. She scooted closer to him and leaned against his arm. Although he was pissed off with her, he instinctively, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Inuyasha wanted to kiss her. He had been so close in the forest and then that damn Kouga had come and ruined it! He wanted to try again, but wasn't sure how Kagome would feel about it. Inuyasha looked down his arm and looked straight into her chocolate-brown eyes. 'What pretty eyes.' He thought.

Kagome could feel the desire for him to just kiss her welling up inside of her. She felt herself blush as he stared into her eyes and began to move closer to her face. Unsure, he hesitated inches above her. He didn't want Kouga to ruin this perfect moment between them again. He closed his amber eyes closed and he quickly pressed his lips to hers and kissed her. He broke it off quickly, not wanting to force himself on Kagome. He looked away from her, turning red enough to match his haori.

She sat in a stunned silence. She realized why he had pulled away so quickly, and before she could stop herself, turned to face the hanyou. Kagome looked into his gorgeous amber eyes, reached up to tweak an ear, and pushed her lips against his. His arms came up to hug her and she melted into his embrace, inhaling the sweet earthy smell that was Inuyasha. She reveled in one single, simple thought, all doubts now dashed from her mind.

'He's mine! He chose me!' she thought excitedly.

Similarly, Inuyasha thought, 'She forgave me my stupid arrogant pride! She'll forget Kikyo, and if she stays here, I'll forget Kikyo too, Kagome'll help me. She's mine!'

^_^, and