A/N: Well, it’s been a while, but I decided to go ahead and write a fluffy little second part to Osuwari after all, since that was my original plan anyway. Obviously, if you think it would ruin the story, you don’t have to read it.

Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha.

Osuwari: Part 2

Kagome couldn’t stop laughing. Everything was beautiful to her eyes: the cool green shadows of the forest, the tiny blue and brown birds that were darting through the emerald leaves, Sango’s blushing smile as she responded to something Miroku said, Miroku’s easy laughter, Shippou’s kitsune antics, Kirara’s amused purr as she rode on Sango’s shoulder, Inuyasha… everything about Inuyasha…. She caught him looking at her every once in a while as they traveled, sometimes with bewilderment, sometimes with a shy echo of her own happiness, and once with something that took her breath away but was gone so quickly she was sure she had imagined it.

She felt so happy that she was simply unable to contain it. She was giddy with joy and relief and understanding, and it bubbled out of her, uncontrollably. She wanted to dance and sing as they traveled; and finally she gave into the impulse, lifting her clear voice in one of her favorite songs.

“What has gotten into her?” she overheard Miroku say in an amused low voice to Sango.

Sango shrugged. “Maybe she got possessed by a happiness demon?” she said wryly.

Miroku cast a sly look at Kagome, and winked. “You know, Sango,” he said more loudly. “I should like to hear you sing for us as well.”

“Oh!” exclaimed Sango, blushing, and Kagome giggled as she watched her friend scrambling for an excuse. “But…I don’t know any of Kagome-chan’s songs!”

Instantly Kagome changed her song to a common traveler’s tune of that time. Sango looked helplessly at Kagome, and Kagome grinned so broadly at her she thought her jaw might crack. Then Sango glared at Miroku, but he only nudged her and grinned. “Go on then,” he said.

Sango rolled her eyes and joined in. Her voice was a lower, richer alto than Kagome’s sweet soprano, and their voices blended together beautifully, creating a harmony that wiped the smug expression from Miroku’s face and turned it into one of slow wonder. Kagome wanted to see Inuyasha’s face as well, but when she turned to see him—he had been bringing up the rear of the group for some time now—he was nowhere to be found.

Her song faltered. “Inuyasha?” she called, looking around.

“Here, wench,” he replied, leaping down from a tree to land at her side. Kagome yelped in surprise, but when she turned to scold him for scaring her, the miserable expression on his face as he looked pointedly away from her sent all of those thoughts flying out of her head.

Inuyasha, what’s wrong? She wanted to ask. But she knew he wouldn’t tell her. Not now, at least. So instead she took his hand, and squeezed it briefly, smiling at him. He glowered at her weakly in return. “Sing with us, Inuyasha!” she suggested wickedly, her joyful mood undaunted.

They suddenly had the undivided attention of the other four members of their group.

“Keh,” Inuyasha said roughly, blushing, as he pulled his hand out of hers and crossed his arms in his sleeves. “I don’t sing. Ask the bouzo there instead.”

Sango laughed and started singing again. Miroku grinned and joined in. His voice was a little coarse, but he sang with perfect pitch. Kagome smiled at Inuyasha, and for a moment his eyes seized hers, as if willing her to understand something…what? She was going to ask him, but then Shippou interrupted by leaping onto Kagome’s shoulder and chattering about something he had found along the trail. Kagome smiled apologetically at Inuyasha, but he had already started walking again.

She looked up at the canopy of leaves and branches above them, and inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh clean air of the Sengoku Jidai. Filling her lungs with it, she exhaled slowly. She would ask Inuyasha what was bothering him as soon as she got the chance to talk to him alone.

If she had been so blind about Inuyasha’s past, what else could she be ignorant of?

Sometime during mid-afternoon they came upon a large clearing filled with wildflowers. Just beyond the trees at the far end was the sound of running water. “Oh!” Kagome squealed in delight. “Let’s camp here!”

“We still have several hours before nightfall,” Miroku observed. “If we wait until then to stop, we could probably make it to the village with the bear demon problem in two days instead of three.”

They all looked at Inuyasha. “Keh,” he said, looking away. “She’ll just complain the whole time if we don’t stop.”

Kagome threw her arms around him for a quick spontaneous hug before she twirled away. “Thanks Inuyasha,” she called over her shoulder, laughing at the stunned expression on his face, and then picked Shippou up and tickled him. He squealed, and soon a full-fledged game of tag was in progress—actually, it was more Shippou trying to catch Kagome as she danced about him, leading him in a merry chase up and down the low rises. Kirara joined in in her untransformed state, pouncing at Shippou’s tail or Kagome’s feet, whichever came nearer to her.

Kagome kept sneaking glances at Inuyasha, who sat alone now on a low hill, watching her. After realizing how fragile, how unlikely their relationship was, she savored every moment she could spend with him, near him.

Don’t you see, I love you.

And it was almost enough.

But no matter what she did, she could not erase the sadness lurking behind Inuyasha’s eyes.

After they set up camp and night began to fall, Miroku occupied Shippou with some kind of game, while Sango sat next to Kirara near the fire, polishing Hiraikotsu, and Kagome finally had a chance to speak to Inuyasha alone.

He was sitting in his customary tree just outside the reach of the firelight, mostly hidden by the leaves. “Inuyasha?” Kagome called out quietly, craning her neck. There was a slight movement in the shadows above her, and a pair of yellow eyes glinted down at her out of the darkness. “Can I talk to you?”

“Keh.”

For a second she thought he was just going to stay up there, but then he reluctantly swung off the branch and dropped to the ground next to her. He looked away, not meeting her eyes, and Kagome frowned. “Inuyasha—“ she paused and glanced over at the small group around the campfire. Four faces looked hastily away, wearing suspiciously identical expressions of innocence. Kagome pursed her lips.

“Let’s go somewhere more private, ok?”

The words had barely left her mouth when she found herself scooped up without warning and borne at top speed through the woods. Unable to see where she was going, Kagome bit her lip and buried her face in Inuyasha’s chest, her knuckles turning white as she gripped his haori.

Suddenly the wind stopped whipping her hair in her face, and her feet touched solid ground once more. Kagome swayed, breathless, her heart pounding, coming out of her shocked daze to find that he had brought them down to the river. “Baka!” she said, her fists at her sides, as she whirled to glare at Inuyasha. His hands dropped slowly from her shoulders as he took a step back, a dark scowl on his face.

“Don’t scare me like that!” she said half-heartedly, the memory of why she had wanted to talk to him in the first place dampening her anger.

“Keh. It’s not like you can sit me anymore, remember?” he smirked bitterly.

Kagome resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him. Kami he was so frustrating sometimes. She took a deep breath and tried counting to ten. To her surprise, it actually worked.

“Well what is it, wench?” he said impatiently.

Kagome gave him a look, and then sat down on the sandy bank with a sigh. Reaching up she tugged at his sleeve, and he slowly sat down next to her, watching her warily.

“I just wanted to ask you what was bothering you,” she said, hesitatingly, remembering the way he had reacted the last time she had asked him that.

He leapt to his feet. “You dragged me all the way out here to ask me that?” he growled.

Who dragged who? She nearly said, but she had more important things to worry about right now. “Inuyasha, please,” she begged, tugging on his sleeve again. “Look. We’re friends, right? And friends tell each other things. If…if it’s something I’ve done, I want to know how I can make it better.” She talked quickly, trying to placate the irritable hanyou. She needed to prove to him that he could trust her. She needed him to trust her. “Last time… well, it’s hard to be a good friend if you close yourself off all the time.”

He dropped down on the sand next to her, still growling slightly. “Keh. Nothing’s bothering me wench. Besides, last time you would just have sat me if I had told you.”

Watching what she said around Inuyasha was really turning out to be difficult, Kagome mused, as she bit her tongue to keep from asking him exactly why he had been so angry last time. She still wasn’t entirely clear on that. Something about her being fertile (Kagome blushed, earning her a funny look from Inuyasha) and of course her sitting him too much. But was that really all? Perhaps there was something else still lingering.

“Well, like you said, I can’t sit you anymore, can I? Please, Inuyasha.”

“Keh. So you broke the rosary. Big deal.” His mouth thinned, and his eyes hardened. Kagome was reminded of their last fight, except this time he was withdrawing himself from her, becoming colder rather than more volatile.

“You can’t fix everything, Kagome. Nobody’s that powerful. So stop thinking that you can.”

Tears sprang to her eyes, but did not fall. “I know, Inuyasha.” Oh, how she knew. He had already taught her that, unknowingly. “But—“

He cut her off, standing again. “You worry too much, wench. Come on, let’s go back.”

Kagome opened her mouth to protest, and then shut it again, her shoulders sagging. She could tell that this was a battle she was not going to win, at least not tonight. She sighed in disappointment, hurt that he wouldn’t let her in. But she supposed she shouldn’t be surprised. Inuyasha really was an intensely private person, and she couldn’t expect him to just tell her everything he was feeling simply because she asked him to. Maybe if he felt something more than friendship for her… maybe if she was Kikyou… but no, he hadn’t even told Kikyou everything, had he? Kagome had caught a glimpse of his past, but there was still so much she could never fully understand.

A single tear trailed down her face as she nodded in defeat. He frowned, but said nothing, only turned and started to walk back towards camp. Inuyasha, she thought, looking after him, if I could heal all your wounds, I would. She jumped up to catch up to him before she lost him in the shadows.

“Inuyasha?” she finally asked, unable to stand the strained silence that had fallen between them. “Can I ask you a question?”

He gave her a sidelong glance, and grunted. “Can’t promise I’ll answer,” he said coolly.

Fair enough. “Um,” she hesitated, realizing that she didn’t really have anything to say. She seized on the first coherent question that came to her mind. It was one that she had been wondering about for a while, in any case. “What did Sesshoumaru want with you, anyway? Sango said he might be testing you?”

“Testing me?” he snorted. “The bastard just wants to kill me and take Tetsusaiga.”

“But Sango said it looked like—“

“No, Sango’s right, in a way.” Inuyasha fell silent for a moment, and then, to Kagome’s surprise, started talking again. “He does that the same day every year. It’s his twisted way of fulfilling… his obligations.” He sneered. “Bastard’s convinced himself that if he can defeat me on my terms that he’ll be worthy of Tetsusaiga.”

Kagome blinked, puzzledly. His explanation raised more questions for her than it answered. “What do you mean by obligations?” she asked cautiously, sensing that she was treading on dangerous ground.

She did not miss the flash of old pain in Inuyasha’s eyes. “The obligations of blood,” he said simply. “His duty as my…brother. When he came to see me after Mother died, he told me that Father made him promise to make sure I grew up strong, or some shit like that. So he left me to fend for myself, because that’s the only way a hanyou like me could ever become strong.” Inuyasha grimaced. “Sesshoumaru figures that if he defeats me that it means I’m weak and unworthy of Father’s sword, and that he will have earned the right to take it without breaking his word to Father.”

“But that’s not true!” Kagome said, aghast, and not a little angry. “Your father meant for him to raise and protect you, not abandon and try to kill you!”

“You don’t understand inu youkai, wench,” Inuyasha said evenly. “In ancient times, status in the pack was determined by strength. The weak were cast out or killed. That is why inu youkai are now among the strongest of demons, and why my father was lord of the Western Lands. That single law is still very much a part of what we are. Hell, just being a hanyou automatically makes me weak in the eyes of inu youkai. If I was weak enough to allow Sesshoumaru to kill me, even my father would agree that I have no right to live.”

Kagome stopped and stared at Inuyasha, as he continued to walk on ahead of her. After a moment he realized that she was no longer walking beside him, and he glanced back at her with a raised eyebrow and a carefully blank expression on his face.

She could barely speak around the lump in her throat. “That’s so stupid!” she said, and burst into tears. Inuyasha’s eyes widened, and he took a step towards her, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

“It’s…not…fair!” she wailed in between sobs she was completely incapable of holding in. “Strength isn’t all about…beating people up! You’re…the strongest….person…I know!” She was furious, furious at Sesshoumaru for abandoning Inuyasha, furious at Inuyasha for even thinking that there was any justice behind Sesshoumaru’s reasoning.

Inuyasha flushed, and scowled at her. “Stop crying, wench. There’s nothing for you to cry about.”

With a huge effort, Kagome managed to rein herself in, though she simply could not uncurl her fists. She wanted to hurt Sesshoumaru for hurting Inuyasha like this.

Then she was struck by a mental image of her kicking Sesshoumaru’s shins and yelling while the youkai stared down at her with his usual impassive gaze, and a wry smile tugged at her lips despite the wetness on her cheeks.

“I don’t even know why I bothered telling you that,” Inuyasha muttered darkly, as he turned back around and continued to stalk off in the direction of camp.

Kagome blinked. He had opened up to her like she had asked, hadn’t he? Even if it wasn’t about what she had originally wanted to know. Maybe he was actually taking what she had said about being friends seriously. Her heart warmed a little bit, and she wiped off her face and sniffled before scrambling to catch up to him again. So was that why he was so antsy that day? Because he knew Sesshoumaru was coming? I can’t believe that jerk would abandon his five-year-old brother like that! Keh!

Suddenly Inuyasha disappeared from her side, and Kagome just caught a glimpse of red as he vanished into the trees above them. Where is he going? She thought bemusedly, and then she saw the familiar group around the campfire. They had returned to camp without her even realizing it.

“Ah!” said Miroku, grinning widely at her. “She returns! Did you two have a nice…talk?”

“Houshi!” Sango hissed angrily at him from across the fire.

Kagome just sighed and sat down between her two friends, staring pensively into the flames.

“Kagome, I’m tired,” Shippou whined, and yawned.

“We should all get some rest,” Miroku observed, smiling fondly at the little kitsune. “We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”

Sango nodded in agreement, and began to prepare her bedding a careful distance away from where the monk was doing the same thing.

“Kagome…” Shippou whined again. Coming out of her reverie, Kagome picked the sleepy-eyed kitsune up and put him in her lap. “Can you tell me a story?” he asked, making himself comfortable and giving her his best pleading pout.

Kagome shook her head, smiling. “I’ve already told you all my good stories.”

“Can you sing me a song, then?”

“Alright,” she said, giving in. Pulling out her sleeping bag and making them both comfortable, she began, the tune springing naturally to her lips.

There’s a faraway land

Where your true love waits for you…

As neared the end of the song, she heard a small noise, and looked up. At the edge of the clearing stood Inuyasha, watching her with that same cold sadness she had seen earlier. Her gaze met his for a split second, and then he abruptly turned away and trudged into the forest.

Kagome wanted to run after him, but she firmly reminded herself that he needed his privacy. Inuyasha… she thought, watching the silver and red of his form fade into shadow. I will always wait for you.

She hummed the last few notes, and looked down at the sleeping kit in her lap. If she and Inuyasha had not taken him in, would he have turned out like Inuyasha? He was a full youkai, so perhaps he would have found a welcoming home. Or perhaps not. Perhaps he would have died…

Kagome hugged Shippou tightly, almost desperately, and he stirred and murmured in his sleep. Inuyasha may have had to grow up alone, but we will make sure that does not happen to you, Shippou, she silently vowed. Laying him down, she curled herself protectively around him and allowed herself to drift off to sleep, secure in the knowledge that Inuyasha would not go far, at least, and that he would watch over them, always.

She awoke early. The sky was beginning to lighten to a pale blue-gray, though the sun had not yet emerged beyond the eastern hills, and a few bright stars still shone overhead. Sitting up, Kagome looked around at her companions. Shippou had his thumb stuck in his mouth, and Kirara was curled up next to her mistress’s side. Miroku had somehow maneuvered himself closer to Sango during the night, and his hand rested lightly on her hip.

Kagome grinned and looked around for Inuyasha, shivering in the frigid morning air. She did not see him any of the trees, so she stood (carefully, so as not to wake Shippou) and started off in the direction she had last gone. Kirara lifted her head at her movements, and the girl held a finger to her lips for silence. The youkai blinked once and lowered her head again, watching Kagome disappear into the woods.

She did not have far to go. She heard him before she saw him.

“Fuck!” he said in a low harsh voice, and she glimpsed him through the undergrowth, sitting against the trunk of a tree at the edge of a large clearing. He was mostly turned away from her, frowning down at something in his hands. As she watched he leaned forward and grabbed something small off the ground, and then settled back against the tree, hunching his shoulders forward slightly. “Stupid pieces of shit…”

Kagome smiled and walked toward him, curious. He was concentrating so hard on whatever he was doing that—for once—he didn’t sense her until she was only a few meters away. Then his ears shot up, and he whipped his head around to stare narrowly at her, leaping fluidly to his feet in the same motion and stuffing something into his haori.

“What?” he snarled at her, his eyes flashing.

The smile faded from Kagome’s face, and she took one slow step back. “S-sorry,” she stuttered. Hurt welled up in her, and she pressed her lips together. I may understand him a little bit better, but I have my pride too! “I just wanted to see what you were up to, but I guess you’re busy, so I’ll go back now.” She turned on her heel and began to walk back in the direction of camp—only to feel a tug on her sleeve.

“Wait, Kagome,” Inuyasha’s voice said behind her. “I just didn’t expect to see you there, that’s all.”

Kagome decided she might as well accept his typically non-apologetic apology. After all, she couldn’t expect him to start saying “I’m sorry” every time he put a toe out of line, just because he had said it to her once.

Suddenly she wanted to feel his arms around her, embracing her like he did that day on the hill. So overpowering was the urge to lean back into his warmth that she actually swayed where she stood. Quickly, to distract herself, she whirled back around and fixed him with a bright smile. “That’s alright,” she said.

There was an awkward silence.

“Uh, so what were you doing?” she asked, and then bit her lip.

To her surprise, Inuyasha blushed slightly, and looked away. “Nothing,” he muttered.

“Um, ok.”

Silence.

Kagome started to giggle. At first she tried to hold it in, but Inuyasha gave her the funniest look, and she gave up.

“What’s so funny, wench?” he snapped, his blush darkening.

“Hahaha—nothing—hehehe.”

He scowled.

“Haha—you—ha—me—hahahaha—us—I don’t know!”

“Keh.”

Kagome grinned as a small reluctant smile tugged at his lips, and linked her arm through his, tilting her head up to look at him. He glanced down at her, flicked his gaze away, then looked down again, uncertainly. “Inuyasha, I’m really glad—oh no,” she suddenly cut herself off, because she could see, in the distance, a whirlwind moving swiftly toward them. Inuyasha whirled to put himself between Kagome and whatever had made her eyes suddenly widen, his hand on Tetsusaiga’s hilt. A dark look crossed his face.

Why nowKagome thought in exasperation, sighing as her laughter abruptly faded away. Just when she and Inuyasha were starting to get along better, something always had to come along and ruin it.

“Fucking wolf,” he growled, almost too quietly for Kagome to hear. The whirlwind came to a stop, meeting them at the edge of the clearing.

“Oi, mutt, get away from my woman!” Kouga’s voice said as the dust settled, revealing him standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, his blue eyes twinkling.

“Fuck off, Kouga!” Inuyasha snarled, his rumbling growl getting even louder. Kagome could fairly taste the rage rolling off him. It seemed like the wolf youkai was affecting him even more than usual, for some reason.

“Um, hi Kouga,” Kagome said around Inuyasha, purposefully dropping the “kun” she usually addressed him with, not wanting to make Inuyasha any madder than he already was.

Neither of the two males seemed to notice. They were too busy glaring at each other. Suddenly Kouga broke the gaze and smiled winsomely at her.

“Kagome, I thought I smelled your beautiful scent in the area! Have you come to finally be my woman?”

“Get lost, you bastard!” Inuyasha roared, his eyes flashing red as he tried to maneuver himself so that he was completely blocking Kagome from Kouga’s view. “Kagome is not your woman!”

Kouga cast a look of disgust at his rival. “Kagome, aren’t you going to subdue the puppy, so we can leave undisturbed?”

“Hah! She took the rosary off, mangy wolf! That means I’m gonna kick your ass!”

“Hah! Like you could! Besides, Kagome wouldn’t let you. She likes me too much!” Kouga grinned smugly.

Inuyasha snarled, trembling with his anger.

“See?” Kouga said. “You know—“

“Inuyasha.” Kagome cut through what Kouga was saying, and laid a hand on Inuyasha’s arm. His hard muscles rippled with tension—he was wound tight as a drum.

Kagome knew what she had to do. She took a deep breath. Inuyasha was looking at her with a hurt, almost betrayed expression in his eyes. She knew what he expected her to say. He did not trust her, and that hurt, especially knowing that she deserved it. Damn it, she didn’t want them to fight, but she needed to show Inuyasha that she loved him. That he could trust her.

“Just don’t hurt him too bad, okay, Inuyasha?” she murmured, fighting down the tremor in her voice.

Inuyasha blinked, and stared at her, his growl cutting itself off suddenly. Out of the corner of her eye, Kagome saw Kouga staring at her with a similarly dumbstruck expression.

“Kagome?” Inuyasha whispered questioningly.

She smiled at him, at the bemused wonder growing in his eyes. Impulsively she stood, and kissed his smooth cheek. She heard his breath catch slightly, and the sound made her go warm and tingly all over. Just be careful, she wanted to say. Don’t get hurt. But she didn’t. He had his pride.

Resolutely, Kagome walked away, to stand to one side. PLEASE let this work out, she prayed silently. She hoped she wasn’t making a huge mistake.

“Hah!” Inuyasha came out of his daze to smirk arrogantly at the wolf. “See? Kagome wants me to kick your ass too!”

Not exactly, she grimaced to herself, but it was out of her hands now.

“Hah! She just wants me to beat you up for her, since you tricked her into getting rid of the necklace, baka!”

Was it just Kagome, or was Kouga’s heart no longer in his words?

They were standing nose to nose at this point, shouting at each other.

“Oh yeah? I’m the one she kissed, baka!”

Kagome blushed.

“Think of it as a goodbye kiss, dog-crap! It’s not gonna happen again! Kagome’s my woman!”

“Kagome’s mine, you bastard!” Inuyasha snarled vehemently.

Kagome blushed even harder. But she forgot to be embarrassed when Inuyasha swiped at Kouga with his claws, just missing him as the wolf youkai leapt away, and the fight was on.

Oh Kami I can’t watch, she thought, turning away. She hugged herself tightly, as if to keep her rabidly palpitating heart from jumping right out of her chest, trying not to listen to the sound of snarls and thudding blows and trees crashing to the ground.

A tear slipped down her cheek as she bit her lip. This is a mistake, she realized. She only wanted to show Inuyasha that he could trust her—but now someone was going to get hurt, and Kouga would probably hate her guts forever—and only now did she realize that she had subconsciously expected that by clearly aligning her loyalties, they wouldn’t have seen the need to fight. Then she pictured Kouga and Inuyasha bowing to each other repeatedly, apologizing, and she stifled a hysterical sob of laughter by stuffing her fist against her mouth. They wouldn’t really kill each other, though… right?

Kami they are such barbarians!

And I’m such a baka for meddling…

So worried was she that she did not notice when the clearing fell silent. Nor did she notice the nearly soundless footfalls approaching her from behind her.

Arms went suddenly around her, in a warm, enveloping embrace. Kagome inhaled sharply, her heartbeat speeding up rapidly. Then she noticed the loose red sleeves, and a little of the tension immediately flowed out of her.

“Inuyasha?” she whispered, a blush rising to her cheeks.

She heard a low growl near her ear as he leaned forward, pulling her against him, and his nearness made her shiver, the fine hairs on the nape of her neck stirring with his breath. A cascade of silver hair fell over her shoulder, and there was a slight ripping sound. She gasped as she felt something wet and warm on the crook of her neck, where he had torn her shirt. He was licking her. Another shudder of pleasure washed through her, even as her blush darkened. She tried to turn in his arms, but he only tightened them to keep her from moving, his growl rising.

“Mine,” he snarled, and sank his teeth into her shoulder.

It didn’t hurt—well okay it did—but mostly it scared her, and surprised her, and tears sprang to Kagome’s eyes. “Inuyasha…” she whispered, her voice shaking. Gently he withdrew his fangs, and began to lick the spot again, slowly and languorously, with none of the urgency of before. Kagome felt a low rumble growing in his chest again, but it had a pleased sound to it, and it thrummed through her body, setting every nerve afire.

As the pain in her shoulder faded, Kagome felt like she could melt into him, fall away forever, but she had to know. She tried again to turn around, and this time he let her, loosening his grip. Slightly.

She stared up into his deep golden eyes, laced with red, his face so close to her own, his heart beating with hers. She had almost expected him to be full-youkai, but there were no markings on his cheeks, and his fangs were no longer than they ever were. Only the red fire behind his eyes suggested that anything was out of the ordinary with him.

And the lack of an explanation worried her even more than if he had been full-youkai.

“Y-you bit me,” she stuttered out, finally finding her voice. “Why, Inuyasha?”

Confusion flickered in his gaze for a moment, and he started to draw back a little, the scarlet fading from his eyes. “You’re mine, wench,” he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, a light blush dusting his own cheeks.

Kagome scowled, trying to gain control of herself, trying not to let herself get flustered. “What are you talking about, Inuyasha? Where’s Kouga? Is he alright?”

“Keh. Stupid wolf ran off. He doesn’t matter anymore, anyway.”

“He’s my friend! Of course he matters! And you still haven’t answered my question! What’s with you, Inuyasha!”

“But wench—“ He cut himself off, as something like realization crossed his face. “I thought that—” he choked on his words as his comprehension was closely followed by such a powerful sadness and shame that Kagome couldn’t breathe. All the life went out of him: his shoulders sagged, his ears drooped. He let go of her as if she were a hot fire, and backed slowly away, his bangs covering his eyes.

“You really don’t know anything, do you,” he said so bitterly that Kagome forgot to bristle at the insult. “I thought—I thought you knew. That you finally understood. But you don’t. It doesn’t fucking mean anything.”

She started to take a step toward him, but he only moved farther away from her, as if her presence caused him pain. “I’m such a fucking idiot!” he hissed, and for a moment Kagome glimpsed his eyes, shining with…tears? Then he was gone, nothing more than a red blur disappearing into the forest.

“Inuyasha!” she called after him, but there was no response. Her chin quivered as she gazed in the direction he had gone, a little unsure of why she felt so much like crying.

What had just happened?

“Kagome?”

She turned to see Sango making her way towards her, Kirara on her shoulder, closely followed by Miroku and Shippou.

“We heard fighting—is everything all right?”

Kagome forced a smile. “Yeah,” she said. “Kouga showed up, but he’s gone now.”

“Where’s Inuyasha?” Miroku asked, looking around, as he innocently sidled closer to Sango.

“Somewhere,” Kagome waved a vague hand, not meeting Sango’s eyes. “You guys ready to go?”

“Yup!” Shippou said brightly.

Sango frowned and leaned towards Kagome, opening her mouth to question her. But Miroku chose that exact moment to let his hand drift towards Sango’s rear end.

The sound of the slap rang through the clearing, followed by Sango’s cry of, “Hentai!”

Some things never changed.

Kagome started off with her back to her friends, so that they wouldn’t see the tears begin to fall.

They had been traveling almost since dawn, and Kagome would have been exhausted by now, if Inuyasha were setting the pace as he usually did. But instead he had barely shown himself at all. Shippou had assured her that he could smell Inuyasha sometimes as the hanyou passed upwind of them, and Kagome had caught sight of his red fire-rat clothes from time to time, but as it was this was even worse than the last time he had done this—the day Sesshoumaru had shown up, the day they had fought so badly.

Kagome knew something was bothering him. She knew it had something to do with Kouga and her. Was he angry because she had shown concern for Kouga? Surely even Inuyasha would not overreact so much about that. And then he had bitten her. It had been so strange… she had not told anybody about that, not even Sango. It sort of embarrassed her, and she wasn’t exactly sure why. Maybe because it had felt so… intimate.

Kagome mulled over the words that had passed between them, trying to remember every nuance of expression and tone that might hold a clue, but really, all she could remember was the feel of his arms around her and his lips against her neck, and then she’d feel ashamed for thinking of that when he was obviously distressed, and then she’d try to force herself to think of something else for a while, but eventually it would always come back to Inuyasha.

This time, she knew, it was not merely a matter of comforting the wounded little child inside of him. This time, it went somehow deeper than that. Absently rubbing her aching shoulder, she paused at a bend in the road and looked around, hoping for a glimpse of the hanyou.

“We should be pretty close to the village by now,” Miroku called back to her, helpfully.

Kagome scowled. He was the wounded one, why did he think she would be any worse off than him, even if he had been riding on Kirara’s back most of the day? Why did everyone seem to think that every time she stopped walking it was because she was exhausted? She wasn’t that weak. “I—“

But she never got to finish what she was about to say. She couldn’t pinpoint what caught her attention—a small sound, perhaps, or rattling of leaves—but she suddenly snapped her gaze to a shadowy part of the trees nearby, every nerve screaming danger.

The attack came swiftly, but she had had forewarning enough to get out of the way and unsling her bow, pulling an arrow from her quiver. Hah—she thought vaguely, as the giant, bear-like youkai leaped toward her again, surprisingly agile for a creature of its size—not so helpless anymore!

She thought she heard a familiar voice yelling at her to get out of the way, but she ignored it. Coolly pulling back the string, she loosed an arrow. It flew straight, without a waver, a pink light gathering around its point, and drove itself deeply into the bear youkai’s throat. The bear stumbled, and Kagome felt a brief exultation of victory—but the creature recovered, its eyes glowing red, and kept coming. Kept coming—

Oh crap, Kagome thought, as the bear was suddenly towering above her, roaring as it brought a sharply clawed paw whistling down toward her.

Something collided with her from the side so hard the breath was knocked from her lungs. Instead of slicing clean through her, the six-inch long claws just grazed her side, as she went flying through the air. But she never hit the ground. Arms held and steadied her, and set her down gently on some grass a decent distance away from the bear, which was roaring and clawing at the arrow protruding from its neck, crazy with pain.

“Stay out of the way,” Inuyasha growled as he released Kagome, and crouched to launch himself back towards the enemy.

But there was no need. Kagome’s arrow had done its work. The bear youkai gave one last keening cry, and crumpled to the earth with a resounding thud.

Sango approached it cautiously, and prodded it with Hiraikotsu. “Nice shot, Kagome-chan!” she called up to her friend, a grin on her face, but the smile faltered as she saw the blood seeping between Kagome’s fingers, where she gripped her right side.

Kagome saw the worry on her friends’ faces. “It’s alright,” she assured them, in as level a voice as she could manage. It hurt—really hurt—now that the adrenalin was beginning to wear off, but it wasn’t even as bad as the wound Miroku had gotten, she didn’t think, and he had only taken a day or two of rest. It was a lot of blood though, and the knowledge that it was her blood made her feel a little ill.

“Let me see,” Inuyasha demanded, his voice rough. Without waiting for an answer he knelt beside her and began to tug at her shirt, trying to lift it. Kagome yelped and tried to swat his hands away with her free hand, but he only growled and pulled at it more insistently. She gave up and let him pull it up, revealing three long shallow gashes that ran from her side diagonally down toward her navel, the blood flowing from them staining her clothes crimson. She looked down at them with a strange sort of fascination. Funny how a sight that would have freaked her out on one of her friends only made her feel mildly disturbed, in a “huh—looks like I’m wounded” kind of way.

As she stared at her battle wound, feeling inordinately proud of herself, Inuyasha was snarling orders at Miroku, who had already appropriated Kagome’s backpack and was rummaging through it, looking for supplies. Soon he came up with a roll of fresh bandages and the medicine kit, which Inuyasha practically tore out of his hands, the wrathful expression on his face never diminishing.

In a matter of moments Inuyasha had cleaned and bandaged Kagome’s wound, with a dexterity and skill that surprised her. Maybe he had been paying attention when she had tended his wounds, after all. He wouldn’t even let Sango help, growling at her when she tried.

“Thanks Inuyasha,” Kagome smiled at him. She felt a little lightheaded, and the throbbing ache in her side wasn’t exactly pleasant, but she was fully confident in her ability to get better.

Then Inuyasha’s face consumed her field of vision, and she drew back slightly at the fury in his eyes. But the next thing she knew, he had gathered her into his arms, and was cradling her against his chest like she was fully capable of falling apart in his grasp.

“Go on ahead to the village,” he growled at their companions. “We’ll catch up with you.”

Shippou pouted and tried to approach Kagome, but Inuyasha snarled loudly at him over Kagome’s head.

“Um, that sounds like a great idea,” Miroku said quickly, snatching up the kitsune and grabbing Sango’s arm, towing them down the road.

Kagome sighed. Inuyasha was obviously going to yell at her for endangering herself, and therefore the quest, like this, and she willed him to get it over with so they could get to the village, which would have an inn, which would have soft beds and a hot bath.

But he didn’t say anything. He just sat there, holding her tightly in his lap, leaning sideways against his chest. She couldn’t see his face. As the seconds ticked by, though, a light blush rose to her cheeks. What was with him?

“Inuyasha?” she questioned, trying not to let herself enjoy his embrace too much.

“Baka,” he growled. She could feel the vibrations of his voice against her ear. “What were you thinking, throwing yourself in front of a charging bear youkai like that?”

“I didn’t throw myself in front of it—it attacked me. Besides, I killed it, didn’t I?” You could at least notice my good aim, she pouted silently.

“But you could have been killed! If I wasn’t there to protect you…you could be dead!” His voice lowered to a hoarse whisper as he said the last part.

Kagome yawned, and patted his chest comfortingly with the hand that wasn’t pinned between them. “But you were there, silly. I knew you wouldn’t let your friend die.”

“Friends,” he repeated softly, in a strange tone, an echo of the same bitter tone his voice had held when he had told her that she didn’t know anything. Kagome frowned and tried to crane her neck so she could see his face, but failed.

“Inuyasha, what’s wrong?” she asked sleepily, trying to keep her eyes open. “Why did you send M’roku and everybody ahead? Is there something you wanted to talk about?” She was so tired all of a sudden…and Inuyasha was so comfortable….

“Nothin’. Nevermind.” he muttered, and smoothly stood, lifting her with him.

Kagome wanted to argue with him, to call him on his obvious lie—he had wanted to say something to her, otherwise he wouldn’t have sent the others away, but he had clammed up again, and sleep sounded really really nice right then.

Just as she drifted off, she felt a couple raindrops fall on her head. Funny… she thought. I don’t remember any rainclouds…

Kagome blinked up at an unfamiliar ceiling, as she slowly came to wakefulness. “Inuyasha?” she said aloud.

Sango’s smiling face appeared above her. “Oh good! You’re awake! How are you feeling, Kagome-chan?” She touched a cool hand to Kagome’s forehead.

Kagome experimentally touched her side. “Not too bad,” she said aloud, surprised. “It just aches a little bit.”

“Good. You’ve been asleep for almost two days. That bear youkai had poison claws, and your wound got infected. D’you know you started to glow pink for awhile? Houshi-sama said you were healing yourself.”

“Huh,” Kagome said. I’ll have to ask Kaede about that. “Where are we? Where’s Inuyasha?”

“We’re in the village,” Sango told her. “At the inn. They didn’t want any demons here, after that bear youkai scare—“ a dark look crossed her face, but she merely continued, “—so Miroku went to keep Inuyasha, Shippou and Kirara company. They’re just outside the village.”

Kagome sat bolt upright, ignoring her protesting side. “What!” she said angrily. “But—but—how could they! If it weren’t for Inuyasha, I would be dead, and I killed their stupid bear youkai! And Shippou! How could they turn away a child! Those—those—those ingrates! Why are we even here? If they won’t let our friends stay here, I don’t want to be here either!”

Kagome’s tirade called a wry smile onto Sango’s face. “Inuyasha insisted that you have a bed to sleep in and a roof over your head, Kagome, and he’s right. Besides, you have to understand, these people are just frightened. They’ve been having a lot of demon trouble this year, apparently. They were actually very polite about the whole thing.”

“That’s no excuse.” Kagome said hotly, pushing the blankets aside. “Come on, Sango, we’re leaving.”

She swept out of the inn with Sango close behind her, ignoring the stammered thanks of an old man that was either the innkeeper or the village headman. Sango replied instead, bowing in acknowledgement, but Kagome was too angry. All she could think of was young Inuyasha, cradled in her arms, and the taunts the children had thrown at him.

Sango caught up to her at the edge of the village. “They said to tell you thank you, and that they apologize for being unable to house our demons, but I’ve already explained that to you. They are very afraid they have offended you.”

“Well they have,” Kagome said, and sighed. Suddenly she remembered something Inuyasha had said to her. You can’t fix everything, Kagome. Her shoulders sagged, and her mouth thinned. Turning back towards the small crowd that had gathered, she walked towards the man who had been trying to talk to her earlier.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” she said. “Although I am not happy that you turned our friends away.”

Strange how I wouldn’t even think about speaking to my elders this way at home, but here I do it almost without thinking…here, I am somebody…

“I humbly apologize, miko-sama,” the elder said, bowing low. His hands were trembling slightly. “But we—“

“I don’t care about your excuses,” Kagome said with as much calmness as she could summon up. “I understand. But I hope you understand that an injury done to my friends is an injury done to me.”

The man went pale, as if he had not quite looked at it that way before. Quickly he gestured to a couple of women who stood nearby, who looked as if they might be his wife and grand-daughter, and they ran into a hut close by.

“We have never known demons who have not sought to do our village harm,” he said quietly. “It is new, for us.”

Kagome closed her eyes, and rubbed at the headache that was beginning to form. She wanted to make him promise never to do this again, but she really couldn’t. She knew that the fear and hatred humans held for demons was a mutual thing, and that asking them to suddenly drop it was not only difficult but dangerous. But why can’t they see what I see when they look at Inuyasha?

“Please, miko-sama, accept these small gifts of gratitude.”

Kagome opened her eyes to see that the women had returned, and they had each brought a basket loaded, it appeared, with food. The younger woman held hers out to Kagome with a shy smile, and Kagome stared at it.

You think that I’ll forgive you just because you give me a little food? What kind of—

Oh my god, she realized suddenly. I’m acting like Kikyou. This is exactly what she’d do, if she felt insulted by someone—be cold, and angry…vindictive… oh my god. Maybe we’re not so different, after all…

Stunned, Kagome took the basket. “Thank you,” she said slowly, as Sango accepted the other one. “I wish you and your village well.” She bowed to the village elder and to his family, and then slowly began to walk away, still lost in thought.

A tapping on her arm brought her back to reality, and she looked down to see a young girl, around Shippou’s age, looking up at her with huge dark eyes. Seeing that she had gotten Kagome’s attention, the girl thrust a small bouquet of bluebells up at her. Kagome took them, and smiled genuinely at the girl, who flashed a quick grin and then ran to hide behind her mother’s skirts.

Kagome’s thoughts raced as they walked out of the village, towards their friends’ camp. I’m not Kikyou, though. I’m not. I don’t want Inuyasha to turn human. I don’t want to be cold. I want to forgive them.

Kagome sighed and looked up, at the sun shining through the leaves of the trees overhead. They’re not bad people. They’re just frightened. I can’t blame them for being frightened… Maybe they’ll learn to think twice before judging. I can’t ask them for more.

I may not be able to fix everything, but I can be there for Inuyasha. I can show him, and Shippou, that I don’t agree with what most humans think about demons and half-demons.

“Kagome-sama! You’re back! How are you feeling?”

Kagome came out of her reverie to see Miroku smiling up at her from beside a small fire, Kirara curled up beside him, Shippou a short distance away playing with his crayons.

“Kagome!” he squealed, looking around, and she had just enough time to set the basket down before her arms were full of furry red kitsune.

“I was worried,” he told her, looking up at her solemnly.

“I’m fine,” she said smiling. “Hardly even a scratch.”

“Keh.” A voice scoffed from overhead.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome said, setting Shippou down and looking around for the hanyou. “Where are you? Come on down and get some breakfast. The villagers gave us more than enough for everyone.”

“Food!” Miroku said, grinning widely. “Why, Sango dearest, let’s have a look at what you’ve got in that basket of yours.”

Sango scowled and handed it over.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome said impatiently, tapping her foot as she gazed into the thick foliage overhead, where she thought she had glimpsed a flash of red.

He dropped suddenly out of the tree to land beside her, making her squeak in surprise.

“Give me a heart attack, why don’t you!” she said, as Inuyasha gave her a sidelong glance. Kagome grinned. “Come on, let’s have breakfast.”

The companions settled easily into their usual routine, and started off for home. Well, some things were different. Inuyasha showed no signs of impatience with their slow pace; instead, he walked near Kagome, lost in thought, a subdued expression on his face. Kagome couldn’t help but notice the quick glances he kept shooting toward her, and the frowns that often followed them.

They stopped near a stream for a break around mid-day, and by that point, Kagome had had enough. She grabbed Inuyasha’s sleeve, and scowled at him. “You,” she said. “I need to talk to you.” And she proceeded to tug him down along the stream and around the far bend, determined to pry the truth from him once and for all. He allowed her to pull him, a wary expression on his face.

As soon as they were out of sight and earshot—Kagome trusted Sango to keep eavesdroppers away from them—the girl whirled upon Inuyasha, hands on her hips.

“Something’s bothering you, and I want to know what it is.”

Inuyasha flinched, but recovered quickly, tucking his hands into his sleeves as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Keh. Nothing—“

“Don’t lie to me, Inuyasha. Please. I’m not blind, you know. You’ve been acting weird all day, and it’s something to do with me, I can tell.”

“Goddamn it wench!” Inuyasha yelled, making Kagome jump. “Can’t you just leave it alone already?” He whirled, starting to go.

“Inuyasha, wait!” Kagome said, and grabbed his haori. Please don’t walk away--

Something slipped out, falling to the ground.

Her hand still caught in Inuyasha’s haori, Kagome stared wide-eyed at the nearly-repaired rosary necklace. The one she had used to “osuwari” him for so long. The one she had broken. Wha—he kept it? Slowly, she raised her gaze to meet Inuyasha’s. He looked away, blushing bright red, his ears flattened defensively against his head.

“Inuyasha?” she said softly. “You kept the rosary?”

No reply.

“Why? I thought you hated it.”

“Just shut up about it, wench.”

“You—you fixed it. Was that what you were doing—“

“Shut UP!” he roared, pulling his haori free of her grasp and snatching up the necklace. “I just felt like it, alright? Give it a rest!”

“Inuyasha—“

Something in him seemed to snap. “Fine! I kept it because it’s the only thing I’ll have left of you when you leave me!”

Kagome stared at him. He looked horrified at the words that had just flown out of his mouth, and hunched his shoulders slightly as if to throw off an imaginary attack.

“But—Inuyasha—I’m not going to leave you,” Kagome said, aghast. “What made you think I would?” Reaching out, she laid her hand on his arm, trying to get him to look at her. His fist tightened around the beads he held, shaking slightly.

“Aren’t you? When this stupid quest is over, and Naraku is dead, you’re gonna just head right back through that well, and run off with that Hobo bastard, or something, and forget all about m—us.”

Kagome let her hand drop. She had never really thought about that before—what would happen after everything. I guess I just assumed I would somehow always be with him, she realized.

“Keh. See? That’s what you were planning all along, isn’t it.” Inuyasha looked away from her, his golden eyes shadowed. “When you—I thought—“ he shook his head, falling silent. “But you didn’t.”

“Inuyasha, please, speak plainly to me,” Kagome begged, feeling drained.

“I thought you fucking chose me, wench!” He burst out, pulling back and glaring at her. “So I marked you! But you didn’t, and I’m one hell of a bastard! That plain enough for you, bitch?”

Kagome was lost, and her confusion must have shown in her face, because Inuyasha sighed and looked down, the fight going out of him as his shoulders sagged. “Kouga,” he said quietly, but growling out his words. “He thought you chose me, too. He barely even put up a fight at all. It’s natural for canine youkai like us—you never chose, so we—fought. But then—we both thought—you wanted to stay—with me. But you were just being a good friend.” He spat the word like it was something dirty. “You were just giving me what you thought I wanted.”

Kagome was beginning to feel lightheaded. “What do you want, Inuyasha?” she asked faintly.

“I want you to stay with me!” he choked out. “To be my mate, and have my pups. That’s what the fucking mark means, idiot!” Inuyasha closed his eyes as if in pain. “I…realized a long time ago that I—I’m in love with you. I thought if I ignored it it would eventually go away—but it just got worse.”

Kagome swallowed as her heart skipped a beat. “Wh-what’s wrong with that?”

Her words startled him into looking up at her, his expression disbelieving. “What’s wrong with that?” his voice cracked. “I can’t even look at you without wanting to touch you. But if I can’t see you or smell you, I can’t even breathe until I find you again. It’s even worse now that I—marked you. When you got hurt by that bear youkai—“ he broke off suddenly, his jaw tightening. “I thought I’d die.” Turning away, he stared dully down at the beads in his hand. “Don’t worry,” he said his voice empty. “I won’t touch you again.” And he started to walk away.

Oh no you don’t! Kagome took two quick steps forward, seized his wrist in a tight grip. “Inuyasha—“ she said, moving to stand in front of him. “You love me?” she whispered, trying to peer into his face.

Inuyasha stared silently at the ground, his bangs covering his eyes, his wrist limp in her grasp.

Stepping forward, Kagome tilted up her face, hesitated, and then timidly pressed her lips against his. He gasped softly against her mouth, and her courage failed her. She started to pull away but Inuyasha grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her hard against him, deepening the kiss. A real kiss. A kiss full of his love for her. His mouth was warm on hers, and sent tremors running through her body. She felt her soul swell with a wild light, the ground fall away beneath her feet.

She had never felt so alive.

“But I do love you, baka,” Kagome murmured against his lips, her eyes shut tight. “I love you so much.”

Inuyasha’s arms came around her, embraced her tightly. He kissed her cheeks, her forehead, her eyelids, her jaw, her mouth over and over again until Kagome was breathless and trembling in his arms. Then he suddenly lowered his head to her shoulder, burying his face against her neck. Inuyasha inhaled deeply, and let his breath out in a shuddering sigh. “W-wench,” he muttered, his lips moving against her skin, making her shiver slightly.

Kagome smiled tremblingly, and reached one hand up to stroke his hair, her fingers lingering on his soft ears. He loves me. Her blood was roaring in her ears. He’s holding me. She felt loved, protected, wanted. Needed.

“I want to stay with you, Inuyasha,” she murmured. “Forever. I want to be your m-mate, and have our children.” She flushed bright red.

Inuyasha raised his head and grinned down at her. His eyes sparked with an overwhelming joy and hope that made Kagome’s heart ache, made her feel like she was drowning in gold. “Good,” he said simply, and Kagome heard everything he wanted to tell her but couldn’t in that one word—his relief, his gratitude, his happiness, his love. For her. Forever.

He kissed her again, gently, but Kagome felt the restrained passion behind it. He’s trying to make up for last time, she thought. Tears welled up in her eyes, and slipped down her face. Moving his hands to cradle either side of her face, Inuyasha carefully licked them away, frowning. “What’s wrong, wench?” he asked quietly.

“Nothing,” she said, smiling up at him. His arms moved protectively around her and she leaned into his embrace, letting her head rest against him. “These are happy tears.”

He sighed and rested his chin on top of her head. A low growl rumbled against Kagome’s ear, a content growl that made her feel a little sleepy. She yawned. “Inuyasha? Could I see the rosary?”

She felt him press the beads into her hand, and she looked down at them. All the beads had been restrung, exactly as before, but it had not been retied. Kagome looked up at Inuyasha questioningly.

“I was waiting for the new moon,” he said quietly, understanding. He gave her a small half-grin and held his hand up in front of her eyes, wiggling his fingers. “These kinda get in the way, ya know?” he added, the sunlight glinting off his claws.

Kagome giggled and reached up her hands around his neck to retie it. Suddenly she hesitated. “It won’t—work—anymore, right?” she asked worriedly. “I wouldn’t want to accidentally—“

Inuyasha shook his head.

Nimbly, Kagome’s slender fingers tied a quick, tight knot in the leather cord, so that the familiar rosary once more lay around his neck. She smiled a little, lightly touching it. Then she looked up at Inuyasha. “Is it alright if I test it?” she asked. “Just to—make sure?”

He shrugged. “Go ahead.”

Stepping back, Kagome took a deep breath, and muttered, “Osuwari.”

Inuyasha plummeted to the ground, and she shrieked. “Oh kami! Inuyasha! I’m so sorry! I’ll take it off!”

He rolled over onto his back, laughing.

Kagome stared. He…he tricked me!

Inuyasha lifted one hand to point at her, and burst into a whole fresh round of laughter. “Haha—wench—you should see—hahah—the look on your face!”

Kagome sighed, and began to giggle despite herself. “Well aren’t you the happiest little hanyou I’ve ever seen,” she teased. “See? You told me what was making you so bad-tempered, and I fixed it!”

Inuyasha stopped laughing and gave her a dangerous look, which wasn’t all that frightening considering he was flat on his back in the grass. Suddenly his hand shot up and grabbed hers, pulling her down beside him. Kagome yelped, her other arm flailing as she dropped.

Inuyasha leaned over her, his silver hair falling like a curtain around her. He stared at her for a long time, the playfully menacing growl in his throat slowly dying. A light blush rose to Kagome’s face at the look she saw in Inuyasha’s eyes. He’s so beautiful… “What?” she asked cautiously.

“Sometimes, I’m afraid that I’m gonna wake up and this will all be a dream,” he murmured. “You. The quest. Everything. You especially. You’ll be gone, and I’ll just be stuck in my forest, alone.”

“It’s not a dream, though,” Kagome said firmly, and reached up to touch his face. “I love you. That’s real.”

And you’ll never be alone again.

An answering smile crept onto Inuyasha’s face, chasing away the lingering shadows in his eyes. Kagome put her arms around him as he bent down to kiss her hungrily. It was a kiss full of promise.

I’m here, Inuyasha.

o-o-o-o-o

The End

o-o-o-o-o

A/N: That is the end, for real this time. I’m not sure if I’m satisfied with the way it turned out, but it was dragging on for too long and I needed to end it. I decided not to have Kagome talk to Inuyasha about her little time-travel adventure, for several reasons, mostly because it was meant to be more of a personal learning experience for her than anything else. Anyway, hope you liked it!