This is angst, but it will have a happy ending.

Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha.



My Immortal
By Shibarania





The Shikon no Tama was warm in her hand, pulsing with a life of its own. Numbly, she stared at the nearly complete circular jewel, the moonlight reflecting off of it luxuriously. Two shards…just two more shards and it would be all over. Sighing, she trudged onward through the thick foliage surrounding her.

"Kagome?"

Reflexively, the raven-haired beauty snatched her bow and took an arrow out of the quiver, pulling the string tight and turning around. She sighed and let it go limp when she saw the form of Kouga, both hands held up defensively, standing in front of her.

"Kouga…just who I've been looking for." Kagome said, smiling at the wolf demon before her. Said wolf demon blinked dumbly before smirking.

"So, Kagome, have you finally given up on that useless mutt and decided to live with me?" He said, voice cocky and eyes glinting. Kagome sighed.

"Actually…no." She mentally winced at Kouga's smirk dropped and his shoulders slumped in visible disappointment. "I came to ask you a favor."

"And what might that be?" Kouga asked curiously. Kagome bit the inside of her cheek, before taking a deep breath.

"Er…d'you think, maybe…I can…have your shikon jewel shards?" She asked tentatively. Kouga stared at her blankly. "I take that as a 'no'…" Kagome sighed. She was really hoping she wouldn't have had to do this but…

Putting on an utterly melting look, Kagome lowered her lashes and took a step towards Kouga, running a finger slowly under his chin. "Please?" She said in a sultry tone. "Pretty please?"

Kouga gulped. "Uh…I, uh…oh, fine." He huffed, picking the two shards off from the thin string around his legs and dropping them in the girl's palm. Kagome grinned, planting a kiss on Kouga's cheek.

"Oooh, thank you, Kouga!" She gushed, before running off.

Kouga placed a clawed hand against the moist spot on his cheek, a goofy grin on his face, and began to amble back towards his den.

(A/N: Yes, I know it's an Inu/Kag, but this was necessary. Bear with me.)

Quietly, Kagome inched into camp. The fire was burning low; only an orange glow emitted from the center of the charred wood. Over the years, she had learned just how to sneak back into camp without even Inuyasha noticing.

Inuyasha…

Inuyasha: what a concept. Inuyasha who had protected her, Inuyasha who had betrayed her, Inuyasha who had held her, Inuyasha who had hurt her.

And she loved him.

She had never had a crush on the half demon; she had never 'liked' him. From the moment Kagome had first lain eyes on him, two years ago when she was fifteen, she had loved him. Loved him with every fiber of her being.

But he…he loved Kikyou.

With an incoherent sigh, Kagome sat silently down next to the sleeping form of Inuyasha. He looked so angelic, propped up against the tree like that, silver bangs ghosting across his closed eyelids in the slight breeze. It was a sight that made Kagome smile, no matter how melancholy she felt.

"Inuyasha…" she whispered, looking at him sullenly. "Inuyasha," she repeated, "it's okay to break a promise or two, you know." She went on, knowing clearly that he couldn't hear her. "Broken promises are no worse that words never said."

Obviously, she was referring to the promise he had made to Kikyou, about going to Hell with her. It made her ill to think about it, so she derailed that train of thought.

Casting the half demon next to her a sad look, she leaned over and ghosted her lips across his cheek, before resting her head against his shoulder. It wasn't long before her breathing grew slower, the breaths deeper, and she fell asleep.

Slightly, ever-so-slightly, Inuyasha opened his eyes.

"I know now, Kagome." He muttered to himself, eyes drifting closed once again.

~

Today was the day she was leaving. The day Inuyasha would follow Kikyou. The day that Kagome and Inuyasha would forever be separated.

So why wasn't she crying?

Not only was Kagome not crying, she wasn't doing anything, really. She merely walked, eyes downcast, saying nothing as Inuyasha, her, Shippou, Kirara, Sango and Miroku slowly grew nearer to the well.

She had expected the walk to last forever, and yet she was only mildly surprised when the well appeared over the horizon. She was so zombie-fied that she didn't even noticed when the other four members of the group stopped walking, leaving only Inuyasha and herself.

And then they reached the well.

An awkward silence overwhelmed the two as the both stepped in [1], and even after they arrived in Kagome's time, until Kagome took it upon herself to speak first.

"Inuyasha." She said, still staring at her feet. When she got no response, she went on.

"Inuyasha…every time I look at you…" she began slowly, voice quivering ever-so-slightly. "Every time I see your smile, or laugh…it's like something inside me dies." Her gaze had lifted from her feet to the trees infront of her.

"Something dies deep within me, because I know that every bit of emotion that has crossed your beautiful face…has been…for her." For Kikyou. And now, Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, forcing him to look at her.

And she was smiling.

"It hurts, you know." Kagome said, the slight, wry grin lingering upon her lips. Inuyasha stared down her, eyes sparkling with so many different emotions that she could hardly decipher each one.

"Kagome-" Inuyasha began, but Kagome placed a finger against his lips, silencing him. Still smiling, she placed the round, complete Shikon no Tama in his hand.

"Don't speak." She said gently, before raising up on her tip-toes and pressing her lips against Inuyasha's in a short, chaste kiss. Inuaysha found himself leaning into the kiss, eyes fluttering closed. When she pulled away and the hanyou opened his eyes, he was shocked to see tears pouring from her eyes and that smile still on her face.

"Inuyasha, no matter what, even if you decide not to go with Kikyou, I want you to promise me…that you'll never come back for me."

Eyes wide, Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest, "Kagome I-" but once again he was cut off, but this time Kagome had instead pressed her palms against his chest and clenched the red fabric of his kimono in her hands.

"Promise me." The raven-haired girl repeated, grin faltering.

"I…" Inuyasha said unsurely, before he sighed and wrapped his arms around the girl infront of him, hugging her tightly. "I…promise, Kagome."

Her strangled sob was the last thing he heard before Kagome murmured 'sit' And Inuyasha found himself being jerked backwards, down into the well, Shikon no Tama at hand, back to the feudal era, forevermore without Kagome Hirugashi, the one woman, he realized in that instant, that he truly loved.

~

I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all of my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
Because your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone

With a grunt, 21-year-old Kagome Hirugashi heaved the last of the large brown moving boxes into her new apartment. She sat down on the hardwood floor, exhaling loudly.

"Ugh…I really need to get into shape…" She grumbled, before casting a weary look at the many boxes surrounding her.

"Might as well get started…" she sighed. "These boxes won't unpack themselves."

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

She reached for the nearest box, but froze. A familiar tickling at the back of her mind was…well…tickling at the back of her mind. Confused for a moment, she scratched the back of her head even moreso puzzled when the itching continued. She had only felt this once before, and that was many years ago when she had sensed a

"Shikon shard." She whispered aloud, but quickly shook her head. She was being ridiculous. An unexpected tear leaked from her eyes and she angrily wiped it away.

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I've held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me


"I'm over him." She told herself firmly, and thus proceeded to open the box-or atleast she tried to. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably, and she needed some sciccors.

Heaving an exhasperated sigh, Kagome fished the sciccors out of her purse, and dragged the sharp metal through the thick tape preventing her from unpacking. Sciccors still at hand, she peeled the cardboard flaps back, and gasped, the twin blades falling from her suddenly limp grasp with a loud clatter.

You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
But now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me

Folded neatly inside the box was her highschool uniform, innocently laying ontop of a few other keepsakes within. That outfit was enough to send her over the edge, tears exploding through the emotional dam she'd put up so long ago to trace damp patters down her cheeks.

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

Kagome shook uncontrollably, loud wails emerging from her throat, as hundreds upon hundreds of memories assaulted her mind.

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I've held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me


"Why?!" She yelled at the tear-splattered floor. "Why can't I forget about him?!"

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
And though you're still with me
I've been alone all along


"Inuyasha…why…can't I forget…" she whimpered, sinking forward until her forehead hit the ground with a 'thud'. That tickling had grown stronger, to an almost unbearable point, and suddenly, she felt a hand on her back.

"Kagome…don't cry." Gasping, Kagome sat upright quickly. That voice…

"I..Inu…ya…sha…?" She whispered incrediously with wide, puffy eyes. And she was right. Inuyasha was sitting in front of her, his hand on her back and a gentle smile gracing his flawless features. The Shikon no Tama was hanging from his neck by a silver chain.

"It's okay, Kagome. I'm here, now." He said soothingly. Disbelivingly, Kagome reached out her hand to gently caress his cheek, jumping when her fingers cam in contact with warm, soft flesh and not air.

"You're real." She said dumbly; Inuyasha only nodded. "But..I don't…Kikyou…and you promised me-" she abruptly stopped as she was pulled into a tight, loving embrace.

"A beautiful young woman once told me…" he said gently, running his slightly clawed fingers through her wavy black hair. "That it's okay to break a promise or two."

The tears erupted again, only this time, for a completely different purpose. "Oh, Inuyasha!" She sobbed against his shoulder.

He held her, comforting her and murmuring gently in her ear until she was under control. Slowly Kagome looked up, meeting Inuyasha' gaze. She probably looked a mess with puffy red eyes, slightly dishevled hair, a red nose and red cheeks, not to mention the over-sized blue t-shirt and ripped jeans wasn't the most extravagant outfit she owned; nevertheless, the hanyou thought Kagome had never looked more beautiful in all her life.

Bottom lip quivering, Kagome opened her mouth and uttered the four words she should have said four years ago, at the well.

"Inuyasha, I love you." She whispered, almost pleadingly. She didn't bother to ask why he'd waited so long, why he hadn't become a full demon, or anything else. All that mattered as that he was here with her. The golden-eyed hanyou holding her smiled softly, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead, causing Kagome to blush.

"I love you, too, Kagome."

Lips met lips in a soft, age-old ritual, and faintly, Kagome heard the gentle lilt of music drifting on the warm summer's breeze.

It was perfect.





Nyah…I dunno what got into me. Damn, I hate Kikyou…

[1] If Inuyasha was going to keep the Shikon no Tama, they'd have to go to her world first. You know you have to have the SHikon no Tama with you to travel through time, so they'd both go to her time first and then Inuyasha would go back with the jewel. *Nodnod*