A/N: This was the first Inuyasha fanfic I ever wrote. I am sure (or at least I hope) that I've improved a lot since I wrote this. If you like this, I'd recommend you check out some of my other stuff. I finally put up part three. I'd kind of forgotten about this fic, so to those of you that were waiting for me to update, I'm sorry. The fic's finished now…I also changed the last line of part two, and added chapter titles. Please review, although flames will be disregarded. Constructive criticism is always welcome, however.

DISCLAIMER: Of course I don't own Inuyasha. If I did, I'd probably have better things to do than write fanfic.

She Loves Me

Part One

Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Shippou, Miroku, and Kirara were walking along a winding path that crisscrossed over the face of a tall mountain. Kagome walked her bike alongside Inuyasha. Sango and Miroku were behind them, with Shippou on Miroku's shoulder. Kirara brought up the rear.

"Uh…is it just me, or are we not getting anywhere?" Miroku called forward to Inuyasha. "I know the man in the village said a demonic aura passed over this mountain, but there's no guarantee it's still here—or that it had anything to do with Naraku!"

"Miroku's right," murmured Sango. "We have no way of knowing what we're embarking on here—shouldn't we have gotten more information before barging right ahead like this?"

"Will you two get off my back!" cried Inuyasha. "Naraku's scent is all over the place. That's why we're here. I don't know why you have to act like I don't know what I'm doing, cuz I do!" Kagome hid her smile behind her hand. She'd never tell Inuyasha, but she actually liked his little outbursts. She found it immensely attractive, although no one else seemed to.

Suddenly, the smile faded from Kagome's face. "I sense a sacred jewel shard!" she exclaimed. "And it's coming this way, really fast!"

"Hm?!" Inuyasha stopped in his tracks, thrusting an arm out to stop Kagome and the others. His other hand went to his sword hilt. A whirlwind swooshed around a bend in the path and stopped right in front of Kagome.

"Oh, it's just Kouga!" Kagome gave Kouga a friendly smile, dropping her hand from her arrows.

"Hi, Kagome!" said Kouga, grabbing her hands up in his, ignoring the others, as usual.

"Uh…hi," replied Kagome. She wished Kouga wouldn't be so romantic. She appreciated how nice he was to her, and thus she'd never actually managed to break the unfortunate truth to him—she just wasn't interested in him in a romantic way.

"I picked up your scent, so I thought I'd drop by and see how you were doing, Kagome. Still okay with that mangy mutt over there?" he gestured at Inuyasha with his head.

"What did you call me?" growled Inuyasha. "You keep your hands off her!"

"Not a chance, Mutt!" said Kouga, patting Kagome's shoulder. "I wish I could get you away from that stupid mutt and take you with me, Kagome, but I have to kill Naraku first. Then I can come for you!"

"Um, no, that's okay, really, Kouga!" Kagome muttered, wishing he wouldn't do this to her. She hated how jealous it made Inuyasha, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. She wasn't the kind of girl who could break a guy's heart, ever, even if she had no feelings for him.

"I said get away from her!" cried Inuyasha. "She's not your woman!"

"Oh, isn't she?" crowed Kouga. "I don't see her complaining!"

"Uh…well…" Kagome let out a tiny sigh. She knew one day she would have to tell Kouga the truth. She glanced over at Inuyasha, and felt her own heart breaking as she saw the way he was looking at her. As though he really thought she was interested in Kouga. If only she was a little braver, she could prove to Inuyasha who she really cared for, really…loved. Only she couldn't. She felt her face flushing at the thought of it. She saw Inuyasha's eyes, softening the way they only did for her. She saw his little smile. But all in her mind. In reality, it looked like he might explode at any minute.

"Look at her! She's smitten with me!" Kouga boasted. "Well, bye, Kagome! You know I'll miss you while we're apart!" and with that, he made his usual abrupt exit, snickering as he did so.

"Uh…" Kagome looked down at her hand, where he'd been holding it. She felt no tingles, no…anything. She definitely wasn't in love with Kouga.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha was fuming.

"Uh, let's go down to that river and see if we can catch some fish, shall we, Sango?" Miroku smiled at her. Sango glanced at Inuyasha, who did seem about to blow up entirely.

"Yes, of course," she replied. "But lay a hand on me and you're dead!" she hissed in the monk's ear.

"Sango! I wouldn't dream of it!" Miroku said, apparently aghast. "Come on, Shippou, let's go."

"But-" Shippou began to protest. "Er…oh, yeah. Let's go." The three of them slipped quietly out of view, Kirara padding along behind them.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha turned to Kagome.

"Kagome, that was just sick, you know that! You were flirting with him, I saw you! You really do love Kouga, don't you!"

"Um, Inuyasha, no, it's not like that!" Kagome didn't know what to do. She saw the agony in Inuyasha's eyes…it exactly matched the agony buried within her own heart. But she wasn't brave enough to give voice to her true feelings—to Kouga, or to Inuyasha.

The anger in Inuyasha's eyes tempered down, but the agony remained. Now he looked sad. "That's what you always say. Kagome…just tell me and get it over with." With this, the fire of anger returned to his eyes. "If you love Kouga, go with him. He'd let you. See if I care!"

"No, Inuyasha, I can't!" cried Kagome, answering only Inuyasha's first question—his request to know her feelings.

"You-you can't? But does that mean-" he broke off, sinking down onto the dusty ground. All anger was gone from his face. He looked truly defeated—more so than she'd ever seen him look. "Does that mean—you do love Kouga? You-you don't want to be with me? But you can't go with Kouga? Why, Kagome?" his face was dark. "Why not? No one's stopping you. Go with him. I don't care."

"Inuyasha-" Kagome began. Her heart had stopped at those words. He didn't care? Yes, he did. She saw it in his face. His love for her. She'd seen the same look on Kouga's face, but it had seemed dangerous, frightening. She didn't love Kouga. But the look on Inuyasha's face made Kagome want to leap up and dance with joy, for some reason. And that was because…because she loved him back. She loved Inuyasha more than anything. The true realization of that fact brought tears to the corners of her eyes. And suddenly, she wasn't scared anymore.

"No, Inuyasha!" she cried, getting down on the ground beside him, and picking up his hand to cradle it in her two smaller ones. His hand was calloused from fighting, but still strangely smooth. He looked up at her, shocked, and their eyes met. She saw that there were tears glistening in the corners of his eyes, too, and that realization made her begin crying, for real.

Inuyasha looked stunned. "Kagome?" he asked softly, his voice breaking. "What-what did I-"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome was sobbing, and she didn't know why. Perhaps in joy. For all her fears had simply…disappeared. She didn't care that they were sitting on the dirty, dusty ground, or that Miroku and Sango were probably watching them through the bushes. She felt wonderful.

"Inuyasha," she began. "I can't…because I don't love Kouga. I'm nice to him, always nice to him, because I don't want to break his heart. I can't do that to him. And also…and also I am, and always have been, much too scared, much too shy, to share my feelings with him, or with anyone. But I can now. I don't know why, but I can. Because, Inuyasha? I don't want to break my heart, either. And the truth is, Inuyasha, that I love you. I love you! I've always loved you, but I couldn't because of Kikyou, and because I was scared. But I do and…I probably always will. Inuyasha-" she broke off, realizing both that she was babbling, and that tears were running down her face. But as she looked Inuyasha in the eye, she saw that tears were running down his face, too. Could it be that Inuyasha was crying? Inuyasha, the great, strong, powerful half demon, who did not cry for anyone? Inuyasha, the…boy that she loved. Had always loved.

"Kagome-" but his voice broke off too. And then his warm arms were around her, wrapping her in, protecting her. The ultimate protection.

"Kagome, I-" he tried again. "I love you, too. But I couldn't say it either. And I was confused. About Kikyou, and Kouga, and…everything else. I think I probably still am. But right now? I just…I…"

"Inuyasha." The one word said more than Kagome had ever said…or would ever say again. She felt the power in that word, and did not hold back. "Inuyasha!"

"Kagome."

And then his mouth was on hers, and they were kissing. His lips were warm, and tasted of cinnamon, for some reason, and his arms around her were so warm and comforting…

Kagome leaned into him, kissing him back, relishing the feel of his lips against hers. And then she was lost in the moment. Out of space, out of time. In Inuyasha's arms. Forever.

Kagome was jostled out of her world of perfection by a little, strangled gasp from behind her. Slowly, as if in a dream state, she opened her eyes, gently lifting her mouth off of Inuyasha's. She looked into his eyes, and saw there his love for her. The agony was gone, replaced by…love. Warm, enveloping love. He gave her a tiny smile, which she returned. And then, slowly, she turned around, facing the source of the gasp.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, falling back just as she'd started to get up. The dream state was immediately shaken from her at the sight of the fur-clad figure before her. Inuyasha's arm flew out and caught her, gently wrapping around her waist. She managed to turn and give him a warm smile, filled with her love for him.

"Thanks," she whispered.

He smiled. His bad temper hadn't even returned. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that his arm was still wrapped around her slim waist. "Anytime," he whispered back. And then, reassured, Kagome turned to face the man before her. She noticed that Inuyasha's arm around her waist stiffened, but he did not let go. Kagome sighed, just slightly. She was ready for this now, too.

"Kouga." she looked the young wolf demon in the eyes, and saw the agony there. But it was not a returned feeling, like it had been with Inuyasha. She merely…felt sorry for him.

"I just…wanted to ask you a question before I left. But…I think it's been answered, now." Kouga's voice was gruff. Kagome really hoped he wasn't going to cry.

"Oh, Kouga. This really wasn't the way I'd wanted for you to find out." Kagome felt the tears beginning at the corners of her eyes again. She'd put off this moment so long…and it hadn't begun at all how she'd planned. "Kouga, I…I really like you." She felt Inuyasha's arm stiffen slightly more. Gently, she wrapped her arm around him, giving him a little squeeze. She tried as hard as she could to convey everything she was feeling right then through the squeeze. A sidelong glance at his face showed that it had worked. "I really do like you, Kouga, and I appreciate how nice you've been to me," she continued, her voice trembling just slightly. "But the thing is…you never gave me a chance to tell you how I felt for you. And…well…I was too afraid to speak up, anyway. You see, Kouga, I-I'm in love. With Inuyasha." She saw a look of despair cross his face, and she couldn't help but leave the protection of Inuyasha's side and run to him. He didn't take her hand, the way he usually did, so she took his. "You've been so kind to me, Kouga, and this, of all ways, was most definitely not the way I wanted you to find out. I had planned to tell you, but…not yet. And not like this. Please understand, Kouga. I wasn't deceiving you. I just…didn't want to hurt you. And now I think I have. Oh Kouga! I'm…so sorry."

Kouga didn't reply. He didn't cry, either. But he took Kagome's hand in his again, for the last time. He squeezed it gently, and then, at last, he spoke. "I love you, Kagome. You know that. I'm not mad at you. I'm glad you told me. I feel terrible, putting you through torment like that. I want you to be happy. Inuyasha and I have never gotten along, but if you love him…well, that's fine. I won't begrudge you your love." And then he did cry. One tiny, solitary tear trickled down his cheek.

"Oh, Kouga. I don't want to begrudge you your love either. And I don't want you to be sad. But I-"

"It's all right, Kagome. I won't be sad. I understand." Kouga wiped the tear from his cheek, and gently dropped Kagome's hands. "I will see you again, and I will most likely not stop loving you, but I will not try to make you love me. You can't choose who you love. Good bye, Kagome."

"Kouga! I don't want you to be sad!"

"Don't worry. I'm not sad. Don't you be sad. At least now this tension between myself and that mutt has been ended." And with that, he smiled, just slightly, and turned around, making his traditional exit. And Kagome ran to Inuyasha, and he held her, and let her cry as long as she wanted. And for the first time in history, he said nothing as he held the girl he loved in his arms, and she cried about someone else. For he knew, at last, who she truly loved. And so he did not worry.

By the time Sango and Miroku returned from the river, Kagome was smiling again. The two of them waited in silence for Sango and Miroku, Inuyasha's arm wrapped around Kagome's waist, Kagome's arm draped over Inuyasha's shoulders.

"Hey, Kagome!" called Sango, as she pushed through the bushes and stepped onto the path. "Did you-" She stopped in her tracks as she saw the two of them sitting there, smiling secretly.

"Sango, what is it?" Miroku came up behind her. Then he stopped, too. Shippou, on his shoulder, gave Kagome an odd look.

"Kagome!" he called. Have you been crying? And why do you look so…happy now?"

Kagome smiled at him, but she did not answer. Inuyasha's arm tightened protectively about Kagome's waist as he announced, with a smile, "She loves me."