The Truth is I Love You
By: DemonSaya
It had been a hard week for all of them, but none of them as hard as it had been for Inuyasha and
Kagome. Inuyasha had been hurt badly in the fight against Naraku, and the demon still wasn't
defeated. The Shikon no Tama wasn't completed, either. Kagome had rarely left the side of the
unconsious dog demon, preferring instead to sit by his side, her hand wrapped protectively
around his.
Several times, their friends had tried to convince her to eat something, but she'd only accepted
when Kaede had forced the food into her hands. Yet, even then, she sat beside him, and didn't
utter a word. She didn't respond to her friends gentle coaxing, or touches. They knew why.
It was because he had almost died protecting her.
So she remained by his side for a week, until that day, when his eyelashes fluttered a bit and his
eyes opened. Kagome had fallen asleep, her back leaning against the wall, his head in her lap.
He reentered the world of the living cautiously, taking everything in before he responded to
anything. Was he really alive?
Kagome felt the weight in her lap shift and snapped awake. What she saw almost made her cry
out in shock. Inuyasha was glowing slightly, power practically radiating from him. He was sitting,
looking around the room, his eyes slightly pained. Gently, she reached out and touched his arm.
"Inuyasha…" She whispered, her voice raspy from not being used.
He turned quickly, his eyes wide, pupils dilated. He looked like a frightened puppy.
She reached a hand out to him, brushing his hair back from his face. "It's okay. We're alive,
you're alive…" She crept towards him and without another word, she wrapped her arms around
him, resting her cheek on his shoulder.
Inuyasha pulled back, resting on his heels and staring at her as he returned to himself. "Kagome,
the others? The demon?"
"The others are fine…and Naraku…" She stopped. "He got away…but he's weakened…"
"He still has the jewel, then…" He glanced away, his eyes shadowed. "Kagome…next time…I
have to go alone…" He said softly. He saw her open her mouth to object and leaned towards
her, gently resting a clawed finger against her lips to silence her. "If you and the others come
with me…" He stopped, swallowing hard. "Kagome, I don't want to see you get hurt again…"
"You're hurt a lot worse than me…" She insisted, wrapping her hands around his. "Besides, it's
our risk to take…"
He forced himself to stand, wincing as the stitches in his side pulled a bit. "Come on…" He said,
effortlessly pulling her to her feet.
Once again, she marveled at his strength. Anyone else would have had trouble sitting, much less
standing, and pulling her up would have been impossible. Only when she was standing, did she
see the toll it had taken on him. His golden eyes were flashing dark with pain and it was obvious
he was trying hard not to let her see it. Gently, lifted one of his arms around her shoulders, so
she could help support him.
"I don't need help…" He ground out through gritted teeth.
She ignored him, helping him from the hut and into the forest. Once they were under the shelter
of Go Shinboku, he collapsed, his strength fled. She knelt beside him, her hands going to the
folds of his gi to make sure the stitches didn't tear.
"What are you doing, wench…?" He growled out, not wanting her to see that he'd hurt himself.
She stilled, lifting her eyes to his. There were tears in her silvery blue eyes, and deep sadness,
desperation, and even a longing. "Say what you want. I have to make sure you didn't hurt
yourself worse than you already had…I-"
Inuyasha silenced her by leaning forward and touching his lips to hers. He would never
understand why, but her touch would always calm him. Kikyou had never had the calming effect
Kagome did. He felt her sharp intake of breath and knew it was the sweetest sound on earth.
"Do you remember when we first met?" He asked softly, his lips brushing against hers, his
breaths growing shallow.
"I'll never forget it…" She barely whispered. "You professed how much you hated me…" Pain
yanked at her and she began to pull away. "And when I released you, you tried to kill me…"
He lifted his hand, cupping her face with it, his eyes tender and haunted. "Kagome, if I'd been
trying, I would have…" He admitted softly. He saw the shock there, then it clouded over with
pain. Pain he'd brought her. He didn't know what he'd done wrong, but he knew he'd better fix it
quick.
"You didn't want to hurt the woman you thought was Kikyou…" She said softly, hurt.
He paused. "No, it was because you had trusted me." He saw her trying to look away and
hooked his index finger under her chin, lifting her face to him again. "You didn't even know me,
yet you trusted me implicitly…I'd never had that before." Gently, he stroked her cheek with his
thumb. "You may not realize it, but those fifty years that I was pinned to that tree…I was actually
awake…Mentally, I was aware of everything that was going on."
She blushed, looking away. "Even when I…"
He gave her a tiny smile. "Played with my ears? Yes…It…it was nice." He said softly. "For so
long, so many generations had never even come close to that tree. Then you came…and you
approached me without hesitation…" He lifted his other hand, holding her face still. "You were
never afraid, and you always trusted me…"
She blushed, trying to look away, but she was trapped. "I was so scared…" She whispered,
closing her eyes tightly to try to keep from crying.
He froze. Had he read her so wrong? Was she really afraid of him? Did she hate him so? A
part of him wanted to cry, but he was a demon, and demons couldn't cry. So instead, he hung his
head and released her. "Am I so frightening?"
She grabbed his hands, as if reassuring herself of their existence. "No…" She crept close to him.
"I was so scared…because I thought I had lost you…" A soft sob escaped her when he looked
up, amazed and shocked. She threw her arms around his neck and embraced him tightly. "You
were so cold…and pale, and still…I thought you were dead…I couldn't hear your heart beating…I
felt…so scared…" She expected him to push her away, but it appeared today was a day for
surprises.
Inuyasha slowly lifted his arms, wrapping them around her. "Kagome…that day…when you first
came here…I said I hated you…but I lied…" He whispered.
"All those things I said, I was trying to drive you away…but I quickly that…I didn't want you to go.
I always want you beside me…but…if you being beside me means you will get hurt…It's best you
went home, Kagome…It will hurt less later…I…I don't want to lose you."
She listened to him, shaking her head against his neck. "No." She whispered. "I don't care if it
means we never defeat Naraku…I want to be able to die in your arms…don't you dare deny me
that, Inuyasha!" She whispered fiercely.
He blushed fiercely, and tried to push her away, but she held tight, lifting her face to stare at him.
Their eyes met, and seconds later, Kagome scooted closer, onto his lap, and twined her arms
tighter around him. He tried to push her away, but he wouldn't have been able to pry her off with
a crowbar, even if he knew what one was. "Kagome-" He objected, but Kagome shook her head,
fiercely.
"I believe in you. We all do. You're not going to be able to get rid of me so easily. I wont just go
home like some princess, awaiting her prince's safe return. Dammit, don't push me away. Let
me stay by your side…can you at least give me that much?"
His lower lip trembled and he wrapped his arms around her tightly, his lips seeking, and finding
hers, kissing her with all he was, all he would ever be. And he was thrilled when she responded
with equally as much of herself. He pulled back to stare up into her beautiful face. "I would give
you the world…" He whispered to her.
Kagome smiled, hugging him tighter, and loosening when he winced. "Sorry…"
He smiled at her again, wrapping his arms around her. "Kagome," He said softly, cradling her
form against his. "You have nothing to be sorry about." He felt her hand come up and massage
his ear lightly and purred against her neck. //Kagome,// he thought, his eyes closing as he rested
his chin on her shoulder. //You may think the only thing that saved you that day was the rosary,
but the truth is…//
As the sun began to peak over the horizon, Kagome helped him stand and put her arm around
is waist as they headed back towards the hut. She closed her eyes, resting her head against his
shoulder. //Inuyasha, you may think I stay because of the Shikon no tama, but the truth is…//
//If I had wanted to kill you, I would have. I lied all those time I said I hated you. Because…I
really…//
//If I hadn't wanted to be with you, you could never have kept me here. I was lonely, and afraid,
and you were too. I stayed…because actually I…//
Kagome and Inuyasha looked at each other just before they entered the hut. After today, it would
be back to business as usual. Except everything between them had changed while they were in
the forest. Go Shinboku had brought about so many beginnings, and another had happened that
day.
//The truth is…//
Inuyasha slipped his arm from her shoulders as she did the same at his waist. Without looking at
her, he let the words slip through his mouth. "I love you." He said softly, his face serious, yet he
couldn't bring himself to look at her.
Kagome looked up at him and gave him a teary smile and nodded. "I love you, too…" She
whispered, then burst into tears, throwing her arms around him.
//The truth is I love you.//
~Owari~
AN: Neeee? What do ya think? This waffy one-shot was started at 1 in the morning, so please don't be too harsh, because it was completed at 2 that same morning.