Inu Yasha fanfic - "Who Is He Kissing?"

Disclaimer - I do not own Inu Yasha and am not making money from this.

This is a sequel to my first Inu Yasha fanfic, "Lovesick." I wrote that one some time ago and this one as well, though I had wrote it in a notebook and not typed it. When I finally got around to typing it up, I didn't like it so had to rewrite it. As a result I don't think it's one of my better ones but hopefully it's not too bad.

It had been two weeks since Kagome had gotten sick and since she and Inu Yasha had kissed. Their group was walking down the road as usual and Kagome was watching Inu Yasha as he walked ahead of the group, sticking his nose in the air and sniffing every now and then at some scent carried on the wind. Kagome reflected back on their kiss, unconsciously touching her lips and blushing. She also reflected on the fact that nothing had changed between them. It was almost as if nothing had happened which saddened her. Maybe he had gotten caught up in the moment and now regretted it. Or did he only do it because she looked like Kikyo and now didn't know how to act without hurting her feelings.

Later that night, after everyone but Kagome and Inu Yasha had gone to sleep, she decided to confront him.

"Inu Yasha? Can we talk?" He looked at her, surprised, thinking she had gone to sleep.

"Sure. What did you want to talk about?" he asked, but he could guess what she had on her mind. He'd been semi-ignoring her since that time, but he hadn't forgotten about it.

"Let's go for a walk," she suggested. They headed into the moonlit woods and listened to the nighttime noises around them; the hoot of an owl, the rustling of a bush, the babbling of a brook. At first neither said anything, not sure how to start. Kagome finally began with a blunt question, "Why did you kiss me?"

She surprised him with her directness and he had no idea what to say. He didn't really know himself the exact reason as he was more the type to go with his gut than to over-think things.

"It just felt right," he quietly said, willing her to understand. Another awkward silence followed.

Who is he kissing? she wondered. "It is because I look like Kikyo?" she quietly implored, turning her head away, not wanting him to see her expression. He stopped and turned his head to look at her in shock, She thinks I kissed her because she looks like Kikyo? That she's no more than a substitute? That's not it at all! They're not even similar except they look a bit alike and I barely even see that anymore. His conscience was pricking at him, encouraging him to tell her that as he knows he's been unclear about how he feels about the two of them.

"Kagome." He faced her fully and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "You are not a replacement for Kikyo! I would never do that." Though the words weren't loud, Kagome could tell how much feeling was in them and she softened.

"Inu Yasha."

"You may look like her a bit, but that's the only similarity. You are two completely different people." He dropped his hands from her shoulders, looking down and stepping back, but she didn't want to end it there.

"How are we different, Inu Yasha? I need to know." She clasped her hands together, aptly waiting for his response. His eyes flicked back to her face only to close them and sigh, trying to think of a way to explain.

"Kikyo's serious and pragmatic while you're very cheerful and let your heart lead you. You both help people but for her it's like she does it because of her duty as a priestess whereas you do it because you truly want to help people." He pauses. "Your scents are different as well," he added as an afterthought.

There was a pause as she absorbed this information; glad he wasn't using her as replacement but still wanting to hear about his exact feelings toward her yet also afraid to hear the answer. He could tell there was a question on her lips and knew what it would be. He turned to stand in front of her, tilting her chin up with one hand while he looked into her eyes, then leaned forward to gently press their lips together. He held her there for a moment before backing off, hoping it would convey what was so hard for him to say. Watching as her eyes slowly opened, he saw them sparkle with unshed tears. It was enough to take his breath away as he stood so close to her. When he leaned forward this time, she met him halfway, grasping his free hand in hers. The hand holding her chin slid into the hair at the nape of her neck, bringing her closer as he deepened the kiss. She responded, sliding her hands around his waist, then up his back to rest on his shoulder blades. When he nibbled on her lower lip, Kagome opened her mouth with a gasp and Inu Yasha took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth, caressing her tongue with his. Inu Yasha brought his other hand up to cup her face, reveling in the softness of her skin and the tenderness with which she kissed him. When they broke apart he pulled her close, burying his nose in her hair and breathing in her scent, then whispered, "I love you, Kagome."

Though quiet, she heard and the unshed tears in her eyes now began streaming down her cheeks as she pressed her face into his shoulder. Such a simple phrase, yet heart-spoken, she could tell. He stroked and kissed her hair, comforting her as she soaked his shoulder. She was so quiet that if it hadn't been for the occasional sniffle, he wouldn't have known she was crying. Then she turned her mouth to his ear, "I love you, too, Inu Yasha." His response was only to hold her tighter.

Soon they broke apart with soft smiles. Both their hearts felt lighter now they'd gotten everything out in the open. Inu Yasha vowed he would not let his past feelings for Kikyo hurt Kagome again as they walked back to the others hand in hand.

FIN