I decided that I am going to rewrite all of my stories so I'm starting with this one (because it's first on my alphabetical list). The plot isn't going to change, just the grammar. I'll probably add some things to it also so if you want to reread it, feel free, or if you want to read it for the first time, feel free to do that also.

Also, I've seen the series, I know what happens and I know this doesn't conform to the story line really… well at all. That's ok. That's why it's called fanfiction.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha, I merely borrow the characters to further the enjoyment of all.

ooOOoo

Inu Yasha looked at her with a pain in his heart. She was so close but she might as well be a million miles away for all the good it did him. Her head was turned away from him, interested in something else. She never paid much attention to him other than when they fought, which was more than they got along. Even after all this time they still couldn't carry on a decent conversation. That had mostly been his fault but he would never admit it to her.

He watched her tuck a strand of long black hair behind her ear and a smile light up her face. Well, maybe he would admit it to her if she really pried. He shook his head. He couldn't believe that he was thinking like this but something had happened in the past week or so that he didn't think truly possible.

Inu Yasha had fallen in love.

To be honest, he had fallen in love earlier then the past week. He had been in love with her since the moment that she had freed him from that tree. Unfortunately they were two of the most stubborn people he knew. They both would keel over dead before admitting they had feelings for each other. No, the only time they showed any passion was when they fought.

He sighed. It wasn't like he knew what he was doing. He was in uncharted territory. He had never been in love before, not really. Kikyo didn't count. She taught him to love but he wasn't actually in love with her. Kikyo had been his infatuation, his desire to leave his life behind. What he felt for Kagome was so different from what he had felt for Kikyo. When he was with Kagome he felt… whole.

Now that he had finally come to terms with the fact that was hopelessly in love, he really didn't know what to do about it. Should he tell her? No, he thought, adjusting Tetsaiga which rested on his shoulder, that would be ludicrous. She hated him, or at least didn't love him. Either way it didn't really matter. She wouldn't take kindly to his confession. Their relationship was already a tedious one. She sensed them and he fought the demons that possessed them. Simple, easy and functional. That is all that this was to her: a business arrangement.

Inu Yasha scoffed at himself. How would he really know unless he told her? And since when had he been a scared little puppy who didn't take any risks? His fears were a recent development that was certain. Besides, things had been different lately. They'd been looking at each other differently, interacting differently. They had fallen into a comfortable routine. Maybe, just maybe… He had to tell her. Right now.

He got up, looked around and then proceeded to sit back down. Well maybe not right now. Maybe when all these other people left, when he could speak to her alone.

That was easier said than done. The woman was never alone. She was constantly surrounded by their friends. It wasn't surprising. She was so kind to everyone, it was impossible not to want to spend all of your time near her. It was an infectious kindness that she bestowed upon everyone. Well, almost everyone.

It didn't matter. Loved or not he wasn't going to confess his love in front of everyone that they knew. He would never hear the end of it. The monk especially would ridicule him until the day that they both died. He would have to come up with some way to pull her away from all the activity. There had to be some way…

"I'm going home. It's my Brother's birthday and my mom will kill me if I don't show up," Kagome announced. Inu Yasha's ears perked slightly. It couldn't be that easy. Nothing in his life was that easy.

"Do you want us to walk you?" Miroku asked hopefully. She shook her head.

"No, that's ok. I can get there by myself. Bye!" And she ran off without a glance behind. Inu Yasha blinked, barely believing she had just left. He sat there stunned for a full minute before he realized that if he didn't get off his ass he would never reach her before she crossed over. Rising from the tree he had been inhabiting, he ran off without explanation.

ooOOoo

"Kagome, wait!" Catching up to her had been easy. He forgot how slow humans could be. The dark haired girl turned around at the sound of her name. She was surprised to see the silver haired dog demon.

"What is it Inu Yasha?" She was a little concerned that something had gone awry with the demon they had killed or that another one had shown up and they needed her help. She hoped not. If she missed her brother's birthday, she was going to have a lot more problems than catching demons. Inu Yasha ran the rest of the distance to her before slowing to a stop. He stood in front of her and took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"Listen, lately I've been feeling…" he wasn't sure what word he was looking for. He didn't want to scare her off with the word love but he didn't know what else to call it. "Well, let's just say that I've been having feelings. That actually apply to you." He began pacing in front of her, having the usual grace with words as he always did: none. He tried again. "You and I have spent a lot of time together. We've been through a lot of hard times together and even though I've refused to admit it even to myself until lately, my feelings for you have changed a lot since the first day I met you. Well, that's not entirely true. I think I always felt this way but I can just be a real stubborn ass-"

"Inu Yasha, you're babbling," she interjected.

"Sorry," was the only thing he could think of to say. Why did he think he could ever tell her? He looked up and saw dark brown eyes looking at him. They were filled with curiosity and softness, not the malice that usually reached her eyes when they talked. Taking a deep breath he tried for a third time. "I know that we always seem to hate each other, but I'm not blind Kagome. I know that your feelings have changed since the first time we met just like mine have. I just think it's about time that someone said something about them.

"Kagome, I love you. I couldn't imagine being in love with anyone but you. And it's not because you have Kikyo's soul. I love you because of who you are and everything that makes you, well, you. I love your fiery spirit, I love that you seem to get along with everyone, I love your innocence and the way your hair falls in your face when you're concentrating on something and the way you smell, especially the way you smell."

Inu Yasha released the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. There is was, out in the open. He waited for her reaction, fearing the worst. But if he hadn't told her he would have regretted it more than anything else in his life.

"Oh, Inu Yasha… I do like you a lot. But we can't be together. I mean the fact that we're from different times and partially different species is just the beginning of it. There other things that you don't even know. There are other reasons why I can't be with you."

"And what would these other reasons be?" The hurt was evident in his voice despite his effort to control it. Deep down he had been expecting a different reaction. If she had rejected him because she didn't care for him that was one thing but her reasons were all conquerable obstacles.

"Well there's this guy at school…"

"Your boyfriend?" He knew what the term meant in her world.

"Not quite. Well he used to be but we just some history and he's a good friend and possibly more. I just don't want to screw it up by doing something that he wouldn't appreciate. You know like, dating another guy or something like that. I'm so sorry Inu Yasha. The whole situation is complicated. I'm just not free to be with you." She felt awful inside. She hated seeing him like this, so hurt. He had just confessed that he was in love with her and she was throwing it aside. But back at home there was just as much potential and that was in her own world with a guy of her own species.

"It's ok, I understand," he told her even though he didn't. He didn't understand at all why she would pass up love for this guy. She wasn't even with him, yet she wouldn't allow the chance for anything else to come into her life. How well did she even know this guy? Kagome and Inu Yasha had been through so much. They had saved each other's lives and she had saved him in everyone a person could. That was a bond that went deeper than some crush at her school. Yet she was giving it up for this guy? No, he didn't understand at all.

But he guessed that's what being in love was. Letting a person be happy even if you're not. If this guy was what made her happy then who was he to stop her from that happiness? No, it was best to let her go. In the end it would what was best for everyone.

"You'd better go, or your mom will get mad." He turned and starting walking away.

"Inu Yasha wait!" she called before he had a chance to leave the meadow. He turned and looked at her. "It's not that I don't want to be with you. I just… can't right now. It's a weird time." The explanation felt forced even to her own ears. Inu Yasha gave her a smile.

"It's ok. Just go enjoy your brother's birthday and I'll see you when you come back." He gave her a quick hug and left.

ooOOoo

"Hey!" Everyone was waiting for her at the well when she had returned from her brother's birthday. She hugged everyone in turn, glad to be back. She turned towards Inu Yasha and smiled. "Hey," she said quietly. "How are you doing?"

He gave her his own smile in return but she noticed that it didn't reach her eyes. She didn't know what he was about to tell her but she knew it wasn't going to be the truth. Inu Yasha was hurting.

"I'm good. It's been a little boring here without you. We didn't even have any demons." He looked at her, love sparkling in his eyes. He had tried all weekend to hide it. But he just couldn't the second she showed up. Why hide what she already knew?

Kagome on the other had wished he would. She didn't want to be reminded of the pain that she knew she was putting him through. She just couldn't date him right now. The situation was complicated. She really cared for him. She even wanted to be with him she just didn't want to hurt anyone else in the process. Unfortunately she was hurting him and she didn't know how to fix it. How do you tell someone to stop loving you?

The week went by like that, both acting as if nothing had happened. Kagome continued to do all the things that drove Inu Yasha to insanity. She hugged him when she got excited and wouldn't think twice about leaning against him. All the while Inu Yasha had to suffer in silence. In all reality he should be telling her not to do those things but he just couldn't. He loved her and he loved the feeling. It was all he was going to have from her. The casual touches and friendly looks were what he lived for because he couldn't have her but neither could he give her up.

"I am so tired!" Kagome said one night about a week after she had gotten home. She plopped down on her bedroll and Inu Yasha sat down next to her. The demon was minor so the two went alone to get it. Kagome leaned against Inu Yasha and closed her eyes. She slid down his body and settled her upper body in his lap. It took all the strength he had not to just take her in his arms and kiss her breathless. But he couldn't. She wasn't his and had told him that she had no intentions of ever being his. It wasn't his right to kiss her. She was so close to him but it seemed like she was across time. Like he couldn't even dream of touching her the way he really wanted. Loving her like he really did. She didn't want him or need him.

"Kagome, you can't do this." He barely recognized his own voice, that he was saying this but he just couldn't take it anymore. She was the one who had softened his heart and now he was having a hard time hardening it against her. Kagome looked up at him in question.

"Do what?"

"You can't just sit there and cuddle with me and hug me and expect me not to say anything! I love you Kagome. And the fact that it doesn't bother you to become close like this kills me. If you don't want to be with me fine, but don't sit here and act like you do. It's not fair to me."

"Inu Yasha…" she started, not sure what to say to him. Inu Yasha shook his head.

"No, Kagome. I just can't do it anymore. I'll be near by if you need me but I just… can't stay here." He got up and left leaving Kagome to think about his words.

ooOOoo

It had been a week. A week of Inu Yasha avoiding her at all costs. She couldn't take it. She thought that it was ok, that she could deal with it because she didn't really love him right? She didn't care for him like he cared for her, didn't have feelings as intense as his own. She barely believed herself. If she didn't love him then why was this hurting so badly?

Because she did love him. She loved him with her whole heart and soul. She had been stupid, a real idiot about the whole situation. She had let him go for a guy that it wasn't really working out with anyways. Why had she done it, why had she let him go?

She was scared, she realized. She was scared of something so intense, so real and so incredibly powerful. She was scared of everything that could happen. Inu Yasha meant that she had to take a chance and plunge head first into a situation that she didn't know the outcome of. She knew how the relationship would work with her guy back home but with Inu Yasha it was all new and unknown. Despite that it was exhilarating not knowing. She knew what her relationship was at home: comfortable, safe. But had she given up passion and love for that safety?

She realized now the mistake she had made. She was head over heels in love with Inu Yasha but how do you fix something like that? How do you tell someone who loved you that you shot down that it was ok to date now because the other thing didn't work out? She didn't know but she had to try.

They continued the work for the day and finally the opportunity that she had been waiting for presented itself. Everyone had left for one thing or another and it left Inu Yasha and Kagome alone to finish up. They were just packing their things to go.

"Inu Yasha…"

He looked up from his work.

"Do you need help with something?" He asked, his voice cold. Kagome shook her head.

"No I actually wanted to talk to you."

"I think we've said plenty to each other Kagome." He looked away from her and stood up to leave when suddenly he was knocked to the ground. He looked up to see Kagome straddling him. "Kagome please-" Kagome leaned down, pressing her lips hard against his, cutting off whatever he was going to say. Inu Yasha tried to resist everything that kissed stirred in him but he couldn't. He was in heaven and he was going to enjoy every minute of it, even if it was going to end. His arms wrapped around her as she molded to him. He flipped them over so she was under him, being warmed by his body. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and greeted his tongue with hers as it slid softly into her mouth. She finally pulled away slightly, breaking the kiss.

"Why is it," she whispered, "that men never know when to shut up and listen? How am I supposed to tell you that I love you and I'm sorry for what I did if you won't let me?"

"You love me?" he asked with a smile, barely able to believe his luck.

"With all my soul."

"But what about…"

"I realized that I stayed with him because it was easy, comfortable. I never really wanted him or loved him. I just took a little longer than you did to realize it. You hold my heart Inu Yasha, you always will."

"And all the other reasons?" he asked, scared that she would remember that she had given more than one reason not to be with him.

"Just stupid excuses from a scared girl," was her immediate answer. Inu Yasha just smiled wider.

"Well in that case," he leaned down once again capturing her lips in a kiss. A million miles was a lot closer then he thought.

ooOOoo

All done! Enjoy!