¤¤Responsibility¤¤

Oneshot #5

It was dark. Kagome watched as the fireflies made light against the darkness that covered the feudal era at night. She smiled, but it soon faded when a familiar face came into her mind, and before she knew it, she was biting her lip, holding in the three words that she knew would escape for the eleventh time that day.

Shaking her head, she sat up strait in the empty field of nothing but grass. She wasn't sure exactly where she was, but for the past five days she had come here, and no one had bothered to send a search party after her. She giggled. 'Inuyasha would kill me if he ever found me,' she thought with a slight blush as she lay back down again.

Kagome's big brown eyes saddened as she closed them. "…I love him," she said in a whisper, making it the eleventh time she had said those three words that day. She missed him greatly. She knew that she was acting like girls from her time; girls from her time would cling to their 'mates' for dear life all the time, unlike people in this time who showed affection, but not crazy affection.

Opening her eyes to the darkness of nine o'clock in the past, she looked around her; all she saw was green. "No red… no white," she said with a sigh. "Inuyasha, please come back to me." It had been a total of five days since he and Miroku had left to kill some sort of anaconda demon that had slaughtered over two hundred men in a faraway village.

"Of course I got left behind." She didn't know of what help she would be in slaying something a thousand times her size, but she was left at the village to look after Sango… who was pregnant… again.

Though Sango was safe, she felt her heart escape from her chest at every second that passed without a sulky hanyou around to comfort her. "…Inuyasha," she whined as she put her arms behind her head, watching as the clouds slowly circulated to the left.

Exclaiming her love for him again, she kicked her legs so she was once again in a sitting position in the grass. Nothing helped soothe her. She had tried taking a bath at home; it didn't work. She had tried cutting a picture she had of Inuyasha with him actually smiling in it; it didn't work. She had even gone so low as to flirt with some villager that was about her age; it didn't work. In fact, she had actually scared him away.

Kagome shook her head. "Argh…" She looked for the moon in the sky. "I shouldn't be this obsessed about him." Letting her hand come to the left side of her neck, she smiled slightly when she felt two bite marks. "…I guess it's normal." Yes, they were mates.

Squatting, Kagome let a moan escape her when a warm feeling came over her. Her eyes fluttered shut before looking down. She was somehow stretched while squatting, putting pressure she had been waiting for Inuyasha to give her flow through her body. She instantly collapsed on the ground, digging her fingers into the dirt.

"…I love him."

Kagome opened her eyes to sunshine. She had her arms behind her head again, and sat up and held her face in her hands. 'Morning,' she said to herself with a moan. She had somehow returned to Sango's hut in time to wish the pregnant woman and her child goodnight before falling asleep.

Looking over, she smiled at Kirara who was perched on her owner's fat stomach, and the little boy that was in her futon next to her, gripping Sango's long hair.

Kagome looked out the hut window. She was used to sleeping in Sango's hut, but not all the time, such as this morning. She was so used to waking up next to such a handsome face that sent chills through her body whenever he would smile. Stretching her arms, Kagome scooted the thin blanket over to the side and stood.

She had about half an hour before she would have to return and try to get Sango out of bed. The woman was heavy and as fat as a cow now, making her average looking body look like a grain of sand compared to her. The biggest challenge of the day was pulling her out of bed so she was standing.

As she made her way to the entrance of the hut, she turned around and admired the small family before her. She couldn't wait to have a family of demons of her own. Even if she was at the tender age of nineteen, making Inuyasha twenty-one, she had the right to think whatever she wanted, mostly about him.

Stepping out of the hut, she stretched her arms again and decided that she would go home to the present to take a shower. She paused and imagined Inuyasha watching her every moment, and before she knew it, she was leaning on Sango's hut, her hand over her heart, and she was panting heavily.

'Is it an obsession?' she wondered with a raised eyebrow. Shaking her head, she continued on her way until she was sitting on the well's side, kicking her legs and watching as her green school girl's skirt lifted with every thrust of power. She was waiting… waiting for him.

With a tear falling down her face, she jumped down the well.

Kagome's face held no emotions as she let the burning hot water hit her body. She looked around; no Inuyasha watching her cleanse her body with a smirk on his face, no reaching out to touch her and failing when she would swirl out of his grasp, and no Souta and his friends sitting on the hanyou to prevent him from entering the bathroom.

Her body leaned to the left, looking to the white shower wall for support in this situation. Yes, she was obsessed with him, as well as her body. She had gotten so used to riding his back, so used to him carrying her when she didn't feel like walking. Without him she was a walking doll… she hated it.

Turning off the water after she had washed her body, she wrapped her red towel around her body and exited the bathroom. Once she was in her room, she decided to go for an outfit that made her feel good about herself.

'Let's see…' she thought with a slight blush; she had been doing a lot of that lately. Perhaps because she knew that her mate loved everything she put on? "Inuyasha likes red-" Pausing when she felt something scratch her ankle, she looked down and picked up Buyo. Something was in his mouth.

Kagome pulled it out and blushed dark red. "Buyo…" she said as she gritted her teeth. "I had BURIED this in a box in Mama's garden!" she shouted as she threw it at the wall where her bed was. She watched with a raised eyebrow as the shirt fell on her bed, and seemed to have folded itself in a perfect matter atop her white pillow.

Shaking her head, she balanced the cat in her left arm as she made her way through her closet, coming upon nothing that made her feel pretty, fantastic, or anything that attracted the opposite sex. 'There has to be more than a school uniform!' she thought while looking at her ceiling in a hopeless matter.

Once deciding that nothing in her closet was going to work, as well that she needed to call her friends so they could go shopping, she had put the shirt on. The only good thing about it was that it was red. It was very revealing when skin came to view, only her arms, and had spaghetti straps. Her mother had given it to her when she hit seventeen, and was declared 'a blossoming beauty' by the middle-aged woman and the many middle-aged friends that were around to witness her growth spurt.

She had managed to slip into a pair of tight blue jeans before looking at herself in the mirror. The only place where she saw the most skin was where her arms were; she was a little too used to wearing long sleeves. 'I don't look revealed at all!' she thought with a sigh, pushing a piece of her bangs in the air as she exhaled. Now that she was looking at herself, girls her age went crazy with makeup. High school had ended two months ago, still making it summer, and still making it the time where her friends had said since freshman year that they were going to find their future husbands.

As Kagome blow dried her damp hair, she looked at herself in the mirror. 'Am I pretty?' she said to herself as she shook her head. 'No… not as beautiful and gorgeous as Kikyo.' She gasped. "K-Kikyo…" she said with wide eyes. 'I haven't thought of you in a long time…'

Turning off the blow dryer, let her wavy hair hang down. It wasn't that she didn't like it, she did, but she felt so plain being in her time. It was as if she didn't belong where she was born, conceived… raised. She felt like a total stranger, and right then she wanted her other family, her family beyond the well, and most of all, her mate.

Kagome's body slammed on her bed, wrapping her arms around her pillow. She wasn't crying, she was better than that, and she knew better than to cry when Inuyasha was around. But her body was trembling, and that wasn't a positive sign. "I-Inuyasha…" she whispered into the material of her pillowcase.

"I love you."

Sango tried her best to look at her best friend as her hair was being braided into a low ponytail, but every time her eyes glanced back her head was turned so she was facing forward. "Kagome-chan?" she called, and she winced when Kagome's fingers tightened on her hair as she twisted it, going lower and lower. "Is everything-"

"Sango…" Kagome continued to braid her pregnant companion's hair until she was done, and when she was, she stood and pulled on Sango's arms so she was standing as well. "…H-how do you feel pretty while being… b-being…" She tensed when Sango's eyes narrowed; she knew this was a touchy subject.

"Pregnant?" Sango said while putting her hands on her hips. "I believe the word you're trying to say is pregnant?" She wasn't mad. Actually, she was rather happy to be able to talk about how bloated she had been feeling for the past three days.

Kagome nodded, a smile nowhere on her face. She knew that Sango wanted an explanation as to why this question had come upon her at this time, and she looked down at her black doll shoes with white bows on them. "I… just-" She paused and looked out of the hut window. 'Sunset…'

"You don't feel pretty," Sango easily answered as she made her way out of her hut, knowing very well that Kagome was following right behind her to make sure she didn't tip over and die with the extra weight inside her stomach. "Kagome-chan, don't worry, Inuyasha will be back before you know-"

"But what if he doesn't help?" Kagome asked as a beautiful village girl came to view. When they had finished the Shikon Jewel and all was well, she was known as the girl that was followed by almost every boy in the village. Some of the holy people lost their respect for her when she became a mate of a demon, even worse a half demon, and Inuyasha had warned her of this when he first bit her. To say she was jealous was an exact definition with her mate gone.

She felt her attitude become defiant as the girl passed her; they looked about the same age. She had about three men following her, piercing through her back as if they were going to roast her over an open fire. Wrapping her arms around her stomach, their eyes met. She knew she had lost the battle the second the girl passed her. She had heard something incoherent, but it was still clear.

"Where's Inuyasha?"

Kagome tipped her head to the side. There was a disgusting grin on the girl's face. She knew who this was. It was Suri… or something like that. She looked almost identical to her, except for her hair was light brown, and hers was black. Still, she responded. "…Gone."

Suri grinned. "You'll let me know when he's back, won't you dear?"

Kagome only quickened her pace to keep up with Sango who had continued on her way, obviously knowing how much of a stuck-up person Suri was. Her arms remained wrapped around herself.

Did she have competition?

She gasped when she bumped into Sango's back, landing on her rear end with a thump. She rubbed her sore backside as she sat up. "Sango, what is it?" she asked as she eyed her best friend's pale face.

"Where's Haru!"

Tears poured from Kagome's eyes like running water as she ran through her mate's forest like wild. She had been searching for a certain three year-old for over an hour, making the sky now dark blue and nightly. She was worried more than anything for the boy. As much as she hated to admit it, but demons still lurked in Inuyasha forest.

"Haru!" Kagome called. Today wasn't her day. She couldn't remember the last time she had smiled since she had opened her eyes that morning. Nothing felt right without Inuyasha around. She missed being in his arms, having him hold her… having him love her. "Haru!" she continued to call, and stopped when she tripped over an extremely huge tree branch, falling to the ground face first.

As the tears continued to flow, she felt something wet hit the back of her head. She immediately held her breath; she began praying with all her might that she would live through this encounter with a demon.

But it was only rain.

Lifting her head, she wiped her face and stood. Before her was something that looked like an eel. It was white and looked as peaceful as a newborn. She instinctively gasped. She felt her heart sink when the spirit wandered through the rain. Its tail clenched like an index finger, beckoning for her to follow.

She didn't know how, but she followed the white shikigami through the rain. It came pounding hard like never before as she walked deeper into the forest. She could have sworn that she saw eyes peeking at her through the trees. They were all colors of the rainbow, and she even felt something touch her arm.

But she kept quiet and kept going, hoping that she was doing her best to not scream and run into Inuyasha's awaiting arms… wherever he was. It was true that sometimes she was a burden to her mate, but he always reminded her that this wasn't true, no matter how much she thought he was an awful liar.

She continued to walk, her clothing getting wetter by the step. She was completely drenched, even to her panties. The whole point of looking pretty was ruined, so she felt nothing but pain for losing Sango's child. She knew that it wasn't really her fault, but she was left in charge of Sango, and she guessed that Haru was included as well.

"Miroku will never forgive me," she whispered as she looked to the sky and met gray clouds. The rain seemed to pound harder as she thought about her life. She could have gone to college, she could have stayed in school more often, and she could be a bit prettier, but she was Kagome, and Kagome was… who Inuyasha was mated to.

As the spirit stopped, so did she. It seemed that it was pointing to a specific place with its tail, and she walked through the thick trees until she was in a huge circle of grass. 'I've never been this far into Inuyasha forest…' she thought as she admired the sight of flowers covered with water droplets and the smell of dew. It was refreshing.

"Wench."

She felt her heart sing at the name. "Inu-" Turning around with a smile, it instantly fell when she was met with a woman in red. "…Kikyo," she said while looking down in respect. She was a powerful miko after all. "Urm…" Looking up when she felt the disappointment go through Kikyo's body, her eyes widened at the form in her arms. "You found-"

Kikyo forcefully shook the form that was nestled in her arms. "Is this what you call being RESPONSIBLE!" she shouted as a strike of thunder went through the sky, adding the sound that made this seem like a horror movie in the present day. Her eyes narrowed when Kagome looked down. "Is it!"

She was usually calm when it came to Kagome, but this time it was different. She knew that Sango was pregnant, and having her in control of her child while the husband was gone was out of the question. She was simply too large… leaving Kagome with the job. "I found this one under Inuyasha's tree over an hour ago," she spoke with the uttermost cold tone. "I waited for you to get him; I waited for you to find him."

Kagome really couldn't say much. It was cold, it was raining, and the whistling wind made her legs shiver against the drenched denim. She could feel her pants shrinking that very moment from the wetness. "Kik-" She found that she couldn't look Kikyo strait in the face, making her head look to the side. "…Kikyo, I'm sorry."

Kikyo easily tossed the sleeping child into Kagome's arms, and shook her head when the girl took three steps back from the pressure. "You should be more responsible if you're going to be a mother someday," she said with the narrowest eyes. "You're still nothing more than a child for heaven's sake!" She ushered with her hand at Kagome's wetness and turned around, ending the conversation. "Tell Inuyasha-"

"I will," Kagome said in a whisper. She had been trying to hide her tears since the moment she heard Kikyo say wench. She knew that Kikyo wasn't exactly a friend, but she had been right. She had to be more along the lines of an adult to fit in with her older peers, and she had to be more womanly.

Starting now.

Miroku sighed and held his wife close to him as she cried her eyes out. 'What a thing to return to after six days,' he thought as his thumb made small circles in Sango's back, which he happened to know she loved. When he felt her relax under his left arm, he exhaled deeply before giving his undivided attention to Inuyasha. The half demon had been silent since Sango had opened her mouth and elaborated the 'situation' that had happened with he and Inuyasha away.

He managed to raise an eyebrow at Inuyasha's behavior. He seemed to be counting the seconds that Kagome was gone. His face was slowly getting darker, either in shock or anger… which he assumed was anger. So he waited.

Ten seconds…

Fifteen sec-

"What do you mean you don't know where the hell she's at!" Inuyasha could feel his manliness disappearing with each passing second. He had only been back for ten, twenty minutes tops. Walking into Sango's hut and discovering that his mate was gone hurt him greatly… counting that he hadn't seen her pretty face in almost a week.

At first he just thought she went home, which made him decide to go to her time after the storm had passed, but the hormone crazy Sango confessed the tale while leaning on Miroku's broken shoulder. He couldn't get much out of her incoherent mumbling, but he got something around Kagome, gone, Haru as well, and a whole bunch of curses as to what a horrible mother Sango was.

The only thing stopping him from chasing after her was the barrier Kaede had summoned around the hut, made to keep him inside. "Dammit! Let me go find her already!" Kagome, a confusing forest full of traps that could kill you in a second, rain, and a missing child didn't go through his head correctly. 'Damn it all,' he thought aggressively as he eyed Kaede. She looked ever so peaceful as always. 'All I want is my mate!'

Kaede looked up with a smile from her place next to Sango near the fire in the middle of the hut. "Patience Inuyasha," she eased as she ushered to the floor with a wrinkled hand. "Kagome-chan will return with Haru soon."

Sango's head lifted from Miroku's shoulder. "Don't worry," she said through teary eyes, though her face looked fierce as if she were trying to pick a mood. "We don't know where she is, but she'll be fine."

Inuyasha reluctantly sat with a pouted lip. This would be a good time for Kagome to magically appear and kiss him, oh, but she was gone. "But she'll be fine—my ass," the half demon mumbled under his breath while crossing his arms. Nothing felt right without Kagome at his side. To say that he was fully used to her company was exactly right.

As his features got around to softening, he buried his face in his hands, letting his hair fall over his shoulders. "…How long has she been gone for?" he managed to ask. He trusted Kagome just like the next person, but she was Kagome. Maybe he was too used to saving her all the time or maybe he acutely cared, whichever one he didn't know.

Sango grinned; the mood swings were getting the better of her. "Two hours!" she said with a giggle. "In fact, Inuyasha, you should go look for her! She isn't back yet!" Looking up at her husband, she kissed him on the chin. "I missed you, Miroku!"

Inuyasha did his best to ignore the lovely couple before him. He wouldn't be able to take it much longer with Kagome gone. He knew what, who, was lurking about in his forest. He had tried his best to ignore the scent before it started raining, but the smell of dirt and bones mixed together hit his nose like a bomb. 'Kagome…' He gulped. 'And Kikyo…'

So what if he forgot to tell Kikyo that he had been mated to someone that wasn't her for three months? 'Does it really matter?' the grown man thought like a lost child. Of course it didn't. But the fact that kept going through his mind was that his new and old loves were in a forest together. Whether they had talked or confronted each other was a mystery to him, but if Kikyo could sense him nearby, it was obvious that Kagome would be close to him, hence the reason for the dead woman to seek him out.

Shaking his head, he just wanted this horrible weather to end so he could get on with his life. He already knew the routine by now from all the years of going down the same road. Kikyo finds Kagome, Kikyo tells Kagome that she should leave him alone, Kagome sits him, Kagome jumps down the well, and Kagome doesn't speak to him for up to four days. 'That's not too bad,' the hanyou thought with a sigh.

Exhaling deeply, he lifted his head. "She'll kill me," he whined.

In fact, so would Kikyo.

Kagome's big eyes looked down at her nephew with sympathy. Though he was still sleeping, he had caught a terrible cough that sent concerning radars through her entire body. He couldn't have gotten that sick so quickly, could he have? Shaking her head, she wiped her wet bangs to the right.

She couldn't see well, but she had enough eyesight so she could make out what was a tree and what wasn't. As it seemed, more eyes were staring at her. 'It has to be Inuyasha,' she thought as an arm unwrapped from Haru, rubbing her mate mark. 'He'd go crazy if I died…' As a blush came over her, the whistling wind pushed her in the back, and she quickened her pace. She guessed that a piece of her mate's scent lingered on her all the, the reason for demons to chase her.

The more she told herself she loved him, the faster she powered. Inuyasha was the true meaning of happiness, even if he was a grown man that took sulking as his own idea of a hobby. "Inuyasha," she said through the thunder and lightening. "You're such a baby." Holding the toddler closer to her, she saw… light? 'T-there's more of it!' she thought as more little dots formed through the trees ahead of her. She had made it.

Then something strange happened. In a flash one of Kikyo's soul collectors was standing before her, and her face hardened. 'She sent a reminder…' she said to herself with sad eyes. Just the thing she needed to bring her down.

And then it was gone.

Kagome found it amazing about how much of a child she was. She was mated to a man with an obsessed woman chasing after him, and yet he stayed with her, the girl that had just finished high school. What a combination. She also found it amazing about how easy it was to make her cry. All you needed was a lecture and that was it. She was crying like the day she was born.

Once she came out of Inuyasha forest she was pleased when she saw the village, and it stopped raining. Her emotionless eyes looked to the sky, searching for answers as to why her luck was always the worst. 'I deserve it,' she thought as she stepped foot into the village. 'Kikyo was right…'

Her eyes widened when she felt two arms instantly wrap around her, but her eyes remained emotionless. She knew who it was; she knew who it was by heart. 'There's no mistaking it,' she thought as her eyes slowly closed. She could feel the warm tears streak down her face. "I-Inuyasha…" she cried into his chest. "I-…" Her eyes widened even more at how hard it was for her to form words. Looking up at her mate again, she felt his arms tighten around her.

Then she remembered what she had been told to inform. "I-"

"Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked in a worried tone as he pulled away slightly. Her body was pale, but she always looked like that. Her hair was completely drenched, as well as the rest of her body, making him pull her closer to him. He had to give her the credits she deserved. She looked sexy when wet, especially with the red shirt she was wearing.

Taking off his haori, he put it around his mate's shoulders, but got no smile or notice of acknowledgement. 'What's the matter with her?' he said to himself as he pulled her back to him. "Ka-"

As Kagome closed her eyes, she snuggled into his chest, almost dropping Haru who was still in her arms. She felt safe, she felt loved, and she felt like she was wanted. This was what she had been waiting for, a concerned hanyou that couldn't let go of her, and her waiting had paid off. Before falling asleep, she mumbled something that only Inuyasha's sensitive ears could hear.

"Kikyo came for you."

-Three Days Later-

Yet again Kagome was in her school uniform, in her white stockings, in her brown shoes that wore out a lot from walking so much. She soon found her hill as a place for her and her only. She had been coming to the hill for three days now, and hadn't said a word to anyone since falling asleep in her mate's arms.

It wasn't that she was mad, because she wasn't. She just wanted time to herself to rethink her thoughts, gather new ones, and think about getting a surgery in her time so she wouldn't be able to have children. After that experience with losing Haru, Sango hadn't let the boy out of her sight. Kagome knew it wasn't her fault, but she felt that it was in some ways. Haru was fine, and he had only caught a one-day cold in the outcome of seeing a butterfly and chasing after it.

'I'm acting like a child again,' she thought as she looked up into the sky. She sighed at the haori that was still wrapped around her shoulders. She had refused to give it back to Inuyasha yet, and one of the reasons was because he hadn't bothered to come get it.

'…Inuyasha,' she said to herself with a sigh. She felt for him more than ever, as if she were reaching out to him, hoping that he would come find her. 'Why haven't you?' She missed his company more than anything. Still, she stared at the sky blankly.

Her small hand yet again traveled up to her mate mark. She was with Inuyasha by choice, not by force. 'Does she think that was what happened?' she thought with wide eyes. 'How can she think that… when she knows I love him just as much as her?'

But was it right to keep him to herself?

Shaking her head, she tightened the haori around herself. Even with Inuyasha not around, she could feel his presence in his clothing, which soothed her deeply.

'I haven't said a word to him yet,' she thought as she turned around, facing the direction of the village. Of course she knew that Inuyasha was just giving her the space she needed, but this much? 'Normally he'd talk to me by now…' Closing her eyes, she lay her tired body down on the grass, staring at the clouds with emotionless features.

As her thoughts traveled over to her favorite half demon, she sat up and stood from her place in the grass. It was about sunset. 'Maybe if I go find him…' Her heart ached as she thought of the first place to look for him. 'The forest.'

Was Kikyo still there?

Kagome stood before the sacred tree; in other words, it was the tree that Inuyasha would probably give his life for. It was just as lively as the first day she saw it, her first time falling down the well, her first time meeting her future mate for life.

Opening her mouth, it hurt to have the light breeze fill it, for she hadn't said a word in so long. "I-Inuyasha," she said in a whisper while looking up the tree; he could hear her. He wasn't in sight, but she could tell that he was there. She could tell that he had been watching her intensively for the past three days, always near incase something happened. "…Can we talk?"

She surprisingly wasn't scared as she made her way to the old tree. In fact, the forest wasn't scary at all during the day. It was at night that scared her enough to wet herself. When she got no answer at first, she sat at the bottom of the tree, her back on its trunk. "You're upset with me, no?" she asked quietly, knowing very well that her mate was indeed upset with her. "I don't blame you."

Kagome covered her eyes with her arm when the sun shined right into them. With an expressionless look on her face, she looked up into the tree, seeing nothing but green leaves and no signs of red. "Inuyasha… please come down," she said with a sigh. "It's harder to talk to you this way." And the next thing she knew, her arms were being held by the wrists above her, she was staring at white clothing, and her face turned hot. "T-thank you."

She felt her heart beat extra fast when she was lifted into Inuyasha's comforting arm. She looked up at him from his chest when he sat down where she had previously been sitting, settling her in his lap how he knew she liked.

Her eyes drifted upwards without control. Her face turned red at the sight. Her mate really was a sight for sore eyes. He had gotten taller since she first met him, his features had gotten sharper, and his tan skin glowed against the setting sun's rays, as well as his hair that was starting to look bright orange. And then there were his eyes… the rims of the color were glowing against the sun, letting his pores look like a deep golden shade.

Oh how lucky she was to have a man like him. 'Inuyasha,' she thought as she snuggled into his chest, exhaling deeply once she was comfortable being this close to him. 'I love you.' Her eyes drifted shut, and she blushed when Inuyasha grabbed her hand and covered it with his own, letting their fingers come in contact in the process.

Her eyes snapped open when she felt her body slide down, and looking at Inuyasha, he was slouched in his position under the tree. Either he was sleeping or in deep thought, depending on how you were looking at his eyes. Kagome poked him in the arm, and her mouth slowly opened. "I can come back if you're-"

"You're fine."

All Kagome could really do was nod, and she did. Looking out into the setting sun, she never knew that she could be this peaceful while with Inuyasha. They weren't fighting, they weren't even talking, but they were both quiet for a change, and Kagome found this odd. 'Inu-' Pausing, a film came over her eyes when she saw something flash. It was silver and long…

Her eyes snapped to the side and she looked at a tree with a shikigami settled on it. She shook her head, tears forming at the thought of Kikyo watching her and her mate's intimacy, and worse yet, sending something to watch their every move. Inuyasha's eyes were closed, and she was grateful. 'If he saw the shikigami…' Her thoughts got the better of her. 'Would he leave me for… her?'

Kagome's blurry eyes looked down at her and Inuyasha's hands that were joined and resting on her right thigh. His hand was covering hers rather tightly, as if he didn't want her to go. But she had to, and she used her left hand to quickly untangle their fingers and stand, causing her hanyou's ear to twitch, but he still seemed unaffected.

She folded her arms across herself and turned away… hoping that Kikyo knew she was leaving. The last thing she wanted was to be in the middle of two people that were once lovers. To say that if she disappeared was funny to her… she wished it would happen. Either that or Kikyo's second death, whichever came first.

Sadly she only made it one step before being slammed on the ground and straddled by her mate. She tried avoiding him and looking at the sky, but he was too attractive to do so, she looked him in the face, trying to keep the tears to herself. "It's alright," she spoke softly in a knowing way. "You can go see her; I don't mind."

Inuyasha remained silent, this time giving his mate a look-over. He knew that she was close to losing it and crying her eyes out, and he felt sorry for her. Something must have happened between her and Kikyo, and getting her to tell him exactly what this thing was… was going to be a challenge. All he could think of doing is bending down to lightly kiss her on the lips. "Tell me."

That was all it took for the first tear to stream down her right cheek, and that was also all it took for her mate's eyes to widen, and he instantly backed off her, letting her sit up strait and wipe her tear away. She was shaking terribly, and she looked to the haori still wrapped around her for comfort.

"I waited and waited and-…" Kagome looked into his eyes that understood her. She knew she was blubbering as he called it, but she couldn't help it. She swung her body forward and attacked her mate, her arms wrapping around his torso and hugging him close. She felt her heart sing when his arms wrapped around her, lifting her body upwards so she was the one in his lap again.

"And then there's Suri who's obviously in love with you and-" She delayed her sentence and snapped her eyes shut when she heard Inuyasha's knuckles crack, and the next thing she knew she was hearing an outcry as the shikigami was split to shreds. "…then there's me."

Inuyasha looked down at his mate with curiosity. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked while lifting her so they were eye to eye. "I don't give a damn about anyone else but you, okay?" Pulling her closer to him, he stood and cradled her in his arms bridal style.

In one leap he was perched in a branch, and settled Kagome in his lap how he knew she liked it. She was fine here with him. 'Damn her,' he thought as his arms wrapped around her waist, setting his hands loosely in her lap. "Kagome?" He looked down at her when she looked at him, and he gave her a wet kiss, loving her puffy brown eyes. "Get over it."

Kagome understood him perfectly, and she nodded. 'I love him.'

Things were normal again.

Merry X-Mas,

Brijustme