Title: Mom was Right

Chapter 1: Enough

Rating: T

Status: In progress

Disclaimer: I claim the plot. Nothing more.

Summary: She realized with her mother's advice that the love she deserved could only be found in a man who wasn't ashamed to say "I love you". KagomexKouga

Inspiration: Recently realizing there's a growing trend in the fanfic world to accept and promote that it's ok for significant others to not say "I love you". I find that to be a boatload of malarkey.

Her mother had always told her "Never stay with a man who can't say I love you".

And Kagome understood what she meant. A man who was afraid to show love wasn't particularly dependable. In fact such a man would put himself and his desires before his significant other. And if you fell for a guy like that... well it would only lead to heartbreak.

That's why she wasn't worried when she was with Inuyasha. He always showed her he loved her. He protected her from so many near death experiences.

Sure he was gruff.

And lousy with words.

But he was always there to protect her from all the dangers in the world. And through the years he showed he was dependable.

Granted they had their problems. Kikyo of course, was their biggest.

But after thinking about it she could finally understand it. Kikyo was his first love. She was the first person to really care for him after having lived a life full of strife and callousness.

And Kagome, she was too young and ... too harsh before to fully realize the depth of their bond from the past.

Yea, she was brash too. But that was ok, because she understood now. She needed to grow to accept that Kikyo was a large part of who Inuyasha was, no is.

Right. She had to accept that. Because that's what it means to grow up right? To accept their past fully. And to be understanding towards the one she loves. That's love right? Unconditional?

Yea, unconditional. That's right.

Completely.

And so when Inuyasha would slip, and do something completely idiotic, like follow Kikyo. And then their circumstances would become all too dangerous all too fast because of his association with his past it would still be alright. Because she loved him. And she surely had done some pretty stupid things too right?

Yea. Some really dumb things. Things she had never considered would be dangerous ended up being extremely dangerous. And sure you could argue that she hadn't known any better, but still she felt like that was no excuse. She just needed to grow up for him. That way she wouldn't be such a burden.

Right?

So she continued to force herself to grow up for him. And he protected her. Doing things for each other like that, that was a sign of love right?

But no matter how hard she tried, it still didn't sit right with her when he sometimes went off to see her. Then never tell her what he and she had been doing.

So she would go back home and try to calm herself down while he was gone. There she would be able to regroup. And she'd talk to her mom about how great and wonderful things were. And that she felt like she was finally learning what it was to love. Because trying hard was worth it, because he was worth it. And she knew how hard her mom worked on the shrine to keep her father's work alive even though he was not. It was a labor worthwhile because it was for love.

Love was an arduous task. That's what she learned from her mom. So she should never give up on it. Because loving Inuyasha was worthwhile.

Really. It was.

Her mother would smile slightly in response saying "Love is showing that you really care about each other. And that you're both willing to work for your love together".

And she'd found solace in her mother's words.

Both she and Inuyasha did work to show each other they cared. She'd always made sure to put Inuyasha first when she had the chance. If he was badly hurt after a particular battle she would be right there to help him regain his strength and would make as much ramen as it would take to see that smile make it over his face. And even if he was perfectly healthy she would go out of her way to try and make him happy.

She'd learned to even look at life through his eyes. She'd learned to read what he really meant when he'd only mumble out an assortment of words and phrases that weren't entirely coherent. Because she knew he meant well. He really did.

Really.

And he... he would take care of her when she needed it the most. Those times when she was very badly hurt showed that he cared. He'd hover to make sure she'd pull through. It was at those times that she knew he cared. If he didn't care why else would he stay by her like that?

Surely he did...

And every time they argued, which they did quite often, she began to feel more and more guilty. She had to have overlooked what he meant. And that wouldn't do because she should know by now what he meant. Her anger only came from their miscommunication. And it was obvious that she was missing the mark.

After some particularly harsh words were shared between the two, again, she would home.

Her brother would be downtrodden when he'd find her at home only because she got into an argument. He'd offer to play some video games with her or watch a movie, but she was never in the mood. And she would decline, promising "Next time Souta, next time".

Her mother would do whatever she could to help put her daughter's mind at ease. Sure she pushed the academics as well, but hey, she was her mother. It was her job to push the schoolwork. So after doing some hours of piled up homework her mother would bring her some freshly brewed tea and tell her with a knowing look that "Love was a difficult thing to find. Never mind being able to understand it. And when you did manage to find it, it would be in the place you least expected."

And so Kagome took that to heart.

Love was hard to find. But it was there. In the most unexpected things.

And she would see it, in Inyuasha's eyes when he would help save a village from a demon even after avidly rejecting the very notion of doing so. Clearly he did it because of his love for her.

Clearly.

And so for Kagome it was enough. It was enough to know he loved her. Because clearly he did when he saved her life as much as he had. And clearly because he took care of her when she was hurt or ill.

He never actually said he loved her. But she knew he did. And that made up for it. And that was enough for her.

Except the funny thing was...

it wasn't enough.

A/N: Kouga is in the next chapter

And this story will be finished unlike all my others because all the chapters are already written! Le gasp! Granted they're not edited yet but they are written!