Humming along to one of my favorite songs, I seem blissful. The sun is shining, the mountain scenery is striking, it's the perfect temperature, and I haven't had one fight (yet) with Inuyasha. Aforementioned half-demon was striding beside me, his ears obviously trained on listening to the song. The others are more or less scattered, walking behind us.

Pink is just getting to their 'So What?' chorus when – oh, freaking joy –

"Hey there, Kagome! How are you?" The tanned wolf demon flirts, the air settling around him.

I stop my music with a sigh and put my IPod up. "Hey, Koga. I'm fine, how're you?" I joyfully ask.

"You are just too kind, my love!" He takes my hands in his.

"Tell me about it…" Inuyasha mutters. I shoot him a cold, icy glare. He just waves it off and continues. "Ya know, you're a huge idiot, Koga."

Koga gets in Inuyasha's face, yelling, "I'm the idiot?! What about you, you can't even keep Kagome safe and happy! I love her, and she's my woman!"

Inuyasha looks at him blankly. What's going on? I think to myself. He never, ever takes crap from Koga. "Ya know," he starts, still wearing a neutral expression, "you say you love Kagome all the time. I've never heard her say that she loves you."

My jaw drops. He did not just say that. But, as every. Single. Person. Knows. Koga is confident.

"She doesn't need to say it! I know she loves me! What, do you think she loves you? You're just a filthy stupid half-breed who always runs after his ex!" Inuyasha growls and puts his hand on the hilt of his sword, but Koga laughs. "One move and Kagome will sit you! She never lets you hurt me!"

Oh. No. He. Just. Didn't. That stupid, arrogant, overly self-confident wolf…. My hands clench at my side, my jaw grinding down, and my powers crackle.

I've tolerated Koga long enough. He always insults Inuyasha and makes ridiculous claims, but this time… He crossed the line. He brought up the subjection beads and Kikyo, not to mention what he said about how I feel.

Inuyasha's eyes widened when Koga made his remarks. But when he saw me, he knew he needed to butt out. He knew Koga was about to be ripped to shreds.

"Koga…" I hiss. He turns around, his black pony-tail swishing by his quick movements.

"Yes, my love?" He smiles, taking my hands again.

"You…" I take a deep breath…. "IDIOT! YOU have NO right to bring ANYTHING like that up!" I growl inhumanly. I've lost control, and there ain't no getting it back now. "FIRST of all, right now, I want Inuyasha to hurt you in so many ways. I want to hurt you in so many ways. The Kikyo topic isn't any of your business! In fact, I get mad when my real FRIENDS talk about it, much less some stupid fleabag wolf like you!"

I tear my hands away. "That command was originally set to keep the jewel safe, as well as me. Inuyasha may have tried to kill me at first, but heck, YOU kidnapped me, setting me in that disgusting hole! AND you come here every day, saying I'm yours, no one else's, but guess what, nimrod? I DON'T LOVE YOU!"

"I've tolerated you. I never loved you. Ya know what? That first time he tried to kill me was the last. He cared for me every day, every minute afterward. He didn't really put any real effort into trying to kill me in the first place. If he'd wanted to kill me, he would have. But he missed. And he missed. And he missed again. He never hurt me. NEVER. So how… how DARE you tell Inuyasha how I feel! It isn't rocket science; it's not that hard to see how I feel about him. OF COURSE I LOVE THAT IDIOT! Yeah, I hate it when he goes to Kikyo. But, in love, as long as he's happy, I'm happy, and if Kikyo is the one who has what it takes to keep him smiling and well, then so be it. Sure, we fight all the time. The only reason is because we're so alike, we can't help it. Two stubborn people, different views? DUH, an argument's not gonna go well, but he always comes to get me. Like a silent apology. Even when I've already forgiven him. Even when it's my fault."

I pause to take a few breaths. When I continue again, my head is down, and my voice is nothing but a whisper. "I don't love you, Koga. I don't. I didn't want to hurt your feelings; I wanted to let you down easy, but… I can't help this. I can't help… how I feel. I can't help… That I love Inuyasha."

And with that, I tear off to the well. I hear Inuyasha call out for me, but I don't hear him chase after me. I thrust myself over the edge, run upstairs to my bedroom, and cry.

-Inuyasha's POV-

After Kagome lashed out at Koga (which I loved), she took off. I wanted to run after her, but everything she said hung clearly in the air. She said it more than once, that she loved me. She stood up for me. She said things I never thought went through her mind.

"Ka…Kagome…" I mutter. That one name could send my heart soaring, and I'd heard her say she loved me. You can imagine my happiness. If only she wasn't crying.

The others were slack-jawed. Everyone had their mouths hung open. Everyone except… Koga.

He smirks. "Hey, mutt-face."

I glare at him. "What do you want?!" A growl rumbles deep in my throat. He'd made Kagome cry; that was enough to send me into rampage.

"Go after your woman. She loves you, you love her. I leave this in your hands, pup." He then takes off, leaving nothing else but his scent and the wind in his place. Kind of like Kagome… I think. But that second her name is thought, I burst into a run. I've got to go to her.

I've got to tell her I love her, too.

-Kagome's POV-

By now, I've no more tears left to shed. Not that I've been crying long, just so much.

I'd said too much. Inuyasha heard me pour my soul out. Why? Why did I snap?

New waves of sobs overcome me. But then…

A minute click and shuffle sound. A cool breeze flowing into my room. The smell of sap and pine.

Inuyasha.

Seeing me shiver, he closes my window. He places a calloused hand on my arm. "Kagome…" the hanyou sits on the bed in front of me and pulls me into a hug, all the while me finding more tears to cry. And I was certain I was out. My sobs eventually soften out. Inuyasha pulls me away. Don't ask, don't ask, please don't-

"Why?" The look in his eyes… it's… longing, worry. "Why did you run?"

"I-I… I was afraid…"

He cocks his head in the cute way he does. "Afraid? Of what?"

My head hangs. "Of… being rejected. I just… urg, I don't know."

All he does is smile. "Kagome, could you hear me out?" Not waiting for an answer, he begins.

"I've always felt worthless. Like I didn't belong. I wanted to be loved so much I mistook what I felt for Kikyo as love. She wanted me to change, to become human, if only to be rid of the jewel. But you. You make me feel like so much more than I am. You encourage me, cry for me, stand up for me… and, from what you said… You actually love me."

Red flows into my face. Why me?

"You said how you felt. Some of those things I had no idea you felt about that way. And I wanted to let you know… you remember the last time I went to see Kikyo?"

I, in fact, do remember. It was a few months back, actually. He'd had a determined expression when he left and a broken but accomplished look when he came back.

"That time… I had said goodbye. For good."

W-What….?!

"I told her I couldn't go to hell with her. That I didn't love her, that I loved someone else. Kagome, you are more than a reincarnation. You are more than just a jewel hunter. You are more than just a friend to me. You are my everything. I feel so good around you. So happy."

We lock eyes, each heartbeat making us lean closer. And when our lips connect - I can't explain it, all the feeling and love put into that one gesture. He holds me close, our lips moving in perfect correlation. We break away in order to breath.

"I love you, Inuyasha."

"I love you, Kagome."