Resolved
By: Morgan Mckeown and Jordan Holliday
The hanyou silently lept from tree to tree, keeping his brilliant gold eyes on his destination. He could smell her. Her gentle scent lingering on the Bone Eater's Well, even after the few weeks she had been gone.
Everyone back at Kaede's hut had annoyed him into waiting for her. They were worried about her, as was he. But, then, he wouldn't let them know that. It was his job in the group to act tough, Miroku's to act perverted, Sango's to cheer people up, Shippou's to act like the kid he was and Kagome's to be the voice of reason.
If he was honest, bear it all honest, he would have broke down right along with Kagome when she cried. He hated it when she cried. It reached down into his soul and clenched at his heart.
And he had done it this time. Yes, this was the fight to end all fights. The one that made him wonder if she was ever going to come back......
Flashback
"Oi, wench! We gotta find Shikon shards!" he yelled to the retreating ningen girl.
"The Shikon-no-Tama can wait. I have finals." she said firmly.
"No, the tama can't wait! Kikyo would have never shirked her duties."
Inside, Kagome was crumbling at the mention of Kikyo. But she was determined to look tough.
"Ooh, 'shirked'. Big word, Inuyasha."
"Yeah, yeah." he continued, though he could smell the tears forming behind her eyes. "We might as well replace you with Kikyo. She's way better than you could ever be."
It was then that she broke. Silent tears fell down her face as she ran to the well and jumped inside, never once looking back. If she had, she would have seen the demi-inuyoukai, his face in his hands and the first tear he ever shed in 62 years fall to the ground.
End of Flashback
He watched the well intently for several hours, reluctant to either blink or look away for fear he would miss something. What? He didn't know. He just wanted to be the first to see her.
When he smelled her reappearance in his time, he was seriously trying to refrain from breaking out into a smile. But, he did grin at her as he lifted her from the well.
"Hey, Inuyasha." she said grimly.
"What's wrong?"
"Promise you won't laugh?"
He nodded.
"Alright. Look, Inuyasha, what you said to me hurt. More than if Naraku had shoved his sword through my back."
"Why would you think I would laugh?"
"You don't care, right?
"Look, Kagome, do you promise not to laugh."
She also nodded.
"Ai- Aishiteru."
At first she looked absolutely overjoyed, then confused. "When?"
"I guess I knew in the back of my mind from the beginning. I just realized it now."
She smiled brightly. "Aishiteru."