Questions, Answers, and Realization

"Hey Inuyasha, can I ask you some questions?"

Looking down at the young miko, Inuyasha answered her. "Depends on why you want to ask them." He jumped down from the tree he was in, landing in front of Kagome.

"Just a few questions. It's a game." Kagome said, smiling at the young hanyo. "All you have to do is say the first thing that pops into your head when I ask the question. No more than two seconds to think on each question. Okay?" Kagome asked tilting her head a little to the side as she waited for his response.

Looking into her eyes to make sure that this wasn't some trap. Inuyasha sighed and said "Sure why not. Don't think it'll hurt."

"Great. Lets begin!" Kagome said with a devious smile. Her plan was working. 'And maybe I will finally find out how Inuyasha feels about me!' She thought to herself, still smiling.

"Question number one, Inuyasha. Do I ever cross your mind?"

"No." He answered, a little too quickly.

Looking hurt at that answer, Kagome proceeded on to the next. She'd started this. She might as well finish it, even if she was already regretting it. "Alright, then… Do you like me?"

"Not really." Inuyasha looked away from Kagome, instead looking behind her, hating this game more and more as the expression of hurt in Kagome's eyes deepened.

"Do you want me, Inuyasha?"

"No."

"Would you cry or be hurt if I left?"

"No."

"Would you live for me, Inuyasha?"

"No."

"Would you do anything for me?"

"No."

Kagome barely managed to hold her broken heart together and hidden as she asked this last question. She had a feeling she knew what the answer was already.

"Okay, Inuyasha, last question. Which would you choose-- me, or your life?"

"My life." Inuyasha answered without hesitating, even though he knew it was hurting her.

Staring back at Kagome, Inuyasha could tell that his every answer to her stupid questions just caused her more pain. 'Why'd she even ask the stupid things then?' He thought angrily. Wanting to make things right and get Kagome to understand what he had meant, Inuyasha reached out for Kagome. But he was too late. Kagome had gotten the answers from Inuyasha, even if they weren't the ones she'd wanted. She turned and ran away, crying her eyes out trying to get as far away from the hanyo as she could.

Inuyasha ran after her. He caught Kagome at the well, just as she was about to climb over and return to her time. Pulling the young miko to him in a tight embrace, burying his face in her hair, Inuyasha spoke softly so that only she could hear.

"You don't understand, do you, Kagome? The reason you never cross my mind is because you're always on my mind."

Kagome gasped and stopped trying to escape his arms.

Tightening his grip around Kagome, Inuyasha continued, his voice harsh. "This is going to be hard for me to say. You know me, Kagome, so you better listen good okay? I won't repeat myself." Turning Kagome around so that he could look into her eyes, Inuyasha wiped away a stray tear, his hand surprisingly gentle. She nodded that she was listening to him.

"The reason I said I don't like you is because I love you, even if I don't ever say it to your face. I said I don't want you because I need you. You alone make everyday that I spend with you a brighter day. I wouldn't cry if you left because I think I would die instead. Even when you are gone for just a day or two and I know you're coming back, I feel like I will never be happy again until you either show up or I come and get you." Inuyasha blushed a little at what he'd just said, thinking that it was only one of the reasons he went after her.

"I said I wouldn't live for you because I would die for you, and you know I would. Haven't I proved that enough? I'm not willing to do anything for you is because I would do everything for you. From protecting you, to taking care of you, and everything in between. The reason I chose my life over you is because you ARE my life. You are the center of my everything, my world. Not Kikyo, but you Kagome. You have changed me into what you see in front of you. Me, a hanyo who used to never show any kind of emotion. You showed me the love that I thought I could never feel, much less receive. You are there when I need you the most. You have seen me at my weakest and at my most dangerous, and yet, somehow, you still stay beside me."

Dropping his gaze from Kagome, Inuyasha felt as if a mental weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He'd finally said everything he'd wanted to say to her.

Now he just hoped that Kagome felt the same way.

"Inuyasha? Hey, look at me!" Kagome said placing a hand under his chin to force him to look at her. Moving his eyes so that they locked with hers, Inuyasha stared at her nervously, feeling slightly vulnerable. Making sure he was paying attention, Kagome continued talking to him. A different type of tears filled her eyes.

"Inuyasha. I am so glad that you said all of that to me, and yes, I know that it was hard for you to come right out and say all of those things to me. I love you. I have since the very first time I laid eyes on you and saw you sleeping, entwined with the Goshinboku tree." Tears of happiness slid from her eyes.

Seeing the tears trail down her face, Inuyasha got worried. "Ah, Kagome why are you crying? Please don't cry. I really hate to see you cry." Pulling her closer to him, he proceeded to tilt her face to his, softly licking away her tears.

Laughing at what he was doing to her, Kagome thought to her self 'He is just like a puppy who thinks that by kissing you they can make it all better. I like this side of Inuyasha.' Seeing Kagome smiling at him Inuyasha asked "What?", giving her a confused look.

"Nothing Inuyasha. Just enjoying being this close to you." Kagome said with a smile as her hands made their way up to the top of Inuyasha's head to his ears.

Feeling her hands inching closer to his ears, Inuyasha stiffened, but did not move away. 'Oh crap oh crap she is going to find it, that little weakness of mine. Shit, what am I going to do? Shit, what CAN I do?! Oh crap, here it comes…' Closing his eyes as Kagome rubbed behind his ears, he did his best not to give in to the pleasure that was coming over him in waves. Seconds later, not being able to stand it anymore, he gave into the shear pleasure of having his ears played with like that. Inuyasha let out a low but not so soft growl, letting it rumble slowly out of his throat and chest. Kagome was caught off guard by the sound.

Surprised, she stopped, thinking that she had done something bad to him. She gave him a questioning look.

Inuyasha's eyes snapped open as soon as he felt her stop. Giving a small whimper at the loss, he felt around for her hands while keeping his eyes locked with Kagome's. Finding where her hands had moved to, Inuyasha grabbed her wrists, moving her hands back to his ears. "Why did you stop Kagome?" Inuyasha, questioned, a little embarrassed. "It felt so good..."

"Because you growled at me, that's why! I wasn't sure if I had hurt you or something..." Returning to what she had been doing, she whispered softly to him. "Does Inuyasha like this?"

Cracking his eyes open just enough to memorize her face, Inuyasha leaned into her hands more, catching her lips with his for a short kiss. He opened his eyes, smiling, to see a very red Kagome staring at him, still playing with his ears.

"You better believe I do. Though you better keep in mind that the only other person who ever knew how to relax me this way was my mother. I have never told anyone about it. It's really an embarrassing." He blushed again. She laughed. He let his eyes close again, giving in to the feel of her hands on his ears.

Kagome stared at the content hanyo as she sat in his lap, rubbing his ears between her fingers. When they'd moved from standing to sitting, she didn't know, but she liked the way his arms were wrapped warmly around her waist. She watched as his face and whole body reacted to her touch and the nearness of her. She felt his arm grip a little tighter around her.

Meanwhile Inuyasha was having a small mental battle, with both sides of himself.

(A/N: '…' is the demon side of Inuyasha, and '…' is the human side.

'Ask her.'

'No! What if she doesn't want it?' '

It can't hurt to ask.' '

No! She knows how my childhood was. Why would I wish that on her or anyone for that matter?' '

Ask her. She completes both sides of you!' '

What are you saying? Have you fallen for her too?'! '

Yes! Either ask her or I will over take you and ask her myself. And if that happens, I'll keep her. I won't let you have her back.' '

Shut up! I would never let you! I know what you want, and the answer is no.' 'Then you know what to do. Ask her now!' '

When did you become so pushy when it comes to humans, huh? Thought you hated everything.' '

She is something that neither of us can live without! You need her to help keep me in check.' '

Oh.'

(A/N: This next little bit "…" is Inuyasha as a whole, thinking, and then it will be back to his human and demon sides talking '…' , as seen above.

"Oh great, my human and demon sides are fighting over Kagome. What would she say if I asked her? Would she refuse me, or would she be okay with it? Agh! I wish it wasn't so hard to decide. Maybe…"

'Damnit Inuyasha, ASK HER!'

'Hey wait! Did we agree on something just then?'

'I think we did.'

'…wow.'

'Yeah. We never agree on anything. Now ASK HER!'

After coming to this conclusion, Inuyasha's eyes snapped open to look at Kagome. Stopping for a moment, Kagome asked "Did I do something wrong Inuyasha?"

Sighing Inuyasha reached up and removed Kagome's hands from his ears. He would be dammed if he would let her distract him from what he'd finally decided to say. Taking her hands in his, he looked into Kagome's eyes and said "No, Kagome, you didn't do anything wrong. But… there is something I wanted to ask you."

Relieved, Kagome said "So what is it Inuyasha?" Her hands felt a little too warm in his, but he wouldn't let them go.

Tightening his grip on her hands, Inuyasha looked at her and said "No, stop moving Kagome. You can have you hands back once I am finished with what I want to say and not before. It is important that you hear me out on this." Noting that she had stopped trying to get her hands back, Inuyasha continued with what he needed to say.

"Kagome I have laid my feelings and my heart out in front on you. You have accepted both and… you said that you love me." Inuyasha blushed before continuing. "You also accept me for who I am. You don't want to push me into something that you know I wouldn't be happy with. You know most of my faults and you are okay with them. You know what my weaknesses are and you somehow know when something is bugging me and just how to get it out of me." Sighing, trying to find the right words for what he wanted to ask, Inuyasha looked into Kagome's eyes. He figured he might as well get it over with.

"I guess what I am trying to say Kagome is…well…you know how I grew up and what I had to go through even to be sitting here with you now and I would completely understand if didn-…"

Inuyasha thought to himself as he stumbled through to find the right words, 'Would I really understand it, or would it break my heart?'

Looking a little worried, Kagome asked him "What are you trying to say, Inuyasha? What would you completely understand?"

Releasing her hands, Inuyasha placed a hand on Kagome's cheek. "What I am trying to say, Kagome is that…I would…l-l-like you to be my mate." Inuyasha dropped his head, afraid to look at her.

"You would like me to be your… what? Inuyasha? I didn't catch what you said."

Smiling, fully knowing what Inuyasha had said but wanting him to say it out loud, Kagome quickly faked a look of confusion. Sighing loudly, Inuyasha asked again.

"To be my mate, Kagome. I would like you to be my mate… Please say that you will." Looking into Kagome's eyes Inuyasha couldn't pick out the answer he was looking for. Giving up too quickly, he sadly let his gaze fall and the ears flatten against his head. '

I knew it she doesn't want me. I should have known. Why would someone like Kagome ever want a filthy half-breed like me?'

"Did he just say what I think he did? He must have." Kagome smiled once again, letting tears of joy roll down her face. Kagome leaned forward. Pushing Inuyasha's face up to met hers, she leaned in and kissed him. Pulling back she looked directly into his eyes and said "I would love to, Inuyasha. You have no idea how long I have waited to hear you say something like that to me…"

Kagome looked away, embarrassed and surprised at what she'd just done. She was crying again!

It took Inuyasha a moment to process what she had just said. "Did she just YES to being my mate?"

'Duh, are you stupid or something? He has to get that from his father's side.' 'Yeah what he said, though I think he gets it from his mother's side.' "Shut up both of you."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, hopeful but still needing to make sure. "You mean it Kagome? You will be my mate for life?"

Laughing at the look on Inuyasha's face, she leaned into him. "Yes, silly, I said that I would be your mate. I want nothing more then to spend the rest of my life with you." She finished, placing another kiss on Inuyasha's lips.

Wrapping his arms around Kagome Inuyasha worked on deeping the kiss further, careful not to cut her lips with his fangs. A few minutes later they broke away to catch their breath. Pulling Kagome against his chest he buried his nose into her hair taking in the scent of her shampoo. "Thank you Kagome." He said, whispering softly to her.