She didn't understand why she had to.

In all honesty, she didn't realize she was doing it in the first place.

But the only thing she could think of was that it was a need.

Kagome panted while tears streamed down her ivory cheeks. It wasn't Kikyou this time. It wasn't him. It was her. She had to run away from herself. She had to run away from what kept her by his side.

As she was running, the wind whipped through her hair. The trees seemed to fly past her. She had to just find somewhere to sit and be alone.

Kagome ran until she saw the trees part. Her feet abruptly stopped and she sighed heavily. She turned her head slightly and saw no sight of Inuyasha. Despite the fact that she had to run, she was disappointed. Although she didn't want to admit it, she wanted Inuyasha to follow her.

Kagome walked over to the edge of the well. She wasn't going to jump in. What reason did she have? Going to the other side wasn't going to help, so she just slumped down against the well.

Kagome took a glance up at the sky and sighed once more. "Why did I run? Was my reason really reasonable?" Her head tilted to the ground and she spotted a flower. Her fingers reached out and picked it with her nails. She held it up to her eye level and smiled slightly.

Her fingers reached for a petal and she tugged on it. The petal floated to the ground. "He loves me …"

Another petal.

"He loves me not …"

Another.

"He loves me …"

And another.

"He loves me not."

A fifth petal.

"He loves me …"

The last petal.

"He loves me-"

Kagome couldn't finish her sentence. She exhaled a breath. "I can't even finish a stupid sentence … " She twirled the stem then threw it as far as she could. It disappeared into the bushes of the silent forest.

She dragged her knees to her chest and rested her head on them. "It's too hard for me to face the truth …" Her eyelids slowly lidded then finally shut. Kagome tried to take in the sounds and smells of the place she was currently residing, as if it would give her some form of peace.

"You know Kagome, I don't think a flower is really going to tell you my feelings."

Kagome's eyes shot open. She didn't dare look at the man in front of her, for she knew it was the silver haired hanyou she loved dearly. She shook her head and turned it to the side so she wouldn't see his face.

Inuyasha kneed down to her level and moved his face around in front of hers. She just turned it the other direction and Inuyasha sighed.

"I don't understand why you ran away Kagome …" He said sadly.

Kagome mumbled something.

"What?"

"I had to Inuyasha." Kagome said quietly.

"Give me a damn good reason then!" Inuyasha shouted.

Kagome sniffled a bit and a small tear dripped down her chocolate orbs.

"Because I love you."

Inuyasha froze.

"That's not a good enough reason Kagome …" He said lowly.

"It's keeping me here, it's tearing me apart." She said a bit louder.

"I understand that you love Kikyou, and I think I accept that now. But if you are going to live happily with her, I can't stay."

"You're breaking your promise …"

"I can't keep it. This pain is too unbearable for me."

"Stop."

Kagome silenced.

"You're stronger than that and you fucking know it."

Kagome stood up. "So you expect me to sit here and just try and be okay?! You want me to just sit here and pretend this doesn't effect me at all?! I don't know if you heard me earlier, but I said I fucking loved you! You want me to waltz around pretending that these feelings don't exist?! I know they don't mean a damn to you, but would it kill you to be considerate?!" Kagome huffed and began walking away slowly.

"No, I want you to stop and listen to me for a second!" Inuyasha yelled.

Kagome stopped in her tracks, but didn't turn.

"Your feelings have always meant something to me, so shut up and stop yelling about that bullshit. I can't ever fucking show my feelings, so just because I don't act upon yours doesn't mean I don't know they are there!"

Kagome sobbed a bit and Inuyasha began taking small steps towards her.

"I know you're in pain … and I know it's my fault Kagome … but I thought you knew me. I … I never think straight. I know being with me kills you inside, and I wish I could help you … but I can't."

Kagome sunk to her feet while Inuyasha began taking bigger steps towards her.

"But just because I'm an idiot doesn't give you a good reason to leave me behind …"

"I owe Kikyou, and that much is certain. I just … she was my first love and I can't give up on her so easily … I just have to see if there is still something there between us before I can let her go and not feel remorse …"

Kagome cried. He was opening his heart to her and she couldn't say anything.

"Kagome … " Inuyasha reached her and sat behind her. He slowly wrapped his arms around her figure and held her tightly.

"You have to know that I care for you so deeply …." He whispered in her ear.

Kagome's cries stopped and she gasped quietly. On the outside, she just wanted to run away … but her insides were wanting him to say the words she was longing to hear.

Inuyasha stroked her hair. "Kagome …. I … I l-"

Kagome took off running before he could finish his sentence.

-----------------------

Kagome just stood and ran. She wasn't going to listen to it. As much as she longed to hear those words, she knew they had no feeling behind them. She couldn't possibly hear those words knowing they weren't meant.

She wasn't going to go to the village. Shippou's pestering was the last thing she wanted to hear. All she wanted was the quiet she had before Inuyasha had came.

Kagome fell to her knees. "Why did I fall in love with him?! Why am I still here, sticking around?!" She cried quietly then began singing a bit lightly.

"You're not sure that you love me … but you're not sure enough to let me go, baby it ain't fair to just keep me hanging around …"

She stopped abruptly. Kagome could have sworn she heard somebody. As she was about to take off running again, she felt somebody hold her down.

Her eyes darted up to the silver haired hanyou again.

"Stop running Kagome, where do you think it's going to get you?"

Kagome scrambled to push him off, but with no avail. She just laid down on the forest floor and sobbed.

"Why do you keep running? You're trying to run from your feelings, but you're not going to run from mine. Don't start thinking for one second that I'm going to stop and give up on you." He said with such passion in his voice, you wouldn't even think it was Inuyasha.

"And what if Kikyou came?" Kagome said quietly.

Inuyasha let go of her and stood. Kagome took this chance to stand and try and run again.

But as soon as she was going to sprint away, Inuyasha grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him.

"I still wouldn't give you up."

"Don't be so sure. If you had to take a minute to think, you're obviously lying Inuyasha." Kagome said with a bit of venom dripping from her voice.

"Shut up and don't give me that. I mean it." He said angrily.

"Inuyasha, I'm hurt as it is, so just stop." She retorted.

"Quit treating me like a liar. I meant what I said or else I wouldn't be fighting in my defense. I'm not stupid Kagome."

"You simply want to keep your shard detector around." Kagome said simply.

"You're more than a shard detector, you know that." Inuyasha said in a low voice.

"Oh really?" Kagome challenged.

"Yea really!" Inuyasha shouted back.

"So prove it."

Inuyasha pulled her into a tight hug.

"I love you …. Kagome …." He whispered.

Kagome sighed.

"No you don't Inuyasha." She averted his gaze.

"Why do you keep assuming I'm lying Kagome?!" He screamed.

"Because you love Kikyou." Kagome said sadly.

"What if I don't?!" Inuyasha retorted.

"You could have fooled me." Kagome said in a small voice.

"What do I have to do to prove it to you then?!" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome pushed him off of her and sighed deeply. "I truly don't know … it depends if I ever considered believing you anyway …"

"Godamn it Kagome!!" Inuyasha pulled Kagome in fiercely and kissed her passionately.

Kagome tried to fight him off but then slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and shut her half-lidded eyes. She melted into his kiss.

When some much needed air was a must, the two both pulled back and Inuyasha smirked at Kagome. She blushed and smiled.

"Do you believe me now?" Inuyasha questioned.

"Hmm … I might." Kagome said with an evil grin on her face.

Then she took off running again, but this time, not from fear.