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Thanks, everyone!
Kouga and Kagome were at the hot springs, enjoying the steams and a relaxing soak in the clean water. He was combing his hand through her hair, rinsing it gently, smiling ever so often at the contented sighs that escaped her.
He was still wrapping his mind around the fact that Kagome wanted to be with him. He knows that she had a long road of healing ahead of her, he also knew that she didn't love him, not yet, but she will one day, he was sure of it.
He is going to do everything in his power to show her that they were always meant to be together. One day, Inuyasha and the emotion-feeder will be a long-forgotten memory.
''My friends are probably frantic with worry,'' she said, breaking their comfortable silence.
''I'm surprised they haven't found you yet,'' he muttered into her hair. ''But I'm happy they didn't. It gave us more time together, alone,'' he told her, pushing her back into his chest.
''It did,'' she agreed with a small giggle, but Kouga could see the concern shining in her eyes.
''I can take you to your friends,'' he offered reluctantly.
''I don't want to, but I have to,'' she sighed. ''Shippo and Sango are probably worried sick about me-''
Kouga's nose twitched, and he held out a finger to Kagome, silencing the rest of her sentence.
''I don't think you have to worry about finding your friends, Kagome,'' he told her wearily.
''They're here?'' she shrieked, turning around and standing up from out of the water. When the cool evening breeze swept and danced across her wet and naked body, she quickly sat back down into the water.
''I'll get your clothes,'' he offered, getting out of the warm water.
Kagome didn't even bother drying herself off, she got dressed as quick as she could and tried to ignore the way her clothes clung to her wet skin.
She looked at Kouga with a panic-stricken face and trembling hands. ''I'm not ready for this,'' she gasped through her quickening intakes of breath.
Kouga knew that she wanted him to take her away, but he also knew that the mutt wouldn't stop following them and at some point, he is going to catch up to them.
He picked up his armor and slipped it on, looking at her with conflicted eyes. He closed the distance between them and cupped her face between his palms. ''You are not alone,'' he told her fiercely. ''He can't hurt you anymore. I won't let him,'' he promised her before giving her a quick but deep kiss. He pulled back and searched her eyes. ''Do you trust me?'' he asked her with a sense of urgency.
Kagome gulped quietly and looked at the face of the man that had promised to spend the rest of his life with her. He said he would never leave her and she believed him.
''Yes, I trust you,'' she smiled and laughed when Kouga's face split into a huge smile. He picked her up and twirled her around making her giggle into his shoulder.
Kouga was about to say something to her when they heard Inuyasha calling out to her in the distance. They gave each other a wary look, only a few seconds later Inuyasha broke through the tree line and once his eyes landed on Kagome he stumbled to an abrupt halt.
''Kagome!'' he exclaimed, obviously relieved to have finally found her. When his brain was able to process who it was that she was with Inuyasha clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes. ''What the hell are you doing with the fleabag? Get your filthy hands off of her,'' he screamed, face turning red with anger.
''I'd shut up If I were you, dog-breath,'' Kouga warned him with a growl, pushing Kagome so that she was standing behind him.
Inuyasha just scoffed and decided to ignore Kouga for the time being and turned and looked at Kagome. ''Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for you?'' he asked her with a snarl. ''We were worried sick about you, and I find you with the damn wolf?''
''You mustn't have been looking for very long,'' she muttered darkly trying to ignore the disturbing way her heart was pounding at the sight of him.
''Excuse me!'' he screeched, voice rising a few pitches in disbelieve.
''You heard me,'' she told him with a shrug, trying to act as indifferent as she could. ''If you had been looking for me you would have found me ages ago, Inuyasha. We both know that, so stop making a scene,'' she huffed, stepping closer to Kouga and seeking out his hand for support.
''Stop making a scene?'' he asked her, amber eyes wide and uncomprehending. ''Everyone is worried sick, you wench!''
''Watch your mouth, mutt,'' Kouga growled, taking a menacing step towards Inuyasha.
''Mind your own damn business,'' he threatened taking out Tessaiga.
''Kagome is my business,'' Kouga bellowed, ''You better back away before I make you eat dirt.''
''Don't you ever learn? Kagome isn't your woman. How many times does she have to tell you that she doesn't want you? Did you kidnap her again?'' he asked him, pointing the sword at his face.
''Inuyasha, stop,'' Kagome ordered, stepping out from behind Kouga.
''Why are you always protecting him? The deluded pervert kidnapped you again!''
''He didn't kidnap me, Inuyasha. Stop being stupid,'' she told him, crossing her arms over her chest.
''Stupid? What am I supposed to think then? That you just took off without saying anything to anyone?''
''Yes! That's what you're supposed to think,'' she screamed, throwing her hands in the air in frustration. ''Kouga saved me, so stop this right now and drop Tessaiga,'' she demanded, rapidly tapping her foot against the floor.
''He saved you?'' he asked her, the tip of his sword dropping to the floor in surprise.
''Yes, I had to rescue her again because you're a shit protector,'' Kouga rubbed in with a smug look on his face.
''Well if you hadn't run off you wouldn't have needed saving,'' Inuyasha told Kagome, ignoring Kouga's jibe.
''I know,'' she growled, looking away from him. She shook her head and tried to get rid of the flashes of him and Kikyo together. ''Fact of the matter is that he saved me, so back off.''
Inuyasha suddenly went very still and he started blinking his eyes before looking between the two of them repeatedly, brows creased in confusion.
''Why the fuck do you smell like the dirty wolf?'' he asked her calmly, but his shoulders were tense and ready for attack.
Kagome looked away from him and tried not to blush but failed miserably. ''None of your business. We need to get to the others, show them I'm fine.''
''Fine? FINE?'' he screamed, his whole body shaking with suppressed rage. He opened his mouth several times trying to express himself, but he ended up growling and launching for Kouga with his claws.
''Inuyasha! Stop this right now!'' she shrieked at him.
''What the fuck did you do to Kagome?'' Inuyasha yelled, turning back around to face Kouga when he sidestepped him.
Kouga ignored him and turned to Kagome. ''Get out of here before you get hurt,'' he ordered, blocking a punch to his face.
''I'm not leaving you,'' she cried, shaking her head. ''Inuyasha! Stop! Kouga didn't do anything I didn't want him to!''
Inuyasha stopped mid-swing and turned to look at her with a deep scowl on his face. ''That's supposed to make this better? You were vulnerable, and he took advantage of you, Kagome! Don't you see that?''
''No, that's not what happened. You don't know what happened to me in the past few hours. You don't know anything about me or how I feel. So, stop trying to attack Kouga and let's make a move,'' she pleaded, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to fall.
''Then tell me what happened,'' he demanded, moving in her direction but Kouga stepped between them, bearing his teeth at Inuyasha.
''I don't want to talk about it. Can you please, just this once, do as I ask?'' Kagome pleaded with wide and innocent azure eyes.
''Tell me what the fuck happened,'' he demanded in a chilling tone, eyes seeping crimson.
''She said she doesn't want to talk about it, mutt-face,'' Kouga warned, wanting nothing more than to crush the half breed's skull against the floor.
''Didn't I tell you to mind your own damn business,'' Inuyasha snarled.
''That's it!'' Kouga snapped, delivering a kick straight to Inuyasha's chin, sending him flying backward a few feet.
''Kouga!'' Kagome cried exasperatedly.
Inuyasha leaped back to his feet and wiped away the blood dripping from his mouth.
''Tell me Kouga. Did you have it all planned out? Did you save Kagome just so that you could get between her legs?'' he asked him with a cruel smile on his face before bringing forth Tessaiga and taking a swing at him.
Kouga leaped back and managed to dodge the attack. He rolled his neck and shoulders, preparing himself.
''Does your stupid mouth ever produce anything useful, mutt?'' He asked him before running at him.
''Stop it! Both of you!'' Kagome screamed frantically.
Kouga ducked Inuyasha's swing and rammed his head into Inuyasha's chest, sending him flying back into the hot spring with a huge splash.
Inuyasha quickly emerged from the water and landed directly in front of Kouga.
All three of them were too immersed in the fight to notice the others arriving.
''Kagome!'' Shippo cried out in relief when he saw her.
She turned around and noticed all her friends on Kirara's back.
''Quick! Give me my bow and arrows,'' she demanded urgently, her eyes wide with panic.
''What's going on Kagome?'' Sango asked her, grabbing her bow and arrows and jumping off Kirara's back.
Kagome rushed to her but ignored her question. She grabbed her bow, got out an arrow and turned to Kouga and Inuyasha.
Kouga was crouched, holding his side and he also had a bloody gash on his forehead. Her heart turned cold at the thought of something happening to Kouga. Before she knew what she was doing, she screamed the one command that could stop him.
''Inuyasha, Sit!''
The silver-haired half demon got sent head first into the hard rock ground. Inuyasha quickly shrugged it off and leaped back to his feet, preparing to rant at her, no doubt, but any words got stuck in his throat when he noticed an arrow pointed at him only an inch away from his face.
''What the hell are you doing, Kagome?'' he asked her edgily but didn't move an inch from his current position.
''I already told you to stop this, but you don't listen,'' she told him calmly, surprised at how steady her hands were holding the bow.
''You're not pointing an arrow at the wolf, are you?'' he growled, stepping away from the arrow aimed at him. ''First, you betray me, and then you point an arrow at me? How treacherous can a person get?''
Kagome blinked at him, not quite able to comprehend the insulting words spilling out of his mouth because he couldn't possibly be saying what she thought she heard.
''Betray you? I betrayed you?'' she chuckled darkly, face settling into an emotionless mask. ''How do you even have the gall to say that to me?'' she asked him with a crocked voice. ''After you once again ran after- after Kikyo,'' she choked out, unable to stop the tears from spilling out.
Inuyasha stilled for a moment but was quick to shrug off the shock.
''You spied on me?'' he asked her in an accusatory tone.
''Does it matter?'' she retorted, not about to allow him to make her feel ashamed of herself. ''All that matters is what I saw, and what I saw was you and Kikyo making love to each other, so don't you talk to me about betrayal. Who knows how long this has been going on between the two of you.''
''Kagome,'' Inuyasha whispered with his eyes wide and filled with regret, probably not at his actions but at being caught. ''I-''
''There is nothing you can say to me, Inuyasha'' she cut him off before he could make things worse. ''You can be with Kikyo. You don't have to hide anymore because I don't care, but don't interfere in mine and Kouga's relationship. I will be with him if I want and there is nothing you can say or do about it.''
''So, you see me with Kikyo one time, and now you're ready to leave me for the wolf?''
''Leave you? How can I leave you when we were never together? You've made it quite clear that I'll never be enough for you. You made it clear that you don't want me. So why is it a problem if I decide to give Kouga a chance? What's wrong with finally leaving behind my delusions of a relationship ever happening between us and moving on with my life? Are you the only one allowed to do what they want?'' she challenged him, taking a step forward and steadying her aim again.
''Maybe we should just take a step back and take a deep bre-''
''Shut up, Miroku,'' Inuyasha and Kagome snapped simultaneously, then turned back to glare at each other. Miroku closed his mouth and kept quiet after that, not wanting to come between them while Kagome still had an arrow pointed at Inuyasha's head.
''You promised you'll never leave,'' he accused her, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away from her.
''Me being with Kouga doesn't mean that I'm leaving, Inuyasha. I still have to find the jewel shards. You are going to have to accept that this is happening, Inuyasha. Just like how I am going to have to get used to you and Kikyo being together,'' she told him firmly but lowered her bow.
''I don't have to accept anything!'' Inuyasha screamed.
''Why can't you just do as you're told, mutt-face?'' Kouga sighed, wrapping a protective arm around Kagome's waist.
''Get your filthy paw off Kagome!'' Inuyasha demanded, taking a step towards them, but Kagome already had her bow raised back into place and ready to shoot.
''This isn't going to work, Inuyasha. If you can't accept this I will have to leave,'' she warned him.
''You're choosing him over me?'' Inuyasha cried, balling his hands into fists.
''You chose Kikyo over me, didn't you?'' she asked rhetorically, rolling her eyes at him.
''I didn't! You're only assuming that I chose her, Kagome.''
''That's even worse! How can you toy with my feelings, knowing that I loved you?'' she sniffled and hiccupped.
''You know it's complicated! I thought you understood,'' he grumbled, running an agitated hand through his hair.
''What's there to understand, Inuyasha? You love her. Now respect me enough to let me go,'' she said, eyes pleading with him not to draw this out any longer than they had to.
It hurt. It hurt a lot to say these things to him, but she knew that she had to. She was ready to start moving on with her life, she couldn't let Inuyasha ruin this for her.
''I don't want-'' he started to say, but Kagome quickly cut him off.
''I don't care about what you want. You never cared about what I wanted, so why should I? I'll leave for a little while and give you some time to cool off. I hope that we can be friends again one day,'' she told him, hiding her pained eyes behind her bangs. She couldn't let him see how painful it was for her to let him go.
''So that's it? You're just going to leave with him?'' Inuyasha asked her, voice barely a whisper.
''That's it,'' she agreed, clearing her throat.
''Kagome! What about me? Don't leave me!'' Shippo cried, leaping off Miroku's back and ran into her arms.
Kagome picked him up and held him close to her chest. ''You can come with us, isn't that right Kouga?'' She asked him in a sickly-sweet tone.
''No questions asked,'' Kouga replied, rubbing at the back of his neck nervously.
''Great! Are we going to the wolf den?'' Shippo asked them, sounding very excited at the prospect.
''I have to stop by and make sure that everything is alright, let them know that the emotion-feeder is dead-''
''Emotion-feeder?'' interrupted Sango sounding very worried. ''Did one attack you last night, Kagome?''
''Kouga saved me just in time,'' she reassured her, trying to give her a genuine smile but failing miserably as a wave of intense and dark emotions swept over her.
''You were lucky that Kouga found you then, lady Kagome,'' Miroku told her, eyeing the dejected looking Inuyasha wearily.
''I was,'' she agreed with a short nod. ''We'll be back soon,'' she promised, taking Kouga's hand in hers.
''Here, take your bag,'' Sango told her, turning around to get it for her.
''Thanks,'' Kagome said, taking the bag from her but Kouga was quick to grab it.
''I'll carry this for you,'' he told her sweetly, dimples in his face showing.
''What about the shards?'' Inuyasha tried one last time to deter her from her plans.
Kagome turned her eyes heavenwards and then turned to glare at him. ''If I come across any shards I'm sure Kouga will be able to help me get them. He does have two shards of his own you know,'' she taunted knowing that it would hurt him, but she didn't care. He needed to get the message that she was done dancing to his tune.
''Goodbye, Inuyasha,'' she whispered, looked at him one last time before turning away.
Hours later Inuyasha was still standing in the same spot she had left him, unable to move, not wanting to believe that she was actually gone.
''I love you,'' he whispered, trying to swallow down the bile that had risen in his throat wondering why he couldn't have told her that earlier. Maybe she wouldn't have left if he had told her.
Now it was too late.
She was gone and the instant that thought sunk into his mind his heart broke.
''Don't you smell delicious,'' a voice echoed around him startling him out of his depressing thoughts.
''Fuck,'' he groaned when he saw the mist gathering at his feet. ''This is not going to end well,'' he sighed.
''No, it isn't'' the echoing voice agreed with a chuckle.
So, that was the small bonus chapter I mentioned. I hope that some of you guys enjoyed this.
I want to once again thank the people that left a review on this fiction and encouraged me to continue it. Your kind words were very much appreciated!
Also, a huge thanks to all of you who are following the story and/or decided to favorite Delicious Heartache!