Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha or any of its characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

A/N: Well, apparently you like it so far, so that's good! Someone asked about Inu-Yasha's feelings about Kikyo. I really believe that he doesn't know how he feels any more than we do. He's really mixed up about the whole Kikyo/Kagome situation, and that's what I'm trying to convey in this story. He knows he cares about Kagome, but he's not quite sure how much he cares… I have a lot of ideas for this story that I keep jotting down for future reference that I'm excited about. I love dramatic/funny chapter endings, which I hope, for the most part, are enjoyable for all of you. So yes, here is chapter 3, hot from the oven…

Chapter 3: The Confusion

Kikyo… Oh Kikyo… Kagome loved and hated her incarnation at the same time. If it wasn't for Kikyo, Kagome would have never met Inu-Yasha. He would have died as a human with the priestess or be a savage demon terrorizing Feudal Japan. Instead of killing Inu-Yasha, she sealed him to the sacred tree. Instead of taking her vengeance with his death, she'd let him live. Kikyo had given Kagome the chance to meet, free, and fall in love with the half-demon. There was no way she could ever repay such a debt. Kikyo had given her a chance at true love, even if it wasn't reciprocated.

Which was the very reason why at the sound of Kikyo's name, Kagome couldn't help but be filled with pain, sorrow, and, at times, anger. How could she compete with the perfect, pure Kikyo? How could she compete with Inu-Yasha's first love, the woman who had saved his life? Kikyo might not have possession of her own soul, but Kagome would give up what remained of it if she had that kind of hold on Inu-Yasha's heart. Even in death, he still followed her like a puppy. He couldn't get over her. Kikyo was so beautiful, kind, and gifted. It seemed that she was everything Kagome was not. Kikyo had possessed extraordinary spiritual powers and had given her life (literally) to protecting the Sacred Jewel and her village. Kikyo had been Inu-Yasha's friend and lover. Inu-Yasha would do anything for her. He would turn into a weak human or go to hell, just to be by her side.

He would never agree to do something like that for me… There's no room for me in Inu-Yasha's heart. How can I compete with perfection?

He let her know it time and time again. Kikyo could shoot an arrow straighter, Kikyo was better-looking. Kikyo took her duties more seriously. Kikyo this, Kikyo that, it made her sick to her stomach. Kagome knew she had a lot going for her. She was good enough looking, got good grades (or had before she'd started missing school for weeks at a time because of potentially life-threatening illnesses/diseases), had plenty of friends, and belonged to a wonderful family, both in the present and the Feudal Era. But Kagome would have given it all up for the one thing she lacked. The only thing she'd every truly wanted. The one thing she'd never have. Inu-Yasha's love.

She just couldn't get over him. Perhaps Inu-Yasha was the only real reason she kept returning to the dangerous Feudal Era. She tried time and time again to clear him from her heart and mind, but it was impossible. Loving Inu-Yasha was a part of her she could never truly be rid of. She couldn't help it. As painful a reality as her one-sided love truly was.

Every time Houjo offered to take her to the movies, every time Kouga pronounced his devotion to her, every time I man looked appreciatively in her direction, she wanted to cry. These were men who cared for her, men who would love and cherish her. But they were no stubborn, arrogant, selfish half-demon. She could never return their feelings and that crushed her inside. Would she ever be able to recover from the devastation her heart suffered because of Inu-Yasha? Would she ever be able to love someone again? He'd ruined her. He'd ruined her and he didn't even care. He didn't even notice. That made her situation more pathetic than sad.

If anything, she should have been reassured by the fortune-teller's words. According to that old woman, Kagome would move on. She'd find someone. She'd be happy. But that someone wouldn't be Inu-Yasha. They would never be. She'd be his shard detector, he'd be her protector, and that would be the extent of their relationship. She'd always worried that she'd end up alone if Inu-Yasha wasn't a part of the picture. She should have been thrilled that someone wanted her, that someone loved her and she apparently would love him in return. But she wasn't thrilled. She wasn't happy. A deep sadness filled her very being. Because without Inu-Yasha, there was no point.

Unconsciously, whenever she thought of her wedding, she'd pictured fighting with the half-demon over wearing something other than his fire rat kimono. Whenever she'd pictured her future home, she'd thought of a hut in Kaede's village, built by her proud husband. And whenever she'd thought of her future four children, she'd pictured them with dog ears. She'd pictured Inu-Yasha entrusting Tetsusaiga to their eldest son and protecting their daughters from Miroku's lecherous sons.

That would never come to pass. Inu-Yasha was not a dark-haired, dark-eyed individual. She didn't know who she knew, or if she even knew them yet, who fit that description who was romantically interested in her. All she knew was that the idea of it not being Inu-Yasha was physically painful.

I guess it just wasn't meant to be… You can't alter fate…

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

Inu-Yasha was sure he could alter fate. He wasn't letting Kagome run off with her stupid, dark-haired man. If there was anything Inu-Yasha was, it was determined. Once he set his mind to something, he was not easily dissuaded. The idea of not even having a snowball's chance in hell with Kagome was more than he could bear. Even if he ended up going with Kikyo, he couldn't stand the idea of Kagome being with someone else. He knew that was wrong. It was terrible of him to not want Kagome to find someone else if he didn't choose her, but he couldn't help it. Dog demons were by nature very possessive. And he'd always considered Kagome his property. That sounded even worse. Kagome would sit him until his back broke for such a sexist thought, but it was true.

Kagome is mine…

Ever since she released him from Kikyo's seal, Kagome's life had been his. The idea of her belonging to some strange man… The idea of her smiling, laughing, and loving some other male made his blood boil. She was his, damn it! He'd claimed her first! He'd lo-protected her all this time and this was the thanks he got! Her running off to have four human brats with some treacherous man who would never lo-understand her the way Inu-Yasha did. Even though he enraged her on a regular basis, Inu-Yasha knew Kagome better than anyone. He had watched her shed tears for him, worry about him, and stay by his side, even when he could never promise her his love. Kagome was strong, but she had a soft heart. A heart that he had broken time and time again. Kagome was the best person he'd ever known. She was someone who always thought of others' before herself. She'd given him the last year of her life, her trust, and her first kiss. That last thought made Inu-Yasha turn a beet red. Maybe that didn't count… After all, Kagome had just been trying to save him from Kaguya's soul-stealing…

Gee, when he thought about it, why did he know so many people who had names that started with a K or Kag…? Kagome, Kikyo, Kouga, Kanna, Kagura, Kaguya, Kohaku… The list went on… Off topic, entirely off topic, but thinking about that kiss made him uncomfortable. Kagome had initiated it and he'd reciprocated when his human-half had been returned to him, but neither of them had mentioned it since. He'd thought to bring it up time and time again, but the moment had never been right. He couldn't even think about Kagome's warm lips pressed against his own without blushing. Kagome was so innocent and pure. He'd been sure when she'd willingly given him that first kiss that it had been a sign. Someday, Kagome would be more than a friend to him. And he'd be more than her protector. What exactly they'd be he'd never determined, but he'd been sure it was a precursor of things to come. He'd been wrong. Fate hated him. Always had, always would. It just kept casting out Kagome's soul to him and reeling it back in. He never had a chance with Kikyo or Kagome.

The two women in his life confused the hell out of him. What was Kikyo to him? Then again, what was Kagome to him? Could he have both? (With a vision of Kagome sitting him into hell, he shook his head. Nope, he couldn't have both.) Did loving Kikyo so strongly once make his lo-feelings for Kagome any less pure? What were his feelings for Kagome? Anytime he thought of his relationships with the two women, his head hurt with the strain of figuring out what exactly those relationships were. Which one was the woman he was supposed to be with? Which one should he choose?

He was perched outside her window. For a dog demon, he had a peculiar attraction to trees. Besides the sacred tree, Kagome's room was probably his favorite place to be. He'd never admit it to Kagome of course, but somehow, being surrounded by her scent made him feel safe. At home. How many times had he snuck into Kagome's room while she was sleeping and just watched her peacefully slumber? There were no lies when sleeping. You showed those observing who you really were. Kagome's sleep was always filled with fitful nightmares where she'd scream his name as she was terrified by faceless demons. It was damn frustrating. He couldn't protect her from what wasn't there. Just like he couldn't protect her from himself. Just like right now. She was crying. He'd never seen someone cry in their sleep before, which made him think that perhaps she hadn't fully sunk into unconsciousness, but her restless movements and clamped-shut eyes led him to believe that this was not a clever ruse. He silently opened the window. At least she hadn't locked the window. That was a positive sign. Deciding against closing it, should he have to make a quick escape, he crept over to the side of her bed, looming over her. Why was she crying? What could be so terrible that she couldn't find peace even in her dreams? He growled in the back of his throat, studying her face in concern.

"Inu-Yasha… Inu-Yasha… Inu-Yasha…" She whispered softly, tossing and turning, tears streaming down her face.

"Is she really that upset with me?" He asked aloud, unusually quiet.

The idea that these tears had been caused by him wounded him deeply. Every time he saw a woman cry, especially Kagome, he was brought back to his childhood…

One day, when he'd asked the village children if he could join their game they had hurled rocks and insults at him. He'd run home to his mother in tears, welts covering the exposed parts of his body, a trail of blood running down his cheek. Her face had paled at the sight of him and she quickly set to work bandaging his cuts, even though they both knew they would heal soon thanks to his demon heritage. His demon blood was both a blessing and a curse at times like this.

"Inu-Yasha, why do you always return to those children? Why do you want so desperately to play with them?"

"I want friends, Mother. I'm no different than they are. Why can't we play?"

"You're right, Dearest. You are no different. Except for your heart. You have a gentle heart. Someday, maybe those children will understand…" Blood had stained her beautiful kimono and she stared at it, deep in thought.

"Inu-Yasha… I want you to promise me something."

"What Mother?" He'd do anything for his beloved mother. She was his only friend, only family, and only protector. His mother was everything to him. Mother often told him that his father had been a powerful demon who'd died protecting them. He knew that she missed him terribly. Even as a child, he'd have had to have been completely oblivious not to notice.

"I want you to promise me that you won't confront the villagers anymore. Just stay away from them. Stay here with me, Inu-Yasha. I don't want to lose you." Tears silently slipped from her eyes as she crushed her small son to her chest.

"I won't, Mother. I don't need them. I don't need any of them as long as I have you." He promised fiercely.

She gave him a sad smile before pulling a strand of hair away from his face.

"Be careful, Inu-Yasha. Don't make your mother cry."

Inu-Yasha's mother had died not soon after that. But he kept his promise. He avoided humans for years until… until he met Kikyo. That was the memory that he recalled the most vividly besides the time he asked his mother what a half-breed was and made her cry. He tried to forget most of his childhood. There were few happy memories. He'd been alone and always fighting for his life. It was a miracle he'd survived this long.

His mother had been dealt a cruel hand in the game of life. She'd been forced into being a pawn of the male nobility, always looking to gain by using her. Finally, she'd fallen in love with someone. An unlikely lover. The demon, Inutaisho. But jealousy had tragically ended his life, leaving her with a cursed half-demon son. She hadn't abandoned him, as many might have. She attempted to raise him on her own with no help from anyone. By association, no one wanted anything to do with Izayoi. The cursed woman who slept with a demon and birthed a filthy half-breed. No one would even speak to her. She was an outcast because of Inu-Yasha, but she still remained a faithful mother to him. And she never said a negative thing about the humans who hated her. She'd been so kind and understanding. She reminded him of Kagome in that aspect. She couldn't hate anyone. She loved with her whole heart. It hadn't saved his mother from death though. Nothing could save Lady Izayoi.

"C'mon Kagome. Stop. Please." He watched her cry and whisper his name feverishly. His ears drooped.

"I'm no good for you, Kagome."

But I just can't stay away from her… Every time I push Kagome away, she pushes back, more determined than ever to be with me. She definitely has some masochistic tendencies… He uncharacteristically, brushed a tendril of hair out of her face and gently wiped away her tears with the sleeve of his haori.

"Inu-Yasha…" She was saying his name again. He wouldn't deny it. He liked it when Kagome said his name. She wasn't saying, "Kouga… Kouga…" or "Hobo… Hobo…" or, heaven forbid, "Miroku… Miroku…" Kagome cared for him. That much had always been obvious. She was always trying to protect his feelings, even though he told her time and time again he didn't have any.

"Mmm… Kouga… Love you…" She muttered as his eyes widened. Perhaps he was mistaken.

"Treacherous little wench!" He roared. "How dare you betray me like this? Mangy wolf!"

Of course, this outburst woke Kagome who screamed when she saw Inu-Yasha about an inch from her face.

"SIT BOY!" He made a loud crashing sound as he collided with the floor.

"What the hell was that for, Wench?" His voice was muffled as Kagome leaped up, pointing an accusing finger at her half-demon protector.

"Why are you in my room? Are you stalking me, now? How'd you get in here?"

"Lousy wench… You're too stupid to lock your window. Anyone could come in here!" He retorted.

"Unless they can fly, leap really high, or climb giant trees," she gave him a pointed glare. "I don't think many people could get in, frankly. Which leads to my next question… What are you doing in my room?"

"Nothing…" He turned his back to her. She sighed tiredly.

"Look, Inu-Yasha… I'm still pretty mad at you. I'm going to go to school tomorrow or I guess this morning…" she stared with dread at her bedside clock, "but I'll see you tonight. That'll give me time to restock supplies and cool down a bit."

"Feh…" he muttered, jumping to perch on her open windowsill. "You better be ready on time." With that, he disappeared.

"Boys will be boys I guess," she murmured, closing her window and locking it. She started towards her bed, but turned, looking outward towards where her favorite half-demon was about to embark for another time period. Who knew how long they'd have to be together? Who knew if the well would stay open once the jewel was completed? Who knew if they even had a future together? She padded back to window and unlocked it, smiling slightly before heading back to bed. She'd leave it open for him. Kagome liked to live dangerously.

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

"Stupid wench… 'I'm still mad at you! I'll see you tonight!'" he imitated Kagome in his usual completely-off Kagome voice. "What reason does she have to be mad at me? I was just protecting her! That's my job! She's the one saying Kouga's name in her sleep!" He blushed in rage and embarrassment at that thought. "Feh, lousy stinking wolf!" He jumped into the well, and as usual, ended up in the Feudal Era. As he climbed out of the well, he chose to perch in his favorite sacred tree. (Not that there were a lot of sacred trees in that immediate vicinity…)

"Stupid Kagome…" He murmured, his eyes slowly drifting shut. On this side of the well, he felt closest to Kagome in this tree. The very tree he had been sealed to for fifty years. The tree Kagome had freed him from.

"I'll make her apologize… tomorrow…" And with that, the half-demon fell into less-than-blissful slumber. He felt like he'd hardly fallen asleep when…

"Hey mutt-face!" the booming voice of one of his least-favorite rivals startled him, nearly making him fall.

"What kind of dog are you anyway? Sleeping in trees!" Kouga laughed at Inu-Yasha mockingly.

"Where's Kagome, dog turd?"

Inu-Yasha grimaced. That was a sore spot right now. He cracked his knuckles and leapt down to face Kouga. He had a lot of built-up frustration. Kouga might be the perfect candidate to alleviate some of that frustration. None of the men in Kagome's life had particularly good timing.

A/N: These chapters are getting progressively longer… Reviews are what motivate me to update sooner! So please, read, review, and enjoy! Thanks!