A/N: I am so happy for all the reviews I got! I told you, you guys were holding back on me! Now let's see what Kagome is going to do!

Disclaimer: I wish and I'll keep on wishing. I don't own Inuyasha.

Chapter 14: Confession

"Kagome!"

Inuyasha had spoken his thought out loud. He saw Kagome perched on the well, and the shocked expression she had. He was still panting from the run but he needed to tell her to stay. "Don't. . .go." was all he could manage. Kagome's gaze dropped to the floor.

Kagome couldn't believe it. Inuyasha had figured her out before she had the chance to jump. If it had been anyone else, she would have blown them off, but this was Inuyasha. She couldn't bear to leave if he asked her not too. She had one leg over the edge and one over on solid ground. She could still jump if she wanted too. She didn't have to respond or anything. Just jump. But for some reason, her body wasn't responding to her mind's commands.

'C'mon! Move! I have to save him!' She shouted to her mind. All she could do was lower her gaze as Inuyasha took a step toward her.

"Don't come any closer or I'll jump." Kagome glared. She tried to make him feel bad, hoping he would feel bad enough to only feel pity for her. Or better yet, nothing at all. At least that would help her move on and not twaddle on a wasted illusion. He was only making it harder for both of them once she finally left.

"Kagome, please don't jump." Inuyasha reached out for her, his hand like a siren's call to her. Kagome couldn't look at him directly, for she feared she would listen and stay.

"I told you already! I don't need your help!" Kagome raised her tone, trying to make it sound like he annoyed her.

Inuyasha held his hand out to Kagome, wanting her to stop and run into his arms. But there was something wrong with this fairy-tale. The princess didn't want saving from the prince or anybody else. She wanted to save them. Inuyasha wouldn't let her though. He needed her to stay or at least go with her.

"Kagome, stop lying to yourself." He lowered his hand, fisting it at his side. He needed Kagome to listen. "I know what you're trying to do, and I'm here to tell you that I don't care!" He stepped closer to her, and she edged closer to jumping. Inuyasha frowned at her. "I know you feel like you have to save everyone, but I can't let you."

Inuyasha was only a few steps away and Kagome almost couldn't take it. She was closer to jumping then ever before, but his words were like sweet honey, but it was also like rubbing salt in her wounded heart. These words would haunt her dreams once she was gone.

"Inuyasha. . ." Kagome whispered, all traces of anger or annoyance gone. All that was left were sadness, pain and regret. Maybe a little longing too, but Inuyasha couldn't tell exactly. He was just happy that her walls of defense were finally crumbling. He was getting through to her.

"Kagome, you know that the others and I wouldn't want you to sacrifice yourself for us." His eyes softened and his expression looked tragic. "You're the most important person to me. If you leave, it'll be the same as if I died."

Kagome's gasp was audible even to her ears. Inuyasha just said something close to a love confession, just in a different way. Kagome's heart fluttered but she quickly scolded it. She shut her emotions down.

"Inuyasha, I have to go. I'm the only one who can stop Naraku and Kikyo." Kagome winced at her own mentioning of the dead priestess. Inuyasha didn't fail to notice.

"Kagome, she -"

Kagome shook her head, the tears finally appearing. "It's okay, really. It-I . . You should be happy." She gulped and turned her gaze down to the well. It was time for her to go.

She lifted her head and met Inuyasha's eyes, intending to say her final goodbye, but something stopped her. The sadness in his eyes were no mistake. The way they glistened lightly was not a coincidence either. He was. . . close to tears. Kagome did a double-take, but she fumbled and slipped, her leg lifting from the ground and falling into the well.

"Inuyasha!" She cried, finally registering her fall.

She didn't want to go anymore. She wanted to turn back and run into Inuyasha's arms and tell him how stupid she was. She wanted to see her family and her friends. Most of all, she wanted to see Inuyasha happy.

But it was too late.

Isuzu woke up form her nightmare in the dead of night. She was sweating, and she got up and flipped on the switch for the light. She looked outside her window, and saw the shrine's door was opened. Curious, she made her way to her daughter's room, opening the door slightly.

"Kagome?" She whispered in the darkness. No sound greeted her voice, just the sound of emptiness. She opened the door wider and gasped when she didn't see her daughter.

She made her way downstairs and noticed the note on the ground. Her eyes grew wide as she read it, but something occurred to her. Why had it been on the floor? Someone else must have already read the note. Isuzu didn't need spiritual powers to guess who.

"Inuyasha," she whispered as she walked outside. She saw the last strands of his silver hair gleam as he entered the shrine. She sank to the ground, her face white and tears trailing down her cheeks, her hands clutching the note to her heart.

"Please, Inuyasha. Bring her back."

Inuyasha didn't register what was happening before his eyes. It was like slow motion, but he still couldn't believe it. Kagome had fumbled and she fell. He couldn't believe it.

She was gone.

He fell to his knees and pounded the floor with his fists, the inevitable tears falling. He couldn't wrap his head around it. She was . . . gone. Just like that.

It was his fault. It was his fault that all of this was happening. Kagome wouldn't be sacrificing herself if she didn't care about him. She wouldn't have slipped if he hadn't said anything to make her try to reach him. It was his fault, all of it.

'Stupid, stupid, stupid! You can't ever save the girl you love!'

He clutched his head. This was the second time he had lost the girl he loved, and ironically, it was the same girl. Maybe not in personality but the resemblance was uncanny. 'But it doesn't matter, does it? She's gone, forever lost to me.'

"Help! Inuyasha!" Inuyasha ears perked at the sound of what could only be a miracle. He stood up slowly, wondering if it was a dream. Then he heard it again.

"Inuyasha!"

Yes, it had to be her. No voice could be any sweeter than hers. It just had to be her. He walked slowly to the edge, still not sure whether he had died of grief and this was just hell's way of tormenting him. He clutched the edge of the well and peered inside it. Sure enough, Kagome was dangling from a vine that magically appeared. She was barely hanging on, and the back pack was really weighing her down. Inuyasha finally got his bearings and came back down to earth. He reached for Kagome, but she was scared to let go.

"Kagome, grab my hand." He reached even lower and tried to look at her face. "I won't let you fall!"

Through her tears, Kagome knew she should grab his hand, but she was just so scared. If she let go, she would fall. An illogical fear crept into her and wrapped around her heart. She wanted to rewind the clock to the exact moment she had slipped. Maybe is she had had her footing right, she wouldn't be in this situation.

But if all else failed, she could still trust Inuyasha right?

"D-do y-you p-promise not t-to l-let me f-fall?" She gazed right back at him, her gaze intent, though her voice shook. Inuyasha nodded to her. She closed her eyes, letting one hand let go and grab Inuyasha's.

Inuyasha grasped her hand tightly.

"Kagome, I need you to let the other hang go. Trust me." He held on even tighter. Kagome took a deep breath and let go. She screamed when she felt herself lower.

"Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha almost couldn't take it. Her screams pierced his soul to the very core. He never wanted her to scream in terror like this again. He would protect her like he had promised. He grabbed her hand and hauled her over the well's edge and she clutched to him tightly. They fell backwards but landed on their backsides in a seated position.

"Oh, Kagome." Inuyasha buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. He had been so close to losing her. What miracle made her come back?

"Inuyasha. . ." Kagome cried harder into his shirt. She felt so warm, so safe in his arms that she didn't want to move. She wanted to stay there, Inuyasha's arms around her and his face in her hair. This was all she wanted.

"Where did that vine come from?" He whispered into her ear, not moving their current position. He rather liked it and preferred to have her in his arms. He removed the backpack she had strapped to her and easily threw it to the side.

Kagome hiccupped. "I- I don't know." She sniffled, the tears finally subsiding. "I panicked and it just . . . appeared." She was silent for a moment, content to listen to Inuyasha's heart beat.

"Maybe you made it appear, Kagome." Inuyasha reasoned. "You didn't want to fall in and your powers reacted to your will, I guess." He pulled back to see her face, and even though her eyes were red from crying and her nose was too, she still was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. "I'm just glad it did."

Kagome half-smiled at him. "I'm glad it did too."

Inuyasha sighed and smiled back. "I have something to tell you, Kagome." Kagome looked expectant at him and he took a deep breath. Why was it that this was so easy for him to think but saying it was so much harder?

"What?" Kagome tilted her head in curiosity.

Inuyasha looked her square in the eyes. "Kagome, I told you that you're the most important person to me and here's the reason why." He paused and Kagome's eyes widened. " I'm in love with you."

All time seemed to have stopped. It was just Kagome and Inuyasha at that moment. Nothing else mattered. Not the world, not Naraku and especially not Kikyo. Kagome couldn't believe the words. She touched his cheek with his hand.

"Do you really mean it? It's not just because I look like Kikyo?" Her question pierced Inuyasha. It hurt that she thought that, but he hadn't given her another reason otherwise.

"Of course, Kagome." He grabbed her hand and held it tightly. "Kikyo doesn't mean anything like that for me anymore. You completely hold me heart."

Kagome smiled. "I'm sorry for trying to make you jealous."

Inuyasha laughed. "Was that what you were trying to do with Kouga?"

"Yeah," She nodded sheepishly. Inuyasha chuckled and raised her to her feet.

"Well, it didn't make me jealous in the slightest." he took her hand and slid opened the door again. Kagome hit him playfully.

"You liar. You were practically breathing fire at poor Kouga."

Inuyasha put an arm around her. "Well, he was messing around with my girl." he smiled, showing all those white teeth. Kagome smiled, dazzling Inuyasha.

"That's what I am? Your girl?" She stopped, gazing deep into those pools of molten gold.

"What else? I am hereby claiming you. Forever." He responded.

"And what makes you so confident about that?" She said, her smile teasing.

Inuyasha was about to say something about it, when something better occurred to him. He grabbed her waist closer with one hand, and put the other behind her head, tilting it until he met her lips.

Kagome was frozen at the first contact but after a minute, she responded, the warmth she felt radiating through her body. Her lips moved with his, and there was nothing in the world that was wrong. She managed to link her arms around his neck while still kissing him.

Inuyasha felt ecstatic. The girl of his dream, the love of his life, the woman he would forever love was in his arms kissing him back. At first, when she hadn't responded he thought he had just offended her in the worst of ways but when she closed her eyes and kissed back with as much emotion that he had, he could've wept with happiness.

Finally, they broke apart, but they didn't break body contact. Kagome smiled at Inuyasha, while he kissed her forehead.

"And that," He pulled back to gaze into her face. "is why I'm sure you'll never want to leave me."

Kagome threw her head back and laughed and Inuyasha rejoiced in the sound. They finally made their way to the front of the house, where Kagome's mom had fallen asleep. Kagome gasped.

"Oh no," She ran to her mom, who didn't seem to hear them. "She must have read the note. She'll kill me!" She turned to Inuyasha, her eye frantic. Inuyasha understood why. Kagome had made her mother go through nightmares and this was probably the straw that broke the camels back.

"What am I going to?" Kagome threw her hands in the air, the moment of the heated kiss passing. Inuyasha laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Why don't we just put your mother back in her bed, and pretend this never happened?" He glanced at Kagome's mother, just as Kagome turned around. It was probably their best, and safest, bet.

Kagome looked confused, but Inuyasha had to admit, she looked pretty cute. "How? She already read the note."

"Just tell her it was a bad dream." He responded.

Kagome nodded her agreement. They might just pull it off, if she can do it right. "Ok!" She pumped her fist in the air and proceeded to try and lift her mother, with no avail.

She glanced at Inuyasha. "A little help, please?" Inuyasha got the message and helped Kagome life her mother back to her bedroom. Kagome tucked the blankets around her mother when they finally got to her bed. She bent to give her a kiss on her forehead.

"I'm sorry, mom." She stood up straight and followed Inuyasha outside. He grabbed her hand and they stood outside her bedroom. He brushed the hair out of her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he whispered, trying to meet her gaze.

"I feel horrible. I could've have done so much damage to all of you . . And all I could think of was defeating Naraku. What kind of priorities to I have?" Her voice was thick and tears threatened to spill. She felt so awful, awful enough to hurl herself off a cliff. If Inuyasha hadn't come to rescue her, she'd be stuck in the feudal era. She would have sealed herself off from her world.

"Kagome," Inuyasha tilted up her head with his finger. "You did have your priorities right. You wanted to protect us, even at the length of sacrificing yourself for us. If that isn't a heart of gold, then I don't know what is."

His words comforted Kagome like a child would be comforted by their favorite blanket. She wrapped her arms around him. " Inuyasha, could you stay with me tonight?" Then suddenly realizing how her words sounded, she blushed. "Not in that way! I mean¾uh¾"

Inuyasha chuckled, liking the blush on her face. "I get it, I get it. Just go to bed and sleep, ok?" He led her inside her bedroom. She got under the covers while Inuyasha took the floor. He sat cross-legged and watched Kagome in her purple comforter.

"I love you, Inuyasha." Kagome whispered.

Inuyasha's lips lifted into a small smile. "I love you too, Kagome. Now go to sleep."

Kagome closed her eyes, content with the night's outcome and only wished tomorrow would come fast enough.

Early the next morning. . .

Isuzu woke up her bed, just like she was when she had gone to sleep. She sat up and raised a hand to her head. Had she really dreamed it all? Kagome had left a not and. . .

She wrenched the blankets off of her and ran down the stairs, only to find Kagome cooking breakfast and Inuyasha sitting down at her table. She looked at Kagome and then to Inuyasha.

"Kagome?"

Kagome turned to her, the frying pan in her hand as she spooned some eggs on Inuyasha's plate. "Hey mom! Do you want some breakfast? I made some on account of Inuyasha." She pointed with the wooden spoon to Inuyasha, who was already stuffing his mouth. "He came here early, but I was already awake and--"

"Wait," her mother held up her hand. "Where's the note?"

Kagome gave her a confused expression. "What note?"

"That note you left! You said you were going to the feudal era. . . and you!" she pointed to Inuyasha. "You went to go get her!"

Kagome laughed and pushed her mom out of the kitchen. "Mom, it sounds to me you had a very bad dream. You just go to bed and I'll bring you breakfast." Kagome watched her mother ascend the stairs muttering things like "Am I out of my mind?" and "But I could've sworn . . ."

Kagome let out a sigh and went to the kitchen again.

"I almost couldn't do it. I can't believe we pulled it off." She watched as Inuyasha ate. He only shrugged.

"Told you." was all he responded with, as he put another spoonful of eggs in his mouth. "By the way, these taste great. When we get married, remind me to wake you up before me so you can have my breakfast this good."

Kagome laughed, hitting him playfully again while standing up to make more eggs. By the looks of it, they were going to need more.

"What makes you think I'll do that?" She asked, reaching for the eggs.

Inuyasha smirked. "'Cause you love me."

Kagome just laughed but she didn't respond. It was true, what he had said, and she loved the idea that he wanted to marry her. She blushed at the thought. But like everything, she knew the good times would have to put aside for later. They needed to focus on defeating Naraku, destroying the jewel and coming back alive. This time, though, everyone she needed would be with her.

This was only the beginning.

A/N: Alright, you guys. This is where we kick it up a notch. I mentioned before that Inuyasha and Kagome would get together earlier in the story. Well, there you have it. I really need you guys to REVIEW! I need to know whether my kissing scene sucked, or if it blew you guys away. Your feedback is very precious to me so please REVIEW! Kagome and the gang are in for bigger worries once they reach to the other side.

One more thing. I know in the anime and manga you can go back through the well. Before any of you guys point that out, and before you question it yourselves, I'm going to make this clear. Kagome hasn't been to other side and she had no idea of the powers of the well. She doesn't know she can come and go when she pleases. At least not yet. So there you go! Until the next chapter!

P.S: Five or more reviews you guys! That's how many you need for the next chapter to come out!