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The Breakup

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As Kagome anxiously approached the well house, she issued a shuddering breath at the sound coming from within. It was more than just crying. No, it was the desolate sobbing that comes from a person who had lost all hope. His voice was filled with more sorrow and anguish than she had ever heard before or ever cared to again.

"Kagome, I know you're there," Inuyasha croaked hoarsely in between a shuddering sob, "You can stop hiding from me. There's no point."

"I'm not hiding from you. Why are you crying?" she whispered tensely, all anger and despair from the past few weeks fading to relief as her suspicion was validated when watery amber eyes met her blue , "What's going on?"

"Oh I don't know Kagome. It's not like two parts of me were ripped apart and suddenly thrown back together again," he spat back acidly as he wiped his wet face with his sleeve, "Must be something other than that."

Sighing shakily, Kagome knelt down beside him and offered him a warm half-smile, "But you're back together again. Doesn't that..."

"No, it doesn't," he croaked as a new barrage of tears broke free, "Don't even bother trying to understand what I'm feeling right now."

"Try me," Kagome cooed, relishing weirdly at his rude behavior. Face crumpled in disgust, he clenched his eyes shut and cowered against the well, "She's going to kill everyone. Everyone, Kagome. None of this would've happened if I wasn't a weak, evil bastard. I should've just gone with her or been stronger or...or something. Instead they're all going to die because I couldn't do one stupid thing right."

"Why don't we go back and fight to save everyone like we always do?" Kagome cooed as she knelt down beside him, grimacing as he cringed and tried to scoot away from her, "It'll be okay."

"How is it going to be okay? I can barely stop crying like a pathetic worthless idiot. How am I going to manage to get myself together enough to take down an entire tribe of demons and a crazy ex-girlfriend?" he chuckled darkly before his face crumpled in pain once more as he croaked hoarsely and tears continued streaming down his face, "Kagome, I...I just can't go back. I trained a child how to murder by using another child. Because I was weak an entire village got annihilated and another one is about to be. Everyone hates me. I've lost everything! Friends, self-respect, my sense of self, you, and you know the worst part! I was happy. For the first time in my life, I felt so happy, Kagome. I've never felt like that before, like I could take on the world, that the world was my oyster, that...umpf!"

The rest of his tirade was cut short when Kagome crashed her lips down on his and clung to him tightly. Choking back a sob, he pushed her away roughly and shook his head, "How can you even look at me? You hated both parts of a completely shitty whole. All I've ever done in this form is be a dick to you. I insult you, I run off to that bitch, I'm rude and violent and...even though they sucked, they were nice. They were able to say and do all the things I just...can't."

"I didn't hate you. I just…just wanted the real you back," Kagome answered shakily as she reached her hand and cupped his cheek, "Yeah, those two parts of yourself had good and bad aspects to them but when they're together, they make you and...and I've missed you."

When he tried to pull away, Kagome forcefully placed both hands on his face and made him look at her. Those beautiful golden eyes that she had missed so much said volumes, the most prominent thing it spoke to - however- was that he was broken. Those eyes told the tale of how he was trying to reconcile how different those two parts were, all the things they'd done and said, trying to make sense of his own actions, trying to force himself to pull it together and go back to save the day and failing miserably.

"Your demon half was kind, a strong leader and fiercely protective of the pack but also ruthless and willing to murder without remorse if it served an end. Your human half was funny, charming at times, motivated and brutally honest about what he wanted but also selfish and immature," she paused seeing how he cringed and closed his eyes as though waiting for the axe to fall, "But...but when you're together...when you are truly you as you were meant to be, you are Inuyasha. An impulsive, rude, emotionally constipated, hot mess who would rather die before hurting one of his friends or an innocent and who has more subtle ways of showing how he cares."

Snorting lightly, Inuyasha let out a shuddering sigh and threw her a sarcastic look as he snapped halfheartedly, "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Rolling her eyes, Kagome continued as she stroked his cheek, loving when he closed his eyes and subconsciously leaned into her touch, "It should. You are a man ruled by honor and a sense of duty. A man who'd rather die than show any type of weakness, give in or beg for mercy. A man whose stubbornness knows no bounds. A man who has lived a hard, rough, completely unfair life who has managed to overcome the odds and still has managed to learn to trust again. A man who..."

"Why do you keep calling me a man?" he interrupted her hoarsely as his bloodshot eyes locked onto hers, "I'm not a man."

Snorting lightly, Kagome shook her head and ran her thumb lightly down his cheek, "You are a man. I've seen you naked enough times to know a man when I see one."

Shaking his head, he let out a shaky laugh as he gently lifted his hands up to remove hers from his face and lowered his gaze in defeat, "I'm a half-demon, Kagome. Someone whose two halves suck for different reasons. I'm not human or a demon. I'm just..."

"You are just Inuyasha," Kagome laughed softly as she pulled him to her chest, "One of a kind. I wouldn't have to you any other way."

For a moment, he shook in her embrace, clearly torn between desperately wanting to flee and desperately wanting to be held. Kagome couldn't help but feel a wave of happiness crash over her at the once again conflicted boy in her arms, who wasn't sure exactly what he wanted. It felt wrong but it also felt right to know that her permanently at odds hanyou was back. Slowly, awkwardly so, he slowly returned her embrace and sagged slightly against her as tears streamed down his face again.

"I'm sorry," he whispered miserably as he buried his face in her chest and wrapped his arms even tighter around her as though he was afraid she'd disappear if he let go, "For all of it. I'm so, so sorry."

"I know you are but, honestly, did you ever doubt I'd forgive you?" Kagome whispered affectionately as she placed a gentle kiss atop his head as he half-sobbed, half-laughed and pulled her in a little tighter. Sighing after a moment, she pulled back and placed a chaste kiss on his lips, "Now, we have a dead miko to address and a pack of bat demons to take down. You coming with?"

Wiping his nose on his sleeve, he nodded once before standing and hesitantly kneeling down to allow her to climb atop his back," Let's go."

As he hoped atop the well, he paused for a moment before looking over his shoulder and offering her a timid smile, "I know I never said it before...well, I mean I thought you knew... but, uh, you know...you know that I...um...that I..."

"I know," she cooed as she relaxed more fully against him and sighed happily, "I love you too."

Nodding once, a final tear broke free as he jumped into the well and the blue light enveloped them.