Don't you want to go for a ride
Just keep your hands inside
And make the most out of life
Now don't you take it for granted

"If you don't shut up, I'm going to punch you in the face," InuYasha huffed in frustration as he sunk deeper into the steaming hot spring.

"I'm merely pointing out there are worse things than marrying a pretty girl and settling down," Miroku replied innocently, "Surely the thought has crossed your mind."

"What about I will punch you in the face do you not understand?" InuYasha sneered as he narrowed his eyes.

"Such a violent threat," Miroku laughed softly as he arched a single brow, "An empty one as well."

"Empty, huh?" InuYasha snorted as he adjusted himself to lean against the edge, "Go on then. Try me."

"Kagome-sama is in love with you," Miroku stated bluntly with practiced ease as he had done multiple times in the past with a cocky smirk before his face fell and he sighed, "I am also aware you do not share her feelings. If you do not love her, if you truly do not want her, you should tell her and allow her to..."

The monk really should have seen the punch coming.

"Well can't say I didn't warn ya," InuYasha sniffed pointedly as he rolled his shoulders and settled back down.

"You actually punched me," the monk groaned with a slight chuckle.

"Yup," InuYasha acknowledged casually with a shrug.

"I can't believe you punched me," Miroku huffed with an indignant glare.

"Told ya I would," InuYasha commented with an indifferent shrugs before slowly sinking back into the water. Miroku rubbed his jaw for a moment as he continued to glare at the half-demon who seemed completely nonplussed by their conversation or the fact that he'd just punched his friend in the face.

"I don't need advice from someone like you," InuYasha finally sighed, "Not like you're a love expert."

"Fair," Miroku chuckled softly as he rolled his eyes and continued massaging his jaw, "Still what I said is true. If you truly have no interest in Kagome-sama, you should tell her. She's waiting for you."

"And what? Have her run off with the flea bag wolf?" InuYasha scoffed as he crinkled his nose in disgust, "Or worse, stay with that human boy in her time?"

"How is being with a human worse than being with Koga?" Miroku asked with thinly-veiled amusement.

"Just is," InuYasha replied dismissively as he stood up and prepared to dry off. He paused for a moment before glancing at the monk, "I'll tell her, okay? Just...just not now."

Miroku gave his friend a chiding look but otherwise didn't comment.

It was a short time later that InuYasha was heading towards their encampment fully clothed and dried and...

Hopelessly torn.

Yes, okay, he maybe...just maybe...wanted Kagome. Just a little. Sure, anyone with eyes thought she was attractive. And kind. And smart. And...and pretty damn near perfect. Not in general. Woman was clumsy as hell and her temper left little to be desired but...but she was perfect. For him. Everything she did made him feel...

It was a problem. Such a problem. A huge, giant pain in the ass. Yeah, Kagome was a different person but that soul and him had a history. A history involving death and heartbreak and...and having happiness ripped away just when things seemed...

Okay, so in theory, he admits he has...feelings for the girl. From the future. Who only can come here because of the jewel. That was almost complete. And which they were hunting with the intent to destroy. Which means that at some point guess what'd be ripped away from him again? Yeah. Her. Oh and let's just put the idea out there that she does stay and they're together. The track record for women who loved him was dismal at best. Mother died young. Kikyo died young. Both arguably because of him. So why would he ever, ever try to start something that could only end badly? He'd have to be the most self-hating, clueless bastard...

And yet the thought of her being with anyone else made his skin crawl. Let's say the jewel being destroyed didn't shut off the well. At least with Koga, as much as he hated to admit it, it was palatable. Should she be able to stay here, he might not have her but at least there'd be a chance he'd see her. They could still be friends. She'd still be in his life. That human kid? The probability of her staying here were slim to none.

Huffing in frustration, InuYasha drug his claws through his hair and watched as Kagome moved a pot of water over the fire to boil. The firelight illuminating the delicate features of her face...

InuYasha shook his head. Yeah, not now. Not yet. All and all he was a selfish bastard. He knew the minute he told her what he'd decided...

He'd lose her.

And he couldn't lose her.

Not yet.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~

As Yuka rattled on about some new store in the shopping mall, Kagome's head lolled forward and her eyes drooped. That all nighter had been a terrible, terrible idea. It was all she could do to stay upright and anything she was supposed to be hearing was going in one ear and out the other.Why she had agreed to go out to lunch...

"Oh look it's Hojo," Ayumi suddenly chirped and Kagome groaned softly. No, no, no, no...

"Higurashi!" Hojo enthused as he quickly made his way over shadowed by...

Eyes flying open, Kagome was suddenly wide, wide awake. It wasn't possible.

"It's so good to see you," Hojo continued with a broad smile that faltered when he realized she wasn't staring at him, "Oh, how rude of me. This is, uh, Jiro. He's in my year."

"Jiro," Kagome murmured suspiciously as she gave the boy a once over, "Is that so?"

Blushing, Jiro looked very uncomfortable. That wasn't the only thing he looked. It was like someone had cloned InuYasha's human form, cut his hair and deposited him in front of her.

"Been in school long?" Kagome asked dryly as she gave the boy a knowing smirk.

"Oh, we've been friends since pre-school," Hojo laughed awkwardly as he tried to keep his composure and Kagome's face fell, "So, what are you doing later today, Higurashi? There's a new movie out and...well, would you be available?"

"Not today," Kagome mumbled miserably as she quickly picked up her backpack and scooted out of the booth, "Maybe some other time. I've got to go."

"Well at least let me walk you home," Hojo protested a little desperately and he moved to shield the perceived competition that was Jiro from her view, "It's the least I could do."

"No, no," Kagome chuckled nervously as she tried to make her escape, "Just really tired."

"All the more reason," Hojo pressed and Kagome cringed.

"Fine, fine, sure. That'd be great Hojo," Kagome replied with a very forced smile, "That's be...super."

By the time Kagome got home she was internally screaming. That Jiro guy had accompanied them much to the ire of Hojo and the mortification of Kagome. Not only had she openly gaped at the guy but she was enough of a moron to think even for a second that it might've been InuYasha. She'd even...

"Thanks for walking me home," Kagome bid her farewell as earnestly as she could under the circumstances, "I, uh, really appreciate it."

"No problem," Hojo commented with a happy relieved smile. Not once on the way had Kagome paid any attention to Jiro and that meant, in Hojo's mind at least, that he still had a chance. Jiro, for his part, seemed to be taking inventory of the situation and had remained quiet himself.

With another forced smile, Kagome quickly turned and darted up the stairs without so much as a glance back. Without thinking, she ran, dropping her backpack on the way, and jumped straight into the well.

As per the norm, InuYasha was there waiting for her and, also, per the norm he was pissed.

"Took you long enough," he snapped harshly as he yanked her up and glared, "Two days. That's what you said. Two. Days. This is day three. I was on my way to get you. You want to tell me what the hell..."

"Wouldyoueverliveinmytime?" Kagome blurted out, "Andifyoudidwouldyoupretendnottoknowme?"

"What the...no! Of course not," InuYasha snorted - his anger momentarily forgotten, "Why would I do that?"

Nodding once, Kagome visibly deflated as realization that it truly wasn't InuYasha pretending to be some guy named Jiro. Of course it wasn't. She was being stupid. So, so stupid.

"I don't know," Kagome finally mumbled before heading back towards the well, "Forget I said anything."

"Where do you think you're going?" InuYasha hissed as he moved to grab her arm.

"Sit boy," Kagome sighed as she swung a leg over the lip of the well and InuYasha crashed to the ground, "Forgot my backpack. I'll be back later, okay?"

And with that she was gone. She arrived back on her side of the well knowing full well he was probably hot on her trail when she saw the last person she wanted to see standing at the top of the Well house with her backpack in hand.

"Jump into old wells often?" Jiro chuckled as he dangled her backpack and Kagome had to fight not to roll her eyes. Of course he had to sound like InuYasha too. Great. Just fricking great.

"Why do you care?" Kagome huffed as she slid off the lip and stomped up the short staircase before ripping the backpack out of his grasp. Jiro didn't seem bothered in the slightest.

"Just curious," he chuckled as he followed the angry girl back towards the house, "Your name is Kagome, right?"

"Yes," Kagome hissed as she glared at the boy over her shoulder.

"Well Kagome, I noticed your little stare back at McDonalds," he began leadingly as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, "Hojo did too. Made me promise not to try anything."

"Lovely," Kagome clipped back as she wrinkled her nose and prayed the guy would just leave.

"Too bad I'm so forgetful," Jiro continued cockily as he grinned and paused when Kagome finally turned to face him, "Go out with me."

"I beg your pardon?" Kagome huffed as she agitatedly tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

"You. Me. Food," Jiro continued as he shrugged nonchalantly, "I can pick you up Saturday at eight?"

"I don't..." Kagome began before she swallowed thickly. Would it be so bad to go with him? To pretend just for an evening that this Jiro guy was InuYasha? He certainly looked the part. Wrinkling her nose, she tried to beat down the feeling of wrong at the thought. He wasn't InuYasha. Maybe a reincarnation of Inuysha, sure, but he...

Kagome's eyes widened. If she was the reincarnation of Kikyo, maybe this was Inuyasha's reincarnation and maybe, just maybe the reason she...liked InuYasha so much is that she was meant to be with that particular soul and just wound up meeting him too early. Five hundred years too early. That this Jiro was who she was supposed to be with and the jewel just messed things up.

"I don't know if I'll be here," Kagome finished before giving him a coy smile, "But maybe next time I'm back, I could give you a call?"

"I knew you weren't interested in Hojo. You never gave him that line or I'd've never heard the end of it," Jiro chuckled as he whipped out his cell phone, "Give me your number and I'll text you real quick."

"Oh, I don't actually know my number," Kagome replied awkwardly as she blushed furiously and fumbled with her backpack, "But if you'll write it down..."

A short distance away, hidden in the Well house, InuYasha watched on with heartbroken and terrified eyes. Watching Kagome talking, flirting with a guy that smelled like him, talked like him and looked like him. If he didn't know better, he would've thought it was him except...except it wasn't. There were subtle differences. Enough to crush any belief that maybe in some roundabout way he was in two places at once. The guy was human, for one. His hair was a slightly different texture and he was definitely taller.

The longer he watched the harder it was to breathe. He saw Kagome give his copy a piece of paper and smile that special smile usually reserved for him and him alone. Was this guy a better version of him? A happier version who didn't come from a broken home, wasn't jaded and bitter, treated her well and who wouldn't be afraid to tell her he loved her if it came down to it? Aversion of him that Kagome could love?

Would she toss him aside? Would she even tell him? His heart struggled to beat. He couldn't lose her yet. Not yet. His soul died a little when his copy reached up and tucked a loose hair behind her ear. Okay, it wasn't even a matter of yet but ever. He was wrong. So, so wrong. So stupid. Maybe...maybe if he said something now it wouldn't be too late? Kagome giggled and blushed. InuYasha wanted to vomit.

Unable to take any more, the half-demon quickly turned and jumped into the well.