Prompt: "I just want you to know that I love you, okay?"
Warning: Death

They won against Naraku and the cursed wishing jewel, but they also suffered a grave loss.

In some ways he was grateful that InuYasha was unconscious still and Sango and Kirara were gone to fetch the Dog Lord, desperate. But, none of them would come to see her final breath. Miroku found his breaths stuck in his throat.

He couldn't seem to shed any tear, his heart inside of his chest frozen with the sheer fear of the idea of their precious girl, dying. He couldn't comprehend that the girl was cooling in his arms, staining his robe darker. Her breathing was weak, hushed.

It was as Naraku promised—he vowed that at his death he will take their most dearest with him as their price to pay to end his tyranny. At his final cry he send a tentacle through Kagome's stomach, before he crumbled into ashes. All the while laughing, he said, "Even in death, my beloved still followed!"

It wasn't InuYasha who ended him, but he certainly weakened him enough for Kagome to deliver one last blow. A holy arrow into his heart, his armors all but shattered under his opponents' assaults. In the exchange of his death he returned the same cost to the girl. She fell right into his arms.

Sango wailed and Kirara snagged her onto her back and launched into the air, remembering Sesshoumaru's life-returning blade. Shippou bounded away, trying to slap the comatose InuYasha awake. He was sobbing, his small chest drawing in breaths much too big for his size.

What could InuYasha do? Even if he were to awake a second later, there was nothing he could do. Miroku briefly found grace in this small moment of solace and silence. Curling his fingers into her paling skin, Miroku lowered his face to bury himself into Kagome's neck.

His breaths broke into sobbing, his shoulders shaking when the realization crashed upon him like ocean waves. Kagome was going to die. For all the goods she did for countless many, the sudden tragedy was her payment.

A cold, ghost-like press against his cheek aroused him from his grief. Miroku saw a trembling finger, for a brief second before it fell back down onto her gaping stomach. Sniffling he glanced down and saw her smile.

"Miro…ku," Kagome sighed, blearily keeping her eyes open, "Don't…cry…"

He shook his head, laughing wetly at her request, "How can I not, Lady Kagome?"

There was a weak semblance of the glare in her pale eyes, "Miro…ku…pl…ease. Smile?"

"That's rather a difficult request to meet, Lady Kagome." Miroku clamped his his tongue from outright sobbing.

Snagging her fingers into his robe, Kagome bobbed her head in understanding, "That is…okay. Can you…do this one…favor for me?"

"I can try." Miroku clenched her body tighter to his torso, never minding the blood that was steeping through his robe to his legs. He swallowed his grief the best he could. Miroku couldn't remember his head feeling so heavy before, even when he witnessed his own father's untimely death as a small child.

Burrowing her face into his sleeve, Kagome murmured, "Tell…me…you love…me. No one…tell me…that anymore." She hadn't seen her family in months and InuYasha wasn't courageous enough to tell her his feelings himself. Shippou was the closest, through his actions, but was embarrassed to tell her these words for some childish reasons.

At this he lost all controls, wrenching sobs boomed through out of his mouth, "I love you! I love you!" Miroku begged, repeating this mantra over and over as if it'll keep her on the earth.

Kagome gave a weak grin, appreciative, "I…just want you to…know that I love you too."

A white horror slammed into his consciousness, at her confession. "La-Lady Kagome…You couldn't possibly be…telling me…" But her eyes fell closed and took a final breath, never answering his sole question.

Miroku wailed to the sky.