AUTHOR'S NOTES: I just want to say, the comments on last chapter were INSANE! Thank you all so much for leaving such insightful opinions and observations. It was crazy to see how my little fic invoked such a passionate response and revealed that everyone comes from a different walk of life and those walks of life determine how people view things. Thank you again for taking such an interest in this fic aghhhh my heart is so full!

If you want to get an inside scoop to headcanons, memes and other things pertaining to HTLB, you can follow me on tumblr omgitscharlie!

Thank you to keichanz, lavendertwilight89, sapphirestarxx and bluejay785 for helping me wade through all of the emotions of this chapter hahah.

The grip on the steering wheel left his knuckles white, amber hues blazing with a lingering sense of fury, hurt and betrayal. Inuyasha's gut continued to churn, clenching and knotting itself with the knowledge that he'd walked out on her; he walked out on Kagome, the woman he'd confessed he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. That didn't mean he wanted marriage, quite the contrary, he found marriage to be something that often caused relationships to end, rather than prosper. Marriage put an unnecessary pressure and expectation that Inuyasha didn't feel any relationship could live up to, regardless of how 'stable' the couple felt they were.

He'd walked out on Kikyo a multitude of times, slamming the door behind him and making a statement that he wasn't afraid to leave her. With Kagome, he was afraid to leave her, he was afraid to lose her, and he'd just walked out like he always did.

She deserved it. She deserved it. She deserved it.

Such a phrase repeated over and over in his head as he remained in the parking garage of her apartment building. Kagome had kept something from him; she'd omitted information from him and unleashed it upon him just like he had her in the past. It was hypocritical of her, his mind clinging to that fact to keep himself angry, keep himself stubborn and defiant to give in and look towards his own fault in the matter.

Time had ticked by much quicker than he'd intended, having lost track of just how long he'd just been sitting in his car, seething and spiralling. If he had half a mind to look at the clock on his dash, he'd realise he'd been sitting in his car for over thirty minutes, weighing the repercussions of actually leaving.

Leaning back against the seat, he twisted his grip on the wheel, hearing the squeak of the leather cover as he clenched his jaw and simply looked out the front window to the concrete wall in front of him, "No. I'm not apologizin'. I'm not," he murmured to himself as he shook his head and turned the ignition. Immediately, the blaring sound of heavy guitars, blast beats and vicious screams streamed through the speakers as he peered over his shoulder and backed out of his spot.

Pulling out of the garage, he began to make his way towards his own home, the sky dark and ominous with nothing but street lights to show the way. The speed he kept was far above the limit, his mind locked in something extremely heated and took that out in whatever physical way he could.

The conversation continued to play on repeat in his head, Kagome's anguished pleas beginning to slowly pierce through his heart and loosen the vicious grasp his temper held over his rationale. He'd never seen her frantic or panicked, she was typically the level-headed one (albeit snappy at times) and was able to express herself and her emotions so effortlessly. Yet, in that moment, it was like something had snapped and cracked, causing her to lose control of her emotions and, in complete honesty, Inuyasha felt cornered by it.

Add on the fact that the content harboured within their argument was a touchy spot for the hanyou, it left him in his old ways. Had he done plenty of growing because of Kagome? Yes. Did he communicate with her better than he had anyone else in his life? Yes. Was he anywhere close to being a master of his emotions? Fuck no.

The longer he drove, the closer he got to being home, the more his anger subsided and the cloud of stubbornness began to dissipate. With his jaw clenched, clarity began to part his own selfishness, coming to the realization that, perhaps the way Kagome was acting had a deeper reason. Regardless of the fact that he was still hurt by her omitting her own traumatic experience from him, he was starting to push past the assumption that she'd done it on purpose.

A growl left him, rumbling low in his chest as he pressed back against the seat, elbows locked with his hands against the wheel, "Fuck…" he hissed, hitting his head against the back of the seat half-hazzeredly a few times as he found himself pulling off to the side of the road.

Turning on his hazards, he released the wheel and let his hands just fall into his lap, head falling back with his eyes closing as he tried to stay mad. He tried so hard to remind himself that she had been hypocritical, that she had her own shit to deal with and had kept that from him. She neglected to tell him that Koga had left her, that he had left her because of her blood, something he could have so easily related to. That was what probably hurt him the most, that she kept that piece of information from him, that she didn't seem to trust him with it.

But then she said she didn't mean it. She didn't mean to keep it from him and he didn't even take the time to question further and gather context. Then there was the way she had been so frantic, almost like she was panicked he would do the same thing that Koga had done and left her.

And he did.

He fucking did.

Kagome would have never done that to him, especially when he had been in the same position that she'd been after aggressively word vomiting at her about his traumas. She'd handled him with such effortless grace, comforting him and making him feel like he was truly heard and understood; she had refused to let him leave. And he hadn't given her the same decency.

Now who was being hypocritical?

Inuyasha's heart sank into the pit of his chest, the anger once directed at her now boomeranging back towards himself and hitting him right in the chest. Clawed hands ran down the front of his face out of frustration, "Fuck…" he hissed again, "Fuck," a little louder, "Fuck!" He finally shouted, slamming down his hands onto the wheel.

Giving out one sharp, somewhat gravelly breath, Inuyasha shifted gears out of park and made a U-turn to start heading back towards Kagome's apartment.

It took no time for him to find himself back in the same spot he had been not twenty minutes before, staring at the concrete wall for a moment before opening his door and climbing it. Slamming the door shut behind him, he made his way back towards the elevators, a new sense of anxiety washing over him at the realization that maybe she wouldn't let him in. The very real possibility of her coming to her senses hung over his head as he pressed the number to her floor. Mentally, he prepared himself to be chased out the moment he stepped into her apartment.

The ding of the elevator was followed by the doors opening, Inuyasha stepping out and making his way back to the familiar number. Pulling out his keys from his pocket, he separated Kagome's apartment key before shoving it in the lock and twisting it, finding that she'd actually taken the time to do so.

Pushing the door open, Inuyasha was slightly surprised to find all of the lights off. What he wasn't surprised by, was the overwhelmingly sour scent of her sadness and the saltiness of her tears. His ear twitched, able to hear the faint sound of sobs and sniffles coming from her room, sounds that he knew would be much louder once he got closer. Releasing a sigh, he tried to muster up enough courage to do what he needed to, able to find just enough to kick off his shoes and peel off his jacket.

Perhaps a little presumptuous that she wouldn't kick his ass to the curb the moment she saw him, but he could tell she was more hurt than angry.

That made it worse.

Making his way to her bedroom door, he held the knob with one hand as he leaned against the wood, using the back of his index finger's knuckle to knock once, then twice, "Kagome?" he called gently through the door before turning the knob and pushing it open.

Slowly, he peered his head inside, seeing she had left her hanging fairy lights on and nothing else, giving off a low, dim light. The way she was seated in her bed, eyes wet, puffy and red from tears, lower lip quivering as she tried so hard to keep her sobs at bay, it tore through Inuyasha's heart. Guilt tormented him, moving to close the door behind him as she whimpered out his name so pathetically that he told himself he never wanted to hear it spoken that way again.

"Inuyasha…" Sniffling, Kagome lifted a hand to wipe the tears from her face, trying miserably to hide the fact that she was still crying. When he took a step towards her, she started to collapse all over again, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. I'm sorry I yelled. I−"

With each word, Inuyasha got closer, eventually reaching the bed and climbing onto it before wrapping his arms around her and crushing her against him, "Shhh," he cooed, cutting her off as she sank into him, her head digging into the crook of his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his neck and clutched onto the fabric of his crewneck sweater. The way she held him was as if it were for dear life, hiccuping and whimpering into his shoulder as Inuyasha dug his nose into her hair and cradled the back of her head, "I'm sorry," he cooed, gently scratching the nape of her neck as he did so.

"I'm sorry I left, I shouldn't've done that. You didn't deserve that," he added, pressing his lips against her head in a lingering kiss as she continued with her shoulder-wracking sobs, "You wouldn't've walked out on me."

"You're angry," she managed to croak, voice muffled by being dug into him, an overwhelming sense of relief washing over her at the knowledge that he had come back and was holding her. He didn't leave her; he didn't end their relationship.

"I am," he answered honestly, "I'm…" he swallowed as he adjusted them, sitting back against the headboard and dragging her into his lap, legs straddling his hips, "I'm more hurt than angry," he clarified, feeling Kagome pull her head away to stare down at him. The gentle touch of her hands on his cheeks had him finding her tear-filled gaze, lifting his own hand to cup her cheek and wipe away a tear from it.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," she defended through a choked whimper, shaking her head, "I swear I didn't realize how much−" her sentence was cut off by her taking in a shaky breath, "How much of an effect it had on me. I didn't know. I didn't know. I promise I would have told you." Her words descended back into panicked sobs, barely consoled by the soft shush of a coo that Inuyasha offered as he drew her back flush against him.

That same remorse began to seer into his heart, pained by the sound of her ragged breathing and intense distress that she portrayed with every agonized mewl, "I know you would've," he whispered, running his hand up and down her spine in a soothing motion, "I was just…" he closed his eyes, resting his chin on top of her head as he wracked his brain for the right words.

Talking about boundaries when it came to their sexual relationship was easy, as it was much more black and white in his mind. There was the correct way and the incorrect way; the way that would keep them safe and the way they could hurt one another. Outside of the bedroom, it was much more intense to him; there were too many grey areas and his emotions weren't necessarily something he had control over. That was truly what it came down to − Inuyasha wasn't in control outside of the bedroom and that left him exposed and vulnerable in a way he didn't completely consent to.

Now, with his weeping girlfriend in his arms, enveloped by sorrow he had caused, Inuyasha tried his damndest to let go of that fear of vulnerability, "You didn't tell me he left you, which−" he opened his eyes, looking aimlessly towards the wall in front of him as he gave her squeeze, "I dunno. When I said I didn't wanna get married and you−" he paused for a moment, Kagome's body-quaking sobs diminishing into sniffles and soft quivers as she waited patiently for him to continue.

"I could tell you were still hurt and, to find out that it was because Koga'd left you, I just−"

Kagome pulled from his hold then, finding his gaze and wiping one of her eyes with the back of her hand. Shame coursed through him then, averting his attention from her face to the mattress beneath him, "I had this split second thought−" that was a lie, it wasn't a split second, "I have this thought that, if he asked, you'd...you'd go back."

"Yash," Kagome's voice was firm, holding a very real sense of insult to it, despite the fact that it was still strained with the threat and aftermath of tears, "How could you possibly think−"

"I know. I know," he defended, finally letting his attention fall back to her face, catching her gaze with that shame shining through him as clear as day, "I'm sorry. I mean it. I shouldn't've reacted how I did. I should've stayed and listened to you. You−" Inuyasha took both of her hands in his, holding them before pressing a kiss to each of her palms, "These hands have done more for me than anyone ever has," he stated honestly, feeling foolish for his words. He'd never been the romantic type, not the one to make his words flowery or flouncy; he liked to be straight to the point, but with Kagome, he didn't know how else to explain what she did to him.

"You have the patience of a goddamn saint. You've dealt with so much of my bullshit, made me stick around after I whirled a mug into your wall, for fuck sakes," he explained, "I'm fuckin' damaged goods, Kagome. I'm...I don't−"

"No, you aren't−" Kagome tried to comfort, shaking her head as she leaned forward to rest her forehead.

"Stop," he replied somewhat firmly, "I'm not tryin' to tell you this to get sympathy. I'm tellin' you this because I know that you deserve better than me, alright? I've been tryin' to be better for you and, fuck, I'll keep tryin' as hard as I fuckin' can, but I keep−" his jaw clenched, throat suddenly stuck with the threat of tears that he managed to swallow down but his voice betrayed him regardless, cracking as he continued, "I keep hurtin' you along the way."

"I don't want you to be better for me, I want you to be better for yourself," Kagome replied, cupping his neck and closing her eyes.

"Kagome," he interjected, pulling his head from hers, "I just walked out on you having a panic attack−" he wanted to emphasize that she shouldn't be the one trying to comfort him. What he'd done wasn't something he was proud of and it was obvious she was in much more distress than he allowed himself to realize initially.

"I kept something from you. I didn't tell you about mine and Koga's relationship, how it ended, when I should have. I should have told you after you had opened up about Kikyo. God, you opened up so much about that and I...I didn't tell you anything. You didn't pry, you didn't interrogate me, you trusted me to tell you and I didn't," Kagome explained, shaking her head as she ran her hands down the front of his chest, throat swollen from crying and needing to stop to sniffle between words, "I guess I just...I figured it hadn't affected me much but, but I still should have told you about it. I shouldn't have omitted myself from telling you about my past relationship, when I had asked you about yours. I thought I was exempt from revealing anything to you because you'd hidden so much from me before that conversation."

"I kept a lot from you but I...I thought I was protecting you. I didn't want you exposed to my bullshit, Kagome…" he added, shaking his head, "You're−dammit−you're the most perfect person I've ever met and it scares the shit outta me. I don't know how to compete with that. I don't know what you see and...and I'm tryin' to see it. I'm tryin' to make bein' with me worth your while. I shouldn't have walked out. I shouldn't've left. I should've asked more questions," he replied, tucking some of her hair behind her ear, only to feel Kagome grip his wrist and lean into his touch.

How he was communicating, using his words, it brought a sense of pride to Kagome's chest; she was proud of his growth, proud of how he truly was trying to better himself. That pride came with a sour side, guilt and remorse plaguing her at the understanding of what she could have possibly ruined. That trust he gave her, that honesty and vulnerability he gifted, all of it could have crumbled into nothing by her actions and left him in worse shape than how she'd met him.

"I'm not perfect, Yash…" she breathed, keeping her attention solely on his face as she continued to lean into his touch, "I hurt you. I went against...everything I−" her breath hitched as her throat closed with the threat of tears, "Everything I asked of you, I didn't do in return and I−" she closed her eyes, tears falling from them as she did so, "Inuyasha, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

They were both in the wrong, in one way or another. Perhaps Inuyasha shouldn't have walked out on her in her time of need, but he didn't know how else to react. He'd told her he'd call her, that he needed to think, that was more than he'd ever given Kikyo. Add in the fact that he didn't resort to name-calling, his reactions were the most mature he could be at that time in his life. Kagome had to have known that.

His trauma ran deep, deeper than maybe either of them realized, and words were more often than not lost on him, and though he was using them now, it didn't mean he had conquered it completely. They both had things they needed to work through, one of Kagome being something Inuyasha had tried to touch on and was shut down every time, and he was more than prepared to make that effort. However, there was a new sense of uneasiness that had settled in his heart, seeing how Kagome had failed to acknowledge her own trauma when she had asked him to face it head on for her.

Yes, he knew of his trauma and actively hid it from her, and for that he had apologized and made serious effort to correct, but with Kagome not taking that extra step to even see the trauma she held, that was something Inuyasha knew he would need to look out for. It frustrated him to no end, how she would brush off the seriousness of letting strangers swarmp her, get in her space, but he'd learned to keep himself out of it for the time being ─ it wasn't his business...not truly.

Watching those tears fall, Inuyasha brushed them away with his thumb, "I'm sorry, too…" he repeated before moving to wrap his arms around her and pull her against his chest in a genuine embrace. Kagome moved to rest her head on his shoulder, arms wrapping around his waist as one of his own wrapped around her shoulder and the other allowed its hand to cup the back of her head.

"You said you needed time to think," Kagome tried to help justify, eyes closing as she allowed herself to sink into the soldiness of his body, "That you would call me in the morning…" she added before sniffling out of necessity, "If you need space─"

"I'm good here," he replied before she could finish, giving her a short squeeze before loosening his grip to comfortingly run his hand up and down her back, "I can't run away every time we have a fight."

He was being good. So good. It was a complete turn-around from how they had been at the start of their relationships. Nine months seemed to both fly by as well as trudge along, feeling as though they'd only just started dating while also feeling like they'd been together for years. Perhaps it was because of his growth that it felt such a way; but, with each piece of personal development Inuyasha grew within himself, Kagome was unknowingly leaving herself behind. She knew he had every right to be angry, to have him compared to a person who was prejudiced about the state of someone's blood when Inuyasha himself was a victim of said prejudice. It was cruel to see him in that light, but she didn't know what else to think in that moment.

Silence fell between them then, Inuyasha never stopped his soothing motion of running his hand up and down her back, keeping her close. The sound of her sobs had stopped, falling into ragged breaths and composing sniffles as her lungs began to regulate themselves. It felt good to be in his arms, safe and secure, and there was nowhere else she would rather have been in that moment, or any moment moving forward. He was home.

"Kagome─" his voice was the one to break the silence, a first for the both of them, "I─" he didn't know how else to bring it up other than ripping it off like a bandaid, "I meant it, when I said I don't wanna get married." He could feel her body tense against his, her heart racing in her chest and smell the threat of tears building in her throat, "But I also meant it when I said I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. I never thought I'd want that with anyone."

"Is it really because you think it's stupid?" Kagome's voice was small, meek and timid, swallowing back the threat of tears as she kept her body pressed hard against his. The way she asked was reminiscent of a child asking for a truth they didn't want.

With a heavy sigh, Inuyasha leaned back against the pillows, "Kinda," he replied honestly, "Just feel like it's...like it isn't necessary. Why get married when it adds so much extra stress and expectations?"

Kagome shouldn't have been surprised, considering Inuyasha's past, but there was still a very real part of her that was insurmountably disappointed at the fact he didn't want to get married. Though, as disappointed as she was, there was also a realization she'd come to; if this had been Koga, if he had said he didn't want to get married as far into the relationship as herself and Inuyasha were, Kagome would have left him. Now, she couldn't fathom not being with Inuyasha; she would rather give up her dream of the white dress, cake and party if it meant being with him for the rest of her life.

It would take some getting used to, she was sure, but she could get over it ─ at least, that's what she tried her damndest to convince herself of.

"What expectations are there that make you uncomfortable?" Kagome couldn't help but ask, keeping her gaze averted from his as she awaited his response, his cheek resting on the crown of her head as they continued their conversation.

Inuyasha released a heavy breath, as if he was preparing himself for something with a hefty brunt to it, "Like how...y'know how some couples...it's always 'we' or 'us'. They kinda let their entire identity become their relationship. I still want us to be...us, y'know...as individuals," he chose his words carefully, pausing in between to make sure he made sense the best he could, "I like that we have our own things goin' on. I like that we aren't in each other's finances or...other shit like that. We're our own people."

"We don't have to be like that…" Kagome tried to counter ratchet pathetically, feeling Inuyasha give her a squeeze out of apology as well as grounding.

"Kagome…" he began, slightly defeated as he pulled away enough to catch her gaze with his own, "I love you. I love what we have. I don't wanna lose that to some...I dunno, some tradition that only seems t'break people up more than it does help the relationship."

Allowing their eyes to meet, Kagome listened intently, understanding his reasoning to an extent but still finding it hard to wrap her head around completely, "I love you, too…" It was a start and it was wholly honest; she'd never loved anyone more than she did him, "I…I'm trying to understand…" she replied, showing that conflict on her face as clear as day, "And I do," she paused, seeing Inuyasha's expression morph into one that held the softed glint of surprise and hopefulness, "To an extent. Is there any─you won't compromise? Like...you don't even wanna move in together?"

"You wanna move in together?" He repeated, only to see Kagome shrug as she bit down on her lower lip.

"I mean...yeah. I thought maybe we'd...we'd do that eventually. I─do you not want that, either?"

"No. No, I want that," he replied immediately as if afraid to see her cry if he hesitated in his answer, speaking genuinely and answering authentically, "I wanna move in with you."

"Really?" Kagome asked, lifting a hand to wipe away another stray tear, as the warmth of her boyfriend's lips pressed against her forehead, "You really want that?"

"'Course I do."

Maybe that wasn't fair to make it seem obvious, as the conversation prior to that hinted that Inuyasha perhaps didn't want any semblance of codependency between them, "We basically spend every day together anyways, right?" he added, feeling Kagome give him a nod as she nuzzled her head back into the crook of his neck.

"It doesn't need to be right now but...maybe we can talk about it soon?" As muffled as her voice was, Inuyasha understood every word she said, nodding in response as he adjusted them so he was laying on his back, her body pressed against his side.

"We don't gotta rush anything, babe," he murmured, turning his head towards her to rest his forehead against hers and brush their noses against one another. Kagome gave a small hum of agreement, tilting her head upwards as a soft plea for a kiss. Happily, Inuyasha granted it, pressing his lips against hers in a soft, tender kiss. It lingered for a moment, both of them finding relief in the contact, though this would be far from the last time the conversation would come up.

"I'm sorry I walked out…" he added, voice low as if to set the tone that the high-intensity of the last few hours needed to come to a close. His free hand cupped her cheek, thumb brushing over the apple of it as Kagome stole another kiss, but happy to be in his arms and to know he didn't intend on leaving her.

"I'm sorry I yelled…" Kagome whimpered, tears straining her voice once again, "I'm sorry I projected that onto you. You didn't deserve it," she added, sniffling as she wiped away a stray tear before it could fully fall, "I won't do that again. I promise."

A soft coo left Inuyasha as Kagome started to show signs of descending into panicked sobs once again. The arm she lay on curled inward, pulling her closer against him in an attempt to comfort and coddle, "No cryin'," he murmured soothingly, "I forgive you, baby. I forgive you."

"I understand why you were mad, I do. I do. I promise, I do," she cried, gripping the fabric of his crew neck sweater as she pressed her head into his shoulder, "You opened yourself up to me and I─"

"Baby, hey. Stop. Stop cryin'," he pleaded calmly, rubbing her arm in an attempt to help bring her down from her heightened emotions, "I fucked up too, alright? You wouldn't've walked out on me. You would've tried to understand what was goin' on with me…I didn't do that."

"I forgive you. I understand why you─" she drew in a shaky breath followed by a hiccup, "Why you thought you needed space," she added, peering towards him with those wide, mahogany eyes, tear stained and filled with apology, "Thank you for coming back."

It felt good to have her in his arms, despite the fact that she continued to fight through tears, and he didn't regret his decision to turn around, "I couldn't stay mad," he whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead, "Couldn't just leave you like that," he added, pressing his lips to her nose before stealing a kiss to her lips, "I know you'd never mean t'hurt me."

"Never," she confirmed, shaking her head as she allowed herself to indulge in another kiss from him, "Never."

Inuyasha happily returned the kiss, feeling her hand cup his neck as it began to deepen, finding solace in the presence of one another. Pressing her tongue against his lower lip, Kagome asked for entry, feeling him open his mouth to answer and grant it. There was no desire for more, just the knowledge that she was still able to taste him was enough to sate her for the time being.

"Are you staying?" Kagome asked, half-pleading in nature against his lips, giving him one more gentle, though still wet, kiss before pulling away enough to look at him through a heavy-lidded gaze.

Inuyasha tucked some hair behind her hair, unable to stop himself from touching her in some way or another, "Yeah. I'm stayin'. If you let me."

Without hesitation, Kagome nodded, "Please stay. I─" she swallowed back the continuous threat of tears that just couldn't seem to leave her, "I thought I'd never get to wake up to you beside me again." It was something she was coming to realize about herself, the fear of abandonment. Koga had done more than made her touchy about marriage, it made her afraid that, at any moment, she could lose the man she loved without warning.

"Kagome…" he cooed, pulling her close against him and cradling the back of her head to bring it into his neck, his nose digging into her hair, "Fuck, I─I thought I'd fucked up, too. I thought you'd kick me out, once I came back. But I'm here. I'm right here. I'm not goin' anywhere."

This had been the most talking he'd done in any relationship, the most open line of communication he'd ever had and it was all thanks to Kagome and her unwavering patience. Initially, he'd been doing it all for her, to make sure that he could keep her happy and have the privilege of calling her his girlfriend. Now, seeing how it liberated him, how the pain was worth it, made him want to be better for himself, just as Kagome herself stated she wanted.

"I said the safeword," Kagome stated suddenly, pulling Inuyasha from his thoughts as well as allowing Kagome to do the same from him physically to catch his attention once more.

"Mhm," Inuyasha replied, though it was left open-ended, assuming she was planning to continue her statement. In all honesty, Inuyasha had been floored that she was so invested in their dynamic that she remembered to say it. That wasn't to say that she was in it half-heartedly, as she'd been more than receptive and even suggestive when it came to some of the things they did both in and out of the bedroom. However, emotions were difficult to wrangle some times, so for her to remember to say the word meant she took what they were doing seriously.

"How do I...take it back?" Kagome asked the question rather meekly, biting her lower lip as she took his hand in hers, absentmindedly playing with his fingers.

Inuyasha dark, thick brows lifted some, "You want me t'be your daddy right now?" He asked sincerely, seeing her nod in response, "Whaddaya need from me, baby?"

"This. I just need you to hold me, tell me I'm okay ─ that you love me."

Aftercare. He realized she wanted aftercare, "Babe...I don't needa be your daddy to do that sorta stuff; why don't I just be your boyfriend tonight, then we can talk about all that in the mornin'? How does that sound?"

Conceding, Kagome gave him another nod before welcoming a kiss from the man who held her; the man who managed to make her feel things she never thought she could. He made her heart so full in the best way and, though their relationship could be turbulent, there was no one else she could see herself with ─ not anymore.

Even still, as they settled for bed, Kagome couldn't help but feel a dull ache in the pit of her stomach, mourning for a childhood dream of marriage put to rest.