Sorry its been so long, lots going on.

Last chapter: Are you strong enough to be my man?

Kagome raced further into the woods, softly swearing under her breath at the lack of light. She had already searched his favorite trees and even the clearing by the brook that he liked to bathe in. it was almost like he'd just disappeared. As a last resort, she was heading for the last place she'd thought of, even though the well was a very long shot.

'Damn stupid questions. Why the hell was Shinju asking me about that anyway?! And why is he taking this so personally? He wants to be with Kikyo, right?'

She stretched out her miko senses, trying to get a feel of his aura. Finally, she caught the mixed feeling of the teen, like the chill of a demon combined with something like warm rain. She slowed as she reached the well's clearing. He was sitting completely hunched over at the base of the well, arms wrapped around his knees and his head tucked down. He didn't even stir as she approached.

"Inuyasha?"

A muffled sound was all she heard in reply. "Inuyasha? What's wrong?"

"Why bother askin' me? Why don't you go find that stupid wolf and see what he says?"

Kagome stopped still as the meaning of the whole situation struck her. 'He's jealous! He's really jealous. And I think'—she felt for his aura again and noticed the touch of something like sorrow—'he's sad? But---dammit, why?! He has Kikyo!'

"What's this about, huh? Why are you acting like this?"

He raised his head and looked at her, anger on his face. "None of your business, wench!"

"Dammit, it is my business when my best friend is mad at me and won't explain to me why! You're acting like you're jealous, but that can't be, because you've got someone else, remember Kikyo?! And I really don't think you're selfish enough to hold me back if I want to love someone too!" She gasped for breath after that little speech, surprised that it had gone that far, and tried to gauge his reaction.

Inuyasha was stunned. Selfish? She thought he was selfish? "What the hell do you mean, selfish?!"

"Well! If I fell in love with someone, really fell in love, would you be jealous and try to keep me from that person? Or would you let me go on and try to be happy with them?" She sat down in front of him, never breaking eye contact. "Or would you hold on to me while you were already in love with someone else?"

The hanyou tried to form an answer but nothing was working right between the connection of his mouth and brain.

Kagome sighed and kept talking. "I don't think you would try to keep me from someone that I truly loved. Or try to play me with another girl. I think better of you than that, but sometimes, you just drive me to the point of frustration where I cannot stand it. So please, answer my second question. Would you let me go to try and be happy?"

He stared, gathering his thoughts, really trying to process what she was saying. Something told him that she really needed an answer to this one, and she needed it now. 'If she fell in love with someone else, would I let her go be with them? Could I do as she had done and let me go to be with Kikyo? Would I really let her try to be happy or would I be selfish, and refuse to give her up?'

He sent a silent prayer to the gods that he was right when he answered, "Yes. I would let you go." Those were, without a doubt, the hardest words he'd ever forced out of his mouth.

"And if I was in love with someone else?" She asked softly. "Would you still let me be by your side, to finish the quest? Or would you ask me to go?"

He drew in a shuddering breath as he answered, "Only if you wanted to stay with me. I wouldn't force you to leave or stay."

"And if I was in love with you?"

He froze, staring at her. "What?"

"And if I was in love with you? What would you do then?"

"I—I don't—I"—he bit his lip, thinking, before he answered. "I think—I would have to tell Kikyo that I would avenge her differently."

Kagome cocked her head in confusion. "Huh?"

"I would have to tell her that I couldn't go with her, after defeating Naraku."

Kagome's heart nearly burst in happiness. "Really? You would stay?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah."

Kagome rose to her knees and pulled him into a hug. He hesitantly returned it, almost afraid to speak his next words. "Does this mean, that you do love me?"

She smiled bright enough to rival the sun. "Dummy. I thought you were gorgeous the first time I saw you. I still think you're annoying as hell, and you are a jerk, don't get me wrong."

"Hey!"

"But you've been my friend since the battle with Yura. And I've been in love with you since that first new moon. I'm not going to ask you to love me back, not just yet, but"—

He pulled her forward so that she lost her balance and had to nearly lie on top of him. "Damn crazy woman. I do"—(gah he still couldn't say the frickin' l-word)—"care about you. And I promise, he rested his temple to her brow, I will tell you those damn three words soon. As soon as I talk to her, okay? Can you wait that long?"

She looked up and smiled at him, "I came five hundred years to find you. A little longer won't hurt me." He smiled in return and pulled her closer to him so that she could get comfortable in his lap. He frowned at her next question.

"Um, Inuyasha? What did set you off then? Why did you run off like that in the middle of the party?"

"You said you wanted Kouga as the father of your children."

"What?! When the hell did I say that?!"

"But you said you wanted them to run like he did"—

"Like you, you dummy!! I was talking about you!!"

He almost jerked in shock. "You—you were?"

"Yes!"

"You want to"—he swallowed hard—"bear my children?"

"Yes, you jerk, I want your children, all that I can bear to give you."

"But you'd have to—I mean, we'd have to—um"—

"What's got you blushing? I do know where babies come from, you know."

"I know that! But I mean that—we'd have to do it."

She stared in slight confusion. "It would take both of us."

"No, dammit, I mean that you'd have to touch me!"

"What's wrong with that?"

"I'm a half breed! A bastard half breed, to boot! Do you know what people would say about you if you were with me—like that?!"

"Do I look like I care? Inuyasha, so long as you care about me, I won't mind what anyone says."

"But I'm"—

"Inuyasha." His jaw clicked shut at her tone. "I don't care. To me, you're fine just the way you are. I love you for who you are, not what you look like or what you are. I love you the way you are."

"Kagome." He held her close for another minute before loosening his hold a bit. He suddenly flushed redder than his hakama. "I—never mind."

"What? What is it?"

"I said never mind!"

"What is it?!"

"I"—his anger suddenly sputtered out as he decided to be honest. "I don't know how."

"How to…..what?"

"How to do that."

"That? That wha—oh. You mean, you're a virgin."

"Don't go screamin' it!"

"I'm not! Its nothing to be ashamed about, I'm one too."

"Well shouldn't one of us know what they're doing?!"

"I do know what I'm doing! Or at least," she blushed, "I have a pretty good idea."

"Where the hell did you learn that?!"

"From books, where else?"

He started. "They have books on that? In your time?"

"They have one in this time too, but I don't think you know how to read Sanskrit."

"What?"

"Its from the Hindu religion, I think. Its an old book in India that the priests give to newlyweds so that they know what to do on their wedding night."

"Oh. Where's India?"

Kagome couldn't help her laugh as she swiftly kissed him. "Don't worry about it, okay? We'll just have to learn together."

"Like everything else we end up doing," he muttered with a smile.

()(&$()$

If anyone wants to see a lime/lemon scene, please tell me in a review! If not, then that's the end of Allergic Reaction.

If anyone wonders about the conversation I made them have about being selfish, I really do think that Kagome would want to know this before she would admit to loving him. I mean, seriously. Who wouldn't want to know if their man was strong enough to let them go to be happy and not keep them hanging on like cat toy?

Thanks for reading!