Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay in this last chapter of LLI. I really tried to write during the semester though I never got the time until I dropped General Chemistry. . .I had issues with the teaching style and the amount of out of class work he gave…it was THREE times the amount of the work other professors gave and the difficulty level was insane…he didn't teach anything yet he expected us to use our 'scientific reasoning' to figure out the problems he assigned…so I have to take it over the summer lest I fall behind. Anyways, I also had difficulties writing this chapter too! I knew where I wanted to end up, but I had trouble getting there while keeping everyone in character. I still don't like how this reads, but after a few months of tinkering with it, I just don't see what I need to do to make it better. Maybe you guys will? Thanks for understanding and I hope you all enjoy the last chapter!
Disclaimer: Much to my dismay, I still DO NOT own Inuyasha or any of its characters!
Begun January 17th 2005 and Finished March 17, 2005
A Note to Kouga Fans: I went back and revised the part with Kouga here to be more fan friendly and correct. I apologize for the inaccuracy earlier. I have only seen the first sixty episodes and did not realize that Kouga's motives and declarations really changed from simply annoying the hanyou to being the truth. Hopefully the short explanations in Kagome's thoughts will help clear up the mess I created! A HUGE Thanks to GoldAngel2 who pointed out my mistake! I went back and revised the part with Kouga here to be more fan friendly and correct. I apologize for the inaccuracy earlier. I have only seen the first sixty episodes and did not realize that Kouga's motives and declarations really changed from simply annoying the hanyou to being the truth. Hopefully the short explanations in Kagome's thoughts will help clear up the mess I created!
Chapter Six: Confessions In The Light of The Full Moon
At this time, Inuyasha could no longer hold his tongue so he gruffly ground out, "You know I don't need to be bandaged up. I heal fine on my own idiot! I don't need your medical treatment. You wait, it will heal by morning." He huffed while crossing his arms in his sleeves and turning his head to the side indignantly.
"Frankly, I don't care if your ear will heal by morning or not. I would feel better if I knew this wound was properly cleaned and treated. Who knows what kind of bacteria live on that sword of yours, and may be in your blood-stream as we speak. " Was the reply he got as Kagome continued her task without even skipping a beat. "There, that didn't kill you did it?" our favorite Miko asked as she gathered up her left over supplies.
"Feh" was his oh-so-intelligent reply as he closed his eyes for further emphasis.
As she was gathering up her supplies, Kagome could not help but think, 'This kinda' brings back memories of the time I cut my finger on the arrow in the Goshinboku Tree back when we were fighting Meonmaru. Inuyasha didn't need to wrap my finger as I could have done it myself, but he helped me anyway. Much like I am doing now. I'm returning the favor I guess.' Kagome thought in the silence after his curt reply.
Task accomplished, Kagome heaved a sigh and decided she would sit next to Inuyasha for a bit in silence, speaking only if he spoke to her first. The moon was full tonight, and beautiful as well. Before she knew it, Kagome had fallen under its spell, mesmerized by its soft glowing radiance. 'The sun gives light to the moon, the moon reflects that light, and we can enjoy its soft glow here on earth. That's kinda like my life. If the sun didn't give off its light and the moon couldn't reflect it, then the moon wouldn't shine. In my case, if I didn't have the Shikon no Tama, there would be no Inuyasha and life in the warring states period. I bet if I were to tell that to people in this time era they would call me crazy.' Kagome sat amazed as to where her thought patterns had taken her.
Kagome decided to sneak a glance at Inuyasha out of the corner of her left eye and noticed that he had moved a short distance closer to her while she was admiring the moon and its companions in the night sky. His eyes were also trained on the scene she was admiring as his ears twitched back and forth to hear the noises off in the distance. He was sitting there tryin to locate whatever it was that Kagome was looking at that took her attention away from him. Before she could be caught, Kagome turned her eyes back to the sky as she continued searching for a shooting star.
'It's funny, all these years I have heard this phrase, and not until tonight does it actually make sense. Apparently it is true that sometimes, just by sitting next to someone you are friends with in silence, even for a few moments, you can feel more connected to them. I feel like I have a better understanding of him now. Words are not always necessary when you try to get to know someone better.' She finished with a smirk before wrapping her arms around her legs and pillowing her head on her knees.
A few more minutes passed in silence with only the sounds of nocturnal creatures to be heard. Every so often Inuyasha would look at Kagome out of the corner of his eye to observe what she was doing, and wondering when the questions, anger, string of 'sits,' and whatever else Kagome could throw at him would come. Before long though, he let out a sigh of relief, which to Kagome sounded more exasperated than anything else.
'Well, I guess now is just as good a time as any other' Kagome rationalized. Determination levels at an all time high she took a small breath and began her small speech. "Inuyasha?" she tentatively began.
Her query elicited only a "Nani?" from her hanyou companion.
"Could I ask you a few questions? Cuz' I kinda' want to talk to you about a few things too."
"Depends on what you're askin." Inuyasha stated as he leaned forward and examined her face.
Deciding she had better be careful as well as tactful in her choice of words, she began with the question of "What bothers you most about your appearance Inuyasha?"
His expression became guarded and his countenance hardened as he responded, "What the heck was I out here trying to cut off dimwit?"
"Well, I was wondering what would make you hate your ears so much that you would be willing to cut them off without a second thought."
Silence sufficed for her answer for the next few minutes while Inuyasha fought with himself with the decision of whether or not to reply. He decided on a more cryptic answer. "You wouldn't understand even if I told you."
Having been with him for the past few years, Kagome was able to figure out the majority of his reasons behind his desire to rid himself of his ears. She sent him a skeptical glance before continuing.
"You hate them because they let those around you, where ever you may go, know that you are a hanyou right? So you figured that by cutting them off that you would look more like a true youkai ne? But did you honestly think you could pass yourself off as such with no ears at all? I guess what I am trying to say Inuyasha is that even when you transformed with the whole Kaguya incident, you still had your ears. Therefore, even if you were to wish on the Shikon no Tama to fully transform, you would still have your ears wouldn't you?"
For the second time that night he was angered that she had figured him out along with posing questions he himself didn't think about before he decided on such a rash action. In fact, he hadn't thought about not having any ears at all and what he would do about the holes that served as ear canals he wouldn't be able to rid himself of. If someone looked closely at him, they would figure it out sooner or later. His response was a little better than before; his eyes were as wide as saucers. His mouth promptly began moving though Kagome couldn't make out what he was saying.
Seeing that she was on the right track and hadn't been shut out yet she pursued her questioning further. Gently she began again with "You know, even though your ears mark you for what you are, they also play a part in who you are. They're as much a part of you and your personality as your temper. Without them, you wouldn't be the same Inuyasha we have all come to know and love."
"You make it sound like I'd be cutting off an arm or somethin'! I wouldn't be the same? Who are you tryin' to fool? They're EARS! You got that? They ain't that important dummy!" He spat back.
Kagome was certainly showing her maturity this night with how she was handling the situation. Back when the quest first started, he would have been sat at least three times already, but things were different now. 'Sitting him is certainly not going to help my cause.' She rationalized before beginning with more composure than normal as she tried again. "If you would let me finish and quit interrupting me you would understand what I am trying to say! What I mean is that they're sorta' like a defining trait of yours. In every picture and memory I have of you, your ears are there too. To be honest, I think your ears are really neat. They're special, not to mention fun to watch; especially when they move! It's almost like they have a personality all of their own and they're unique, just like you are" she added as an after thought. "No one I know has ears like you do." As she spoke, the blush on her face only intensified.
"Feh! That isn't a reason to keep 'em."
"I'm being serious here Inuyasha. I love your ears! No joke!"
Disbelief and shock seemed to be the emotions that were hunting than catching him this night numerous times as he had yet again become their prey.
'She loves my ears?' "And like I told you before, your brain's busted or somethin'. What's it matter anyway if you like my ears?" After that he dejectedly mumbled "You're not stuck in this body or with my life. You don't know a thing about my life before you came along."
"I know it sounds strange, but given the choice, I'm positive I would want a set of your ears!" She stated in a thoughtful tone as she winked at him.
"You're weird, and you're not makin' any sense!"
Once again finding herself flustered, she took a deep breath before gathering her thoughts and proceeding with, "I love your ears because they're a part of you! Like I told you with the Kaguya experience, I love you as a half demon! I don't want you any other way! As a demon you frighten me, and to be honest as a human you confuse me. As a Hanyou, you're more direct, familiar, and I like that about you."
Skeptical as ever, he replied, "Right. I'm supposed to believe that? You love my hanyou form, not me! Not to mention that you just like the ears cuz' you enjoy rubbing them, frankly it annoys the heck outta' me! They don't deserve that kind of attention. These things mark me as a freak Kagome! Everywhere I go people know I am of an un-pure heritage. It may be okay for people in your time to marry demons, but it sure as hell ain't okay here."
"Un-pure this, tainted that. Who cares! I sure don't mind. I prefer to think that you're not a hanyou, because technically you're not hanyou! Half of you is whole demon, and half is entirely human! You're a perfect blend of both, like a union of opposites. And you are MOST DEFINITELY NOT A FREAK! Ok? I don't ever want to hear you say that again cuz' it's not true. I've never thought of you as being a freak, so please don't say that you are! Besides," she added in a teasing manner "what would you do when it rained? You'd get water in your ears!"
To that last statement, Inuyasha huffed in annoyance at her before scooting a few feet away from where she sat. Again that night there was a lull in the conversation. Kagome decided now would be as good a time as any. She had been told for years that he cared for her, and after being with him for so long he had taken a place in her heart that no one could push him out of. Kikyo was gone now as well, so she had no 'romantic rivals.' She had admitted it to herself, and now she was going to admit it to him as well. She was frustrated that all night she had been trying to tell him of her feelings with hints, but being subtle was getting her nowhere. Sure, she was a traditional girl that believed in having a guy ask her out. Sure this was also normal in feudal Japan, but Inuyasha wasn't like other guys. When it came to feelings, he was extremely insecure. But Kagome wasn't any other girl either. She was able to recognize that Inuyasha saw human emotions as a weakness. He often tried to be nice by offending her. In a way, he said the direct opposite of what he really meant. And because Kagome wasn't any other girl, she realized that she needed to be direct.
Turning slightly so she wasn't directly facing him, Kagome began once again, "Inuyasha, dropping hints has gotten me nowhere for the past year let alone tonight, so I will be blunt. I. . .I… what I am trying to say is that. . .I love you. I have for a long time and it's been killing me from the inside not to be able to tell you as much. I don't love you just for your ears either, though they're an added bonus. I love you for who you are. I wouldn't ask you to change a thing. Not now, and not ever. I just wanted you to know. You're different than any other guy I have ever met, and I like that about you. Most guys my age either ignore me or smother me with attention.
To tell you the truth, I never once considered taking Kouga seriously. I don't like all that attention; it makes me sick. What I like about you is that you pay attention to me but I never feel like you're obsessive about it. If you were anything like Kouga I would have left a long time ago. All those declarations of love, while flattering, get old and personally I don't like all that mushy stuff especially not in public! That and I know he doesn't mean half the things he says to me."
'That's somewhat true in the fact that in the beginning he was doing that just to make Inuyasha jealous. However, now I know he really means what he says, but Inuyasha doesn't need to know that.'
"He just does it to make you mad. Sure while his tactic works in the movies, it never does in real life. And unlike him, you've also never broken a promise to me."
'Also somewhat true because when he first captured me, HE promised to protect me, but HE left that responsibility up to his vassals Ginta and Hakaku. Technically he did break his promise, though I do realize that other than that, he's always there to help when we need him, and whenever I've been kidnapped he's there to rescue me, sometimes arriving even before Inuyasha!'
"I trust you with my life Inuyasha, and I am sure I can trust you with my heart too."
Maybe it was the effect of the not so distant new moon looming over his head, or maybe the stress of keeping his true feelings hidden for so long, but he decided to let her know how he felt about her as well. However this wasn't before he sent her a quizzical look. After the odd look, he focused on the ground before proceeding, "I love you too Kagome, but what I want to know first is why someone as pure and kind as you would be halfway interested in someone like me?"
"I can't tell you in words Inuyasha. No words would do my reasons justice. It's something only felt with the heart, it can't be explained. I once heard it said that the heart chooses who it wants to love, and I know mine's chosen you. Please don't ask me to explain, it wouldn't be fair to you or me. I'm here because I want to be with you. It's odd, I find myself thinking of you when you're not around, and I always miss our fights! You make life interesting and fun Inuyasha!"
To prove that she was serious about what she had said, Kagome crawled before she knelt in front of him. After this she promptly hugged Inuyasha and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. After the initial shock of her actions wore off, he pulled back to get a look into her eyes to see if she was telling the truth. All he saw was love, acceptance, and that she had meant every word. With that, the two of them shared a second kiss in the moonlight.
That's when Inuyasha noticed how tired he was and how late at night it was. "Kagome, I think we should get some sleep."
"You're right, we do have a long day ahead of us jewel shard hunting right? Just let me get my backpack and we can go back to the hut ok?" She easily located her pack and turned to find Inuyasha behind her already.
With that he bent down and let her get on his back. However, he didn't head for the hut; he headed for the Goshinboku tree instead.
"Lose the pack would ya'?" He questioned. Kagome noticed his grip on her legs wasn't loosening and she questioned him about it as she dropped the pack. Her answer came in the form of him leaping to the highest branch where he sat her down before seating himself against the trunk.
Now Kagome may fight demons, but heights like this would be enough to freak any mortal out. Her frightened gaze settled on Inuyasha who reached out, grabbed her, and settled her in his lap with a grin and a chuckle. Moving slowly as this was new for him as well, he wrapped his arms around her and put his head over her shoulder before closing his eyes.
After a moment, she relaxed, and thanked the shooting stars for granting the final part of her wish; she finally had what she wanted, Inuyasha. Deciding she would be more comfortable, she turned so her right side lay on his chest with her head resting on his shoulder.
For now, returning Sango's sword and his explanations could wait. As usual, apologies between the two were left unsaid though they were understood. Above all, he had Kagome, who, much to his delight and of all things, began rubbing his ears. Both quickly fell asleep in the tree that night with light hearts under the protection of the full moon and each other.
Owari!
Author's End Notes: Hey guys! This is yet another first for me! It's the first Inuyasha fan fiction that I have ever written as well as my first attempt at anything other than humor…and romance at that! Thanks to all that have read and reviewed! I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think too! I still feel that this chapter is lacking something…Until next time,
LadySword04
Personal Review Replies:
GoldAngel2: You always have the nicest things to say, and your knowledge of the series is exceptional. Thank-you so very much for sticking with me on this story the whole way through! Over my spring break I will definitely check out more of your stories that you have updated and recently created. Look for me then! (I will also try to update "Breaking That Sessha Habit of His as well...seeing as it has been close to a year since I updated it! Eek!)
Valese: Thanks so much for your constant help and brainstorming! Yepper, she did save the day, but having him succeed in chopping his ears off would have complicated the situation a little more I think. Lol. Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed the last chapter!
