Walking away from the village, Kagome reached out and grasped InuYasha's hand. He squeezed it experimentally and looked at her, his eyes feeling even more sorrow at the site that greeted him. Her eyes were lined and had dark circles around them. Dirt and soot smudged her cheeks and forehead, traced through with lines from where tears had managed to escape. His heart wrenched as the thought that she might not be seeing her family again.

Kagome, finding InuYasha's expressions more readable now, forced a wane smile and squeezed it back.

" I'm fine InuYasha."

He nodded. It was a lie, neither of them were fine but there was little they could do but focus on revenging their friends and protecting everyone from Naraku's sinister ideals. What counted now was taking Naraku down as fast as possible. He couldn't, he wouldn't, entertain the thought of losing Kagome. He had to think, he had to learn from all their losses and figure out Naraku's weak spot. Obviously soil from the cave was one thing, but shots at the main body, while devestating to it, had failed to kill Naraku off.

" The head," InuYasha said softly, turning to Kagome. " If we get him in his head he will die. We just have to figure out a way to shoot him there without him defending."

" Well," Kagome pondered silently for a moment, " the obvious solution would be to shoot from many directions at once. But we don't have the time to setup something like that and lure him into it."

She was silent for a moment before sighing.

" I guess, for now, we'll have to rely on our aim. If I can't hit him, then maybe you can. We'll just have to give it our best."

InuYasha nodded, and then pulled a long blade from his sleeve.

" You need something to cut anything he might throw at you. I...," he was stopped by Kagome interrupting him.

" I'll be okay," she took the knife, " I'm not as good with it as a bow, but I should be okay." She stopped for a moment and looked down before she set her jaw and looked at him firmly. " If one of us dies InuYasha-"

" No! That's not an option!"

" If one of us dies," she continued, " then the other can't get distracted. We have to finish the job this time, there's no room for error. We know he can travel through the well now. If we don't stop him then he'll go foreword and there's nothing in that age that would have the slightest effect on him. Please," her eyes filled with sorrow, " please promise me you'll not get distracted if I go down."

InuYasha's head snapped to the side and he clenched her hand tightly.

" I can't promise the impossible Kagome," he said after a few moments of silence. " I can't promise that because..." he stopped and looked at her.

For a brief moment he stared at her before he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her.

Leaning his head foreword he strengthend his grip around her waist.

" I love you Kagome. I love you too much to not be hurt," he whispered into her ear.

Kagome leaned into him and kissed him. Softly at first, their lips barely touching, but with more intensity with every second. Opening her eyes, Kagome looked into the yellow eyes that were looking back at her. They stayed like that for a moment before Kagome pulled back slightly and gave him a stronger smile.

" We can do this," she whispered while reaching up to mess with his ears, " we'll defeat him and we'll both be fine."

He wrapped his arms around her again, crushing her against his chest.

" When we do," he said softly into her ear, " stay with me. Please."

Her eyes widened. Reaching her arms out she placed them around his waist and set her head on his shoulder.

You silly fool, how could I say no?

" Yes," she whispered softly into his hair, " of course I will."

He clasped her tighter, his hands trembling. Everything in his body screamed to send her away and protect her from the fight to come, but he knew he wouldn't be able to defeat Naraku himself. He needed her or they'd both be unlikely to survive.

" I don't know how I'm going to build you a house," he said.

I knew it...this is my marriage proposal. Time to shove InuYasha in a tux with roses fantasy out of my head

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Scene change

VvVvVvVv

The forest had gone silent. The birds were either lying stiff and dead on the forest floor or gone. The trees seemed somehow limp and the leaves of all the bushes were wilted around the edges. A soft chuckle came out of the forest, always taunting them and drawing them further in.

" How kind of you InuYasha," the voice echoed around them as multiple Naraku's appeared from the tree's around them, " to bring me what I desire. I'll have to thank you when I'm done."

" You fucking bastard," InuYasha growled, pulling his sword out. " What's wrong, can't even show your real face to us you fucking coward!"

A chuckle was the only response as the puppets leapt at them.

vVvVvVvVvVvVvVv

See! Romance is there. It's right there...amidst the death and scary 'will they survive' stuff.