Aishiteru means "I love you". It's one of the many ways... I couldn't belive that I'd found like 12 different ways, including one for before two are actually a couple. There's so many ways! But I like the sound of this one over "suki desu" so I picked it.

Part Eleven : Aishiteru

The night can be so scary sometimes. Kagome sighed at herself as she walked, hopelessly lost, through the darkening forest. Regrets of leaving Inuyasha back there had reached her, at least the part of her that was afraid of whatever dark creatures were wandering this forest, but that part of her that was so angry... that was all she needed to refuse turning back now. And besides, he was probably long gone by now.

She sighed again, and looked around as she heard a twig snap.

Panicked, she looked in every which way, holding her hands to her chest. She whimpered, not knowing what would happen next.

"Inu... Inuyasha..." She closed her eyes tightly. She could feel herself shaking uncontrollably, but that was okay. There was someone watching her from the darkness. "Please... someone... I'm so scared."

She didn't want to be so helpless, but she was. Without Inuyasha loyally standing at her side, even if that was just because of the rosary, she felt vulnerable. She missed him, needed him. She wanted him to be with her. But, his happiness was what mattered most, wasn't it? If being with Kikyo was what he wanted, then, with a smile upon her face, she would give her blessings.

"Ka-Kagome?" She heard Inuyasha's shaken voice call out to her. "You want to... go back now?"

"Huh?" She blinked and turned to face him. He'd come for her? "Inuyasha!"

Apparently caught off-guard by her lunging happily at him, he stumbled back. She laughed, sounding very relieved. There was a moment of silence as she simply held onto his haori and pressed her face to his chest.

"Inu... yasha..."

It didn't matter why he was here, or even if he loved Kikyo more. Yes, this was what she wanted. To just have him near. To feel the warmth of his body as he carried her off to who-knows-where. This moment, even if it wasn't romantic, was what she planned to capture in her heart. So that when she returned to her time, after the jewel shards had been finally collected, she could always remember the feel of his arms around her possessively and the gentle tone of his voice as he whispered "Aishiteru" into her ear.

Wait, was he actually saying that?

-- --

It took a while for Inuyasha to collect himself after those last words with Kagome. It tore him apart deep down inside to have even thought of them. He loved Kagome more than he had ever loved Kikyo. That was an undeniable fact. Kagome was his love, but the dangers that presented themselves by becoming his mate... He didn't want such things to happen to her. Youkai were foul creatures, willing to kill in a second should the need arise. And if they wanted to take a cheap shot, Kagome presented an easy target.

"But, still..." he mumbled, looking up to the darknening sky. Streaks of pastel pink and orange broke the soft blue. "To live without your love... to hear you cry... to know you already hurt..."

He disreguarded the tear that slipped down his cheek.

"I... Want to tell you... how I... feel..." He nodded. "That's what I want. To love you with all of my heart."

He pushed himself to his feet. He wasn't sure how to tell her once again, or if she would believe him once he said it. Or even if her reaction would be the same. Would it be of anger or of love?

Finding her was a simple task, the scent of tears and the sound of her crying was easy enough to follow. his heart wenched at the thought of her tear-stained cheeks, her wet eyes shining in the moonlight. He'd managed to pull himself back together once, but seeing her like that... he didn't know if he could take it.

He found her standing alone in a small clearing, searching for someone. And when those pleading words reached his ears, and all because he'd stupidly stepped on a twig and cracked it, reached his ears, he couldn't stay away any longer.

"Ka-Kagome?" he called her, sounding too shook up for his own taste. "You want to... go back now?"

She definitely shocked him as she threw herself into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She cried once again, even though she let out a relieved laugh. He blinked at her, tilting his head to the side. She could be so strange sometimes. Leaning his hed down, he inhaled her scent deeply, but kept her from realizing it.

'Now!' he silently screamed at himself.

In the softest voice he had, and with all of the courage he could muster, he whispered it into her ear,

"Aishiteru."