Hitori ni Sasenai

by Lady Mac

Wooh-hoo!! I get reviews on the first day! Thanks to all of you reviewers: pattycake, NOPINOUROOL, Kagome M.K., GirInTheDoggySuit, whateveryasay, Starlet Angel, firebird5, Koinu-ai (love your pen name!), silentmoon, jem89, and esp. Crystal56 (BFF!). V2k3: He is sooo not based on you! The rest of you guys: Inu is in character, no? He's accusing me of making Inu too much like him! Tell him he's wrong! (Isn't he?. . .) Also sasami: what do you think the baby should be? All reviewers: this is your challenge! Tell me if you think the baby should be all human (since the sperm was human at the time), or if that doesn't matter and it should be 1/4 demon. Spin some convincing yarns and I may use your idea!

Quick note on the title: It's from a song called "Koi no Tenshi Maiorite," and some of you may know it as the Christmas song from the beginning of the Love Hina winter movie. The whole phrase is "Eien ni naru FOR YOU," and it's translated as "eternally For You."

Disclaimer: Doesn't it suck when you can't think of a creative disclaimer? My alias may be Rumiko Takahashi, but that doesn't actually make me her. "Lady Mac" is not equal to "Rumiko Takahashi."

Chapter Four

Eien ni Naru

Sango heard them coming and pushed the curtain aside. "There you are," she whispered. "I'm glad you decided to come back, Inuyasha."

He scowled at her. "Could you leave us alone for a while?"

She looked at Miroku, who nodded and beckoned to her.

"Okay. Kaede's been asleep for a while, and so has Shippou. They shouldn't give you any trouble."

Inuyasha stepped inside. Shippou was sleeping right beside Kagome's head - it was too close for comfort. "Take the kitsune with you."

Sango padded across the floor and carefully picked up the small youkai. He stirred slightly, but didn't wake.

She threw Inuyasha a half-smile as she walked past him. "She's all yours."

He nodded nervously and watched the three disappear around the corner, then looked over at Kagome's sleeping form.

Despite his fearlessness in battle, Inuyasha often found himself with a severe case of the jitters when confronted by women with whom he shared an emotional bond. This time was no different - if anything, it was far worse. He had no idea what to say to her - maybe he should defend his earlier actions. No, no, said a voice inside his head. That won't score you any points with her. That'll only make it worse.

Kagome rolled over, and Inuyasha started. But she was still asleep, and he moved quietly to kneel by her side.

He set his hand on her shoulder, and he felt her gentle warmth through the blanket. She looked so happy and peaceful when she was asleep . . . but he had to speak to her.

He swallowed hard. "Kagome?"

Her eyes popped open and she stared at him. "I-Inuyasha!" she cried in a hoarse whisper. "You . . . you left me. . . ." Tears filled her eyes as she stared up at him.

"I know," he said softly. "I know. And . . . oh, Kagome, I'm so sorry! I just . . . I just couldn't take it like that."

She looked down and tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Aww, Kagome," he said, "don't cry. Come on, I'm really sorry. It was stupid of me to do that to you."

"This . . . this doesn't bode well for the future," she choked, sitting up. "And I . . . I can't go through with this alone. I need you to help me."

He hung his head. "Kagome . . . I can't help you. I just can't. I don't know what I'm doing. I . . . Kagome, I'm scared to death about all this."

"Just leave," she mumbled.

"I . . . nani?!"

"If you can't do it, just get out of my life. I don't need you."

"Kagome, no! I can't just-"

"You can't, you can't, you cant! I said leave!" she screamed, then burst into tears. "Leave, leave, leave, leave. . . ."

"Kagome, oh, Kagome, no, no, you've got it all wrong," he whispered, and gathered her trembling form into his arms. "I didn't mean it like that. I just . . . oh, I'm such a coward, Kagome. I should never have run from you. I hate myself for that. I will always hate myself for that." He stroked her hair as she continued to cry. "Shhh. It's okay. I promise I'll be here for you. For the whole time. I would never abandon you . . . or the pup, for that matter. Our pup."

She lifted her teary face and looked at him. "But . . . how do you expect me to believe you? After what you've done. . . ."

"Kagome, I'm so sorry about that! I wasn't really leaving you, I just needed time to think."

"But . . . it's not just that. You've always been . . . distant. Everything with you is so complicated. How do I know you won't run off with Kikyo if she shows up, or something?"

"Never!" Inuyasha said, with more force than he intended. "Never." He repeated it softly, and pulled her to him again. "How . . . how can I make you believe me?"

"Commit to me," she whispered. "I need your most solemn promise that you won't abandon me."

"I already committed myself to you," he breathed, stroking her hair again.

"When?"

"The very first time that I mated you. I gave my whole self to you; there is nothing more I could possibly give anyone." She looked at him doubtfully. "It's true," he insisted. "Like . . . you know how Kouga said wolves mate for life? Well . . . dogs don't really, I guess, and dog youkai don't really either - or at least my father didn't . . ." She hid her face from him again, and he realized he shouldn't have mentioned all that. Stupid, he chided himself. "But that doesn't really matter, Kagome! The point is, even if they don't, I do. It's about honor. You know how much honor means to me. And even beyond that, you are the only one for me. I wouldn't run off, I promise."

She leaned into him, and he tightened his arms around her. "But what about Kikyo?" she whispered. "You were in love with her, too. You would have mated her, right?"

He sighed. "Maybe, if things had gone right. But the fact is, I didn't. That's like saying what if we had never met. No one would have expected us to stay celibate or anything, just because in some alternate timeline we were married."

She sat up suddenly. "We're married?"

He shrugged. "As far as I'm concerned, yes."

"But . . . but there wasn't a ceremony . . . or anything. . . ."

"It doesn't matter. No child of mine will be a bastard. Therefore, I, Inuyasha, take you, Higurashi Kagome" - he stared straight into her eyes - "as my mate for life."

And with that, he leaned forward and kissed her - firmly, passionately, lustily - on the mouth.

She pulled back after several minutes. "Well, um," she murmured, "don't you suppose we ought to let my parents know that we're . . . um . . . official?"

"Do you want to do some sort of ceremony or something?" he asked. "'Cuz that would be hard to arrange. No one here is that big on marriages between humans and demons. And in your time . . . I'm just too weird."

"And to get married in my time, you need proof of identity. And you don't have a birth certificate or anything. Even if you did, they would never believe you were born in 1500, even if they did know who you are." She sighed. "I suppose we can't do anything official, then."

"Oh, come on," he said. "We can figure something out, if you want a real wedding. Like . . . Kaede could marry us, or something. If you really want to, we'll work something out."

She smiled at him. "That's so sweet of you. But . . . the point is, my Mom and Grandpa should know about all this."

He looked at her. "When were you going to tell them?"

Kagome pressed her index fingers together. "See, that's the thing. I was . . . I was kind of hoping you could tell them for me."

"You want me to tell your mother and grandfather that I knocked you up?"

She nodded sheepishly. "I'm . . . I'm kinda afraid of what they'd do to me."

"You? What about me? Everyone always blames the guy, they'd . . . they'd cut it off, or something!"

"They wouldn't but . . . I know. It's just . . . I don't think I can face them. And I thought . . . since you're all brave and everything . . ."

"Kagome, if this whole thing has taught you anything, it should be that I'm a total coward when it comes to stuff like this." She looked down at the futon, and he sighed. "Okay, I'll tell them for you. Just don't expect me to defend myself or anything. Just say the words and run. But you'll have to go see them yourself at some point."

She looked up at him. "I can do that. I'll even get you an expensive noodle cup, just for the trouble." She smiled gently. "Thank you, Inuyasha."

He took her in his arms. "I love you, too, Kagome."