Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

Chapter 5

The next morning, Kagome woke up before everyone else. She was still upset about her hopeless love for Inuyasha. She gathered her things and then decided to go and bathe in the nearby hot spring. "It's best that I go while Miroku is sleeping," she thought to herself and she could barely contain her chuckle. Quietly, she left the room and made her way to the hot spring.
Not too long after, Inuyasha woke up. He looked over to where Kagome should be, and suddenly he was filled with fear. "Where is she?" he thought. "Her stuff isn't here either. Oh no! What if she's going back to the well? What if she doesn't want to see me anymore." Quickly, Inuyasha got up and ran out the door. "Her scent is still fresh, I should be able to get to her." As he followed her scent, he thought to himself, "why would she leave? Did I do something wrong? Maybe I shouldn't have hugged her, maybe I should have been nicer. What will I do if she leaves?" Not too long after Inuyasha started following the scent, he exclaimed, "her scent is really strong, she must be nearby." He passed through two trees, and then…
"Inuyasha!" Kagome said surprised.
"Kagome!" he said, and then he looked to see where the voice had come from. His cheeks immediately began to change to the color of his clothes. "U-uh, s-sorry, Kagome," he stuttered. "I didn't know you were bathing."
"I would expect this kind of thing from Miroku," (Inuyasha snorted at the mention of the monk's name), "but not from you, Inuyasha," said Kagome while keeping only her head above the water.
"I told you, I didn't know!"
"Yeah, sure! Where else would I be going, Inuyasha! And would you please stop looking at me! Turn around so that I can get out of the water!" shouted Kagome. Inuyasha started blushing again, he didn't realize that he was staring at Kagome. He didn't want to turn around, but he forced himself to turn around and stare at the trees. "You have been with Miroku too long, Inuyasha."
"How many times do I need to tell you, I didn't know!" yelled Inuyasha.
"Just admit it, Inuyasha. What else could I have been doing!" said Kagome.
"I thought you were leaving," Inuyasha whispered. By this time, Kagome had gotten out of the water and had gotten dressed.
"You can turn around now," she said and then she realized what he had said. "You thought I was leaving?"
"Yeah," Inuyasha said with a nod.
"Why would I do that, Inuyasha?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "I woke up and saw you were gone and so was you stuff. I thought that I could follow your scent and find you before you were able to go back your own time. I thought that maybe you were mad at me because of last night, and I thought maybe you were leaving for good this time. I panicked."
"Oh, Inuyasha," Kagome said. "I would never do that." Then she hugged Inuyasha.
Inuyasha hugged her back. Her hair smelt strongly of some scent. Inuyasha didn't know what it was, but he knew that he liked it. "You smell good," Inuyasha said, "what is that smell?" Kagome stepped away from Inuyasha, and tried to suppress a giggle. "What's so funny?" asked Inuyasha confused.
"I don't know, it's just the first time that you've said that, and I thought it was funny," said Kagome.
"Women," muttered Inuyasha, still not sure what was so funny.
"Inuyasha?"
"What?"
"Why did you think I would be mad at you? You didn't do anything to make me mad."
"I don't know. Yesterday you threatened you would leave and not come back. I got worried."
"Oh. Well, Inuyasha, I know you, and you would still find a way to get all the jewel shards even without me."
Inuyasha looked at her surprised. "Kagome, I was worried I would never see you again, the jewel shards didn't even cross my mind."
"Huh? W-what do-" but Inuyasha stopped her by putting a finger up to her lips. Slowly, he lowered his head to hers, and kissed her gently on the lips. Kagome released a small gasp, and Inuyasha pulled back instantly.
"Oh, Kagome, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Please ignore that, that didn't happen," said Inuyasha quickly, turning his back to Kagome. "Sorry, Kagome, I won't do that again." But even as he spoke these words, Inuyasha longed to kiss Kagome again.
Kagome was so surprised. "Why did he stop?" she thought angrily. "He said he didn't mean to, how is that possible?" Suddenly Kagome had a thought. "I must have reminded him of Kikyo when I hugged him. He wasn't kissing me, he was kissing Kikyo."
Suddenly, Inuyasha smelled a scent that he would never forget. "Kikyo," he whispered.
"What is it?" Kagome asked.
"Kikyo is here. Kikyo! Show yourself," he shouted.
"What did you think you were doing, Inuyasha?" Kikyo said coming out from the nearby trees. "You love me, so why were you kissing her?"
"Kikyo, I-I…" Inuyasha started.
"You what? You love me, Inuyasha, not that girl. Come, come with me. Leave her behind."
"No!" Inuyasha said with so much force in his voice that he surprised even himself. "I can't and I won't leave Kagome. We need to find the rest of the jewel shards."
"But you love me, Inuyasha."
"No, Kikyo," said Inuyasha.
"You are wrong, that girl is changing you Inuyasha, she's confusing you. Leave her and everything will be clear."
"That's where you're wrong, Kikyo. Goodbye."
With that, Inuyasha started to walk away leaving a stunned Kikyo and an ecstatic Kagome behind. "Inuyasha! You love me, I know you do! That girl," she looked at Kagome, "will eventually leave you, and then you will realize that you really do love me." Then, Kikyo disappeared, leaving Kagome by herself. Then Kagome turned and went after Inuyasha. She looked up in the trees, and spotted the red figure sitting motionless on one of the branches.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. No response. "Inuyasha?" she said more loudly this time. "Is what you said back there true?" Still no answer. "Will you at least pull me up onto the branch?"
Without a word, Inuyasha pulled Kagome up onto the branch beside him. Kagome observed Inuyasha and to her astonishment, saw tears in his eyes. "Oh, Inuyasha. You do love Kikyo. Why did you say those things to her when you didn't mean them?"
"I meant it, Kagome," his voice barely audible.
"But then why are you upset?"
"I'm not sure…" he said. But Inuyasha knew exactly why he was upset. He was free to love Kagome, but Kagome would never love him. "Kagome will leave me eventually. Then what will I do? I' so mean to her, we always argued. Kagome would never care about me."
"Oh, Inuyasha, everything will be alright. I'm here if you need to talk," and then Kagome turned to Inuyasha and gave him a large hug. When Kagome released Inuyasha, they sat together in the tree without saying a word. Finally, Kagome spoke up, "Inuyasha, we better go back. They will be worried."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Knowing the monk, he would probably get the wrong idea."

"Hey you guys, where have you been?" Miroku said with a large grin on his face.
"Stupid monk," Inuyasha growled under his breath. Then out loud he said, "we met Kikyo." At the mention of Kikyo's name, everyone looked at Kagome, she didn't look too upset.
"What happened?" asked Sango.
"Inuyasha said he didn't love her, and then he walked away," Kagome answered.
"Really?" Shippo asked and Inuyasha nodded.
"Are you alright?" asked Miroku, and Inuyasha nodded again. Then he turned and went to go eat. Kagome, remembering that she had not eaten today either went to go join him. After Inuyasha and Kagome had eaten, the group set out again.

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