Broken Glass
Chapter Sixteen

The first day of second winter break wasn't at all exciting for Inuyasha. The boy slowly stood and went about his morning ritual. Scurrying around his bedroom, he searched for a suitable outfit before opting to remain in his pajamas. Slinking into his bathroom, he wearily stared at his reflection.

The face looking back at him appeared as a dark and hollow glimpse of a small shadow of his normal cheerful self. He didn't feel very cheerful. He sighed and opened the mirror cabinet before grasping his daily medicine. Gulping down his Doxepin and the fluoride tablets that were supposed to help his teeth, Inuyasha sighed again.

He felt terrible. Last night he hadn't been able to wipe the image of Kagome's crushed face from his senses. He rested his forehead against the mirror and groaned. He may be doing the right thing but it sure as hell hurt.

He glared down at the container of pills still in his hand. He hissed at the seemingly innocent plastic jar. "I hate you…" he murmured, his eyebrows furrowing. The disgusting pills had caused him more than a world a grief, which was ironic because it was supposed to cure his 'depression.'

He frowned at the memory of why he was prescribed the pills.

A knocking on the door alerted Inuyasha out of his trance and he snapped his head up before throwing the cabinet closed. He opened the door to find his grandmother standing there, looking up at him through her one eye.

"Shouldn't you be at Kagome's house by now?" Bubbie questioned as she stared up at the tall frame of her grandson. Inuyasha looked down at her and the look in his eyes told her something was wrong.

"Bubbie… I…" he trailed off. "What are you doing up so early?"

Bubbie looked at him in confusion. "Inuyasha," she said calmly and took a step towards the staircase, beckoning him with a come hither look. The boy obediently followed. "It's past noon."

Inuyasha paused in his step. "Oh," he said stupidly.

Grandmother and grandson moved slowly through the house until they got to the kitchen. "I ordered you pizza since I didn't feel like cooking."

"When do you ever feel like cooking?" Inuyasha asked cynically. Bubbie gave him a look. "Sorry. I just… feel out of it today."

Bubbie gave him a look. "You know," she said casually. "You can talk about it if you'd like."

Inuyasha shook his head and snorted sardonically. "No thanks, Bubbie." His voice was lacking emotion. "Last time I talked to you… I got put on Doxepin."

Bubbie's eyebrows slanted downward. "Inuyasha…" Her warning tone caused all the sass to leave his attitude and he sat up a little straighter. "Don't allow time to mud your version of what happened."

Inuyasha frowned. "Sorry," he murmured and looked away, his golden eyes hollow of emotion.

Kagome woke up slowly, trying to will herself back into her blissful realm of sleep. There she could forget about what had happened last night. She rolled over in her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Blue eyes focused and she blinked a couple of times as the light from the window hit her head on. She sighed tiredly and felt the pinpricks of tears.

Blinking quickly and scoffing at her almost pathetic melt down, Kagome sat up and rubbed her eyes. 'God, I feel like I've been hit by a bulldozer…'

She sighed and closed her eyes. Pressing the heels of her palms against her lids, she sucked in a deep breath of air. 'Just forget about it. Whatever friendship you and Inuyasha might have had is over now. Completely and totally over.' That thought didn't comfort her at all.

Her door creaked open and Kagome looked up. Kagome's mother snuck into the room and walked towards her bed. She sat beside her and placed a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder. She had heard her daughter sobbing last night but had felt that she needed time alone. Now she was ready to confront the girl.

"Did you and Inuyasha break up?"

"We were never together!" Kagome sobbed and couldn't control her tears. She flung her arms around her mother and squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

"Oh, sweetie," Mrs. Higurashi cooed gently and rocked her daughter. She wasn't sure what to say… she'd thought the two were going out and the boy had broken up with her. But, come to think of it, the woman realized how unlike Kagome that would be. She was aware of how her daughter felt about socializing and boys in particular. "Everything's going to be fine… this pain you feel will eventually pass."

"But," Kagome sniffed and pulled away, drawing her knees to her chest. She couldn't finish what she was going to say. 'I don't want it to go away. I want to see Inuyasha.'

She sat silently on her bed, crying lightly as her mother rubbed her back comfortingly and tried to help her daughter as best she could. After all, that was the job of a mother.

'Maybe it's not as bad as it seems… maybe he'll call today and explain everything to me.' Her head whipped to door, staring at the phone just outside, sitting on an end table. Maybe he'd call and explain to her? Maybe he was calling now? Wishful thinking. The phone didn't ring. Of course it didn't ring.

Inuyasha sat on his bed, glaring at the ground. Around him his cats yowled and rubbed against his legs, begging for attention. Dark golden eyes stared blankly and he growled quietly to himself, his ears flat against his head.

'I know it's the right thing to do… but…' He felt his anger surge within him. He gritted his teeth together and slammed his fist against the bed, sufficiently scaring away Zola. The giant fluffy white cat made a small growl and ran around the room, his eyes looking back at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha sighed and flopped back down onto the bed. "This is all your fault, Naraku," he muttered to the ceiling. He closed his golden eyes and let out a sigh through clenched teeth.

He stood and retreated to his bathroom. Once there, he splashed water on his face, trying to stay under control. His eyes fell on his bottle of Doxepin and he sneered. He clenched his eyes shut and his hands gripped the rim of his sink as his knuckles turned white.

"God damn it!" he cursed angrily as he swung his arm out and knocked the glass cup that held his tooth brush. It went soaring across his bathroom and slammed against the wall. Shattered, broken glass fell everywhere, the shards glittering in the fluorescent light of his bathroom.

He seethed angrily as he turned his attention back at the mirror. He glared at the reflection there, golden eyes sweeping over the features of his face: clenched jaw, thin lips, flaring nostrils, furrowed brow and dark, angry eyes. Inuyasha's face went slack as he stared at his reflection.

His attention returned to the shards of broken glass on the ground and he felt something clench at his heart. "What am I doing?" he whispered.

He bent down and hands groped for the large pieces of the glass cup. Collecting what he could, he discarded the shards. Little pieces of glass glittered and Inuyasha slowly rose. His eyes darted to his reflection again. He didn't like what he saw.

Kagome sat huddled on the couch, a giant flannel blanket bundled around her to keep her warm. Her eyes watched as Mrs. Higurashi rocked slowly in a rocking chair and knitted.

The woman glanced up from her work and her eyes fell on her silent daughter. The warm orbs softened as blue eyes peeked up and locked with her mother's.

"Mom?" she asked questionably. Her mother had that knowing look again.

Mrs. Higurashi sighed. "You're different, Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi said slowly, ignoring her daughter's questionable gaze. "I like what I see, sweetie."

"Different?" the girl questioned, blue eyes glittering in confusion. "What do you mean, Mom?"

Mrs. Higurashi's lips curved upwards into the gentlest of smiles. She stood, setting down her knitting and moved towards her daughter in one smooth motion. She was beside her daughter within moments and was cradling the girl against her chest.

Kagome wasn't even aware of the tears pooling her eyes until she noticed her mother's shoulder was wet. "Kagome, sweetie. What's wrong? There's obviously more going on than just Inuyasha's abrupt disappearance."

Kagome sobbed and told her mother everything. Naraku's torture, Sango's mistrust towards Inuyasha, her realization of yet another crush-which had just resulted in heartbreak, Inuyasha's abrupt ceasing of their friendship, her school work, her aching back, her pulsing headache and various other things that were bugging the poor, broken girl.

She clutched to her mother and sobbed onto her shoulder. She gripped her mother's arms and almost missed the feel of the hands rubbing her back and running fingers through her hair.

"Oh, Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi spoke after she was positive that Kagome was finished. She sighed. "It seems to me that this Naraku is a jerk who has to find reassurance in himself by upsetting others. Naraku, Kagome dear, is an insecure and lonely boy. He's desperately trying to find a friend but knows that he can't. Therefore, in order to feel better about himself he has to take out his superiority complex on others. That's the way it is with most school bullies."

Kagome meekly nodded. Why was it that Mom's were so insightful?

"Sango, on the other hand." Mrs. Higurashi thought for a moment. "She's mistrustful of Inuyasha for a reason, dear. You and I both know that Sango is a very sensible girl; she wouldn't do something rash without proper reasoning. Have you talked to her about why she hates Inuyasha?"

Kagome shook her head. "She won't tell me. She just says to ask him. I haven't been able to. Now I probably never will."

Mrs. Higurashi frowned. "Kagome. Look at me." Her daughter looked up. "You need to have faith in Inuyasha. I may not know him very well, but from what I've seen he is a kind and thoughtful boy. He cares about you deeply, I can tell. Whatever is wrong with him, I'm sure he'll explain it to you. You need to go to him if you want answers because I don't think that Inuyasha is going to come to you."

Mrs. Higurashi offered a tiny smile, doing her best to bring her daughter words of comfort. She may not understand everything her daughter was saying and what was going on, but she knew she had to help her somehow.

Kagome shook with the thought of going to find Inuyasha. "What if he doesn't want to see me?" she whispered.

"And what if he does?" Mrs. Higurashi challenged. She cradled her daughter and sighed, running fingers through the girl's hair. "You'll never know unless you take a chance. You should have learned this from Inuyasha, Kagome. Sometimes it's best to go outside your comfort zone because then you'll have a thrill. Things can work out… or they might not. But if you sit here and let life pass you by I swear to you that you will regret it."

Kagome was quiet. Mrs. Higurashi sighed again, her eyes falling closed as she stood, daughter and all, and sat in the rocking chair. She rocked gently, holding the girl and smiling wistfully. "I used to hold both you and Souta in this chair when you were babies. I'd rock you when you cried, waiting until you were quiet enough to go back to sleep. I hate to see my baby when she's upset. Kagome, everything's going to be okay."

Kagome sniffed. "I hope so."

Kagome twisted the cord of the phone as she gripped it in her hand. Fingers shook as she punched in the numbers. One ring sounded and she slammed the phone down. She shook and grasped her hands to her chest. A shaking hand reached for the phone again and picked it up. She hesitantly typed in the number again, looking at the student directory to make sure she was typing the right number.

Another ring and she slammed the phone down. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth and closed her eyes. She couldn't do it. She'd been trying for the last ten minutes to call Inuyasha and she lost her nerve every time.

Shaking, a hand grasped the phone and dialed the number she knew by heart. "Hello?" sounded a voice when the phone was removed from its cradle.

"Sango?" Kagome questioned hopefully.

"Hold on, let me get her, Kagome," Sango's little brother, Kohaku, said before setting down the phone and moving to his sister's room. He knocked. "Hey, sis," he called as he cracked the door open, sticking his head in. Sango looked up from her bed and removed her headphones. "Kagome's on the phone for you. Going to take it or do you want me to make up some lame excuse?"

"I've got it, Kohaku, thanks," Sango said as she grasped the phone on her bedside table. "Kagome?" she questioned.

"Sango," Kagome greeted and sunk to the ground, her knees giving out. "I need to talk to you. I know you probably don't want to hear it… but I need reassurance… and as much as I love my mom, she can't give it to me."

Sango sighed, having a feeling she knew what this was about. "Go ahead, Kagome," she said calmly. She loved Kagome. She was the greatest friend she'd ever known and she knew that she'd been treating her horribly. Kagome had done nothing wrong but befriended a stray and Sango was punishing her for it. She could already tell that the bond between them had been rifted… but she didn't want to make a mistake again. She was going to comfort her friend, even if it meant listening to Kagome as she talked about Inuyasha Cohen…

The next hour was spent with Kagome tearfully telling Sango about what had transpired between herself and Inuyasha. As Sango listened she felt anger surge within her and she clenched her phone tightly. Her lips drew back in a deep snarl and she glared at the wall opposite her.

When she was sure that Kagome was done speaking and she would not interrupt, Sango spoke. "You did nothing wrong, Kagome," she said quietly.

She wanted to tell Kagome what she knew about Inuyasha… she knew it would be the right thing to do, to tell Kagome why Inuyasha was the way he was. But she couldn't find the heart to do it. As angry as she was at him, she knew it was not her place to tell Kagome about Inuyasha and what he once was.

She heard Kagome sniff. "But…"

Sango shushed her. "You did nothing wrong. I'm probably just going to repeat what your mom's already told you, but Inuyasha's having some kind of issue he's not telling you." She clenched her eyes shut. She hated to admit it but… "Inuyasha would not just abandon you."

'He's different from what he once was, I know that, but… still… what is he doing?'

"I'm going for a walk," Inuyasha said as he walked past Bubbie, grasping a black hoodie off the hook and shoving it on. Bubbie looked up in surprise and gave him a calculating look.

"Be back by dinner."

"Whatever." The answer surprised her and Inuyasha didn't dare look up because he knew that her expression would crush him. He opened and slammed the door shut behind him.

He walked in no particular direction. Eventually he found himself in the park. His golden eyes swept over the empty, deserted area and he sat on a park bench.

He stared at the ground, ignoring the chilling wind that whipped his hair. Sad golden eyes stared blankly and he sighed gently. "I'm sorry," he whispered to the wind, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry, Kagome."

He sat alone in the park, his only companion being his dark and depressing thoughts. He clenched his hands together. He felt terrible. No matter what he did, not matter where he turned to look, he was screwed.

He pulled a portable CD player from his hoodie's pocket and clicked on the music. He slipped his headphones around his neck (since he obviously couldn't place them on his ears). He sighed as his mix CD of various emo songs filled his ears. What would he do without his music?

The first thread of one of his favorite bands, Anberlin, seeped through the headphones and he sighed gently, leaning his head back and staring up at the sky. "When your only friends are hotel rooms, hands are distant lullabies…"

He hummed along when he heard a twig snap. He sat up straighter and looked behind him. He blinked in surprise when he saw Sango standing here, a tennis racket bag over one shoulder and her hands gripping a bicycle.

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha questioned.

Sango nodded towards her tennis racquet. "I come here to practice… Miroku's coming in a little while and we're going to play."

"Oh," he said slowly, unsure of what to say to the girl. He knew about her distaste of him. The girl surprised him, however, when she knocked down the kickstand of her bike, shrugged off her bag and rested it against the red bike and walked over to him. She sat beside him on the bench and was silent for a moment, the only sound coming from Inuyasha's CD player.

"Who's gonna call on Sunday morning? Who's gonna drive you home? I just want one more chance to put my arms in fragile hands…" Inuyasha's CD player screamed. "I thought you said forever over and over. A sleepless night becomes bitter oblivion."

Inuyasha turned the music down. Sango frowned. "Sounds familiar…"

"You've heard the song before?" he questioned.

"No. I mean you can relate the lyrics to someone."

"Who?" he asked. He had a feeling that he already knew the answer, though.

"I'll give you one guess," Sango said lightly. "Her name's Kagome."

Inuyasha cringed.

Sango shifted on the bench and crossed her legs. She sighed. "She defended you, you know." Inuyasha lifted his head and looked at her. Sango didn't meet his gaze, however. Instead, the girl just looked out in front of her, maroon eyes soft with emotion and her lips curved into a thoughtful smile. "I was talking about how you were an asshole to leave her alone. At first I tried to justify your actions. But the more I talked to Kagome, the angrier I got at you for hurting her. I mean, I've already hurt her and now you? Is everyone Kagome's close to destined to hurt her?"

She pursed her lips. "But she defended you. She thinks she did something wrong." She finally turned to meet his gaze. "You should talk to her."

Inuyasha's hands clenched the bench he sat on and he let out a small noise that sounded like an inhuman growl. "I can't," he said tensely.

"Why not?" she demanded. "Are you too scared? Too good to give Kagome an explanation?"

"No," he said, his lips pursed. "That's not it. I have to…"

"Have to what?" Sango felt her anger surge. She may have screwed up her friendship with Kagome but she sure as hell wasn't going to let her best friend tear herself apart because of some guy who was suddenly ignoring her.

"Protect her," he murmured out. Sango felt her eyebrows furrow.

"You what?" she asked, feeling her back go rigid. "You think you're protecting her by ripping out her heart and feeding it to the dogs?"

He shook his head. "No… I just… I can't explain."

They sat in silence for a long moment. Sango fidgeted and Inuyasha sat board stiff. She uncrossed her legs only to cross them in the other direction, left leg over right. Her foot bobbed in the air and she sighed, leaning back against the bench.

"She's really sad, you know," she said quietly and looked at Inuyasha with the saddest eyes he'd ever seen on the girl. He was so used to seeing barely contained rage that he was shocked for a moment. "She really misses you, and it hasn't even been a day yet."

"I know she does," he said softly, his ears drooping under his beanie hat. "I miss her, too."

"Then why are you doing this to her?" she asked, her eyes wide. "To yourself?"

Silence reigned and Inuyasha didn't answer. He lowered his gaze to the ground and watched as a raindrop fell on his pant leg. Several raindrops began to fall and he heard Sango curse and shift. He looked up in time to see her digging around her bag. She extracted an umbrella and returned to the bench.

She sat beside him and opened the umbrella, shielding them both. Inuyasha looked ahead of him, his eyes soft and unreadable.

"Does she really miss me already?" he asked softly, his voice thick with misery.

Sango nodded. "She does. She really does."

Inuyasha sighed and leaned forward. His elbows rested on his knees and he cupped his face with his hands. He groaned into his palms. "I just… don't know what to do anymore."

"Is it really so hard?" Sango questioned.

"No matter what I do, I'm going to hurt her. This way she's… she's better off. She won't be hurt as much." He stared at the ground again, removing his hands. Sango examined the broken boy. "Her pain will pass."

"You're her friend. Besides Miroku and Shippou, you're her first guy friend," Sango said calmly. "And Miroku and Shippou were my friends first… they only knew Kagome through me."

Sango stared at Inuyasha. "She's hurt. You're hurting her."

He was suddenly standing. He yanked the umbrella from her and threw it as best he could. The wind, blowing quietly, pushed the umbrella away from the two. His eyes were furious and he pointed a finger at her. "Shut up, bitch! You don't know anything!"

Sango stared at him, her eyes wide and her mouth opened in shock. She hadn't even provoked him -or at least she hadn't meant to- but he was seething now. Earlier when she was accusing him of being Kagome's source of pain, he hadn't been as angry as he was now.

She stood and lifted her tank top, sporting her stomach. "You see this, Inuyasha?" she asked, pointing to just above her belly button.

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he spotted a large scar running from the top of her ribs to just above her belly button. He wasn't sure of the relevance, but he felt fear grip him.

"You gave me this scar," she stated calmly and Inuyasha's eyes widened. She pursed her lips. "It was at night, so I didn't get a good look at you. But I'm sure it was you. I remember seeing silver."

Inuyasha felt as if a bucket of ice water had been thrown on her. "That wasn't enough proof to pin you, though, and the police weren't able to do anything. I'm sure you remember being questioned, right? It's probably all hazed together, though, to the point you don't remember the questioning about the girl you slashed, right?"

Inuyasha's heart stopped. "Sango… I…"

She released her hold on her tank top and she looked at him sadly. "That's why I wanted you away from Kagome. That's why I hate you."

They stood in silence. Sango continued. "I know you've changed. I can tell. I heard Naraku muttering about your stupidity for quitting the other day. I understand now…"

She took a step towards him but then thought better of it and stopped. She lowered her head. "I'm scared for you, Inuyasha."

"What?" Inuyasha asked, eyes wide.

She looked at him silently, her maroon-eyed gaze meeting his golden orbs evenly. His swirled with emotions and his confusion. His hands were clenched into fists. His eyebrows were furrowed.

"You're becoming what you were." The simple statement made him freeze in terror. He tried to speak, but the words died in his throat. Sango looked at him evenly before turning on her heel to walk after her umbrella. She plucked it from its position against the trunk of a tree and made her way back to him. Inuyasha hadn't moved. She moved towards him and covered him with the umbrella.

"What I was…?" he whispered quietly, wishing for her to explain.

Sango looked at him. "Kagome told me about the fight you had on Valentine's Day," she said calmly. "How happy you'd looked when you were beating on them. Just now, you've screamed at me without being provoked. You chucked my umbrella away. Just now, your eyes are burning with furry. Do you know why you're angry?"

"I…"

She cut him off. "And you know what? You do want to be Naraku's friend."

"What? No I…"

She cut him off once again with a pointed look and a wave of her hand. "Don't interrupt me. Inuyasha," she said calmly looking at him. "If you truly, truly wanted nothing to do with Naraku you would not go after him. Kagome's seen you talking with him. I've seen you talking with him. If you really did not want anything to do with him… you would not give him the chance to talk to you. You would leave him be and ignore him."

Inuyasha's hands uncurled and his eyes widened in surprise. "Oh my God…" he whispered. He'd thrown a glass today, he'd been rude to Kaede, he'd been angry and on edge all day… "Oh my God," he repeated again and collapsed to the ground. Sango blinked in surprise as the boy's knees connected with mud. He wanted to be Naraku's friend?

She knelt beside him. "Inuyasha?" she asked cautiously. The boy didn't answer her.

He shook and stood. "I've… I've got to go… I've got to… go… I've…"

He trailed off and took a step back, after standing. He swallowed and looked at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. Sango felt sympathy for the confused boy. His lip quivered and he shook his head. "I'm just… I've…"

He didn't finish his sentence because he turned on his heel and started running away. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He couldn't stay there. He couldn't. He was a monster. He was becoming the person he strived so hard to get rid of. He was a monster. A beast. He'd hurt Sango and so many others in the past without any regard to the consequences. He'd disregarded the signs right in front of him.

'What am I becoming?' he thought and fell to the ground again, resting his back against a tree. He stared up at the crying sky. 'This isn't who I want to be. Why can't Naraku just leave me alone? Why can't I just be with Kagome in peace? Why won't the fucking world just work out for me?'

He drew his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around himself. He whimpered like a kicked puppy and rested his head on his curved arms. 'This is your entire fault… Naraku…'

Sango's words made sense. But… he really didn't want to be with Naraku anymore, right? His eyes saddened and he clenched them shut. 'He was my best friend. I can't just not be his friend.'

"I've abandoned him… I've betrayed him," he whispered. "Am I the bad guy?"

He couldn't stand the thought. Naraku's actions could not be justified, of course. But… could it be possible that he was the bad guy in this situation involving the two ex-friends? 'He who ceases to be a friend never was a friend. That's what Bubbie always said…'

He shook his head. "No, I was his friend. I was his friend. I'm just not now!"

His pointed canines bit down on his bottom lip and he closed his eyes. Another puppy-like whimper escaped him and his ears drooped beneath his beanie hat. He shifted on the muddy earth beneath him and rested his back against the scratchy bark of the cedar tree behind him.

"Do I want Naraku to be my friend?" Inuyasha whispered. "Sure, I miss the times we shared. I miss him, I guess." He bit his lip again. Saying it out loud brought light to the fact that he really did miss his old best friend. He did miss Naraku. "But I don't miss who he was. He won't change for me. I won't change for him."

Silence fell as Inuyasha's monologue drew to a near close. Golden eyes swept the area he was in and he tightened his hold around his legs.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, unsure who he was speaking to. Kagome? Naraku? Himself?

Kagome sat on her bed, reading a book as best she could in the dim lighting when a tap came at her window. She glanced up curiously. It had been raining for a bit now and she was used to the constant tapping of water drops on her window's pane. But this one sounded different. She marked her page and stood up.

It could have been a bird hitting the glass. They often did that. She touched the fabric of her curtain and pulled them away. She gasped at the person on the other side of the glass.

"Inuyasha?" she asked with wide, disbelieving eyes. She quickly pushed back her curtain completely, unlocked her window, and opened it.

He was inside within moments, dripping wet. His black hoodie was plastered to him like a second skin, his beanie and hat were flat against his skull, his pants clung to him and he dripped on her carpet.

"Hold on, let me get you a towel," she whispered and dashed away, not allowing herself to speak further. He'd said he was going to have to stop seeing her. Yet there he was, standing in her bedroom dripping wet, with her mother completely unaware of his presence, and she had no idea what he was thinking.

She returned with a towel and handed it to him. He took it and stuffed his face into it. He sighed and then removed his hoodie, revealing a slightly wet red shirt. He stood there, looking down as he towered over her for a long moment.

Before Kagome could react he dropped the towel and gathered her into his arms. She gasped in surprise and her hands hesitantly reached up to touch his arms. "Inuyasha…" she murmured.

"I'm sorry. So, so sorry," he whispered pathetically. He removed his beanie and his silver hair tumbled down his skull and revealed his drooping ears. Kagome's attention was drawn to the twitching appendages. By God, she wanted to touch them.

"Inuyasha, what's going on?" she whispered out.

He clenched his eyes shut and tightened his hold on her. Kagome made a small noise of surprise but didn't protest his arms around her. He held her tightly and inhaled her sweet scent. Kagome was confused with his actions. What was he doing there? Why wasn't he saying anything?

She pulled away slowly, her eyes looking up at him apprehensively. He was a complete paradox to her. He was tall, strong and confident but at this very moment he looked so small and fragile; a delicate, insecure boy looking for reassurance. Words died in her throat.

"I'm sorry…" he repeated. He looked so defeated.

"Are you… going to come back?" she whispered hopefully.

He lowered his gaze. "No."

The simple word broke her already shattered heart. She felt tears collect in her eyes and she looked away from him, unable to look at him. "Why not?" she whispered.

He took a step towards her and collected her into his arms again, cradling her. She didn't have the strength to push him away.

"Kagome, I came to tell you that," he gulped as he felt Kagome's breath on his chest through his shirt. He clenched his eyes shut. "It's not your fault."

"Huh?"

Inuyasha held her tenderly, her head tucked protectively under his chin. "There's something I have to do. I can't tell you." He didn't want to burden her and make her feel guilty for his issues with Naraku. "But I swear to you that it is not your fault."

Tears collected in Kagome's eyes and she sniffed quietly. She felt his hold tighten and she gripped his shirt between her fingers.

"There are things I need to take care of. But once I'm done I will hang out with you again. Your glasses will be ready soon and you won't need me around. But I'd…"

"I want you here…" she murmured before she could stop herself. She stiffened and Inuyasha's eyes softened.

"I know."

Silence fell over them and Kagome struggled fruitlessly to keep control of her tears.

He rubbed her back lightly and finally pulled away. He looked down at her and tenderly cupped her face. She averted her gaze and sniffed. Rough thumbs came up and softly dabbed away her tears running down her cheeks.

"Don't cry for me, Kagome," he whispered.

"When will you come back?" she whispered, still not meeting his gaze. She didn't deny to herself that she wished he'd kiss her or that she wished he'd never let her go. She also didn't deny to herself that she desperately wanted to touch those ears.

He sighed and tilted her head up. "Look at me," he said firmly, but his voice was tender. She hesitantly met his gaze. "I'll come back to you, Kagome, I promise. I don't know when… but I will."

She sniffed and nodded her head.

"Here, I want you to have this." He took a step back and released his hold on her. He grasped his Star of David around his neck and pulled the chain over his head. Kagome's eyes widened as he held it out to her. She stared at it in surprise, then back at his throat. He still had his dog tag and his rosary, but his neck looked bare.

"I couldn't," she breathed, her fingers touching the cool silver of the perfectly crafted star. It swayed as she touched it. Inuyasha shook his head.

"Please," he exhaled.

Her fingers wrapped around the star and he released the chain. She reopened her palm and looked at it. "Inuyasha…" she whispered but cut herself off when he took the necklace and placed it over her head. She blinked in surprise as she felt the weight of the star upon her chest.

His fingers touched her chin and he tipped it up. "I'll miss you," he said and leaned over. Kagome's heart stopped but he simply touched his lips to her forehead. He released her and took a step towards her window.

"Wait," she said and he stopped just before placing a foot on the window sill.

"What?" he asked curiously.

Kagome darted to him and held something out to him. He looked at it and saw a golden locket in her hand the shape of a heart. He recognized it as the one she wore under her shirt- barely noticeable.

"For me?" he questioned. She nodded. "Well…" He was about to protest but she did the same as he did and placed the locket over his head. He bowed his head so she could reach better and it fell in the same place his star had once sat. "Kagome…"

She wasn't looking at him. He climbed out her window and turned to face her. She cautiously crept to the window and he smiled at her. He folded his arms over the sill and rested his chin on his forearm. She knelt before the window and made eye contact with him.

"Kagome," he said calmly as he leaned in a bit. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will," she said, shaking under his intense gaze. He gave her the smallest of smiles. He leaned in towards her to the point that his head was shielded from the rain because he was leaning inside her room.

They stared at each other for a long moment before Kagome's eyes drifted down to his lips. Subconsciously her tongue darted out and wetted her own. She lifted her gaze to his eyes again to see he was giving her a curious look. She felt her cheeks redden but found her gaze drawn to his lips again.

Those lips she was focused so intensely on curved into a gorgeous smile and a small chuckle left his lips when they parted. She felt her cheeks explode with color and looked into his golden eyes again.

"Kagome," he breathed quietly, his lips still smiling as he tilted his head slightly to the side.

"Y-yes?" she whispered out, eyes wide and her heart pounding.

He licked his lips and shifted on the window, looking into her blue eyes silently. "I like you," he ventured suddenly which shocked Kagome.

She jumped in surprise and worked her lips, trying to get sound out of them. Her cheeks were a bright red and she pinched herself to see if she was dreaming. But no, Inuyasha was there, outside her window and looking at her seriously, his lips parted and his head tilted.

"I… you… really?" she questioned, not bothering to try and hide the surprise and shock in her voice. He nodded calmly and continued to smile. "I…" she trailed off and blushed with a sheepish giggle, "Erm, I like you, too."

He beamed brightly and his eyes lit up. She looked at him with a small smile, her cheeks still red.

She felt her gaze on his lips again and his smile slowly fell to a thoughtful frown. He tilted his head again and leaned forward and she met him half way. His lips touched hers tenderly and she was too shocked to really return anything.

The light brush of his lips stilled her heart and she felt like she'd faint. His lips were soft and sweet and the kiss was too short. He pulled away and opened his eyes, looking at her.

"I've got to go," he whispered.

"Bye…" she breathed and he nodded his head before dropping down and disappearing from her sight. She scooted to the edge of the window to watch him as he left. He waved at her and darted away, trying to get home before he got his shirt completely soaked.

It was only once he was gone and around the corner that Kagome realized he'd left his hoodie. She touched the wet cloth and pulled it to her chest. Blushing, despite the fact she knew she was alone, she pressed her nose to the fabric and inhaled the scent of Inuyasha.

Her fingers groped for the necklace he'd given her and she felt warmth seep within her. 'He likes me… he kissed me. My first kiss…' She touched her lips, still warm from his kiss, and smiled sheepishly.

Beta's notes: song lyrics are from "Paperthin Hymn" and belong to Anberlin, by the way. Just thought you all should know, because they are really kick ass.

Author's notes: So, there you all go. I'm sure you're all freaking out now, especially after all of you ranted about how horrible Inuyasha is and whatnot. And, Anberlin is a freaking amazing band. Love them to pieces.

Fanart:
(By me)

Inuyasha and Kagome:
www(.)deviantart(.)com(/)deviation(/)16831975
www(.)deviantart(.)com(/)deviation(/)16840486

(By Lil'Inu-Yasha)

Inuyasha and Kagome:
www(.)deviantart(.)com(/)deviation(/)16941334