Chapter 6 - The Truth is Revealed

Kagome stares at Inuyasha in disbelief. Inuyasha could only hope that his eyes were reflecting what he was feeling.

"What did you say?"

"I said I love you, Kagome."

Again Kagome tries to let her mind sort all of this out. He has fended off Kikyo, gotten jealous over Kouga, defeated demons, protected and taken care of her, and now he was declaring what she had longed to hear for almost a year. But why here, why now, and why when she felt so torn.

"Are you sure about what you're saying, Inuyasha? Because I don't want you to tell me this now and then turn right back around tomorrow and run back to Kikyo." She says with tears in her eyes. As she starts to turn away so that he wouldn't see her pain, he knelt closer to her and wiped the tears gently from her face.

"Please don't cry, Kagome. I hate to see you in pain. Kagome, it's nothing like that. I do love you. Who knows, maybe I always have. It may have started with left over feelings for Kikyo, but somewhere down the road I fell in love with you. Don't you get it yet? It stopped being about Kikyo a long time ago!"

"If that is true Inuyasha then answer me this. Why did you tell her you have to collect the jewel shards and kill Naraku first?"

Inuyasha pauses for a moment before adding, "Truthfully, because I can't handle the thought of losing you. Slowly I started to warm up to you, to love you, even to crave your scent. Just the smell of you drives me crazy. I would hate to lose you, Kagome. I've already lost Kikyo because she is well and truly dead. I don't think I could handle losing you too."

"I'm sorry Inuyasha, I know it must have been hard for you, but I still can't help but wonder why you turned against her instead of against me. You could have had her back. You could have been together again. Why didn't you?"

"I just couldn't give up on you yet, Kagome. Seeing you with that other guy brought up these feelings that I didn't understand until now. I got jealous, Kagome. I got jealous of Hojo and Kouga. Hell, I even got jealous of Miroku."

"Miroku?" asks Kagome in disbelief. "You actually got jealous of Miroku. Kouga I understand. He still thinks I'm his woman. Hojo, I can kind of get. Mostly because you saw me hugging him. But Miroku?"

Turning around to try to hide his blush Inuyasha quietly replies, "Yeah, Miroku. You two got closer that you and I did for a while. When Sango came along, he got closer to her and we started bonding. But hell Kagome, I just never realized how lonely I was until I started to notice when you weren't around. How do you feel? Because I'm baring my heart and soul here and you're just sitting there."

Wow. thinks Kagome. I never would have imagined he got jealous of Miroku.

"Well, Inuyasha, just in case you didn't get it the last time I said it, I'll say it again. Kikyo and I are both alike in our desires to be with you. Or did you miss the Kikyo and I part? I told you that a long time ago. Back when I had left and came back, back when we held hands for the first time. I was so happy and it took me a while to realize that I do love you, Inuyasha. I loved you from the moment I first saw you pinned to the Sacred Tree."

Kagome actually loves me. Even after all I put her through she still loves me. I can't believe it.

Kagome suddenly goes limp and Inuyasha jerks her around to face him. Her eyes seem glazed over and as his eyes start to water, Kagome reaches up and caresses his cheek.

"I was wondering if it was even possible that you could feel any part of what I feel for you."

Inuyasha watches and listens. His eyes wide and his ears twitching, intent on catching every word.

"I told you once that I wanted to remain by your side no matter what, and that hasn't changed. In fact if anything that feeling has only strengthened over the past couple of months."

He seems suddenly to shake with a desire he had only felt a few times before. He wants to draw Kagome into his arms and never let her go. He wants to hold her so badly he holds his arms so tightly to himself that his muscles flex. He is so scared of what else he might do and he doesn't want to hurt her again. Kagome notices this and gently touches his arm.

"Are you okay, Inuyasha?"

He finally gives into his desire and pulls her into his arms. The shock of his actions show clearly on her face. This brought heat in a rush to his face. It showed clearly that she yearned to be held just as much as he wanted to hold her, to keep her safe, and so much more. All of his fears of being alone forever leave him as he holds her in his arms.

"I'll never leave you again, Kagome. Even if you go back to your time, I will follow you. You're like a part of my soul I didn't know was missing. You don't need to worry about me anymore. Our love is making the bond between us grow stronger even as we speak. Can you feel it?"

Sure enough Kagome did feel something. It felt like something was tugging at her heart, yet it felt like she was drawing strength from something or someone else as well.

"Inuyasha, do you feel it too?"

"Yes, I do."

"It feels all warm and safe."

"I know, Kagome. It means our souls are calling to each other. They will always call to each other now. Even across time itself."

Oh my gosh "Does this mean we're soul mates?" she asks voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes," then after a pause he adds, "Does that bother you?"

"No, actually I feel better knowing it."

"I'm glad."

Kagome reaches up and wraps her arms around his neck to hold on as he lifts her off the ground from under the Sacred Tree. Kagome turns her head and finds her amber eyes locked with Inuyasha's golden ones. A feeling of completeness washes over both of them.

He's mine now. He is actually mine.

From there he carries her bridal style, so as not to bother her injured ankle, back to Kaede's hut where he spent days watching her recover.