Author's Note: I'm camping at the moment! This is just another short one-shot I managed to cook up in my scheming little mind. Btw, there's a bit in here directly for my sister Meryet. She'll know what it is.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. Lucky bugger. All I own are my socks and the sunburn on my back. Sunburn burns by the way. It burns a lot.

--

"You jerk! Don't think you're fooling me for one second Inuyasha!" Kagome clenched her fist and narrowed her eyes at Inuyasha. "I saw you with her! I always see you with her!"

The white-haired hanyou looked taken aback for a moment, but recovered quickly and glared right back at Kagome. "So what if I did? Who are you to tell me who I can see? I wanted to see Kikyo, and I will continue to see her because it's my life and you have nothing to do with it!"

Kagome fought back the urge to cry. It was just like all the other fights between her and Inuyasha; they all came back to Kikyo, and he always jumped to defend the undead priestess. But this fight had a more sinister tone to it – they both knew they had gone too far yet neither of them wanted to stop it, even if they could.

Inuyasha continued on his rant, building up momentum like a demonic fuzzy-eared snowball rolling down a hill. "You can't stop me from seeing Kikyo! And don't blame it on me either! It ain't my fault you're jealous just because I might like being with Kikyo better than I like being with you!"

This time the tears did form behind her eyes. Kagome bit her lip, willing them not to come. She would not let Inuyasha have the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She instead turned her unhappiness into anger, letting it fuel the rage she felt against him.

"I'm not jealous! You're just an insensitive, despicable, pig-headed jerk! You always say how much you care about me, but whenever I really need you you're always off somewhere because she called you. You don't care about me! Your entire world revolves around her!"

"That's not fair!" Inuyasha yelled back. "Kikyo needs me, and I made her a promise I would protect her, and I'm going to keep that promise! I'm the only one she has left, and I'm not going to forget about her!"

"Well, you go and protect her then, if she means so much to you! I don't even know why I liked you in the first place!" Spinning around, Kagome started to walk away.

Inuyasha jumped in front of her. "And where the hell do you think you're going?"

"Home! I don't want to be here any longer."

Crossing his arms, Inuyasha tipped his head at her. "Good! And while you're there, you might want to stay there. Forever. Just go and play happy couples with that moronic pansy Hobo, or whatever his name is."

Kagome looked outraged. "Well – well, you and your precious zombie priestess should just rot in hell! That's where you two belong together anyway! Because no-one wants you living in this world, and certainly not me!" She screamed the last part, wishing it with all her heart.

She only had a second to register the look on Inuyasha's face before she felt the impact on her left cheek. With her face turned to the side, she touched the spot where Inuyasha's fist had collided with her skin.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha knew instantly that he had stepped over the line. The realization of what he had done seeped into him like a chill.

Kagome slowly turned back to face him. Tears brimmed in her eyes, but only a single drop fell and trailed down her cheek. Inuyasha looked away guiltily. Kagome backed away from him, the fear evident on her face.

Inuyasha reached out and gripped her arm. She flinched, shrinking away from him. "Leave me alone." She whispered, her eyes shining. "Leave me alone and don't come near me again."

'She's…afraid of me. Like I'm a monster.' Inuyasha thought, scowling. 'I am a monster. I actually hit her…even if she did deserve it.'

When he looked back up, Kagome had turned and was running through the forest, in what he supposed was the direction of the well.

He was about to go after her, but stopped himself. 'She wouldn't want me there. But…' He looked at her retreating back. '…I at least have to explain.'

Blinded by tears, Kagome kept running, stumbling over tree roots and rocks. 'He hit me. I thought he cared about me. I thought he loved me. He hit me…he would never hit Kikyo.' She thought bitterly, attempting to wipe away the tears.

Part of her wished that the hanyou would follow her, would hold her and tell her it was alright, that he didn't love Kikyo, but loved her instead. But she knew he wouldn't. Not this time. The tender bruise on her cheek was nothing compared to the pain she felt from losing him.

Kagome slowed to a walk when she reached the well, and then stopped altogether. Her shoulders shaking, she dropped to her knees, letting her tears fall onto the dry ground beneath her.

'He's not coming. I knew he wouldn't. I bet he's already gone off with Kikyo. It'd be better if I just left.' She feebly wiped away a tear, but more just fell in its place. Turning, she looked back out to the forest. 'Goodbye Shippou, Sango, Miroku, Kaede and Kirara. I'll miss you.'

Kagome swung her legs over the side of the well and jumped through. Once back in her own time, she climbed out and left the well house. Walking past the sacred tree, she stopped. 'Inuyasha…I'll miss you most of all.' She thought, placing a hand on the scar.

--

"You did what!" Miroku yelled. "You don't do that! You don't do that to a girl, and especially not one who you're in love with. I of all people know that." The monk closed his eyes. "She won't forgive you very easily for this one, my friend."

Inuyasha scowled. "I know that. But maybe I don't want her forgiveness. Maybe I'm glad she's gone."

Sango looked surprised. "You better not be. You are going to go after her, aren't you? Will you apologize? You'd better. How do you think she feels? You'd feel hurt and betrayed too, wouldn't you?" She had been stroking Kirara's head, but how now begun to knead and pummel her ear, much to the firecat's dislike.

"Sheesh, enough with the questions already. I didn't say I am glad she's gone. But that cow had it coming."

Sango shrieked in fury and started thwacking the hanyou with her Hiratsu. "You pig! How can you say that? You have to go and apologize!"

"Stop that!" Inuyasha threw the Hiratsu across the floor of Kaede's hut. "Maybe I will go and see her, and maybe I won't. But even if I apologize, what's to say she won't come back with me?"

"The least ye can do is try, child. Kagome will know in her heart what she wants." That came from Kaede, who up until then had been silent.

"Yeah, she better old woman." Inuyasha got to his feet. "And I'm blaming you if she doesn't."

--

"Oh Kagome, cheer up sweetie. You've got to eat something." Kagome's mother knelt by her daughter's bed, one hand holding a plate of food.

"I'm not hungry." Kagome rolled over to face the wall. "I don't really want to talk to anyone right now Mama, so do you mind just leaving me alone?"

Her mother nodded. "All right dear, but I think I have something that might cheer you up. Souta! You can come in now!"

Kagome's little brother came into the room holding a white gift box wrapped up with a ribbon. He set it down on Kagome's bed. "C'mon sis, hurry up and open it! I wanna see what you think of him."

"Him?" Kagome questioned, pulling off the ribbon and opening the box. "What do you mean by – oh, a bunny!" She carefully lifted out a snow-white Dwarf Lop rabbit and set him on her lap.

"He's gorgeous! Oh Mama, Souta, you didn't have to get me a bunny!" She said, cuddling the rabbit.

"It's wasn't our idea, it was your grandfather's. He thought you needed some company."

"To take your mind off that dog-boy of yours."

Kagome looked up to see her grandfather standing in the doorway. "Thank you Grandpa, I love him. I'm going to name him Cecil."

"Cecil!" Exclaimed a voice from the window. "That's a bit girly, ain't it?"

They all looked up to see Inuyasha perched on the window ledge. He hopped down, wandering over to Kagome and the rabbit. "What is it anyway? I ain't never seen one of them before."

Ignoring him, Kagome turned to her family. "Mama, Souta, Grandpa? Could you leave us alone for a bit?"

"Sure honey." Her mother said, dragging Souta and Grandpa out of the room. Kagome turned back to Inuyasha, but kept her eyes on the floor. "Why did you come here?" She asked softly.

Inuyasha crossed his arms. "Keh. All I came here for was to apologize. So there, I'm sorry. Happy now?"

"Is that it?" Kagome whispered, tears welling up in her eyes again. "You think that makes it all better?"

"Well it should! Considering that's all you're gonna get! Why should I say anything else?"

"Well maybe you shouldn't!" Kagome removed Cecil from her lap. "I suppose I deserved it, didn't I? But other people wouldn't, would they?"

"Like who!"

"Like Kikyo!"

Inuyasha turned his back on her. "You're right. I could never hit Kikyo."

"See! Kikyo does mean more to you than I do!"

Inuyasha spun around. "That's not true! You can't compare yourself to her! You're different, so I treat you different! Deal with it!"

"So now its okay for you to hit me but not her, is that it? You don't care?"

"Of course I care! It's because I cared that I hit you!"

"That's not exactly the usual way to show affection, is it!"

"You don't get it, do you?" Inuyasha strode over to her. "It's slightly upsetting when someone you care about says they want you dead!"

Kagome glared up at him. "Well excuse me Mister Perfect, but I was upset too! But I didn't go and hit you, did I?"

Inuyasha stopped. "Kagome…" His eyes slid to the reddish-purple bruise on Kagome's cheek. Suddenly, and without warning, he sat down and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

She tensed. "What are you doing?" She cried, struggling to free herself. "Let go of me! Just go back to Kikyo! That's obviously where you want to be." Cecil twitched his nose in distress.

"No." Inuyasha spoke softly, a complete change from before. "I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't want to. I want to be here, with you." He paused, hugging her tighter. "Kagome, I am sorry. I never wanted anyone to hurt you, but I didn't get that I was the one hurting you the most. Forgive me."

Kagome refused to listen. She didn't want to look into those amber eyes and see how much he loved Kikyo.

"Of course I still care for Kikyo," Inuyasha said, as if he had read her mind. "I can't pretend that I've just stopped loving her. I don't know if I ever will. But I care for you too. So get it into your thick head that I still love you, and I'm not gonna stop."

Kagome stopped trying to fight and instead slumped against him, her energy spent. She pressed her face into his haori, listening to the rhythmic beating of his half-demon heart. "So you do?" She whispered. "Love me, I mean?"

"I figured that much was obvious. God, you really are as stupid as I first thought."

"Okay." Kagome said quietly, resting against him. "I'm glad you do. And I forgive you. And I'm sorry about what I said. I don't want you to go away. That would be even worse than you hitting me." She paused, looking up at Inuyasha. "So are we okay now?"

"Yeah, we're okay."

"Good. But I'm not stupid."

"You damn well are."

Too tired to argue anymore, Kagome was content just to snuggle against him. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, but let her anyway. "Humans." He muttered.

Kagome closed her eyes. "I love you." She murmured. "I know." Inuyasha replied. He paused. "Is there where I'm supposed to say it back?"

"Yeah, but you don't need to. I know you do already."

"Good. That stuff's too mushy for me. But I would have, if you wanted me to."

"No, it's fine. It wouldn't seem right if you did. It would seem too…human."

Inuyasha grumbled. "Then I definitely ain't doing it."

"Yeah." Kagome sighed, opening her eyes slowly. "It's not going to change, is it?" She whispered. "This thing with Kikyo."

Inuyasha frowned slightly. "I guess not." He said, his voice just as quiet. "Maybe it will, eventually. But it's hard for me."

"I know. As long as you don't forget about me, I'm okay with that." She yawned, looking out her window at the inky blackness of the night. "I think I'll go to sleep now." Shuffling around until she was sitting on his lap, Kagome rested her head on his collarbone. "Goodnight, Inuyasha."

"Goodnight, Kagome." Inuyasha whispered, still holding on tightly to her. "I'm not going to hurt you anymore, ever."

When Kagome didn't reply, Inuyasha closed his eyes and rested his head against hers. A few minutes later, his regular breathing signaled that he had fallen into a deep sleep.

Cecil just twitched his nose.

--

I'm done! Yay! That wasn't that short. It was rather long. Oh well. Tell me what you thought of it and you just might get a cookie. I'll even try and get one that doesn't have a bite taken out of it.