I don't own InuYasha.

Wish I did.

Whether It's Climbing Trees Or Love

"InuYasha, please come down…" Kagome said quietly, looking up at the human InuYasha near the top of a tree. He had been quiet and gloomy that whole evening and had jumped up into a tall tree near the campsite before his transformation.

Kagome knew that, even without his dog ears, he was able to hear her. But he ignored her. He'd been doing that a lot more than usual, she noticed.

"Please?"

Silence filled the chilly night air. She knew he wasn't asleep though.

'Tch, when is he ever asleep…' She snorted in her mind.

She could tell he was staring at her from the corner of his eye but she did not know how she did.

Kagome sighed, rubbing her temples in exasperation. She was tired, battered from the earlier battle with Kagura, and, the night before, he had seen Kikyo. She felt cold and hungry. Her stomach had felt sick earlier so she had given Shippo her instant noodles and now she was starting to regret it. Kagome suppressed the urge to go back to the warm campfire, get a snack, and go to sleep. Instead, she stubbornly began to climb the tree.

The black-haired human InuYasha shifted, looking exasperatedly at the mortal girl who was struggling to climb the tall tree.

"Ahh!" Kagome yelped suddenly about ten minutes later as her foot slipped when she was only a branch below him.

Even without his demon powers, InuYasha's reflexes were still lightning fast as he caught her arm. He was straining to hold her without his super strength but he was still able to pull her onto the branch below himself.

"Thanks." She said, looking far down below herself into the darkness below. Since the moon wasn't shining, she could hardly see anything, let alone the ground. "Do you think you'd be able to get me up there with you?"

"I could." He said. "But I won't."

"Why not?" She demanded in surprise.

"Because I don't want you getting too far and just getting hurt in the end!" He snapped angrily. She looked up to see him shaking slightly.

Suddenly, Kagome had the feeling he wasn't just talking about climbing trees. He was talking about them. He was talking about Kikyo.

There was a long silence until Kagome weakly started to speak again.

"InuYasha, I---" He cut her off.

"No, you can't go farther!" He snapped.

"InuYasha!" She cried. He was silenced. "Why can't you understand that I know the risks of this?" She felt angry tears fill her eyes. Kagome reached up to grip the branch InuYasha sat on.

"Kagome, no!" He said.

"And why not?" She asked impatiently. Then, realization struck her. "You're scared for me aren't you…?" She whispered. "If I were to go any farther than where we are now, you wouldn't be able to save me if something should happen…" InuYasha stayed silent and she knew he was right. "InuYasha, I'm not afraid of that anymore." She said confidently, tightening her grip. "I'm ready." She swung herself and pushed up with her arms to where she landed on the branch he sat on. She knew that this not only was about trees but that she had just symbolized going farther into their relationship.

He was shaking even more now, his head was bent and ebony hair covered his face. He used the rusty Tetsusaiga as support against the branch. Maybe it was because of the heightened emotions he felt while he was human, or maybe not, but he was crying.

Kagome silently crawled over to him and he wiped his eyes wit his gaudy red kimono sleeve, determined that she wouldn't see his tears.

"Well, what should happen if I'm the one getting hurt, huh? What would you do then?"

"I wouldn't leave your side and I would comfort you." Kagome answered.

"What would you do if I fell and died right here and now?" He challenged.

"What would you do if I died, InuYasha?" Kagome asked back. "Right here and right now."

InuYasha sighed, looking into her eyes with his own.

"Would you go back to Kikyo and go to hell with her?" Kagome spat.

He shook his head slowly and took her hands in one of his. "If you were to die, I'd die with you. Maybe not physically, but my soul wouldn't be able to go on without you in my life. I'll love you forever, Kagome." He put Tetsusaiga in it's scabbard and then clung tightly to her.

"InuYasha… don't you realize that's what I would do?" She whispered in his ear as she cried.

I'll love you forever, Kagome.

Whether he was talking about climbing and trees and falling or love and Kikyo, she knew he didn't want her to get hurt. Whether he was talking about climbing trees or love, that was his answer: I'll love you forever, Kagome.

Fin