Chapter Two

"Two Hearts as One"

Inuyasha looked up at the dark night sky. The stars were aligned in patterns, and he felt sad looking at them, hoping Kikyou was up there in the same sky he was looking at. He still felt pain for Kikyou's sudden end, and he knew Naraku would get his pain in the end just like he had endured for the past year while journeying to collect the Shikon no Tama shards.

But while collecting the Shikon shards, he knew that there was another he loved. One person who truly understood him even more than Kikyou. Even sometimes, he mistook her for Kikyou, but he knew she was truly herself… Inuyasha knew he wanted to truly be with her even more than he wanted to become a full demon….

Suddenly he shook his head. What was he thinking? He couldn't love Kagome. But deep down inside his heart, he knew he did. Whenever he seen her, he felt as if his whole world was turned upside down. Even if they did sometimes fight, he knew that it was their passion that kept them at each other's throats. He wondered if Kagome felt the same way…but maybe it wasn't even possible if she did.

But now, as he stared at the night sky, he felt a sudden urge to be with her. His heart longed for her presence, and his nose longed for her scent. He loved her scent; he was like nothing he had ever smelled before. It was even more beautiful than Kikyou's scent.

He decided he would see her; he needed to see her.

He just hoped she felt the same way.

- - -

Kagome sat against a nearby tree, her face drenched in tears. She knew she truly loved Inuyasha, or else why would she be feeling this way for him? She wished she could be with him at this very moment and tell him how she felt. Nothing more would make her heart feel at ease. But what if he didn't feel the same way? Then she would feel even worse….

As she stared off into the distance, she saw a figure approaching her. His silver hair illuminated by the night. She realized it was Inuyasha. Suddenly, she wiped her tears from her face and hoped they were not noticeable to her crying.

"Kagome…"

Kagome walked towards Inuyasha; his face filled with unspent sadness. She reached out to him, and his fingers intertwined with hers. He looked at her eyes, and they were red and swollen.

"Kagome…have you been crying?"

She looked at him with sad eyes, and nodded. She knew she couldn't hide the truth. Inuyasha looked at her in remorse and did something unexpected; he embraced her.

"Oh, Kagome…I'm sorry for this…"

Kagome felt his body against hers and felt suddenly aware of her feelings. "No, it's not because of Kikyou…"

Inuyasha pulled away and looked at her. "Then, why were you crying, Kagome?"

Kagome looked down at her feet. She wished she could tell him; she wanted to. But she couldn't find the words to start.

"Kagome, I have…something I want to tell you."

She looked up at him in question. What did he have to say? "What?"

"I haven't been entirely truthful with myself. I realized when I was alone by myself that I didn't love Kikyou…"

Kagome's eyes flickered. This was all new to her, and she felt unsure of if this was happening or not.

"You…don't love her?" she managed to find herself say.

Inuyasha shook his head. "No. I don't. The truth is, Kagome, I love you…."

Kagome's heart sank into her stomach. She felt a sudden urge to tell him the same, she wished she could tell him. She wanted to…

"Kagome, I really do love you," Inuyasha said, caressing her cheek with his hand. "You're the only one who gets to me. And I feel as if I could tell you anything…."

"Oh, Inuyasha…."

Kagome looked deep into his eyes and felt as if the moment was right. She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. At first, Inuyasha was surprised but then gave into the kiss and wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, even minutes after the kiss ended. They stayed like that for a long time, and Kagome told him how she felt. She told him everything she felt.

Inuyasha looked deep into Kagome's eyes she lay next to him. "Kagome, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Kagome…when we get done collecting all of the jewel shards, I want you to live with me," Inuyasha said. "That is, if that's okay with you…."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha. "Do you mean…do you want me to be your mate?"

"Yes, Kagome. But only if you want to."

Kagome smiled. "Of course I do. I told you I loved you." And they kissed again, and held each other close until the time came to go back into the forest with the others.

And somewhere in the darkness of the night, Kikyou's soul rested in peace above them. She was finally free to live in the afterlife knowing Inuyasha would be loved in the right hands.

The End