Okay, there is some major fluff in the chapter and I will warn you that Inuyasha is very OCC. Thanks to all of my reviewers. Enjoy!
Chapter 11 – The Promise
Disclaimer - I do not own Inuyasha or any other character relating to it.
"So Inuyasha," said Shippou from the ground, looking up at Inuyasha, effectively gaining everyone's attention, "what did you get Kagome? You're the only one who hasn't given her a present."
"Keh! Like it's any of your business runt!"
"Inuyasha sit!" shouted a very irritated Kagome. "Would it kill you to be nice for just one day?"
Sango just laughed at her friend's odd question. "You do realize, Kagome, that you asked Inuyasha a very loaded request, right?"
Kagome started laughing at the hanyou's expense. Inuyasha wasn't going to take anymore of the ridicule. He stood up from his imprint in the ground, picked up a still laughing Kagome bridal style, and took off for his forest.
"Inuyasha, you baka, get back here! I wanna see the present!" yelled Shippou to the quickly shrinking figures.
"So where do you suppose Inuyasha's taking her?" asked Miroku.
"Leave them alone Miroku. Obviously Inuyasha doesn't want you and your lecherous mind anywhere near him right now," said Sango while walking back to the hut.
Forest
"Where are you taking me, Inuyasha?" yelled Kagome against Inuyasha's chest, shielding her face from the wind.
"Some place away from listening ears," said Inuyasha without missing a step.
Inuyasha increased his speed upon spotting the clearing he found during his travels one day, a fair distance away from the village for a human to walk, so he was safe from a certain monk. As Inuyasha came to a stop, Kagome turned her face toward the scenery and gasped. Inuyasha set Kagome on her feet and she slowly started to walk into the clearing to get a better look. She turned her head to the left and saw a small waterfall trickling into a clear, narrow stream. Kagome followed the stream with her eyes and came upon a small pond at the end. Surrounding the pond was a bunch of sakura petals from the sakura tree hanging over head. Kagome was in awe. She turned to Inuyasha with the biggest smile.
"Thank-you Inuyasha! This is the best present yet! Thank-you so much!"
"Um…uh…yeah. But this…um…this isn't…re…really your pre…present."
'Way to go genius! If you're this nervous already, how're you going to tell her your promise?'
'It's not that easy, you ass. If you're me, then you can not tell me that Kagome's scent didn't just change and I really don't know if that's a good thing for me or not.'
'Of course it's a good thing. Now give her the present and the promise. She's probably thinking you're crazy for going off into your head all the time.'
'Shut up! You always come in with your little bit when it's not needed.'
"Inuyasha? Hello!" Kagome was only two inches away from Inuyasha's face. "Are you in there?"
"Huh?" Inuyasha had to cross his eyes in order to see Kagome until she took a couple steps back. "Why were you so close?"
"You spaced out on me again. I was just asking if this wasn't my present, than what is?"
"Oh…um…it's…um…well, here," Inuyasha pulled the ring box from out of the folds of his hoari.
Kagome eyed the boxed curiously. 'You can't get a box like that in this era. What in the world did he get me? How did he pay for it?' She gently took the box out of Inuyasha's out stretched hand and opened it. For the second time that day Kagome gasped. Inside was a thin white gold ring with a small princess cut diamond set on top. Kagome looked up at Inuyasha with a shocked expression.
"Inuyasha…when…how…why…?"
"I asked Souta for some help. He lent me the money for the ring. I have to do his chores for a while though." Inuyasha was looking all around the clearing except for Kagome.
"But, Inuyasha," Kagome could barely get her words out between the rising sobs in her throat. "This is a promise ring." The tears were streaming down her cheeks and she sat down on the lush green grass.
"I know that and well…" Inuyasha sat next to Kagome and gently wiped the tears of each of her cheeks with the pad of his thumb, "I wanna promise you that…um…that I'll always be by your side, whether it's in this time or in your time."
"I…I don't get it. What about Kikyo? You know the woman I'm the reincarnate of, the woman that pinned you to a tree for fifty years, the woman you love!" By the time Kagome had finished, she was yelling at Inuyasha through her sobs.
"What are you talking about? I know who Kikyo is, what I don't know is where you're getting your information from about me loving Kikyo. Sure, I might have like her in the past, but I've come to realize that it wasn't love, most likely lust, I know for sure what love feels like now."
"You know now because you love Kikyo!" yelled Kagome through her tears of anguish.
"No I don't! I love you!" Inuyasha just looked at Kagome, a blush slowly creeping into his cheeks as the realization of what he said sank in.
"You…you…lo…love me?" Kagome had a surprised look on her face and turned to face Inuyasha. Her tears had stopped flowing, but her mind still wasn't working up to par. "But…but…what…Kikyo?"
"What about Kikyo! I don't care about Kikyo!" yelled Inuyasha, losing his patience once again. He looked Kagome in the eye and mustered up the last thread of patience he had left in his body. "I love you and no one else Kagome. So are you going to put on the ring or should I give it back to Souta?" asked Inuyasha with a small smile curling up the corner of his lips.
Kagome looked down at the ring box held with in her hand and then looked back at Inuyasha with a smile of her own. "I love you too, Inuyasha." She took the ring out of the box and placed the ring on her ring finger on her left hand.
Inuyasha took Kagome's hand in his, placed a small kiss in her palm, then leaned in and gave Kagome a sweet, but passionate chaste kiss on the lips.
Meanwhile in another part of the forest, not too far away from the clearing, just with in ear shot.
"Just wait Kagome. You're happiness won't last for long."