AN: Fanfiction net may still be acting up and not showing stories, but I'm still going strong on day 2! Please enjoy (or let me know how much you hate it)!

DAY 2

Kagome, Jealousy (Part 2)

"You're always running off to Kikyō the second we see her soul collectors, so why do you care so much?!" The nerve of him! Why on earth should he care since he was still in love with Kikyō? Sometimes, Inuyasha made Kagome want to rip her hair out.

"That's different!"

"Is not!"

"Is so!"

She turned around, arms folded and chin up, unwilling to continue their argument. He copied her and they both stood like that for several long moments before Miroku suggested that they start walking again. Inuyasha growled at him, but didn't say anything and set off, leading the way. Miroku followed slightly behind him with Shippō while Kagome, Sango, and Kirara brought up the rear.

After several hours of walking, they stopped to make camp for the night, all completing their work silently. Inuyasha went to the river and returned with several fish just as Kagome got the fire started. They were already gutted and he silently laid them down by her before retreating to the branches of a nearby tree.

Just then, a trio of soul collectors flew over the trees and Inuyasha leapt down, glancing at Kagome, silently asking permission. She just humphed and turned away, as if to say 'Why do you think I care what you do?' He shrugged and took off running through the trees.

It's not like I have any reason to be mad - don't I always tell him he should go? Besides, it's not like he made any kind of promise to me. So why do I feel so awful? This jealous feeling, it won't go away.

Kagome finished setting up the fish to cook and declared that she was taking a walk. She brushed off Shippō and Sango's offers to go with her and set off into the trees, changing direction to follow Inuyasha's path as soon as she was out of sight.

After several minutes of walking, Kagome saw a faint glow ahead of her. She slowed down, walking carefully, trying not to make any noises that would alert Kikyō and Inuyasha of her presence. Or I could just be sneaking around for nothing and they're too preoccupied with each other to actually notice me. Kagome quickly shook her head, trying to physically dislodge the thought. She crept around another tree and peaked around the trunk at them.

They were just talking. Talking and standing several feet apart from each other. Okay, see, nothing to get worked up about here. Relieved, Kagome got careless and stepped on a twig.

"What was that," Inuyasha asked, whipping his head around, "who's there?"

"Calm down, Inuyasha," Kikyō replied serenely, "I do not sense any auras; it was probably just a small animal."

"Fine, if you say so," Inuyasha growled, not letting his guard down.

Kikyō had indeed sensed an aura, Kagome's aura to be precise. She had noticed it getting closer for the past minute, but hadn't said anything. She felt a flair of jealousy and indignation. Her reincarnation obviously didn't trust them, so she'd followed Inuyasha here. I should just let him go. She had already died once; she was little more than a ghost in a clay shell. Kikyō's dearest wish was to move on in peace. She wanted to let him go, really she did. But, sometimes, jealousy got the best of her. If Kagome suspected something, then she was going to give her a show.

"Kikyō-" his question was cut off when she pressed her lips against his. He stood frozen, unsure of what to do. He had loved her once, maybe still did, but this felt distinctly unloyal. Just as Inuyasha was about to protest, Kikyō moved away as abruptly as she had kissed him - "what was that for?"

But Kikyō didn't answer him. She just smiled and walked away. Kagome decided that that was her cue to sneak away, but she tripped over her own feet and fell crashing to the ground instead. Inuyasha was there in an instant.

"What are you doing here?"

She was ready to snap back, to shout at him, but stopped. He didn't sound angry, just… tired, done, defeated, as if something inside of him had been pulled so far that it snapped and broke. He made no excuses, so neither did she.

"I followed you because I was jealous," Kagome admitted, in a rare show of honesty in regard to her feelings.

"What do you have to be jealous of," Inuyasha asked.

"I did just see her kiss you, you moron," Kagome replied, but there was no bite in her voice.

He paused for a second, about to argue, but didn't. "Yeah, that is what happened… but I didn't kiss her back!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

It was then that they noticed just how close they were to each other and took a few steps back, sitting down and studying the grass to hide their blushing faces.

"So, uh, what do you have to be jealous of besides that?" Inuyasha ordinarily wouldn't have pushed the topic, but something felt right about this.

"Well, I know you were - probably still are - in love with her, and you did promise to go to Hell with her." Kagome still wouldn't look at him; the truth was painful to admit.

"Hey," he said, getting her attention, "it's were."

"Huh," she said, looking up.

"I'm not in love with Kikyō. I was, but not anymore."

"Then why do you run off the second we see her soul collectors," Kagome demanded, unable to stop the hurt and uncertainty swirling around her mind from leaching into her words.

"Because… I…" Inuyasha fumbled for a moment, "Because maybe it was fifty years ago for everyone else, but to me, it's been less than a year since she died. And she didn't stay dead either. I know I need to move on, but I just can't let go. And how the hell can I say no to her? It's my fault she died!"

"I…" It really hasn't been that long, not to Inuyasha. "I'm sorry. I guess I haven't really thought about it like tha - wait, what do you mean it's your fault?"

"It's not obvious?" He really didn't want to relive this again.

When she looked at him blankly, Inuyasha sighed. She saw his ears droop and his shoulders hunch. When he spoke, his voice was soft.

"It's my fault because I didn't protect her. Because I knew about that bandit, about Naraku when he was still Onigumo, but Kikyō made me promise to keep him a secret and I listened to her. I knew there was something wrong about him, something rotten in his soul, but he was so badly injured he was unable to move, so I didn't do anything…"

"So you're saying you should have been able to predict the future? That's complete bullshit!" He looked up, a little shocked because Kagome never swore. "It wasn't your fault, Inuyasha. Please stop blaming yourself. I know that's easier said than done, but please try; you don't deserve to feel this way-"

He pulled her into a sudden embrace, cutting off whatever her next words may have been. "Thank you," he whispered into her hair as he held her tightly against him. After several long moments, they broke apart.

"And I'm not going to Hell with her," Inuyasha blurted out.

"You're not?"

"No, because I've finally got stuff to live for," Inuyasha turned away slightly, blushing a little. Before Kagome could respond, he plowed on, "Besides, I don't think that's what Kikyō wants anymore, but I'll tell her, if it will make you feel better…" he trailed off, trying to gauge her reaction.

Kagome just nodded, smiling with tears in her eyes.

"Now about Kōga," Inuyasha began, confident and on a roll, "I've got a confession to make: I'm kind of jealous too, and I think you can guess why."

"Yeah..." Kagome replied nervously.

"And I think he's becoming a problem."

"What?"

"Really? First off, he kidnaps you," Inuyasha stated, his anger at the wolf beginning to rise, "then he says he'll make you his bride, without even asking you first! And then, after we get you back, he's still coming around, making declarations and bringing flowers and calling you his woman, no matter how many times you tell him you're not! Do you not see a problem with that, Kagome?"

"I mean, well, it is a little annoying, but I think of Kōga as a friend and he has the same goal as us, to defeat Naraku, and I really don't think he actually means anything by it…"

"And I think he does." Inuyasha didn't like to admit fear, despised it, but he swallowed his pride. "I'm afraid he's going to follow through and carry you off again and force himself on you."

"Oh." Kagome sat there, unable to formulate a response as his words tumbled around her head.

"You're so damn naive sometimes, Kagome," Inuyasha grumbled. They sat in silence for several moments before she spoke.

"I disagree. I try to give people second chances, but I don't blindly trust them," she spoke confidently and firmly, "And I really do think Kōga is just being a flirt, like Miroku, or maybe he just does it to get under your skin, but -" Kagome glared at Inuyasha as he started to interrupt- "I'll be more firm with him next time and if he doesn't back off, you can make sure he gets the message by any means necessary. Agreed?"

"Sure," Inuyasha smirked; he would enjoy beating the wolf in a fight. However, he wasn't quite finished yet. "What about Hōjō?"

"What about him," Kagome replied, a little evasively.

"Do you like him? Is he, uh, courting you?"

Inuyasha sat nervously waiting for her reply and Kagome realized he was being completely and one hundred percent serious. She had originally agreed to go out with Hōjō to make him jealous, and because her friends were convinced that Inuyasha was her completely rotten, two-timing boyfriend and she needed to go out with a nice guy like Hōjō instead…

"I only agreed to go out with him to make you jealous," Kagome admitted, deciding on the truth.

Instead of getting angry, he laughed.

"Hey! What's so funny," Kagome demanded.

"Oh, nothing," he replied, trying not to laugh again, "just that you're completely ridiculous."

"Hey," she shoved him playfully, also seeing how ridiculous the whole situation and all this jealousy was, "I am not ridiculous!"

"If you say so," Inuyasha got up and held a hand out to her. "Let's head back to the others, okay?"

After he helped her up, Kagome didn't let go. They walked together in companionable silence, hand in hand, finally leaving their burdens of jealousy behind.

AN: I hope Kagome and Inuyasha actually talking about their feeling with a modicum of maturity isn't too OOC... See you all tomorrow!