DISCLOSURE STATEMENT: This author has no financial or non-financial relation nor do they possess any right to "Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale" franchise. Full ownership of all characters is the sole intellectual property of Rumiko Takahashi.

I May Have Miscalculated

Truth be told, it wasn't surprising that Inuyasha stopped a good distance away from the village. Even though the village was in sight, it would still take a good hour for a human to run the distance.

"Kikyo's nearby," Inuyasha commented softly as he grabbed Kagome's backpack and sling it over his shoulder, "Probably coming to stalk Kaede. Think she misses her."

The casual mention of Kikyo and the dead priestess' proximity was...odd.

"They were always close, ya know?" Inuyasha continued, "Kikyo pretty much raised Kaede since their parents died. I think she said once she was like barely ten or eleven summers old when that happened. Kikyo..."

Inuyasha sighed heavily, "You would've been friends back then. Back when she wasn't old and ugly, Kaede was a lot like you and Kikyo adored her. Ya know, it wasn't all bad back then. Kikyo used to be normal. Well not normal but not insane like she is now. That's why I still protect her honestly. It's not her fault she does batshit things now. Really it's mine."

Inuyasha paused and gave Kagome a suspicious calculating look.

"It's my fault Kikyo died and was brought back," he clarified pointedly as he raised a single eyebrow in silent challenge. For a split second, Kagome thought the jig was up before his face relaxed and he shook his head.

"Don't know why anyone would be dumb enough to love me," he added with a soft resigned sigh, "Everyone I care about gets killed in some horrible way and there ain't a damn thing I can do about it either."

Pausing again, Inuyasha gave her another strange look as he adjusted her backpack and nodded towards the village.

"Anyway, we should start heading that way," he continued in that same dejected tone, "You'll probably want to go home for a while. Won't ask me to come along. Which I get, alright? I get it and I know why you don't want me there. You want to be normal and I'm about as far from normal as someone could get. Believe me I understand you want a break from this life. I'd do the same if I could."

As they continued walking, Kagome was having a hard time deciding whether Inuyasha had figured her out and was now resorting to pity to get her to response or, alternatively, if his earlier talking high was now fading into depression.

"Back to Kikyo," Inuyasha sighed, "You probably don't want to hear it but how you act about her is messed up. We were engaged and yeah, she died but for you to just act like I should've just gotten over it instantly is jacked. Not everything is about you. Let a man grieve and don't take it personal."

Kagome had a hard time suppressing a reaction to that statement. Up until now, his admissions had been cute and kinda funny but now...

Now the more serious issues were coming out to play.

"I never told her I loved her," Inuyasha continued with a twinge of regret, "Not when she was alive anyway. I never told her anything about my life. Not really and what I did say was stupid. I gave her my mother's lip stain. Didn't elaborate or nothing just was like here is this shell filled with rouge that my dead mom used to own and it's not that big a deal. Guess what? It was a big deal. It was the only thing I had left of her and I used to sneak into towns on my human night when it started to dry up and...and..."

Inuyasha sighed heavily and shook his head.

"Anyway, I know you hate that I still care about Kikyo and I'd like to say I'm sorry about that," he cleared his throat and adjusted the heavy bag once more, "But the truth is I'm not sorry. I know it bothers you and I am sorry that it does but know that even if one day you turn into an evil murderous bitch I'd be there for you too. I wouldn't abandon you either. So hate me if you want but I don't give up on people I care about if I don't gotta. There are only so many people in the world that gave me a place to belong and I'm not gunna throw those people away just because life hasn't been fair to them. I would've thought you'd understand but you don't and that's not my problem."

A shaky sigh escaped his lips before he backpedaled, "Don't get me wrong. I love you. More than I've ever loved anything. But...but I don't love that you make me feel bad about the whole Kikyo thing. That's what wrong. You're making something personal that just isn't. It's like Sango and Kohaku. It's hard to let a dead person go when they're staring you in the face like they never left. Makes you confused and desperate and...and..."

Inuyasha exhaled slowly before he reached out and grasped her hand.

"Long story short you're not allowed to jump through that well and never come back," he finished lamely as he gave her hand a light squeeze, "You saw how I was about Kikyo. How I still am sometimes. You think I had a hard time moving on from her? If you left, they'll find my old wrinkled corpse sitting by the well where I died waiting for you to come back. Not a pretty picture, is it?"

Kagome had to literally bite her tongue to prevent herself from groaning. This was going to be the longest walk in the history of walking. She needed to move up her timeline. Maybe even just say to hell with it and fess up...

"Inuyasha...Inuyasha I..." Kagome began nervously and he instantly released her hand. In a few quick movements, she was back on his back and they were sliding into the village a few heartbeats later. The breakneck pace stole the air straight out of her lungs and the deprivation of oxygen prevented her from saying anything.

Since when could he run this fast? Sure he was normally fast but this was something else entirely. Rubbing her whiplashed neck, Kagome watched from where he'd dumped her off as Inuyasha quickly went in search of their friends. If she didn't know any better, his face in those few short moments when she was about to confess was...

He almost looked...

Afraid...

"Inuyasha you meanie! What do you mean you let Kagome get hurt?!" Shippo screamed as he began gnawing on Inuyasha's scalp, "I can't believe..."

"Get off runt," Inuyasha bellowed as he tried to rip the upset kit off his head, "I didn't do shit!"

"Uh yeah and that's the problem isn't it?! You didn't protect her!!!" Shippo cried out as he bit down with all his might and Inuyasha yipped in surprise before getting a firm hold and chucking the kid clear across the village.

"Is it true Kagome-sama has lost her hearing?" Miroku asked worriedly as Sango began fussing over the miko. Inuyasha's lips thinned as he gave the miko a slightly suspicious look.

"That's what she says," Inuyasha replied cryptically. Miroku raised a single eyebrow as he considered what that could mean.

"Kagome-sama wouldn't lie to you over something this serious," Miroku opined slowly and Inuyasha's scowl grew more pronounced.

"It's because it's serious she hasn't said," Inuyasha mumbled more to himself than the monk before shaking his head and giving the monk a side-eyed glance, "Say she is lying. What am I supposed to do? Confront her?"

Miroku continued watching Inuyasha's expression or, more specifically, his ears reaction. Something clicked behind his eyes as a wicked grin bloomed on his face.

"What have you said that would've made her continue this rouse?" the monk asked knowingly before adding in jest, "Confess your undying love?"

Inuyasha subtle flinch didn't go unnoticed and Miroku very nearly died of shock as his eyes whipped towards the miko.

"By Buddha you did," the monk breathed and Inuyasha gave a non-committal shrug.

"And you believe that is why she has continued this farce," Miroku pressed and Inuyasha didn't reply. After a moment, Inuyasha sighed heavily and shifted his weight to better kick a rock by his feet.

"I've tried everything. I kept thinking..." Inuyasha sniffed once and shook his head, "But I think she's pretending she can't hear because she doesn't feel the same. Doesn't want to ruin our friendship over it or whatever. If she acts like didn't hear it she can pretend like everything's normal. So...so if that's what she wants I won't push it. Rather stay friends than lose her."

Miroku sighed as he gave his dear friend a sympathetic look.

"From what I have gleaned," the monk began hesitantly, "Kagome-sama does love you. Ardently. She complains of it being unreciprocated often."

Inuyasha set his jaw and gave him a suspicious glare.

"And where exactly did you 'glean' that?" the half-demon asked scathingly, "I told you what would happen if I caught you watching Kagome naked, didn't I? So what it'll be? Right eye or left?"

"As I told you then I only have eyes for Sango," Miroku hissed defensively, "In any case, does that not prove the information I am giving you is credible."

"So why pretend she can't hear me?" Inuyasha asked in a somewhat heartbroken tone and the monk sighed.

"Women are strange creatures," Miroku opined sagely, "Perhaps she believes you are not being honest."

"Stupid woman would," Inuyasha grumbled as he rolled his eyes, "She's never trusted me."

Miroku startled somewhat at that statement and tried to figure out where exactly Inuyasha had gotten that idea. The half-demon soon answered that question by tugging silently on the beads.

"Why keep these on if she did?" Inuyasha sighed dejectedly before walking away. Miroku watched his friend head into the distance before narrowing his eyes and looking back at the miko. Maybe this could be fixed before more harm was done.