"Magnetic"
She was drawn to him like a magnet, which literally made zero sense. He certainly wasn't her type, or so she believed. He was rash and hotheaded and prickly, lashing out over simple things. He acted first and thought about the repercussions later, which was sorta admirable, if not suicidal at times. He was impulsive and reacted a lot. But, he did have some good traits about him.
Inuyasha was a softie under that tough guy exterior he had. He cared deeply about his friends and didn't mind helping those who were in need, defending those who couldn't defend themselves. Him being a half-demon didn't bother her, although Ayame was sure her tribe would ride her dick about considering taking a half-demon as her mate, but they could go fuck themselves.
It was clear as day that Koga just didn't see her in a romantic light, and although it took her some time, Ayame made peace with it and forged a solid friendship with him instead. She realized that her heart was drawn towards Inuyasha anyways, and she didn't know what to do. Whenever they were near each other, her heart would race and lodge itself in her throat, leaving her breathless. Those golden eyes of his seemed to see right through her very soul, rendering her speechless and powerless against him.
She thought him and Kagome would've become something more, now that Naraku was taken care of and Kikyo finally at peace. Her heart stung and her eyes glistened with tears at the very thought itself. It wasn't as if Kagome wasn't a worthy mate. After hanging around her, Ayame realized she misjudged her. She was strong in her own way, kind to a fault, and obviously cared deeply about him. How the hell was she supposed to compete with that? Maybe she was destined to be second best.
"Ayame! There you are!" She turned around, and there was the priestess herself, looking beautiful as ever. She forced herself to smile, absently waving at her. Kagome sat down across from her, her kind brown eyes filled with mirth. She really was a joy to be around.
"Hey. I didn't know you were looking for me," Ayame said, her smile slowly turning more genuine. How could she be mad at someone who clearly made Inuyasha so happy? She couldn't, and she refused to be angry or jealous. Kagome was her friend, and she refused to let a guy ruin that.
"Oh, I mean, I was looking for. But, Inuyasha actually asked me to find you. He said he wanted to tell you something." She tried her hardest not to react, but it was too late, and Kagome's perceptive eyes caught her. "Ooh, I knew you liked him! I told him you did, but you know how stubborn he can be," she explained with a fond roll of her eyes.
Ayame blinked owlishly, emerald eyes brimming with a mixture of confusion and hope. Kagome laughed and shook her head, standing up and tugging her up with her as well.
"Don't play dumb, Ayame. You'd have to blind not to notice how lovesick you and him are."
"But, I thought you and him would-"
"End up together? Initially, so did we, but things change and we realized we worked better platonically than romantically. Besides, I could tell his heart wasn't in it just like mine no longer was. I'm not mad at you for liking him, Ayame. I want you both happy." And how could she deny the truth in her words, the sincerity in her demeanor and eyes?