Sorry that it took so long to update you guys! I tried to make it worth while, but I'm just not satisfied with how this chapter turned out. I hope you like it anyways!
Disclaimer:Nope. Still don't own Inuyasha. Not even ONE single character!
Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore. He let everything go and took that final leap. In his heart, he said goodbye to Kikyo and let Kagome take the tiny part of his heart that she hadn't already had control of.
Kagome opened her mouth to speak but quickly found her words cut off as Inuyasha pressed his lips gently against hers. It was so innocent and awkward. 'Our first real kiss…' Relenting to the feelings she held within her, Kagome closed her eyes and kissed him back.
They stayed like that, sitting on Kagome's bed, with just their lips pressed together, both of them too afraid to do anything else. Pulling back, Kagome pressed her forehead against Inuyasha's and smiled that secret smile that he thought of so fondly. The tears had ceased falling and he gently wiped away the wet lines off of her face. A bright red blush was still very present on both of their faces. Neither of them met the others eyes. They were both too afraid to speak their feelings.
'What if she doesn't love me? What if she loves that flea-bag, Koga?' Inuyasha's face had a momentary lapse of happiness as he thought of that wolf.
'What if he still can't let go of Kikyo?' Kagome looked down and tried to believe it wasn't so, but after almost a year of travelling with him and being left behind for Kikyo, Kagome couldn't get it out of her mind that he could actually just devote everything to her.
Kagome knew Inuyasha was suffering with words even worse than she was. She knew what she wanted to say. Pushing everything to the back of her mind, Kagome abruptly stood up.
"Well then, let's go!" She grabbed his hand lightly and began to make her way out the door. Inuyasha, dazed, let her lead him down the steps, out of the house, and into the well house. Realizing he was at the edge of the well and finally noticing that Kagome had never let go of his hand, Inuyasha blushed lightly. He gently squeezed Kagome's hand in return. She looked up at him and while their eyes met for a second he saw a twinge of sadness. It quickly vanished into the eternal depth of her brown eyes and she turned away from him, balancing herself on the rim of the well with her one free hand. Inuyasha followed suite and before he knew it, that familiar blue light swallowed them up.
"Do you think Kagome will ever come back? She looked awfully upset," Shippo spoke in between licking the sucker that Kagome had given him a few days back. He was perched on the rim of the well with Miroku and Sango peering down into the darkness from over his shoulders. Sango leaned back, a frown set upon her face as she thought about Kagome never returning. She felt a strong hand on her shoulder.
"She might Shippo. It all depends on Inuyasha; although he does have the amazing ability to mess everything up where women are concerned. Me on the other hand…"
"Watch it, monk." Sango glared at the letcher as his hand moved from her shoulder to her back. He slunk down, realizing that his witty approach had been denied.
"Idiot," Shippo muttered under his breath. He leaned back on one hand and gazed up at the setting sun. A yawn escaped his lips, followed by a pout. Kagome still wasn't back yet!
"Please, try not to worry Shippo. I'm sure she'll return," Sango said, kneeling next to the kitsune. She folded her arms on the well and rested her chin on them. She joined Shippo in watching the sunset, all the while keeping a wary eye on the monk.
"Yes, Shippo. Sango's right. Even though I'm sure Inuyasha said something stupid and dug himself into a deeper hole than he was in. I swear, you can't teach an old dog new tricks." A rock connected with his head as he fell to the side, arms still crossing in front of his chest.
"Who are you calling an old dog, you letch?" Inuyasha's head appeared out of the well. He was poised in the middle, holding onto each outer side. Kagome popped up in front of him, a seemingly happy smile on her face. Her eyes were glowing with what had happened in her era. 'Although we still haven't really talked about it and there is still Kikyo after all.'
"Kagome!" Shippo leaped through the air and attached himself to her school uniform shirt the moment she set foot upon the grass. She hugged him close to her as he nuzzled against her, taking in her scent in case she decided to leave again. Kagome laughed for what seemed like the first time in a week. She spun Shippo around before facing her other friends. Everyone was smiling and in a good mood. It seemed like it was the way it was meant to be.
After watching the sun descend below the horizon, the group made its way back to Kaede's village. It was a slightly chilly night. Kagome and Inuyasha took the lead, walking side by side as Miroku and Sango walked behind them. Shippo was perched on Sango's shoulder. He could tell that the two wanted to be alone after they had been through so much.
Kagome shivered as a light breeze cut its way through the forest. Wrapping her arms around herself, she kept walking next to Inuyasha. Her eyes never left the ground. Warmth immediately overtook her as she felt Inuyasha's robe of the fire rat drop onto her shoulders. She grabbed it and pulled in tighter as she looked up at Inuyasha and offered him a smile and a small thanks in return. She almost wrapped her arm in his and laid her head on his shoulder, but the present company that was trailing them made her blush at the thought and rethink her decision.
Sango moved closer to Miroku. "I wonder how they patched things up." Miroku shook his head and looked at Sango.
"Kagome probably forgave him like always." Sango and Shippo both shook their heads as they whispered compliments towards Kagome's patience and kindness. Sango sighed in happiness for her friends when she saw Inuyasha place his robe over Kagome's shoulders.
"Maybe it will all work out in the end," she muttered under her breath in order to avoid Inuyasha's sensitive hearing. Miroku followed her gaze and offered a smile of his own. He turned towards Sango as a thought dawned up on him.
"You're not cold are you my dearest Sango?" He inched close in tune with the two that were walking ahead of him. Kagome was practically in Inuyasha's arms, but they made no motion to touch each other. Sango blushed furiously and pushed him away, not willing to let herself fall into his lecherous charms.
"I'm fine you pervert," she growled at him, glaring with all her worth. Miroku stepped backward as if he were struck. He stopped walking and let Sango get ahead of him, completely filled with shock. Regaining his composure, he slipped beside Sango again, taking her hand in his. Shippo watched with dull amusement from atop Sango's shoulder. Inuyasha and Kagome kept walking, oblivious to anything else in the world except each other.
"We are to be wed, are we not?" Miroku's false charm faded away to his true self underneath. He grinned as she began to blush at the idea. She turned her head away from him as he continued to hold her hand. Shippo suddenly found the forest behind them very interesting as he desperately tried not to watch. Miroku waited patiently for Sango's response.
"You…" she started in a whisper, lifting her head to look him straight in the eye. "You PERVERT!" Kagome and Inuyasha turned around at the sound of a loud WACK! Sango's Hiraikotsu had made perfect contact with the top of Miroku's head. He stood stiffly as his hands twitched from the pain. Sango quickly ran from him, past Kagome and Inuyasha. Shippo leap off as she passed Kagome, landing lithely upon the young school girl's shoulder. Kagome stared after Sango in dismay before turning around to glare at Miroku. He stared back innocently.
"What did you do this time, letch?" Inuyasha raised one eyebrow in questioning as he stared down Miroku. A confused look fell onto Miroku's face. He seriously didn't know what he had done this time. He scratched his chin and looked down the path in the direction that Sango, and now Kagome, had gone. Inuyasha kept his ears trained on Kagome's movements and his nose on Sango's tears. He decided not to mention that part to Miroku. He would have to discover she was crying and make it better all by himself. He didn't like letting Kagome go off on her own after what had happened, but he knew better than to follow and besides, Sango was with her. 'And Kagome's not as weak as she appears,' he thought to himself happily. She had adapted perfectly to the dangerous old world that she had been thrust into.
Miroku continued to stare blankly back at Inuyasha. Shippo came walking up the path. He had apparently dislodged himself from Kagome's shoulder when he realized there would be tears and heartbreak. He was still just a kid and held no interest in such things. All he knew was that it hurt to see Sango cry, just like it hurt whenever Kagome left him to her strange world that he couldn't go to.
Puffing out a breath of irritation, Inuyasha leapt up into the branch of a nearby tree and settled in to wait. The smell of Sango's tears diminished after a while. Inuyasha lazily opened one eye and looked down to Miroku, who was leaning against the tree that Inuyasha was in. Miroku glanced up and caught Inuyasha's gaze. Giving the nod to go ahead, Inuyasha leapt down to the path at the smell and sound of Kagome approaching. He inhaled deeply. Oh, how he loved that smell more than any other. He smiled slightly remembering what had happened only hours ago in Kagome's time. He dreaded talking about his feelings for her. 'I'm going to mess it up. I always mess everything up.'
Kagome passed Miroku and whispered some words into his ear. She only told him the least of what he needed to know to not get decked by the emotional Sango. Miroku nodded solemnly and continued down the path. Listening until the juggling sound disappeared, at least to her ears, Kagome settled down under the tree that Inuyasha had previously been in. She wrapped the robe of the fire rat tightly around her as she leaned against the hard bark of the tree. Inuyasha settled in next to her instead of returning to his tree branch. Shippo settled on Kagome's shoulder. The three waited in silence for Miroku and Sango to return.