DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor do I pretend to own, any part of the InuYasha anime/manga series. This story is strictly fan-made.
Inuyasha sits at Kagome's desk watching her while she is sound asleep. He gets up, and walks over to her to feel her forehead. "Damn!" he thinks. "She's burning up!" Kagome's eyes flutter open. "Inuyasha," she begins. "Shh, it's fine. Just go back to sleep." Inuyasha watched her eyes close again before heading down stairs. He walks in the kitchen to find Kagome's mother cleaning out the stove. "Mrs. Higurashi, it's nearly midnight." Mrs. Higurashi turns and looks at Inuyasha. "Oh, I know, but, I tend to clean when I'm nervous."
"Why are you nervous?"
"Kagome."
"Wh-what about Kagome? She's gonna be alright, isn't she?"
"Well, I certainly hope so. But, with her constantly running off the the feudal era, and her trying to make it to school for tests, and frantically studying for those tests, and trying to juggle everything else…it's seem to have done a number on her."
"Wait, so, she's sick because of all that?"
"No, she's sick because she's sick. It's just that, her exhaustion from everything else doesn't seem to be helping anything. The doctor's a little worried, which, of course, makes me worried."
"So…if she didn't wasn't always with me…she wouldn't be feeling so bad."
"Oh, no, Inuyasha. I didn't mean to make you feel badly about this. It isn't your fault. She's so happy with you."
"Um…you know, I'm feeling a little tired. I think I'm gonna go back upstairs." Inuyasha turns and heads for the bathroom, where he can be alone to think. "It's my fault. She's so tired and has so much pressure on her because of me." Inuyasha thinks. "She shouldn't be put through this. And not because of me. She'd be so much better off without me." Inuyasha opens the door and goes to Kagome's room.
He kneels down in front of Kagome's bed. "Kagome," he says softly. "Kagome, I want you to be able to live your life. I don't wanna be the reason you're sick, or so tired, or scared. And, if that means taking myself out of the picture…then that's what should happen. I have something I have to do. I can't let my feelings for you get in the way. And if anything should ever happen to you, I couldn't live with myself. And on top of everything else I've put you through, you're sick. I don't want to intrude on your life anymore." He stands up, and takes the jewel shards around her neck and kisses her softly on the forehead. "Goodbye." He turns and jumps through the window. He doesn't look back.
Kagome woke to the sound of birds chirping. She sat up in her bed and yawned. "Oh, boy. I still feel so dizzy." she thinks, and lays back down. She lays on her back and stares at the ceiling for a few moments, before realizing. "Inuyasha?" she says, sitting back up. She looks around her room. "Inuaysha!" She immediately has a sickening feeling in her stomach. She gets out of bed and goes to the window and looks out. The shrine doors are open. "No…" Her hands fly to her neck. Nothing. "The shards…where are the shards?!"
Right then, Mrs. Higurashi opens her door. "Kagome, what are you doing out of bed?" Kagome turns around. "Inuyasha! Inuyasha's not here, and the jewel shards are gone, Mom!" Mrs. Higurashi sits down on Kagome's bed. "Oh, dear…"
"What, Mom? What happened?"
"I talked to Inuyasha last night."
"And? Was he acting weird, or something?"
"I…I'm afraid I might have given him the impression that it was his fault you're sick."
"What?! Mom, how could you say something like that?!"
"Kagome, calm down. I was only telling him what the doctor and I think. I had no idea he'd run away." Kagome can feel tears forming in her eyes. "Mom, I would have been fine! Now Inuyasha's gone!" Kagome runs past her mother, despite the pain in her head, and goes downstairs and heads for the shrine. She stops and stares down the well. "Inuyasha…" She climbs on top of the well and jumps down, only hitting the dirt. "Inuyasha!" Kagome falls on here knees from her lightheadedness and starts to cry. "Inuyasha, how could you leave me?"
Inuyasha walks towards his tent and opens it. To his surprise, he finds Miroku and Sango sleeping in the same sleeping bag. "Hey!" He shouts to wake them up. Miroku's head snaps up and he looks at Inuyasha. He jumps up, revealing he's in nothing but underwear. "What's going on?" Comes Sango's groggy voice. She sees Inuaysha and gasps. "Inuyasha! I-I thought you were at Kagome's!" She says quickly. "Yeah, I was. What the hell happened between you guys? Miroku? Do you realize there's a kid in the tent right next to you?"
"Yes, we are, that's why nothing happened."
"Yeah, right." Sango sits up and looks at Inuyasha. "Where's Kagome?" Inuaysha looks down. "She couldn't come back." He says in a low voice. "What do you mean? Why not?" Asks Miroku.
"I mean she can't come back! I couldn't take her back with me! She was late because she was sick, and it was all because of me!"
"How was it you're fault?"
"Well, first of all, she's in danger every day. I wish I could guarantee I can always be there to protect her, but I can't, no matter how badly I want to. She has been in situations where she has almost died, okay? And it's because she's with me. And the tress and pressure of having to come here all the time, and to study for these tests she does, and having to keep me a secret and everything else she has on her plate isn't help her sickness at all. She probably would have been better by now, but she was probably worried about getting better just so she could come back again! The fact that she's sick and in pain made me realize that I care too much about her to put her in any more danger, especially when I can't promise her protection."
Sango and Miroku stared at Inuyasha. They didn't want to admit it, Inuaysha was making sense. He was in love with Kagome, therefore, he would want her safe and happy, and the only way, in his eyes, for that to happen, was to remove himself from her life. For good.
I actually cried a bit while writing this, but it was worth it. I'll update maybe tomorrow, or even tonight!
XOXO
Kourtney