"K-Kagome..." Inuyasha muttered.
Kagome stiffened. They looked at each other in the eye; that lasted for almost like an eternity.
"Kagome...!" Inuyasha shouted. And before he can even stop himself...before Kagome could even move...before Kaito can even respond... Inuyasha dropped the tesaiga and ran to Kagome, embraced her tight...
...and kissed her...
Inuyasha felt warmth run through his whole body as he kissed Kagome. For the first time in weeks, he felt happy...he felt alive...
He wanted the moment to last...
Unfortunately...
All of a sudden, Kagome pushed Inuyasha and with all the effort she can muster, slapped him on the face. Inuyasha was taken aback. Lost for words, all he could do was stare back at Kagome's tear-stained face, eyes full of fury. He felt his heart constrict in his chest...
"How dare you..." Her voice quivered. "You have no right, ever, to do that to me."
"K-Kagome...I-"
But he didn't know what to say next. "I'm sorry" were the first words that came to his mind. But would it be enough? He has always said sorry to Kagome before and she always accepted it. But now, as he stared at her eyes...eyes full of resentment, something told him that a simple "sorry" would never suffice...
He took a step forward and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders...
"Kagome...please..." He said as he felt the corner of his eyes burn. "Please come back...we need you...Kagome, I need you."
"You need me?" Kagome smirked. "You have no luck with the Shikon no Tama now, right?"
"No, it's not that! I don't need you just because of that. Look, I didn't mean all that I said to you before...please...I'm...I'm really sorry."
"Here's the same cycle again Inuyasha." Kagome sadly stated. "You're apologizing to me again. We'll get along for quite a while then you'll do something again and we'll fight...It's like a never ending cycle Inuyasha...I'm getting tired of it..."
"I promise Kagome..." He said, his voice pleading. "...I'll never-"
"Hurt me again?" Kagome cuts him off. "I've heard that about a hundred times. And that promise of yours will never be fullfilled...never...you know why..."
Inuyasha knew exactly why. As Miroku has told him before, as long as he still has feelings for Kikyou, he will always hurt Kagome...
"I'll try to forget her."
Kagome slowly shook her head. "Try to forget her? Don't you even notice Inuyasha? You always come after her when you have the opportunity to. You always leave me to chase after her. I've always coped up with it, I tried my best to understand Inuyasha. But it hurts like hell. I'm just tired of being the girl you'll come back to when you weren't able to be with her." She breathed deeply and wiped her tears before continuing. "Do you know what bothers me the most? What my greatest fear is?"
Inuyasha didn't speak and merely shook his head...
"That there'll come the day when you and her would be finally together..." She smiled bitterly. "I know I'm being selfish...she's the one you love after all, the first that came to your life. But still...everytime I think about it, it's like my whole being is slowly shattering.
"But then, I have made a pact with you. It was my fault the Shikon no Tama got shattered, it is my responsibility to fix this blunder, my responsibility to locate the Shikon no Tama. But how? It's means that I'll have to be with you and frankly Inuyasha, I don't want to be near you right now."
Kagome saw pain flash in his eyes. But she can't stop, it's like a very strong weight is being lifted on her chest as she kept on talking...
"I have thought about this for the past few days away from you. Maybe...maybe I can endure it. I can tolerate being around you just for the sake of the pact I made. But Inuyasha, I'm not ready right now. I will help you, eventually, but not right now. I want to spend more time away from you. These past few days without you, I was able to find peace...no bickering...and it felt good, so good actually I'm reluctant to let it go..."
"I-Is it him?" Inuyasha's voice cracked. He looking at Kaito. "Did he help you gain that peace?"
Kagome turned slowly to Kaito. She thought of the times he would comfort her when she's crying, the way he made her smile, how he stayed by her all the time...and that familiar warm feeling whenever she's with him...
Yes, even she didn't know why Kaito made her feel that way...made her feel secured. But there is still something missing...something that she could only find in Inuyasha...love...
However, Inuyasha has asked where it was he, Kaito, who made her find peace and it was true, he did...
"Yes..." She simply stated, turning her eyes back at Inuyasha. "I haven't felt that for a long time, not since I met you. Everything has been loud, topsy-turvy. I have always been the kind of person who can easily sort out her feeling but then...you came...and I was so confused.
She heaved another great sigh...
"All I'm asking for now is time. I will come back and help you with the Shikon no Tama but for now, just let me go. I want to sort out a few things first. I don't want to act rash."
With a final look at Inuyasha, she turned around...
"See you..." She mumbled.
Inuyasha had stood there, just listening to her. Her words are like daggers searing into his chest. He has caused her so much pain and because of that, he lost her. But then, did he really lose her? After all, how can you lose something that was never yours in the first place...?
He was torn between his love for Kikyou and for Kagome. He can't deny it, his feelings for Kikyou are still there. But he loves Kagome, it's true...
But...it wasn't enough...
"Kagome..." He said softly. She heard him and stopped but didn't look back at him.
Inuyasha walked towards her and enveloped her in his arms, as tightly as he can. He felt the tears roll down his eyes now but he didn't care. He didn't care about anything anymore...
"Kagome..." He uttered her name softly again. "I love you...I'm sorry..."
Kagome didn't respond and stayed stiff under Inuyasha's embrace.
"I have to go..." Her voice was cold and emotionless that it scared Inuyasha. "Please let me go...Kaito's waiting..."
And so he did. She walked towards Kaito. Kaito ordered his bird Shiro, to take them back. Shiro turned into a magnificent white dragon again, the two of them climbed to his back and took off...
Inuyasha was left alone, eye welling in tears.
She hates me...
It kept on echoing on his mind. And when it all became too much, he fell on his knees and sobbed. And that was how Miroku and Sango found him, sprawled on the ground, crying...
"Inuyasha..." Miroku kneeled beside him, very worried. He has never seen Inuyasha in this state before. A horrible pity rushed to him. "What's the matter?"
"K-Kagome...returned..." He managed to choke out.
"She did?! Where is she?" Sango's said.
"Left...She left...b-but she said she'll come back...sh-she has t-to sort out a few things..." Inuyasha stopped crying now but he couldn't stop his voice from quivering.
"Sh-She hates me..."
"No she doesn't." Sango said, kneeling beside him too. "Look, maybe she's just upset. Besides, she told you she'd return didn't she?"
"No, you d-don't understand. Y-You didn't see her, the looks she g-gave me..."
Miroku and Sango looked at each other and again, unable to find comforting words.
After minutes, Inuyasha finally stood up and wiped his face.
"I need to be alone..." His voice wasn't shaking anymore but it was monotonous and his eyes are blank.
He walked away from Sango and Miroku without any word.
"Miroku..." Sango sounded worried.
"No, he need to think...let him be..." He tried to say 'everything will be alright'. But right now, after he witnessed Inuyasha's pitiful state, he wasn't sure anymore.
NOTE OF THE AUTHOR: Whew! Finally, I updated...hehe...Thanks for reading! .