Night and silence had fallen over the melancholy campsite, where nobody was able to sleep soundly. InuYasha had been trying to keep his eyes open the whole night so that he could keep watch over Kagome, but he wasn't sure when his body and mind betrayed him. All he knew was that it was bright when he opened his eyes, and something wasn't quite right. Looking down over his weary companions, he almost relaxed, until he noticed one of them- maybe the most important one- was missing.

"Kagome!"

As quietly as he could, he jumped down to the ground and immediately started to search the area for her. By her fading aura, she hadn't left too long ago, and without waking his companions, he was ready to run off to find her. Just then, however, the bushes started to shake, and InuYasha instantly went defensive. The bushes shook, and then stilled moments before a small two-tailed demon popped out of them. InuYasha nearly jumped out of his skin at seeing his small companion. But InuYasha knew better to think it was a coincidence.

"Kilala… where did Kagome go?"

"Mew?"

-

Kagome knew it was sneaky and mean to sneak away from the others, but she could no longer stand the battle that was raging in her heart. She had to escape that place, and get away from the person she hated and loved the most… She asked Kilala to take her to the one place she could pretend to find peace, at least. In her own time, there were other opportunities, and other people and things for her to obsess over. Truth was… she was just so tired of being rejected.



Despite the decision to go there, to the well, she found she could only stare at it from a distance for a long time. The decision to leave was made a long time ago… how long? Since Seeing Kikyo the day before? Since she found out about her and InuYasha? …or was it even before then, when she first saw that slumbering demon pinned to the tree… Somehow, she just knew, even then…

"That was my own heart pinned there… stricken with an arrow of love and hate, that I couldn't escape from." She sighed, wiping away stray tears she wasn't sure she'd even cried. "Obviously, there's no room for me here…" That's what got her moving. Somehow, the closer she got to the well, the less pain she felt. For the first time, she was starting to feel relief. She was almost there, almost to freedom and reprieve, when an all-too familiar voice broke through the silence around her and struck her heart.

"Kagome!"

She heard him walking behind her, keeping his distance as usual, and it took her a while to steady her heart. He was there, but she didn't want to look at him.

"InuYasha..."

"Yeah… I… thought you'd be here. I can always find you."

"Right…" she huffed, trying not to stutter. "The smell of my blood, right? Or maybe my shampoo?"

"No." He shook his head at her back. "It's not the scent of your blood I follow… it's something else."

'Don't…please…' Kagome silently begged.

"Something harder to explain. You have the most unique smell about you… A smell that's only Kagome." The confession made him blush.

'Don't… I don't want to hear this…'

It took him a minute, but InuYasha broke through the silence again, when Kagome didn't respond.

"Where… are you going?"

"Don't be stupid… I'm going home, of course."

"Oh… right." There was a pause, and InuYasha took a cautious step closer. "How long will you be?"

"…What?"

"I mean, when will you come back to us? …T-to me…?"

"InuYasha…"

Each new work cut into Kagome like a dozen knives, and she just couldn't take it anymore! He was being so nice, so soft and sincere… and she hated it! He didn't mean it, any of it! He couldn't possibly…! But still, somehow, she couldn't stop herself from slowly turning his way. When he came into view, she froze. He was just standing there, one hand outstretched towards her, mouth slightly ajar, eyes sparkling just for her… It struck her like an arrow… the one she saw that day. Seeing him, she could no longer hold back her tears, so she thrust her eyes to the ground, away from him, and let them fall.

"I- InuYasha, I'm not…."

"Mm?"

"…" Slowly, she removed the sacred jewel shards from around her neck and held them out, still refusing to meet his worrisome gaze. This action confused and startled InuYasha.



"Kagome, I don't understand."

"I'm returning them… please search for the remaining shards…by yourself."

"! B-but WHY? Kagome, I thought we'd search for them together!"

"Yeah, well I… I can't do it anymore…" Her injured arm twitched.

"Kagome… if this is about your arm, don't worry! It'll heal in no time! We have great remedies here, you'll see!" She shook her head.

"No, it's not that… I just can't…"

"Then what is it? Kagome, if there's a problem, please tell me! I want to help you!" He was stepping closer and she was falling farther away from him.

"Kagome, wont you please-"

"It's you!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, sending the birds flying from their nests in the nearby trees. This obviously had a devastating effect on InuYasha. It took him a while to find his voice, but when he did, it was rough and hurt.

"Me…? Me? I don't understand, Kagome! What did I do this time?!" She shook her head.

"Not this time… but all times. Ever since the day I met you, you've been tormenting me… But you never noticed."

"Then… tell me now. I'm here, I'm listening…!" She sniffled.

"It wasn't the yelling… or the bossiness… that was just you being silly you… but when I thought we had a connection, a real bond…"

All of this was becoming painfully clear, now that it was out in the open. Kagome… really did love him. Never before had he heard such strong words, such hurtful words… it killed him, but it was also slowly saving him! Never before had Kagome been so open, and now that she was jumping over the hurdle, he knew it 

was okay to follow. There wasn't any more reason to hesitate, so he lifted his head and walked towards her. She could hear him coming closer, so she shut her eyes as tightly as she could, and tried to will her body to stop shaking. Still, she felt it as he took hold of the jewel… Of course. That's all that mattered to him, anyway, right?

Wrong.

Yes he took the jewel from her, but she never expected him to throw it to the ground, and she definitely didn't expect his arms to come winding around her tightly. Her mind was abuzz with questions and her heart was fluttering madly in her chest. She was held so tightly, she could hardly move, and she could feel his warm breath against her ear, her neck… she could die.

"Kagome…" He began, giving the girl in his arms to adjust to their position. "I'm surprised at you. After all this time, all we've been through… how could you think that stupid jewel matters more to me… than you?" She could have sworn her heart stopped. Panic was rising in her stomach, and she struggled against him in vain. He wasn't going to let her go without him finishing.

"Look, I know I've been an idiot and a jerk… and you can hate me, yell at me, hit me, and even tell me to sit all you want, but I just…. I just can't let you leave me…"

"InuYasha, please…" She cried into his Hakama.

"Kagome… I love you too much to just let you go…"

The words she always wanted to hear were spoken, the world around her fell silent, and little by little, her useless struggling changed into a desperate embrace. She cried, he held her, repeating his words over and over again… and all thoughts of leaving were gone from Kagome's mind. She didn't have to suffer anymore.