DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha. I'm just a fan of the show. All rights to the character belong to its creator Rumiko Takahashi.

CHAPTER had been edited. Please excuse any mistskes.

NOTE: Please remember that all italicized paragraphs at the beginning of the chapters refer to past events. That's how most chapters in my story will begin.

CHAPTER 5: KILLING MY LIFE WITH HIS/HER WORDS

InuYasha watched the steady rise and fall of the girl's chest as she lay asleep in his bed. It was his only way of knowing she was still alive. Her usually shiny, midnight-black hair was pulled away from her face and strewn about his pillows. She was dressed in an old pair of blue-jeans that once belonged to Sango and a black tank top that belonged to him. It was pretty much all they had to offer her, because leaving her in her wet clothes wasn't an option.

He stared down at her for a long time before wiping her face with a damp cloth. It had been nearly three hours and she hadn't awakened yet, which meant she really must have fought her attackers hard. He quietly took in her delicately bruised appearance.

She had a small cut on her bottom lip. Her forehead was slightly swollen and her wrists were pinker than usual. He cursed himself. If he had been just a minute too late, neither Kagome nor his son might've made it, and just the mere thought of living with that guilt was almost too much for him to handle. He sighed and combed his bangs away from his forehead.

It was a miracle that both Kagome and Kenshin made it through the entire ordeal nearly unscathed. They both had bruises, but they were minor compared to the damage inflicted on the two fools that brazenly attacked them. He might've felt bad about being a half-breed sometimes, but it sure did come in handy and he was grateful for that.

Kagome shifted uncomfortably in his bed before reaching her hand out. She was feeling for something, but InuYasha had no idea what. Her eyes fluttered wildly before she let out a small whine and struggled to sit up in his bed. She turned on her side.

"Kenshin!"

She felt something wet being pressed to her forehead and she tried to focus her gaze. Her head was still pounding. It felt like she'd been hit with a hammer. Where was she? Where was Kenshin? She groaned and forced her body up before calling for him.

"Kenshin?"

"He's okay Kagome."

Kagome's eyes blinked rapidly. It felt like the light from the lamps were blinding her. It was so strong when it hit her eyes. She still kind of felt groggy but she had to find InuYasha's son.

"Kenshin?" She wailed. She still hadn't heard a word from him and she was beginning to panic. What if he was hurt and nobody could save him. "Kenshin? Honey, where are you?"

"Kagome? Snap out of it! Kenshin is fine."

Kagome frowned as her eyes finally gained focus. There, just a few inches away from her sat InuYasha. She felt her throat grow heavy and her heart burn with the light of a thousand suns. Without a second thought, she threw her arms around his warm, hard body and embraced him.

"Oh InuYasha! I thought I wasn't gonna see you again."

"You're okay now." InuYasha said as he held Kagome to his heart, her small form trembling in his arms.

"I was so worried! I thought they were gonna hurt little Kenshin!" She wept sorely.

"Shh, it's okay Kagome."

"He got choked and I wanted to help him but I couldn't. They held me down."

InuYasha closed his eyes for a moment as Kagome spoke. He knew exactly what those two men intended to do to Kagome and probably would have if she and Kenshin hadn't acted quickly to defend themselves. They both had to be going on pure adrenaline.

"Did they-?"

Kagome shook her head. "They never got a chance to. The guy that grabbed me tried to force me into his van but somehow I got away. He tossed me roughly against it but at the end of our scuffle, he was the one on the ground and I was the one walking away."

"You actually beat him up?" InuYasha asked incredulously.

"Not exactly. I butted my head against his with as much force as I could muster and he went crashing down, splitting his head open. After that he didn't get back up."

InuYasha frowned. The two men that attacked Kagome and his son were twice the size of Kagome. He knew because he sized both of them up. The one guy whose head was bleeding was no doubt the one that attacked Kagome, because the other had deep fang prints carved into his neck, which he knew were delivered by his son.

He shook his head as his mind tried to make sense of how Kagome and Kenshin managed to make it out of their situation alive. It just didn't seem believable and that puzzled him a great deal, but not nearly as much as the white-pinkish hand prints on the body of the guy Kagome head-butted. He thought that to be extremely strange. His thoughts were interrupted as Kagome resumed speaking.

"I went to help Kenshin, but he'd already taken care of the guy that attacked him. He didn't even need my help."

"He's half demon. Half demons are very strong."

"I know." Kagome said before wiping her yes. "I just had no idea they were as strong as they are. I didn't know you guys could transform."

InuYasha frowned and pulled Kagome away from his chest to peer into her eyes. Surely, she hadn't witnessed his transformation.

"What's the matter?" She asked when he kept staring at her.

"You said Kenshin transformed."

Kagome nodded.

"Surely, you're mistaken."

"No! He did!"

"Did you see him?"

"No, but he did. He had these jagged purple marks across his jaws and his eyes were the color of the crimson moon."

InuYasha swallowed hard. His son had to be completely terrified if he transformed.

"InuYasha?"

"What?"

"I was so scared."

"I know."

"Not just of the two men."

"I know."

"When I first noticed his change, he looked at me like he wanted to devour me."

InuYasha grew silent. He didn't know what exactly to say at this moment. He wasn't going to tell Kagome that Kenshin wouldn't attack her, because he honestly didn't know whether or not he would've.

"The look he gave me made the hairs on my head stand straight up. For a brief moment, I thought he actually was gonna kill me but I don't know. I guess when it actually came to it, I just felt in my gut that he never would actually harm me."

Kagome closed her eyes for a moment and leaned back into InuYasha's chest. It felt so good to be here with him like this, even if just for a short while. She knew eventually he'd make her sit up on her own. Her heart swelled as intense emotions attacked her entire being.

"He crawled over to me and growled as if to attack me. I tried to soothe him with my hands and I guess that did the trick. He recognized me and suddenly calmed down."

"I'm glad he did, because if he hadn't, he might've actually attacked you."

"Surely you don't mean that."

"I most certainly do!" He said harshly, but in a barely audible voice.

"Why?"

"We're part demon, Kagome. It's in out nature to attack. That's just the way it is."

"But you're only half demon."

"It doesn't matter. Half demon or full demon. A demon is a demon, especially at the point of death."

"But Kenshin didn't seem like he was at the point of death."

"Well, my son is a bit different from me. I only transform when I'm near the point of death. Kenshin's transformations usually occur out of fear. It's a defense mechanism."

"So, what you're saying, is that Kenshin was afraid to die?"

"No. I think he was afraid that you were gonna die."

"Oh."

"Look Kagome, it might be best if you didn't take Kenshin out to the park anymore, at least for a while. I'd hate to see what would happen if he transformed again and there were innocent people around."

"You actually believe he'd harm innocent people?"

"I know he would."

"No!"

"Yes he would!"

"I don't believe that sweet little boy would kill somebody."

"Believe me Kagome. He can and he will. He might be a little boy but he's very capable of murder. Both of us are. We're not ourselves when we transform. That's why I have to keep a firm grip on him. It's bad enough he doesn't know his own strength."

"He doesn't know his own strength?"

"No he doesn't. There are a lot of things he doesn't understand yet because he's till quite young."

"Like?"

"Unlike me, Kenshin isn't half demon and half human. He's an all together different case. You see, his mother was half demon and half human too."

"Really? So, what does that make him?"

"Still a hanyou but more more human and more demon than I am. That's why when he transforms, it's a bit difficult to call him back to himself. I don't know how you managed to get to him but I'm eternally grateful to you for being able to work such magic on him."

InuYasha reached down and enveloped Kagome's small hands inside his own.

Kagome blushed and stared down at the floor.

"These little hands of yours must possess some mighty fine power." InuYasha joked.

Kagome nervously brought her gaze up to his and openly stared at him.

InuYasha stared back at her. He felt the atmosphere shifting between them.

Kagome's chest tightened as her heart began its usual dance against her ribs as it always did when ever InuYasha stared at her like he was doing now. Her emotions were plainly written across her face. She loved him. The thought both scared and excited her at the same time. She felt herself leaning closer to him.

InuYasha continued to stare at her as his heart accelerated out of control. Her face was a mix of innocence and heady desire. She was moving closer to him and there was an undeniable change in her scent. The strong smell nearly knocked the breath out of him. He needed to get away from her. He closed his eyes for the briefest moment as he felt her move. She pressed her forehead against his.

"Kagome?" Her name a sensual caress upon his lips.

She silenced him with her fingers. Then clumsily leaned up and pressed her lips against his and the fireworks began. Her mouth moved against his gently; enjoying its soft texture. His mouth came open with a sigh and his breath fanned across her lips. Kagome's breath hitched in her throat. Her body felt too hot. She gazed at Inuyasha breathlessly. His heavy lidded glare had her body desiring things she never had before.

Their lips smashed down against each others. InuYasha pulled her closer to him as she forced every bit of expertise she contained into this kiss. She wanted it to be perfect for him. She wanted him to know how deeply she loved him. She licked at his nervously before slowly sliding her tongue into his mouth. Inuyasha shuddered and pulled her closer till she was sitting in his lap. Her nervous hands fumbled into his thick, silver mane and she pressed her breasts into his chest.

Inuyasha groaned against her mouth. He should've pushed her away and he knew it. He wasn't totally in control right now but he knew he couldn't let things get out of hand. However, all coherent thoughts went out the window when he felt her tongue brush under his chin. She couldn't have known what she was doing. Her hot, wet tongue moved against him and he nearly fell to his death.

He pulled her against his body and savaged her mouth like a untamed beast. He fisted his long claws through her disheveled, midnight-black hair and pressed her down onto his bed. His hands moved from her hair to her neck and then to her breasts. Clawed fingers rubbed impatiently against hardened nipples as erotic sounds erupted from their mouths.

Kagome rubbed her nervous hands against his back as he lay heavily against her. She felt the full extent of his desire and her body trembled in fear. She wanted him so badly. She was both excited and frightened about what lay ahead. She'd dreamt of being with him like this for months.

InuYasha continued to lap at her mouth while his hands strummed against her skin. Kagome's stomach quivered in fear and anticipation. They were moving into unchartered territory. The thrill of it all shocked her to the core but things didn't have to move too fast. She gently tugged onto his hair.

"InuYasha?"

He didn't respond to her.

She smiled and pulled his hair harder.

"What?" He whispered breathlessly.

Her face grew ten shades redder. "Could you slow down. I've never done this before."

InuYasha growled, only now realizing who he was kissing and what exactly he was about to do to her.

"Kagome."

She smiled at him nervously. "That won't be a problem, will it?"

He stared at her and growle again. His desire suddenly disappearing and turning into rage. He cursed his weakness before sitting up and harshly yanking her from his bed.

She stared at his hands, roughly handling her. "What's the matter?"

"Get out of my room!" He yelled at her.

"What?" She asked, half trembling at the sound of his voice.

"You heard me. I want you out of my room. Now!"

"But I...you want me...what did I do?"

"Don't ask me any questions! Just get out of my room!"

Kagome folded her arms defiantly as her hands trembled. "Why are you mad? What did I do? Whatever it is I'm sorry."

"I'm not gonna repeat myself again." He spat at her.

"InuYasha, please! What did I do? I didn't mean it." She apologized, unaware of why he was really angry with her.

He grabbed her hands. "Since you don't seem to know where the door is, maybe I should show you."

"No! Please! I love you!"

InuYasha stiffened at her confession and flinched like she'd shot him with an arrow.

"Don't say that!"

"But I do! I love you very much!"

"No you don't! You just want me to pop your cherry."

Kagome blushed angrily and shook her head. "No! I really love you."

InuYasha moved closer to her til she was pressed against the back of his door. She saw conflicting emotions in his eyes. She sighed and cowered before him.

"Stop it!"

"InuYasha!"

"Stop it! Now! You do not love me! You're not even old enough to know what loving someone feels like."

Kagome shook her head.

InuYasha glared at her. "You are not in love with me. You're a confused teenager with a crush on a grown man and you don't know what to do about it."

"I know how I feel InuYasha!"

"No you don't little girl!"

"I'm not a little girl!"

"Yes you are. You're 16 years old and I'm 24. Why would you even want to have a relationship with someone my age?"

"I don't know! I just know how I feel when I'm around you and whenever I'm away from you."

"It's just a phase honey. That's all it is. You don't love me and I certainly don't love you."

"But you were gonna make love to me."

InuYasha laughed and smirked at her. "No lil darling. I was just trying to get laid. There wouldn't have been any love involved.

Kagome gasped and clutched a hand to her heart.

"Don't act surprised Kagome. I'm not in love with you. You know that."

"But you want me. I see the way you look at me."

InuYasha laughed again. "I'm a man Kagome. Of course I want you but that's all I want. As much as I love looking at that hot body of yours, I won't cross the line with you. I don't have sex with little girls!"

"InuYasha!"

"No!"

"InuYasha! Please!"

"Stop it! You foolish, wanton little girl! You and me ain't ever gonna happen. You know that. I've had this conversation with you before. Why must you keep blatantly pursuing me?"

Kagome's lower lip trembled as a single tear cascaded down her face. It was true. She'd made advances toward him before and he'd always turned her down.

"InuYasha! I love you!"

"So what! Do you think I care that you love me. I don't! I don't love you! I will never love you. You'll never mean anything to me!"

Kagome pressed her lips together as tears began to pour from her eyes.

"InuYasha!" She uttered his name one final time before trying to reach for him and then he really snapped.

He didn't want to hurt her, but mild rejection as well as cruelty didn't seem to work on her. In fact nothing seemed to work on her. He yanked her away from the door and opened it.

"Why can't you accept no for answer? I don't want to take your job from you because my son loves you to pieces but I won't have you throwing yourself at me again either. We can't have a relationship. You'd be sex and nothing more."

Kagome nodded, finally accepting his rejection.

InuYasha stared at the poor girl. Her lips trembling and her eyes as red as the blood that flowed through his veins. He felt like garbage, taking his anger out on the young girl. It wasn't her fault that he wanted her as bad as she did him. Instead of him being honest about his feelings like she did, he lied to her and she wasn't the adult in the situation.

"Kagome, I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too!" She said before throwing herself against him, ignoring his stiffening form. She hugged him briefly and then released him.

InuYasha ruffled her hair like he so often did to his son and then stepped away from her.

"I'm really sorry InuYasha."

"I know. It's okay. Don't worry about it anymore."

"Could you give munchkin, I mean Kenshin, a hug for me?"

InuYasha nodded.

"I'll bring your house keys back tomorrow afternoon."

InuYasha eyed her strangely. "What for?"

"I can't work here anymore." She whispered before bolting from his bedroom.

"What? Wait! You don't have to quit!" InuYasha yelled after Kagome.

She ran away from him, passing Sango feeding Kenshin at the dinner table.

Sango stared at her as she ran out of the dining room to the front door.

"Aunt Kagome?" Kenshin said behind her retreating form.

Kagome clutched a hand to her chest and trembled as she continued to run away from InuYasha. She was gonna miss little Kenshin.

"Kagome!" InuYasha yelled behind her.

Sango frowned and stepped before him, grabbing onto his arm. "What did you do to her?"

InuYasha yanked his arm from her grasp and followed Kagome outside. He saw her standing next to Koga. They were beside his red pick-up truck.

"Can you give me a ride home?" She managed to ask him in between sobs.

Koga looked at her strangely before briefly flashing his eyes at InuYasha.

"Kagome wait!" InuYasha yelled to halt her.

"Koga! Please! Please take me home!"

He nodded before opening the door to let her into the truck. He followed shortly after.

"Koga! Kagome! Wait up!" InuYasha showed up on the passenger side of the truck where she sat. "Kagome!"

She flinched and broke down all over again.

Koga waved a hand for him to back off as he pulled Kagome closer to him. She laid her head in his lap.

"I'll take care of everything." He mouthed to InuYasha.

InuYasha nodded curtly and turned to walk away. He hated the way things turned out and it didn't help that Kagome's sobs tore at his heart more than he cared to acknowledge. Was it possible that she actually did love him as much as she told him she did?

Kagome sat quietly cutting a small portion of her rib-eye steak with her knife. Then she grabbed her fork that lay next to her plate and jabbed the piece of meat with it. She stuffed it into her mouth and chewed it ravenously, a moan nearly escaping her throat.

She was absolutely gaga about steak.

She noticed Kara and her sister Kagome, whom was named after her staring at her as she ate her food. Every time she took a bite and moaned in delight, the two girls would laugh at her. When they weren't laughing at her, they were mimicking her actions.

Kagome laughed herself at her two nieces as her gaze shifted around the dinner table and came to rest upon Kenshin. He sat near his father, occasionally glancing at him and her. She wasn't for sure how much knowledge he had in the relationship department, but it was safe to assume that he knew there something going on between his father and her.

Kenshin was nearly seven years older than his twin sisters. He was going to be 13 this year. While his sisters may have been oblivious to the tension between the two adults, via their age, he wasn't. He saw the blatantly hot stares that his father gave his aunt, and the curious ones she'd send back his way. In fact, he always had the uncanny knack for catching the two alone together. With his sharp inuyoukai instincts and his keen sense of smell, he knew that whatever feelings and thoughts they had for each other were far from juvenile.

He honestly didn't know why they tried to hide their feelings for each other. He loved Kagome, always had. Not that he didn't love his stepmother Kikyo, in his own way, but Kagome was in his heart in a way that Kikyo never had been. It was his aunt Kagome that always seemed to know how to calm the savage beast that raged within him.

InuYasha shifted his gaze around the dinner table, watching his family as they all sat in the dining room eating. His daughters played and picked over their food, and seemed to be more interested in their aunt than the food on their plates. Kenshin, who had an appetite much like his own father, sat quietly while occasionally gazing at him and his aunt. It was kind of annoying, but it wasn't his fault.

His son wasn't a little boy anymore. He knew sooner or later he was gonna have to have that darn father-son talk he'd been dreading since Kenshin entered Junior High. Kami knows he'd waited long enough and as much as he dreaded talking to him about sex, he knew that he had too. He didn't want him to turn out like he did, who'd gotten his lessons in life from his big sister Sango, who was older than him by five years.

The sound of chairs being pushed to the table and the clatter of plates jarred his thoughts. He watched as his twin daughters skipped away from the dinner table and headed for their bedrooms. They both were worn out from today's activities. Kagome walked away from the table with her and her niece's dinner plates. She took them into the kitchen and then came back to collect his plate and Kenshin's.

"Do you need any help, Aunt Kagome?" Kenshin asked before giving her his plate.

"No I don't, but thanks for the offer honey."

"Well, if anyone needs me I'll be in my room."

Kagome eyed him curiously. "Are you playing with the Wii tonight?"

Kenshin nodded enthusiastically.

"Quick as I'm done in the kitchen, I'm coming up to join you."

Kenshin smiled at Kagome before jetting off to his room.

"Are you done eating InuYasha?" Kagome asked quietly, refusing to look at him.

He stared at her, watching her eyes scan the dining room, looking everywhere except at his face. This was how it had been for the past three days. Ever since the incident between them under the tree, she'd been avoiding him like he was a toxic disease.

"You know, it wouldn't hurt if you'd at least acknowledge my presence."

Kagome flinched in response. "If you're done eating, I'll take your plate into the kitchen."

"I'll take it myself." He muttered.

"Suit yourself." Kagome muttered before going into the kitchen.

InuYasha followed behind her.

Kagome scraped the remains of food from the dinner plates into the garbage and then loaded the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Then she packed the leftover food from the cooking pots into storage containers, carefully placing them inside the refrigerator and freezer.

She washed her hands and dried them before grabbing the homemade icing she'd made earlier today. Her spice cake had cooled enough and now it was time for her to ice it.

InuYasha stomped into the kitchen and dumped his dirty dishes into the dishwasher before settling his gaze onto Kagome. Her back was to him and she was pouring icing onto the cake she'd pulled out of the oven before they ate dinner.

She must've heard him behind her, because she shifted closer to the counter. His anger flared at her. He was getting tired of her ignoring him and flinching as if he'd attack her once they were alone. She had no idea how much her rejection of him irritated him.

"Do you need anything?" She asked so softly that he barely heard her and his ears could hear everything.

"If I did I certainly wouldn't ask you for it."

Kagome shrugged her shoulders in response. It didn't matter to her either way.

InuYasha huffed and groaned behind her.

Kagome continued to ignore him.

"How much longer are you gonna continue to act like this?"

Kagome pretended like she didn't hear him and continued icing her spice cake, smoothing it along every side.

"Kagome?"

"InuYasha?"

"Would you talk to me?"

"I am talking to you."

"Could you at least look at me when you're talking to me?"

"I would but I'm icing my cake."

InuYasha moved from his position and inched his way closer to her.

Kagome shifted uncomfortably as he neared her, despite the fact that she couldn't get any closer to the counter. Her belly was already tightly pressed against it.

"Kagome?" He muttered her name in annoyance.

"Yes."

"Would you stop answering me in one word sentences!"

"Sure. Just let me know what you want."

"Can I talk to you? Please?"

"I am talking to you."

InuYasha growled and slammed his hand against the wall.

Kagome jumped but still refused to turn towards him.

"Would you stop it with this childish game of yours? I'm trying to be an adult and have a civilized conversation with you but you're blatantly ignoring me."

"I hardly call destroying the kitchen walls civilized."

"Well what do you expect me to do? Throwing things and yelling seem to be the only way to get your attention."

"You don't have to do any of those things. I heard you walk into the kitchen minutes ago."

"And yet you refuse to acknowledge my presence?"

"I was icing my cake."

"Stop it! Just stop it! This isn't about that stupid cake of yours and you know it."

Kagome laid the knife she used to ice her cake aside and turned towards Inuyasha, but still refused to let her gaze shift to his face. She could feel his anger nearing its boiling point.

"Okay InuYasha, what is it that you want to talk to me about?"

"Keh. As if you don't already know."

"If you don't have anything to say to me then I'll just take off."

Kagome moved away from the counter and as close to the wall as she could get.

InuYasha sighed in irritation before reaching out to grab her.

"Don't touch me!"

InuYasha ignored her and moved closer, thwarting her attempts to exit the kitchen.

"Don't touch me!"

He smirked before grabbing her wrist roughly and pulling her towards him.

"Let me go!" She said, struggling to get away from him.

"No!"

"Let me go InuYasha!"

"Not until you and I have a talk."

"I don't want to talk to you! Don't you get that?"

"No I don't and neither do I care."

Let me go! I mean it! I'm tired of you grabbing me and tossing me around like I'm not even a person."

InuYasha loosened his grip on her but refused to release her.

"Do you have any idea what personal space is?"

"Do you have any idea how bad it feels when you reject me?"

"I'm not rejecting you. I just don't want to be around you."

"And you don't see that as rejection?"

"That's not rejection, its avoidance. I don't want to be around you because you don't respect anything I have to say."

"I do respect you!"

"You do not! You're always grabbing at me despite the fact that I hate when you do it. I'm not your property InuYasha or an animal, waiting at your beck and call until you decide what you want to do with me."

"It's not like that Kagome. That's not how I see you."

"Then why don't you explain it to me InuYasha! I've done nothing to deserve this kind of treatment from you."

"I don't mean to disrespect you Kagome, honestly. It's just that I can't stand the tension between us."

"Well you put it there. I wanted to talk to you nearly two weeks ago when I first arrived in Furigana. You blew me off and told me to mind my own business. Then you basically threw yourself on me when we were in the back yard a couple of days ago."

InuYasha huffed and looked down at the floor as she hurled accusations at him.

"You made me feel uncomfortable InuYasha."

"You certainly didn't seem uncomfortable to me."

"It doesn't matter if I liked what you were doing or not. I asked you to release me and you wouldn't. I don't know. Maybe you get off on that sort of thing but I don't."

"I can take my time for you, Kagome."

Kagome whined and pushed against him. "This isn't about sex you idiot! It's about boundaries and talking things out like rational adults."

"So, now you want to talk after giving me the silent treatment for the past three days."

"Only because I didn't know what to say to you. Kikyo was my sister and your wife. Don't you feel just a little bit guilty for wanting to sleep with me?"

"No! I don't feel guilty."

Kagome gasped and forced herself to glance at InuYasha.

"Well it's not like you never knew. I wanted you long before I knew your sister existed."

"You're disgusting."

"Am I? Am I really? Because your sister was just as disgusting as I am."

"Don't you dare talk about my sister like that!"

"I will say whatever I want to about my wife! She might've been a good mother, but she was far from perfect."

"So what if she wasn't perfect, neither are you!"

"No, but at least I would've had the decency to cover my tracks if I was gonna have an affair."

Kagome's face fell as she realized immediately that she wasn't going to like InuYasha's next words.

"I may be obsessive, tainted and as imperfect as any other creature but at least I never brought my secrets out in the open for my children to see."

Kagome shook her head and stared at InuYasha.

"Your sister cheated on me repeatedly with that ex of hers. She said it wasn't her fault she couldn't get him out of her system."

Kagome shook her head refusing to believe anything InuYasha said to her.

"Yes she did! She cheated all the time and she didn't care if I knew." InuYasha finally released Kagome. "And the sick thing about it is, I didn't care either. I wasn't in love with her. She wasn't in love with me. We were two brazen individuals who got drunk one night and made a stupid decision that permanently linked our lives together. Kikyo and I never should've gotten together. We were a mistake, a mistake that never should've happened."

"Then why did you marry her?"

"Because I thought it was the right thing to do. I really did, but marrying your sister was the biggest mistake of my life. I wish I would've done things differently back then."

"Don't say that."

"It's the truth Kagome."

"I don't care. I don't want to hear it."

"I wanted you Kagome. It was always you, but I knew I couldn't have you."

Kagome eyes glittered as she turned away from InuYasha. She folded her arms across her chest. He was really tugging on her heartstrings tonight and she wasn't sure how much more she could handle right now.

"You could've had me InuYasha." Kagome spoke so quietly that he almost didn't hear her.

"I couldn't. You were too young back then."

"Then you should've waited, but no. You had to go knock my sister up! Do you have any idea how much that hurt? How much it still hurts when I allow myself to think about it?"

"I'm sorry!"

"I don't care! You chose not to be with me InuYasha even though you knew you wanted to. There's no point in even talking about this."

"The only thing I can say is that I'm sorry Kagome. I never meant to hurt you but I felt horrible for feeling the way I did about you."

"Why? Was loving me disgusting?"

"You know better! And it wasn't even about love then. Not that I don't believe you'd be a great person to love, but I wasn't in love with you. My actions were far from innocent, as they are now."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Kagome said as she forced herself to face him.

"I don't know." He replied grumpily.

Kagome scoffed before glaring at him. "So, why did you guys stay together? Was is for the children or was it just about the sex?"

InuYasha shifted his body uncomfortably and glared at Kagome.

She smirked at him cockily. "Oh yeah sweetheart, I heard. I know all about your dynamic performances in the bedroom. No wonder Kikyo couldn't easily walk away from you." Kagome let her gaze shift from InuYasha's face to his waist and then lower. She winked at him smugly. "I heard it's just as big as your ego. I bet Kikyo could hardly stand after one round."

"Are you jealous?"

"What?"

"You heard me. You're just jealous because it wasn't you!"

"Ooohh super sexy InuYasha. Nobody can resist that hot sexy body." Kagome joked before daringly running her eyes up and down his body again. "How many inches have you got there? 13? 14?" Kagome smiled hotly.

He wasn't intimidated. "Do you even hear yourself talking?" InuYasha replied to her, his patience wearing thin.

"I'm well aware of what I'm saying."

"Really? When did you become so bawdy?"

"I don't know. Maybe when you were knocking my sister up."

"Would you shut up about that! It happened years ago and it doesn't have to have any bearing on the present."

"You'd love it if I just forgot it."

"I don't care if you forget about it or not but you are gonna stop throwing it in my face. Got that!"

Kagome was flabbergasted. Certainly, he wasn't trying to threaten her. She put her hands on her hips and moved closer to him before sending him her fiercest glare.

"What?" He answered smugly.

"You get this! I will talk about what ever I want to. You're not the boss of me. You don't run me. You don't own me and you certainly don't tell me what to do."

InuYasha yawned as if her words didn't matter to him. "Are you finished?"

"No! This thing between us ain't ever gonna happen."

"What?"

"You heard me. Too much has been said and too many people are involved. I'd be crazy to enter into any type of relationship with you."

"Even though you want to?"

"Actually I don't."

"Yeah whatever. You never could resist me. You still can't."

"I'm not that same lovesick, silly little girl who used to look at you as if you hung the moon. I don't want you like that. Maybe I used to but that was a long time ago."

InuYasha stared at her for a long time. His sister in law could talk big but he saw straight through her. She still wanted him. The mere fact that she stood before him trying to convince him that her feelings toward him were dead was absolutely hilarious. His mouth turned up into a smug grin and he laughed in her face. He laughed and laughed until it felt like he'd burst wide open from the very act.

"Sure Honey! Are you trying to convince me or yourself? Have you forgotten what almost happened between us three nights ago? You still want me because you never stopped wanting me and there's nothing you can do or say to change that. I could have you on your back with your legs spread wide in ten minutes flat. You're still lovesick and you're still silly. And if I wanted to, I bet I could still hang that moon up for you."

Kagome grew quiet for a long moment assessing everything he said to her. A distraught sigh moved passed her lips as her heart shattered into a million pieces. How could she love and hate someone so much at the same time? She put up a big façade for him but he saw right though it and her bravado crumbled. She shifted uncomfortably before him, her emotions threatening to break free and spill down her cheeks. She moved her hands from her hips and folded them across her chest, because she knew they had to be shaking by now.

InuYasha's smug smile suddenly dissipated. He smelt the saline in her eyes and although she wasn't crying, he knew it'd be a matter of time before she did. His words stung her to the core and she couldn't shake away the hurt. He felt horrible, absolutely horrible. Things were already bad between them and he'd just made them even worse.

"You are the most heartless, pompous, egotistical, jackass I've ever had the displeasure of knowing."

"Kagome." InuYasha whined.

"I'm not finished! Do you like making me feel like dirt?"

"No, I don't."

"I can't tell! You seem to be really good at it!"

"It's not like that Kagome."

"Yes it is! You drive everybody who cares about you away! No wonder you don't have any friends. You don't deserve any!"

InuYasha stared at Kagome as the tears she'd tried so hard to hold in finally pushed through her chocolate brown eyes and now cascaded down her face.

"You must have had a really crummy child hood."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"No InuYasha! I think I do!"

"Keh."

"Poor little InuYasha. You never did fit in anywhere. Half demon, half human, all bastard."

InuYasha stared at Kagome in wonder. He didn't like being scrutinized but after everything he said to her, he knew he wouldn't escape her wrath unharmed.

"You looked for love in all the wrong places and always came up empty. Nobody wanted to love you. So you built walls around your heart. That way nobody could ever hurt you again."

"Got me all figured out, do you?" InuYasha growled and clenched his fists in anger.

"Yes I do! I know you! I know your kind! You're not the only person who's had a rough life InuYasha but you can't see past your anger."

"You don't know me Kagome. You don't know anything about me!"

"That's where you're wrong sweetheart. I know all I need to know. You're nothing more than a broken-hearted little child trapped in the body of a 30 year old man. You're so pissed off at the world because you grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. Your sister was accepted but you never were. Nobody wanted to be friends with a little half demon."

InuYasha squared his shoulders as his anger flared up in his face. His sister in law was treading on very dangerous ground now. The things she said hit too close to home.

Kagome moved her body closer to him until her knees touched his thighs. Then she poked a finger in his chest.

"There's nothing there, just a big empty hole, a void that's never been filled in your entire existence. There's no love in your life because you don't know how to love. There's a big, ugly stone where your heart is supposed to be. It's rough and it's crude and it's so messed up that it rejects the love that others give to you so freely."

InuYasha grabbed Kagome's hand and pushed her away from him. His demon blood was boiling inside of him and if he wasn't careful, things could quickly go beyond his control.

"No wonder your relationship didn't last with Kenshin's mother. You're immuned to all forms of love."

Kagome sighed before running a hand through her hair. Her emotions were clearly written across her face. She knew what she said tore at InuYasha's heart but she would not relent. Some things just needed to be said.

"You have a beautiful body InuYasha. You're gorgeous. Any girl would want you but she'd just be setting herself up for failure if she pursued you. That beautiful body of yours is all warm on the outside but cold as ice on the inside. I don't know what Kenshin's mom felt for you but it couldn't have been love. It had to be pity. The only thing you had to offer was your body."

InuYasha's eyes flickered with a multitude of emotions and his body shook with rage and yet Kagome continued in her assessment of him. He moved away from her. He had to or she'd never see the light of day again.

"And since your body is all you had to offer your son's mother that's all she could've possibly taken from you. You're all about sex. You equate sex with love. In fact, you don't know the difference between the two. The only reason why you enjoy it so much is because it gives you and emotional connection, an attachment to another human being but that isn't what love truly is. It's more than a physical feeling. It's more than a passing moment in the arms of a stranger. Real love is a profoundly tender and passionate affection. It's a beautiful and incredible and although it hurts sometimes, it's strong enough to endure indifference. That's what real love is all abou InuYasha. I hope one day you get experience it."

Kagome stared at InuYasha for a long time after her emotional speech. He was standing near the kitchen sink, peering out of the window just above it. She had no idea when he moved to stand there but she knew that her words deeply penetrated him in a way no bullet or sword ever could.

InuYasha finally worked up enough courage to face Kagome and when he did he wanted to get as far away as he could from her, but his body wanted to remain in its current position.

With her gaze still on InuYasha, she saw everything. She saw the raw, naked and conflicted emotions clearly painted onto his face. He was vulnerable and way more mentally shaken than he'd ever care to admit. Not only was his ego wounded, some of his hidden secrets were also brought to the surface; some he'd worked hard to keep away from the rest of the world.

"The truth hurts. Doesn't it?"

InuYasha looked away from her again and back towards the window. The way his emotions were raging he didn't trust his voice right now. The powerful flow of his demonic blood continued burning deep inside of him, begging like crazy to be released and set free.

Kagome walked out of the kitchen and away from InuYasha and headed to the room he'd given her. Without a second thought she made a call. It was time for her to leave.

She closed her phone and grabbed her two suitcases. They were thrown onto the bed and whatever article of clothing she could get her hands on was tossed into them. There were more of her clothes in the drawers but she didn't care. She'd packed enough.

She stared quietly at the suitcases before her eyes scanned the room and she felt her heart break just a little bit more. She didn't want to leave. It would hurt the children, but she'd didn't want to hurt their father either. They both had hurt each other tonight. After the fiasco that just transpired between them there was no way she could stay in his home another minute.

She let her gaze flicker over to the window. There was a car light flashing outside. Without a second thought, she grabbed the suitcases from the bed and pushed her way through her temporary bedroom. She moved as quickly and quietly as she could.

All the lights were off and she saw no sign of InuYasha. Everyone was asleep. She shuffled her small feet quickly as she made her way to the front door. She heard the floor squeak and knew immediately that someone was behind her.

She clutched her suitcases tightly and made a mad dash out of the door that led to outside. She ran to her best friend's car and snatched the back door open. The small suitcases were thrown into the car before her small form was stuffed in alongside them.

"Aunt Kagome!"

She froze upon hearing her nephew's voice.

"Don't go!"

Tears immediately spilled down her face as she turned to face him.

"Don't go!" Kenshin said again from the doorway of his home.

"Give me a minute Ayame." Kagome whispered to her best friend.

"Of course." Ayame replied.

Kagome stepped out of the car as Kenshin raced to meet her. He threw his arms around her back, crushing her against his lean chest.

"Don't leave! Please."

"I can't stay here anymore Kenshin!" Kagome mumbled in between tears.

"No! Please. I don't want you to go."

"I know. I don't want to go baby but your father and I can't seem to get along."

"But I thought you guys liked each other."

"I thought we did too but I was wrong. We've done nothing but fight since I've been here and I don't want you and your sisters to get caught in the middle of our arguments. I don't want to see you guys hurt."

"Then don't leave! Please! I love you! I thought you loved me back."

Kagome shuddered as her throat became incredibly tight. She could barely breathe, let alone speak.

"I…..do…..love you…..Kenshin. I've always…..loved you….mun…..ch….kin."

"Then don't leave me. Please! Please Aunt Kagome."

Kagome trembled and shuddered against Kenshin as wet, hot tears poured from her eyes. She could feel Kenshin shaking as he fought hard to hold on to her, afraid that if he let go, she'd slip through his hands. She didn't want to break his heart but living with InuYasha was suicidal and she knew it.

As much as she wanted to be there for her sister's children, she knew she had to find another way other than her current one. If she stayed here she and InuYasha would only argue and fight each other and that would only make matters worse for his children. They'd already lost their mother. They didn't need to deal with anymore heartache.

The sound of the door slamming jarred Kagome away from her thoughts and she looked up from behind Kenshin to come face to face with his father. He was wearing a pair of checkered white and green pajamas, no shirt and his feet were bare. She could tell from the rigid set of his jaw he wasn't in a good mood and things were about to get even uglier between them fast.

"What are you doing out here?" InuYasha spat at his son.

"I wanted to see Aunt Kagome."

"Well, now that you've seen her get in the house and get to bed."

"Dad!"

"Don't dad me! Get in the house now!"

Kenshin cringed and squeezed Kagome.

"You don't have to yell at him InuYasha!"

"When I want your opinion regarding my children, I'll ask for it. Until then, stay out of my business, nosey wench."

"Kenshin is my business!"

"No he's not! He's nothing to you."

"Dad! Don't yell at Aunt Kagome." Kenshin whined.

"That woman is not your aunt and I don't ever want to hear you call her that again!" InuYasha seethed.

"Dad! Don't say that!"

"It's the truth. This woman has no blood ties to you. She's nothing but your former babysitter, nothing more. She doesn't love you, just like her sister didn't love you."

"Bastard!"

"Call me whatever you want to call me. It's the truth and you know it."

"I don't care what you think of my sister but you will not put us into the same category. I wasn't around to see how she treated Kenshin but don't dare tell him that my feelings for him aren't real. I love this boy! I've always loved him as if he were my own."

Kenshin trembled against Kagome as a single tear slipped past his left eye. She had no idea how much he longed to hear her utter those words.

"Well he's not yours! He's mine and I won't be sharing him with the likes of you!"

InuYasha moved closer to Kagome and his son and then tugged at his son's arm.

"No dad! I don't want to leave her!"

"Let her go now! I mean it Kenshin! You don't want to try me, especially tonight!"

Kagome rubbed Kenshin's back and tried to calm him down. "It's okay honey. I'll be okay." She cooed to him softly.

Kenshin finally released her and hesitantly walked away and stood behind his father.

"I love you Aunt Kagome."

"I love you too munchkin."

"Stop it!" InuYasha roared before glaring at Kagome like he wanted to rip her apart.

"What?"

"Stop telling my son you love him!"

"Well he has to hear it from somebody. Kami knows you don't know how to say the word."

InuYasha growled and moved closer to Kagome.

"Don't hurt her dad! Please!"

"Keh. I wasn't gonna hurt her. I just intend to make sure she knows that she's no longer welcome here."

"What? What are you saying dad?"

"I don't want you here anymore Kagome! You're not welcome here anymore. I don't want you anywhere near my house and I don't want you anywhere near my children."

"You can't keep me away from them!"

"I can and I will! If I ever see hide or hair of you anywhere on my property, I'll have your arrested."

"Dad! Please! You don't have to do that!"

"You are not gonna keep me away from them!"

InuYasha smirked. "As of today, you are no longer a part of my children's lives. Get off my property and stay away from my house. You'll never be a part of my children's lives, ever again!"

"I hate you!" Kagome screamed before raising her fist.

"If you're not off my property in the next five minutes, I'm calling the police."

Kagome stood there shaking and trembling. She was so choked up with emotion that she thought she was gonna faint.

Kenshin was reaching for her but his father held him back.

Kagome felt someone tugging on her arm and realized immediately that Ayame had stepped out of her car.

"Kagome honey, we need to go."

Kagome nodded and allowed Ayame to take her back down to the car. She took her former position in the back seat and closed the door. Ayame's engine roared to life and she pulled away from InuYasha's house.

"Aunt Kagome!"

She stiffened in her seat and looked out of the back window. InuYasha had released Kenshin and he was blindly chasing after Ayame's car.

Kagome waved goodbye to him as Ayame car picked up speed and drove away, while Kenshin's tortured cry pierced the dark of night.

Hello People! Yay! I got a chance to update. It's so hard keeping this story rated T. I'm always tempted to go overboard...LOL. Yes, I know InuYasha and Kagome were off the chain in this chapter and they said some pretty ugly things to each other. I have to set up things like that, but don't worry. I have my reasons and you know I won't keep them mad at each other forever. There's still a lot in their past that I have to explain and I will be doing just that in the upcoming chapters. I want to give a big thanks to my faithful readers and their reviews, because I appreciate their interest in this story. Don't forget to leave a review and let me know what you liked or disliked. I love you guys!

HUGS*KISSES

ASIAN DELICACY