Just as a warning…put a time skip in here. Make it however long you want. Well, make it relatively short. It can't be too long. Anyway, just remember to insert your own time skip, or you'll get confused!

Otulia: I quit! Surely by now everyone knows you're NOT Rumiko Takahashi in disguise!

Confessions and Confusion

"InuYasha," Kagome inquired, perched upon said hanyou's back. "Where exactly are we going?"

"Weren't you paying any attention before we left?" he grumbled, leaping from treetop to treetop.

(Flashback)

"You guys head back to Kaede's. Kagome and I will catch up later," InuYasha said.

"Alright, but where are you going?" Sango inquired while strapping her hiraikotsu to her back.

"Something's different about Tetsusaiga, and I want to find out what," he explained.

"Can I come?" Shippo asked excitedly.

InuYasha glared at him. "No way, runt."

"Kagome?" he pouted.

She smiled endearingly at him. "Why don't you go with Miroku and Sango this time, okay?"

(End)

"So we're going to find out something about Tetsusaiga. That doesn't explain where," she retorted.

"We're going to visit Totosai, stupid. Where else would I be going if it involves Tetsusaiga?"

"Oh," Kagome replied sheepishly. "Alright then." Sighing, she allowed herself to relax, knowing InuYasha wouldn't let her fall. Her arms snaked around his neck in a sort of gentle embrace. "InuYasha…thank you…"

"Feh," was his standard reply. But he was infinitely grateful she couldn't see the blush that had worked its way onto his face.

"I can't believe the old geezer moved his forge again! Just when I actually want to talk to him, too!" Kagome walked alongside him, smiling at his complaints. She was reminded of the days when she had first come to the feudal era, and it was just her and InuYasha searching for the jewel shards, before they had met Miroku, Shippo, or Sango.

Suddenly, a familiar sensation tickled at the edge of her mind, and she stopped in her tracks. "I sense jewel shards coming this way," she informed InuYasha when he gave her an inquiring look.

He immediately tensed. "Is it Naraku?"

"Actually, I think it's…"

Before she could finish her thought, the very demon she had expected flew out of nowhere and kicked InuYasha away from her, taking him spot by her side.

"…Kouga."

Spluttering, InuYasha picked himself off the ground. "What was that for, you mangy wolf?"

Ignoring him, as was his custom, he took Kagome's hands in his own. "I picked up your scent Kagome, and wanted to make sure mutt face here wasn't—Hey, what's wrong?"

Kagome, feeling the touch of his hands on hers, and hearing him speak, was instantly reminded of Akemiro, and had involuntarily squeaked in fear and retreated behind InuYasha.

Kouga was sorely confused. "What did I do?" he asked helplessly.

Kagome, ashamed of her reaction, said over InuYasha's shoulder, "I'm sorry, Kouga. It's not your fault. It's just…"

InuYasha finished the explanation for her, somberly saying, "Naraku pulled a dirty trick. It was low, even for him."

It took a moment for this news to register with the wolf demon, but when it did, he was furious. "You let something happen to her, didn't you, you worthless mutt?"

InuYasha remained silent, knowing to deny the accusation would be lying.

"It wasn't his fault," Kagome interjected, wanting to avoid a fight between the two if at all possible.

The wolf-demon ignored her. "Damn you, InuYasha! How dare you let something happen to her! You worthless half-breed, you can't even protect Kagome properly!"

Here, InuYasha snapped. "Shut the hell up, will ya'? I know she got hurt! I was there, dammit! But I ain't about to let it happen again, you got that, you mangy wolf?"

Kagome stepped in between them. "Kouga, listen..."

"Kagome, you're coming with me. It's clear dog breath here isn't fit to protect you."

"The hell she is! What makes you think you can just waltz off with her anytime you want?"

"Because, unlike you, I'll be able to keep her safe, that's why!"

"She'll be safe with me! Besides, I promised her I'd stay by her side!"

"You think promises from a filthy hanyou matter? I should just kill you know and save myself a lot of trouble!"

"SHUT UP!"

Both of them looked at Kagome in surprise. She was standing there with her fists clenched, eyes shining with unshed tears. "Kouga, just shut up! It's not InuYasha's fault that I got hurt! If you have to blame someone, then blame Naraku! InuYasha did everything he could to protect me! And I am NOT going anywhere with you! So just forget about it and leave us alone!"

InuYasha stared at her in shock. Either everything that had happened recently was causing her a severe amount of stress, she had lost it completely, or he was hallucinating. He figured it was probably the first.

Kouga also stared at her in shock. "Kagome…you don't know what you're saying. Why would you want to stay with this half-breed? You'll be much safer with me!"

"You want to know why? I'll tell you why! InuYasha is always there for me! He risks his own life time after time again to protect me, and I trust him with my life! And even though he can be annoying, rude, and sometimes downright impossible to put up with, I stay with him because I love him! So just GO AWAY!" She fell to her knees, furiously trying to wipe away her tears amid a shocked silence.

Slowly, as if in a stupor, Kouga backed away. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Kagome…his Kagome, his future mate…was in love with the mutt?

InuYasha was in a similar stupor. He could hardly believe his ears. Kagome had just shouted to the world that she loved him. It seemed so surreal…almost too good to be true. He knelt beside her silently and put a clawed hand on her shoulder. "Kagome?"

"I…I'm sorry, InuYasha. I…I shouldn't have…have said that…but…"

"Did you mean it?"

She nodded dumbly, unable to find her voice.

She suddenly found herself encircled by a pair of strong arms, her already blurry vision clouded by a wall of silver hair. "InuYasha?"

"I want you to know that…that I feel the same," he murmured, pulling her closer.

Kouga watched the scene unfold as his heart was breaking. Somehow, he wasn't at all surprised, but it hurt nonetheless. Fists clenched at his sides, he turned and stalked off, a single tear making its way down his face.

Suddenly, InuYasha sat back and slapped at his neck. Myoga floated down into his palm, flat as a pancake. "Did I, er, interrupt something?" he asked sheepishly, taking note of the heavy blush staining both his and Kagome's faces.

"Hey, Myoga, you wouldn't happen to know where we can find Totosai, would you?" Kagome asked, changing the subject.

"As a matter of fact, I do."

With the village in sight, Shippo had darted ahead, tired of the silence that pervaded the group in the absence of Kagome and InuYasha. Miroku was seated atop Kirara in front of Sango, wincing every time he moved.

"Once we get back to Kaede's I'm, sure she'll have something to ease your pain," Sango said quietly.

"Stop worrying so much, my dearest Sango. I'll make a speedy recovery."

She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder a moment. "You do that," she whispered, more to herself than to him. "I don't like seeing you in pain."

Just had to add that bit at the end. Yeah, not too happy with this chapter. See, the whole confession thing played out a lot better on the little television inside my head. But I honestly couldn't see InuYasha being the first to confess his feelings, and so, here you have it. And, be happy! Two updates in one day! Now someone please leave me reviews!!! Please? I haven't gotten a single one in the twelve or so hours since I last updated, and I'm lonely!!!