Chapter Eight – Love Stories

Inuyasha listened to Kagome as words flowed from her small, pink lips. She held a novel in her hands. He didn't understand any of the words and all of the characters talked weird. When he had asked her what it was called, she had simply answered, "Romeo and Juliet, its Shakespeare." Whatever that meant he wasn't sure.

"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."

"Kagome, what does that mean, exactly?"

Kagome looked up from the book in her hands. She smiled slightly at his curiosity. She liked it when he actually cared about what she was doing or, in this case, reading.

"It is a quote from Romeo. He is talking about Juliet. He is basically saying that he fell in love with Juliet the moment he saw her. It was love at first sight, and he is saying that she is the most beautiful thing he ever saw."

"That's mushy." He grunted. Inuyasha acted like he was back to normal, but his eyes still clouded over every few minutes.

"Well, that is the point. This is a love story. It is about true love, Inuyasha."

"What is so true about love? Love is a lie. All it does it hurt everyone involved."

Kagome watched him talk. She felt pity in her gut. She knew that while he was talking he was personally thinking about his situation fifty years ago with Kikyo. Kagome sighed.

"Perhaps that is true, but to some people, love is well-worth risking pain for."

"Why risk anything? It's completely stupid to risk it."

The young girl stared at him thoughtfully for a moment, trying to think of how to say what she felt in the right way. She didn't want to hurt his pride.

"Sometimes risking your heart is what makes life worth living. If you live inside a shell all of your life, you'll never know what you could have had. Love is the reason that people go to war. If a man didn't love his family, he would have nothing to protect. Love binds all of our relations in some way."

Inuyasha crossed his arms. She had a point, he guessed. But if love was really that important and powerful, then why hadn't it been enough to save Kikyo?

"So, this 'true love' you are talking about here, doesn't it just show itself in its great glory? How do you know whether it is true or not?"

Kagome smiled, closing the book on her finger so that she wouldn't lose her place. At least he wasn't mad or anything.

"It doesn't always happen quickly. Sometimes love grows from nothing. Sometimes it can even appear in the most unexpected places. Did you know that when my mother first gave birth to Sota, I was so jealous?"

"Really?" His golden eyes widened.

"Yes! I was so jealous because Dad and Mom were so interested in Sota and I felt that they loved him more than me. But after a while, I felt bad for how I had acted towards him. And I began to love him slowly but surely. Soon enough, I adored him and I watched him all the time."

"That's different," Inuyasha huffed, "Sota is your brother."

Kagome leaned forward, her chocolate eyes sparkling.

"Then what sort of love are you talking about?"

Inuyasha swallowed. She was only an half a foot away from him now. The slow foggy haze started to slip back into his eyes. He leaned forward slightly, too.

Kagome's heart and breathing stuttered. What was he doing?

"One male and one female. That sort of…love."

Kagome held back a gasp as he reached forward and lifted a bit of her hair between his fingers. He lifted to his nose and closed his eyes, inhaling.

"W-what about t-that?"

"Well, is it possible?"

"I-I suppose it is."

He slowly opened his tawny eyes. Kagome felt the old worry start pounding in her chest, or was that still her heart? She was so confused at the moment. It was beginning to become difficult to think.

"Inuyasha…are you alright?"

"Alright? I've never felt…b-bet…"

He suddenly blinked a few times and his eyes cleared again.

"Uh…I need some more water."

She gulped and nodded, leaning back and pulling another bottle out of her bag. As he swallowed a few more gulps, she opened her book back up with shaky hands.

What on earth is going on? Seriously…I thought…he almost kissed me earlier. And then right there…

Inuyasha cleared his throat.

"So, are you done reading?"

"Um…erm…yes. I'm done."

Kagome closed her eyes and closed the book, sticking it back in her bag.

"I'm going to try to go to sleep, okay?"

"Alright. Don't worry about the storm. I'll…I'll protect you."

Kagome nodded, feeling a smile touch her lips. She lay down on the floor, clutching the robe over her. Slowly, after much stressful thinking, she finally fell asleep.