Disclaimer: We don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

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Italicized—The Inscription

Bold—Thoughts

"Blah... Blah... Blah..."—Talking

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Definition(s);

1. Go–shinboku: God Tree.

2. Oi: Hey.

3. Ojii–chan: Grandfather.

4. Haori: Fire Rat Robe.

5. Hanyou: Half-Demon and/or Half-Breed.

6. San: A formal way of calling an aquaintance.

7. Kun: Is often used by girls to call their male counterparts of the same level or grade.

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Summary: (One-Shot) Inuyasha discovers the meaning of Valentine's Day and decides to give Kagome the surprise of her life.

With Love

He woke up feeling refreshed for once. His body was rejuvenated and full of energy, which was odd considering that she was not with him. Usually, he couldn't sleep without having her calming presence near him. Whenever she was away in her time, it was like torture for him. It felt as though he was missing a part of himself and Shippou certainly did not make it any easier.

He was constantly asking questions like, "How much longer is it going to take?", "Is it time for Kagome to come back?", "What do you think she'll bring me?", "Is she coming back...?"

The last day, before she came back, was always the worst. He was always at the edge—being pushed farther and farther away with each minute of withdrawal, with each minute of nervous anticipation for her appearance and Shippou's whining always drove him to the point of madness. But, today... today was different. Usually, he felt worse after having such a horrible day before. But, for some strange reason, today he couldn't pinpoint why he felt so refreshed and excited.

He jumped down from the Go–shinboku and without a word to his sleeping comrades, took off in a full run towards the well. It was a beautiful morning; crisp and clear. He made it to the well within minutes and jumped in without a second thought. As the magic twirled and sizzled around him, he thought about what he would say to her when he arrived. He knew that she would berate him for showing up early and that she would refuse to go back with him until she finished up dawdling around in her own time.

He knew this. It came to him as no surprise on just how stubborn she could be. But, he didn't care if she was ready to go back; he just needed to be around her, to be surrounded by her calming scent and presence. Of course, he would never tell her that for fear that she would reject him. Instead, he'd just start a verbal fight with her—as he always did—and let her get angry with him because he was used to it—he didn't know how to react when it came to feelings of love.

But, there was a certain feeling he enjoyed experiencing and that feeling was pleasure. Pleasure at seeing her all riled up; she was absolutely breathtaking when she was ticked off with him. He sighed when he arrived in her time and jumped out of the well to find himself overcome with darkness. He was used to seeing in the dark and he immediately found his way to exit the well house.

Yes, it was indeed true that Inuyasha was a glutton for punishment. He particularly found her sexy when she was angry enough to S–I–T him. She always got this determined look on her face that brought out her beauty like nothing else, so being sat wasn't as bad as he made it out to be. If he stopped to think about it, then he would reluctantly admit that he rather enjoyed being sat.

"Feh," Inuyasha grumbled as he opened the doors belonging to the well house and let the sun engulf him—it seemed as though his inner beast didn't enjoy her dominance over him, but rather enjoyed dominating her.

He sprang to up into the Go–shinboku, before jumping off to perch himself on Kagome's window–sill. Opening the window and sitting on the edge, Inuyasha noticed that Kagome was asleep in that pink bed of hers. Inhaling deeply, he instantly felt himself relax as her scent overwhelmed and seized his senses. Just as he began to feel calm, Kagome's bedroom door flew open with a shuttering bang and startled Inuyasha out of Kagome's window and onto the cold, hard ground below.

"Inuyasha? Oh, no! Are you okay?" Came the small, familiar voice of Kagome's younger brother, Souta.

A loud snort was Inuyasha's only reply as he slowly sat up, trying to recover from the hard blow.

"I'm-so-sorry! I-thought-I-heard-you-and-well-I-need-to-talk-to-you-about-something-and-I-thought-you-would-have-heard-or-smelled-me-coming-since-you're-a-demon-and-all-so-I-didn't-think-I'd-have-to-warn-you-and-well-I'm-nervous-and-well-I-just-really-need-to-talk-to-you-about-something-I-can't-even-sleep-and-well-can-I-talk-to-you?"

Having no idea what Souta was babbling about and being thoroughly annoyed at his predicament, a 'feh' was the only thing Inuyasha could manage to get out of his mouth.

Souta took that as a 'yes' and screeched, "Don't move! I'll be right down."

Inuyasha, still stunned, simply sat there, trying to figure out what happened and what the hell was wrong with that 'boy' Kagome called her brother.

Is he possessed by a demon? Inuyasha pondered incredulously, before shaking his head. No, I don't smell one, so...

Before he could even finish his thought, Souta came flying out of the house in his night clothes and ran to Inuyasha's side.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Souta asked breathlessly once he reached Inuyasha's side.

"Feh," Inuyasha sniffed, not wanting to be considered weak.

"Oh, yeah. You must be okay since you're a demon and all. Well, I need to talk to you about something. You see, Valentines Day is this week and well, you know my girlfriend, right? Of course you do since you helped me ask her out, but I don't know what to get her! And I don't want to give her the normal stuff like flowers or candy. I want to get her something, well, something... special, you know?"

Souta waited for Inuyasha's answer quite impatiently. Inuyasha shook his head once again and tried to clear his thoughts so he could make sense of the puzzle Souta was trying to convey to him.

"What are you talking about, kid? Are you sick or something?" Inuyasha questioned, looking completely and utterly baffled.

He stared at Souta with curious, pensive eyes, as if trying to decipher whether or not he was sick.

"No, I'm not sick. I just don't know what to do," Souta replied in a pitiful whimper.

"Listen pup, I have no idea what you're babbling about," Inuyasha grumbled, shaking his head to try and break the daze he was in.

"Okay. I understand, Inuyasha," Souta whispered with a small frown as he dug his foot into the dirt.

Inuyasha could hear the disappointment in his voice and watched as Souta turned away from him to walk dejectedly back into the house. Feeling a tad bit guilty, Inuyasha jumped back into Kagome's room and what he saw surprised him.

She's sleeping? Unable to understand how Kagome had been able to sleep through all the noise he and Souta had made, he shook his head in amazement and sat by Kagome's bed, inhaling her calming scent once more; his body immediately relaxed.

Sighing, Inuyasha could not believe how bad this day had gone in only a few minutes. His molten eyes drifted shut as he concentrated on her breathing. Just as he was about to fall asleep, a loud, screeching noise jolted him from his rest and Inuyasha's fluffy, triangular ears immediately flattened against his head. Bristling with alarm, he watched Kagome jolt awake.

"Oh, no! I'm late," Kagome squealed loudly—her voice was several octaves higher than it should have been—and jumped out of bed, only to land on Inuyasha.

Immediately, Inuyasha braced Kagome's fall, but her elbow rammed into his ribs with more force than he would have expected.

Grunting in pain, he managed to wheeze out, "Oi, wench, watch where you're going."

"Inuyasha? Oh, no! Are you all right? Wait a minute—what are you doing here?" Kagome questioned, her blue eyes capturing Inuyasha's in a stare full of confusion.

She had yet to notice that their faces were inches apart and Inuyasha's strong, but beautiful hands were gripping her waist.

Annoyed that he wasn't answering her, Kagome tried again—a little less patiently, "Well! What are doing here? I told you I'd be back tonight."

"Feh. I just wanted to make sure you got back on time since you're always late, wench," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Whatever. Can you let me go now? I need to get to school and I'm already late," Kagome managed to get out—her face turned an unbearably cute shade of red when she finally noticed the position she and Inuyasha were in.

Inuyasha sighed and took Kagome's words as a sign of rejection. Slowly, his fingers lessened their grip on her slender waist until he finally let her go—he managed to avoid eye contact with Kagome for fear that she would see the hurt and vulnerability in his sun-bright eyes. Quickly shaking off those feelings, he turned to look at Kagome. She was only mildly angry as her eyes sparked her discontentment into his.

He could feel her breath on his face and had to restrain himself from placing his lips upon her own. He noticed she still hadn't moved and—thinking she enjoyed their closeness as much as he did—smirked. Kagome—realizing what she was doing—let out an 'eep' and quickly got up; she started running frantically around her room to search for her school uniform. Once she was sure she had everything she needed, Kagome ran into the bathroom and locked the door behind her.

Faintly, Inuyasha heard Kagome turning the knobs of the shower on as he tried to understand what had happened between them moments before in his mind. He didn't know how long he sat on Kagome's soft, plush carpet, but Inuyasha did hear the water in the bathroom shut off and after several minutes, Kagome quickly came out, smelling fresh and clean. Quickly gathering her things together, she stuffed them into her backpack in a disorderly fashion.

Once she was sure she had everything she needed, Kagome turned to Inuyasha and gave him a breathtaking smile that made her face glow, "I have to go to school now. Do you want to walk with me?"

Inuyasha nodded and followed Kagome down into the kitchen where he could smell the wonderful aroma of—what he learned to call—'breakfast'.

"Hello, dear. Souta told me you were here, so I made some extra food. Would you like some?" Kagome's mother asked, beaming as she slithered her way towards Inuyasha to rub his ears.

Inuyasha nodded and sat down, lowering his face as he did so—he tried to hide the blush that was beginning to make its way towards his beautiful cheek bones. Kagome's mother always did manage to embarrass him by doing that, but he didn't care because she was, after all, Kagome's mother. Inuyasha scanned the table to see a still dejected-looking Souta with his head down and pushing the food around his plate. He was helpless to stop the rush of guilt that surged through his body, even though he had no idea how to help Souta.

Maybe I should ask Kagome's mom how to help the pup when I get back from taking Kagome to school, Inuyasha mused thoughtfully as his eyes moved away from Souta's depressed form and onto Kagome's rather eccentric grandfather.

When their eyes met, he spat out 'demon be gone' and threw a small strip of paper at him.

Kagome's eyes grew wide with surprise and she hissed, "Ojii-chan, stop that!"

Inuyasha blinked, realizing it was a dud once again and smiled at the old fart, who returned his smile with a slight malicious gleam in his eye. They started to eat and Kagome noticed that Souta was acting odd.

"Souta, are you all right?" Kagome asked with concern.

Souta sighed, "I'm fine, sis."

Kagome shrugged and continued to eat.

After a few minutes of small talk and eating, Kagome turned her attention to Inuyasha and said, "I have to go now, Inuyasha. See you later Ojii-chan, Souta. Thanks, mom."

Her mother smiled and waved goodbye, "Inuyasha, do you want to go shopping with me when you get back?"

Inuyasha turned and nodded. Smiling, Kagome's mother waved goodbye once more. Walking out of the house, both Kagome and Inuyasha felt quite content.

"I wonder what was wrong with Souta this morning," Kagome said out of the blue as she and Inuyasha walked down the shrine's steps.

Inuyasha looked away from her to hide the guilt in his eyes and with a small shrug of indifference, stuffed his hands in his haori.

"Well then, I guess I'll have to try and get it out of him later," Kagome quipped as determination settled over her feminine features.

"Hey, Kagome!"

Jumping with surprise, Kagome turned her head to see her childhood friends—Ayumi, Yuka and Eri—trying to catch up with both her and Inuyasha.

Oh, no! Inuyasha! He's not wearing a hat. They'll see his ears! Oh, God! Kagome thought with growing panic.

Turning to Inuyasha, she noticed that he was already looking at her with worry evident in his molten colored irises.

"Quick, Inuyasha, we have to get out of here or else they'll see you," Kagome rushed out in one breath, her head inclining towards her friends who were catching up to them with amazing speed.

"Please. We have to get out of here. Please," Kagome begged—her blue eyes were wide with distress as she tugged on his hand.

Nodding, Inuyasha masked his pain, thinking that Kagome was ashamed of him. He released her hand and dropped to a crouch in front of her.

"Get on," Inuyasha ordered, his voice taking on a rough edge.

"Like this?" Kagome asked softly as she settled her weight on Inuyasha's back; she clasped her arms around his neck and Inuyasha grasped the undersides of her thighs and heaved her up.

"Hold on tight," Inuyasha said before taking off.

He ascended the building in one great leap, landing on the flat surface of the roof for a moment, before running with his hanyou strength in the direction of Kagome's school. He reveled in her slight weight upon his back and unconsciously caressed the skin on the underside of her thighs. Inuyasha allowed a small smile to grace his lips as he listened to Kagome's soft gasps and shy but delighted giggles as she enjoyed the feeling of the wind rushing through her hair.

However, Inuyasha was not prepared when Kagome's intoxicating scent took on a spicy scent and grazed his sensitive nose. Almost immediately, Inuyasha recognized the spice laced in her scent. He had often smelt it before when Sango was around that perverted monk. Why, Inuyasha would never know. But, before it had even started, it was over and they had arrived at Kagome's school.

Inuyasha lowered his body, allowing Kagome to slide off of his back. And slide she did... in the most pleasant, yet painful manner that left Inuyasha panting and breathless.

"Inuyasha, are you okay?" Kagome asked, placing her small, nimble fingers on his shoulder.

Inuyasha averted his eyes away, feeling terribly guilty. For what, he did not know. But, guilt was the feeling that consumed him.

"I'm—I'm fine," he answered gruffly.

Perhaps a little too gruffly because Kagome stumbled away from him as if she'd been burnt. But, he didn't have time to think about that because his erection was becoming too painful to bear. And before Kagome could get another word in, Inuyasha was gone.

xXx

Kagome watched Inuyasha practically race away from her with baffled, blue eyes.

What was that all about? Kagome wondered curiously. Did I do something wrong?

Biting her bottom lip worriedly, Kagome wasn't even able to think about Inuyasha because a loud chorus of "Kagome's!" was heard. Turning around in surprise, she was startled to see Eri, Yuka and Ayumi running towards her. Once they reached her, Kagome allowed them to catch their breath.

"Kagome! We could have sworn we saw you this morning with some guy! Was that the two–timing boyfriend you're always talking about?" Eri asked breathlessly, her cheeks flushed.

"Eh," Kagome said, taking a step back. "Wha–what are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb, Kagome! We saw you with your boyfriend and boy is he gorgeous! Does he have a brother?" Ayumi—the only one who seemed to support Kagome and Inuyasha—asked.

Similar gasps of shock and surprise flew out of Eri and Yuka's mouth.

"Ayumi!" They hissed in angry unison.

"What?" The curly haired teen asked innocently. "It's true. He's gorgeous! And that hair! Wow! What I'd give to have all that pretty hair!"

Ayumi fingered her dark curls with a small, wistful smile; Yuka and Eri shook their head at their naïve friend.

"Eh. Heh. Heh. Um, uh, you could say that he has a brother," Kagome answered nervously, trying to inch away from each girl's probing gaze.

Sesshoumaru does count as a brother, even if he is Inuyasha's half-brother, right? Kagome frowned pensively.

Oh, yeah. A half-brother who wants to kill Inuyasha every time they see each other, her conscience stated sarcastically.

"Really?" Ayumi asked eagerly as a bright smile broke out on to her face.

"Um, yeah. He does," Kagome answered, still trying to inch away from her friends.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Yuka tittered, noticing Kagome trying to discretely get away from them.

"We want answers and we want them now. Why'd you run away from us this morning?" Yuka demanded, settling her slender digits on her slim hips.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, the expression in her eyes almost guileless.

"Oh, please, Kagome! We saw you this morning with that two–timing boyfriend of yours and then, out of nowhere, you suddenly disappeared into thin air!" Eri cried, throwing her arms in the air out of frustration. "And what was up with his gaudy red outfit?"

"Eh, well, I–" Kagome started, but was cut off by Ayumi.

"Hey! I liked his outfit. I found it almost... sweet."

Winking at Kagome slyly, Ayumi was ready to take on Eri and Yuka's wrath. Kagome silently thanked Ayumi and slipped away from her friends unnoticed.

"Ayumi, you like any outfit that zooms past you. Even the most hideous ones. Were you blind or did you not see that two–timers outfit?" Yuka asked, looking pointedly at the curly haired girl.

"Never mind that!" Eri cried, waving her arms about frantically. "I just want to know how they disappeared that fast. Now Kagome–eh?"

All three girls noticed Kagome's disappearance and Eri felt her face flush a dull red color as she stomped her foot on the ground.

"Again! She disappeared again! Argh, this is twice in one day... great. Just... great."

xXx

Running as fast as he could, Inuyasha found his mind racing—it was getting worse. He had the hardest time keeping control over his body when he was around her.

Why can't it be like the first time we met? He inwardly groaned. I had no problems then... Well, with the exception that I had thought that she was Kikyou and I wanted to rip her apart for shattering the jewel... Oh, and that S–I–T thing used to piss me off... but it doesn't anymore. Now, I find myself antagonizing her to get her mad.

His body ached—emotionally and physically—and he forced himself to slow down and relax, realizing that he couldn't go back to the shrine in the condition he was in. Standing on top of a building, Inuyasha closed his eyes, raised his head and took deep, calming breaths with flared nostrils as he tried to divert his thoughts away from her—he wanted to think of something that could help him not think about her, but his mind was blank, except for his thoughts about Kagome.

Deciding some exercise would help get his mind off of things, Inuyasha started to run again. He let his mind run free and just enjoyed the feel of the wind in his hair.

xXx

Inuyasha reached the Higurashi shrine within a matter of minutes and was already starting to feel better. He was not surprised when he saw Kagome's mother standing by the Go–shinboku, nor was he surprised when she smiled at him and told him it was time to leave. However, he was surprised when she took a hold of his hand.

Inuyasha flushed dully, "Mrs. Hi–Higurashi?"

"Yes, Inuyasha?" Mrs. Higurashi answered.

"What is Valne–Valen–uh, I don't know what the pup called it, but he was babbling about candy and flowers and normal stuff," Inuyasha muttered, looking vainly confused.

Mrs. Higurashi laughed softly and answered him, "Oh, you must be talking about Valentines Day, Inuyasha. It's a day that celebrates love."

"Love...?" Inuyasha echoed, a warm feeling settling in the pit of his stomach.

"Yes, Inuyasha. Love," Mrs. Higurashi stated, clasping her hands together as her eyes began to glimmer with unexplainable joy.

"Because it's such a profound feeling of tender affection for another person and Valentine's Day allows that person to show their love for the other person by sharing a mutual exchange of love notes in the form of Valentine's Day cards. I know a place where they sell Valentine's Day cards, Inuyasha. Do you want one?" Mrs. Higurashi questioned, blinking up at Inuyasha with her round, brown eyes.

Inuyasha shook his head and for the first time today, smiled a genuine smile that reached his molten colored orbs because this... this gave him an idea.

"Well then, let's move on, shall we? We have a lot of things to do today," Mrs. Higurashi stated brightly.

Vaguely, Inuyasha felt himself nod, Yes... I do.

xXx

A frustrated sigh rustled past Kagome's mouth. She found herself unable to focus on what was being discussed in class and often found her mind wandering towards what had happened between herself and Inuyasha this morning.

I just don't understand him sometimes. First, he acts odd and then, when we were–I thought everything was going well... and then he left so abruptly, Kagome cupped her face in her hands. Which reminds me, why did Inuyasha come back so early when he knew I'd be back tonight? Even Souta was acting odd today...

Just when she thought she would scream, the bell rang, signaling that class was over for the day. Kagome let out a sigh of relief and gathered her things together, before quickly stuffing them into her bag as she exited the classroom. She made her way through the crowded hallways and ignored the people who called her name as she reached the doors that allowed her the freedom to leave. She felt as though she were about to suffocate and finally pushing through the last few bodies in her way, opened the door.

She let the air engulf her as she took in a deep breath to clear her head. Looking around for a glimpse of red, Kagome's stomach sank when she realized that he wasn't there waiting for her. Taking one last glance around the front of the school yard, she sullenly hurried towards the shrine, continuing to ignore the voices calling her name. She quickly passed through the streets, weaving in and out of the faceless crowds of bodies that passed her by. When she finally reached the shrine steps, she quickly jumped them two by two.

Cresting the top of the stairs, Kagome lifted her head to look at the Go–shinboku, hoping to see Inuyasha leaning up against it, awaiting her return... but he wasn't there.

Where is he? She let out an agitated sigh.

Suddenly, a warm, strong hand grabbed her by the wrist and guided her body to turn around.

"Inu–"

However, when she lifted her eyes, Kagome noticed that it wasn't Inuyasha standing in front of her. Instead, it was Houjou.

"Higurashi–san, could you not hear me calling your name? I have been following you since school," Houjou smiled and Kagome was able to make out the dimples denting his smooth, almost pretty face.

"Oh, no. I guess I was just in a hurry and didn't hear you. Sorry, Houjou–kun," Kagome blushed.

"It's okay. I understand, Higurashi–san," Houjou stated, thinking Kagome's hearing had gone bad due to all of her 'illnesses'.

"You look healthy, Higurashi–san. Does this mean you've recovered from your bunions?" Houjou questioned, looking genuinely concerned.

Kagome gaped at him and made a mental note to kill her grandfather the next time she saw him, Bunions! Ojii-chan is so dead the next time I see him.

Forcing a pleasant smile on to her face, Kagome answered Houjou, "Oh, yes. I feel just fine, Houjou–kun. You know me, just thinking about school is all."

"Higurashi–san, you know I'd be happy to help you with anything you need. In fact, I have some special sandals for you... They help to elevate the pain and prevent them further," Houjou muttered as he reached into his bag to retrieve the gift.

Oh, God! Why me? And to think that I once liked this boy, Kagome giggled giddily. How things have changed! How I've changed...

Houjou looked up at Kagome's laugh of merriment and smiled, "Kagome, I've been wanting to ask you something for a while now... You know, Valentine's Day is coming up and well, there's a function at school and I was wondering if you would like to go with me. You know, be my date?"

"That is, of course, if you are feeling up to it," Houjou added hastily.

Kagome stared at Houjou in astonishment; his face was full of anticipation. She decided that standing in front of Houjou never felt so awkward and Kagome had to reluctantly admit that she no longer had feelings for him as she had before. In fact, he was quite boring in her eyes now... because he wasn't Inuyasha.

Searching the shrine's ground, Kagome tried to think of something to say that would let Houjou down easy because she didn't want to crush his feelings, He's still my friend, but I feel bad for turning him down...

"Houjou–kun... I'm flattered that you would ask me to the school dance, but I think that Eri would be a much better match for you. She's a great dancer and I'm afraid that I'm not up to it when you consider my condition and all," Kagome smiled prettily and patted Houjou's hand soothingly with her own. "Thank you, but I think I'll have to pass..."

... Because I love someone else...

xXx

Leaning against the trunk of a tree in the school yard, Inuyasha gazed at the clear, blue sky, his mind racing with many thoughts. The shopping trip with Kagome's mother was interesting to say the least and now, he found himself anxiously awaiting his partner for the afternoon. The door snapped open and soon, bodies started flowing through the door. Inuyasha gazed at the parade of school girls and boys as he searched for the familiar eyes of his target.

Searching hundreds of eyes, Inuyasha finally found his target, who still managed to look dejected. Not realizing he had company, Souta jumped when Inuyasha landed beside him and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, kid," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Inuyasha? What are you doing here?" Souta asked curiously.

"I got an idea today when I went shopping with your mom. Come on, pup. Let's go," Inuyasha stated as he guided Souta out of the school grounds and onto the street.

"But, where are we going, Inuyasha? I have homework to complete and I still have to find something to give to my–"

Inuyasha cut him off, "I know! That's why I'm here, pup. So, shut up and trust me, 'kay?"

Souta nodded, even though he knew Inuyasha didn't see it since he was busy dragging him to only God knew where.

xXx

Humming to himself softly, Souta jumped up the last shrine steps to see Kagome resting on the bench near the well house.

"Hey, sis. What's going on?" Souta sang happily.

"Wow, Souta, you look a lot better than you did this morning. What happened?" Kagome asked, curious as to what had caused his extreme mood change.

"Aw, it's nothing, I was just worried about a test at school and I did fine. That's all," Souta grinned cheekily as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand—he hated the fact that he had to conceal the truth from Kagome.

"That's great, Souta. Say, have you seen Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, glancing around the shrine's grounds again—she missed the nervous twitch her brother made.

"Nope. I haven't seen Inuyasha since this morning," Souta mumbled as he turned away from Kagome to walk back into the house. "I've got some homework to complete, sis. Later."

Was it me or was Souta still acting a bit odd...? Oh, well, at least he looks happier... Where's Inuyasha? Kagome sighed softly. I need to get my stuff together anyway. I bet by then I'll see Inuyasha.

Kagome stood up and dusted the dirt away from her school uniform's skirt. Taking one last look around the shrine's grounds and then up at the clear, blue sky, she began to make her way towards her house. Strolling into the kitchen, she saw that her mother was making dinner.

"Mom, did everything go well today when you went shopping with Inuyasha?" Kagome asked curiously.

"Yes, dear. Everything went well. Why do you ask?" Kagome's mother asked as she began to chop up the celery she was going to use in the soup for dinner.

"I don't know. I just find it weird that he's not here since he was here this morning," Kagome huffed as she plopped down into a chair at the table, before placing her chin in the palm of her hand.

"Kagome, you really shouldn't worry about it. Inuyasha's a strong, young, resourceful man. Now, I think you should get your things together before dinner so that you can take a bath and eat before you leave. I placed all of the things you asked me to get in your room. Hurry along because dinner will be ready soon," Kagome's mother shooed her out of the kitchen.

Staring at her mother's back incredulously, Kagome couldn't help but wonder, What's wrong with everyone today? Am I the only one who's actually normal?

xXx

It was approximately 7:15 P.M. when Kagome heaved her heavy backpack over the Bone Eaters wells' lip and sat down on the edge to catch her breath, Wow, that was a lot heavier than I expected it to be. Where's Inuyasha when I need him?

She scanned the clearing in the forest and after few minutes of looking around, she took a deep breath and—now knowing that Inuyasha wouldn't be coming for her—picked up her heavy backpack as she began to make her way towards the village. However, on her way to the village, Kagome caught a flash of red out of the corner of her eye and turning her head to the side, she squinted in the slight darkness. Still seeing the sliver of red, she began to make her way towards it.

What she saw surprised her; flowers littered the area and the dying rays of the sun filtered through the leaves gently, dappling the area in ethereal light. And in the middle of the clearing was the glinting red light of Inuyasha's haori.

"What exactly is—" Kagome glanced around the pleasant–looking foliage. "—This?"

"I had a very interesting day with your mother today, Kagome," Inuyasha started softly, as if Kagome hadn't spoken at all. "And do you want to know what I learned?"

Inuyasha's molten eyes darkened to an amber tint—they unnerved Kagome because they were trained solely on her and reminded her of God and a starving man all at once.

She swallowed hastily and stared at Inuyasha with wide eyes, "No, Inuyasha. I don't know. What did you learn?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper; Inuyasha smirked, "In your time, Kagome, February fourteenth is a traditional day in which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's Day cards, often anonymously."

Kagome's heart leapt into her throat, Does he mean...?

"But, I think that's completely ridiculous. Don't you, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

"I... I... Um, yes," Kagome answered—her voice was hoarse and her eyes were large.

"So do I, which is why I didn't get you a Valentine's Day card. Instead, I got you this..."

Kagome gaped at the small, black velvet box that Inuyasha held in his hand, wondering why she hadn't noticed it before, "Is that...?"

Placing the black box in her hand, Inuyasha swallowed hard.

"Open it," Inuyasha commanded softly—his voice was dry and scratchy.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome slowly lifted the lid and drew in a sharp intake of breath when she saw the heart–shaped, golden colored pendant within. It reminded her of the necklace she'd given him before. In fact, it looked sort of familiar. However, there was something new on the front of the pendant that she'd never seen before.

Squinting, Kagome read the inscription; To Kagome, With Love.

Her eyes watered with tears and a lump formed in her throat. Opening the pendant, Kagome realized that the pendant was the same exact one she'd given Inuyasha a while ago when she saw the slightly worn out pictures of Inuyasha and herself—Kagome stared at Inuyasha's face and the first thing she recognized was the smirk she came to love and loved to hate.

Lifting her tear–stained eyes to stare at Inuyasha, Kagome couldn't help but ask, "Is this why...?"

She trailed off into a slightly defeated mumble and her white teeth were illuminated in the faint rays of the sun as they sunk into her full lower lip.

"Is this why you pushed me away earlier?" Kagome asked softly.

Not expecting that question, Inuyasha's eyes softened considerably, even though his voice was still gruff when he spoke, "Yes."

"Oh, Inuyasha," Kagome whispered, her voice breathless.

"Will you... Will you, uh, wear it?" Inuyasha asked as he began to fidget nervously.

Kagome smiled prettily and nodded. Taking off the unbearably heavy backpack, Kagome handed Inuyasha the necklace and turned around. Moving her hair out of the way, Inuyasha made sure that his claws didn't graze Kagome's long, creamy swan–like neck. Fingering the pendant with a wistful smile, Kagome turned her head to look at Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, how did you get this engraved?" Kagome asked curiously.

Blushing, Inuyasha answered her, "Souta helped me."

"Souta?" Kagome echoed, her face twisting into one of bafflement. "Oh! Is that why he was acting so odd today?"

"Yes. He wanted me to help him pick out a gift for his girlfriend," Inuyasha stated softly, his warm breath teasing a few strands of Kagome's dark hair.

Turning around to fully face Inuyasha, Kagome found herself unable to stop talking, "Inuyasha, I need to ask you something."

Not bothering to wait for his response, she continued, "Why did you get this pendant engraved? Is it because you love me? Please, I need to know."

Kagome made a grab for Inuyasha's hand as he tried to turn away from her and suddenly understood why Inuyasha was always so nervous around her—he feared her rejection.

"Because I love you," she said without a second thought.

Love, Inuyasha mused whimsically as he recalled his earlier conversation with Kagome's mother.

Growing uneasy with Inuyasha's silence, Kagome wondered if she'd said the wrong thing, "No–I–what I meant was–I–"

"I love you too, Kagome," Inuyasha said with a soft smile.

Kagome didn't know when she closed the distance between Inuyasha or herself, but she was glad she did because everything felt so right. Inuyasha felt Kagome's arms wound themselves around his strong, thick neck as she leaned forward to brush her lips across his own sweetly. In the back of his mind, he felt a tsunami looming up and he did nothing to stop it as it crashed down and flooded his mind, before sweeping away all of his fears in a spray of cool, refreshing water that was warm and blue.

Blue, like her eyes, Inuyasha smiled. And warm, like her grin.

And as he stared into Kagome's bright, blue eyes with an intenseness that would have unnerved her any other time, Inuyasha knew that he couldn't have asked for anything else in the world because Kagome was perfect... and that was enough.

End.