Summary: . In the middle of what was supposed to be their special night, in the middle of deep passion, he called her by his past lover's name. Could this have finally broken the already-cracked Kagome?

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha or any relating plots or characters.

It really was pathetic; the situation she was in now.

Just hours ago she was in his arms, panting out his name in short breaths, ready to give him everything. And just hours before that, they shared their first kiss together and revealed that they loved each other. Well, it was she who had actually said the words, but she dismissed his inability to confess as a momentary act of shyness.

Then, before she could even catch her breath, he swept her up gallantly in his arms to cradle her to his toned chest, and in mere seconds, found herself in the hut Kaede had some villagers build for them. He laid her gently on her sleeping bag, kissing her lovingly and sweetly as he did so.

It was all very innocent at first; a few nips on the neck here, a bit of tongue ravishing there. Pretty soon, they were missing quite a few articles of clothing; but neither of them seemed to really remember how that happened. Both were far too consumed by her hands that were trailing hot paths up and down his chiseled chest, his mouth creating its own row of burning kisses along her jaw, her voice moaning his name over and over and over…

Kagome began to cry bitter tears as she remembered their miserable ending. She hugged her knees tighter against her chest in a solitary form of comfort.

He allowed his golden eyes to pierce into hers, seeking some sort of unspoken permission to finish what he started. And, being the lovesick fool she was, she gave it.

Thanking her with the same lack of words, he brought his suckling mouth to the ridge of her collarbone and began traveling lower and lower down her ready body. She instinctively arched her body towards his, wanting to feel every inch of his sweet body against hers. When he reached her peaked breast, he growled throatily, a suspicious hint of arousal sticking to it. Both were amazed at each other's responses, but didn't think much of it as pure desire literally started to flow their veins.

They were taking their sweet time, both wanting to savor the moment as much as the other. He had yet to fully enter her, but Kagome felt her excitement mounting, and he encouraged it.

Breathlessly, he caressed her; laying ghostly kisses against the valley between her breasts and she heard herself cry out in pleasure. Her fingers tangled themselves in his silky silver strands, and she rubbed his adorable puppy ears in encouragement.

That sensual action made him breathe in sharply. "Kikyo…" he gasped.

She stiffened from underneath him. In the middle of what was supposed to be their special night, in the middle of deep passion, he called her by his past lover's name. He realized his mistake quickly, kissing her hurriedly and opened his mouth to offer her an apology, but she would have none.

With a pierced heart and broken expression, Kagome gathered her clothing from various places off the bamboo floor and left. She recalled crying then, as well, as she turned her back to him and walked away. He deserved it, was her repeating mantra. She ran full stride to the well, hoping that distancing herself from him would lessen the weight in her chest. Running straight into her house, she ignored the warm welcomes of her family and the insistent inquiries from Souta and nearly broke her neck just to get to her room without anyone noticing her wet face.

Still crying, she grabbed a towel and went into the bathroom. She stripped off her clothing – noticing the faint scratches on her upper arms and shoulders – and jumped into a tub filled with steaming water.

And here she was now; tiny rivers still falling from her grey eyes, lips still red and swollen as evidence of his lovemaking, and heart still thumping frantically at the memories of moments ago. Pathetic situation, indeed.

"Jerk." She accused without much malice. "Stupid Inu Yasha. Stupid Kikyo. Stupid, stupid Kagome…How could I ever believed that he wanted me?" She laughed darkly as the answer came to her. "Because she's gone, that's why. Because I figured that now that she was gone once and for all, that he would be mine. Stupid, stupid Kagome. He just wanted to fuck you … since he couldn't fuck her." She barked out another laugh, borderline to sounding insane. Then, anger flowed into her.

"Bastard!" She screamed, not caring if the whole of Japan heard her. "I gave you every fucking thing I could! I gave up every fucking thing just to be with you! Fuck you, Inu Yasha, fuck you! How the fuck could you do this to me…" she said the last in a broken whisper.

And the tears didn't stop this time.

From the other side of the door, her mother stood, nearly as heartbroken as her daughter. Without knocking, she let herself in, only to find her little girl more distraught than she imagined. Ignoring her state of undress, Mrs. Higurashi wrapped her arms around Kagome, reminiscing a time when her arms did make a difference; when her arms could protect her baby.

"I see crying season has begun," She observed outloud. "It's going to be alright, koi, I promise you. Because like all seasons, this one will come to an end, as well."

- - -

Seven fucking days. Seven unbearably long, dreary days since she left him cold. Not that he didn't deserve it, but hell! He figured that she would have been back in three days, at the very most. He itched to just get it over with and travel to her world, but he knew for his sake, and that of his future pups, he shouldn't dare do so.

But still, he longed to make things right with her. He hadn't meant to say the dead priestess' name. It just kind of… came out.

Inu Yasha ran his clawed hand through his hair again, something that became sort of a habit since she left. Memories of her gentle hands sweeping through his mane caught his mind and it took all of his might to force them out.

"Feh, she'll be back." But there was no hope in his tone. He positioned himself into a comfortable position on the tree branch, just meters away from the well, and simply waited.

In the nearby bushes, Sango, Miroku and Shippo lay hiding, somewhat surprised that the hanyou had yet to catch them snooping.

"What's taking Kagome so long?" The young kitsune whined under his breath. "What did that idiot do this time to make her mad?"

Petting him affectionately on the head, Sango replied, "She'll be back soon. I bet she's thinking about you right now as we speak." She got her satisfactory from the grin that stretched on the young youkai's face. She turned to face the monk, his grim face telling her that he was as cautious as she when it came to answering the latter question.

Truthfully, neither knew what the hanyou did to the girl this time, but from the "salty water" Shippo claimed to have smelt on their way back to village, they knew it couldn't have been good. "You run along and play with Kilala, okay? We'll come and find you when she comes back."

"Okay! I'll even go pick some flowers for her!" Both the kit and the cat bounced off cheerfully.

"This is bad," Miroku said, not allowing any silence to come between them. "This has been the longest Kagome-sama has ever been gone, and Inu Yasha hasn't even attempted to try to get her back."

Sango nodded her agreement. "I know. What could he have done this time? Or, you don't suppose it's something Kagome-chan did, you do?"

Contemplating the idea for a few minutes, Miroku said, "I doubt it. She is far too soft-hearted to allow something as small as an apology come between them. If it were her fault, then I'm sure it would have been Inu Yasha who ran away for a few days, not she. She'd be here, pacing and worrying." He laughed good-heartedly.

The slayer joined in, their laughter symphonizing in a pleasant harmony. "She loves him far too much for her own good. And he is too blind to see exactly that."

"Yes, you would think that he would discontinue being so ridiculously hoodwinked after Naraku got rid of Kikyo-sama." The sly pair stood now, stretching out the kinks that developed in the hours of their spying escapade. "For now, we can only hope that the two of them resolve this problem so that we may start searching for the shards, once again."

It was a bit odd, finding the eagerness to start hunting again in Miroku's voice rather than Inu Yasha's but nonetheless, Sango agreed. "Let's go find Shippo and Kilala and head to Kaede's. I'm famished."

As she moved to stepped over the hovering bush, she felt a light stroking on her backside. A slap resounded achingly throughout the forest. With a pulsating vain sticking out of her forehead, Sango trudged to the village, mumbling incoherently about "the need to de-hand all despicable holy men".

Inu Yasha's ears twitched as he heard the faint echoes, and turned bright red. In anger or in embarrassment, on couldn't be sure, but he did know that death would be looming over the tiny village once he got his hands on the slayer and the monk. He scoffed at himself as well; disgusted that he hadn't noticed their presences until now.

A devious thought came into his head. Truly giddy for the first time in a week, he rushed towards the village, himself, keen on seeing the faces of the two as he saw them and asked them painstakingly where they had been – together – all this time. But only after eating all of the food there was to offer.

That would teach the pair of them not to meddle in his business.

- - -

Seven days quickly turned to eight, and eight quickly turned to nine. Soon enough, the hanyou lost track of time and found her absence slowly driving him mad. To keep his sanity, he chose to stay at his post by the well, knowing that this was the nearest he was ever going to get to her if she never came back.

His breath caught in his throat. What if she decided never to return? Would she really keep herself from him – keep him from her – over a small slipup? They'd been in worst situations, worst arguments (not that any came to mind at the moment), and they always managed to work it out. Still, the haunting thought of never seeing her again left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Where the fuck is that wrench?" Inu Yasha growled loudly, his eyes momentarily flashing red with a feral possessiveness. He felt no reason to whisper, remembering the embarrassment he caused both the nosy slayer and monk during their last spying trip. Sneering, he doubted he would see them near this place for a long while.

He jumped from his post and walked towards the well, pacing around it. Her scent assaulted his nose and for a few moments, he was walking on water. He was truly thankful for this, seeing as her smell had long faded from his body. It was one of the few things that managed to calm him, and even now it didn't fail.

"Inu Yasha!" He heard a faint calling. "I know you can hear me! It's time for luncheon! Get your hanyou ass over here!" A ghost of a smile appeared on his face as he strained to hear Sango's bellowing, the first in what seemed like an eternity. Taking one last sniff at the wooden portal, he ran full speed towards the village. Even from his great distance he could already smell the amazing stew and fish Sango had cooked. Another whiff caused him to fumble, however, almost causing him to miss a targeted tree branch.

Beef Ramen. His favorite.

His ears flattened on his head and he snarled. The remembrance of the instant noodles triggered his demon blood and a thought. Mate. He struggled to control his other half and he fell to his knees trying to do so. Inu Yasha ripped at the fabric on covering his upper arms and clawed the dirt in front of him. His head was swimming with images of Kagome; kissing Kagome, licking Kagome, taking Kagome. It disgusted him to no end when the suggestion of running after her and taking her by force entered his mind. He worked even harder now to try to hold himself together and he knew that if he wasn't careful, he would let all hell loose.

He heard the rushed patter of feet near him. "Inu Yasha!" He didn't raise his head towards the voice, but the human in him whispered that it was his friends. "Oh dear Kami, Miroku! How could this be happening? He still has Tetsaiga at his side!"

"Mate…where is mate?" They heard him call out in a low, threatening voice. "Where is my bitch? Where is she?" There was obvious danger in his tone now, and both Sango and Miroku glanced at each other in understanding. Both stood a good distance from him, with the necessary equipment for combat.

Inu Yasha heard slow footsteps grow nearer and nearer and he barked at the hand that dared tried to touch him. "His youkai blood is calling out to his mate, Sango. Don't try to calm him!" Miroku yelled as Sango stepped towards the enraged hanyou. "He senses that you are female, but not his chosen. He'll kill you if you're not careful."

Sango nodded and moved back to her original place beside the monk. "Inu Yasha, listen to me! You have to calm down! You have to control yourself!" Miroku called out soothingly, but with a tone of authority. He held his staff in front of Sango and himself, positioning himself in case Inu Yasha were to blindly attack them. He thanked Buddha a millions times over that Shippo was off playing with the village children and not here. It was hard enough to concentrate on restraining the hanyou with Sango here; he didn't need anymore distractions.

"Ka...gome…" Inu Yasha said with his voice suddenly very weak. "Where is she?" He cocked his head up and his glazed eyes revealed the inner turmoil he was fighting with himself.

"That's good, Inu Yasha. Fight it." Miroku cooed with a slackened jaw caused by his own shock. He knew Inu Yasha cared very deeply for Kagome, but he had no idea that it was to that extent. Demons mated for life, and knowing now that Inu Yasha's youkai persona saw Kagome as its mate – well, it explained quite a lot. "The human in him is still there. It's weakening, yes, but it's still there."

"Where is she?" Inu Yasha roared now and he began to crack his knuckles. Faint purple streaks adorned his cheeks and his fangs grew. He stood before them now, menacing and devilish. He clawed out of his haori, not wishing to have any restrain when he hunted for his chosen. "Where is my bitch?"

Sango was indeed no priestess, but she needed no spiritual powers to sense the demonic aura now circulating around her friend. "We have to stop him, Miroku! If we don't, he's doing to demolish the entire village!" She hollered as he reached out to strike her. His balled fist slammed forcefully against her bone-made weapon in a defensive.

"It's no use. The only person who can stop him now is Kago-" The monk stopped mid-thought as Inu Yasha's body crumbled once again to the ground, his claws and fangs retracting and the sense of dread stilled. He panted heavily, a growl escaping him every few minutes. Miroku managed to catch Sango by the waist as she tried to reach out once again to their fallen companion, still feeling wary. "What's happening?"

"I'm not sure," he answered. He eased his way towards the fallen boy, and then planted a firm hand on his shoulder; and this time, Inu Yasha didn't fight his touch. He gave a passing expression of fear as a violent shudder rippled throughout the body underneath his hand. Inu Yasha turned his head to face him and he was relieved to see molten eyes and a face free of feral streaks.

"I'm…sorry. So sorry," Inu Yasha wheezed out. He nails dug into the earth as he reined to control his inner self. Minutes later - though to the frightened twosome it was an extremely terrifying span of time - he stood from his hunched position and assured them he was now okay by gathering his shredded haori and donned it. Turning back to face them revealed a sorrowful apology, and with that, he ran towards the woods again, forgetting the promised meal and his friends.

"What…? Miroku, what just happened?"

Miroku looked solemnly down at where Inu Yasha was just seconds ago and he sighed. "I'm not so certain. Whatever caused his human self to collapse like that must've been really been disturbing." He sighed again and looked towards the direction of the hanyou's escape. "Whatever it was, I hope Kagome comes back soon. I have a feeling she might be the only one able to sooth him."

"For Inu Yasha's sake, I hope so, as well."

- - -

Inu Yasha sat up in his tree again, a visibly scared expression on his face. The incident a few days ago could not be forgotten by the poor hanyou, not after he was so close to hurting – murdering – his friends. He hung his head in shame at the thought.

Nearby, Shippo frolicked around with the tiny demon neko, a handful of slightly wilted flowers fisted in his small paw. He chanted a playful children's song, no doubt taught to him Kagome.

All of a sudden, his body and sense were on full alert as the dimensional well lit with luminous blue rays of light. Inu Yasha grew frigid on his branch and both Shippo and Kilala stopped their games.

Kagome's thin arms reached out from the lip of the well – or at least they thought it was her. The skin on her hand looked far too pale to be considered normal and the white sleeve covering her frail arms appeared more voluminous than usual. Inu Yasha sniffed the air briefly, suddenly cautious. It was her, his nose confirmed as he caught the faint trace of her unique scent. His nose scrunched up, however, as it was assaulted with a heavy wave of a fabricated smell: herbs. And, devils take him, but it was so familiar…

When the young girl finally pulled herself out, the three of them were surprised to see her attire.

There she stood, patting off any dirt or dust that might've clung to her, looking exactly like -

"Kikyo." For a moment, Inu Yasha believed that his desires to see the futuristic girl caused the realistic illusion of her and he rubbed his eyes. When he opened them, she was still there.

Her hair was pulled back with its own white ribbon, styled exactly, though not as long, like the deceased miko's. She sported a similar crimson and white outfit, as well, and her visage was made to look paler with some sort of powder. Even her feet, which usually adorned the era-unsuitable Mary Jane's, were now clothed in toe socks and bamboo sandals. The expression on her face was even duplicated into the emotionless scowl that Kikyo was known for.

She was the perfect image of her very incarnate.

All of this, however, didn't seem to matter to the kitsune as he launched himself into the girl's arms. "Kagome! I knew you would come back, I just knew it!" He snuggled himself into her bosom, and quickly became disappointed when she didn't tighten her hold on him as she would've done. Being hopeful, he shoved the flowers to her face in hopes of receiving the love he so yearned from her. "Look what I picked for you, Kagome! I know you love the blue flowers, but I couldn't find any, so I got you these instead!" The impassive façade didn't drop, but Kagome gave him a short squeeze before she lowered him to the ground.

"Thank you, Shippo. They're beautiful." She said to him with a distant look in her eyes as she took the bunch from him. "Where are the others?" She asked hesitantly, obviously not wanting to say any particular names.

"Oh, they're all probably still in the village." Brightening, he said, "Wait here! I'll go get them! Come on, Kilala!" Inu Yasha watched as he sprinted off, a newfound skip in his step. Smiling slightly with amusement, he turned his gaze back to Kagome, and found his grin slipping. Even from the considerable distance, he could smell the starvation on her, though it didn't take much to notice it. The imitation wide-sleeved kimono top hung off of her body distastefully and her once-rosy cheeks sunk in. She was looking around the calm forest, as if taking in the images she had almost forgotten. He decided now would be the best time to make his appearance.

"Kagome," Inu Yasha breathed after he jumped down from his hiding spot. His heart lifted as he saw her mouth rise slightly at the corners. His heart sank again; however, as he took in her full self. He finally realized exactly where her "new" scent traced back to.

"Inu Yasha," The miko called out to him cordially, and completely unlike her. She stepped closer and closer to him until they were at sword's length. Bowing from the waist, she greeted him stocially once more. "How are you?" Inu Yasha knew that the hurt he was feeling must've been betrayed on his face, but he allowed the momentary display of weakness pass. What had happened to his Kagome?

"Kagome... I-"

Suddenly, she twirled in front of him, her face now gleaming with hope. "I'm sorry it took me so long to come back. The kimono and hakama took longer to make than I first expected. Do you like my new perfume? Oh, how about my new shoes?" She heaved somewhat as she attacked him with question after question, and being so close to her now made him see exactly how sickly she looked.

He answer none of her questions, however, still trying to process exactly what was happening. "Kagome – what? Why? Why did you do this?" This was obviously the wrong question to ask as her face took on a new, devastated appearance. He gripped her shoulders gently when she looked just about ready to sway to the side and felt the fabric under his fingertips a lot softer than those of Kikyo's authentic robes.

"What do you mean? Don't – don't you like it?" Kagome asked in a quivering voice. "Please, Inu Yasha, I tried! I really did!" She reached for him now, her entire body quivering as well. "I tried so hard, Inu Yasha! What's – what's wrong with it? Why isn't it good enough? Why aren't I good enough?" She was yelling at him now, demanding for his replies. There was a wild glint in her eyes the hanyou didn't like, and he constricted his hold on her shoulders.

"No, Kagome, stop! You're - " But he was cut off by her cries.

"- Never gunna be good enough, right? Never gunna be like precious, perfect Kikyo who could do no wrong; who could never let anyone down?" She gave an indecorous laugh. "What do I have to do, Inu Yasha? What am I doing wrong? Why do you keep running back to her when I'm right here so willing to give you everything?" Her tone was sad again, and most definitely desperate. Her bony fingers clung to him like he was her lifeline, and her tears left milky streaks on her makeup-covered face. Then she started to mutter to herself, so lowly that Inu Yasha (with his increased sense of hearing) only managed to catch very few words.

It was at this moment did the rest of the gang swoop down from the enlarged Kilala's back. They took in the sight of the groveling Kagome and the distraught Inu Yasha, but made no moves to approach them. Neither did the pair make any sign that they were even aware of their friends' presence. Both Sango and Miroku took in the Kikyo look-alike Shippo informed them was Kagome and shared twin looks of worry.

"You've got it all wrong," Inu Yasha insisted heatedly. "She's over and done with; she's all in the past now. You're my future, Kagome, only you!"

"Liar!" Kagome spat back, surprising their audience. She surprised them even further as she began to pound his chest with curled hands, and though the boy grunted, they knew that the pain he was feeling now wasn't from her futile blows.

Kagome continued this for a long while, and it was evident now that Inu Yasha was growing angrier and angrier as their conversation failed to progress, and he let out an infuriated sigh. "You stupid bitch! How the fuck could you even think that! It was you I came to that night; you I wanted to share that experience with! Doesn't that count for anything?" He asked her imploringly.

Equally as livid, she let loose another chortle before she barked out, "Not if it's her name you're moaning out!" Collective gasps filled the air and the hanyou before her froze. Sango promptly covered the young boy's ears, fearing that the rest of the couple's words would be inappropriate for such virgin ears.

"Hey, Sango! What's the big deal?" Shippo squirmed around and both the monk and slayer knew that the safest place for him to be was anywhere but here. Decidedly, Miroku threw the young boy on Kilala's ready back, slapping a sealing sutra on him for assurance. "Go, Kilala! Get him as far as you can away from here!" The demon rushed off, taking a protesting kit with her.

"When were you planning on telling me, Inu Yasha?" Sango and Miroku turned their attention back to the couple. "When were you planning on telling me that you didn't love me? After we had sex that night or after a few more rounds before you were going to toss me aside like used goods? Tell me, you bastard! I have a right to fucking know at least that! I would've given up my entire world to be with you! How the fuck could you do this to me? You know what? I hope you rot in the deepest pits of hell!" She seemed to reflect on her last words as she countered again, "On second thought, I hope you don't! I refuse to give you the satisfaction of seeing her there!"

At her distressed cries, Sango reached out a hand to her, wanting to offer her the comfort the boy she loved obviously wasn't giving. The second she did, however, Inu Yasha snarled at her, his eyes momentarily glowing the same shade of red she witnessed only days ago. Sango knew full well that that was a threat, and so retracted her hand and her console.

"You stupid, goddamn wrench!" He growled to Kagome. "How the fuck can one person be so fucking stupid?" A look of hurt crossed Kagome's eyes, but that didn't stop him. "Don't you fucking understand, yet, Kagome? I love you! You, Kagome, only you! I promised myself to you long before Kikyo died, and I'll be damned if I break another promise." Inu Yasha crushed the shocked girl to his chest, hoping that the frenzied beat of his heart would convince her. The girl's eyes widened with pleasant surprise, but she could get nothing more than a squeak out of her own mouth. "I love you, Kagome. I know it took me a while to realize it, but I do."

Against his chest, Kagome started to cry - and cry, and cry, and cry until she felt that she could not cry anymore. Finally, she forced her head up to look at her – her! - Hanyou. "Then why?" She asked wetly. Closing his eyes, Inu Yasha breathed in deeply, knowing that whatever he said now was either going to make him or break him.

"I... I honestly don't know. It was an accident, I swear! I never meant to... I never did... not with her. It just came out. Gods, you know I'm not good with words!" Emotion clogged his throat and he swallowed heavily. "I won't make any excuses because I know they sure as hell won't erase the fact that I did say her name, but I promise you, Kagome, no more. I know where I stand now, koishii, and it's beside you!"

When she didn't say reply, he looked down, only to see her crying again. "You idiot," she sniffed. "Why didn't you just say all of that in the first place?"

Chuckling in relief, he used his own sleeves to wipe the tears off of her face. "Wrench, you should've known all of this. You're the one always bitching that you're the smarter out of the two of us." He sported a smug smile as she cuddled closer to him and he tightened his arms around her in return.

Crying season was over now, Kagome knew as she, too, gave a small smile in triumph. Glancing over at her friends, she received genuine smiles of congratulations. Looking up at him now, she was surprised with a kiss; one meant to heal, to apologize. "You know, wrench, you're far too skinny for my tastes." Inu Yasha stated after breaking the dizzying kiss. "Let's go get some food in you, and while we're at it, let's dunk you in a river, too. Your new par-fum is irritating the hell outta my nose." Inu Yasha cocked his head, as if contemplating something.

"You know what, wrench, on second thought, those things will just have to wait… I have something else I want to do first." Inu Yasha smirked suggestively, and even beneath Kagome's somewhat-powered face, she flushed heavily.

"Inu - !"

In the time it took them to blink, Sango and Miroku found both Inu Yasha and Kagome gone; the pile of Kagome's discarded clothing the only evidence of them even being there to begin with. Sango's jaw dropped and Miroku whistled in appreciation.

Eventually, the silence caught up to them and they both scuffed the dirt with the toe of their sandals. "So… pleasant weather we're having, isn't it?" Miroku commented brightly, and the poor girl couldn't help but offer a grin in return – until she felt the offending hand on her backside.

"Oh, pleasant weather, alright!" Sango huffed as she stomped back to the village red in the face, leaving an unconscious monk behind.

Well, there ends another tragic scenario. I hope you all enjoyed it! For all of those who are anticipating the next chapter of Why Should I?, please be assured that it is still in the process of being finished. I promise to have it posted as soon as life will allow me to. Please don't forget to review!

Pain and happiness all at once,

A.L.