InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Claiming ❯ Declaration ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: All not mine, yada, yada, yada…

A/N: Ok, this is still PG, but I swear the good stuff's coming up… Oh, there's some mild swearing, but nothing too alarming…

Chapter 1 - Declaration

"Kagome, come with me," Inuyasha softly whispers to the girl sitting by the fire, gazing at the stars. Kagome turns her head to the right looking into the eyes of a silver-haired hanyou beside her and with a slight nod, consents to his request.

As she rises to her feet, the demon-slayer looks up questioningly at the pair retreating into the forest. "Miroku, do you think…," Sango begins to ask, lifting her head from the shoulder of the monk beside her.

"Shh," he murmurs, "Inuyasha knows what he's doing."

"But what if something should happen?"

"Do not worry, my love, if there was an immediate danger, Inuyasha would never have taken Kagome off alone," the monk reassures her.

"If you're sure," the young woman doubtfully says.

"Kagome is in the safest place in the world, with her hanyou. He will not fail her."

Sango nods her head, glancing back up at the monk she trusts with her life, faith and love shining in her eyes. Miroku smiles softly down at her then leans in to caress her lips with his own. As the two give in to their feelings, the other couple disappears into the tree line.

As soon as Kagome and Inuyasha left the sight of the camp, he grabbed her hand and pulled her deep into the forest. Kagome knew that something was about to happen. Her mind frantically ran across a hundred different scenarios of what could be this important to the hanyou dragging her through the dark to some unknown place. Kagome gave his fingers a slight squeeze, looking up at him. He turned his head for only a second, a small smile across his lips. Squeezing her hand back, he stopped, kneeling to the ground with his back to her. She moved to climb onto him, and felt her heart skip a beat as his hands slowly slid their way up her legs to her thighs with a gentle caress. With a small gasp, she clung to his neck as he sprung up, leaping across the forest floor. She could feel the wind racing by them, a lover's caress upon her flaming red cheeks. As she buried her face into his silky hair to hide her embarrassment, she could hear the sound of water falling from up ahead.

Inuyasha smiled to himself as he felt Kagome's body jerk against his back when he ran his hands up her legs. Good, he thought, that should give her a hint of what's to come. Clutching her closer to his body, he ran till he came to the spot he had found earlier.

"Kagome, look," he said, not wanting her to miss the beauty around them. He came to a stop and kneeled down enough to let her reach the ground. He groaned slightly at the feel of her sliding down his back, the loss of her warmth immediate.

Hoping her hair and the darkness of the night would conceal the hot flush staining her cheeks, Kagome raised her head, a small "Oh!" escaping from her lips.

They stood in a small clearing surrounded by large trees, flowers abounding from every imaginable spot. Directly in the middle, a waterfall cascaded down from a height she could only guess at, falling into a rippling pool underneath. Inuyasha led her to a small patch of grass, pulling her down to sit next to him.

"Kagome, I need to talk to you."

"What is it?" she asked, her small body trembling with the thought of what he was about to tell her. Kami, please don't let it be about Kikyo, she pleaded with the gods. I don't think I could handle that right now.

Inuyasha could feel the tremors echoing throughout her body. Turning his body so that he fully faced her, he picked up her hands from her lap, his own shaking with the depth of his thoughts. With the blossoms from the trees above falling around them, he took a deep breath and looked deep into her eyes. Gathering his courage, he began.

"Kagome, we have come so far over the past years. We've spent countless days, months, searching for the Shikon shards, getting close, but never close enough. Until now. Naraku is up ahead, within a day's journey, and I need to tell you something before we get there. This battle will be the fiercest I will ever fight and I don't know what the outcome will be."

"Inuyasha! Don't you DARE say something like that!" Kagome yelled at him, trying to stand up. "I refuse to sit here and listen to you talk as if we're going to be defeated. We will win this together. There is no way I'm going to let that bastard win!" she declared through the tears in her eyes.

Springing up from the ground, Inuyasha grabbed Kagome and began to tug her into his arms. "Shh, it's okay, love, Naraku WILL be defeated. I'm just not for sure if we'll all come out unscathed," he replied, stroking her midnight hair with his left hand while holding her close with his other.

Kagome felt her heart leap when she heard him call her "love". Did I just imagine that? Could he truly love me? But what about Kikyo, she thought to herself. I know he once loved her, though he did tell her that he no longer cared for her the last time we saw her. I know I should trust him, but I'm not for sure, she questioned as old doubts came flaring back. Looking up at him, she let the unsaid thoughts flit across her face.

Inuyasha closed his eyes as he saw her doubts of HIM move in her eyes. Baka, he thought to himself, you've waited too long to tell her your true feelings. She doubts you even now when you hold her in your arms, calling her "love". His heart constricted painfully in his chest as he held out one last hope that all was not lost.

Lifting her chin with a gentle claw, he met her eyes, letting his emotions for her shine freely in his own.

Kagome's eyes widened as she gazed at the frank love and need that blazed forth from his amber orbs, the very soul of him. She came to a decision right there and then, to stay by this man, for better or worse. She would commit herself fully to him from this moment on. There would be no turning back for her. Upon arriving at this decision, Kagome lifted herself onto her toes while reaching up to fist her hands in Inuyasha's silver forelocks. She pulled his head down to hers and pressed a soft, accepting kiss to his lips.

A/N: Originally, I had thought to jump right into the story, but came to realize it needed the extra fluff and fill to round it out. So please don't be too disappointed. I promise the good stuff's coming…And by the way, to Rain Liqueur, akdreamer, Kagome so rules, w_j, and RavenShadow, thank you guys so much for your reviews. It helps knowing someone out there likes what you're doing! A little love and support is what us authors CRAVE!! Keep the reviews coming!!