Let Me Be Your Downfall

Well, here is the last chapter of my little story. Thanks so much to all the reviewers who gave me such great support. And special thanks to my repeat commentor Kat for letting me know the story was worth coming back for. I hope the final installment rounds everything out nicely for you guys. It's amazing, you post a story on the net knowing it can get read by hundreds of people and by the end you find yourself writing specifically for the handful of readers who let you know they liked it =) So to all you guys - Enjoy!

Last Chapter:
“……..With that he pulled out partway and then slid himself back inside her, pushing his pelvis against her in the process. She gasped at the new sensations and lifted her knees slightly to pull him in even deeper. H e moaned in response and repeated his actions. Soon he was pulling out faster and faster, coming almost completely free of her before driving back in. His mouthed clamped down onto her breast again, his fangs grazing against the soft flesh in his eagerness. She cried out sharply and then lifted her legs to wrap them around his waist. Inuyasha knew he was careening dangerously close to his own end so he slid his arm between them and began to massage her with his hand. After a few moments he could feel Kagome begin to tighten around him. Her nails dug into his back and she cried out his name as her body began to splinter into a thousand vibrating pieces. He slammed into her with demon speed and encouraged her to let herself go. Then he gripped her hips firmly and with one final thrust followed her into oblivion…..”

Chapter 3

It seemed like forever before either one of them could breath. Kagome began slowly running her hands up and down Inuyasha’s back and he growled softly in reaction. The sound made her smile. Her mind began to drift back to the beginning of the evening. She had come home from work and eaten leftovers while doing college homework. Then she had dragged herself up the stairs for another night of restless sleep and somber dreams. If she had had any idea that instead she would end up on the other side of the well and in bed with Inuyasha….Oh gods! What was she going to tell her mother?
Suddenly a giggle began to swell up in her chest and before she knew it she was caught in a full blown laughter fit.
“That’s not the reaction I was hoping for,” Inuyasha mumbled into her neck.
This only made her laugh harder and soon he was grinning in response. He pulled himself onto his elbows and stared down at her face as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she said as her laughter began to subside, “It all just seems so surreal. A few hours ago I was trudging up the stairs for bed and now I’m here with you. Turning around and finding you in my room was the last thing I expected.”
Inuyasha looked into her eyes. “ A pleasant surprise, I hope.”
It sounded more like a question than a statement and Kagome furrowed her brows in reaction. After her, uh, enthusiastic response to him this evening she was shocked he could still be unsure of her feelings.

After a few minutes of silence Inuyasha pulled abruptly away from her. Kagome moaned as he broke their connection and was surprised at how sore her legs already were. She blushed as she realized how hard she must have been squeezing him with her thighs. He propped himself up against the headboard and pulled the comforter up over them. His face was turned slightly away from her, his bangs falling over his eyes. “Inuyasha…?”
He kept his face towards the wall as he spoke. “I guess I should apologize. I mean, I just appear in your room after over a year with no contact and drag you back through the well without even asking. It must have been overwhelming. Then I take advantage of you when you’re obviously overcome with emotion.”
Kagome’s mouth dropped at hearing his words. “Is that what you think this is?” He shrugged like he didn’t really care. Suddenly she was hit with another bout of laughter. “I’m glad you think so highly of me. It’s a good thing you came for me and not Miroku or I suppose my “overloaded emotions” would have thrown me into bed with him!”
She had crawled out of bed and stormed halfway across the room before Inuyasha jumped in front of her. “And just what the hell is THAT supposed to mean!” he yelled at her. She glared up into his eyes and matched his tone. “Do you really think I would sleep with you just because I was caught up in the moment. For goodness sakes Inuyasha, I was a virgin. If I gave it up so easily I would have slept with Hojo a year ago when I realized you weren’t coming back for me. Now that was a time when I was overcome with emotion. I didn’t think I’d ever recover.” She started to move around him when he reached out and grabbed her arm. “What do you mean “weren’t coming back for you”? You didn’t want me to come back for you. You had fulfilled your obligation to this time by putting the jewel back together and there was no reason for you to be here anymore. You went back home, just like you wanted.”
Kagome stared at him in open-mouthed astonishment. “So is that it? The jewel was the only reason for me to be here? There was nothing else to keep me here?”
Inuyasha stared at her for a minute, then turned his head away.
Suddenly she straightened and her face became a stone mask. “Fine,” she announced in a flippant tone, “I’ll be leaving now.” She walked back to the bed and after realizing her nightgown was completely useless grabbed his white undershirt. She quickly threw it over her head and without a backward glance walked out of the bedroom.

Inuyasha stood frozen to the spot and could only watch her leave. It was like the world was moving in slow motion. He winced as her heard the front door slam and stood there a few more minutes before slowly walking back to the bed and sitting down. Then his nose was filled with the scent of their lovemaking and he jumped back up with a growl. He settled for pacing, his mind deep in thought. What did she mean she didn’t think she’d recover? Hadn’t she done what she wanted to do? The whole time she was here she had insisted on going home time and time again. And he usually had to drag her back. Now she didn’t have to worry about ever coming here, so why was she complaining?
He suddenly saw her face as she fell through the well that last time. Her words from a few minutes ago flitted through his head. “So is that it? The jewel was the only reason for me to be here? There was nothing else to keep me here?” He grimaced. What did she want him to do? Throw himself at her feet and beg her to stay for him? No way in hell! He was not going to bare his soul to her just so she could say it wasn’t a good enough reason to stay. That he wasn’t a good enough reason to stay. A half-demon hadn’t been good enough for Kikyo. She had wanted him to become human before she‘d commit to him. He wasn’t going to face that rejection again.

With that thought he stopped pacing. Yes, he would not go begging to Kagome. If she wanted him, she’d have to make the move herself. He looked to the bedroom door again. He finally realized that he had just let her walk out the door, half dressed, with no idea where she was. His eyes widened and he slapped himself in the forehead. Then he grabbed his pants and quickly thrust his legs into them. He wasn’t going to beg her to stay with him, but he could at least make sure she made it to the well in one piece. It was him that had carried her here in the first place. His heart began to speed up as he thought of her in the woods by herself. “Oh gods,” he mumbled as he ran from the house and leapt into the trees.

Kagome hadn’t made it very far before she came to the same realization. She had been so mad when she’d left the cottage she hadn’t even thought of where she was going. Now she was frightfully aware that she was in the woods with no clue of her whereabouts. And then she realized she was wearing nothing but a long shirt. She groaned out loud. Why did it seem her I.Q. dropped whenever she was near Inuyasha? Panic began to slowly rise in her throat. She looked around frantically but nothing seemed familiar. Her heartbeat was pounding and she finally closed her eyes. “Stop!” she commanded herself. Freaking out was not going to help. She forced herself to take slow, calming breaths and after a few minutes she opened her eyes. There had to be someway to find out where she was going. She thought back to earlier when Inuyasha had brought her here but they had been moving so fast, and she hadn’t been taking note of the surroundings. She concentrated for a few more minutes and then remembered him saying that some of the villagers had helped him build the house. That stood to reason that the village was relatively close by because there was no place for them to stay around Inuyasha’s property. She looked up at the night sky and tried to stretch her senses. Apparently she was too far away to hear anything, but as her eyes adjusted she realized the sky to her left was a little brighter than the rest. Maybe it was the night torches from the village. Maybe it was just the moon reflecting off of some water. Either way it was the only lead she had so she turned and headed through the trees in that direction.

It hadn’t taken Inuyasha long to find her. Even if he hadn’t been able to smell her he could have just followed the path of tortured underbrush she had left behind. He sighed inwardly. She had only been back a few hours and already he had completely pissed her off. It had to be a talent. When he’d finally come across her she was moving somewhat methodically to the east, glancing every so often to the sky as if looking for something. He kept himself hidden in the shadows of the trees. After about a half hour she came to the edge of the forest and stood facing the village. He saw her breath a sigh of relief but instead of continuing forward she turned and started making her way south around the outskirts. She entered the forest again a little ways down before he realized she was heading back to the well. His ears drooped. When he figured out she was heading towards the village he had hoped she was planning on spending the night there with Kaede. Apparently not. He let out a long breath and continued his pursuit.

Kagome had been so happy when she’d found her way out of the forest she almost screamed. Then when she realized the village was Kaede’s she couldn’t believe her luck. She would have no problems finding the well from here. She quickly made her way towards the pathway that she had taken so many times in the past. She smiled when she found it, feeling a sense of deja’ vu as she stepped back into the trees. As she moved down the trail her smile faded and her step slowed. Back to the well. She glared at the ground in front of her. Damn Inuyasha! She should be happy to leave this place behind. There was nothing here but demons trying to attack her and a grumpy hanyo who only wanted to use her for his own gain. But back home there was a loving family waiting for her, and if her college professors were right a bright future. She had a warm bed, a job that paid well and gave her time for school. She had resumed her friendships and was never alone on a Friday night. She had every reason to happy. So why wasn’t she? Everyday for the last year had felt like a bad dream. She would wake up, smile at her family, her fellow students, her customers at work. Then she would get back up to her room and feel drained in a way she had never felt in her entire life. And when she finally got her eyes closed and fell asleep, she‘d dream of him. Every damn night! It was like he had put a curse on her. She’d toss and turn for hours before finally getting up and starting the whole thing over again. But she had finally come to grips with it. She’d finally accepted the fact that he was going to haunt her forever and after a while she’d even become content with having him only in her dreams. But how was she supposed to be content after this? How was she supposed to settle with her dreams when now she new first hand what it felt like to be in his arms? To have him kiss her senseless before tearing off her clothes and melting into her? What dream was going to compare?

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn’t notice the root sticking out until she stumbled over it. She caught herself against the tree it was attached to and looked up angrily before she realized where she was. She was staring up at the God Tree. She stepped back suddenly as if she’d been burned and moved a few feet away before looking back up at it. Nothing was different. It still stood almost like a monarch amongst the other trees. She stepped forward slowly and placed her had against the bare spot on it’s trunk. Suddenly she was transported back to another time. When she had seen this tree and instead of a bald spot there had been a man attached to it’s front. She had been so taken with him. He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen with his long silver hair and handsome face. And the ears! She remembered rubbing them and being amazed at the softness. Then her mind flew forward to the years afterwards. The time they had spent together, fought side by side. She thought of all the times he had saved her and the look in his eyes when he realized she was OK. She’s never seen such relief. Had it all really been out of concern for the jewel? Her thoughts went again to just a few hours ago. He had said he loved her and that he wanted more than anything to make her his mate. Why would he say that? Was he the one caught up in the moment? But how could he fake the way he touched her, the reverence in each caress? The love that seemed to pour from his eyes when he leaned down and kissed her? Before she knew what was happening she was leaning her forehead against the tree and tears were streaming down her face. She couldn’t do this again. In one night he had torn away any healing she had managed to do in the last year and now she was left raw and agonized. Soon great sobs were bursting forth from her chest and she collapsed to the ground. “Oh gods,” she whispered in a broken voice, “how am I supposed to live without him now. How am I supposed to forget how much I love him?” She didn’t know how long she sat there before she felt strong arms wrap around her.

Inuyasha had continued following her as she mumbled to herself and kicked violently at the road. Then she had fallen over the God Tree and her whole demeanor changed. Instead of anger she had seemed like she was in shock. She stared at the tree with her hand on it for a long while. Then suddenly she leaned forward and her shoulders began to shake. He stared in horror as she crumpled to the ground and painful sobs began to rack her body. He couldn’t take it very long and was already on the ground when he heard her voice through the tears. “Oh gods, how am I supposed to live without him now. How am I supposed to forget how much I love him?” Her words froze him to the spot. He almost thought he heard wrong. Then a thousand images of her ran through his head, starting back when they had first met and culminating in the house he had built for them. Suddenly it all made sense. He had always been unsure, always felt he wasn’t worthy of her. And he was right, he wasn’t worthy. But Kagome loved him anyways. How could he have not seen it? For reasons he could never understand she had always fought to be by his side and had never asked for anything in return but that he be himself. And this is how he treated her? He had never been so disgusted with himself. With tentative steps he walked over to her and gently wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened and then turned abruptly in his embrace.

“Wha…” she stammered. Then she clamped her mouth shut and pushed away from him. “Go away Inuyasha.” She said fiercely before trying to move around him. But he wasn’t having it. He crushed her against his chest. And then she started to fight. “No!” she screamed at him “I won’t do this anymore! I won’t let you torture me. It almost killed me before and I know I’m not strong enough to live through it again!” She thrashed violently in his embrace, clawing at him and kicking her legs, but he held fast. He was terrified that if he let her go he’d lose her forever. She finally exhausted herself and fell against him only to resume her crying. “Why are you doing this?” she said in a pitiful voice. “Do you really hate me?” The heartbreak in her voice proved to strike him like her fists couldn’t and suddenly his arms went limp as he leaned his head against her shoulder. Kagome stood in confusion until she felt him start to tremble. Then her eyes widened as she felt moisture against her neck. “Inu…Inuyasha? What are you doing.” Suddenly he took in a ragged breath and she knew without a doubt what he was doing.
He was crying.
Kagome was in shock. She was standing with her back against the God Tree and her arms at her sides while Inuyasha leaned on her shoulder and softly cried. She had never seen him cry. In all the years they had been together, all the torment they had been through he had never cried. Not even when Kikyo had finally been put to rest did he shed a tear. But now he was crying and Kagome‘s heart couldn‘t help but call out for his comfort. She slowly reached a hand up and laid it against the back of his head. He pressed his face further against her neck and began to cry harder. Soon Kagome’s eyes welled with fresh tears and she wrapped her arms around him tightly. “Shh, don’t cry Inuyasha. Please, please……”. He lifted his arms and wrapped them around her waist. After a few minutes the torrent seemed to slow and without lifting his head he began to speak.
“I’m so sorry. All this time all you’ve ever done was care for me and I’ve pushed you away. I was so afraid you would just leave me like everyone else, that you wouldn’t accept me. But no matter how hard I fought I couldn’t keep myself from falling in love with you. And no matter how many times I hurt you, you always did come back. You always did accept me.” His embrace became fierce as he forced the last of his confession out in a hoarse voice. “I know I don’t deserve you, but I never did and even thought it’s selfish I don’t think I can watch you leave me again.” Kagome’s eyes were as wide as saucers and her breath was caught in her throat. She couldn’t believe her ears. But as much as she loved him she had to make sure they understood each other. She didn’t think she could take another misunderstanding like tonight.
She held him close while he slowly came back under control. When she felt his shoulders relax she pulled away from his just enough that she could see his face. Her hand flew to her mouth as she saw the pain and raw emotion in his eyes. “Oh Inuyasha, do you know what I’ve been thinking about since I left the cottage?” He sniffed and shook his head slowly. Kagome smiled up at him. “I’ve been trying to figure out how I was going to survive leaving you again. The first time I felt for sure you would come and get me, but when days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, my heart began to slowly pull apart. I’ve left my window unlatched every night since going back and I can’t even tell you how many times I cried myself to sleep. If I was forced to leave again I think I would just slowly die inside.” She gripped his face firmly and pulled his fore head down to hers before continuing. “But I also know if you toss me aside again like you did tonight my heart will definitely wither and die. Our love can’t survive if we don’t trust one another and no matter how many times I tell you I love you and I never want to be without you it won’t mean anything if you still doubt it in your heart.”
Inuyasha was staring intently into her eyes as she spoke and when she finished he let out a long breath. He stared at the ground for a few moments while Kagome waited silently. Finally he looked back up to her face and held her gaze as he slowly lowered himself to the ground. Kagome’s eyes widened as he fell gracefully to his knees and then wrapped his arms around her hips. He held his face tightly against her stomach for a few moments and then cleared his throat to speak. “Kagome, I love you more than anyone I have ever known, more than myself, and if you would agree to be my life-mate I promise to spend the rest of my life trying to give you even a portion of what you’ve given me. I will give you happiness, and pleasure, and more pups than we can keep up with. I ask only that you stay with me always.”

Kagome leaned her head back as tears pushed through her clenched eyelids. Finally her legs gave out and she fell into his arms. “Yes,” she whispered to him. “Yes!” They looked into each others eyes and both began to laugh. Then Inuyasha jumped to his feet and swung Kagome around until she couldn’t catch her breath. When they finally stopped he took her hand in his. He gazed into her eyes as he parted his haori and exposed the left side of his chest. With a quick swipe he cut s gash over his skin and Kagome gasped. Then he took her hand and whispered “This will hurt a little.” She wasn’t sure what he was doing but she nodded her acceptance of whatever he had planned. He took a claw and made one clean slice across her palm. Before she could react he pressed it tightly to the wound on his chest and Kagome felt the pain melt into the warmth of his skin. When he finally pulled her hand away the two cuts had already clotted and begun to scab. “Now everyone will know that you are mine. We are bound by blood and nothing will ever separate us.” With that he lifted her into his arms and stared lovingly into her eyes before placing a kiss on her lips. Her eyes stared back with just as much feeling and after a few moments she whispered, “Inuyasha, please take me home.” He smiled at her and tightened his hold before leaping into the trees.

The End.

There it is. My first story ;) Sorry for throwing in the angst in the last chapter, but you knew those two couldn't get together THAT easily! Anyways it has been a very pleasurable experience and I hope all the people who checked it out feel the same way. I've had a connected story about Sango and Miroku tumbling about my brain so maybe I'll see you guys again soon. Either way, enjoy all the great stories on this site and thanks for stopping by mine!!!