Thawing Her Heart by MFleetwood24

Chapter 1 Decisions

// Indicates thought

~~ Indicates flashbacks

MF24: I hope everyone likes my first attempt!

Sessh: They would if you would get on with it wench!

(Sounds of whipping)

MF24:That should teach you! Lord or not I am your queen! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Inuyasha: Looks like she showed you! LOL

MF24 turns to glare at hanyou: I don't remember telling you you could speak! Now what do the two of you have to say?

INU&SESS: Yes my queen! Sorry my Queen!

MF24: Now on with the show! Please R&R but please be gentle it's my first time!^_~ ( sounds of a whip snapping )

Chapter 1 Decisions

(Flash in Kagome is crawling from the well..)

She flipped her hair back as she looked around, " I wonder if Inuyasha is waiting close by?" Kagome hoped he wasn't. She had come to a decision today. It was her 18th birthday. Today she was an adult and as an adult she had come to a decision. As firm as she was with what she was going to do she still didn't think that she had enough courage to go through with it yet. Taking a few deep breaths to help bolster herself she slowly began walking towards the village. She never noticed the gold amber eyes so similar to Inuyasha's watching her every movement from a nearby tree.

Sesshomaru watched as the miko disappeared through the trees. / I wonder what she is shoring her defenses up for? No matter I must see if she can help with Rin. / With that last thought he leapt through the trees following the miko lost in thought.

As Kagome cleared the forest to reach the top of the hill bordering Kaede's village she slowly came to a stop. / I hope I can do this without stuttering. / She continued down the hill making her way to the village.

/ Today is the day! Today is the day I can finally ask Kagome! / Shippo had decided that only she was good enough to become his new mother. After all wasn't Kagome the one who always took care of him and defended him from dog breath? His big green eyes lit up as her smell drifted down to him, she's finally here!

/ Today was the day. The day that I will finally tell Sango how I feel! / She was the one Miroku had decided that he couldn't live without. With Kagome back today he could finally have some womanly advice on how to go about telling Sango that he wanted her. Yes it was true, he wanted Sango and only Sango. How it had happened he didn't know but the demon slayer was the only one he wanted to grope. LOL What would everyone think if they knew he only groped others to get a reaction out of Sango. It seemed as if he lived now to feel her wonderful hand slap his face! How can one hand be so cruel and strong, yet still be soft and gentle when needed?

Inuyasha having caught Kagome's scent bounded towards the hill. " About time you came back! You know we can't hunt the jewel shards down without you! I just hope Naraku hasn't gotten all the ones we haven't 'cuz YOU took so long to come back!" Kagome just stared at him as if he had grown another head while she was gone. " What?" asked Inuyasha, as he took a step back realizing that he might have made a mistake in being so abrupt. / Man I hope she doesn't sit me too hard. / " Inuyasha... can we go somewhere and talk?" Kagome asked. / Man I hope he didn't notice my voice shaking when I said that. / Inuyasha said nothing just grabbed her and headed towards the God tree, setting her down he turned. " What is it? What's bothering you?" he asked. Taking a deep breath she slowly raised her eyes to his. / God don't lose it now Kagome keep a hold on yourself! / " Do you remember what today is?" she asked. Inuyasha took a breath and searched his mind trying to find what it was that she wanted him to remember about today's importance. " Yeah... it's the day you come back so we can go find Naraku." He looked at her as her face fell and realized that he had answered wrong again. / Damn why do I get the feeling I forgot something really important? BAKA! It's her birthing day today! Shit how could I forget that? / Not wanting to admit that he had forgotten he acted like it was her fault when he turned back to her saying' " Why do you need me to remind you of what today is? Don't you know? I'm not your assistant you know!" Letting go the breath she didn't know she was holding she spun from him before he could see the hurt mingled with the tears in her eyes. "Inuyasha..." she said quietly not sure he had heard her he took a step towards her smelling the salt of her tears in the air. " SIT BOY! Sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit." She whirled back to the hole in the ground that was Inuaysha. " Baka! You forgot in three days our conversation? How? Are you really that dense?" Whirling back around she paced quietly murmuring to herself, "How? How could he forget what we agreed on already? I told him I would have a decision by the time I came back and he swore he would as well. Kami! Why? Why do I have to Love him as much as I do?" Freezing she realized what she had just said. Hoping against hope he hadn't heard her she whirled back around only to come face to chest with him. " Did you just say what I think you said?" Inuyasha put his hands on her shoulders as she looked at the ground like it could somehow open and swallow her whole.

" I said I love you. I won't deny it but why I do is beyond me, considering you can't even remember my birthday!" Letting go Inuyasha was now pacing back and forth. / What do I say? I don't know if I love her or not but I know I have to give her an answer this time. / Stopping he turned to face her. " Kagome I have decided I love you and Kikyo both too much to decide between the two of you. I have also decided that since she can not bear any children you will be my mate but I will still continue on with her as I have in the past." Kagome stood stock still in shock as his words finally penetrated the pain in her heart. Oh she knew what he meant, how many times had she come across the two of them in a heated embrace in the last three years? How could she ever forget the pain as it lanced through her heart when she came across the two of them both yelling in their ecstasy. Realizing what it was they were doing she had ran as far away as possible knowing that he had been so lost in Kikyo that he hadn't even noticed her. Looking up at him now as she felt her heart shatter as she whispered so softly he wasn't sure he had heard her right. "No... I won't cry!" Looking him in the eyes she knew the tears had started to fall but she was powerless to stop them.

Sesshomaru looked down at the two figures standing by the tree. Suddenly smelling the salt of the miko's tears he had the urge to rip his brother in two. Wondering why he had this feeling his eyes widened in admiration as he heard what the miko said next.

" No Inuyasha I will not suffer that humiliation even for you! I may love you and my heart may be telling me to take you any way I can have you but my pride will not allow it! I will not be second to anyone in your heart. If you can not decide between the two of us then I will take that decision from you." His heart lurched as he saw the pain mingled with the fierce determination within the deep brown depths of her eyes as she grabbed the prayer beads from around his neck and removed them. He hissed his breath in when he heard what she said next. " Usotsuki! I will not believe you have any feelings towards me! Not after that proposition! If you knew me at all you would have known that I would never accept those terms to your heart! I will not be traveling with you any longer, I am deciding right now I need to take my life back to get my heart back! You may stay in the village tonight but after that you need to find your way alone. No more will I listen as you point out my shortcomings when compared to her. I will no longer listen to anything you have to say ever. My friends may decide as they will about whether or not to continue traveling with you but I will not." Turning she darted into the trees towards the village going about 100 feet before collapsing in a sobbing heap upon the forest floor.

Hearing the last of her words spoken in such deep conviction Inuyasha knew that there would be no forgiveness this time. He hurt inside knowing that the sobs reaching him were caused by his own indecisiveness. He could not take back what he had said. He had meant every word of it; he loved both women too much to let either go. She would not order him around, he would be following her whether she wanted it or not.

Leaning in the tree Sesshomaru took a last look at his hanyou brother before gracefully leaping back through the trees towards the scent of salt and the sounds of sobbing.

Lost in her heartbreak Kagome never heard the feet that had landed a few feet from her prostrate form. Finally realizing she was not alone she slowly turned her sorrow filled eyes towards the person intruding upon her private hell. Sesshomaru seeing the pain in her eyes was taken aback for a moment. Finally remembering why he was there his face was once again clothed with icy disdain as he masked his shock. " Miko, I have no time to listen to your tears. You are coming with me." Walking towards her he almost hesitated when he saw the anger in her eyes. / Anger? She should be shrinking in fear not angry with this Sesshomaru! / "I am not going anywhere with you! Kami you are as bad as he is! I thought you at least were mannerly even if you were always trying to kill him or me. Baka! I will not be ordered about any more." In her saying this he realized he had stopped moving towards her giving her the chance to regain her feet. Now with fists clenched and indignation spurring her on she spun and fled zig zagging back through the trees. / If I can only make it to Kaede's I will at least have the protection of my bow and her barrier from him. / Not realizing Sesshomaru was right behind her and he wasn't even trying. It was as if he were only walking fast not even breaking a sweat when he reached out to grab her closing the distance between them with his claws. Shrieking, Kagome was pulled into a viselike hold when suddenly she felt the ground disappear from beneath her feet.