InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Flower Girl ❯ I Love You ( Chapter 52 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

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Kagome was alone, staring at the waterfall in front of her from the small rise she was sitting on. She'd snuck off, earlier, needing to be away from everyone for a while.

How could I be so foolish? To let myself fall in love with him. I should have known that, in the end, he would decide I was not worthy, she thought sadly.

A single tear made its way down her face at that realization, and she shuddered.

I've known for a while now, that I... but even though I knew better, I still... hoped. Especially when he asked to court me... And it's that hope that's killing me - it hurts that he's decided that he doesn't want me.

Am I going to feel this pain... forever?

She pressed her fingers to her heart, once again feeling a cold chill run through her flesh, and a sharp, stabbing pain thrill through her chest - as if she were dying all over again, as the memories of sharp pain and death slipped through her.

But these phantom pains weren't really being caused by her death at Kikyou's hands all that time ago - these pains were being caused by love.

Love that she had no place to send now...

After Sesshoumaru had brought her that sweet alyssum a few days ago, she'd hoped that he still wanted her, despite his previous avoidance of her, and then with the fir yesterday when he actually sat near her... but since then, he'd once again gone off somewhere in his own mind - and seemed to be avoiding her - just like before.

It was breaking her already fragile heart.

Shaking now from reaction and shock at the pain, she rocked herself back and forth, a light keening rising from the back of her throat and shivering through the silvery air - a lost, broken sound that settled like an arrow in the heart of the one who was listening...

That she would think he would turn from her, would reject and dismiss her...

It was wrong. She should never have cause to think such a thing.

And from now on, he determined, she would not. He had never meant to distance himself from her so much - he'd merely been thinking of everything he needed to do to prepare for the wedding he was determined that they would have - and of the fact that he would now have her for his life span, and not just her own.

With a near silent sigh, he stepped forward towards her, watching the mist from the waterfall sheen her raven's wing locks with diamond lights - it looked like the midnight sky, stars shining brightly within folds of blackest night.

Beautiful. Pure, and... his.

"Your flowers... and their meanings," he said, eyes rising to contemplate the waterfall before him, ignoring her stiffening form. "They are like another language."

Kagome barely dared breathe, brow furrowed, she wondered what he was doing here... she kept her attention on him, listening for his words, though she did not turn around.

"It is... an easy language. To be able to say what you wish to say - without words - is a gift. It... fascinated me. So I memorized all of the flowers, and their meanings."

She closed her eyes, then, resignation setting in. Here it comes...

Rejection.

She could hear his swords clink together as he shifted, and she clenched her eyes shut tighter, fear leaking into her scent, had she but known it, and Sesshoumaru frowned.

"This flower," her fingernails suddenly bit into her palms, "says what this Sesshoumaru wishes to say to you - but cannot - yet. Emotions... feelings, such as this... have too long been foreign from my life for me to be comfortable saying this in words - so this flower is a bridge. Take it as it is meant, miko, for I know that you know the meaning of this one."

Kagome gathered every bit of her courage, standing, she turned slowly, and realized that he was no longer in the clearing. She'd had her senses tightened down so much, that she'd not noticed him leave.

As usual around him... she thought in passing. He probably thought I was ignoring him... and I wasn't! I feel so bad now...

Head bowing, she started to turn away, when her eyes landed on something laying on the ground, from the spot his voice had come from.

A flower.

Her heart stopped then, and she gasped, a hand going up to cover her mouth as tears flooded her eyes and a broken sob rushed from her as though she'd been punched... she stepped forward and crumpled to her knees, reaching out to pick it up with shaking hands.

She held it tenderly as she brought it up to her face and breathed in its beautiful fragrance with a fierce joy beating through her.

Because it wasn't a rejection.

It was one, single, blood-red rose.

A rose. Red.

It stands for...

I love you.

---oOo---

A/N: I've had this one written since about chapter 19... it just came to me, almost fully written in my mind - and I sat down and started typing, not wanting to lose it. I really, really like this - it seems so... Sesshoumaru, to me. To say it, without actually saying it, if you know what I mean, is something he would like - since emotions are so foreign to him. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I do. And don't worry - the next chapter is her response to him - and I really like the way it turned out... I think everyone else will, too.

Amber