Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Inuyasha hated his human night. Always had and always would. It was a modern era now, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t edgy. Sango and Miroku insisted he come out with Shippo to a bar downtown to meet Souten and another woman they were trying to set him up with.

Hard pass. But they offered to pay for his full bar tab. Even as a human, Inuyasha had a high tolerance for alcohol. 

Not saying the hanyou was hard for money. No, he was quite comfortable. Living for a century and a half, he had done quite well for himself, especially since he worked with his father and pain-in-the-ass-half-brother. They had been around a lot longer than him, and while he didn’t like to admit it, he loved them. 

Mostly.

His mother and brother had a very rough time getting along when their father left Inukimi, but Sesshomaru thankfully had Touga for guidance. Through his teenage bitch-fits. Inuyasha’s words. Not theirs.

Either way, after a century of being a make-shift ‘family’, they all started to get along. It helped when Inuyasha proved he wasn’t a weakling by fighting in the wars by his father’s and brother’s sides; he also stood by them during the treaties with the humans, helping establish peace with his birth. Many of his father’s enemies, mouth demons, dream-eater youkai, and even some dragons still had it out for Touga. But Inuyasha managed to avoid most of them simply by not being fuckin’ stupid.

No one had seen him in his human form,at least, not out with his family. His mother knew he hated being in public where he felt death and blind while his father acknowledged what a danger it could be if demons that hated his father (specifically Menomaru and Ryukotusei) ever found out about his time of weakness.

Even Sesshomaru had been kept in the dark about his little secret for awhile due to their relationship. But now? Well, they were fine. Saw each other daily at work. Outside of work. Weekends. Even with Sesshomaru’s mother.

Though this past week, they had all left for the States: some big business opportunities and such. They left Inuyasha in charge of this branch, and Inuyasha didn’t mind as long as he didn’t have to travel. He hated being away from home. 

But Inuyasha was likely just paranoid. Being human was a vulnerability for him. Even when there had been peace for so long… 

Usually, the hanyou and his friends stayed in… But no. Noooooo, they had to go tryin’ to play match-maker. Inuyasha wasn’t lonely. He had his family. He had his friends. Hell, if he really wanted to, he could get laid. But the half-demon was gruff. Growing up, he had been hated, ridiculed, teased, even by his own brother. 

So connecting with people? Wasn’t really his thing. The fact he had friends was thanks to Shippo and Souten. He’d saved the kit a long time ago and Shippo had come to live with his family. Izayoi wouldn’t allow him to be abandoned, and Inuyasha couldn’t bring himself to be cruel to Shippo after he had brought the kitsune home to be healed by his mother.

Not to mention his mom made the little runt his responsibility.

But they had grown close: a father-son kinda relationship. It was definitely harder than Inuyasha would ever admit when he had grown and mated with Souten. But the runt couldn’t fiddle and drag his feet like Inuyasha. No. The hanyou didn’t allow that. 

But, in retrospect, Inuyasha should have because now he was set up with demon after demon, human after human, and even a hanyou! None meshed well with him; either they were too quiet, too kinky, or too loud. 

It had gotten to the point where Inuyasha assumed he was just broken. Maybe in his human form, he might be more tolerant. He didn’t know; he’d never tried.

Walking through the night, down the street, he thought he was being paranoid. The footsteps around him were hard to make out… but eventually, when there were more behind him, keeping a subtle pace not to pass him. Inuyasha grew slightly nervous. Something was off. 

The hanyou quickly ducked down an alley and cursed himself when he saw it was a dead end… and that he actually had all the reason in the world to be worried. Turning around, growling lamely in his human form, he turned to see Menomaru, Ryukotusei, Magatsuhi, Gatenmaru, and Kao: his father’s most annoying and loudest adversaries... 

“Gentlemen,” Inuyasha said as he tried to keep the panic from growing out of control.

“How fortuitous we found you lurking about, Lord Inuyasha,” Menomaru sneered.

“What do you want?” Inuyasha asked, even though he already knew the answer. His phone was in his jeans and he knew he wouldn’t be able to grab it without them noticing. 

“We want what we have always wanted, Inuyasha,” Ryukotsei taunted as he took a step forward in his humanoid body. “Revenge. Vengeance.”

“Just because my old man wouldn’t let you kill all the humans--”

“Hahahaha, it’s not just because of that, half-breed,” Gantenmaru chuckled darkly. “Your father mating with your mother was what caused all of this,” he gestured. “Humanity’s reign. Our leash and chains…”

“Why wait ‘til now to bring up your grievances,” Inuyasha questioned.

“Finally calculated your human night. Not to mention, hard to catch you alone without your father’s or worthless brother’s escort or humans . Their laws and emotions make our efforts hard and tedious. It’s easier to get you alone, half-breed. Not human, so you evade their protection and not demon… an easy catch.

“The fact that you never really go out gave us some issues... Then your father and brother left. Your friends dragged you out. Now, here you are, all alone,” Kao said creepily.

Damnit. Inuyasha was fucked. He tried to brace himself, but against four demons? Four youkai? He didn’t stand much of a chance… And what sucked further? He had turned human right before he left home. Unfortunately, Inuyasha knew all too well what was about to happen…

The hanyou turned human refused to go down without a fight, though--but just as he was beginning to evade the first teasing strike from Menomaru, Kao used his creepy vines he used to creep on people’s sorrows to tie him down. Wow. They weren’t even gonna take a chance even in his human form, were they? Fuckers.

At least he didn’t have a mate to drag down with him…

An odd thought to have when he felt a fist go through his gut. Inuyasha didn’t bother to watch as he was beaten to death. They hadn’t earned the honor of to be watched as they killed him. Stabbed. Tortured. Punched. Kicked. Poisoned. He tried to imagine being in the arms of his mate--someone he had never met before.

Black hair. Gray eyes. Pale skin. Vicious glare. Sharp tongue. Gentle hands. Bright smile. Melodic voice. 

Inuyasha was being delusional. But then again, he was dying; the hanyou had every reason to try to comfort himself as he felt like he was being burned and skinned alive. Meh. He probably was. 

Touga had taught him techniques to separate himself from pain--however, it was far easier as a hanyou. As a human, pain was felt at a higher standard. Then again, his skin was thinner, he was far weaker and more susceptible to feeling anything--emotionally or physically.

The hanyou turned human was fading quickly; everything felt cold. His mind was murky and muddled. All he could see were her gray eyes. His mate. That’d he’d never get to meet.

His literally bleeding heart bled a little more at the thought of dying alone. In an alley. With his father’s most hated enemies. 

What a way to go.

Just as Inuyasha was losing consciousness, he swore he heard his best friend Miroku shouting. It could have been a dream, it could have very well been reality, but… Inuyasha saw the red thick blood he was laying in and couldn’t even feel the warmth or sense the moisture of it. 

Miroku was suddenly in his eyesight, on his phone, his lips moving rapidly as he spoke into it. Inuyasha wasn’t sure what he was saying… but the tears in Miroku’s eyes told him what Inuyasha had already concluded: he was dying.

~~~~

Kagome didn’t particularly enjoy working nights, but sometimes being a power spiritualist and being one where she didn’t need supervision to make sure her reiki didn’t fly out of control meant she had to work the graveyard shift.

Not that Kagome had anything better to do anyway. Her friends were still enjoying the high-life… 

To be fair, they were still enjoying the school life. Kagome had to work to support herself. She had to support her mom and brother. Her father had passed away when she was only ten and her grandfather passed away when she graduated high school. They were left the shrine but with Sota in school and her mom trying to keep the shrine in order--

It was up to Kagome to provide. So, Kagome gave up having a normal life. Worked nights. Went to school during the day. Texted her friends and got coffee when she could, but otherwise, it was unfortunately time for her to grow up. 

Even Hojo got tired of her lack of presence. And honestly, Kagome couldn’t blame him. She was actually shocked he tolerated her absence as long as he had. It was a relationship that had… fizzled anyway. They had been growing apart and at eighteen, having been pulled in so many directions, having to become an adult, while also trying to maintain her old life, Kagome came to the realization it wasn’t going to work; she needed to try and break away from anything that weighed down her heart. And that included Hojo.

They had dated since middle school and Hojo was so sure they would marry… But Kagome, as terrible as it sounded, had always wanted more. They had done everything together and went as far as the relationship could take them…

And while Kagome loved Hojo because he was kind, he was caring, and he was attentive… She was never in love with Hojo. And it was hard to see that within the moment of the being together, but after they broke up and she was alright? It became achingly clear.

So Kagome decided that at least until she finished school, she’d take some time off. While she was busy, and stayed busy, she took the opportunity to learn about herself. The miko wrote in journals, read books, and did everything to figure out ‘who Kagome was and what Kagome liked.’

Now, confident and secure in her role at the hospital as a miko, someone who could pray with the patients, their families, and even someone who could help a demon who required a calming touch, Kagome found she was happy. She had a purpose and she oddly didn't miss the companionship of a man.

Sitting in the hospital temple, Kagome prayed to the Gods for a peaceful night... So far, it was quiet. But she knew that was impossible, though. It was the new moon. Demons lurked about in darkness and humans ran amok. Everyone always said full moons were the worst--new moons were just as terrible. Without the moon l, there was no influence of good, bad--there was just darkness. And darkness swayed people’s hearts more than any pull of the moon.

As Kagome bit her lip, her gut filled with dread. She shivered from an unknown feeling that washed over her. It was bad. Ominous. Unwanted. It was like...it was like when her father died. When she lost her grandfather. Only this--this was much worse. It felt like her heart was being ripped out, while someone punched a hole in her stomach. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. Kagome rose and made her way to the emergency room. Maybe she could figure out more by checking on patients. Checking with the doctors, nurses--something.

Either way, Kagome needed answers. And she needed them quickly. Her feet moved swiftly down the hospital hallways as she raced to the destination where she thought she could find answers. Answers she wasn’t even sure she actually wanted--but the miko knew that she needed.

Bursting through the double doors she was met by the surprised doctor, Suikotsu. He was startled and gasped, “Kagome. I was just going to have the nurse call you. I need you to meet with some people--”

“Dr. Suikotsu--was--there’s--I--”

“Come with me; we need to deliver some grave news to the friends of this young man… They said his family is out of town so we took down the information we could get from them.”

“But--”

“Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Souten?” Dr. Suikotsu asked in the waiting room. Kagome quickly shut her mouth, realizing the feeling of dread would sadly have to wait. She had a job to do and she would have to suck it up, put on a mask and help these people who were about to lose a loved one. “I’m sorry to inform you that we do not think Mr. Takahashi will pull through… the damage to his internal organs is too extensive. Even with sunrise being close… we don’t think even his demonic blood will be able to heal him in time. The injuries are far too grave. The support we have him on isn’t compensating for all organs that are failing or have failed. Even if we do not pull the vents off, we do not see him making it to past when the sunrise.

“This is Kagome Higurashi, our resident miko. She will more than happily take any questions and prayer requests if you have any. When you are ready, we will set things up to remove the vents.”

He walked away and Kagome stood with the patient’s friends. A patient that sounded like a hanyou. It was sad they were still sometimes targeted in this day and age… Poor guy. 

“Hi… I’m so sorry we had to meet under these circumstances,” Kagome began with a sad smile. “I’m here for whatever you need. I can be by his side when we start the preparations, I can let you guys come in and join us. Whatever you are the most comfortable with.”

“There...there’s really no hope?” the human girl asked.

“I’m sorry… I actually haven’t even seen Mr. Takahashi’s chart or anything. I was just called down… So I think it must be pretty serious. They usually don’t summon me down unless… unless the patient is on their final call.”

“That is awful… His mother will be devastated,” the moral man said gravely.

“Can we… say goodbye?” the kitsune trembled. The female thunder demon held him as closely as possible. 

“Yes; let me go make arrangements, and I will be back,” she said soothingly. 

Walking away, she went to the nurses station and found the chart for Takahashi, Inuyasha… He was a couple centuries old. So… he had lived a decent lifespan. It was sad because she was sure he was probably still young in even half-demon terms. And to go out by mugging? That part was awful. Kagome hoped they would catch the people or youkai responsible for such a treacherous act. 

The young miko made her way to his room as quickly but as calmly as she could since sunrise was at hand. She needed to make sure things were arranged to where Inu--Mr. Takahashi looked peaceful to his friends and out of pain. Or nearly there. 

Turning to the nurse who was in the room, Kagome nodded to distribute the morphine and then once it took effect, she would gather his friends. The nurse walked over to the doorway and patted Kagome on the shoulder as she left the room. 

Sighing, the miko took a deep breath and finally took in the patient’s appearance and her heart dropped… He was so covered in gauze and medical supplies she couldn’t even see his figure. All she could make out were ebony locks that were laid out beneath his beaten and battered body. What a goodbye his friends were going to get… It made her heart hurt. More than it already did. The dread hadn’t left her yet; if anything, being in this room only intensified it. 

Gazing out the window, she saw the sun beginning to rise. Well… he made it there, at least. Kagome was about to leave to grab his poor grieving friends when all of a sudden she felt the strong surge of youki surrounding her. It was--it was a lot--no--too much for a hanyou! How was this possible?? 

Standing there, like a deer in headlights, because honestly, that’s basically what she was in comparison to rising inuyoukai from the bed. The black hair she had seen was now silver and flipping around him rapidly. His blood-red eyes locked onto hers as he snarled loudly and menchaningly. His hands began ripping out the IVs and everything attached to his body--followed by his gown, the bed, and the couch. 

Kagome was shocked for many reasons…

1. This hanyou turned demon was...literally so near death that the machines were supposedly not aiding his body in survival. AT ALL. And now--he was up and destroying his room.
2. His youki was so powerful, she was having a hard time believing he was a hanyou and not a full youkai.
3. Her reiki was reaching out to him instinctively to calm him. Which it didn’t seem like that it was doing very much. 
4. The nurses (one demon and two humans) and doctor who came rushing, in trying to settle the half-demon down, were only thrown across the room.

The only comforting thing was that he wasn’t attacking her…

He...He wasn’t attacking her.

Why? Everyone else seemed to be in danger… Well, not really. He was--he was scared. The poor patient was frightened. The inuyoukai (judging by the ears and growls) was just cutting Yura’s hair (the demonic nurse who had leapt into action) that she tried to weave around him and push over the other two nurses and doctor. He was only protecting himself… But oddly, he didn’t even react to her. 

Stepping forward, Kagome created a barrier around the room, earning her a very enraged snarl from the inuyoukai. Finally, the patient was at least acknowledging her presence. He was suddenly in her face, his overly long claws raised and poised to attack, the glowing ominous red eyes with cyan irises glaring at her enough to make her feel like she was burning alive from the hatred he was pushing towards her: purple jagged stripes upon his cheeks, long silver tresses flowing wilding with the swirl of red demonic aura.

“Drop your shield or I will slaughter everyone in here,” he threatened.

“You would have already,” she challenged softly. Her body was shaking from fear--oddly, not fear of him. No. Fear for him. He was still bleeding and after moving around--well, more like bulldozing around like a freight train! He was going to get himself killed if he didn’t stop!

“Shut up, human miko,” he snarled in her face, making sure she could see the long and sharp fangs.

“You don’t scare me,” she retorted even though she knew her body likely revealed her extreme trepidation of the situation.

“Liar. You’re dripping in the scent of fear.”

“For you --you’re hurt ! Please… let us help you.”

“Fuck that. I demand justice! My clan states I must reclaim my worth by destroying those who tried and failed to kill me!”

“And--and you can have it! But! We need to make sure you’ll live afterwards! I don’t even know or understand how you’re able to even stand right now! You have a family--friends! Friends who are outside waiting for you! Who thought they were going to have to say goodbye to you! Crying for you! Please just let us help you so they can see you again!!”

The youkai roared in her face but she held firm in her place before him. Nothing else around them really mattered or even registered in her mind--all she could see and hear was the very angry and volatile half-demon that stood before her.

“Please,” she asked again as nicely and as softly as she could, extending a hand towards him, her reiki still flowing around them on its own accord. It was when she touched him it was like a match ignited; her body calmed slightly, as if it knew instinctively everything was alright, and his--his body tensed from the graze of her touch and then slightly relaxed. Kagome saw the sway of his body--that with his fight or flight instincts faltering, the damage finally registering within him and knew she needed him to relax more. “Please just let us help you.”

“I don’t do docs. Let me the fuck out, or I’ll break through your barrier.”

“You wouldn’t!” Kagome exclaimed in horror.

“Either I die fighting, or I die trying to get out. My clan would consider this a disgrace that I am sitting here to be healed rather than seeking revenge!”

“Please! Be reasonable! We can help you so you get whatever your clan commands or whatever when you can actually stand on your own two feet! If you really don’t want a doctor--what about a nurse??”

“NO!”

“I’m not going to let you leave so you might as well get comfy; you’ll have to throw me off of you!” Kagome threatened hotly. He still hadn’t ripped his arm from where her hand was touching him (not gripping him! Nope! She didn’t want to scare him and make him freak out further!) and she took that as a good sign because he still hadn’t harmed her.

It dawned on Kagome the doctor and nurses were still in the room--they had to be! She had erected the barrier to keep him in and thereby sealed everyone else in there with them.

She turned to see Dr. Suikotsu checking on one of the three nurses that had been summoned by the alarms when the youkai had ripped everything off. “Kagome,” he said worriedly.

“If and that’s a big fucking’s IF I agree to stay, I want to be left the fuck alone.”

“You need someone to rewrap your bandages and check your vitals! Stop being so stubborn about this!”

“I said NO FUCKIN’ DOCTORS!! Are you deaf, human?!” he snarled in her face again. Her eyes narrowed in a challenging manner and stood her ground.

“Fine. Then I’ll stay.”

“Kagome, you aren’t a nurse--” Suikotsu said from behind her.

“No, but I know enough on what to watch for and how to bandage things and I’m the only one who can hold up the barrier if he decides to double back on the idea.”

“He’ll attack you!” one of the other nurses said from behind her--Yura she thought judging by the southern twain she had.

“He hasn’t yet…” Kagome responded, still not letting her eyes wander from the hanyou-turned demon.

Said youkai stared at her for an insurmountable amount of time… Kagome felt the need to swallow, because her throat ran dry. The way he looked at her was unlike any other she had been gazed at before. It was weird: studying, glaring, confusion, pained, angry, and maybe even a hint of something more? But the ‘something’ more wouldn’t make sense. So Kagome kept those thoughts unnamed and buried deeply within her subconscious and would ponder it once this was all over.

“Fine. Once I am healed, I am to be released, miko…”

“Deal. But only when I say so. You can’t fool me,” Kagome stated firmly.

“We’ll see, mortal…” the demon growled.

“Kagome, we need to discuss this--” Dr. Suikotsu tried again.

“There’s nothing to discuss except maybe overtime payment? Time and a half?” she asked leadingly as she turned away from the hanyou and dropped his arm. “Look, he agreed to stay and to be treated. I realize this is completely unorthodox but we can’t all stay in here and he’ll leave if we don’t keep the barrier up. His instincts are still out of control--hence why his youkai blood has taken over. The fact I’m here--my reiki is soothing him. Somehow. This is the best way we can treat him and make sure he’s alright…”

Suikotsu glowered and groaned, “The board is going to fuckin’ kill me. And you.”

“You’re married to the head soooooo I wouldn’t be too worried. Just tell my cousin Kikyo the situation and I’m sure she’ll understand.”

“You’re trying to get me divorced… but fine. We will go.”

“Wait!” Kagome exclaimed, turning back to youkai who watched her with intense scrutiny. “Who attacked you? We can give word to your friends to try and have this resolved so they are at least in custody.”

The youkai blinked at her and sniffed her without so much as the subtlety of trying to hide it. Obviously he was trying to figure out her intentions--but there was no reason for her to lie. Kagome wanted to help ease him in whatever way she could and apparently, catching the creeps that did that to the hanyou was what mattered!!!

Snarling once more, he huffed his reluctance before he told her the names of the guys who had attacked him, “Only because I want to make sure they don’t leave town...I should just go after them now. You--make sure they give it to Miroku and Sango.” 

Kagome waved him off before she rushed over and took a notepad from Yura’s pocket and scribbled the information down before handing it back to the nurse with a clear command, “Make sure Miroku and Sango get this. I’ll be fine.”

Yura nodded, and looked to the doctor, who merely shook his head in reluctance before Kagome dropped the barrier, making her wobble just a bit as she let them out before resealing it. That was a lot of power. Summoning, dropping, and then resummoning a barrier. Especially with the amount of youki that literally clouded the room like--well. It was weird. It should have been suffocating like a misama, but it was… soft. Gentle. While it swirled around violently, it only touched her with the most docile and tender caress. In reality, it was kind of distracting. Between the adrenaline rush of being filled with dread and trying to figure out why, being roped into consoling a grieving family of friends, to watching a human transform into a youkai--everything she was thinking and feeling was a bit jumbled. 

And now she had to maintain a barrier. After a long night. And have to maintain it until the patient’s demonic blood has finished healing him. Sighing, she turned back to the hanyou; his body was trembling but his face was so determined it shocked her how adamant he was to prove he was ok.

“Why don’t we uh…” Kagome paused and looked around the destroyed room and realized there was no bed, no couch… Sigh. Alright then. He obviously isn’t going to make this easy. 

The young miko made her way over to the extra supplies they had in the room and did a very quick inventory. Obviously, he wouldn’t let her out of the room without trying to bolt, and if she lowered the shield, he’d take the opportunity to escape as well. Kagome found gauze, bandages, some chips, other random easy snacks, along with multiple bottles of water. 

At least they had some things that weren’t destroyed by his manic state.

“Alright,” she finally voiced, turning back to him with the gauze, “how about you… uh… sit uhm… well, anywhere. I can get some of the ripped up pillows and you can sit on them?”

“Keh. I’m not a weak mortal like you,” he scoffed as he leaned against the wall.

“Look, I’m not saying you are, but I need you to sit and relax; your body won’t heal faster if you are fighting against me.”

He growled and finally sank down without another sound. Kagome was shocked at his pain tolerance… But it was also possible maybe the high from adrenaline rant through his own blood like her own. 

Sitting down beside him, she lightly touched his patient gown; he growled, but she chose to ignore it and began to rebandage him. Rolling her eyes, Kagome huffed seeing the idiot literally had reopened everything. The hanyou was unbelievable!

“My name is Kagome, by the way.”

“Like I care.”

“I prefer it to ‘you’, ‘miko’, or ‘human’. If you’d be so kind. Ka-Go-Me. It’s not hard to say,” she lectured as she was finishing up his chest about to scoot back to address his legs.

“Whatever.”

“It was… Inuyasha, right? Or do you prefer Mr. Takahashi?” 

His silence didn’t make her feel any better or calmer about the situation. Not that she was scared of him. No. Still not one ounce of fear was directed towards the idea of him hurting her. She had been ballsy when she took charge offering to care for him, especially when he acted like he didn't even need it. 

But…

But for some reason Kagome was drawn to this patient. This need to care for him just took over and her usual calm demeanor just--shifted, for lack of a better word--and she just needed to help him. Kagome had to.

Speaking of helping the hanyou before her, it dawned on her that she was going to be missing class as well as making her mother worry. Realistically, the inuyoukai wouldn't heal fully from such injuries before a couple of days. Pulling out her phone, she shot a quick text off to her friend Ayumi ,who was in some of her classes to ask if she could  deliver the message; she then sent another text to her mom letting her know there would be extra money coming in for pulling in more hours!

This was nothing like staying up all night, rushing to study for finals during finals week, but Kagome could at least say she had stayed awake for longer than two days before. The whole holding-up-a-barrier-thing was going to definitely be an added challenge… along with not losing her cool when he refused to let her help him, as well as tell her how to address him--

“Inuyasha.”

“What?” She looked up at him in shock.

“You can call me Inuyasha.”

“Inu...yasha…” she said tasting the name. It was...strange. Her heart almost felt like it beat a little faster. Like it felt a little bit more whole. Like everything was oddly the way it was meant it was meant to be.

Chapter Text

It was...awkward. Yes. That was the right word for whatever was happening in the hospital room.

Inuyasha had destroyed everything. The couch. The bed. The equipment. A lot of the medical supplies. Some of his hospital gown…

Kagome blushed at her indecent thoughts. He was a patient. Not a piece of meat. Not someone she should allow herself to get close and chummy with.

Especially with the quivering ache in her stomach still. The adrenaline had lessened the feeling of hurt and anxiety had filled her with purpose, but the overall consuming of dread did not go away. No. It made her afraid. 

Afraid of why.

Afraid of what it could be.

Afraid of what it could mean.

“You don’t gotta be scared. I ain’t gonna eat ya. I ain’t that kind of demon.”

“What?” Kagome jumped at what he was saying. Not that kind of demon??! What did he mean?! Did youkai still do that?! “Th-that’s not--”

“Whatever.”

“No! Don’t put words in my mouth!!”

“The scent of fear literally drips from your body.” The demon sat there, on the floor across the room from her. His body glistened in sweat, and blood was dripping from his wounds, soaking through his bandaids. She should honestly sew him up. But she had no idea how to administer painkillers or if she would need to...reorganize his organs before stitching him into place.

Kagome knew a little about demon blood--not a lot. Just that it healed incredibly fast and that things that could kill a human, would maybe leave a demon down for a day. If that. But this man--Inuyasha--was a hanyou… What did that all mean?

“You’re…” Kagome cleared her throat as she found herself flushed by the intensity of his blood-red glowing eyes. The aqua irises seem to pierce through her entire being. “You’re very wounded. And I’m trained--but maybe not as much as I should be in dressing your wounds. I know more about youki and reiki--not sewing up a hanyou.”

Said half-demon snarled at the terminology and it made her roll her eyes in annoyance. Did he really not think she put two and two together? Or that his friends didn’t tell the doctor while they were treating him?

“Look, I’m not trying to insult you or anything like that. It doesn’t bother me--” God, she was so stupid, why would she say that-- “or disgust me or make you any less of a person! It’s just who you are and there’s nothing wrong with that. I just--don’t know intensive first aid for a hanyou. That’s all.”

Inuyasha grunted and averted his eyes. She could see his body beneath the gown and realized he was going to have to be cleaned again. Rising to her feet, she walked over to the station that held the medicine and wraps. The shelf was barely still attached to the wall--likely from when he had tossed Yura into it, and it held a lot of broken bottles. Kagome carefully grabbed the bandages and contemplated maybe offering to try and stitch him up. They were already breaking a lot of protocols on what was currently happening--what was one more?

“Uh… Do you--Would it be okay if I tried to stitch up your wounds? That way your body is addressing the more serious wounds, the ‘minor’ ones can be kept minor?”

“...Why do you care?” His question startled her and brought her full attention back to him. He was on his feet, and blood was dripping down his legs and she gasped in horror.

“Inuyasha! Sit back down right now!! You’re being so--UGH! CARELESS!” Kagome said in anger and frustration for the lack of care the hanyou clearly had over himself. She swiped the gauze off the surface before her and made her way back over to the hanyou-turned-youkai. 

“You didn’t answer the question.”

“Gods! Why are you so stubborn!!? Sit!!!” she growled in exasperation. 

The half-demon just stared down at her--oddly not like she was an annoyance. Nope. It was a more studious look. Possibly hungry. But he was likely hungry. Demons ate more than humans, and his body was burning a lot of youki trying to heal itself. His ears twitched at the hitch of her breath and the hard swallow she had to take to drag her eyes from his form, and it made her that much more irked. “I see your ears moving to the sound of my breath so I know you can hear me, dog-boy! S.I.T. D.O.W.N. N.O.W!”

“You’re bleeding,” he said thoughtfully. Because it was. The demon before her was actually acting very soft and gentle as his shaky hand took hers in his. 

Shaking her head from any thoughts of misreading the patient’s intentions, Kagome softly placed her other hand over his and looked up into his flushed and sweaty face. “I’ll be fine. Please, can you--you just--sit? My anxiety and nervousness are literally because if you die after I convinced the doctor and nurses to do this--well--it may have already cost my job but I don’t want it to cost theirs.”

Inuyasha just scoffed and sank down to the floor, using the wall as leverage (even though Kagome knew he would never admit to doing so), and finally sat. Kagome began to pull at his hospital gown when his hand, yet again, stopped hers and made her pause. It was Kagome’s turn to blush. The youkai was giving her a run for her money in professionalism. 

“Lemme dress it then I’ll relax. Maybe.”

Biting her lip, she looked at his red eyes again. For a hanyou-turned-demon, he seemed oddly in control of himself. Maybe he was mated? No. No, he had originally tried to escape the hospital to seek revenge. Likely not mated. Just… maybe his human blood was more aware because it had just been his night he had to change into a mortal? Sighing, Kagome knew she was at a loss. She had to make a deal with a demon. That way, she could actually save him.

“Alright, if you promise,” Kagome said sternly, holding out her other hand with her pinky up.

“The fuck you doin’?” he asked in confusion.

“A promise? You seal it with the twist of your pinky with mine.”

“Why the hell would I do that?”

“Uhm…” A fair question. Not everyone did it. Not everyone was dorky like her. Not everyone was a nerd like her dad. “Y-You’re right. It was stupid. Your word is fine.”

“Just tell me why,” he exhaled tiredly.

“It’s silly.”

“We’re stuck together so unless you wanna let me just heal by myself--which I know I will--this is more for you. So. Talk.”

“Are you trying to get me to build a rapport with you?”

“Or we could just be quiet ‘til I heal. I’m fine with that.”

Kagome groaned. Gods, he wasn’t making this easy!! “Fine! Fine… It was something I used to do with my dad. My friends and I always do it to kinda--I don’t know--honor him. Keep him in our thoughts. I know--I know it’s silly and childish but--” It’s all I have left.

The young miko averted her eyes as she felt herself tear up. It was embarrassing and heart-wrenching to talk about still. It didn’t matter how long ago it had happened; her father would always be in her heart. And the special things that they did would always be something she would try to uphold and keep in practice.

“Here.” Kagome looked back at the half-demon and saw he was still staring at her with his pinky extended.

“Inu--”

“Just fuckin’ do it.”

“Ok,” Kagome grinned as she gripped his pinky with hers.

“So… ” Inuyasha said as he began to wrap her hand, much more gently than what Kagome thought he was capable. “ You… lost your dad?”

“Uhm. Yeah. He passed away a while ago… but I still miss him. I was only ten. But we had been best friends.”

“Ah.”

“Do…” This was stupid. Why was she trying to do this?? He obviously had no interest in her--wait!! Ugh! Why was she thinking this?! Whatever! Kagome was stuck in there with him anyway!! Maybe he would know… how long. Maybe. “Do you have family and...sorry I’m kind of awkward.”

“Yeah. Bedside manner isn’t the best. How do you have your job?”

“Miko and reiki experience. I typically pray over patients and console their families. Live patients--live people uhm... I kinda stand out like a sore thumb.”

“Obviously.”

“You’re just rude. Most people just awkwardly laugh or retract their eye contact.”

“I’m not most people. I don’t tiptoe around.”

“I gathered,” Kagome said as she took her hand from his and inspected the very neat and careful bandages. Wow. Was he a doctor? “Your turn, now.”

“Keh,” he said with no heat. She pushed down his gown and nearly gagged. The bandages she had applied merely an hour ago (or had it been longer? Shorter? She didn’t really have a moment to look currently) were already completely drenched in his blood. Taking the scissors, she cut the bindings and applied pressure to the first wound she came across to stop the bleeding.

“Do you mind if I… try and stitch you? I might not make it pretty…”

“I don’t scar. This is for you.”

“No--this is so you don’t bleed out ! Your demonic side is still out completely, so obviously, your life is still in danger!! I mean--I’m right, right??”

“You’re the miko.”

“Are you saying you don’t even know your own body?!”

“Just pointin’ out that you should know.”

“Look here, dog-boy--I know about youki and reiki. I know how to control my spiritual powers and how to use them for blessings and how to just--USE THEM! Demon autonomy and healing capabilities are not what I studied! I’m in school for other things! Gods! Didn’t your mother teach you any manners?!”

“My mother isn’t here.”

“Classic,” Kagome scoffed as she threaded the needle and then, after another very brief moment of deliberation, plunged the stick through his left pec. Having expected a twitch or even a groan of pain from her lack of tack, she looked up at the red-eyed inu-youkai and saw he hadn’t even changed his careful stoic demeanor. “So what? That’s why you didn’t have a girlfriend show up? You’re just an asshole??”

“Keh.”

“Are you serious?! Nothing?? Do you only want revenge??”

“Figured that out, huh? Was me sayin’ it earlier not good enough?”

“God, you are insufferable!” Then it dawned on Kagome exactly what he was doing. While his appearance was unchanged as she sewed his wound up, and while he wouldn’t admit it, he was indeed in pain. Even if he couldn’t recognize it. He was…

He was putting up a wall between them. It cracked when she had scratched her hand on the shards of glass--and once they were bound, his wall went back up. Why though?? She hadn’t done anything to upset him or make him wary of her--

Unless… Inuyasha was a hanyou. Had he felt the prejudice he had just literally been almost killed over his whole life? How old was he?? Hm...

“Inuyasha?” Kagome started quietly. “You… You don’t have to be afraid I’ll hurt you.”

“Know you won’t. Against your hospital code.”

“Not like that! Like--emotionally! I don’t care that you’re a half-demon, or a demon right now, or that you were a human when you first arrived!”

“Again. Hospital code.”

“God!!! Can you just--let down your wall for somebody?? Anybody?!?”

“Pretty sure you noticed by my presence that if I let my guard down for an instant, I’m dead.”

“BUT I’M NOT THEM!” Kagome shouted, completely out of character for her as she tied off the knot to her very poor excuse of a stitching job. “Sorry! Oof--I’m sure that hurt!” Inuyasha’s stare just made her hurt even further. It was going to be a long couple of days until he was healed. Maybe she should just lay down and count the specks in the ceiling. “Fine… We don’t have to talk. I’m sorry. I was just--trying to get to know you. Since, you know, you trusted me enough to be here with you rather than letting yourself just plow through my barrier… I guess I kinda already betrayed you, huh? By not letting you go out and find your revenge? I’m sorry. I’ll just--finish manually closing your wounds and then rewrap your body. After that, I’ll uh… scroll through my phone until it dies.”

And now she was just blabbering. Not to make him feel sorry for her, but almost just for there to be some sound. The youkai was so quiet. It was weird. Eerie. Kagome honestly expected a growl, a murmur, his breathing--something! But the dog demon was really proving to be the lethal predator he likely was.

The young miko kept her eyes planted on her patient’s defined and bloodied chest. There was really no need to look back into his face, knowing his emotionless, entrancing gaze would still be there, and would only likely make her feel more embarrassed and somewhat hurt, because what was the point really?

Sighing, she cut open the next overly saturated spot on his bandages and redrew the string through the needle. Just as she poked him again she heard a very soft, “This part of me doesn’t feel pain.”

“What??” Kagome gasped as her eyes mischievously looked up into the face of the demon. His face was cast downward, looking at the needle that was within his lower right pec. 

“When my youkai blood takes control, pain doesn’t register with it. Fight or flight. Fight is the ultimate response.”

“But,” Kagome started, after swallowing down a hopeful lump in her throat as she continued to close up his wounds, “you--you didn’t fight me.”

“Dunno why, to be honest.”

“Interesting…” Kagome hummed, trying not to get distracted with the butterflies that were oddly spinning in her belly. She was--nervous. Hopeful. And foolish. He was a patient. Near death. His youki was untamed. His blood was wild. Letting herself get confused and possibly connected to Inuyasha was a mistake. Especially because her normal life was so messy. Very messy. Yes. She was just sleep deprived. Kagome could definitely chalk it up to that and the fact this was likely the only time she ever held a barrier for this amount of time outside of getting her approval to work as a miko.

“Thanks.”

“What?” Kagome stopped threading and looked at him again, his expression more thoughtful than it was cold and hard.

“You need a hearing aid.”

“No--I’m just--I’m surprised you’re--that you are--opening up to me. Kinda. Sorta.”

“Do people not regularly thank you?”

“Not… really. It’s not their fault. I--I mainly just do prayers over people who aren’t doing well or do grief counseling. People are upset and deep into their nuclear families and friends when I’m called in so… It’s natural to be overlooked,” Kagome explained as she finally tied off the second knot of her poor stitch of his wounds. But at least she had stopped the bleeding! Mission accomplished. So far. She needed to treat at least four or five more bigger areas that were still seeping through, but Kagome was hopeful now. “There. Is that… alright?”

“Yeah, ‘s fine.”

“Ok,” she said wistfully, satisfied with her work. 

As she began to loosen the next area, applying pressure with her hand as the over untangled the bandages Inuyasha softly added, “Gotta mom, father, and half-brother.”

“O-Oh?” Kagome said.

“Yeah. They’re in the states right now.”

“Oh, for what?”

“Work thing. Sess and I didn’t need to go. That’s why I was out. Meeting friends.”

“On your human night, right? Why?? If this kind of thing--”

“Typically don’t ever go out. If I do, it’s usually with a friend. I was dumb last night.”

“Not dumb… you were trying… and that’s--that’s terrible, those youkai took advantage of that.”

“Keh.”

“So you said this form doesn’t feel pain? So… do you not know what kind of condition you are in?”

“Since my youkai blood is out, I assume bad; I know that organs are in their proper place, let alone whole. Bones are broken. That’s why you’re stitching me up. Wounds can’t close when my instincts are picking what to fix first.”

“Wow. I didn’t know that. My training as miko was basically just to make sure not to fry a demon by accident. I learned a little bit about youkai--but nothing about how demon’s bodies work.”

“You seem like you knew enough. You kept me in here.” 

“I… I had nothing to do with that--or my reiki really. I don’t think, anyway. I didn’t do anything differently.”

“Right.”

“What?”

“Usually I’m kinda a mindless dick. Killing, roaming, whatever.”

“When was the last time you transformed like this?”

“Long time.”

“Like… a year ago?”

“Keh. No. Couple decades. Prob’ more.”

“Maybe age has helped? How old are you, anyway?”

“A couple centuries.”

“Wow… You don’t look a day over twenty!”

“I look older than that! ” Inuyasha barked, making Kagome giggle uncontrollably. “ What!?!”

“You’re actually talking to me! Like I can actually see your personality!”

“Keh. This part of me doesn’t have a ‘personality’.”

“Then it's your human side shining through.”

“Not possible.”

“It is, though,” Kagome teased, continuing her work as his facial expression shifted to a stewing one. She found herself humming, happily, especially when she saw the cute little ears atop of his head twitching along with the melody of the tune that was stuck in her head.

“So… What about you? You lost your dad--anyone else?”

“My grandfather, actually. It’s why I have this job. My mom took over the shrine duties, but it wasn’t enough income for my schooling and the additional stuff that needed to be repaired. So. I had to kinda grow up quickly and help out. My cousin told me they had an opening here--she’s the hospital director. And yea…”

“Whatchya in school for?”

“Education. I love kids. And I feel like I’m a decent tutor for my little brother when he needs help.”

“Huh.”

The conversation kept going. She’d talk for a while, then she would think of a question or two to ask him. Inuyasha would respond. Finally, when she was done, Kagome rose and motioned for him to stay; not that he was jumping up, but she almost felt she needed to convey she would be right back.

For some reason.

Some reason she couldn’t describe accurately was inside of her. 

But, nevertheless, Kagome went to the cabinets under the shelves that were still lined with broken items and found a fairly clean hospital gown. Satisfied, she went back over the hanyou and handed him the new clothing.

“Here, do you need help changing?”

“Nah ,” he said as he stripped to be completely naked. Kagome eeped and blushed madly at his indecency. Did he have no tact??! And--And--! “ What? I’m sure you’ve seen a dick before.”

“Gods! Y-Yes but--but-- not in my job description here!”

“Prude.”

“I am not--” Kagome started to swing around to yell at him when she realized what she was doing and flushed hotter. “I’m young! Look--I had one boyfriend and he was tired of me not really having time, which I totally understood, and when we broke up--I just--! I’m focusing on myself now. And it’s not like I have a lot of time to just--I don’t know! Go to a bar for a hookup!”

“I’m just teasin’. Nothin’ wrong with what you’re doin’. Sorry.”

“Oh--sorry. You’re kinda hard to read with your bad RBF.”

“RBF?”

“Resting-bitch-face? You’ve never heard that before??” Kagome giggled.

Inuyasha growled and leaned against the wall, defeated, making Kagome laugh harder.

~~~~

Kagome has officially been up for thirty-eight hours now. The analog clock that had managed not to get destroyed read seven am. She was tired. Really, really tired. At this point, she would have had some sleep. At least six hours between yesterday during the day and her next shift at the hospital. She's officially worked thirty-seven hours at that point. Nearly two shifts and then some.

But, all things considered, at least the conversation never dulled. Not really. They talked leisurely more about themselves. It was weird. It felt like they were actually friends. Honestly, Kagome kind of thought she had crossed a line. The whole he’s-kinda-her-patient-since-she-was-the-only-one-who-he’d-let-treat-him-even-though-she-wasn’t-a-doctor-or-a-nurse-but-kinda-was?

Yea. Weird blurred line of what’s right and wrong and everything in between.

He’d shared a lot about his life over the past couple of centuries. A lot for him really. His answers were always short, concise, but at the same time, they were more than enough. It was like, Kagome was the first one to really hear about his life.

While that was how it felt, Kagome would shake her head at the thought. He would have had to have shared with someone else. Likely his friends. Probably this kitsune that was amongst his friends when they had come to check on Inuyasha after the attack. 

Yea. That made sense.

“You ever gonna sleep?” the gruff voice behind her asked. 

Kagome turned around and smiled softly, “To keep the barrier up, I can’t. But I’m fine. Nothing I haven’t done during finals week. You need to sleep, though.”

“Keh. I ain’t a weak human.”

“I’ll sleep if you promise not to run.”

Inuyasha scoffed and crossed his arms over his healing chest. He was doing fairly better. Much better. 

And she could tell with his progress, he was getting itchy to run. Kagome had caught him on more than one occasion looking at the door. His youki was stronger and while he never threatened her or demanded he lower the barrier, she knew he would escape and cancel out any of the healing progress he had just made. 

His youkai blood was strong. Within a day, she could tell his bleeding had slowed (even more so than when she had sewn his wounds closed. Even with the stitching, his chest bled. But now?? Now it was slowing. She had only had to change his bandages two more times since the original time after she had threaded him closed.

“I’ll take that as a no, so, nope. I won’t be sleeping.”

“You’re gonna hurt yourself.”

“I’ll be fine. As soon as you’re healed, I’ll probably have a day off, and I’ll just sleep.”

“Whatever.”

“You could just promise not to leave.”

“Doesn’t work that way. Instincts rule me currently.”

“Sounds dark.”

“How you are unafraid, I won’t ever understand. ” Kagome hummed in recognition from the wall she leaned against from the other side of the room. She had only risen to give him space when he had shut his eyes, hoping he would actually rest. “ You never did answer what had you fearful earlier.”

“Oh…” Kagome had actually kind of forgotten how anxious she was earlier. The feeling had oddly dissipated… when was that?

When she had begun sealing up his chest?

Or after?

Or was it during their slow and gentle conversation?

Or even when he shut his eyes to rest after she finished bandaging him again?

It was clearly hard to place-- but whenever it had happened, the lessening of the feeling had been when Inuyasha was making some form of progress. Had the two been related? In some way? Maybe?

“Uhm… it’s going to sound silly.”

“When does anything that comes out of your mouth not?”

“Haha,” she said dryly. “It had started before I saw you. When the sun rose in the sky and you woke up from your sleep, I--I got distracted with the adrenaline rush of having to calm you. It only hit me again, that it had never left, when it was just us.”

“Why, though?”

“I don’t know… I just--I felt like something was wrong. Like--like when my dad died. Just--an overwhelming sadness hit me, fear that I was losing someone else. If that makes sense…”

Inuyasha studied for her a moment and she swore she saw recognition within his eyes. Something making those red hues flash--flash with gold. It made her heart race. It made her mouth dry. It made her heart beat erratically in her chest. 

“Keh.” Keh…? Keh…? KEH???!

Kagome sighed and crossed her arms in frustration over her chest. It hurt slightly. His reaction. Or rather, his lack thereof. Jerk.

But that didn’t make sense. Why--why would, or rather, why should she care what Inuyasha thought? 

Maybe she was going crazy from the lack of sleep. Probably. Definitely. Yes. That was why she was being sensitive.

“That’s fine. As long as you know it wasn’t you that I was afraid of, then I don’t care.”  No response. Maybe he was sleeping again. Kagome felt her own eyes sag. Drained, Kagome let them shut, but did not rest fully. At some point, she felt his youki reach out towards her barrier and she wanted with all her might to slap it away. 

But instead, she just made sure her reiki remained strong and that he would be able to feel it--even if he was sleeping.

Kagome knew she wouldn’t be able to fully sleep. No. If she did, she wouldn’t be able to concentrate her reiki. The barrier would fall. Inuyasha would leave. Inuyasha would--

No. No. Kagome couldn’t think like that--the dreaded feeling of fear and hurt returned full force, thinking of her red-eyed, silver-haired hanyou storming the streets, finding the demons (since there were multiple names), and confronting them in his current state. Shivering, Kagome kept her focus on the barrier. It was to protect her hanyou.

…-- her hanyou?

Oh Gods. Kagome needed sleep. Actual sleep. Before she said something stupid like that aloud and made herself look like the moron he probably already thought she was.

~~~~

Fifty-four hours. Kagome was faltering. Inuyasha scented her fatigue. Her reiki was unstable. The bags under her eyes were dark. It was now over two days since he’d been brought to the hospital by Miroku. Amongst the scent of the demons that mugged him, Miroku’s was the strongest on his clothing.

But that wasn’t the scent that clouded his mind.

No. Kagome’s was. 

Eucalyptus and lavender. The most relaxing scent Inuyasha had ever come face to face with. Even in his youkai state, he just wanted to bury his head in her hair and inhale her like a fuckin’ drug.

But the beautiful scent that was Kagome began to fade more and more, morphing into something sour. Her milky creamy skin was paling, the beautiful unearthly gray stormy eyes darkened from the dark light purple bags under them, along with the red veins that were beginning to show from the lack of sleep.

Inuyasha slept hard while he healed the first day. Likely, even that rate of healing was a lot even for his youki and demonic blood. The second day, it was more of a rest. He had been more awake than asleep, but he was beginning to worry about the companion he had kinda forced into keeping his company. 

As his wounds lessened, the organs healed, the bones were repaired, the outer cuts began to fuse under the stitches, and he felt his instincts retracting: the youki that had originally swarmed the room, to only be confined by Kagome’s reiki, to be soothed by the weird connection--like they had already been familiar with each other. 

Even her words--her feelings--the fear and the anxiety that had drenched her scent at the beginning, confused the fuck outta him. It just didn’t make any sense. Had they met before? It was impossible. Inuyasha would have remembered that scent--fuck--he would have remembered that face…

That hair.

That smile.

That voice.

Though, it was all oddly familiar. Very oddly familiar. 

“Your youki is calming… but your eyes are still red. Why?” The tired voice from across the room chimed.

“Not sure. Usually, woulda transformed back by now .” Probably too worried about her and it was making his instincts go crazy. But he wasn’t gonna admit that. She was treating him. She was his make-shift-nurse-person. He was just a patient. The moment he was healed, she’d lower her barrier, and she’d wish him well. The end. No more story. No more girl with the warm gray eyes. Kagome hummed and her lashes batted, fanning over her supple cheeks, and her breath hitched. “ You should just lower the barrier. You’ve only ate snacks. Ya haven’t slept. Just call it.”

“No,” she replied without hesitation.

“Why are you being stubborn? I’m doin’ better! Worry about yourself!”

“Don’t want you to get hurt again…”

“Keh. I can handle myself.”

“Sure.”

“Look you stubborn woman--you ain’t lookin’ so hot! Stop worrying about me! I ain’t no weak ass human. Even when you lower the shield, I’m gonna go hunt. The scent of those bastards are still on my clothes. I’ll sniff them out and deliver my own vengeance before my father finds out what happened and tries to take it for me.”

“That’s rude. I’m fine. I’ve just been awake for a minute…”

Inuyasha growled. God! Her obstinacy reviled his own! It annoyed the hell outta him, and amongst other things, he needed to remember not to allow it to grow because the hospital gown was pretty loose. She’d definitely be able to see... 

If she was coherent enough to look.

“Look--you’re paler than normal, your eyes aren’t glimmerin’ anymore with your usual mirth; they’re dark from lack of sleep and probably lack of food. Just fuckin’ let the barrier down. By the time you’ve ate, drank somethin’ aside from a juice box, and have woken up from a power nap, I’ll have killed the ones who wronged me, and I’ll even come back to prove I’m alive.”

“Mmmm…” she groaned as she made herself sit up. It upset him-- crushed him really to watch her struggle so much to try and prove him wrong--to defend him as strongly as she was. Her tired eyes narrowed and glared at him. “Don’t be stupid. I’m not letting you out until you are fully healed! Your demon half clearly still thinks your life is in danger. So--no!”

“Solid argument. See? You ain’t even making sense anymore! Just drop the shield!”

“No!”

“Kagome!!” Inuyasha had kept himself from saying her name. It felt so right and made his heart thump in pride and want. A strange but alluring name for an interesting but different kind of girl. 

Said girl stood up and he followed suit. She was like a damn bull-demon! How she was even awake was beyond him! For a human--she really did give him a run for his money.

But that was when he saw her lip drop, and a whine escape dry cracked lips as she began to drop to the ground. Fuck! He swept her up instantly into his arms: “Kagome! Kagome!!”

She was out. Out cold. The beautiful dazzling purple barrier faltered and dropped; shattering like shards of a jewel as the hum of spiritual power died down to nothing--just like Kagome’s firey spirit. It was like someone had just capped a candle. 

The call to run came to him. Revenge. Blood. Vengeance. Inuyasha should go. He was strongest in his youkai form. Pain was insignificant; his body really didn’t register it in this heightened awareness form, and he could easily track the bastards down as a full youkai as well. But… But… But… Kagome. He couldn’t--He couldn’t leave her. 

No. Inuyasha had to make sure Kagome would be ok. She had done so much--too much for him. He walked out of the room and the nurse--the demon who controlled hair--the fuck was her name?? 

Well, whatever the demon’s name was, she came rushing over to them, “Oh Gods! What happened?? Is she alright?? Dr. Suikotsu!!”

“Oh damn,” the man in the white doctor’s coat cursed as he quickly approached, “she probably overtaxed herself. Wow. She did well. You look good. Your youkai blood must be strong. If you leave her on the stretcher--”

“What room are you going to put her in?” Inuyasha demanded.

“Sir, I can assure you we can handle--” Suikotsu started.

“What. Room.” Inuyasha growled.

“Uh, this way,” Suikotsu directed. “Yura, follow. Mr Taisho, your friends are out there waiting for you, though.”

“Then they can keep waiting.” Inuyasha walked Kagome into the room and then begrudgingly deposited her limp body onto the bed. 

“Leave her with us,” Yura ordered. “We need to get her hooked up. The doctor went to notify your friends, anyway. Don’t worry. We take care of our own.”

Inuyasha couldn’t help the snarl that rose but realized something that escaped his racing anxious mind; he wasn’t anything to Kagome. Nothing on paper… Maybe even nothing in real life either but…

But going after those fuckers who attacked him--currently, it was the furthest thing from his mind. 

Exiting Kagome’s room, he felt his inner youkai long to stay with Kagome as he finally felt it fully recede beneath the surface. Inuyasha was met by the doctor, who nodded and closed Kagome’s door before walking back to the hanyou’s room. Inuyasha wasn’t sure what he was looking for in there, but whatever.  As long as he didn't watch Kagome being changed by Yura, he didn't give a fuck.  Behind the doctor were Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Souten. All looked relieved and tearful. Inuyasha felt himself soften the hardened exterior he had placed for the nurse and doctor. 

"Inuyasha! It's so good to see you up and well," Sango said thoughtfully.

"I went back to your apartment and got you some clothes. As soon as we heard your youki had emerged, we knew you'd be alright," Miroku said as he offered the hanyou a change of clothes. Inuyasha took them, but was… worried. He didn’t--the need of the clothes was redundant. “My friend, is something wrong?”

“Kagome…”

“Who’s Kagome, Old man?” Shippo asked.

“A miko. She was with me while I healed.”

“Is she alright?? Did you hurt her??” Souten asked.

“No,” Inuyasha replied softly. 

“...You didn’t harm someone in your demon-state?” Sango asked again.

“When I first transformed, yea. I went kinda nuts on the staff. But… her reiki--it calmed me enough to not attack.”

“Old man… you don’t think--” Shippo started.

“I do, brat.”

“Think what?” Miroku questioned. Sango whispered something in his ear and his eyes widened. Inuyasha heard the word mate , but ignored it. He wouldn’t acknowledge anything until he talked to Kagome.

Just as he was about to turn away to go change into the ER bathroom, Inuyasha paused. “Miroku? Call Sess.”

“But.. do you not want to be the one who goes after those who wrong you?”

“Not important. The asshole can handle it,” Inuyasha said as he began to walk away to change. He knew his friends were standing behind him, pondering what hell happened to him, and honestly, he kinda was doing the same.

In the bathroom, he ripped off his gown and dressed in the jeans and black tee shirt Miroku had brought him. Inuyasha made haste in getting back to Kagome’s room and found the door open. The hair demon was sitting with her and stroking the fringe of Kagome’s bangs from her face. Yura looked up at him and rose. Her stance changed, and she crossed her arms. “I know what she is to you, hanyou. Don’t hurt her--or I’ll clean your head of your pretty hair and won’t think twice of it.”

“Got it,” Inuyasha replied as he took the seat across from where she had been sitting next to Kagome’s bed.

Yura left without another word and shut the door giving Inuyasha time to reflect on the couple of days he had just spent with Kagome. 

How she had calmed the inner beast that had awakened.

How she had bandaged him up multiple times.

How she had broken down his walls.

How they had gotten to know each other--how he told her things he’d never told anyone.

How it had felt more like a date than an imprisonment--a date he’d never had felt so safe and comfortable in.

A date he never wanted to end…

Inuyasha knew two things were for certain:

1. He wasn’t leaving Kagome’s side until she was better. And
2. He was in love with her.

Chapter Text

“ It’s been taken care of, little brother .”

“Fine,” Inuyasha replied. It’d been a few days since he had been released from his make-shift jail in his hospital room. Now he had more or less imprisoned himself in Kagome’s room, where she was still soundly sleeping. 

The young miko had awoken a couple of times and had to be helped to the bathroom,  but otherwise, had slept completely through the last forty-eight hours. Between the lack of sleep and the over usage of reiki, Kagome was completely wiped. Inuyasha, of course, blamed himself but… he also knew if things hadn’t happened the way that they did, Inuyasha wouldn’t have found Kagome or grown to care about her. 

The hanyou knew that his instincts would be too distracted with revenge and if Kagome had let him go, he probably would have succeeded in exacting his revenge, but likely would never have seen Kagome again. The thought scared him. And that’s what kept him there by her side. Just the idea of Kagome disappearing from his life made him more afraid than he had been when he was mugged.

So. He stayed. When she woke up, Inuyasha would be there. Kinda like how he had been for when she had to pee. The hanyou hoped that wouldn’t come back up in conversation. Not that he cared, because she had been there for him at his most vulnerable time and helped him when he could have killed her.

“ You sound unphased. ”

“Don’t really care, asshole.”

“ The human mentioned you have found your mate? ”

“I’m not answerin’ that.” 

“ That is answer enough, little brother. Father and your mother are returning; they were gravely concerned with your well-being .”

“Can you run interference?”

“ You are acting as though you are my elder. ”

“Just--Sess--” Inuyasha groaned, growing frustrated that his brother was pushing for answers, but at the same time, the hanyou couldn’t give them. Well, he shouldn’t give them. The person who should know first and fuckin’ agree to be his mate should be Kagome. 

Sango already knew; fuck, all his friends knew and they had whispered about it when he had stalked off to change. But dammit all! Inuyasha refused to confirm or tell anyone before Kagome! What if she didn’t even agree? While she didn’t show prejudice or anything, she could still only want to be with a human. There was still her reiki to consider--mikos typically didn’t mate with hanyou or youkai.

Sesshomaru was silent for a few moments until he finally spoke: “I will try to delay them, little brother. But you will have to explain it to them soon. They are on their way home and are expecting answers that this one should not provide .”

“Thanks, Sess, I--uh, I owe you.”

“ Indeed you do. ” The line clicked off. Whatta dick.

Sighing, Inuyasha put his phone back into his pocket and looked back down at the sleeping girl beside him on the hospital bed. Kagome was lying on her left side, facing him. Her hair splayed around her, creating a halo effect and making him want to just hold her. She was still hooked up to an IV for fluid, but they had taken her other monitors off. The young miko has been diagnosed with extreme exhaustion. Which made sense, but still didn’t make Inuyasha feel any better.

All he wanted to do was hold her, brush her hair from her face, see those beautiful gray-stormy eyes, even if they were glaring at him again in frustration. Fuck. He had it bad.

But no one had ever treated him the way that she did; no one gave up their health, their life, their job to just--take care of a hanyou. 

Then again, maybe that was just the type of person Kagome was. Inuyasha groaned and leaned back in his uncomfortable plastic chair and resolved himself to wait until she was awake to think all his convoluted and crazy thoughts later.

1. Kagome was human and a miko.
2. She was human and may not even know what a mate-bond is; she had said so herself that she didn’t know a lot about demons--just mainly youki and reiki balance.
3. Humans were known to go slower in relationships when they were serious… And Kagome admitted she was taking a break from men anyway.

Her mother and brother had been by to visit the first day; they arrived and he was sitting there, watching Kagome intently, trying to act as naturally as possible even though he knew that really wasn’t his place. But her mother had smiled sweetly--as if she knew things that she wasn’t supposed to; she introduced them and made small talk with him. What his name was, where he was from, how he had met Kagome, a little bit about them… It was a tad awkward, but nice. Sort of. 

They stayed for a while but then went home, stating they would be back the next day. However, it was likely still school hours, so that was probably the hold-up; the twerp looked maybe fifteen and obviously his mom was already giving Kagome a pass on missing school. Inuyasha doubt she’d let him slide as well.

Other than that, the hair demon nurse had been in a couple times to change the IV fluid, and then, another nurse who looked strikingly similar to Kagome, had come in. With a wave of her hand, Inuyasha saw both their reiki flare to life. It was clear she was looking at Kagome’s; Yura was in charge of her physical well-being, while the other nurse was in charge of her spiritual health.

The woman didn’t say anything when she had entered and had merely looked at him: the most calculating and seizing stare. Inuyasha nearly barked at her, but wanted to remain by Kagome’s side, and he knew he was pushing it as it was. They held no relation, and fuck, he definitely didn’t even know her last name. So… Inuyasha had to play nice. And try not to flinch when the cold-ass nurse flicked her wrist each time she entered the room.

“Uhhhhnnnn…” Kagome moaned, her eyes squeezing tightly, her body tensing slightly. Inuyasha’s hair stood on end, and he watched and waited with bated breath, his hands clenched on his folded arms, as he watched her stir. Was she actually waking up? Or was this just another body-induced potty break? 

When her eyes finally opened and she blinked the sleep away rather than blankly staring at him, and the gray orbs met his own, Kagome grew confused; her brows furrowed and her eyes closed, making his heartache. He'd been waiting to see those iridescent eyes for two days now. 

“Inu...yasha…?” He found himself startled that she actually recognized him in her sleep-infused state, shaking his head of his thoughts to try to keep his emotional blockade, or rather the wall as Kagome referred to it, around himself, Inuyasha leaned forward, uncrossing his arms and rested them on his knees. No. He wouldn’t touch her or invade her bubble. Not yet.

“Hey, sleepy-head. Told ya.”

“Told me what?”

“That you exhausted yourself!” Inuyasha snapped at her, not harsh enough to make her flinch, but obviously caught her attention.

“You’re safe and alive so, looks like it was worth it,” she smiled tiredly at him. Her face was so soft, and light, and it made his heart nearly erupt from his chest and confess everything to her. What was everything? Inuyasha didn’t know. But whatever Kagome would ask, he would tell her. “Your eyes…”

“Huh?”

“They’re golden now--like the sun,” she said delicately as she made to sit up. Inuyasha flushed, looking from left to right, trying to avoid the ungodly pull to bear his soul to this Lilith woman before him.

Exhaling quickly, Inuyasha extended his arms to help her twist her body around so she could sit up right, “Careful. Don’t wanna hurt yourself after all that.”

“Thank you. How long was I out?”

“Few days. Your mom’s been here.”

“Oh wow. I’m sure she’s not thrilled but… Uhm, I doubt they told you this, but do I still have my job?” Kagome asked meekly.

“N-No. They didn’t. Why would they tell me anyway?”

“Uhm,” Kagome blushed and looked away, “I-uh-I don’t know. I was j-just curious! That’s all! Uhm--”

“Why you actin’ all shy and weird now? Just ‘cuz I don’t look like a blood-thirsty monster, you think I’m different?”

“What!? No! I--I’m just waking up and I was surprised to see you! Here!”

“Do you think I’m that heartless I wouldn’t say ‘thank you’ for saving me?”

“Why are you putting words in my mouth?!” Kagome glared at him, swinging her legs off the bed, looking him square in the face. “I thought we got past this little wall you put up! Or did it only come down because your emotions weren’t there?! I am the same person who sat in that room with you until you were basically healed! How I feel about you hasn’t changed, you moron! I still care about you whether you were my patient or not!!”

Inuyasha was stunned by her proximity, her anger, and most of all, her likely unwitting confession. The hanyou didn’t retract, but waited with the stillness of a predator until what she said dawned on her; he wanted to see if she would take it back or flounder or… well… He wasn’t sure, really. But--he didn’t want to get his hopes up over a misstep. 

Kagome looked at him in confusion, “What?”

“Did you not hear what you just said?”

“What, that I care about you? Yes, I’m tired and yes , I didn’t really mean to say it! But it’s out so--so--so! Ugh! You can go if I really am just embarrassing myself. We both know I’m a rambler and talk when I’m nervous, and obviously this was a terrible idea--ugh! Just-just-just--wait--why are you here? Did you already take care of the youkai who hurt you?? OH GODS! Are you hurt again? Inuyasha--!”

“Wow. Ok. Calm down.” This woman continued to surprise him. Not only did she admit that she was, in fact, speaking the truth, but also that she was still worried about him. Even though she was the one laying in a hospital bed, completely spent from taking care of him. “Just, lie back.”

“No. Answer the question: Are. You. Hurt?”

“Good God, woman! No! I haven’t left this fuckin’ room since you fainted! Miroku brought me some clothes and I’ve been here all day and all night!” he growled angrily, before pulling back his anger, realizing she was just being--her. Goddamn, this woman kept him on his toes. Inuyasha had never experienced that with anyone. He’d had some experience , but they were mainly one-night stands. Nothing--crazy. So conversations? Not his forte. “Sorry--I--I’m not good at the whole, talking-thing.”

“Yea, I remember,” she giggled, her cheeks flushing, as her gray eyes turned from him.

His hand hesitantly reached out and cupped her cheek, his thumb stroking her cheekbone, bringing her attention back to him. “Then--then you know how much it meant to me that you did this, right? That--I owe ya.”

“Inuyasha,” she whispered, her hand coming to rest upon his own, “you don’t owe me anything. I’m glad I stayed with you and got to know you… You’re special. I--I know this wasn’t the best way to meet anyone, and it was tough--but I--I don’t regret it.” Giggling to herself, she pulled her hand back, blushing. “Wow. I am tired. Loopy. All the words are just falling out of my mouth. I should probably stop while I’m ahead. Or behind. Uhm, yea, so, how are you? Why didn’t you go after those men? Because you’re not a full demon anymore? I--”

“Dear lord, woman! Just--” Inuyasha exhaled roughly, lowering his head, as his hand slipped from her cheek to her shoulder, “You are exhausting. Just--relax. I--I liked you being there, too, ok?! Yeah--you’re right. Circumstances sucked but--I don’t regret it either! I wouldn’t have met you! I wouldn’t know what it is like to be cared about unconditionally or called out on my shit! I wouldn’t--I would probably be dead, Kagome. You saved me, in more ways than one.”

Kagome turned back to him, her face a heavy shade of pink. “You… you really don’t care?”

“Care about what?”

“My rambles? Me… just… talking?”

“Embarrassingly as it is, I kinda like it. Ya know, I’m not much for it. But… I will. With you. That is.” He knew his cheeks were taking on a similar color because he was spewing shit that normally wasn’t even in his repartee. But the fact it was calming Kagome and not making her run for the hills, he thought there was hope. Serious hope. Fuck, she had admitted she cared about him. Probably not in a way of mating and shit but--there was still something.

“So… what are your plans for uhm, later?”

“Later?”

“For when uhm--I’m released,” she mumbled, her heading dropping, trying to hide her face he was as flushed as his. 

“Whatever you wanna do.”

“You’re really not going to go after those demons?”

“No… You--uh--you’re more important than those freaks.”

“R-Really?”

“Well yeah! A dumb mortal like yourself needs to be cared for first!” he teased, making her look up at him and glare. “But seriously--I had it handled. I--I couldn’t leave ya, Kagome. I wanna--I know you said I don’t owe ya, but I wanna… I wanna do whatever you want.”

The young miko sat there and thought briefly before responding, her face softening into a gentle smile before she quietly responded, “Dinner and a movie?”

“Your place…?” Inuyasha asked, sliding his hand back up to cup her neck, stroking it gently with his thumb. The hanyou was all in. Slow. He wanted to win her over in whatever way he could; the feelings they shared (even if hers weren’t as strong as his) had to be cherished and they needed to grow. Kagome was human and he didn’t even expect her to be interested in trying to explore a… Well, was this a relationship? Or was this a hook-up? Or was it a ‘seeing-each-other’ thing? Fuck. Why was he so terrible at this? Maybe he should call Miroku. No--No--he should call Sango. She wouldn’t make fun of him for being lame. Miroku would poke at him for being dumb and ask if he had ever had sex before.

Asshole.

“I was thinking yours? More privacy?”

“If you want to take things--whatever--uh--this is--slow--uh--” The words were everywhere because that was not the answer he had anticipated. She wanted privacy ?? Was this a date-date? Or was it a date? Goddddddddddamn. 

“Kagome! You’re awake!” Mother fuck. This was going terribly. No wonder he’d never been in a relationship. Inuyasha took his hand from her neck and quickly pulled away from her. Her mom didn’t need to know he was a terrible inexperienced dolt. 

“Oh! M-Mama,” Kagome stuttered as she looked at her mother.

“Are you feeling alright, baby? Inuyasha hasn’t left your side this entire time. He said that he was the patient you stayed to take care of? That’s so sweet!”

“Mama,” Kagome blushed.

“Oh right, Inuyasha, how are you doing? Do you need anything?”

“Uh, no. Thanks.”

“Thank you for staying with my daughter! Sota had a meet today and so, I had him just stay home. I didn’t think you’d still be asleep, but I’m not an expert in reiki revival. Kikyo called and said she had been doing some checks on you and that you were recovering well. So, my worries were put to rest--especially when I showed up and saw this handsome inu-youkai sitting here--”

“Mama!”

“Well, it’s true, Kagome! Even Kikyo said that she thought his youki was soothing your reiki because of--”

“Alright!” Inuyasha interrupted as he stood up suddenly, not wanting the conversation to continue, as it seemed the ‘nurse’ who had visited that wasn’t Yura had also discovered more than he intended. Which--he wasn’t ready for Kagome to know! The hanyou didn’t want to freak her out just in case that wasn’t what she was looking for. 

“Everything alright, Inuyasha?” Kagome’s mother asked sweetly. 

“Inuyasha?” Kagome questioned.

“I just uh--probably should get going. Ya know? Just--wanted to say thanks for not killin’ me and not lettin’ me die.”

“Oh! Don’t go just yet, dear,” Kagome’s mother said cheerly. “I need to go speak with Kikyo; do you mind waiting with Kagome? I want to see when she can be released and the status of her job here.”

“Uh--yeah--sure,” he stuttered as her mother smiled before dipping out of the room. God. He saw where Kagome got her quirkiness.

“Inuyasha? Are you alright?” Fuck. 

“Uh, yeah. Fine,” he answered, sitting back down, turned away from her. Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest, embarrassed as his ears dropped down. Kagome probably thought he was crazy and irrational and--shit. His mate probably ‘cared’ in a friendly way. 

“You don’t have to be upset,” Kagome soothed, her hand reaching out to brush against his arm. Inuyasha nearly whined, hoping she wasn’t just trying to let him down easy. “I know my reiki and your youki react together. I’d have to be a moron to not notice. I--” Hesitantly, she let her arm fall back onto her lap, beckoning for him to turn back towards her. Kagome’s beautiful cloudy eyes met his, and she blushed before biting her lip. “I was hoping you could tell me I’m not crazy and maybe explain why, because there’s just this--this--this pull and I can’t describe it and I thought maybe it was just sleep deprivation, but now it could be oversleeping? Or--or--”

Inuyasha couldn’t take it anymore; his hand cupped her cheek and kissed her. Kagome could slap him and push him to the ground, but it was obvious he wasn’t great with his words, and she was overly using hers to compensate for his awkwardness. So… well, that’s what led him to the best kiss of his life.

When Kagome's lips began to push back, moving fervently, trying to drink him in, tasting him as her tongue snaked out against his bottom lip., Inuyasha nearly lost the little control he already had over himself. Her hands wove into his hair, curving up to rub his ears. Fuck. Had anyone ever touched his ears like that before? Her tiny fingers kneaded them just as her lips moved against his. Inuyasha moaned into her mouth, allowing her entrance as her sneaky tongue stroked his other demonic feature: his fangs. The hanyou found himself hovering over Kagome’s tiny form on the bed as she leaned back, beckoning him to follow.

The rough sheets against his hands he had placed onto the bed to brace himself when his knee had hit the bed were oddly what reminded him of where they were. The scent of ginger, along with Kagome’s normal fragrance of eucalyptus and lavender, swallowed him whole and originally made him forget their current predicament, erasing the smell of stale-scented cleaning products. 

Inuyasha groaned and pulled back, earning the sweetest whimper from Kagome’s mouth that he longed to hear again and again and again --but not here. They’d already experienced too many firsts and things in this hospital where he’d nearly died, and where she nearly harmed herself in saving him. Catching his breath, he rested his forehead against her own, “Fuck.”

“Why’d you stop?” Did her voice sound disappointed? Or was it just as ragged as his breath?

“I’d prefer not to do any other ‘firsts’ in this fuckin’ place. And I think we need… a better conversation about all this.”

“O-Oh.”

“Not--not in a bad way. Just--better answers. Where a nurse or your mother won’t walk in and interrupt.”

“Th-that’s a good point,” she giggled, nuzzling her forehead against his before sighing. “Could also be the place where I’m fired too.”

“I didn’t mean for ya to lose your job--fuck--”

“Hey.” Her hands threaded through his silver locks and came to rest on his cheeks. Inuyasha finally opened his eyes and met her dazzling charcoal orbs. “I don’t regret it. Not now. Not ever. We were… meant to meet. I don’t know everything, and it could be the sleep talking but, I want to learn more? If that’s alright.”

“Of course--just not here.”

“Agreed.”

Inuyasha kissed her forehead and then heard the distinct sound of footsteps leading back to the room, along with the strong cold reiki of the nurse who had been in Kagome’s room the past few days. Pulling back, he sat back in his chair, earning a questioning stare from his mate. Inuyasha merely shot his eyes towards the door before looking back at her, just as Kagome's mother and the nurse came in.

“How are you feeling, Kagome?” the nurse asked, her voice soft and calm.

“Hi Kikyo, I’m alright. Tired but obviously, I overdid it… Am I… Am I fired?”

Kikyo laughed softly. “Is that what you truly care about right now?”

“Well, yeah! You know why I have this job!” Kagome whined.

“Then why did you act so unprofessionally, as well as endanger your life?” And there went the hammer. Even Inuyasha quivered from the older miko’s tone. He wanted to defend Kagome, he wanted to protect her, but--the hanyou knew he’d like just make shit worse if he went with his gut reaction to snarl.

“I--” Kagome stuttered and averted her eyes away from Kikyo. The poor girl bit her lip and twisted her hands in her lap. 

“It was my fault,” Inuyasha interrupted, finally; his mate was frightened and upset with her own actions when his dumbass was the one who wandered around his human night nearly killed and all Kagome had done was listen to the pull of their souls and save him. “In my full youkai form, I was… outta control. Kagome seemed to bring me to senses and--”

“Enough,” Kikyo stated with finality. “Kagome, you could have gotten yourself killed. While I understand you are a miko, you acted rashly and without thought. I should fire you. But, I know why you did what you did, as well as why the outcome was as favorable as it was… 

“So, because you saved the staff’s lives and this hanyou’s… I will merely graze over the incident. The Takahashis will have to agree--”

“Done,” Inuyasha chimed in.

“Very well, then. No more of this. Though, I doubt you’ll do it a second time,” Kikyo stated as she walked from the room, leaving Kagome’s mother, Inuyasha, and Kagome alone.

“Whew, that’s a relief,” her mother sighed thankfully. “I do agree with Kikyo, Kagome. It was rather reckless. But, I do see why you did what you did. I am very proud of you. Suikotsu said you can be released tomorrow. They just want to keep you one more night to make sure your appetite is good and there are no other side effects from your drain in reiki.”

“Alright.”

“He also mentioned, while Kikyo was miffed, that she was going to give you a full two weeks of paid time off. She wants you to use that to catch up on school work and to uhm… ‘hammer out’ whatever this is,” her mother finished gesturing towards Inuyasha and Kagome, making them both stutter and turn away with matching blushes. “Shall I pick you up tomorrow, my dear?”

“Actually--I can bring her home. I-If that’s ok,” Inuyasha stammered. Fuck. Why was he so awkward?

“Mama? Is that ok? I’d--I’d like to come home with Inuyasha.”

“I assume you’ll probably be here all night then, Inuyasha?” He nodded in response, trying to hide the flush on his face that was apparently wouldn’t stop appearing on his stupid face. “Then I will go ahead and go home to take care of Sota. I’ll see you both around noon?”

Kagome nodded and he, well, didn’t as he didn’t know check-out procedures like Kagome likely did. Her mother came around to the other side of the bed and kissed Kagome’s forehead before leaving.

“You--You can go too, if you want.”

“And why would I do that?”

“Well, I assume they’ll just be around and doing some tests. I-I’m sure now that you know I’m alright, you want to get revenge and stuff.”

“You don’t know shit. It’s been… handled.” Kagome furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and he scoffed, “My brother was here in town, remember?”

“But I thought it was your duty to… you know…”

“Currently, my duty is to you.” Fuck. Ok. That felt good to say. Even though he grumbled it out of embarrassment. Kagome’s hand reached over and grabbed his hand from his crossed arm stance, taking his attention back to her glimmering happy face.

“Do you want to watch TV? Since we don't want any more spoilers?”

“Sounds nice; I’ll uh--grab the remote.” Inuyasha slightly felt like he had a split personality. But--it seemed on some deeper level, Kagome understood. That he was still completely terrified of being vulnerable and so, the harsh statements would flow out, but then when he knew he needed to man up, it was almost like a child on the first day of school, afraid to meet their teacher and classmates. His mate beckoned him on the bed, scooting over to make room as she flipped on some comedy show and laid her head upon his shoulder.

“You’re safe, Inuyasha.”

“Keh.” The smile on his face had never been shown before that moment as he gazed down at Kagome happily, knowing how right she was.

~~~~

Inuyasha insisted they go back to Kagome's home after she was released, much to her displeasure. She had wanted to go back to his place so they could talk! The entire night they had spent together laying in the hospital bed, their only visitor being Yura, watching stupid comedies until she fell back asleep in his arms.

Another first wasted in that hospital. But--Kagome could still not come to regret it; if anything, it made the night more bearable. When she had told him that he was safe, something she felt she truly needed to say at that moment, deep down within her soul, it was like she had set herself free from chains that were weighing her down. The shackles of unknown and turmoil, but by letting her reiki guide her, she was able to speak from her heart, soothing Inuyasha’s soul. They ate dinner together in her bed, courtesy of Yura, and then she fell asleep right after. 

While Kagome wanted Inuyasha to know how much she cared about him, she couldn’t help but feel the same. Their kiss alone had ignited something within her that she hadn’t felt… ever. Not even with Hojo.

Her highschool sweetheart was attractive and hadn’t been bad at pleasuring her… But he didn’t make her blood boil and or body ache to be near to him. There wasn’t a magnetic force that drove them together; there wasn’t a pull to want to comfort him, to ensure he felt loved, safe, and wanted… With Inuyasha, it was dangerous how much she needed to do all those things, and more. Stroke his ears, kiss his forehead, tangle her hands within his hair, whisper things her heart felt, but her mind wanted to hold back.

Now that she was feeling better, now that Inuyasha was actually healthy, now that Kagome knew there was something between her and Inuyasha--her body and mind were going crazy to find out more. She felt like a teenager loaded up on hormones and Dr. Pepper, ready to go for a drive and never come home.

Kagome never felt the urge to leave home, never felt the urge to not sleep in her own bed. But sitting in the car with Inuyasha, waiting for him to pull up to her family shrine, all she wanted to do was beg for him to take her back to his place and never let her go.

However, Kagome recognized how crazy that was and how rushed it could be; Inuyasha might not even want a relationship like that. Hell! He had even called her prude! She knew he was a far bit older and more… experienced. Maybe he just wanted a quick bang and run? It didn’t sound like that, but Kagome also didn’t want to get her hopes up for more. They had just met! Even though the way his youki reacted to her reiki, it felt like they knew each other for decades.

“Hey sis! You’re back!” Sota greeted her.

“Yeah, I’m alright, squirt,” Kagome said, ruffling her brother’s hair, making him groan. He was just a couple inches shorter than her, and she vowed she’d make sure that she would rub it in his face for as long as she could.

“Ohhhhhh, your boyfriend came home with you??”

“Shut up, twerp,” Kagome growled.

“Did he kiss you and make it better?” Sota winked.

“I will murder you,” Kagome threatened.

“Sota, leave them alone. Will you be sticking around, Kagome? Or did you have plans to sort everything out?” her mother asked as she moved about the kitchen, starting dinner from the look of things. It was already past fifteen-hundred hours; it had taken Suikotsu a moment to release her from hospital with all of her stuff and then she had to sign forms for Kikyo for her two weeks of paid time off, and Inuyasha had a sign-off on the change of his medical records they were going to submit to the insurance company regarding his stay.

Kagome glanced back at the hanyou behind her who was watching her intently. Her lip snuck its way between her teeth and she found her face growing hot. “Wh-what do you want to do, Inuyasha?”

“Whatever you wanna do.” Why was he trying to make her decide? Not that she didn’t like that but--she had assumed from his stubborn attitude he’d wanna be more… in charge? That it would make him feel safer and more in control.

Wow. Kagome shivered from the dirty and inappropriate thoughts that were swirling around her head and felt like she was on fire. Gods. Her on top? Her in control? Him wanting her to call the shots? Him… trusting her so much so that he didn’t have to have that dumb stupid wall up?

It wasn’t that she had never… tried that position before. But Hojo had been just as inexperienced as she was and it had been awkward, to say the least. Hojo hadn’t really moved and just laid back on the bed, expecting her to do all the work. But the idea of doing that with Inuyasha? The idea couldn’t and wouldn’t stop circling her mind; it was so different and she had no idea why her mind kept obsessing over the idea--her hips circling his, him thrusting from below, their foreheads touching, both covered in a light sheen of sweat, panting as their bodies moved together in harmony, their lips just centimeters apart--

There was a rumble behind her, one she felt nearly pulse through her being, and his head pushed into her hair as Kagome felt Inuyasha's nose twitch as his chest expanded behind her. Oh Gods… he could smell her. 

“If you smell like that,” Inuyasha growled hotly into her ear, the feel of his fangs grazing her ear, the flow of youki swarming her and their entryway was suffocating--but not in the bad way--no; the way it felt was like the scent of oden filling the kitchen only fifty-times better! “I don’t know if I can contain myself.”

“M-Mama-a, IthinkInuyashaandIaregonnaeatout,” Kagome stammered, rushing to finish the words as she grabbed the hanyou by his wrist and drug him outside.

“Ok baby, have fun! Text me!” her mother bayed as Kagome was out the door and pulling Inuyasha towards the exit of her shrine.

“Kagome, I’m sorry--I didn’t mean to--fuck--” Kagome stopped in her tracks and saw Inuyasha was struggling with himself, his youki flooding her body and then retracting swiftly, like a yo-yo unable to swing all the way back up, stuck in the spin of tricks. 

"You didn't do anything wrong, Inuyasha. Why are you upset?" Her hand cupped his cheeks, bringing his face to finally look at her. She was shocked to see the violet jagged markings on his cheeks as his eyes faded from red to amber. “Inuyasha?? What’s wrong??”

“I--My youki--it--” he stuttered, clearly afraid as he tried to back away from her, but she followed him step for step.

“You won’t hurt me,” she said softly, allowing her thumbs to trace the purple stripes on his cheeks. “Don’t be scared--your youki is just excited.”

“Kagome--you’re testing my control,” he growled.

“I don’t need you to have control, Inuyasha. I just need you to be you.” Kagome dropped her hands and grabbed his, refusing to let him run from her--run from them. It was clear to her that his youki wanted more, and she fully intended to figure out what that all entailed. “Come on--let’s go to your place and talk.”

“Kagome--”

“I trust you,” Kagome cut him off. “Take me home.” The words shocked her as they slipped from her tongue; they had come from somewhere deeply buried inside her. It felt so natural, unforced, and it had almost confused her to be saying such things to someone, especially when she was technically at home, but that was what made it make sense. Kagome never held the desire to leave her childhood home, as she was always the odd man out--often feeling like she didn't belong or fit into her own shoes. But with Inuyasha, her home had just become a place--the safeness of his arms, the softness of his voice, and the care and longing in his eyes beckoned her--they called her home. To him. Inuyasha.

The hanyou didn’t hesitate as he swept her up into his arms and leapt from the shrine to the streets--leaving his car behind.

~~~~

It had been quiet since they got back to his overly simple apartment. Kagome had been shocked when they entered and there were only the very bare minimal things decorating the place. Inuyasha had put her down on his couch and then made his way to the kitchen.

At first, Kagome had been nervous; she questioned if she had said something that wasn’t normal--something that upset him. Because, well, her mouth ran away with her. She always spoke from her heart--letting her emotions get carried away as the words spilled out. Because while Inuyasha was gruff, awkward, and reserved (when he wasn’t trying to protect his wall he had built around himself and just speaks out of his ass), Kagome spoke directly from her heart, whether it was from nervousness, love, sadness, or anger--words spilled out of her mouth like a waterfall. But she realized with the way his youki kept seeking out her reiki, the sounds coming from the kitchen as well as the smells, he was-- he was taking care of her. Building a weird sense of reassurance, that he cared and he was--

Courting her.

That's what he was doing. Or at least the youkai part of him. Inuyasha had mentioned he'd been around for a long time, so likely courting was still engraved in his blood--his demonic blood. Whether the human part of him was aware, she wasn’t sure. All Kagome could gather was that he was just as anxious as she had been, and maybe even confused?

Inuyasha came around the corner of the kitchen into the living room and offered her a bowl of rice with fish and eggs. Shocked, Kagome hesitated before reaching out before he murmured something and nearly pulled away before she grabbed him by the sleeve of his sweater. “Wait! Sorry! You just--surprised me! Sit!”

“Sorry--I’m--I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing,” Inuyasha groaned as he unceremoniously dropped down next to her. Kagome quickly shoved the bowl of food on the end table to her left and swiped his to do the same before taking his hands in hers. They were so rough, calloused, worn from years of work and hardship...but also soft… gentle. Warm. Kagome couldn’t help but notice how her own hands fit so perfectly in his, so much so she hoped he would hold her hand always.

“Do you think I do? I’ve had one boyfriend--in high school! Also, obviously, he wasn’t--well--he didn’t--my reiki didn’t seek his being out or caress him when he was in the other room! So…” Kagome took a deep breath and settled against the back of the couch, still facing Inuyasha, clutching his hands trying to deter him from running, from being embarrassed, from fighting whatever it was that was happening between them. “What--is this? Are we like, soulmates?”

“More or less,” Inuyasha admitted.

“Soulmates are… real?” Kagome questioned.

“Demons and some strong ass spiritualists can sense them. They are… closer to nature. Youkai rely on instinct to survive, miko, monks, and priests use their soul as the source of reiki hence the term: spiritual power. It comes directly from it, so they are able to sense tugs, pulls, I don’t know if that makes sense but that’s--” Her lips cut him off as she pressed them to his growling mouth. Did she ever feel the need to kiss Hojo that much? To calm him? Soothe him? The answer was as clear as day; no, never. 

Kagome felt him return the pressure and nip at her lip, making her whimper with a need she didn’t know she had. Her body was hoisted up and placed upon his, straddling him, as her hands began to finger through his silver mane and then latch onto his soft furry ears. Inuyasha’s growl turned more to a sweet rumble of pleasure and contentment as his hands rubbed along her back and shoulders. She felt the tell-tale signs of how she affected him rubbing against her core, her folds growing wetter and slicker, wanting him and his body inside of her own. Her body ground against him, trying to quench the thirst and ache she felt growing inside her belly that was swarming with butterflies and drought.

Finally, breaking apart, gasping for air, Kagome trembled in his arms and rested her forehead against his, panting and inhaling his own unsteady breath, her body still grinding against his arousal, whimpering as it brushed against her own. She let her gray eyes lock with his amber ones; fiery gold and stormy charcoal collided, and Kagome was lost, but yet found. Inuyasha was the map as well as the fire that made her lose her way.

“What… Can you tell me what you want…?” Kagome finally asked, terrified, quivering his hold, for more reasons than one. His hands gripped her hips, holding her still, nearly making her come undone right then. 

“What I want?” Inuyasha echoed. “What do ya mean?”

“I didn’t want to--I didn’t want to assume anything. I mean--you did kind of call me a prude . I didn’t know if you wanted to act on this or take it slow or--” His greedy mouth took her again and this time, his hips were the ones that jerked up, making her nearly see stars as she moaned into the fervent kisses he was giving her. 

He growled and pulled away, his lips trailing down her jaw to her neck where he suckled and nipped at her neck, still clutching her waist hard, but not enough to stop her hips from circling his hard length beneath her, letting it brush against her clit. No, it was firm enough to keep her there--not that she was fighting to get away, even though they should have been talking and not--dry humping. But the pleasure was too much, the call was too loud, and she was too far gone to think coherently enough to stop herself from grinding against him in a heady rhythm.

Her breath hitched and her body grew taut, like an overstretched spring in his arms; she was hot--her form quaked, rapture was calling her name as her skin was glistening in a thin layer of sweat and lust. How was such want and desire tangible? Was Inuyasha just a specter and taunting her? Nothing of which she was feeling (and oh Gods was she feeling more than she had ever felt in her entire life) seemed real--but it also was too much to be an illusion she had created. It could have been a delusion--maybe she was still in the hospital room and her mind decided to play tricks on her. 

Only Kagome knew it wasn’t--couldn’t be true. Inuyasha’s golden gaze was not something she could have imagined—the way he held her body to his, the way his dick pressed against her heat--her mind wasn’t that descriptive. The vibrations from chest, the teasing of his mouth, his hard cock beneath her--it was too much! Her orgasm washed over her as she ground herself against him like a cat, trying to let it linger as her voice rang out, a cry of his name as she found her sex was dripping, wetting her pants and likely his. 

Fuck. Kagome gasped for air, her head buried in Inuyasha’s neck, smelling his comforting warm scent of pine trees and musk, until she was able to coherently put thoughts together. Lifting her head, she hadn’t expected to see the steady gaze he wore on his face. 

“Kagome. I want whatever you want. You want me as a fuck-boy? Done. You want to date me? Deal. Fast? Slow? You want me to be all in? Fine. You want me to leave you alone? I--I dunno if I could, but I’d try, for you. But tell me--but I’m not gonna fight this; I don’t wanna. Not when this feels so right--not when I finally feel accepted--not when I finally feel like I--like I have a home.”

The earnestness that his eyes held--the softness of his face--the blush that dusted his defined cheekbones--Kagome licked her lips, trying to come up with words that would tell him how much he meant to her; not only because he had finally opened up to her but because for once, she was entirely speechless. Her brain was blank and her heart was racing. It wasn’t a good mix. It was frustrating because Kagome knew exactly what she wanted; and it terrified her.

The miko didn’t have time for a relationship--it was why her last one ended. Even though Kagome knew she’d put in more effort, the idea of Inuyasha calling it quits? The way that Hojo had? It hurt and made her panic. Kagome, as crazy and outlandish it sounded, almost unbelievably, loved Inuyasha completely; her body, mind, and soul sought him out through the darkness and loneliness she didn’t even know she was experiencing. But now that this inu-youkai had entered her life, unwittingly in the most unorthodox way, Kagome couldn’t imagine him ever leaving her. Her reiki--her soul fought the idea and wrapped around him, trying to grip him and hold on.

“I could never let you go,” Kagome whimpered, wrapping her arms around him, similar to how her reiki was latched onto his youki. “I just--I have school, work--I don’t know how I’ll be able to keep you happy--to be around--”

“It’s not forever, Kagome. If you agree to become mine, we have nothing but time… I know ya like your job--I’d never stop you from goin’ to school. And Kagome--I’m old. I’ve lived… whatever kinda life you wanna guess--what I mean is--I’m not goin’ anywhere. I’m not patient, but I can wait. I can do whatever you wanna do.”

“What if I did want everything…? What if I know what I want--that I want you…?”

“Then you have me.”

“Even if I'm at school during the day, work at night?”

“I’ll be here waiting until you come home to sleep.”

“H-Home?”

“If you want everything--wouldn’t this be--fuck--am I not gettin’ this??”

“Of course I’d want to be here! With you! Just--this isn’t too much? It’s not--fast?”

“You saved my life, Kagome. You accepted me before you even knew me--you were able to call me out on my shit, challenge me, console and calm my youki and my inner demon. The idea of letting you walk outta my life? It kills me.” Inuyasha was speaking the truth. Not only did she know she felt the same way, but the sincerity in his eyes, the way his ears dipped into his head--because he was also afraid. The hanyou was just as unsure and just as scared as she was about everything. It was comforting knowing they were on the same page, regarding fears, anxieties, and love… love, right?

“Inuyasha… This is going to sound--crazy. But I--I think I’m in love with you. Your amber eyes, your luscious, silver hair, your hard body, your gruff voice, your pinewood scent, your surly attitude--all of it calls to me. Even your brash youki that hits me like a ton of bricks--I don’t know what’d I’d do without it.”

“You’re not crazy; if you are, I’m fuckin’ delusional,” Inuyasha said before cupping her cheeks and kissing her in a torrent; the movements of their lips grew until they were grinding against each other again, her hands pawing at him, demanding to see more of him again now that he was all healed. Kagome needed to feel the full expanse of his chiseled body beneath her fingertips, to relearn every dip and crease--to learn where he liked to be touched and what would make him the hardest.

She felt like a wanton; the desire that Inuyasha made her feel was indescribable. Never had she wanted--no-- needed someone as much as she did Inuyasha. Kagome had always found it odd that sex had just generally hadn’t totally appealed to her; now she knew why.  It was because she was destined to be with hanyou who was just as desperate for her, who needed her just as much as she needed him, who desired her body (his hands cupping her mons was clue enough of his lust) just as much--

“Bedroom?” Kagome asked, slipping her hands into his button-down sweater, trying to loosen it to come undone, so that she could peel off the tee shirt that laid underneath, her core thrusting against him, nearly out of control to bring herself and him to their peak.

“You wanna--you sure--? We don’t gotta--” Inuyasha hissed as she laved her tongue up his throat along his Adams apple. “Fuck!”

“Thought you wanted what I wanted,” she hummed, knowing full well he was trying to control himself so that he didn’t push her into things she wasn’t ready for--only she was ready. Oddly enough. His reassurances that he wouldn’t leave her because she was busy, that he wanted to take things at her own speed, that he was willing to let her live her life and move in tomorrow as long as he was allowed to be in her life--

Where had Inuyasha been her whole life? While he claimed she accepted him, he also found her awkwardness and babbling endearing. The hanyou loved her, a miko, as much as she loved him, a half-demon.

“Kagome--” he said in a strangled voice her hips circling him hard; underneath her sex, she felt him twitching, being pushed to his limits of restraints and if she could make him cum in his pants? Gods. The idea of him wanting her that much was enough to erupt the fire in her belly once again. His hands firmly grabbed her hips, stopping him from his own explorations of her curvy body, and he groaned, “Gotta stop or I’m gonna blow it.”

Kagome giggled in response before biting his neck, making him yelp and rise to his feet. His hold was so gentle, but his body was so tense as panted in her ear, “Are you sure? You’ll have to tell me to stop if you wanna stop.”

“Inuyasha,” she purred, wiggling in his hold as she soothed the nip with her tongue. Had she ever been so adventurous? So wild? Kagome was so excited because as she followed her intuition, her heart, Inuyasha was getting excited instead of getting weirded out. “Better get me into your bed, so I can make sure you cum in the right place.”

“Fuck, woman--”

“Do I have to beg?”

“That’s supposed to be my line,” Inuyasha growled as his legs finally figured out how to move and suddenly she felt swept up, just like how he had moved from the shrine to his apartment downtown in the city. It didn’t quench her thirst at all; if anything, Kagome just felt even hungrier.

Suddenly, she was on the bed--a simple futon that laid on the floor, and Inuyasha’s hard body hoovered over hers, his sweater gone and his black tee untucked from his pants. His hair hung around them, like a luminous silver curtain, creating the privacy in the tiny apartment. The hanyou’s eyes glowed in the darkness of the bedroom. It was dusk outside; dark purples and red filled the sky, creating an ambiance that set the mood for what was about to happen.

Kagome’s hand trailed up his tee-shirt, brushing against the silver trail of hair that ended at his belly button, and then caressed  the ridges of his muscles, from his abs to his pecs, before her hand clasped behind his neck and she pulled him back for a searing kiss. Inuyasha moaned into her mouth and traced his claws along the bottom of her own long-sleeve navy shirt, tickling her, but also making her keen and roll her tongue into his mouth to try and gain traction. She stroked against his fangs and enticed him to taste her own flavor as her other hand went to the button of his jeans and unlatched them.

He pulled away and took off his shirt, and time slowed as it was pulled from off his person, his hair came tumbling back down and she was able to view the bronze skin that had laid beneath. Kagome sat up, following him as he sank back on his heels to give her room as she lifted her own shirt over head, allowing her hair to fall back down her back, her breasts that spilled out of her white lacy bra to be on display, bouncing as her chest heaved from the ragged breath she was taking.

Inuyasha’s full attention was on her--on her form--on how her breasts bounced with every pant, how her stomach was tight and firm, and how her eyes probably glistened from the unshed tears of appreciation he was showing her. She had never felt so sexy--so sought after--so respected--

One of her hands reached out for him, while the other unclasped her bra from behind. Inuyasha leaned forward, beckoned like a moth to a flame, and pressed his nose between her breasts and inhaled so deeply she thought her scent would leave tattoos throughout his lungs. After nuzzling between them, bringing helpless whimpers from Kagome’s throat, his tongue snaked out and he licked the curves of her, settling over her nipple before taking it between his teeth and teasing it with his tongue. Kagome clutched the back of his head, trying to keep him there, holding onto the feeling of Inuyasha learning and memorizing her body with his mouth and claws.

His clawed hands were gripping her hip, teasing the waistline of her jeans that she wished he would just take off. But the miko knew she would need to set the pace. While Inuyasha claimed she’d have to tell him to stop, Kagome already saw how much he was struggling to maintain control--control over what, exactly, she wasn’t sure. And while he teased her nipples, making them so sensitive she thought she would cum again, Kagome pushed Inuyasha back so that he was taken off balance and on his ass, his legs bent and his face shocked.

“Kagome--I’m--Fuck--I’m sorry--” Inuyasha pleaded, turning his face as if he was ashamed. Kagome huffed and crawled forward after undoing her pants, shimming them off as she perched between his legs and learned forward, listening to what her soul told her to do. She nuzzled under his chin and licked up his neck until their eyes met. 

“Stop--I want more , Inuyasha. Please?” Kagome whispered brokenly, her hand gripping his jeans, tugging them down, demanding his legs straighten. Inuyasha lifted his body to allow her to proceed as she moved back with his pants and then tossed them toward the other discarded clothing. His briefs were full and she could see the hard and very defined outline of his cock, throbbing beneath his last article of clothing. Her mouth ran dry; she was excited, nervous, overly zealous in what she wanted to do next, but found herself scared because she was so… 

What he didn’t like what he saw? What if she smelled? What if he preferred women who were clean-shaven? 

His hands cupped her cheeks and his thumb took her lip she was gnawing at out of her mouth. Inuyasha’s golden gaze was firm, intense, and heated; she still sat between his extended legs on her knees, her fingers hooked in her panties, shaking at the final barrier that stood between her and Inuyasha--well--not the absolute final. The hanyou was still wearing his very tight-leaving-very-little-to-the-imagination-even-though-she-had-already-totally-seen-it-in-the-hospital-anyway briefs, the bulge from within calling her name wickedly and loudly. His body leaned forward and his lips captured hers as his hands slowly traced the outline of her form until they took her own, his claws teasingly stretching her soaked underwear, coaxing her to remove them.

“You’re beautiful, Kagome. No one compares to you… You’re who I’ve been waitin’ for.”

Her breath hitched as he pulled her panties down and his lips took hers again; Kagome waited, but his eyes closed, lost in euphoric bliss in tasting her even though she was completely bare before him. Her own eyes closed as she pushed forward and gripped his briefs, yanking them off of him before she straddled him, placing his hardened cock between her folds. Their bodies shook and quivered around each other from the heated contact, yearning and aching for more. As they trembled in each other’s arms, they studied each other, their fingers brushing against their heated and glistening skin before kissing again. 

It was an unending cycle they seemed to have got caught in. Touch. Kiss. Stare. Peck. Caress. Lick. Stroke. Moan.

“Inuyasha--”

“I want you to set the pace--I don't wanna force anythin’ on ya,” Inuyasha said firmly.

“You--not letting yourself be you--that’s forcing me to accept you for who you aren’t. I want all of you, Inuyasha. Please--stop holding back,” Kagome begged, kissing his bangs that clung to his forehead, his eyebrows, his eyes, his nose--

Claws sharper than they had been pricked her ass, startling her to open her eyes, which locked with the deep blood-red she had grown to know so well during the first days they had met. The purple markings were back, and he looked stunning.

“ Kagome ,” he said, his voice holding all the longing and thankfulness of finally belonging. 

The miko shifted herself, looking down fully, letting her eyes drink in the god-like body beneath her. Her hand grasped him, earning a strangled growl from him, as she pumped his cock. A little pre-cum emerged, covering his tip. Kagome’s thumb rubbed the liquid around, earning a more heated growl, demanding more from her as his hands tightened on her waist. She took his command to heart and hovered over him, lining up his sex with her dripping opening. “Is this alright?” she asked breathlessly.

Artwork by thorndraven

“ Condom? ” Inuyasha choked as she teased him and herself, whining from wanting him to be inside of her, but having to have the important conversation they needed to have even though their minds were clouded and impaired in judgement.

“I’m on the pill--unless--unless you want me to be checked or--?”

“ Fuck, you trust me? ”

“With my life,” Kagome admitted as she slid herself down onto him slowly, engulfing him in her wet and demanding pussy, quivering around his large length, stretching and filling her completely. Her voice was wrecked and breathless, her body was shaking and pulsing around him already. There was a soundless scream as she released, her hands gripping the hanyou’s shoulders as her walls clamped down rapidly against his deeply buried dick. Inuyasha, much to her shock and surprise, thrust upward softly, guiding her through her orgasm rather than cumming along with her as his lips covered her face in sweet kisses and his chest rumbled soothing purrs of encouragement. 

She needed to stop comparing. But Inuyasha was just blowing Hojo out of the water. The miko had cared about Hojo, deeply, enough to give herself to him. But Inuyasha? The way he was loving her, the way he was proving his loyalty, as well as his feelings--it just didn’t compare to the normal, boring, same-old love Hojo had given her. Kagome had to hit rock bottom (which she hadn’t even known she was at) before she could find the good side of bad karma. The bad karma was finding Inuyasha dying, and then saving him. Creating an unbreakable bond between them and falling in love in the most unimaginable way.

“Yash,” she gasped, dropping her head to his shoulder, trying to find herself, as her spirit had been blasted into space where she saw only stars. 

“ Whenever you’re ready .” His soft words coaxed her into mewing as his cock moved inside her, an agonizing pace that made her nipples grow hard, and made her body demand more.

Kagome lifted her head, along with her hips, and then dropped back down to take him back in. Moving her hips in circles, moaning out his name, she felt Inuyasha move in tandem against her. His lips caught hers in a heated kiss, his tongue fucking her just as his hard length was her slit. His growls escalated, fueling her to keep thrusting her hips down onto his, wanting to hear how much she affected him, just as his body teased her.

Her hands moved fervently against him, brushing against his body--his abs, his pecs, his neck, his hair, his ears as she bounced up and down eagerly, hearing the wet slap of skin as their most intimate places connected in a growing more rampant and desperate as his hands gripped and teased her everywhere: her ass, pulling her deeper into him when she came back down into him (if that were even possible); her breasts, making them so sensitive it nearly hurt when they brushed against his sculpted chest; her neck, aching for more force from his fangs as they pinched and kneaded her skin; and her clit, brushing it against the silver furred happy tail in each downward thrust.

She was ruined. Kagome couldn't think; Kagome couldn't speak; Kagome couldn't breathe; all she could do was feel--and what she felt was Inuyasha . His body, his youki, his soul, and his feelings. Inuyasha was real and everything she had ever hoped and wanted, prayed for and dreamed about before she ever knew she needed him.

It was such a paradox; his being was completely unwritten and unknown but yet, at the same, ingrained in the very fibers of her being, as well as her reiki and soul. The hanyou was the missing piece to the puzzle she hadn’t even looked into solving, and now, they’d be locked together for all eternity.

Aside from him, Inuyasha, her gruff hanyou whose youki lovingly entwined with her power, her person, the body of a God, the manners of an asshole, the sex--it blew her entire mind.

How wet she was, how enthusiastic she was, how they moved in chaotic synchronicity, trying to reach the final peak together--soulmates should have been broadcasted to the world! The fact that mates weren't a highly known topic almost made Kagome cry from the loss other people must have felt if they never found theirs--if she had ended up with Hojo?

Gods. Kagome didn’t even want to think about it. The thought almost ripped her heart in two; it likely would have if she wasn’t slamming herself down (or was he pulling her down faster and harder on his cock) letting him go deeper and deeper, brushing against the tender and basically untouched spot within her, leaving her groaning.

His clawed hands grabbed her face, as they continued to move against each other; his red eyes glowing the impending darkness of the night that was falling, lighting her way to the finish and to him . His thumbs brushed away moisture she hadn't realized that her eyes had released, then brought her face closer to his, if that was possible. Kagome tasted his breath, craved to dive her tongue into his mouth to feel his enlarged fangs against her, but he held back; she whimpered and drove her hips harder onto him,  wiggling her bottom for relief, but only stocking the flames that were about to burst like fireworks.

"I love you." 

The words shocked her, stilled her; they caught her off guard as she gasped roughly before he finally crashed his lips into her, and she came like a tsunami; the waves creating down upon her over and over in a bruising unrelenting force as she soaked his cock and the bed beneath her while she cried into his mouth, her core spasming against his sex, finally ripping his own release and his mouth away from hers.

It took only a moment for her reiki to spark and wrap around him and whisper into her mind what to do; and Kagome couldn't refuse. She bit down on his neck, feeling him tense and choke as his dick pumped more of his seed into her, making her whimper and grind against him, begging him to continue to never leave her empty again. 

Without hesitation, his own jaw locked into her shoulder blade and broke the skin, filling her body again with another fire that cracked and exploded all around her. 

Her consciousness faded in and out briefly, overwhelmed by the release and love and power that flowed from her and into her. Kagome felt her body pulse in time with Inuyasha’s, their hearts racing in a singular beat, their breathing, however, was unsynced as they clung to each other, coming down from their high.

His tongue laved her back, where he had bit down her shoulder, Kagome hummed at the feel of him brushing against her and finally remembered what he had said right before they had hit their release--

“I love you too, Inuyasha,” Kagome whispered.

“Good. ‘Cause you’re stuck with me now.” She literally heard the smirk from her surly half-demon.

Gods, he was infuriating--but he was also infuriatingly hers . Kagome lifted her face from his shoulder and was met with the golden orbs she had fallen for at first sight, the first time they shined through the red dangerous hues, showing her the way to love. Biting her lip, she kissed him gently and chastely.

“So… where do we go from here?”

“Well, you were the one who marked me first, wench.”

“Does that mean I can have the closet for my stuff then?” 

“Oi!”

“You said how fast I wanted to take it,” Kagome teased.

“I’ll show how fast you can take it,” Inuyasha smirked, his eyes flashing red before he flipped her on her back, taking her again for another wild ride.

It was funny, how they both had nearly hit rock bottom; Inuyasha given up on living, nearly dead, about to sacrifice himself for revenge, while Kagome had drowned herself in work and school to drown out being lonely in a world she didn’t belong in. But now that they had each other, they’d find other ways to take themselves to the brink, only to keep going back for more.