He could hear her beating heart, he could see her as she trembled before him. His hand twitched, longing to reach out to her, but he found himself to be frozen in place. Her eyes were wide and full of tears, full of anguish as her mouth opened but he could not hear her voice. Blood splattered the front of her blouse but it did not smell of hers… Glancing away from her, he then recalled it all; the flash of the attack, the stinging pain as his body broke apart, and of course the blood. So much blood. Then the pain hit him and he was groaning, straining on the ground as he fought to rise back up. Eyes opened and there was her face again, peering down at him, tears coursing down her cheeks as her lips moved to the syllables of his name. "Ka… Kagome…" Her name was familiar on his lips and he forced his hand up, his palm sliding into place against her cheek. A perfect fit. Her hand came to fall across his, and her eyes closed for a moment, as if she could not face what was before her. Then they opened and she was trying to smile, saying words that he just really couldn't make out.

He was so badly wounded.

Kagome would never forget the moments leading up to this exact one: how Naraku had come for her, his attack stronger than ever before. How InuYasha had knocked her aside, taking the blow in her place. How she had felt an anger like never before and it had all gone into that single arrow she'd used to penetrate his barrier, somehow, and sent him packing. Had they all not been so concerned with InuYasha, they'd have been awestruck by the sheer power she'd displayed only minutes ago. He was bleeding from a chest wound, one that looked worse than any of the others she'd ever seen him earn in battle. It took only seconds for her clothing to become stained with his blood, for her hands to become slick with it. She felt sick. Tears were spilling down her cheeks, she couldn't help herself, couldn't stop them from falling. Fears clouded her mind: was he dying? Could she staunch the flow of blood? Would he ever open his eyes and look at her again? No, he would. She wouldn't let this be the end. Biting her lower lip, she knew what had to be done. And it had to be done fast.

His hand to her cheek was surprising. Her eyes widened and she reached up, sliding her own hand over his, giving it a squeeze. A fresh wave of tears filled her eyes and she couldn't help but to smile as he whispered her name. "I'm here," she murmured, looking down over him, her tears dripping onto his cheeks. "Everything is going to be okay." He was lost to her then; she felt his hand going limp and it slid from her grasp as his eyes fluttered closed.

InuYasha could not help but to wonder if this was the end for him. Naraku had truly tried to kill Kagome, he felt that threatened by her powers. And from the look of the arrow she'd shot him with, he had every reason to fear her. Well… If he was going to die, at least it would be for her. InuYasha regretted that he could not have taken Naraku out himself, but he believed in Kagome and the others. Besides, there was only one thing he regretted more than not killing Naraku. He wanted to tell her, he wanted to make her understand, but he couldn't. The darkness then swallowed him and he knew no more.

[ x x x ]

It had been six days.

She'd hardly slept, hardly ate, and had not once left his side. At first, she'd been unsure as to whether or not he would live, but by the fourth day she had seen a little improvement in his condition. By day five his fever had broke and she had hoped he'd wake at any moment. It was only a matter of time. Though Sango had tried to get her to come away, to rest even for a few minutes, she'd waved her friend away insisting that she be there the moment his eyes had opened.

During those days she had a lot of time to think about what had happened. As always, he'd risked his life to protect her, to save her. She had seen this too many times before; she vowed to herself as she sat at his bedside that she would do everything in her power to become stronger. So strong that she could instead protect him from the evil and danger in the world. No more would she be a damsel, would be something in need of protection. She owed him that much.

It was early afternoon on the sixth day when he began to stir; she'd been sponging his wounds, applying the salve she'd made from various plants and herbs. Too caught up to notice his eyelids fluttering, Kagome had continued with her work, being as gentle as she could as she smoothed the sticky substance across his chest wounds. As she shifted, her eyes strayed towards his face and a soft gasp left her lips as she saw his eyes flickering open. "InuYasha!" She set side the sponge and the bowl of herbal medicine, her eyes growing wide as a smile came to rest upon her lips. "You're awake…"

He was coming to; it was like breaking out of the darkness of a storm. Everything that was once cloudy and hazy was suddenly becoming bright and clear. Her face swam in and out of his focus, her brown eyes wide and full of emotions he couldn't quite name. He could hear her murmuring his name, could hear the second set of words that her lips were whispering but all he could focus on was her features. It seemed that as always, Kagome was the one bringing him back. "Kagome…" His voice cracked, his throat dry from days of sleep. At once she was moving, leaving his line of sight for only a moment; she was holding a small cup to his lips then, her other hand slipping beneath his head, gently helping him lift it enough to sip down a small swallow of water. She lay him back then and she was peering over him, tears filling her eyes as her lips moved but no words would come. "You… You look exhausted." His tone had taken on sharp tone, his eyes overlooking her once more; she was pale and drawn, her eyes far too bright and large for her face. She looked like she'd not slept in days, in weeks. How long had he been out? Had she not once left his side? Had she slept or eaten at all since the battle? His hand found hers and he clung to it, fingers tightening their grip on hers. He felt her squeeze back and a small smile found its way onto his lips.

"You should rest," she said softly, reaching out to cup his cheek into her palm, her fingertips slowly trailing down his jaw line. His golden eyes found hers and for a long moment they stared at one another, communicating in a way that only they could. Silence said it all. His eyes then fluttered closed and with a heavy sigh he was drifting back off, her face still swimming in his mind.

[ x x x ]

When he slept, he dreamt of her: she haunted his every dream, his every nightmare. She was running after him, her long hair trailing behind her. She was running from him, her eyes full of fear as their gaze fell upon him. She was smiling, her laughter echoing… Tears running down her cheeks… He snapped awake, forced from the dream by the touch of a hand. She was above him, her hair tucked behind an ear, eyes focused on the work she was doing to his chest. Her exhaustion was evident, but she was as determined as ever to take care of him. "Oh, you're awake," she was turning to him then, flashing him a smile. At once, he was pushing himself up, ignoring her squeak as she tried to push him back onto the pallet. "Hey! You shouldn't move yet!"

He reached out, putting a finger to her lips, silencing her from speaking on; her eyes widened and he could feel her lips curving beneath his fingertip. "You weren't hurt?" He was asking then, letting his hand fall away, his amber-colored hues finding her brown ones. She shook her head and he felt the relief flood his face and body. He sat back, glancing around the hut that they were in. It was unfamiliar to him, telling him they'd taken shelter some place close to the battle scene. There were bowls of various herbs sitting all around her, as well as bandages, all evidence of the work she'd been doing on him. His robe of the fire rat had been discarded, he could see it folded in the corner along with his Tessaiga leaning up against the wall. Returning his gaze to her, he could not help but to stare as she sat there before him, a crimson glow to her cheeks.

"You really should rest," she mumbled, folding her arms over her chest, eyes darting away as she squirmed beneath his intense gaze. It reminded her of the past for a moment, of their early days when he had yet to see her for who she was. He had used to look upon her with such an powerful stare that it had been nearly impossible to keep her own eyes locked on him. Those days had been so long ago. He shifted then, a short chuckle escaping as he leaned back on an elbow, the familiar pose bringing a slight smile to her lips. "You feel better," she observed and he turned his head, a brow slightly arched as he nodded. She felt a wave of relief flooding through her entire body- thank God. Unable to help herself, she scooted closer to him, so she could lean back against him and he immediately moved once more, to offer her his shoulder to lean on, her weight comforting against him. He could feel her warmth against his skin, could catch the sweet and familiar scent of her hair as she shifted ever so slightly. Here they were again, like so many times before.

"I saw what you did," he suddenly was speaking and she was sitting up, turning to look at him with an arched brow of her own. "To Naraku," he clarified and she immediately blushed, giving her head a little shake as if it to say it wasn't a big deal. "You've gotten so strong, Kagome." He spoke earnestly, his tone forcing her to look at him once more. "You saved me this time." He admitted then, to which she began to shake her head, a quick no escaping her lips before he silenced her with a quick hand motion. "No, you did. He would've killed me and the others to get to you. He wanted to kill you." He could still remember how those crimson eyes had searched her out, how his gaze had never strayed far from Kagome, even when locked in battle with him. InuYasha felt his stomach turn over, his heart grow cold- he wouldn't let anything happen to Kagome, that much he could swear.

They sat in silence a while longer, returned to their previous positions; InuYasha listened to her deep, even breathing and knew without a doubt that she'd drifted off to sleep. He pushed himself back a bit, grimacing as his still healing wound stung. Carefully, he lay her down onto the pallet, pulling the blanket over her frame as she turned, her head to the side and her raven locks spread out beneath her. He could do nothing but watch her sleep, recalling their vast history together. From the moment he had met her, he'd known she'd change his life though at first he'd not thought that change to be good. She'd worked her way into his heart in her own way- he'd admired her strength, her passion, her heart. From almost the moment they'd met she had been at his side, never straying and never fearing him. She'd seen him for more than he thought himself to be. She'd changed him. She had made him better.

Leaning over, he brushed a kiss to her temple and then slid down onto his side behind her, lightly draping his arm over her hip, drawing her closer to him. She snuggled back against him, murmuring something he couldn't quite make out, her body warm against his. They had never been quite this close, at least not in this capacity and InuYasha found himself to be surprised at how perfectly she fit against him. As if.. As if that was exactly where she was meant to be. Holding on just a little tighter, InuYasha allowed his lids to fall closed and as he drifted off, his thoughts were of her… a dream of their future, so bright and golden, flashing through his mind.