'Blood, so much blood, how is he even still conscious?' was the running thought in Kagome's mind. Lying in an abandoned hut, Inuyasha was bleeding from several deep wounds. Kagome was trying to stop the bleeding while she waited for the others to get back from Kaede's village with medications.

They should be celebrating. It had taken them so long to finally and completely destroy Naraku, and now Kagome couldn't even be happy about that with how injured Inuyasha was. She blinked back her tears; he always hated it when she cried.

Finally the bleeding slowed and he fell into a light sleep. Once she was sure that he was asleep, she rushed out of the hut. Making sure there were a several feet between her and the hut she let her tears go.

Falling to her knees, the sobs racked her small frame. She couldn't lose him now, not after everything. He was her rock, her protector. She heard a snap of a twig over the sound of her sobs. Turning with a gasp she prepared to fight off a demon. What she wasn't prepared for was a staggering Inuyasha using the Tessaiga to make his way over to her.

Jumping to her feet she made it to his side just in time to help him hit the ground softly. He was breathing hard from the effort to get to her.

"What were you thinking? You probably started bleeding again…" She checked under the bandages that littered his chest and arms. Luckily he hadn't ripped them open again.

"Why are you crying?" he asked softly.

She wiped at her face to try and hide the fact, but knew it was useless. "Just…emotional, you know me."

His golden eyes seemed to glow in the dark. He reached a hand up and smoothed away a tear with his thumb. "Don't cry. It kills me to see you cry."

She gave him a lopsided smile. "That's why I left the hut, guess I should have gone further. Come on, let's get you back inside."

She helped him to his feet and between leaning on her and the Tessaiga they made their way back into the hut. She laid him down on the pallet and was surprised when he kept his grip on her waist.

"I had to get off my deathbed to come and get you, I am not letting you out of my reach." He growled softly and pulled her so that she was lying beside him. He tucked her head under his chin so that her head rested on the only part of his chest that wasn't covered in bandages.

She could feel his heart beating beneath her head. "I'm not hurting you am I?" she asked fearfully.

She could feel the vibrations of his answer. "Never. You always make the pain go away." He held her tighter. "I…I love you, Kagome." He said almost too soft to her.

She craned her neck to look into his eyes. She saw a mixture of fear and love shining down on her. "I love you, too, Inuyasha." She couldn't help the single tear that fell down her face. He reached up his hand and wiped the tear from her face. Cupping her chin in his hand, he tilted her head up to meet his in a gentle kiss.

The grip around her tightened and Inuyasha buried his face in her neck. Breathing in her scent deeply, he growled softly. "Mine."

That single word filled Kagome's heart close to bursting. Wrapping her arms gently around him she nodded and murmured, "Yours, forever."

"Forever." He agreed burrowing further into her hair. He breathed deeply and Kagome knew that he was finally asleep. She let go of all of her fears of the future and drifted off to sleep wrapped in his arms.