Staying With You
"—an unusually hot one today, with temperatures going up to an astounding one hundred degrees this afternoon and humidity levels are steadily climbing—"
A white and green blur sped past the television forecasting the day's weather in search of the elusive hair brush that always managed to not be where it's supposed to; in her mostly overstuffed, holy-crap-this-weighs-a-ton, overstretched yellow backpack that never fails to give her a backache when she lugs it around for too long.
But that's what big strong half-demon's are for, so no worries for Kagome Higurashi.
Except said big strong half-demon is going to get even more pissed than he most likely already is if Kagome is another minute.
With a cry of victory and after practically destroying her living room under the amused looks of her grandfather and younger brother, Kagome emerged from the couch cushions with the elusive purple hairbrush aloft, but her triumph was short-lived. Catching at glance at the digital clock on the TV, Kagome shrieked and dashed into the kitchen, somehow managing to stuff the brush into her bulging yellow bag sitting on the table among everything else in there.
"Kagome, dear, won't you eat some breakfast before you leave? It's not healthy to skip meals like you do all the time. I'm sure Inuyasha will understand." Mama Higurashi said, concern lighting her features. She hated it when her daughter skipped meals; she was already skinny enough as it is, and according to what she said last night, she would be traveling all day today.
In the process of trying to shoulder her monstrosity of a bag, Kagome grunted out her reply. "Sorry Mom, I'm late, Inuyasha's gonna kill me, I love you, bye!" With one last heave, the young woman stood upright and all but ran out the door toward the well house, hoping her half-demon companion would be in a slightly better mood than he was when she departed for her own time. Doubtful, but hey, a girl can hope.
Almost tripping down the well steps in her haste, Kagome barely managed to regain her balance before she hurled herself into the well, a brief relief from the burden hanging off her shoulders at the weightless feeling, then she landed heavily onto the well floor five hundred years into the past, ignoring the growling coming within the depths of her empty stomach.
Please don't let him be waiting, please don't let him be waiting, please—
"Oi, wench, you're late!"
Wincing, Kagome looked up to see Inuyasha glaring down at her from over the lip of the well, infamous scowl etched onto his features and if she had to guess, his arms were crossed angrily over his chest.
Well…at he seems to be in a better mood. Never mind the fact that Inuyasha glaring and scowling at her qualifies as one of his better moods…
"Sorry Inuyasha," Kagome called up, hauling herself up the aged vines climbing the wall. "I overslept and I couldn't find my hairbrush." Wincing as the straps of her bag dug into her shoulders, she was half-way up when suddenly something warm and solid locked around her waist and she was airborne for a mere two point five seconds before she landed on solid ground once more, shoulders backpack-free.
Kagome sighed in relief and rolled her shoulders, smiling gratefully at the hanyou who was currently shouldering on the giant bag himself. "Thanks, Inuyasha. I guess I should probably start packing lighter, huh?" She giggled at the deadpan look he sent her.
"Keh." Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha headed toward the village and glanced askance at Kagome as she fell into step beside him. "You're late, wench."
She leveled cold stare at him. "I apologized already."
He snorted and kept on walking, hitching the bag higher onto his shoulder. "The hell you got in here, wench? Bricks?"
Kagome had the grace to look sheepish. "Um…ramen?"
He didn't buy it. "Pull the other one."
Pouting, she crossed her arms and confessed. "Fine. If you must know, I have my schoolbooks with me. But," she added when he was about to no doubt ridicule her, "the other half is ramen, so bow down and worship me." She had the decency to look smug.
Inuyasha's jaw snapped shut with an audible click and he faced forward once more, stone faced.
Kagome beamed and knew his bad mood had instantly evaporated.
The perky ears gave it away.
-X-
It was just past eleven when the weather started showing a change in temperature, the sun bearing down on the travelers with its unforgiving rays of sweltering heat. The air was thick, muggy and hot and already a light sheen of sweat had broken out on each face.
Kagome, her bag considerably lighter and for once grateful for her too-short skirt, heaved a sigh and fanned herself with a hand, wishing she had remembered to bring a hair tie with her. Her neck felt like it was on fire and she envied Sango; her hair was tired back, letting at least some air on the back of her neck.
Shippou was draped across her shoulder, groggy and barely talking, which was rare for the young kitsune. Usually he was a little chatterbox on their expeditions, and his being silent spoke volumes how the heat was affecting him. Kagome kind of wished he were draped across Miroku's shoulder, who had rolled up his sleeves in a poor attempt to be cooler.
Ahead of their group, Inuyasha had taken off his suikan some fifteen minutes ago and it was now tossed over his shoulder with his white undershirt hanging wide open, showing off his chest sleek with sweat. Too bad Kagome didn't have the energy to admire it. He didn't show it, but he was just as affecting as the rest of them, his face flushed and beads of sweat rolling down his temples.
Jesus, but did it have to be so fucking hot? It wasn't even noon yet!
Sighing again for the umpteenth time that morning, Kagome squinted up at the sky and did her best to glare at the damnable big yellow sphere that was the sun. This most definitely had to qualify for the hottest day of the year and it wasn't even June yet. Okay, so maybe there was a few more days left of May, but come on! This was ridiculous. She wouldn't be surprised if the next time she looked in a mirror she'd resemble a cooked lobster.
"It's hot," she whined to nobody in particular, and all she got in response was a few distracted hums and a grunt. Wrinkling her nose, Kagome made an attempt to cool herself off again by fanning her face with a hand, but to no avail. If she'd known it was going to be this hot, she would have brought a fan…
Kagome blinked and suddenly frowned, putting a hand to her stomach. An unexpected bout of nausea slammed into her and she slowed down a bit as the others kept going, oblivious, and hoping it would soon pass with no problems.
But no, it only seemed to get worse and she blinked rapidly, coming to a stop and wondering at the intricate webbing of colors before her eyes.
"Wha…" she breathed, abruptly feeling light headed and dizzy. She put a hand up to her head and wobbled where she stood, her ears suddenly feeling like cotton balls were stuffed into them. "Inu…" Vaguely she heard calls of what sounded like her name and saw a red blur rushing toward her and then she was falling as the world went white, then utterly black.
-X-
"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, panic clearly etched onto his features as he caught the girl before she tumbled to the ground. "Kagome, are you okay? What happened? Kagome!" She remained unresponsive and limp in his arms, her face and lips deathly pale and Inuyasha could feel the color draining from his own face.
"What happened? Is she alright, Inuyasha?" Worry for her friend and sister of her heart was plain on her face as Sango knelt beside them, Miroku coming to a halt behind her, the same question in his eyes. Shippou looked close to tears as he clutched the monk's shoulder, almost as pale as Kagome. He hoped his surrogate mother would be okay.
Inuyasha wordlessly shook his head, at a loss and he absolutely hated it. "I…I dunno. She just…up and collapsed." He frowned and put a clawed hand to her pale cheek, not likely the lack of warmth he found. "Shit. She's cold and there's no color in her face or lips. What the hell…" He muttered the last part to himself, confused as to why Kagome had suddenly passed out. Was she ill and didn't tell him? Goddamn it, but he was gonna have a word with her when she came to.
A fucking long one.
Effortlessly picking her up into his arms, Inuyasha stared down into her face, willing those eyes to open up and those too-pale lips smile at him. Kagome remained motionless, the only sign she was alive the slightly irregular beating of her heart. He didn't like that either.
Cursing, he barked an order to the others to find the next village they came to then leaped into the trees, determined to find the nearest village and get her better as soon as possible.
He just hoped she was all right. Inuyasha wouldn't know what to do without her, his love, his mate, his Kagome.
His everything.
-X-
She came to with a pounding headache and that was probably woke her up in the first place. With a low moan, Kagome winced and brought a hand up to her throbbing head, feeling wiped out and drained of all energy. Had she fallen and hit her head on something? Was there a sneak attack? Confusion swamped her and it was then that she realized…
She wasn't hot. Actually, it was quite cool where she was and Kagome frowned, daring to opening her eyes and was surprised to see the wooden supports of the ceiling of a rather large hut.
…What?
A shuffling sounded to the left of her and instinctively she turned her head in that direction, realizing she wasn't alone. "Inu…?" She didn't know why his name was the first one she thought of, but didn't care at the moment. Maybe he could tell her why she was laying down in a hut that wasn't Kaede's.
She didn't receive a reply, but when she was suddenly lifted up and settled into a warm lap, that was answer enough and she melted back against him with a sigh, dismissing the fact that this was not something her hanyou friend normally did. Especially concerning her.
"'N'yasha?" she whispered, afraid talking too loud would make her headache worse. "Where…?"
"Shh," he rumbled and tightened his arms around her, closing his eyes and burying his nose in her hair. God, but he was so relieved she was okay. She'd been out all day and it was way past dark. If he'd had to wait any longer, he might have driven himself mad with worry.
From the fire still going a few feet from them he could see the color had returned back to her face and her lips were their normal pink and all he wanted to do was cover them with his own and see if she really was okay by other means.
Kagome sighed again and closed her eyes, her headache gradually fading the longer he held her. She smiled a little, but it soon faded when she remembered where she was. "Inuyasha…what happened? How did I get here?"
Sucking in a breath and tightening his hold on her, Inuyasha squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "Stupid wench," he muttered and Kagome blinked. What did she do?
"You…you scared the shit outta me, Kagome," he admitted in a low rumble, his breathing suddenly ragged and his form trembling slightly.
Utterly confused now, Kagome frowned and tried to turn around to face him but he wouldn't let go of his firm grasp, only bringing her more closer to him. She blushed and tentatively put a hand on one of his, unintentionally soothing away some of the tension in his body. If she scared him this badly that he didn't want to let her go, Kagome had to wonder just what in the hell had happened.
"What happened?" she repeated again in a whisper, absently stroking his hand with her own.
Releasing his breath in a shaky sigh, Inuyasha shook his head and finally loosening his grip a little, but he didn't let her go. "I don't know. We were all walking, when suddenly you just…collapsed. I couldn't hear you walking anymore so I looked back to see what you were doing, and you were falling…" Kagome could hear the frown in his voice and she squeezed his hand, the worry in his words and tone evident. "I carried you to the nearest village and had their physician look at you. Said he couldn't do anything but let you rest, the bastard. You've been out all fucking day and into the night…" He trailed off and buried his nose in her hair again, inhaling her sweet scent.
"I'm sorry I worried you," she said softly and turned her head enough to kiss his cheek although not without a red face. She sighed and snuggled back into his warmth.
They stayed like that for a few minutes, Inuyasha holding her close and Kagome relishing this time with him before the half-demon broke the silence.
"Oi, wench," he started, leaning back and turning her around in his arms to face him. His scowl was back and his stare was narrowed eyed, suspicion lurking in the amber depths. "Why the fuck didn't you tell me you were sick? Jesus, I wouldn't have fucking made you walk! I woulda carried you, idiot!"
Kagome blinked and frowned, glaring up at him. "But I'm not sick! I don't know how…" She suddenly trailed off, her eyes going wide and her mouth parting open into an "o" shape.
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her and then furrowed his brows confusion. "What, wench? What aren't you telling me?"
Wincing, Kagome bit her lip and ducked her head, absently playing with the tires of his hakama. "Um…I might've…sorta…didn't eat anything this morning…and with the unbearable heat as it was today…I guess my body couldn't take it without proper sustenance." She waited for the incoming tirade.
She didn't have to wait long.
"WHAT?! You stupid, stupid girl! You mean to tell me you haven't eaten anything all day?! Jesus fucking Christ, Kagome, I thought you were smarter than that! Hell, even I know to at least have something in my gut on days like today! Goddammit—" Taking her by the arms, her shook her a few times, frantically looking into her eyes. "If you ever, ever, do that to me again, I'll fucking cram something down your throat so you won't ever again pull what you did today! You hear me? I swear to God, Kagome—" Cutting himself off, Inuyasha cursed, crushed her to him again and held on to her for dear life.
Feeling like absolute dirt, Kagome wrapped her arms around him and held him just as fiercely, closing her eyes and fighting back tears. She'd had no idea… Vowing to never again worry him this much, Kagome reached up and stroked one of his ears, slowly easing away the tension in his muscles.
"I'm sorry," she whispered and she felt him heave against her, his breath fanning against her neck and sending gooseflesh along her skin.
"Just…don't do that to me again, okay? I can't stand it if I lost you," he admitted in barely above whisper, gently rocking her back and forth now. "I can't lose you. I just…I can't."
"I'm not going anywhere," she assured him, touched by his confession and vaguely Kagome wondered how deep someone as able to love someone else. "I promise I'm staying right here with you. Always."
He believed her and let her know it by pulling back, cradling her face in his hands, then leaning down and capturing her lips with his own.
-X-
Neh, I don't know if I like the ending. I wanted to add more to it because it just doesn't seem…finished, you know? But I didn't know what to put after that, so I guess it'll have to do. For now. XD Haw. Title it cliché, I know, but you all know how bad I am with titles anyway. Haha.
Anyway, passing out, people? Not. Fun. Happened to me Friday while standing in line to go on a water ride at Darien Lake. Only lasted like ten minutes, though. I think it might have had something to do with only have a nutty bar for breakfast and nothing else for the rest of the day, and the weather that day was close to the high 90's, so it is possible to pass out from lack of food or water on hot days like that.
And I know what you're thinking, dismissing the above paragraph: Why the hell am I writing up one-shots when I should be working on my other stories? Eh heh… I'm working on them, people, I promise. I'm just kinda stuck right now, but I promise you that I will finish all of my stories. I think it's cruel to leave readers hanging like that.
I'll have a poll in my profile asking which story I should update next, so check it out and vote; you might get what you want. :]
Until next time,
Keiz