Kagome watched him while he slept. Sure, it sounded like a strange thing to do, but when Inuyasha slept, he looked so peaceful, a rare sight for anyone who knew the half demon. So tonight, she watched him again, like a guardian angel ready to protect him from harm, even from himself.
She had no idea she would have to do just that soon enough.
"No! Stay back, Inuyasha! Please. I...don't want you to see me like this." Kagome's voice was soft, yet she sounded scared. Inuyasha wanted to comfort her, to hold her, but he knew she wouldn't let him. He looked at her again. Her hair blocked her face, and her hands covered her abdomen, her blood quickly staining them.
Inuyasha wanted to scream, to fight, to do anything other than this. To watch the woman he loved slowly die in front of him while he was powerless to stop it. He couldn't bear it.
She fell to the ground, the blood loss finally making her too weak to stand. Inuyasha rushed to her side, pulling her body into his lap. The color in her skin was washed out, her lips were white, her body shook violently, and her breathing came in shallow pants, but worst of all was that her eyes, the eyes he loved so much, began to grow dim.
"Inu...ya...sha," she breathed. He felt fear grip his heart. She sounded so weak, like she was about to die. She couldn't die. She was Kagome. His Kagome. She couldn't just leave him.
Inuyasha's face contorted, and Kagome gasped. This had never happened before. He must be having a nightmare, she thought.
"Kagome," he mumbled in his sleep. "Please...don't go... Don't leave me."
Kagome lightly brushed his white bangs back from his face, feeling the sweat beneath her hand. She couldn't stand seeing him like this, even if it was just a nightmare. And over her, of all things. She gently nudged his shoulder, calling his name as she did so. There was no response. She nudged him harder.
"Inuyasha! Please wake up!" She nudged him until finally, he woke up, breathing hard. He ran a shaking hand over his pale face.
"Inuyasha," she said, relieved.
"Kagome..."
"You were having a nightmare, so I woke you-ah!" Inuyasha grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug, stroking her hair and burying his face in it. "You're okay. I'm glad," she heard him say softly into her hair. He pulled away from her, and that's when she saw the lingering fear in his eyes.
"Inuyasha? What was your nightmare about?"
He looked down at his hands, fear and helplessness filling his amber eyes as he recalled the nightmare.
"You were injured," he began quietly. "You told me not to come near you, but I did anyway. Your stomach was sliced open and you were bleeding out. I felt so helpless, watching you die, but I couldn't do a damn thing to save you. Then you fell to the ground and I held you in my lap. You said my name one more time before you..." He couldn't finish and he buried his face in his arms. Kagome's heart hurt, seeing her best friend so scared. She sat next to him and hugged him, running her hand up and down his back.
"It's okay now, Inuyasha. It was only a nightmare. I'm still alive and I don't plan on dying anytime soon. Inuyasha?"
He looked back up at her and laced his fingers with hers. Kagome's heart pounded in her chest, even more so when she noticed the way he looked at her. Still with sadness, but with a hint of adoration. "Thank you, Kagome," he whispered. "You have no idea how awful it was, watching the woman you love die..."
"What did you say?" she breathed. Did he actually just say what I thought he just said? she thought.
"I said you have no idea how awful it was."
"Not that. The next part."
"Watching the woman you love die," he mumbled so quietly, Kagome almost missed it.
"Inuyasha..."
"I'm going back to bed," he said grumpily, crawling back under his sleeping bag, which Kagome had forced him to take.
Stunned, Kagome crawled over to the sleeping bag and leaned over him. He blushed at stared at her.
"What are you doing?"
"Do you love me, Inuyasha?" The question made the girl blush slightly, but still she kept her gaze locked on him and never broke eye contact.
"Feh! You're going to ask me that now? Can't you wait until morning?" He was back to his usual grumpy self, but Kagome didn't waver. She leaned in closer, almost until their noses touched.
"Please, just tell me, Inuyasha. It's...important to me."
He turned away from her, closing his eyes, and when he finally looked at her again, his eyes were filled with love.
"Yes. I love you, Kagome. I love everything about you and everything you are. Damn it, you make me feel things I didn't know I could feel. I...I need you, Kagome..." He blushed again, and Kagome pulled him into a hug, which made him blush harder.
"Inuyasha..." She pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes. His eyes still glistened with affection, and he leaned towards her, taking her hand in his and entangled her fingers with his own.
Kagome's heart nearly burst out of her chest when she realized he was mere inches away from her lips. Is he going to kiss me?, she thought nervously. She never kissed a boy before and she had no idea what to do.
Inuyasha's lips pressed gently against hers and his arm held her against his chest. He heard Kagome squeak in surprise, and then moan softly against his lips. Her hands rose to cup his face and keep his lips from moving off her own. He deepened the kiss and licked her lower lip, begging for entry. She parted her lips, letting him in, and their tongues intertwined with each other.
Kagome felt like her body was levitating, and every time Inuyasha's lips moved against hers, it created a pleasurable friction that sent sharp electric currents throughout her body. It was by far the best feeling she had ever felt.
The kiss ended and Inuyasha looked deep into Kagome's eyes. They held such love and pleasure that he couldn't help but kiss her again, eliciting a small moan from the girl. He stroked her cheek lightly and she smiled, leaning into his caress. He smiled back at her. "Kagome," he whispered.
"Inuyasha," she whispered back. They shared one more kiss before, to Inuyasha's surprise, Kagome crawled under the sleeping bag with him. She curled herself into his side and put an arm around his chest.
"Good night, Kagome," he said softly.
"Night, Inuyasha. I love you too."
Inuyasha smiled. Because of her last words, when he fell asleep, his dreams were only about Kagome and her soft lips touching his, over and over again.
Kagome awoke the next morning to find the other side of the sleeping bag empty. Kagome sighed. I guess breakfast was more important to him, she thought sadly. She got out of the sleeping bag and stretched out her muscles.
She was surprised to find Inuyasha sitting beside a fire, cooking ramen. She walked over to him and sat down next to him. "Inuyasha? What are you doing?"
"Making lunch for you," he said.
"You don't have to do that," she said.
"Well I want to," he replied gruffly.
Kagome blushed slightly. He wanted to make lunch for her?
"Why are you doing this?" she asked him.
"No reason!" he said too quickly. She smiled, knowing the answer, and leaned forward and pressed her lips to his in a tender, loving kiss. Inuyasha kissed her back, moaning softly. They pulled away and smiled at each other, holding hands and looking deep into each other's eyes.
"Inuyasha is in love with Kagome!" Shippo yelled teasingly. The half demon growled and lunged at the fox demon, who giggled mischievously while dodging Inuyasha's grasp. Kagome sighed and shook her head.
"Sit, boy!" she shouted, and an Inuyasha shaped hole appeared in the ground.
Sango and Miroku looked over at them, wondering what all the noise was about, and Shippo ran over to Kagome for safety.
Kagome laughed. Some things never change, she thought. But even though Inuyasha glared at her when he got up, she knew that this new thing they had would never change either.