(A/N:) Kaboom! Finally done with this chapter; was NOT expecting it to be so long. I thought about breaking it up into two chapters, but I realized it all just flowed together so nicely as one and I wasn't about to shatter that like Kagome shattered the Shikon Jewel! (Yeah...I apologize. My jokes are only amusing to me.) Also, I'm exceptionally lazy, so I have NOT thoroughly read through and edited this chapter yet, but I will at some point in the near future. I apologize. Well anyway, please read and review! PLEASE review. No one really reviews anymore...not like they used to. But I can't be one to talk because I've become a slacker myself. But I'm officially making it one of my New Year's resolutions to write more reviews! And side note: the Chinese New Year is next week! Year of the Dragon :D For those of you that read/watch Fruits Basket, you know who that means - Hatori! My favorite little seahorse :3 And this week was my finals week for the first semester of school! Boom! I am now officially halfway through my senior year of high school. I'm content with that. Anyway, you know the drill! Once more, please read and review! And please PLEASE read my other story 'Innocence' if you get the chance, because it really defines where Kagome and InuYasha are at this point, since I'm basing this story several weeks after the events of 'Innocence'. Thanks!
-passivestrength
Slight warning for this chapter: Blah blah blah you're all familiar with the language. I don't swear at all in person, but InuYasha's got a wicked foul mouth in the original manga and it's sure fun to write! Also, some heavy petting near the end of the chapter. There's more than one reason it's called Rising Temperatures! Okay, I'm done.
Disclaimer: I do not in any way shape or form own InuYasha or any of its characters. They are property of Rumiko Takahashi. However, no one can stop me from calling my cat Kirara, pretending to be Kikyo, Sango, and Kagome, or forcing my best friend and I to stop fighting over InuYasha, Miroku, and Kouga like a pack of wolves. Heh. Wolves. Kouga. Oh, I kill myself.
Chapter 2: Rising Temperatures
It was always strange for InuYasha, being in the present. It didn't feel right to him. The smell was always the first thing he noticed as he stood at the bottom of the well, as he did now. It was so…different. The feudal era smelled of nature: trees and dirt and warm breezes, rice fields and fresh water brooks. Kagome's time was stuffy, the air often as gray as the sky apart from those rare days of sunshine mostly during the summer. It was too loud for him here, too. Only at the Higurashi shrine and the surrounding property did he feel relatively at ease; only in Kagome's room surrounded by her comforting scent did he feel completely at ease. The air felt calm and quiet as he carried Kagome out of the well, though, and the only sound was the gentle music of the chimes hanging outside the well house. It was surprisingly peaceful.
As he carried her across the yard from the shrine to her house, a train passed by in the distance, its noise unsettling to InuYasha but calming and familiar to Kagome. She sighed at the small comfort of being home in her sickness, remember all the times she'd been kept in bed growing up as her mom tended to her and cared for her. She felt a warmth spread across her chest as she thought ahead to the rest of the evening: her warm bed and her mother's cooking and medicine, and a nice, hot bath.
"Thank you for bringing me home," she said to InuYasha, breaking the comfortable silence they'd slipped into.
"I didn't have much of a choice," he scoffed, before sighing after a pause. "But it's my pleasure. You know that I don't mind. It's awfully quiet right now though, huh?"
"Mmm." She nodded against his chest. "It's about dinner time…everyone's probably just eating."
They were silent again until they reached the front door to the house. Kagome was surprised when they learned it was locked, and she furrowed her eyebrows.
"Mom always leaves the door unlocked until bedtime," she mumbled, a new and sinking thought occurring to her. "Unless no one's home…"
InuYasha tried calling into the house, and after a minute of no response, Kagome frowned. "Put me down. I've got a key in my backpack."
She fumbled with the pouches to her overstuffed bag once he'd complied to her request, and he watched her with wary eyes until she produced a small silver key and held it up with a look of accomplishment. As they entered the front hallway and Kagome kicked off her shoes, she noticed that no lights were on.
"Hello?" she called weakly. "Mom? Souta? Grandpa?"
Again, there was no response. She felt her heart begin to sink as she shuffled into the kitchen and collapsed in one of the chairs surrounding a small wooden table.
"Why is no one here?" she whined. Her heart skipped a beat as her eyes widened in sudden realization. "Oh! I hope nothing's happened!"
InuYasha simply watched as she hurried to the phone, limping due to the pain in her side, and frantically dialed a number. He still didn't understand telephones at all, despite Kagome having tried to explain them to him multiple times before.
"Mom?" Kagome said now as she spoke into the contraption.
On the other end, her mother answered in recognition. "Oh, Kagome! I wasn't expecting you to be home."
"I wasn't, either."
"Oh sweetie, you sound terrible." Her voice took on that overbearing but sweet maternal concern. "Are you sick? Are you alone? I'm sorry I'm not there!"
"I'm fine, Mom. Well, no, I am sick. Really sick." She started coughing, as if to further prove her point. "But I'm okay. InuYasha's here with me. Where are you, anyway?"
"Oh! Tell him hi, would you?" her mother answered. "And I'm afraid I'm at the hospital right now."
Kagome's heart skipped another beat. "What? Why? Did something happen?"
"Your grandfather's gotten food poisoning again. He'll be fine, but I'm staying the night to watch over him. Souta's staying here, too." She paused. "At least, that was the plan. I hate leaving you home alone when you sound so miserable. I can be home in less than an hour if you need me, honey."
"No, it's fine," Kagome said quickly, feeling relief wash over her. "I know how to take care of myself, and Grandpa needs you more. I'll just see you tomorrow."
"Are you sure?" her mother asked worriedly.
"Uh huh. I'll just make some soup for dinner and take some medicine. It'll be great."
"Well…alright. But if you need anything, please call me."
"Of course, Mom. Goodnight," Kagome sighed.
"Goodnight, Kagome. I love you. Feel better, and stay warm."
"Yes, mother. I love you, too."
She hung up the phone and turned to InuYasha who was staring at her expectantly. "My grandpa's in the hospital with food poisoning and Mom and Souta are staying with him."
He frowned. "Then who's gonna take care of you?"
She shrugged. "Me. You. I'm usually pretty good on my own."
"What can I do?" he asked, noticing her response.
She stared at him for a long moment. "I don't really know. I mean, you don't know how to use most of the things from the present so it's probably best if I handle things for now." She pursed her lips before burying her mouth into her elbow as another coughing fit struck. "But you can watch and learn."
So InuYasha sat perched on the kitchen counter and watched as, despite her extreme exhaustion and illness, Kagome threw on an apron and prepared a hearty soup for herself and ramen noodles for him. He felt guilty that he couldn't do much to help her and thought back to what Miroku had said about him being useless in the feudal era without Kagome.
Feh. Well I'm not too much more useful here with her, he thought to himself.
"Okay InuYasha, eat up," Kagome said, breaking him out of his gloom. She thrust a bowl of delicious ramen and a pair of chopsticks at him before picking up her own bowl of soup and a spoon. They moved over to the table and ate in a relative silence, as Kagome found it was beginning to put a strain on her to use her voice. She downed a glass of water and several pills after finishing her soup, praying that they would quickly provide her with even the slightest bit of relief.
"Thank you for the dinner, Kagome," InuYasha said as she cleared away their plates. He watched her wash and dry them with a frown, knowing she shouldn't still be up and moving.
"Of course," she mumbled, trying to ignore the fact that she was growing increasingly weaker. Her head was throbbing, and despite the feeling that her skin might burn her alive, an intense chill coursed through her body. "Thermometer…"
"What was that?"
"Can you get me…my thermometer," she asked him. "It's in my first aid…kit…" She closed her eyes and sat back down in her chair, stifling a groan.
"What's it look like again?"
"The skinny glass stick," she answered as he began digging through her large medical kit. "It's in a white box…"
"Found it," he declared, rushing it back to her. "Here."
"Take it out of the box and run it under some cold water." She smiled weakly when he just stared at her. "The faucets on the sink…turn the right one."
"The whats?"
The next several minutes continued as such, with Kagome patiently but frustratingly explaining how to use the sink and wash the thermometer properly. InuYasha was internally furious and humiliated, not used to being so lost and helpless, especially in front of Kagome. But he tried to bite back his pride and understand the instructions she mumbled to him, just thankful that Miroku wasn't around to see this. When the glass thermometer was finally ready for use, he brought it over to her with a self-satisfied smile.
"Finally," she joked, giving a quiet laugh when his eyes narrowed and his smile shifted into yet another frown. "Oh, lighten up."
"Take it."
She thanked him and carefully took the rod from him, grasping it tightly as she began to vigorously shake it.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Bringing the…temperature down," she answered as if it automatically made perfect sense. And it did, just not to him.
"Doesn't that thing go on your tongue?" he asked, pointing to his own tongue. "I saw you doing that to Miroku once after he'd taken saimyoshou venom."
"Yes, well, you didn't see me do this part then," she shrugged, satisfied when she saw the mercury line was slightly below 95°F. "Okay."
"Now what?" he asked, confused when she handed it back to him.
"You stick it under my tongue and hold it there for three minutes."
He let out a loud gulp as she closed her eyes and opened her mouth wide enough to see her slick, pink tongue. It had been several weeks, but he could still distinctly remember the sweet taste her mouth held. He hadn't kissed her since that early morning, mainly because they could never find a moment away from Sango and Miroku's constant stares, but he'd also just been afraid. The silence of the air suddenly became piercing, as he became acutely aware of the fact that he was standing with Kagome in her kitchen, in her empty house, that would remain empty until the following day. He gulped again.
"InuYasha, are you going to make me do this myself?" she complained, drawing his attention back to her. With shaking fingers he slipped the thermometer into her mouth and held it steady as she closed her lips around it, letting out a sigh.
"I hathe thaking my themperathure," she grumbled, and he smiled a little as some of his tension dissipated. She was adorable.
Three long minutes later, he pulled the thermometer out and held it up into the light, squinting his eyes to read the numbers. Kagome had taught him to count and to read numbers over the months, and he was proud that he was able to confidently answer her when she asked what it said.
"101.7°F"
"What?" she shrieked, wincing as it seemed to hurt her throat. "Are you sure? Give me that!"
"Why, is that bad?" he questioned, scrunching his eyebrows together when she frantically read the little numbers herself.
"Oh no, you were right," she said, pressing a hand to her forehead and groaning. "Yes, it's bad. Normal temperature is 98.6°F. I have a really bad fever!"
"We already knew that," he stated, wondering if he should suddenly feel more concerned. Kagome freaking out wasn't the most encouraging sign.
"I need to stay warm," she mumbled somewhat to herself, limping frantically to the sink to clean the thermometer again and then glancing up at the clock hanging from one of the walls. "7:30. I'll take a bath…and get more blankets. Blankets! Oh! InuYasha will need—"
"Will you calm down before you give yourself a stroke?" he interrupted her, putting his hands on her shoulders to slow her down. "You're going to overwork yourself. You shouldn't be up and running, anyway."
She looked defiant for a moment, but then sighed in defeat and slumped against him, content to let his arms encircle her in a warm hug. "Yeah, you're right."
"Good. Now, what are we going to do next?"
She flushed deeper, her cheeks already pink from her fever. "Umm…I was going to take a bath, if that's alright."
He felt his expression parallel hers. "Oh. Oh, I mean, yes of course."
After a moment's awkward pause, she grabbed his hand and began walking away, pulling him toward the room he remembered as the bathroom. "I'll show you how to fill the bath, in case you want to take one later. I'm sure you wouldn't want to use my water," she mumbled as an afterthought.
"I don't mind," he answered awkwardly, but honestly. His heart was beginning to pound in his chest, and he couldn't understand why. There just seemed to be something so much more intimate about the idea of Kagome taking a bath in her own house, rather than out in the wilderness in the hot springs that she'd come to grow attached to. He'd seen her bathe before, often on accident, but twice on purpose, although the first of those was before he'd been romantically attracted to her. Regardless, he'd never failed to notice that Kagome was a remarkably beautiful girl, with a beautiful body, though he'd only seen her from a distance. The intensity of those memories hit him full force now as she slid open the screen door leading to the bathroom and pulled him inside.
"You remember what soap is now, right?" she asked him suddenly, and he scowled and she laughed at his expression. They both remembered the evening that InuYasha had stayed at Kagome's house while she studied for a test, and she'd made him take a bath with Souta to keep him busy. Or at least, tried to take a bath would be the proper phrasing. He'd discovered manually hot water, soap, and shampoo, and hadn't been particularly fond of any of them.
"Ha ha. Go ahead and laugh all you want," he grumbled, slightly satisfied when her laughter transitioned into coughing.
"You have to admit it was funny," she smiled after calming her throat down. And flustering, she added mentally, remembering how he'd burst through her door dripping wet and furious, and absolutely naked. She'd kicked him out almost immediately amidst screaming and throwing various school supplies, but she had still seen him. And it was definitely a memory she wasn't about to forget. "You looked about as miserable as a wet cat."
"Yeah, well, whatever the hell that shit was got in my eyes, and it fucking hurt," he complained defensively.
"Baby."
He shot her another dirty glare and she smiled cheekily at him, although the usual energetic spark was missing from her eyes. She was far more exhausted than she was letting on, and he didn't like that she was trying to hide it from him. If her mother had been home, she surely would have collapsed into a heap by now, as was the original point of her coming home. To rest. But, a bath would surely feel relaxing to her, he figured. She'd always told him they were, and when it came to hot springs he wasn't about to argue. That girl was obsessed with bathing.
He watched as she leaned over the bathtub and turned on the faucet, explaining which direction to turn it for the different temperatures and how to stop it. It was like the kitchen faucets; seemed simple enough. He listened and watched, the entire time fighting the images of her that attempted to flash across his mind as he was reminded of the situation they were in. He was more than fairly certain that if Kagome's mother had been home, he also would not be sitting on the tiled floor of the bathroom as Kagome prepared to take a bath.
Once the tub was filled, she brought him into her bedroom and told him to stay there until she was done. Buyo was asleep on her bed, and InuYasha contented himself with stroking the cat's soft fur as Kagome staggered her way around, picking up an extra towel and a pair of pajamas before she limped her way out of the room with a promise that she wouldn't take too long.
She grabbed her first aid kit off the kitchen table and brought it into the toilet room next to the bathroom, setting it on the sink counter with a sigh. Her side was still throbbing from her fall, despite the neutralizing herbs Kaede had placed in the gauze wrapped around it. She'd said the wrapping wouldn't last long, and that the wound would need to be properly cleaned upon her arrival home, which she'd neglected to do until now. She lifted her shirt up and sighed again, tenderly pressing her fingers against her side. It was going to be painful changing it, and she'd never cleaned and wrapped a wound on her own body. She was excellent at tending to others' wounds, but not her own. Kaede always took care of hers, as she had now, but it wasn't enough this time.
Kagome tried gingerly to begin removing the gauze, already feeling miserable enough due to her illness, but the added pain now almost made her want to throw up. It was the worst possible combination, and with an unwilling resignation she concluded that she couldn't do this on her own.
With one last aggrieved sigh, she picked up her medical kit again and walked back to her room. When she opened the door she saw InuYasha lying on her bed with Buyo curled up on his stomach, flipping through her math textbook with an expression somewhere between confusion and distaste. It was an adorable picture, and she smiled to herself as he noticed her and immediately put the book down. She loved seeing his relaxed and open side, where he wasn't afraid to be curious or vulnerable near her. It made her feel trusted, which she knew she was. It was truly remarkable how far InuYasha had come over the past seven months, from the cold and indifferent hanyou that had attacked her upon their meeting to the still rough but sweet and trusting person that she now loved with her whole heart.
"You done already?" he asked her now with suspicion, eyeing her school uniform and still dry hair.
"No," she mumbled, beginning to grow self-conscious.
"Then what do you need?"
She blushed and held out her first aid kit to him. "Help. Please."
He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Help?"
She nodded and gestured to her side, and saw that his eyes held recognition. "Kaede told me to clean and rewrap it, but…well…I can't do it by myself."
Rather than mocking or taunting her as she semi-expected him to, he gently pushed Buyo off his chest and got up, taking the kit from her without hesitation. "Alright. Should we go to another room?"
"Yeah, probably," she agreed, realizing that she really didn't want to chance getting blood on her carpet. She followed behind him silently as he started down the hallway, her heart beginning to pound wildly as she thought ahead to the next few minutes. Not only were his hands going to be tenderly caring to her skin, but the injury was stretched far along her side, and it would be difficult to prevent blood from staining her shirt if she kept it on. He'd seen her naked before, she reasoned, so this would be nothing. But, they'd kissed now. She knew she was in love with him and was fairly certain that he was in love with her. The memory of that morning suddenly struck her with shocking clarity, and she felt the breath in her lungs escape her in a sharp gasp.
"Kagome?"
InuYasha had quickly turned around in response to her violent breathing, raising his eyebrows at her. "You okay?"
"Yes," she stuttered, coughing to halt her gasps. "Just…choked on some air."
He looked at her skeptically before stepping into the kitchen and dropping the first aid kit on the table. "Table alright?"
"Y-yes."
While he had his back turned to her, pulling out the various materials they'd need, Kagome took an internal deep breath and squared her shoulders. I can't believe I'm doing this. This fever must've really messed with my head.
But, she did only have the one uniform, she reasoned. And the last time she'd gotten blood on it, as InuYasha's blood had drenched it as he hugged her, it had taken her mother days to bleach it back to normal, and she wasn't so sure if it would work again. And the uniforms were so expensive to replace…Better get this over with.
"Hey Kagome, does this bottle have the-" InuYasha began to ask, but as he turned to face her, he was abruptly silenced and the bottle slipped from his grasp, colliding with the floor with a loud smash. "What the hell are you doing?"
She instantly pulled her shirt, which she'd succeeded in getting halfway off, back down, her face burning a fiery scarlet.
InuYasha felt his heart begin pounding as his own face flushed red, his eyes wide and unblinking as they stared at her. She stared back, her eyes also wide and shining with the embarrassment of being caught.
After a long, frozen moment of gazing, they realized what they were doing and instantly looked away, their awkwardness returned tenfold.
InuYasha stared at the ceiling and gulped, trying to dismiss the fresh image of Kagome now imbedded in his mind, as she kept her eyes trained on her hands, fiddling with the tie on her shirt. They were silent for another moment before Kagome spoke.
"I didn't want to get blood on it."
"What?"
"On my uniform…it's hard to get off."
He still hadn't looked at her. "Of course."
"I'm sorry."
"I don't mind."
Her eyes instantly flashed to his face, embarrassment and shock clinging to her features. He returned her stare in reaction, and with a recognition instantly began stuttering in his usual defensive manner.
"I didn't mean– You know I– Fuck, Kagome, stop your staring. I didn't mean it like that!"
"I know!" she responded automatically, and they each fell silent again.
Another moment passed, and InuYasha leaned down to pick up the cracked bottle, placing it back on the table and refusing again to meet Kagome'e eyes. He wasn't quite sure what to say, because every option that came to his mind automatically made him sound like Miroku. And that was the opposite of what he intended.
She saved him from his dilemma though, by quietly mumbling as she played again with the silk ties. "Umm…if you, I mean, if you really don't mind…"
He didn't answer, and continued to keep his gaze aimed away from her, but gave a slight nod. He could see in his peripheral vision as she carefully pulled the shirt off, tempted to look when he heard the crinkling of the material and Kagome wincing in pain.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, it's fine."
He finally focused his attention on her, and she was looking down again, carefully folding her shirt. So much of her creamy pale skin was exposed; the beautiful lines of her shoulders and neck, her developing hips, the swell of her full breasts beneath the white lace of her bra. He felt his chest constrict as he looked at her, his breath hitching uncomfortably in the back of his throat. She was so beautiful.
But, the thick strips of gauze wrapped around her abdomen were also revealed, and as his focus settled on them he internally cringed and a wave of guilt washed over him. He knew it wasn't his fault that she'd fallen, but it was his fault for not watching her closely enough. She said she'd tried to tell him she was sick, and he'd ignored her.
"Does it...can you help?" she asked him now quietly.
"Of course I can."
"Okay."
Kagome lifted herself onto the table, sitting on the edge and staring at him with insecurity and nervousness clear on her face, a delicate blush coloring her cheeks.
"Hey," he murmured, pushing a strand of her raven hair behind her ear. "I won't hurt you."
"I know you won't."
"Then don't look so afraid."
He placed his strong, masculine hands on her fragile shoulders and rubbed soothing circles into her skin until most of her tension subsided. When her posture relaxed, he moved his hands down to her sides and began to gently unwrap the tight gauze. He was entirely focused on not hurting her further, and also just using that focus as a distraction from the fact that his body was now extremely close to hers, and his face was now level with her extremely distracting breasts.
"Does that hurt?" he asked her as she let out a sharp breath.
"Don't worry about it," she answered quickly, the pain obvious in her voice.
InuYasha frowned but continued unwrapping, knowing that it would be best to get this done as quickly as possible for the sake of preventing Kagome's extended misery. His hands moved quickly, at times accidentally coming into contact with her skin, which caused them each to give little breaths of surprise. Her skin was so warm though...too warm. He recalled her saying how bad her fever was.
Kagome sat in careful silence as he worked, enjoying being attended to with such care, and especially by InuYasha. The pain and closeness were endurable because it was him, and she gradually found herself growing less self-conscious as the time passed.
The awkwardness disappeared, and I kept my shirt clean, which saves an explanation to my mom, she thought to herself, relatively pleased. I knew it was a good idea, fever-minded or not.
As he reached the last layer of bandage, the blood stains became thicker and the metallic smell increased. The green, leafy herbs Kaede had packed into the gauze were revealed and fell out onto the floor, and Kagome sucked in another breath, trying to ignore the building coughs in her throat.
"You got really scraped up," InuYasha commented, ever so carefully removing the final layer. As her pure skin came into sight and the entire image of her sitting on the table - in his hands, in her bra - came together, he felt his own breath escape him in one ragged burst. But her scrapes quickly distracted his focus again, the beginnings of a bloody scar waiting for his attendance.
"I'm so sorry this happened to you," he mumbled, grabbing a washcloth off the table and taking it over to the sink to run it under warm water. He needed to be away from her for a moment, to ease his guilt.
InuYasha was beginning to wonder that he wasn't good or strong enough for Kagome. He knew in his heart that he was, but it was becoming increasingly harder to believe with each injury or illness or kidnapping that Kagome was forced to endure. He was letting her slip away, even though he was trying harder than ever to keep her protected and secure. He was losing her in front of his eyes, just as he'd lost Kikyo. He'd promised himself to never let that happen again, but control seemed to slip from his fingers each time he managed to grab it, and the consequences were becoming increasingly dangerous. Maybe he really wasn't enough, but if he knew one thing, it was that he would die trying to be.
Without a word, he squeezed the excess water from the cloth and brought it back to her, gently pressing the material against her wounds and wiping the blood free. It stung quite smartly, and Kagome wanted to let out a little cry, but she knew that it would only make him feel even worse, so she bit her tongue and closed her eyes tightly to fend off the pain. She was so grateful to him, especially at this moment, as he so slowly and meticulously cleaned her injured flesh without complaint. It was far more than he owed her, and already she was thinking of what she could do to thank him.
"Thank you so much for doing this, InuYasha," she murmured, starting with the simple and obvious.
"It's my responsibility," he responded shortly, still sounding troubled.
"You know this isn't your fault. Please don't let it bother you."
There was a long moment of silence before he spoke.
"No, I could have prevented this by protecting you like I'm supposed to." He let his hands drop from her sides, and they settled on her thighs as he leaned forward to press his forehead against hers. "I can't get distracted and lose focus, even for a second. That would be more than enough time for you to be killed. And I won't let that happen." Not again, he silently added.
Kikyo, huh? Kagome thought sadly to herself. Oh, InuYasha, you'll never be able to forgive yourself for her death, will you? And that wasn't your fault, either. Why can't you believe in yourself?
"Hey," she rasped gently, looking up into his eyes. "You haven't lost me yet. I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere."
They hadn't kissed since that day in the trees, and since then Kagome had wondered if things had gone back to the way they were before. She'd caught him staring at her more often than before, but they'd said no more declarations of affection, and exchanged no more embraces filled with security and love. But here they were now, and the moment hung so heavy in the air, writhing for an explosion.
She pressed her forehead harder against his, enjoying how his longer bangs tickled the tops of her cheeks. She wasn't sure what else to say, and he'd had no response to her words other than closing his eyes and letting his tense posture relax. She felt her heartbeat begin to speed up as she tilted her head so slightly so that her lips could reach his. He had been the one that had kissed her both times before, and she was slightly frightened to take the initiative, but confidence and natural instinct took over with ease as she let herself lean into him and find him.
InuYasha wasn't surprised by the kiss - he had sensed it coming, and accepted it with desperation. He was only surprised that she had found the courage to take that leap. He recalled how terrified he'd been to kiss her that first time, but how comforting and rewarding it had been. He was starving for affection now, as pitiful and weak as was imaginable, filled with self-loathing and anger. Her hands, now clinging to his shoulders, were such promises of security and stability as his world began tearing apart, the ground so shaky beneath his feet. He'd been running from his fears and failures, denying their gravity and intensity for fear of being torn apart himself, but Kagome gave him such strength. He kissed her back with a fervor, so hungry for her strength, and finally accepting that he needed her as much, if not more, as she needed him.
Kagome gave a gasp of surprise as he pushed himself harder against her, grabbing her thighs and pulling her to him. She wrapped her legs around his waist, aware and accepting of the growing desperation of the kiss. She knew he'd been struggling more than he'd let her see, and she knew that this was what he needed. He'd been fighting his existence as long as she'd known him, and almost certainly for his entire life; fighting to prove that he was worthy. Fighting to be accepted. He hated that he craved acceptance, hated that he couldn't be indifferent and uncaring. His pride had restricted him from admitting to it, but she knew. And if it was his responsibility to look after her, then it was hers to look after him. He needed to know how accepted and loved he was.
They were each out of breath, each panting and burning as the fire consumed them, but it wasn't enough. InuYasha ran his fingers along her sides, so gently caressing her right side where the wounds decorated her skin. She hissed in pain, and he bit down on her lip, puncturing it with his fangs as she dug her fingernails into his shoulders. His animal instinct reacted, and he raised his hands to her breasts, instantly pressing against them and squeezing them through her bra. She released a high-pitched gasp, and he slammed his mouth back against hers with enough force to nearly knock her over.
She bit him back this time, biting hard enough to draw blood. A deep, guttural growl ripped from his throat, and Kagome felt herself growing faint as he continued to roughly massage her breasts. The intensity was overwhelming, and she was beginning to feel her illness as each second weakened her.
Her fever!
Her eyes shot wide open as a crushing wave of panic struck her. She was incredibly sick, and she was reckless enough to kiss InuYasha without even thinking of the consequences. Oh no! What if he gets sick, too?
"InuYasha," she tried to call him, her voice instantly drowned out as he pressed his lips back against hers.
She pushed against his chest, trying to use all of her strength, and managed to break free of the kiss again. She felt terrible for having to stop him, because she knew how good this was for them both. Their kisses secured in them their need and desire for each other, and built crucial trust and reliance for the other. And, now Kagome was assured of the fact that their relationship had unquestionably progressed from friends to an actual relationship, which made her ridiculously happy when she truly focused on that statement. But there would be time for that later - time when she was healthy.
"InuYasha," she tried again, and this time he seemed to hear her.
He pulled back and stared at her in confusion, obviously still overwhelmed by the moment. She just stared back at him until a spark of clarity lit his eyes, and his expression of contentment instantly shifted to horror. He ripped his hands from her chest and pried her legs off him, his face burning red in mortified shock.
"Holy fuck!" he shouted, about to turn away from her. But she shot out her arm to grab his and pulled him back to her, her own face tinted red with chagrin.
"Kagome, I am so sorry. I didn't even...fuck." He buried his face in his hands, rubbing furiously and pushing his silver hair back.
"Sorry for what?" she asked, turning redder when he just stared at her in further shock.
"You're not angry?" he responded in disbelief.
"No," she said simply. "I just...I don't want you to get sick."
"Me? Sick?" He rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to gain back his breath. "I thought we went over this already."
"I know, but that was for just being around each other," she mumbled. "I didn't think...I mean, I didn't know that we would..."
There was an awkward silence as they both registered what had just happened. Suddenly Kagome was once again very self-aware and self-conscious of the fact that she wasn't wearing a shirt.
"I just wouldn't want you to get my cold," she explained clumsily.
"Of course," he agreed, simply for the sake of keeping a conversation going as a distraction. But she was still sitting there, all flushed and beautiful, with the red imprints of where his hands had crushed her skin, and the swollen red lips now adorned with the bite of his fangs. At least his mind was distracted from his depression now. "That was...just, holy fuck."
She gave a nervous smile in return, and they both awkwardly exchanged a look of mutual understanding. But then the moment broke and they were back to busied ignorance, moving far too quickly and energetically. If anyone, especially Miroku, had been around, it would have been clearer than day to see that something had happened.
"Fucking hell, it started bleeding again."
"What?"
"Your wounds," InuYasha said, drawing her attention back to them. "It's my fault."
"Don't worry about it," she shook her head, stopping him before he could even begin to retreat back to that dark cloud. "I'll just take my bath and I'll be fine. I kind of forgot about the salt."
"The what?" he asked as she hopped to the floor and hurriedly dug around in her first aid kit, producing a carton with the words Epsom Salt printed on it.
"This is special salt," she explained to him, thankful again for a distraction. "You're supposed to take a bath in salt water when you have a fresh wound. This will help...but, you're definitely going to want to use fresh water if you take a bath. Sorry." Her blush deepened a little and she chewed on her bottom lip, wincing when she found how sore it was. "Ouch."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she stuttered, answering without really thinking. "You bit me."
He turned red again. "You bit me back."
Cue the awkward silence again. Only this time, they were smart enough to not let it last.
"I'm going to go," she said, squeezing his arm as she passed him. "You can just relax in my room like you were doing, if you want."
He frowned at her. "Isn't there anything I can do to help you?"
Kagome smiled sincerely at him. "You're already helping me." She leaned up on her toes to give him a chaste kiss, finding that she was already becoming unnaturally relaxed with the idea. It was comforting, and slightly liberating.
"I feel like I should be doing more," he complained. "Not that I care what that damn monk says, but he and Sango sent me here to take care of you, and you've been doing all the work."
"Well you're going to rewrap this for me after my bath, right?" When he nodded, she pursed her lips, ignoring the stinging sensation it caused. "I guess you could help me with my laundry."
He wasn't quite sure what she meant by that, but decided to go along with it. He listened as she explained that all of her clothes from the past two weeks needed to be washed, and that they were still jammed in her backpack, which had been moved to her room. She told him how much detergent to put in the washing machine, and what to set the dials to, asking if he'd be able to remember everything.
"Thanks so much, you'd really be helping me out," she rasped, ducking her head as she began coughing. She gave him an apologetic smile and disappeared into the hallway, heading toward the bathroom.
It was only after she'd left that he truly focused on what she'd said. His mind was still so caught up in their heavy kissing, and he hadn't really been able to register much more. But as he ran through her instructions in his head, a sinking feeling washed over him.
"What the fuck is a washing machine?"