Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha.

This story is based off Return Engagement by Kay Hooper.
Last chapter's feedback has gotten me really excited to write this second chapter! You all are wonderful!

Waking in the Hospital

She could hear the buzz of voices around her constantly, and tried to make them go away. But every time she attempted to voice her annoyance, they just seemed to buzz more. Could they not understand that she needed to sleep? Just a few more minutes and I'll be fine, she thought to herself, trying to open her mouth to say so to those nameless, faceless bodies surrounding her. Then the voices slowly stopped mattering and she dreamed.

She dreamed of a large home with a barn and a long, dirt driveway. There were several children running around playing tag and getting grass stains all over their clothes. Her voice, filled with happiness and laughter, rang out, warning them that dinner would soon be ready and that they were to wash up. Their disappointed voices cried out, trying to coax more time to play from her, but she used a stern tone to let them know there would be no negotiating.

Turning to a large dining room set for six, she wobbled with a heavy stomach towards the table with a bowl full of mashed potatoes that seemed to be enough to keep an army well-fed. As she set the vegetables down on the place mat, two familiar arms wrapped themselves around her while a comforting voice murmured in her ear, "Wake up, Kagome. I'll never ask anything more of you if you just open your eyes and look at me."

That presence. The presence is back, Kagome thought idly to herself, waking momentarily from her slumber, though she didn't open her eyes. It seems so much quieter when he's here. I just need to rest for a moment. She didn't immediately catch the word "he", but when she did, she couldn't help berating herself. It could be a girl, too. I mean, I don't need a man. Something about lying to herself made her twitchy, and she tried to turn onto her side, but a soft pressure against her shoulder kept her down. She tried once more, only to be held down again. Don't do that, she wanted to growl. I hate sleeping on my back. It's too uncomfortable. Another failed attempt brought forth annoyance. "L-let go," she said quietly. She would have flinched at the fragile sound of her voice, had she had the energy to do so.

"You always have to argue with me, even when you're hurt, don't you, Kagome? You just can't take that sometimes I know more than you."

Her eyes would have flown open at the voice, but they were too heavy for her to do something so reckless. Her head throbbing, her eyelids slowly lifted until her gaze was filled with his face. "What"—she cleared her throat to get rid of the rasping tone—"what are you doing here?" Her attempt at venom was worse than a gardener snake's. A quick look around made it quite clear that she wasn't in her trailer. "Where am I?"

Taisho frowned. "The hospital," he said with some effort. "You woke up a few times before, but you weren't lucid." A worry line creased between his eyebrows and his hand lifted to feel her forehead. "How are you feeling now?"

Though she normally would have swiped his concerned touch away, without the energy to do so, she allowed him the touch. "The hospital? Just because I was a little tired? I just need to go home and sleep for a little while longer and I'll be fine." She tried not to sound flustered or uncomfortable, but it was exactly how she felt. He'd been with her, watching over her when she was lying in the hospital bed—over something so minor, no less?

"A little tired? You've been lying there, looking like you were dead for two days! You call that 'a little tired'?"

She blinked in astonishment, but not at his sudden rage. His words bothered her most. "Wh-what are you talking about, InuYasha?" The slip of informal greeting slipped her notice. "I couldn't have been sleeping for the last two days! Oh my God! The press didn't get a hold of this, did they? Oh, God, this is going to destroy my reputation!" She felt tears on the edge of her vision, blurring everything within her gaze.

Surprisingly, InuYasha leaned over, bringing her face to his shoulder. "Shh, it'll be all right. I didn't let it leak to the press," he answered soothingly. His voice was smooth, yet harsh, like he was trying to make her feel better, but was angry with her at the same time. It brought her guard up, but she wasn't able to tear her face away from him; he held the back of her head tight.

So she allowed him to hold her there and for herself to cry. How had she been asleep for two days? What was wrong with her? All her worries ate at her, forcing the woman that never cried in front of anyone to practically soak his nice button up shirt in salty tears.

"Um, I can come back in a few minutes, if she needs some time with you," an unfamiliar voice said from across the room, catching Kagome's attention immediately. Her head shot up despite InuYasha's hold on it and sought out the source.

In the doorway of the hospital room stood a young doctor with an all too-knowing grin. Kagome immediately blushed and shoved InuYasha away from her, realizing what their actions must have looked like to the stranger. "I..um, I didn't know that you were standing there, doctor. We aren't...uh—"

"No need to be embarrassed, Miss Higurashi; your fiance explained everything to us. We know that privacy is a big issue right now, so—"

She didn't hear anything the doctor said after the word "fiance". He couldn't mean...InuYasha Taisho? Her fiance? When had that happened? How had she managed to acquire a fiance while unconscious? She swung her head so she could effectively hiss at InuYasha, demanding an answer to this puzzling question, but his look stopped her cold. Don't say anything; I'll explain later, was the clear message in his darkening amber eyes. So she kept her mouth shut. She locked away the retort that threatened to rip out of her mouth of its own volition.

InuYasha turned his attention to the doctor once more, keeping his glare cold and steely hard. "All I care about right now is keep the press out of this. They'd have a field day if they caught wind of our engagement or the fact that she passed out while on set. We don't need her reputation tarnished and we most certainly don't need them making nuisances of themselves."

He sounded so matter-of-fact that Kagome caught herself nodding with him before she realized that she didn't know what he was talking about. She still couldn't get past the fact that they were supposed to be engaged. They could barely be in the same room as each other without fighting, much less falling in love!

Biting back her confusion and the anger that followed, she kept her thoughts and worries to herself, gauging the doctor's reactions as InuYasha continued describing their circumstances. The man didn't seem shocked, not in the least. It was as if he were used to such odd requests from such obviously famous people.

"All right, I'll make sure to keep this on a need-to-know basis. That way, anyone who might be able to leak this will be held completely responsible for their actions." His voice was deep yet kind, giving her a sense of calm and comfort. Turning towards his patient, he flashed her a handsome grin. "Now, Miss Higurashi, I'm your doctor. My name is Suikotsu and I just want to explain what happened to you. I've already told seemingly everyone that was on set that day but you." He gave a small, uncomfortable chuckle. "As it seems, you have been very busy in Hollywood, haven't you? In fact, I've read a couple of articles saying that you are one of the busiest actresses in the business."

She smiled at what she believed to be a great compliment. To be a busy actress, one must be an in-demand actress. Casting agents didn't seek you out just because you were pretty, though it didn't hurt. They sought you out because you didn't just play a character, you were the character. Until filming was over, you were to be the one they told you to be.

"It seems that your hectic scheduling has caused your health to deteriorate. Mr. Taisho tells me that he's been"—the doctor cleared his throat and made air quotations—"'watching the pounds drop off you' everyday. Actually—assuming the shooting schedules are the same for your other pictures—I'm surprised you haven't made several trips to the hospital in the last few years." A sterner look replaced his surprised one. "Miss Higurashi, you seriously need to take a break. And I'm not talking about a few weeks. Your body is exhausted and it's going to start giving out on you a whole lot more if you don't take proper care of it.

"I suggest taking a year to yourself. Just a calming period. Do some benefits, sit in the sun, write a book! If you want to keep a more serious consequence at bay, you'll need to stay away from such exhausting things such as acting and movies. Even then I would suggest taking a month between movies to just relax and breath." He shot InuYasha a meaningful look. "Don't let her push herself this hard again. Unless you want a very quick and potentially fatal end to your honeymoon, keep an eye on her. Anything too stressful will just put her right back into one of these rooms."

As if swapping back to his friendly personality, Dr. Suikotsu said, "Now, I'll leave you two to discuss everything in private. Remember that this room is filmed, by the way." With a wink, he turned and left them just before his name sounded over the intercom.

Kagome's mind was racing. A year off from acting? But...but Celebration! She couldn't just back out now. That part was to her what Twilight had been to Kristen Stewart: a huge push towards A-list stardom!

Not that A-listings would make her life complete, but it would be nice to know that she truly was a great actress, not just a pretty face. And now she was losing the film that could push her past that precipice of talent.

Tears came to her eyes, though she didn't bring up her hand to wipe them away. She tried to keep them behind her gray eyes, but to no avail. As one tracked down her cheek, she saw InuYasha's hand moving towards her face, a sharp-tipped finger gently wiping it away. The soothing gesture pushed her over the edge again, but this time she wasn't just scared.

She was angry. At him, at herself, at everyone. How could this be happening to her? Everything she had worked at would be for none. She would have to claw her way back from the grave she was digging for herself. What could she do but cry?

Deciding to turn her rage at InuYasha, she snarled, "Who the hell do you think you are, telling him that you're my fiance? Why, for God's sake, would you tell him such an obnoxious lie?" Her voice rose to a pitch she could only describe as shrieking. "I can't believe you would take advantage of my unconsciousness to spread such a stupid rumor—"

InuYasha's lips descended harshly on hers, punishing. His fingers snaked into her hair, holding her head in his hands to keep her in place for his onslaught. She was shocked into immediate submission, feeling a sudden tightening in the pit of her stomach. She'd always been unable to control her reaction to him. Whenever he was close, whether he was yelling at her or not, that attraction was still just beneath the surface. It was as if their bodies were chemically reactive, charging the air with sparks.

Just as suddenly as the kiss had begun, it ended. Bringing his forehead to meet hers, InuYasha growled lowly, "Would you shut up for five fucking minutes so I can tell you what's going on?" Her eyes instantly narrowed, but he ignored her anger and straightened to his full height. The act intimidated her into silence, if only for the moment that it took for him to start his explanation.

"Kagome, I doubt that you wanted anyone to know about your collapse on set that day, so I had to be in a position that no one dared argue with. So, I told the doctor, director, and head of the hospital—that's all—that I was your fiance and we had to keep this hush hush. Now, if you wanted to splatter your collapse all over tabloids and the news, I can go tell everyone that I lied and call a reporter right now that will be happy to write the story." His voice was low, and he was obviously trying to hold back his temper, but he sounded reasonable and made sense.

She hated it when he was reasonable and making sense.

Folding her arms over her chest and pouting like a small child, she mumbled, "Don't think I'm going to thank you for any of this." She didn't admit how embarrassed she felt for acting like a child, didn't hint at any such emotion, just looked away from him with that pout on her face.

"Kagome," he said, trying to get her to look at him, having no luck in doing so. "Look at me, Kagome." Again, he was pointedly ignored. "Goddamnit," he snarled. Before she could think of his reaction, his fingers grabbed her chin firmly, but not hard enough to hurt. Suddenly, his face was mere inches from hers, amber orbs glaring into gray ones. "I don't want your damn thanks! I don't care if you think I'm doing this with some ulterior motive! It just seems like I'm the only one that cares about your well-being, who's shaken up seeing you sitting in a hospital bed! It's fucking ridiculous how hard you're pushing yourself to prove to me that you don't need me!"

His words stunned her into silence while her mind flew around the harsh light he shined on the truth. Yes, she had been pushing herself the past three years to prove to him that she didn't need him in her life to be happy. She didn't need his marriage of convenience that he had suggested their last night together.

Memories, still as fresh in her mind as they had been when they'd happened, flooded through her head, bringing her back to a world where the only thing that mattered had been, well, him.

Gasp! A FLASHBACK?

She laid her head on his chest, her hand resting just below his ribs. A smile was on her face; she was always smiling when he was around. Cuddling closer to him, she had to force herself not to look at the clock. She knew that their time together was limited, but she didn't want to let this precious little time they had worrying. She could just pretend that they could be together all night and wake to each other in the morning. But she would always know better in the back of her mind. "I should probably be going," she murmured with a sigh, starting to turn away from him.

His body followed hers, rising above her. "You don't have to leave, you know," he whispered softly, his head moving down to the crook of her neck. Placing light kisses there, he added, "You could just spend the night here...with me." His kisses became more insistent and moved up to her ear.

Half-distracted, she replied quietly, "InuYasha, you know I can't do that. I don't want people knowing that we're seeing each other. Especially since I just got a part in a movie you are backing." Despite her words, her hands went to his cheeks, pulling his mouth to hers. They just laid there, naked and necking, until InuYasha pulled away. "What's wrong?" Kagome asked, pleasure filling her at the sight of him.

Keeping most of his weight on his forearms, he draped himself across her, gently toying with a strand of her ebony hair. "I've just been wondering what it would be like to actually wake up with you next to me. Just think of what we could do." His voice was husky and low, an invitation all its own. "I could just wake up to you lying there, not even awake yet. Watching you wake up—I bet I could just see your mind turning on when I slowly bring my hand down"—his fingers glided teasingly down her stomach until they rested just above her core—"and you'd wake up to nothing but pleasure."

As he spoke, he slid a finger inside of her, smirking at her quick intake of breath. Pulling back, he teased her with it before adding a second. With a slow pump of his hand, he mumbled, "I bet you'd love that. I can see how much right now on your face. You would get that dreamy smile on your face like you have now and I would do so much more." He shifted slightly, his hand moving faster and harder. Her breath caught and he kissed her, hard. Then his mouth trailed lower, to her jaw, then her neck.

Before he could get much farther, a beeping caught both their attentions, though Kagome didn't care.

InuYasha growled lowly as the beeping continued. Moving his torso off of her and his fingers out of her, he leaned to the edge of the bed he'd been occupying moments earlier and squeezed his phone in his hand. He didn't even flinch as he destroyed the BlackBerry.

He moved back on top of her, but her hands flew to his shoulders, pushing at him. "What are you doing, InuYasha? What if that was an emergency? And you can't just demolish a phone for no reason! Let me up!"

He snarled, but didn't move. "Why are you in such a hurry to leave, Kagome? Every goddamn time you come here, suddenly you need to race off before sunrise! Why?" His demand held a lethal quality to it.

She blinked in surprise at him; it was the first time he'd ever yelled at her so fiercely. She quickly shook off her shock. "Oh, I don't know, InuYasha. Maybe because it would look tacky and unseemly if I dragged myself out of your bed in the morning to go to my house to get ready for the day?" Blowing out a frustrated breath, Kagome rolled herself out from under him.

As she was reaching for her clothes, she heard the most frightening words she'd ever known in her life.

"You know, if we got married, this wouldn't be a problem."

She turned slowly towards him, hoping, praying that he hadn't just said that. "Wh-what did you say?" Her heart beat ferociously in her chest as fear and anxiety coiled within her. He wasn't going to ask her to marry him, was he? This wasn't leading to one of those conversations where she had to explain her diversion for marriage and children, was it?

His words effectively broke through that barrier of anxiousness, however.

"Let's get married so we don't have to sneak around. You could just stay the night here every night and we could be together all night." He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively. "Besides, you won't have to worry about being 'couch cast' or whatever you called it because you wouldn't be working anymore."

Just like that, the fear was replaced with raw fury. Not only did he want to take away her independence, but he wanted her to give up her acting? The only stable thing in her life up to that point?

With tears in her eyes, she gathered her clothes swiftly and hissed, "I can't believe you just proposed marriage to me so you could keep me in your bed?" Turning away from him, she muttered, "You can take your so-called proposal and shove it up your conceited ass, Taisho! I would never give up my career for you!"

She stomped into the bathroom, locking the door and ignoring his demands that she open the door as she put on her clothes. Then, without turning back to look at him—knowing that would be her downfall—Kagome Higurashi left InuYasha's home and felt her heart break.

The end of the flashback?

"-and now you think that I'll just let you run around killing yourself? No."

Kagome was snapped out of her memories just in time to hear those words. She shook her head, which he must have taken as a denial because his mouth opened to viciously tear into her again. "How...how did you explain that we were engaged?" she asked calmly, cutting him off at the pass. "How did you explain no formal announcement and"-she looked down at her ring finger-"and the lack of a ring?" She wiggled her finger in his face for emphasis.

InuYasha rolled his eyes, as if she should already know the answers. "We don't want the paparazzi hounding us, do we, Kagome? And you were filming when you collapsed; you would never wear personal jewelry during a shoot." Again, he looked almost amused at her confusion.

Turning the conversation in a different direction because she honestly didn't know what to say, she said, "And how will you explain us leaving right now and suddenly not being engaged? Don't you think that will be a little fishy?"

His face stiffened and a frown pulled at his mouth. Hmm, that's new, Kagome thought about the wrinkle between his brows. But before she could say anything, he smirked wildly and said, "Actually, we aren't going to be ending this engagement quite this quickly."

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next update: Engagement

Preview

"You're clinically insane, InuYasha Taisho. Oh my God, I'm stuck in a hospital bed with a psycho leaning over me." Kagome's eyes searched frantically around the room as if some portal would open up and suck her to someplace safe. He couldn't truly mean that he would use this to keep her tied to him, could he?

He raised an eyebrow at her. "A little dramatic today, aren't we?" Rolling his eyes, he murmured, "I'm going to make a proposition to you-"

"Oh, no, you won't proposition me into marrying you!" Her interruption went unnoticed.

"-because I know how worried you are about the filming for Celebration!"

That caught her attention. Was he...was he a producer for that one, too? "Wh-what do you mean, InuYasha?"

He smiled, showing all his teeth and fangs. "I think we can help each other out with our personal...predicaments."