His breath wasn't putrid like he had always imagined it would be. The stench of Naraku had always been revolting to his sensitive nose and so he'd just assumed smelling him this close would be as bad if not worse. On the other hand, the scent of the various fleeing youkai which made up his body and his blood, gave Inuyasha a sick sense of pride. Naraku was disintegrating.
That didn't seem to be affecting his grip on Inuyasha's throat however.
The inuhanyou tried again to struggle, only managing to get a small breath into the lungs crying for oxygen. "You will not… die by my hand… Inuyasha," Naraku confessed in a whisper. Confused by his admission, Inuyasha stared at his arch nemesis as the evil hanyou grimaced in pain. It was clear, even in his voice, that Naraku was living on borrowed time. Inuyasha told himself that he had only to live longer than Naraku and everything would be alright. His brother stood by, having destroyed the rest of the rabble, his friends injured from the fight. Stoic as ever, Sesshoumaru watched his brother get the life strangled out of him. Inuyasha's attention snapped back to his enemy when he spoke once more. "She will, and that will kill you." As Naraku spat his last words, he dropped Inuyasha and one last tentacle shot out behind him.
Inuyasha didn't understand what was happening until he heard Kagome gasp in surprise. Sango screamed out the young miko's name as a pink glow traveled up Naraku's form, purifying both him and the jewel still in his possession. Even the inuhanyou received a shock, though luckily he was dropped before it could do any real damage. But the destruction of their foe only held Inuyasha's attention for a moment because a familiar and hated scent entered the air. Kagome's blood. "Kagome!" Inuyasha choked out, hauling himself to his feet and weakly scrambling over to where she knelt in the dirt. The miko was doubled over, an arm over her middle and the other bracing her up. "Kagome," he murmured desperately as he prayed for her to not be as injured as he feared she might be.
"I wasn't paying attention," she whimpered, her tone apologetic. Her brown eyes lifted to his face. There was so much pain there, fear giving her a look he didn't like at all. "I'm… I'm sorry." Inuyasha shook his head, gently taking Kagome into his arms. Struggling not to cry, the hanyou held his miko close while thinking wildly. How could he save her? The Shikon no Tama perhaps? No, that might attach her life to it like Kohaku, only to kill her when it was removed. Sesshoumaru's sword! But then he would have to wait for her to die... only for it not to work for some reason. He couldn't risk it.
Something sounded like it was buzzing in his ear and Inuyasha realized Myouga was screaming something to him while jumping up and down in his hair. "You must make her your Mate, Inuyasha-sama! Kagome-sama will die if you do not mark her!" It was all very fuzzy. Mark her? What was the flea yelling about? "Quickly my lord or you'll lose her forever," his unwanted vassal cried. That was something that clicked just as a dangerously wheezing breath from Kagome fractured his attention once more. Raising his hand to her back to help her stay upright while she coughed covered his palm with something warm and sticky. Inuyasha didn't have to look to know what it was. The blood sucker was right. If he did nothing, Kagome would die and he would never forgive himself. All the while his brother stood nearby in silence, a strange look in his piercing golden eyes.
"No," Kagome whispered. Shaken by her refusal, Inuyasha stared down into her eyes. "It's ok. Maybe it was meant to be this way," she rasped, tears streaming down her face. At that moment it became only about the human miko and the inuhanyou who needed so desperately to save her. "It's ok Inu...Inuyasha," she murmured, "You don't need to…"
"Stop, Kagome. You have to live." Inuyasha felt hot tears trail down his cheeks but he didn't care. "I need you Kagome, more than anything," he whispered to her as he cradled her against his chest. "I need you." He refused to let her die, not when he could save her and make her his own at the same time. Inuyasha held Kagome's head to the side, softly nuzzling the flesh of her throat in a reassuring gesture. His instincts kicked in more intensely after that, feeding off his fear, his desire to save Kagome and his long hidden affection for her. The others watched his eyes flash red and his fangs lengthen just as he bit his tongue, sinking his teeth into Kagome's shoulder. The pulse of his youki was so strong it blew back the grass in which he knelt. Sango gasped in surprise and fear, fighting Miroku's tight hold on her waist.
Kagome was in too much pain already for the bite to hurt much. In fact, as she slowly lost consciousness, she felt a warmth entering her whole being that she had quickly been losing as her blood flowed from her open wound. "Inuyasha," she mumbled, finally accepting his tight hold and the support he was offering. For some reason, she couldn't feel anything but him and Kagome wondered why it felt like Inuyasha was hugging her soul… though it quickly didn't matter as Kagome was swallowed in the soothing darkness of unconsciousness.
Sesshoumaru watched the group silently for a brief moment before nodding and turning to leave. No one noticed his departure aside from the flea demon who bowed to the lord despite the fact that he couldn't see it. The battle was over and his brother had finally made his decision. There was nothing left for him to do there.
It took several moments for Inuyasha to realize what he'd done. He continued to press his tongue to the wound even as the bite in his tongue closed. He wasn't ready to deal with his companions yet and tasting Kagome like this settled his mind a little. Part of him was frantic, knowing he had more or less stolen Kagome for himself. However, he knew it would save her and, right now, that was all that mattered. "What have you done?" came Sango's harsh whisper. The hanyou paled, looking first at the demon slayer and then at the monk before returning his gaze to the young woman in his arms, ears laid back to his skull defensively. He'd done what he had to in order to save Kagome's life! But he couldn't get the words through his already healing throat and the lump that sat heavily in it. "Answer me Inuyasha! What did you do to Kagome-chan?"
"Calm yourself Sango. I'm sure he has a perfectly reasonable explanation." Miroku still hadn't let go of the tajiya despite his injured shoulder. She too was weak, a gash in her leg limiting her movement. The monk had seen his friend's tears for what they were and he had a good idea of the reasoning behind the seemingly violent act. He could see the inuhanyou's youki twining with the miko's aura, their souls meshing together as his blood seemed to be meshing her wound closed. "We need to get somewhere safe for her to rest," Miroku commented, "I could do with a bit of rest myself." The monk was willing to make himself look a bit weak if it meant that Sango and Inuyasha would permit themselves to rest. With a grunt the hanyou nodded. He motioned to the Shikon which was laying on the ground looking harmless. Licking his chapped lips, he quirked a nervous smile at Sango, leaving her side to go and retrieve the jewel. He would have to protect it until Kagome was well enough to do it herself.
The group collected themselves as best they could before quickly making the trek back toward Kaede's village. Naraku had been headed toward the well, whether to try to use it or to destroy it, they still weren't sure. Either way he hadn't made it close enough to do anything to it. However, the battle had ended dangerously close to the village, some of their crops being destroyed in the pandemonium. Inuyasha continued to clutch Kagome's unconscious form close to his chest, repeatedly praying that she would wake up while fearing the consequences when she did. Sango and Miroku rode on Kirara who, despite her own injuries, had offered them her back.
Kaede stood outside her hut, a bow and quiver of arrows strung over one shoulder. Inuyasha held in a snort at the idea that Kaede had intended to be the last line of defense against Naraku but he couldn't help feeling gratitude for the old woman. She did it not only to protect her village but also the kitsune kit tucked away within the hut, too young to fight. "Oi, baba! Kagome needs to be patched up," the hanyou called just before he landed in front of her, careful of his burden. Looking slightly startled for a moment, Kaede nodded and led the way into her hut and motioned for Inuyasha to lay the unconscious girl on a futon rolled out for any injured that might return from the battle. Shippou sat quivering in the corner as he watched the hanyou lay his mother down, blood soaked through both their clothes. He took a few steps closer in an effort to touch Kagome but a glance from Inuyasha halted his padding feet.
Shippou was terrified. He'd seen it in the inuhanyou's eyes. Worry. Inuyasha very rarely, if ever, showed that he was worried and the fact that he had to Shippou in such a short look made the kit panic. "Mama," he whimpered, flinging himself across the space between himself and the vigilant hanyou. He was caught against a red hakama-clad thigh and given a very brief and stern hug to keep him still. "Inuyasha?"
"She's going to be fine," the silver-haired man bit out. He sounded as though he needed as much reassurance as the kitsune. "I… I had to mark her... as my mate." Kaede's head shot up from where she was kneeling over Kagome's form, tending to her. At both the old miko and kitsune's shocked looks he sighed. "The damned bastard ran her right through. I… She wouldn't have survived at all if I hadn't shared my blood with her right away."
"But mates Inuyasha? The poor child still thinks…"
"I know," he interrupted Kaede harshly. He knew about Kagome's insecurities as he'd had a large part in creating them, willingly or not. "But I don't. Kagome," he paused briefly, looking down at her pale face and taking her hand in his, "is everything." He said no more and the other two didn't expect him to. It was shocking enough that he'd admitted even that. The elderly miko went back to tending Kagome's wound, glancing briefly at the tajiya and monk when they limped their way in a moment later. By the look in Sango's eyes she finally understood what Inuyasha had done to her friend and why. Whether Miroku had shared his suspicions on the way or she had overheard his confession wasn't clear. But her only concern now seemed to be that they all get cleaned and patched up.
He'd never seen her look so fragile before, so vulnerable, and it scared him. He could admit as much to himself, but the others only got the rough end of his temper as he growled until they left each time they tried to check on him or Kagome. Shippou was the only one allowed to stay and that was usually only when Kagome was calm and resting. Inuyasha wouldn't leave her side to eat or sleep, holding her hand the entire time despite what the others might say. She had already been unconscious for three days and he was starting to worry that she wouldn't ever wake up. Kagome's scent had changed slightly, reflecting the mark he'd placed on her shoulder, but the exchange of blood was only healing her a little faster than normal. Not nearly fast enough for Inuyasha's liking. Occasionally she moaned in her sleep, seeking comfort for the pain and her nightmares. The hanyou was quick to offer whatever he could of himself in order to quell her distress, though sometimes he had to lay at her side and gently lick her mark to truly get her to calm down.
It amazed him that she reacted so promptly to a distinctly inuyoukai signal of reassurance when he'd never done it to her before and he didn't think that anyone else had. If they had, he would rip them to shreds. After the first couple days, she stopped simply settling down at the gesture and actually began searching him out when he got too far away. It had quickly become an effort to keep himself from touching her just to feel her against him rather than to actually keep her calm. Inuyasha couldn't help himself sometimes. The way her scent deepened and surrounded him, even in her state of unconsciousness, was nearly too big an invitation to his instincts for him to ignore. But the hanyou managed to fight it. Kagome needed him, but the last thing he would do was take advantage of her in her sleep.
"Inuyasha," came a whispered voice from the doorway to the hut. He had moved Kagome himself yesterday so Kaede would have the full use of her home again. An elderly villager had passed away recently and with no family to take it over, Inuyasha had been able to have somewhere quiet to watch over Kagome while she healed. Looking up from the young woman who lay prone on the futon, the inuhanyou nodded slightly at the monk standing in the doorway. His wounds were healing slowly, though to the houshi, "a few scratches and bumps" in the long run were a fantastically fair price to pay for his wind tunnel closing. "How is she?"
"Better. But she still hasn't woken up." Miroku nodded turning his gaze back onto Kagome. He could see that their friend was looking better, her coloring returning to normal and her face looking less strained than it had been. They all knew she was in pain from time to time and that nightmares seemed to be plaguing her. Inuyasha was the only one allowed to touch her and even if he would have let Sango, Kaede or himself near her, the hanyou was the only one who could stop her from thrashing around when she felt pain or fear. None of them said anything about the strange way in which Inuyasha had taken to in order to calm her since it worked and even appeared to help her heal. "How's Sango holding up?"
Surprised by the hanyou's concern for anyone else but Kagome, Miroku was silent for several moments. "She is fine. A bit angry that you will not let us watch over Kagome so you can rest yourself. We are all concerned for your welfare." Inuyasha's only response was a soft "keh" as he turned his eyes back on the young woman who was now unknowingly his mate. "She will be fine, Inuyasha," Miroku told him, "Your blood is strong and Kagome… She loves you a great deal. If anyone would merit from the union you have created between you, it is Kagome-sama." While Inuyasha didn't outwardly show embarrassment at the statement, he did growl lowly at his companion and kept his attention diverted to Kagome. Miroku knew when it was time to step out and did so as silently as he could. Despite the growling, the monk knew his words had relieved the inuhanyou of a little stress. The way his shoulders had released just a little was more indication of that than Miroku had thought he would get.
Inuyasha knew his friends were worried about him. It was only natural. He hadn't really slept in days, hadn't eaten much in his distraction and hadn't left Kagome's side for fear that something would happen in his absence. But nothing else mattered. Kagome was everything to him, his entire world. Nothing would distract him from her or pull him from her side until she was awake. Even then he doubted he would let her out of his sight. A faint whimper from the object of his concern brought Inuyasha's golden gaze down to her sleeping face. Her nose was wrinkled in discomfort and her free hand had come to lay restlessly on her stomach. Inuyasha gently kept her hands away from her bandages and went through the motions that kept her calm.
The sunlight felt much brighter than she ever remembered waking to. Kagome's whole body felt like it was on fire. Not an entirely unpleasant feeling considering she'd felt so cold at the last moment she could remember. She had been dying, of that she was sure, but now she felt more alive than ever before. The young miko could feel a soft weight on her left leg, and after stretching her senses a bit, realized it was Shippou clinging to her. Kagome smiled with her eyes still closed against the bright sunlight. Shippou was alright. Knowing that made her feel a good deal better. Her next concern was Inuyasha and for a moment she panicked when she couldn't feel him anywhere nearby. Normally she could sense his youki for quite a ways. "Shhh, I'm right here Kagome." Kagome frowned, turning her face toward the sound of his voice. The light still felt too intense to open her eyes but the heat of another person warmed her side so she could guess where he was pretty easily.
"Inuyasha?"
"Yeah. I'm right here. Go back to sleep," he murmured in a soft voice. He was stretched out next to her futon on the floor, gently stroking her hand as she slept. He'd felt her awaken, unable to stop his sigh of relief, then her slight confusion followed by her own relief. He'd been happy that she felt better until her panic had filled him suddenly. Her aura flared for a moment in search of his youki and he gripped her hand harder. He knew it would throw her off to not feel him but now that their blood had mixed she would have to work harder to feel him until she accepted his bonding of their souls. At the moment their souls were clinging to one another too closely, lost in the newness of their connection and unsure of their place. "It's alright Kagome," he soothed again in a slightly louder tone when she tried to open her eyes.
"I don't want to go back to sleep, Inuyasha," she rasped at him. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her stubborn streak and helped her sip a little water to clear her throat. The young miko slowly blinked her eyes several times to get them adjusted. Looking over toward where she knew him to be, Kagome found her hanyou watching her carefully. His hand still gripped hers tightly, an anchoring point for her mind and body to cling to. A soft snuffling brought her attention to the kitsune kit attached to her calf. "Shippou, sweetheart, you can come up here," she encouraged him. He gladly scrambled across the floor until he was snuggled comfortably against her neck, sniffing her periodically. She knew he had to be upset about her getting hurt, so she let him cling to her for several minutes, staring at Inuyasha the whole time she gently stroked her adopted son's hair. Finally, once the little fox demon had settled down, Kagome asked him to let her talk with Inuyasha. He agreed only after Inuyasha glared him into submission. "What happened Inuyasha?" Kagome questioned when Shippou had scampered off to tell the others she was awake.
A long time passed and all Inuyasha could do was stare at the floor. It was so much more difficult to explain now that she was conscious. The monk, slayer and old miko knew nearly the whole of it. They knew he cared deeply for Kagome and that the two of them would be linked for eternity. The kit had a pretty basic instinctual idea of what being mates entailed, or his nose did anyway. It was enough of an idea for Shippou to know the link wasn't complete. "Naraku," Inuyasha muttered as some sort of explanation. Kagome's eyes widened for a moment, her free hand rising to the bandages still wrapped around her middle. "You were dying. I… I had to do something," the hanyou murmured, feeling slightly panicked. How would she react to the fact that she was now his?
Kagome stared at him. She could feel his anxiety in her own chest and it was making her equally nervous. Why did she suddenly know without a doubt that something had changed between them without her realizing it? It was a physical feeling, a slight struggle to distinguish her own emotions from those she could sense Inuyasha was feeling. "What happened?" she asked him again. "Why are you so upset Inuyasha?" His hand tightened slightly around hers, though Kagome wasn't sure if he was comforting her or himself with the gesture. But knowing he was afraid made it that much more difficult for her to remain calm.
Not wanting to make Kagome any more upset than she was already, Inuyasha fought with what to tell her. Her confusion was evident in her scent and expression as well as in the tight feeling in his gut. His instincts were going completely haywire, driving him to comfort Kagome's rising distress. Apparently his own nervousness was making her feel the same and it was beginning to snowball. Inuyasha wriggled over until her small body was pressed against him, her face pressed intimately to his chest. Somehow it had the desired effect, Kagome settling into his hold and sighing softly. "You would have died if I hadn't done it," he whispered, "I couldn't let you… Not now, not ever."
"What are you talking about?" came Kagome's question, muffled from the folds of his suikan.
Inuyasha's hand rose slowly from her back to her shoulder, his thumb gently touching the mark he knew lay there. He'd caught himself softly brushing it from time to time when she'd been unconscious. Her conscious reaction was decidedly more delicious and Inuyasha couldn't help the small pleased growl that rumbled in his chest. "Kagome," he purred, his nose falling to rest in her hair. Her scent surrounded him and the hanyou could hardly think of a moment in his life where he had felt so relieved. She was alive. She was awake. She was content, delighted even, to let him hold her. Small shivers were running through her, her body quivering as Inuyasha gently touched the bite mark that now shone silver on her lightly tanned skin.
Kagome couldn't remember ever feeling something so… consuming. Her entire body was tingling. Even the end of her nose tickled. Something about how or where Inuyasha was touching her made her extremely aware of him and she could finally feel his youki. For the first time since she'd woken up Kagome truly felt at home, safe. "Inuyasha," she murmured into his clothing before releasing a relieved sigh. She felt like whatever happened before didn't matter as long as he continued to hold her and touch her shoulder as he was. Despite that cozy feeling, Kagome knew that something incredibly important was going on and that something equally, if not more, important had happened and she needed to know what that was. "I… What did you have to do?" she whispered while slowly tilting her head up to look him in the eye. Molten amber stared back at her, awash with anxiety. "I won't be mad, Inuyasha. You saved my life!"
"I had to mark you," he murmured in so low a tone that Kagome didn't hear him. "I marked you, shared my blood with you," he repeated when she looked at him in confusion. He had a lot more to explain before she would understand the full weight of what he'd done, but he wasn't ready to tell her everything. One white ear twitched and Inuyasha cringed. The others were coming because they knew Kagome was awake. "I… Kagome," he whimpered, so torn by the need to be near her and the fear of being caught in the position they were in. I'm sorry, he thought, looking into her deep brown eyes and slowly pulling himself from her futon. Kagome's eyes went wide and she slowly shook her head as he backed away toward the doorway. She whispered his name and it was almost more than he could stand. But the others were getting closer and he had to leave. He needed to think some things through before he could face her again.
Kagome wasn't sure what was driving Inuyasha away but her wound hurt all over again and she had a hunch it was because of the hanyou's imminent departure. But it wasn't just her injury that ached, her heart felt like it was beating funny and she gasped softly. The sound froze Inuyasha's backward steps and he looked more pained than she felt. Sango was the first to limp her way into the hut but at the look on both her friends' faces she froze, the monk gently colliding with her back, Shippou perched on his uninjured shoulder. Something was wrong and everyone knew it. Inuyasha didn't budge from his statuesque position next to the doorway and Kagome's hand splayed on the floor in a weak attempt to reach out to him. "Please," she whispered. There was no question who and what she was begging for. The silver-haired hanyou was beside her in a flash and instantly her heart began beating regularly, if a bit fast, and the pain in her stomach faded. A faint shifting near the door made the miko look up and she saw her friends staring at her worriedly. "I'm alright." Her voice was weak and a glance at Inuyasha made it clear how guilty he felt for leaving her at all. "Thank you for coming to check on me. I just… Could you guys give me and Inuyasha some time to work things out?" she whispered, not looking at the hanyou for fear of the rejection in his eyes.
Sango looked pained at the dismissal but after the incident a moment ago she knew that there was a lot for the pair to talk about. "Hai Kagome-chan. We're glad you're awake. Let us know if there's anything you need." The tajiya's voice was soft with concern and understanding. From what she knew of youkai mating, the two were likely to need a lot of alone time to sort out the complicated bonding they had entered into. Kagome especially would need time to adjust to the changes.
Each type of youkai had a different way to initiate the bond and she hadn't realized that the inuyoukai mark would be made so... violently. But once she realized that Inuyasha was sharing his blood with her friend in order to save her life, she began to understand the connection a little better as well as the risk he had taken. At the same time, she knew the link was not complete. She didn't think Miroku or Kaede were aware of it, but she knew the two were not united like they should be. None of the more… physical aspects of the bonding had been completed and from what she remembered from her training, the pair would be very volatile and needy until that part was done. Sango sighed softly. Kagome hardly knew what was going on yet and Inuyasha had obviously been about to run out on her without explaining. The inuhanyou had a really hard time expressing himself in words - with a childhood such as he'd had, no one could blame him - so telling Kagome he loved her and that they were mated would most likely be high on his list of things to avoid doing.
With the others back out of the hut, Shippou whining the whole way about being forced from his mother's side, Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief. He still wasn't necessarily ready to explain everything but, after seeing what leaving Kagome's side had done, he knew he had to tell her. He was glad that he hadn't let the others convince him to leave Kagome alone with them while she was unconscious. Leaving her had been painful for both of them, but he heard the way her heart had started beating erratically and if she hadn't been awake to protest, he might have lost her. The hanyou continued to remind himself that he wasn't a coward and that Kagome was too weak to do him harm anyway. "You don't have to tell me everything right now Inuyasha. Just…" Her face turned away slightly and Inuyasha could smell her tears. She had every right to be upset, he knew that, but still her tears bothered him. "What does it mean?"
"I marked you as my mate," he responded in a soft voice. "It was the only way to save you. It initiated a soul bond and that's why we can't sense each other." Her eyes widened and she turned back to look at him. How had he known that she couldn't sense his particular youki? Kagome hadn't ever told him that she could feel him. He could sense her aura too? "Our souls are… overwhelmed, I guess, so they're clinging to one another. Makes it hard to feel one apart from the other."
"What does that mean exactly?"
Inuyasha growled in frustration. "Damn it Kagome, you're my mate! We're bonded. I'm sorry if that isn't what you wanted, but that's the way it is. There was no other choice." He was scared and angry, there was nothing he could do to hide that, but Kagome seemed to be even more frightened by the truth than he'd been expecting. Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks in slow waves. "Kami, Wench, don't cry." This only served to further upset her.
She didn't mean to get so emotional, but the anger in his voice, the fear in his eyes... Inuyasha regretted what he'd felt he had to do in order to save her life. A sacred bond that he had entered out of a duty to protect her, a possible lifetime together with him wanting out. "Will it go away? Once I heal?" she asked in a broken whisper. Inuyasha released a frustrated huff and scowled down at her. Kagome failed at swallowing a sob. "I'm just trying to see how we can get you out of this, Inuyasha." His frown deepened even further and his ears flipped back against his head.
"What are you talking about? There's no way to take it back. Not unless one of us dies and obviously that ain't an option." Watching Kagome fidget, Inuyasha couldn't help the way his hand slowly came to grip hers and gently stroke the soft skin on the back of her fist. She gradually calmed down a little but she was still crying softly. "Are you mad? 'Cause you can sit me all you want, it isn't going to change anything," he said quickly, wanting to wipe that thought from her mind as soon as possible. He wasn't about to be subdued at least once a day for the rest of his long life. Somehow he knew though, he knew she was afraid he was the one who was angry, that he regretted what he'd had to do. Nothing could make him regret it, though nothing could make him admit that at the moment either. He wasn't quite ready to tell Kagome exactly how he felt. The two sat in silence for a long time, too afraid of upsetting each other to say anything but still gripping each other's hand tightly.
He resented her. Nothing she was feeling from him made her know that, but she knew it in her heart. "I'm sorry Inuyasha," she whispered. He sighed, opening his mouth to tell her something but she stopped him with a finger to his lips. "You shouldn't have to be bound to me if you don't want to. But… but if it is what you want…" she trailed off uncertainly, unsure of where it had come from.
"Keh, of course it is."
"But why?" she breathed a little desperately, looking away once more. Inuyasha couldn't stand the way she couldn't look at him. Did she have so little faith in his feelings? Of course she does, baka, he scowled, You spent months insulting her. She saw you fall apart when you failed Kikyo again. You let her get captured when you went to look for Kikyo. The hanyou's ears drooped into his hair. That incident had nearly broken Kagome's trust in him completely and he'd felt the sting of the hurt in her eyes for weeks. But despite that, she had forgiven him, continued to care about him and even saved Kikyo when she'd popped up again much later, injured and poisoned with Naraku's miasma, fought her own doubt on Mount Azusa to try and save her again. Only to watch him linger in depression when Kikyo was gone for good. So "Why" was a perfectly valid question for her to ask. Why, when he had so clearly been tied to Kikyo, would he have any desire to be bonded to Kagome?
"Because you're my home, Kagome," he found himself whispering almost against his will. It may not have been all she needed and wanted to hear from his lips. But for now… it was enough.