Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi is the owner of Inuyasha and all of its characters.

A/N: Hiii! Sorry for the late update...anyway, enjoy! Happy reading!!

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Rising With the Sweetness

Chapter 6: For You I Will

"Inuyasha. Inuyasha!"
"Mmmrrrrrffff?"
Inuyasha woke to someone shaking him. He realized he had fallen asleep on the living room coffee table. Well, the really sucky cheap one, and was staring at his completed vases.
"Ka-gome~?"
He asked sleepily. The last thing he remembered was something soft brushing against his eyelids.
"Get up, silly. Today's Sunday."
"So? Don't we get a break?"
Inuyasha stretched as he yawned.
"Yea, but I can't find Kagome anywhere."
His ears perked up at the comment.
"What?!"
He bounded out of his chair, and knocked it over as he dashed out into the kitchen. Sango jumped out of the way and sighed. The coffee maker was on, brewing fresh, and a plate of pastries was set on the table with a napkin covering it. Kagome must have set things up before she left...wherever she was going...
"Where did she-"
"We have no clue."
Miroku stepped inside and scratched his head. Both he and Sango were still in their PJs, and apparently had just woken up.
"Do you think she went to the café?"
"But it's Sunday!"
"Maybe she forgot."
"But if she did, she would have tackled us all in bed and woken us up to get to work...right?"
"Oh...right..."
Inuyasha looked down, and then looked at Sango, puzzled.
"Sango, what happened to your ice pack? Is you ankle all better?"
She looked down.
"Huh? Oh, I totally forgot. I don't know, it feels all better, but...where did my ice pack go?"
"Oh well, as long as you feel better, I guess it doesn't matter where it went."
Miroku patted Sango on the shoulder and seated himself at the table.
"Yea, I guess you're right."
She set about pouring coffee, and Inuyasha hesitantly sat down, slightly concerned. Miroku seemed to notice.
"Don't worry, Inuyasha. She'll be back soon."
He grunted.
"Oh, she'd better."
He looked sideways at the calendar, and his eyes widened at the date.

"July 8th...? Then that means..."

*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*

Kagome hummed as she entered their little café, with the sawdust swept away clean and the furniture progressively increasing in the corner. She set her purse down, and looked out the window. The sky was growing dark, and it was only 11:00 AM. She squinted at the gray clouds approaching.
"Oh great, looks like I'm going to have a heck of a time getting home. I hope it doesn't rain TOO soon..."
She walked out through the back door. She hugged herself as the wind came blowing past her forcefully, and she proceeded. She closed the door behind her slowly, and began to search around the trees. Her eyes looked around the ground intently, then she stood back up straight and scratched her head.
"Where was it...?"
She heard a creaking sound behind her, and realized that the storage door was open.
"The wind must have blown it open...gosh, it's chilly..."
Kagome was about to walk inside the storage, just see if anyone was inside or something. But she hadn't realized the crack that had formed in front of the doorway.

She felt her foot get caught in the knick, and she felt something like a jolt of lightening go searing through her right knee, preceded with a little 'pop'. She found herself on the ground within seconds, her hands clutching at her knee painfully as she lay on her side.

It was so painful she couldn't bring herself to cry out in any sort of way. She held back the tears that were stinging at her eyes, and she looked up as she felt drops dropping all around her.

It was starting to rain.

With aching slowness, she began to crawl her way to the trees, with her hands searching all over the grass around the bushes.

"I-I have to find it...before it gets too wet..."

*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*

Sango peered into the living room. Inuyasha remained motionless in front of the TV, his chin resting on the palm of his hand as his elbow was propped up on the coffee table. His eyes stood transfixed to the screen, but apparently he wasn't paying any attention.
"What is he doing?"
Miroku came up behind her and looked inside.
"I don't know...I'm guessing that he's worried."
Miroku sighed and went to the kitchen, pouring himself another cup of coffee as Sango sat down at kitchen table.
"When it comes to Kagome-sama, he seems restless all the time."
Sango smiled.
"He must really care for her."

Inuyasha came walking into the kitchen, with his ears twitching irritably as he pulled open the refrigerator door.
"What's for lunch?"
Miroku looked inside the pantry closet.
"Looks like Kagome-sama bought four packs of instant ramen. For heavens sake, she has everything prepared! The pastries, the coffee, and now lunch? Ramen? Is today something special? Oh well, ramen should do, right? Lucky you, Inuyasha."
Miroku looked back at the hanyou, and was surprised to see yet another flash of wistful worry go dancing across his face. He nodded hesitantly and slumped down at the table. Sango looked at him from drinking the remainder of her coffee.

He was staring at the calendar, with the same anxious expression on his face.

"Inuyasha? Is there something wrong with the calendar?"
He snapped out of his trance and waved away her comment.

He sat staring out the window at the blackened sky, the rain outside pouring heavily as Miroku prepared lunch for the four of them...

*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*

Kagome let her single hand search around the grass in front of her. She had made it to her knees, with all her pressure weighed onto her left. The right still stung with great pain, and she couldn't prevent the tears from falling.

From blurred vision and a gloomy atmosphere, she searched for that single something, so precious that she couldn't just let it go. She raised her head slightly, and a few feet away from her, she saw something, an object, outstanding in comparison to the dreary setting. She crawled three steps forward, slowly, and she reached out to it. She felt the object between her fingertips, and she painfully smiled as she felt her hand remove it off the ground. With great delicacy, she cradled it to her chest. She whispered words of comfort to it as she kneeled there, in the rain.

"I hope you have the power to enlighten his day..."

She pressed a hand against the tree that was in front of her, and she drew her left knee forward. After several minutes, she managed to stand, leaning heavily against the tree, with her hand still holding onto the object.

She slowly made her way to the door, with her hand guiding her as it skimmed against the café wall.

*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*

Inuyasha had hardly touched his ramen, whereas Miroku and Sango had already finished theirs. Miroku wiped his mouth with a napkin as he watched the hanyou out of the corner of his eye, who was looking into his bowl, motionless.

"Is the soup too salty, Inuyasha?"
He shook his head. Miroku leaned back in his chair and brought a toothpick to his mouth.
"I'm still not good with this 'instant' food business. I can't make it quite as good as Kagome-sama can."
The ex-monk watched Inuyasha, amused, as he saw him freeze in his position and sigh hopelessly. Sango looked at the clock.

1:30 PM.

"I heard the door opening and closing this morning at around 6:00, but I didn't wake up. I guess that means that she's been gone for about...7 hours..."
Inuyasha stood from his chair, suddenly, with his eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes determined.
"I'm going out."
He was about to go to the door when he felt a hand on his wrist. He looked down at Miroku, looking at him placidly.
"Inuyasha, she may have gone out on a simple errand, and perhaps it's taking some time. She might find it bothersome if you track her down now. She needs her own space sometimes."
Inuyasha made a fist with his hand and gritted his teeth inside his closed mouth. He snatched away his hand from Miroku's and quickly ran up the stairs. The two of them heard his door close.

Miroku sighed as he looked at Sango.
"I hope Kagome isn't in danger..."
Sango shrugged.
"I think she can take care of herself. But if she doesn't come back by 5:00, I suggest we go out and find her."
Miroku brought the dishes to the sink.
"I'm just curious why she didn't write a note."
Sango sighed and shook her head.

"I just hope she isn't plotting anything too risky..."

*-.,.-*

But time passed by...

5:00 PM.

And Kagome still wasn't home.

Inuyasha came storming down the stairs, this time in his actual jeans and t-shirt.
"I am NOT going to stay sitting like some obedient dog in this house! I'm going OUT!!"
Miroku came running down the hallway after him, pulling on a jacket.
"Wait, Inuyasha! I'm coming with you!"
Both men were out the door in minutes.

Sango shouted out after them, but they were already gone. She checked that the stoves were turned off, the lights were off, and she pulled on her own jacket before rushing out and locking the door. She ran off after them, charging through the pouring rain with two umbrellas under her arm.

"Miroku!! Inuyasha!!"

She saw them both halt in their steps.
"Things will go faster if split up. I'll go ask around the neighbors. Miroku-sama, you go towards town and see around the supermarket and stores and such. Inuyasha, since you're the fastest, you should go check the café."
"Right!"
"Got it!"
She tossed Miroku an umbrella, and he caught it with ease before running off. Sango tried to call Inuyasha and hand him one as well, but he was already gone.

*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*

Kagome finally made it inside long ago, and was just about ready go head out again, towards home. She'd rested underneath the roof for almost 4 hours now, and her knee was feeling slightly better, but not enough to run or walk without support. She didn't have her cell phone with her, but even if she did, she had no desire to call home for help.

This was strictly important.

She took her up purse in one hand, and the precious object from outside in the other, and she pushed open the door. It was still raining hard, but she didn't bother. With one hand along the concrete walls along the streets, she made her way slowly down the road.

"I've gotta get home...soon..."

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Inuyasha thundered down the street, where everything was empty since everyone was inside, avoiding the rain. He could hardly see anything in the distance from all the falling drops.
"Kagome!! Kagome~!!"
He was panting hard, with his heart beating at an uncontrollable rate as he began to leap in large distances. No one was bound to see anyway, since there was nobody around.

He finally saw the café, with the cherry blossom tree nearby, trying so hard to keep its blossoms to its branches, but were losing them rapidly to the winds. He found the door locked, but he'd remembered to have the key with him. He shoved the key into its place and twisted it, then thrust open the door and dashed inside.

"Kagome!!!"

Silence.

"Kagome?! Kagome?!!"

No one was in sight. Everything was in its proper place, unchanged. There was almost no presence left behind of anyone being here.

That is, until he looked at the ground.

He saw a large spot of wetness soaked into the wooden floor, right in front of the back doorway. He bent down and examined it. It looked as if someone had laid there, soaking wet, then removed himself or herself off the floor and made their way over to the front.

Someone had been here.

"Damn it!!"

He ran back out again, remembering to lock the door, and he went thundering down, yet again the way he came. His hair was soaked, as was all of his clothing. Thanks to his speed, he wasn't as wet as a normal person would be if walking or running in this weather. He suddenly stopped in his steps, seeing something in the distance. It appeared to be a dark shape, leaning against the concrete wall along the side of the street, clinging and sagging against it desperately. It was a person.

"Who-"

Inuyasha didn't bother finishing his sentence. He was already off and running towards her. The person turned around, pain written in her eyes, and her pupils widened at the sight of the hanyou running, dashing towards her.

"I-Inu...yasha..."

"KAGOME~!!!"

He was at her side in seconds, already bending down and cradling her wet, bedraggled figure.
"Kagome, what on earth did you think you were doing?"
Almost out of automatic reaction, he was hugging her, fussing over her wet clothing like a mother with her child. Kagome slightly drew away.
"Inuyasha...wait, be careful..."
He drew back to give her some space, then looked down to see what she was holding in her hands. For one, there was her purse. And in the other...

In her other hand, she held a single stem of tulip.

It was perfect in all shape, at all angles. And in contrast to the sinister atmosphere of gray rain, it shined radiant red throughout its petals. Kagome had a damp paper towel held at the foot of its step, just to substitute as water for the temporary.
"Kagome, what is-"

He was shocked at her actions. She was holding it out to him, tenderly placing its stem in his hand as she smiled through the soreness.

"Happy Birthday...Inuyasha."

He couldn't bring himself to say anything. Had she gone...all the way here to fetch this, for him? And the pastries on the table this morning? The ramen packets all ready for them in the pantry for lunch?

All...for him?

"Kagome..."

She was staring up at him, shocked as well. Amongst the rain drops falling in her hand, she felt warmer ones, falling into her palm. They were coming from Inuyasha's eyes.

Inuyasha was crying.

"I-Inuyasha...?"

He held the tulip with a firmer hold, and suddenly wrapped his arms around her tenderly, kneeling in the rain. He called her name over and over, her shirt getting even more soaked with his warm tears.

No one had ever done this for him. Kagome was the first who found out his birthday for him, being that they didn't have a calendar back in his original time. She had calculated everything, and had figured out the approximate date of his birth somehow, for him. And now, she was the first.

The first to recognize the birth of his very existence.

*~FLASHBACK~*

"Inuyasha, when do you think you were born?"
"Keh, me? How would I know?"
"You don't know anything?" Kagome asked.
"Well...all I know is sometime during the summer."

"I'll find out for you, then!"
Kagome had researched lots, and asked him many questions, until one day...

"Inuyasha, you said you were born during the summer, right?"
"Yea...why?"
"I think I have it! July 8th!"
She exclaimed happily. He'd looked at her with a sideways look.
"Heh? Is it now? How'd you get that?"
"It's a long story. No matter, it suits you."

He hesitated.

"Well...thanks, anyway. For figuring it out..."
"You're welcome."

*~End FLASHBACK~*

"Why...why do you do this for me?"
She smiled through the rain.
"Silly. It's my pleasure."
"Even if you have to go through such...pain?"
She laughed quietly.

"This injury wasn't intended to happen, Inuyasha. But for you, I will."

"Arigatou, Kagome." (arigatou=thank you)

*-.,.-*

Sango and Miroku greeted the two of them at the front of their door.

They watched as Inuyasha came up the slope, cradling Kagome in his arms as she rested her head against his chest, fast asleep. In his hand, he held a single, blooming red tulip, and he gazed at the girl's face lovingly as they headed home.

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TO BE CONTINUED...

An entirely romance-soaked chapter! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! ^^