Author's Note:
Sorry for not updating any time sooner! Blocked a little... I must say that I initially thought of including a good, long close-up of Kagome caring for Inuyasha's wound, yet I think this is nice, I have not "borrowed" it from some other author and it matches my demand for going on with more interesting parts!

Yep, although nothing is going on at the moment, Kagome's point of view is tragic... in the begining.

Disclaimer: the band "Rage" is the legitimate owner of the song "Days of December"; Takahashi Rumiko is the legitimate owner of "Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairytale" and all of its characters. (Written at last. ^-^ )

Chapter 14
Hold my hand...

Kagome run away from the clearing whose image had been branded on her mind. Or his image to be precise... Skitting through fallen timber and broken branches, leaping over any small drop or whatever other obstacle, she kept running away, her arms flailing all around her fleeing, shaking form... She did hear an awkward sound after a while, but she didn't pay any real attention. The only thing she wanted was to stop thinking, thus she released all of her agony in a mad man's sprint...

Leaving a silver trail of salty droplets behind her.

A tree root that jouted out of the grass caught Kagome's foot, flinging her to the ground. Eyes shut, she braced herself against against the soil, the jarring fall interrupting all of her attempts to not start thinking of the fight that Kouga had began, the fake attack, then the wretched wolf hitting Inuyasha...

And a loud, dry, cracking sound.

No longer able to shield off the feelings that were battering her mental defences, Kagome felt a swooping sensation running through her as she fell to the ground. Rolling from one side to another, finally resting on her back, she felt her stomach convulging and a knot in her throat, once again whimpering incoherently. "Iiieee... Inuuyashaa... Iinuyashaa..."

After a while, numbness veiled her mind, her conscience balancing in a delicate limbo, not completely aware of everything, yet not distant. Until a cherry blossom fell on top of her left shoulder... Picking it up with her right hand she stared at it for a long minute. "Sakura... they seem so much like snow when they fall, ne?" That spoken aloud thought reminded her of one of her favourite melancholic songs...

A soft, mourning voice rose over the deadly silent forest, in a language unknown to the land and its people.

The clouds have prepared for rain and storm.
The chill of the wind has frozen all the pain.
I know in my room it's dry and warm,
but I cannot stand to scan the walls in vain.

White and wonderful the snow covers my hair.
I reach out but you're not there.

In the days of December,
I'm lonely ever since you're gone.
In the night I remember
your frozen hands that kept me warm.
In the days of December.

I've never seen sense in future plans.
I know that the time will make it up somehow.
But God, how I miss you, there's no words
to tell you how it looks inside myself now.

Cold and beautiful,
Your vision in the ice.
I reach out but you're not there.

In the days of December,
I'm lonely ever since you're gone.
In the night I remember
your frozen hands that kept me warm.
In the days of December.

By the end of her singing she heard a sigh and a rustling of leaves from her left, making her turn her head to look upon the standing figure. Her sight still somewhat blurry from crying, she raised her left hand and wipped the last remaining moisture off her eyes. "Houshi-sama?"

Miroku neared her, a soft smile covering his face. "Yes, Kagome-sama, it is me." Coughing in an attempt to get over the uneasiness that had so abruptly got hold of him, not knowing how had it happened, he spoke up. "That was very... dark yet soft to listen to... What was it? I have never heard anything like it."

Sitting crosslegged, Kagome looked at the monk with an almost blank stare; not as void as Kikyo's, yet a bit distant. "It was a song I know of. The lyrics were in english, a western language, because the artists who wrote it come from a land far to the west, beyond Sesshomarou's realm. That is the reason you have not understood it." She translated the song to him, not caring for rhyme as much as to translate what the lyrics ment.

Taking notice of her condition, aware of her getting just a little better- 'Determination, probably...'- he spoke up. "I have good news, my lady..." Before Kagome could even raise a hopeful glance over where he stood, Miroku piped in. "Inuyasha's alive!"

Kagome got off the ground and run over to Miroku. "Thank you, Houshi-sama!" The poor monk winced in pain at her tight grip... "It was nothing really, I had to come tell you, ne?" Pulling herself away from her friend, she told him: "Go now... I guess Sango and Shippou should also learn the news. I going to him now." And then she left. Miroku looked at her direction only for a moment, a small, content smile on his face, then walked to the village.

Kaede turned around. By the time she noticed anything, a blur has gotten past her and stood by Inuyasha's side. She easilly associated the blur with the young miko herself.

"I am glad that thou hafth come back. I take it that Houshi-sama informed thee of thy husband's condition." Kagome nodded her head, then bowed at her direction. "Dõmo arigato gosaimasu, Kaede-bachan..."

Kaede looked bewildered; when she realised what was the reason she was thanking her so much, she spoke to her. "Kagome-sama, I would have noticed eventually, but it was Houshi-sama who did." Surprised at what she heard, Kagome raised her head. "Kouga has hit Inuyasha's face on the side of his brow mostly, not his temple. That sure is some hurt thy husband has, since all that blood flows through there, yet it is not as much an injury as it would have been had he reached the temple. Even the blood Inuyasha-sama has lost is not too much."

Kagome looked once again at her husband's form, realising that there was sense in their words. The pool of the thick, scarlet black liquid had not increased a lot in size. Reaching for his fine silver locks of hair, trembling at what was she going to see, she pushed one aside. She noticeably winced.

Underneath the pulled-aside strand was an awful, pinkish red mark with rust-red flecks, as Kouga had cut him deeply. It had certainly started healing, but Inuyasha would need some time to overcome this injury... And he was probably having a concussion.

After a few minutes, Miroku arrived at the village. Most of the people were avoiding looking at him, while few looked at him with anticipation. 'Have they not been helped by Inuyasha-sama in the past? Has he not protected them from things he could simply let sweep them away? Some baka yaro... Whatever you are, they don't understand what is going on around them...' Casting another glance at their direction, he noticed their expressions were not hard and harsh, but soft and... caring? 'It seems I was wrong about "them". But what is it that makes them look at me like that?'

Not very much easy with the idea they knew something more to sympathise with him, he straightened up and went on his way. To Kaede's hut.

Lifting his right hand, the bead of his rosary gleaming in a streak of sunlight that seemed somewhat out of place, he moved away the courtain that "blocked" the entrance. "Sango-sama?" He heard no answer, but walked beyond the threshold anyway, fully aware now that she was nowhere near the hut. 'Where are you?'

The images of what had happened since the morning: the challenge, the fight, Inuyasha's injury, Kagome's grief and... and Sango's kiss, involuntarily flooding his thoughts, he could not help but picture what could between him and Sango. What would happen should they match? He didn't actually need the rosary, keeping both as a memoir and his trademark "gauntlet", but these thoughts simply kept making him feel not like talking to her about his feelings. The years before it was his curse. Now it was his inability to use anything beside his mystical powers as a houshi or his strong build and martial arts. He was more insecure than he seemed to be. What if he died?

Remembering Sango kissing his cheek, he raised his right hand and touched the offending mound of flesh on his face, a small tremble going up his spine. He wondered how would it feel, Sango kissing his lips. "Sango-chan..."

"What is it, Houshi-sama?"

Miroku turned around, panicking at the sound of Sango's voice, wearing his non-emotional mask just in time. "Oi, cough, Sango-sama, I bring good news and ah... came to tell you of them, but you were not here." He noticed the taijiya's hair cascading, wet mass.

Shippou came in at that moment, jumping on her shoulders. "So, you finished your bath! I want to speak with you, Sango-chan." Suddenly aware that Sango's gaze was fixed somewhere else, he looked at the direction she was looking at. 'In such a sorrowful tone, might I add.' Finally noticing Miroku, he greeted him. "Hello, Miroku-sama."

"Oi, Shippou, I think you should hear this too. Inuyasha-sama is not dead." Shippou wished he had escaped before Sango crashed on Miroku chest, the heartful embrace squeesing one of his little paws flat, while Houshi felt like he was in paradise... especially with her breasts pressed so tight against him, to tell the truth.

The following three days had been bad for Inuyasha. He healed pretty fast, that was true, but he was hit badly by a youkai, with a spell cast on him for that. He was much better even after the first day, but he didn't much like the idea of being taken care of. He was very glad to know that Kouga had been sealed and that Kagome was not particularly eager to break the seal any time soon...

When Inuyasha was completely healed, he got by the Goshinboku and stood beside it, looking at its huge trunk, then fell in one more of his trance-like meditative stances. His ears flickered forth as he spoke out softly. "Come beside me, koibito."

The nearing rustle of leaves and her scent told him that he should relax his stance so that he could embace her as she lowered to lean against his chest. When she had finally settled, he brought one of his legs in a knee-up position so that he could support her back, then wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him as he stroke her soft midnight black hair. "Aishiteru, Inuyasha..." "Aishiteru, Kagome..."

Suddenly raising her head, she touched his lips with the tips of her fingers, then traced his cheeks and jaw with them. "I was so scared, Inuyasha... I didn't know what to do! Everything felt just so... fickle and... frail!"

"It's OK, my love... I am here now, everything's alright."

"You know I don't really think I will ever break that seal, ne?"

"I knew from the moment you said you were going to do it immediately."

The distance between the two became shorter and shorter, their lips parting on their own while their eyes closed instinctively, as the two were losing focus of everything around them. Until their mouths met, their focus closed on each other, the unique feeling of each other's tongue against their own making them almost faint yet not...

When they felt they would trully faint out of lack of air, they reluctantly pulled away of their union. Both dreamy faced, Inuyasha made her wrap her legs around his waist, then jumped up the tree, once again assuming their previous positioning. Kagome improvised as the two were falling asleep:

"I know in my room it's warm and dry,
but I cannot stay without thee, can I?"

I hope you like it and this is not dissapointing after such a long delay... @_@