Disclaimer: I don't own it...yada yada yada...

Warning: This chapter contains an InuKag lemon. If that offends you, then don't read it.
Tears began to spill from her loving eyes. "Inuyasha...why do you take such risks to save me?"

"I thought...that was obvious..." he said between labored breaths.

She smiled, despite her tears. "I love you," she whispered, almost inaudibly; and then, "Now it's my turn to save you. Hold on..."

She lowered her hands to his wound and focused all her power on healing him, her eyes closed in deft concentration. She could feel his chest rising and falling in uneven patterns, and he whimpered slightly, fighting the urge to howl in agony.

The touch of her hands was soothing, yet the pain had not subsided much; the hanyou passed out. Uttering a few final chants, Kagome finished her work, and with every ounce of power drained, she collapsed onto his chest.

When Inuyasha regained consiousness, his vision was still blurry. The images of Sango, Miroku, and Shippo swirled above him, though their voices still sounded distant.

"Kagome," he muttered. The chatter of his three traveling companions came to an abrubt end when they realized he was awake. "Kagome..." he kept saying.

"Just relax, Inuyasha," Sango's soothing voice told him. "Luckily, Miroku and Shippo were able to brew a pot of recovering potion with some local herbs."

"And what about Kagome?" he demanded, his voice growing stronger. "Where is she? Is she okay?"

"She'll be alright. Her miko powers are exhausted, though. She needs time to regain her strength."

For a whole week, the others confined both Inuyasha and Kagome to Kaede's hut, forcing them to fully recuperate. Inuyasha had been reluctant at first but conceded when he realized they weren't going to acquiesce to his wishes. Kagome, on the other hand, had been quite compliant because she recognized her need for revitalization.

Being stuck in Kaede's hut all day had its advantages, though. Kagome and Inuyasha had much time alone, which they spent having long discussions about this or that, thoroughly enjoying each other's company. Despite all his complaints, Inuyasha was slightly disappointed when the two were declared well enough to continue their journey.

On their last night before departure, Miroku led Sango to a nearby hut,—with dishonorable intentions, no doubt—leaving Inuyasha alone with Kagome. He sat with his back against the wall of Kaede's hut, eyes closed with content. "Inuyasha?"

"Hm?"

"I just wanted to say thank you for saving me."

"Keh. I'm the one who should be thanking you, wench. If you hadn't healed me...well, let's just say I'd've been reunited with Kikyo."

"I see."

Kagome, who sat against a wall adjacent to Inuyasha's, quickly looked down to hide her tears. Inuyasha smelled them immediately and realized his mistake. He honestly hadn't meant it the way she'd taken it.

"Kagome, that's not what I meant. I only meant that if you hadn't saved me, I would be dead."

"But, you spoke of reuniting with Kikyo. That's what you want, isn't it?"

"Actually, no." He cupped her chin delicately, lifting her head to meet his gaze. "Kikyo is my past, but she's not my future. I don't want her—I want you. And only you."

Her eyes sparkled with hope. "Do you mean--?"

"Yes, I do. I want you to be my mate."

"Oh, Inuyasha!" She flung her arms around his neck, overcome with joy. In response, he snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her closer—to the point she was sitting in his lap.

"I love you, Inuyasha...so much," she whispered when she'd calmed herself.

"And I love you, Kagome," he whispered into her ear.
He leaned towards her, lightly brushing his lips against hers. His left hand gently cradled her head, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Slowly, he lowered her onto the floor of the hut and began trailing kisses down her neck, making her whole body tingle with anticipation.

He fumbled clumsily with the buttons on her blouse before getting frustrated and slicing the garment off with his claws. With a few more swipes, all that remained to cover Kagome was her lace-rimmed panties.

Contrary to Inuyasha's method of unclothing, Kagome meticulously untied the knots of his hakama until they came loose, sending his clothes to the floor.

Inuyasha continued his trail of heated kisses downwards till he reached her breasts. He softly grazed a nipple with his fangs, swirling his tongue around it, before he repeated the motion on the other. Unhurriedly, he made his way down her toned abdomen, where he was met with the fabric of her underwear.

He growled at the obstacle, evoking a giggle from Kagome. She slid them off with ease, giving Inuyasha access to her moist folds. His tongue swirled expertly in its exploration, soon joined by his fingers inside her. She panted and moaned, begging for release, and he gave it to her.

She grasped his long, silver locks and pulled his lips back to hers. She moved to straddle him, seizing his manhood in her delicate fingers while she left a chain of hickeys down his chest. By the time her mouth reached his manhood, Inuyasha ached similarly to how Kagome had just minutes before. She took his member into her mouth, sucking slowly at first then speeding up to permit his own release.

After repositioning himself on top of Kagome, Inuyasha aligned his member with her hot opening and plunged into her. She let out a small gasp of pain, but it soon passed and was replaced by immense pleasure. He built up a rhythm, and finally he felt Kagome's walls contract around him. She screamed his name into the night and dug her nails into his sweaty back, and he allowed himself to reach his peak.

They gradually floated down from their elevated states and joined in a passionate embrace. Inuyasha felt Kagome's eyelashes on his chest as she closed her eyes. When his breathing steadied, he said musingly, "I wonder if Miroku and Sango had as good a night as we did."

Her lips curled upwards into a mischievous grin. "I seriously doubt that."

A/N: Well, this is the happy ending. The other two endings involve much more angst and aren't so happy.