Chapter 14

"Sango!" Miroku cried running to the demon slayer's side in an instant. "I'm so glad your alright…and lady Kagome!" he called running to her as well.

She looked past him to Inuyasha, he looked at her, fear at first, expecting to see her injured, or not see her at all. She smiled at him and he smiled back, relief and happiness showing through it for only a second, until it tuned into a smirk.

"Kagome!" she turned to see Shippo running at her from behind Kohaku, and he jumped on her, causing her to take a step back, onto the injured ankle. She tried to ignore it, she didn't want Shippo to see her in pain,

"Hey Shippo. Where did you run off to?" she jokingly accused him.

"Awww Kagome, I'm just a little guy" he answered looking down sheepishly.

She set him down, then quickly sat down, not wanting everyone to see her hopping everywhere, "Kagome the weak one, the one who always needs protection, the one who always get hurt…" she muttered to herself, wishing just once she could come out uninjured and unscathed showing to everyone she could do battle too, if need be.

"Kagome!" Miroku and Sango cried in unison, as they saw her fall to the ground.

"Kagome are you ok what happened?" Sango asked holding onto her shoulder.

"It's nothing, it's my ankle. I'll be fine." she responded as she attempted to get up only to have Miroku push her stomach back down.

"Stay still" he commanded and he pulled down her sock to reveal a very red swollen ankle. He started tending to it as Sango went to stand with a still very confused looking Kohaku.

"Sango I don't think-" Shippo was cut off by a stern look from Sango that simply let him know to shut his mouth.

"What's wrong with her?" Inuyasha came trudging over, breathing heavily as he sat near her head.

"Her ankle, she should be fine" Miroku spoke from somewhere near her feet.

Inuyasha kissed her forehead protectively, much to a look of shock from the others and walked toward the closest boulder, glaring at a everyone almost daring them to say something. Inuyasha leaned back and closed him eyes, while Sango sat with Kohaku, beside a curled up kitten and hesitant kitsune.

"Why Kagome, I've never realized how very smooth your skin is." Miroku stated running his hands along her ankle and calf.

"Cut it out you lecherous mo-" but she was cut off by a quiet growl behind her.

She turned as much as she could to see; and the sight of a very pissed off half-demon met her eyes. "Inuyasha" she spoke sternly as if to tell him, "he always gonna be this way so stop." He only looked at her, then back to the monk, who was still attending to the limb.

"It seems to be only a sprained ankle" he spoke solemnly pretending he hadn't heard the growls from Inuyasha. He rubbed on some herbs Kagome always had with her for injuries, and gently massaged it onto her skin, working slowly and delicately, not wanting to hurt her further. He stopped suddenly when a louder more guttural growl came from very close by.

He looked up and saw Inuyasha squatting by her head, giving him a look that could kill. Miroku laughed nervously, "Inuyasha I assure my intentions are merely to help the injured girl." he finished quietly looking him straight in the eyes.

"Fine. But I'm not moving" he retorted childishly and stayed in that position until her ankle was completely wrapped and socks back up.

Miroku walked toward the demon slayer, and left Inuyasha guarding over Kagome.

"Inuyasha, he's always that way he doesn't mean anything by it" she reassured him, as he held her close to him.

"I know…sorry" he muttered the last word quietly, as she smiled at him.

"My Inuyasha, apologizing, it's defiantly a -"

"Oi, wench if you finish that sentence…"

She giggled and he raised a suspicious eyebrow at her, "thank you for being understanding" she spoke quietly as she tried to get up.

"No you don't!" he cried picking her up, cradling her, and letting her ankles dangle carefully over his arm. They walked over to the group, Kagome still perched in his arms.

"How are you doing Kagome?" Sango asked only to be followed by a quick and concerned "Kagome are you ok?" from a very upset looking Shippo.

"I'm fine guys don't worry about it" she assured them, sliding from Inuyasha.

"Well we'll still have to go back to Kaede's for a few days to let her rest." Miroku responded, and they all hesitated waiting for Inuyasha to start yelling about it.

"Yeah, I know lets get going." Everyone stiffened and looked at each other in shock, save Kohaku who still didn't know what was going on and Kirara, who just stopped purring.

"Whadda ya'll staring at? Let's go!" he replied grumpily looking at their agape mouths.

"Uhh, no… 'we have to get the jewel shards' or 'I'm not stopping for you weak humans'" Miroku asked mimicking Inuyasha, "I do believe Inuyasha has reached a turning point" he spoke solemnly to the others, "he is caring now that he has finally admitted his love to Kago-" he was stopped short with a quick punch to the top of the head by a pissed off half demon.

"You told Miroku what I said?" he wheeled on Kagome.

She stood on one foot giggling nervously, "uh, ha ha, see, I uh, sorta told Sango…"

"Sango! Why would you tell that letch anything?" he asked yelling at her now.

"Oh Inuyasha I thought it was sweet" she giggled girlishly, "plus it's not as if it wasn't obvious to everyone already" she finished nonchalantly waving her hand as if brushing it off.

After a few minutes of Inuyasha yelling and everyone trying to tell him it was blatantly obvious even before they were together, he finally gave up. Everyone gathering their belongings, and thanking the girls and their father, left the village.

They had tried to make good time, by switching between walking and riding Kirara, but Kagome never moved from her place on Inuyasha's back. After a while Inuyasha gave up, explaining he was going ahead with Kagome, and he'd meet them at Kaede's when they arrived.

He sped through he woods running as smoothly as he could to keep Kagome comfortable and free from pain. He landed with a small skid outside the village after a few hour of them running at top speed. He tuned his head to look at the girl on his back, only to see her hair messy and her grinning madly.

"That's always so much fun!" she squealed holding tight around his neck.

"I'm glad you enjoy it" he laughed, and started walking silently to Kaede's hut.

The sun had just gone down and it was starting to get dark as they walked inside to see a fire roaring and on old woman bent over a large pot.

"Lady Kaede!" Kagome chirped happily, glad to see the old miko.

"Ah, Kagome, are ye alright?" she asked taking notice of her limp, and bandages around her leg.

"Just a sprained ankle, it should be fine" she answered smiling sweetly.

"Aye child, have ye some dinner." she offered to the two handing them bowls of stew. "Where are the demon slayer and monk?" ask asked looking toward the door as if they were to walk in any moment.

"Feh, they're too damn slow" Inuyasha griped eating the hot stew.

"Inuyasha" Kagome scolded before turning to the priestess. "They had to go a bit slower than us, they…they have Kohaku" she finished quietly, looking down into her bowl.

"Ah, the youngest demon slayer returns" the woman spoke quietly gazing into the fire. "I will prepare a place for him, as well as gather some herbs I have stored to help with your ankle." she spoke solemnly as she tuned to walk out the door.

"But Kaede, it's already dark, my ankle will be fine and they probably won't arrive tonight" she offered trying to save the old woman the trouble.

"Aye child, I am aware of the time, but he will still need a place to rest when he arrives be it tonight or tomorrow, and that ankle needs tending." she answered walking out of her doorway.

They sat in silence eating and staring into the fire.

"I feel so bad for Sango." Kagome finally whispered breaking the silence.

Inuyasha looked up at her setting his empty bowl aside. "I know" he sighed crawling toward her, "so do I" he admitted pulling her into his arms.

"Inuyasha…would you mind if…only for tonight…I just want to…" she stopped and looked up at him with big sad eyes. "Can I go back home? Just for tonight? I just want to see my brother." she finished calmly though tears were falling from her eyes.

He kissed her cheeks where her tears had fallen and looked at her, "since when did you start asking me if you can go?" he asked her somewhat suspiciously.

"I just… I don't…"

"Yeah, go see the little mutt." he muttered kissing her forehead, "come on."

He picked up her bag, and picked her up, carrying her in his arms, they explained to Kaede and continued to the well. He looked around the area and jumped in, sending a blue light around him and the girl in his arms.

"Mom? Souta?…Gramps?" she called as Inuyasha carried her through the kitchen and up the stairs.

He dropped her bag by her desk and dropped her on the bed. The bed bounced from the force, bobbing her up and down as she giggled. She slowly slid off, ignoring protests form Inuyasha and hopped to her doorway.

"Mom? Souta?" she asked again waiting for a reply.

"Your mom's asleep." he answered her, his ears twitching toward the hallway, and your brother…has those funny things in his ears, when he plays those vid-e-o games" he finished walking down her hallway.

He stopped at a door with light shining from beneath it and opened it to find a chip bag and soda can laden floor and a very intense looking Souta sitting in the middle of it. He had headphones on and was gripping a controller tightly in his hands, tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth, and muttered "faster, faster" every couple seconds or so.

Inuyasha just laughed as a hobbling Kagome came up behind him. "Souta?" she called down to the boy in front of her.

"He can't hear you because of those funny black things on his ears" Inuyasha responded as if explaining the most simple thing.

"I know" she said exasperatedly, "but were standing practically right in front of him."

Inuyasha walked over and pulled the devise off a surprised boy's head. "Oi, runt, you gonna ignore us all day? If we were a youkai you'd be dead by now."

"Inuyasha!" Souta yelled jumping up to hug the giant form in front of him. "Kagome, what wrong?" he asked turning to his sister.

"Nothing Souta" she cried tears running down her cheeks from the sight of him. She held her arms open to him and he hugged her tight as she cried in his arms. She finally let go and russled his hair as she stood up straight.

"Kagome are you sure your ok?" Souta asked again staring up at his older sister.

"Yeah I'm-"

"She's fine, it's just those stupid girl emotions. Feh whatever" Inuyasha cut her off as he crossed his arms, and walked away.

Kagome just smiled at Souta. "Sit boy."

After Inuyasha had recovered, he had made himself perfectly comfortable in the Goshinboku outside, while Kagome stayed in to spend time with Souta. After hours had passed he decided he didn't want to wait around any longer, Kagome was hurt, she'd recover here, and he didn't particularly want to wait with her with all those pestering, and at times painful, noises and smells.

"Kagome?" he called quietly through the house.

She had not been in bed and he knew it was late, she was probably still with the runt. He made his way down the hall silently, never making a sound lest he would wake someone, and slowly opened the boys bedroom door. He found Souta in front of his TV screen, controller still in hand, playing another game, headphones still on his head. Inuyasha just waved him arms to get Souta's attention.

"Hey Inuyasha" he whispered taking a swig of coke.

"Where's Kagome?" he asked the kid just as quietly, and saw where the boy pointed his finger to across the room.

Kagome lay on the end of his bed, she was on her stomach with her arms draping over the sides. Her head was tilted to the side showing her pink cheeks and long eyelashes that gently fluttered as she slept. Her hair fell in small pieces over her face, not enough to hide her beauty, but only to accentuate it; the rest of it flowed behind her in a pool of ink over her shoulders and topped over the edge, leaving a curtain of black along the blanket. He felt his heart stop for a moment, and realized just how beautiful she was, her soft skin that he could almost feel in his memory, her large brown eyes, that when open, always sparkled just for him, that soft, touchable hair with a scent that made him weak.

"Inuyasha?" Souta asked for the forth time, "could you stop looking at my sister like that? It's freaking me out." he complained taking another sip from the can.

Inuyasha only laughed and walked over to her, delicately brushing the bangs from her face. "You should be sleeping soon too runt" he told Souta as he slowly picked up the sleeping girl.

He only nodded at Inuyasha while he took his sister out of his room and into the darkened hall.

Inuyasha cradled the soft bundle in his arms almost rocking her as he finally entered her bedroom, and after pushing the door open with his foot, slowly laid the girl onto her bed. He pulled the covers out from under her and covered her to make sure she would be warm all night. He leaned by the bed and kissed her cheek softly and whispered in her ear, "I love you, Kagome." Kissing her once more and made to stand up only to find she had unknowingly held onto his haori, delicately grasping it, as she made a soft whining noise in her sleep.

"She doesn't want me to leave, whether she realizes it or not she doesn't want me to go" he thought, suddenly thankful to have the girl before him. The girl that accepted him and loved him for who he was; she didn't pity him, she didn't think he was half-breed, lower than herself, she didn't even want him to become human. She honestly loved him for who he was, he didn't know what he had done to deserve it, in all honesty he knew he didn't, but he crawled up next to her, and kissed her on the nose. "For tonight Kagome, no one to bother us, no monk with his insinuations, no whining kitsune, and no demons, tonight it's only you and me, together" he spoke softly in her ear.

She turned in her sleep and cuddled up to the warm body next to her. "I love you Inuyasha" she murmured, as she tucked her head under his chin and fell back asleep.

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A/N: well there you go as promised. And over 3000 hits, woot for me! Please don't forget to review, and have a good night I guess, hopefully I'll update some time in the middle of this week. So go review review review.