He had shed his own blood for her, carved the bloody shards from his own body to free himself from Kikyou's grasp. He lay, motionless, fading red eyes wide open, unblinking. Slowly, they faded to a dark amber, though the magenta stripes that crawled along his cheeks refused to blend back with his flesh. His chest didn't move with his breaths, But a hand moved forward. A short, sharp breath cut across his lips as he realized the crimson blood that drenching his fingers. He hadn't meant to hurt her, and it killed him inside to know that she was in pain because of him. The guilt was too much, the shame overpowering, enough to make him curl up and die.
His eyes slowly clouded over as his arm curled over the motionless girl's bleeding body. The feel of her skin was heaven against his. How wonderful it felt to touch her again, see her in person just one last time. But if he died now, it would hardly be in peace. She was dying right under his limp arm. The color had flushed from her face and the warmth from her skin. He would never forgive himself, and still would never after all the things he had done to her. He would live with that forever.
"S-Sor..ry..." He muttered, blood running down his chin from his pale lips. Without the jewel shards, he had nothing to keep him alive. With a hole in his heart, he was dying, but he had done it for her. He couldn't bear to rip his nails through her one last time. He would rather die than to take her life, and that was the path he had chosen.
The grass had been stained a dark red, a pool of it, drenched in the crimson color. Their blood was mixed, as it had always meant to be. Now it was clear, Kagome had been destined to live Kikyou's life. That meant a child. Their blood mixed in a baby between the two. If it had not been for the hatred driven priestess, maybe it would have gone that way.
Kagome's lips trembled, a tiny breath squeezing through the slit between the two candy lips. Her whole body jerked, and the pain rippled through her. Her eyes cringed as she struggled to move against the horrible white hot pain that glued her to the spot. But, it was a miracle, though the blood flowed out of her and the pain seared across her flesh, that she was alive. She couldn't ask for more other than to hear a small breath leave the lips of the figure beside her.
Inuyasha.
Her eyes snapped open, surprising her that even that hurt. She shifted, crying out softly, but no one heard but the blue jays that scurried from the trees. The determined miko pushed herself up on her uninjured shoulder, arm propping her up as the hanyou's cold limb fell from around her waist. A shrill screech of the boy's name echoed through the forest.
He hadn't killed her, he had never wanted to, and never meant to hurt her. Had he given his own life to spare hers? Was that really something he would dare do? Had her Inuyasha died for her?
Kagome sat quickly, hunching over as the fiery pain shook her entire form, forcing it to tremble with the pain that was enough to make her want to die on the spot. But she knew she couldn't. Not here and not now. The boy who lay beside her, lifelessly still, she needed to hold.
Each movement she made burned like a branding across her pale skin as she pulled the freezing hanyou into her arms. She pressed her back to a nearby tree, tears trailing down her cheeks from pain and sorrow that nothing could calm but Inuyasha's voice. It wasn't going to happen, was it?
The limp hanyou lay in Kagome's lap, eyes staring blank and lifeless to the sky. The miko choked on the dead look. She wished he would breath, blink, anything that told her he was still living. The future, the slim hope, looked grim. But the miko wouldn't give up. Never. She trailed her fingers through his silver, blood streaked hair. She begged him to blink or breath, her fingers pressing to his cheeks.
"Please!" She suddenly shouted through the pain, out of her pain. She shook her head wildly, refusing to believe the blood that trailed over his lips and chin. Her back slammed harshly to the back of the tree, the pain spreading through her and the stinging scent of blood rushing through the air once more.
It was too much, the pain was getting to her, and her eyes were starting to cloud over. She blinked to clear the black haze, but only managed to catch the hanyou's lids slide closed and his face fall to the side, cheek pressed to her scratched and abused thighs before her own head fell limp.
A twig snapped somewhere in the distance, a bird chirped solemnly. The weak and dying battle screams of a man and woman echoed through the near empty trees. Robbins took flight, squirrels scurried up the trunks of trees. All living creatures fled from the blood reeking space, all but the charcoal crows remained; the sign of death.
The black winged creatures squaked noisily, their stick legs smothered in a thick layer of red. They pranced about, poking their inky black beaks into the grass. Another cawed suddenly, spiked toenails catching in the red fabric it stood in. It writhed from the clothing, ripping a slight hole in it before taking flight and brushed through the canopy of leaves above.
A gentle groan lifted from nearly blue lips, a slight ripple of movement disturbed the pool of red over pale skin. The former crow's perch twitched for a split second, though lips were pale as the moon that struggled to push the sun from its spot.
Gently, they moved, brushing against the alabaster skin his head lay upon. Another deathly groan pulled through his throat. His slightly moist tongue moved out, slowly, to take in the taste of salty skin. His hand gradually moved up to touch the silken flesh with trembling and horribly weak fingers.
Another sharp gasp tore through the air, the pale legs beneath the hanyou's head jerking slightly in a mild but weak flinch. Her long lashes fluttered open, the setting sun assaulting her unadjusted eyes. She glanced down at the boy's curling brows as he touched her thigh. A smile pulled to her lips. So they had both survive an hour or two of rest when she was so sure they would never awaken to see the light of day again.
Kagome raised a trembling hand to brush his sweat soaked bangs from his forehead. He looked like he was in so much pain. The wound that crawled down her shoulder and back was nothing compared to the hole through his heart that she had created. She had to say something, parting her lips to mutter his name when the boy's eyes snapped open.
His irises trembled, his lips quivering as she tried to speak out to him again. He looked paralyzed, laying so still against her coldened legs. She was proved completely wrong when some kind of miracle helped him throw himself up to her and press his mouth against hers.
The miko wavered, eyes shooting wide as their lips touched despite the near death state the hanyou was in. Her hands caressed his cheeks, fingers running through his hair as she felt cool relief spread through her. She swore it was a dream, when the kiss only continued with a sorrowful passion that she could hardly match.
They were alive.
They were going to make it out together.
"K-Ka...Kago...me..." He stammered her name helplessly when their mouths departed. He breathed heavily as the miko ease him back down to rest his head against her breasts like a caring mother. Inuyasha lay quietly, lips working to speak though no words escaped. He wanted to beg for her forgiveness while he still could, but nothing came.
"I-I...dreamed about you...before I even knew you." Kagome whispered, her trembling fingers tracing along the hanyou's cheek. Her words soothed him, coaxing his eyes to slip closed and his rigid body to relax. "And you know…When I watched you…when I…I…I knew it was over…I prayed to god I'd never forget who you are. You mean everything to me."
Inuyasha's eyes moved beneath the lids, searching the depth of her words, searching for something she hadn't yet said. His thumb caressed over her creamy white skin that covered her legs. His chest moved only slightly with the weak breaths that he took. His state was critical, his life fading even now as the sparkling jewels lay feet away.
"I need you…I love you. If you still love me…I…I love you, too, Inuyasha." Kagome murmured, her eyes fluttering closed as she fought away the pain that entered her voice. Her heart did a painful flip as she realized the weak words that met the hanyou's ears, fluttering his eyes open with a blank look.
His ears twitched, his amber eyes blinked as he lay motionless with the miko's fingers tracing over the purple strips along his cheeks. His lips slowly parted, features freezing in a blank look until he was sure she hadn't even said it at all.
"Say it again." He requested, firm through his weakening form.
"Say what?"
"What...what you just said...Say it again."
"No. You heard me."
"I wanna hear you say it again."
"...No."
"...Why?"
"Because I don't want to...say it again...you heard me the first time."
"Say it one more time, Kagome...please..."
"...I love you..."
It hurt for him to speak, but listening to her delicate voice soothed him. As she said it again, the words seemed even more illusive. But he forced away his own pain, his mind's protesting, and let his heart speak for the first time in his entire life.
"Kagome…I…never stopped loving you. I-…I love you, too, Kagome. I always will." He finally replied, amber eyes gently closing once more to release a weak breath. He felt like he was dying, or already dead. This had to be heaven, resting against Kagome, cold flesh or not. It felt like heaven just to touch her one last time.
A smile touched Kagome's lips, fingers trailing through the hanyou's silver hair. It felt so soft, so wonderful against her cold and stiff fingers. It was just an amazing miracle to be able to touch him after so long, when she swore the last kiss would be the last one. But the feel of his kiss still lingered on her lips, and it felt so right.
Slowly, the smile faded, mind wandering to the day before. Just a day before, so many hours and kisses ago, and the pain was still fresh.
Silence. That horrible silence that Kagome loved and hated at the same exact time. She wanted something to break the silence, but anything than what followed. She couldn't help but lock her eyes onto the two as Inuyasha sank against her, his lips covering hers, pressing tightly, and holding her in what seemed like an everlasting kiss.
Why?
"Why? Why did you kiss her if you love me?" The miko questioned, thin brows curling inward as her fingers stopped dead in his silken hair. More than physical pain washed over her. The kiss played over and over in her mind, his words to her anything but matching it.
His silent lips frightened her, raised a horrible lump of pain into her throat. It was hard to fight down the words that she could almost hear now.
'I love her too. I didn't mean for you to find out.'
She could feel the tears forming behind her eyes, prickling them sharply until it stung to keep back the salty liquid.
"I don't know...I just...didn't think. I just thought...it would make everything better. I don't know how people feel, so I don't know how I should feel, Who I should love...I never learned...or...If I did...I forgot." Inuyasha whispered back, so slowly that it hurt Kagome just to listen, just waiting for those horrible words.
"Why?" She asked, her voice hoarse and cracking.
"I never knew someone enough." The dog demon answered, his voice just as choked. The pain that sept into her single word made him feel like walking over broken glass. Miles, he would walk just to make those tears disappear.
"Why?" She repeated.
A soft sigh broke into the air, and Kagome couldn't hold back from tickling her fingertips over his ears. Did he hear her broken voice? Could he see her broken heart? Did he care?
"I push people away, Kagome. That's just what I do. I keep people at a distance so that I won't miss them when they're gone, so they won't miss me when I'm gone. But it didn't work. It's too late now." He answered, his voice slowly regaining its strength though his body slowly weakened. Some empty part inside of him was growing larger, and pushing out the strength.
"Why? Why do you have to do that? It's so much better to regret what you've done than to regret what you haven't done. It's so much easier to just let it out before it ends…before it's too late." Kagome replied, fingers pulling away the mane of silver hair so she could gaze upon his pale features. Those blank amber eyes, those magenta streaks, those dark bags under his eyes and clammy skin. He looked like he was dead.
"You don't understand. Love is a battle. You can't win. If you fall in love, you lose. And I've already lost. I hate losing, Kagome…but I just can't help falling in love with you."
"Inuyasha..." She murmured his name, a smile forming on her lips as his soothing words chased away the remaining sadness and fear left within her. She wiped a drop of blood from his lower lip, feeling the red drips of his blood splattered on her face burn in the realization they were still there.
"Well, well...what a love triangle"
A growl ripped from the hanyou's throat his eyes snapping open as he thrust himself over Kagome as a human shield. He wasn't about to let another person lay a hand on her now that they had finally confessed their feelings for each other, driven over that bump, and poured their guts out. He wouldn't dare let it all go to waste. Fangs bared, his fingers flexed threateningly as his amber eyes rest upon the sudden speaker.
"I remember when you used to say those kinds of things to me." Kikyou muttered scornfully, eyes narrowing at the miko.
Alive.
Not her plan.
That didn't mean there still wasn't a chance to end the two lovers' lives.
..:--.--..-.-.-.--.-.-..--:..
One word...FINALLY!
Yes, this chapter took forever and I'm not entirely sure why.
So here it is, enjoy, leave lovely reviews, and please try to refrain from hitting me over the heady with anything in reach.
I need a body guard.
Oi...