Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.
Ranma sat on the roof of the Tendo house, as he had much of the time since coming back from the shrine. He sighed as he looked out over the Nerima ward, seeing the lights flick on one by one as the sun started to go down. Due to it being summer, the days were longer and it was later than it felt. He wondered what everything would be like the day after tomorrow.
Would everything around him be the same?
He had no reason why it shouldn't be. He was the one that was changing after all.
After he and Akane had left the shrine, they had spent much of the time talking about what he was going to do. Akane urged him to think about it, to weigh up the pros and cons of the choice he had been given. Kagome and Inuyasha hadn't been shy about the information he would need. Inuyasha had made it perfectly clear to him that there would be another side to him. Another side that would, at times, be difficult to control.
He had told them about the times he had lost control and his youkai had taken over. Kagome had told them how he had been as he couldn't remember what had happened or what he had done while in that state. Part of Ranma had no trouble visualizing the damage Inuyasha could do. He glanced down at the claws gracing the hanyou's fingertips and found himself wondering how strong they actually were.
Once they had gotten home and been able to spend time alone together, he and Akane had sat down and talked about it. She helped him to weigh up the pros and cons of either choice he made. And if he was completely honest, the knowledge that he could lose control at any moment was the only real con he could think of.
He had thought about it pretty much constantly for a week before he went back to the shrine. He had told them he wanted to do it. He wanted to know what it was he came from. He wanted to know that part of his heritage.
When he thought about it, really thought about it, what they had told him made sense. He reasoned that if there wasn't something else there within his blood, he wouldn't have responded to Sesshomaru's call. He had done it again when Akane was there, taking them all completely by surprise and once again he felt like he had just been zapped by a live wire. Even Akane had noticed that he had immediately changed while all she had was a ringing in her ears. Something Kagome said was normal after one of those things.
She'd grumbled that even after five hundred years, it still hurt her ears.
He had been pleased to see that after the initial awkwardness and judgement from Kagome, the two of them were getting along. The two of them had disappeared for quite a while when he had gone round there and neither would tell him or Inuyasha what they had spoken about. Apparently Kagome had managed to work out how to create a barrier that was so thick, he couldn't hear what was being said behind it. He'd grumbled when she'd put it up before stating that it had taken her two hundred years to perfect that one.
And not only that, it was a spiritual barrier, which meant that any nosy youkai or – more than likely – hanyou would get zapped if they got too close.
Inuyasha had taken the time to explain that if they were to do it, he would require something that could hold his demon blood. He had then explained about Tessaiga, pointing out the old katana that Ranma had noticed but not really paid attention to. Inuyasha had taken out of the glass case it was in, bringing it to where Ranma was sat before nodding for him to follow him outside, out the back of the shrine where they had taken to sparring when the shrine had closed for the day. He had then passed the katana to Ranma, who had slid it out of the sheath, seeing nothing more than a dull and nicked blade that didn't look as though it could cut wet paper. When he'd said as much, Inuyasha had smirked and told him to toss the blade over. Upon doing so, Ranma's jaw dropped at the sight of the rust old blade he had just been holding transforming into what he could only call a fang. From what he could see it was as long as Inuyasha was tall. Inuyasha gave him another smirk as he held his hand out for the sheath which Ranma realised he was still holding.
They had both turned when they'd heard Kagome yelling out the window, telling Inuyasha that he'd better not 'Wind Scar' anything, whatever that meant. When he had asked, Inuyasha had just told him he'd show him sometime.
He had then gone on to explain that while Tessaiga was a formidable weapon, one that he had felled many enemies with, it had a dual purpose. It had been reforged at the request of his father to contain his youkai blood. While he now had control over that side of him, there was still a chance that he could lose control so he kept Tessaiga close. He had explained that if Ranma was absolutely sure that he wanted to let his youkai blood out the they would need to have something created to control it. Inuyasha had admitted that that was the reason he had introduced Ranma to Totosai.
Ranma had been unbelieving at the hanyou's words but Inuyasha had explained that it was the old swordsmith that had created Tessaiga and the twin blade that Sesshomaru had possession of, the Tenseiga. Inuyasha had given him another smirk when Ranma had pointed out that walking around with a sword wasn't exactly something a person could hide – unless you were Mousse of course – letting Ranma know that while Totosai was essentially a swordsmith, he was the only one they knew of that could forge something for the purpose of containing a hanyou's youkai blood.
He'd knew he was being judged by the old man.
Akane had asked him numerous times if he was sure and while he knew why she was asking, he was getting tired of repeating that he was sure. He just had to trust that they knew what they were doing.
~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~
Ranma took a deep breath as he and Akane stood at the bottom of the stairs. He could see out of the corner of his eye that she was fighting with herself whether to ask if he was sure, before there was no turning back.
He managed to avoid the question by starting up the steps, turning to look back at her as she stood there, watching him. He gave her a small smile and she returned it, following him, keeping step easily. The two of them stood at the top of the stairs, watching as the sunset turned the buildings of the shrine various different colours, pinks and purples splaying across the grey stones in front of them.
They walked over to the main shrine building, where Kagome had told them they would be setting everything up. She had reasoned that as it was larger, it would give maximum manoeuvrability if it was needed and it would allow her to create a large barrier to ensure that nothing was drawn to them by any energy that would be released.
They had explained what would happen. Essentially it was extremely simple. All that needed to happen was for Inuyasha to release the youki from where it had been locked away inside Honoka's blood and was still locked within Ranma's. It sounded simple but they had told him that it would be exhausting, the amount of energy required was extreme.
He had also been told that it would hurt.
A lot.
Inuyasha had also warned him that when he came to after they had finished, whenever that would be, he wouldn't be himself. He wouldn't be the Ranma that anyone else knew. At least not to begin with. He would be running on instinct and would need grounding. His senses would be on overdrive and there wouldn't be anything he could do about it until everything settled.
That was one of the reasons Akane had come with him. She was there to support Ranma, so he knew he wasn't going into it alone but her presence had a dual purpose. She was also there to help ground Ranma. Kagome and Inuyasha had told them that if there was someone that Ranma recognised, in sight and scent that was connected to his everyday life, it would help bring him back to himself quicker. She had been willing to do whatever she could to help Ranma.
They slid open the door to the shrine, seeing Inuyasha and Kagome already there. The only thing that they could see that wouldn't have been there normally was a large pile of cushions and from what he could tell, furs, in the centre of the shrine. He had to wonder what those were for as he and Akane took off their shoes, dropping their bags next to them, walking up to the couple.
Getting out of the Tendo home and giving the excuse of a training trip while they were off school had been extremely easy. The both of them knew that Soun and Genma were not about to stop them from taking a training trip just the two of them. The only thing was, they'd had to wait until Kasumi had left on her daily trip to the market. Being old fashioned as she was, she worried about the two of them being alone together. She wouldn't be happy when she found out but at that point, there wouldn't be much she could do about it. Either way, it gave them at least a week for Ranma to be able to adjust to the changes he would no doubt go through.
Kagome walked up to the two of them, wrapping Ranma in a hug which startled him slightly before he hugged her back. If this worked then she would know for certain that he descendant had been found and she would have her family back. She pulled away, placing a hand on Akane's shoulder, leading her towards two plush cushions on the far side of the shrine.
"Whatever happens," she said softly as they sat down, "do not move off of that cushion." Akane turned to look at her, seeing her watching the two males in the centre of the room. "Anything you do, could get you hurt." She looked towards Ranma and Inuyasha who were walking towards the pile in the centre of the room.
"What's with the cushions and furs?" Akane asked and Kagome gave her a small smile.
"They're literally drenched in Inuyasha's scent." Kagome explained, "when Ranma comes to, he's going to be disoriented and there is nothing more grounding to an Inu than the scent of family. While he'll have Inuyasha there, the materials around him have also absorbed Inuyasha's scent."
"Magnifying it," Akane concluded and Kagome nodded, a pleased smile on her face.
The two of them turned to look back at the two men on the other side of the room, seeing that Inuyasha was leading Ranma into the centre of the pile, getting him to sit down.
Ranma was nervous and he knew that Inuyasha could tell. He saw the Inu turn to Kagome and nod. She smiled at the two of them before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. He watched her as the walls of the shrine seemed to glow a soft pink, slowly getting brighter before the light shifted inwards, creating a dome that encompassed the four of them. She opened her eyes, nodding to Inuyasha, who settled behind Ranma, moving the strap of the tank he wore away from his neck. He had asked him to remove his outer shirt, leaving him in the tank he had taken to wearing underneath, to allow the hanyou access to his neck. The thought had Ranma freaking out a little but he remembered that Inuyasha was going to have to bite him to release the youkai blood in him.
Yup, still slightly freaked.
"Last chance, kid," Inuyasha said softly and Ranma could feel his breath on his shoulder. "If you don't want to do this, just say the word."
Ranma's only response was to tilt his head, baring more of his skin to Inuyasha. Apparently it appeased the Inu as he wrapped the fingers of one had around his shoulder and the other around his forehead, pulling his head to the side a little more, exposing more of his throat.
Ranma closed his eyes and sucked in a breath as he heard Inuyasha let out a low growl before he felt his fangs brush gently across his skin at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. He couldn't stop the slight whimper that broke free as the same fangs sunk deep into his skin, held in place by Inuyasha's superior strength.
Inuyasha pushed past the taste of Ranma's blood on his tongue, allowing a little more of his youkai free, a slight red haze taking over his sight, knowing that his eyes had most likely turned a faint red, his claws lengthening around Ranma and his fangs digging deeper into the boys flesh as his fangs elongated. He heard Ranma's grunt of pain as he felt the hanyou's fangs slicing into the muscles beneath his flesh and he rumbled deep in his chest, almost a purr to calm the boy. His youkai knew that was family, could sense it and wasn't pleased that it's family was in pain.
He felt Ranma relax against him slightly, as much as he could do with a set of extremely large fangs in his shoulder and Inuyasha continued the soothing sound, needing the boy as calm as possible lest he hurt himself.
He closed his eyes, pulling on his own youki and pouring it through the bite into Ranma, allowing it to fill him completely. Inuyasha pushed searching for that long locked away part of Ranma, the youki that had been buried in the human generations. He pushed even further into the depths of Ranma's very lifeblood with his own power, feeling the thrum of the youki he had been searching for. As though he was hunting through the forest for his next meal as a youngster, he followed the trail that would lead to releasing the power inside Ranma.
Forcing his way deeper, he felt the familiar tingle of the Inu youki that belonged to every member of his family. Extending his own around it, he worked on coaxing it to the surface which wasn't easy after two hundred years and several generations of being locked away. His own youki forming a tight grip on Ranma's, he withdrew, pulling it with him to allow it to merge with the human side of Ranma. It followed him slowly, the consciousness that all youki had tentative while the instinctive part wanted nothing more than to surge forward. It was that part that would need to be contained. It was that part of Inuyasha's own youki that had to be contained when he was younger, before he managed to gain more control over it. He still had to make sure he was aware in stressful situations – with thankfully were less in the modern age – but the majority of the time, he had it under control.
He would now need to teach Ranma that control.
Inuyasha withdrew, Ranma's own youki surging through his blood, merging with the human make-up the boy already had. Inuyasha's youki remained on the surface, ensuring that it wouldn't fully take over the boy. As Ranma's elder and ancestor, he was the boy's Alpha and for the moment, the youkai instincts and youki that were currently twisting their way into his very DNA seemed to realise that.
He had no doubt that it would challenge that before long.
But Inuyasha would be ready when it happened.
Instincts telling him when the newly released power within the boy had settled down, Inuyasha pulled his own youki back completely, taking it back within himself and removing his fangs from Ranma's neck. He let out a soft growl, laying the two of them down on the furs they had been sat on. The boy had passed out which wasn't a surprise to the hanyou.
He heard movement from the other side of the room, his youkai instincts clutching the boy closer to him, a loud growl rippling through the air as whoever it was approached.
"Easy," he heard the soft tones he knew as well as he did his own voice float over towards him, relaxing slightly as the familiar and welcome scent washed over him. Mate. "Akane," his attention was drawn to the other body that had followed his mate over, seeing the trembling girl in front of him, clutching Ranma's unconscious form tighter to his chest as he let out a snarl. "Akane, very slowly, put your hand in front of his face."
"W-what?" He could hear the fear in the girls' voice, the tone familiar to him somehow but his instincts viewing her as a potential threat.
"Inuyasha's youkai is in control at the moment," he let out another low growl as his mate addressed the girl, "but you've been around enough that he knows your scent. Inu's rely on scent far more than anything else. Once he can smell you, he should settle."
"O-okay,"
He kept a close eye as his mate leaned over and grasped the girls hand, bringing it slowly towards him. Another low growl erupted from his chest, a warning and the girl went to pull away but his mate grasped her hand tighter, not allowing her to move away.
"It's okay," he felt the touch of his mate, one he would recognise anywhere on the top of his head, gently rubbing the base of one of his ears as he kept a keen eye on the hands in front of him. "She's a friend. She's okay."
He could smell the fear coming from the girl as he pulled in a large quantity of air through his nose, her scent becoming familiar to him. Letting out a snort, he realised this was his family's potential mate. He let out one last snort, seeing her tense before he moved back into his mate's hand, her ministrations on his ear continuing.
"We need to turn Ranma over." Kagome looked over to Akane, letting go of her hand. The girl was transfixed on the Inu that until moments ago had been snarling at her in an extremely threatening way. She knew that Inuyasha wouldn't have hurt the girl, not while she was there but she also knew it was for the best that she remind him of Akane's scent. Due to the sheer amount of power he had had to exert, his youkai was in control and would probably remain that way until he woke. He was exhausted, she could see that. Unfortunately, that made him even more dangerous than normal. Akane looked up at her, a look of terror in her eyes and she could see she wanted to refuse. "When Ranma wakes up, he's going to be overwhelmed and confused. The first thing he needs to know is that he's with family, that he's safe. The most effective way to do that is through scent."
She looked down at Inuyasha again, who while he was no longer growling at her, clearly had a keen eye on her.
"We need to turn him so he's facing Inuyasha, that way the first thing he'll smell and see is Inuyasha himself." Kagome reiterated and Akane gulped not wanting to get any closer to the youkai controlled hanyou.
"So that he knows he's safe?"
"Exactly." Kagome leaned over Inuyasha, looking up at Akane. "Don't worry, I'll move Inuyasha, you just need to turn Ranma over as quickly as you can."
Akane nodded, kneeling down on the soft furs the two of them were lying on. She kept an eye on Inuyasha who let out a particularly vicious snarl as Kagome moved his arms but he made no move to stop her as she soothed him. She clearly had experience dealing with this side of him and she looked up at Akane, nodding. Glancing down at Inuyasha, Akane noticed a very faint pink glow coming from Kagome's hands, a paler colour than the barrier currently encasing them. She knew Kagome was a priestess so maybe she was using her spiritual power to keep Inuyasha back. It would make sense. She tried her best to ignore the blood that was running from Ranma's shoulder, Kagome telling her that while it looked bad, it would most likely be healed by morning. Akane had her doubts but didn't voice them.
She managed to roll Ranma over and Kagome released Inuyasha who rapidly clutched the boy to his chest, looking every bit the protective Inu.
"Umm . . . Kagome?" Kagome hummed as she moved away from the hanyou, walking round to where Akane was still kneeling, staring at Ranma. "Do you see this?"
Kagome let out a small gasp as she saw what Akane had. Two thick streaks of silver now ran through Ranma's previously solid black hair, glittering in the shimmering light of the barrier, much like Inuyasha's was. But that wasn't the only thing Akane had noticed.
"Kagome," the woman turned to look down at Akane, following her line of sight, a wide smile forming on her face. "Where are Ranma's ears?"
Kagome moved again, settling right next to Inuyasha's head, reaching down slowly, not fearful of but still slightly wary of the hanyou at the moment. Akane couldn't blame her. She was downright terrified at the moment.
But at the same time, she couldn't help but watch in wonder as Kagome, brushed Ranma's hair aside and hooking her finger slightly, gently pulling it up and revealing on one side and then the other, a pair of dog ears, much the same as Inuyasha's. The only difference was that they were black, save for a tiny spot of silver on each tip. Immediately after Kagome released them, they crinkled back down, resting just on top of his hair, not sinking back underneath as they had been before.
"Like we said, youkai genetics," Kagome giggled, running her fingers over Ranma's new ears once again. Kagome motioned for her to come closer and she very slowly did, knowing that Inuyasha's red eyes were following her every movement. Kagome grasped her hand once more, moving her fingers so they lightly brushed against the outside of the new ear and she gasped softly, feeling it twitch against her finger before settling back into its slightly creased position. "Don't worry, if he's anything like Inuyasha they'll perk right up."
Inuyasha let out another snort followed by a soft growl as he watched the two of them marvelling over his family. His instincts had calmed slightly, knowing the other girl was not a threat but she was not family. The two of them stood up, each moving to either side of the furs that surrounded him and his family. They each picked one up and very gently laid them over the two males. Inuyasha was immediately engulfed in his own scent and he rumbled low in his chest as the furs covered him. He clutched the unconscious teen closer as his mate leaned in, pressing her nose into his hair, whispering to him before covering the both of them, blocking out any and all light.
Satisfied that there were no threats that could harm his family, he buried his nose into the boy's hair, inhaling the scent that was familiar and not at the same time, memorising it before he closed his eyes, allowing himself to rest.
~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~
Inuyasha woke with a groan, his head splitting and his mouth tasting like something had died in it. He stretched out his neck as much as he could, his nose catching the scent that was mixed up with his.
The unmistakeable scent of hanyou.
Ranma.
Inuyasha knew that it had worked through the teen's scent alone and he relaxed a little, breathing him in. He needed to know the scent as well as he did his own. He had to protect Ranma. It was his job as his Alpha to do so.
He managed to pull his arm up, breaking through the thick furs enough so that his head stuck out but kept Ranma completely covered. He pulled the furs around himself again, tucking them around him so his scent remained trapped within the thick folds of the furs wrapped around him and the teen.
"Afternoon, sleepy head." He turned his head, seeing Kagome walking over to him. He gave her a soft smile as she knelt down, her fingers gently rubbing behind his ear. He couldn't have stopped the purr that erupted from his chest even if he had realised it was coming. "How're you feeling?"
"Like I've gone ten rounds with Sesshomaru in human form," he grumbled and she giggled.
"Here," she held up a bottle of water, equipped with straw so he could have something to drink, knowing he wouldn't want to move away from Ranma.
"What time is it?" He asked, wondering how much of the day he had slept away.
"It's just after four in the afternoon." Kagome put the bottle down next to her, brushing his bangs away from his face. "You obviously exhausted yourself last night."
"But to sleep pretty much the whole day away . . ." he knew he had good reason but it still made him feel kinda lazy.
"You needed it," she said softly, her eyes drifting towards the lump next to Inuyasha showing where Ranma was cradled against the hanyou. "The both of you did."
"What about the shrine?" He asked, noticing they hadn't been moved – not that anyone would have dared try. Even Sesshomaru knew better than to try and interfere with one of his pack protecting a pup. He noticed that the barrier was still up, reasoning that it would also come in handy should Ranma really freak when he woke up. It would give him a nice little zap, indicating he couldn't go any further.
"We've put a closed sign on the post at the bottom. A couple of people have asked so Mom's told them that we discovered a wasp's nest and we're going to be closed for the next couple of days. He raised an eyebrow at the time frame and she shrugged. "It's not like there's a manual for this kind of thing. We didn't know how long the two of you were going to take to wake up." He noticed Akane sitting on the other side of the room, as close to the barrier as she could get. "She's um . . . a little afraid of you after last night."
"Oh no," he groaned realising that Akane must have been introduced to his youkai form in a less than polite way. "What happened?"
"Just some growling and a couple of particularly nasty snarls." Kagome shrugged and Inuyasha sighed. He had known that his youkai taking complete control was a risk but he hadn't gone berserk in centuries and his youkai had a pack member to protect. It obviously hadn't seen the young girl as much of a threat. "Don't worry Akane, he's regular Inuyasha again."
The girl looked apprehensive before she moved slowly forwards to where Kagome was kneeling and he was still cocooned in furs. "I'm sorry if I scared you last night, Akane," he was. He'd heard how terrifying his youkai form could be, how vicious it was and he hated that he had put yet another person through seeing that.
"It's okay," he could hear the slight tremble in her voice and he knew that no matter what she had been through in her short life so far, she hadn't ever seen anything like he had been the night before. She probably realised that in front of her was a creature that would have no qualms about killing her. "I know that you were just really protective of Ranma." She glanced down towards where she could just about make out his still form underneath the mountain of furs encasing the two of them.
"He's fine," Inuyasha said softly, his hold tightening ever so slightly. "He's sleeping at the moment, which is best. But his heartbeat is strong."
She nodded but her eyes and stiff posture still showed her wariness. He rested his head down, letting out a soft sigh. He heard slight movement behind him, paying it no mind until an unfamiliar hand was guided to the base of his ear.
He stiffened slightly, his ears flattening against his head until expert fingers guided new, uncertain ones to begin a gentle massage. That combined with the warm, cosy cocoon he was currently wrapped up in, he quickly found himself relaxing, a low purr rumbling from his chest as his eyes began to feel heavy.
"I told you," he heard Kagome giggle, "a good ear rub and he's no more dangerous than a puppy." He decided to let that remark go because for not having done it before, Akane gave good ear rubs.
Inuyasha knew the momentRanma began to wake.
He was instantly alert as he felt the boys' breathing change, his heart beat move from the steady slow tempo that indicated sleep to a much faster, uneven rate that could indicate minor panic.
"Move away," he warned and Kagome immediately grabbed Akane, pulling her away from the two of them. Inuyasha didn't move for a moment, feeling Ranma shift in his arms. He felt him tense and knew that he was awake enough to be aware. What he didn't know, was he going to be cognitive and rational or was he going to be running on pure instinct? Inuyasha was betting on the latter.
He tightened his grip as a growl rumbled through the teen, confirming that Ranma's instincts were on high alert and he was perceiving the furs he was encased in as a threat. He pressed his face into his chest, ensuring that the only scent he could find would be that of Inuyasha.
Ranma let out another growl as he realised he was being restrained, working hard to try and free himself. Inuyasha had ensured that the teen's arms were pinned in between the two of them, folded up against Ranma's chest, his palms facing the boy so he wouldn't be able to use the new claws that would tip his fingers. However, due to his face being pressed against Inuyasha's chest, his teeth were also in close proximity.
Unfortunately for Inuyasha, that's what he chose to use.
"Ow!" He winced, feeling the scrape of Ranma's new fangs against his chest.
"Claws?" Kagome asked, a grim look on her face as she watched what was happening.
"Teeth," she winced in sympathy and Akane dreaded to think of what Ranma was going through.
Inuyasha shifted his arm to wrap around the back of Ranma's neck, his gripping the back of the boys' head as he held him tighter, not allowing him the minute manoeuvrability he had had a moment ago. Working to restrict his movement so he wouldn't hurt either himself or Inuyasha, he threaded his fingers into Ranma's hair, blinking in slight surprise as his fingers brushed against something on the top of his head.
Inuyasha didn't have a chance to dwell on the fact that there was now a pair of dog ears, quite possibly not unlike his own sitting atop Ranma's head as the teen in question upped his struggles. Inuyasha took a chance, gently rubbing one of his ears and rumbling low in his chest, emitting the same purr he had the previous night to calm Ranma.
Ranma continued to struggle, his own growling and snarling becoming more vicious and increasing in volume. Inuyasha realised that trying to comfort him was not going to work so he manoeuvred his head back underneath the furs before letting out a sharp bark similar to Sesshomaru's, holding a warning before letting his own deep growl loose. Ranma answered in kind and Inuyasha grabbed one of the newly formed ears in his teeth, adding a little pressure, knowing how sensitive to touch they were.
Ranma's physical struggling stopped at the gentle bite, his instincts immediately telling him that to continue would cause pain but his vocal objection to his current situation did not subside. Inuyasha let out another bark, just as loud without relinquishing his hold on the captive ear. He felt it twitch as the other one creased back, trying to retreat from the noise. He increased the ferocity echoing from his own throat, asserting his dominance over the younger, newly released Inu-hanyou, allowing a little of his youki to ebb out, touching Ranma's.
The younger male immediately quietened, his body becoming slack at the warning threat coming from the elder Inu, recognising the dominance of the other male. Inuyasha mentally sighed with relief as he heard a low, submissive whine come from the boy in his arms, knowing that he was relinquishing to the stronger male. Upon hearing this, Inuyasha once again, began gently rubbing the ear he didn't have trapped between his teeth, reverting back to the purring he had been emitting before. He felt Ranma relaxing against him, his struggles finally ceasing and he released his ear, giving it a gentle lick where his teeth had been. He heard another small whimper come from Ranma at the contact before the boy's breathing evened out and Inuyasha knew he had fallen asleep once again.
He let out a sigh, closing his own eyes and laying his head down. He let himself drift off, knowing he would need all the strength he had to get Ranma through the next few days.