Chapter 9: Overprotectiveness

I'm so glad to be getting another chapter out there! It seems like it's been forever since I've been writing any chapters for ANY of my stories... Well, that dry streak is over! I've really got nothing better to do at 2:30 in the morning... so this will do! Enjoy!

They had returned to Miroku and Sango the next day and remained on the hunt for the jewel shards and Naraku, except everyone seemed to want revenge more than ever. Only Kagome secretly did not share the same passion to kick ass. She just wanted to return to a normal life, but what about hers was in the first place?

InuYasha seemed to grow more protective over Kagome, which was no surprise to the priestess. It was alarming, and comforting, to both Miroku and Sango who may not have known they mated but figured something happened for InuYasha to be arguing with her about bathing alone and Kagome to not fight back as ferociously as she once did.

Their relationship status may have taken a huge leap, but their luck with the jewel shards or with Naraku was little to none. Within the following two months, they only acquired one shard from a large bull youkai and had absolutely no leads on getting closer to killing Naraku. Kagome was getting tired of this, not just mentally but physically as well. Their tromping around the entire countryside not only made her impatient, but she was getting homesick. It had been two months since she had seen her mother or Souta, or even Gramps. She brought the thought of returning home up during one of their meals round the campfire, hoping everyone would consent to going back to Kaede's village for a short break.

"I see no reason why we can't take a well-deserved break," Sango chimed in, showing her support towards Kagome through InuYasha's relentless argument against the decision.

"I've really got to get more supplies! Like ramen…" Kagome enticed, stopping InuYasha's rant in its tracks.

"Why didn't you say we were out of ramen! That's a freakin' crime! We'll go back right now!"

Kagome stopped, kind of unsure of what she heard. "Wait, 'WE'? I thought I was just going home."

"Hell no. When ramen's on the line, I'm in. Anyways, we've got to get back on the trail for shards, so I'm going with to keep you on track for time." InuYasha leaned back and rested his head between his hands.

Kagome gave him a quizzical look as he relaxed against a tree trunk. "Oh, really? You think I'm just gonna stay behind and forget about the Feudal Era, about what I did to the Shikon jewel, or even about my friends back here?"

"Wait, I wasn't implying--"

"Or maybe he thinks that the call of my bubble bath's too much to handle… Perhaps he thinks I'll hoard all the ramen for myself?"

InuYasha leaped up from his resting position and reached to grab her. "Okay, now that's one step too far! Don't mess with MY ramen!"

Kagome screeched and darted out of his reach, followed by a roar of laughter from the entire group, minus InuYasha. His face glowered with a sour grimace as the rest of the forest seemed to lighten with the mood.

As Kagome laughed joyously along with the others, she felt her stomach start to complete some tremendous flips and she felt everything start to rise back up. Oh, shit! she thought as she ran with her hand covering her mouth from the campsite. InuYasha stopped sulking and jumped after her, but Sango and Miroku stayed behind with a still squealing Shippo.

"I hope she'll be alright," Sango noted. "That meal must've settled horribly with her; perhaps it's a day-long illness?"

"One can only hope," Miroku said as he sipped some of Kagome's cranberry-grape juices from home. When he received a nasty glare emanating from Sango, he cracked a large grin and chuckled merrily. "I'm kidding, Sango! She's probably just got some stomach sickness! Rest and relaxation, that's what she needs. I'm not sure she'll get it from InuYasha though…"

"Speaking of him," Sango stated, "thank goodness they finally got together! We've been waiting for a while now for him to make a move."

"I know, and I realize that they'll want to wait to… uhm, 'inform' us of this," Miroku said. "In the meantime, I believe I will divulge myself in trying to pry it out of InuYasha…"

Sango smacked him across the head, causing him to yelp out in pain. "Don't you dare, you snooping pervert! Keep out of their business until they're ready to tell, is that clear?"

Miroku winced, rubbing his now swelling lump on the top of his head. "…Ow!… crystal clear…"

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Kagome's retching could be heard throughout the silent forest trees, their whispers with the wind nonexistent today. She tried to hold her hair back with her one hand while she supported her shaking body, but was having no better luck feeling less sick. As her dark brown locks dangled dangerously near her face and another round of sickness crept closer, she felt a pair of firm yet soothing hands grasp her shoulders lightly and start to rub back and forth across her arching back. Knowing who it was, she felt just a little more comforted even for just a minute as she heaved to catch her breath. She felt his fingers caress her hair and pull it back behind her sweat-laced neck. She saw a flash of red as he brought the arm of his fire-rat robe to her forehead and delicately wiped the beads of sweat away; Kagome turned her head, still panting, and saw his inches away, clearly worried.

"Kagome?" he whispered, a note of fear lacing his words. "Are you gonna be okay?"

Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded her head lightly, but even that was too much. The wave of sickness flew over her again and InuYasha still held her hair back, continued to rub her shoulders in a soothing way, whispered gently into her ear, "I'm here, it's okay…"

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The sickening noises dulled to nothing but Kagome's heavy panting and the now light fluttering of the wind through the leaves. She gasped for more air to calm her shaking body while InuYasha tried to soothe her with kind words and gentle hands that rubbed her arched back. This was the fourth time this week that Kagome couldn't keep her meal down and it was really starting to take a toll on her body. Her usually flush, vibrant face now paled under the glowering sun, her chocolate brown eyes laden over with weariness. Even her body figure was beginning to wane a little. She fell into so many uncontrollable fits of vomiting and hot-and-cold flashes, tired easily, and found her stamina and endurance was non-existent. Usually InuYasha wordlessly carried her on his back when she lagged; what really surprised Kagome was his lack of complaining and sarcasm. He truly did love her, didn't he?

As Kagome's breathing slowed to a more calm rate, InuYasha picked her up gently in his arms and walked her back towards the campsite where Miroku and Sango would surely be waiting, concern lacing their complexions. She murmured, almost incoherently, something about a bath, but InuYasha's sensitive hearing caught her request to be taken to the hot spring and thus turned towards the right. He followed a lightly worn animal path towards the bubbling and hissing sounds of the springs. Respecting her wishes, he set her down gently by the edge of the pool then kissed her gently on the cheek bone before bounding up into a nearby tree. It swayed lightly with InuYasha's weight as he swiveled away from the water's surface and gave Kagome privacy without leaving her defenseless. Ever since Naraku kidnapped her he had been on his guard all the time, almost seeming overprotective. Since she was his mate now, it seemed fitting for InuYasha to be this way, and since Kagome wasn't complaining there was no reason to hold back. InuYasha's mind was deep in turmoil as he thought about Kagome. He couldn't lose another woman to Naraku. Not after Kikyo.

Just thinking of her, the woman of his past, caused InuYasha to cringe with painful memories. Sure, he had loved Kikyo once fifty years ago, and sure, they had amazing times shared together, but their dreams were cut short by Naraku. She had wanted him to change for her, something he would have done for her but wouldn't for himself. Personally, he liked being part-demon; just having that half blood gave him the strength to keep fighting and keep living.

While InuYasha's thoughts carried him away, Kagome had already stripped and lowered herself gingerly into the relaxing spring water. It caressed her body and enveloped herself like a warm blanket, carrying away all her aches and fears. She sighed heavily, thinking back on her week. It definitely was rough trying to travel and be sick at the same time. She could never keep up with the rest of the group which led to an annoyed InuYasha, though he was getting better at not showing his disgruntled expressions. She just wanted this… was it a flu? Whatever illness she was carrying in her bloodstream, she wanted it out and her normal self back.

Kagome let her head rest back on one of the rocks surrounding the spring, closing her tired eyes and letting her mind wander here and there. It was moments later that she suddenly was brought back to that night with InuYasha. Her face started flushing as the memories began to flow throughout her head. The way he held her body close to his, the passion ignited between their bodies, how he kissed her body so gently…

Her eyes flew open as a realization hit her like a dead weight. Her eyes were wide as saucers as she quickly grabbed her clothes and whipped them back on her damp body. "InuYasha!" Kagome yelled out to him. He whipped around and jumped quickly to the ground, expecting an attack. A quizzical look covered his face when he just saw Kagome standing before him, scared beyond anything he had ever seen before.

"What's wrong, Kagome?"

Her breathing was shallow and shaky.

"I need to go home, and fast."

Ooooohhh, suspense! Just you wait until the next chapter... Now I'm getting excited to write again! Thank you to complicating plot points:) Keep reading and reviewing o wonderous fans! Thanks for being devoted!

Kim