A/N: Inuyasha still isn't my creation...

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The night air was cool and crisp, making the fragile injured girl within the hanyou's arms shiver more than she had throughout the day. Inuyasha stumbled a bit, fatigue settling into his muscles, but he refused to stop walking. His lips were dry and cracked and his throat was dry as well for he hadn't stopped to eat or drink anything all day either. He was only relieved to see that he had covered quite a bit of ground, but he knew he was still a few days away from Kaede's hut.

If this damn hole in my stomach would heal inside, I'd be running by now!

He sighed deeply as he came into a clearing in the woods. He had chosen to stay off the many paths that ran through these lands to avoid the spying eyes of any thieves that may be hidden along the bushes. Granted, he knew he was throwing himself and the injured miko well into the path of any demon that may be thriving within the forest, but the odds of a demon attacking unprovoked were a lot lower than thieves attacking at all.

The clearing was well behind the duo as Inuyasha continued. He could feel his muscles protesting their constant use, but he could feel his iron will as well as his troubled heart urging his body to comply to his demands. He would never forgive himself this time. He had been injured and left Kagome completely defenseless and now look what happened!

"Grrrrr. You're such an idiot, you no good half breed," he muttered angrily to himself. He kept trudging on as anger fell away from his aura in waves.

"You're not an idiot, Inuyasha."

Her words were so soft that he could've sworn it was the wind rustling through the underbrush. He looked down at the young woman in his arms and a soft smile came over his lips. Her eyes glittered in the moonlight, making their hazel color seem somewhat transparent and unearthly. Some color was returning to her face and lips, but he could still feel the cold of her body through his fire rat haori. His sniffed and grimaced as the scent of infection had settled all over her body. He was very pleased that she was doing well, but he knew that she was far from saved.

Lost in her features, Inuyasha once again stumbled, but this time the tree root beneath his feet was relentless. He felt his body pitching forward and he struggled to hold onto Kagome as he lost his balance. He felt himself flipping over so that he was beneath her when his back came in contact with the ground. It was a rough fall that momentarily caused him to lose his breath and his eyes were wide, taking in his surroundings.

A few moments later, Inuyasha found his voice.

"Are you alright, Kagome?"

"Mmhmmm. I'm with you," she stated simply and snuggled deeper into his chest again, searching for the warmth his body offered.

He hesitated for a moment, taking in her words before he wrapped his arms more securely around her and sat up. His muscles screamed in protest, but his mind was soaring with the hope and inspiration that her words had infused into his soul. He grunted, straining against his tired legs, as he got to his feet and continued his slow trek through the woods.

He continued on, feeling the young girl in his arms trembling depsite the unusual heat the was beginning to pour from her body. He sniffed and the scent of sickness and infection overcame her usually soft scent of lavender and vitality. He cringed, fearing that she was succombing to an illness that he wouldn't be able to keep at bay before he could find her the help that she needed.

A new scent came to his nose and he halted briefly, with great relief in his system, to sniff out its source. He could smell it just north of where he was standing.now and he changed his trajectory to follow its scent. He could almost taste the clarity and coolness as he closed his eyes in anticipation of the river that he was more than happy to find.

The atmosphere became serene as he stepped out along the shore of the river. He could feel it teeming with life as well as an insurmountable power that could only truly belong to mother nature. He stilled momentarily, absorbing the sight of a buck and its mate quenching their thirst along a shallow inlet filled with the fresh flowing water. His presence went unnoticed as he approached a run-off of the river that was deep enough to completely submerse one's self within.

Perfect. This is exactly what she needs.

Carefully, Inuyasha knelt to the ground and placed the small miko next to the river bank, careful to avoid any rocks that may cause her discomfort. Her eyes opened immediately as confusion made itself clear in her features.

"We've stopped by a river, Kagome," began Inuyasha tenderly, "You need to drink and you need to get the mud off of you, wench."

His heart warmed as she smiled and nodded in understanding and he crawled closer to the edge of the water. He cupped his hands, savoring the feel of the cool liquid in his hands and he returned to Kagome's side. Carefully sliding his leg beneath her head, he raised her enough to place his hands against her mouth and spill some of the water past her lips. She swallowed greedily, relishing in the cool water that soothed her throat.

He pulled his hands away and felt her forehead with one of his damp palms. It was scalding hot, in sharp contrast with the icy chill that had settled over her body yesterday. He shuddered realizing her body was fighting off the infection that had settled within her wounds as well as the the feel of her soft skin beneath his hand.

Mere moments later, Inuyasha was clumsily removing his haori from her body, averting his eyes to keep her privacy intact. He worked with the fabric of her unfamiliar future clothes until she was covered only in her under layers. Inuyasha never once made an effort to look at the girl that he scooped up in his arms, afraid that she would see the deep blush that had settled upon his face. He knew he'd be earning a "sit" later for this one.

"Inu...yasha? Where are you taking me?"

"I need to cool you down and clean your wounds, don't you remember?"

He allowed himself a glimpse of only her face when she offered no answer to his question. He fought the urge to laugh as her eyebrows wrinkled together in thought and confusion, but he tensed a bit as her gaze came upon his.

"You..just said that, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did. Stupid, wench."

"Baka hanyou."

They both grinned at each other a moment before Inuyasha began to slide her frail body into the cool waters. He watched as she shivered at the cool water lapping against her torn flesh. He felt more guilt run through his system as he made a movement to let go of her. His thoughts were cut short, however, as her grip tightened on his arm.

"Stay...with me...please?"

He felt heat searing his cheek and with a quick glance, he noticed her fierce blush as well. He nodded a bit and removed the rest of his clothing, blushing as he bared himself to the woman that knew his heart. He felt her gaze briefly upon his body, but when he turned, he could only see her back and the gashes the tiger cat had so graciously bestowed upon his body.

He growled a bit before he slowly submerged his body into the frigid waters of the river. He could feel the cramps beginning to tighten in his muscles and he grunted a bit in protest to the tension before he turned his full attention to the girl next to him.

"Kagome? Can...um...canIhelpgetsomeofthemudandbloodoffofyou?"

Kagome shook her head a bit with her mouth hanging open. Inuyasha had strung the words so quickly together that she couldn't distinguish where one began and where one ended. She was just happy to have some of her wits returning with the cooling water bringing her temperature to a more acceptable fevered height.

"What?"

He sighed as his gaze found something interesting back from where they came. Kagome giggled a bit at the rose color that was staining his cheeks.

"Can I...Let me get that crud off you, ok?"

Before Kagome could protest or even tell him it was ok, his head didn't know which one she'd really choose, Inuyasha reached a hand out to her exposed flesh and gently rubbed, watching the mud and blood run down her body and into the water. He smiled a bit, as she relaxed against his touch and he made quick work of most of the grime; he made sure, however, to stay away from her chest as his thoughts ran away and caused his face to bloom in a deeper shade of red.

His work was greatly slowed, however, as he reached the wounds on her back. He wanted nothing more than to peel the infection away from the edges, as the seeping yellow became clear to his vision, but he worked slowly and gently. He could feel her tensing and shivering against his fingers, both thankful for his effort as well as afraid of the small amount of pain he was causing.

Kagome never really remembered him asking her to lean back to rinse her hair. All she could remember was the way his hands sifted through her ebony tresses as he gently removed the clots of dirt from the tangles of last night's events. She knew that he was acting much more warmly to her than he would have with the others around. She whimpered slightly as his grip left her body.

"I...uh...I'm done, Kagome."

"Thank you, Inu..Inu-chan."

He gulped a bit at the use of such a familiar title and he couldn't help but wonder if she really meant it; the answer couldn't have been more clear as she made her way over to his body and rubbed his shoulder gently.

"Inuyasha?"

"Y-yeah?"

She gulped a bit, hoping her thanks and appreciation for he had done for her was showing in her face and in her eyes. What she didn't realize, however, was that her love for him was just as obvious. She licked her lips and felt her face leaning towards his. Inuyasha, feeling drawn to her as well, leaned in to the miko's warmth and the duo found each other wrapped in a warm and innocent kiss.

Kagome pulled away slowly, before speaking, "Thank you...for everything."

Inuyasha beamed as he pulled himself out of the stream, no longer able to take the cold fingers that were trying to cramp his tired and sore muscles. He quickly dressed himself, still feeling embarrassed despite the intimate moment that they had just shared before he helped Kagome out of the river. He kissed her forehead feeling relieved in her presence. He was also happy to find that her temperature had greatly decreased, although there was still the undertone of a fever.

He presented the young woman with his haori once more, helping her tie it tightly as her fingers were sluggish with exhaustion, before he scooped her up and held her close to his chest as he had before. He felt his muscles groaning in protest as he began walking once again and Kagome's even breathing soothed him as she slept peacefully in his embrace.

o0o0o0o0o

A/N: Ok...everybody with me now...AWWWWW! hehe :0) Please let me know what you think!