Through Blood and Tears

Chapter 12: Taking a Breather

Sango wiped a sheen of sweat from her brow as she sighed. She stole a glance at Miroku's watch that sat on the teacher's desk. It was almost one o'clock. Everyone was taking a break after getting Hakkaku bandaged up as best they could. The athletic female was amazed he was still alive and proud of the fact their group were the ones that did it. Well, not entirely. The true miracle behind his survival was Kikyo's knowledge on medical treatments. If it weren't for her, he would be dead.

"What time is it?" Miroku whispered to her as his arm snaked around her wait, bringing her close to him.

"Almost one," she mumbled. Sango leaned into his chest, exhausted, as she glanced over at her classmates. Inuyasha sat against the wall, his ears erect and his amber eyes glowing in the darkness. Kagome slept in his arms, drained from the stress of their situation. The rest of the group sat in a circle in the middle of the room, the flashlight on the table between them. It pointed upwards to give the entire room a soft glow.

Sango's eyes drifted to Hakkaku's unmoving form as she stood next to him. She had been watching over him for about twenty minutes as the other took a much needed break. Taking the sleeve of Kagome's bloody jacket, she dabbed his face to absorb some sweat. The injured boy's face twisted in pain as he drifted in and out of sleep. Even with the three pain pills he had swallowed, courtesy of Miroku, the wounds were much too great for a few capsules. His entire torso was a mess of bandages and his legs had strings sticking out a purple jagged scar, holding the flesh together. Rin had tried to stitch him up using the technique her grandmother had taught her in the methods of sewing. Two text books were laying side by side under one of his legs as another two light books laid on top. They were tied tightly together with two jackets, borrowed from Naraku and Kagura, to create a make-shift splint.

"Come on," Miroku whispered in her ear as his hand let go of her waist. He clasped her hand in his and slightly tugged on her hand. "He'll be alright for a few minutes." Sango paused for a moment before setting Kagome's jacket down and allowing her beloved to lead her towards the circle of students.

The brunette took a seat on a desk as Miroku stood beside her, tuning into the others' conversation. "The fact still remains," Kikyo said, everyone listening intently. "We have no idea who this guy is or what he wants."

"I'm worried that no one has come looking for us yet," the female wolf demon said, anxiety plaguing her facial features.

"She's right. It's way past the time we were supposed to be home," Rin almost whispered, suppressing a yawn. Sesshomaru merely offered a 'Hn' before glancing around the group as each person spoke.

"You guys, I don't think Hakkaku will survive twenty-four hours unless we get him to a hospital." All eyes turned to Sango. "We have to get out of here."

"What do you think we've been doing? Playing a game?" Kagura hissed back, a cold expression illuminating her face. The brunette clenched her fists in anger as she stood, being held back only by Miroku's grip on her wrist.

"Calm down," he mumbled, guiding her back to her seat. "We are all tired, hungry, and frustrated. Now is not the time to be angry with each other. We should be thinking of a way to get out of here."

Kouga grunted as he stood. "Where are you going?" Rin asked, rubbing her eye sleepily.

"I'm starving. I think there's a snack machine down the hall. I'll be right back." He walked out of the classroom door. The students glanced after him with worry.

"I'll go with him. Got to stick together, right?" Ayame said as she slowly jumped down from where she sat and quickly followed her beloved down the hall. The rest of the group turned their attention back to the center of their small circle, quietly whispering amongst themselves.

"What if we somehow initiate an alarm?" Sango asked sternly, still easily angered because of their predicament.

"Your reason?" Sesshomaru asked, pointing his glare at the brunette.

"We need to get out of here," she raised her voice while speaking. "One of our friends is dying and there is nothing we can do about it! I hate it!" She screamed as she stood, stomping over to the dog demon. "You're not even trying to help. You simply sit there, as if you don't care."

"I am rational in my thoughts and do not allow petty emotions to control me," he responded coolly, not even blinking an eye.

She raised a hand to strike him, but Kikyo stopped her. "He's right," she said calmly. "We can not get all worked up. It would do no good for anyone." The women stared at one another for a few moments, refusing to back down. Eventually, Sango heaved a sigh of defeat and took her place next to Miroku once more.

"Tell me, Sango, what did you plan to do by sounding an alarm?" Naraku asked, emerging from the surrounding darkness.

"I was just thinking," she replied, swallowing the lump in her throat. "If we somehow tripped the alarm, someone will come to investigate."

"Did you forget? The power is off," Kagura said, narrowing her eyes at the brunette. "No power, no lights, no alarms."

"Though I hate to admit it, she's right," the perverted boy announced, rubbing the back of his hand in frustration.

"And that brings us to square one," Rin said in a tired voice, snuggling up to Sesshomaru. He glanced down at her for a moment. Surprisingly, he didn't push her away like his fellow classmates believed he would. Maybe even the heart of the great demon lord was beginning to melt.

Kouga finally reached the vending machine* and pulled out some loose change from his pocket. He slid the money into the slot and pressed some buttons, expecting a bag of chips to fall. To his luck, they wedged in between the clear plastic and the black spirals inside. "Come on," Kouga yelled, banging his fists against the outside. "Piece of shit!" The demon's anger fueled as he continued to pound the machine, his fists hitting harder each time. "Damn, damn, damn!" he screamed at each impact, his eyes gleaming with rage.

"Kouga!" Ayame yelled, running towards him. His body tensed and his legs planted firmly on the ground. "Kouga, stop!" the red-head screamed again. She finally reached him and held back his arm, stopping him from landing another dent in the clear plastic.

He whipped around, pulling the appendage free from her grasp. Ayame gasped and took a step back in fright. "It's okay, Kouga, its okay," she whispered, guiding her hands to him. Her slender fingers never had the chance to touch him, however, as she pulled them back at the tone of his voice.

"No, its not okay!" Kouga snapped, rage running rapidly through his veins. "I just lost one of my best friends and the other is lying on a table on the brink of death. Don't try and tell me everything is okay!" He paused for a moment, his fists tight at his sides.

The couple stood there in silence for a moment. When the male wolf demon saw the fear and uncertainty in Ayame's emerald eyes, his expression softened as his hands unclenched. He sighed heavily and took the red-head into his arms. Her hands rested softly on his chest as he laid his chin on top of her head. He gently laced his fingers through her hair, trying to settle her nerves.

"I'm sorry, Ayame," Kouga whispered, just enough so she could hear him. "I just feel so helpless. I didn't mean to get you upset." She nodded her head against his muscular pecs in understanding. "It's all my fault."

Ayame pulled away from him to gaze into his bright azure eyes. "What do you mean?" Kouga ceased stroking her hair and instead rested his hands around her waist. Her eyes searched his, begging for an answer.

"If I hadn't left Ginta and Hakkaku behind, none of this would have happened." He dropped his gaze from her, ashamed.

The young woman shook her head. "No, Kouga. This is not your fault, not by a long shot." She took a step back, forcing him to drop his arms from around her waist and look at her. "You weren't the one that inflicted those wounds. It was that ... that monster," she said, waving her hands in a drastic manner. "If he wasn't here, we would already be home, safe in our beds." Ayame's eyes intensified as she gave him a fierce look. "Don't you dare, for one instant, think this is your fault. You are not to blame!"

Kouga stared at the fiery female, knowing every word she spoke was the truth. He sighed once more as she allowed him to bring her into another embrace; this one for love instead of comfort. They stood there for a moment, listening to the others steady breathing. The tan wolf took his hand from the small of her back and lifted her chin to face him. His eyes bore into hers as the space between their faces began to close.

The wolves' lips met, leaving a stunned expression on Ayame's face. She knew she should pull away, that this was not the time nor the place to be doing this, but she found her mind fighting to regain control as she kissed him back.

It was a passionate, loving kiss that the two of them shared. The slender female wrapped her arms around her love's neck, bringing them closer if it was at all possible. Kouga gripped her waist, beginning to explore her body. His hand slipped beneath her shirt, aiming higher as she groaned in pleasure.

Ayame dropped a hand from Kouga's neck and rested it on his roaming hand, stopping it from proceeding further. She forced her lips to break away from the kiss, receiving a bewildered look from the male wolf demon. "Not now, Kouga," she reprimanded breathlessly, taking a step back and forcing distance between them.

A sad expression sat upon her face as realization dawned on Kouga's visage and his shoulders sagged with embarrassment. He needed some sort of comfort and used the heat of the moment to escape from the battle at hand. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, sighing heavily and taking her hand. Offering up a small smile in reassurance, he silently pledged his love to her. Ayame returned the gesture as her fingers tightened around his calloused hand, glad her feelings for him were mutual.

"Come on, Kouga, let's go back and figure this whole mess out," she said, tugging his hand slightly to lead him towards the classroom that posed as their safe zone. Kouga took a few steps so he was walking by her side. A comfortable silence surrounded them as their footsteps echoed down the moonlit hallway. Their moment wasn't going to last, however, as a figure hid in the shadows.

A/N: And the plot thickens. *laughs in evil manner* ... Ahem ... anyways, hope you all liked this chapter. Don't worry, we still have plenty of chapters to go before this story is over. Please let me know what you think and take my poll!

*Surprisingly, there are battery-powered vending machines in Japan. Huh ... who would have known?