All Inuyasha properties belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.
Big thanks goes out to Someone's Desire and fiona91 for reviewing! Also to: Kuromeru hi Tsuki, Lorelei evans, MangaAndAnimeFairy, SKiraNova, UndeadForever16, VixenKitsune147, fiona91, pokemoneeveeforever and ms. twistedmischevious for placing this on their alerts! As well as to: UndeadForever16, VixenKitsune147, fiona91 and pokemoneeveeforever for putting this on their favorites! Thanks guys!
One more chapter left after this! Enjoy!
oOo
A piercing howl rent the night sky. A sharp burst of youki slammed Kagome in the chest, and she woke up gasping. Rapidly pulling herself up into a sitting position, she tried to force her sluggish brain to shake off her sleep state and comprehend what was going on. It did not take her long as she realized why the distressed youki felt so familiar.
Kouga! Her instincts screamed.
She bolted out of bed and proved her years of practice tiptoeing around the house by nimbly-and quietly-running to the front door. As soon as she opened it, a body that had been leaning on the doorframe slumped forward. She barely caught him.
"K-Kouga?" She stammered.
Her arms wrapped under his armpits, coming to rest at the bottom of his shoulders. But he was slippery and drenched like he had gotten caught in the previous early evening rain. A scent of copper hit her nose and she froze. Not just rain then.
A cold nose brushed by her neck and damp breaths caused her to shiver. "I'm-I'm so sorry Kagome… I… I just needed…"
He lifted a shaking hand to her shoulder. His whole body was shaking, actually, she realized. He slipped on something and they almost fell to the floor.
Suddenly all of her Feudal Era experience burst from the box she had locked it in. She had become soft, complacent in her own time when youkai were hidden and technology was sovereign. But now she remembered the adrenaline making her heart pump faster. It was an old friend.
With a grunt, she wrestled with Kouga's semi dead weight until she was taking the load of it on her right shoulder. Her right arm was clutching his heaving ribs while she held his limp left hand over her left shoulder. A clumsy kick and even messier fumbling closed and locked the front door. Then, after she had wrapped them in a reiki barrier to keep all sound from reaching the rest of the house, they made their slow way to Kagome's bedroom.
Kouga all but collapsed on her western style bed when she let him go. He grimaced in embarrassment, but it soon turned into one of extreme pain. Kagome's heart wrenched in sadness and horror, but she refused to panic. She had slipped into almost another persona. Calculating, she would get the job done first then worry about her friend later.
She turned to leave and Kouga caught her wrist in a firm grip. He sent a desperate, animalistic glance her way.
"I'll come back." She promised fiercely, answering the plea in his eyes. "I'm coming back and I am going to take care of you."
He gave a high pitched whine. Something in her demeanor must have reached him, though. Letting her go, his hazy gaze tracked her as she walked out her door.
She made a stop at the linen closet, her bathroom and the kitchen before returning. Towels and an overstocked first aid kit were tucked under one arm, a bowl full of water in the other. She didn't meet his gaze. Couldn't. If she did, she might remember this was her friend and she might just remember how many of those she had lost over the years.
She saw him as a patient instead. As she cut off his shirt and sopped up the blood that was oozing from his side, she refused to look into his eyes. He was panting and staring her straight in the face, looking at her cool detachment. They never spoke, not even when Kagome moved onto sterilizing a needle with a pocket lighter. The wound was deep, but already it was healing. All she needed to do was close it so the bleeding would stop or keep the wound from closing up on the gauze she would place over it later.
When she had gotten back, she had gotten a hold of Hojo who jumped at the chance of spending time with Kagome. Everything she asked about, he had taught her. He was a medical student, well on his way to becoming a doctor. She had seen his knowledge and knew that if even if she never went back to the Feudal Era, the experience had taught her the importance of being prepared.
Kagome had tried not to use Hojo. But when he got too enthusiastic about her attention, she had to put her foot down. They were still friends, but he had finally moved on. It was good for him. He had a girlfriend and Kagome suspected that the woman would one day become his wife. She was happy for him.
Someone needed to get over the past.
Speaking of the past, Kagome glanced over at her charge carefully threaded the needle. The only thing that betrayed how fast her heart was beating was her shaking hands. She could feel his gaze on the side of her face and it burned.
When everything was ready, she took a fortifying breath and looked down at Kouga.
"I'm going to close your wounds." The miko stated, holding up the needle. "Are you ready?"
He said nothing, just stared at her with those incendiary eyes of his. When she moved towards the wound, his hand caught hers. He snarled with a ferocity that shocked her. Kagome had to keep her reiki in check as his youki buffeted angrily against her.
She recognized what was happening as she matched his glare. He was trying to protect himself, more animal than man now. Not knowing how else to deal with it, she placed her hand over his.
"I'm trying to help you." Kagome stated firmly. "You need to let me help you."
Something shifted. His façade broke as another whine escaped his throat. It was so plaintive that it hurt her.
"I won't harm you." She promised.
He let go and she sighed. With a focused expression, she started on her task.
oOo
He was sleeping. It was early morning but still dark. After stitching his wounds, she had realized just how dirty he was. It also hit her who exactly was lying on his bed. It was Kouga and the thought that he was so hurt terrified her. Her whole body had started shaking and she looked down at Kouga plaintively.
"Please go to sleep," she had begged. She didn't want the wolf demon to see her fall apart at his bedside. He had caught her hand, nuzzled it and then proceeded to do what she asked.
Looking at him under her light, she saw that her work was not done. Blood was soaking into his jeans and he was muddy everywhere. With a lot of blushing and careful maneuvering, she had taken off his clothes and his shoes, leaving only his underpants to cover his modesty.
Not that the old Kouga would have really minded, she joked mentally.
It hit her then, after she had finished giving him a spot bath and managed to finagle him under fresh sheets. Kagome reached up and brushed his bangs off of his forehead. This youkai lying on her bed was a completely different person. He was not the rash Prince who could not take a hint. He was grown now, with different problems and a different way of handling things. She did not think the old Kouga would have come to her so vulnerable. He tried so hard to always be strong in front of her.
But this new Kouga… She appreciated it. He had come to her when he knew he was going to look weak. Her hand passed through his hair one more time and he gave a snuffling sigh. With one last lingering look, she turned off the light and walked out of the room.
oOo
Kagome grimaced as she stirred. When she and Souta had been little, they used to love sleeping on the guest futon downstairs. Now, she lamented the loss of her mattress. Somehow, lying on the thin futon had lost its appeal pretty quickly.
She went to the bathroom to change and brush her teeth before taking a glass of water up to her room. Opening the door as quietly as she could, she crept in. Kagome had only gotten a few hours of sleep, but she couldn't stay away from her patient for long. Last night, she had been so painfully worried for him.
It had not been necessarily because she was afraid that she would lose another friend. No, she had been afraid that she would lose him. He had become a constant in her life. At first, he had been a welcome blast from the past. Now he had turned into a different entity. Kouga was this strange new creature that had made her appreciate just being alive again.
The thought of losing him…
She pursed her lips together before looking at Kouga's still form. He had turned to his side in the night, curled around his wounds. His clothes had been unsalvageable, but she had borrowed a shirt from her grandpa and a pair of sweats from the surprisingly tall Souta. She placed the water on the table by her bed and the clothes on the end of the bed. When her job was done, she attempted to sneak out again.
He caught her. His hand clutched at her pants fabric at her hips and his claws stuck into the material.
The priestess turned to the demon. He stared impassively at her. That blankness had shocked her but his voice was full of emotion.
"Stay." He asked in a gravelly voice that keenly made her think of how this man was a demon. "Please," he amended.
Kagome frowned. She couldn't stay. Not when she was becoming so aware of him. She opened her mouth to inform him of his but his hand clenched and he buried his head into her pillow. A small groan of pain escaped him.
"Sorry," he said and let her go. "That wasn't fair."
She huffed. It was not his job to take care of her.
"Scoot over," she commanded.
He did but did not go far. "You have a small bed," he mumbled. His eyes were closed and he could not seem to keep them open.
She snorted softly and eased herself under the covers. Wriggling a bit to make herself comfortable, she looked up at him.
"It's not like I ever have guests."
One eye peeked open and he gave an amused-if tired-grin. "Good."
She rolled her eyes and caught his hands in hers. They were warm and she tucked them under her chin. They were extremely close and their feet were touching, but Kagome was okay with it. There was no pressure, just two people comforting each other. Kouga's grin melted into a contented look as he melted into her bed.
"Thank you." He whispered.
"You're welcome." She whispered back.
oOo
At some point Hanako had come in. Apparently she had not thought the worst… Or maybe she had. All the bloodied sheets and clothes had been swept out of the corner and there was now a wad of fresh bandages, pain pills and steaming tea with two cups on the nightstand. Kagome peered at it with hazy eyes before darting a glance at her clock. Noon. Most of the day was gone already.
She shifted and then realized that she was craning her neck around to see. Turning forward, she saw that Kouga had not let go of her hands. Instead their tangled fingers were clutched under his chin and he had pulled her so close, her forearms were touching his chest. Their legs were tangled and Kagome realized the only way that she was going to get up was if he woke up. The warmth was nice, but she really needed to pee.
Thankfully, he woke up before she needed to debate whether to jostle him or not. He yawned, showing off his impressive fangs. Kagome was pleased to note that the color was back in his face.
"Hello," she greeted softly.
"Ah," he opened his eyes and grinned at her. His energy seemed to be back. "Hello." He stretched out his legs, freeing hers. "Thank you."
She shrugged it off but he ignored her nonchalance. Pulling her in, he leaned towards her until their noses were almost touching. She swallowed the sudden knot in her throat.
"Thank. You." He declared.
Kagome gave him a dazzling smile. "I'm just glad you're okay." She breathed.
He beamed and gathered her into a hug, his injuries now forgotten. He lay on his back and pulled her onto his chest. They could both hear how fast each other's hearts were beating. Kagome stayed there for a moment, enjoying their combined warmth and the feel of his chest underneath her hand.
Reluctantly, she pulled away. "Are you going to tell me what happened?" She questioned.
He sobered. "I'm going to tell you everything," he answered. "But first, do you mind if I take a shower?"
She laughed and nodded. "Feel free. I brought you some clothes that hopefully will fit you."
He raised a brow. "I noticed you were very quick to get me out of mine before."
Kagome would have pushed him out of her bed for that, but was afraid he was not all better yet. "Only because the mud was staining my sheets."
"Okay," he said like he didn't believe her.
"Just go shower."
oOo
A/N: So I made an oops. In the first chapter, there's a quote that talks about Kagome's "patched-up soul." That was a paraphrasing of a lovely line from Tally Mark's super hilarious story: Impending Doom, where Kagome talks about her "hand-me-down soul" and "hand-me-down face." I loved it so much I wrote it into my own fic. But I forgot to credit her, so now I am!