Alright. Let's get the ball rolling.

Thank you for the kind comments :). I think Ayame and Kagome would have made great friends in the Anime, and wish they had gotten more screen time. Inuyasha, the anime is one of my top favorites, but also one of the few anime's where I did not like the pairing, Inuyasha always ran back to Kikyo, and chose kagome when Kikyo died, and I have loved Kouga for setting the standards. I do want to clarify something, I think I made it confusing when I added that "he rubbed her belly." I meant Miroku rubbed Sango's belly, Kikyo (at least to me) cannot have children since she is the clay version. I hope everyone's vacation went well :) thank you for reading.

Anyways enough of my rambling!

No one was shocked at the announcement, at least the people in his tribe and hers weren't. There were a few gasps here and there but that was from tribes they rarely interacted with, a few gave questioning looks but said nothing. The announcement was made over dinner, while they ate after the chief gave his thanks to everyone who helped defeat the hawks, especially towards kagome, a human no less had put her life on the line for them, she had earned their respect, and also earned her a menacing glare from ayami who had been staring daggers at her all night.

Kagome smiled awkwardly at his thanks, people were staring, and a few nodded in approval. Her smile faltered when he made the other announcement, looking nervously at ayame and kouga who sat near her. They each gave small smiles around, and at each other, their seating had been intentional, they didn't want anyone thinking that they had left on bad terms. They were still friends and they refused to let anyone speculate anything wrong about the other person.

"Kagome," ayame whispered. She tried to be quiet as the chief continued talking, "are you okay?"

"Yea," she whispered back, "it just got a little overwhelming with everyone staring."

Ayame placed her hands on top of hers and squeezed it, she knew what she meant, ever since she was a child she had gotten used to the staring, she was used to it, but knew that her friend was not. Kagome, grateful for the reassurance, squeezed her hand back.

"-since everyone is leaving in two days, we shall have the celebration of new beginnings tomorrow!" the chief continued, and the room erupted in cheer, finally the feast of all feasts.

She was completely exhausted yet she could not help but toss and turn in bed, no matter how many times she closed her eyes, she could not sleep. Kicking off the blanket she got up and moved to the bag she had packed, she rummaged through it and found the items she was looking for. She studied the small wolf statue and put it away to the side, then glanced at the jade stone and brought the pendant up to her eye level, studying the jade under the small candle light. She bit her lip and shut her eyes.

I'll give it to him eventually

She put it away and grabbed the small wolf again and went back to bed, placing it next to her, she closed her eyes and managed to drift to sleep.

The hawk was grabbing him, and blood seeped from his wounds, his face contorted in pain as he tried running away. She ran to him, she tried to, but it seemed that the more she ran, the further away he got from her. She tried screaming and reaching out her hands, but her cry was silent and her arms would not obey her. It kept clawing at him, and he stumbled over his feet, he tried fighting it off, but failed. His bronze face grew pale, and the snow around him bloomed red, and slowly his resistance slowed.

He was dying, and she couldn't do anything about it. She let out another scream and-

"Kagome."

I'm coming! Please let me get to him!

"Kagome!" Kouga? Her eyes snapped open and she could hear her heart drumming in her ears. Her body trembled, and her hands shook as she gripped the blanket tightly against her chest, trying to slow down her breathing.

.

"kouga?" she croaked, squinting to see him in the low light, he was hovering over her, concern etching his face.

"yes, it's me what's wrong? I heard you." He had been sleeping when his yokai sensed it, he heard her tossing and turning, he tried to ignore the sound until he heard her groan and mumble his name, and he also smelled it, her fear. Go to her, it growled, worried that something was wrong , he walked to her room, and went in after she didn't reply to his knock. There he saw her, whimpering in her sleep.

"I-I had a nightmare." she sat up, bowing her head and rubbed face, her hair curtaining her distress, "and you…were dying" she whispered, she could feel her eyes start to prickle, even saying it out loud felt like it was too much, it made it too real.

His gaze softened, "was it about the birds?"

She nodded, not trusting her voice from wavering.

"Hey, I'm okay, it didn't get me too bad, 'sides you were right there. You saved me kagome."

She shook her head, and a few tears managed to slip out, "I should have been quicker in warning you." she murmured, "you got hurt because of me."

He sighed and crouched so he was at eye level with her, his eyes boring into her red rimmed ones.

"I got hurt because I was too confident in my abilities, not because of you. If you hadn't told me about it, I would have been a goner. You did nothing wrong."

She sniffled, and scooted over patting the bed, gesturing him to sit, he sat next but left space between them. He felt uncomfortable, something was poking him. Lifting his leg he grabbed a-a wolf? He glanced at the tiny statue, but said nothing, setting it to the side.

" but I should have-"

"Stop it." his voice stern yet gentle, " You did nothing wrong, you saved me, not just me but so many others. Kagome I'm grateful for what you did to us, not to mention that you also risked your life!"

She said nothing, and wiped her tears away, but they kept coming down, the guilt had been gnawing at her all day, and his words did little to reassure her. He sighed, he knew she would be carrying this guilt around for a while, awkwardly he put his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder, in an attempt to soothe her. What she did next surprised him. She slowly crawled in front of him and leaned her head against his chest, as she cried. She was too tired and shaken to thoroughly think about her actions.

His gaze widened, then he put his arms around her and rubbed her back as she wept. He buried his face in her hair, she smells like spring. Her hair tickled his nostrils, but he dared not to move and ruin the moment.

"It was a bad dream," he murmured, "I'm okay. I promise."

"It was so scary, I kept running to you, but the more I ran you were still far away and I couldn't scream or do anything." she mumbled, closing her eyes.

He said nothing, and thought about what would happen if she had gotten hurt. He shuddered at the thought, he couldn't imagine if she ever got hurt because of him.

"And you kept bleeding, and then you went… pale."

He stilled, "it'll take more than a stupid bird to take me down, but seriously I'm okay, it barely got me. Nothing is gonna get rid of my gorgeous tan" it was his attempt at lightening the mood, but it failed to make her laugh.

She finally looked up at him with glazed eyes, "you never let me get hurt."

He cocked his head, "of course I wouldn't let you get hurt, you're pack."

"You saved me many times."

"That's 'cause mutt face couldn't do his job right." he winced at mentioning Inuyasha, shit he was going to make her sad or maybe angry. She saw him wince and smiled.

"It's okay, you can talk about him," she laughed softly, "you were always there when I needed you."

He blushed, "that's 'cause I was a young pup back then, reckless and not knowing boundaries." She smiled at the memories.

"Weren't you a few hundred years old when you chased me and declared me your woman?"

"Two hundred ninety eight," he cleared up, "I was still a pup!" he protested and she snickered.

"That makes you an old man to me." she teased, her eyes growing heavy.

"Old man?" he clutched at his heart and she giggled.

"Mhm, I'm a human, so what's young to you is old to me." she yawned, it was getting harder to stay awake. The drumming in her ears had gone away, and he could feel it, she was calmer now and tired.

"Looks like this human needs to rest," he started to get up when but stopped when she clutched at his arm.

"Can-can you stay just a little bit? Please?"

"Of course."

She laid down and pulled the blanket over herself, and scooted away from him. He glanced around, and laid on top of the blanket.

"Kouga?" she said sleepily.

"Yea?"

"Thank you." she sighed, closing her eyes.

"For?"

"For all that you've done for me."

"Of course, you're pack."

And the woman I'm still in love with.

She had drifted off to sleep not long after that, and he stayed a bit longer than he should have, but he doubted she minded, he glanced at her as she slept. She was beautiful even when she slept, her ebony hair curled around her gently framing her face, and her tiny hands cupped together as a pillow.

Whoever you meet will be the luckiest bastard ever.

He hadn't noticed that she had slowly started inching towards him until her head was practically resting against his shoulder. His thoughts froze. Should he leave? Would he ever get a chance to be this close to her? He shook his head.

She thinks of you just as a friend.

He had to leave, he knew that. Don't leave, his yokai protested, stay and keep her safe but he ignored it. Quietly he got up, and glanced down at her, making up his mind quickly he pressed a gentle kiss to her hair.

"Goodnight kagome." he whispered and walked out.