"So you do remember me."

"Remember you? How could I forget—" The rest of the words were lost as she shook her head, heedless of the impending dizziness as she covered her face. "You're not real. This is just a hallucination from the alcohol—" She gasped for air, chest heaving, and he pulled her into his lap, that same hand drawing the same circles on her back as it had before.

"Breathe, Kagome. It will do you no good to pass out again." Her fingers gripped his shirt, the thought of him actually wearing one grounding her. It was a simple cotton blend, not the button-up kind she'd always pictured him in, and she gave him a helpless look.

"Tell me you're real. Please," she begged. "I've dreamed about you so often, but you were never there when I woke up."

His lips pressed against her forehead. "I am here. This is real. You responded enough last night for me to locate you." His arms tightened around her. "And short of there being a natural disaster, I will never be letting you go again."

She didn't want to believe it, didn't want to give in to the soft touches and soothing voice, but the scent did her in. Even in the heat of battle, he'd smelled of mint and mountaintops and victory.

Her arms trembled as they snaked around his neck, sobs wracking her body. She held him close, basking in the presence she'd been missing for years.

Even with the sobriety and the therapy, she'd known she'd never be whole again. It was why she'd been in therapy in the first place. Yes, it helped with the addiction, but more than anything, she'd needed to come to terms with how part of her would always be missing.

Kikyou's resurrection had never hurt as much, and her soul had literally been ripped from her body.

"I thought I'd never see you again," she said, unable to hide the longing in her voice.

"You are too powerful for your own good," he chastised softly. She pulled back, wiping her face with her elbow, not risking letting him go even for a moment. His claws ran through her hair, and her heart clenched at the familiarity of it—he'd done the same thing after she'd wished the jewel away. "Our power protects us, Kagome. Even our most basic subconscious instincts kick in when we are threatened."

"I don't understand. If I'd known you were looking for me—"

'Kagome. Where are you? Let me in.' The words echoed inside her head, leaving her reeling.

"That was actually you? I didn't know—I thought I was losing my mind!"

He nuzzled her temple as soft rumbles eased her turmoil. "It is your mind that kept me out. The only times I was able to reach you were when your inhibitions were stilted by sake." Tears filled her eyes as she told him about her issues with alcohol—and why she'd eventually stopped.

"I do not blame you," he said as she began apologizing, and the sincerity only made her cry harder. She'd been fighting the voice for months, pulling away from it even while drowning her sorrows in order to hear it.

Not once did she think it was real.