I managed to go a month without updating, but don't kill me! I had an insane bout of writer's block, and suffered through a few...experiences. Any who, here goes the next chap. I'll be updating regularly soon enough. Been inspired to finally finish this, so expect a few chapters.

They were home again.

Except. Well... Kagome wasn't. Not really.

Inuyasha laid her to rest in their bedroom-it's where she belonged, after all-and she simply rolled up into a ball and closed herself off from the world. From him. Damn it all to hell, but such a thing was worst than a dagger to his gut. Her skin had paled and he was worried sick about her, but no matter what he said or did, nothing could surpass the wall she'd built against him. Even so, he remained by her side, talking to her for what seemed like hours, striking up a conversation, even though the spark couldn't seem to catch fire.

How in the world was he supposed to get through to her if she didn't cooperate? He was such an idiot to have assumed that taking her home would open her up in some way. No, she needed a different approach, but what could work? He was trying to be understanding, damn it, but his patience had always been the size of a pebble. Strike that. The size of a grain of sand. Was there anything smaller?

He stared at her sad, broken form and everything in his body ached for her. He remembered her in his arms, the length of her seeking his shadow to find solace in while he walked her home. She was so light, a feather in the wind, and just as fragile.

Okay. So he tried being soft with her, and it managed to get her out of the house without her arguing with him. Why did she do it? Was it because she was too tired to fight? Bullshit. She was strong enough to take a walk with Rin. She was passionate while he held her aloft that damned well. She could talk to him. Hell, she could yell at him. He would welcome it and meet her passion with his own until she melted into a puddle; one he could swim in all night.

Heat covered his frame but he didn't give a damn. If Kagome saw him while he stared at her like some creep, at least she'd know that her husband-

Hello! That's who I am. Did you forget?

-craved her like a starving man.

Which reminded him. He was starving. He didn't dare to ask Kagome to serve up some of her tasty morsels, so he decided to cook up a meal for them both. Have him show her his cooking skills; maybe that would open her up to him more than any other way. That's how it happened for him, right?

He slapped his thigh and jumped up. Kagome remained quiet and unflinching.

"Hey," he told the ball of blue. "I'm making food. You want anything specific?"

No response. What a surprise.

"Chicken? Beef? Fish? I can make 'em all if you want. I've become a bit of a pro." It was crucial that he do so since her cooking skills made him appreciate the delicious food that came from an espoused life.

If not for the rise and fall of her shoulders, he would have thought she were dead. But she was alive. Thankfully. Ignoring him. Regretfully.

He wanted so much to glower and yell at her. If he were his old self, he would have abandoned her ages ago, yet he could not. She was his wife, and he had come to accept this life she offered him. In fact, he loved it. He enjoyed waking up to her nearness, her warmth; the essence of all that she was encompassing him in such a way as to make his skin become awashed with her scent.

He wanted that back, hence the reason she was here, but he also wanted her vitality. His Kagome was vibrant and had so much life to her. She smiled beautifully; her lips wide and red. He yearned so much to see that smile again and could only view such a thing within the glass encasing of photos he had no part of.

Sometimes, while she was away, he would go into the room where her photos sat. There, he would study, wondering what she thought within each frame. She looked so happy with her family, but it reminded him of how she dared to leave him-as if she ever could. He would look away from that picture with a quickness, and turn instead to the photo with her in his grip, high above him.

She loved him once. She loved him so much. He could see it in her eyes and in her smile, and recognized it because it was a feeling he thought to feel for her now.

He watched her breathe in an attempt to align his rhythm with hers. It was uneven, so he knew she was still awake. What was she thinking, and would she ever let him know? She was suffering still, even after all this time, and he didn't want her to go through this alone. He wanted to be her anchor, but how was he to do this if she didn't even seek his support?

He sighed.

"Since you're bent on giving me the silent treatment, I'm cooking you a surprise meal. You better like it. I'm going to work my ass off to make you salivate. You can bet that I've learned from you, damned well."

With that, he turned away from her and sauntered off. Though he kept both ears high on alert.

He wanted to hear her if she attempted to run from him once more.

When he returned, Kagome was still in the same position, though he suspected, by the soft rhythmic motion of her body, that she was fast asleep. He was loathe to wake her. After all, he hadn't really a clue as to whether she was able to sleep well with Kaede. Perhaps she had since she looked fairly good (beautiful) for a woman in her position.

He held in tow two pots. One filled with rice, the other with a meat concoction. It consisted of beef, lamb and chicken, with a gravy sauce that made him water simply from the aroma that wafted throughout the room.

She'd enjoy it, he simply knew it.

He laid the pots to the side, then brought in two plates from a cupboard. He managed to make a bit of noise in the process, and Kagome began to move, as if awoken.

Good.

"Good afternoon," he said, his tone soft. She gave no reply, not that he expected anything from her, so he continued. "I thought of making you soup, but I figured you'd want something more substantive. I know I do."

He knelt next to her, and began to fill their plates with his delicacies. He smiled when he heard her sniff, and it appeared to have aroused her in such a way as to move her blanket away from her face and look at what he had to offer.

"Looks good, huh?"

No response, except for the faint rumble within her stomach. He smiled.

"Don't I know my woman, or what? Looks like you're as hungry as I am. Sit up."

Finally, she met his gaze, her eyes both sharp and alluring, only to cover herself a moment later. He breathed in. Out. In. Out. Patience. She had it for you. Besides, what kind of person lost their patience with someone like Kagome in a day? She was able to deal with him for weeks. He could only do the same.

Even so, a groan threatened to pass from his lips. A disgruntled, mute Kagome filled him with a sense of dread. It would be a long marriage indeed if she decided to remain this way.

He shook his head. Maybe he should try out being a little rough with her? Kagome was a pretty tough girl. She could take his annoyance on; she always had, and met it with equal fervor.

Okay.

"Hey, Kagome," he said. "I don't appreciate you turning away from me when I've got food prepared for us. Eat up. You're too skinny." Lies. She was perfect. "You've gotta eat, or the next time it storms, you'll fly with the wind."

Nothing.

He glared at her, feeling no sense of ire, not even a bit of anger, yet playing at it some more. He needed a reaction.

"Yo. You ain't sleepin' so quit actin' like it. Sit up or I'll force you up. Don't test me."

To his astonishment, he managed to hear a stilted mumble, yet he could not make out what was said.

"What was that?"

"Don't test me."

Something inside of him ignited. His heart beat wildly at the sound of her voice, and he felt gooseflesh rise on his skin. Though her voice was clearly laced with irritation, he was so excited to hear her; some would even say a little too excited, but he didn't care.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

No response, once again. No, no, no. He would not accept this. She just responded to him, so if he had to irritate her to get something, so be it. He'd meet the challenge with great enjoyment.

"Ay, I'm talkin' to ya."

"Leave me alone," she murmured.

"Not a chance, lady." He never would. Not ever again. His place was by her side, and it would remain this way until... Well, always. Should he explain that or wait for her to feel better, lest she throw his words at his face?

While continuing to talk, he placed one plate filled with food by her side, then began to eat his own. Who said he had to wait? He was starving.

"So, it's been a while since we've last spoken, and I think now is as good a time as any to strike up a conversation. Been meaning to ask you a few questions. How are you? What you been up to? I hear you're walking." He laughed bitterly. "Oops. I already knew that. Saw you try to walk away from me, right?"

His question was met with silence, and he nearly cursed himself for bringing this shit up. Wasn't exactly productive of him to do so. He changed the subject.

"I've been taking care of the house, not that I think you've noticed. You've been busy yourself. But I managed to keep the place pretty neat, and I've also taken care of your garden. Had no idea you had a garden. Figured it was just a patch of shrubbery. You've got a few gems in there, but they were being drowned by all the rain, so I asked Miroku to help me out with something. Made a few clay boxes with holes in 'em and dug up some of the plants. I put them in there to let out some of that water, and they've been thriving ever since. I'll show you one of these days."

It had taken him some time to form the clay, but he took up the task with enthusiasm considering he had little else to do. Also, he figured Kagome would really appreciate coming back to a healthy home. Her garden was in back of their house, now patched in their little hearths, safe and secure.

Since she chose to remain comatose, he filled his mouth with his food, relishing each bite. It was nothing compared to Kagome's food, but it was good enough for him. Maybe even for her? But how the hell would she know if she never ate? He grit his teeth together. Food was getting cold and he didn't really appreciate this.

"You planning to eat?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Not hungry."

He snorted. "Don't lie to me. I heard that grumble. You're hungry."

"I don't want to eat."

He looked around their room and stopped by the window, taking in the sun that reigned on high. It was a beautiful day. One which should have been spent outside, perhaps for a swim or even a hunt. Something simpler too, like a walk to the market. Honestly, he was up for anything so long as Kagome was involved.

Finished with his meal, he set it aside, and crouched closer to her. He nudged her gently and bathed in the feel of her, despite it being covered. When she chose not to acknowledge him, he nudged her again. Still, no movement, so he simply did something he had always been good at: he went too far. With a grunt, he latched onto Kagome's waist and lifted her into a sitting position. She cried out in shock, and stiffened when he plopped her right onto his lap.

"There we go," he soothed, moving his hand along her steel back.

She whirled around and met his gaze with what could only be described as outright contempt. Pretty harsh, if he didn't say so himself. He may have been a bastard before, but did he really deserve that look? Nah. He poked a finger or two at her eye brows, then moved them to a more relaxed position. She was pretty stubborn though, almost laughably so, and fought against his touch. While he tried to move those brown brows down, she forced them to remain at their disgruntled place. He stopped himself from smiling.

"You really want to play at this game?"

She tried to unlatch herself from his un-relenting hold, but he wasn't having any of it. In fact, he loved the position she was in. Her thighs and butt were right on his cock, and damn but it felt good to have her sitting there. She fit, like the position was made for her.

"Let me go," she ground out.

He acted like he really thought to consider that, then shook his head.

"Nope. I told you I'd force you up. Shouldn't have forced my hand."

She continued to wriggle her body in an attempt to gain freedom, but instead of obtaining it, Inuyasha was gifted the pleasure of her moving dreary. He bit his tongue to stifle a deep, pleasure-filled moan. White-hot passion filled his groin and he tried, in vain, to quell his growing erection. It throbbed beneath her warmth, and at its peak, Kagome stiffened. It should have shocked him, considering how hard she was already, but he couldn't exactly think straight.

"Inuyasha," she muttered, facing the wall, away from his gaze.

"Mhm?" he croaked.

"Please let me go."

Never in the history of all of history would he ever let her go. Not with the way she was making him feel. He had never been the type to lose himself in ecstasy. Hell, he was never given the opportunity. But if she asked him to give himself to her, he would do so without question. Fire pulsed through him, straining his pants, even his ability to speak. A lump formed itself at his throat, and all he could do was shake his head. Pointless, of course, considering her position.

Silence reigned for only a few moments, but they lasted interminably for Inuyasha. How long could a man last with an erection? He would find out soon enough.

Then, Kagome's voice broke the quiet. "I'll eat," she whispered. But the words didn't process themselves into his head, at first. Finally, when they did, he blinked and cleared his throat. He should let her go now since he accomplished his goal. Well, semi-accomplished.

With a nod, he released her from his clutches and she crawled away from him. Her hair was splayed down her back, and met the ground when she went to reach for some food. She then placed the succulent morsels into her mouth and sighed. He watched her as she consumed bite after bite. It should have elated him to see how she enjoyed his food, but he could feel no such thing. She did not wish to look at him, and it punctured his passion with ease.

With a frown, he waited until she finished. Hopefully, she would meet his gaze then. Instead, she placed the plate on the ground, then crawled toward her bed. Without a word, she covered herself and blocked him out once again.

So. The food didn't work. Neither did the teasing. Nor his obvious passion for her. What now? He truly didn't know what to do with Kagome. She was so despondent, so lost to him, he could not reach her. It didn't matter that he caught her in time at the well. He failed to catch her from her fall all those weeks ago, when it mattered most.

Though a flower of hope managed to wedge itself into his heart hours before, it was quickly beginning to whither away. How could he ever think to get through to someone so badly bruised by life's sword? He had no way to heal it. To undo what it had wrought. Though some considered him to be fairly powerful, at this moment, he felt like the weakest creature alive. Perhaps it would have been best that he leave Kagome to reach out to her family. He could hardly be considered a part of it, not after what he allowed to transpire.

He sat close to her, never turning his gaze away, and rested his back against the wall. Silence was all that greeted him, a void in the sunlight.

How long would it last?

Hours passed and the sky soon fell into darkness with nary a word said between them. Hungry again, Inuyasha sought to reheat their leftovers. He hauled himself to his feet, and lifted each pot. A moment later, he caught Kagome watching him through a slit within her blanket. He arched a brow. Did she intend to run from him while he cooked again?

Let her, his bruised heart whispered. Let her go.

But he simply hadn't the strength to do so. He hardened himself and stood straight.

"How was your rest?"

No answer.

"I don't see why you have to be quiet with me. It's not like I'm going to hurt you."

He wanted her to reply to that; to say that, 'No, I would never think such a thing.' But she didn't and his heart twisted. Tired, and beyond weary of not only this, but all that had transpired since the day he met her, he looked to the ceiling and turned away from her. As he walked toward the door, a shuffle from behind surprised him and he stopped. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kagome rise. He turned slowly, terrified that he would scare her away. When their gazes met, his breath left him, and his heart lurched.

There! his mind cried. There's my Kagome.

She bit the side of her lip and turned her gaze away from him, down to the floor, as she came to her knees.

"I need to be alone," she told him.

It was his turn not to reply. He took a moment to observe her, taking note of her skin, how fair it seemed, like alabaster glass. Her hair was a shadow, offering comfort from the glares of life. He watched her neck as it moved with a thick swallow. Saw as her hand arose and placed a strand of hair which had gone askew, behind her delicate ears.

"Kikyou is not my relative," she told him.

Confused, he could only stare.

"She is my reincarnation. I mean, I am her reincarnation. Before me, you loved-" Her voice caught in her throat, but she managed to find it again and said, "You loved her. The two of you were going to get married. You were going to give up being a half demon for her. You were going to become human. And-and a demon named Naraku destroyed your relationship. And she died. And you were shot to a tree. Like I did with Akihiko. But she came back and... And..." She closed her eyes and stopped.

Inuyasha understood some of what Kagome said, but he couldn't understand why she bothered to bring it up. Wasn't that the past? What could he do with this information? So Kagome was a reincarnation of Kikyou. What did that even mean, and did it matter? Perhaps she wanted him to use this information and run to Kikyou. But she was dead. The woman was long gone; Miroku had mentioned this ages ago, or at least alluded to it. Could it be that she was still alive, somewhere out there, waiting for his return?

He felt nothing. Nothing except the sadness that pervaded his heart because of Kagome. Not Kikyou.

His look was deadpan. "What's your point?"

She looked at him as if startled. "I-I-"

"If you're meaning to tell me this just to get me running to Kikyou, it ain't happening. The past is done. Let it go."

His words stung, he could see it in the ashen hue of her skin. She may have taken his words more harshly than he intended, and he muttered a swift curse, stepping forward.

"Listen, I didn't-"

"Don't," she said, her voice ragged.

He raked his fingers through his hair. Frustration gnawed at him. He could only imagine what she was feeling.

"Kagome-"

She cut him off again. "I need to be alone."

"No," he said. She looked stricken and broken, and all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms while he picked up the pieces of her brokenness and put it together again. But he remained steadfast. "I'm not leaving you, Kagome."

"I don't want you here."

Had she any idea the damage she was causing by uttering such a statement? His gut turned and he was sure he was now the palest of the two. But he couldn't take it to heart. No, he couldn't be so sensitive. He had to remind himself that she was hurting, and when one was hurting, they sometimes sought to bring others down to their level. He knew it for he had often done the same before.

Still, he faltered and nearly dropped his pots, but managed to lay them down before doing so. He came up again to meet her gaze head-on, making sure that she could feel how adamant he was about this.

"Doesn't matter. You need me here."

She shook her head. "No. I need my husband. I need the real Inuyasha and I need my b-" She stopped, choking on her words.

Don't let it bruise you. "I may not be the same person you married, but I am still your husband, regardless. As your husband, it's my duty to stay with you."

"You have no duty towards someone you can't remember."

"I have every duty toward you."

She remained mute for a moment, and he thought she would give up, but instead she told him, "You don't have to stay with me. You can leave me. It's okay."

A sharp sting laced its way through his chest. She was despondent and it tore him to pieces. He was so used to the optimistic and vibrant Kagome, this version of her nearly floored him. How could he really help her? She was right. He wasn't the man she married.

But he could be. He could be everything she needed, if only she let him. He took a step forward.

"It's not an option," he told her. "I will never leave you." Then he knelt down, inches from her face. "Do you understand me?"

He could feel the heat of her breath caressing his skin, and despite this debacle of a conversation, he found himself reveling in her closeness. It was nostalgic, reminding him of a time he hadn't ruined.

"Why not, Inuyasha?" she whispered, the sadness of her tone lashing him with every word. "You ran away."

She was right, and despite the fact that he had no acceptable excuse for what he'd done, his defensive instincts erected themselves at the fore.

"I needed some time to think."

"It wasn't just that time after the fall. Before that, as well. You left when I told you I needed you. You left me and you never came back."

Confounded, he said, "What are you talking about? I'm here, Kagome."

She shook her head, and her proximity allowed him to feel the wind of it. "You're not here. You're not even you. You're some other version of you. You left me alone. You abandoned me."

He was undone. His throat dried, yet he opened his mouth and managed to say, "I-I intend to make it up to you."

"How could you ever fix this? It's done. It's finished."

The finality of her tone rankled at his nerves and he simply snapped. In truth, her words gutted him. Had he been a weaker half breed, he would have taken those words to heart and be rid of her. But this was Kagome. A woman who stood by him when he was the one with calloused words. The same woman who accepted and loved him despite his brokenness. Now she was the one who needed mending, and he would be damned if he let words spoken in the heat of emotion destroy what she herself created.

"Let's be clear about one thing," he said with unearthly calm. "We are not finished. I merely lost my memory, but that doesn't mean I am lost to you. The world can fall to pieces. The underworld can devour us whole, but nothing- and I repeat, nothing will ever be strong enough to keep us apart. Not even you. If you thought running to the future would save you from my presence, you were wrong, because had I not caught you, I would have followed you there."

She shut her eyes as if to shut him out. "Why?"

"Because I am your husband!" he roared.

"But-"

He waved his hands, wishing with every part of his soul that this conversation would simply end. "No buts! I've resigned myself to this fate. I'm here to stay."

"But don't you see?" she implored. "You've been given a clean slate. You've no reason to stay here any longer. There are no memories tying you here."

He could hardly stand this. Nearly left the room because of how accursed it all seemed. But he remained unwavering. Somehow. For them, he remained strong.

Finally.

"That isn't even remotely true. I've memories to last me a lifetime. It's been only a few weeks, but I've managed to experience more moments of meaning in this time than at any other point of my life. You matter to me, don't you get that? And you're hurting. If you don't see me as your husband, at least see me as a friend." He winced inwardly because such a thing disgusted him. How tortuous would it be to remain solely her friend, when he wanted so much more now. Still, he went on. "We lost something and-"

Kagome blanched, her face a mask of anguish. "No. I don't want to talk about it."

"Fine. Don't. But I will. I lost someone very close to me two weeks ago-"

"You hadn't even known of his existence."

He glared at her, feeling not the least bit amiable at the moment. "I'm not talking about him, Kagome. He became my world the second I laid eyes on him. I had no idea I was going to be a father, a fact you failed to mention to me."

"You were not ready to know."

"And I will live with that guilt till the day I die."

She stared at him, her mouth agape.

"I lost someone very close to me and I had no idea how much she meant to me until she met me with silence. I will not lose her again. Not to silence. So if you're angry with me, if you hate me because I abandoned you, that's fine. But I will remain by your side until some other debacle dares to take me from you. But I warn you, I will not go down without a fight. Even if that fight is with you. So give me everything you've got, Kagome. Your passion. Your hurt. Your ire. I'll meet every blow with acceptance, in the hopes that one day, you'll throw at me your heart."

It was the stillness of the night that greeted him, as she knew not what to say. But he could see within those intricate brown depths that he had shocked her. Good. Damned good. Let her know that he intended to stay with her.

He came to his feet and could feel her eyes on his back. With uncharacteristic control, he moved down the hall to the front door and placed the food outside for the dogs of the village. Let them feast on his meal. He wasn't hungry anymore. His body felt heavy laden, as if he had fought hordes of demons throughout the day.

The night did not cover the village in complete darkness, for the moon shown ever so brightly, blanketing the area with shimmering glows. Yet, he took in the sight sparingly, making his way back to Kagome. He found her going back into the covers, returning to the same state of stupor.

Drained, and not the least bit happy, he left her to herself and he sat, waiting for the night to end, and a new day to come with hope and renewed strength. But Kagome would not give him reprieve and instead said, "Can I sleep alone at the least? I've grown used to it."

His answer came swiftly. "Nah."

"Why not?"

He rolled his eyes. "And give you the chance to run from me? Pfft. Don't make me laugh."

"I'm not going to run."

He snorted. "Sure."

"I promise."

"No offense, but I ain't exactly in the mood to accept promises from you. You threatened to run away from your family, after all."

"I won't again."

Thank God she didn't deny that they were family or he would have thrown a fit.

"I know cause I'll be right here to stop you."

Her eyes blazed and he met that look with equal fire. Let them burn.

"Are you going to just sit there and watch me while I sleep?" she said.

He shrugged. "When I see that you're asleep, then I'll take a nap. Here, of course. Maybe even next to you." The notion immediately intrigued him. In fact, he much preferred it to solitude, so he ambled toward her and plopped himself right beside her. She couldn't seem to stand it, so she turned around and gave him her back.

To his surprise though, she didn't utter another word, as if resigned to her fate. She feigned sleep, yet remained situated. Such a thing buoyed his spirits, if only by an inch, and he caught himself smiling.

The hours ticked by, all of time racing for the sun. While it passed, Inuyasha sought to find comfort in the heat of Kagome's body. Odd, it seemed, how he once felt awkward for thinking such a thing, yet now he knew of no other way to find peace. He'd gone without it for too long a time, and now that she was here, he didn't wish to squander an opportunity which lay before him, a gift wrapped in cloth. So he inched his way even closer to her, until he was near enough to feel the silk of her hair. Then he wrapped his arm around her waist and found solace at the nape of her neck. He could hear the cadence of her heartbeat and it was like a lullaby urging him to find rest.

He knew Kagome did not sleep. Her willowy exhales marked a clear indication of this. Neither could he fall asunder, for his body never felt more alive, with every inch of him erect and alert. But at least, for this brief moment in time, they were together. And for him, it was enough to sooth the lacerations of the day, leaving in its wake tiny scars ready to be mended solely by the power of Kagome and her healing hands.