InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Courtship ❯ Chapter Fourteen ( Chapter 14 )

When Kagome's eyes finally focused and she saw that Inuyasha was in his full-youkai form, she thought she was dead. All her memories of him being in this form, he had been a mindless killer, going after anything that was breathing. True, he had never attacked her but there had always been someone else to keep his attention and all of them, with the exception of Sesshoumaru, were dead.

Her head was pounding so badly, she was sure that it would explode any minute but she ignored it. What was the point of worrying about it if she was going to die? Why was he just staring at her? Kagome could swear that he hadn't moved since she gained consciousness. He was just staring at her, his face only a few inches from hers. Him being so close was making her head hurt more and his hot breath wasn't making it any better either.

He didn't have that murderous look in his eyes; Kagome noticed when she calmed a little. He looked almost concern. That look almost made Kagome completely relax and close her eyes. She wanted to close her eyes. Almost needed too. Her head hurt so bad that she wanted to escape in the release of sleep. Kagome's eyes actually began to drift shut but Inuyasha's growl grew in volume and she stiffened when he grabbed her chin.

She couldn't help but whimper when she felt the claws press into her cheek none to gently but the moment the sound escaped her lips, his grip relaxed and his growl was much softer. It was almost like he was reassuring her. Kagome opened her eyes again and looked up at Inuyasha. What did he want? If he wasn't going to kill her, then what else did he need her for?

Inuyasha continued to growl at her but his eyes had lifted to her forehead. Did he sense her injury? Kagome closed her eyes and grimaced in pain. Gods her head hurt. With a shaky hand, Kagome raised her hand to where the pain seemed to be focused most but before she could touch it, Inuyasha grabbed her hand and gently caressed her hair. The touch was so gentle and so unexpected, Kagome's eyes flew opened but she regretted the action when the light and sudden movement made her pain worse.

Kagome whimpered in pain and curled on her side, trying to ease the pain. She wanted to sleep. Sleep would make the pain go away but Kagome knew that she had a concussion and that sleeping so soon after receiving the injury was not a good idea. She didn't know why. That was never explained to her but she had learned from movies and books that it wasn't a good idea. Kagome decided that whoever came up with that conclusion was an idiot.

Biting her lip in a vain attempt to hold back another whimper, Kagome held her head and curled deeper into herself. The pain hadn't eased at all but had gotten a little worse and that was almost enough to make Kagome sick. She began to feel dizzy and darkness began to close in on her.

Inuyasha wouldn't let it though and even though his growl was almost violent, he was very gentle as he picked her up and held her to him like would a baby. That helped keep her awake but it didn't ease the pain and dizziness and Kagome clung to him, no longer afraid but in dire need for comfort.

Inuyasha's growl calmed until it was almost a purr and he gently rocked her and stroked her hair. It calmed her a little and she relaxed against him but forced herself to stay awake with his help.

When Inuyasha sensed that she had calmed, he gently stood. He was holding her like a baby and Kagome felt like it, but she didn't complain but tightened her grip when the movement jolted her head a little.

Inuyasha stopped purring when he started to walk going at a much slower pace than Kagome would have expected. Even in his normal form, he always walked much faster. Kagome often had to strain herself to keep up with him until she got used to the brisk pace. Brisk? He probably was going slow.

Inuyasha gently tucked Kagome's head under his chin, telling her that he wanted to rest but every time she began to drift off, he would nip her shoulder or hand. It wasn't hard enough to break the skin but it was hard enough to give Kagome a shock and open her eyes. She wanted to get mad at him and whack him upside the head but she had enough common sense to understand that he was just trying to keep her awake.

Kagome settled for just resting her head against him and keeping her eyes half opened. She heard and felt Inuyasha's low rumble when she nuzzled his chin with the least amount of movement as possible then he nipped her fingers again. For that she slapped his chest and instantly regretted it. One, her head protested. Two, she didn't slap a hanyou Inuyasha she slapped a full-youkai Inuyasha. She thought she was dead or at least had made him upset but was surprised when she heard him chuckle. Who would have thought that Inuyasha would still tease her while he was in this form? Kagome cracked a smile and closed her eyes but forced herself to stay awake as she listened to his heartbeat.

Inuyasha smiled when he felt Kagome completely relax against him as he walked through the forest. He wanted to travel by tree but he knew that it would cause her too much pain so he settled for a slow, gentle walk through the forest. He was looking for a source of water. He knew that a cold compress would help her head feel a little better, plus, she had a cut on her forehead that was slowly starting to bleed. Inuyasha wanted to get that cleaned and examined to make sure it wasn't serious. Cleaning it would have a bonus. He would have to clean her face, which was covered in dirt, making it to where it was hard to see her.

After climbing a slight incline, Inuyasha tested the air and smiled in victory. There was a large source of water nearby. He almost missed it since the scents of flowers were blocking it but the wind had been just right and the small hill was in the perfect location. After making sure Kagome was till awake by nipping her shoulder, which earned him another smack on the chest, Inuyasha headed to the source of the scent.

It didn't take long to find it but it took longer getting to it. The over brush was so dense, it could have repelled a dragon but Inuyasha was determined and after lowering to one knee and shifting Kagome so she was supported by it, a quick sweep of his claws created a small opening for him. Picking Kagome back up, Inuyasha went through the opening. It was small, and he had to duck slightly so not to catch his hair on branches of trees and a couple weeds snagged at his hakama but it went unnoticed by Inuyasha as he took in the scenery around him.

He was at a small lake that was fed by a small waterfall. The fall was probably as small as Inuyasha was tall and it gave a gentle soothing sound as it fell into the larger body of water. The water was crystal clear with several boulders sticking out, creating perfect cover for any who wished to bath in secrecy. Pink and white water lilies decorated it, giving the water a soft fragrance that tickled Inuyasha's nose. He liked it. The sent of water lilies and the white flowers that surrounded the lake was a perfect combination for his sensitive nose.

Holding Kagome tighter to him, Inuyasha stepped out of the shadows and into the clearing.

The lake was secluded and judging by sent alone, only animals knew of its existence. Inuyasha looked at the ground and buried his toes in the grass. It was soft. One could easily fall asleep on it and the earth was rich in minerals, perfect for a garden. The trees were several yards away from the bank but in one area off to his right, there was a large clearing. This place was breath taking and was untouched. Hard to believe since it was so close to the village.

In his arms, Kagome moaned, drawing his attention. Her eyes were closed but she wasn't sleeping. Gently, Inuyasha nuzzled her uninjured temple before kissing it. She moaned again and though there was still pain, there was some pleasure in it. Inuyasha smiled before looking at her injury. The bump was large, but not overly so and the swelling had stopped but that didn't stop it from throbbing. It was already black and blue and the small cut was finally bleeding but it was minor. She would be in pain for a while but she would live. Inuyasha could smell more blood on her and quickly went to the water. If she had more injuries he wanted to find them and get them cleaned.

Inuyasha knelt near the water and set Kagome down so she was leaning against both his leg and torso. She opened her eyes when Inuyasha ripped a strip of his under kimono and dipped it in the water but her eyes closed in a hiss of pain when he gently pressed it against her wound. His touch was amazingly gentle and the water was icy cold, which helped ease the throbbing but it didn't stop the burning pain she felt when the coarse fabric touched her abused skin.

Kagome whimper and instinctively tried to pull away but Inuyasha held her firm and with a reassuring grow, he continued to clean the wound. Kagome continued to whimper and flinch but she didn't pull away again, she even relaxed when Inuyasha started cleaning her face.

Now that her face was free from dirt, Inuyasha studied the wound more closely and inwardly sighed in relief when he saw that it wasn't too serious. She would have to take it easy for a while and she would have a head ache for even longer but he figured she would be on her feet again in a couple of days, if he let her.

After finishing with her face, Inuyasha dampened the cloth again and trailed it down her arms. She was bruised but not badly. He had finished both arms when he realized that he could still smell blood on her but he had washed all exposed skin. Growling to keep her calm, Inuyasha slid a claw down the front of her shirt. Kagome's eyes snapped open and she reached to hold the fabric closed when he began to part him. Inuyasha met her eyes and saw the fear there. He didn't understand it. She was his chosen mate. She was suppose to let him take care of her so why was she afraid? Was she afraid that he was mad that she had gotten hurt? Or because she afraid the wolf would come back? Inuyasha guessed it was the second since there was no reason he would be mad at her for being hurt. How was she to know that the wolf was going to cut the tree down right on top of her?

Inuyasha nuzzled her cheek again and it surprised her enough that Kagome's grip slipped. Inuyasha quickly began to lower the garment but the moment the fold at her breast began to loosen, Kagome tightened her grip. Inuyasha's brows rose in understanding. She wasn't afraid. She was modest. Inuyasha smirked. He understood know. She was his chosen mate but he knew that he hadn't claimed her yet so of course she was nervous about him seeing her naked.

Inuyasha gently kissed her temple and grabbed her hands to raise them higher on the fabric to help keep the folds closed. Then he grabbed the fabric at the collar and lowered it past her shoulders. Kagome stiffened but didn't pull away. She was lucky that Inuyasha found the trace of the blood right then or he would have taken the shirt off her just to find it and if he hadn't found it then, he would have taken off her jeans. But the blood sent got stronger when he lowered the shirt and even though he couldn't see it, he knew were to look.

Gently, Inuyasha lifted Kagome so she was leaning over his other arm. He wanted to growl at himself when he saw the cut on her shoulder. The source of the blood was nothing more than a scrap from when she fell. Judging by the pattern, she had fallen on a stick. There was a small bruise and four small scrapes and only one of them was bleeding. There was a small trail running down her shoulder but the flow was slow and once he cleaned it, it wouldn't bleed again.

Inuyasha cleaned it as thoroughly as he had the cut on her head and then settled her against him as he slipped off his hoari. He covered her with it before reaching under it and removing her ruined shirt. She didn't protest this time but helped him with the sleeves as she curled up under the make shift blanket and began drifting off.

Inuyasha growled at her and nipped her shoulder, right above the scrap, which quickly roused her. Even if the lump on her head was minor he wasn't going to let her sleep just yet.

Wrapping her more securely in the hoari, Inuyasha picked her up and walked over to the nearest tree and settled against it before settling Kagome in his lap. He was in for a long day. Even after it was safe for her to sleep, he would still have to wake her once and a while and that meant no rest for him. Kagome began to drift off again and Inuyasha nipped her a little harder. She responded by smacking his chest again. Yes, he was in for a long day.

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Two hours later, Inuyasha finally let Kagome sleep but after every hour, he would wake her by nuzzling her neck or nipping her ear. Each time Kagome woke to a headache. She wished he'd let her sleep but understood he was just being careful. She would probably be doing the same thing if it were him that had the concussion instead of her. But that didn't stop her from getting annoyed every time he woke her and by the time the sun had finally set, she was finally frustrated with him.

When Inuyasha woke her that time, she had actually growled at him and he had chuckled. Kagome didn't see anything amusing about it and she had tried to slap him but he had easily caught her hand. Kagome was glaring at him but her eyes widened when he had lowered his head and kissed her. Youkai Inuyasha had kissed her. It was an awkward kissed since his fangs were so long and was grazing her bottom lip but Inuyasha had been gentle and coaxing and Kagome started kissing him back.

Inuyasha kept it gentle and quickly ended it before both of them started craving more and gently laid her down on the ground before curling up beside her so they would both be more comfortable.

Kagome wasn't tired then. In fact, her head was spinning with thoughts and newfound information. Youkai Inuyasha had kissed her. He wouldn't have done that if he didn't really love her. Kagome smiled and nuzzled Inuyasha's chest. She knew now. While Inuyasha was in this form he wouldn't want an imitation, he would want the real thing so if he was caring for her and being affectionate it was because he wanted her, just her. Not Kikyo, not because of the jewel, just her.

A weight that had been placed on her chest had finally lifted and Kagome felt more at ease then she had ever since she found out Inuyasha was courting her and Kagome slowly fell asleep, now knowing her answer and knowing what she was going to do about it.

Inuyasha watched Kagome fall asleep with a smile on her face and wondered what she was thinking but at the same time thinking it didn't matter. She was with him and she was happy. That was all that mattered.

Throughout the night, Inuyasha watched over her and woke her every hour and as time passed the less danger she was in. When it was a few hours till dawn he decided that she would be fine and that he could get some rest. Inuyasha yawned and stretched under her. Fighting the wolf and taking care of Kagome had taken a lot out of him and he was exhausted. Stretching out his senses to see if there was any danger near by and finding none, Inuyasha fell asleep with Kagome at his side.

AN: I hope everyone had a happy, safe Halloween.

Next chapter: Inuyasha wakes up to Kagome's answer.