InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mating Season ❯ Awakenings ( Chapter 60 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: SplendentGoddess 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.22.2006 | Updated On: 08.12.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.9K | Visits: 10.4K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.22.2006 | Updated On: 08.12.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.9K | Visits: 10.4K | Status: Completed
Blanket Disclaimer:
Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.
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Chapter 60 - Awakenings
The next couple of days were touch and go with Inuyasha. He regained consciousness a few times, but wasn’t very coherent during those times, and a small debate existed as to whether or not those times could truly count as “consciousness.”
Kagome wasn’t much better herself, honestly, as Sango found herself taking up a baby-sitting position just to make sure her friend took care of herself. While Kagome hadn’t acquired very many physical wounds during the battle, nothing beyond a few superficial scrapes and burns, she had used up nearly her entire energy supply. What little energy she did have, her body naturally channeled into her womb, ensuring that her growing baby remained healthy. That basically meant that Kagome was sleeping for about twenty hours a day, and was barely awake enough to eat and use the bathroom during the remaining four. She had protested at first, attempting to stay awake, for Inuyasha, but had finally listened to reason when both Miroku and Sango had ganged up on her, threatening her with herbs to make her sleep if she didn’t comply.
She loved her friends.
When she wasn’t passed out, they would find her sitting silently, at Inuyasha’s side. Kagome would have snuggled against him in the futon were it not for her concerns over aggravating his wounds. As for his wounds, tending his dressings was a task Kagome begrudgingly appointed to Miroku, upon the monk’s insistence that Kagome’s top priority needed to be herself, and that she shouldn’t worry herself more than necessary by exposing herself to such images.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew he was right, and silently, she thanked him for it. Feeling her eyelids growing heavy once more, Kagome realized that yeah, seeing Inuyasha’s wounds right before sleep was probably the last thing she wanted to do. She was already haunted with the images from battle; she didn’t need to add fuel to the fire.
Miroku nodded to Sango, letting his wife know that he’d take over the self-appointed watch for the time being, so that she could go get some sleep. Sango quietly informed him that Kagome had just nodded off again, though she’d seemed to have more energy than she did the last time she’d been awake. He smiled, and nodded once more, firm in his beliefs that both of his friends would make a full recovery. It was only a matter of time.
“Ka…gome…” Inuyasha muttered in his state of half-sleep, as Miroku changed his dressings.
“She’s right beside you.” the houshi whispered, not knowing if the hanyou had even heard him, let alone under stood his words.
“Couldn’t…protect…love…” ;
Sighing, Miroku replaced the cool rag upon his friend’s forehead once more. He and Sango had more than willingly agreed to take over in their friends’ care, though Kagura had done an excellent job with Inuyasha’s original dressings. Which was surprising, considering she had no formal training in applying bandages. It must have been because of the proximity to the new moon, but Inuyasha’s fever had yet to break. They had learned some time ago, thanks to Kagome and her futuristic knowledge, that a fever wasn’t actually something attacking your body, but rather, your body attacking something. It didn’t mean you were helpless and that something was running rampant within you, it meant that you were actually fighting something off. It only became a genuine cause for alarm when one’s temperature rose too high. Kagome had explained that, unfortunately, your body could harm itself in its attempt at getting better. If a fever got too high, the person needed to be cooled off, and quickly. That, at least, was something he already knew, though he found the science behind it all quite mind-boggling. It humbled Miroku to know that Kagome had actually gone out of her way to explain things in the simplest terms that she knew how.
Fortunately for their hanyou friend, a youkai’s body did not function in the same way as a human’s, and while a fever was strictly a human’s issue, one he was only susceptible to at all because he was hanyou, his youkai blood was successfully keeping it in check, not letting his body accidentally harm itself in its attempts at recovery. What everyone was concerned about, and rightfully so, was the rapidly approaching new moon. If his fever did not break before then, it could suddenly flourish.
Realizing his charge had been silent again for some time, Miroku slowly, gently, reached a finger higher, and delicately traced the finest of the hairs along the tip of one of his friend’s overly sensitive ears.
Said ear didn’t even twitch, not in the slightest.
Frowning, he knew Inuyasha was dead to the world once more. His ears always flickered during natural sleep. Sighing, he rose to his feet, merely to walk around the futon, kneeling once more before his other charge. Sango would be so proud of him; he was a completely changed man, now that he and she were wed. He was a perfect gentleman as he placed his hand upon Kagome’s belly, assessing the status of the pup. He smiled when he felt it kick, rejoicing in the knowledge that soon, very soon, he would be enjoying the same sensation with his own wife and child. Checking Kagome’s forehead next, he was relieved to find that the young miko still had a normal temperature. She wasn’t unconscious, merely asleep, but asleep hard. Her body would need lots and lots of sleep. Especially since she vowed to stay awake with them during the night of the new moon, for which they offered her no arguments.
They had learned that Kagome lost her youki as well during Inuyasha’s human night, which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing for herself, in that instance, since her youki and her returning miko powers were physically unrelated with one another. But it was going to scare the daylights out of her when she couldn’t smell the condition of her mate any longer, and she knew it. Already, Kagome’s mind had been flooded with images of the night of the new moon when she’d almost lost her mate to his brother’s poison. She was envisioning a similar occurrence taking place in one more night.
“Ka…gome…”
Startled, Miroku rushed back around to check on Inuyasha once more, and sure enough, whatever minuscule bout of unconsciousness he’d slipped into had already reversed itself.
“Inuyasha?” he addressed, wanting to see if he would finally rouse into full wakefulness.
“Kag…ome…gomenna..sai…” he mumbled brokenly in his dreams.
“Inuyasha, Kagome is fine, she’s here with you. Open your eyes, and see for yourself.”
“Miroku?” That whisper came from the aforementioned miko currently laying beside the hanyou.
“Kagome…forgive me, I did not mean to wake you.”
“No, it’s fine…Inuyasha?” she asked while yawning, and sitting herself up to glance over at her side.
“He’s talking again, but still not waking up.” he answered her.
Then an idea struck him. The most serious of the injuries Inuyasha had suffered were well on their way to healing. They could tell that the broken ribs were knitting nicely, and his breathing had already returned to normal. The deep gash across his chest looked as though it hadn’t started healing at all, but they’d rather deal with that, then have a human Inuyasha coughing up blood on their hands, so they were thankful for the path his body had chosen in its recovery.
“I don’t think it would injure him now, were you to embrace him, gently. Perhaps…feeling you so close by would…”
“Help.” she finished for him, nodding, as she scooted herself closer, and gently, cautiously, pulled Inuyasha’s head into her lap, now that his upper body could handle the shift in position. Kagome had a momentarily humorous look of disgust with herself over her general lack of a lap, due to her protruding belly, but still she managed it.
“Kagome…” Inuyasha moaned again, and it was clear he was still out of it.
“Inuyasha…” she addressed in return, and somewhere within his dreams, he had apparently heard her.
“I’m so sorry.” he said more coherently, which Miroku took as a good sign in and of itself, sleep-talking or no.
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” the miko answered him, debating on whether or not to attempt holding back her tears, wondering if the scent of them would help wake him up, or only disturb him more in his sleep.
“Couldn’t protect…” he mumbled next, and she hugged him closer, leaning down to whisper into the furry triangle that, thankfully, twitched and flinched in reaction to the contact.
“Protect me now, Inuyasha, I need you now. Come to me, wake up, wake up and protect me.” She thought that perhaps that would appeal to his subconscious mind.
“Kagome…must…protect…”
Raising her head and giving Miroku a look, the ex-monk’s eyes opened wide in dawning, as he nodded his agreement to play along, quickly leaning closer to his friend’s other ear.
“Kagome needs you, Inuyasha, you must protect her. You must wake up to protect her.”
“Kagome…” His voice was much louder that time, and then suddenly, before their eyes, his slowly fluttered open, unseeing amber taking a moment to focus. Once they did, the first thing Inuyasha realized he could see, from where his head was currently angled, was the upside down face of his beloved mate, unshed tears shining in her eyes.
“Kagome?” he voiced questioningly, as he attempted to sit up.
He found he could not, though, by a sudden hand placed gently upon his chest.
“Hold on, Inuyasha, you shouldn’t move around too much.”
“Huh…?” Raising his head, he saw Miroku crouched before him, a deeper concern in his friend’s gaze than the hanyou recalled ever having seen before.
“You…” he started, weakly, “…look like I almost died…or something…” Inuyasha attempted to laugh, when he realized that was precisely what had happened.
“I would say thank the kami that you are still with us, but while I know they played their part, your greatest survival is due, in whole, to the beautiful kami whose lap your head is currently blessed to adorn.”
Smirking weakly at his perverted friend, Inuyasha tilted his head back, and once more met the beautiful vision of his mate’s loving face.
“Hey you…” he said weakly.
“Hey…” she answered, permitting her tears to fall freely then.
“How many times have you saved my sorry ass?” he asked, chuckling quickly, wincing at the pain he felt in his chest as he did so.
“I’ve lost count.” she joked in return, chuckling as well, though the sound was mixed with her sobs.
“I’ll leave you two along.” Miroku said softly, with a genuine smile, as he quietly exited the room.
“Kagome…?” Inuyasha questioned after a moment, and all the unasked questions behind the way he’d said her name seemed to jump out at her in their intensity.
“It’s a long story…”
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Several hours after Inuyasha first awoke, Miroku returned to check in on them, finding them both sleeping normally, and finally snuggled together, like they should be, Inuyasha’s hand resting protectively across his mate’s breeding belly. Giving them another glance before heading back out, Miroku decided they could afford to skip breakfast for the time being, seeing as how they seemed to need their sleep even more. He and Sango would wake them both by mid-afternoon if they still slept at that time. Actually, going back to sleep sounded pretty good. He and Sango could probably also use all the rest they could get, as well. It would be a long night.
Inuyasha had been amazed at the retelling of the final events, humbled, he could tell, by his modest wife who did not wish to embellish her abilities. But he could see right through her, and once he forced her to give him a more accurate accounting, he assured her, it was no embellishment. He had sensed the power increasing in her for some time, as well as a new power increasing within himself. He lacked the ability to control it safely, or rather, he lacked the courage to try, outside of mating, but he had felt himself slowly gaining more control over his transformations each time the event occured. He was surprised when she told him that he’d had additional crests upon his body, like that of a true youkai, like Sesshoumaru; he hadn’t remembered that part. But he did remember the battle after his transformation, another sign that his two halves were slowly coming together as one.
Just like Kagome had expected, and at one point actually prayed for, Inuyasha went through a bout of anger, chastising her for disobeying him and flying herself recklessly into the heart of battle. But after the small tirade was over, he held her close, permitting a single, rare tear to slip down his cheek, as he whispered “Arigato…”
He tried to protest when Kagome insisted upon changing his dressings, insisting that she could call for either Miroku or Sango, or even Kagura…He didn’t care, so long as she didn’t over exert herself. But she insisted that she hadn’t gotten to do it once yet, and she wanted to, it was her job. Smiling lovingly, he relented, and complied to her demands, attempting with all his might not to flinch or wince in pain as she changed his bandages. The deep gouge across his chest was not bleeding, but also not healing very quickly, and it was a little unsettling, the amount of raw muscle tissue that was exposed to her eyes as she cleaned him. But now that Inuyasha had finally woken up, and his fever had left him, Kagome was feeling more confident about his upcoming human night, and she needed to be able to stomach the sight of his wounds if she was going to be there for him when he needed her most.
Feeling around his ribs, Kagome determined that they were nearly healed, and he confirmed for her that it did not hurt to breathe, unless he took a really deep breath. Most of the smaller cuts and scrapes that had littered his body were also healed or healing, so aside from that one gaping slash across his chest, Inuyasha seemed nearly back to his old self. His energy had seemed to return full force now that his three days of unconsciousness were over.
He noted, though, that Kagome still seemed exhausted, and nodding weakly, she explained that she felt like she was running on dead batteries. He understood the analogy, thanks to his knowledge of her time, and for that tiny fact, she was more thankful than she thought he’d likely ever realize. She would never be able to forget who she was or where she came from, even though she believed fully that it was being in the past, with him, that was her destiny. But even so, to have someone with her with which she was able to share her past with, someone who understood her fully…understood the little things she said…it was just one more reason to add to the list of reasons why she loved him. He actually paid attention to the things he knew were important to her.
Commenting based upon her comparison then, he whispered to her “Well, better get back on the charger then.” He chuckled at his own words, thinking of the cordless phone in the shrine house, and how it had been explained to him that it worked. Kagome understood his words to mean that he wished her to go back to sleep, and finally knowing that he was going to be okay, she felt she could finally sleep in peace.
“Think you can roll over with that big ol’ belly of yours?” he teased, knowing that Kagome - thank the kami - was not sensitive about her size, fully comprehending the blessing it represented.
She shot him an evil glare that quickly melted into a giggle, when she couldn’t hold her bluff any longer, before leaning forward to kiss him gently, and rolling herself over so that he could spoon her back into his embrace. Inuyasha rested his hand upon her belly, and promptly received a kick from the little creature residing within.
“He’s strong.”
“Yeah…she is…”
Snickering, he mumbled “Get some sleep.”
“All…right…” she said brokenly as a huge yawn escaped her, causing her mate to snicker once more.
For the first time in three nights, Kagome had peaceful dreams.
Inuyasha, though, remained awake, content in keeping watch over his charges. He knew he needed to conserve his energy, so he would remain in the bed with her, but he was pretty sure he’d had enough sleep to last him for a while. The sun was already rising on that, the last day before his human night, and he had to admit he was not looking forward to it. Now more so than usual, he cursed his weak hanyou blood. Even if he was somehow stronger than he used to be, it wouldn’t stop him from having everything he’d gained stripped away from him against his will. He didn’t want to be a full youkai, adoring his human heart, and the emotions he shared in private with his mate, but at the same time, he wished beyond anything that he could avoid turning human. How was he supposed to protect his mate and their pup when his body was rendered to that of a weak mortal?
Hearing the shoji across the hall slide open, followed by light footsteps, he knew they were about to have a visitor. Training his ears forward, Inuyasha made a conscious effort to avoid flicking them at the sound, content in letting their observer believe him unaware of his presence. When the door to their chamber slid open, Inuyasha’s nose was assaulted by the aromas of the kitchen, which permeated themselves in his friend’s robes. It reminded him that he was, in deed, hungry, but decidedly, that could wait. Kagome’s rest was more important than his own food, so remaining perfectly still, Inuyasha attempted to breathe through his mouth to avoid the tantalizing aroma, until he heard the footsteps depart, their chamber door sliding closed once more.
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Kagome awoke some time later, to a plate of food being waved in front of her face.
“Huh…?” she mumbled, still in that stage of waking up when one tries to separate their real memories from that which they’d just been dreaming.
“Eat.”
“Inuyasha? What are you-”
“Eat.” The second command to eat was not spoken in the human tongue.
Her inu instinct did not seem to permit room for arguing against her mate, and instantly, Kagome ate. Seeing that, Inuyasha smiled, and slowly setting the plate down beside her on the futon, he then reached for his own dish, feeling comfortable eating himself now that his pregnant mate was eating first.
He hadn’t fallen asleep during the entire time he’d held her, which lasted into well past lunch, when Miroku finally dared to make his second appearance. The monk had been surprised to see that his charges hadn’t shifted from their positions at all, but just as he was sighing in his reluctance to wake them, he caught the movement of Inuyasha’s ear, as it turned backward to catch the sound of his footfalls.
Knowing then that the hanyou was awake, he quietly asked “How’s she doing?” from his position just within their door frame.
“She fell asleep around an hour or so before you came in this morning, and she’s slept through solid ever since.” he answered softly.
Miroku just shook his head. It figured that Inuyasha had been awake that morning. The hanyou hardly ever slept, except for the times he was unconscious due to injury, and that time had already passed.
“I brought you guys some food.” Miroku whispered next, to which Inuyasha sniffed the air, and said “Pork. Good, Kagome needs meat. She needs to get her strength back.”
“So do you.”
“Keh, I’m fine.”
“Yeah….” Miroku trailed off, leaving his obvious concerns unspoken.
“I’ll be fine…” Inuyasha stated confidently, assuring his friend and pack mate, “I’ve had a lot worse during the new moon. Always managed to pull through before.” It wasn’t really true, but saying it anyway made him feel better.
“We were worried you would still be out of it by tonight.” Miroku spoke then, agreeing that the situation was likely not as dire now as they had originally feared it could be. “Sango and I are truly relieved that you’ve already recovered, for the most part. We brought medicinal herbs. Kagome wanted to take the extra precaution, summoning us here.”
“That’s because she’s a good mate.” Inuyasha replied lovingly, having staggered out of the futon, and collected their dishes of food from Miroku. “Go on and tell Sango to start preparing the herbs, I’ll get Kagome up.”
Miroku nodded his understanding and left the two alone.
They were just finishing with their meals when they were rejoined by their friends once more, and Sango, knowing her friend wished to remain awake throughout the night to come, offered to accompany her down to the bathhouse, figuring Kagome probably felt as though she needed a bath anyway, and also figuring that taking one would help to wake her up.
Kagome, for her part, readily agreed with Sango’s idea, and the two women headed out towards the enclosed spring contained within the castle grounds. The miko seemed much more energetic that day than she had for the last couple, and everyone was relieved to see that both she and Inuyasha were returning to normal rather quickly.
The evening was ever so slowly encroaching upon them, and Inuyasha could feel his senses begin to leave him gradually. It was then that he lowered his ears in defeat, while he still had canine ears to lower, as he stated, “Better start putting that smelly stuff on my wounds, I suppose.”
Chuckling in an attempt at lightening the mood, Miroku, who was reaching for the ground up paste that Sango had prepared, said “Look on the bright side, once the sun sets, you won’t be able to smell it as strongly.”
“Feh”
Inuyasha hated the healing herbs Kagome always used, and everyone knew it. They stunk, as far as his hanyou nose was concerned, a fact for which he gained sympathy when Kagome acquired her own youkai-enhanced sense of smell. He allowed her to dress his wounds, to clean them with a damp cloth, to apply bandages, but never, never did he allow her to apply that smelly, sticky paste upon his skin. When he was hanyou, he didn’t need it, and that legitimate excuse had always won his arguments for him relatively easily. But not tonight. Tonight he would offer no resistance. Tonight he was reminded of the near fatal wound he’d received from his brother’s claws, and how he had found himself longing for those very herbs. Now that his ribs and other bones were mostly healed, his body would start to work on closing the giant gap in his flesh, and were it not for the new moon, he would still refuse use of the healing paste. But he was actually a little concerned, if he had to be honest, even if only with himself. That was, by far, the worst injury Inuyasha’d ever incurred during his time of weakness, if you didn’t count the times he’d been poisoned.
Miroku trawled the paste into his friend’s wound as quickly and as painlessly as possible. It was still very deep in certain places, and honestly looked as though it should be gushing blood, but a part of his youkai instinct for survival permitted his body to cease the bleeding of wounds that would never clot with such ease on a human. Silently, Miroku prayed that when Inuyasha became human, the wound would not start bleeding. That could be bad. Miroku grimaced at the exposed muscle tissue surrounding the ribcage, but at least all the muscles seemed to have been repaired. Bone was no longer visible. That was a good thing at least, right?
Inuyasha hissed a few times, but otherwise gave no complaint, replying with “Keh” to each of Miroku’s soft apologies. The paste would help seal the wound, so that once it became susceptible to germs, it would no longer be exposed to the air. It also possessed antibacterial properties, directly helping to prevent infection. They knew that even if a small infection should start to take place, that he would easily recover once the sun rose again the following dawn, so their main concern was actually just to get him through the night as comfortably as possible. Judging by the sourpuss expression on his face, they hadn’t necessarily succeeded.
“Oh come on Inuyasha…” Miroku attempted to laugh, if for no other reason than to lighten his friend’s mood.
“Feh.”
After Kagome and Sango returned from their bath, Miroku excused himself to wash up as well, while the girls took their turn ‘guarding’ their patient.
“Quit complaining.” Kagome sighed sympathetically, attempting to use her old fashioned ‘tough love’ in order to help her maintain her façade of control.
“I ain’t said one word, wench.” Inuyasha snapped, as cranky as he usually was when his powers were slowly starting to leave him like they were.
“Oh come on Inuyasha,” Sango piped up then, “I may not understand the inu tongue to where I’d actually know if you said something word-for-word, but even I understand what whimpering means.”
“I wasn’t whimpering!” he snapped in instant defense, but quieted down the second he felt a sore muscle pull somewhere along his ribs.
Kagome felt it, their bond still in place for the moment, and quickly kneeled by his side, asking in her own whimper “Mate okay?”
“I’m fine wench.” he said with words, his voice cruel and gruff, his eyes soft and loving.
Miroku was back before the sun went down, and everyone gathered, as though they were watching a count down for something. Actually, that’s precisely what they were doing.
The sun slipped beyond sight, and Inuyasha and Kagome both felt the uncomfortable pulses rush through them, feeling as though half of their very being was being forcefully stripped from their person against their will, and knowing that there was nothing they could do to stop it. The last shred of something Kagome thought she picked up from her mate, before their bond was severed, was sudden, horrible pain.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh”
“Inuyasha!” three voices shouted, as their now human friend collapsed sideways upon the floor, the bandages on his chest quickly darkening to a deep crimson.
Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.
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Chapter 60 - Awakenings
The next couple of days were touch and go with Inuyasha. He regained consciousness a few times, but wasn’t very coherent during those times, and a small debate existed as to whether or not those times could truly count as “consciousness.”
Kagome wasn’t much better herself, honestly, as Sango found herself taking up a baby-sitting position just to make sure her friend took care of herself. While Kagome hadn’t acquired very many physical wounds during the battle, nothing beyond a few superficial scrapes and burns, she had used up nearly her entire energy supply. What little energy she did have, her body naturally channeled into her womb, ensuring that her growing baby remained healthy. That basically meant that Kagome was sleeping for about twenty hours a day, and was barely awake enough to eat and use the bathroom during the remaining four. She had protested at first, attempting to stay awake, for Inuyasha, but had finally listened to reason when both Miroku and Sango had ganged up on her, threatening her with herbs to make her sleep if she didn’t comply.
She loved her friends.
When she wasn’t passed out, they would find her sitting silently, at Inuyasha’s side. Kagome would have snuggled against him in the futon were it not for her concerns over aggravating his wounds. As for his wounds, tending his dressings was a task Kagome begrudgingly appointed to Miroku, upon the monk’s insistence that Kagome’s top priority needed to be herself, and that she shouldn’t worry herself more than necessary by exposing herself to such images.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew he was right, and silently, she thanked him for it. Feeling her eyelids growing heavy once more, Kagome realized that yeah, seeing Inuyasha’s wounds right before sleep was probably the last thing she wanted to do. She was already haunted with the images from battle; she didn’t need to add fuel to the fire.
Miroku nodded to Sango, letting his wife know that he’d take over the self-appointed watch for the time being, so that she could go get some sleep. Sango quietly informed him that Kagome had just nodded off again, though she’d seemed to have more energy than she did the last time she’d been awake. He smiled, and nodded once more, firm in his beliefs that both of his friends would make a full recovery. It was only a matter of time.
“Ka…gome…” Inuyasha muttered in his state of half-sleep, as Miroku changed his dressings.
“She’s right beside you.” the houshi whispered, not knowing if the hanyou had even heard him, let alone under stood his words.
“Couldn’t…protect…love…” ;
Sighing, Miroku replaced the cool rag upon his friend’s forehead once more. He and Sango had more than willingly agreed to take over in their friends’ care, though Kagura had done an excellent job with Inuyasha’s original dressings. Which was surprising, considering she had no formal training in applying bandages. It must have been because of the proximity to the new moon, but Inuyasha’s fever had yet to break. They had learned some time ago, thanks to Kagome and her futuristic knowledge, that a fever wasn’t actually something attacking your body, but rather, your body attacking something. It didn’t mean you were helpless and that something was running rampant within you, it meant that you were actually fighting something off. It only became a genuine cause for alarm when one’s temperature rose too high. Kagome had explained that, unfortunately, your body could harm itself in its attempt at getting better. If a fever got too high, the person needed to be cooled off, and quickly. That, at least, was something he already knew, though he found the science behind it all quite mind-boggling. It humbled Miroku to know that Kagome had actually gone out of her way to explain things in the simplest terms that she knew how.
Fortunately for their hanyou friend, a youkai’s body did not function in the same way as a human’s, and while a fever was strictly a human’s issue, one he was only susceptible to at all because he was hanyou, his youkai blood was successfully keeping it in check, not letting his body accidentally harm itself in its attempts at recovery. What everyone was concerned about, and rightfully so, was the rapidly approaching new moon. If his fever did not break before then, it could suddenly flourish.
Realizing his charge had been silent again for some time, Miroku slowly, gently, reached a finger higher, and delicately traced the finest of the hairs along the tip of one of his friend’s overly sensitive ears.
Said ear didn’t even twitch, not in the slightest.
Frowning, he knew Inuyasha was dead to the world once more. His ears always flickered during natural sleep. Sighing, he rose to his feet, merely to walk around the futon, kneeling once more before his other charge. Sango would be so proud of him; he was a completely changed man, now that he and she were wed. He was a perfect gentleman as he placed his hand upon Kagome’s belly, assessing the status of the pup. He smiled when he felt it kick, rejoicing in the knowledge that soon, very soon, he would be enjoying the same sensation with his own wife and child. Checking Kagome’s forehead next, he was relieved to find that the young miko still had a normal temperature. She wasn’t unconscious, merely asleep, but asleep hard. Her body would need lots and lots of sleep. Especially since she vowed to stay awake with them during the night of the new moon, for which they offered her no arguments.
They had learned that Kagome lost her youki as well during Inuyasha’s human night, which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing for herself, in that instance, since her youki and her returning miko powers were physically unrelated with one another. But it was going to scare the daylights out of her when she couldn’t smell the condition of her mate any longer, and she knew it. Already, Kagome’s mind had been flooded with images of the night of the new moon when she’d almost lost her mate to his brother’s poison. She was envisioning a similar occurrence taking place in one more night.
“Ka…gome…”
Startled, Miroku rushed back around to check on Inuyasha once more, and sure enough, whatever minuscule bout of unconsciousness he’d slipped into had already reversed itself.
“Inuyasha?” he addressed, wanting to see if he would finally rouse into full wakefulness.
“Kag…ome…gomenna..sai…” he mumbled brokenly in his dreams.
“Inuyasha, Kagome is fine, she’s here with you. Open your eyes, and see for yourself.”
“Miroku?” That whisper came from the aforementioned miko currently laying beside the hanyou.
“Kagome…forgive me, I did not mean to wake you.”
“No, it’s fine…Inuyasha?” she asked while yawning, and sitting herself up to glance over at her side.
“He’s talking again, but still not waking up.” he answered her.
Then an idea struck him. The most serious of the injuries Inuyasha had suffered were well on their way to healing. They could tell that the broken ribs were knitting nicely, and his breathing had already returned to normal. The deep gash across his chest looked as though it hadn’t started healing at all, but they’d rather deal with that, then have a human Inuyasha coughing up blood on their hands, so they were thankful for the path his body had chosen in its recovery.
“I don’t think it would injure him now, were you to embrace him, gently. Perhaps…feeling you so close by would…”
“Help.” she finished for him, nodding, as she scooted herself closer, and gently, cautiously, pulled Inuyasha’s head into her lap, now that his upper body could handle the shift in position. Kagome had a momentarily humorous look of disgust with herself over her general lack of a lap, due to her protruding belly, but still she managed it.
“Kagome…” Inuyasha moaned again, and it was clear he was still out of it.
“Inuyasha…” she addressed in return, and somewhere within his dreams, he had apparently heard her.
“I’m so sorry.” he said more coherently, which Miroku took as a good sign in and of itself, sleep-talking or no.
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” the miko answered him, debating on whether or not to attempt holding back her tears, wondering if the scent of them would help wake him up, or only disturb him more in his sleep.
“Couldn’t protect…” he mumbled next, and she hugged him closer, leaning down to whisper into the furry triangle that, thankfully, twitched and flinched in reaction to the contact.
“Protect me now, Inuyasha, I need you now. Come to me, wake up, wake up and protect me.” She thought that perhaps that would appeal to his subconscious mind.
“Kagome…must…protect…”
Raising her head and giving Miroku a look, the ex-monk’s eyes opened wide in dawning, as he nodded his agreement to play along, quickly leaning closer to his friend’s other ear.
“Kagome needs you, Inuyasha, you must protect her. You must wake up to protect her.”
“Kagome…” His voice was much louder that time, and then suddenly, before their eyes, his slowly fluttered open, unseeing amber taking a moment to focus. Once they did, the first thing Inuyasha realized he could see, from where his head was currently angled, was the upside down face of his beloved mate, unshed tears shining in her eyes.
“Kagome?” he voiced questioningly, as he attempted to sit up.
He found he could not, though, by a sudden hand placed gently upon his chest.
“Hold on, Inuyasha, you shouldn’t move around too much.”
“Huh…?” Raising his head, he saw Miroku crouched before him, a deeper concern in his friend’s gaze than the hanyou recalled ever having seen before.
“You…” he started, weakly, “…look like I almost died…or something…” Inuyasha attempted to laugh, when he realized that was precisely what had happened.
“I would say thank the kami that you are still with us, but while I know they played their part, your greatest survival is due, in whole, to the beautiful kami whose lap your head is currently blessed to adorn.”
Smirking weakly at his perverted friend, Inuyasha tilted his head back, and once more met the beautiful vision of his mate’s loving face.
“Hey you…” he said weakly.
“Hey…” she answered, permitting her tears to fall freely then.
“How many times have you saved my sorry ass?” he asked, chuckling quickly, wincing at the pain he felt in his chest as he did so.
“I’ve lost count.” she joked in return, chuckling as well, though the sound was mixed with her sobs.
“I’ll leave you two along.” Miroku said softly, with a genuine smile, as he quietly exited the room.
“Kagome…?” Inuyasha questioned after a moment, and all the unasked questions behind the way he’d said her name seemed to jump out at her in their intensity.
“It’s a long story…”
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Several hours after Inuyasha first awoke, Miroku returned to check in on them, finding them both sleeping normally, and finally snuggled together, like they should be, Inuyasha’s hand resting protectively across his mate’s breeding belly. Giving them another glance before heading back out, Miroku decided they could afford to skip breakfast for the time being, seeing as how they seemed to need their sleep even more. He and Sango would wake them both by mid-afternoon if they still slept at that time. Actually, going back to sleep sounded pretty good. He and Sango could probably also use all the rest they could get, as well. It would be a long night.
Inuyasha had been amazed at the retelling of the final events, humbled, he could tell, by his modest wife who did not wish to embellish her abilities. But he could see right through her, and once he forced her to give him a more accurate accounting, he assured her, it was no embellishment. He had sensed the power increasing in her for some time, as well as a new power increasing within himself. He lacked the ability to control it safely, or rather, he lacked the courage to try, outside of mating, but he had felt himself slowly gaining more control over his transformations each time the event occured. He was surprised when she told him that he’d had additional crests upon his body, like that of a true youkai, like Sesshoumaru; he hadn’t remembered that part. But he did remember the battle after his transformation, another sign that his two halves were slowly coming together as one.
Just like Kagome had expected, and at one point actually prayed for, Inuyasha went through a bout of anger, chastising her for disobeying him and flying herself recklessly into the heart of battle. But after the small tirade was over, he held her close, permitting a single, rare tear to slip down his cheek, as he whispered “Arigato…”
He tried to protest when Kagome insisted upon changing his dressings, insisting that she could call for either Miroku or Sango, or even Kagura…He didn’t care, so long as she didn’t over exert herself. But she insisted that she hadn’t gotten to do it once yet, and she wanted to, it was her job. Smiling lovingly, he relented, and complied to her demands, attempting with all his might not to flinch or wince in pain as she changed his bandages. The deep gouge across his chest was not bleeding, but also not healing very quickly, and it was a little unsettling, the amount of raw muscle tissue that was exposed to her eyes as she cleaned him. But now that Inuyasha had finally woken up, and his fever had left him, Kagome was feeling more confident about his upcoming human night, and she needed to be able to stomach the sight of his wounds if she was going to be there for him when he needed her most.
Feeling around his ribs, Kagome determined that they were nearly healed, and he confirmed for her that it did not hurt to breathe, unless he took a really deep breath. Most of the smaller cuts and scrapes that had littered his body were also healed or healing, so aside from that one gaping slash across his chest, Inuyasha seemed nearly back to his old self. His energy had seemed to return full force now that his three days of unconsciousness were over.
He noted, though, that Kagome still seemed exhausted, and nodding weakly, she explained that she felt like she was running on dead batteries. He understood the analogy, thanks to his knowledge of her time, and for that tiny fact, she was more thankful than she thought he’d likely ever realize. She would never be able to forget who she was or where she came from, even though she believed fully that it was being in the past, with him, that was her destiny. But even so, to have someone with her with which she was able to share her past with, someone who understood her fully…understood the little things she said…it was just one more reason to add to the list of reasons why she loved him. He actually paid attention to the things he knew were important to her.
Commenting based upon her comparison then, he whispered to her “Well, better get back on the charger then.” He chuckled at his own words, thinking of the cordless phone in the shrine house, and how it had been explained to him that it worked. Kagome understood his words to mean that he wished her to go back to sleep, and finally knowing that he was going to be okay, she felt she could finally sleep in peace.
“Think you can roll over with that big ol’ belly of yours?” he teased, knowing that Kagome - thank the kami - was not sensitive about her size, fully comprehending the blessing it represented.
She shot him an evil glare that quickly melted into a giggle, when she couldn’t hold her bluff any longer, before leaning forward to kiss him gently, and rolling herself over so that he could spoon her back into his embrace. Inuyasha rested his hand upon her belly, and promptly received a kick from the little creature residing within.
“He’s strong.”
“Yeah…she is…”
Snickering, he mumbled “Get some sleep.”
“All…right…” she said brokenly as a huge yawn escaped her, causing her mate to snicker once more.
For the first time in three nights, Kagome had peaceful dreams.
Inuyasha, though, remained awake, content in keeping watch over his charges. He knew he needed to conserve his energy, so he would remain in the bed with her, but he was pretty sure he’d had enough sleep to last him for a while. The sun was already rising on that, the last day before his human night, and he had to admit he was not looking forward to it. Now more so than usual, he cursed his weak hanyou blood. Even if he was somehow stronger than he used to be, it wouldn’t stop him from having everything he’d gained stripped away from him against his will. He didn’t want to be a full youkai, adoring his human heart, and the emotions he shared in private with his mate, but at the same time, he wished beyond anything that he could avoid turning human. How was he supposed to protect his mate and their pup when his body was rendered to that of a weak mortal?
Hearing the shoji across the hall slide open, followed by light footsteps, he knew they were about to have a visitor. Training his ears forward, Inuyasha made a conscious effort to avoid flicking them at the sound, content in letting their observer believe him unaware of his presence. When the door to their chamber slid open, Inuyasha’s nose was assaulted by the aromas of the kitchen, which permeated themselves in his friend’s robes. It reminded him that he was, in deed, hungry, but decidedly, that could wait. Kagome’s rest was more important than his own food, so remaining perfectly still, Inuyasha attempted to breathe through his mouth to avoid the tantalizing aroma, until he heard the footsteps depart, their chamber door sliding closed once more.
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Kagome awoke some time later, to a plate of food being waved in front of her face.
“Huh…?” she mumbled, still in that stage of waking up when one tries to separate their real memories from that which they’d just been dreaming.
“Eat.”
“Inuyasha? What are you-”
“Eat.” The second command to eat was not spoken in the human tongue.
Her inu instinct did not seem to permit room for arguing against her mate, and instantly, Kagome ate. Seeing that, Inuyasha smiled, and slowly setting the plate down beside her on the futon, he then reached for his own dish, feeling comfortable eating himself now that his pregnant mate was eating first.
He hadn’t fallen asleep during the entire time he’d held her, which lasted into well past lunch, when Miroku finally dared to make his second appearance. The monk had been surprised to see that his charges hadn’t shifted from their positions at all, but just as he was sighing in his reluctance to wake them, he caught the movement of Inuyasha’s ear, as it turned backward to catch the sound of his footfalls.
Knowing then that the hanyou was awake, he quietly asked “How’s she doing?” from his position just within their door frame.
“She fell asleep around an hour or so before you came in this morning, and she’s slept through solid ever since.” he answered softly.
Miroku just shook his head. It figured that Inuyasha had been awake that morning. The hanyou hardly ever slept, except for the times he was unconscious due to injury, and that time had already passed.
“I brought you guys some food.” Miroku whispered next, to which Inuyasha sniffed the air, and said “Pork. Good, Kagome needs meat. She needs to get her strength back.”
“So do you.”
“Keh, I’m fine.”
“Yeah….” Miroku trailed off, leaving his obvious concerns unspoken.
“I’ll be fine…” Inuyasha stated confidently, assuring his friend and pack mate, “I’ve had a lot worse during the new moon. Always managed to pull through before.” It wasn’t really true, but saying it anyway made him feel better.
“We were worried you would still be out of it by tonight.” Miroku spoke then, agreeing that the situation was likely not as dire now as they had originally feared it could be. “Sango and I are truly relieved that you’ve already recovered, for the most part. We brought medicinal herbs. Kagome wanted to take the extra precaution, summoning us here.”
“That’s because she’s a good mate.” Inuyasha replied lovingly, having staggered out of the futon, and collected their dishes of food from Miroku. “Go on and tell Sango to start preparing the herbs, I’ll get Kagome up.”
Miroku nodded his understanding and left the two alone.
They were just finishing with their meals when they were rejoined by their friends once more, and Sango, knowing her friend wished to remain awake throughout the night to come, offered to accompany her down to the bathhouse, figuring Kagome probably felt as though she needed a bath anyway, and also figuring that taking one would help to wake her up.
Kagome, for her part, readily agreed with Sango’s idea, and the two women headed out towards the enclosed spring contained within the castle grounds. The miko seemed much more energetic that day than she had for the last couple, and everyone was relieved to see that both she and Inuyasha were returning to normal rather quickly.
The evening was ever so slowly encroaching upon them, and Inuyasha could feel his senses begin to leave him gradually. It was then that he lowered his ears in defeat, while he still had canine ears to lower, as he stated, “Better start putting that smelly stuff on my wounds, I suppose.”
Chuckling in an attempt at lightening the mood, Miroku, who was reaching for the ground up paste that Sango had prepared, said “Look on the bright side, once the sun sets, you won’t be able to smell it as strongly.”
“Feh”
Inuyasha hated the healing herbs Kagome always used, and everyone knew it. They stunk, as far as his hanyou nose was concerned, a fact for which he gained sympathy when Kagome acquired her own youkai-enhanced sense of smell. He allowed her to dress his wounds, to clean them with a damp cloth, to apply bandages, but never, never did he allow her to apply that smelly, sticky paste upon his skin. When he was hanyou, he didn’t need it, and that legitimate excuse had always won his arguments for him relatively easily. But not tonight. Tonight he would offer no resistance. Tonight he was reminded of the near fatal wound he’d received from his brother’s claws, and how he had found himself longing for those very herbs. Now that his ribs and other bones were mostly healed, his body would start to work on closing the giant gap in his flesh, and were it not for the new moon, he would still refuse use of the healing paste. But he was actually a little concerned, if he had to be honest, even if only with himself. That was, by far, the worst injury Inuyasha’d ever incurred during his time of weakness, if you didn’t count the times he’d been poisoned.
Miroku trawled the paste into his friend’s wound as quickly and as painlessly as possible. It was still very deep in certain places, and honestly looked as though it should be gushing blood, but a part of his youkai instinct for survival permitted his body to cease the bleeding of wounds that would never clot with such ease on a human. Silently, Miroku prayed that when Inuyasha became human, the wound would not start bleeding. That could be bad. Miroku grimaced at the exposed muscle tissue surrounding the ribcage, but at least all the muscles seemed to have been repaired. Bone was no longer visible. That was a good thing at least, right?
Inuyasha hissed a few times, but otherwise gave no complaint, replying with “Keh” to each of Miroku’s soft apologies. The paste would help seal the wound, so that once it became susceptible to germs, it would no longer be exposed to the air. It also possessed antibacterial properties, directly helping to prevent infection. They knew that even if a small infection should start to take place, that he would easily recover once the sun rose again the following dawn, so their main concern was actually just to get him through the night as comfortably as possible. Judging by the sourpuss expression on his face, they hadn’t necessarily succeeded.
“Oh come on Inuyasha…” Miroku attempted to laugh, if for no other reason than to lighten his friend’s mood.
“Feh.”
After Kagome and Sango returned from their bath, Miroku excused himself to wash up as well, while the girls took their turn ‘guarding’ their patient.
“Quit complaining.” Kagome sighed sympathetically, attempting to use her old fashioned ‘tough love’ in order to help her maintain her façade of control.
“I ain’t said one word, wench.” Inuyasha snapped, as cranky as he usually was when his powers were slowly starting to leave him like they were.
“Oh come on Inuyasha,” Sango piped up then, “I may not understand the inu tongue to where I’d actually know if you said something word-for-word, but even I understand what whimpering means.”
“I wasn’t whimpering!” he snapped in instant defense, but quieted down the second he felt a sore muscle pull somewhere along his ribs.
Kagome felt it, their bond still in place for the moment, and quickly kneeled by his side, asking in her own whimper “Mate okay?”
“I’m fine wench.” he said with words, his voice cruel and gruff, his eyes soft and loving.
Miroku was back before the sun went down, and everyone gathered, as though they were watching a count down for something. Actually, that’s precisely what they were doing.
The sun slipped beyond sight, and Inuyasha and Kagome both felt the uncomfortable pulses rush through them, feeling as though half of their very being was being forcefully stripped from their person against their will, and knowing that there was nothing they could do to stop it. The last shred of something Kagome thought she picked up from her mate, before their bond was severed, was sudden, horrible pain.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh”
“Inuyasha!” three voices shouted, as their now human friend collapsed sideways upon the floor, the bandages on his chest quickly darkening to a deep crimson.