InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Darkest Before Dawn ❯ Darkest Before Dawn ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. I only own this plot line.

A/N: Happy Birthday to my good friend Bankotsu Satori. I hope that both you and Christine enjoy this little piece. XD

XOXOXOXOXO

Darkest Before Dawn:

Bankotsu blinked as he felt a small hand on his broad shoulder.

"What are you thinking about?"

He stared up at the clear blue sky. 'Just hearing her voice makes the sun shine brighter and the sky seem bluer.' He mentally scoffed. 'I sound like such a sap.' His fingers yanked out a couple blades of grass and he twisted them between his fingers.

His eyes landed on the woman moving to sit beside him. "I was just thinking."

She rubbed her sleepy brown eyes and yawned. "What about?" She tilted her head to the side in that curious, innocent little way of hers.

His hand settled on top of her protruding belly. "About how I am the luckiest man in the world," A Proud smirk crossed his tanned face.

She chuckled. "You say that now. Just wait until the little guy actually gets here and then we will see if you still feel the same way."

Noticing the lingering doubt in her eyes, he cupped her face and stared directly into her eyes. He adored the way that those eyes changed into a soft mahogany when her face flushed with passion.

"I have the most beautiful and kindest woman in the world at my side." He smirked at her blush. It never ceased to amaze him how the simplest things like a compliment could make her blush.

"On top of that, she is carrying our child." His hand reverently rubbed her tummy and his eyes shined with pride as he felt a strong kick underneath his calloused palm. 'That's my boy alright.'

She grabbed her bottom lip between her teeth. "Are you sure that this is what you want?"

'I really don't want to leave, but I don't want him to feel like I'm a burden either.' Her lips trembled. "I don't want you feeling obligated or anything. I understand that as a mercenary you really can't afford distractions like this."

She ducked her head and whispered, "I'll understand if you -"

He slid a finger under her chin and tilted her head up. His eyes narrowed and his voice was stern. "Don't even think about it!"

She sniffled and her eyes watered. "But -"

"Kagome," His hand tenderly stroked her cheek, wiping away her tear. "What is it going to take for you to understand that I am right where I want to be?"

It tore at his heart to see the uncertainty in her eyes. Bitterness warred with anger to fill his soul. 'I wonder if that baka hanyou even realizes how much damage he's done to her?'

He gently wrapped his strong arms around her and pressed her head to his chest. One hand slowly ran through her inky tresses.

"I'm not going anywhere." His voice was filled with resolve.

Her breath hitched and she closed her eyes, trying to hold back the tears as all the times of being called troublesome and such a pain by the hanyou of her past. "But Inuyasha –"

Bankotsu snorted and grit his teeth. He pulled back and firmly planted his feet shoulder width apart, with his fists clenched. "Don't you dare compare me to that bastard!"

She blinked.

Bankotsu gave an impatient snort. "I am nothing like that worthless hanyou!"

Kagome's eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth. "Inuyasha is n –"

He crossed his arms over his chest and silenced her with an icy glare. "I am sick of you constantly comparing me to that worthless fucking bastard!"

Her fingers touched her parted lips and her eyes widened a bit. "I don't -"

His posture stiffened and he snorted. "Bullshit!" He fumed. "I've got a newsflash for you, Miko… I'm not the one who kept running to his dead lover, leaving you crying every night! I'm not the one who constantly belittled you."

His chest heaved with barely contained anger as his fist slammed into his palm. 'Just once I'd like to find that bastard so that I can beat the holy hell out of him for hurting her.'

She flinched at the anger radiating from his aura. It was so strong that she could feel it rolling off of him in waves.

There was only one other time she had felt anger this powerful… It was the night Inuyasha had killed the others and almost raped her.

Her eyes widened and her face paled. "I'm sorry," she stuttered as she shook and tried to back away.

Bankotsu scowled. 'Aw fuck,' He took a deep breath and expelled it. He didn't mean to scare her, but Damnit! He was sick of her comparing him to that bastard mutt!

He voice softened. "It's alright Kagome; I'm not going to raise my fist to you like he did." He ran a hand through his bangs and snorted. His eyes turned emotionless and he sighed. "I just don't like when people, especially you, compare me to that bastard."

He turned around, intending to stomp off down the hill, but was stopped by her hand on his shoulder.

"Please don't go."

The pleading tone of her voice diminished his anger. His shoulders sagged.

He turned around and cradled her in his arms. "I'm not going anywhere," he breathed against her hair. "I just wish that you would believe me when I say that."

She sobbed and buried her head against his chest. She spoke so lightly he barely caught it. "I just… don't want to be hurt again."

He ran a hand down her back. "Shh, I will never hurt you like that Kagome."

Her arms wrapped around his waist and she cried into his chest. She wanted to believe him, but she had been hurt so much already and it was hard to trust again.

Her mind replayed the horrible events of the night Kikyo died.

XOXOXO - Flashback – XOXOXOXO

Kagome stared dismayed at the broken arrows and bow in her hands. 'At least the battle is over now.' She glanced over to where a heartbroken Inuyasha was cradling the clay body of his beloved Kikyo.

"Don't leave me Kikyo, please."

"Inuyasha," she whispered weakly, and cupped his cheek. She touched his tears. "You cry for me?" the dead priestess asked.

Inuyasha choked back an anguished cry and nodded. "Please Kikyo, it can't end like this."

She stared into his eyes wanting to tell him how much his tears meant to her. She spoke weakly. "Inuyasha …" Her eyes lost what little light they had once held and glazed over with emptiness.

His arms around her tightened and he rocked back and forth. "Kikyo," The most intense pain he had ever felt grabbed hold of him as held his beloved mate still rocking back and forth. He felt a vise grip his heart and his chest squeezed in pain.

"Kikyo," He tried in vain to get her to speak to him and as she remained silent the pain in his heart intensified.

He opened his eyes and through the fog of tears, watched grief stricken as the souls faded into the sky. He lowered his eyes and let out a furious growl. His amber eyes turned red and his entire body shook with the power of his anger.

'No, it isn't fair! Why did she have to die?' Pure rage and deep hatred blackened his soul. His fangs elongated and he spun around, jumping on Miroku. He snarled ignoring the monk's startled babbling and flexed his claws. He swiped his claws across the monk's chest and then punched a whole through the monk's torso.

Blue eyes widened as blood seeped onto the ground. Dazed blue eyes met angry red ones. "Why?" Miroku managed to choke out before his eyes rolled back and he fell limp to his knees.

Inuyasha shook his bloodied fist free of the body and snarled. The pain inside his heart still wouldn't go away and he grew more agitated. Saliva dripped from the corners of his mouth and angry foam gathered beside his lips.

Sango's eyes widened. "Miroku, no!" She gripped her weapon tightly. Angry brown eyes glared at the hanyou. "Inuyasha, How could you?" She planted her feet shoulder width apart and prepared her weapon. Her eyes never left the hanyou.

She spoke calmly. "Kagome, Inuyasha is not in his right mind. You need to get away quickly."

Kagome's eyes filled with tears, "But Sango,"

Sango yelled, "Just do it Kagome." She stepped forward. "Run now!" The demon slayer spun around a few times and released her giant bone weapon.

Inuyasha snarled and quickly leapt out of the way of the boomerang.

Sango flicked open her sheathe and pulled out her katana. She quickly ran forward and used her katana to slice the demon's arm. She ducked his swipe and rolled away. She jumped back up to her feet and caught her Hiraikotsu.

She spun around and used it to body block the angry tackle. "Snap out of it Inuyasha!"

Driven by pure rage, he snarled and slammed against her weapon again.

She braced for the impact and dug her foot into the ground. When she noticed he wasn't going to stop, tears filled her eyes and she brought the katana down towards him.

'Please don't make me have to kill you. I've already lost so much; don't make me lose you too.' Sango's heart was torn between having to kill her friend and knowing that if she didn't, he would kill them all - Just as he had Miroku. 'Please let Kagome get safely away.'

Inuyasha dodged the blow and ran towards the slayer, knocking her massive weapon aside. Wasting no time, he quickly used her shock to his advantage and sliced his razor sharp claws across her throat.

Brown eyes widened in disbelief and her blade clattered to the earth. She grabbed her throat trying in vain to stop the blood leaking from her open neck.

Inuyasha watched blankly as she fell limp on the ground and blood pooled around the body. He glared at the body, still not satisfied with his revenge.

Shippo yelled angrily, "Inuyasha stop it!"

Remembering all the pain he'd endured thanks to the kit, {mainly in the form of those ever annoying sits} the enraged demon's eyes turned to him and a furious snarl ripped past his lips.

"It's your turn runt."

Shippo's eyes widened and his little heart began racing. His leg muscled tightened and he made a desperate leap away from the demon.

Inuyasha easily caught him and quickly sliced his tiny belly open. Guts leaked spilled the wounds and pooled on the ground, mixing with the blood and creating a pungent odor.

With a derisive snort he dropped the dead kit to the ground and stepped on the slayer's corpse. His heel ground into her back and he spat on her. "You shouldn't have interfered."

The time traveling priestess had stood rooted to the spot and watched in horror with her jaw hanging open as her former hanyou friend ruthlessly killed their companions. She tried to cry out, but couldn't find her voice. She was too shell shocked to do anything but watch in horror as if she was in a trance.

When she saw the demon form of her friend kill her surrogate son, she finally found her voice.

"Inuyasha, how could you?"

Kagome's eyes filled with tears. She clenched her fists tightly and glared at him. She would have sat him to hell and back, if only his beads hadn't fallen off during the final battle.

The demon snarled and his beady eyes settled on the copy of his mate. Rage like no other he had ever known filled him to the core. ''It's her fault that our mate died!' With renewed anger, he charged towards her.

Finally able to move, Kagome turned around with her heart thundering in her chest and fled into the trees. Her breath burst in and out of her lungs as she tried not to think of her dead companions. Tears flew from her eyes as she crashed through the lower hanging limbs and underbrush, mindless of it tearing at her clothes and skin.

Her legs and arms pumped as fast as they possibly could. 'I've got to hide, but where?'

She could hear him crashing through the trees behind her. She flinched and continued running. She knew that she was far outmatched but she had to try to escape him. She turned a corner trying to lose him, but he roughly tackled her to the ground.

She cried out as the rough terrain skinned her knees as she hit the ground. Her cry escalated as she felt a hand yank her up by the hair.

"You worthless bitch," the back of his hand collided painfully with her face and she was sent flying onto her back. He pounced on her breathing heavily. His claws quickly shredded her clothes and his hands groped her breast, squeezing roughly.

Her stomach roiled and she shook her head in denial. She tried to fight him off. "Inuyasha, don't –"

He let out an annoyed grunt and secured her hands over her head, with one of his own. The back of his free hand connected with her cheek. "Silence!"

She screamed in pain as one of his fangs grazed her breast, leaving a thin line of blood. "Not like this," she pleaded. Tears poured from her eyes as she struggled against his superior strength.

He smacked her again. "Shut up!" A feral grin crossed his lips as her cheek swelled and split open.

She felt his knee roughly shove between her thighs, forcing them open as his claw gripped her throat restricting her air intake.

Her eyes bulged and she started to panic. She tried to buck him off to no avail.

"Stop struggling bitch, you know you want it." He snarled. "Don't even try to deny it."

She opened her mouth to scream, but could barely pull any air into her lungs.

She felt him position himself at her entrance and closed her eyes, failing to hold back her tears. 'I never wanted it to be like this. I wanted it to be special.'

His grip on her throat tightened in a silent command for her to stop struggling.

Her body froze and she braced herself, waiting for the inevitable. Her eyes closed and she felt herself drifting into unconsciousness. 'Someone save me.'

A deep and disgusted snort sounded from off to the side.

An angry voice filled the air. "Only a pathetic coward would betray his friends."

She was barely cognizant enough to register a loud crunch and then felt the weight pressing down top of her suddenly vanish.

She gulped in deep breaths of air and blinked as she sat up.

Her eyes widened as she watched her savior punt Inuyasha like a soccer ball and then storm over to the further riled demon.

She quickly looked around for something to try to preserve her modesty with, but found nothing but the shredded material that used to be her school uniform.

She shakily drew her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly, and winced as she felt the bruising on her chest. She watched the furious former leader of the Schichinintai proceed to engage Inuyasha in battle.

Tears blurred her vision and she lowered her head to her knees crying. She tried to drown out the sounds as the two males faced off in battle.

Because he couldn't wield his Tetsuiga in his present state, Inuyasha eventually ended up on the ground snarling and grabbed his bleeding stomach, ignoring the fresh blood oozing from various wounds.

Ruby eyes narrowed in hatred at the man above him, spinning his massive halberd. The tip dripped with fresh blood.

Inuyasha spat out some blood and glared at the mercenary. "This isn't over," he gathered his waning strength and quickly fled into the forest, away from his enemy to nurse his wounds and plot his revenge.

Bankotsu's equally hate filled eyes never left the demon until long after he had vanished from site. "Baka hanyou," He spat on the ground and lowered his weapon. He took off his haori and knelt beside the frightened girl. "Oi you okay?"

He wrapped his haori around Kagome's shoulders. He secured his prized weapon to his broad back and scooped Kagome into his arms. "Let's get out of here."

Her body slumped in his arms. She clung to him too shocked to even speak and shivered in his arms. She buried her head against his chest and gave her tears free reign.

XOXOXOXO – End Flashback - XOXOXOXO

Her arms tightened around his waist and she tried to force the unwanted, painful memories away. A sob escaped her tightly pressed lips.

Bankotsu sighed and patiently stroked her hair. "Sh it's okay. He can't hurt you anymore. I'll kill him before he ever touches you again."

She shook in his arms and tried to push the past away.

Bankotsu pulled back and cupped her face. His tone was hard and unforgiving. "I swear Kagome, if I ever see that bastard again he's dead."

He gently wiped her tears away and vowed harshly, "No one hurts you and lives. Not while I am still breathing!"

She hiccuped and nodded. She'd had many months to come to terms with the fact that Inuyasha was no longer the hanyou she had befriended. Somehow after losing his precious Kikyo, he turned into a monster.

To thank Bankotsu for helping her that night, she'd used the jewel and wished him back to life. He was stronger now than when he'd carried the seven jewel shards, but he was alive as flesh and blood now.

It had shocked him and she had followed him for weeks before they even spoke of it.

She hadn't brought her friends back, because she sure they wouldn't be happy if she did. After recalling a conversation she'd once had with Sango and Miroku about how they felt it was wrong to bring back the dead, she'd decided to honor their wishes and only wished for Bankotsu to be flesh and blood once more.

He nuzzled his face against her hair and pushed her head to the crook of his neck.

She whispered, "I just don't want to be a burden."

He pulled back to stare into her eyes. "You're not a burden Kagome. You're a gift that should be treasured above all else."

Her eyes widened and she gasped. "Really?"

He smiled and brushed his lips against hers. "You're the greatest treasure that a man could ever have and I intend to show you that every day."

She blinked and watched his eyes soften with something indefinable. Bankotsu wasn't a man of many words, so when he did talk she made it a point to listen.

"You are an incredible woman and any man would be lucky to have you. That baka hanyou couldn't see what a good thing he had."

He pulled her into his arms. "I know how precious of a gift you are and I have no intention of letting anything happen to you or come between us."

Her heart fluttered in her chest and she bit her lip. She wanted to believe him, but she was afraid to chance her heart.

He sighed. "I know Inubaka hurt you and betrayed you and your friends."

He heard her sobs and lightly tightened his hold. "I won't. Kagome, I would never hurt you like that. I may be a mercenary, but I know how to treasure what really matters."

She bit her lip. 'He has been surprisingly kind and so gentle since he rescued me that night. I wish I could give him my heart, but I'm so afraid of getting betrayed again.' She stared into his eyes. "Thank you, for rescuing me that night and for everything else."

He cupped her cheek and sighed. 'She gave me a new chance at life. Since then she has given me so much more than I ever dared dream was possible.' His heart rate accelerated.

She placed her hand over his and nuzzled her cheek against his palm.

He gave her a small smile. "I will always consider myself the luckiest man in the world, because I have you."

He was more a man of action and rarely communicated his feelings to anyone. This woman was the only woman who had ever bothered to look past his tough guy demeanor and see the real him.

At first it had annoyed the hell out of him. But after a while he'd grown used to it and was grateful that she had cared enough to bother with it.

This woman who had known her share of heartache and betrayal, had given him a chance at the one thing he had long ago given up on ever knowing.

True acceptance.

She knew he was a hired killer, but she didn't condemn hi for it. Instead of running away scared when he growled at her, she had stood toe to toe with him and yelled right back at him. Eventually he had found to his astonishment that the walls built around his heart meant to keep everyone at bay, were crumbling.

He stroked her cheek in a tender caress. This woman had managed to succeed where all other people had failed. She had won her way into his heart and had become very special to him.

They didn't talk much, but when they did they talked openly. He knew that women sometimes needed to be reminded through words of how a guy felt.

Though it went against his very core to be so sappy, he knew exactly what she needed more than anything right now and gathered his courage around him. He took a deep breath and tried to utter the three words that he had never said before to anyone.

"Kagome..." his throat tightened and he felt a nervous flutter in his stomach. He'd dealt with rejection before and really preferred to avoid it.

He stared deeply into her eyes. 'Maybe things will be different this time. After all she has already proven she is more woman than the others I have known.'

He swallowed past the lump in his throat and wiped his sweaty palm on his hakama leg. He took a deep breath and tried again. "Kagome, I… I love you."

His breath expelled. 'There I said it. I really hope I don't end up regretting this.' He waited anxiously for her reaction.

Her eyes widened and her breath hitched. She stared into his eyes, noting his nervousness.

She smiled. "I love you too Bankotsu." She pushed up on her tip toes and pressed her lips against his.

She felt the tension leave his shoulders as his mouth opened to her.

She pushed her tongue inside and kissed him with all of the pent up feelings that she had been afraid to express.

He wrapped his arms around her, feeling like everything was finally turning out the way it was meant to. His heart warmed as he felt her soft body melt against his.

He pulled back to grin proudly when he felt a strong kick against his abs. he stared at her stomach and raised a brow.

Kagome giggled and joined him in laughter. For the first time since that horrible night, she felt hope for a bright future.

XOXOXOXOXO

A/N: Ha! Finally! Something I am mostly satisfied with. This is the third and final draft for this little one shot. I didn't want to bog it down with tons of info, but wanted to address some questions I was sure would pop up while reading it.

This is also the third summary I came up with. I'm 95% satisfied with summary. Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed this. I'd love to hear what you think about it. XD