InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ He Touched Me ❯ Numb the Pain ( Chapter 3 )

He Touched Me

By: TuxedoUranus89/InitialA

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha. The goddess Rumiko Takahashi does and we're just allowed to play with the characters.

Author's Note: Well, like I said, they last chapter ended on a happy note, so I'll try to go back into the not-so-happy. We'll see how things unfold though. Thank you everyone who's read and reviewed so far, it keeps me motivated and I love hearing feedback!! And so many positive reviews as well!! (Not that I'm complaining, those keep me going most of all! =D)

 

He woke suddenly to the thrashing female in his arms. She was whimpering, whining in her sleep. He looked down on her in confusion, and breathed in fear-sweat. These wasn't her usual night-thrashes, the ones that had her moaning deep in her throat, and made him stupid from the delicious smells drifting away from her. Running his fingers through her hair, he tried to soothe her fears, letting her know he was there to protect her. Kagome stilled in her sleep, her breathing slowed. Relaxing, InuYasha started to doze again. Dimly he noted that it wasn't all that late, somewhere around midnight; Kagome had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder not long after twilight. Not liking the thought of sleeping on the ground with a helpless female, he had taken her into the trees with him, knowing he'd keep her from falling. The girl hadn't even stirred, worn out from a very long day. He too was tired, more mentally than physically, though he wouldn't admit it if she woke up and asked him. He'd stayed awake for the first few hours, and then had nodded off an hour or so ago. Sleep was tempting him once again, and he was just about to give in…

Then the screams began. He felt defeated, he couldn't save her from the unknown demons haunting her sleep, didn't even know what monsters she faced. He held her, trying to wake her from the hell she faced inside her mind, calling her to him, to where it was safe. He flinched when she cried out again and again, his heart hurting more than it ever had. Shaking her slightly, he called louder, cradling her bruised face with one hand. His ears were throbbing, he was sure they' be ringing for days, and without thinking he closed her mouth with his. The noise dimmed, and then stopped altogether. InuYasha's head snapped back quickly, his already red face turning crimson when he saw Kagome's wide, shocked gaze. With a muttered, “Keh” InuYasha looked away, feeling dumber with each passing second. He knew better than to think she'd let him get away with not explaining himself. “You were screaming in your sleep…” He mumbled, just loud enough for her to hear. “I tried… you wouldn't wake up…”

The silence was a tense one, at least to him. It also seemed to last longer than the few seconds that it actually did. Finally, Kagome spoke. “We're always saving each other like that, aren't we?” She said it softly, savoring a memory. He blinked, remembering the fight with Kaguya as well. “Yeah.” He said shortly, the blush starting to fade. “Yeah, we are.” She sighed, her head falling back against his chest. Silence fell again, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as it was before. Able to breathe more normally, knowing she wasn't mad at him, he cradled her head to him. “I'm sorry, I should've thought of something else.”

Kagome looked up at him in surprise. “InuYasha…” She couldn't think how to word her feelings. “It's… it's alright, what you did.” His breath hitched. “No, it's not. I'm not better than them, taking advantage of you—” He was silenced when she pressed her lips to his. Shocked and panicky, InuYasha pulled away. His eyes were wide and slightly afraid. She pouted. “What, you're allowed to kiss me, but I can't kiss you?” When he didn't reply, she pursed her lips. “InuYasha, it's ok. You are better than them: you were trying to help me, not hurt me or scare me. And truthfully… I didn't mind it, after the initial shock. You… you know how I feel…” She trailed off, looking down as a light blush forming across her bruised cheeks. She was being pushy, she knew, and she didn't know why. She knew he was afraid when it came to emotional `girl bullshit', as he'd put it once, especially when it was about them. She also knew she probably shouldn't feel this… this need for him, for any man, at the moment. Maybe in a few weeks, and after a few rounds of therapy, she'd be feeling more up for this battering ram of emotions, but now? Yeah, I'll be really ready for this after therapy… after they lock me up for claiming to have been gang-banged by a bunch of fifteenth century bandits, of course. She thought bitterly.

InuYasha scented her confusion, but wisely decided not to ask. “I still feel like it's not right…” He said quietly. “I mean, err… Not right now anyway… That is, I, uh… Maybe someday, err… Or not, if you don't… Uh… Fuck.” He stumbled over his clumsy tongue, and prayed that she remembered that if he went down, she was going along for the ride. She giggled softly, leaning into his hand. She decided to spare him more embarrassment, and changed the subject. “InuYasha… how do you think the others are going to react? Oh Kami-sama… how will my mother react?”

He sighed. “I don't know. Sango will probably fuss over you, and Miroku will say something fucking stupid as usual, and the brat will get in the way of things. And your mother…” He shook his head. She caught his point. Her mom was going to freak. “Mama's never going to let me come here again…” She whispered. Silence again. This one stretched on. She was confused; normally the mention of her leaving and not returning had one of two effects on him: defensive possessiveness, or pissy uncaring, depending on the circumstances of her leaving. She looked up, and his face was set, stony eyes watching the faint moonlight ripple off of the water. “InuYasha?”

“Maybe… you'd better stay for a while…” He finally said. “Stay in your time. Heal. After that… we'll see…” He drifted off, unsure if he wanted to say the words that were on his mind. Kagome's scent changed again, fearful this time. He cut off what she'd opened her mouth to say. “I mean it. You can't go cavorting all over the countryside in this condition. What if you get hurt worse? Fuck it, what if something happens to me and I can't protect you? And don't tell me you'd be safe in the village, gathering rumors or sensing the shards from there, you've got a chunk of the Shikon no Tama on you. Every demon from the seventh layer of hell on up will be comin' after you, and you can't even hold a bow right now, let alone shoot.” He was breathing heavily, the thought of her alone and helpless in the face of some unknown enemy spiking his rage again. Kagome sighed. “I know… you're right. But I'm not staying. As soon as I can walk again, I'm coming back. Nothing, not you, not Naraku, and especially not my mother, can stop me.” After all, it's not like this isn't the first time I've been kidnapped… Just the first time I've come out of it like this. InuYasha just muttered another “Keh” and dropped it.

She didn't know how long she sat there, staring at the stars. It was a beautiful night, and with the moon just beginning to turn towards full again, even more of the starry expanse was visible. “InuYasha, look…” She said with a yawn. “It's so pretty…” He glanced up, and rolled his eyes. “It's the sky. It's like that every night.” She snuggled against his chest, feeling tired again. “But it's prettier tonight… because I can share it with you…” Closing her eyes, she started to drift off to sleep. She became dimly aware of his grip around her tightening, and a low rumble vibrating up from under her head.

He nuzzled the top of her head as she slept once more, and turned his gaze to the stars. He shook his head. Damn wench… making me all sentimental…

~*~*~*~*~*~

Morning dawned pale: the clouds had returned. Kagome was treated to another rabbit, and another round of feudal medication. He didn't trust her to hang on properly once the medicine kicked in, if last night had any say in it; he carried her bridal-style, and she spent their slow walk back chattering about whatever came to mind, sometimes stopping in the middle of one sentence and barreling headlong into another subject entirely, such as a passing butterfly, or a pretty flower InuYasha was just about to step on, so please move around it. He had to stop himself from laughing outright at her endless yakking; she sounded ridiculous. In a way, it was cute, her childlike oblivion from everything but herself and him. In another way, it was annoying: he couldn't listen for possible danger as well with her nonsense, but he'd rather have a happy chatterbox in his arms than a pouty guilt-tripper. Hell, he was even making the effort to act like he was listening to every damn word that came out of her mouth. Fuck, haven't said anything for a while. He thought, and muttered a “Uh-huh” before realizing that Kagome probably didn't give a damn whether he was listening right now.

It took them two full days to make it back to the village at that pace, counting stops to eat and rest a bit. InuYasha didn't want to risk injuring Kagome more if he ran, especially when she wasn't coherent enough to understand the phrase, “For fuck's sake, hold on!” Both nights they slept in a tree, the same as they'd done the first night. And each night he had to wake her from the horrors that were numbed in the daylight. On the second night, he'd successfully woken her by shaking her, but after blinking the fear-sweat from her eyes, she snapped, “Next time, just wake me like you did before, ok?” Blushing furiously, he said nothing as he nodded.

Kagome was sweating when they walked back into the village. InuYasha hadn't given her the medicine that morning, saying he'd have her down the well and to her own weird medicines soon. Her wounds hurt more than she'd remembered, but then again, she didn't remember much from the last few days. It was fuzzy from the strength of the brew. She knew she hadn't done anything too stupid, because InuYasha literally had her under his nose the whole time. She wondered briefly if he'd given her such a strong drug on purpose, to numb the mental effects of the near-rape, but she shook it off. Nothing stopped the night terrors. It was probably just a side-effect, like with morphine and Vicodin. She gasped in pain as InuYasha accidentally jostled her broken leg. His ears went down. “Sorry…” He muttered, as cries reached them.

Shippou, Sango, and Miroku were running towards them. Kaede followed at a walk. Kagome put on a brave face as Sango hugged her head, and Shippou bounced up onto her stomach. “Oh, Kagome, we were so worried.” Sango told her, and hissed in sympathy when she got a good look at her face. Over the last few days, Kagome's face had bloomed into other colors than red, blue, and black, with assorted greens and yellows, depending on the severity of the bruising. Shippou looked at her curiously. “Did'ja fall into a box of crayons, Kagome?”

Despite herself, she smiled. “No, it's just bruises. You should see the other fellows though.” She joked weakly. InuYasha growled in the back of his throat. “They're dead and rotting at this point, that's all he needs to know.” Miroku made a face. “Eloquently put as always, InuYasha.” Sango looked up at the hanyou, silently asking him if it was true. He nodded grimly, eyes flashing in anger that she would doubt him. Kaede was looking the girl's body over. “Ye've been through all the hells and back, Kagome…” She sighed, pity showing in her eye. Kagome regarded her with her only good eye. “I could have been a lot worse…” She said softly, cringing as Shippou bumped into her arm. Fed up with everyone gawking, InuYasha hit the kitsune on the head and deposited him on the ground. “We're going.” He announced, silently telling them to move out of his way. They did; silently apologizing to Kagome, InuYasha sped off towards the well. I'm sorry, Kagome…

She winced when they landed, the impact by no means smooth, and sighed as the blue light of the time-rift enveloped them in the well. His nose wrinkled as they landed in her time, the pollutants in the air starting to irritate his senses as usual. Bounding out of the well and heading towards the house, Souta dropped his basketball and ran towards them. “InuYasha! Kagome!” He stopped when he got a good look at his sister. “Whoa, sis, what happened?” His eyes were wide. She tried to smile. “Don't worry about it, Souta. Where's Mama and Grandpa?” He pointed. “Ma's inside makin' dinner, and Grandpa's in the gift shop—hey!” He cried as InuYasha hurried into the house, cutting him off.

Mama Higurashi looked out of the kitchen as they came in, a warm smile on her face. “Oh, hello dear, InuYasha, I wasn't expecting you for a few more…” She dropped the stirring spoon she held, her eyes widening in shock. “Kagome! What on earth happened to you!?” InuYasha couldn't look at her as Kagome explained. Her mother was crying silently, and he felt more shame in that moment than he ever had in his life. Mama trusted him to protect her in his time, and this is what he brought home to her: her battered and defeated daughter. Kagome had stopped talking, and Mama was getting her coat. He flinched when she said his name. “InuYasha, we need to take her to the hospital. We'll think of something to tell them on the way. Bring her to the car, come on.”

Kagome didn't miss the look on his face. “For once I won't have to lie about being in the hospital to miss school.” She said, trying to get him to lighten up. His face remained stony as he carried her to the horseless cart. He sat her in the backseat and made like he was going to stay there, when Mama insisted he get in the back with her. “I need your help getting her in.” She explained as she pushed him down into the seat as he protested. “And I need you to take off those splints, it will be hard enough to explain why we would have waited several days before taking her in…” She drifted off, lost in thought as she started the car and drove to the hospital. InuYasha busied himself with cutting off the bandaging, being as gentle as he could in this metal contraption that moved without warning. He was pale, Kagome noted as he removed her arm splint, and his eyes were sad. Suddenly she gasped. He started, scared that he'd hurt her, but she exclaimed, “Your hat, we don't have anything to cover your ears!”

He gave her a look. “You're worried about that?” Grabbing one of the wrappings from her splint, he tied it in a sort of headband that both hid his ears and flattened them against his head. “There, happy now?” She had no idea why he was being snappy again, when he'd been so gentle the past few days, or what she could remember of them anyway, but she remembered his flinching from her mother, and his pointed way of not looking at her. She couldn't put her finger on it exactly, but she'd figure it out soon. In the meantime, they'd found their way through the afternoon traffic to the hospital, and InuYasha was lifting her out of the car. Mama spoke softly and quickly. “Ok, we're going to say that you were jumped on your way home from school, and were unconscious for the last few days. You woke up this morning and called us from your cell phone.” Kagome snorted; like her mother would ever let her get a phone, let alone would she ever have any use for it, spending most of her time in a perpetual state of `roaming'. “Now, put those acting skills to use.”

She took the hint, and flicked her hurt arm. Immediately she cried out, tears welling in her eyes at the pain. She kicked her hurt leg, and the tears fell. InuYasha was shocked that she was doing this to herself, but kept his mouth shut, figuring she had her reasons. Mama was talking to a nurse in a rapid, hysterical voice, and Kagome kept up her wails of pain. Despite himself, he was impressed at how they were pulling it off. A gurney was brought out, followed by what looked like half of the staff, and two male nurses managed to get Kagome onto it. InuYasha was too baffled at the sudden rush of people to protest much, only starting when she called for him. “Hey, I'll be ok…” She told him softly, smiling in reassurance. He swallowed, and nodded. “Ok.”

Mama pulled him to a seat, sitting with him. “We have to let them do what they have to, without us hovering around.” She explained as they rolled the bed back behind a large, ominous-looking door. He didn't say anything. He still couldn't look at her. She sighed slightly, and put a hand on his shoulder. “I don't blame you, you know.” She told him quietly. Amber eyes flicked back up at her. “You should.” He replied, just as quiet. “I made a lot of stupid mistakes… I'm supposed to protect her, for fuck's sake, and I couldn't even fucking do that.” Unfazed by his language, Mama played with his hair, trying to soothe him affectionately. “You still saved her. I don't know if you were listening back there, but she did say you got there before they could take her innocence. If I know you the way I think I do, only the gods themselves would have had to be blocking your way to her. You regret not being there before, or stopping it to begin with, and you're ashamed to face me when I know you'll protect her with your last breath, but you still saved her. And I thank you for that.”

InuYasha couldn't reply. On some level, she made sense. On another, she was reacting much differently than he'd expected. Then again, this is Kagome's mother. Since when has she ever reacted the way she's supposed to? He thought wryly. Time passed. InuYasha had finally just had so cover his nose, the smells of sickness all around making him nauseous. People came and went, and none of them were the woman he wanted to see. Ages later, a nurse came up to them and said they would be able to see her now. Mama got up and followed, InuYasha trailing closely behind. The nurse eyed him with interest, but said nothing as they followed her upstairs. The nurse stopped outside of a room, and bowed them inside. Mama went in first. InuYasha stopped at the doorway.

Kagome had a huge… thing covering her broken arm, and it was being suspended by some other… thing above her bed. Her broken leg was in a similar situation. There were thin snakes going down her shirt and their tails were latched onto a beeping contraption next to her leg. And there was a bag of water with a long tail that ended inside of her arm. She wasn't wearing his haori either, some flimsy white... thing. She looked like she was sleeping, so helpless… He did the only thing he could think of.

He fled.

 

((Ok, kind of a wonky chapter. If there's any `wait, what the fuck?' moments that you have, feel free to mention them in the reviews, and I'll address them at the beginning of the next chapter. =) I did have a list in my head of things to explain, but they flew out of my brain and I can't get them back. (if there's something that seems totally off, I might have to revise things) I am going to say that I find it to be natural that InuYasha would leave when he saw Kagome in the hospital bed. It's a little too much to process at once, especially when the poor thing is so confused already. Easier to leave and come back when things make more sense, ne?

Also I'm going to announce another story that I'm going to start on. I haven't got a name for it yet, but this one definitely will have lemons in it, and the first chapter should be out soon. (Funny, I go from no ideas for two years, to two ideas in two days. We meet again, Sir Irony!) So look out for that, it's more angst and romance! This one should wrap up in another chapter or two, so hold tight, we're not done just yet. Thanks for reading, and please leave a review!! Thank you!! =D))