InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ LOVE POISON ❯ Here Comes The Sun ( Chapter 14 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

DISCLAIMER: Don't sue don't own don't own don't sue.Takahashi-sama owns 'em, I just play with the inu bros in twisted hentai dreams...you can't SUE me for DREAMING can you?

GOMEN FOR THE DELAY! Rl can SUCK... Forgive This YM and review for her! This Ch took her ages so please REVIEW! No yelling at me for not updating sooner, that does NOT count as a review and I'm SENSITIVE, OK??!!

CHAPTER 14: HERE COMES THE SUN

Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara stayed awake all night, in case youkai would try to attack Kaede's village; the miko in posession of the Shikon shards with the hanyou now turned human hid for the night of the New Moon in Kaede's hut, protected by Miroku's Ofudas, and isolated from the rest of the village.

Yet the human inhabitants did not have their hanyou protector on that night, and the exterminator and the monk were shocked to discover that Kaede usually stayed awake all night when Inuyasha was away to protect her village by erecting a barrier.

The old woman had more energy in her than they all suspected.

Although Shippo had bravely stated that he would stay up all night since his companions were 'just human' and he and Kirara were the only youkai in the group, the kit had fallen asleep within minutes, snuggled up to the firecat youkai next to the small fire Sango and Miroku had made to keep them warm during their night watch in the outskirts of Kaede's village.

The monk, the demon slayer and the old miko were sitting on the ground, the flames licking at their solemn faces, and dancing on the sleeping kitsune's oblivious, peaceful form, as they waited at the pathway leading to the village in expectant silence, every now and then glancing apprehensively towards the Forest of Inuyasha that spread out before them.

If any youkai were to attempt to attack the village, they were surely to emerge from the lurking woods.

Kaede's hut was separated from the rest of the villagers' homes, but their main concern was the safety of its inhabitants, since Miroku had made sure no youkai would be able to break through the hut their two companions were hiding in for the night.

The villagers had been through enough that day, and they had all agreed not to allow any youkai to traspass the forest. If youkai came looking for the Shikon shards, they would make sure they wouldn't get across to the village.

The group eagerly awaited for any threat that might try to endanger the lives of the villagers. If any would come, Kaede had pointed out they would have to pass through the woods. So far, they could sense no youki nearby, but their senses were sharp and alert and the silence was pregnant in the thick night air.

Sango was polishing her Hirakotsu, every now and then lifting her eyes to glance into the darkness of the forest that spread out menacingly in front of them, while Miroku stared at his right hand, deep in thought. The old miko's one good eye was fixed on the fathomless woods ahead...the Forest of Inuyasha shrouded by the dark blanket of the night of the New Moon. The three humans were silent.

Sango shot nervous looks ahead, towards Kaede's distant hut, where the now human hanyou and the miko in possession of the Shikon shards were safely hidden from prying youkai eyes.

Shippo snored gently, curled up by the fire. Kirara, in her true form, scanned the area, her pupils contracting, the fire reflecting in her crimsom eyes, as the firecat youkai growled low in her throat, daring any youkai to make an entrance.

The village was eerily silent, its inhabitants asleep in blissful ignorance in their unusual, brand new huts.

Finally, Sango spoke, her voice sounding oddly loud in the heavy silence of the night.

"Houshi-sama..."

Miroku looked up at her slowly. Sango glanced at the monk briefly before she spoke. "I was just wondering...Inuyasha didn't tell Kagome-chan the - the reason of his transformation, what triggered his change this morning..."

"That he did not." Miroku said slowly, but did not comment further.

Kaede remained silent, staring into the flames.

"Do you think...we should tell her? When dawn comes...Inuyasha will be hanyou again. What if..." Sango didn't dare finish her sentence.

Miroku sighed. "I do not think we should let Kagome-sama know this...she will only feel guilty. You know her, Sango, we would gain nothing if we told her that Inuyasha transfomed because she was not here."

Kaede sighed loudly. As one, the monk and the exterminator looked at the old miko questioningly.

"I believe...Inuyasha is confused about his inner youkai. Has he found the answers he was looking for?"

"He spoke with Myouga-jiji. But he wouldn't tell us what he learned..." Sango said softly.

"I see..." Kaede murmured, scowling slightly.

A long silence followed, as Miroku and Sango awaited for Kaede to continue. The old woman looked up at their eager, concerned faces.

"Do ye truly believe Kagome is in danger?" Kaede asked of both of them, her one eye widening slightly.

Sango and Miroku exchanged a look. Sango shook her head helplessly and averted her gaze from the old miko, as Miroku in turn sighed loudly.

"We do not know for sure, Kaede-sama. Shippo...well, he does not seem to think so. He is youkai. Shippo was certainly sure of himself when he informed us Inuyasha would not hurt Kagome-sama..." The monk began uncertainly.

Kaede smiled a tiny, knowing smile. "Of course Inuyasha would not hurt Kagome." She said simply, shrugging her shoulders.

Sango and Miroku sighed in frustration. "All right, someone should explain this to us, because we seem to be the only ones concerned about Kagome-chan...other than Inuyasha himself." Sango stated, trying not to sound as irritated as she felt.

Kaede's smile became almost condescending. "Sango...I would have thought your knowledge of youkai was more comprehensive than that." She offered kindly.

Sango's brown eyes widened slightly. "I - I know about inu-youkai ways...but I didn't know they also applied to inu-hanyou. Besides..." Her pretty face saddened. "Inuyasha...he - he doesn't know what he's doing when he loses control over his inner youkai...I don't know what to think of this... particular case."

Miroku stared at the demon slayer, his violet eyes huge and questioning. "Sango, my dear, whatever do you mean?"

Sango blushed and they were all shocked when Kaede laughed merrily.

"Well, houshi-sama...what Sango is trying to say is that inu-youkai mate for life."

The exterminator blushed a deeper shade of red as she pretended to be very interested in her hands, laying on her lap, and Miroku's face showed a hint of a smile, but not a word left his lips.

Sango shyly looked up at him, since she had obviously been expecting some sort of perverted reaction from the hentai houshi, given the old miko's news.

"Of course Inuyasha has not mated with his - chosen one as for now. But even his blood knows. He will never hurt Kagome." Kaede went on solemnly.

"But...what about...Kikyou?" Sango asked softly, not daring to look at the dead miko's young sister in the eye.

"My dear sister..." Kaede sighed. "Sadly, Inuyasha and my sister...they were never meant to be. But Kagome...she is different. Ye did not know Inuyasha before he met Kagome. But surely ye have all noticed how much he has changed in these past two years?"

Miroku and Sango nodded wordlessly. "Aye. They are soul mates, ye see." Kaede said, not the least trace of doubt in her voice.

"Sango...my darling..." Miroku started. "Speaking of soulmates..."

"Don't even start with me, houshi-sama..." Sango hissed. "Your timing couldn't be any worse! You - you keep doing this all the time! Don't you know when the proper time to...to say this sort of thing is?" She recognised the look on Miroku's face and narrowed her eyes. "Don't even think about it! Put up your hands right now so I can see them!"

Of course, Sango did not know she had just sounded like a cop and probably would never be aware of this, but the commanding edge on her voice made Miroku put up his hands without even realizing he was doing it immediately after she spoke, looking for a moment very much like a thief who has just been caught red-handed.

When the monk beamed at the exterminator, the effect was ruined, but he still had his hands up in surrender.

"Ah, so you have considered this...you make me so happy, Sango my sweet..." He said, his smile widening. Sango blushed and looked away from the monk's gleaming violet eyes.

"Young ones, young ones..." Kaede said, an amused glint in her one black eye.

Sango could have thanked the old miko profusely for the interruption.

"If I may continue..."

"We're ever so sorry, Kaede-sama..." Miroku said, bowing his head in shame he didn't really feel and lowering his arms again, uncharacteristic common sense telling him he should put his hands on his lap instead of at his sides - where his cursed right hand could so easily reach out for Sango's behind. Sango snorted at Miroku's half felt apology.

Kaede merely shook her head. "As I was saying...Inuyasha and Kagome are soulmates. They might not know this..but I can not be mistaken. Surely ye can sense Inuyasha's aura when he is separated from our young miko?"

Miroku and Sango exchanged a look. "Actually...well, not really." Sango sighed, blushing in embarrasment. "But we definetely have to put up with a very upset hanyou who keeps sniffing the air around the well and growls at anyone who comes near him at those times. Once, when Kagome-chan was away, he even refused to eat for two whole days...and Inuyasha never turns down a meal. Of course, it could be because it wasn't Kagome's special Ramen..."

Miroku cleared his throat. "I must say...I never gave this much thought. Of course, I have noticed the..." He bit his tongue not to say the words 'sexual tension' in front of Sango. "Ahem...the way they act around each other. It's quite obvious...how much they - care for one another." He scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Soulmates..." The monk repeated the old miko's words softly. Miroku looked up at Kaede. "Is this why Inuyasha will not hurt Kagome-sama in his youkai form? Somehow his blood...knows... that she belongs with him..."

The old miko nodded silently. Miroku's last statement had not been a question. The monk had clearly known this fact before the old priestess had provided them with her thoughts.

"Then...why does Inuyasha think he will hurt her?" Sango asked of the old miko carefully.

"That I do not know." Kaede sighed, looking sadly over her shoulder at her distant hut, where Inuyasha in his human form and Kagome were hiding for the night.

"My guess is, he is frightened. The stubborn hanyou is not used to his youkai form. And he cannot control it. Perhaps he thinks he will do something - something that he will have no recollection of. Inuyasha does not wish to harm Kagome in any way. And his youkai side, if awakened, and with his soulmate nearby...will most likely 'mark' her...if that were to happen..."

"Inu-youkai mate for life..." Sango repeated slowly, mostly to herself. "Surely he wouldn't do this without Kagome's consent!" She exclaimed, suddenly outraged.

"Certainly not! Even in his youkai form, Inuyasha needs her consent. He will never mark Kagome without his chosen one's permission, if ye will. Except he does not wish to do this in his youkai form. Inuyasha is afraid of himself...ye all saw how he reacted...how his youkai blood reacted...when Kagome was away. Inuyasha was not aware at all that he had sent her back to her time himself..."

"He thought...we were hiding Kagome-sama from him..." Miroku added in a low, pensative tone of voice.

"That he did. Although I do not understand why..." Kaede remarked, scowling slightly at the fire.

Another long silence followed as the humans pondered this.

Suddenly, Shippo stirred in his sleep, a scowl burrowing his brow, eyes still closed, as he unconsciously slapped his own cheek.

His emerald eyes opened lazily and he found a flattened flea youkai on the palm of his small hand.

"Myouga-jiji?" The kitsune murmured, rubbing the sleep off his eyes with his free hand.

"Outrage! This is what I call abuse! I was merely looking for a midnight snack and I get flattened! How would you like it if every time you tried to have your meal, someone bigger and stronger than you knocks you out?" Myouga exclaimed irritably as he recovered on Shippo's palm.

"Actually...that happens to Shippo-chan all the time, Myouga-jiji."

The flea looked up to face Miroku's penetrating violet gaze. The monk had stood up and approached Shippo, looking down at the tiny old youkai.

The determined expression on the monk's face was clearly meant to show the old demon flea that he had many questions and Myouga was going no where until he answered them.

"Yeah...Inuyasha won't share." Shippo added, still half asleep.

Kaede laughed under her breath at this. Sango stood up as well and joined Miroku, as they both looked down questioningly at Myouga, who was beginning to sense the tension and broke into a sweat.

"Inuyasha-sama...he's human tonight! Kagome-sama is with him..." Myouga said quickly, looking towards the small hut in the distance.

"The lady has returned. Inuyasha did not send her back." Miroku said slowly.

Myouga nodded. "Of course, of course. His youkai blood is dormant tonight...but..." He swallowed. "I knew Kagome-sama would be here. Either he would have brought her back or she would have returned by herself. I thought perhaps...she would be the one who would give Inuyasha-sama the answer the Master needs to overcome the current situation he finds himself in...he wouldn't listen to me, you see..." The flea swallowed again nervously.

"And the situation would be...?" Sango asked, leaning over so she was eye level with Myouga, narrowing her eyes.

Myouga cleared his throat. "Well...the Master...did he not tell you anything?"

"Did you truly believe he would?" Miroku asked in return, arching his dark eyebrows.

Myouga looked very much defeated, as he kept looking from Miroku and Sango to the hut where his Master was hiding in for the night of the New Moon, and back again, his bulging eyes nearly popping out of their sockets in his inner struggle.

Would he be betraying his Master if he told Inuyasha's companions what he knew?

Myouga swallowed again as Shippo sat up, now wide awake and looking down with curious eyes at the tiny flea youkai as well.

Kaede had slowly gotten to her feet and silently approached the small gathering. Now three pairs of questioning eyes and one piercing black eye were focused on the nervous demon flea.

Myouga finally sighed. "No. He probably will never tell you." He admitted.

"What's wrong with Inuyasha?" Shippo asked. "Why didn't Tetsusaiga seal his demon blood? He didn't remember he'd sent Kagome back to her time, that baka!" Shippo's green eyes filled with tears. "Will he forget about all of us?"

"Shippo...it's all right. I believe Myouga here will explain everything to us, won't you, Myouga-jiji?" Sango asked in a dangerously low tone.

Myouga lowered his head and opened his mouth to speak.

By the time he had finished, Sango's brown eyes were wide in surprise and disbelief and Miroku was scowling thoughtfully. Kaede said nothing.

"His human blood...wounded?" Sango whispered.

"How?" Miroku asked to himself. "How could that have happened?"

"The Master knows what has weakened his human blood...why his human side was wounded... Inuyasha-sama said he did not, but this humble servant... believes he does. He knows, and because of what has hurt his human side, his youkai blood has become stronger. There is no balance, you see..."

"And to make the hurt go away..." Sango started, blushing.

Miroku's head dropped and he sighed in despair. "Inuyasha is one lucky dog! All he has to do to make this whole thing go away is to make love to a beautiful young woman, and one with such firm, rounded buttoc-"

His sentence was abruptly cut off when Hiraikotsu bumped him in the head full force.

"Hentai." Sango hissed as she slung her faithful boomerang over her shoulder.

Shippo sighed and rolled his eyes as he stared at the unconscious houshi laying on the ground. "Baka." The kitsune muttered.

"Well...if that is all, I think I should be going now..." Myouga started, as he put on his little hat, his belongings already wrapped up in his small sack and slung over his tiny shoulders. "Don't want to disturb the Master when he wakes up...I was just checking if Kagome-sama was with him... Inuyasha-sama might see things under a different light in the morning...but look at the time, and here I am chatting with you when I have...an urgent appointment..." He explained lamely and was gone in the blink of an eye.

Kaede had said nothing, deep in her own thoughts. Something told her her older sister had something to do with the situation Inuyasha was currently facing. Who else could have such power over Inuyasha's human side? What could Kikyou have done to Inuyasha that had hurt him so deeply?

"Inuyasha's just a baka." Shippo declared finally, tiny arms folded across his chest.

Sango was still fuming over the unconscious monk, and Kirara had transformed into her small form and mewled at her mistress. Sango picked her up and cradled the firecat youkai in her arms.

"I think it's not as easy as it sounds..." Sango said slowly, staring at the old miko, a scowl on her pretty face.

Kaede looked up to meet the exterminator's brown eyes and knew the young woman was thinking along the same lines as she was.

"No. That it is not. He must make the hurt go away...if Inuyasha knows what triggered this...he must find a way."

"Myouga doesn't know. But I think you do, Kaede-sama..." Sango said slowly.

"I might suspect something. But the only one who knows what weakened his human blood...is Inuyasha. We cannot help him on this." Kaede said, and sighed helplessly. "There is nothing we can do."

"But Kagome-chan..." Sango insisted, a frown creasing her brow.

"She will help him make the hurt go away, I believe. If someone can, then it is Kagome." Kaede stated.

"I still say he's just a baka." Shippo insisted, shaking his head.

"We should get some sleep." Kaede said. "These old bones need to get some rest, until the village wakes up and I tend to my duties, I would like to sleep...I am not as young as I used to be..." The old priestess sighed again.

"I'm sorry, Kaede-sama..." Sango said, feeling ashamed.

She had actually been mad for a moment with the old woman just because she was related to the source of the problem, when Kaede had nothing to do with Kikyou now and only wanted her older sister to find peace...the problem was, Sango did not think the way for the dead priestess to do so was to destroy her best friends' lives.

Apparently, neither did Kaede, for she began walking towards one of the largest huts Inuyasha had built earlier and glanced at Sango over her shoulder with a tired, pained look.

"There really is nothing else we can do but be there for Inuyasha...and for Kagome." She said in a low voice.

Sango nodded in defeat and bit her bottom lip. Kirara jumped from her arms and followed the old woman.

"Come, young ones. Ye all need to get some rest too. Inuyasha will be in quite a hurry since ye have been delayed on your quest...he will be most persistant about it and ye need to catch up on some sleep if ye want to be there for him. I cannot assure you Kagome will be coming along this time...if Inuyasha insists on sending her back to her time..."

"Should I speak to Kagome-chan about this?" Sango asked carefully.

"Tell her what ye think will be best. Remember, we do not know for sure what happened to Inuyasha...I believe it would be best if he told her himself." Kaede said.

Sango sighed and nodded again. She was planning to have a talk with her best friend, at least about inu youkai's insticts...but she realized the old miko was probably right. It would do more wrong than right to attempt to find out what had really happened when they didn't have a solid base to turn to...perhaps Miroku could talk to Inuyasha...the monk had a way to press the right buttons with the inu hanyou, Sango did not and he'd probably get more answers from him...

"At least Miroku's getting some sleep..." Shippo commented.

Sango rolled her eyes and grabbed the collar of the unconscious monk's robes and dragged him towards the hut.

"Let's go, Shippo-chan." She said without looking back. "Kaede-sama is right. Inuyasha will want to get going tomorrow."

________________

Dawn was breaking, bathing the Sengoku Jidai in amber, pink and cerulean hues. The sun slowly rose, and the human boy asleep in the small hut slowly transformed.

His long raven hair turned silvery white, his human ears vanished and were replaced by small triangular dog-like ears on top of his head, his fingernails lenghtened into claws. His heartbeats increased as his hanyou blood pulsed in his veins, even though the no longer human boy and now inu-hanyou male had not awakened yet. Behind closed eyelids, his midnight blue eyes melted into gold, and his human canines grew into his usual fangs.

His ears twitched unconsciously in his sleep, his nose snifled the air, his senses now heightened.

Jasmine.

Inuyasha slowly opened his now golden eyes. The scents in the small cabin assaulted him full force. Kagome's rich aroma mingled with his own...sweat and perfume...all that was Kagome...the petite, beautiful girl snuggled up next to him.

Memories of the night before hit him and his breath caught in his throat. The smells were overpowering... Kagome's presence was too strong. She was so close...her body was so warm...her unique scent was all around him.

'Home. Kagome. My bitch.'

Inuyasha couldn't breathe. He could feel his blood hissing at him, boiling in his veins.

'No...no I won't...I won't let you...I won't hurt her...'

The inu-hanyou shook the seventeen year old girl roughly. "Oi, wench! Wake up!" He all but screamed at her.

Kagome's chocolate eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him, a bright, lovely smile lightening up her pretty heart shaped face. It vanished the second she saw the look of utter panic on Inuyasha's face, his breathing labored and his golden eyes filled with unmasked fear.

"What is it?" She whispered, as if she was afraid someone else was in the hut with them and might hear them.

"We have to get out of here...you have to get out of here. Now. Understand, bitch? Now!"

Kagome scowled but nodded wordlessly, as they stood up together and Inuyasha grabbed her when she almost fell forwards.

"Clumsy bitch." He muttered, but the urgency in his voice made the insult meaningless in Kagome's ears. "Inuyasha...what's wrong?" She asked softly.

"Jasmine..." Was his odd reply. "K-Kagome..." His voice was raspy, his eyes flashed red for a second.

Kagome's eyes widened. "Oh, Inuyasha..." She whispered. Instead of running away, she clung to him tightly, stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his briefly. "It's okay...you can fight it. I know you can..."

"You don't get it, bitch...shit!" Inuyasha let go of her abruptly and Kagome staggered forwards, almost losing her balance.

'Yes that's it...let me out, hanyou...our bitch is here...can you smell her? Can you smell her release from last night? Mouth watering, isn't it? You want to take her now...you know you do...do it, hanyou...do it now, because if you don't, I will. How dare you...you let that fucking human play with our bitch! You disgust me...you would let him enjoy her, but you won't let me have her? You cowardly dog...you weak, pathetic half breed...'

"Go away!" Inuyasha screamed, backing away from Kagome as far as he could in the restricted hut, his back hitting the wall with a loud thud. He shut his eyes tightly.

Kagome flinched. "Inuyasha! Don't..." She didn't know if he was yelling at her to go away...it didn't sound like he was addressing her. Kagome became frightened. But she couldn't leave him like this!

He needed her. Inuyasha needed her.

Kagome reached out for him. Inuyasha pushed her away as gently as he could, which wasn't much for the time being.

"Leave! Kagome you stupid bitch, get the hell away from me!" He shouted, eyes still closed.

"No! I won't leave you!" Kagome said, fighting back tears.

Inuyasha's eyes opened, bleeding crimsom. His voice was harsh, raspy...and yet Inuyasha struggled with his inner youkai.

"R-run..." He managed.

Kagome saw his claws lenghtening and his fangs grazing his bottom lip, as his eyes turned from golden to crimson and back to golden again. The markings on his cheeks were faint, but the purple, jagged stripes were slowly darkening, then fading again...

Inuyasha was fighting it, but his will was not strong enough. The scent of Kagome permeating the small hut, surrounding him...it was too much for him. And she was just a step away from him...

He couldn't stop it! He had to get away, if Kagome was not going to listen to him and get the hell away from him now, Inuyasha had to run as far away from her as his legs would carry him before it was too late...

Inuyasha heard his inner youkai snicker in his head...

"NO!" He screamed and in a desperate attempt to run away from Kagome, from his youkai blood, he tried to get out of Kaede's hut, completely forgetting that it had been sealed the night before with Miroku's Ofudas.

Inuyasha was pushed backwards roughly, his back hitting the rear wall as his body slid down until he was sitting on the floor, breathing hard, his elongated fangs drawing blood when he bit his bottom lip.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome kneeled in front of him and touched his face, her fingertips caressing the purple markings on his cheeks.

Inuyasha's eyes were still changing colors, but the crimson was more dominant with every passing second, his pupils were now dark blue.

"K-Kagome...I won't let him...I..." His sentence was cut off by his own growl, vibrating against his throat.

"It's not him...Inuyasha...there's only one of you..." Kagome whispered gently, as she cupped his face in her small hands.

"NO!" This time, the voice was the rough, harsh voice of Inuyasha's inner demon. Inuyasha slapped her hands away as the now inu-youkai rose to his full height and glared down at the petite girl in front of him. "NO! STRONGER. ME. NOT HANYOU!"

Inuyasha's eyes lost all trace of gold as he blinked over and over again, as if by doing this repeatedly he would be getting rid of the intruder.

Still, Kagome wouldn't move. She slowly stood up to face the now full youkai Inuyasha, as he clenched his fists at his sides and growled low in his throat.

Kagome licked her dry lips and forced herself to speak. "You're Inuyasha." She said softly, looking into his red eyes, his dark blue pupils dancing wildly as Inuyasha looked back at her, a slow, determined smirk forming on his lips. "My bitch. Here. Mine." He stated.

Kagome nodded wordlessly. "I'm Kagome. Yours...I'll always be here...I'll always be with you. I promised... remember?" She whispered soothingly. "I'm Inuyasha's...Kagome." She smiled softly at him.

Inuyasha's crimson eyes widened in surprise. "Bitch not afraid." He said carefully, tilting his head to one side as he regarded Kagome almost suspiciously. His nose snifled the air and found no fear in her scent. "Bitch not afraid?" He arched his dark eyebrows, suspicion gone and being replaced by curiosity.

Kagome shook her head. "One Inuyasha. Mine." She said firmly, feeling it was better in Inuyasha's full youkai state to speak to him in this manner.

Inuyasha bared his enlarged fangs at her and she almost flinched. "NOT HANYOU! ME! ME! BITCH MINE!" He howled.

With youkai speed, Inuyasha pinned Kagome against the wall.

"MINE. Not his. Not hanyou's bitch. MY BITCH!"

Kagome gasped in surprise, but not in fear. Inuyasha's claws dug into her arms and she winced slightly, but he was being careful in spite of his angered state and they didn't pierce her skin.

"Bitch not afraid." He hissed at her between his teeth, his face inches from hers.

Kagome shook her head. "Not afraid. Inuyasha won't hurt Kagome." She said, although she couldn't help but feel intimidated by his penetrating crimson eyes, as they frantically searched her face, for what, she did not know. But Kagome wouldn't look away.

Inuyasha's hands went lower and he clung to her hip with one hand, his other hand moving to her mouth as his fingertips caressed her lips. "This...mine." He breathed huskily.

His hand went lower so quickly she couldn't see the movement, but she could suddenly feel it cupping her sex, almost lifting her off her feet.

"This...Mine. Bitch...MINE."

Kagome gasped again, feeling the blood rushing to her cheeks. She resisted the temptation to rub herself against his warm hand, lifting her right hand instead to touch Inuyasha's lips.

The inu-youkai stared at her with wide, confused crimson eyes, as Kagome's fingertips caressed the tips of his elongated fangs, his lips.

"This...Mine?" Kagome whispered.

She realized suddenly that in order to make Inuyasha understand, she had to speak with his youkai side in this manner. In his full demon state...words did not seem relevant. So she reverted to touch, voicing only what the inu-hanyou, now supressed by his youkai, would understand...it was too much to expect for youkai Inuyasha to comprehend or even begin to accept that there was only one of him...but maybe...just maybe...Kagome could reach him this way...

Inuyasha scowled at her and in response caught Kagome's wrist with a swift movement as his left hand abandoned her hip and he sucked lusciously on her fingers, one by one.

Kagome's breath died in her throat, the frantic beating of her heart defeaning in her own ears.

"Mine?" She asked again, in a hardly audible whisper, trying to swallow. Her throat seemed to have dried up completely, and her voice was hoarse and unrecognisable to her.

"Bitch will be mate. Only one!" Inuyasha replied harshly.

Kagome stared at him with arched eyebrows. "Only one...Kagome?" She asked, not quite knowing what to make of the full youkai Inuyasha's statement.

"One mate. My mate. Only one." His voice was raspy, not meant to comfort, and yet it somehow soothed Kagome when this firm declaration left Inuyasha's lips.

Kagome was finally able to swallow. "Kagome is Inuyasha's...mate?" She whispered, a dark blush dusting her cheeks.

"Ka.Go.Me." The inu-youkai said irritably. "Will be mate. Inu-youkai mate only one..." He paused, as if expecting some sort of reaction from Kagome, other than the evident scents of her arousal, mingled with a tinge of anxiety.

No fear coming from his human bitch.

Bitch not afraid. Bitch mine. Not hanyou's. Bitch wants ME. Mmm...smells good, my bitch smells so good...tastes even better...

Youkai Inuyasha beamed at her, his hand still cupping her sex, in what would have looked like a smug, yet loving smile if Inuyasha had been in his hanyou form, but on Inuyasha's youkai state it looked predatory; his undeniable satisfaction reflecting in his wild crimson eyes and on the cocky expression he wore when he spoke next.

"One Inuyasha?" He asked of her carefully, arching his eyebrows. His eyes wouldn't leave Kagome's flushed face.

"Yes..." Kagome whispered, more than a bit shocked. Had he finally understood?

"One Inuyasha..." She echoed softly.

"One bitch. Only one mate." He finished, looking quite pleased with this explanation.

Inuyasha placed Kagome's hand on his own lips once more and he simply stared at her intensely, his dark blue pupils dilating.

"Mine, then?" Kagome repeated, her fingertips caressing his lips again, the tips of his fangs.

"Only mate's." He answered. "All of me. All of you. One."

Kagome sighed. "And..." She was afraid to ask, but the dreaded name left her lips before she could stop herself. "...Kikyou?" She whispered.

Inuyasha growled dangerously at her. "Only one mate!" The inu-youkai howled.

"Kagome...Inuyasha's mate?" Kagome asked once more, her heart pounding loudly against her ribcage.

Of course, Inuyasha had told her in his hanyou form she was the only one he wanted, but this...this sounded somehow different. As amazing as it felt to Kagome, this sounded like commitment...

All of me. All of you. One.

"Bitch!" Inuyasha growled impatiently.

"My name's Kagome." Was her automatic answer.

Youkai Inuyasha growled at her again, but this time it wasn't meant to sound menacing. Was he...was he laughing? No...that wasn't precisely laughter.

It was a rare, somehow comforting sound she had never heard before...it came from the back of Inuyasha's throat, like a small laugh and a low growl at the same time...Kagome found it was an almost pleasant sound...as if she had amused him in some way and this was youkai Inuyasha's way of letting her know this.

"Ka.Go.Me. My bitch. My mate. One." When the sound of his brief laughter - or was it a growl? - died in the back of his throat, Inuyasha explained this to Kagome in what he probably thought was a patient, condescending tone of voice.

Kagome had a lot of questions to ask but knew better than to expect a full reply from Inuyasha in his youkai form.

All thoughts vanished from her head, though, and she completely forgot to breathe, when Inuyasha leaned over and slowly and wetly licked her face from her jaw to her temple.

Kagome shivered and opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't find her voice.

She felt Inuyasha's fingers caressing her covered core up and down, mindful of his sharp claws, as his mouth moved to her ear.

"Bitch..." He breathed hotly. "Want to play?" Inuyasha's rough tongue darted out and this time he licked her ear.

Kagome almost whimpered when his hand abruptly abandoned her.

Inu-youkai mate only one.

Inuyasha tilted her chin up and looked into her misty brown eyes, seemed to see right through her, before he pressed his mouth to hers hungrily, roughly, his tongue entering her mouth and devouring her. Kagome was shocked at first, but immediately returned his kiss, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

She could taste the metallic flavor of blood on Inuyasha's lower lip as the inu-youkai pushed his body against her, his arousal pressing against her thigh.

Inuyasha's kiss was deliciously rough, he was bruising her already swollen lips from the night before, his teeth clashing against hers.

He seemed to be holding her through his kiss, as if his mouth locked with hers was the only thing keeping Kagome from falling, from losing her sanity. There was no tenderness in his kiss, but the possessiveness and heat of his mouth and the eagerness and urgency of his tongue filling her, alive in her mouth, was making her dizzy, overwhelming her senses, and she never wanted Inuyasha's mouth to leave hers.

Kagome was vaguely conscious that she would have to breathe eventually...but that seemed to be of absolutely no importance as she kissed him back with all of her being, licking the tips of his enlarged fangs, lapping at his slippery, frantic tongue.

Inuyasha caught her tongue between his lips and began suckling on it mercilessly.

Kagome couldn't breathe now, Inuyasha was taking her breath into himself, and he didn't seem to be out of it, as he suckled deep and hard on her tongue and thrust his heated body against hers in a frenzy.

Kagome finally broke the kiss with much difficulty, panting heavily, her eyelids drooping, her lips tingling and her tongue feeling numb.

"I-Inuyasha..." She managed in a hoarse gasp.

"More..." He panted, moving to kiss her again. "Bitch wants to play. I can smell bitch. Ka Go Me...smells good..."

Kagome blushed hotly and swallowed. "Want me, bitch?" Inuyasha asked, smirking at her.

'Gods, yes...' Kagome thought in a daze, trying to think clearly, clinging to the rational part of her mind.

She was panting heavily, the warm wetness between her legs undeniable to her, and the rich scent reaching Inuyasha's nostrils most certainly impossible to ignore to the full inu-youkai that was currently smirking at her. The pulsing and aching of her sex was almost painful.

"You know I do." Kagome breathed. "But...you said we weren't ready. I - I don't think we are." She added in what she prayed to all the Gods was a convincing tone.

Inuyasha scowled at her words. "Bitch ready. I can smell bitch." He protested huskily.

"That doesn't mean..." Kagome sighed and licked her swollen lips, already missing Inuyasha's mouth on hers.

She gasped when Inuyasha encircled her waist with his powerful arms and turned her around. Kagome couldn't see his face now, but she could smell the familiar, woodsy fragance of his hair, feel his hot breath on the back of her neck coming in heavy pants, his arousal evident against the back of her thigh.

"T-that doesn't mean that...that I'm r-ready..." She stammered.

"Bitch wants me!" Inuyasha hissed.

"Yes..." Kagome panted.

"Bitch smells ready!"

Inuyasha's hot mouth moved to her ear, his long silvery hair caressing Kagome's cheek.

"Bitch ready! Want my bitch!" Inuyasha whispered hotly, as he pressed himself against her covered core from behind to illustrate this point.

Kagome whimpered, desperately trying not to thrust back against him. It was killing her not to see Inuyasha in this position, not being able to touch him...

She felt Inuyasha's hands on her hips. It seemed he was...trying to accomodate her. He was lifting her up slightly, one knee moving between her legs and spreading them.

Kagome suddenly realized what Inuyasha was, perhaps unconsciously, trying to do...he was going to take her from behind, like inu-youkai insticts demanded him to do...all that was missing was that he barked at her to get down on all fours.

'Oh Gods...' Kagome thought. Kami, she wanted him...she did but...

"I-I want you too...but..." Kagome forced herself to speak, to voice her thoughts. "Kagome wants Inuyasha but..." She tried again.

"Not now." Inuyasha finished for her, frowning, trying to understand. "Not now?" He was asking her this time, just to make sure, it seemed, as he let go of her and Kagome turned around to face him once more.

Inuyasha's wild, crimson eyes tried to read Kagome's chocolate depths. Kagome sighed and shook her head slowly.

"Bitch wants hanyou?" Inuyasha's growl was loud this time, his youki grew and pulsed dangerously, threatening to drown Kagome.

"There's...only one of you..." She gasped, feeling as if his powerful youki was choking her. She tried to soothe it, to no avail.

"Won't hurt my bitch!" Inuyasha screamed at her, outraged.

"I know! It's not that! Inuyasha...I know...you will never hurt me..." Kagome said reassuringly, and this seemed to calm him down a little.

Inuyasha regarded her carefully for a long time. "Not now?" He asked finally, and it was the first time and probably the last Kagome would see full demon Inuyasha pout.

"Because you're not ready either." She answered gently.

Inuyasha scowled at her words. "Ready. Now. Want bitch." He insisted stubbornly. After a second or two of silence he spoke again. "Now." Inuyasha repeated, as if his last statement had not been clear enough for Kagome.

'She doesn't want you! Go away, you fucking monster! I'm the one she wants! She loves me!'

Inuyasha growled loudly.

Kagome was suddenly afraid, because this was not like the growls she had heard coming from him since he had transformed that morning.

Inuyasha was growling at...an enemy? Not at her. He wasn't even looking at her now.

The inu-youkai was looking around wildly, his dark blue pupils contracting, baring his fangs, flexing his hands, razor sharp claws ready...

This was the first time youkai Inuyasha had heard the hanyou's voice in his head and it was not welcomed.

'Why are you here, you filthy hanyou?'

'I told you, bastard! I will DIE before I let you touch her!'

Kagome watched helplessly as Inuyasha grabbed the sides of his head and shut his eyes, growling between his teeth, as he backed away from her.

One hand shot out and grabbed blindly for Tetsusaiga, laying uselessly against the wall.

Kagome screamed his name when Inuyasha's hand gripped the hilt and the barrier protecting the sword reacted to his full youkai blood.

'Shut the fuck up hanyou! She wants me! And I will have her!'

'You're fucking nuts if you think she'll accept you! She belongs to me, she belongs with me! She loves ME!'

'She's MINE!'

"Inuyasha!"

Now he was grabbing the hilt of Tetsusaiga firmly with both hands. The stench of burnt flesh and the sparks flying from the contact his hands made on his Father's Fang made Kagome flinch. She reached out for him, but his right arm shot out with youkai speed and pushed her back...gently. Kagome staggered forwards but did not fall.

'She says there's only one of me. Then that means you're not supposed to exist! She wants you to go away! You're a fucking animal! I'm the one she loves, the one she wants!'

'SHUT UP! You're the one who's not supposed to exist! My bitch is not afraid of me, hanyou! There is only one indeed. I'm stronger than you, I'm what you WANT to be. The one is ME!'

'If she is your bitch, then why do I smell fear, you fucking monster? She reeks of fear! You scared MY bitch!'

"Stop! Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed in tears.

"Bitch!" Youkai Inuyasha howled suddenly. "Bitch afraid! Afraid of me!"

"No!" Kagome said desperately. "Look at yourself! Stop! Please, stop! I-I can't..."

The hanyou in the inu-youkai's head laughed cockily.

'Yes, look at yourself. Never get distracted when you're facing the enemy. You might get hurt, baka...'

Inuyasha's crimson eyes widened when he realized he had moved away from his bitch and was now clutching Tetsusaiga between his hands. It was burning his palms, the stench of his sizzling flesh suddenly bringing back the image of his half brother when he had attempted to grab their Father's Fang.

He hadn't even realized he was grasping the sword, or that he had pushed Kagome away when she had tried to help him.

The hanyou had tricked him! Youkai Inuyasha blinked in utter disbelief and his eyes flashed golden and back to red again, this time the gold fighting with a vengeance.

'You - you bastard! A hanyou tricked me? You? How...?'

'Let's just say I know you a little too well, asshole.'

The hanyou's voice in youkai Inuyasha's head laughed, yet it was not a happy sound. It had a bitter edge to it, and youkai Inuyasha growled, as he desperately tried to pry his fingers away from Tetsusaiga and grip it as tightly as he could at the same time, hanyou and youkai fighting for dominance.

Inuyasha felt Kagome's small hands around his again, desperately trying to remove his fingers from the sword's hilt.

"K-Kagome..." Inuyasha managed.

His eyes still held a hue of red, and he would not let go of his sword until he could feel his youkai side give in completely.

Kagome was sobbing uncontrollably now, incapable of moving a single one of Inuyasha's fingers in spite of her best efforts, as she slowly looked up through her tears and saw his eyes melting into pure gold.

"L-let...let go. Only one of me?"

Kagome nodded frantically. "T-then...let go..." Inuyasha gasped, wincing in pain.

Kagome let go of his hand slowly as Inuyasha panted for breath, his fangs and claws gradually returning to their usual lenght. There was no crimson left in his eyes now, and the purple markings on his cheeks gradually faded.

'Say goodbye to the hanyou's bitch, bastard.'

Silence. The inu-youkai was gone.

Hanyou Inuyasha smiled weakly as he fell forwards, clinging to Tetsusaiga. He suddenly laughed out loud. He had triumphed over his inner youkai. It was a small victory, and Inuyasha knew it was a battle and not the war that had been won, but man, he had fooled that bastard, and had fooled him good.

All he had done was threaten what the monster thought was his, and he had gotten distracted and angry enough not to notice Inuyasha had regained control over his own body and had been moving towards Tetsusaiga as he taunted his inner youkai like it had taunted him so many times in the past.

He had no reason to believe his Father's Fang would help, but it was the only thing he could think of.

Before it had been Kagome, his Kagome, who had always brought him back...but now Inuyasha knew all she would be doing would be encouraging his inner youkai without her even realizing it.

"Baka!" Kagome cried as she collapsed against the inu-hanyou and wrapped her arms around him. "Inuyasha no baka..." She murmured, burying her face in his silvery white hair.

Inuyasha sighed in silent apology. "Kagome. Are you all right?"

"You...you hurt yourself..."

"Did you want that bastard to stay? To hurt you?" Inuyasha murmured, finally letting go of Tetsusaiga and cupping Kagome's tear stricken face in his hands and staring into her deep brown eyes.

He licked her tears away tenderly. "No crying, wench. You know I hate it when you do that..."

Kagome bit her lip and merely nodded. If she said that she knew his inner youkai wouldn't hurt her, that he was always her Inuyasha, she knew it would be like talking to a wall.

Perhaps Inuyasha would understand one day. But it wouldn't be today. She decided to let it go for now, until she could find some other way to try to get through to him.

"I...I wanted to come back to you." Inuyasha whispered. "Kagome...if that bastard comes back...if I transform again..." He said slowly. "I want you to promise me something."

"Anything...anything if you won't hurt yourself like that again..."

"Keh. This was nothing." He said cockily, his harsh breathing betraying his confident statement.

"Don't say that, baka!" Kagome grabbed his hands and turned them around, looking down at his burnt palms. "Look at this! Is this nothing?"

"Compared to having a hole in your stomach? Keh, I'll say it's nothing!" He snapped. "It's already healing, you stupid wench, look!"

Indeed, as they both looked down, his burnt skin was rapidly repairing itself.

"That's not the point! The point is..." Kagome started.

"The point is my inner youkai took over me and would have...would have hurt you, and I fucking stopped it!" Inuyasha cut her off angrily. "Shit, Kagome! I let my human side...I let that pathetic human..."

He couldn't bear to finish his sentence. He shook his head. "Last night...him...and now..." Inuyasha lost his voice. His ears flattened against his skull.

"You said...there's only one mate." Kagome whispered suddenly, not daring to look into his golden eyes.

Inuyasha blushed hotly. "I...I didn't! He did."

Kagome sighed in annoyance. "Fine, he did! What did he mean?"

"You still haven't promised me what I was going to ask of you!" Inuyasha replied harshly.

"What did you...what did he mean?" Kagome insisted, narrowing her eyes.

"Promise me first, bitch!"

"Tell me what that meant first, baka!"

"Damn it, Kagome, promise me!" His voice was harsh but his golden eyes were imploring her and she couldn't say no to that look.

"Okay!" Kagome gave up, and let go of his hands. "What am I supposed to be promising you?"

"That you will purify me if it takes over my body again." Inuyasha said, staring into her eyes, daring her to say no.

Kagome opened and closed her mouth, not knowing what to say to this and shook her head.

"I will not hurt you! And I...I don't think I can anyway..." She stammered.

"Promise me you will try." Inuyasha begged of her desperately. "I'm hanyou. I won't die if you purify me, wench. I will just...turn human for a while. So promise me...Kagome, you've got to do this...please..."

Kagome bit her lip. Inuyasha lifted her chin and forced her to look at him in the eye.

"Promise me, bitch! He will hurt you! Promise me! I know you can do it! You can do anything, Kagome...you're the only one who believes in me, really believes in me...and as long as you do, Kagome, I know I can do anything... I'm telling you now, wench...I believe in you. Don't let it...don't let it take over me again...if I can't hold my youkai blood and Tetsusaiga won't...you're my only hope. You're one careless...stupidly brave bitch." He smiled weakly at her.

Kagome stared at him in shock and nodded slowly, processing his words.

I believe in you...you're my only hope.

Kagome sighed. "I'll try. I promise. I believe in you, Inuyasha...I always have, and I always will. I trust you with my life."

"Keh." Inuyasha sighed in complete exhaustation, collapsing against the wall. "Fuck!"

'That was close. Shit!' Inuyasha thought, closing his eyes.

He felt Kagome's perfumed head on his shoulder and inhaled deeply. Jasmine. His Kagome.

That had been too close, too damn close...

"You're not supposed to be here! You careless, stupid wench, you have no fucking idea how close that was!"

"I'll always be here with you." Kagome said softly.

"Keh. Stupid bitch doesn't know any better." Inuyasha muttered.

The salty smell of Kagome's tears reached his nostrils. Inuyasha's golden eyes opened and he looked down at her.

"Oi, don't cry! Stop that! Kagome! Why are you crying?!"

"Baka!" She said, and snifled loudly. "I'm not crying!"

"Yes you are! Stop it!"

"I can't!"

"I thought you said you weren't crying!"

"Why is this happening? What's happening to you?" Kagome sobbed, clinging tightly to him.

Inuyasha was silent.

"My human blood...it's weakened." He admitted after a long pause, wincing slightly.

Kagome looked up at him with confused, teary eyes. "Weakened?" She echoed softly.

"Yeah."

"Why? How...?"

"I don't know, okay?! Myouga said...he said that my youkai blood was stronger now...because of it." He looked away from her, lest she see through his lie.

"What happened to you?"

"I don't fucking know what happened!" Inuyasha looked down at his bare feet, frowning. He wouldn't look at her.

Kagome's eyes widened, and things she had buried deep in the back of her mind came to the surface.

Inuyasha's voice, sounding so defeated, something, something else that was tearing him apart...the one thing he couldn't bear himself to tell her...Kagome could hear him clearly in her head, as she tried to put two and two together...but she was too afraid of what she would find out...and still fragments of his words popped into her head and there was no stopping it now...

...I did see Kikyou earlier, but I didn't go looking for her. She found me. And we...talked...

...There's something you don't know...if you still let me love you then...if you still trust me...

That's not all of it, is it? There's something else. Something that's hurting you. And you're afraid to tell me.

...It's...it's complicated...

...I won't go after Kikyou. Fuck, I want to be as far away from her as possible...

Did she hurt you?

...Just leave it alone, wench! I promise...I will fix things. Trust me. Please trust me, Kagome...

Did she hurt you?

Kikyou. It all came down to Kikyou...

...I will always love her memory...

Kagome shut her eyes, it didn't make any sense! Why wouldn't Inuyasha tell her? He said he trusted her...but...

'He's afraid...he's so scared...and he's...he's weak now...something happened...it has to be Kikyou... that morning...Gods, he's scared to death. Inuyasha is frightened...How can I help him? How can I make his fear, his pain, go away? How, when I'm so scared myself of what's hurting him so? It has to be her...he saw her before - before he took me away from camp...How could I have been so blind? I knew it, I knew right from the start she had hurt him somehow! And I didn't do anything about it, I couldn't, I can't - I can't ask him...'

Only one. Ka.Go.Me.

"Inuyasha..." She whispered.

"Let's go, wench. It's early morning...I want to get moving. Naraku is way ahead of us." He stood up slowly with Kagome in his arms, leaned over and quickly kissed her forehead. "Come on. Let's find the others."

Inuyasha let go of her and headed for the mat covering the entrance to Kaede's hut.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called in a weak, sad little voice.

The inu-hanyou stopped but did not turn around to face her.

"You will tell me...when you're ready..." She said smally.

"About what?" Inuyasha asked, still not looking at her, his body tense.

"What weakened your human blood...you know who - I mean...how...this happened...when it did..." Kagome began uncertainly.

"I already told you, I don't know, bitch!" Inuyasha snapped.

"It's okay if you're not ready to tell me. But...don't lie to me, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha sighed in defeat. "Come on, wench."

"Wait!" Kagome said urgently, stepping in front of him.

"What now? Dammit, bitch, I don't fucking know why my fucking human blood is weaker than it already was in the first place!"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Baka. You can't get out! Miroku-sama sealed the hut." She said with as much patience as she could muster. She was about to step outside to remove the Ofudas when Inuyasha stopped her, his hand firmly closing around her wrist.

"Kagome." He said, his silvery bangs covering his eyes.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "If you're going to say what I think you're going to say, then don't bother. I'm not going anywhere, Inuyasha."

"You don't get it! Damn it, bitch! He..."

"You're the one who's not getting it, baka! There is no he! You said there was only one of me, didn't you?"

"I...." Inuyasha lowered his head. "Yes." He admitted reluctantly.

"There's only one of you too!"

"NO!"

"YES!" Kagome shook her wrist free from Inuyasha's grasp and stared into his golden, troubled eyes.

"You remember." She said in a low voice. "You remember everything...everything your inner youkai said and did. You remember...you called me your mate." Kagome blushed and shook her head.

This was not the time to ask him about this, especially since he had so obviously tried to avoid it when she'd tried to get an answer from him before.

"You said there was only one of me, Inuyasha. Then you must remember he didn't hurt me! When I said you weren't ready...and neither was I, your inner youkai didn't hurt me..."

For once, Inuyasha could not find a reasonable reply to this.

Yes, he remembered everything. He remembered hating his youkai form for touching his bitch...for kissing his Kagome...like...like she belonged to him...

Inuyasha was about to open his mouth to protest when Kagome leaned over and licked his face from his jaw to his temple, like his youkai form had done to her earlier.

She couldn't believe she had been bold enough to do that, but given the circumstances...and remembering what she and Inuyasha had shared during the previous night...the night of the New Moon...she was not at all surprised, and Kagome realized that at that moment, it seemed like the only thing she could do to try and make Inuyasha understand...no words would be enough, especially when Inuyasha so obviously refused to listen.

He was just too damn stubborn to admit that his youkai blood was part of him, that he wouldn't be her Inuyasha without his human and youkai blood...that special blood that made him who he was, that mix Inuyasha thought was tainted...if only he could see that, see himself through her eyes...like the complex, beautiful creature he was...he was not human, he was not youkai...he was not even hanyou in Kagome's eyes. He was simply...Inuyasha.

Inuyasha's golden eyes widened, a dark blush spreading across his cheeks. "K-Kagome? What did you do that for?"

"Only one of you, Inuyasha." Kagome whispered as she caressed his lips with her fingertips like he had done to her, like she had done to him earlier.

Inuyasha stood in front of her, frozen in shock, blushing as red as his haori.

Kagome replaced her fingers with her lips and kissed him gently, her tongue caressing his, as Inuyasha opened his mouth wider to deepen the kiss, exploring her sweet mouth as if it was the first time.

Inuyasha clung to her tiny waist, his hands joining at the small of her back, almost squeezing the breath out of her delicate body.

When they parted for breath, he uttered a choked whisper...barely audible, his voice trembling: "Kagome...I'm scared. Shit, I hate to say this but I'm so fucking scared..."

"I know." Kagome whispered back. "But I'll help you. I won't go anywhere. I'll always follow you... always."

"I'm scared for you. He - I mean...my youkai form...it didn't hurt you this time. You were lucky, wench...I don't know...I don't know what it will do if I can't control it...next time..."

"Baka, I know you won't hurt me. Youkai or not. But you obviously don't seem to want to listen to me, so I'll...I'll stick to my word." She winced slightly. Kagome didn't think she would be able to purify Inuyasha should his youkai side return as he had asked of her...she couldn't even bear the thought of it, even if this would just result in him turning human...she couldn't hurt him.

"I trust you. And that means I also trust your youkai side." She finished slowly.

"That's only cause you're too trusting for your own damn good, wench..." Inuyasha mumbled, looking away. "Why? Why do you trust me, Kagome?" His voice softened, but he still wouldn't face her.

Kagome's brown eyes widened and she smiled at him. "And you say I keep asking that stupid question. I trust you simply because you're you. You protect me...you - you care for me...you worry about me. I just wished you could see that you can be protected too...that you can be taken care of, and that's not a bad thing...you don't have to be the hero all the time, you know." Kagome said gently, still smiling at the inu-hanyou.

Inuyasha looked at her for a moment and averted his eyes from her again. Kagome detected a shadow lingering behind his golden gaze.

She remembered his words again...the morning he had sent her back to her time...when they had shared their first real kiss and he had told her he needed her...that morning...before he had taken her away from camp, the morning when he had met Kikyou...she remembered her question, still weighing on her...the question that had been left unanswered...

Did she hurt you?

"You shouldn't be so damn trusting." Inuyasha said, and unconsciously tightened his grip on Kagome, breaking through her thoughts.

"I know you will tell me what hurt your human side when you're ready. And I trust you on that too. I know you saw Kikyou that morning, Inuyasha." Kagome said as quickly as she could, her voice firm but her eyes reflecting the pain in her heart.

This time, Inuyasha did look at her, eyes wide, but he said nothing to either confirm nor deny her allegation.

Kagome went on, not actually expecting Inuyasha to respond to her statement. "You told me she had found you. And that you were not looking for her. I believe you. I asked if she had hurt you. Your face told me all I needed to know, Inuyasha. You don't have to say anything...but I won't lie to you...it hurts me that you're keeping this from me...whatever it is she said to you. I can't help you if I don't know what's tearing you apart."

"What makes you think Kikyou had anything to do with this?" Inuyasha said angrily, but still he wouldn't let go of her.

Kagome arched her eyebrows. "She hurt you that morning, didn't she?"

Inuyasha was silent, scowling at his feet. Again, his silence spoke volumes.

"I figured that much." Kagome said, and sighed. "If you let me help you Inuyasha...I will. But there's nothing I can do if you don't tell me the truth."

"It was nothing, okay? I told you I would fix things, wench!" Inuyasha snapped.

"And she said something to you that hurt your human side so badly that now your youkai side can break free whenever it feels like it! And you say it was nothing?" Kagome insisted angrily.

"Keh. I can deal with this on my own." Inuyasha said harshly.

"Oh, really?" Kagome replied, narrowing her eyes.

"You said you trusted me, right? Then trust me on this! I'll deal with this shit on my own! I don't need anyone's help!"

"Fine! You know what? Play the hero! Pretend you don't need any help! If you tell yourself that over and over again, you might start believing it! Baka!"

Kagome tried to break free of Inuyasha's tight hold on her. Bitter tears threatened to fall, but she held them back as she pushed at Inuyasha's firm chest with her small hands rolled into fists.

Inuyasha let go of her reluctantly and sighed deeply. "Look...this is something I have to fix on my own. I screwed things up, and I have no one to blame but myself..."

"That's the problem, baka! You always blame yourself for everything! Did it ever occur to you that this is someone else's fault? The Gods forbid you blame it on Kikyou!" Kagome snapped. "You can be such an insensitive jerk! You said there's only one of me, but..."

This time, Kagome's eyes brimmed with tears and she shook her head violently from side to side, as if she could get rid of her troubled thoughts in this manner.

"You can't forget her! You just won't admit that she's been trying to hurt you ever since she was resurrected, Inuyasha! And guess what? She succeeded this time! I don't know how she managed it and I don't care right now because it's too late and I can't turn back time...all I know is that she hurt you, and I can't do anything about it! And the worst part is, you don't want to admit Kikyou did this to you!"

"Oi, stop crying! Damn it, wench, stop that! I'll make the hurt go away, Kagome...and I...I'll tell you everything...I still don't understand what happened, okay?! I can't explain what I don't understand! Kikyou wounded my human blood. There, happy now? She did this to me! Fuck, I just don't understand...why she - why it happened!"

Kagome stared at him, searching his eyes, his stern, pained expression. She finally sighed, wiping her tear strained face with her sleeves.

"Of course not, baka. I'm not happy. But...I won't ask anymore...for now. I try to understand, Inuyasha...really I do. I understand about Kikyou and I know you can't forget her..."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to object but she held a hand up to silence him.

"But...I also know you care for me. It's...so hard Inuyasha...so hard. I can't compete with her, no matter what you say..."

Again, Inuyasha tried to cut her off, but Kagome shot him a menacing look and he abruptly shut his mouth and allowed her to continue.

"Bottom line is, I trust you. I do know one thing, though. You can't deal with this on your own, whether you admit it or not! And I want you to know that no matter what happened that morning or what will happen next...I will always be here for you."

"You are always here for me." Inuyasha said slowly, and attempted a small smile. "I won't send you away. I know I should, but I...I won't."

Inuyasha cupped her tear stained face and looked into her eyes. "I can't. I need you, Kagome." He whispered. "I need you. You understand that? I need you with me. You're a careless, stubborn, clumsy, pathetic human..."

"Watch it, dog-boy..." Kagome said, but a hint of a smile touched her lips.

"...but you're my careless, stubborn, clumsy, pathetic human." Inuyasha finished, and smiled smally at her.

"I wasn't going anywhere anyway, baka. You can't do anything without me." Kagome smiled back at him, a little sadly.

"Keh. Don't flatter yourself." Inuyasha said, sounding more like himself.

Kagome stuck out her tongue at him. Still, the shadow of Kikyou lingered in Kagome's heart.

A long silence followed, finally broken by Kagome's firm, but sad voice. "I won't ask you anymore about this. It hurts me...and it's hurting you. But I won't force it out of you, Inuyasha. Will you - will you tell me? When you're ready?"

Inuyasha nodded once. He looked afraid for an instant when he spoke next. "Will you still trust me...when I do?" He asked her in an insecure, tiny voice, so unlike him it actually scared Kagome for a moment.

"Always." She said reassuringly, and pressed her lips to his softly.

"You won't sit me?" Inuyasha asked, arching his dark eyebrows.

Kagome gave him a genuine smile at this. "I can't promise you that." She answered, her sweet smile turning into a small smirk.

"Keh. I wasn't expecting you to." Inuyasha remarked, and rolled his golden eyes. "C'mon, wench. Let's get going."

TBC