InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Someone To Watch Over Me ❯ Taking the books away ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2

~*~*~Taking the books away~*~*~

 

 

 

Kagome awoke slowly; the warmth surrounding her lending her a sense of peace even as the incessant pounding in her head drew a groan from her. The arms around her tightened, and a low soothing growl sounded from the sleeping hanyou holding her. Her stomach turned, and Kagome's face paled as she shook Inuyasha awake, begging to be taken down, telling him she was going to be sick.

 

Holding Kagome securely in his arms, Inuyasha leapt down to the ground below, well away from the rest of their pack and set the girl on her feet. Catching her as she fell to the ground, Inuyasha leaned her body against his leg as she stood on her hands and knees and dry heaved into the grass. Holding her hair in his hands, the hanyou could smell the tears she cried, her stomach already too empty to do more then clench painfully, spasmodically.

 

Turning his nose to the wind Inuyasha caught the spicy sweet scent of a nearby mineral hot spring. Lifting Kagome into his arms, he carried her to the spring's edge and set her on her feet, making certain she had her balance before releasing her. Removing his sword and hakama, he set them beside the spring, standing before Kagome in his knee length white under kimono. Turning to face the girl, he arched his brow and leveled Kagome with a hard look.

 

“Take it off,” he commanded her as he folded his arms together inside the sleeves of his white under kimono.

 

“Inuyasha!” Her voice sounded outraged though there was a distinct lack of energy behind it.

 

He could see the anger warring with exhaustion in her eyes, the flush of fever on her cheeks and the dew like dampness on her forehead that was a testament to just how much effort it took her to simply stay standing. Her illness enraged him as it worried him.

 

“Don't argue with me wench,” he warned her, “and don't even think about using that damn spell on me either.” Reaching out toward her with one hand, he flexed his claws at her, his knuckles popping in the process. “Now either you take it off, or I will.”

 

Answering her look of irritation with one of his own and arching a brow as he dared her to defy him, he waited until she handed him the borrowed fire rat robe and then turned to set it with his hakama and Tetsuaiga. Kagome lifted her shirt raising it up just slightly past her shoulders when she gasped and moaned. When had her body become so sore like this? She couldn't see with the shirt covering her face but whimpered thankfully when she felt Inuyasha's warm hands slide up her sides and arms as he guided the shirt off of her.

 

“Keh!” Dropping her shirt to the ground, he wrapped his arms around her when she leaned against his chest. “You're too tired for that,” he said, his cheeks pinking when he caught the scent of her arousal that his touch on her skin had inspired.

 

She felt his hands at the small of her back as he undid the button and zipper of her skirt. The pleated material fell around her feet, and she stepped out of it. Groaning softly as she bent to take off her shoes and socks, she closed her eyes and had to truly focus on the task in order to complete it. Kagome could not remember a time that she had ever felt so tired, so weak, or so damn sore.

 

Anger fueled by worry, Inuyasha watched, upset by how much effort it took her to simply remove her shoes. Eyes darkening at the visibility of her ribs and hips, he silently traced the curve of her spine with the pads of his fingers as she lent against his side. Once she was barefoot and clad only in her undergarments, the hanyou lifted her into his arms and cradled her to his chest. Watching as her eyes fell closed almost as soon as her head touched his shoulder, he carried her down into the soothing hot mineral water of the spring.

 

How did she get this bad? Inuyasha thought as he released her legs and held her against his chest in the shoulder deep water.

 

How did you let her get this bad? his youkai asked him accusingly.

 

I don't know, Inuyasha answered as he leaned Kagome back enough in the water to wet her hair.

 

Well whatever it takes fix it! his youkai demanded.

 

Keh! You think I won't?! the hanyou growled and nodded when his youkai blood remained silent.

 

“Inuyasha,” Kagome's voice reached out softly to the hanyou and he held her close to hear her half whispered words, “will you sing to me?” she asked her eyes still closed.

 

“Wench,” he growled at her, “what makes you think I sing?” he asked gruffly, his cheeks pinking.

 

“In - asha.” His name was broken by a deep yawn, her eyes barely open as she looked at him tiredly. “I know it was you who sang to me a few weeks ago when I had that nightmare. You thought I was asleep.”

 

“You heard that?” his cheeks became crimson as his ears flicked in embarrassment.

 

Kagome nodded, her cheek against the smooth skin of his chest, his kimono having fallen open.

 

“So will you?” she asked tilting her head to look up at him. “Sing to me?”

 

Damn, his youkai voice spoke. Does she have any clue how she affects us?

 

None, Inuyasha replied.

 

He wanted to kiss her so badly but knew that he could never stop with just one. Perhaps one day he could be with her like that, but today just wasn't that day. For now he had to content himself with having her at his side and protecting her, loving her in every way but the physical act itself.

 

Someday, Kagome, he promised her silently. Someday I will make you my mate.

 

Touching his lips to her forehead, he was pleased to find that her fever had dissipated. Resting his cheek against her brow, he sang to her, his voice soft and unsteady at first before smoothing out into a rich tenor. At first the song was nothing more than a collection of notes, but as the moments passed he sang to her a gentle lullaby that his mother had once sung to him.

 

He felt peace infuse her aura as she cuddled against him, her eyes falling closed once more as his voice, the warmth of the water, and the feel of all that was Inuyasha soothed her into a deep and dreamless sleep.

 

It was nearly two hours later when Inuyasha was roused from the light sleep he'd fallen into by the feel of a familiar youki approaching. Sniffing the air, he relaxed when he discovered it to be Shippou.

 

“Shippou,” he said, softly calling the kitsune out of hiding.

 

The youkai child bounded forward, his eyes fixed on Kagome. It scared him to see her lying so still against Inuyasha, the two deep in the water of the hot spring. He'd always brushed it off as nothing when Kagome would share her food with him, but now he wasn't so sure.

 

“What's wrong with Kagome?” Shippou asked softly as he crouched in the grass near Inuyasha.

 

“It ain't nothing I can't take care of,” the hanyou replied arrogantly, keeping his voice low so as not to wake the girl in question. “Go ask Sango for one of her kimonos.”

 

Shippou nodded and raced off toward the campsite. Groaning against the waking world that beckoned her, Kagome tucked her face into the side of Inuyasha's neck and hid her eyes, wrapping herself more securely around him.

 

“Here ya go,” Shippou said a few moments later.

 

“Just set it next to my clothes,” the hanyou said as he carefully lifted Kagome into his arms. “Tell Miroku and Sango not to rush. We're staying here today.”

 

The kitsune youkai did a double take. Had Inuyasha really just said that? Was he really going to let them take the day off?

 

“Inuyasha are you feeling alright?” Shippou asked with a `who-are-you-and-what-have-you-done-with-Inuyasha' look on his face.

 

“Keh, I'm fine, Shippou,” he said without looking at the child. “Go tell the others what I said.”

 

Deciding to go before the hanyou could change his mind or call it a joke, Shippou sped off happily for the campsite. Returning his attention to the girl in his arms, Inuyasha tightened his hold and sprang from the water, landing neatly in the plush grass. Looking down at the girl in his arms, he wasn't sure which bothered him more: her decidedly unhealthy loss in weight, or the fact that she still hadn't woken.

 

Long moments later he had them both dried and dressed and was carrying Kagome back to the camp, her wet hair plastered to his fire rat robe.

 

“Get the fire going again,” he instructed Miroku as he kicked the school books off of Kagome's sleeping bag.

 

Laying Kagome down and tucking her into the stuffed blanket bed, Inuyasha looked at her textbooks and growled low. Moving to her monstrous yellow backpack, he carried it to a clear area and up ended it, dumping its contents into the grass. Setting her schoolbooks aside and gathering up the ones he'd kicked off of her sleeping bag, he packed them into the yellow bag.

 

Turning his attention to Sango he found the taijiya studying him silently. Rising to his feet and moving slowly away, he waited for her to follow him. Moving far enough away to be out of hearing range of the others, but still in sight of the camp, he folded his arms together inside the sleeves of his fire rat robes.

 

“Inuyasha,” Sango asked when he failed to speak.

 

Looking back over the distance at Kagome's sleeping form, he turned his attention to Sango.

 

“She isn't well,” he said finally. “I've got some things I need to take care of. Hunt down a few rabbits and make sure she eats the livers. Don't let her give her food to Shippou either. I don't know when I'll be back, but I'll bring meat when I come.”

 

Sango nodded and studied the hanyou, his attention once again focused on the sleeping miko. Taking in a deep breath the woman spoke. “She was sick a few days ago,” the taijiya confessed. “I found her throwing up after we stopped to have lunch.”

 

“I know,” he said, surprising her. “You all forget that I can smell things like that. I was waiting for her to tell me and ask for us to stop for awhile, but she never did.” He was silent for a long moment before he spoke again. “If there's trouble while I'm gone don't let her use her arrows; she ain't strong enough for that.”

 

“If you don't mind my asking,” Sango said, “where are you going?”

 

Inuyasha studied the woman before him silently for a moment.

 

“I'm taking those damn school books back to her world.”

 

Sango nodded having already figured as much. There was no doubt in her mind that Kagome would be mad when she found out what Inuyasha was about to do, but there was also no doubt in her mind that Inuyasha was doing the best thing for the sleeping girl. Inuyasha walked with Sango back to the campsite and snatched up the yellow backpack. Standing beside Miroku, Sango watched as the hanyou disappeared in a flash of red and silver through the trees.

 

 

~*~*~*