InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Wind Beneath My Wings ❯ I Can't Lose You ( Chapter 6 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

It was dark when Izayoi awoke next. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, but snapped shut again as she was hit with a wave of nausea. She supressed a groan and fought back the sickness. Soon enough, it passed, and she was grateful. But to replace the nausea came a pounding, throbbing headache that hurt behind her eyes and on the bridge of her nose. Her eyes remained shut, afraid that if they opened again more pain or sickness would consume her. Now was obviously not the right time to be awake, and she was still exhausted anyway, so Izayoi subjected herself to going back into her deep 'sleep', or rather, unconciousness. But just as she was about to slip off again, a soft scent caught her attention and a small hand was placed on her cheek. Recognizing her immediately, even through her sickness and pain-filled haze, Izayoi's golden eyes snapped open and she ignored the pain shooting through her body.

Linorah stood there, her own golden eyes wide. She was wearing her nightgown and clutching a small, white stuffed dog that Inutaisho had won for her at a modern carnival. Her curly silver hair was woven into two braids on either side of her head, obviously the work of Kagome. Her bottom lip stuck out in a pout as tears pooled in the bottoms of her wide eyes.

"Nee-chan, I'm sorry." she whispered, sniffling, fuzzy silver ears laying flat against her head. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

Izayoi smiled lightly and pushed herself into a sitting position, propped up against the pillows, ignoring the stab of pain that shot from her ribs to her head. "You didn't wake me, pup." she assured, reaching out with her unbandaged hand and patting the young girl on the head. Linorah blinked and hope returned to her eyes. "I-I didn't?"

Izayoi laughed lightly. "Of course not." she lied. "I was awake the whole time, listening for trouble." Her little sister's ears perked up. "Like Papa does on the New Moon?"

This made her chuckle even more. "Yes, Lin. Exactly like that. Now why in the world are you up at this hour?" At this point, Linorah looked away quickly and instantly began chewing on her bottom lip. "Well.... Papa said not to wake you up, but I couldn't help it. I wanted to tell you I'm sorry."

Izayoi blinked in surprise. "Sorry? Linny, what the heck do you have to be sorry for?"

Tears once again pooled in her eyes and she sniffled loudly, hugging the stuffed dog close to her chest. "Oh, Nee-chan! If I hadn't been so scared, if I had found Papa sooner you wouldn't be hurt!"

Izayoi's gaze softened and she reached out to pull her trembling baby sister into her arms. "Now, none of that." she 'scolded' gently. "If it hadn't been for you we both may have been seriously hurt or even killed and Papa woudn't have been able to help at all." She looked down at her sister and brushed away a tear off the young girl's cheek. She tapped the underside of her chin with a finger, careful of the claws, and winked. "To tell you the truth, pup, you saved me!"

A grin spread across the child's features and she sprang up, ears twitching. "Really? I did? I saved you?"

Izayoi held back a chuckle and nodded. "Yep. I'd probably be dead and gone right now if you didn't save me."

Linorah opened her mouth to reply but all that came out was a wide yawn. Izayoi chuckled and patted her head once again. "Now, Hero, go to bed. Papa won't be too happy to find out I've kept you up this late."

Linorah nodded sleepily and rubbed her eyes, turning and heading up to bed, stuffed dog trailing behind her, the tail clutched in one tiny hand. "Goodnight, Nee-chan. Aishiteru."

Izayoi smiled after her. "Aishiteru, Lin."

She listened with perked ears as her little sister's bedroom door closed with a soft click. Sighing with relief and exhaustion, Izayoi sank back onto the pillows of the couch, spent. Her ribs felt a little better, but her head was pounding and her leg burned. She had broken it, had it repaired, then broken it again and boy did it HURT.

She reached up and rubbed her head with one hand, mindful of the claws. "Damn dragon." she muttered, and instantly drew alert when a soft chuckle resounded from behind her.

Inuyasha stepped into the living room from his place at the bottom of the stairs and moved to sit on the floor next to the couch where she was laid up. He smiled at her, but his eyes were full of guilt and concern. "How're you feeling?" he asked as his eyes scanned her, searching for any injury he may have missed. She couldn't help but smile at his mental efforts to heal all of her wounds- both seen and unseen.

"I'm fine, Papa." she reassured, but his eyebrows shot up and she instantly knew that he could read her like a book and no he wasn't buying it. "Feh." he muttered, reaching up with one calloused hand and brushing a few strands of ebony hair off her forehead. As he retreated, his hand lingered on her face for a moment and she watched as her father study her features, as if memorizing them, imprinting them in his memory forever. He'd done this before, several times, with all of his children and Kagome, but only when he thought they were asleep or not paying attention. Sometimes, Izayoi wondered if he was just making sure they were real. He'd been so painfully lonely, all his life, until he met her mother, so Izayoi would gladly help him feel more secure in any way she could. But what was making her smile was the fact that he was clearly studying her now, fully aware that she knew about it.

While his face was just as young as it had always been and probably always would be, lines of worry raced throughout his forehead as a slight frown became present when he surveyed her injuries. But to her relief they disappeared when his golden eyes locked with her identical ones. He let his hand retreat from her face and fall onto the couch beside her. He averted his eyes, staring down at the cool packed dirt floor. Instantly, Izayoi was filled with cocnern as fear entered her father's comforting scent. "Papa?" she asked, but didn't recieve a response save for the flick of his ears, ensuring that he heard her. "Is something the matter?"

He didn't move for a few minutes and a long silence passed. For a moment she was afraid he hadn't heard her and was about to repeat the question when he spoke.

"I almost lost you."

She blinked as realization washed over her. Oh! He thought I was going to die. How long was I out?

"Yeah." she said, reaching down and grabbing his hand, making him look up at her in surprise. "Yeah, you almost did. But you didn't. I pulled through, like always. I've lost count of how many times we've 'almost lost' you."

His eyes widened and he sputtered. "B-but that's different! I'm your father and I take care of my family. You're too young."

"I'm sixteen, Papa." Izayoi reminded him quietly. "Seventeen in a few months. And do you honestly believe I was going to run away and leave Linorah defenseless? Or even just run and lead the horrible beast back home? I know I worry you and Mama, but I will not just stand there and put my family in danger!"

His eyes fell and she knew now that he understood. Her head began to spin again and she closed her eyes, leaning heavily against the pillows. She felt his gaze on her, concerned and still afraid. "But, Izzy." he murmured softly, pushing more dislodged hair out of her face. "I need to protect you and your brothers and sister. I need to protect your mother."

Sadness suddenly filled both his aura and his scent and Izayoi's eyes flew open, pain momentarily cast aside as he spoke next. His eyes were filled with sadness and regret, but no tears. He would never cry in front of his children. The only person who'd ever seen him cry was Kagome, and that wasn't about to change. He was strong for his children. But it wasn't his eyes that caught her off guard. It was his words.

"You kids and your mother..." he swallowed loudly, finally locking eyes with her. "You're all I have. I can't lose you, not a single one of you."

Izayoi's heart went out to him and she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him to her, hugging him tightly. She felt him bury his nose in her hair, breathing deeply of herscent as she tried desperately to keep him from shaking, which he was. Protectively she felt his arms wrap around her, though not tightly, but just enough to ensure him that she was alright.

"I will never let anything like that happen to you again, Izayoi. I promise."

Holding back her own tears, Izayoi nodded. "I trust you, Papa."

~*~

Kagome looked up from her reading as the bedroom door opened with a soft click. She didn't say anything to her hanyou husband until the door was closed and he was leaning his forehead against it. Concerned, she closed the book and sat up a little straighter. "Koi..." she murmured, watching as his ear flickered towards her. "Is everything okay?"

He took a deep, shuddering breath and turned towards her, tears filled nearly to the brim in his eyes. Her brown eyes widened and she stood up, walking hurriedly over to him and looking up at him. She gently held his face in both of her hands and stared deeply into his eyes. She felt his hands grab her waist protectively and she softly stroked his cheek with her thumb. "Inuyasha, what's wrong?"

"I can't lose you." he whispered brokenly, pulling her a bit closer. "I can't lose any of you."

"Oh, koishii..." she murmured, kissing his lips softly. "You're not going to lose us. You take such good care of us, of me. Nothing's going to happen." He looked down at her, helplessly and whimpered, hugging her to him and squeezing his eyes shut, trying his best to will away the tears, but to no avail.

Slowly, Kagome, still holding onto him, led him over to the bed and they climbed in together. He wrapped his arms securely around her waist, nestling his nose in the crook of her neck. And, the the steady, comforting sound of her heart beating strongly in her chest, Inuyasha cried himself to sleep.


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AWWW! Sorry it took so long to update, I've been UBER busy. Hope the fuzz and fluff was enough to make up for it! Next chapter, Izayoi tries to get Kenshuga back and meets yet another character. Review! Arigato!