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'It was just a split second. It happened so fast yet it felt like everything slowed down. The large demon towered over him, though he wasn't sure what kind as it seemed like a shadowed amalgamation of them, and was almost as tall as the trees around them. It's claws gleamed as it prepared to bring them down on him but before he could do anything, Kagome jumped between the two. Both she and the demon struck at the same time. An arrow flew at the creature, landing in it's chest, just as it's sharp claws made contact with her fragile human form.
The demon cried out in pain before it evaporated while three large gashes appeared on her side, splattering blood everywhere. Inuyasha felt bile rise up into his throat. He helplessly watched as she fell before he rushed to grab her. "Kagome?!" He said in a quiet, fearful voice as he dropped to his knees, carefully lifting her head. She coughed up blood and looked up at him. Flashbacks came to him of Kikyo and his vows to never let Kagome suffer like she did and how he'd protect her with his life. How could he fail this much?!
Her mouth moved but no words came out. The beautiful voice that he could listen to for hours on end was gone. Her body went limp in his arms, her perfect brown eyes darkened and became empty voids. Tetsaiga was practically vibrating against his hip in a futile effort to push back the demon that threatened to overtake it's master. He couldn't hear anything except for the sound of rushing wind while his body shook with a powerful, all-encompassing rage. His teeth ground together as a furious growling sound came from his lips that quickly turned into an enraged scream.'
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Inuyasha awoke to the feeling of his wife's soft hand on his cheek. When he opened his eyes he saw hers looking back but full of worry, her brows furrowed with concern. "Are you okay?" Kagome asked him. He gently put a clawed hand on top of hers.
"Sorry... Just a bad dream..." He mumbled. Tentatively, she moved to sit on his lap and snuggled into his chest, knowing it always helped calm him. His embrace tightened a bit and he tucked her head under his chin.
"Wanna talk about it?" Kagome asked gently but he frowned and shook his head. She mentally noted that he was sleeping sitting up again, even though she reminds him often that he can relax now, that there's no need to always be on guard. He just scoffs and says he'd rather be safe than sorry.
"N-no. It's fine. Come on and get dressed so we can go to the village." Inuyasha watched the sunrise through their front door, carefully removed her and stood. Kagome quickly dressed and joined him outside their hut. His hand slipped into hers effortlessly. "Would ya stop already?" She looked at him confused. "That worried look. I said I was fine, didn't I?" She looked away in hopes it might help him.
"You slept upright again..." She said quietly and he responded with a groan. "I just want you to know that you can talk to me, that's all." She was surprised when he suddenly stopped walking.
"Do you seriously think that I don't want to?!" He asked in irritation, his voice coming out a bit louder than he intended. "You're the only person I feel comfortable being vulnerable around, Kagome. Just because I don't share everything doesn't mean I don't want to talk to you! And as for the sleeping thing... It was just how I survived after Mother died. Habits like that aren't easy to shake. "
"Yeah, you're right! I'm sorry. You know I can get overly worried." She replied and gave him the best smile she could muster. His large hands went to her cheeks as amber eyes bore into her brown ones with a look of intensity before he leaned down to kiss her softly. "W-what was that for?!" She stuttered flustered.
"I can't kiss my wife now?!" He replied gruffly and she laughed a little.
"Yeah but it was so sudden and in the open at that! Normally you get embarrassed by public displays of affection so easily!" Inuyasha blushed and looked away from her.
"Y-yeah well I thought you needed it so..." He muttered shyly. Kagome hugged his arm.
"You're so sweet!" She cooed and it made his blush deepen.
"Sap..." He said under his breath but smiled in spite of himself. The rest of the journey was uneventful. When they arrived, Kaede asked for assistance helping a young village girl who'd suddenly come down with a fever while Inuyasha helped the men fix their roofs and any other part their houses that needed mending. As per their usual routine, they met up for lunch. They settled on a hill overlooking the village to enjoy their meal. "You're getting pretty good at cooking, Kagome!" He said as he scarfed down an onigiri. Her eyes lit up with excitement.
"Really?! That makes me happy to hear!" She squealed with delight at his compliment.
"Yeah I was wondering when it would happen!" Both went rigid at the comment. Inuyasha braced himself for the inevitable.
"Sit!" He couldn't deny he deserved that one. After a few seconds he was finally able to sit back up and dust himself off.
"Ah! There you are! I've been looking everywhere!" Miroku said as he approached them. "I'm sorry to barge in during your meal but it is important."
"Is it a job?" Kagome asked curiously and he nodded.
"Well yes but there's a problem..." The couple watched and waited for him to finish. "Sango must make a trip to see Kohaku since it's the anniversary of their fathers demise, therefore I must stay home to watch over the children. However I received an urgent message about a village being tormented by a rather nasty demon." Inuyasha's ears twitched excitedly and his eyes sparked the way they always do when it comes to a battle.
"Alright! I'm on my way!" He went to stand but was caught by his wife's hand on his sleeve. "Oh, right, our food!" Kagome frowned at him in displeasure.
"Not that! I'll come with you on the job!" She watched as something moved across his face for a moment, an expression she couldn't quite read. Was it fear? Anxiety? His protective nature? It looked like all of them combined.
"No way. Not happening." He stated. His mind flashed back to the nightmare he had earlier, as if it was predicting how it would go if she were put in danger.
"Well, I'll take my leave now!" Miroku said, nervously bowing before hurrying home. He knew better than to be there when they argued.
"What?! Why not?!" Kagome demanded, her voice rising in frustration but his face stayed to show he wouldn't budge.
"It's too dangerous!" He exclaimed back. She didn't know about the nightmare and he would keep that way by making sure it never came true.
"Seriously?" Her hand loosened and her voice softened, which made him panic more than her anger. "When you say that, it really feels like all my hard work has been for nothing." Now tears were welling up.
"No-! Wait-! I mean-!" Inuyasha took a breath before continuing and sat back down. "I know how hard you've worked and I'm so proud of you but..."
"If you really thought that we wouldn't be having conversation."
"Alright, fine. Go tell Kaede and meet me at home." His voice was resigned but couldn't deny her logic. They finished their meal, Kagome went to inform Kaede then she met him at their hut to retrieve her bow and arrows plus a satchel of other things that might prove useful. Finally, they were on their way.
"So how far away is the village?" She asked.
"I checked with Miroku on my way home and he said it's not far. The trip will be a couple of days, a night to camp both there and coming back, and then we'll go to the village in the morning." He noticed her bright smile and it made him blush a little bit, despite having seen it a million times. "What's got you all chipper?"
"I'm just excited, that's all!" She replied with a laugh. "This is the first mission we've been on together since I came back. It feels like old times!"
"Try not to get kidnapped or something, then it really will be like those days." He teased and was satisfied by her cute pout she sported.
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They'd walked for a few hours before Inuyasha declared that it was time to make camp. "We're not far but it's getting dark."
"Are you sure that's okay? What about the village?"
"We're close enough that I can tell when something's wrong." She took his word and put her bag and weapons down on the ground. He caught their dinner while Kagome worked on the fire, though he hadn't actually asked her to. "Let me do that. I don't want you to burn yourself." He fretted and she groaned in aggravation.
"I'm not an infant! I can take care of myself!" The flints slipped and scrapped her hand, because of course it did. She silently cursed herself for it.
"Let me see..." Inuyasha said in a soft tone of voice and knelt to examine the small wound. "It's not too bad so there's that at least." He tore off a small part of his white juban and wrapped it around her her palm. She was reminded of him doing this a long time ago and made her chest flood with a warmth.
"This is nostalgic." She said and he looked confused. "You did this for me before, remember?"
"Yeah, we were under tree of ages, right?" Her own smile was happy while thinking of that time.
"I was happy then. Really happy. I got to spend so much time with you where it was just us. No one else to interrupt or make dumb comments." That last part was about Miroku without a doubt. He frowned a little thinking back.
"I was too but..." He paused to collect his thoughts. "Even then I couldn't make up my damn mind. But you were always there, Kagome. Thanks for that." A soft pink color spread across her face and she smiled shyly.
"Anytime." She said and he gave a small smile in return before preparing the meat while she was able to get the fire going. He cooked it, since he insisted on doing that too. Afterwards, they settled down in front of the fire for the night with him sitting up right and her laying with her head on his lap and his haori draped protectively over her form. He wasn't sure when he'd fallen asleep.
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'Again. It was happening again. Kagome jumps in front of him. They both hit at the same time. The demon vanishes and Kagome collapses in his arms. She spoke but the difference this time was that he could actually hear her words. A small and bloody, shaking hand reached up towards him and he instantly grabbed it. "You were..." She croaked out painfully. "Supposed to... Protect me..." Then she was gone. He couldn't breathe. He felt a horrifying numbness spread through his body. Tetsaiga tries to reign his demon side in but it fails as Inuyasha looked at the sky before he let out a farel cry.
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Inuyasha woke with a sudden gasp. His eyes flew open, and for a moment he forgot where he was, until he felt the weight of her head on his lap. The sight of her sleeping face made him almost weep with relief. He tucked some loose, black hair behind her ears and his heart soared when she made a contented sigh in her sleep. But then he smelled it. There was a demon nearby and he'd bet that it was the one they were sent for. He wiggled his ears to listen, looked down at Kagome then back at the direction where he could hear and smell it. After more thought, his mind was made up.
Carefully, Inuyasha moved his wife from where she slept and stood, silently grateful for her being a heavy sleeper, and grabbed his sword as he did. He stared at his haori for a bit, hating to remove it from her but knowing he needed it, so he took and put it back on before running off into the nearby woods.
Inuyasha jumped onto a high tree branch. He was definitely close. He could feel the ground shake so whatever it is must be big. It appeared then and it wasn't just a demon but an Oni. About eight feet tall, red skin, two small horns adorning it's head and visible fangs protruding from it's mouth. In classic style it wore a loincloth and carried a giant club. Inuyasha gripped Tetsaiga's hilt with a confident smirk, ready for the fight. He waited, biding his time, until it had passed him by enough to jump from his hiding place while unsheathing Tetsaiga. But the Oni realized his plan and jumped out the way.
"You may be big but you're pretty spry, huh?" Inuyasha raised his sword over head before thrusting it down towards the ground. "WINDSCAR!!" He yelled with an assured voice but when the dust cleared, to his surprise, the bastard was basically unscathed. "What the hell are you?!" The Oni rushed forward, finally making his attack with surprising speed, it's giant club slamming into the ground.
Inuyasha jumped high, barely making it in time. Down below he could see a the large indention in the earth where he was mere seconds ago. "You're tougher than you look, I'll give ya that!" He decided being direct must be the best approach so when he landed, he leapt back up at his opponent, but a large arm swept at him in midair, which flung him a few feet back. He slid to a stop and shakily tried to stand up. The monster wasn't waisting any time, making a mad dash for him. Then something even worse happened. An arrow flew through the air at lightning speed and clipped it's shoulder, causing it to roar in pain and anger from spiritual power embued in it. Inuyasha looked behind in horror as Kagome came from the shadows with another arrow ready.
"What are you doing here?!" He asked frantically and got a look of irritation directed at him.
"Saving your ass!" She threw back and that made him even more frustrated than he already was.
"Get out of here! You can't take this on-!" He stopped at the look her eyes. It was a mixture of anger with a touch of sadness. Kagome turned back to face her target, her jaw clenched. Inuyasha wasn't sure if was from him, the Oni or both. The beast had some what recovered and now chose Kagome as his new target. 'Oh no...' Inuyasha thought, making his stomach churn while he looked on. 'It's really happening! I have to do something! I can't let her-'
His thought was interrupted by another loud, pained noise. When he looked, he didn't see Kagome getting slashed like his nightmares. No, it was the opposite. Kagome sent an arrow into it's head, finally stopping the fight as it slowly dissolved into dust. Inuyasha sat there on the grass, now staring at his wife. His stubborn, hard headed, amazing and beautiful wife. His eyes burned and he did his best to push back his emotions before standing up. "Kagome, you were incredible! You saved me!" She made a grunt sound.
"When will you learn?! You can't do everything on your own!" Kagome snapped her head towards him again, her voice cracked with emotion. It was a lot harder for her to fight back her tears than it was for him. She was right all along and he felt so ashamed. When he saw her turn to storm off, an indication she was really upset, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a tight hug.
"I'm sorry..." He whispered. "You're right. Ever since you came back, I've been so terrified of losing you that I forgot how strong you are. How did you beat that thing so easily?!" Kagome pulled away a bit.
"It was an Oni..." He looked at her confused. Obviously he knew that but before he could say it she continued. "I've learned about them with Sango. They're different from regular demons. You have to use spiritual power to attack it. Sango said their weak spot was the head but I figured it would be easier to get the shot if it was slowed down so I wounded it first before landing the killing blow." Inuyasha listened in awe. He'd really been so foolish.
"My nightmares..." He spoke up, averting his eyes from a sudden bout of shyness. "They've been happening a lot lately." She nodded solemnly. "They're mostly the same. I'm fighting a tough demon, it goes to attack me but instead you jump in front and take the blow." She gasped at hearing it, her eyes wide with surprise. "I'm holding you, normally you try to say something but I can't hear it before you, ummm..." He doesn't need to say it. She understands and takes his hand.
"You don't have to tell me if it's too hard!" She tried to reassure him but he quickly shook his head.
"No. This is important and I w-want to be better at this for you." He clenched and unclenched his fists as he tried to summon the nerve. "The latest one I heard you. You told me, 'You were supposed to protect me.'" His throat tightened and his hands shook. "What good am I if I can't?! If I lost you, my reason for being would be gone. Every fight would be hollow and meaningless if you're not with me!" She rushed to hug him again, throwing her arms around his middle and gripping his haori so tight it was like her life depended on it.
"Idiot!" Kagome exclaimed and couldn't help but laugh through her tears. "As long as we're together we can keep each other safe!" He smiled at her with relief in his eyes. It was as if a boulder had been lifted from his shoulders. She tugged on his kotodama beads, a usual sign of what she wanted. So he gave it her and leaned down, pressing his lips against hers. After they separated, he took her hand.
"Let's go tell the village we took care of their problem." He said and she agreed. They took their time walking hand in hand along the way. The villagers were grateful, giving them the usual gifts of thanks but Inuyasha was even more grateful to have Kagome with him since he didn't have to stand there and listen to the monk haggle then carry heavy loads all the way home. There was even bigger reason though. The village let them stay at the local inn and they readily agreed. It was a surprisingly nice place with large rooms and even an out door hotspring. That night, Inuyasha showed how much he appreciated her. Multiple times.