Work Text:
The lightning attack that Bankotsu unleashed was something he didn’t see coming. It was absolutely brutal.
When he came to, Inuyasha’s eyes alit on his fallen comrades; all but one were visible to him.
His chest seized up, heart dropping down to his gut.
“Kagome?” His voice came out hoarse and he barely restrained the whimper from passing through his lips.
“Kagome!” He called out again, louder this time. He looked all around him.
He finally spotted her; several feet away. She was unconscious and he could hear Kagome’s laboured breathing from where he was. She was most likely winded from the impact of the blast.
Fucking hell!!
He spotted a minuscule movement of her body, but it couldn’t sedate his anger.
It wasn’t enough that he almost lost her just mere days ago.
It wasn’t enough that he made a silent vow to always protect her.
His vow was null and void at the moment.
Inuyasha needed to get to her. He had to get to Kagome now. If only to relieve some pressure off of her chest and help her breathe better.
Only problem was, Inuyasha wasn’t in the best of shape himself. He coughed up blood while trying to hold himself up.
“How dare you hurt Kagome…” Bankotsu didn’t need to involve anyone; especially her. This was supposed to be between them only.
Inuyasha was tired of Kagome being collateral damage. If the motive wasn’t to get the jewel shards, it was to piss him off.
Mission fucking accomplished; he was livid.
And with that, he resorted to the only method he could use to get to Kagome. He would be crawling to her.
Inuyasha wasn’t one to give up. He was resilient and relentless when he had his sights set on his goal. And that goal was protecting Kagome from further injury.
Inuyasha dragged his body through the debris, elbows digging into the earth. He was breathing heavily, wincing at the pressure against his rib cage. Sweat was dripping down his chin, body aching from the exertion. Inuyasha refused to stop though. Not when Kagome needed him.
Inuyasha was halfway there, opting to take slow breaths instead, trying to avoid gasping for air. Just a few more metres, keeping going and don’t stop.
After what felt like hours, Inuyasha finally made it to her side. He turned his body over, laying on his back to recover from his trip. He continued taking slow breaths, wiping the sweat off his brow. Once his heartbeat settled down to a steady pace, he slowly sat up and had a good look at Kagome’s condition for the first time.
His face blanched.
Kagome wasn’t breathing. There had to have been an injury to her ribs, judging by the scent of her blood. He lifted her shirt to see a bruise forming on her chest plate and towards her ribs.
He was reliving his worst nightmare all over again. But now wasn’t the time to panic. Internally, he was screaming bloody murder. Screaming for Bankotsu to show himself again so he can slaughter and rip him limb from limb, using his bare hands, because look what’s he done -
Inuyasha ran a shaking hand down his face, biting back a guttural scream. A scream that would be filled with anguish because damn it, he cannot withstand anymore trauma.
More importantly, neither can Kagome. Myoga wasn’t here to suck out any poison from her body because there wasn’t any to start with. No, what was killing her now was something else. Inuyasha had to save her this time.
He slowly and carefully turned her body around so that she was laying on her back. How he managed to do that calmly in these circumstances, he didn’t know. But he did.
He needed to breathe air into her; and quickly. Because every second wasted pushed Kagome further out of his reach.
“K-Kagome…” He whispered.
He told himself to stop shaking. Told himself multiple times. He had to act now.
He quickly discarded his haori because the last thing he needed were his billowing sleeves getting in the way.
Inuyasha thought back to the time he interrupted Kagome’s health class at school. He asked her afterwards why was she breathing life into “dummies” that weren’t alive. Kagome explained they were practicing “CPR” which was a life saving technique involving chest compressions and mouth to mouth. Inuyasha understood it, he just never thought he’d have to actually use this technique himself. And without any practice.
He hated having to press on her injured ribs but there was no other way. He couldn’t even be gentle. And gentle was something he always was with while handling Kagome physically.
Pressing his palms against her chest, he began performing chest compressions, trying to withhold his demonic strength as best as he can.
He couldn’t find his voice to coach her to hold on. He was barely holding on himself.
Inuyasha moved on to giving her mouth to mouth. He gently tilted her head back while lightly pinching the bridge of her nose.
If this had been in any other context, he would have enjoyed the intimate contact of pressing his lips to hers and noticed how beautiful her features were up close. Except in this situation, this specific contact was used as a means to save her life.
He stared at Kagome’s face, slowly lowering his own.
He pressed his lips to hers, breathing into her twice. The only comfort he allowed himself to indulge in was the fact that her scent was so close to him. Kagome’s scent was always soothing to him. Even in times like this.
‘Kagome, please…forgive me. I’m trying, I’m trying, please hold on.’
Inuyasha smelled the scent of salt and realized that it was coming from him. He roughly wiped away at the treacherous tears.
Inuyasha felt himself falling deeper into the pit of despair; she still wasn’t breathing after the first round of CPR. He’d have to do chest compressions once more.
‘Stop shaking, damn it. Keep trying, she needs you. Don’t give up.’
He positioned his palms on her chest, repeating the compressions. He had to restrain himself from pressing too frantically.
Inuyasha started to lower his face once more towards hers but was already losing hope during the descent.
But in true Kagome fashion, she gave him a reason not to.
Just as he was brushing her lips, she gasped, clutching at her ribs when she dragged in deep breaths. Inuyasha immediately reeled back.
“I-Inuyasha?” She said softly, before coughing again.
“Shh, don’t overdo it, Kagome.” He said shakily.
Inuyasha’s heart was racing. The sound her voice, that soft lull was enough to bring him down his knees, if he wasn’t already on the ground.
He wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms, feel her warm body against his, but he couldn’t. Not yet. He wanted to be gentle with her, and now he finally could.
Inuyasha lowered his body, moving to lay on his side next to her. With one arm bent, his hand supported his head, he had used his other hand to gently brush debris off her cheek before lightly running his thumb across her skin.
“Breathe slowly, Kagome. Are you alright?” Inuyasha whispered.
Kagome nodded, smiling up at his warm, quiet gaze, holding his hand to her face.
He lowered his face to hers, lightly nuzzling her nose with his. A short moment with her before he had to jump back into the fray.
Inuyasha felt lighter, the lightest he’s felt since this whole ordeal. Her smile meant she was ok, and in turn, it meant he was too.