Inuyasha 1. Camping

**Author's Note:** Hello all! I'm planning to make this into a series of one-shots, randomly scattered over the original timeline and centered around the constantly changing relationship between Inuyasha and Kagome. Lots of fluff ahead. Some of you might recognize this chapter, since it was posted a long time ago under a different pen name. I've changed accounts and names since then, but it's still me!

Enjoy! Reviews are always appreciated.

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Kagome wasn't much of a camper.

Her definition of camping included plenty of food, a pre-made fire pit, an out-house, and nothing more dangerous than the occasional stray raccoon. Needless to say, life in the Feudal Era was _not _like that.

On their first night after traveling together, the half-demon had simply set her down and leaped into the branches of the nearest tree without a word, as Kagome, homesick and struggling to adapt to her new life, tried to make a campfire from scratch. It was hopeless without the modern matches she was used to—the pile of firewood just sat there, mocking her, until she finally gave up and pulled a granola bar out of her backpack instead of the warm meal she had hoped for.

It was then that she realized how cold the nights could be. In her haste, she hadn't brought anything truly warm to sleep in, and a single sweater just wasn't going to cut it. Shivering miserably, she made a mental note to bring a sleeping bag next time… but who knew when she'd be able to go back through the well to get it?

After an hour of restless shuffling in a poor attempt to keep out the chill, Kagome suddenly felt the weight of a blanket fall over her. Crawling out from under it, she took a good look and realized it wasn't a blanket at all—it was the top of Inuyasha's fire-rat robe… he must have tossed it from his position in the branches of the tree. The fabric still held some of his body heat, and was large enough to cover her entire form if she curled up. She snuggled gratefully into its warmth, calling timidly up to her companion.

"Inuyasha?"

"Go to sleep, woman."

"Won't you be cold without this?"

"Keh."

She couldn't actually see him with the tree branches and the darkness obscuring her view, and he seemed to have no interest in conversation, but… "Thank you," she offered quietly.

No answer.

Still, it was a start—something that wasn't a life-or-death situation, something that he had actually initiated. Though she would have preferred her sleeping bag, the robe was actually very comfortable, and she felt safe with its weight wrapped around her…

The need for sleep finally started to take over, and her eyes drooped wearily as she pondered her next question: what could she do for him in return? There were all sorts of things from her modern world that weren't available in the Feudal Era, but with the lifestyle Inuyasha had, she doubted he would want them. Maybe he would like some modern food? She hadn't brought much… mostly just ramen noodles. It was pathetic, really—he would probably scoff at it—but she wanted to do _something, _some kind of gesture to let him know she appreciated the help.

Her last thought, as sleep overcame her, was a hopeful one. _Maybe we really can get along after all..._

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	2. An Unexpected Guest

The sun was rising over the tops of the hills, its soft light enveloping everything it touched in warmth. Birds began to chirp merrily as they chased each other in the treetops. The entire scene was one of peace; one would never have guessed that time itself had swallowed up a priestess' reincarnation, bringing evil back into the area to seek the Sacred Jewel of legend.

"Keh!"

Damn that woman! She had said three days!

Inuyasha sulked in his place among the branches of Goshinboku. Part of him knew it was too early to be upset, as the third day had only just dawned. But he had never been a patient person. At this rate, many of the jewel shards would already be picked up by other demons. Their job would get harder with each moment wasted. If Kagome had wanted to use up the whole third day too—delaying the search for the shards until the _fourth_ day—she should have said so! He resolved to go through the well and drag her back himself if she didn't show up soon.

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Kagome's mother sighed. The house had gone quiet, both children having left for school and her father off reorganizing his family heirlooms in the storage shed. Life at their shrine had changed so much! Her daughter had somehow been sent into the Feudal Era and had come back telling tales of demons, magic, and the Sacred Jewel—the _real_ one. And then she had run off again, saying something about demon hair that only she could see. The unusual turn of events was enough to make anyone dizzy; Kagome's mother was no exception, but she trusted her daughter and believed in fate. She knew that the well's magic must be real and that there must be a reason Kagome had to go to the other side. The question that remained was simply, what could a mother do to help? She pondered this as she ascended the stairs and opened the door to her daughter's empty bedroom.

The first and most obvious answer that came to mind was laundry. Kagome had complained about the lack of modern technology on the other side, and how she couldn't take baths or wash her clothes as much as she wanted. Her mother considered the types of soap that might be good to pack, her mind busy as she opened the closet doors to collect the dirty clothes from inside.

"No bath salts, if there are only natural hot springs," the woman mused out loud, "but I bet she'd appreciate a new, full bottle of shampoo. I'll add it to the shopping list…" She gathered up the clothes from the bin, turned around—and froze.

There, on the windowsill, was the dog-eared boy who had barged into her kitchen only a few days before. He seemed just as shocked as she was; his body half inside and half outside the room, one hand bracing himself against the top of the window, as if he had stopped mid-landing. Wary golden eyes met wide brown ones as the two stared at each other for one long moment.

The woman was the first to snap out of it. Dropping the clothes to the floor in a heap, she cleared her throat and put on a smile. "Hello there."

The boy didn't move. She started to take a step toward him, a hand outstretched, but stopped in her tracks when she heard a low rumbling sound. The boy's eyes had narrowed, and he was… _growling?_ His ears were tilted back, his hair flowing down over his hunched shoulders as he stayed in his crouched position on the windowsill. He looked exotic, otherworldly, his eyes seeming to glow with a wildness that sent chills down the woman's spine. Her gaze strayed to his long, wicked-looking claws.

This creature was dangerous.

This creature was with her _daughter._

And suddenly she remembered the most recent story the young girl had told her: a story of their battle with the hair demon, in which this very boy had taken not one, not two, but _three_ separate sword-wounds while protecting Kagome. A story in which his red haori had saved the girl from demon fire. In which blades made from his _blood_ had severed the deadly hair strands that had closed around her daughter's neck…

It had sounded too strange to be true, but Kagome was too terrible a liar to have made it up. And that meant that her mother owed this boy more than just a little thanks.

The growling had stopped, so she gathered the courage to speak again. "I don't think we met properly the other day. I'm Kagome's mother."

Silence. Then… "Where is she?"

"She went to school a few hours ago. She said that today was her last day here for a while, since she'd be going through the well again first thing in the morning…"

The boy still hadn't moved an inch.

"Please, come in," the woman offered. "Kagome won't be home for another six hours, I'm afraid. But you can wait for her here if you'd like."

No luck. He was still just as tense as before. Kagome's mother sighed, turning her attention back to the pile of clothes on the floor. She bent down to pick them up again.

A moment passed as the woman re-stacked her daughter's school uniforms, towels, and pajamas. Her house guest said nothing, but she soon heard a rustle of fabric and saw that he had come all the way in, sitting with his back against Kagome's bed and watching her intently.

Maybe they were making progress after all. She smiled at him. "Make yourself at home. Feel free to come downstairs, I could use the company. Or you can wait in here—I'm sure Kagome wouldn't mind."

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After depositing the dirty clothes in the laundry room downstairs, the woman went to the kitchen to get started on lunch.

It wasn't much later when she heard footsteps from her place at the kitchen counter. Her unexpected guest had stayed in the bedroom at first, but Kagome's mother turned around in time to see him making his way down the stairs, slowly and cautiously, nose twitching. She turned back to the vegetables she was chopping, letting him explore the house at his own pace.

And explore he did. Even the sound of his footsteps disappeared completely as he crept slowly around the living room, sniffing absolutely everything in the vicinity, his hands held at the ready but refusing to touch anything. His eyes were wide and alert, and his ears flicked at every sound. All in all, he looked much like a spooked cat. Kagome's mother was sure that if he had had fur, it would be standing on end. She felt a sudden pang in her heart for this boy; he was probably just as afraid of this world as Kagome was afraid of the Feudal Era. This was his first time _really_ being here—that other day didn't count, she reasoned, because he had just grabbed Kagome and gone straight back to the well. Not only that, but the young girl was not even at home this time, which meant that the silver-haired guest had to fend for himself without anyone familiar there to help him…

Kagome's mother glanced around her living room and kitchen with new eyes. For the first time, she noticed all the things that she normally took for granted: a television, a couch, a radio, a stack of magazines on the table, a stove, a coffeemaker, a microwave. Her eyes wandered down to the kitchen knife she had been using to chop vegetables, and she suddenly realized her mistake; she hastily put the sharp weapon into a drawer, out of sight. Standing very still, she waited until the boy finished his inspection.

It took a while, but at last he seemed satisfied. He moved to sit down on the floor in the center of the living room, his golden stare fixed on her again. His movements were slow and careful as he settled himself, and that was when Kagome's mother remembered—he was injured! Her daughter hadn't gone into details about where or how bad the injuries were, but it was obvious that he was hurting.

"Oh! Where are my manners, I'm so sorry!" She began to bustle about, filling two glasses with water from the tap and bringing them into the living room. Sitting down on the floor with him (he inched away and she took note of his personal space), she set down the water and tried to start a conversation.

"Are you hungry? I was making some soup for lunch. You're more than welcome to have some." She took a drink from her water glass and waited, hoping for some kind of response. Finally her house guest spoke.

"Strange," he muttered. He seemed to be addressing himself more than her.

She smiled at him. "What's strange?"

"You're just like her," he said hesitantly. "But this is a shrine. I'm a demon. What are you up to?"

"I'm not up to anything. Demon or not, you're my guest."

"Do you always greet people like this after they come in your window?"

His tone was serious, but she thought she could see a hint of a smirk in his expression. Was he trying to joke with her?

"You sure startled me back there," she admitted with a chuckle.

"You startled me too." His voice was gruff, he sounded almost embarrassed.

The woman just smiled. "Remind me your name? I think I only heard it once."

"Inuyasha."

There was a pause. Then Kagome's mother put her water glass back on the floor and bowed, deeply and formally, to her guest.

"Inuyasha. Thank you for saving my daughter's life."


	3. Blood

"You're late."

_Hello to you too,_ Kagome thought, sighing internally as she pulled herself up the last few inches to the top of the well. She swung her legs over its wooden edge and stood up. Inuyasha was waiting there, arms crossed in his sleeves. Suddenly his nose twitched.

"You smell like blood, woman."

Kagome cringed, her face blushing bright red. Secretly, that had been her whole reason for going back home: to make use of the comforts of her own time as she waited out the abdominal cramps. She _really_ didn't want to explain her female hormone cycles to this grumpy hanyou. But his stubborn posture, towering over her, implied that he wasn't going to move an inch until he got an explanation.

"Um…" she very carefully looked anywhere but at him. "It's… uh… a girl thing… I—"

"Kagome." He frowned. "That's not what I mean, and you know it."

"Huh?"

He snarled in impatience. The girl suddenly felt a clawed hand on her shoulder, pushing her forcefully down to sit on the rim of the well.

"Idiot," Inuyasha grumbled, settling down on his haunches in front of her. "That's not the blood I'm smelling. It's down there." He pointed at her socks.

If her cheeks could have gotten any redder, Kagome was sure they would have. His words echoed in her head, the meaning sinking in. _That's not what I mean. That's not the blood I'm smelling._

Oh, God. Inuyasha could _smell_ her every time she went through this? She'd never be able to face him again!

"Oi, woman. Out with it. Another demon show up in your time or something?" Her brain came back to reality to find him pulling down the top of one long stocking, revealing two small red cuts on her lower leg. She swatted his hand away. "Inuyasha!"

"What! You obviously weren't gonna tell me!" he said defensively.

"There's nothing to tell! I cut myself with the razor, okay? Happy? Sheesh!"

Golden eyes blinked up at her. "The ray-zer? What's that?"

"It's a thing girls use… to… to get rid of their leg hair." Her blush was back in full force.

Inuyasha cocked his head curiously. Then he looked back down at her exposed leg. "But your hair is still there."

"Oh for the love of—" Kagome took a deep calming breath and let it out in a sigh. "Okay, look. My razor broke. It was cheap and too old, the blade must have been cracked or something and it snapped off when I used it on my leg. The corner of it cut me before I realized."

The hanyou's eyes widened. "Blade? You dragged a _blade_ across your leg _on purpose?_"

"No! Well—I guess so, but…" This whole conversation was so embarrassing. How on earth could she explain the culture of shaving? "Normally it doesn't even hurt. The blade doesn't really scratch—"

"It's a _blade_, Kagome!"

"_Yes!_ Yes, it's a blade! Okay? And I use it on my legs. Ugh. Just stop. This isn't getting us anywhere."

Kagome shut her eyes and held one hand up to her furrowed brows, trying to keep her temper in check. Silence fell over the two of them.

Finally, after a few long moments passed, Inuyasha spoke again.

"I don't get it."

"What don't you get?!" She had just spent the last five minutes explaining!

"All of it! Women make no sense! Why treat hair like a good thing on your head but a bad thing somewhere else!"

"Because!" Kagome was fuming now, her words slipping out before she could stop them. "Because everybody does it! Because people laugh at you if you don't! Because stupid _boys_ make us think that's the only way we're beautiful!"

Inuyasha growled low in his throat, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Someone _told_ you to cut your legs?"

Kagome blinked, startled. Her anger dissipated as she stuttered. "Well—n-no, but—"

"Keh!" The hanyou stood up and crossed his arms inside his sleeves again, turning away. "Then quit doing it. C'mon, let's get going already!"

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**AN: **Inuyasha always struck me as very natural... and with his sense of smell, there's no way he could be unaware of women's menstrual cycles. I think he would be unfazed by it, as it's just a natural process. He would probably scoff at quite a few of the social pressures that Kagome faces in her time. Society makes girls do crazy things for beauty these days!

Reviews are always appreciated! And if there is any particular theme you want to see in future chapters, I'd love to hear your suggestions.


	4. A Different Scent

"Sango," she called, "is it working yet?"

"Not yet," came the slayer's response. "Could you keep fanning it for a little bit?"

Kagome nodded, putting her mask back in place and fanning the smoke from the strange herbs toward the porch. Their new companion, Sango, had claimed that a demon was hiding underneath it. According to her, burning these herbs would draw it out into the open. Having heard rumors of famous demon slayers, the people of this village were more than happy to let her remove the demon for them.

But not everyone was cheerful about it. As soon as Sango set fire to the herbs, Inuyasha had begun to cough and gag. By now, the poor hanyou was curled up on the ground, eyes shut tight and nose pressed firmly into his sleeve. Kagome hadn't realized that it would be hard on him, but in hindsight it made perfect sense– after all, hadn't she seen this same reaction during the battle with the demonic ink painter?

"Here it comes!" Sango warned. And in the next moment, a roar sounded, only to dissolve into a squeak as the woman slammed her boomerang into the emerging demon.

Just like that, it was over. Sango went to clean up the area, and Kagome helped a very dizzy Inuyasha reach the guest room that had been prepared for them. As soon as he was in the room, he resumed his position on the floor, curled into a ball of misery.

Kagome sat down beside him, rubbing his back soothingly. "Is the scent still too strong?"

A tiny whining sound was his only response.

"Inuyasha?"

"It's _everywhere,_" he mumbled. "Hurts…"

"I'm sorry," Kagome said sadly. "I didn't even think twice. I should have known. I could have asked Sango to do it when we weren't around. I could have—"

"Shut up." He didn't sound angry, just worn out. "It wasn't you. Stupid demon slayer."

They both fell silent. Kagome continued to rub his back gently, hoping that he wouldn't make her stop. After a few moments, she thought she could feel him slowly shifting positions to lean towards her.

"Where does it hurt, Inuyasha? Do you have a headache?"

"Yes," he said miserably. "And it burns in my nose and my throat, and my eyes."

She had never heard him be so open about pain before. This was a different sort of pain, she figured—the kind where there was no immediate danger, no demon there to rip him apart if he showed weakness. Not even Miroku, Sango, or Shippo were here now.

"I wonder if some medicine from my time could help," she suggested. "I have some medicine that relieves headache pain."

There was a pause; he seemed to consider it.

"No," he said at last. "Don't need any other weird stuff in my system."

"Alright…" Kagome sighed in resignation. She felt so helpless sometimes. "Is it better if I leave you alone?"

Inuyasha didn't answer, but he began to shift positions again. Slowly, he picked his torso up off the floor and turned toward her, leaning forward to lie on her lap. His arms came to rest on the floor on either side of her, his nose burrowed in her shirt, his torso draped face-down over her legs.

Kagome gasped. This was more than a little awkward. He had only been in her lap once before, and even then it hadn't been like _this._ "Inuyasha…?"

"Mmf?" His voice was muffled. He was inhaling deeply, his breath tickling her abdomen. Kagome shivered involuntarily.

"Inuyasha—what—" she squirmed a bit, and he whined again. "Why are you—"

"Different scent." He had pulled his face away from her shirt enough to speak. "Just hold still." At her wide-eyed look, he added, "Please?"

Kagome's heart melted. How could she deny him after that? She nodded mutely and felt his nose press against her again. As her hands idly ran through his silver hair, she wondered how often she would be able to see _this_ Inuyasha—the open, honest, needy Inuyasha that allowed her to take care of him.

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	5. Paralysis

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Blackness began to fade and blurs of color swam in the emptiness. The first thing Kagome felt upon regaining consciousness was a hand on her forehead. She could feel the tips of claws ghosting over her skin and coming to rest at her neck; fingers pressed gently against her pulse for a moment. A deep rumbling sound reached her ears, comfortingly low and quiet. The hand slid down further, coming to rest at her shoulder. There was a soft rustle of fabric, and then the rumbling faded. In its place, she thought she could hear the faint sound of sniffing.

The pain was _everywhere_. It burned in her veins like hot acid, mercilessly spreading down from her injured shoulder across her entire torso and flowing through her limbs. Kagome tried to squirm away from the torture, but it was no use. Her body wouldn't obey her. She remained immobile, unable to even blink as she stared into the blurry mass of colors and tried to make sense of things.

What had happened? Kagome searched through the fog of her mind. There had been a demon… but she could only remember fragments of the fight. She had heard Shippo calling out… there was a streak of white, a blinding pain, a yell, a flash of red and silver… and then blackness.

"Kagome?"

That voice was so familiar. She tried to answer him, but her own voice wouldn't come out, her mouth wouldn't move an inch.

"Can you hear me, Kagome?"

_Yes,_ she willed herself to respond. Why couldn't she speak?

"This is gonna hurt a lot, but you'll just have to bear it, all right?"

Kagome panicked as she felt the hand at her shoulder start to probe, claws digging carefully into the open wound there. The pain intensified, burning horribly as the half-demon's claws closed around something in her shoulder. In one swift movement, he ripped it out, and Kagome screamed internally at the sudden explosion of pain. But she remained motionless, and had been unable to utter a sound.

Apparently she didn't need to. "Sorry," came the voice. "Part of the fang was still in there. Had to get the damned thing out."

Her vision, which had mostly been occupied by a very dark blue with green smudges at the sides, suddenly switched to silver and gold.

"I'm gonna close your eyes, okay? Don't freak out."

Sure enough, she felt another hand move up to her face and her vision faded to black again. The dryness of her eyes eased a bit; how long had she been lying here, unable to blink?

The peaceful silence was suddenly interrupted by a loud _thump_ and three very concerned voices.

"Kagome!"

"Oh no… Kagome…"

"Inuyasha, she's not—?"

"She'll be all right." The half-demon's voice came from right beside her. "The poison isn't lethal."

"How can you be so sure?" demanded Sango. "I've never seen her that still, Inuyasha…" Kagome could hear the worry in the demon slayer's voice as her footsteps got closer.

"I've had this stuff before." The hanyou's voice was gruff. "It's meant to paralyze, not kill. The bastard thought he could make her stay put and then eat her after the battle, I bet. Keh! As if we'd let him get away with that!"

A smaller hand brushed against her forehead this time. "Kagome…" Sango murmured.

"Don't move her," Inuyasha warned. "That'll just spread it around. The poison doesn't kill, but it hurts like hell."

The hand on her head retreated.

"But we can't just stay here," Miroku pointed out. "All kinds of nasty demons will be coming to feed off the remains of this one. And it's very likely that this area is close to the demon's nest. If we stay, we might have to fight more of them."

"He's right, you know," pitched in Sango.

"You guys don't get it," Inuyasha argued. "Every inch that she moves is gonna hurt her. I can't just put her on my back and run, that'd be torture."

Her friends' voices quieted a bit as they worked out a plan. Kagome wearily tried to tune it out, but was brought back to reality when she heard the heavy rustling of fabric again, very close to her ear this time. One clawed hand slid under her neck to rest beneath her shoulder, as the other gently nudged her knees upward.

"I'm gonna get this over with as soon as I can, Kagome." The half-demon's voice sounded rueful.

A split second later, the pain began. Kagome would have cried if she could have. She felt herself being picked up, the motion sending streaks of white-hot poison through her body. Inuyasha took a few cautious steps and then leaped, and the burning spiked again. _Stop_, she wanted to beg. _Please, please just stop moving!_

At last the pain began to recede, though it continued to pulse in her veins even after the movements ceased. Her foggy brain tried to comprehend the situation. She was still being held against the half-demon's chest… Inuyasha didn't seem to be running, but she could still feel the rush of cold wind in her hair, which meant… Kirara?

As if on cue, the cat demon growled softly, and Inuyasha answered with a rumble of his own. Kagome tried to relax during the ride, but that was easier said than done.

After a very excruciating landing—ironically, it was probably the softest one she'd had in her life, she realized later—Kagome found herself nestled against Inuyasha again. Though the paralysis still prevented her from opening her eyes, there was no mistaking the feel of his fire rat robe.

"We're staying put now," the half-demon reassured her.

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It was a long time before Kagome began to get her bearings again. As her mind became more aware, she realized that she was now able to breathe a bit easier, furrow her eyebrows, and swallow.

The young priestess opened her eyes, blinking slowly. Her vision was still a bit blurry, but it was getting better. Above her she could see Inuyasha, sitting very still with his back against a tree trunk. She was cradled sideways in his lap—it was as if he had been carrying her bridal style, and then had simply sat down that way. She could feel one of his arms still supporting her shoulders; the other was resting limply over her abdomen. If she hadn't known better, she'd have said he was sleeping—but no, this pose was one he often took while on guard during the night.

"I-Inu…ya…" she gasped. That _hurt!_

The half-demon's eyes snapped open. "Kagome?"

"Y-yeah…" She winced as her voice cracked painfully.

Inuyasha reached over to the yellow backpack at his side, pulling out one of Kagome's modern water bottles. He looked hesitant for a moment, but then unscrewed the cap and held it to the girl's lips. She drank from it gratefully. After he pulled it away, she cleared her throat and spoke again, only slightly hoarse this time.

"Where are we?"

"Yesterday's campsite," he answered, eyeing her carefully. "How are you feeling?"

Kagome grimaced. "Sore."

"I'll set you down if you want me to," the half-demon said hastily. "Your 'sleeping-bag' thing is probably more comfortable—"

"No!" her response was a bit faster than she intended. Heat rushed to her cheeks as she mumbled, "this is fine."

Inuyasha's voice was gruff; his face was a bit red too. "Can you move at all yet?"

Experimentally, Kagome tried to move her hand, but found that only a single finger twitched. At least her head could move a little, she thought hopefully, as she shook her head in response to his question.

"Damn it," Inuyasha muttered.

"Sorry," she responded meekly.

"Huh? Not you!" The half-demon's eyes were wide. "Damn that snake and his stupid poison!"

_Oh._ Kagome still felt a little guilty, though. Wasn't she always the one who needed saving?

"What happened back there?" she asked him. "I don't really remember…"

"That white snake was being a pain. You know the Jewel shard power you saw in his forehead? Turns out it was huge. Maybe the size of five normal shards."

Kagome slowly pieced together what was left of her memories. "Sango got hit, didn't she?"

"She's okay. Kirara took most of the blow, and Miroku caught Sango when she fell off. They're scouting the area now." Inuyasha paused. "But Kirara had a hard fall during the fight. Shippo ran out from the hiding place to see if she was injured."

_That's right_, Kagome realized. She remembered hearing the little fox demon's shout and watching him run out onto the battlefield… she remembered grabbing her bow and running after him…

"That was when it all went to hell," Inuyasha said, as if answering her thoughts. "Snake demons crave young meat more than anything else. You were keeping Shippo safe with your arrows, so he went after you instead." The anger in Inuyasha's voice faded into bitterness. "Freaks like him can be really fast when they want to be. I didn't get there in time."

Kagome recalled the streak of white, the sudden pain, and the last glimpse she'd had of red and silver before losing consciousness. "I think I remember," she said hesitantly. "It was a close one. You might have deflected the attack a bit, actually."

"Didn't make a difference." The half-demon sulked, and Kagome didn't have the energy to argue any further. The blurriness of her vision was making her dizzy, so she closed her eyes and let her mind drift. Several minutes passed in silence, only broken by the soft sound of rustling leaves.

"Hey." It was almost a whisper. "You awake?"

"Mhmm…"

"Are you…. uh…" Inuyasha sounded flustered. "I mean… does it… still hurt really bad?"

"A little," she answered honestly. "Not as bad as before."

The half-demon muttered another curse, and took a deep breath. "Look, I don't know what you need. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong, so you've gotta tell me if I am."

"You're not doing anything wrong," Kagome said as she opened her eyes again. She smiled a little, the best she could do in her current state. "Thanks for being so careful earlier. It helped."

His hold on her relaxed a bit. "So you _were_ awake back there. I thought so."

"Yeah." She paused, considering. "You said… you've had this poison before?"

Inuyasha avoided her gaze, looking up at the night sky instead. Too late, Kagome realized this must be a touchy subject. But just as she was about to give up on getting an answer, he spoke again.

"It was really bad timing," he explained. "The stupid snake bit me right as the sun went down and no moon was coming up. And by chance, the stupidest monk in all of Japan was walking by right then."

The girl in his arms listened eagerly.

"That idiot obviously couldn't sense _youki _at all. He saw my black hair and had no idea I was a half demon. Keh—probably saw the snake and just thought he was a normal snake, too," Inuyasha said mockingly. "But whatever. He didn't fight the thing off… he just threw some stupid anti-demon charms at it. While the snake was busy he grabbed me, slung me over the back of his damned _horse_, and galloped away."

Kagome gasped, remembering how painful it was to even be picked up slowly. Horseback riding must have been _horrible._ "Oh, Inuyasha…"

"Saved my life," the half-demon pointed out. "But the pain was unbearable. And I spent the whole night thinking, what's gonna happen when the sun rises? He's a monk. Didn't matter that he saved me, he'd just kill me anyway. Good thing the poison didn't last long enough to find out."

"Yeah," Kagome agreed. "That was close."

They fell into easy silence again. Kagome wished she could have burrowed further into his robe, as it was starting to get cold, but her body stubbornly refused to obey her.

"How long _does_ it last?" she asked him finally.

"Hard to say. For me, it was about half the night. Your bite doesn't look as bad, though." His gaze flicked to her injured shoulder, and then back to her face. "You sure you don't need anything?"

"I'm a little hungry," the girl admitted timidly, her face turning slightly pink. She knew that she wouldn't be able to feed herself in this state, but she really did feel starving. "I think there's a granola bar in the front pocket of—"

"No." Inuyasha shook his head a bit apologetically. "Not while you're paralyzed, Kagome. You might be able to swallow it, but you can't digest it yet. Anything else?"

"Oh." She hesitated. "Um… no, I'm all right. It's kind of cold, but…"

"Keh. Why didn't you say so earlier?" The half-demon was already reaching up toward the neckline of his fire rat robe. "C'mere." Lifting her up slightly, he shifted her position so that she was huddled closer to his chest. She felt the heavy fabric of his robe drape over her, the half-demon's arms settling protectively around her paralyzed form.

And Kagome realized—in this moment, alone in the woods with a silver-haired, clawed and fanged companion, she had never felt more safe.

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**AN:** I agonized over this chapter for way too long. I probably should have cut out a lot of it, but I just couldn't bring myself to delete any of the fluffiness! Inuyasha gets so protective of Kagome when she needs it most. After re-watching episode 60 of the anime, I think a scene like this would be totally possible.

Reviews are always appreciated!

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	6. Small Comforts

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"It's going to be _fine_," Kagome said for the thousandth time that day, as they walked side-by-side along the path.

Her half-demon was not convinced.

"We don't even have to tell anyone if you don't want to."

No answer.

"I could say you got sick and don't want to see anyone."

"I do **_not_** get _sick_."

"Of course you don't," she agreed smoothly. "Come on Inuyasha, it would to be a lot better than staying out here. What if Kagura already told Naraku your secret?"

"Keh! Then we fight 'em off, like always."

The priestess stopped walking and turned to look at him. Startled, he met her gaze, ears tilted back in frustration.

"Inuyasha… please. Just do it this once, for my sake. I'm really worried."

He drew in a deep breath, and Kagome prepared herself for an earful of angry hanyou.

"Please," she said again.

There was a tiny pause, and Inuyasha's angry expression wavered. Slowly his ears began to droop. His deep breath, intended for yelling, came out as a defeated sigh instead.

"Just this once, got it?"

They were going to spend tonight, the night of the new moon, in her time.

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Kagome grinned as she ran the brush through her freshly clean and wet hair, pleased with the turn of events. She and Inuyasha had gone through the well in the late afternoon. Exactly as they had planned, the half-demon greeted her family and then immediately headed up the stairs to her bedroom. Sota's face fell; he had clearly been hoping to play with his 'dog-brother'. But before he could say anything, Kagome pulled him aside, explaining in hushed tones that their guest wasn't feeling well. "We've been fighting some really bad demons lately," she told the little boy, whose eyes got big and worried. "So do him a favor and let him be, okay? He should be fine in the morning."

And just like that, she had earned Inuyasha a night without any prying eyes. And she could catch up on some homework, too! Kagome congratulated herself for a job well done.

"Hey."

"Hmm?" she turned slightly, glancing over her shoulder. Inuyasha was sitting in his usual place on her bed, his back to the wall and his arms crossed.

"You haven't… told them, have you?" He looked really tense.

"No, I haven't." She set her brush down on the desk and turned fully around to face him. "I won't tell anyone unless you want me to, you know that, right?"

"Hmph." He avoided her gaze, but his posture eased a tiny bit.

Kagome had hoped he would be more relaxed in her time, away from any threat of Naraku… but no, the hanyou was just as nervous as always. _I guess it can't be helped,_ she thought sadly. New moon nights were never easy.

A knock sounded on her door and Inuyasha jumped slightly. Even though he still had the silver hair and soft dog ears, his senses always dulled a few hours before the transition. Kagome went to the door and opened it only partway, keeping the half-demon out of sight.

On the other side of the doorway, her mother was holding a large tray. "Sota said that Inuyasha isn't feeling well… so I thought you two might prefer to have dinner up here," she said warmly, passing it to Kagome. On the tray sat two servings of food, soup, and green tea.

"Thanks, Mama. It looks delicious."

"No problem, dear. Just bring the dishes down when you're done." Her mother's smile faded slightly, replaced by concern. "I hope he can eat it all right… I didn't even think to ask you that!"

"I'm sure he can," the girl reassured her.

"Thank goodness. I'll be downstairs, be sure to let me know if you need anything!"

Kagome thanked her again as she left. With the door closed and locked once more, the girl brought the tray over to the bed, where Inuyasha was watching with interest.

"Smells good."

"Yeah, it does," she agreed, handing over one of the plates.

The half-demon took it slowly, absently. His eyes were still focused on the tray below, and Kagome thought she could see a small smile forming on his face. Curious, she looked back at the tray, and finally noticed.

One bowl was filled with the usual: miso soup. The other had been thoughtfully replaced with ramen.

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**AN:** Kagome's mother rocks. I think her acceptance of Inuyasha is a lot more important to him than the anime gave credit for. :)

Reviews are always appreciated! Thanks for reading!


	7. Useless

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Kagome was not a doctor.

Inuyasha would not let her anywhere near him while injured. From the very first time he had been wounded in front of her—during the battle with Yura of the Demon Hair—he had simply brushed off her concern and told her to go home. The fight at his father's grave was the same. Even though she had the medicine box right there, he wouldn't let her use it. "That thing smells disgusting," the half-demon claimed with a huff.

Since then, she had been able to treat a few minor wounds for Miroku and Shippo, but never for Inuyasha.

That is, until the day Sesshoumaru wielded Tessaiga.

Inuyasha had fought with every ounce of his being. After losing consciousness in a pool of his own blood, there was not much he could say to deter the priestess from treating him. But he'd woken up again a few moments later, noticed her opening up the dreaded white box, and immediately tried to talk her out of it anyway.

"Stop it, woman. I don't need that."

"Yes you do."

"No I don't! I'll be fine, just gimme a minute."

"Inuyasha." Her voice began to shake, and he could detect a faint smell of salt.

"Oi… you're not…." Sure enough, the tears began to fall. "Why are you crying?"

"Stupid! Because you almost died! If you weren't so rash and thoughtless—"

"Hey!"

"—if you would just stop pretending to be invincible—"

"I'm made of different stuff than you!"

"—if your stupid brother would just leave your sword _alone_ already—"

Well, that was something they could agree on, at least.

"—if I wasn't so _useless_…" Kagome finally broke down, sobbing into one hand as the other clutched his red sleeve desperately.

Useless? That wasn't how he would have described her sacred arrows. Inuyasha could have sworn he'd seen a hint of worry in his brother's eyes that day, and that was a hard thing to achieve. Maybe she just hadn't noticed?

After a moment, the girl began reaching for her medical supplies again. Inuyasha tried to reason with her. "This isn't gonna look pretty," he said. "You saw what happened. I'll be fine, my demon blood will patch me up after a while—so don't bother looking at it."

"Is that what you're worried about?" she asked incredulously. "All this time you've been getting injured, and you just don't want me to be grossed out?"

"Idiot," The half-demon shot back, trying to sound sarcastic as usual. Her words were hitting a bit too close to home. The truth was, as a half-demon, his existence was a disgusting thing anyway. He was a freak of nature; injured or not, almost every single human or demon he came across had been grossed out by him. But Kagome wasn't, at least not yet. He didn't want to ruin it.

It was too late now, though. He could see her resolve hardening.

"Let me do this," she said firmly.

"Keh." Inuyasha finally relented, and bit down a hiss of pain as she peeled back his bloody fire rat robe and undershirt. He was right, it did look bad—there was a torn mess where his brother's poison-filled claws had gone right through his stomach. Kagome grimaced at the sight, but before he could say anything, she was apologizing. Her words tumbled over themselves as she said them again and again, her tears returning in full force.

"It's all my fault! I'm so sorry, so sorry… you're hurt because of me..." She began to treat the wound with trembling fingers, talking almost nonstop. "I tried to make a difference but I only made it worse, my arrows just made him angrier, I can't believe I was so stupid, I'm so sorry… I don't want to be useless, I just…"

There it was again. Useless. This girl didn't understand things at all, Inuyasha realized. He closed his eyes wearily, allowing himself to enjoy Kagome's soothing touch.

Soon she would be gone. He needed to make sure of that. But maybe, before he sent her away, he could clear up a few of her misunderstandings. This girl was many things, but _useless_ wasn't one of them.

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**AN:** I hope this chapter turned out all right! I just wrote it today and didn't edit it as much as I usually would. This is based on the episode in which Sesshoumaru wears a human replacement arm (given by Naraku) in order to steal Tessaiga. I think it's episode 20-ish? After that battle, Inuyasha takes Kagome's jewel shards and sends her through the well for her own safety. I wanted to show a bit of his thought process leading up to that.

Reviews are always appreciated! Thanks for reading!

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Inuyasha, Hurt-Comfort, Romance