Disclaimer: I still don't own Inuyasha. Once again, never happening.

A/N: This was supposed to be my second one-shot, but after reading reviews and being inspired, it shall now be my first two-shot. So, huzzah for a second/last chapter! :D It shall now be INUYASHA'S POV, except in 3rd Person. :P I hope you'll like it, because it shall signal the end of this fic and explain the previous chapter a little more. Thank you to those who reviewed, and I'd like to point out nightfalcon222, DormantShadow, and Say0mi Saki (check out their stories!), whose reviews inspired the story to turn out the way it did, and also helped me with this section where I talk about their marriage and relationship. Thank you, guys! :D (Oh, and thanks to MegamanSora, BGuate224, and Inu'sgirl4ever, who reviewed, but didn't give off many suggestions for a possible second chapter. -.-' I STILL LOVE YOU GUYS EQUALLY, THOUGH! :D :D :D)

And the Darkness Consumes All

Two-Shot

Part II

"Shoppers, there is a sale in Aisle 9 on ramen and oden—buy one, get the second half-off," came the monotone voice from overhead, echoing through the grocery store. Inuyasha's mouth watered at the thought of the aforementioned food items, but he managed to focus on getting the things he'd actually come for: flour, milk, eggs. So far, he got the milk and the eggs, but the flour… That remained a mystery to him. He carried the items like a real man, with his own two hands, scanning the row's signs, looking for the word Flour. So far, there'd been no success in the matter.

Mind wandering to the raven-haired beauty who was no doubt cooking back at their home, Inuyasha sighed, his shoulders growing heavy not from the objects he carried, but the stress confining his life. He remembered how happy they were when dating—how they didn't give a damn, how they were happy with what they had, how it was an equal exchange between them. But, one morning, he awoke to a phone call from his future mother-in-law, hearing her crying about how Kagome's diminishing sight had worsened and she couldn't see anything at all. He went to the hospital to hear the diagnosis:

Kagome Higurashi, due to a few shocks of her optical nerves, had gone blind. She had no cure or chance of recovery; it would take a miracle for her sight to return, the doctor had said, and due to her strong dependency on eyesight, she was rendered useless and weak. Inuyasha, however, loved Kagome more than anyone else, whether she could or could not literally see it, and instantly tackled the challenge of taking care of her for the rest of their lives.

At first, it was invigorating, this feeling that she would always need him, and he could forever be her protector from horny peers and malicious acquaintances. But, time passed; both took the same courses in high school and college in order to stay together, Kagome being forced to get a business degree despite her wishes for an art certificate. They married like they'd always wanted and moved into a nice home, one she'd actually pointed out to him in a magazine before—but she couldn't see it. He brought her to his office, even placed a tracking device on her, just to ensure her safety; his wife had to rely on him for almost everything, and they had no space or time for themselves. She was evidently growing tired of being taken care of; he was obviously becoming exhausted from being her nanny. Both wanted to move back in time, relive the past before "The Loss", before she was then a duty to him and he was a pain to her. Their conversations no longer held meaning, their touches never seen as their last, their lips having taken a vacation from each others' for over two years while their hearts yearned for something that was fading little by little each day.

Slowly, but surely, their marriage, love, and fortitude was falling apart.

Inuyasha loved Kagome. He always would, so it was inevitable that he would stay by her side no matter what. There were many pluses to their relationship as well; they spent so much time together, they felt empty if the slightest apart, a void consuming their core with the absence of their other half. Yes, he was aware she didn't enjoy being babied, but if he so much lessened his guard and took a chance for a moment, something could happen to her—and he'd kill himself if she were gone. And yes, Kagome made it clear that she didn't enjoy him babying her not because of her own selfish reasons, but because it affected him as well—he was seemingly the only sunshine left in her life after her beloved sister had passed, and honestly, he loved clearing her cloudy skies of longevity.

They wished for a better life, for they could not overcome the obstacles the gods had planned for them. But, at the same time, despite all that they'd been through, no matter how much suffering they'd felt on the inside, they would never leave each other behind.

It was just that simple.

Inuyasha sighed—something he found he did a lot when Kagome couldn't hear him—as he finally spotted the flour down the aisle. Grabbing onto it and ignoring the soreness in his arms—cooking had never been kind to his muscles—he marched up to the front of the store, a milk jug's handle wrapped around his wrist, the flour bag in his opposite hand whereas the eggs' Styrofoam carton was carefully handled in his other. As the woman rang him up, he tapped his claws impatiently on the counter, wondering how it could take so long to scan three items. He was eager to go back home to Kagome, already feeling a hole form in his stomach from being separated for too long. He inwardly cursed himself once again, recalling the only reason why he truly left her behind: He wanted alone time. Just to escape from his duty for a hour sounded nice, a relief from the demands of his everyday life with his beloved, but really, it made him all the more tense.

And during his time here, as he thought over their relationship, he had quickly shoved Sesshoumaru's suggestion of a divorce to the back of his mind, having already decided they would die before being separated alive.

Because Inuyasha Taisho would rather kill himself than live without his wife, and Kagome Taisho would die if her husband wasn't by her side.

Time passed slowly for Inuyasha on the drive home. Something similar to dread was settling in his chest, weighing down his heart, tugging at his lungs, as if telling him Kagome was waiting for him and needed him to be there as soon as possible. Pressing on the gas slightly and increasing his speed to their somewhat secluded home nearby the community woods, Inuyasha recalled his and his half-brother's latest conversation—the one in which took place weeks before, the one that his wife could not recall nor could she remember who even their own family members were.

She really did depend on her sight too much.

Inuyasha watched as Kagome quite blindly (literally) followed their niece Rin around the yard, relying on the younger's grasp on her hand to not let her trip or run off by accident. Her magnificent blue pools were wide-open as she laughed and played with the adopted child, playing Patty Cake occasionally until Rin declared they were much more mature than that, and switched to an unfair game of Red Rover. Sesshoumaru stood silently by his worker's side, having inherited their father's company whereas Inuyasha settled for a less-demanding job, the reason behind his responsibility to his handicapped wife.

His brother obviously was not impressed with how he and his wife lived their lifestyle—always being with each other, no time alone, and the lack of affection? Unbearable. If Sesshoumaru noticed such a thing, they apparently had issues. And, as his elder sibling spoke, Inuyasha saw more of his point.

"You really are gaining nothing out of this relationship, Inuyasha," Sess told him stoically. "You do all of the work, treating her as a loved but burdened human being, whereas she must think of you as an overprotective parent. The sparks between you two have almost vanished, and the passion's dead." His cold eyes cut to the oblivious woman being knocked to the ground by his daughter before continuing. "Honestly, she can find a relative or friend to take care of her. She could probably even ask that Kouga fellow at work to help her out." Ignoring Inuyasha's growls at the thought, he stated, "At this rate, with you two being the way you are, there is no hope for your marriage." Then, without any hesitance,

"I recommend you follow through with a divorce."

Inuyasha had considered it at first until the reality of the words caught up with him, and he decided to put that plan away for later. But, just a mere hour away from Kagome made him realize some things, some important things, the things that had made him feel like a total bastard for even mulling over the idea of a divorce. He now knew he still loved her, was still in love with her, and right now, they were having an obstacle they could not overcome. They were distressed, both in pain, but if they had each other, he thought they could deal with it—that they could at least find the will to try to be happy.

As Inuyasha approached their street, the void within him grew to the point where he felt nauseated, not nostalgic, to even acknowledging its existence. He tempered with the heating and cooling of his car, hoping the distraction would take away from the monster eating him from the inside-out. But there was an even greater distraction than the blast of his fans whipping his cheeks.

The unfamiliar motorcycle in the front of their house, topped off with an slightly opened front door.

Inuyasha's mind hadn't registered that he'd swerved onto his own lawn and flung open the driver's door. He didn't take his keys out of the ignition or even closed the door after him as he sprinted to the porch, his blood pounding in his ears—both from anger and anxiety. Over his heartbeat, he could hear Kagome's favorite cartoon playing in the living room, the one she'd listen to while he'd tell her what was actually happening. Fury boiled inside of him, knowing full well she did not know her way around the house. Someone's here, he thought, and Kagome let them in! Then he caught the scent he despised most.

"Kagome!" he yelled, approaching the kitchen at a steadfast speed. He passed by numerous portraits—some of Kagome's old artwork, pictures of their dating days, their wedding photo, Kikyou and the other Higurashi, Rin as a baby, Sesshoumaru being an ass—but paid them no mind like he would have before. At the moment, envy and ferocity was fogging his mind and reasoning. Was she really cheating on him?

Finally, as he reached the opening to the room, every muscle in his body straightened, his nerves going haywire while his throat went indescribably dry and his temples numbed.

Kagome stood stiller than her husband, stiff as a board, her eyes staring unfocusedly into space as terrified tears escape their sockets. Her tank top straps had been moved, leaving her shoulders bare, while the bottom had been pushed up, revealing her flat stomach well. Despite her loss of eyesight, her emotions rang true within her empty gaze to her husband, alerting him that the position she was in was not her choice at all.

Inuyasha's colleague smirked, tapping his pocketknife against Kagome's cheek carelessly, though she didn't dare flinch, unlike Inuyasha, who seethed fire. The coworker stood coolly behind the blind woman, an arm wrapped around her torso and biceps, shielding her from the little chance of escape she had. His aura was full of confidence, his gaze fearless as he greeted, "Hey there, mutt. Missing your woman already?"

Inuyasha only hissed one word: "Kouga."

The intruder's grin grew wider as the blade then rested against Kagome's delicate skin. "Most people wouldn't recognize me with a ski mask on," he mused, and at the remaining of the cool metal against her face and breeze across her bare shoulders and belly, Kagome whimpered, her fingers twitching as she felt around on the nearby counter for help of some kind. Kouga gave a crooked smile in amusement, making Inuyasha clench his fists in pure antagonism.

Then, as soon as Kagome let out a bloodcurdling scream of pain, it was all over.

When being questioned by authorities later on, the witnesses would say that they had no clue of their acquaintance's intentions, because he'd been killed the moment Kagome had grabbed the pot behind them and tilted in over, burning his entire back, releasing Kagome, and landing on his own knife. He bled to death while suffering from second-degree burns on their kitchen floor.

As soon as his arm left her, Kagome's feet gave out on her, and she slipped on the liquid below. Her leg hurt somewhat from the jerk, but it didn't hurt her as much as her head colliding with the temple, most specifically, her temple. If the job hadn't already been done, Inuyasha would've killed Kouga, so instead, he immediately rushed to his old love, who-knows-what-now wife's side, only somewhat relieved that she was still breathing—but wouldn't open her eyes. He needed to see her emotions, make sure she was fine, because—

His breath caught.

He loved her.

It'd taken him this long to really actually remember that. Yes, he'd acknowledged it, but never so truly, as if he was realizing it for the first time all over again—as if it were that powerful, that life-changing, like if he didn't tell her soon, she'd slip from his fingers just as she almost did a few moments ago. The moment she would open her eyes was the moment he'd tell her that every day for the rest of their lives.

Because not only did relief shine through them, but they focused solely on Inuyasha's golden ones—something she hadn't done since The Loss.

It was then that they kissed for the first time in a long time, and for a long time for the first time.

The instant Inuyasha had experienced his epiphany, Kagome had opened her eyes, and literally saw the world as it really was all over again. She could see colors, shapes, lines—everything she couldn't before.

Her miracle had came to her after all—it just arrived last moment.

A/N: I honestly didn't want to make Kouga the bad guy—really. But, sadly, my first idea for magically bringing back Kikyou to life or turning Fluffy evil didn't go as well as I would've liked, and Kouga seemed like the next scapegoat I could use, you know? I honestly liked it. o.o But, if you are wondering, yes, Kagome's fall shocked her optical nerves like they had long ago, and her sight has returned, bringing their struggle to an end and, if you haven't noticed, lightening their relationship immensely. (And people do lose their sight like that, by the way, though it's rare.)

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this story, and hopefully I hit a few heartstrings with the emotions and my horribly cheesy ending! ;P Don't be afraid to review and tell me what you think—I love hearing all kinds of criticism, thoughts, etc., so review and favorite if you wish! :D And if you enjoyed this type of writing—suspense and dramatic, along with a twinge of mystery—check out CHAPTER TWO of the InuYasha fic "LIKE VINES" by The Thorne! ^.^ Honestly? One of the best fugging things I've ever read. XD