Finally! I have succeeded! This was the only one-shot you all voted for so I'm getting this up before my other multi-chapter works!
My mind is in the process of organizing "White Dove Black Falcon" and getting the next update to "Lavender Dreams" as we speak but for now, here is one of the most popular voted stories voted by you readers, although it too had a major revision! I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: InuYasha, Kagome, and co. all belong to Rumiko Takahashi, no one else. Just this idea(although I have no idea how overused this idea actually is)
Don't Let Your Suns Fade
"True love begins when nothing is looked for in return." - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
His eyes were what made him different. Those demonic eyes could see things ordinary humans couldn't. They could see in the pitch black of night in the darkest woods. They were unlike anything she's ever seen. She thought they were beautiful, so beautiful even the sun couldn't compare to the intensity his eyes held. They held his fears, his dreams, his secrets he kept locked away from the world. It was also the pathway that led to his emotions, but he did very well to prevent anyone from gazing into them to see what he was really feeling. It was his way of protecting himself.
And now those glorious and dangerously inhuman eyes were in danger of loosing their light forever.
The miko that sought desperately to unlock those hidden emotions was at his side, trying to hold his raging fever down and to prevent the infection from spreading to his heart. His bare chest moved up and down with every painful breath. From his forehead streams of sweat poured down his face. The ears that were capable of hearing even the lightest sound was barely able to turn to the voice that was closet to him.
He had his eyes screwed shut. But he was fighting, as if proving he could stand and take down this enemy just as easily as all the other foes he's fought. He may think himself very strong, capable and fearless in the face of their enemies. And she knew he was right. But this…
This was a battle that was deadly serious. An internal one. And it would take nothing short of a miracle to slow the sickness that was pulsing its way to his heart.
And all Kagome could do was sit at his side and support him, and care for him like she's always done for the past however many years.
If she lost the one man, the one she came back for, was married to and was now expecting their first child, how would she live with herself?
Kagome had finally returned to the Feudal Era for good. She decided that life with InuYasha was undoubtedly the better life than staying in a world, the world she grew up in, without the hanyou that held her heart all those years apart. When she was pulled through the well that day, the way she looked into his eyes, those eyes that she thought she could see into, Kagome knew that she made the right choice. She could feel it in his embrace, in his voice that she wasn't the only one hurting and missing the vital piece of her heart he's always kept.
She settled back in nicely, welcomed back by the villagers and by her friends in which she became acquainted with three new little ones. And she quickly took on the role of the old priestess Kaede's assistant. She fell into a routine as the days passed. She helped Kaede and Rin by day, followed by dinner with Miroku, Sango and their family as the evening settled in. But she always looked forward to the nights, the ones she spent in the arms of the hanyou in the hut that he built long ago, in case she ever came back.
And those nights after their marriage just days after her return, the hanyou and miko were able to learn more about each other, in both body and mind. Their echoes of passion and screams of pleasure spoke just how strong their bond was and that time would never let the love each felt ruin their happiness.
And it's just been about over a year since that day. The couple recently found out that Kagome was expecting their first child. It was a joyous occasion. Everyone offered their congratulations and wished for a healthy child that would hopefully inherit their father's ears, much to InuYasha's embarrassment.
But as she sat there holding her love's hand on her three month growing stomach, Kagome was now praying for his life.
It was only two days ago that she was waiting anxiously with Sango for their husbands' return. The hanyou's wife knelt by the fire resting her hands on the baby bump just entering her third month. She saw Sango feeding her year old son some mushy rice as her twin daughter mauled Shippou mercilessly outside and in line of sight. The brown eyes never left the sight before her. After the news of her pregnancy, Kagome prayed that she would be a good mother for her child. She hoped that her baby would have a wonderful life. The spark that lit up in her husband's eyes when he realized she was carrying, she could see him with their baby, cherishing and loving it.
"You mustn't worry, Kagome-chan." The mother of three wiped her smallest child's mouth while giving her friend an encouraging smile. "No doubt you'll be wonderful parents. I can't imagine how InuYasha is feeling after loosing you for three years. He always wanted the best for you. But I could see the look of despair and pain from a broke heart when he looked at me and Miroku. We're together raising three children while he remains alone, waiting for you. If that isn't true devotion and love I don't know what is." Her son was now settled in her lap, starting to doze cutely in his mother's arms.
"He looks a lot like you and Miroku." She eyed the child, sucking his fingers and nestling in Sango's motherly embrace. "And your daughters are as cute as can be. I can tell they'll be like you when they get older."
The former slayer chuckled. "That's what InuYasha says too." Peeking out the door and seeing her twin girls in the hands of the capable kitsune, the woman smiled at the scene, happy they were safe and enjoying the nice weather. "But now, since you came back his eyes haven't stopped shining. In fact, ever since you two announced your pregnancy, he's done nothing but smile even when he thinks no one sees it. I don't think he cares anymore."
Both women laughed softly at that fact. "That's true. Every morning he lays his head on my belly and says the most sweetest things to our baby. He's always making sure I'm taken care of, and even insists he be there when it's time to deliver."
"He'll have to get through Kaede first."
"I've talked with her, explaining that it was natural for a father to be present for their child's birth in my time. And she said as long as he doesn't get in her way, InuYasha can stay." A peaceful sigh left her lips and picked up her nearly forgotten cup of herb tea. " I can't wait for it."
The slayer was about to add more to the conversation but was cut off by Shippou's cry.
"Sango! Kagome! They're back!" As fast as she was able, Kagome followed the much faster Sango outside and in view of the road leading out of the village, where they could see two figures walking in the distance.
Kirara, who was sleeping near the tree in sight of the playing children, came forth, titled her head and just as quickly ran down, transforming as she did so.
"Something's wrong." The kitsune child sniffed the air, and carefully crawled onto the miko's shoulder. "I smell InuYasha and…something's not right. He doesn't smell healthy."
That caused the worried wife to swallow painfully. "What do you mean, Shippou-kun?"
Sango, carrying her sleeping son, had the small youkai take her daughters back inside in spite of their cries for their father and their doggie uncle. The two wives then saw a tired Miroku alongside a slow moving Kirara. But the figure in red laying face down on the neko youkai had Kagome rushing up to the trio.
"Miroku!" The two women called as they finally approached them.
Kagome went to see her husband, and didn't like how pale he looked. "Miroku, what happened?" Her voice was meek and so full of concern as to why her hanyou was unresponsive and looking sicker than she's ever seen him.
That was over two days ago. Now as she desperately held her struggling mate's hand on her belly, the miko wanted nothing more than to hear his confident voice and see those demonic gold pools that's had her entranced since the day they met.
Kaede had immediately arrived at InuYasha and Kagome's hut to assess the situation as they listened to Miroku's tale of how they were caught off guard by an ambush. They were attacked almost out of nowhere by a swarm of abnormally large yet poisonous bug youkai. The monk could say it was unlike any insect he's ever seen. He managed to avoid the stings but endured the near encounters of getting stung. He only suffered bruises from avoiding the angry swarm and exhaustion. But InuYasha wasn't so lucky.
The old miko identified the numerous stings that marred the hanyou's body. Kagome listened with a helpless heart as Kaede explained the severity of the situation. Stings like that were almost always fatal to demons. The bug, a rare poisonous type indigenous to a small island just off the coast of what would be modern Tokyo, was as Miroku pointed out the bizarre markings and colors on the wings, a species known to fatally wound their prey with their toxic venom before devouring their flesh.
Kagome almost lost her composure as her mentor explained that it was lethal and so rare that there was hardly a cure for it. Miroku replayed how InuYasha fought courageously to bring their foes down. With the Kongousouha and Kaze no Kizu he was able to bring down a great number of them, but not before he was brutally stung all over his body. Miroku said after the last remaining youkai flew away in defeat, InuYasha immediately collapsed, barely breathing and hasn't been conscious since. He had to carry his comrade all the way for two days and nights before reaching the familiar outskirts of the village.
Spreading a salve that calmed normal stings and eased the spreading of infection was their best chance for saving him. Kagome could barely hold her own as she helped with the medicine and softly encouraging him to stay alive for her and their unborn child. Although seeing the discouraging purple veins spreading from each sting she nearly lost herself. She had to stay strong for him. She had to keep the infection from reaching his heart and his brain.
Now as the sun set on the second day, the twilight and calming breezes through their doormat spoke of the coming summer nights ahead. The many stone bowls of salve and medicine to bring his fever down surrounded her, rags and bowls of clean and used water sat, but the miko felt no need to clean. Kaede had often checked on her, as did her friends and even Rin saying she should rest since it wasn't smart to keep depriving herself of sleep. They made her eat for the baby's sake and even succeeded in pulling her away to her and InuYasha's futon to rest her weary body. The elder miko warned her that her pregnancy was different. Since she was carrying InuYasha's child, his blood would be speeding the growth of their child in her womb, thus shortening her pregnancy. Instead of waiting for the normal nine months, they would be seeing their first child come into the world in only six or seven months.
As she neared her half-way mark, she was now fearful that InuYasha would never see his child being born.
"No! You're going to make it! Do you hear me, InuYasha? You're going to live, you're going to see your child being born, to see him or her grow up!" Her handsome hanyou didn't even twitch a silver ear. Kaede also warned her the infection would eventually begin to shut down his senses one by one. The miko inwardly cursed at that realization.
"You are NOT going to die on me! You understand, you baka? You're too stubborn to go out this way! Think about everything you now have in your life!" She hissed desperately in his ear. "Wake up, InuYasha. Please, don't leave me!" Her free hand caressed the thankfully unblemished skin of his face, trying to get him to come back. His body was bare save for the blanket. Luckily the bandages prevented her from seeing the abnormal colored veins slowly moving up. His chest was hit hard. Some were dangerously close to his lungs and most got into his stomach and kidneys. Kaede told them he was lucky his youkai blood was trying to fight off the infection , otherwise he'd be dead already.
Her head fell softly against his cheek, her hand still held his where their pup resided. She couldn't stop the tears that wet her husband's face. Soft, hopeful whispers and prayers left her mouth, even as Rin and Kaede came to relieve the exhausted and expecting mother.
"Kagome-chan! Kagome-chan! Guess what?" Rin greeted some hours later, coming in to kneel so that she could help the woman up and away from the feverish hanyou.
"Settle down, child." The old woman spoke calmly as she settled across from Kagome on the hanyou's opposite side. "We may have some hope yet."
The miko's dull pure brown eyes blinked once then seemed to focus.
"I spoke with a traveling medicine man just a short while ago. I told him of what I needed and required for your husband's sickness. And to my surprise," She pulled out a satchel from her haori sleeve. "The gentleman actually is a native of that island and had a plant that was used specifically to treat that poison. He sold it to me, no charge. Only for a meal and board for the night."
The wife sighed, and started to cry in relief. She couldn't help but kiss her husband's lips and nuzzled his cheek in silent rejoice.
Now with renewed hope, Kagome waited for the moment she would see him open his rich, beautiful deep bronze colored eyes. She recalled all the times before she went back to her era for three years when just for a moment, he let down his guard when it was just the two of them and let her witness his true vulnerability and his fears of being alone again. Not after everything they went through to get where they are at now.
Her thumb rubbed the slightly feverish skin of his palm, brining it up to place a few kisses now and then. She was able to concentrate on the return of his normal skin tone and his chest moving up and down at a more comfortable pace. She wasn't even aware of Kaede and Rin waiting silently in the corner, just in case there was a relapse or complication.
Her heart was no longer heavy with the thought of living without him. Kagome wouldn't be Kagome without her husband, her hanyou, her InuYasha. She's nearly lost him several times and treated terrifying wounds that he shrugged off in the beginning as nothing. His pride wouldn't allow such weakness to show, not even to her who never urged him or rushed him. Her patience was all she could give to him, and she waited and waited until she finally broke through his barriers one by one. He told her after she came back that she was something he shouldn't have, something he didn't think he'd ever earn. Her love.
Her love kept him going through her absence. His barriers he erected to protect himself had dropped because of her. InuYasha was able to let his emotions and his fear shine through, because of her. She taught him everything.
Another kiss to his palm at that particular memory. It was on their wedding night before they made love for the first time.
A single tear at that confession splattered on his face. She would have seen the signs of him arousing were her eyes not buried in his palm.
A soft grunt made her look up, to see the most wonderful sight. After over three days and two nights watching him battle for his life, Kagome's teary oaky brown orbs watched as the suns that she thought would never shine again slowly open to gaze at her.
"InuYasha…"
The hanyou grunted but never let his halfway open orbs to look away from the one person he wanted to come back to. All he could think about before he fell to the venom was of her, of her and their unborn child. He vowed to stay and make it. For them.
And now, he could grip-albeit weakly her hand, and see that smile for the first in days. And that she was okay, and her stomach held their child. He wasn't going to leave her alone. Not to raise a baby alone. He wouldn't.
He had lived for three years alone, waiting for her. No way in hell was he going to screw his new chance at life by dying at the hands of enormous youkai. He had a gorgeous wife and the chance of being a father waiting for him.
His smile and his eyes let her see all that. And he received a loving kiss from her that had his heart going; forever and always pumping for her.
And to their amazement, three and a half months later in that same hut, Kagome gave birth to a healthy baby girl, who looked just like him. InuYasha and Kagome welcomed the quarter youkai child as new parents, with bigger but fun challenges ahead.
Her husband's eyes burned brilliantly in the eyes of their daughter.
And Kagome was thankful that he was here to see it.
Nothing too special but hey, sue me. I have a fascination with those golden eyes. Like others who love his ears, his hair-I go for the eyes!
Now that this is finished, another piece completed, I can relax! I hope you all liked.
Sayonara!