For Blind who said there was never any good Inu/San.

The Night of the New Moon

It wasn't the first time that a demon had found him on the night of the new moon but it was looking to be the last. He was already bleeding pretty heavily and the smell was bringing new demons. Kagome had gone home earlier in the day. Miroku had a prior engagement. They'd all seemed to have forgotten.

Except for Sango: she'd asked him if he was all right before she let him wander off.

Inuyasha collapsed behind a tree, unable to run any farther, a hand clutching the wound in his side. Damn this human body. It was so weak, he couldn't do a thing. The tree he was leaning on exploded and he was thrown some twenty or thirty feet, landing on his back and for once he made no effort to get up.

Tetsusaiga had fallen away and lay some several feet from his hand. It was several hours until morning and his vision was beginning to get hazy from loss of blood.

The only good thing about this moment was he'd get to spite Sesshoumaru by being killed by a lesser demon.

Kami, it was an ugly thing. Looked like one giant chunk of mud and shit thrown together and animated. But it was as frustrating as Sesshoumaru and as regenerative as Naraku.

Finally, all the running about would be over.

Then the demon above him roared in pain and Inuyasha stared in surprise at the large boomerang now making it's way back around to its owner.

Sango caught the weapon without wavering in her step, standing approximately six feet behind him and he stared at her through black bangs wet with blood. Almost instantly she was by his side, hooking an arm around his waist and leaping to the side as the demon swiped at them again. She whirled and Hiraikotsu cut through the forearm of the demon easily.

As they landed, Kilala arrived nearby with Tetsusaiga in her teeth. Inuyasha gritted his teeth as he tried to stand but his stupid human legs wouldn't work.

"What are you doing here!" he snapped but it probably would've worked better if he'd been able to make it louder than a whisper.

"Helping you kick this demon back to hell where it belongs." Sango stated firmly as Hiraikotsu came spinning back around.

The demon roared and she pushed off, still carrying him with one arm and catching Hiraikotsu with the other, the enormous blade spinning around and decapitating the demon.

As it fell away behind them, Inuyasha found himself remembering the one afternoon he'd spent with Sango, when they'd been alone for once. They'd trained and then she took him to the local village and treated him to ramen.

Here she was saving his life though she didn't seem to see it in such a way.

"How did you…"

"Know?" She smiled. "I always follow you on these nights. Just in case."

"Thanks Sango,"

Sango turned her head and looked at him, pulling his arm more securely over her shoulders.

"You're being grateful, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha raised his head tiredly. "I don't think I'm going to make it out of this one."

Sango frowned and carried him to a nearby stream. There she removed the fire-rat haori as well as the white one beneath. Tearing a strip of cloth from her kimono, she wet it in the stream and began cleaning the deep wound in his chest.

"Where's the 'this is only a scratch like this could bring me down' Inuyasha I know?"

Inuyasha sighed. "I've seen humans die from wounds like this and I'm human for the next six hours."

"Well, I've seen humans live through wounds like this. You can make it to dawn."

Sango continued trying to clean him up until his hand caught hers. For a moment she was fascinated by the hand that grasped hers, a hand that bore no claws, only blood, before she looked up to meet his gaze.

"Please stop, Sango."

She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to sit here and let you die?"

Inuyasha looked at her sadly.

"Don't you realize we're all dying? We can't beat Naraku. It's not going to happen. All the pain and misery of you, Kagome, Miroku…so much of it is my fault. That demon was probably sent here to kill me so the world will be better."

She made no response, only laid her hands in her lap, expecting him to continue. For some reason, her presence made everything better.

"Kami, Sango, you're so amazing. You never judge me but you always listen. You don't try to abuse me or expect me to be something I'm not. I can trust you. I'm so glad it's you...that's here now."

Her expression never changed but he took both of her hands in his and she moved closer to him. He stared in surprise as she leaned over him and brushed the chastest kiss across his lips. Several minutes passed before they both shifted so he could rest his head in her lap. He watched her as she watched the skyline.

"Just make it to dawn, Inuyasha." Was the last thing he heard her say before he closed his eyes. He fully expected never to wake up.

However, a few hours later, the sun rose placidly over the hill and he opened his eyes to feel the pain melting away and all the sights and sounds that he couldn't reach as a human came flooding back to him.

Like Sango's heartbeat and the way she smelled of lilies and fire.

He could feel in a whole new way how their hands were gripped so tightly together that as his claws grew they cut into her palm but she did not pull away. He sat up and turned to stare at her then picked up her hand and licked away the blood that seeped from four perfect half-moon cuts.

In one smooth movement, he picked her up and leapt out of the way of the demon that had come to inspect its mate's death. As for a moment, gravity decided to lessen and let them float, Inuyasha came to a conclusion.

To everyone else, he would be the leader, the one to make the first strike, the hero.

But for 12 hours every month, she could be his.