Hi, friends!

I wrote this story about two months ago because I wanted something that just ended in pure fluff. The plot developed better than I expected, but it's angsty so be warned. It ends very, very happily though ;)

The title is a line from a song called "Love Lost" by The Temper Trap. It's a great song and reflects the feelings in this story.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Keep Me in Mind

The battle had been rather difficult, but they had made it out unscathed.

"Everyone alright?" Inuyasha called.

The group resounded with positive replies.

They'd come across a village in need of assistance; a strange yokai had been killing people as they slept, and it had led to a panic that reached even surrounding villages. It had taken a while to slay the yokai, but it was soon disintegrated by Inuyasha's kaze no kizu.

"Are you okay, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as she approached the hanyo. Inuyasha nodded as he sheathed Tessaiga. Shippo jumped up into Kagome's arms and settled comfortably against her chest.

Sango and Miroku met up with them, looking physically fine but somewhat emotionally disturbed.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked. Sango seemed to be pondering something.

"Something was weird about that yokai," she replied. "It felt...stronger than it appeared."
Miroku hummed in agreement. "Yes...almost like its power did not truly lie in its physical abilities.

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed. "Who cares? It's dead now, ain't it? And who do you have to thank for that?" He puffed his chest out and set a carefree hand on Tessaiga, his usual cocky nature coming through.

Despite the death of the yokai, there was an odd feeling in the air. It made Kagome's skin crawl.

She set a hand on Inuyasha's arm, effectively shaking him out of his heroic repertoire.

"I think they're right," she admitted. "Do you sense anything?"

Inuyasha frowned, but he soon focused on their surroundings. "Nope," he replied. "You pesky humans must be imagining things."

Kagome gasped. "Inuyasha," she said urgently, "your arm is bleeding."

Surprised, Inuyasha looked down at his arm and, sure enough, there was blood trickling down it.

He pulled his arm up, looking at it in wonder. Usually pain didn't bother him, but he still felt injuries. This looked serious, but he couldn't feel any pain at all.

"Are you alright?" Kagome asked. "It looks pretty bad."
Inuyasha shook his head. "It doesn't hurt," he replied. "It's kind of numb, actually, but I'm not complaining about that. Rather it be numb than hurt."

Kagome retrieved her backpack and fished out her first aid kit. He initially went to wave her off, but when he felt the first wave of dizziness, he decided to let her at least look at the wound.

Eventually, the dizziness became intense and he found himself falling to the ground. It took every ounce of strength to keep from completely collapsing.

He saw Kagome's eyes widen as she tried to help him to a sitting position on the ground.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Are you feeling weak?"

Inuyasha's throat suddenly felt tight, and his mouth could hardly form words.

"I'm fine," he croaked thickly. "Just...tired...I think."

He felt something flow out of his body, and he suddenly felt dull and nauseous.

He heard his friends all gasp.

Confused, he tried to look around at them to see why they were surprised.

He wasn't expecting to see the terrified faces of Kagome and the others staring down at him.

Inuyasha tried to speak again, but it soon became impossible.

"Inuyasha, you're human," Kagome said, her voice leaking worry. "It's daytime...and tonight isn't going to be the new moon."
Inuyasha looked down at his hands and saw normal fingernails. His hair was black. It took a lot of effort to reach up and feel for his human ears.

Looking back up at Kagome, he grimaced.

"I...don't...know," he stuttered. "But...I'm not…"

Everything went black.

O.o.O.o.O

Inuyasha went limp in her arms. Kagome resisted the urge to scream.

"Inuyasha?" she cried urgently. She shook him lightly and reached up to pat his cheek. "Inuyasha, can you hear me?" she asked, her urgency turning into a frazzled state. "Wake up!"

The others knelt around him. "What happened to him?" Sango inquired frantically. "Why would he turn human?"
Miroku pulled Inuyasha's sleeve up and found the wound still freely bleeding. "Could it be blood loss?" he suggested, his tone disturbed. "Perhaps it has drained his yokai strength?"

Kagome shook her head. "This feels different. You're right about his yokai strength. It's like all of his yokai power has left his body. I just don't get it."

Sango reached out to touch his wound. When her fingers became bloody, she pulled her hand away and examined the red liquid.

"This isn't blood," she announced as she rubbed her wet fingers together. "It feels like saliva. Did the yokai bite him?"

Kagome examined the wound. "I didn't see it. Maybe? It looked like a scratch at first but maybe it was a bite…"

Miroku gently set his arms on Inuyasha's shoulders. "Let's lay him down." Kagome obliged and helped him lay Inuyasha down on his back.

When he was settled, Miroku closed his eyes and held a hand over Inuyasha. He moved the hand up and down his body, as if looking for something.

Apparently he found it, for he soon returned his hand to his side. His eyes opened, portraying a disconcerting gaze.

"His body has been possessed by a yokai," he explained. "I feel the presence inside him. I believe it entered through the bite and has worked its way into his bloodstream. His yokai power has been drained."

Kagome gasped. "But the yokai is dead! How is it still harming him?"

Miroku shook his head. "Its poison remains even after death. I am hopeful that it will work its way out of his body, but I truly just don't know."

Tears welled up in Kagome's eyes as she reached down to brush the dark bangs out of Inuyasha's face.

Fight it, Inuyasha, she willed. Come back to us...to me.

O.o.O.o.O

Inuyasha awoke in a state of disorientation. He sat up quickly but regretted the action immediately.

He brought a human hand up to his forehead, trying to bring himself back into coherence.

When he felt somewhat aware, he looked around him to try and figure out where he was.

It was dark all around him, but it didn't feel like a night time sort of darkness. It felt consuming, as if it were about to swallow him up.

"Oi!" he shouted. "Who brought me here?"

No answer. But was I really expecting one?

He stood up slowly, testing to see if he would be able to do it.

After rising and getting himself steady on his feet, he began walking, hoping that he could find something in the darkness.

Suddenly, he was falling.

He shouted as he fell. He tried to look below him to see how far down he was going, but the darkness remained all around him.

When he landed, the breath was knocked out of him with a heavy oof.

He groaned; the landing hurt way more than it would have if he were still a hanyo.

Regardless, a light finally appeared. He got up quickly, instantly regretting it, but he ignored the pain and ran toward the light.

It got closer and closer until it consumed his surroundings. The brightness assaulted his eyes, but he continued running.

As if transported to a different place, grass appeared and eventually trees did as well.

His running slowed to a walk as he looked all around him.

It was a meadow surrounded by trees. The grass was up to his ankles and a light breeze blew over him.

What is this place? he wondered.

It felt familiar, but he couldn't place it. He continued walking until he saw two figures ahead of him. It was a woman and a small child dressed in bright red.

Familiarity finally came upon Inuyasha; it was a meadow in which he and his mother used to play.

Inuyasha was just a little tyke, smiling brightly as he and his mother threw a ball back and forth.

Whenever the little Inuyasha would catch it, his mother would clap her hands and say, "Good job, my strong boy! How sharp you are!"

Inuyasha felt a lump in his throat as he got closer.

"Mother?" he called. His mother didn't respond; it appeared as though she didn't hear him.

However, the child most certainly heard him. At Inuyasha's call, the young boy had frozen. It caused him to miss his catch. His mother laughed and ran to retrieve the ball.

The little boy looked at Inuyasha and frowned.

"Do I know you?" he asked, his voice tiny. "You sure look familiar. Do you know my mother?"

Inuyasha was stunned into silence. "Why are you able to see me when she can't?"

The child shrugged. "I don't know." The boy became distracted as his mother returned with the ball.

"Are you ready to continue playing, my dear?" she asked the child lovingly.

The young Inuyasha nodded excitedly.

Inuyasha growled and stepped in between them.

"Mother!" he shouted. "Do you see me?"

His mother didn't answer him. Before she could throw the ball, Inuyasha set his hands on her shoulders.

It was like a rush; her scent bombarded his nose, even in human form, and he felt a burning behind his eyes.

It only lasted a moment. His hands soon went through her as if she were a ghost.

Inuyasha tried to touch her again, but the same reaction occurred. He soon realized that it was he that had assumed a ghost-like appearance.

All at once, his mother locked eyes with him.

"Why are you here?" she asked coldly. "You shouldn't be here. It's too dangerous."
Inuyasha dropped his hands and gasped. "You can see me? What's happening?"

"I am dead," she continued, ignoring his questions. "And the child you once were is dead as well. Your father is dead. The first woman you loved is dead, and you were unable to save her right up until the end."

His mother's form began to shift, her neck elongating and her eyes widening.

"And soon, you will be dead!" she screamed, her voice becoming shrill and cacophonous.

It only took seconds for her to assume a new form. It wasn't his mother. It was a yokai.

His looming sadness turned to anger. "How dare you steal her likeness!" he bellowed. "I'll kill you!"

He drew his Tessaiga, but it didn't transform for him.

I forgot I'm human right now! What am I supposed to do?

Hating himself for his cowardice, he ran. The yokai didn't follow him. Instead, it disappeared, as did the young Inuyasha.

Despite their disappearance, Inuyasha continued to run until he stumbled upon a new sight.

He was in his hanyo form with an evil smile on his face and the Shikon Jewel in his hand.

"No," he said out loud. "Not this!"

"Inuyasha!"

The sound of an being drawn rang through the air, as did a burst of breath emitted from his mouth. The pain of the arrow finally hit him, and he found himself wondering which hurt more: the arrow itself or the reenactment of that day.

Kikyo approached him, blood pouring from her shoulder and her face paling more by the second.

Inuyasha watched in horror as she looked at him with hatred in her eyes. His vision soon grew blurry, and the last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was Kikyo's body falling to the ground.

Then another bout of darkness.

When he woke up, it was dark again. It was very obviously night time.

He tried to move, but found himself still sealed to the Goshinboku. He could feel that he was still a human, which frustrated him to no end.

Feeling completely helpless, he paused to try and sort through what was happening.

He heard a crash in the forest beyond him and soon saw Kagome running toward him with the centipede hot on her tail.

"Kagome!" he shouted. The girl looked up at him when his voice rang out. Relief washed over her features.

"Inuyasha, thank goodness!" she called. "Please save me!"

Inuyasha tried to break free of the binds, but the arrow kept him stagnant. "You have to remove the arrow!" he called back. "I can't move with it still pinning me here!"

Kagome moved to get up, but the centipede bit into her stomach.

Kagome screamed and kicked, trying to remove the centipede's grip on her body. It only served to tighten the hold on her before the centipede sank its teeth deeper into her stomach.

The screams coming from Kagome increased as she began shouting Inuyasha's name.

"Get away from her!" he bellowed. "Let her go!"

Then the centipede disappeared and the arrow disintegrated. Inuyasha was able to break free from the tree roots trapping his body.

When he was free to move again, he ran over to Kagome and fell to his knees next to her limp body.

"Kagome! Are you okay?"

Kagome moaned, the pain evident on her face. "Hurts."

Inuyasha looked to examine her wound and was horrified at the sight. Her stomach was practically opened to him. Waves of nausea rolled through Inuyasha.

"No...no!" he cried in panic.
Kagome tugged on his sleeve to get his attention. When he looked up at her, tears were falling from her face.

"I love you," she said.

Inuyasha's eyes widened at her words.

"I love you," he found himself replying.

The light faded from Kagome's eyes as her blood loss overcame her.

She was dead.

"Kagome!" he screamed. "No!"

His hands ghosted over her face as he tried to rouse her to now avail.

Her body disintegrated moments later, leaving Inuyasha alone in the forest.

He stood up and looked around him. "Who is doing this?" he bellowed. "Show yourself now!"

A haughty laugh came from behind him. "Well, you could have asked a bit more politely."

Inuyasha whipped around to find himself face-to-face with a plain-looking man. He was dressed a step down from regally but a step up from homely.

Truth be told, he looked like an average guy.

"Tell me who you are," Inuyasha demanded harshly. "What is this place and why am I here?"

The man settled his hands behind his back and smiled. "Don't you remember me?" he taunted. "You killed me just moments ago."

Moments? Inuyasha repeated in his head. I feel like I've been in this place for hours...maybe even days.

"If you're dead," Inuyasha began, "then why are you still here? Does this mean I'm dead?"

The man chuckled. "No, no. That would be too easy. Why would I kill you when I could drive you to madness here instead?"
Inuyasha growled, the sound less threatening than he'd like due to his human state.

With a smile still on his face, the man began to morph. Another head grew on his neck, forcing his first one to shift to the side before a third grew.

The faces soon turned to those of Kikyo, Kagome, and his mother.

Inuyasha gasped, his eyes widening at the horrifying sight.

"Inuyasha," Kagome begged. "Why didn't you save me?"

"Inuyasha," Kikyo cried. "Why didn't you save me?"

"Inuyasha," his mother wailed. "Why didn't you save me?"

Inuyasha fell to his knees as his head dropped into his hands.

"Stop!"

He could already feel the madness invading his senses.

Sprawling on the ground, the three voices repeated the phrase over and over again. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing the shrieks to go away.

They only increased in volume. He clamped his hands to his ears in an attempt to drown them out again, but nothing worked.

It was horrifying and draining and appaling.

Inuyasha found himself wishing for death.

Anything to stop this nightmare.

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome had long since settled Inuyasha's head in her lap and she gently smoothed his hair. Her fingers would drift to his cheek to tenderly stroke it before returning back to his head.

Miroku, Sango, and Shippo looked on with fear reflecting in their eyes.

Inuyasha had broken into a sweat moments after falling unconscious. His head burned with a fever, and Kagome desperately wondered what was going on in his mind.

She willed her tears away, knowing she needed to be strong for his sake.

Please don't die, she begged silently. I can't lose you. I can't!

"Isn't there something we can do?" she pleaded, her gaze moving up to Miroku. "I just...I'm so scared about what could be happening to him. His mind could be getting ripped up or he could be getting tortured or-"

A steady hand on her arm silenced her. Sango's hand was firm but comforting.

"He'll be okay," she assured Kagome. "No matter what...there's no way this will be how it ends for him." She wrapped her arm around Kagome, offering comfort while receiving it right back from the younger girl.

Miroku was pensively peering at Inuyasha. Kagome looked up at him.

"What is it, Miroku?" she asked. "Do you have an idea?"

The monk looked at Inuyasha for a moment more before meeting Kagome's gaze.

"One of us could try purifying him," the monk suggested solemnly. "It would purge the offending yokai from his body, but…"

"It could also purge his own yokai power from his body," Sango filled in.

Miroku nodded.

Kagome bit her lip and looked down at the slumbering man in her lap.

"He would hate being stuck as a human," she said wearily. "But...if that's the only way to save him...should we do it?"

Miroku sighed. "That's the only idea I have, Kagome. He might wake up on his own, but there's no telling when that would happen or what kind of mental state he will be left living."

Kagome looked to Sango. "What do you think? Should we?"

Sango nodded immediately. "Yes," she said firmly. "I think his life is more important than anything. We all want to see him alive."

Kagome finally conceded. "Okay. How do we do it?"

"Put your hands over his head and focus on pulling him back," Miroku explained.

Kagome was taken aback. "Why me? You're the one with actual spiritual power!"

Miroku shook his head. "You have just as much power as I do," he countered. "And you know Inuyasha better than anyone in this world. If there were anyone that could bring him back, it would be you, Kagome."

It terrified Kagome to no end, but she knew he was right.

Finally, she carefully moved Inuyasha off her lap and to the ground. She braced herself before closing her eyes and focusing her senses on him.

With hands raised over him, she allowed herself to be pulled in.

The last thing she was expecting was to actually be pulled in.

Darkness overcame her for a moment before loud shrieking invaded her ears.

She ran toward the source, figuring something like that must be the evil for which she was searching.

Kagome soon found a three-headed monster leering over Inuyasha's body on the ground. His hands were clamped over his human ears and his eyes were clenched shut in obvious distress and dismay.

She ran as fast as her legs could move her toward the scene.

"Inuyasha!" she yelled. Inuyasha didn't respond.

As Kagome grew closer, she got a better view of the figure looming over him.

She gasped and nearly vomited at the sight.

It was a three-headed monster with red eyes and razor-sharp yellow teeth.

It hissed loudly at her as she approached. Kagome tried to assume a defensive position, but the thing was really freaking creepy. Her legs started shaking and her heart pounded.
"What are you doing to Inuyasha?" she demanded. "Get away from him!"

The monster shifted its complete focus to Kagome.

Inuyasha stirred from his spot on the ground.

Good, Kagome realized silently. If I keep this monster's attention on me, maybe he'll recover faster.

"Who do you think you are messing with him?" she sneered. "You're just a disgusting monster!"

The monster hissed at her once more before shifting into a different figure.

It only took a moment for it to transform into an average-looking man.

"Kagome, I wasn't expecting you to come," he said calmly. "But I suppose I should be grateful. Now I have two meals for the price of one."

Kagome's eyes widened. "Meals?" she repeated.

The man laughed. "Oh, yes. You two have so much suffering in your pasts. It's delicious. Every time I replay your memories over, it fills me up that much more. Absolutely scrumptious!"

Inuyasha groaned loudly before struggling to sit up, recovering only for a moment when he saw the sight before him.

Kagome was standing there facing the man. When she saw Inuyasha looking at her, tears began pouring down her cheeks.

"Inuyasha," she said in a watery voice. She ran toward him and fell to her knees next to him. "Are you okay? What did he do to you?"

Inuyasha looked at her, his eyes reflecting something akin to horror. "It's not you. You're not Kagome. You died. I saw it!"

Kagome flinched. "Inuyasha, it was an illusion. I'm right here. It's me!"

The man laughed behind her. "It's futile. His brain has become too warped to believe you could be alive."

Kagome glared at him murderously. "What kind of things did you force him to watch?"

The man raised a hand and cast something out of it.

"I would stop worrying about him," he began, "and start worrying about yourself."

Another figure appeared. It was a man that made Kagome's gut twist.

"Kagome, my little girl. Look at how much you've grown."

Kagome's father smiled at her, a proud affection radiating from him.
"Dad?" she said hopefully.

Her father's smile widened. "I'm so happy to see you, Kagome."

Before Kagome could say anything else, her father morphed like the other man had.

He soon assumed the mangled form he'd had after the car accident that had taken his life years ago. His face was battered and severely mangled from the glass of the windshield.

Kagome was horrified to see the image she'd so desperately tried to remove from her brain.

She turned away and buried her face in Inuyasha's hair.

Inuyasha pushed her away harshly. "Get off of me!" he shouted. "You're just an illusion!"

Kagome's head was spinning and she felt her mind start to get fuzzy.

What am I doing here? she wondered. Did I come to find Inuyasha? Did I come to find Dad?

She looked at her now-human hanyo.

Inuyasha hates me. Why would I come for him?

Her gaze moved to her deformed father.

Dad is dead. Why would I come here?

Her father disappeared, and for some reason, that hurt Kagome even more than seeing his destroyed body.

Inuyasha remained with his cold, hard glare at her.

Something rushed over Kagome as she saw the familiar guarded gleam in his eyes.

It was what she remembered from when they first met when he thought she was Kikyo. That hard look had stayed in his eyes for what felt like forever before he finally started softening.

Now it wasn't a seldom occasion to find his gaze settled on her. Sometimes he would give his usual half-smile, and sometimes it was his usual irritated scowl.

She loved them both.

As she looked at him then, she gasped.

Love.

That was why she was here.

She loved him dearly, and that was why she had come to this place.

This horrible, terrifying, awful place so full of suffering.

With a renewed resolve, Kagome stood up and faced the man.

"I won't let you harm him anymore," she growled.

The man shrugged, his smile widening. "Eh...whatever you say. I'd like to see you try."

Kagome gripped the small jar around her neck and allowed the power of the Shikon Jewel to flow into her.

Praying it would work, she closed her eyes and called upon all of her spiritual power.

A bright light emitted from her body as she began to fill with the warmth of her abilities.

She had a moment of worry about Inuyasha. She desperately hoped that she wouldn't purify him.

Then it hit her.

He was human, so she couldn't purify him. Once the spell was broken, she expected he would return to normal.

Fears temporarily forgotten, Kagome focused back on the man.

"Be gone!" she cried.

Pink light shot from her body and engulfed the man. His true form was revealed as a disgusting being with wide, bulging eyes and scaly skin.

It only took a moment for him to disappear.

Once he was gone, Kagome turned to Inuyasha.

He was looking at her with a pained expression on his face; his brown eyes were full of fear.

"Kagome," he murmured. "Please...is it you?"

Kagome nodded and reached out to cup his cheeks in her hands. "It's me, Inuyasha. It's me."

Inuyasha sighed and leaned his face into her touch. "And...you saved me?"

Kagome smiled. "Of course. I'll always save you. I love you."

The hanyo mustered a half-smile back before his eyes started to drift closed.

"I'm...so...tired. Can I sleep?" he asked quietly.

Kagome nodded and helped him lay down on the grass.

He kept a tight hold on her hand.

"Don't go," he pleaded weakly. "Stay."

Kagome brushed her hand over his cheek. "Okay."

His eyes soon closed and his breathing evened out. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that it was over.

She looked around, wondering how they would escape this place.

It didn't take long to get an answer.

She was soon dragged from Inuyasha by what felt like an invisible string. She tried to scream, but no sound came out.

Nearly immediately, her eyes opened to see the concerned looks on Miroku, Sango, and Shippo's faces.

"Kagome, are you alright?" Miroku asked. Kagome nodded and looked down at Inuyasha.

He was still unconscious, but it seemed more like peaceful rest than a forced slumber.

Kagome took a deep breath and gathered her wits about her.

"I'm fine," she replied. "I found him. I don't think he'll be purified since I used my powers when he was human. I think it was the yokai's doing...I think the dreams were worse when he was a human."
"Dreams?" Sango repeated. Kagome nodded.

"This yokai plays horrible memories back in your head like a constant nightmare," she explained. "It was maddening."

Shippo hugged her, being mindful of Inuyasha still laying in her lap. "But you're okay now?"

Kagome smiled at him. "Yes, I'm okay. How long was I...gone?"

"It was only a few minutes," Shippo replied.

That surprised Kagome. "Wow...it felt like hours. I can't even imagine what it was like for Inuyasha."
Shippo looked down at said hanyo. "Will he be okay?"

Cautiously hopeful, Kagome nodded. "I think so. It just might take awhile for him to wake up. We should move him inside."

The group carefully picked up Inuyasha and moved him to the room they'd been granted for slaying the yokai. Once he was settled on a sleeping mat, they all waited for him to wake up.

"When he wakes up," Kagome began, "he'll probably be really disoriented. I'm sorry to ask, but would it be okay if I'm the only one with him?"
Sango and Miroku nodded. "Of course," Miroku said. "I think that would be best. You two shared this experience. It's only natural to need each other."

They settled into a quiet waiting game. Inuyasha had yet to return to his yokai state. Kagome hoped it was just due to his exhaustion.

An hour later, Inuyasha began stirring.

Miroku, Sango, and Shippo whispered wishes of good luck to Kagome before leaving the room and sliding the door closed behind them.

When Inuyasha's brown eyes finally started fluttering open, Kagome gazed down at him.

"Inuyasha?" she said gently. "Can you hear me?"

Inuyasha looked up at her in disbelief.

"Kagome," he croaked, his voice hoarse. "Are we back?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes, we're back. The yokai is gone. We made it out."

The relief was tangible in Inuyasha's entire body as he relaxed.

"You aren't dead," he said hopefully. Kagome shook her head.

"I'm very much alive," she confirmed. "So are you."

"You died in there," he murmured as his eyes drifted closed and pain came over his face. "And Kikyo pinned me to the tree and Mother…" He breathed a heavy sigh. Kagome didn't push him.

Maybe someday he'll want to talk more about it, but I think it's just too painful for him right now.

"That was your father?" he asked, changing the topic. Kagome paused.

"Yes," she replied. "That was him."
Inuyasha sighed. "Looks like it sucked in there for both of us."

Kagome couldn't help the small chuckled that escaped her. "It sure did."

"You saved me," Inuyasha said as he looked up at her again. Kagome smiled.

"Of course I did, silly," she teased lightly. "I meant what I said. I'll always save you."

His hand reached up to touch her cheek.

"I love you, too," he murmured.

Kagome's eyes widened as Inuyasha gently pulled her down to him.

Their lips met in a short, gentle kiss. It only lasted a few seconds, but it still caused Kagome's heart to race.

When they parted, a rush of power flowed through Inuyasha. It was intense enough for Kagome to even feel it. Her bones shook against the force.

Inuyasha's hair soon turned silver as the golden color of his eyes returned. She felt his claws grow on the hand touching her face, and relief washed over her as he smiled and effectively revealed his fangs.

"Thank goodness," Kagome breathed. "You're back to normal."

Inuyasha didn't speak. He moved.

He sat up and moved his other hand up to guide Kagome back to him.

Their second kiss was longer and deeper as caution gave way to passion. Her heart filled with affection as he kissed her over and over again.

When they finally parted, Inuyasha pulled away quickly as his cheeks went up into flames.

"Um...sorry," he said. "That was...I didn't...yikes."

Kagome laughed. "I think we both got caught up in the moment."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Keh. All these stupid human emotions have me acting crazy."

She laughed again. "Me, too." Crazy in love…

The hanyo finally stood up and stretched. "That nightmare crap sucked," he blurted. "I mean, dang. I've never had such a horrible experience." He turned to her. "How did you get me out? How did you escape the madness?"

Kagome shrugged. "I focused, I guess. I had a purpose, and that's what shook me out of it."

Inuyasha smiled before pulling her to him. He wrapped her in his warm embrace. She keenly wrapped her arms around his waist and lay her head on his chest.

A few moments later, Kagome pulled away and smiled. "We should let the others know you're alright." Inuyasha nodded his agreement.

Before Kagome could turn away to leave the room, Inuyasha pulled her back for one more kiss. Kagome laughed when he pulled away. "What's your excuse this time?" she teased. "You're not a human anymore." Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Because I wanted to," he retorted. "Got a problem with that?" Kagome blushed and shook her head.

"I'll never have a problem with that," she said. Inuyasha blushed brighter than Kagome.

"Keh, guess I'll have to keep that in mind," he stated, attempting to be casual. It didn't work.

Kagome just smiled. "Let's go get the others." Inuyasha nodded and followed her out of the room.

Their friends bombarded them when they reunited.

Shippo burst into tears and threw himself into Inuyasha's arms.

"Alright, that's enough," he said as he tossed the kitsune at Kagome.

The girl caught Shippo easily and hugged him tight.

Miroku and Sango smiled at Inuyasha.

"Are you okay?" Sango asked. Inuyasha nodded curtly.

"Keh," he scoffed. "As if I would let a weak yokai kill me that easily."

Miroku chuckled. "I must say, my good friend, you gave us quite a scare. I'm relieved to see you kept your hanyo power."

Inuyasha grew serious. "Yeah. I don't really understand what the heck happened, but I'm freakin' glad it's over."

The relief was a tangible thing as it floated around Inuyasha and Kagome, and it made the young miko wonder if anything would ever be simple or carefree in any of their lives.

And just over three years later, she would find a beautiful simplicity that she never expected for all of them.

Everything was worth it.

FIN.

So just a little one-shot. I hope you enjoyed! Also, I will hopefully have the next chapter of "The Captain and the Hanyo" up within the next few days :)

Much love.