Always

Chapter 11

Kagome thought it was probably around eight o'clock in the morning when she woke up. It was much later than she usually arose, but she accounted it up to their actions the night before. Just thinking about the feelings, their bodies so close, she began to blush, and felt her body warm. Suddenly, she realized that Kouga was not by her side. Alarmed, the priestess jumped up, searching for him. Something must have happened. He would never leave me here… Kagome grabbed for her clothes, ripping her jeans onto her legs. Replacing the tank top with her bra and sweater, she raced into the trees, looking for a flash of brown fur, or a hint of blue eyes. She hunted for him for several minutes, but unable to find him, out of breath, and tired, she leaned a hand against a tree and bent over, trying to catch her breath. She straightened and looked around again. In her frantic quest, she had lost her way. Okay, calm down. Kouga will find you. If he's not hurt, that is… Oh, crap. What if he's hurt? What if he needs me? Kagome's heart pounded against her ribcage, and her thoughts raced. Mom always told me that when you're lost, you should stay where you are, because it increases your chances that someone will find you. She searched her surroundings, looking for a clue that would lead her back to camp. But she had been running blindly, and the wind had covered any trail she had left in the fallen leaves. Defeated, she sat on a nearby rock.

Kouga ran back to camp from the stream, careful not to spill the water he had collected, or the eggs he had collected that now rested in the bottom of the kettle. He slowed as he arrived, only now remembering the wound that had been on his thigh. Only a scar remained now, a reminder of the power of InuYasha's kongousouha. He rubbed the scar, testing the health of the muscle, but he surmised that if he was able to run, his leg should be fine. Walking into the clearing, he put the kettle over the unlit fire, but when he turned to look at his love, he found her bed empty, and her clothes gone. Without another thought, Kouga raced from the campsite, searching for the miko's scent. When he found it, he ran in the direction of it, panicked. Why would she leave camp? Did someone force her? No, I didn't smell any others… Maybe she didn't feel well? What if her wounds were bothering her and I wasn't there to help? Kouga's nose told him that she was close.

Kagome hadn't been sitting for long when she heard something rustling.  Damnit! In my rush, I forgot my bow! She could do nothing but stand and face whatever was coming towards her. Suddenly, she recognized the sounds and the speed at which they were traveling. And there he was. They both stood staring at each other, unable to speak, but each saw relief in the others' eyes. Kouga began to walk towards her, and when he was a few feet away, Kagome ran to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He held her, placing one of his hands on her head, the other on her back.

“I… I was so scared. I didn't know where you went…” she said softly.

Kouga now realized the reason for her disappearance. “I'm sorry. I was wrong. I should have waited for you to wake up. But I wanted to surprise you, and I thought you would still be asleep.”

Kagome pushed away so that she could look at him. Kouga could see tears welling, but they never spilled over. Finally in his arms, Kagome began to calm. The wolf prince scooped her up, bringing her back to their campsite. He set her down, and she noticed the little kettle.

“Oh, you went to fetch water?” she asked.

“And breakfast. I was, uh… going to the bathroom, and I saw those eggs in a nest, and I thought of how you said you miss having fresh eggs for breakfast. So I thought it would be nice,” he said, smiling.

Kagome leaned over the pot to find four eggs in the bottom. They were quite large, and Kagome wondered what type of bird they were from. She explained about hard-boiled eggs, and they decided that method was best, and Kagome used her matches to light the fire that had gone out overnight. Soon after, the water began to boil, and Kagome decided she wanted to wash up before they ate. Kouga told her he would bring her to the stream he had gotten the water from, and soon, they were off in a whirlwind. Once there, Kagome undressed, but not like she had the night before. Now she was quick and deliberate, rubbing herself briskly with the sponge she had taken from home. Kagome began to think she was an expert in the art of quick baths, and she dressed just as quickly. This time, Kouga watched, and the miko had no objections; she had grown comfortable having the wolf demon by her side. Besides, she wasn't taking her bra or panties off, and she didn't mind that so much, seeing that they had shared so much. When she was dressed again, Kagome shivered over to Kouga, who zoomed back to their camp. Kagome had kept track of the cooking time, and felt the eggs needed a few more minutes, so she lay in her bedroll, warming herself back up. Kouga lay next to her, above the blanket, and held her.

The next thing Kagome knew, she was being shaken. She had fallen asleep, and Kouga was trying to ask her if the eggs should be removed. Groggily, she told him yes, and he took the pot off the fire, using some of the water to extinguish the fire. Kagome sat up, listening to the hiss of the dying fire, and rubbed her eyes.

“How long was I out?” she asked, yawning.

“About ten minutes,” he answered, placing the eggs on a towel Kagome provided.

Well, that's new, she thought. She hardly ever slept when she was with InuYasha, but with Kouga, she seemed to sleep all the time! She liked it. She didn't have to take care of Kouga. Didn't have to make sure he ate, or slept, because he did those things anyways. There was no Miroku to scold… no InuYasha to make sure he ate, no Shippou to give lollipops to, no Sango to talk with… Kagome could tell she was beginning to miss being with the group. But she didn't want to leave Kouga. Stupid InuYasha! If it weren't for his temper, I could have Kouga come with us! Kagome shook her head. No, that wouldn't be fair to Kouga. He'd probably do it if I asked, but he would miss the wolf pack; he would just be too stubborn to tell me that. Kagome felt like her heart was torn in two. She looked up to find those beautiful blue eyes watching her intently. Kouga wasn't one to prod, so she figured she might as well speak up. Unfortunately, she was shocked when Kouga beat her to it.

“You'll decide what's best when the time comes,” he said, turning his attention back to the eggs.

“Was I thinking out loud?” she asked incredulously.

Kouga chuckled, bringing the eggs over to her. “No,” he replied.

Wide-eyed with amazement, Kagome suddenly scowled. “Do you have some sort of mind reading ability you never told me of?” she asked, half jokingly.

This time he laughed, looking at her. “No!”

Kagome giggled as well. “Well, then, how would you be able to give me an answer to a question that I was asking myself in my head?”

“Was it a good answer?” he asked.

“Yes, but that's not the point…”

“Isn't it?”

Kagome looked dumbfounded. “Well, yes, but what I want to know is how you knew what I was thinking…”

Suddenly, he was sitting next to her. He reached out lovingly and touched her face. “Because…” he started, “you are always thinking of your friends first. And I'm sure you'll figure it out, when the time comes.” He kissed her gently, and handed her an egg.

Kagome took the egg, and began eating. How does he know me so well? She thought back to the first time she met Kouga. He had kidnapped her, wanting to force her to find the Shikon jewel. That had been before Naraku had gotten involved with his tribe. Now, he wanted to kill Naraku almost as badly as any of her other friends. Upon hearing his story, Kagome had decided to help him, and he had first wanted her because she had been courageous and loyal to her friends. `Because you are always thinking of your friends first.' It was one of the things he loved about her. Now she understood.

After they had finished, Kagome packed her things and they cleaned the campsite; when they were both ready, Kouga scooped her up and prepared to run.

“Hey, no running!” she cried.

“Kagome, I'm fine.”

The priestess attempted to look at his leg, but found that it was impossible from her position in his arms. She wriggled until she was standing again. Kneeling, she looked at the scar that was left. She touched it, running a finger along the new formed flesh. Kouga felt electricity running up from his leg. And from there, she was in great position to… Kouga shook his head, trying to stay on track.

“C'mon, we gotta go!” he said, scooping her up again.

Kagome was a little surprised by his reaction, but she was blind to the real reason behind his hurriedness.

He ran to the stream where he found the fish, and let Kagome down. She gave him a questionable look, and he told her to see if she noticed anything. The miko walked around, looking at things, and began to lose hope, staring directly at the water. Absentmindedly, she walked over to it, ready to splash her face. When she dipped her hands in it, she was shocked by how cold it was.

“Wow, that's really cold!” she said to the wolf demon.

He nodded. “Yeah. And this far from the mountains, it shouldn't be so cold. So it must be directly from the mountains. My mother once told me that there was a beautiful waterfall in the south, fed by the waters that ran from our mountains. Maybe… that waterfall is part of Hinna Lake.”

Kagome considered this, and nodded. “It's the best thing we have. Let's go for it!”

Kouga picked her up again, and he ran at a leisurely pace, following the winding river. There were points where they had to cross, and times where they felt they were going the wrong way. Eventually, they felt that they were traveling higher, and they were content to follow the river. Soon, the sun was setting again, and they looked for a place to camp. After about half an hour, they found a winding part of the river that had an impressive amount of rocks by the bank. The boulders were placed in almost a complete circle, and created a nook of sorts. They decided they would make this their camp, and Kouga swiftly ran off to find something for dinner. Kagome set about making a fire. She set out their bed, complete with furs, but as the sky began changing into its' yellow and red colors, and she realized that it wasn't quite as cold as last night. She decided to gather water for the kettle, and went to the river. While collecting the water, she dipped her own hand in the clear liquid, and finding it pleasingly warm, she decided that she would take a bath after they ate. Bringing the water back to the fire and placing it there, she set it up for tea, and went back to the river. She took off her shoes and socks, and dipped her feet into the water. She had been there for about fifteen minutes when she heard Kouga arrive in a whirlwind. She turned, but he was already right behind her. She saw that he had caught a rabbit, and although it wasn't her favorite, she smiled at him. She began to get up to clean the rabbit for cooking, but Kouga motioned with his hand that she was to stay where she was. Nodding, Kagome stayed put. The wolf demon brought out his rarely used sword and took the hide off the rabbit. Then, he quickly traveled down the river to wash the meat, came back, and began to place it over the fire. With the tea ready, Kagome set about readying the cups. She poured tea for both of them, and when the meat was ready, they ate. Kagome asked about Kouga's parents and siblings, but he seemed uneasy talking about them, so Kagome changed the subject. They talked a bit more, and Kagome finally got up to take a bath.

“Now, since we're next to the river, you don't have to watch me,” she said dryly.

Kouga smirked, knowing that despite her tone, she wasn't serious. Kagome climbed over the rocks, carrying her pajamas, towel, and wash soaps. Once at the river, she took off her clothes, and stepped into the river. It wasn't as warm as it had been earlier, but it was still nice to wash with. She walked into the middle, and since it only came to her waist, she sat, letting her hair get wet. She looked over at the rocks, expecting to find Kouga peeking over at her. But he wasn't. Kagome found herself feeling disappointed. She had wanted to replay a bit of last night. Instead, she stood, beginning to apply the soap to her body. While she washed, she thought about her actions the night before. What was she doing? Was she ready for this? Yes, she decided. She had wanted this same feeling with InuYasha once, and if she had been ready for him, then she was ready for Kouga. Besides, never had it felt wrong with him. She began to rinse as she thought about the feelings she had experienced last night. There was so much fire… electricity that she felt could power Tokyo for a day. She had never felt so alive, or so out of control. Half the time, she hadn't thought of her actions, she had just acted on instinct. Now, thinking about his touch, her skin tingled with desire again. But he was respecting her, leaving her to her bath. She could ask him to join her, but she wouldn't. She lowered herself again to submerge herself, completely soaking her hair. Satisfied, she stood again. When they were wet, her bangs covered her eyes. Pushing them aside, Kagome reached for the shampoo. She lathered her hair with the citrus smelling soap, and scrubbed her black locks.

Kouga had thought about going with her to the river, but he wanted to see how she reacted to his disinterest. He listened to her movements, lathering and rinsing. Suddenly, he smelled a familiar, tangy smell. He sniffed harder, and realized it was Kagome. She was excited, and the smell called out to him. Instantly, he felt like the wolf that he was, and he became excited himself. He leaned back, trying to ignore his body, but the smell was hard to turn away from. Soon, the tangy smell was replaced by a sweet, citrus smell. She must be washing her hair, he thought. He peeked over to where she was, and in the moonlight, he saw her sitting in the water, rinsing her hair. He loved the way she looked there, laying in the water, moonbeams bouncing off her damp shoulder. He turned back to the fire, trying to fight the primal urges that asked him to go to her. He thought about their future journey, and kept his mind away from the naked, wet, shimmering body that sat a few feet away.

Kagome felt a little disappointed that Kouga hadn't joined her, but now that she was finished, she just wanted to go to bed. She dried off and put her pajamas on, feeling refreshed after a full bath with a temperature that didn't make her want to jump right out. She gathered her things, and climbed back over the boulders. Meeting Kouga face to face, she smiled. He smiled softly, and she wondered what was troubling him. She put her things away, and got between the two folds of the sleeping bag. After she was settled, Kagome patted the bag, letting Kouga know that he was to join her. He reluctantly sat next to her, and she lay down, putting her head in his lap. Kouga swallowed hard, and nervously ran his fingers through her still wet hair. It smelled like orange blossoms, and it calmed him a little. Kagome relished the attention she was being given, and before long, fell asleep. Kouga had been thinking, therefore he hadn't noticed her drifting off. When he saw her sleeping there, content in his lap, he moved her so that he could get in with her. Once inside the sleeping bag, he held her tightly, and she mumbled something unintelligible. He smiled, and fell asleep too.

When she woke up the next morning, Kagome could feel Kouga's warm body pressed up against her. She didn't even remember falling asleep, but here they were, in bed together again. She noticed a few furs under her head. She must've fallen asleep first, and Kouga put the furs there for a pillow. She turned in her spot, facing him. She studied his sleeping features for a moment. Now, there was no cocky quirk of the eyebrow, no wolfish grin. Just a sweet, caring, sleeping demon. She thought about how that would sound, telling her friends about her new `boyfriend'. Giggling softly, Kouga stirred. The priestess caught herself, but that made her giggle harder. Trying to focus on his face, Kagome stilled herself, and found herself playing with his hair. She leaned forward and kissed him gently. After a few moments, there was movement, and to her surprise, she felt an arm make its' way around her waist, pulling her into him. Their legs intertwined as he reciprocated the kiss, and Kagome found that whether he was asleep or not, Kouga was very forceful with his kisses when he wanted to. He finally pulled away, smiling.

“Good morning, priestess,” he said.

“Good morning to you, wolf demon,” she said, spiking the last part with a sarcastic tone.

He jumped up, ready for their day, and jumped to the river for breakfast. He found a fish, which he cleaned and got ready for cooking. He also collected some water for tea, and Kagome decided to use this time for dressing. She took off her tank top, replacing it with her bra. Noticing that the air had a bit of chill in it, she put her turtleneck on again. Winter will be here soon, she thought, folding the neck over. Removing the short shorts that she had grown accustomed to, she pulled her jeans on, zipping them. Kouga jumped in at that point with their breakfast, placing it down.

“Damn,” he said with a smirk.

Kagome laughed. “Sorry, too late,” she said, smiling.

Kouga sauntered over to her, placing both hands on her hips. “Well, how about we get you undressed, then you could dress again, and I wouldn't have missed anything…” he said, still smirking.

“Mmm, sounds tempting, but how about we have breakfast instead?”

Kouga pouted playfully, and Kagome smiled coyly, lighting the fire and placing the pot over it.

Kouga put himself in charge of cooking the fish, and it was done at the same time the tea was. They worked together, serving each other and eating quickly. When they were done, they cleared quickly, eager to get on the road. Kouga scooped Kagome up and began to run alongside the river. She asked him when he thought they would get there, and he told her that he didn't think it was much further. By the position of the sun, Kagome figured it was around nine o'clock when they began traveling, and it was almost noon now. They were traveling south, so it was getting warmer by the mile. Despite the breeze created by Kouga's swift run, Kagome felt very hot, and began to sweat. She told Kouga it was warm, and he agreed, but seemed to be unaffected. He kept running, so Kagome thought perhaps it was her.Kouga had been running for about three and a half hours now, and although he hadn't even broken a sweat, he thought he should stop, at least for Kagome's sake. If anything, she needed a break from the traveling. He looked down at her, and she didn't look so good. She seemed weak; she had complained about the heat earlier, and now she was perspiring lightly, and she looked out of it. With the breeze, she shouldn't be warm. Perhaps her clothes were keeping her too warm? The wolf prince nudged her a little, watching her reaction. Kagome looked up at him and smiled weakly. Worried, Kouga quickened his pace.The climate got warmer as they traveled further south, and the river seemed as though it was getting wider as well. Now, it was probably ten feet across, instead of the six feet where they had first encountered it. The river was probably deeper here too. The further south he ran, the more foreign everything seemed. Kouga didn't think he had ever gone this far south. After several more minutes, he could see the area up ahead clearing, as if it was making way for something.

“Kagome… up ahead… the forest is clearing… Kagome?”

Looking down again, Kouga saw that the miko was not responsive. Was she sleeping? Or sick? He stopped running, and checked her forehead. It was not much warmer than her usual temperature, he noted, but she was still glistening with sweat. He shook her lightly, then a little harder when she hadn't responded. Worried now, he placed her on the ground. He called her name, shaking her, but she did not awaken. Placing his ear against her chest, he listened for her heartbeat. It was fast, despite the fact that she hadn't been moving. He also noticed the warmth that radiated from her body. She's overheated, he thought. Forgive me, Kagome. I don't mean this in that way…

Kouga grabbed her sweater, pulling it over her head as he had seen her do. Then, he attempted to take off the restrictive, heavy pants. He clawed at the zipper, not knowing how to take them off. He stopped himself, knowing that she would be angry if he ripped her clothes, and concentrated. He fumbled with the button, and through luck was able to undo it. He moved to the zipper, figuring that it had to be moved down, and was able to get it down. Realizing that she was almost naked, he blushed a little, but was more upset that she hadn't woken up. Shoving her clothes into her yellow pack, he lifted her again, concerned with how limp her body was. He began to run again, hoping the breeze would awaken her. But more quickly than he had expected, the river widened even more, and he could see that the earth was giving way to a drop. He hadn't noticed the increasing noise of the quickened pace of the river; he had been too concerned with Kagome's health. But now, as the ripples were turning into rapids, the noise was almost deafening for his sensitive Yourouzoku ears, and he winced as he ran alongside the river. After a few more minutes, he realized that Kagome was not waking up. It occurred to him that he should place her in the water, like she first did with Yuki. He decided that it was best to do it where the water was calmer, but as he followed the river to the waterfall, he could tell that the drop was a long one. He could hear the water crash unto the rocks below, and the sound was maddening. He couldn't make it down in time to the bottom, and it would take too long to run back up to where the water was calm, so there was only one choice. He would have to do it here.

Kouga stood motionless, staring at the river. He regarded it as if it were a wild, blue snake. It hissed at him out of spite, and he growled back. Leaving her stuff on the bank, Kouga braced himself for the impact of the rapids, and walked into the cool water. It was a nice temperature. Cool enough to lower her temperature, but much warmer than it had been upstream. He walked until he was up to his waist in the river. Lowering his arms, he placed Kagome's overheated body into the water. He noticed that she had the same panties on from the other night, except these were an emerald green color. He felt ashamed of himself as he brought his eyes back up to her face. He bent over and kissed her; letting it linger a moment, before he felt something move at his side. Alarmed, he pulled away and looked down. I… think it was her hand. I think her fingers were moving… He supported her with one hand, using the other to gently brush her bangs away from her face. The droplets of water that left his hand and fell to caress her face began to wake her, and her eyes slowly fluttered open.

“K… Kouga?” she whispered.

The wolf demon grinned at her, happy that she was conscious again. “Hey… I was worried about you for a minute there.”

Kagome attempted to laugh, but it came out sounding sickly, and Kouga placed his fingers over her lips. She smiled at him, and they stayed there for a few moments, capturing each other with their stares. As she cooled off, Kagome started to feel better, and she asked what had happened. He explained to her that he had been running when he noticed that she was unconscious, and he treated her the same way she had treated the wolf cub. The priestess smiled gently and caressed his face.

“But why am I in my underwear?” she asked, almost a little too calmly.

Kouga, feeling a little nervous now, laughed. “Well, those clothes were so warm, they were making you worse…”

Kagome, squinting, began to understand. “Okay, I understand you were worried. But can I get dressed now?” she said, a little happier.

Kouga nodded, and without hesitation, began to lower her onto her feet. Without warning, the currents began to pull at Kagome's tiny frame. Kouga had immediately turned toward the bank, fumbling for the miko's back pack. He was able to move with ease in the torrents because of his strength, but he forgot that his companion was merely human. A submerged log swept Kagome off her feet, making her plunge into the river. Where they had been standing, the river was approximately three feet deep, getting deeper in the middle, where Kagome had been swept. She clawed at the riverbed with her feet, unsuccessfully. She was finally able to brace herself, and used the opportunity to push herself to the surface for air. Rocketing out of the water, she gasped for air, and used it to scream for her friend.

“…OUGA!” She was carried back under the surface of the river, and began to move downstream.

Upon hearing his name shrieked, Kouga whirled around, to find Kagome gone. Oh shit, he thought, the river was too strong for her! He dropped the clothes he had been collecting, and dove into the river. Swimming, he could see Kagome struggling, trying to reach the surface again. He swam furiously, but he realized that he was too late. Not only would he not be able to reach her, but she was close to the waterfall. And he was going to go over, too. He was half-comforted to see that she was able to use a boulder to thrust herself upwards again, allowing her lungs to take in some more air, but as she came down, only a few meters ahead of him, he could tell that the waterfall was sucking her in. They exchanged looks of horror, and then, she went over the waterfall.

“KAGOMEEEEEEEE!” Kouga cried, leaping back to the surface. With every ounce of strength, he swam towards the drop, preparing himself for the fall. Suddenly, the wolf prince felt everything turn over, and there was nothing solid, as he was hurled over the edge. Feeling himself fall, Kouga recognized which way was up, but dove instead. He saw Kagome's fragile body plummet towards the lake below. Please, just don't let her hit the rocks… He watched as she disappeared again into the water. Kouga was too wet to realize that tears were streaming from his eyes, and he began to upright himself as he noticed a rock jutting out from the water. He braced himself, and his powerful legs received the impact as he sprang off the rock, reducing the force of hitting the lake that wait for him. The shock of the collision with the boulder passed through his body like a lightning bolt as he sprang forward, attempting to jump into the water where he thought Kagome would be. He disappeared into the lake, diving to look for the priestess, but he couldn't find her. Growing more frantic with each passing second, he swam further out, sensing that she may have been carried by the pulsing waves created by the water falling from the cascade. He was getting close to one of the banks when he saw something. Ascending to the surface, he gasped for air, and by the shore, he saw her; Kagome was lying half on the land, half in the water. And he swam towards her, clawing his way towards the woman he loved, hoping against hope that she wasn't dead.