Work Text:
The owner of Baying Wolfe Wildlife Sanctuary rubbed her eyes behind her glasses and tried not to pinch her nose in aggravation as she released a quiet sigh. She could feel a migraine coming on and it was all thanks to the man in her office droning on about his “exemplary skill set” and oh did I mention that I had the privilege to work with Steve Irwin for an entire month?
Jodie Chapman had to physically bite her tongue to keep herself from responding that yes, he had. Seven times. Oh—nope, make that eight times, now. The man truly had no qualms in terms of boasting about his various accomplishments and plentiful awards he’d received in his career as a Zoologist and self-proclaimed wildlife handler.
He also seemed to have no shortage of confidence, however Jodie always did believe that there was a fine line between confidence and arrogance.
Jodie sighed again and waited for yet another moment to interrupt his clearly rehearsed spiel pitching an idea that seemed far too dangerous to even contemplate. “Cozy Up with the Crocs?” Was he serious?
“—once in a lifetime opportunity,” he was saying, gesticulating wildly with his hands. “And with myself heading the entire thing, there’s no way it could possibly fail! And weren’t you just telling me this place runs on donations and volunteer work so you couldn’t pay me? You could use the money made from this event to spruce up those old exhibits you were talking about and I would be enriching the customers with a new and exciting experience and demonstrate my vast skill set! It’s a win-win!”
Jodie offered a strained smile. “Mr. Benson—”
“Ryker.” He smiled charmingly.
The sanctuary owner cleared her throat. “Mr. Benson, while I do appreciate your willingness to aid us with your…unconventional idea to increase revenue and boost business, I really don’t think customers will be lining up to feed the crocodiles. Waylon can be quite intimidating given his size, and he’s still not used to his own handler, so I doubt—”
“But I am a professional,” Ryker Benson interrupted, dismissing her doubts with a wave of his hand. “I have handled animals twice his size before with no problems at all. After all, I would not be very good at what I did if I were intimidated by an animal bigger than myself.”
He chuckled, clearly amused at the thought. Jodie felt her eyebrow twitch as she inhaled sharply through her nose. Leaning forward on her desk while fighting the urge to look pointedly at the clock, she clasped her hands together and regarded him over the rim of her glasses.
“Mr. Benson—”
“Ryker.”
“—with all due respect, I just don’t think it’s safe—”
“If it’s safety you’re worried about, I’ve got that taken care of,” Ryker cut her off with yet another careless wave of his hand. “I have a few people under my employ, personally trained by yours truly, that I can bring along to enhance safety precautions. And with your own handlers on standby, we’ll be more than covered in that aspect. And it’s not like I’m going to let them anywhere near the creature. I am not that careless.”
The self-proclaimed crocodile handler scoffed. How preposterous to think that he, one of the greatest Zoologists of this time, would ever let anything happen to a helpless citizen. He guaranteed his plan would be a success, and really he didn’t understand why this Ms. Jodie Chapman was so reluctant. He had it on good authority that this wildlife sanctuary was not doing very well in the monetary aspects, so he was doing her a favor by offering his services. She increases profit, gets to keep her precious business, and he gets his name out there while demonstrating his impressive knowledge and skills. It was a win-win situation! Didn’t she see that?
Mrs. Chapman sighed as a frown furrowed her brow, clearly still hesitant. Ryker bit back a smirk and went in for the kill.
“I’ll pay you,” Ryker started, voice firm and completely serious. At Jodie’s incredulous expression, he continued, “Yes, you heard that right. So not only would this event bring in some desperately needed profit, you will be getting a hefty sum on top of that as well, and let me assure you, Ms. Chapman, I am no cheapskate.”
Sucking in a sharp breath, Jodie schooled her features and pressed her lips into a tight line as she regarded her guest with speculative brown eyes. Behind her she heard a slight rustling of clothes as her assistant edged closer but she ignored her.
Ryker stared calmly back and raised his brows, giving a careless shrug. “You would be a fool to turn this offer down, Ms. Chapman. And I don’t make offers twice.”
He crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, calm and confident and incredibly infuriating.
Soft throat clearing brought both of their attention to Jodie’s assistant as she inched up beside her boss, a petit, soft-spoken young woman with flaming red hair and a spackle of freckles dotting the bridge of her nose. She clutched a clipboard to her chest and blushed as they both looked at her with expectation.
“Um, e-excuse me,” she began, bowing in apology at the interruption. “If I may, Ms. Chapman?”
Jodie frowned, but nodded. Zoe was a shy, but brilliant woman and Jodie valued her opinion. If she’d battled against her own bashfulness and mustered up the courage enough to interrupt, Jodie knew it must be worth listening to.
Lounging carelessly from his spot against the wall, Ryker watched with ill-disguised curiosity as the small redhead leaned in close to the older woman and spoke too softly for him to hear. He watched Jodie’s expression carefully, gauging her reaction, but the woman didn’t give much away as she listened, her face carefully neutral.
Several more minutes passed as the two conversed too quietly for him to hear. Ryker was starting to get a little impatient when finally, Zoe stepped back to once again stand quietly behind her boss. Ryker straightened and pretended to study the various trophies, awards, and certificates that lined her office wall as Jodie turned back to him with a sigh. Feigning indifference, he glanced at her and had to fight back the smirk of success at the resigned look on her face.
Thank you, Red, Ryker silently sent his gratitude toward the tiny woman and made sure his face gave nothing away as he turned toward the owner of Baying Wolfe. He hadn’t a clue what had been discussed, but if he’d had to guess, it had something to do with the poor monetary aspects of the business. He had to admit, Ryker wasn’t all that surprised that she’d caved with little persuasion. Jodie Chapman didn’t seem to be the prideful type, especially when it came to her business.
And after all…money did make the world go ‘round, did it not.
Jodie stared at him with sharp brown eyes, brow wrinkled and lips in pressed into a tight line. Ryker stared coolly back, single eyebrow raised. Finally she sighed, dragged a hand down her face, and quipped, “How much.”
“Twenty,” Ryker immediately answered.
Jodie narrowed her eyes. “Fifty.”
“Twenty-five.”
“Forty.”
Ryker’s jaw tightened. “Thirty,” he gritted out, gaze narrowing. “Half now, half afterward. Final offer.”
Jodie opened her mouth, but subtle throat-clearing behind her gave her pause. She grimaced, rolled her eyes heavenward, and released a huff. Brown eyes collected with steely gray as she nodded once, the motion stiff, curt.
“Deal,” Jodie said and her eyes hardened as she stood up from her desk.
Ryker smiled, back to his previously charming personality as he stepped forward and reached out a hand. “A pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Chapman.”
Jodie eyed the hand for a moment before reluctantly clasping with it her own and staring hard into triumphant gray eyes. Her hand tightened.
“Don’t make me regret this, Ryker Benson.”
Ryker smiled winningly.
“Leave it to me, Jodie Chapman. You have absolutely nothing to worry about. Trust me.”
-X-
“Uh…boss?”
“What?” Ryker answered without looking up from his phone, distracted and a little irritated he’d had to fork over so much money in order to set up the event. It should have been the other way around, dammit. But whatever. A small sacrifice to get his name out there and bring in revenue for his own growing business. The Baying Wolfe was just a means to an end.
“Isn’t there supposed to be five of them?”
“What?” Finally looking up, Ryker frowned at his nervous-looking subordinate before turning his gaze to the animals in question. Standing beside a smallish body of water in the crocodile enclosure closest to the reinforced door that was used during feeding times, Ryker’s frown deepened when he counted four of the creatures lounging by the second larger body of water toward the back and not the five Jodie had assured they housed. He looked around for the elusive fifth, didn’t find it, counted again, got four, counted once more, came to four again, then finally shrugged. Whatever. Not his problem.
“It’s fine,” he said and went back to staring at his phone. “Get back to work. This little overture cost me fifteen grand and I won’t have my employees standing around pissing away my money by not doing what I pay you to do.”
The worker exchanged a nervous glance with his coworker who looked equally as perturbed about the missing crocodile. “But, sir…don’t you think we should—”
“I said get to work, Daniels,” Ryker snapped, looking up to send his employee a sharp glare for his continued defiance. “I don’t care if there’s supposed to be five or fucking twenty of the ugly bastards. We’re not their goddamned keepers, now shut up and continue setting up for this overpriced event to happen. I wanna get out of this shithole before I have to pay the pretentious bitch of an owner the other half of the money I promised her. Capiche?”
Though still looking nervous and clearly reluctant, Daniels along with the three other employees wordlessly nodded and grudgingly got back to work while not so discreetly looking out for the elusive fifth crocodile. The enclosure wasn’t all that large, given the sanctuary wasn’t very large either, and both bodies of water looked too shallow to fully submerge one of the creatures. Maybe the one that the owner had mentioned – the largest male – had been deliberately sequestered somewhere for safety precautions? Something about it having a nasty temperament and not even giving his own handler a hard time?
“Chop, chop, gentlemen,” Ryker drawled, eyes once more glued to his phone. “Those ropes won’t set up by themselves. I don’t pay you to question shit that’s not your concern.”
Rolling their eyes, the men exchanged once last uneasy glance and continued setting up for the “overpriced event,” all the while still looking out – just in case – for a lurking fifth scaly beast.
-X-
“Babe,” Kagome gasped as she was practically dragged through the wildlife sanctuary by her strangely behaving boyfriend. “Bankotsu, will you please tell me where we’re going and for the love of god, would you slow down? People are staring and you’re making me trip!”
As he had for the last four times she’d asked him, Bankotsu didn’t answer, however he did slow down enough where she didn’t feel like she was going to faceplant into the dirty pavement. She sighed in relief as she finally got her footing back but frowned at her boyfriend’s back as he continued to pull her along behind him at a more manageable, but still fast pace.
She didn’t understand what had suddenly gotten his knickers in such a twist. As far as she knew, they’d been having a grand old time, going from exhibit to exhibit, Kagome exclaiming over all the cute exotic animals and expressing her awe at the more dangerous ones. Bankotsu’s excitement had been more subdued, but he’d gamely trailed after his girlfriend without protest and seemed happy enough to be there with her. He’d even bought her a cute little stuffed dog plush from the gift shop that she absolutely adored.
It wasn’t until after she’d gotten back from the bathroom that his behavior had started to change. He was tucking something into his back pocket as she approached, but he’d distracted her with some cotton candy before she could ask what it was. It was subtle at first so Kagome hadn’t noticed. He’d merely suggested they head toward the reptilian exhibits since they hadn’t gone that way yet, and at Kagome’s clear reluctance, he’d said something along the lines of going wherever she wanted to without complaint; couldn’t they go somewhere he wanted just this once?
Kagome had easily given in after that. He was right, of course. She wanted both of them to have fun; it wouldn’t be fair if only she dictated where they went and only saw the exhibits she wanted to see. Far from being a selfish person, she’d allowed Bankotsu to lead them toward her least favorite part of the sanctuary and had hidden her discomfort behind a strained smile. It wasn’t like they’d be there all day; what was fifteen or twenty minutes?
But then the closer they got, the faster Bankotsu walked until, evidently unhappy with how slow she was going, he’d paused long enough to grab her wrist and not so much as lead but drag her through the sanctuary, following the signs pointing toward the reptilian exhibits. Kagome had only put up with it for a grand total of two minutes before she’d started asking where he was taking her, but he’d ignored her every time.
However, now that she wasn’t in danger of falling on her face and embarrassing herself in front of dozens of people, and considering the fact that they’d just passed a fairly large snake exhibit, Kagome decided she really needed to know where he was taking her. Her heart was beating faster the further in they went and the fear sweat was sliding down the back of her neck now.
Swallowing thickly, Kagome tugged at her hand. “Ban, where are you taking me? You know I don’t—I’d be happy to wait somewhere while you went by yourself—”
Either fed up with his girlfriend’s insistent nagging or they’d reached his destination, Bankotsu paused only long enough to veer off to the side away from the main walkway. He released her wrist and absently Kagome massaged it as he finally turned to face her, his face a mask of steely determination as he reached into his pocket. Kagome watched with mounting trepidation as he unfolded it and held it up for her to read.
“You’re doing this,” he told her firmly in a tone that brooked no argument as Kagome’s face went white and her eyes went wide. “And don’t you dare try getting out of it, either. I’m sick of this stupid, pointless fear you have from something that happened fucking years ago, when you were a damned kid, and facing your fear is the best bet to get over it.”
Kagome was already shaking her head and drawing back, putting a hand out as if that would deescalate the rapidly escalating situation she suddenly found herself in. Her stomach twisted into unpleasant knots and her heart beat a rapid tattoo inside her chest. She could feel the sweat dampening the back of her tank top now, clinging and uncomfortable. Wide blue eyes read the attention-grabbing flier again and swallowed the rising lump in her throat.
Getting Cozy with the Crocs!
A once in a lifetime opportunity!
Feed the crocodiles and get your picture taken with renowned crocodile handler Ryker Benson!
TODAY ONLY!
1pm to 5pm
$50 per person
Hurry! Don’t miss your chance—limited spots available! Reserve your spot now on our website or call 555-867-5309
He wanted her to get that close to a crocodile? Knowing that she’d had a deadly fear of them since she was a child for a very good reason? He must be out of his mind! She was pretty sure this wouldn’t do anything except scar her for life! What was he thinking?!
“B-Bankotsu—n-no. No,” Kagome said, frantically shaking her head and tearing her gaze away from the piece of paper to stare at her boyfriend’s face with fear-stricken blue eyes. “I-I can’t. I won’t. You know I can’t—uh-uh. No. I’m not doing that!”
Bankotsu scowled and stepped closer, getting in her face. “Don’t argue with me! I’m not giving you a fucking choice here, so stop being such a baby and act your age! Fuck’s sake, you’re twenty-six years old, Kagome! And you’re telling me you’re still scared a fucking glorified lizard?”
The tone he used suggested how utterly pathetic he thought she was because of that fear and Kagome glared at him, hurt that he thought her completely legitimate fear of a large and dangerous animal was unreasonable. It had always been a sore subject in their relationship whenever it came up and his invalidation always made her feel like she was a lesser being somehow just for having a fear of something that was normal to be wary of. She’d thought that anybody that had fallen off a boat as a child into crocodile infested waters and nearly drowned by one would give them plenty of reason to be scared of them, but her boyfriend just didn’t seem to understand that.
Pressing her lips into a tight line of steely determination, Kagome crossed her arms and lifted her chin. She would not back down. Not this time. Bankotsu could bully and make fun of her all he wanted, but there was no way in hell she was getting anywhere near one of those “glorified lizards” as he’d called them.
She inwardly snorted. Yeah, thousand-pound lizards with dozens of razor-sharp teeth and a mouth that could tear your head clean off your shoulders. No thank you.
“I said no, Bankotsu,” Kagome remarked, unfazed by his deepening scowl. “I don’t care what you think, but this will not help me ‘get over my fear.’ I can’t help my fears being what they are any more than you can’t help being a damn prick about it.”
The tightening of her boyfriend’s jaw suggested that that probably hadn’t been the best thing to say, but she held back her flinch and continued, “You can go get ‘cozy with the crocs’ all you want, but I’m gonna get a milkshake and wait by the car, because now you just ruined the entire damn trip with this stupid argument and I wanna go home. Text me when you’re on your way back.”
Kagome turned around, promptly dismissing him and his crazy idea. She was more than a little peeved that he thought he could just tell her she was doing something without discussing—
Her wrist was once again seized in a vice-like grip and Kagome gasped as she was spun around. She was met with icy blue eyes and a face set with a familiar determination that had Kagome’s blood running cold. She knew that look. It was the look he adapted whenever he decided enough was enough, and Kagome had been with him long enough to know by now that it was impossible to win an argument when he looked at her like that. Which meant he was not going to take no for an answer and Kagome was about to get very up close and personal with the one animal in the world that sent her into heart palpitations just looking at them. Being within mere feet of them would undoubtedly trigger her fight or flight and fainting or having an actual panic attack were very real possibilities, none of which were ideal scenarios in that situation.
But either Bankotsu didn’t care, or he just didn’t understand, and Kagome doubted it was the former. Sure, they’d had their ups and downs, but it was clear he cared. And…now that she really thought about it, maybe…this was his way of showing that he cared? By wanting her to get over her fear so she wasn’t so ruled by it anymore? So she can stay in the room whenever he wanted to watch Animal Planet or something? Maybe it was a little unconventional, his methods, but he wouldn’t be going out of his way if he didn’t care. Right?
Bankotsu must have seen the gears turning on her face, because his expression suddenly lost its hard edge, but the stubborn set to his jaw remained. “It’s for your own good, Kagome. How else are you gonna get over this irrational fear of yours? We don’t even live in an area where they’re native. Do you know how ridiculous you sound when you say you’re afraid of crocodiles of all things?”
Kagome blushed and bit down on her lip, dropping her gaze. When he said it like that, it made her feel like the fool he constantly made her out to be because of this. Kagome was busy reevaluating her choice in boyfriends when suddenly said man was striding away and once more dragging her with him, apparently taking her silence as his answer. Paling, Kagome fought him, tugging at her wrist and digging her heels into the ground as she sought to escape.
“N-no, wait,” she begged, using her free hand to try and pry his fingers loose. “Bankotsu, I really, really don’t want to do this—”
“It’s too late,” he called back without even sparing her a glance. “I already paid the fee online, and it’s nonrefundable. You’re doing this, Kagome, quit being such a baby about it. There will be trained officials right there with you the entire time and I doubt you’ll even come close to one. What’s the worst that can happen? Now let’s go, the reservation is in fifteen minutes.”
“Bankotsu, please—” Tears were pricking her eyes now, threatening to spill down pale cheeks, and her heart felt like it was about to burst out of her chest. She choked back a sob and frantically looked around in hopes someone would notice her predicament, but nobody was paying attention. Everybody was crowded around the very exhibit they were headed toward, looking down into the enclosure and watching in awe as some brave soul fed the very big danger lizards. She could hear cheering and gasps and applause and a loud male voice rattling off crocodile facts to an enraptured audience. People were too engrossed to notice her boyfriend dragging her toward the staircase that would take them down and right next to the enclosure instead of above it, where guests could get a closer look behind thick panels of glass that made up part of the side.
Kagome shifted her gaze, got a glimpse of something green and scaly and immediately intensified her struggles to free herself. “Wait—wait, Bankotsu, I’m serious—!”
“We’re here.”
Stopping abruptly next to an easel holding a sign that proclaimed “CWC Event This Way” with an arrow that pointed down a hallway guarded by a sanctuary employee, Bankotsu yanked her in front of him, ignoring her yelp of protest. Wordlessly he tugged off her purse while the employee stepped forward and asked to see the confirmation. While Kagome stood there looking seconds away from having a nervous meltdown, Bankotsu dug out his phone and brought up the email confirmation he’d received after signing up and paying the fee.
The employee scanned the screen presented to him, nodded once, and stepped aside, waving her through. “Only one person at a time. Sorry,” he said, not sounding sorry at all.
Visibly shaking, Kagome turned pleading eyes to her boyfriend in one last attempt to get him to see reason. Tears brimmed her eyes and she had to swallow several times to get the words past the lump in her throat.
“B-Bankotsu—babe, please, I can’t—I can’t do this, I’ll pay you back the money, I promise I will, just please can we go—”
“I’ll be right over here,” he cut her off and stepped away, toward the glass separating the guests from certain death. “It’ll be fine. You have to do this, Kagome. It’ll be good for you, you’ll see. Now get going, you’ll lose your spot if you don’t show up and I don’t wanna waste the money I spent on this.”
Kagome’s lip trembled. “Ban…”
Her boyfriend crossed his arms and turned away, looking toward the glass and into the enclosure, dismissing her.
Kagome felt something inside her break at his cold dismissal and swallowed the sob that threatened to burst past her lips. In one last desperate bid of escape, she turned to the employee, but he was looking everywhere but at her, deliberately keeping his gaze away from her and pretending she wasn’t there at all. She sent him a mild glare for his trouble. Unsurprisingly it went ignored.
Resigned to her fate, Kagome sucked in a trembling breath, steeled herself, lifted her chin, and started down the hallway in as a determined march as she could muster, which to anyone watching would argue that it was more of a defeated trudge of someone walking to her death. Which, to Kagome, it certainly felt like it.
I can do this, Kagome told herself over and over again, trying to control the shaking of her body by clamping her arms around herself. She felt physically sick, her breathing coming in increasingly shorter pants the closer she got, and her skin felt cold and clammy. I can do this. And when this is over, we are having a long, loooong talk, Bankotsu Kusao. You’re sleeping on the couch for a damned month!
Before she knew it, Kagome had reached the end of the very short hall. Briefly she wondered if she could just stand there for the next half-hour and make them think she was a no-show, but then remembered that Bankotsu could see from the other side of the glass and she knew he’d storm in after her and forcibly push her the rest of the way if she didn’t.
Grimacing, Kagome sucked in a calming breath, braced herself, and forced her feet to carry her the rest of the way, toward the reinforced door with yet another employee waiting to open it for her. Better to get it done and over with than to stand around procrastinating.
The employee gave her an odd look beneath the bill of his hat and swung open the door for her. Kagome hoped whatever she gave him passed off for a smile as she walked by and into – oh god – into the crocodile enclosure with real. Live. Crocodiles oh dear lord she was going to die and not by the actual animal but by her heart giving out before she even made it halfway through.
The door slammed shut behind her with a resounding thud and Kagome felt her stomach drop to her feet as her heart gave an echoing thud against her ribcage, painful and shuddering. Frantically Kagome looked around, absolutely needing to know where the creatures in question were. It was imperative she knew their location so she could stay as far away from them as she could. She spotted four of them lounging by a body of water toward the back and a quick glance around told her they were the only ones. She relaxed a little, but not all the way—Kagome doubted she’d be able to relax fully within any sort of vicinity of those things.
Eyeing them cautiously as she edged as far away from them as she could, Kagome surmised that they didn’t really look about ready to lunge and make a meal out of her. Still, that didn’t mean anything. They were unpredictable and she was not about to give them a pound of flesh if she could help it.
Swallowing harshly and hoping her roiling stomach didn’t rebel and embarrass her in front of everyone, Kagome flicked a glance to the side and spotted Bankotsu on the other side of the glass, as he’d said he’d be. He was staring at her and when he caught her gaze, he mouthed, “You’re doing great.”
Then the prick smiled at her. She glared at him.
“You must be our next volunteer,” a familiar male voice suddenly spoke up and Kagome turned her attention to the source of it. She was met with a charming smile and gray eyes that reminded her of a storm cloud. “Welcome to Getting Cozy with the Crocs! What’s your name, sweetheart?”
He gestured her forward with a wave of his hand and biting down on her lip, Kagome slowly edged closer. Donned in khaki cargo shorts with a button-down shirt the same shade, who she could only assume was the “renowned” Ryker Benson stood at about five-seven and had wavy brown hair that reached his shoulders. He was lean and his smile had dimples. When she was close enough, to slung an arm around her shoulder to tug her into his side and he smelled strongly of aftershave.
Kagome wrinkled her nose. The scent clashed with the humid, musky scent of the crocodile enclosure and made her already protesting stomach lurch in protest. Ugh.
The sound of water splashing behind her, hardly noticeable among the ruckus the guests were making, had Kagome stiffening and whipping around to stare at the small body of water next to the door. The surface was calm and undisturbed. She narrowed her eyes, trying to see through the dirty water if anything was moving inside it, but when nothing happened, she passed it off as nerves. No one else seemed alarmed, so maybe with as on edge as she was, she imagined it. But still, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to keep her eye on it…
“Sweetheart?” Ryker prodded when she’d yet to answer him and Kagome blinked up at him, confused. “Your name?”
Blushing, Kagome mumbled, “K-Kagome.”
Ryker smiled and turned the charm to eleven. “Kagome! Pleased to meet you. I’m Ryker Benson, but I’m sure you already knew that.” He chuckled. Kagome forced a smile and eyed the reptiles again. They hadn’t moved, which boded well for her. Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as she thought…?
She thought she heard subtle water splashing behind her again but before she could turn around, Ryker Benson claimed her attention again by steering her over to a closed water cooler. Kagome blanched. She just bet she knew what was in that thing.
The Steve Irwin wannabe or whatever his name was started his spiel about the feeding habits and living conditions of the oversized death lizards but she tuned him out, keeping her full attention on the lizards in question just over yonder. One of them had moved, half sprawling on top of another and it opened its massive jaws wide in response. It hissed and Kagome may or may not have whimpered.
“—feeding tool specially designed to withstand the force of their bite—”
Oh god she was gonna be sick. Grimacing, Kagome snuck a glance toward Bankotsu – he was staring at his phone now, looking bored – and then back to the scaly green uglies she was being forced to be anywhere nearby.
“—three thousand seven hundred pounds per square inch, and in comparison, us humans can bite into a steak with maybe one hundred-fifty PSI.”
Whatever color was left in Kagome’s face abruptly drained at that and her knees buckled, threatening to give out. Had it not been for the arm around her shoulders, they most likely would have.
“—fish to Delilah, the smallest of the four,” Crocodile Dundee was saying now, jerking Kagome out of her inner laments. “So far she hasn’t seemed really interested in the fish we’ve offered, but maybe Kagome here can change that. Whaddaya say, Kagome?”
Kagome says get me out of here! Her smile was strained as she managed to force out through a throat tight with nerves, “S-sure.”
“Spectacular!” Dundee crowed and for some reason their audience, lined up against the railing up top and behind the protective glass, cheered and applauded. He left her side to fetch something leaning against the wall and Kagome was hard pressed not to follow him; he was her only source of protection and damned if she wasn’t going to stick to him like glue. He came back with some kind of pole thing that Kagome assumed was used to feed the massive death lizards. On the end dangled a hook that looked to be welded to a piece of wire. Kagome winced at the bits of meat she could see still clinging to it. Gross.
Dundee – er, Benson – demonstrated how to use the feeding tool while giving clear instructions on where to place her hands and the position of her fingers in order to retain a proper, firm grip. Kagome silently obeyed, just wanting to get this done and over with so she could tear her boyfriend a new one and go home to soak in the tub for five hours before eating a pint of ice cream and passing out in their bed. Alone.
She had some serious thinking to do, and none of it boded well for her prick of boyfriend.
Benson left briefly to retrieve a vile smelling lump of meat from the cooler – a chunk of fish, Kagome suspected – and shoved it onto the hook with practiced ease. Kagome may have not so discreetly gagged.
Presumably at the sight and smell of the meat, all four of the aquatic creatures scuttled forward, dragging their massive bodies across the wet ground toward them with jaws open and many rows of sharp teeth displayed. Kagome shrieked, backpedaled, and would have fallen into the small pond or whatever it was behind her had Ryker not caught her arm to jerk her back.
“Whoa,” he said as she found her footing, putting a calming hand on her shoulder. “Easy now, it’s alright. They’re just excited. You’re safe with me, I promise.” He smiled at her, calm as you please.
“Are you high?!” Kagome screeched, but what actually came out was more along the lines of, “Eeehhh…!”
“Come on, now,” Guy with some Serious Mental Problems said, urging her forward with a hand on her back. “Fix your grip—there you go. Extend your arms…very good. A little closer, now—don’t worry, I’m right here…”
Though it was very difficult to keep the tool steady with as much as she was shaking, Kagome managed to dangle the chunk of slimy fish above the four gaping jaws. None of them were lunging for it and Kagome grit her teeth, forcing her sweaty hands to maintain their grip and her shaking arms to not give out.
Please just grab the damn thing, she inwardly pleaded, squeezing her eyes shut tight, and then forcing them back open. It was not a good idea to close her eyes around four unpredictable animals with a powerful bite. With the blood pounding in her ears, she hardly heard Benson’s words of reassurance behind her nor the din of the audience as they cajoled and cheered, safe from behind the glass and railings. Oh, how she envied all of them right now.
One of them hissed and snapped its jaws at another that dared inch closer. Kagome locked her knees and forced herself to remain where she was when all she wanted to do was drop the pole and bolt. A weird growling noise started coming out of one of them and the sound crawled along her back like icy fingers of doom.
It happened so suddenly Kagome barely registered it. The smallest one – Delilah – lunged forward, powerful tail lashing out as she reared up onto his back legs, and promptly snapped her jaws closed around the fish, the strength of her bite successfully yanking the pole right out of Kagome’s hands.
Kagome stumbled back with a shriek, eyes wide, heart beating a mile a minute as she put both shaking hands over her chest. Ryker cheered, their audience roared, but Kagome heard none of it over the blood pounding in her ears and her gasping breath sawing in and out of her lungs.
Neither did she hear the splashing of water behind her as something heavy emerged from the depths of the pool and by the time she – or anyone else noticed – it was far too late.
-X-
“I still don’t understand why you had to drag me with you,” Inuyasha groused as he trudged along behind the couple, hands in his pockets and scowl firmly in place. “Isn’t a date supposed to involve two people, not three?”
“Sure,” Miroku piped up, glancing over his shoulder with that glint in his eye that Inuyasha knew meant a stupid comment was imminent in T-minus two seconds. “But there’s this delightful thing called a throuple.”
“I hate you.”
“Don’t be like that, honeyboo.”
“You’re vile.”
“You like it when I’m nasty.”
“I may vomit.”
“Trashcan’s that way.”
“Thought I was looking at one.”
“That hurts, Inuyasha.”
“I’ll hurt you.”
“You know why we ‘dragged you with us,’ Inuyasha,” Sango finally butt in, smacking her boyfriend in the back of the head and ignoring his exaggerated cry of pain as she too glanced over her shoulder at the surly half-demon. “This is for your own good, whether you believe it or not. So stop pouting and just enjoy yourself, would you?”
The look he gave her was slightly incredulous. “‘Enjoy myself?’ You do know why demons don’t frequent these types of places, don’t you?”
“And yet, here you are,” Miroku helpfully pointed out, leaning over to steal a bite of Sango’s cotton candy.
Inuyasha directed his scowl back toward his best friend. “Half-demon, dumbass. And it’s not like I expect to see any dogs locked up in cages or some shit.”
“Wolves are dogs,” Miroku supplied and carelessly slung his arm around his girlfriend’s waist. Sango ate the rest of the cotton candy then made a noise as she waved a hand. Wordlessly Miroku handed over the bottled water in his other hand and she kissed his cheek in thanks.
Inuyasha snorted. “Mangy wolves don’t count.” He paused. “How pissed d’ya think that bastard wolf would get if I sent pic—”
“Do it!” Miroku crowed, thrusting an encouraging finger at him. Inuyasha smirked.
While demons weren’t banned from places like wildlife sanctuaries or zoos, it was still pretty uncommon to find one amongst the dozens of humans milling around. It wasn’t a secret that they deliberately avoided them mainly because seeing their animal counterparts “cruelly” locked up was too upsetting a sight to witness. Inuyasha could kind of understand. Nevermind the fact that all of the animals in captivity were here for a good reason, whether that be safety, health, or other circumstances, he could still understand their reasoning for wanting to stay away.
He was, after all, half demon himself.
“Which way was the wolf exhibit—”
“It’s been two months, Inuyasha,” Sango cut in with a sigh and the look she sent him that time was soft. “We’re just…worried.”
Inuyasha snapped his mouth shut and looked away, glaring off to the side. He heard Sango sigh again and Miroku say something to her in a soft tone, but he tuned them out. Keh. “Worried,” she says. What for? He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, dammit. He didn’t want their pity and he didn’t need them to—
Sango suddenly exclaimed and dragged a startled Miroku over to one of the exhibits where the biggest goddamn snake Inuyasha had ever seen lay draped across the boughs of a large tree. The discomfort was clear on Miroku’s face as his girlfriend whipped out her phone and forced her boyfriend to take a picture with her with the huge ass snack in the background. Sango snapped a picture of her shit-eating grin and Miroku’s pale, terrified face as he eyed the large serpent with clear unease and when she sent Inuyasha a wink, the anger swiftly drained out of him and his shoulders slumped in defeat.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, watching as Miroku bolted as soon as he was able, a cackling Sango running after him. Truth be told, he wasn’t even mad. Not really. Because he did know that his friends were only looking out for him. He knew they were worried, and that they thought they were doing what they deemed was best for him, and while he loved them for it, it wasn’t needed.
Because what they didn’t know, what he hadn’t told them, was that a few weeks after the breakup, Kikyou had reached out to him. They’d talked. Had had a calm, in-depth conversation about what went down, both of their feelings, and by the end of it, it was decided that it was best they remain friends and nothing more. They both agreed and accepted that they just weren’t compatible as a couple, and there were no hard feelings.
He’d felt better than he had in weeks after that conversation, and he could confidently say he was over his ex-girlfriend completely. He wasn’t sure why he never told his two best friends. Maybe because it had simply slipped his mind during the period of revelation and relief that followed afterward, or maybe he just didn’t feel the need to. Sure, he loved his friends, but he knew how opinionated they can both be, especially Sango, and maybe instinctively he wanted to avoid that.
Inuyasha smiled bitterly and shook his head, watching as Miroku chased a laughing Sango around so he could delete the picture she’d just taken, but not really seeing them. Ah, who the hell was he kidding? Even if he had told them, it wouldn’t change the fact that he was lonely, and he suspected that was the reason why his friends were so adamant on getting him out of his depressingly empty house. Sure, it might have been freeing to have that conversation with Kikyou, but he still moped around like nothing changed, still hardly left his home except to go to work.
He wasn’t used to being alone. He and Kikyou had been together for four years, spending nearly every day together or at the very least having some kind of contact with one another. And then suddenly having that taken away from him, that sense of connection and communication…it was jarring. Miroku and Sango probably know this, which was why they wanted him to get out more often, but what they didn’t realize is that being around them is a constant reminder of what he didn’t have anymore. He was jealous, seeing them together and so in love, and it made him moody and irritable and made him want to be a shut-in away from all the lovey-doviness.
Ergo, his caring but persistent friends dragged him from his house, forced him to be social, and thus he suddenly found himself here, on a sunny Saturday afternoon at The Baying Wolfe Wildlife Sanctuary as the third wheel on his best friends’ date. But as much as he may bitch and moan about it, Inuyasha never really put up that much of a fight and always let them have their way. Their intentions were good, he knew. And if he were being really honest with himself, Miroku and Sango’s mushiness was much more preferable than the empty silence of his house, anyhow.
Still, though. As the wind picked up a little and he got yet another waft of some very unpleasant animal odors, Inuyasha suspected there was a very good second reason as to why demons tended to avoid places like these. God fuck, but what were they feeding them? Some of those scents could not be normal—
At first he ignored them, figuring the various gasps and exclamations of shock were coming from some kind of show or display. It wasn’t uncommon for zoos or any sort of animal sanctuary to put on performances with the animals for the guests and have them do tricks and such. It was when people started rushing past him and the shouts of exclamation turned into cries for help that Inuyasha took notice, ears shooting straight up as every muscle in his body tensed. Ahead of him Miroku and Sango stopped as well, exchanging puzzled glances with each other and then with him before wordlessly following after the crowd of people rushing toward what looked to be the reptile exhibitions.
It wasn’t until the scent of blood hit his nose that Inuyasha moved, sprinting by his friends and darting in and out of the slowly moving crowd of patrons. The closer he got, the thicker the crowd became, and the heavier the scent of blood permeated the air. Cries of “Oh my god!” and “Call 911!” blended into the shocked uproar of the guests surrounding the exhibit and he felt his blood run cold.
Inuyasha shoved his way through the sea of people, ignoring their protests until he was standing at the railing and looking down into an enclosure. The first thing he noticed – or perhaps things would be more accurate – were the four large crocodiles. One was helping itself to a knocked over cooler full of what looked like fish; another had cornered a human male against the wall, jaws open and emitting a hissing sound. The other two were facing a body of water, jaws open and poised to attack.
Which led to the second thing Inuyasha noticed: the biggest, meanest looking green scaly bastard Inuyasha had ever seen in his life, half-submerged in the pool as it faced off with the two other overgrown lizards. The third and final thing that stole his attention was the pale, shaking, and utterly terrified looking woman in the pool with the creature, pressed back against the wall and pinned by a massive green tail. The water around her was dark brown which led Inuyasha to believe she was the source of the blood; the wound must be hidden in the dirty water and his heart leapt into his throat.
Shit. Son of a bitch. Fuck. How in the hell had this happened? Did she lean over too far and fall? Was she pushed? Golden eyes did a quick survey for any clues that would help him piece together what had happened, but nothing jumped out at him. Whatever, it didn’t matter anyway. The woman—she needed to get out of there, stat. Inuyasha knew absolutely nothing about crocs and their behavior, but he did know they were unpredictable and those sharp teeth meant business.
Claws scraping against steel railing, Inuyasha looked around him at the spectators. The entire enclosure was surrounded, people lined up against the railing, talking and shouting and dozens of phones were held aloft to record the situation below. He scowled in disgust. Fucking assholes. Here someone was in some very real danger of getting mauled by a fucking crocodile of all things and all they cared about was getting their five minutes of fame by recording it.
He did notice, however, a few of them held their phone to their ears and though he couldn’t hear any of them through the din, he hoped at least one of them was on the phone with emergency dispatchers. And speaking of, where the fuck were the professional handlers of these beasts? They were the ones responsible for keeping shit like this from happening to begin with!
Cursing, Inuyasha looked back down and directed his attention to the young woman once more. She was openly crying, her blue eyes wide as she visibly struggled to keep from moving, no doubt realizing any sort of movement could trigger the colossal bastard guarding his meal from the others. She was pale, her black hair was plastered to her skin, and the water continued to turn an even darker shade as more blood leaked from her wound.
Inuyasha’s heart thudded painfully in his chest and he swallowed hard as realization slammed into him. She couldn’t wait. Who knew how long emergency services would take to get here and there was no telling when that huge croc would turn around and finish the job. And out of everyone gathered around, waiting with bated breath, recording, shouting, watching, he was the only one capable of doing something. With his demon blood, he had the strength and reflexes to go head-to-head with one of these fuckers and maybe come out alive.
Looking at that pale face, those wide blue eyes the color of the ocean, Inuyasha made his decision.
“Inuyasha!”
Shoving their way through, Miroku and Sango came up behind him, frantic and pale. Inuyasha was already shrugging out of his jacket and when they came up beside him, he shoved the leather into Miroku’s arms. Reflexively his best friend took it, looking confused until he put two and two together, and then his eyes widened. Sango gasped as Miroku’s face hardened and he nodded once.
Without a second glance, Inuyasha turned and promptly vaulted himself over the railing, dropping into the crocodile enclosure below as dozens of shocked gasps and exclamations echoed around him at his heroic action.
“Look!”
“Is that a demon?”
“Is he going to save her?”
“Are you getting this?!”
“Oh my God—”
Inuyasha landed in a crouch a little behind the two facing off with the huge bastard guarding the woman and to the left of the one finishing off the cooler of fish. Almost instantly a hush fell over the hundreds of spectators observing. Good; he’d be able to hear their movements better and react swiftly if something happened. He idly noticed the huge panels of glass separating even more guests watching, but ignored them in favor of focusing on the task at hand. Thankfully his presence didn’t set off any of the overgrown lizards, although the one cornering the human male swung around to keep him in its sight.
Now, first things first—Inuyasha shifted his gaze and found impossibly large blue eyes already staring at him, bright with tears and holding a wealth of cautious hope that made his heart ache. He had to forcibly remind himself not to move, to not immediately dart in and carry her out of danger. Sure they were just regular animals with no demonic blood, but he didn’t only have himself to worry about this time. She was relying on him to get her out of here in one piece, and he’d be damned if he didn’t do exactly that.
Swallowing thickly, Inuyasha nodded once to her and mouthed, “Don’t move.” He watched as she inhaled quickly, flicked a glance to the croc keeping her from moving, and then nodded back. Her eyes, deep pools of expressive blue, silently begged him to get her out of here while wordlessly telling of her trust in him, a complete stranger.
Despite the dire situation, Inuyasha felt a curious warmth unfurl in his chest at that trust. New resolve filled him and keeping his eyes on hers, he nodded once more in wordless acknowledgment before casing the scene around him. The sound of a heavy door shutting caught his attention and he whipped his head around to discover that the human male, presumably a handler, had taken the distraction his presence had provided and escaped.
The sound spurred the croc nearest him into action and it threw itself around with a low hiss, jaws open to display frighteningly sharp teeth. It lunged, his audience gasped, Inuyasha cursed, and he reacted without thinking. He leapt, narrowly missing the jaws aimed for his leg, and landed next to the fish cooler. The scaly creature next to it whipped around with a hiss and snapped its jaws, clearly unwilling to share its pilfered meal. Dodging the long snout full of daggers, Inuyasha scooped up the cooler and hurled it across the enclosure; predictably fish spilled from it and splattered onto the wet concrete, a grotesque trail of fish guts and bloody ice.
To his surprise and relief, two of the crocs scuttled away to gobble up the chunks of meat, dismissing him. He didn’t relax, though; the third was still facing off with the fucker pinning the woman, evidently smart enough to realize there was fresher meat available. Frantically Inuyasha looked around for something to use to his advantage, anything that would help him get her to safety. He spotted what looked like a pole with a hook attached to the end and didn’t waste any time in edging along the wall to scoop it up.
Licking his lips, his breathing labored form the adrenaline pumping through his veins, Inuyasha took quick stock of the situation: one caiman, facing the pool of water with the woman and the largest croc, but with his body curled in a way to keep Inuyasha in its sight, mouth open, waiting. Big Chungus hadn’t moved much since he’d dropped inside, the front half of its body on land while the back lay submerged, the tail still keeping the woman in place.
Another glance at her told him she was positively petrified, shaking and pale and trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible. As frightened as she was, however, she still retained enough coherency to remain stock still. She kept her eyes on him, her beacon of hope, her savior, and Inuyasha silently vowed that he would not let her down.
I’ll save you, he inwardly swore, clenching his jaw and tightening his grip on the pole in his hands. I’ll get you out of here. I swear it.
And maybe she understood, maybe she saw the hardened resolve on his face, but whatever the case the woman’s face softened the slightest bit and she gave a barely perceptible nod.
I trust you.
Bracing himself, keeping his eyes on both of the very dangerous death lizards, Inuyasha slowly reached over with the pole and snagged a chunk of meat with the hook. He paused, waiting. Neither of them moved, beady black eyes trained on him. Even more slowly he dragged the hunk of fish over until he had enough leverage to shove the hook further in and lift it up. The crocodile closest to him hissed and jerked, tail lashing as it whipped his head around to follow the meat. A collective gasp echoed around him, but he ignored it.
“That’s it, ugly,” he murmured, shifting his hands on the pole for a more secure grip. “Follow the…fish.”
With a swift jerk of his arm, he flung the bait away, toward where the other two were lounging in the other pool, apparently content now that they were fed. Predictably, they both lunged after it and as he’d hoped, the third scurried by him, legs propelling itself across the wet pavement to gobble it up before the other two could get to it.
Three down, one to go. Inuyasha released a breath and turned to face his last foe, though he kept his ears cocked back to listen to the other four. He didn’t think they would be a problem, but he was in an enclosed space with five fucking crocodiles – like hell he wasn’t going to be aware of every single one.
Inuyasha frowned. Damn, he really was a big boy, wasn’t he. He calculated the bastard to be at least twenty feet long, from snout to the tip of his tail, and the fucker probably weighed at least a thousand pounds, if not more. He had a fleeting thought that he was glad the tail wasn’t against her chest; it’d probably crush her. Tangoing with one of these assholes was no joke, and he had to believe that it was a damned miracle that she was still alive.
Something Inuyasha aimed to keep that way so sucking in a bracing breath, the half-demon slowly, carefully, inched sideways while extending the pole one more time. He managed to hook another piece of fish, drag it toward him, and heft it up. Godzilla emitted a low growling noise but didn’t move.
“C’mon,” he muttered, bracing his legs a little farther apart and edging closer. “You know you want it, you big bastard.” If he could just lure it away from her enough so she could start inching her away out of the pool…
Inuyasha inched closer, shuffling his feet across the wet cement and waving the hunk of meat around as if to entice. Big, green, and scaly seemed a bit more intelligent than the other four, not giving so easily into the bait, but at the end of the day it was still a carnivore and that’s what Inuyasha was hoping to use to his advantage. And if it came down to it, hell, he’d fucking use himself if that’s what it took to get her out of here.
He’d made a vow, goddammit, and he sure as hell was going to see it through.
“Dammit, take the fucking bait, you ugly bastard,” Inuyasha hissed, scowling now as all the croc did was stare at him. The woman was looking worried now, biting down on her lip. He grit his teeth. Alright. Fine. If that’s how it was going to be.
Without giving himself time to think about the consequences of what he was about to do, Inuyasha swung the end of the pole toward him and yanked the chunk of meat off the hook with his free hand. Indistinct murmuring erupted from the spectators, but he gave them no mind. This was admittedly a very stupid thing he was about to it, but every second counted. She was getting paler by the minute, no doubt suffering a bit of blood loss, and she needed medical attention immediately.
He was a half-demon. He would recover within a matter of hours. She would not.
Gently lowering the feeding tool onto the ground and then nudging it away with his boot, Inuyasha slowly stood, held out the hunk of meat, and cautiously inched forward. Above the din of the crowd, he distinctly heard Miroku curse and the corner of his lips twitched. Yeah, he knew it was stupid and he knew he’d get an earful after this. But he couldn’t worry about that. Right now his priority was big blue eyes and the big green beast that separated them.
“Alright, you overgrown lizard,” Inuyasha murmured and inched even closer. “Here’s how it’s gonna go. You’re gonna take this bait, I’m gonna yeet you into that fucking wall—”
One minute the huge reptile was staring him down, and the next it had its jaw clamped down onto his arm. Inuyasha barely had time to release a clenched grunt of pain before he was being yanked down and in danger of having his arm ripped off when the croc heaved its massive body into a death roll. He heard screaming – the woman’s, the guests’ – he heard his name being hollered – Miroku – but above all he heard the hissing growl of the vicious caiman trying to dismember him. Crushing, burning pain ricocheted up his arm from where sharp teeth were embedded into muscle and the scent of his own blood was heavy amid the odors of reptile and dirty water. Then suddenly his head was underwater and he realized the bastard was trying to drown him as it heaved and spun around, determined to rip apart its prey for easy consumption.
It felt like hours as he struggled against the strong scaly body trying to drown him but in reality, it was probably only a minute when just as suddenly the motion stopped. Inuyasha seized the opportunity to maneuver himself as much as he could so he could bring his head above water. He came up sputtering and gasping, blinking rapidly to clear his vision. He took a moment to orient himself and managed to ignore the intense pain long enough to find himself just feet away from the croc’s first victim. To his great relief, she’d managed to heave herself out of the pool and was plastered against the wall, shaking, terrified, but alive. Her left calf was oozing fresh blood from a vicious bite mark but other than that she didn’t seem to be injured anywhere else. But still, they needed to stop that bleeding before it attracted the other crocs.
Fresh agony suddenly rocketed up his arm and it was then that Inuyasha realized the bastard hadn’t bothered to let go of his arm as he rested from his vigorous death roll. He grunted and clenched his teeth against the pain, ears plastered to his head as he frantically thought of what to do next. King Croc was gearing up to do another death roll and any minute Inuyasha was going to find himself dragged under water again. The teeth buried in his arm ensured he wasn’t able to pull himself free; doing so would take his entire fucking arm off and he was rather attached to it, no pun intended—
The reinforced door creaked open and Inuyasha’s ears swiveled to track the sound. He heard the excited murmuring of the crowd above him as he slowly craned his neck around, wondering if help had finally arrived. Lo and behold, Inuyasha watched as a man clad in the same khaki uniform that marked him as an employee slowly crept through the door. He stank of fear, but his expression spoke of a determination that Inuyasha couldn’t help but admire.
The bastard with the jaws clamped onto his arm hissed at the interruption and slunk away from the door, dragging Inuyasha with him. He winced at the fresh pain that ricocheted through him, clamping his teeth shut to keep any sounds from escaping. He heard a feminine gasp and a soft curse followed by the rustling of clothing, and then…
Inuyasha frowned. Blood. Deer blood, to be exact. Venison. His eyes widened upon realization and turning his head confirmed his suspicions; dangling from the employee’s hand was a large hunk of bloody meat. He shot his gaze to the other man’s and immediately he understood. The meat was going to be a distraction. When the guy tossed it, it was on hopes that his arm would be released and the bastard would go after the dead meat instead, giving Inuyasha the chance to scoop up the woman and get the fuck out of there.
Resolved, and with renewed hope, Inuyasha nodded once. The man sucked in a breath, eyed the beast keeping him captive, and returned the nod after a brief hesitation. Inuyasha had to give it to him; the guy was clearly scared shitless, but gamely pressed on, inching further inside at a snail’s pace but keeping the door propped open with his foot. When he was as far in as he could go, he paused and hefted up the bloody piece of bait.
Inuyasha braced himself, body tensing, breath quickening. The employee sucked in a breath, cranked his arm back, and hurled the venison as hard and far as he could. He didn’t wait to see where it landed; the instant it left his hand, he bolted back through the door, evidently leaving the rest to the incredibly brave half-demon.
The meat landed with a wet plop, the jaws around his arm loosened, and Inuyasha didn’t waste another second. He threw himself to the side, freed his arm, and was already scrambling to his feet as the crocodile propelled itself toward the bait. The woman was struggling to her feet, no doubt realizing what was happening, and the next second Inuyasha was there, wrapping an arm around her waist and sweeping her up into his arms. His arm hurt like a bitch and they were both bleeding all over each other, but he ignored it in favor of tensing his muscles and launching the both of them up and out of the enclosure. He landed on a patch of asphalt the spectators had cleared for them, safe at last, and promptly sank down to sit hard onto the ground with the woman sitting between his bent knees, clinging to him for dear life. He felt oddly out of breath so for a moment he just sat there, soaking wet, dragging lungfuls of air, and his arms full of shaking, whimpering woman.
Around them people were cheering, applauding the successful rescue attempt while others were kneeling beside them and firing off question after question, asking if they were alright, an ambulance was on its way, somebody get them some blankets, asap! It was loud. His ears plastered against his head, trying to drown out some of the din. Phones were still recording and he thought he heard something about a news station. He scowled. Fucking fantastic.
People were trying to gain his attention, touching his shoulders, his injured arm, and vaguely he was aware of Miroku kneeling next to him. He ignored them all in favor of concentrating on the woman cradled against his chest. She was openly sobbing now, fingers hooked into a death grip on his wet shirt and her small form was shaking violently either from shock or cold, possibly both. Instantly Inuyasha reacted, curling himself around her, unconsciously shielding her from the eyes of their audience as a surge of protective instinct swept through him. A deep rumble started in his chest, an involuntary attempt to soothe, to calm.
“Hey, you’re okay, you’re okay,” Inuyasha murmured to her, his voice low, gently as he tried his best to calm her down. “You’re alright, sweetheart, it’s alright. You’re safe, I got you. I got you.”
Breath hitching and coming in quick gasps, Kagome shook her head and clung to her savior, the terror that had taken ahold of her body slowly being replaced by intense, overwhelming relief. She was hardly aware of voices asking if she was alright, was only dimly mindful of the blanket that was draped over both of them. She concentrated on the clawed hand that ran through her wet hair, focused on the heart beat she felt beneath her hands, the low rumble that emitted from his chest. It melted into her skin, chased away the chill, and she closed her eyes, tuning out everything around them. Hot tears, indistinct from the water dripping from her hair, ran trails of warmth down her cheeks.
Everything around them fell away, the din of the crows around them melting into one indistinct murmur she was easily able to ignore. She felt more than heard her savior talking, the low timbre of his voice vibrating in his chest. It was pleasant. Kagome sighed, the tension in her muscles slowly melting away, although her body was still wracked with the occasional shiver. Gradually her heart rate began to calm, her breathing regulated, and the shock, the fear finally began to fade away from her overwhelmed mind.
Unfortunately, as the adrenaline faded away, Kagome finally became aware of the burning, throbbing pain that encompassed her entire right leg. A strangled whimper echoed in her throat and she tensed, gritting her teeth as pain-induced tears pricked her eyes. Warmth cupped her cheek; blue eyes fluttered open to find twin pools of golden yellow staring down at her, concerned and so warm the pain momentarily took a backseat to the warmth that suddenly suffused her entire body.
Then another flare of intense pain gripped her body once more and she hissed, her hand instinctively moving to clutch at her injured leg. She heard a curse and people were suddenly swarming them, hands reaching toward her leg, but another hand – this one with claws – batted them away as a deep, rolling growl echoed around them.
“Back off!” someone barked and it took her agony-hazed mind a moment to realize it had come from her savior. “Where the fuck is that ambulance?!”
Slumping against a firm chest, Kagome whimpered and screwed her eyes shut, trembling from a mix of exhaustion, pain, and cold. Her entire leg felt like it was on fire and black was slowly creeping in on her mind, crawling in from the edges as a deep lethargy suddenly seized her muscles. It was so hard to move, to open her eyes, to even think. The last thing Kagome was aware of was a heavy warmth settling around her shoulders that smelled like leather and something else, something pleasant, before everything went dark and unconsciousness claimed her.
-X-
Inuyasha knew the moment she fell unconscious. Her expression smoothed out, no longer bearing any hint of pain, she slumped heavily against him, and she went limp in his arms. He cursed and gathered her tighter against him. It was no wonder she’d passed out; she was no doubt exhausted from the experience and the pain most likely contributed to that as well. He was actually a little grateful; at least now she wouldn’t be able to feel the pain no doubt ravaging her mind.
Unthinkingly Inuyasha lifted a hand and brushed wet strands of black silk away from her eyes, a frown furrowing his brows. He didn’t like how pale she still was and she was shivering even in her unconscious state. She smelled like the dirty water from the exhibit, blood, and faint traces of something lighter that must have been her own unique scent. He wished it wasn’t so muddled with everything else so that he could indulge in it more, but now wasn’t the time. Her leg was still bleeding heavily and he knew just from looking at it she’d need a helluva lot of stitches.
Inuyasha grimaced, ears flattening into his hair. He didn’t really understand the guilt that ravaged him – how could he have prevented it if he hadn’t even been there – but it was there nonetheless. The need to protect, to care for this woman was a fierce contender with that guilt. He didn’t even know her, but Inuyasha found he wanted to.
For the first time since his breakup with Kikyou, Inuyasha felt needed. He felt like he had a purpose again, and he found himself wanting to explore these feelings. His expression softened and he touched her face again, a clawed thumb sweeping across a pale cheek. Her brow wrinkled as pain tightened her features. Involuntarily he started that deep rumble again as he smoothed away the lines on her face with gentle sweeps of his fingers. Surprisingly she relaxed, a soft sigh whispering past her lips before she stilled once more, her expression smoothing out into one of peaceful slumber.
“S’alright,” he murmured, fingers running through her wet bangs. “I gotcha. You’re safe.”
“Inuyasha,” Miroku said, kneeling down once again. For the last several minutes he’d been standing guard and keeping people from getting closer. For the first time he noticed Sango was nowhere in sight. “EMS has arrived.”
He jerked his head and Inuyasha followed the motion to find the sea of people surrounding them were parting to emit several uniformed medical personnel rushing through hauling a gurney. Wordlessly Inuyasha adjusted the unconscious woman in his arms and pushed to his feet. His arm twinged, but he ignored it. Already the gashes were closing up. He suspected they would be completely gone by the end of the night.
“Where’s San—” Inuyasha cut himself off when he spotted the woman in question just behind EMS. She waved, and he nodded back; she must have been the one to lead them here.
The gurney arrived, and a uniformed woman began grilling him for answers about what happened and information about the woman. He answered as best as he could as he carefully laid her down, revealing that he didn’t know who she was and that he was just in the right place at the right time. Then he answered the preliminary questions about himself, not without some annoyance. Someone tried to tend to his arm, but he waved them away, claiming it’d be healed in a couple hours. His priority was the woman and her care. She was already being strapped down and preparing to be treated in the ambulance.
His heart twinged and he clenched his jaw. God, she looked so fucking small, his leather jacket dwarfing her body, but he had to admit he liked how it looked on her. It had been an impulse decision, to wrap her in it. She’d still been shivering and the blanket had been doing shit all to keep her warm.
They began to push her away and he followed. Inuyasha wanted to be there when she woke up and damn anyone that tried to keep him from her. Miroku and Sango trailed behind, talking quietly. The journey to the ambulance was short with it being parked next to a back entrance, probably for employees. Thankfully nobody questioned him as he hopped into the back of the vehicle and settled on the small bench seat. Most likely the EMT’s thought he wanted his arm treated, and he was fine with that. He caught Miroku’s eye and mouthed “I’ll call later.” His best friend frowned, but nodded. Beside him Sango looked worried as she clung to her boyfriend’s arm, but offered no protests as well, watching silently as the ambulance doors closed.
Away from the crowd, the noise, the phones recording his every single move, Inuyasha finally felt himself relax and slumped forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He kept his gaze focused on the woman strapped to the gurney, watched as the two paramedics treated their patient with a calm, fast proficiency that put Inuyasha at ease. She was going to be okay.
He wasn’t surprised when he was once again questioned and with as much patience as he could muster, he answered what he could, repeating that he didn’t know who she was or who she was with. And that line of questioning prompted his brows to dip into a frown. Come to think of it, nobody from the crowd had rushed forward claiming they were a relative or friend. Had she come alone?
At that moment the male paramedic announced he could find no identification on her, no wallet or phone, and it puzzled him even more. Sango never went anywhere without her phone or purse. As far as he was aware, it was the same for every woman. So perhaps she hadn’t come alone, and someone was holding her things for her? But they had to have been around when the whole thing went down. Why hadn’t they come forward?
A flash of indignant anger on her behalf had a scowl twisting his features as a pissed off growl reverberated in his throat. What the fuck? Didn’t they even care that she was hurt? He refused to believe whoever was with her didn’t know what happened by now. He’d seen the news station equipment as he’d gotten into the ambulance, spotted the huge ass camera pointed in their direction. And no doubt some official announcement by the owner of the place had been made by now. Not to mention everyone would be talking about it. They had to know.
Sure, it was possible they hadn’t been able to reach her in time because of the sea of people surrounding them. Or maybe they realized it was just a lost cause and were following the ambulance. Keh. Whatever. It didn’t matter, anyway. He’d already decided he wasn’t leaving her side and that was that.
As the ambulance bumped along and blared its sirens every so often when traffic was congested, the thought to ask which hospital they were going to occurred to him. He shot off a text to Miroku when he received the answer, along with a reminder that he’d call later when he had more details and things were calmer. The paramedics were checking the patient’s vitals, stabilizing her with a neck brace, and keeping her warm. On impulse Inuyasha reached over and grabbed her hand; her skin was icy and he frowned, ears lowering on his head.
Fifteen or so minutes later, they finally arrived at the hospital and he tried to follow past the double doors, but was stopped, the nurses claiming he wasn’t allowed back there during surgery. He scowled but reluctantly conceded. So much for not leaving her side, dammit. Despite his protests, he was taken to his own room to get treated for his arm, his claims that he’d be healed within a few hours going ignored. And because things just kept getting fucking better and better, the police showed up to take his statement and he was forced to, yet again, explain what happened, who he was, his relation to the woman, and anything else he could recall.
He was really beginning to regret not getting her name before she passed out. Inuyasha was getting tired of referring to her as “the woman” all the damn time. Maybe the police could sense his mounting irritation, or could just tell by his less than pleasant expression and his progressively curt answers, but either way they ended the interrogation with a brusque “Call us if you remember anything else” and left him to his own devices.
Grumbling, Inuyasha decided he might as well call Miroku. No doubt the woman – goddamn, he wished he knew her name – was still in surgery and he had some time to kill. His conversation with Miroku was short. He wasn’t surprised to hear his friend tell him they were in the lobby right now and had been waiting for his call. Inuyasha rattled off the room number and minutes later his friends were coming through the door. A tearful Sango immediately launched herself at him and reflexively he caught her, rolling his eyes, but accepting her embrace. He knew she’d been worried. He couldn’t imagine what it had been like, watching that giant crocodile clamp down on his arm and drag him underwater. He shuddered just remembering it.
Miroku just smiled and expressed his relief that it wasn’t more serious. Then his smile dropped and as Inuyasha had suspected he would, he asked about the woman. With more patience than he’d told the police and paramedics, Inuyasha relayed what he could about her and the condition she was in when she’d been wheeled into surgery. The worry must have shown on his face or been noticeable in his voice because Miroku put a hand on his shoulder in silent support. Sango still clung to his uninjured arm, and for the next hour or so they talked quietly, wondering amongst themselves if the woman’s family knew yet, if she’d been with anybody, how many stitches she would get, and Inuyasha could really go for some ramen right about now.
Miroku suggested they get some dinner somewhere, but Inuyasha immediately declined, conveying that he wasn’t leaving until he knew the woman was alright. Rolling his eyes, though not looking terribly surprised, Miroku offered to bring back some food. After one last hug and a smile, Sango went with him and Inuyasha was left alone with his thoughts.
Heaving a sigh, he reclined back in the hospital bed and fucked around on his phone for the next hour. He’d received a text some fifteen minutes after his friends left that the restaurant had a long wait time, to which he’d replied that he could wait, he wasn’t starving. So it was to his immense relief that forty-five minutes later a doctor waltzed in to check in on him. Immediately Inuyasha grilled him about the woman’s condition, if she was out of surgery and in recovery yet.
The instant he received the affirmative, Inuyasha was gone, ignoring the doctor’s protests and calls to come back. It took him longer than he wanted, considering he had no idea what he was looking for and couldn’t find her by scent, but also because he had to dodge the fucking news reporters looking to interview him several times. But then a familiar, lighter aroma reached him and he followed that, wandering the halls until he reached a door where it was strongest. Uncaring if he was breaking any sort of rule, he quickly looked around, let himself inside, and closed the door behind him.
There she was, so small and frail looking as she lay unmoving on the hospital bed. Inuyasha’s breath caught in his throat as he approached, his throat tight as some unnamed emotion unfurled in his chest. She was covered in blankets, but he could still tell her clothes had been removed and she was donned in a thin hospital gown. According to the scent, the plastic bag sitting on the chair beside the bed housed her clothes and his jacket. She was breathing slowly, evenly, and Inuyasha was relieved to see that she’d regained some color in her face, her cheeks a rosy hue and her lips an inviting pink.
Golden eyes drifted down her body to land on her leg. Propped up with pillows, it was hidden by the blankets, but reeked of medicine and other shit he didn’t care to identify. He was just glad the blood scent had diminished. He looked back to her face, noted how peaceful she looked without an ounce of pain in her expression, and something eased inside his chest, suddenly making it easier to breathe. Just seeing her made him feel better, had him fully relaxing for the first time in several hours.
Releasing a breath, Inuyasha carelessly moved the plastic bag containing their clothes onto the floor and sat down in the chair, scooting closer and reaching over to grab her hand. Her hand was warm, soft and small cradled within his own and unthinkingly he weaved their fingers together. She sighed in her sleep and her head lolled toward him as her nose wrinkled slightly. Inuyasha’s mouth twitched into a tiny grin.
“I’m here,” he murmured, stroking her knuckles with his thumb. “You’re not alone. I’m here.”
And maybe he was imagining it, but he could have sworn the corners of her lips flickered into the barest hint of a smile.
-X-
Kagome awoke to the sound of voices and throbbing pain in her right leg. She smelled cotton, fabric softener, hand sanitizer, and something that distinctly reminded her of hospitals. She was warm, her mouth felt like the Sahara Desert, and her body felt heavy. Her brow wrinkled as she struggled to clear the cobwebs from her mind, trying to remember what had happened that led to her feeling like absolute crap and where she was.
A low grunt emitted from chapped lips and Kagome shifted slightly, only to hiss through clenched teeth at the pain that flared in her leg. She groaned and brought up the hand not weighed down by something to her face, rubbing at her gritty-feeling eyes as wakefulness slowly bled back into her sluggish brain.
God, she hurt. Everywhere, not just her leg, although that definitely took the cake in regards to what hurt the most. Blue eyes cracked open and the harsh lighting pierced her skull, prompting her to slam them shut again with another groan. Something squeezed her hand and slowly Kagome forced her eyes back open bit by bit, gradually getting accustomed to the light. She blinked a few times to clear her blurred vision and licked her lips.
Feeling a bit more oriented, Kagome looked around and belatedly realized she was in a hospital room. Then her gaze landed on a pair of concerned golden eyes – familiar eyes – and everything came rushing back. The sanctuary, Bankotsu forcing her to participate in the event, the huge crocodile sneaking up from behind her, chomping down on her leg, dragging her into the water—
She gasped, eyes flying open as reflexively she sat up. Her leg protested the movement and she gasped again, that time in pain. She fell back against the pillows just as a hand, warm and tipped with claws, reached over and brushed her hair back from her face, drawing her attention. He said something, his voice low, but she didn’t hear what it was. Ocean eyes collided with burnished amber and she sucked in a breath, recalling the man with silver hair, dog ears, and beautiful golden eyes jumping down into the enclosure and basically saving her life.
“You,” Kagome rasped as, unbidden, tears came to her eyes. “You’re here. You were the one who…you saved…”
Those magnificent golden eyes of his softened. “Yeah,” he said as something squeezed her hand again, and she realized he was holding it with his own. “Yeah, that was me. How you feeling?”
“I…what…” Her breath hitched and she was racked with a painful coughing fit, her dry throat protesting its usage. Tears pricked her eyes, and when she opened them again, she found herself staring at a plastic cup with a cover and straw.
“Here,” he rumbled and held the straw to her lips where Kagome gratefully took several small pulls. She leaned back with a sigh, feeling a bit better, and turned her head toward him. Her golden-eyed savior was sitting back down in the chair beside her bed, still maintaining his hold on her hand. She looked down at their joined hands, noted the claws tipping each finger, how his hand positively dwarfed her own. A hint of a smile played at her lips. She liked it.
Her savior followed her gaze and must have drawn the wrong conclusion because he blushed and retracted his hand from her own. “Sorry,” he murmured, looking away, and Kagome reacted automatically.
“No,” she breathed, reaching for his hand again. Then she realized what she was doing and a matching flush colored her cheeks. “I—I mean—” She clamped her mouth shut, not about to say she didn’t want to hold his hand, because she did, but too embarrassed to admit it.
Honeyed eyes flicked to her, to the hand that had reached out, back to her. There was a beat of silence as they stared at each other. Then slowly, waiting for any sign of protest, he wrapped his hand around hers once more and twined their fingers. Kagome ducked her head, pleased, and she missed his brief smirk.
“Do you, uh, need more water?” he asked, suddenly feeling a little awkward as he reached for the water in question.
Kagome shook her head with a little smile. “No, I’m okay,” she said and he nodded. “Thank you, though.”
He shrugged. “Don’t mention it.”
Silence once more descended upon them, each of them looking everywhere but at each other. Until finally Kagome couldn’t stand not knowing anymore and her sharp inhalation drew his attention back to her.
“Will you…tell me your name? Please?” Twin pools of ocean blue stared into burnished gold, so earnest, so beautiful, and Inuyasha felt his stomach give a not so unpleasant swoop. How could he ever deny this woman anything despite only knowing her for a handful of hours?
Inuyasha felt the corners of his lips pull into a crooked half-grin as he squeezed her hand. “It’s Inuyasha,” he supplied, enjoying the way her face lit up into a brilliant smile. “Tell me yours?”
“Inuyasha,” Kagome repeated and did not fail to notice the way his ears twitched when she spoke his name. She withheld a giggle and her smile brightened. “I’m Kagome.”
“Kagome.” Inuyasha sighed and briefly closed his eyes, as if relishing in the sound of her name. They flickered back open and locked with pools of azure blue. “I’m glad you’re okay, Kagome.”
Absurdly Kagome felt tears prick the back of her eyes and she sniffled once. He looked worried, so she shook her head with a soft laugh, reaching up with her free hand to wipe at her eyes.
“Inuyasha,” she said once again and smiled, finding his gaze, hoping to convey everything she felt in her own eyes as she covered their hands with her free one. “Thank you. For saving me, I mean. If you hadn’t jumped down and…if-if you hadn’t, I’d be—I—”
She was beginning to hyperventilate, eyes going wide, her breathing quickening, pulse skyrocketing. The heart rate monitor she was hooked up to started beeping like crazy and Inuyasha reacted without thinking.
“Hey.” Hurriedly he stood up and sank down onto the bed beside her, leaning over and cupping her face with his free hand. “Hey, it’s alright. It’s alright, baby, calm down. Breathe for me, okay? C’mon, breathe.”
Delicate fingers curled around his wrist as Kagome did as she was bade, shakily sucking in great gulps of air. Not once did Inuyasha look away as she struggled to regulate her breathing and staring into his eyes helped ground her, helped her focus on not having a complete meltdown in front of him. He talked her through it the entire time, his voice a low, soothing rumble that Kagome greedily latched onto until she finally felt a sense of calm settle over her. She breathed in deep, held it, and released it in a slow, steady sigh, feeling the last of the momentary panic that had seized her drain away with the motion.
“Better?” Inuyasha asked, sweeping her bangs away from her eyes, the touch infinitely tender.
“Yes,” Kagome murmured, thick lashes parting to reveal twin pools of ocean blue. She smiled at him gratefully, if a bit tiredly. “Thank you. I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”
He shook his head, a frown keeping his brows slanted low over his eyes. “It’s fine. You’re recovering from a pretty traumatizing experience. Wouldn’t be surprised if it gave you some PTSD.”
Kagome made a face, wrinkling her nose. “Yeah, that’s definitely what I need.”
The corner of his mouth kicked up into a slight grin. “Better than the alternative.” He nodded to her leg and instantly Kagome sobered.
He was right, of course. A little PTSD was definitely preferable over losing a limb. Kagome thanked her lucky stars that it was still attached to her body; it wasn’t uncommon at all for a crocodile attack to damage an arm or leg to the extent of getting it amputated or just outright tearing it off through sheer strength. It was a miracle the beast had merely chomped down briefly before releasing her. Maybe she should go buy some lottery tickets after this…
“You’re welcome.” Inuyasha’s voice broke through her thoughts and she looked up, immediately finding her gaze with her own. “I’m glad I did, even if I did get a little chewed up in the process.” He grinned to lighten the remark, but it only served to remind Kagome that he’d gotten attacked, too.
Gasping, Kagome’s eyes immediately flew to his arm. “Your arm!” she exclaimed, reaching for it, and wordlessly Inuyasha allowed her to examine his arm. “He got you, too! Are you okay?! Is your arm—”
She stopped. Her mouth dropped on wordless astonishment, fingers wonderingly skimming over rough scar tissue. The only evidence left that powerful jaws had been clamped onto his arm at all were raised white scars, not the gruesome lacerations held closed by sutures that she had been expecting.
“I’m fine,” Inuyasha needlessly relayed as Kagome inspected his arm. He fought back a shiver as her fingers skimmed his skin and hoped she didn’t notice the goosebumps that he wasn’t able to control. “I’m half-demon. I heal quicker than humans. By the end of the night even the scars will be gone.”
Kagome shook her head, amazed at what she was seeing. She remembered how heavily he’d been bleeding, recalled arcs of crimson spraying through the air and the gashes she’d caught a glimpse of as he’d yanked his arm away. And now the only thing left to even suggest an injury were rapidly healing scars that he assured would disappear by that night. Remarkable!
“Amazing,” she breathed without meaning to and his low chuckle caused a flush to color her cheeks. She yanked her hand away with a mumbled apology and stared at the blanket covering her legs. She blinked and suddenly wondered what her own leg looked like. It still hurt like a bitch, a burning throb that she would have been perfectly content to forget about, but now that she was staring at it, the pain came to the forefront of her mind.
She hissed through her teeth and shifted uncomfortably. Pain meds must have worn off. She was on two IV drips; she wondered if one of them was for pain since the other looked to be saline.
“Does it hurt?” Inuyasha murmured, drawing her gaze back to him. His ears were lowered and he looked guilty. Kagome frowned. Why? “Want me to get the doctor? My friends were supposed to get him, but—”
“Don’t go,” Kagome pleaded, not without a blush. The thought of him leaving left her uncomfortable, bereft, cold. “P-please.”
Inuyasha looked momentarily surprised, but it quickly faded and he nodded, settling back onto the bed beside her. He found he didn’t want to leave her either, even to fetch the doctor to ease her pain. God, what a selfish bastard he was.
A beat of silence. Then, “Why?”
Inuyasha frowned in confusion at the softly uttered question. “Why what?”
Kagome avoided his gaze as she said, “Why did you do it? Why did you risk your life to save me? A complete stranger?”
His eyebrows rose into his bangs at the unexpected question, but he supposed he could understand why she’d ask. Because they were strangers, having never met before today. He gave it some serious thought, brows lowering into a contemplative frown as he directed his gaze elsewhere. He ended up staring at her blanket-clad legs, expression thoughtful.
Kagome dared a peek at his face and blinked at his thoughtful expression. She waited as patiently as she could, shifting her weight and deciding that sitting up sounded appealing. Her back was beginning to ache and she wanted to be eye level with him. With a grunt she used her free hand to push herself upright, gritting her teeth when her leg protested the movement. Then to her surprise a strong arm curled around her back, offering support and helping her scoot backward. He hit the button to raise the bed and Kagome sighed in relief to be sitting upright.
“I saw you,” Inuyasha said, and Kagome sucked in a breath, watching him closely. He was staring down at their joined hands as he gathered the words to explain. “I saw how scared you looked, how…terrified you were, and then I smelled your blood, and I just…” He paused and then sighed. “Part of the reason was I was the only one who could do it. I was the only demon there, half or otherwise, and I stood a much greater chance at surviving a rescue attempt than some human. And the situation was dire; there wasn’t enough time to fuck around debating on whether or not it was a good idea. You were losing blood, there was no telling when the big ugly bastard would turn around to finish the job, and who knew when professionals would arrive to handle the situation. So I just…jumped.”
Finally he looked at her, stared into beautiful blue eyes filled with awe, and an urge so strong swept over him he couldn’t stop himself even if he tried. Boldly he reached out, tucked a strand of raven silk behind her ear, and cupped her cheek in his palm. To his great surprise and pleasure, she leaned into his touch and he sighed, a long exhalation of breath.
“But most of all, Kagome,” he rumbled, sweeping his thumb across her soft skin, just beneath her eye. “I did it because of you. I couldn’t stand how scared you looked, how small and alone you were. It was…it was almost a need, something I absolutely had to do despite the risks.”
His hand moved into her hair, fingers tangling in ebony locks to curl around her neck. Heavy lidded amber eyes gazed into her own, admiring the deep blue color as he inhaled her scent. He was so much clearer now, soft and light with traces of citrus. Heat suffused her cheeks but she didn’t look away, trapped by the intensity of honeyed gold.
“And I’m so glad I did, Kagome,” he said again, repeating his earlier words. “I know I would have regretted it for a very long time if I didn’t.”
Kagome was near tears again by the time he was finished and her smile was small and trembling, but genuine. The longer he’d talked, the more warmth that blossomed in her chest and spread outward until her entire body felt tingly and warm. She was touched, so deeply touched that he’d reacted simply because she was scared and had felt the need to do something about it simply because he could. God, nobody had ever made her feel this way, not even Bankotsu—
Bankotsu. Her boyfriend. Bankotsu. Where was he? Did he even know? Did he even care?
The smile dropped from her face so fast Inuyasha looked alarmed, leaning back with a worried frown. Shit, had he been too forward? Should he not have—
Kagome saw the look on his face and cursed herself, immediately reassuring him, “Wait, no, sorry, it’s—it’s not you. Please trust me, I’m unbelievably glad that you did, too. And I’m glad that you—” Her blush returned with a vengeance and she cleared her throat, but gamely continued. “That you felt that way. I’m indebted to you, Inuyasha. Truly. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
Her smile returned, soft and genuine, and Inuyasha relaxed. He adopted that half-grin again and looked entirely too pleased with himself. Kagome giggled despite herself.
“Keh.” He paused, flushed, then daringly ventured, “I can…I can think of one way.”
Kagome cocked her head, curious. Fuck she was cute. Clearing his throat, Inuyasha looked up, looked down, to the side, then finally said, “Your, uh…your number. If you’d…wanna give me that, I’d consider it repayment. Or whatever. Keh.”
For a moment Kagome looked positively delighted and she opened her mouth to relay her cell phone number—then remembered that she was, technically, not available and her face fell into a grimace. As pissed off as she was at him at the moment, it wouldn’t be fair to Bankotsu. Or Inuyasha, for that matter. Well, for now, at least. She’d already made the decision to end things. Bankotsu had been cruel to make her do the feeding thing to begin with, even knowing of her valid fear, and it had been the last straw.
Inuyasha’s ears flattened into his hair and he looked away with ill-concealed disappointment. Well, that look on her face told him plainly what she thought of that idea, didn’t it. Fuck, he hadn’t even considered the fact that she might not be single. And while being saved by a half-demon was one thing, dating one was another altogether. He couldn’t blame her for turning him down. He really should have known, shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up—
A hand – soft, small, warm – landed on his cheek and Inuyasha whipped his head around to stare at her with startled golden eyes. Twin pools of ocean gazed into his own, pleading with him to listen. Inuyasha sucked in a breath, daring to hope.
“Please, let me explain,” she implored, dropping her hand to cover their joined hands. She sighed, chewed her bottom lip for a moment, then began carefully, “I…have a boyfriend. But,” she stressed when he winced, “after this, I don’t…” She sighed again. “He was the one who made me…do it, even when I repeatedly told him that I didn’t want to.”
Inuyasha’s mouth dropped in clear astonishment. “What? Why?”
Kagome closed her eyes and let her head fall back onto the pillow behind her. It was always difficult to talk about, but he deserved to know. Besides, she found herself wanting him to know. So, bracing herself and taking a deep breath, Kagome began the tale of how she’d developed a deep and very real fear of crocodiles. How she’d gone on vacation to Florida with her family when she was a child, went on a boat tour, and fell overboard into caiman infested waters. How a saltwater crocodile had snagged her foot and dragged her underwater, trying to drown her. The tour guide, a burly man with years of experience, had dived in after her and managed to free her from the crocodile’s grip with a well-aimed kick to the snout. Miraculously, she’d suffered minimal damage, only a few puncture wounds on her left ankle and some bruising.
Still, the experience had let some pretty deep emotional scarring and Kagome had harbored a deep and very real fear of crocodilians ever since. She showed him the faint scars on her ankle and explained the worst of it had been the bruising. Her entire food had been mottled with blues and purples for what seemed like weeks before eventually fading away altogether a little over a month later.
By the time she was finished with her tale, Inuyasha looked a cross between furious and shocked. Kagome fell quiet, allowing to digest all she’d said at his own pace and hoping she hadn’t scared him away with her admittedly unconventional, but rational fear. She studied their interlocked hands, used the fingers of her free hand to trace his fingers and smooth across the claws tipping each one. She liked his hands, liked how much bigger they were than her own, liked the callouses she could feel on his palm. She wondered what he did for a living; he seemed like the kind of person who liked to keep active and work with his hands a lot.
Finally Inuyasha emitted a sigh and dragged his hand down his face, shaking his head. He glanced at her face, accurately determined what that look on it meant, and said, “I’m not going anywhere.”
She smiled, relieved.
“Your boyfriend,” he said, frowning. “He knew all that, and still made you do…whatever the hell that was?”
Kagome sighed and grudgingly nodded. “He said that facing my fear would be the best thing to help me get over it, or something like that.”
Inuyasha stared at her like she’d lost her mind. “That’s fucking bullshit.”
She smiled wryly. “I know. I tried walking away, but he practically dragged me there and shoved me into the damn exhibit himself. I knew if I tried to leave he’d just carry me in himself, so I figured I would just go in, get it over with, and get out as fast as I can. And as scared as I am of them, I never would have imagined I’d be…well.”
Weakly she gestured to her leg with her free hand.
The anger returned, swift and potent, and a low, thundering growl reverberated in his chest. “That no good son of a bitch,” he seethed, fangs bared in a scowl and ears pinned into his hair. “If you were mine, I’d never—”
The door to her room opened and in walked the son of a bitch himself, not looking at all like what a frantic or worried boyfriend should. “There you are, Kagome. When—”
Finally he noticed the half-demon sitting way too close to his girl and Bankotsu sent the other man a narrow-eyed look of suspicion. “Who the hell are you and why are you here alone with my girlfriend?”
Inuyasha’s jaw snapped shut and he glared at the bastard. He said nothing, although the dangerous growl that welled in his throat spoke volumes.
Bankotsu scowled. “I asked you a question, half—”
“Where the hell were you, Bankotsu?” Kagome hissed, drawing both pairs of eyes her way. She looked positively livid, mouth set in a firm line, brows angry slashes over twin pools of blue fire.
Inuyasha fought the urge to smirk and tried not to let the disappointment show when Kagome pulled her hand away to cross her arms over her chest. Standing, he folded his arms himself and remained where he was, refusing to leave her side unless she asked him to.
Bankotsu frowned at his girlfriend, perplexed. “What’s with the attitude?” he snapped, the disapproval evident on his face. “I got here as fast as I could. I didn’t know which hospital you were taken to and it’s not like I could call you—”
“That’s not what I meant and you know,” Kagome interrupted, glaring at him now. “For God sake’s, Bankotsu, you watched that stupid crocodile grab me, you watched the entire damn thing and you’re just now showing up? Where were you when Inuyasha got me out of there? When the paramedics arrived? Did you even care that I was hurt? God, Inuyasha is a complete stranger and he stayed by me the entire time, minus when I was in surgery getting dozens of stitches in my leg! He even got hurt himself saving me, but he didn’t let that stop him! What’s your excuse?!”
Fuck it. Inuyasha allowed the smirk to spread across his face, not even bothering to hide how smug he knew it looked.
Outright scowling now, Bankotsu clenched his teeth as he glowered at the half-demon standing by his woman, practically oozing arrogance with that fucking smirk on his face. Why the fuck was he still here, anyway? This was a private conversation between him and his girl; some pathetic half-breed didn’t need to be here for this.
“Inuyasha, huh?” he ground out, blue eyes spitting fire toward the half-demon in question. Inuyasha didn’t even flinch as he stared calmly back. “Tch. Get lost, half-breed. This is a private conversation between my girlfriend and myself.”
Inuyasha narrowed his gaze and opened his mouth to retort, but didn’t get the chance.
“He stays,” Kagome stated firmly in a tone that brooked no room for argument. Her eyes dared him to challenge her on this, her jaw set in determination. Inuyasha snapped his jaw closed, cast a soft look Kagome’s way, then calmly faced Bankotsu once again. With his arms crossed and back straight, he confidently stared the fucker down without an ounce of hesitation.
If Kagome wanted him to stay, he’d stay. End of discussion.
Before Bankotsu could say anything in response to that, no doubt some kind of protest, Kagome remarked in a voice edged with frosty steel. “You want to have a conversation, Bankotsu? Fine. How’s this for one? We’re through.”
Both pairs of eyes looked at her that time, one pair incredulous, the other holding a wealth of shocked pleasure.
When her boyfriend – or rather, ex-boyfriend – just gaped at her, Kagome continued, “I’m done taking orders from you, Bankotsu. I’m done with you not caring about my feelings and forcing me to do things I very clearly don’t want to do. I’m done with your controlling ways, your arrogance, your stupid obsession with your precious Banryu – seriously, that’s the stupidest name for a car ever—”
Inuyasha failed in masking his amused snort and ignored the glare Bankotsu sent his way. He named his car? Really?
“—but most of all I’m done with you constantly invalidating my very real fear and making me feel stupid because of it. I could have died today, Bankotsu. I could have lost my leg, bled out, drowned, any of those things, and it would have been your fault because you made me do that stupid ‘get cozy with the crocs’ bullshit. But you didn’t even care enough to be there when I needed you most, you didn’t care that I was scared out of my wits, and you didn’t even care enough to be here when I woke up from surgery. Instead Inuyasha was here, and I’m glad it was him and not you. Because Inuyasha is the one that made me realize what a fool I’ve been for staying with you all this time when clearly any sort of affection was one-sided. Inuyasha was the one who saved me when I thought I was going to die, he’s the one who calmed me down when I was having a panic attack, he’s the one who’s been by my side, and he’s the one I—”
She stopped short and felt her cheeks grow warm. She felt Inuyasha’s eyes on her but didn’t look at him, kept her gaze on her ex as she swallowed the sudden lump in her throat, took a deep breath, and plowed on in a sure, strong voice.
“H-he’s the one…I think I want to be with.”
Golden eyes widened while Bankotsu looked absolutely appalled, mouth agape and blue eyes round with incredulity. His jaw worked but no sound came out. She wanted to be with that—that half-breed? Instead of him? But—but that was absurd! Absolutely ridiculous! She couldn’t be serious—
“M-maybe it’s too soon,” Kagome said, blushing as she dared a glance at the half-demon in question. He was staring at her with something akin to pleased disbelief and she felt her lips twitch upward into an involuntary smile. “But I’d…like to try. If…if that’s something you want, too?”
The last part was added in a whisper but his ears picked it up anyway. Elation, pure and so fucking strong, swept through him and he just knew his ears were quivering from his excitement. She wanted to be with him. Him. The half-demon. And fuck yes he wanted to be with her too, fuck if it was too soon—
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Bankotsu spat, voice high, incredulous. Inuyasha and Kagome both looked at him, one pair of eyes annoyed and the other…well, more annoyed. “No, seriously. You’re joking, right? Him? A half-breed? What the fuck, Kagome!”
Brows snapping low over his eyes, Inuyasha slowly turned and pinned him with a narrow-eyed glare, lip curling to display a flash of fang. “What of it, asshole? You got a problem with half-breeds?”
Bankotsu scowled, the disgust on his face evident. “Yeah, I do, actually. Kagome can’t possibly wanna be with a disgusting mongrel like you, she’s obviously lying—”
“Lying?” Kagome cut in and her eyes flashed with determination. “You think I’m lying? Inuyasha.”
Said half-demon jumped a little at the tone of her voice and looked over his shoulder at her, brow raised. “Yeah—?”
“Come here.”
Blinking, a little confused at the abrupt order, Inuyasha nonetheless turned and bent down when she gestured him closer. “What’s—”
Two hands grabbed his hair hanging over his shoulders and promptly dragged him down into a hard kiss. Inuyasha grunted in surprise, but quickly got with the program, one hand shooting out to grab the plastic railing on either side of the bed while the other slipped into her hair. He growled in pleasure and took over, tilting his head and loving the way Kagome sighed against him, lips softening beneath his own.
Both of them ignored the shocked, choked noises coming from the other figure in the room and indulged in the kiss for several more heated seconds, fangs nipping soft flesh only to be soothed with a quick swipe of his tongue. Kagome whimpered and he grinned, pulling back to allow her to suck in a breath before going back in for a shorter, sweeter kiss before reluctantly pulling away altogether.
Kagome’s face was beautifully flushed, her blue eyes glazed over in pleasure, and her lips were red and swollen. He was sorely tempted to swoop back down and claim them again, but was unfortunately and rudely reminded of the third presence in the room when he started sputtering in disbelief.
With a rough sigh, Inuyasha only spared a moment to kiss her nose before straightening back to his full height and turning to face Kagome’s ex-boyfriend, arms crossed and a confident, easy smirk plastered across his face. He was unfazed by the positively withering glare Bankotsu was sending him, his face red and his hands balled into tight, white-knuckled fists.
Feeling a little out of breath, Kagome cleared her throat and knew her face was still rad as she addressed her now ex-boyfriend. “Tell me to my face that I’m lying now, Bankotsu. Go on. I’ll gladly show you again that I’m not.”
Inuyasha’s smirk widened. “Please do,” he taunted. Kagome swatted his leg and he chuckled, unrepentant.
Bankotsu said nothing and stewed in silence, jaw clenched and face red with indignant anger.
“I don’t care if you have a problem with him or not, Bankotsu,” Kagome told him, her tone cold and expression one of frosty indifference. “It doesn’t matter because like I said: we’re through. Done. Nothing you say matters anymore so you can take your prejudiced views and shove them up your ass. Now get the hell out and don’t bother going to the apartment. I’m calling Souta the second you leave and telling him to change the lock with the one I asked him to buy a few weeks ago. You can leave my stuff on the chair. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”
And with that, Kagome dismissed him, looking away and pretending to be fascinated with the tight weave of her blanket.
Fuming, red-faced, and definitely not feeling like he’d made a fool of himself, Bankotsu carelessly tossed her purse onto the ground with a little more force than necessary. Her phone and a few other things spilled out and that was the last straw for one fed up half-demon.
Features swiftly changing from smug to fury, Inuyasha scowled and stormed toward him. Unfortunately for the stupid bastard, Bankotsu didn’t back down and squared his shoulders, facing him head on.
“Here, asshole,” Inuyasha growled and balled his hand into a tight fist. “Let me show you the way out.”
Before the pathetic human could even think of a retort, Inuyasha cranked back his fist and punched the fucker square in the jaw with enough force to send him stumbling backward. Bankotsu crashed into the wall opposite the door and slid down, landing heavily on his ass onto the tiled floor. Dazed, he blinked rapidly as he touched his rapidly swelling jaw, wincing as pain ricocheted throughout his head.
“It’s a good thing you’re in a hospital, Ban,” Kagome called to him from her bed, unconcerned as Inuyasha glowered down at him like he was dog shit on the bottom of his shoe. “You might want to get that looked at.”
Then, with a bright smile from her and a nasty smirk from the half-demon, the door was closed in his face.
Feeling extremely satisfied, Inuyasha stooped to pick up her purse and phone, making sure everything was back inside where it belonged before placing it on the chair he’d once occupied. Then wordlessly he handed Kagome her phone and she smiled her thanks as she took it, immediately dialing her younger brother and hitting the call button.
Inuyasha sank down next to her on the bed once again and waited patiently. Unabashedly he took her hand in his once more and she blushed, but smiled. He heard who he assumed was Souta pick up on the other end and listened as she asked him to swap out the lock on her apartment door with the one he’d purchased a few weeks ago. Predictably Souta asked what was going on and she promised she’d tell him later. Just right now she needed him to change the lock and though obviously suspicious, Souta agreed and the call ended.
Sighing, Kagome let her phone call into her lap and closed her eyes, falling back against the pillows. Her free hand rubbed her forehead; she could feel a headache coming on. Maybe it was time to call in the doctor since the pain in her leg was really beginning to become unbearable now.
Clawed fingers gingerly brushed back her hair and Kagome smiled as her eyes fluttered back open. Inuyasha looked worried, a frown wrinkling his brow as he tucked her hair behind her ear. Warmth unfurled in her chest and her smile widened. She’d made the right decision, to end things with Bankotsu. Because it meant she could start something new with this amazing, incredibly attractive half-demon and she held absolutely no regrets about it.
“Okay?” he murmured, hoping she wasn’t having second thoughts now that things had calmed down and the heat of the moment had passed.
“Yes,” she whispered and laced their fingers together, instantly assuaging his doubts. Another flush darkened her cheeks a becoming shade of scarlet and she bit down on her lip. “I’m, um, sorry for…you know. K-kissing you and…I hope you don’t mind—”
“Trust me,” Inuyasha rumbled and she gasped to suddenly find him right there, inches from her face. “I don’t mind.”
His mouth came down on hers and Kagome hummed, eyes fluttering closed as she raised a hand and slid her fingers into his hair. He kissed her slowly, sweetly, and the warmth in Kagome’s chest expanded until her entire body felt hot and tingly. Fingers found warm velvet and she made a soft noise of appreciation in her throat as she stroked his ear, loving the softness and the way he groaned quietly against her mouth.
He broke away and rested his forehead against her shoulder. “Damn,” he murmured and was blessed with Kagome’s gentle laughter. Inuyasha grinned despite himself and wrapped an arm around her waist, content to lie there and allow her to rub his ears for however long she wanted.
“So,” Kagome piped up after a stretch of silence. His ear twitched but he didn’t move bother moving from his position half-sprawled on top of her. “…You still want my number?”
Inuyasha paused, and then barked out a soft laugh. Kagome giggled and he pushed himself up on his hand so he hovered over her. Her hand fell away from his ear to land on his chest where she fisted his shirt, refusing to allow him to create any space between them. Not that he wanted or even planned to.
“Yeah,” he rumbled and pecked her lips. “Yeah, I still want your number. And your address. And your birthday, your favorite food, favorite color, music preferences, tea or coffee—”
“How about,” Kagome breathed and used both hands to cup his face, planting sweet kisses to his jaw and lips, “we start with dinner first. Sound good?”
“Dinner,” Inuyasha repeated on a ragged sigh, his voice a pleasant husk in her ears and against her lips. “I can do dinner.”
And with that, a grinning mouth descended once more, claiming full, smiling pink lips as pleased growling drowned out breathless, happy laughter.