Blue moon and Red Fire

Chapter 6: Comforter.

‘Earthquake?’ Souta held on to the side of his desk tightly as the building began to shake more and more violently. A excited chatter erupted among the students, one that quickly turned to a loud and panicked one as the quake started to overturn chairs and people started to fall from their seats. Including Souta. “Ow!” He hit the ground hard landing on his back, the jumping ground bucked up against his head painfully on impact.

The windows subsequently shattered one by one in rapid succession, throwing a spray of glass over the whole room as if to had insult to injury. Souta flinched and covered his face wit his arms, shaking the glass his hair. That’s when the teacher instructed everyone to stay calm and move quickly and quietly out of the door, it didn‘t exactly happen that way. The fallen Souta was trampled and nearly over run with his classmates running from the back of the room towards the door.

It was always better to be out in the open during an earthquake.

“Hey!” Souta, forced to wait until everyone had passed over him, struggled to sit up on the shaky ground much more ruffled then when he first fell from being nearly trampled. “Ow...”

When he was tried to stand on the unstable ground, his desk fell over and landed on him, forcing to fall him back down to the ground with a loud out cry. And unfortunately for him by that time all of his classmates had left the room as well as his teacher, and since he was on the ground no one had noticed he was still there. “!!” Souta abruptly pushed his way from underneath the desk angrily, this just wasn’t his day. ‘What’s going on around here!!’ It didn’t matter, he had to get out of here!

Souta climbed over the masses of fallen desk and glass, running toward the door...only to have the ceiling fall in right before he was about to pass through the doorway, a support pillar crashed through from above, landing in front of him along with a mass of wreckage and debris that blocked his exit route. “Ahaaa!!!” Souta scrambled backwards after nearly being crushed. Unfortunately that was the least of his problems.

He stumbled on to his feet, trying to keep balance as he moved backwards away from the new barricade with the strange feeling he’d got before so strong that it almost hurt. It could only mean one thing, a Shikon jewel shard and what ever held it.

“!!”

The ground burst open in front of him and a fleshy pink tentacle shot upward, lunging out for him. “Ahaa!!!” He tried to move back but fell from the quaking, before he could even hit the ground it wrapped around his torso, slick and wet with some type of sticky fluid, and pulled him toward the ground where it had come from. “Help!!”

“Souta!!” Kouga appeared above him in a complete blur, his eyes growing with a the crimson of heat burning through him. He came down with a fierce roar, slicing through the appendage that held Souta with abnormally extended claws.

“Kouga!” Souta quickly pulled the loosened constriction off of him, holding on to the Youkai’s leg to pull himself to his feet.

Kouga knelt down and wrapped his arms around Souta before springing out of the way with the boy in his arms just as more of the same fleshy tentacles burst through floor. He dived out of the window, coming to an agile stop in the snow outside while the long tentacles burst through the windows and chased after them with surprising speed. “Inuyasha!” With out a second thought he tossed the boy to Inuyasha behind them before he was ceased by 7 or so of them.

Inuyasha caught Souta, setting the boy down next to the tree he’d been sitting in for the majority of the day, standing in front of him defensively.

“What’s happening?!” Souta backed away slowly until he felt his back pressing against he tree’s trunk. He nearly faltered when that strange vibe he was getting from this demon intensified suddenly and painfully. Why was this happening? Why did it hurt so much, it never hurt this much before...“I keep getting that feeling...” Souta clinched his head tightly, it was starting to throb...

Inuyasha didn’t respond, only growling with a protective instinct flaring in his mind. More of the tentacles burst from the snow, reaching out for Souta...what ever demon it was it was underground... Inuyasha sprang forward with a low roar, slashing feverously and animalisticly at he jungle of them that screamed upward from the ground at once.

Kouga, now bound hand and foot, pulled inward, forcing his body to move against the restriction. With every bit of his strength being tested he started to run around in a circles, gaining speed each second until he was reeling in the tentacles that bound him all entangled in a whirlwind surrounding him.

“K-Kouga...” Souta clinched his forehead with both hands, forcing one eye open and focusing in Kouga’s direction where the feeling was radiating the strongest. He saw a blue light in the center of the whirlwind, it was coming from one of appendages things trapped inside. “There's a light...It’s another one of those shards I think.”

Kouga pulled harder, winding more and more of the tentacles in until they snapped and were ripped apart in the violent winds. And he stopped abruptly upon hearing the boy‘s voice. But by then it was to late, Souta could see the faint blue light of a jewel shard being thrown off into the sky by the wind Kouga had been generating, it was lost.

But there was another, which would explain why the feeling was so strong. “Inuyasha. There’s another one.” The boy barely managed to force out of his mouth, his head was hurting so much that he didn’t even notice that something slick and wet was crawling up his leg.

“Huh?” Inuyasha repressed the instinct to kill the demon that tried to take his mate not once but twice and actually listened to what Souta had said. Jewel shard? Souta did say something about that feeling last time this demon was after him. “Where?”

“Right...”Souta lifted his finger slowly, pointing in Inuyasha’s direction. “Right behind you!”

Inuyasha nearly flinched when he turned around and found another one of those tentacles bursting out of the ground, but he easily sliced through it with his claws...unfortunately before he even had time to locate the second Jewel shard in question something much more pressing happened. With his nose flaring Inuyasha turned back towards Souta at the same time as Kouga, both calling out together with a horrible realization. “Souta!!!”

Souta, on account of his head, hadn’t noticed the tentacles that suddenly tightened around his legs and chest. They yanked him back sharply, forcing a loud, startled cry from his mouth, though what ever sound that was there was abruptly cut off when his body smashed through the tree and was dragged into the woods at a rate hard to keep track of.

“Damnit!” Inuyasha immediately ran after the boy, moving as fast as he could in attempt to catch up with him. Before he could even get two steps Kouga passed him up, but being the faster of the two he had to deal with a more prominent problem, interference. More of raw pink tendrils burst from the ground to stop him while Inuyasha ignored Kouga’s problem and went forward after Souta. Being planked with constant interception by whatever wanted Souta so badly Kouga was slowed down drastically, to about Inuyasha’s speed more or less.

“Why didn’t you watch him you damn mutt!” Kouga growled angrily, ripping through what ever grabbed on to his left leg at the moment.

“I was watching him!” Inuyasha shot back, moving agilely between the trees of the familiar path.

Kouga tore off another mass of the appendages that wrapped it self around his torso. “I gave him to you! You were suppose to keep him safe!”

“Shut up! There were to many of them!” Inuyasha peered forward through the falling snow, just able to see through the growth of trees that they were gaining ground on what ever had taken the boy in question.

“That’s not an excuse!” Kouga yelled, jumping slightly to avoid one of the snake like creatures coming up from below, they were getting closer, even with all the trees and the demons attacking from all sides, that couldn’t detour the persistent two.

“The hell it isn’t! And what were you doing? You were fighting a hell of a lot less of the um’ then I was!” Inuyasha shot back. The tentacles pulling away Souta couldn’t move fast enough, Inuyasha and Kouga were catching up too fast for it to get away. They were just out of reach of grabbing Souta, but the tentacles were right there, if they could sever those...

“It didn’t matter! Your his mate, you should have had him!” Kouga couldn’t emphasis the sarcasm in his voice any more if he tried. He drew his arm back along with Inuyasha, both sets of claws extended as they thrust forward and swiped furiously, slicing through the appendages in one swift movement. Unfortunately things weren’t looking good just yet.

Souta‘s body, completely unconscious and unable to stop himself, was sent sprawling across the ground, tumbling forward down a small hill and sliding on to a frozen lake...the thin ice on top of quickly cracked and fell through from the weight.

“Souta!!!”

! - ! - !
! - ! - !

“It’s that mutt's fault!” Kouga pointed an angry finger towards Inuyasha who was sitting a good distance away from him on the opposite side of the room. Now he sat soaking wet in a pool of water that was streaming off of him, both of them went for Souta after the boy fell into the lake when it really only took one of them. The fur he wore with his armor was sagging heavily, his tail drooping lucidly on the ground.

“Me!? That mangy wolf was the one that made you fall in the water.” Inuyasha shot back, glaring at Kouga dangerously. He too was dripping wet, the red fabric plastering itself against his skin and his ears pressed down against his head.

Kouga folded his arms and snorted, turning away from Inuyasha “Your the one who cut the thing anyway.” Kouga was actually happy to be soaked in freezing water, now that he didn’t have the blaring instinct to protect Souta pulsing in his head, his mind was free to focus on other things. Like how unbelievably hot he was being in heat with out a mate, and the burning desire to mate with someone, now.

Souta on the other hand wasn’t so wanting of the cold, he was standing between them, his arms hugging his chest and shivering so much he could barely speak strait. ’I’m so wet...’ He was so cold right now that whether or not he had on the practically useless clothing on wouldn’t make a difference in his temperature either way. “I...gonna go get...changed...” Souta said with a shaky voice, forcing his way toward the stairs despite his still pounding head and dizziness that seem to come out of nowhere pulling him down to the ground. “You two...should probably get changed...too...”

“What’s with him?” Inuyasha watched the spot where the boy had disappeared questingly, Souta seemed a little off at the moment, he hadn’t even said anything about his second time capture by what ever demon had taken a liking to him. It didn’t matter at the moment, Inuyasha hated being in wet clothes, and apparently so did Kouga.

He silently stripped himself of the red fire rat coat and tossed it aside in messy pile somewhere to the side, taking a second to glance over at Kouga who was removing the leather armor and furs he had on.

Kouga sat there in silent thought, devoid of anything wet, which had been everything. His legs crossed, his hands resting in his lap and his tail shifting around behind him, just a tanned completely naked body making another small pool. Inuyasha waited silently also, sitting there with is arms folded and his eyes shifted toward the window inquiring something unknown. A just as wet and paler body sat with ears still pressed down against his head.

Souta returned after what seemed like an usually long time dressed in his green night clothes, two towels in his hand which he barely remembered to take with him on his way back down. Inuyasha gratefully took the fabric, glad to be able to dry himself off while Kouga didn’t even bother, he just wrapped it around his waist in the hopes he’d stay cooler this way.

! - ! - !
! - ! - !

It was late now, the sun had set nearly unnoticed by anyone because of the gray skies that had been present all day. The wind howled out side, blowing harshly against the windows and bringing more snow with it, more continuous snow...

Souta lay curled into a ball on the couch, his arms clinching his torso protectively, he had been in the same position for hours. Kouga and Inuyasha sat down on either side of the boy, both looking down with light confusion.

Kouga, still in towel, leaned down and poked at his ear, drawing a dazed moan from the boy who seemed completely unaware of his presence or anything around him. “He’s not hungry, or at least he hasn‘t eaten anything.”

“He hasn’t fallen asleep yet...”Inuyasha pushed Kouga’s hand away which continued to poke at the boy despite the discouragement.

Kouga lent forward, examine the dazed, half lidded Souta‘s face, “What’s wrong with you?” There was a hint of visible worry in his voice, noticing there was also a distinct change in Souta’s scent. “Are you ok?”

Souta sneezed, hard enough to make his hole body shake, then with a groan he rubbed his nose and curled tighter into a ball. His head was hurting so much that he couldn’t think strait, it was enough to force small tears out of the corner of his eyes. He felt horrible, irrefutably horrible, and freezing cold. The only thing that seemed to penetrate the pain and that he could see clearly was the familiar light of the Shikon Jewel shards emitting from Kouga’s legs, even if it was just slightly. “....”

Souta silently uncurled himself from the ball and with subtle movements he laid his head on Kouga’s leg. It was warm and offered some solace from the pain.

“Huh?” Kouga was a little confused at first, but then smiled, his damp tail shifting around happily. “Heh heh.”

Inuyasha growled angrily at Youkai, “Hey, what’s the big idea!”

“What the hell are you yelling at me for?” Kouga asked “Don’t get mad at me because he didn’t go to you.”

Souta gave another weak groan, a flushed redness spreading across his cheek as he sneezed again. “I’m...cold...”

Kouga folded his arms with a small, almost wining sound, a worried look making it self more apparent as he watched the boy. “What’s with you? Are you alright?”

“Inu-...Inuyasha.” Souta clinched his eyes shut with a weak cry.

“What is it?”

“I...I...” Souta couldn’t seem to finish his sentence before he fell asleep, more like passed out.

“Cold huh?” Kouga laid his hand on Souta’s head, pushing a few stray strands of still wet hair from his face “The kid’s burning up.” Kouga sent a sharp glare Inuyasha’s way. “Damnit mutt, you got him sick.”

“Me!? It was your fault he fell in the in the first place. If you hadn’t be so impatient.” Inuyasha snorted, folded his arms. Something here just didn’t add up... “How can a human get sick that fast, the water shouldn’t have done it...not yet at lest.”

Kouga had to admit, Inuyasha was right. Souta started to get sick right about the time they got back, and his fever had developed abnormally fast and with what looked like growing intensity. How could that have happened? “It must have been that demon.” Kouga reasoned. “All of that fluid it was covered in smelled strangely.” Whatever it was, it accelerated Souta’s cold.

“Great! I don’t know how to take care of a sick human.” This day just kept getting worse.

With a decided nodded, Kouga gently scooped Souta into his arms and stood to his feet, getting immediate objection from Inuyasha. “What do you think your doing?” Inuyasha stood up, baring over Kouga offensively.

“What dose it look like? I’m putting him to bed.” Kouga said impertinently, what did it look like he was doing? “What’s it to you?” Kouga was barely listening to Inuyasha at the moment, he was more focused on taking Souta up stairs since he was already half way there.

“Don’t get to comfortable.” Inuyasha warned, he still wasn’t to happy that Souta had gone to Kouga instead of him, and the tight hold the boy had on Kouga’s arm at the moment.

After a short trip, Kouga came to the boy’s room, laying the boy down on top of the covers since Inuyasha seemed so defensive about him holding his mate. “...?” As Kouga tried to stand up he found a surprisingly tight hold on his leg held by sleepy Souta with weak, trembling eyes just awakened by being set down. “Huh?”

“Kouga...Can you stay with me?” Souta needed something to at least ease this pounding in his head, it seemed like it only subsided enough for him to fall asleep when Kouga and the jewel shards in his legs were close to him.

Kouga, still in nothing but a bath towel, couldn’t help but blush and smirk sheepishly when he thought of what might have been running through Inuyasha’s head at the moment, or what just may have been going through his mind, he couldn’t tell the difference “Yeah, sure kid.”

“Hey wait!” Inuyasha shouted, watching Kouga lay down beside Souta who wrapped one arm around Kouga’s leg and shifted around lightly. “Your pushing it wolf.”

“Don’t blame me because he wants me instead of you.” Kouga smiled when he felt Souta tucking his head beneath his chin.

“The hell if I’m--”

“Inuyasha.” Souta called out in the same weak voice. “I...I...”

! - ! - !
! - ! - !

This was odd.

It had to be around 3 in the morning when Kouga finally opened his eyes, for the third night in a row he found himself wide awake. The room was dark, the only light was the light blue of the moon shining through the window behind the bed, a blue glow that was patchy with the shadows of falling snow out side being cast.

For a moment he contemplated why he was in this position, himself curled around Souta who’s head was still positioned under his chin, both of the boy’s arms wrapped around his leg. Inuyasha, who was rather close to him, had his arms wrapped tightly around Souta’s torso and with the boy’s back pulled against his chest. That brought Kouga and Inuyasha’s heads so close that they were nearly touching.

Before Inuyasha had been glaring at him angrily in the close proximity, completely unwilling to leave Souta alone with him especially the boy had been calling out for him not to leave. It was actually kind of funny, how he and the hanyou exchanged looks for 2 hours strait, giving constant insults unheard by Souta.

But inanely Inuyasha had eventually fallen asleep, and Kouga did to for a while...but just as always he woke up with eyes glowing a bright red, the energy of his current state of heat burning in him. And with out a mate their was no way to relinquish said energy, it was enough to make him wish Inuyasha was awake so at least then he could argue with him...

Kouga *accidentally* leaned forward just enough to slam his head into Inuyasha’s.

Inuyasha stirred from the sudden pain, golden eyes drifting open with an incoherent mumble. “Clumsy Wolf.”

“It’s not my fault your head is right in front of me.” Kouga snorted, shift his eyes away toward the ceiling.

Inuyasha noticed that Kouga was pretty awake for this time a night, and the last time he was awake Kouga’s eyes weren't red. “This is the second time you woke me up idiot, why don’t you just move.”

“Me, why don’t you move!?” Kouga whispered harshly.

“Because I’m not clumsy like you.” Inuyasha snorted. “I’m not the one bumping in to people.”

“Your the one that keeps moving around.” Kouga was right, Inuyasha had moved around a lot tonight.

“Your the one that keeps hitting me.” Inuyasha said. Why did Souta have to like Kouga so much? If it was up to Inuyasha he would have kicked him out a long time ago, literally. “If Souta wasn’t here right now--”

“Yeah yeah.” Kouga rolled his eyes dismissingly “Your just lucky he’s been here to defend you, or else I’d have kicked you sorry ass a long time ago.”

“You sure talk a lot for someone that’s always running away.” Inuyasha jabbed.

“Your always swinging that big sword of yours around, and you never hit anything with it.” Kouga jabbed back. Just thinking about it made him want to drag Inuyasha outside and fight him, that would be great, it’s working off energy and the cold would put an end to how hot he was...

“Keep talking and I’ll hit you with it.”

“You wish.” Kouga rolled his eyes, tucking his hands beneath the pillow resting under his head and clinching the fabric anxiously. He looked obviously as if something was wrong, even Inuyasha could see it.

Souta stirred between them, letting out a weakened moan in his sleep, clinching Kouga’s leg tightly while pushing himself back into Inuyasha’s embrace.

Kouga watched the boy, the strained look, the light sheen of sweat covering his fist, the heavy panting as if he was starved for air. “Your mate...” Kouga spoke insultingly at first, but by the time he finished his sentence his voice was much softer. “He looks miserable.”

Inuyasha forgot his current state of spite at Kouga at the mentioned of Souta. “He must be, I think he’s really sick.”

“Of course he sick.”

“I know that.” Inuyasha gave a quick glare to Kouga before looking back down at Souta. “I’m mean he must be really sick...it’s that damn demon’s fault, whatever that stuff on it was made it worse.” Inuyasha didn’t blame Kouga this time...

“Hmm...” And Kouga didn’t blame Inuyasha this time either. “He’s shaking too...can’t be just a cold can it?”

“I doubt it.”

“Damnit...If I ever find that thing I’ll rip it apart my self.” Kouga growled, fangs baring and a streak of anger flashing in the crimson eyes.

Souta flinched at the sudden noise, moving closer into Inuyasha’s chest. “Don’t wake him up.” Inuyasha warned.

Kouga clinched his jaw, hiding his fangs in a closed mouth. “Calm down mutt, I wasn’t.” Kouga could feel the boy’s head shifting against his chin, a little more then the usual shaking.

“The hell you weren't.” Inuyasha wrapped his arms tighter around Souta, trying to stop the small body from trembling.

Kouga would have responded if he hadn’t felt Souta pull his leg closer again, hugging it close to his chest. “The Jewel shards make him feel better...didn’t he say something about Jewel shards?”

“Yeah, come to think of it he did, twice.” Inuyasha remembered. “He didn’t get sick last time the demon came after him.”

“Maybe it didn’t have those Jewel shards then. Or didn‘t use them.” Kouga said. “You think that’s why he got sick, those Jewel shards poisoned him?”

“It would make sense...I wonder what happened to them.” They didn’t pay attention to them at all, not after Souta was taken.

Souta sneezed again in his sleep, sniffling lightly.

“Damn...he looks miserable” Kouga said pitifully. “I’ve never seen anyone with a cold shake so much.”

“...”Inuyasha didn’t say anything thing but he felt the same pity, it was written all over his face. “Souta.”

“I have to do something about that demon, I can‘t let it keep attacking my potential mate.”

“Yeah right.” Inuyasha smirked “A wimpy wolf like you couldn’t do anything if you tried.”

“I could do more then you could.”

“You wish.”

“If I recall correctly, I believe I had to save both of you from it.” Kouga reminisced proudly.

“You little--”

Souta spasmed violently with a trembling outcry, making both of them flinch from the unexpected sensation. The boy hugged Kouga’s leg closer to him, pressing his face into his thigh just below the towel.

“Souta....” Inuyasha sighed, “He’s getting worse.”

“I know.” Kouga nodded, peering through the darkened room at Inuyasha. If there was anything they were mutual on it was Souta’s well being, and right now it was in danger, that didn’t sit well with the boy’s mate nor did it with the one that wanted to be the boy’s mate. “What are we gonna do about it?” They were both truly concerned, Kouga so much so that he was willing to corporate with Inuyasha.

And apparently Inuyasha was willing to do the same. “If it’s poison that’s making this cold grow like this then the only thing we can do is get an antidote and hope he gets better.”

Kouga blinked with light thought, the glowing red eyes flashing with a small idea forming. “Hmm...I know enough to make one.”

“What?!” Inuyasha whispered forcefully. “Why the hell didn’t you say anything!”

“How the hell was I supposed to say anything if I didn’t know what was wrong with him?!” Kouga shot back, then when he realized he was staring too get loud he calmed down. The last thing Souta needed was to be woken up. “Anyway. I’m gonna have to go back home to get the ingredients, the only problem is there pretty hard to find sometimes and It might take a while to gather them all.”

“...”

“Do you think...” Kouga paused, saddened at the thought. “He could actually die from this?” Souta just seemed to be getting consistently sicker at an amazing rate. He didn’t get an answer from Inuyasha, but he could tell he was thinking the same thing. “I better get going...”

“No way.” Inuyasha declined, a smirk creeping across his face.

“Huh?” Kouga’s crimson eyes blinked in confusion. “What do you have that dumb look on your face for, this is the only way to help Souta.”

“Exactly, so why would I leave something this important to a mongrel like you?” Inuyasha said “You’d probably screw it up.”

“Whatever. I’m the only one who knows how to make the potion, I’m the only one who knows all of the ingredients. So I’m gonna be the one to do it.”

“So that you can take all the credit for saving Souta? Arrogant bastard.” Inuyasha looked away, speaking more seriously this time. “Besides, your the one with the Shikon Jewel shards in your legs and they make him feel better, your gonna have to stay with him.” Inuyasha doubted that Souta would readily let go of Kouga, and if Kouga was helping Souta more then he was then he had to let him stay with him. Even if he didn’t like Kouga.

Kouga couldn‘t believe Inuyasha was willing leave him with Souta... “Inuyasha...”

Inuyasha tossed a crumpled up piece of paper and a pen he found someplace nearby at Kouga. “Just write them down...you do know how to right don’t you?”

“Funny mutt-face. Very funny.”

After Kouga finished transcribing the ingredients, he tossed the paper back at Inuyasha who caught it before it hit him in the face. “You just be ready when I get back.” Inuyasha reluctantly let go of Souta who squirmed and moaned at the loss of heat and familiar, calming scent. “I’ll get the stuff, you make the antidote.”

“Deal.”

“Inu...Inuyasha.” Souta mumbled weakly, half asleep. “Inuyasha.”

He woke up? Inuyasha didn’t mean to wake him up...

“Go back to sleep.” Inuyasha spoke as softly as he knew how. “I’ll be back, just get some rest.”

“I...I feel horrible...” He said, holding Kouga’s leg tighter. “I never felt this way before...Please...don’t leave me.”

Kouga sighed inwardly, looking up at Inuyasha with a realizing expression. It didn’t matter if he left, even though the Shikon jewel shards made Souta feel better he still wanted Inuyasha. ‘Damnit...’

Inuyasha leaned down, resting a hand on Souta’s shoulder and whispering lightly in his ear. “Come on, you gotta be tough.”

“It...it really hurts...” Souta still didn’t open his eyes, still half sleeping in a daze. “Don’t leave me.”

“It’ll be alright, your strong. Gotta have to have will power.” Yes, Souta was most definitely his work in progress. “Be strong for me, ok?”

“Yeah... ok.” Souta reluctantly agreed, but he couldn’t help but sniffle and still sound desperate “Are you gonna come back?”

“Hell yeah, I’m not gonna leave you. I‘ll be back.” Inuyasha promised. “Just stay strong for me.” Inuyasha stood up, shooting a look at Kouga. “If you touch him, they’ll never find all the pieces of you.”

“Just go mutt.” Kouga rolled his eyes.

Souta shifted his arms up around Kouga’s torso and burred his face into the Youkai’s chest, light tears wetting the wolf’s torso either from pain or withdrawal, maybe both. Kouga watched Inuyasha reluctantly leave, staring at the doorway even after he left... “Huh?”

More silent tears came from Souta’s clinched eyes, a shutter like spasm forcing it’s way through small body. Kouga couldn’t help but feel a small pang watching the boy suffer like this. “It’s ok. Remember what Inuyasha said? You gotta be strong.”

“I know.” Souta nodded weakly. “I...I can’t stop shaking.”

Kouga wrapped his arms around Souta and pulled the boy closer. “I know.”

Souta shook his head lightly into Kouga‘s chest. “It hurts, everything hurts...I’ve never felt this bad before.”

Kouga gently rubbed Souta’s head, tightening his embrace. “You have to be strong.”

“I...I can’t stand it, it hurts to much.” Souta cried, he couldn’t stop a light sob from forcing it’s way out of his throat.

“Yes you can.” Kouga cooed lightly. “Besides, if your gonna be mine you have to be strong.”

Souta looked up at Kouga with teary eyes and a light sniffle. “What’s wrong with me?” He asked fearfully.

“Your just sick, it’ll be alright.”

Souta felt so bad that he couldn‘t believe what was being said to him, Kouga was just handling him. “You promise?”

“Of course...mutt-face will come through for you.” Kouga promised. “You have to be tough until he gets back. Ok?”

Souta’s body spasmed again, followed by another sniffle, making the boy’s eyes shoot open with a jolt of pain in his burning head. “I feel like I’m gonna die.” he whimpered.

“Souta...” Kouga held the boy so tightly that just about any movement he could think of making was inhibited, it could at lest eased some of the shaking. “I know what your going through, believe me, I’ve felt like that before.”

“You have?” Souta sounded so distracted that Kouga couldn’t tell if the boy was even registering what he was saying despite his words.

“Yeah. Sometimes after battles I was so hurt I couldn’t move for weeks.” Kouga admitted. “Sometimes I couldn’t even think strait from the pain.”

“What did you do?”

“I fought through it, that’s why you have to be tough.” Kouga whispered softly. “So be strong for me.”

Souta spasmed again, letting out a shaky outcry. He lifted his hands to Kouga’s strong arms and clinched them desperately, squeezing his eyes closed tightly enough for force more tears to stream down his cheek. “Aaaaahhhhh!!!”

“Souta.” Kouga closed his eyes and held the boy, it pained him hurting so much. “Shhhhh....”

“I can’t stand this!” Souta screamed.

“Yes, Yes you can.” Kouga told him. “I know it hurts but you have to be tough.“ If all else failed... “Remember what Inuyasha told you?”

Souta bit down on his lip, stifling another scream. “Y-Yes.” He nodded, staring up at Kouga, trying to focus on his glowing red eyes in the moon lit room. “Where’s Inuyasha? Is he gonna come back?” Souta wished more then anything that Inuyasha was here right now, maybe it was because he missed his new mate, or he was in horrible pain, but either way he wanted the Hanyou.

“He went to get something for you, to make you feel better.” Kouga winced when he felt the boy spasm again, and stifle another cry of pain. “Don’t worry, that mutt is gonna come back really soon...he damn well better.” Kouga gently shifted his hand on to Souta’s burrning forehead, bushing away some of the tears with his thumb and pushing some of the sweat drenched hair plastered against his face.

“Kouga...” he sniffled with a loud sob, clinching his hands into tight fist around Kouga’s arms trying and failing to stop them from shaking. Souta couldn't keep his eyes open anymore, they were itchy and blurry so much that he couldn’t even see him. “Please...don’t leave me too...”

Souta was really out of it, the boy barely knew what he was saying. But he knew he didn’t want to be alone, his throat hurt, he felt like a heavy weight was pressing down on his chest making it hard to take a single breath. His head burned, and he could no longer breathe out of his nose, every part of him hurt, and he couldn’t stop shaking. Even worse his body convulsed on it’s own randomly, he felt so horrible that he thought he’d die.

“Don’t worry about that, you just try to relax....” Kouga said softly, mentally flinching when he felt Souta spasmed

“Aaahhhhaaaa!!” Souta shouted loudly before he muffled his cries by reburying his face in Kouga’s chest.

‘Damnit Souta...gods he’s in bad shape.’ “Your gonna be ok.”

“You promise?”

“Yeah, just be tough.”

Souta bit down hard on his lip and nodded, but in the same breath his body spasmed with a jolt of pain and he screamed. Kouga tried his best to ease the boy doing the only thing he knew how, holding the boy close to him with a tight embrace and planting soothing kisses on his neck. Forget the need to mate, Kouga was feeling protective.

“Shhh....your going to be fine.”

“Kouga.”

! - ! - !

Inuyasha paused to take a second look at his list as he trudged through the high snow toward the well. The snow storm persisting around him and the darkness of night wasn’t helping his visibility.

...

“Huh?” He glanced over his shoulder at the house, he could have sworn he just heard a howl.... ‘Was that Kouga?’