Chapter Text
Koga paused as the rapidly approaching sound of footsteps met his ears, twigs breaking and ragged breaths growing louder as whoever it was approached. He lowered himself into a crouch, keeping silent and near-invisible in the gloom of the forest. The moon was thin and he carefully hid himself from the little light it cast. He readied his claws for whatever fool had decided to come crashing through the forest into his path, however, he froze when a familiar hanyou burst into view. The inu looked frantic, amber eyes wide and searching, though they skipped right over where Koga was hidden without recognition. He didn’t like that expression on the other's face. He was usually so confident with a cocky smirk that pissed Koga off to no end, so to see his entire body tense with panic and fear was unnerving. Besides that, his firerat robe was dirty with mud and the tang of blood clung to it. Was he being chased? Koga couldn’t sense anything else nearby, but there must be something to make the hanyou react so strongly. The wolf carefully made himself known, rising from the foliage with a blank expression as to not alarm the other. He had no idea what drove Inuyasha to be in such a state, but he’d rather not be at the wrong end of Tessaiga tonight. “Hey mutt, what are you doing out here?” His tone was casual and teasing, but Inuyasha flinched hard and his head swung around to face him. His expression was wild and unfocused, emotions flickering over his features too fast to identify. The wolf raised his hands to show he meant no harm, but it did nothing to quell the rising terror in Inuyasha’s features. “Whoa, what’s got you so freaked out? That scared of me, eh?”
“Stay away from me. I know you’re not real,” Inuyasha snarled back, taking several stumbling steps away. He tossed a glance behind him and his hand hovered over Tessaiga’s hilt. Koga’s brow furrowed in confusion and he let the remaining tension ease from his body in an effort to calm the inu. Inuyasha looked ready to bolt at any moment, though he seemed reluctant to head back the way he came. Koga was well aware of these woods, cursed by a witch to drive those foolish enough to enter into insanity. He had thought it nothing more than a myth to ward off travelers, but maybe that was true after all.
“Calm down, mutt. I’m no illusion.” He stayed where he was and watched as Inuyasha shook his head, eyes darting around the clearing. “I can prove it. You can’t touch illusions, right?” He held out his hand, palm up, but Inuyasha cringed away from the movement. Just how long had the hanyou been lost in those cursed woods? It wasn’t like him to so clearly show his fear. Even if it was obvious Inuyasha was absolutely terrified he still hid it behind a façade no matter the situation.
“Don’t come near me!” Hysteria edged into the dog's voice, bringing the octave higher and pressing his ears flat against his head until they nearly disappeared amongst his silver mane. He was edging out of the clearing and Koga rushed to reassure him before he could dart back into the forest. If Koga followed Inuyasha into the woods he may fall under the same spell as the hanyou. Two idiots lost in the witch’s forest would do nothing good.
“Hey, I promise I’m real. I don’t know what you saw in those woods, but I can help. You can take out your sword just in case. If I’m not real you can strike me down.” Inuyasha whined, but nodded as his hand gripped tightly to his sword. Koga stepped forward until he was only a few feet from the other and held out his hand. Inuyasha bit his lip and now that the wolf was closer, he could see blood caked along the hanyou’s lip and how the skin there was torn, likely from being worried away by sharp fangs. “I promise.” A shaky hand rose to meet his and Inuyasha gasped when they made contact, yanking his hand away in shock. Amber met sky blue and Koga nodded, holding himself back from pulling the hanyou closer and away from the forest that had kept him trapped for who knows how long. Inuyasha let out a strangled sound that sounded suspiciously like a sob and launched himself into Koga’s chest. His arms snaked around Koga’s neck and the wolf felt him several deep breaths to reassure himself of Koga’s scent. After Naraku was defeated they had stayed briefly in touch, however, with Kagome gone and Koga’s pack on the mend, there was little reason for them to see each other. Though, no one goes through something like that together without forming a bond and he felt a rush of protectiveness towards the hanyou. “You’re alright, pup. We have to get away from the forest. Can you walk?” Inuyasha made no acknowledgement of his words, remaining a shaking mess in his arms. Koga sighed and swooped down to hook his arm under the inu’s legs. Prior to this moment, he was sure carrying the hanyou like a damsel in distress would cause no end of attacking and curses, but now Inuyasha only burrowed his nose further into Koga’s neck with a nervous whine.
Koga wasn’t near the rest of his pack and even Ginta and Hakkaku weren’t with him this time. He had set out alone to scout potential territory for hunting, needing time to clear his head as well. Even though he enjoyed the other two wolves’ presence, he was grateful he was alone. Inuyasha was in no condition to be surrounded and prodded with questions. Koga set out for a river he had passed not too long ago and said nothing of the shaking wracking the half-demon’s frame. When they arrived, the air chilled with the river’s water and Inuyasha pressed closer to him as they approached. “I have to let you go, alright? I have to check and see if you’re injured.” Inuyasha shook his head and even as Koga let go to allow the other to stand on his own, the inu refused to detach himself from him. “Inuyasha, you have to let go. I won’t go anywhere.” He had to forcibly pull the other’s arms off of him but Inuyasha allowed Koga to take a step back to look him over. The smell blood was not so much that it was wildly concerning, but he checked him over anyway. His clothing was disheveled and torn in some places, giving Koga a few of the myriad of scratches all over his chest. They looked…self-inflicted. He glanced up at the other’s face and saw Inuyasha was watching him intently, his fangs worrying away at his bottom lip. He offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile as he held up one of Inuyasha’s hands, confirming his suspicions when he saw the blood coloring the dog’s claws. “Why’d you do this to yourself?”
“There was blood…their blood was everywhere. I-I didn’t want it on me…!” Inuyasha’s hands shook in Koga’s and his breathing quickened to something nearing hyperventilation. Koga growled deep in his chest, a soothing rumble he used with the younger wolves after a bad hunt or rough battle. Slowly, Inuyasha calmed enough that Koga felt ok to let go of his hands. Inuyasha was staring at the blood on his claws, transfixed until Koga carefully tilted his chin up so their eyes met.
“The only blood on your hands is yours. You’ve been trapped in an illusion. Whatever you saw wasn’t real.” He made sure Inuyasha was listening, his voice clear and stern as he spoke. Inuyasha shook his head and glanced away. “You saw me in that forest, right? Well, it obviously wasn’t real ‘cause I’m right here.”
“R-right here,” Inuyasha repeated with a nod. “You’ll stay? E-everyone is dead…I saw them- them die.” Inuyasha pulled at Koga’s arms, something wild brightening his eyes and making them glow in the darkness. Koga’s heart clenched at the desperate need for reassurance. This wouldn’t be an easy fix, he realized suddenly. He wouldn’t be able to patch the inu up and then part ways in the morning. Kagome was gone and Koga had no idea where the other humans had gone in the last few years. He realized that Inuyasha’s pack had been lost to him, his humans probably not comprehending how important it was to stay together.
“I’m staying. I’ll be right here with you.” Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief and Koga tugged him over to the river's edge. The other let himself be towed along with no resistance, his feet dragging through the gravel. Koga wondered when the last time Inuyasha slept was, or had access to food and water, for that matter. He pulled the shivering half-demon down to sit and opened his robes fully. Luckily, the wounds were already healing, though it was obvious they had been closed and reopened a few times. “Inuyasha, do you remember when you first entered the cursed woods? When you first started seeing things?” The hanyou shifted nervously and fangs dug into his lower lip.
“I-I think it was just after the n-new moon? I don’t remember…” Koga nodded, keeping his shock carefully hidden as he tore a bit of Inuyasha’s inner white robe to clean his chest. That told him very little. The human village Inuyasha liked to linger around was at least a week’s travel away but that was if the hanyou had travelled straight from there to the forest, which may not have been the case. Where was he going? Why would he travel so far away from his home? They lapsed into silence as Koga cleaned the blood away and then moved on to the crimson smeared across the hanyou’s face. He gently tugged Inuyasha’s lip from between his teeth and winced at the state of the skin there. It must have become a nervous habit he’d developed in his time within the forest.
“Don’t chew your lip, ok? It won’t heal.” Koga put the soiled cloth to the side and nudged Inuyasha towards the river. “Drink. You look like you need it.” Inuyasha turned to face the water but made no move to drink. He glanced at Koga a moment before dipping his hands in and scooping up a handful. He took a few tentative sips before letting it slip between his fingers and reaching out to wrap his hand around Koga’s wrist. He looked at the wolf like he may disappear at any moment, which for all Koga knew he really did think would happen. “Do you think you can sleep?”
“No! No, I can’t- can’t sleep! Y-you won’t be here if I do!” Inuyasha’s claws pierced Koga’s skin but he didn’t hold it against the other and just pulled the hanyou’s hand from his arm.
“Ok, ok no sleeping. We’ll just rest until morning and then maybe go for a hunt. How’s that sound?” Koga shifted so he could pull Inuyasha into his lap, pleased when the other relaxed against him. He growled softly as Inuyasha leaned his head back against his shoulder, eyes drifting half-closed.
Eventually, exhaustion won over and Inuyasha’s eyes closed, his breathing slowing. Koga held him tightly as he finally slept, letting his presence be known even while the other was unconscious. He let himself doze, though he was jolted awake by a sharp pain in his arms and a loud whine in his ear not long after he relaxed. Inuyasha was gripping his arm in an iron-tight hold and his face was pressed into his neck just under his jaw. A loud, panicked whine reached Koga’s ears and he quickly met it with a growl of reassurance. “Hey, breathe. We’re still here.” It was agonizingly slow as Inuyasha quieted and the tension in his shoulders eased to something more normal.
“Y-you’re still…you didn’t- I can’t…” Blood dripped down the other’s chin as he bit down on his lip to stop himself from speaking. Koga sighed and tapped the other’s cheek to get his attention. Gold eyes met his and Inuyasha released his lip, reaching up to wipe the blood away. “I didn’t…I thought you wouldn’t be here if I slept. L-like before.” Koga didn’t know if Inuyasha would ever feel comfortable enough to tell him what happened in those woods, but he hoped he would at least move past it with time. He needed to tell his pack to stay far away from the forest at all cost. If Hakkaku and Ginta came looking for him they may accidently pass into the forest. They needed to leave today, whatever convincing it took.
“I promised I’d be here, didn’t I?” He smiled and moved to stand. Pulling the other up to do the same. “You still up for a hunt this morning? When was the last time you ate?” Inuyasha’s face took on a nauseous tinge and Koga darted out of the way as the other doubled over to vomit. Nothing but bile hit the ground, but the hanyou’s body convulsed as he dry-heaved. Koga pulled the other’s silver hair from his face and waited until he was done to ease him back to standing.
“S-sorry…” Inuyasha looked away but his hand found Koga’s wrist all the same. He was quickly realizing that the inu needed touch to anchor himself. He was always reaching for the wolf, trying to stay in constant contact. “I don’t w-want to go into the trees.”
“How about I gather some firewood and you see if you can catch some fish?” He hoped giving the other a task would help. Koga let Inuyasha take his time thinking over his proposal, happy when the hanyou gave a nod.
“Can you, uh, stay so I can see you? Please?” Koga swore his heart skipped a beat at the demure tone and he hoped his tan would hide his blush.
“No problem! I’ll be right at the tree line!” He prayed that the other wouldn’t notice his awkwardness and darted over to the trees. When his face finally cooled, he turned back to see Inuyasha staring at him, though the inu looked away and pretended to be focused on finding fish when their eyes met. Koga took his time when he noticed the other was struggling to keep his hands steady enough to catch anything and didn’t wander over until two fish were laying on the bank. “Look at the size of those bastards. Good job, pup.” Inuyasha frowned and looked away, pink tinting his cheeks. Koga had just enough time to build a fire and skewer the fish before Inuyasha was latched onto his side once again. Without an ounce of embarrassment, the dog nosed along his jaw and inhaled his scent deeply.
“Feeling a bit better?” Inuyasha pressed against his side as they sat and nodded, silently. Koga also noticed that the other seemed to only speak when he really had to, even using growls and whines more than actual words. Being constantly stuck in a fight or flight state most likely had him functioning more on instincts than rationality. “Do you want to go back to your human village? Or I could take you to my pack?” Inuyasha grimaced and curled into himself.
“N-no I can’t. They’re dead. All of them. I killed th-them,” Inuyasha murmured, voice strained and tight with pain. He had curled into a ball, his face pressed into his knees and his claws creating dark crimson splotches from where they dug into his arms. Koga’s hands hovered near but not quite touching, unsure how to help without making him panic worse. Inuyasha was still rambling, barely audible words as he confessed what he thought he’d done. Koga placed a hand against the hanyou’s back, making the other jolt upright and stare at him with wide eyes.
“You see me?” Inuyasha swallowed down his ramblings and Koga took that as a good sign. “I’m real. Us sitting by this river is real. What you saw in the forest wasn’t real. It was all illusions created by an ancient witch. No one is dead, especially not by your hand.” Slowly, ever so slowly, Inuyasha pulled his hands away from his arms and his muscles eased. Koga wasn’t sure exactly how much the half-demon believed him about the illusions but at least he was calm again. The smell of burning fish met his nose and he cursed as he realized the fish were blackened on one side. He took one for himself and handed the other to his companion who grimaced as he took it. As Koga ate, he noticed that the other had yet to even lift the fish to his mouth. Koga nudged him and gave him a pointed look.
“I feel sick,” Inuyasha confessed, staring at the fish with a pinched expression. Koga sighed and took another bite of his own.
“Maybe a little will settle your stomach. We’ll head to my pack and the healer will make you something.” Inuyasha looked less than enthused at the idea but nibbled on the fish nonetheless. “Can you make it or do you want me to carry you?” Despite his best efforts, Koga’s tone still came off slightly teasing. However, it seemed to loosen some of the nerves holding Inuyasha’s muscles and his face settled into a somewhat familiar scowl.
“I don’t need you to carry me, wolf.” They fell into a slow but steady pace for most of the, settling for running along the forest’s edge rather than jumping from tree to tree. Periodically, Inuyasha matched Koga’s pace and brushed their arms or his hand grazed across Koga’s wrist, the contact a wordless comfort. It wasn’t until the sky was just beginning to darken and streaks of pinks and oranges bloomed over the horizon that Inuyasha’s pace slowed.
“You ok?” Koga doubled back to where Inuyasha was leaning against a tree, his breaths ragged and one hand holding his head in pain. He was honestly surprised the other had kept up for so long given that he was dehydrated and exhausted. The pack was still nearly a full day’s trek, more if they kept up such a languid pace. “Alright, I can either carry you on my back or in my arms, your choice.” Inuyasha glared at him, though any heat behind it was lost due to the tremble in his shoulders and the dark bruises under his eyes. He knew all too well that the inu could be stubborn beyond belief and set their pace once again. They made it about a mile more before Inuyasha’s legs gave out and Koga hoisted him onto his back, this time without protest. As soon as he heard the other’s breathing even out, he darted into the trees and quickened their pace. They had been taking a roundabout path pack to Koga’s home in order to avoid the trees, given that Inuyasha nearly had a panic attack when Koga suggested they cut through it. If he wanted to keep their journey as quick as possible, he had to make up the time they’d lost.
-
They managed to make the trip in half the time, Koga’s legs burning with exertion but it was outweighed by relief when familiar mountains came into view and he could smell his wolves nearby. As he entered the main dens, more and more eyes followed him, some curious and others disgusted as they caught Inuyasha’s half-demon scent. He ignored them and called for one of the wolves to get their healer and meet him in his cave. Inuyasha’s skin had taken on a feverish heat and his breathing had become increasingly labored as they’d travelled. Koga’s concern only grew as the hanyou remained limp as he was set down on a bed of furs. He barked out an order to hurry the healer to the young guard outside his cave and tried to reign in his anger at the situation. Why was Inuyasha suddenly so sick? He had seemed fine the previous night, terrified and exhausted, but certainly not sick.
The healer arrived slower than he would have wanted, pausing at the entrance to his cave when she spotted the hanyou. Her nose wrinkled, but at the sight of her leader’s scowl she quickly set to work checking Inuyasha over. Her hands moved his robes aside and trailed over the marks there that were healing slower than they should’ve, before laying her hand against the hanyou’s forehead. All the while, Koga explained the events of the night prior. She listened with a calculating expression before pulling out a bag and rifling through it. “I don’t know much of half-breeds; however, this is likely caused by lack of food, dehydration and a high level of prolonged stress. His body couldn’t cope with all of it and he became ill. Boil these herbs and give them to him when he wakes and then again before he goes to sleep. They should help with the fever and bring his appetite back.” She bowed slightly and moved to leave, before reconsidering and turning back to him. “I have nothing I can do for whatever trauma he suffered. Besides calming teas or sleeping draughts, he will have to get through it on his own.”
She hurried off without another word and Koga growled in frustration. Inuyasha wouldn’t face anything alone. Koga had promised to be there while the inu needed him and he was never one to back out of his word.