Saturday, October 9, 2004

inuyasha 15
'I think I am doomed to a life of sleeping in trees,' Kagome sent Shippo an apologetic look later that evening when Inuyasha wrapped an arm around her waist and leapt up the the branch he had been sitting on all evening. "You've got the sleeping bag to yourself tonight, Shippo," she leaned over to smile affectionately down at the confused kitsune.

Shippo blinked up after her, "Are you sure?"

"Of course I am," Kagome pinched Inuyasha when he snorted derisively.

Inuyasha yelped in surprise and frowned at her, "What was that for?"

"If you're mean to Shippo I'll say it," she glared at him and murmured low enough for his ears only. "I don't care if it takes us both down, it'd be worth it."

Inuyasha's brows lifted and he made a show of leaning over to gauge the distance between their perch and the ground before make a sound suspiciously like a woof and closing his eyes. Kagome just shook her head, turning back to Shippo's curious face, "It's okay, Shippo-chan, just go to bed."

Shippo still looked a bit confused, but with a shrug he turned to her bedding and proceeded to tuck, fold, and twist the sleeping bag into a little nest of sorts. He burrowed down inside it, tucking himself in and yawning hugely. He stretched lazily, calling a soft good-night to Kagome and inhaling her comforting scent in the bedding before nodding off with the speed only baby animals are capable of.

In the meantime, Inuyasha had settled himself comfortably and was in the process of tucking Kagome into the cradle of his lap. He yawned, actually tired for once, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back to his chest before rubbing his cheek against her hair, "Go to sleep."

Kagome's eyes were drawn to the knowing expressions on Sango and Miroku's faces and her spine stiffened, "But-"

"Stay," Inuyasha grumbled out sleepily, smiling against her temple when her legs relaxed and she started swearing beneath her breath. "Don't worry about it so much," he freed one arm to lift her chin and plant a quick kiss on her surprised mouth. Yawning much like Shippo had done once he released her and wrapped his arms securely around her again. "Now sleep," he tucked her head beneath his chin.

Kagome sat, her eyes wide and thoughts racing. 'Okay, so we've...ah- modified our sleeping arrangement, it's not like we're doing anything wrong...' She glared down at Miroku, getting an encouraging smile in return that had her ducking her face against Inuyasha's chest, "I should have kicked him higher."

She knew for sure the hanyou was asleep when that muttered comment failed to get a reaction out of him. Sighing, she tried to slowly lean away from him, shifting her legs as the feeling returned and easing him arms down.

Inuyasha growled in his sleep, his arms tightening as his chin moved down to her shoulder. She jumped in surprise when she felt his tongue glide once over her skin before he closed his teeth around the tendon at the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

Kagome froze, her mouth dropping open as her heartbeat sky-rocketed and her stomach immediately started doing flips. The hold wasn't painful in the slightest, just enough pressure to hold her still and make her well aware of just what was on her neck. But it wasn't just the action that startled her.

It was really her own reactions to it were what made her cheeks darken and her breath hitch in her throat. Something about the feel of his mouth on her neck made her just want to close her eyes and melt back against the hanyou; made her want to reach up an rub his soft ears just to feel that low rumble go through his chest...

It was Miroku's muffled laughter that returned her to some semblance of reality just as her hands had started to creep up to Inuyasha's face. She was grateful for the darkness hiding her startled, guilty expression when the monk called up to her, "Ah, Kagome-sama, Inuyasha is a dog, after all. And he is obviously more than a little fond of you..."

"If you don't stop laughing at me, Miroku-sama, I swear to God I'll throw my shoes at your head!" she kept her voice quiet in respect for Inuyasha's sensitive ears, but the glare she shot down to the priest was one of her most effective to make up for it.

He held up his hands in a show of peace and turned his attention off into the night, although she could tell his shoulders were still shaking with amusement. She debated the difficulty of actually getting her shoes off to throw while attached to an unnaturally strong hanyou who was acting more like a sleeping puppy and not showing any signs that he would be letting go in the near future.

Judging from the contented rumble coming from his chest like a purr, the same one she'd wanted to hear earlier at the thought of rubbing his ears, Kagome couldn't help but doubt if he would move at all until morning. Miroku was forgotten as she became aware of the steady heartbeat against her her back, the strong throb melting away her tension by slow degrees.

Sighing as she decided it couldn't make much difference, she lifted one arm to reach up and stroke the ear that met her searching palm. In response, Inuyasha tilted his head ever so slightly closer to her and let out a deep sigh. She could have sworn she felt his mouth curve as she relaxed and let sleep drift over her.

But whether that was real or imagined, there was a smile on her own lips as her eyes slid closed and she whispered, "Damn you, Inuyasha. You really are just a big dog, aren't you?"

***

'Ah hell, not this again,' Kagome growled as she became away of the hazy landscape that she'd been in once before. Her last "dream" with the strange voice, and it was no less welcome now than it had been then, 'Go away!'

'Don't shut me out, Kagome.'

Her head snapped up in alarm, and she began searching the thick fog a little frantically. The voice was a LOT stronger this time, the words actually filling her senses instead of just appearing in her mind as they had before. 'What's going on? Where did you bring me?'

'Calm down. It's imperative that you listen to me this time.'

'I'll bet it is,' she shook her head, backing away from the direction she thought she heard the voice the strongest from.

'You can't ignore me forever, miko.'

'That's what you think,' she reached up to cover her ears. After all, it had worked once, it could work again, right?

Hands, real solid hands caught her wrists from behind and held her arms away from her, sending a wave of fear through Kagome so strong that she froze immediately. She began to shake, cursing herself over and over for not telling the others about the voice. Was it planning on killing her now? She had no way of fighting back like this...

'I can't let you ignore me. I am trying to tell you that we- I don't want to hurt you,' the voice was right behind her, so close that the words sent chills racing down her back.

'Let go of me!' Kagome's voice was hardly above a whisper, stretched taut with her fright.

'No. Not until you listen to me.'

'What do you want!?'

'I have to warn you. I knew it would happen, but we had to risk it for your safety.'

Everything was spinning, the haze dimming and brightening as it curled around her, 'Knew what would happen? What did you do to me?'

'Don't talk, just listen. When we made a path to open your soul, there was brief period of time when you were vulnerable. We had no idea what kind of reaction your body would have to the -ah...ink we used to mark you. But the latent power in you is remarkable and it's twisting the spell.'

'You can't possibly be trying to say this is all my fault?' Kagome tugged at the hands sharply, only to wince when their grip increased.

'Not everything and not directly. Like I said, you were vulnerable and certain... persons are trying to take advantage of that,' the voice changed to a low hiss, obviously frustrated at her attempts to pull away. 'It is very dangerous for you right now, so you must trust me!'

'Not a fucking chance,' her eyes blazed as fear melted into anger.

'Damn, you're a stubborn miko,' it muttered in her ear before raising again, imperative and full of authority. 'Don't you understand what could happen? This is something that would not only kill your body, it would destroy your soul! Do you want to be trapped in limbo forever?'

'YOU did this!' Kagome twisted violently, but the feel of the hands followed easily. 'I didn't ask for this! For any of this! Who are you? What the hell are you trying to do to me?'

'I'm trying to get your help in his matter for one thing. I already told you that I mean you no harm, and that's all that you need to know of me. All I need from you now is for you to listen very carefully and do exactly as I say.'

'I'm sure,' her lips twisted bitterly.

'This is important, miko.'

'Get out of my head!'

'Not this time. You WILL listen or I will keep you here, do you understand me?'

Kagome was silent a moment and finally swore beneath her breath to demand, 'What am I supposed to listen to?'

'The safest place for you right now is with your hanyou.'

'Oh that's fucking perfect... Even in my dreams I'm getting Inuyasha lectures!' she started tugging again. 'I get enough of this outside my head, the last place I need it is inside too!'

'I am NOT your hanyou and I am not lecturing! I am telling you what you must do in order to stay alive!' the hands tightened to the point of pain and Kagome fell to her knees with a muffled cry. 'Your magic is twisting the spell and the closer you stay to that hanyou, the less dangerous the repercussions should be! Stay close to him, because for some reason his aura has a dampening effect on the other magic trying to connect to you.'

'If Inuyasha can stop it, then just who is behind this other magic, hn? And what are THEY trying to do as opposed to you?' Kagome hissed, her eyes closing as she tried to ignore the numbness sweeping through her arms.

'We don't know and that's what we're trying to figure out. Until I do, you must try not to use your magic unless it's necessary and unless you want some serious damage to yourself, don't leave your hanyou's range of spirit.'

'Don't use-? Why the hell can't I use my magic?' she demanded.

'I can't take the time to explain everything right now, but you're...absorbing energy from the sources around you. With your hanyou, he bears you no malice and neither do you wish to harm him... You are unconsciously balancing yourself against him. But if you leave that aura, you will be open to receive and absorb others. If you use your magic, your soul will collect more from the others that are now sensitive to you in order to replace what it is using up. The consequences-"

'This is absolutely unbelievable,' she shook her head to cut him off, her mind reeling with confusion. 'What the hell were you trying to do to make THIS happen? And where did it go wrong?'

'Don't misunderstand my intentions, miko,' the hands relaxed enough that she could feel her blood begin to circulate again. 'I was only attempting to make things clearer for you. We had to make certain you would be protected in order to fulfill the demands of fate.'

'Congratulations, whatever the fuck it was you did succeeded in making everything more confusing than ever,' Kagome ripped her arms free, a bit surprised when the hands actually let go. 'And apparently it's trying to eat my soul or something. What is my so-called fate that I need to deal with this?'

'I can't tell you that, but the distortion in the magic is why I had to see you. If you were killed because of the spell it would be unforgivable. Whatever you do, do not leave your hanyou, do not use your magic, and for the love of the gods, do NOT get angry.'

Kagome blinked in the direction of the voice in disbelief, 'You've got to be kidding me. I'm so pissed off right now I can barely see straight.'

'Try to control yourself.'

Kagome snorted, folding her arms over her chest, "Keh."

'I am serious, miko, if you don't follow my directions there is no telling what could go wrong.'

'You should have thought of that before you went crazy with a tattoo gun,' she rubbed her wrists, grimacing when she saw them starting to turn purple and praying that didn't carry over to her body as she lifted her hands to her ears again to shut him out.

'Gun?'

**

Kagome jolted awake with a sharp gasp, her hands pressing reflexively to her heart as she felt the heavy thud against her sternum. Panting, her eyes searched the darkness, but there was nothing to hint the cause of her nightmare. Almost nothing, she amended when she felt the discordant pulse at her hip followed closely by the dull throb in her wrists.

She turned her hands to look at the abused flesh, grimacing at the bruises that circled the flesh like shackles. This was definitely going to get Inuyasha going, considering how pissed off he got when she was hurt.

A shiver curled down her spine when the cool evening air touched her sweat-dampened skin, and Kagome started to curl into herself. She barely shifted her weight when she was reminded of Inuyasha's position at her back. He responded to the chill by tucking her closer to his chest, curling around her to surround her with as much warmth as he could. Just as she'd thought, his teeth hadn't moved from her neck in the least, but after that nightmare the contact was having a calming effect on her frayed senses.

'Don't get angry, and don't leave my hanyou, hn?' Kagome's lips twisted in annoyance. 'Who IS that guy? Or is it a girl? And what in the world is this spell doing to me?'

Whoever or whatever it was, if she could believe them, the spell had been for her protection, but they had used magic that wasn't totally compatible with her own. So what was it about the magic that had become distorted? And what did it mean that she was absorbing energy? Wouldn't Inuyasha had noticed if she was draining him?

She let out a frustrated grunt, 'This is so confusing.'

Of course Inuyasha would be absolutely delighted to hear that she was being encouraged to stay in his "range of spirit," whatever that meant...

If he knew about it.

She didn't have to tell him everything, did she? Granted for a moment there she'd been terrified of that voice and wishing Inuyasha was with her but she was still alive and for the most part unharmed. Maybe if she waited it would figure out what was going on and she could get it straightened out without having to worry the hanyou. He seemed to thrive off worrying about her, using that as the perfect excuse to practically hover over her until it drove her nuts. She had to admit that Inuyasha made her feel safe, more protected than she ever had before even if he could be an over-bearing jerk.

Then again...why didn't she mind it more than she did?

'Kagome, you have got a LOT of thinking to do...' she scolded herself even as her hand again crept up to stroke his ear.


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