1,539 Words
Hazing;
It was happening again. She ran faster, trying to watch the branches and roots that flew out of the darkness to tug at her clothes, hoping to tear at her skin more so than they already had. She was panting harder now; Adrenalin was a beautiful thing, without it she would have surely been caught by now, taken advantage of. It had happened once before, or so she thought. She couldn't tell people of these meetings because they would only think her insane, but she knew she was not. At night she dreamt dreams so vivid, so real, it was unlike any other dream (or nightmare) she had ever had or encountered or even read about before. There was always the same man, face dark, but eyes glowing read. She never really got to get a glimpse of his face but his long silver hair would surely give him away, if she ever encountered him outside of the containments of her mind. He was ethereal and in a different setting probably looked godly and unapproachable, but in her nightmares he was monstrous, destructive, predatory. Every night she had the same recurring nightmare:
He'd come close to her, so close she could feel his breath on the nape of her neck while she stood paralyzed from fear. Then, he'd snarl viciously against her shoulder, startling her into a fast run. They'd race through the forest, his howls echoing vibrantly through the densely foliaged forest. Once or twice (in most dreams) she would stumble on moss, a root, and fall to the ground. Then he'd rape her, continuously for hours on end, unrelentless in his fury. The ones where she was lucky enough to not stumble he would grow tired of the chase and speed up, causing her to be sure he was a demon, before slamming her uncaringly into a tree trunk where her skirt would be lifted and the battle would ensue. She'd cry for help, he'd bite her neck. He'd kiss her neck, she'd cry harder. But always, which got her the most, by the end of her dreams she would be moaning in delight, her toes curling in excitement until they both reached their peaks and right before she could call out his name --
"Kagome!"
The raven haired beauty startled out of her musings and quickly slammed her notebook shut, keeping all her dream/nightmare secrets safe inside its bindings.
"Yes, Eri?" She blinked innocently at her friend, not really sure what she had asked her just moments or even seconds, before.
"I said do you want to go to the spring dance with Hojo."
Kagome blinked at her slowly, then a bright smile spilled across her face and pretty soon she was outright laughing, bent over holding her sides, trying to remain calm and not succeeding. After five or so minutes she gained her composure back, smile still fully intact, and sat up, giggling once more at the completely mundane thought. Seeing her friends serious face Kagome paused with uncertainty then chastised herself. 'Of course she's being serious, girl! She's like, Hojo's cousin, right? She's trying to play matchmaker! He must have a crush on me...again.' She sighed in defeat and quickly thought out a plan to avoid becoming the laughing stock of the entire college campus.
"I can't, Eri, because I...uhm... I have to...-" She was abruptly cut off when a man walked into the tiny restaurant they were in and quickly approached the counter, speaking a few hushed words to the gaping owner. The owner nodded a few times, then waddled away as quickly as he could, never quite keeping his eyes off the tall man for more than five seconds, almost as if he were making sure the man had not disappeared yet.
Kagome's breath caught in her throat as he turned around slowly and let his gaze fall directly on her, a small smirk adorning his otherwise cold features. Suddenly Kagome couldn't breathe. She coughed once, twice, then bent over, making sure to keep her breathing as deep as possible, trying to slow her quick intakes of breath so as to not hyperventilate. Immediately the man was at her side, a look of concern so brief she may have imagined it flashing through his eyes... and then he was holding her elbow lightly, murmuring quietly in her ear so as to only she could hear him. She couldn't comprehend anything at first but he stayed with her, never quite letting up on what he was saying, keeping it a small secret wrapped in-between them, warm and familiar.
As fast as he was there he was gone, out the door and speeding out of the parking lot, leaving Kagome with more questions then she wanted to think about on her mind. He had had silver hair. Long silver hair. His eyes were a deep golden color, surely not of this world. She looked around her in a panic, trying to find him even though she knew she would not. This couldn't be, it just could not be. She finally heard someone else calling her and turned her head slowly, her muscles bunched in case she needed to bolt.
"Kagome! Kagome! Listen, Kagome! Who was that?! What did he say? I don't know who he is or what exactly he did but I wish you had gotten his number before he left, he was cute!" Eri giggled to herself, allowing a small moment of daydreaming before continuing on, "Did you know him? He seemed to recognize you. Is that why you started to panic? I would if I were you, he's so cute. Kagome? Hey, wait up!"
Eri slung herself out of the chair she had been reclining in to chase after her friend, screaming apologies as she went. Half way to the door the girl remembered her manners and turned around to slap down a few bills on the table, almost remembering too late that they had previously consumed a few milkshakes. By the time Eri got back outside Kagome was gone, a speeding cab the most likely source to her disappearance.
"Ugh. Kagome..." Eri mumbled before shaking her head with a smile and walking in the opposite direction, intent on making it home so that she could call and question her friend further on the subject she didn't seem willing to talk about.
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Kagome leaned back in the seat of the cab and pulled out her notebook, grappling for the pen behind her ear before finally grasping it. With shaking hands she slowly wrote down descriptions she had noticed about the man from her dreams... nightmares... whatever they were!
-Tall
-Silver haired
-Gold eyed
-Masculine
-Beautiful
-Frightening
-Demon
All of this she knew from the one glimpse they'd had. He had whispered in her ear... what was it? Kagome thought, hunching over the notebook in her seat with the pen gripped tightly between her fingers. Suddenly she remembered but she wished she hadn't. She didn't want to hear it, she knew the dreams were only that, dreams. ...But why else would she have woken up, sore from the previous nights activities, if they were only dreams? Why else would she have the scratches left on her arms from tree branches from her frantic flight if they were only dreams? Why else would she have bruises on her arms, thighs, and ankles if they were only dreams? Most of all, why else would she be wet with pleasure, hungry for more, aching to feel him again, and smelling of him- pine needles and rain- if they were only dreams?
Kagome quickly jotted down what he had said to her in quotes with a date beside it, not wanting to miss a thing before jumping out of the cab, slinging a few bills through the window. "Gomen nasai!" she whispered, then jogged up the steps into her home at the shrine, never missing a beat from the transition to shoes, no shoes, no stairs, stairs, all the way until the door to her room was safely shut and secured behind her. Even then she paused before pushing her desk chair up against the doorknob before she crawled into her closet. Once inside with the door shut she let herself hear what he had said, let herself believe that she hadn't been dreaming, let herself believe that it was for the best.
Sesshomaru smiled lovingly at the shrine window where his love was contained. She had locked herself in her room again, then crawled into the closet. Soon she would realize that he was harmless and she would come to her senses. Until then, she knew where to find him.
"Remember, miko." he whispered, "Meet me at Goshinboku and Five-Hundred Avenue when you are ready. The dreams are real but the acts are not volatile- they are an initiation, and nothing more. It may seem cruel but it is for your own good. You must be toughened up so that when you come back to this Sesshomaru you can handle my whole self, Demon included." He smiled one last lazy smile at the window before quickly jumping out of the tree and sauntering back towards his home, quicker than human eyes could see.