A/N: Yaaay! Thanks for the reviews everyone. I encourage all of you to read different versions of the original Beauty and the Beast. There are so many interesting things in all of them, and I draw from a lot, so maybe you'll know where I'm going ;) Well have fun, keep reading!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these lovely characters, sadly. I can dream though...
Chapter 11 -The Dream
Kagome's eyes shot open, and she wondered for a moment what it was that startled her out of sleep. With a jolt, she realized that someone was in the room and searched the room with her mind before relaxing (slightly) when she found only Inuyasha.
She was surprised to see him staring at her. He was perched on her vanity, his red eyes seemingly boring into her. She squeaked slightly, then cleared her throat with a blush.
"Ne, Inuyasha?"
"What did you do?" he growled softly. She frowned.
"Nani?"
"What did you do?" he repeated, though a little softer. She sat up, crawling to the foot of the bed, the blankets still securely wrapped around her form.
"You mean... last night?" she asked cautiously. She wondered if he was going to yell at her when a slight flushed grazed his cheeks. He nodded fractionally, avoiding her eyes. Kagome cocked her head to the side, fingering the bridge of her nose in thought.
"I just... I don't know," she shrugged, not really knowing what he meant. She'd hugged him, right? She was just trying to comfort him... why would that be bad? He growled though, and she bit her lip. Rather belatedly, she noticed his hands.
"Inuyasha?"
"What?" he growled, not satisfied with her answers.
"Are your hands healing?" she asked. Blushing again, he inspected his hands with an embarrassed air. He'd haplessly attempted to bandage them after coming to the realization that he no longer had to force pain on himself to distract himself from killing.
"I guess," was his noncommital answer.
Kagome sighed, sliding out of bed with one hand clutching the blankets to her chest. She used one hand to inspect one of his, examining it in the light. He gulped, trying not to eye what parts of her could be seen in her shift. With a sigh, she reluctantly let the blanket fall in order to use both of her hands. With a professional air, she inspected his hands as he shut his eyes in shame.
"Let me guess; you did this bandaging?" Her voice cut into her thoughts, and he raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, why?" he asked. Kagome groaned, using her fingernails to pick bits of linen out of the deep puncture wounds and gashes. He winced.
"That's why," she said dryly. He pouted, but let her tend to him.
As she bandaged him, he slowly felt the same calming air he'd felt earlier. Once again, he felt closer to normal. After last night, it had slowly faded, and he felt like a demon again. But the hold on his mind had loosened, enabling him to think clearly.
"You're doing it again," he whispered. Kagome frowned.
"I'm sorry, am I hurting you?"
"No! No... I just... I feel normal again." Kagome's eyes widened, but she didn't look up from his hands, distractedly looking around for a poultice.
"Normal? What is normal?" she asked, though she wasn't really paying attention. In dismay, he realized that she had no idea what was really going on. But he did.
The spell... Kikyo had put a spell on him, right? Well... if Kagome herself was really a miko too, maybe she was breaking down the walls of the spell without meaning to. Of course, all she was doing was easing the edges, softening him up. The spell was still firmly in place.
He wondered briefly why she wasn't totally afraid of him, before he gasped in pain as she hit a sore spot. He glanced up at her; she didn't seem to be paying much attention to anything other than his hands.
Thank Kami.
She finished wrapping his hands with a flourish, smiling widely at her masterpieces. He flexed his hands with a blank face, then nodded to her before pouncing out of her balcony door and out into... wherever.
Kagome looked out after him, moaning at the sight of the dark sky. The sun hadn't even risen yet!
"Oh! That demon! Waking me in the bowels of morning to ask me stupid questions..."
She crawled back to her pillows, falling quickly into slumber.
It was very light in her dreams, the edges of her vision blurring, giving the surroundings an ethereal quality that pacified Kagome's initial panic.
She looked around, surprised to find herself smack dab in the middle of a forest. She vaguely recognized it as the forest on the outskirts of the village.
"Kagome."
She spun around, trying to pinpoint the voice. It was very quiet and faint, slightly rough. It was oddly familiar.
'Kagome," it called again, and this time Kagome tried to follow it. It called out every few seconds, growing closer and closer, yet the volume of the voice never quite rose above a whisper.
She pushed through the bushes, and the slight rustling sound echoed around her as she spotted the owner of the voice.
Surprisingly, what she found seemed to be Inuyasha, sitting up on a tree branch. She saw his flowing silver hair and bright red garments as he looked down, but when she walked into the clearing he raised his head.
Kagome blinked, confused. A slight smile graced his handsome face, replacing the usual scowl that resided there. His eyes lit up in greeting; eyes that had Kagome drowning in their golden molten quality. His face was smooth and flawless, with no demon marks in sight.
"Hello, Kagome," he said, and he jumped gracefully off the tree branch to land directly in front of her. She backed up; in close proximity, this vision of Inuyasha stunned her speechless. Her eyes widened as he reached out a hand - with claws that looked only slightly dangerous - and stroked her cheek.
"Inu... Inuyasha?" she looked around frantically, knowing this had to be a dream. But just as the surrounding were blurry and unfocused, the Inuyasha standing before her looked- and felt- as real as anything she'd ever known.
"I need your help, Kagome," the vision said. Kagome took the hand that was pressed so - lovingly? - against her cheek.
"What must I do?" she asked, ever eager to help. The vision smiled sadly.
"I can't tell you." Kagome stamped her foot, and he chuckled lightly, making her tingle. "You must find out for yourself, but already you've helped me a great deal. Just do your best; that's all I can ask."
"Is... is this what you really look like? When you aren't sick?" she asked softly. Inuyasha just smiled, then leaned forward to gently kiss her lips. Stunned, Kagome let it happen, and the vision grinned as he pulled away. Then he frowned.
"Find me, Kagome, I need you." He turned her around and pushed her.
"GO!"
With a gasp, Kagome sat up in bed, breathing heavily. She pressed a hand to her beating heart, wondering at the lingering warmth on her mouth.
Did that actually happen?
Kagome laughed nervously, pulling on a kimono. Of course not, that was nothing more than a dream...
Right?
Rather unconsciously, she listened next door for the usual sounds of Inuyasha's tantrums, not surprised to find silence.
Hurriedly, she finished dressing, then opened her door and ran down the hall and the stairs, barely maneuvering around Sango.
"Kagome? What is it?" The girl turned back around with a slightly worried expression.
"Have you seen Inuyasha?" Sango looked puzzled.
"No. I haven't seen the master since early this morning," she said slowly, "But why - " Her words fell onto deaf ears as Kagome bolted down the stairs.
She ran past everyone she saw, elbowing a couple people accidentally in passing. She worried briefly about trying to apologize, but all thoughts were lost as a howl came up from the forest.
"Inuyasha!" she screamed, and all the workers around her swivelled their heads toward her in shock. Without really knowing what she was doing, she grabbed a bow and quiver from one of the men and ran into the forest.
She ran until her legs tired, and even then pushed onward. Finally she entered a deserted clearing much like the one in her dream, but the sight that greeted her was far less pleasant.
There, with his back to her, was Inuyasha. However, his feet were off the ground, and slender tanned fingers were wrapped around his neck. She briefly glimpsed the possessor of those fingers in front of him but couldn't make out a face. Inuyasha thrashed about, calling out vulgar names and trying to kick at his captor.
With grim determination, she put an arrow to the bow and shot it at a tree next to the demon's head.
"Drop him!" she yelled, and put another arrow to the bow, ready to fire. Waiting, she concentrated her miko powers into the arrow, willing the demon to drop the hanyou.
A pause; Inuyasha stopped thrashing, and she saw the demon make a step forward.
"Kagome? Is that you?" He dropped Inuyasha unceremoniously and gaped at Kagome and the arrow embedded in the wood an arms length from his head. Kagome almost dropped her bow, but somehow held it in place.
"Kouga? What are you doing here?" By this time, Inuyasha had straightened himself and shook the dirt off his haori. He glared at Kagome.
"You know this piece of crap, Kagome?" He fumed, and she managed a nervous smile and a slight nod.
"Kagome, come back home! How does this ugly mutt know you? Come on Kagome, come home!" He reached out a hand, and his face was slowly lighting up with hope. Inuyasha snarled.
"She's with me, wolf-turd. Now pick up your sorry ass and leave!" He made a step toward the wolf demon, and Kagome immediately screeched.
"Stop it! Both of you just stop!" Grudgingly, both heads turned to look at her. Rather belatedly, she realized that both were canine. With a grimace she wondered if she was the property they were attempting to spray on.
"Look Kouga," she started, and in seconds he was right in front of her, grasping her hand. She yanked it back. "Kouga, I need to stay here. I need to..." she began to say "help Inuyasha," but decided that she would save the poor guy some dignity, "I need to help his village with an outbreak of disease."
Kouga snorted. "Let them get another miko; you're mine, Kagome." This time it was Inuyasha who snorted.
"Who said she was yours?" he asked haughtily. "I don't smell you on her." He smiled slowly, and Kagome grimaced as the light flashed in his blood-red eyes. Kouga growled.
"I don't smell you on her either you monster, now go home and leave my Kagome alone."
"Kouga!" Both canines looked at her in surprise. She lowered her bow and frowned at the wolf.
"I'm not yours Kouga, please. I need to stay here and help." She glared as he opened his mouth to protest and he shut his mouth feebly. "I have to," she amended firmly. She looked at Inuyasha and rolled her eyes at the smirk on his face.
Kouga, defeated, looked down sadly. "Alright," he said. Then he gave Kagome one last pleading look before turning tail and running full speed away. Kagome sighed and shook her head. Would that boy ever learn?
Inuyasha made a pleased noise behind her, and she turned to give him a look much like the one she gave Kouga. She was content to see him gulp nervously, then she turned around and began walking back to the castle.
She was tired. What with crazy prophetic dreams and using her miko energy, she felt more than a little drained.
Inuyasha followed closely behind, looking every which way as though Kouga would come back and steal her away. At one point she looked back and noticed this, and sighed again.
Puppies...
Inuyasha looked around the corner, keeping his eyes out for the miko. Ever since he'd met that... piece of crap that called itself Kouga, he'd been keeping a close eye on her. Whatever this Kagome was doing, he didn't like it.
He looked down at his stomach, as though willing it to make that funny feeling again. It had happened a few times now, in the 2 weeks since that wolf imposed himself here. It had happened then, and the few times when Miroku had managed to sneak his hand in.
The hanyou glared at his stomach. He didn't like his body doing things on it's own. He liked to be in control, invincible, untouchable. But this feeling... it was making him quiver, making his knees shake. And occasionally his anger got the best of him in these times.
If anything, he got more pissed off than usual.
He shook his head, focusing on the task at hand. Look for Kagome, look for Kagome...
Ah, there she was.
She walked briskly into the hall, and he spied her from behind the kitchen door. He narrowed his eyes, trying to pinpoint her doing her spells, or something. He had to know what this was! But she merely conversed casually with a servant, asking him how his daughter was, and whether or not his tooth felt better.
Inuyasha sighed. He almost wished for the mind of a demon again. It was much simpler. None of this "thinking" business. It made his head hurt...
He involuntarily growled as the man Kagome was talking to put his hand on Kagome's arm. There was no reason to touch her, so why was he doing it? And there she stands, smiling as if nothing's going on!
But Inuyasha managed to control himself... this time.
Kagome looked over briefly at the familiar flash of red, and ignored it for a moment, making sure that she covered everything possible with one of her many patients.
Patient... that was one thing that Inuyasha was not. He always seemed to need her right when she was tending someone else. That boy, she thought, while smiling to the man and waving him off. With a great big smile, she turned to the kitchen door and strode over with purpose.
She flung the door open before the hanyou could do much of anything except stare up at her. She put a hand on her hip with a mock frown.
"Inuyasha, you know that you are my biggest concern here, and you don't need to wait for me to begin tending others before taking your opportunity. If you hurt, you must tell me." She smiled and reached out her hand. "So, what is it today?"
Inuyasha blinked for a moment, taken back by her smile. He hadn't seen too many smiles directed his way in quite some time, and so far, they'd all come from this woman. He wondered briefly, again, why she didn't fear him.
Heck, he'd broken mirrors because he was scared of himself.
He ignored the proffered hand and pouted skillfully, looking away. Let her figure it out.
So imagine how he jumped when her hands came down on his shoulders, rubbing gently, but firmly, making his body turn to mush.
"You're very tense... you can't heal unless you're relaxed you know. The evils in your body are only released when...." she droned on, and he completely zoned out, not hearing her words. His limbs were wobbly, and his shoulders were feeling sore and achy in a lovely way... and once again, as always, his mind cleared, and the pain was ebbing away.
The only problem was that it wasn't permanent. After a while, he'd become a demon again, only vaguely able to control the dark urges that his body called for. He tried his best, alone, to shut out the horrible voices in his head, the ones controlling his thoughts. But this woman...
She took the pain away, entirely. He felt so wonderful, physically, when he was around her. And mentally too... it was like before, human influence was nothing to him. All the people in his castle had done nothing in the way of helping him, and not changed the way he felt or acted.
And then she came...
Just as suddenly as the massaging began, so it ended, and he did his best not to analyze the feeling of emptiness when her touch left him. She came to face him, the smile still on her face.
"See? You feel much better now, don't you?" Inuyasha could barely nod, he felt so drowsy. She nodded her head in return, thinking something through in her mind. She bit her lip, and Inuyasha's gaze was drawn to the small show of vulnerability.
Gods, she confused the crap out of him.
"Huh?" he'd missed what she just said, and her smile grew as she tapped the end of his nose. He jumped, startled at the contact.
"Why don't we do this every other day or so? You really do need to relax..." she stood up, missing the look on his face. Every other day... with that?! That horrible, horrible process that left him vulnerable in so many different senses of the word? He couldn't even think straight... but at least what he did think was normal hanyou stuff... no evil killing and rampaging or anything...
But still. He didn't know whether or not he could stand doing that again... A hand on his shoulder, and he looked up into a worried pair of brown eyes. She smiled nervously.
"Are you all right? Should I have someone help you to your rooms?" Put out, Inuyasha rose proudly - and swiftly - to his feet, and immediately felt woozy. He stumbled, and Kagome caught his elbow with a laugh.
Growling, he yanked it back, and she hid a giggle behind her hand. She reached, as though she wanted to stroke his cheek, and then her eyes widened marginally and she snapped the hand back, as though it burned. Then she gave him a half-hearted smile.
"Well, I'll see you soon, Inuyasha," and with that she hurried away, still holding her hand tightly against her chest. He narrowed his eyes as he clung to the doorframe for support.
He'd seen that a lot lately. And always she reached for his cheek, then a second before contact was made she would pull back.
He wondered suddenly whether or not he wanted that contact.
Thanks so much for the reviews guys. I love this story, it's so much fun! This chapter went through a major rewrite, so it took a while. And I actually created a plot today in my Japanese class! (Yes!) So I'll be going more into it in a chapter or two. I don't think this story will be too long. I don't want another epic like So Much for Pretending... blech. Thanks again you guys, you rock my socks! Please review some more... Please? :) -Ariana