Chapter 49

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"Dream eater...?" she questioned him. He simply nodded. "What do you mean, 'dream eater'?" He sat up, lifting her easily off of him and disengaging their connection. He almost smiled at the small moan he heard from her, but decided to focus instead on her question. "He did not tell you then?" His face was serious and she was nervous to learn what he was talking about. "Tell me what, Sesshomaru?" He sighed then, barely audible, but loud enough for surprise to be present on her face at the noise. "That new youkai that travels with your group. He is a dream eater."

Kagome was silent for a moment and found a hand playing with the silken tips of his hair. She stroked the long tendrils of silk and then looked up at him thoughtfully. "Is that how he knew about my dreams?" Sesshomaru nodded again, surprised at her quick comprehension. "But...he didn't actually eat any of my dreams, did he?" she questioned him. Sesshomaru looked away from her momentarily until he heard a gasp and looked sharply back at her horrified features. He thought she had known. The group had been traveling together for months now and he would have thought that the demon would tell her. Obviously not. "He's...the big dog...Isn't he?" Once again she received a simple nod.

Pain spread though her face as she said the next sentence. "Is that how he survives?" He nodded, now curious as tears fell from her eyes. Smiling through her tears, Kagome looked at him. "That means it was always you. He was never actually the man in my dreams even when I couldn't see the man. It was you." He nodded again, not liking the scent of her distress that was heavy in the clearing. Small but strong arms flung about his neck and he sat shocked as she cried into him. He allowed her the proximity that most would be killed for and breathed in her scent while she cried. There was relief and guilt and so many other swirling emotions he couldn't name them all. She was a curious creature.

"I will join your group, Miko." She pulled back from him, wiped her face and smiled a genuine smile full of happiness. A warmth spread through his chest and he had to look down at her small fingers still clutching at his hair to stop himself from smiling back at her. They rose together and dressed. There was nothing to hide any more, they knew, although Kagome had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach about facing the group with an old enemy, new ally and new lover in tow.

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A/N: Well, the group will be finding out about them soon...she's got lot's of 'splainin' to do...