Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Attack on Titan.

Pairing

: Levi x Kagome

Summary

: The first time she saw the creatures, she fled and let mankind fight their battle. The second time she saw them she stayed to fight to make up for the death that stained her heart.

Macabre Dreams
Chapter Nine: Moments Between

x . . . . x

Kagome cheered, eyes bright as she looked over at the Captain that stood a few feet from her, an assessing and weighted look in silvery hues. "I did it!" she crowed happily and caught herself as she touched the ground again. She unbuckled herself from the training station for the ODM gear and was offering Levi a grin when she flinched and stumbled.

His hands were gripping her shoulders and steadying her easily, "Yeah but at what cost?" His brows furrowed and he scowled, his hands angrily moving down her body. Her cheeks flared and she tried to push his hands away but he easily dodged her as he dropped into a crouch, "You're going outside of the training regime I set for you."

"I'm not! And what the hell are you doing?" she snapped, as his hand slapped her foot and forcefully made her part her thighs with a flinch.

His seeking fingers were tracing up her calves and to the inside of her thighs and she made a sound of pain when he touched the inner thigh area, "I fucking knew it." he swore. "This is from the horseback riding. I thought you said you've done it before."

With her arms crossed and her features painted pink, "Why is it you're always touching me in compromising ways and with little thought to how it makes me feel?"

His steely eyes met hers from his crouched position, "Why are you always hurting yourself and causing me to put myself in compromising positions?"

"You don't baby Eren the same way as me and he's hurt all the time!"

He rolled his eyes, "Eren heals instantly and unless it's a big wound you still heal slow. That being said, I can't have you injured. You're worth more to humanity than that."

She honestly thought in shoving a dagger in her heart and walking away from it with nothing but a bloody shirt would actually get him off her case. It seemed to do the complete opposite. Now that he believed her story and knew what she was capable of, he seemed to stick to her side like glue. A veritable bodyguard. She only was away from him when she slept and relieved herself.

His words repeated in her head and she stepped back abruptly, his hands falling away from her as he stood. Her shoulders were rounded, hunched as though he had struck her and was waiting for another hit. He arched a brow and was about to demand an answer for her demeanor when she spoke.

"I'm reduced to humanity's last hope, huh?" There was something painful in her voice and her eyes were watering against her will. "I guess that's better than a shard detector or a jewel protector." She stepped away from the training station and refused to meet his gaze. "That's typical, I suppose." And then she was turning and walking away from him. "I'm done for today, Captain. And if you bother me, I'll hurt more than just myself this time."

Although he was confused at just how that conversation went south so quickly, he watched her leave, hearing her threat loud and clear.

.

Kagome found Eren on his own and she was thankful. He was normally flanked by his friends and she felt more like an outsider with them. Everyone had been recalled except a few to find out what happened to the experiment that had been destroyed.

He was in his room and she knocked once, waited for him to tell her she could come in before she entered and slammed the door behind her. The young man's brows furrowed as he sat up, lips turned into a frown at her tell tale dark mood, "Kagome? What's wrong?"

She was slipping out of her boots and jacket, with angry, stilted movements, "I'm… upset."

Eren arched a brow in her direction as he flushed and squeaked, "Uh… I can see that… but what are you doing here and why are you taking off your clothes?"

Kagome rolled her eyes and slid onto the bed next to him, "Scoot over, you're laying in the middle. And it's just my jacket and shoes, I still have clothes on." His frown was still in place and his ears were turning red as he did what she asked. She settled quickly and gestured for him to do the same, her eyes burning with the need to cry in frustration. Eren did as she instructed and laid on his back stiffly while she laid on her side, her head pillowed by her arm. She saw the slow rise and fall of his chest and let out a shuddered breath. "Just lay here and give me a second."

"O-oh, um okay."

She reached a hand out and tentatively curled her fingers around his bicep. She could feel his solid warmth and the sounds of the breeze teasing the curtains. It was quiet in his room and she needed quiet. But she also needed company. Scooting closer, she placed her forehead against his arm and held back the tears that threatened to fall.

Eren had been her source of comfort in the barely lit dungeons.

They had seen each other's pain more than once.

Watched as the other's blood coated the floor.

She had found that nothing could create bonds like shared pain did and so because of that, she trusted Eren.

"You're young so this is probably weird for you." she finally murmured. She refused to open her eyes, "As you get older, you find that you don't have time to care for things like you did before. If you need something, care for something, or want to do something, why waste time on holding back?"

"I'm not gonna lie, this is weird but there is clearly something going on. What's wrong?"

"Usually people look at me and only see me as one thing, hardly ever do they see me as a person." She confessed quietly, almost unwilling to ruin the peace in his room. "Levi doesn't consider my feelings - just sees me as a tool to save humanity. I disappeared because I was afraid of being humanity's last hope. It's a hard burden to bear. I know I said I'd save everyone but… I'm still a person, still Kagome."

Not expecting him to talk, she was startled when he spoke, "It's like that for us too. Not because of age but because we can die at any moment." He paused and he finally relaxed, his hands coming up behind his head and letting her curl beside him. His cheeks were still flaring, "I won'tsed to the silence again, Eren's voice was strong and startled her, "I have no idea what you're feeling, if we're being honest, I try not to over think. I just keep going. And really, you could leave again, hide and sleep and keep waking up until all this is done with... but you're human too, Kagome. You can't take it personally because he does consider your feelings on some accounts - " her mind briefly flashed to the showers that first day at the castle, " - but as Captain he also has to put Humanity first and if that means kicking the shit out of me while I'm tied to a damn post then so be it!"

Kagome blinked as she sat up and stared down at the young boy, brows furrowed, "So that is what happened."

Eren chuckled although slightly embarrassed,"Yeah and I'm still kinda pissed about it but the point was proven and I'm not executed so what can you do?" His chuckle faded and the brilliant shades of his eyes were dark, "Maybe it is a tough burden, Kagome… but who will carry it if we don't?"

Kagome grinned, "For a guy that's mostly brawn, I guess you have some brains in there. You're right… I'm being sensitive. It's because I've been by myself so long that I am not used to people sometimes." He was going to protest but she leaned forward, the fall of her hair creating a curtain around them, cutting any protest he had with a click of his mouth closing. "Thanks for talking with me. I… I… don't have anyone else."

The scent of the shampoo she used perfumed around them and underneath it, her own delicate scent. His heart was racing at her earnest words and her soft, sad features. He gave her a slow smile despite how his heart was racing, "You can always talk to me."

She leaned down and her lips were pressed gently to his cheek. Before he could say anything to her, she was grabbing her things, holding the jacket and boots in her hand, and walking from the room with a quiet, "See you."

Eren sat up in his bed, his lips slightly parted, and his head swimming as the door shut behind her.

.

When Kagome found Levi, it was in the mess hall. She approached him as he sipped on his tea and cleared her throat beside him. His steely gaze met her own and she gave a quick bow and her words were rushed, "I'm sorry for earlier… I was being sensitive."

Levi placed his tea down and looked at her partially bowed form and lifted a brow in her direction. If he was being honest, he was surprised by her approaching him and offering any sort of apology. She seemed the bull headed type more than anything. He leaned forward and rapped her head with his fist lightly causing her to make a sound of pain.

"You're an idiot. The next time you prematurely end your training, you will be punished. As it is, I was going to end it anyway due to the bruising you have." he leaned back in his chair as she stood straight, rubbing her head, "I saw you go into Jaegers room. What did you discuss with him?"

She met his his stern features and responded with a shrug of her shoulders, "Eren is a friend and we talk when we can."

Levi glanced at his book as he sipped at his tea again, "And what kind of crap could you possibly have to talk about with him?" he queried with a role of his eyes.

Kagome snorted as she moved to around the kitchen to find a suitable cup, "We talk about all sorts of things." Narrowing his eyes as she sat beside him, she began to reach for the pot of tea, "Gosh, I haven't had tea since before I slept."

It took him a second to realize what she meant by slept and when he did, his hand darted out and grabbed her wrist, "Did they have tea in abundance before?"

She paused, her gaze flittering over the cool, slender fingers holding her captive, "Yes. In fact, in Japan we drink tea more often then not. Is that not the case here?"

With a frown, he shook his head, "It isn't." She made a sound of understanding as he released her hand, debating for several long seconds. "Tea is a precious and expensive commodity." At her slight sigh of disappointment, he leaned forward, a hand cradling his head, "However, I would be willing to share..." she perked immediately and he had to stop himself from grinning at her next look of concern, "...in exchange for information."

"Information? What kind?"

"I want to know what you know. You gave the pigs at court a bullshit answer about how you exist." he paused and she nodded her head once, understanding without needing him to expand.

"You want to know the details." Leaning back in her seat, Kagome breathed a sigh but this time it was one of pain. She had told Eren, weaved a story of magic for him while they bled and rotted in a dungeon. It wasn't much different telling Levi now. She closed her eyes briefly before opening them and then sat forward again, grabbing her cup and starting to pour the tea, "You won't believe it."

He snorted, "I have to, don't I? You fucking stabbed yourself."

She nearly smiled as he swore, "Yeah, you're right." Kagome searched his unyielding features and she began, voice quiet but matter of fact, "As I get older and the time lengthens between sleep... I found that small details elude me." She looked into her cup and there was an old pain in her voice, "I can remember his name but I can't remember how he sounded... I can recall his favorite food but the scent of his skin is just beyond my reach..."

Kagome closed her eyes and threw herself back into her past. Forced herself to stay there and tried to remember how he called her name. It was in her memory but not quite right. "At fifteen there was well on my property and it stole me away into the past where I met a boy named Inuyasha..."

And so she began her tale.

And she wove an impossible story with magic and demons and things he had never thought could have existed.

But he did not doubt her story, not one bit.

Because as she spoke, the pain in her voice was still oddly raw.

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Just a short one, sorry! Wanted to add some Eren action because I can't help myself. As you read this story, you'll find I very loosely follow the story line and dialogue is usually complete different. So timelines may be off and whatnot. Let me know what you think? Your reviews mean the world!