Chapter Eight – Nightmare
Days in Sesshoumaru's mountain passed in a blur, and a week had gone by without Kagome even realizing. They had quickly fallen into a routine – unwilling to acknowledge they had made one, or when it would end, simply enjoying the remission of isolation that had dogged them both.
Mornings were spent outside, journeying through the forest or lounging in the sun. Sesshoumaru had taken her swimming in a river one day, showing her a hidden waterfall with lagoon-like pools. Kagome hadn't packed a bathing suit, and the Mortifying-Bra-Interest renewed when she'd dived in with her t-shirt on. He'd been too dignified to join her, content to watch and occasionally fling skipped stones her way. When they returned from excursions, he would always linger outside while she used the washroom, giving her true privacy instead of mere illusion.
Afternoons brimmed with overly-large lunches and conversation, questions and answers exchanged between mouthfuls. They took turns making meals, though Kagome could tell Sesshoumaru ate cooked food only to indulge – his palate preferred raw kills over the human tendency to 'destroy flavor by charring it into oblivion'.
Candles were her only light source inside the cave, and it was easy to lose sense of time. Evenings aged unnoticed to night as they shared stories of the past, bringing sorrow and joy in equal amounts.
Sesshoumaru hadn't yet revealed the final fates of her friends, but Kagome basked in the lives they had led, knowing their ends would come sooner than she wanted. Shippo had broken a record when he'd earned his third tale; the numerous tricks he'd learned while seeking jewel shards had advanced him well beyond his kitsune peers. Inu-Yasha had sought out Jinenji, and the two hanyou had roamed the countryside together, offering help to villages that required healing or protection. Sesshoumaru even spoke of Kouga, who'd found himself a new woman, in an ookami named Ayame. Mention of the wolf prince had brought a blushing smile to Kagome's face, followed by a daiyoukai inquisition. When insight was given, Sesshoumaru's curiosity melted to gall. Irked as much by Kouga's advances, as the realization they bothered him, left him quietly fuming.
Bedtime battles of pressured snacks continued as Kagome took up permanent residence in his bedroom, starting a collection of half-finished items on the floor the mattress shared with the wall. Sesshoumaru insisted he didn't need his futon to sleep, and often chose a seat by the entryway stairs to rest. Although Kagome didn't ask, and he wouldn't have revealed anyway, he'd selected the post for its defensive capabilities. No intruder would enter without stumbling directly into his claws. With their infrequent bouts of youki and holy energy clashing, undoubtedly drawing attention, he couldn't afford to be careless. There was someone besides himself to protect now.
Kagome's powers remained under control, brought forth only at her beckon to enunciate a point or remind Sesshoumaru he couldn't truly strong-arm her into anything. They had surmised it was indeed his company that soothed her spirit's manifested furor, suspecting Kagome had missed Sengoku Jidai even more than she'd consciously known.
It was on the seventh night of her stay that Kagome woke from a nightmare, screaming, lost in the shikon-no-tama's black void. She blinked her eyes open, greeted by choking darkness, and thought for a moment she was still trapped inside the jewel. She whimpered, looking around, unwilling to make the wish it urgently whispered, wanting only to find Inu-Yasha.
Warmth and weight sprung to the bed in an instant. A form crouched beside her, and a hand moved through the eclipsing shadows, cupping her face. Breath was at her ear, replacing the jewel's cruel taunts. "Kagome?"
She cried out in relief, surging up and flinging her arms out, fumbling for the neck she knew to be there. "Inu-Yasha! You found me!" She dove into a nook of silken hair, grazing stripes she couldn't see. "You came for me!" Kagome shuddered against a heartbeat that began speeding up. "The shikon-no-tama's trying to trick me into making a selfish wish!" She pressed her face into skin, threading her fingers up into long hair at the base of a neck.
Arms hesitated, full of indecision, before rising up and enfolding her. "But it failed," the words were soft, brushing against her temple. "You triumphed."
"Because of you," she murmured, planting a kiss on his collar, tasting the salty wetness of tears on her lips. "You came."
"You had the resolve to resist. You made the right wish and ended the war inside the jewel. You saved everyone," the arms drew her into a lap. "Wake up Kagome. You're dreaming."
The words didn't register, even as the feel of silk and mokomoko enveloped her. "The jewel wants us to think that Inu-Yasha. You have to use Tessaiga—."
Claws clutched her hips and waist, tightening hold. "You've won. You're in your own time again," the heartbeat thundered against her. "It's just a nightmare. Remember what you've done, what you've accomplished."
Kagome's lashes brushed the underside of a jaw as she blinked, wrenching herself free from the clutches of her dream. "S-Sesshoumaru?" She asked, still clinging.
"Hn."
She unwound her fingers from the river of silver they'd drowned in, but pulled herself closer, banishing the last space between them. A sob tumbled out, and soon she was blubbering, nose running and fluff clinging wetly to her cheeks.
Sesshoumaru leaned back, cradling her as her outpour of anguish dripped on his yukata and the tract of his chest unfortunate enough to be uncovered. Salt smeared down his front, and he palmed the back of her head, unsure what other comfort he could offer.
Minutes passed in a slowness he wanted to both savor and rush. He had not held someone in a very long time – as she'd astutely pointed out – and Kagome's attire was beginning to distract. She slept in a revealing, two-piece costume she insisted was appropriate, but he thought scandalous. The woman had no problem justifying her constricting bra garment, but saw fit to parade around barely-clad? Though the darkness blinded her, his eyes had no such hindrance; they drank in proffered curves with an approval that would've made her rethink the outfit's suitability. Naked thighs filled his lap, and the claws of his left hand dug into the edge of her shorts, stretched across smooth skin and the beginning roundness of her backside.
Sesshoumaru's alarm at her scream, annoyance at her disoriented misidentification, and final surprise at her continued embrace were all quickly fading to background. Desire kindled in him, and as Kagome shifted, filling his palm with a generous handful, it burst into outright flame. They needed to separate. Now.
For her part, the girl seemed oblivious to her effect or their compromising position, tucking her face under his chin, as if such closeness was perfectly normal.
Had she sought such solace with Inu-Yasha? Were late-night, half-naked embraces common for them?
A rumble of unfamiliar jealousy started in his chest, vibrating out until it was audible.
With effort – oh, so much effort – Sesshoumaru released her hip and reached for the elbows still firmly locked around his neck, prying them gently from their vice.
"You are safe," he assured. "Go back to sleep."
A resounding head shake startled him. "No. I'll dream of it again," Kagome's fingers strained out to reclaim their roost, raking through his mokomoko in their stretch. "Stay?"
His eyes widened in shock, knowing she couldn't see. "You have covered me in tears," he found his voice, hiding far in his throat. "It's unlikely my remaining will improve that state."
Kagome sniffled, waving her dangling wrists uselessly. "Please?"
Sesshoumaru knew it was no invitation she extended, yet found himself tempted anyway. He almost released her arms. Almost. "I am not some young kit you can snuggle with when sad or lonely," he growled, trying to remind her of his adult status. "I do not share beds with females I don't intend to couple," he moved hands back to her waist and lifted her from his lap, returning her to the mattress.
He could see her mouth pull into a pout in the shadows, and was gratified when she tilted her head in unguarded contemplation. She was considering the idea, blatant in her blushing envisioning of such an event. He smirked, realizing she must have forgotten his sight was as strong as his other senses.
"Goodnight," he said, disentangling himself from sheets and standing. Kagome's pout increased, and Sesshoumaru left, strolling for the entryway with a smug swagger.