Chapter Three: Oh No, What's This?

Crash. She awoke to the sound of an earsplitting crash and cries of pain. Bracing herself, she listened for the inevitable "bitch," but it never came. Instead, she heard cursing under breath, but nothing to wake her intentionally.

Someone shifted, and feet trampled the soft earth. She felt a presence above her soon after, watching her.

Inu-Yasha…..

Warmth from his nose and mouth colored her cheeks, and she waited anxiously, wondering why he was so near. After what seemed like forever, she gave up and chanced "waking up." Two golden circles as bright as the sun stared at her.

"Kagome."

"Inu-Yasha."

"You weren't asleep just then."

Did he really believe she'd done that osuwari purposely? "Nani?"

"While I've been here."

Oh, so he hadn't. Then why did it matter? And why did her heart race whenever she looked in his eyes? Surely she wasn't afraid of him after all this time?

Iie…she was afraid of her actions when she was around him.

She noted that her lips were merely inches from his. "Kagome?"

"I-I-Inu-Yasha?"

He held out his hand. "We're going for a walk."

It didn't seem like just some innocent request, so she nodded reluctantly. "Ano…Inu-Yasha?"

"Hai?"

"Why…why are we going for this walk?"

He turned away but still pulled her to her feet. "I need to talk to you."

Uh oh…she had a bad feeling about this "walk." "Look, if you're upset with me for earlier…uh, well, I couldn't control that. I was dreaming, you see--"

"It doesn't concern that." He paused thoughtfully, then added, "What were you dreaming about anyway?"

Blush crept up her neck and face, and she tried miserably to conceal it from him. "Eh…nothing. Just a bad dream."

She watched curiously as he stopped and turned sharply, glaring at her as if she'd suddenly grown two heads. "Bad??"

"Heh…hai."

"De…demo," he sputtered out in shock.

"Nani?"

Just like he had turned to glare at her, he quickly turned away and walked ahead of her, but not so far ahead that she couldn't hear him mumble, "You cried for me several times." He finally stopped under a big oak and plopped down on one of its huge roots.

What in the world? "Are you…are you sulking??" she asked in disbelief.

"It didn't sound like a bad dream to me," he muttered to himself in a small, boyish tone. "Keh."

Oh brother. "What do you mean, 'It didn't sound like a bad dream to me'?" What had he heard? She kneeled beside him and held his gaze securely with her penetrative stare. He seemed so scared and confused…and something else, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "Inu-Yasha, just what did I say in my sleep?"

It was his turn to blush. "Ah…n-n-nothing."

"Inu-Yasha," she warned.

A pair of sad, amber orbs looked to the ground in defeat, staring at the dirt and grass as if they were the most interesting thing in all the universe just then. "It was nothing. Just a bad dream, ne?" he answered quietly.

And then she heard it, what she had observed in his eyes before--an extreme loneliness…and want.

She sighed, not exactly sure of what to say. Part of her yearned to tell him so he could vanquish every fear she'd ever had, but the rest of her was still so uncertain. What if it wasn't her he wanted? What if she acted like a fool in confiding that piece of herself to him, someone who still behaved like a junior high kid most of the time? What if she broke his heart? What if he broke hers?

What if, what if, what if!!

Daring herself, she decided to tell him some of the dream. The Kikyou parts could remain a secret; perhaps forever, if need be. "Well, it wasn't…I mean, it didn't start out in a bad way." She hid her red face in her hands, futile as it was since she was sure he could smell the anxiety on her like some exotic perfume. "It was…ano…good at the beginning."

"Good?"

"Maybe a bit, heh, exciting." Her heart danced wildly. Was he smiling?

"Exciting, eh?" He grinned, but it was a false bravado. She could barely see it, but there was a hint of flush to his cheeks in the moonlight.

Then he stuck his foot in his mouth again.

"That's all??"

She couldn't believe her ears! "Nani!?" she yelled at the top of her lungs, not caring who heard. "What do you mean by that??"

His ears went flat against his head in that "I've done it again" way, and he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Never had she been more embarrassed and angry in her life! She has a nightmare about his former lover--okay, not exactly his lover, but still, of all people, she just had to dream about Kikyou?? And he's questioning his performance in her dream!?

They had never even gotten to that part!

"What did you just say?"

Oops, had she just said that out loud? "Eh…nevermind."

"Do…do you dream…about that?"

She held up her hands and waved them frantically, in protest. "Oi! I never said that!"

Innocent eyes questioned hers and then creased into knowing slits. "Liar."

Damn his keen senses! "B-b-but we haven't yet! I…I mean…." She groaned and smacked her forehead in frustration. "Gah, this is embarrassing!"

His head went down again. "I…have."

Again she couldn't breathe. "Nani??"

"I've dreamed about that," he whispered timidly. "I know I shouldn't because you are honorable…and…and, well…." His voice faltered, and he sighed.

Kami, her cheeks were hot! He had dreamed about that with her! How could he--

Wait…he dreamed about that with her.

As in her and not Kikyou?

She sighed again and gently patted his left leg. "Inu-Yasha, it's okay. I'm not going to be mad at you for that." Laughing nervously, she added, "Besides, you aren't the only one who has…." His ears perked up, and she coughed, eager to change the subject. "Anyway, it's normal when you love someone to dream about…." What had she just said??

There seemed to be a strong demand for foot-in-mouth shoving that day.

His red face met hers, eyes wide from shock. "Love??"

Did he have to make that sound so harsh? So mean? So…so--

Digusted??

Then softly, "You love me?" His eyes, they sparkled with happiness for once.

"I can't…help it," she answered hesitantly and then quickly added, "but you love Kikyou, and I can't stand in the way of that, so just forget what I said."

Before he could say anything, she ran from him.

She was always running.