CHAPTER FOURTEEN
*
"I've checked in your closet five times already. There's nothing in there!" Kagome said, slamming Sota's door. "You just don't wanna go to bed, and you're trying to delay me. Well, it isn't going to work. My last final is tomorrow and I won't have you messing it up for me."
A thin voice called, "Can I have a glass of water?"
"No!" Kagome called over her shoulder. "You already had two!"
She grimaced as she tiptoed to Inuyasha's room. Sota always pulled this when she babysat -- come hell or high water, he wouldn't go to bed quietly.
When she opened the door, she saw that Inuyasha was kneeling at the foot of it, staring at Buyo. The cat was sprawled on the covers, clearly unwilling to move.
"Having a problem?" Kagome asked.
"I want the cat gone," Inuyasha said flatly. "I'm having enough trouble sleeping without this stupid thing staring at me."
"Why are you having trouble sleeping?" Kagome asked, removing each of Buyo's claws from the bedspread.
"It's too STUFFY in here. I don't like sleeping inside." Inuyasha bounced up onto the bed and crossed his legs. "Can't I sleep on the roof tonight?"
"We're leaving the day after tomorrow -- maybe tomorrow night if Mom and Grandpa come home early," Kagome said. "Can you stand the stuffy room until then?"
"Hmph."
"Good night."
"Night." Inuyasha turned over and rested his head on his arm.
*
A long cold tongue curled out and caught her ankle. Kagome stumbled, fell down a rocky hillside, scraping her leg and her cheek. Her flailing hand caught a root,
"You slew me!" hissed a voice from above. Kagome didn't look up, because she knew what was there -- a monstrous centipede with a woman's torso and head. Kagome slid down the hillside as Mistress Centipede slithered down toward her.
A lightning bolt crackled above her, and she saw two silhouettes on a stormcloud, before it whisked past her. Hiten and Monten, the Thunder Brothers. Then all chaos broke out. Kagome screamed and tried to hide her face as demons swarmed out of every cranny -- crooked, bug-eyed imps, a boneless toad with a high wavering voice calling "Wait!", ravening crows, frothing three-eyed wolves --
She ran.
"Inuyasha!" she cried, her voice drowned out by the shrieks and howls behind her. "INUYASHA!"
But he wasn't there. She knew it. He wasn't there...
... and Kagome woke in the dark.
In the next room, Inuyasha was sitting by the open window, resting his head on the sill. It was less stuffy when the wind was blowing; it took some of the dust and perfume out of the room. His claws clicked on the picture frames as he looked over them one by one, scrutinizing the faces.
There was that crazy old man, Kagome's grandfather. There was Kagome as a little girl, with her hair in a braid and a strange man beside her. Inuyasha scrutinized the man's face before deciding that it must be her father. He looked a little like her.
He carefully put the pictures back, and dropped onto the wide bed.
"Inuyasha..."
He stiffened at hearing his name said. By Kagome?
"Inuyasha..."
He crept over to the wall and pricked his ears. The speaking had stopped. "Kagome?" he whispered. Had she been dreaming about him? Or did she want him to come in?
The sound of muffled crying seeped under the door as Inuyasha approached Kagome's room. She was under the covers when he came in, but she was obviously weeping. "Kagome?" he said softly. "What's wrong?"
Kagome looked up at him, then turned back to the wall. "It's okay," she mumbled. "I'll be all right in a minute. Just a stupid dream." She knew how Inuyasha hated it when she cried, and how he always told her to stop.
For a moment she thought he had left. Then she felt a body sliding into the bed behind her, and an arm slipping around her waist. The word "sit" came to mind, if he tried any funny business. But Inuyasha stopped there, just cuddling close to her.
"What did you dream about?" he asked.
Kagome closed her eyes as Inuyasha's hand gently wiped her cheek. "I dreamed I was... being chased by demons," she whispered. "Not just any -- they were -- all demons I killed -- or helped kill. And I kept calling for you -- and you weren't there -- I was -- I --"
Inuyasha stiffened at the idea. So that was why she had been muttering his name. He inched closer, stroking her hair. "That won't ever happen," he said softly. "Whenever you need me, I'll be here. I won't let anything happen to you, Kagome. I promise..."
Somehow, the words felt even more comforting than Inuyasha's presence next to her. The shadows seemed to fall away, chased by the warm glow of his golden eyes. Kagome sighed as she turned around, snuggling against Inuyasha's chest. He seemed surprised, but definitely not displeased. As she fell asleep, she wondered... wondered... about him...
When she woke up, the sun was just rising. There was no one else in the room.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"I've checked in your closet five times already. There's nothing in there!" Kagome said, slamming Sota's door. "You just don't wanna go to bed, and you're trying to delay me. Well, it isn't going to work. My last final is tomorrow and I won't have you messing it up for me."
A thin voice called, "Can I have a glass of water?"
"No!" Kagome called over her shoulder. "You already had two!"
She grimaced as she tiptoed to Inuyasha's room. Sota always pulled this when she babysat -- come hell or high water, he wouldn't go to bed quietly.
When she opened the door, she saw that Inuyasha was kneeling at the foot of it, staring at Buyo. The cat was sprawled on the covers, clearly unwilling to move.
"Having a problem?" Kagome asked.
"I want the cat gone," Inuyasha said flatly. "I'm having enough trouble sleeping without this stupid thing staring at me."
"Why are you having trouble sleeping?" Kagome asked, removing each of Buyo's claws from the bedspread.
"It's too STUFFY in here. I don't like sleeping inside." Inuyasha bounced up onto the bed and crossed his legs. "Can't I sleep on the roof tonight?"
"We're leaving the day after tomorrow -- maybe tomorrow night if Mom and Grandpa come home early," Kagome said. "Can you stand the stuffy room until then?"
"Hmph."
"Good night."
"Night." Inuyasha turned over and rested his head on his arm.
*
A long cold tongue curled out and caught her ankle. Kagome stumbled, fell down a rocky hillside, scraping her leg and her cheek. Her flailing hand caught a root,
"You slew me!" hissed a voice from above. Kagome didn't look up, because she knew what was there -- a monstrous centipede with a woman's torso and head. Kagome slid down the hillside as Mistress Centipede slithered down toward her.
A lightning bolt crackled above her, and she saw two silhouettes on a stormcloud, before it whisked past her. Hiten and Monten, the Thunder Brothers. Then all chaos broke out. Kagome screamed and tried to hide her face as demons swarmed out of every cranny -- crooked, bug-eyed imps, a boneless toad with a high wavering voice calling "Wait!", ravening crows, frothing three-eyed wolves --
She ran.
"Inuyasha!" she cried, her voice drowned out by the shrieks and howls behind her. "INUYASHA!"
But he wasn't there. She knew it. He wasn't there...
... and Kagome woke in the dark.
In the next room, Inuyasha was sitting by the open window, resting his head on the sill. It was less stuffy when the wind was blowing; it took some of the dust and perfume out of the room. His claws clicked on the picture frames as he looked over them one by one, scrutinizing the faces.
There was that crazy old man, Kagome's grandfather. There was Kagome as a little girl, with her hair in a braid and a strange man beside her. Inuyasha scrutinized the man's face before deciding that it must be her father. He looked a little like her.
He carefully put the pictures back, and dropped onto the wide bed.
"Inuyasha..."
He stiffened at hearing his name said. By Kagome?
"Inuyasha..."
He crept over to the wall and pricked his ears. The speaking had stopped. "Kagome?" he whispered. Had she been dreaming about him? Or did she want him to come in?
The sound of muffled crying seeped under the door as Inuyasha approached Kagome's room. She was under the covers when he came in, but she was obviously weeping. "Kagome?" he said softly. "What's wrong?"
Kagome looked up at him, then turned back to the wall. "It's okay," she mumbled. "I'll be all right in a minute. Just a stupid dream." She knew how Inuyasha hated it when she cried, and how he always told her to stop.
For a moment she thought he had left. Then she felt a body sliding into the bed behind her, and an arm slipping around her waist. The word "sit" came to mind, if he tried any funny business. But Inuyasha stopped there, just cuddling close to her.
"What did you dream about?" he asked.
Kagome closed her eyes as Inuyasha's hand gently wiped her cheek. "I dreamed I was... being chased by demons," she whispered. "Not just any -- they were -- all demons I killed -- or helped kill. And I kept calling for you -- and you weren't there -- I was -- I --"
Inuyasha stiffened at the idea. So that was why she had been muttering his name. He inched closer, stroking her hair. "That won't ever happen," he said softly. "Whenever you need me, I'll be here. I won't let anything happen to you, Kagome. I promise..."
Somehow, the words felt even more comforting than Inuyasha's presence next to her. The shadows seemed to fall away, chased by the warm glow of his golden eyes. Kagome sighed as she turned around, snuggling against Inuyasha's chest. He seemed surprised, but definitely not displeased. As she fell asleep, she wondered... wondered... about him...
When she woke up, the sun was just rising. There was no one else in the room.
TO BE CONTINUED