Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. Thank you reality, you have just mortally depressed me!
Just to let ya'll know, I haven't written in so long because not enough people are reviewing. Review more and I'll write faster. Thank you ilovecaptainjacks for your support; this chapter is dedicated to you.
Chapter Five- Gray Shapes
Breathing in deeply to greet the morning, Inuyasha could smell the sleeping Kagome, who was lightly draped around his chest. He kept his eyes closed to savor the aroma of wild flowers. 'It would be great to wake up to this more often,' he thought lazily. With another intake of air, he caught the scent of another in the room. Inuyasha did a jagged double take of the room before spotting Miroku. He was slouched back in a wooden chair with a lopped sided smirk on his face. He must have been there a while, because his hair was still tangled from the night before.
"What are you doing here?!" Inuyasha growled.
"Tisk tisk," Miroku said while shaking a finger at the Hanyou. "I'd be quiet if I was you, or you'll wake the sleeping maiden." He nodded his head in the direction of Kagome. Inuyasha glanced down at his lap where Kagome pulled closer to him, because of the noise.
"Oh, I ah..." Inuyasha's cheeks grew red, and he stuttered out of excuses for the situation. The Hanyou had forgotten about her when Miroku surprised him. Instead of trying to cover up, he re questioned Miroku in a low hiss as a counter attack. "Well, what are you doing here?"
"Last night, Lady Kaede came to relieve you of your post. When she came upon you two, she did not whish to wake up Kagome, but she figured you weren't doing a very good watch job while you were asleep. So she let me take my shift without Shippo, because it's not likely that I would grope her while she is in your lap." Miroku finished his story with an increasing devilish grin.
"Well, I'm awake now Monk. You can go away." Inuyasha sounded annoyed, but Miroku knew he was more embarrassed than anything else.
"Ok, ok, you win." The monk rose from his chair with his hands above his head in a surrendering fashion. He left the room, popping a few chuckles on his way. Inuyasha diverted his attention back to Kagome, and hugged her closer to his chest. Not wanting to disturb her slumber, the Hanyou broke off into thought about the sleeping beauty in his lap. He curled his finger, and gently traced his knuckle down the side of her silky cheek, and over her bottom lip. 'She's even stunning in her sleep,' he thought while listening to her breath. Kagome's heart beat pick back up to normal after she felt a warm tingle down her cheek. In a panic, Inuyasha stiffened up. 'What if she remembers where she is and is mad at me for letting her sleep in my lap all night, or she regrets ever climbing into my lap. Worse, what she doesn't remember last night, and thinks I'm just a pervert like Miroku!' The Hanyou's amber eyes widen as Kagome conjured the power to sit up against him. She slipped her hand over Inuyasha's quicken heart to find her bearings, and to make sure she was waking up in the same place she fell asleep. Feeling his heart's rapid pace, she became worried of danger, and slid her arms back around the Hanyou so that her ear rested over his heart.
"In... Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered in a soft morning voice. She lazily opened her eyes at him, and realized she could make out gray shapes. She deiced not to throw a party until she was sure there was nothing else in the room.
"Yes?" His response was hesitant, because he didn't know what to expect.
"Is everything ok?" She whispered again, afraid to be too loud in case there was something she was missing.
"Yes," Inuyasha cut is answer short with a sigh of relieve. After listening to the speed wash away from his heart, Kagome fully embraced the comfort of familiar arms, and smiled. Inuyasha smiled back at her, but it was lost among the blurs. Before Kagome could tell him the good news, Kaede entered the back room muttering something about breakfast getting cold, and market lists.
"Oh good, you two are already a wake." She took a few more glances and slyly smiled at them. Not being able to take the embarrassment, Inuyasha stood up, helping Kagome along with him, and led her into the kitchen area.
After Inuyasha tucked her into the table, Kagome declined the offer of any food except the tea. 'Even with being able to make out shapes in gray, it would be too hard to find the food.' Kagome thought. The Hanyou happily accepted Kagome's food, and became content in eating. Between sips, Kagome explained the condition of her sight to Lady Kaede. "My goodness, perhaps you have a stronger spirit than my sister. At this rate you could heal by lunch." Kaede appraisingly patted Kagome on the back causing her to spit her tea back into the cup in surprise.
"Thank you," Kagome muttered with a half laugh.
"I think you should go back to sleep after you finishing drinking. You have come along away, but you need to finish healing my dear." Kaede suggested.
"Thanks, but I think I need to get some fresh air." Kagome said while standing up and stretching in a yawning manner.
"Perhaps dear," Lady Kaede paused for a moment of thought. "Yes, I suppose that's fine. I'll get Sango to take you for a walk."
"Hey!" Inuyasha piped in, who had only been clued into his meal for the bulk of the conversation. "I can take her out. Do you think Sango is stronger than me?" He made his voice sound wounded.
"I forgot you did get a good night's rest last night." Kaede said with a laugh. "I'll let Sango and Miroku spend some time together. Inuyasha wrapped his arm around Kagome and led her from the hut. Kaede watched them leave. With a happy sigh she said to herself, "They are in love and they don't even know it." She chuckled as she began to clear the table. When her eyes fell upon Inuyasha's half eaten plate she gasped. 'I don't think he has ever left a meal half eaten even for his own life,' she thought in amazement.
Inuyasha ignored Kagome's refusal to be carried like a baby after the one hundredth time she stumbled over random bumps and cracks in the ground. By the time the two reached an open field, Kagome was hopelessly letting her arms hang freely in the air beneath her.
"Would you stop acting so limp? I feel like I am carrying a dead body," Inuyasha wined.
"Then put me down. I can take a few bruises and scraps." Kagome argued.
"What if you break your leg, or hit your head?" He slowed his pace after worrying himself a bit.
"I know to put my hands out instead of using my head to land on if I fall." Kagome persisted.
"Fine, have it your way." Inuyasha dropped her lightly in a bed of wild flowers.
"Oh, it smells so pretty here. Am I surrounded by flowers?" She asked innocently as she starched out her hands, and lightly stroked some downy soft petals. Inuyasha couldn't respond. He was too absorbed in her delicate movements, and felt compelled to throw himself down by her side. He was too late to follow through on his wanting by the time he realized it. Kagome had already stumbled onto her feet to catch a gentle gust of wind. Inuyasha came up behind her, but once again she was slowly moving forward. She could just make out a tree shaped gray blob in front of her, and wandered over to rest against it.
"Where are you going now?" Inuyasha asked half annoyed.
"The tree over yonder," She answered while pointing directly ahead of her. The Hanyou perused her path just in time to catch her after her toe found a rock.
"Oops," she sighed embarrassed.
"See, You need my help. Let me carry you to the tree." He persisted.
"No! Thank you, but I need to get stronger. I can't do that by being babied." Seeing Kagome's point Inuyasha backed off, and intently followed her steps. She made it to the tree with a trumpet bounce of joy. The Hanyou smiled at her joy of accomplishing such a small task. Kagome relaxed her back against the strong tree, and pulled a silky flower, that she must have picked earlier, from her pocket.
"I whish I could see where I was, Inuyasha." It sounds, smells, and feels so beautiful here." Kagome tickled the side of her cheek with the small petals, and twirled it sweetly beneath her nose. "Will you explain it to me?" she asked. Inuyasha stepped close to her face; his thoughts completely swirled with her scent.
"Well," He began without looking anywhere else, "It's, ah!..." His emotions struggled to the surface with in him, and his demon animal blood pulsed through his veins. He was suddenly over come by want, and nothing else.
"Inuyasha...?" Kagome asked timidly after hearing a surge in the Hanyou's voice. Without realizing what he was doing, Inuyasha curled his fist tightly around Kagome's arms and pinned her against the tree. He pressed himself close to her, causing her to scream out in a panicked desperation of confusion. Inuyasha's blood pulsed again causing the sensation to become even stronger as he curled his nails into the back of her arms, letting blood flow freely from the wounds....
Cliffy.
A/n: Remember, please review.