Kagome tossed and turned restlessly, emitting small whimpers. Across the campfire, from a perch in a tree, golden eyes gleamed in darkness, watching the young girl.
'What are you dreaming about?' the hanyou fought the urge to go to her. A thought streaked across his mind like a shooting star, brilliant and brief. One velvety dog ear perked up, the other lay down as his head cocked to the side, leaving him the very picture of canine confusion. 'The hell! What was that?' In vain Inu Yasha tried to call back the thought that had passed him, wanting to analyze it. He knew that he wasn't dumb, he just had a habit of acting first, letting his temper and stubbornness get the better of him. Usually thoughts didn't come to him until long past their usefulness.
It came from growing up in the wild, dependant on his self for everything. He usually didn't have time to think, it meant hesitation which meant death. He hadn't lived to the ripe old age he was at by thinking. Hanyou children didn't live terribly long unless they learn to act and react, then reflect and think. Old habits die hard and he still found it found it easier to strike first, strike second, strike third, then try to puzzle out answers once the threat was dead by his claws.
So Inu Yasha didn't have the luxury of time to have insightful moments and profound revelations. That made the ones he had all the more precious. His brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to recall the thought that succeeded in putting Kagome from his mind. 'No, it was about Kagome. She's in distress. One of mine is in distress..' Inu Yasha was so startled; he almost fell off of his limb. His breath hitched and he stared down at the camp. Kagome in her sleeping bag, Miroku stretched out near the fire, Sango under her kimono with Shippo and Kirara curled next to her. Eyes widened as he realized what was bothering him. 'One of my pack is in distress. My pack.'
Somehow, his traveling companions stopped being a loose collection of strangers tied by a common goal, and started to be friends, family, PACK to him. He was Alpha male of a Pack. He knew now that he'd felt this way for some time but had never realized it until now. The thought staggered him for two reasons: Hanyou's didn't have family, people to depend on them and care for them, and it was obviously a very canine way of thinking. 'Great. So what else can I count on? If I think more like a dog demon, will I act more like one? Will I expect them to react like a pack and get upset when they don't? What the hell does a pack even act like anyways?'
The young hanyou shook his head. THIS was why he didn't think all the time. It leads to too many questions that had no tangible answer. Growling softly, he hopped down from his tree and roused the monk. "Oi, houshi! Get up. Time for your watch." Inu Yasha watched impatiently while his friend 'my packbrother' yawned sleepily and eyed him with no small amount of curiosity.
"Something wrong Inu Yasha?"
"No. Just, I need to…" Inu Yasha didn't want to explain, didn't know if he could. "I just need to go for a run or something."
"It's okay. Sometimes I feel the need to go off on my own too." Miroku wisely chose not to comment about the obvious anxiety he sensed coming off of his friend.
"Keh." Knowing that was the closest he would get to a thank you from the hanyou, the houshi pulled another log onto the fire as Inu Yasha took off in the forest, soon only a red blur in the edge of the firelight. The monk sighed and let his eyes fall over the camp. His eyes fell on Kagome and understanding dawned on him. 'So Inu Yasha couldn't take Lady Kagome's night terrors and was afraid to offer comfort and receive a "sit".' A very devious smirk settled on his face. 'As a holy man, it is my duty to relieve her of her pain.' His walked around the fire so he was next to the miko. He hesitated only a moment before inching his hand around her waist. 'Better awake and yelling at me then whimpering in sleep induced fright. Ah the sacrifices I make for my friends' His hand slowly squeezed his friend's rear as he braced himself for a slap.
Start Dream
Kagome was standing in the middle of a village. People all around her were screaming in fright and running blindly. Inu Yasha stood a little ways in front of her holding Tetsuaiga in classic battle pose, trying to scent out the Wind Scar.. Sango was slinging her boomerang bone at a demon, darting in and out of range on Kirara's back. Shippo had transformed himself into a bow to replace the one that was broken in the battle. Knowing the kitsune couldn't hold a form for too long, Kagome picked him up and strung an arrow.
Concentrating hard, grasping wildly for her miko powers, Kagome let fly with an arrow aimed at the demon. Her arrow hit one of the arms, purifying it. The demon brought its head back and let out a roar of fury and pain. Shippo was now trying to help using his foxfire with little results. The little Kitsune only succeeded in drawing the demon's attention to him.
Inu Yasha scooped up the kitsune and twisted in midair, facing the demon. He slashed at it with his sword, cutting off the foot with the Shikon shard. The hanyou unceremoniously dropped the kitsune and grabbed Kagome. The miko directed her friend to the shard and grabbed it. Inu Yasha darted away from the thrashing demon. "Now Miroku!" he screamed.
The monk unleashed his wind tunnel, sucking in the rest of the demon. It scratched and scrapped at the dirt as it was sucked into the void. The claws from its remaining hand bit into the monk's hand. With a sharp wince, Miroku closed the tunnel and rewrapped the rosary. Sango and Kirara touched down near him and Sango jumped off of the neko youkai and ran to the monk's side. Trembling, the monk stared at his hand, his face growing pale. Amethyst eyes blinked slowly, as if to shake off the sight before him. Sango put his hand on her friend's shoulder and he turned his face up towards her. "It's widened." He whispered.
End dream
Kagome felt a hand slide onto her rear, jolting her out of her nightmare. Focusing sleepily on Miroku's face, she suddenly sat straight up and grabbed his cursed hand, studying it intently. Miroku tilted his head towards her in silent question. Kagome's face started to regain some color and she threw her arms around him in a tight hug.
Startled, but never one to pass up an opportunity, Miroku again caressed her rear. Kagome shoved him away and slapped him soundly. "Hentai!" she hissed. She lowered herself back into her sleeping bag and curled back up. Miroku rubbed his face and resumed his place on the other side of the fire. The rest of the group slept on, never registering anything. Kagome snuggled into her pillow and let out a deep breath. 'It's okay. It's okay. We didn't face that demon. Miroku's hand is fine. It was just a dream. It's okay.' The miko fell asleep chanting that over in her head like a mantra, and blissfully, dreamt no more.