Chapter 8- Rest

Two months had past, in a blur. After her revelation, she had felt lighter somehow. As if she was no longer alone, with others to help her lift the burdens of her past. It helped, yes, but she could still feel the wound, aching and bleeding out. A sadness that could not heal until she knew, at last, if any of her friends had survived the test of time. Still it was nice to be part of a pack again, however strange they were.

After receiving Koenma's approval that she should join the boys (Not that she needed it because, really, at this point nothing would stop her). She had joined an elite team, scorned by classmates and teachers alike. She couldn't bring herself to care; those people could never understand her no matter how hard she tried. It didn't stop her from trying though, even in her grief she couldn't curb the urge to care.

She and the boys resided on the roof most of the time. Often joined by a feisty Keiko, the blue-haired reaper Botan and Shippo. Her son had taken to the red-haired fox like a duck to water. Kurama patiently teaching an eager Shippo all he could of his extinct line. Kirara would walk round the group, allowing them all to pet and scratch and cuddle her. When she got tired of the attention she'd jumped into Kagome's arms or, to everyone's surprise, Hiei's disgruntled ones. Kagome had been happy to find that she and the others girls had quickly developed a close friendship. Both girls laughing uproariously at her unending tales of 'sitting' Inuyasha. Kuwabara splitting his time between arguing with Yusuke and trying to get more of Kirara's attention. The man was a cat-a-holic, she was sure.

Hiei stayed apart, offering a few short words when prompted but otherwise silent. Kagome could feel his eyes on her; a pressure that made her heart beat faster. Made her blush. No one had questioned her after their little chat. Everyone accepting it at face value. Everyone but Hiei. The eyes that watched her were weary, curious, intent. It didn't help that, little by little, he was inserting himself into her life. Two days after the chat he had left just as she woke up, she heard the door closing. It hadn't worried her at first but then, day after day he was staying later and later. He never said anything, never looked at her. He just stood there gazing at the pictures all around the living room. She couldn't figure out what was going on in his head, what gears were turning but she prayed to the Kamis that he would never figure out the truth.

Alas fate, with all its treacherous twists and turns, refused to cooperate. Instead Kagome had, hesitantly, agreed to let Shippo stay with Kurama for the night. "With Kirara of course." Kurama had said, to ease whatever lingering worry she still had. Her son had been so excited he had returned to his true form...In the middle of the food court...at the mall. They had done an admiral representation of 'running like the Devil was on your heels." It had been a close call but at the end of it, panting and tired, the three had looked at each other before all three burst out laughing. So there she had been, oddly pleased with the thought of having a night to herself. Eat some ramen, watch a few movies, and take a nice long bubble bath, maybe read a book? The possibilities were endless. The sky was the limit.

Until she bumped into brick wall. A brick wall that had snaked an arm around her waist to keep her steady. Shaking her head gently from side to side, trying to make sense of the moving brick wall, she zeroed in on lightly tanned skin. Oh she blinked owlishly Hi chest. After a few moments a disgruntled growl came from somewhere above her. Slowly she raised her head until she could stare up at blood red eyes. Her whole body warmed, she could feel her cheeks heating up. Hiei was a coherent thought; at least she thought it was coherent. She could picture what this might look like. His arm around her, pressing her into his chest. Her, looking up at him dazed and flushing. So close that if she moved her head a little higher... WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING!? Kagome felt herself tense, pull away as far as he would allow. She made herself look at a point behind him Hi door. You're a really interesting door. Blue and...made out of a tree... Oh yes you look just like the tree you use to-

"Ack!" Hiei, apparently tired of her lack of response, had slipped his free arm under her knees and followed that gesture by tossing her over his shoulder. She felt the air leave her lungs an instant before she started struggling. Demanding to be let down even as he carried her into her home. Without a word he dropped her unceremoniously on the nearest chair. She leapt up ready to tear his head off but the look he shot her way made her stop in her tracks. His red eyes were swirling, his body was tense and she could only guess that going anywhere near him at this particular moment would be a very, very bad idea. So instead she settled herself back on the couch, desperately trying to disperse the blush staining her cheeks.

She wasn't sure how long they sat there not saying a word. Him staring out the window, her staring at him. Kagome, however, was not made to be silent. Five more minutes of this silence and she was likely to do something stupid. Like, for example, kiss the fire demon. Her eyes went wide and she caught herself pinching the skin of her forearm, wrist, and cheek. Muttering a soft ouch with each pinch. She could not, would not, start crushing on the deadly fire demon. No. Nope. Nu-Uh. No Thank You! Of course her actions didn't go unnoticed; unfortunately she was too busy panicking to catch the quick half-smile he shot in her direction.

"What did you break?"

He'd caught her off-guard.

"Huh?" Oh yes, very smooth Kagome. Good job.

Hiei's eyes lowered to glare at her. His stance cold, aloof. Kagome gulped. This was bad. Very bad. He lowered his voice to a deadly hiss, "What. Did. You. Break?"

Should she run? No he'd outrun her. Should she destroy him? Her body shied away from that thought, an ache that almost swallowed her making her reject the idea before it was even half-formed. Could she trick him maybe? Lie? Possibly but she'd never been a good liar. Distract him? How? No, that wouldn't work. In the end she remained silent. His glare hardened, his body moved forward a few steps. Cutting the distance between them nearly in half. Kagome refused to move, meeting his glare with one of her own. In a flash Hiei was on her, pulling her from the chair with enough force to leave bruises. She reached for her miko energy instinctively. Nothing happened. He was still dragging her towards the center of the room. She struggled against him until her back was held firmly against his body. She heard a soft hiss near her ear, her body relaxing against his despite her mind screaming at her asking what she was doing.

Freeing one arm from around her waist he slid it upwards making her whole body jolt as if she'd just been shocked. When his hand reached her chin he tilted it, with unexpected gentleness, towards the twin portraits. She saw instantly what she had never considered before. In the first picture you could clearly see the glass bottle that held a chunk of the jewel. His voice whispered behind her, toneless.

"You had the jewel." Kagome felt her body stiffen painfully.

He had watched her as she walked up to the door, obviously caught in her thoughts. He had expected her to look up when he opened the door, not for her to bump into him. Sending her on a very short trip to the hard ground. He didn't know what had possessed him, his body moving at will. All he knew was one moment she had been falling and the next he had pressed her against his body. As soon as she touched him he felt fire race through his blood. Soft curves pressed against his own hard frame. Her skin cool, silky, soft. Her hair cascading over his arm was like a brand. He caught his breath the moment her scent floated up to him. Strawberries. A wild storm. Open fields. Clean air. He hardened instantly. A growl escaped him. She was too close, if he lowered his head just a little. He caught himself, abruptly reaching down and grasping her legs seconds before he tossed her over his shoulder.

He barely felt her struggles, intent on getting her somewhere softer and then getting as far away from her as her home allowed. When she made to come near him he glanced at her, letting his current turmoil color his eyes. She immediately sat back down. His attention immediately shifted to the window in a desperate hope to cool the heat racing through his body. He didn't realize how long he had stayed that way, his pulse slowing as he gained control over himself.

A movement caught his eye, made him turn as Kagome began pinching herself. Her eyes wide and confused. He felt the smile begin to form, stopped it before it could be completed. This was madness. Disgusted with his own weakness he made himself ask the question he had already gleamed the answer too. It had taken a long time, to puzzle through everything she had told them. The most important of which she had mentioned as little as possible. A precious item, broken with its fragments scattered across the land. Except she hadn't said fragments, had she? No she had said shards. That had been the clue. The portrait had brought everything into place.

When she gave him no more than a dazed "Huh?" he felt his temper pull taught, when she flat out refused to answer him it snapped. He was at her side in a blink, his hands punishing against her soft skin. She struggled as he pulled her up to the center of the room. Arms and legs flailing wildly until he pinned her against him. Her back pressed against him. Her body molded to him, his body responded in kind. Hardening to a point of pain. A hiss escaped him. Still determined to hear her confirm his suspicions he made to force her to look at the portrait. Instead his hand skimmed against a taught stomach, between her full breasts, fingers circling her throat in a soft caress before resting on the tip of her chin. Raising it gently until she had no choice but to look at the portrait of her past. He knew the instant she realized her mistake, she tensed. Her body pulling away from him.

He couldn't stop himself from whispering to her, delighted with how calm his voice sounded. He hadn't thought she'd freeze in his arms. Didn't expect the tears that appeared in her eyes and raced down her cheeks. With one arm still wrapped around her waist she bent over him, wrapping her arms as best she could around herself. Protectively, uncertain, terrified. Watching her turn in on herself hurt. The significance of that lost in the overwhelming need to stop the tears.

He turned her in his arms until she was facing him. Her body still bent in an attempt to deny what she now knew he had figured out. The pain inside him deepened and rational thought went flying out the window. His hands raised her up, his eyes found hers, his head lowered inch by careful inch until he felt full lips against his own. Her eyes widened and then closed, her body sagging into his even as a tentative hand clutched at the fabric of his shirt. He felt his own eyes close as his lips whispered against hers. Softly, encouraging, patient. He tasted and nipped, and when her mouth opened slightly in shock he slipped his tongue in to taste her. Strawberries and thunderstorms. A soft moan escaped her, resisting the urge to take more he slowly ended the kiss. When his eyelids found the strength to open her head was tilted up, lips glistening and slightly chapped from his small nips. Her chest was heaving her eyes were wide with wonder. He felt something inside of himself cracking and pushed her away as gently as he could manage.

She stared after him as he began to turn. Stopping he reached for her again, his lips brushing against her cheek. With an unreadable look he left her there, safe in her home. As soon as he got outside he was running, as fast as he could, his mind in a whirl, his body aching, his heart thumping madly.

Kagome stood where he had left her. Logically she knew that what had just happened could not have just happened. Sure she had kissed boys before...Well a boy, singular but she didn't know if kissing Inuyasha in an attempt to bring him back to his senses really counted. She had been happy at the time both because it had worked and because she had wanted to do that for so long. It didn't compare to what had just happened.

Kagome shook her head, looked for any indication that Hiei had even been there. Not a hint. Chuckling nervously to herself Kagome made her way to her room.

"Just a dream, that's all. Just crawl into bed and everything will be better in the morning."

Fairy Demon26- *grumbles* I really hate spelling her name. Lol but thanks for the correction I definitely need to learn how to spell it and thanks for pointing out to me ^_^

.av- I'll be trying to put another chapter up tomorrow if my manager doesn't make work overtime. No promises but I will do my best especially since this chapter is shorter than I had intended.

A special thanks to Lady Artimes Blaine my new beta! Now I can give this story everything it deserves.

And, of course, a big thank you to all of you that keep coming back week after week. Review or no review I'm glad that you're enjoying this newer version of the story.