Kagome had chosen a sleek black dress for the night, complimented with some strappy heels which she now wobbled on in the bathroom. The door vibrated from the loud music, and she leaned against the wall trying to drown it out. Lately, she had been fighting bouts of unexpected nausea. She stumbled forward, steadying herself over the sink, feeling as if her bare palms would sear right through the counter. She peered at the image of her pale face and felt like she could cry. What was wrong with her?
The door burst open, slamming roughly against the wall. Kagome spun around, nearly losing her balance, her mouth parted in a startled cry. "What—"
"Shut up," the man barked, grabbing her arm and throwing her against the metal stall. She crumpled from the impact, sliding slowly to the floor, but was jerked roughly back up. "Give me the jewel."
She stared at him incredulously, trying to focus on his face and mostly failing. His hands burned where they touched her, and she was certain that he was a demon. "What—"
He slammed her back into the wall, causing her to cry out. "Don't lie to me; I can smell it all over you."
Where was Kouga? "I-I'm not wearing any jewelry. You can see for—"
She choked on her words as his hand encircle her throat, and suddenly she couldn't breathe. Panic gripped at her, and she felt as if she would burst from the building pain inside of her. Her eyes grew wide as a piercing light overtook the room, and she felt as if something had burst from her body. She slumped as the light faded, free of her attacker's grasp. The pain had disappeared and so, apparently, had the demon. Kagome stumbled out of the bathroom, expecting to be attacked again at any moment as she hobbled toward the back exit and flung herself into the cool night air. She gasped, trying to breathe in the chilled comfort and ripped her heels off before taking off down the beach.
Inuyasha felt nothing as a human, but it was obvious that Sango had. One moment he was a dead man, and the next she had simply disappeared. It worried him that she had taken off so quickly toward the road, a look of fear momentarily marring her features. He knew from that look that something was wrong with Kagome, and his stomach churned as if he would vomit. He slumped to the sand, gritting his teeth against the pain and growing desperation. What could he do as a human? He should have known that Kouga would fail her. And before he knew it, he was up and moving, forcing his body toward the direction of the beach club. He might not be able to stand against demons, but he was going to die trying.
The effort was slow and painful, and the night sky had grown black by the time he felt he had made it even half way. He had failed her again. The thought scared him, and he found it difficult to swallow. He turned toward the water, angry at his human eyes in the darkness. It was like being blind, a weakness he couldn't accept right now. It was maddening. What if he wasn't even moving in the right direction anymore? He forced himself to continue in the direction he thought he should be going, kicking up sand in his frustration, and it was then that a movement to his left caught his eye.
She had jerked at the sound behind her, fearful that the demon had finally caught up to her, but relaxed when she saw his face. "It's you."
He stopped at the sound of her voice, his heart racing as he strained his eyes to find her. She stood slowly, unsure that he remembered her, and he felt relief wash over him at the sight of her form. She was okay. He stood silent, trying not to let his emotions show on his face and knew how it must appear.
She started to speak, but he cut her off.
"You shouldn't be out here." His words were clipped, harsh. He was angry and afraid from his shortcomings, and it manifested in his words.
She looked away, in an almost shameful manner, and he hated himself even more.
"It's dangerous." It was a lame explanation, and she only nodded silently. What was wrong with him? He opened his mouth to try and fix things, but she looked up at him, and he saw tears in her eyes.
He was speechless.
She swiped at her eyes rapidly, letting out a strained laugh. "I'm sorry. I don't—"
He closed the distance between them, cupping her face with one hand as he wiped her cheek with his thumb. "Don't." He struggled for more words, but anything he could say seemed lacking. Everything was his fault.
She peered up at him, surprised. "You're limping."
He let his hand fall and looked away, jaw set. He shouldn't have touched her; he was making a mistake. She placed her palms on his chest, causing him to jerk. She pulled her hands away slowly, hurt by his reaction, though she knew she was being ridiculous. He was a stranger and cared nothing for her. She forced a smile before turning back toward the water and once more plopping down into the cold sand. "Isn't the sky beautiful at night?"
She fell silent, and he realized she was waiting for him to respond. He felt torn and knew that what he was about to do was reckless, but he couldn't bring himself to leave her. Slowly, he lowered himself beside her. "Yes."
She smiled, genuinely this time, and laid back, face tilted toward the star-sprinkled sky. "We don't get to see it very often. This is the demon's domain."
He didn't tell her that he slept under it every night.
She tilted her head to look at him as he settled on his back in the sand. "Won't you tell me your name?"
He met her cobalt eyes and marveled at their intensity. "No."
She looked back to the sky, letting a deep sigh leak from her body. "Okay."
Accepting. The line of her neck was smooth and sensual in the darkness. His eyes followed the pale line to her collar bone slowly, and he couldn't help himself. "You aren't like this with everyone." It wasn't a question, though she took it as one.
"No."
He felt her palm press against his, and he closed his fingers through hers, eyes wide as he peered at the sky.
"Will you walk me home tonight?"
He smiled for the first time, gripping her hand tighter. "Yes."
Everything felt groggy when Kagome awoke the next morning. She yawned, blinking slowly at the red digital numbers of her alarm clock. She had missed her morning classes. She closed her eyes, pulling the covers over her head, feeling tired and depressed. It had all been a dream. It was stupid to think that she'd ever meet him again, or that he would even remember her. And it was painful to keep dreaming about him.
She slid out of bed slowly and rubbed her hands through her hair. She started across the room and gasped when she saw her image in the mirror. She was still wearing her black dress, and it was covered in sand. She glanced around the room, taking notice of a light dusting of granules in trails across her carpet. Oddly, they seemed to lead to her slightly ajar bedroom window. She tapped her fingers on the ledge before sliding the window closed and locking it in place. Perhaps he had thought her bedroom needed to cool down, though she couldn't remember coming home last night. Perplexed, she thought back to her last memory of the night. She was on the beach, head resting on his shoulder. And then she had closed her eyes.
But she couldn't have fallen asleep, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to get her home. She rubbed her palm against her eye and stifled another yawn. He must have woken her up along the way for directions.
Kagome tried to be nonchalant about the whole event, but her heart was racing as she brushed her teeth. She had forgotten to thank him, again, for possibly saving her life. Why was she such an idiot around him? But more importantly, she wanted to see him again. And it wasn't likely, seeing as how she had been too passed out to give him her number. She leaned forward, resting her forehead on the cold ceramic sink. God, she really was an idiot.
Inuyasha was an idiot. There was no other word to explain it. How could he have done something so illogical when he knew that his very life was at stake?
"Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!"
He stopped pacing long enough to throw an enraged punch at the nearest tree. Missing, he tumbled forward with a surprised yelp. There ahead of him was the lake, where he had messed up for the first time. He stared, unmoving. It was over. The realization stung, the hurt nearly palpable.
He had failed to kill the female agent before sunrise, and he had made contact with Kagome for a second time. It was only a matter of time before Naraku's men came to find him and one by one rend the limbs from his body. He curled in on himself, hugging his knees to his chest. Maybe he could kill some of them, but he knew from experience that when Naraku decided to kill someone, he wouldn't stop until they were well and truly dead. Which meant that he was going to have to leave Kagome for good and flee the state.
The idea of it sickened him.
Something had changed in Kagome since the night she was assaulted for the first time. He could smell it, a difference in her scent. And he could tell already that it was starting to attract demons. Could he trust the Patrol to protect her?
But more importantly, could he live without her?
Somehow he doubted that his life would be the same without her warm, wide smile. Especially after he had felt the full effect of it directed at him the previous night.
Something sounded in the nearby underbrush, and he shot up like a bird taking to flight. His eyes were wild, searching as he whirled, and his heart leapt into his throat at the sight before him.
Onigumo's very own Thunder Brothers stood before him looking bored and apparently waiting for his move.
Inuyasha forced himself to appear calm, ignoring the thundering of his blood in his ears. "A little early to get started, don't you think, boys?" His attempt to lighten the situation fell flat, and his false smile faltered.
He heard a feminine chuckle and felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "Once I heard the news, I couldn't wait to come claim you."
He stiffened as Yura brushed her fingertips across his shoulders before circling in front of him. Her eyes crinkled; she could have kissed him.
"God," he breathed in horror. "This is a university campus."
She seemed amused by his words and pursed her lips in mocking consideration. "I don't mind casualties, pet. Do you?"
