Title: Dark
Character/Pairing: Kagome, implied IYK
Rating: PG
C. 2006
When she was little, Kagome had been very afraid of the dark.
The dark was consuming and pressing, and no matter how high she pulled up her covers, the dark was there, like a monster. So many things could hide there in the blackness, things she couldn't see in the light. Things waiting to devour her.
Her mother came in at her first cry, smoothing her hair back and singing her lullabies until she fell asleep. She gave Kagome stuffed animals and nightlights, and left the door cracked with the hall light on.
But Kagome was still afraid of the dark.
Eight years later, she fell down the well. Into darkness.
She rescued a hostile hanyou, fought demons, resisted evil spells, and escaped kidnappers, but Kagome was still afraid of the dark.
This time, there were no nightlights or cracked doors. The darkness was real, and monsters did live in it. For this reason, Kagome slept close to the fire those first few months with Inuyasha.
She fought hard, and gained new friends, and sometimes she was too tired to worry about the dark. She was comforted by Shippou's warm breath against her cheek, by the sight of Kirara across from her, and by the soft crackle of the fire.
It was a long time before Kagome realized that Inuyasha rarely slept, that he spent his nights watching over her and her friends. One night she'd bolted up from a nightmare, her eyes automatically finding his spot in the tree. She found his golden eyes looking right back at her.
Do you not sleep, Inuyasha?
Keh. Someone's got to watch over you weak humans.
Kagome slept easier with the knowledge that Inuyasha watched over her. But she was still afraid of the dark.
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Hey, IYK can be cute sometimes. :P