Title: Fever
Author: Nicluv1787
Rating: Pg-13
Prompt: Cup
Character: Kohaku
Word count: 450
Warnings: Dark content
Summary: In dreams he cannot escape.
A/N: This ties in with another one shot I wrote called 'In the Face of Fear' But it's meant to stand on its own. Won Third Place at Iy_themes.
Fire licked at his body, scorching heat sent pain like needles shooting through his body. Was this hell? He tried to move his body but it felt heavy, as if he'd hadn't moved in a long time. His arms hung like lead weights at his sides. He tried to force his eyes open but they were firmly shut.
Screaming, agonized voices permated his consciousness, he knew this voice, this pleading screaming, the pounding screeching sound that had haunted his dreams for the past year. He had to move, he had to get away. He couldn't face it, he couldn't face her.
He found he could move his body, though the fire continued to burn his body. He rose to his knees wobbling he stood, like a newborn lamb on new legs. His eyes stayed shut, and he felt around in the darkness, the screaming was getting closer, more clear, more real. He couldn't face it, the guilt weighed too heavy. He ran, ran blindly through the darkness but still the voice followed him. His heart pounded in his ears, he had to make it stop; he had to make it go away.
Kohaku fell to the ground clutching desperately at the dirt, balling it in his fist. If only it would stop. He rolled over, the screams seemed to be from just above him. He opened his eyes, and he was transported to that day, in a court yard of a lord's palace a woman screamed clutching an infant, there was blood everywhere bodies strewn killed carelessly by himself.
His body moved beyond his control, as it always did in this dream. Only this time it was different he held no weapon in his hand, no cruel instrument of death. He stood before the woman, her face was blank of emotion. Still she clutched the child to her breast.
Her face was the one that had haunted his dreams but somehow changed, she resembled Kagura, but also Sango, Rin, and Kikyo.
He gulped as she stared up at him, the face of ever woman he had hurt.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered.
"For what?" She replied serenely.
"For hurting you," He choked out his reply.
She smiled, a knowing kind of smile, "You never hurt me intentionally" she replied a hint of amusement in her tone.
"How could you forgive me?" tears rolled down his cheeks.
"Because I love you,"
Kohaku woke, a cup of cold water held to his lips and a gentle hand stroking his brow.
"You're awake," Sango said with relief in her face "I was worried when the fever took you."
It had been a fever dream; but in his heart he knew he'd been forgiven.