Chapter Thirty-two: To Love a Vampire

She stared off after him, trying to see where he had run off, to, but she might've tried to see through a brick wall for all the good it did. She crawled back under the ride with Shippo and Sota—who curled up with her as soon as she got close enough.

"Kagome," Sota whispered, staring at her in horror. "You just kissed a vampire!"

"Yes," she muttered truthfully as she pulled off her own coat and wrapping it around him. "I did."

"He has you under his spell!" he gasped.

"What spell?" Shippo asked curiously, his cute little fox ears twitching slight, "Inuyasha doesn't know any magic."

"And you're a vampire to?!" Sota croaked as he stared at the little fox.

"Yep," he muttered brightly. "Rin's one to!"

"Rin?" he croaked out, now hiding behind Kagome. "But she was so…"

"Sweet?" Kagome asked knowingly. "Forget everything you've seen in horror movies. The real ones aren't like that. For example, vampires do sleep, but they don't sleep in coffins, Sota," she said smiling.

"But…?" he gasped, clearly not having the slightest clue to what's going on here. Kagome sighed and pulled him tighter into her arms and decided to tell him everything.

"Sota, do you remember how sick I was after Halloween?" she asked. When he nodded, she said, "It was because Inuyasha bit me and took a lot of blood."

Sota's jaw dropped, pulling away from her slightly, as if he thought that she was going to suddenly attack him. "So you… you're a…"

"No," she answered, showing him her normal teeth. "Just because a vampire bites you doesn't make you a vampire yourself."

"But… but…" Sota cried, trying to make sense of all this. She curled up with him and told him everything. How she met Inuyasha and how he helped her last Halloween—how they became friends and now she's trying to help them break this curse.

Once she was finished, Sota stared at her. "Wow," he breathed. "So my sister's making out with a vampire."

She laughed. "Yes," she muttered, turning red. "But the point is, he may be a vampire, but he's a good one. He's never hurt me… at least not when he could help it. He's been very good to me. And all the others too. If not for them, we never would've found you and… oh, Sota," she cried, pulling him back into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry for getting you mixed up in all this."

His body was definitely warming up, but he was still shivering. She knew she had to get him home as soon as she could. But there were still no signs of the others. The park was as silent as a grave… the darkness seemed to press in on them from all sides and for some reason she felt that she was having trouble breathing.

But as she thought all this, Sota asked her, "I just can't believe that mom's letting you date a vampire."

When he saw her face turn red and look away he gasped, "You mean she doesn't know?"

"I can't tell her!" she told him firmly.

"You've got to tell her!"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Right. And tell me, what am I supposed to tell her? 'Hey, mom! I've met a vampire and now I'm going out with him?' Yeah, I'm sure that she'll take that."

"But she's always talking about you getting a boyfriend and giving her grandkids," he pointed out, almost teasingly.

"Yes, but I think she was expecting someone who's human," she reminded him bitterly. "But that's not the issue here. Listen, Sota. Please, please, please, you can't tell her or anyone else about this."

"Why do you keep saying that?" Shippo asked confused.

"Because not everyone will take to kindly to the fact that I'm helping you," she snapped. "Look, please you guys… I want to help you, I really do. If I'm able to help you, then you could turn back into humans!"

Shippo nodded. "Yeah, I'm tired staying as a kid."

He then went to go and stick his head out of the ride cautiously, as if trying to see if anyone else was coming. Kagome continued to hold Sota and then whispered, "If I can help them, Sota… then we can be together. But you've got to stay quiet until then ok? Will you do that for me?"

Sota opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, they heard an explosion. Sota yelled, and clung to her as she wrapped her arms around him protectively.

"What the…?" Kagome asked herself, getting ready for the worst.

"Kagome," called Miroku's voice, and she looked up to see that he was running towards them. "So good to see you found your brother."

"What is going on?" she asked, as Sota hid his face in her coat.

"It's ok, Sota," she told him at once. "This is Miroku, he's one of the good vampires who helped me find you."

"Pleasure to meet you," he said politely, but hurriedly to the young boy. As Sota slowly raised his head to look at him, Miroku turned to Kagome and answered, "We've got a good start here! We think we might be able to take some of them out! They took off once they lost their hostage. We have to go after them! I'm here to take you back."

"But you could get killed," she gasped as he picked them up and ran at high speed, up and out of the park.

"Don't worry about us," he muttered, almost flying as he jumped. He was fast, but he wasn't near as fast as Inuyasha was as the night air flew past them. "The other's are there fighting… I'll join them once I take you back to your house."

'No! You must not! Please…' she thought worriedly, as Sota was staring around them as he enjoyed the ride through the night. But as she looked to the horizon, she could see the very slim beam of light slowly beginning to peek it's head out. Dawn was almost here. She held onto Sota, who screamed whenever Miroku jumped, clearing the treetops easily.

"But what'll happen if you follow them?" Kagome yelled over the wind.

"Don't worry about us," he told her reassuringly. "We've fought them off before… and we aren't letting this chance to fight him slip by. I'll rejoin the others as soon as you both are home and safe."

"You-you're really taking us home?" Sota cried out, shutting his eyes in fear.

Miroku laughed gently. "Now, with all the trouble that we went through to find you, we aren't going to let anything happen to you now. Just hang on!" he ran along the roofs of several bungalows and trampled through a frost-covered garden. "We're almost there now…"

He was right, it didn't take him long to get them home—all too soon, the familiar house appeared in the distance, and Sota almost cried with relief. Miroku jumped to Kagome's window and she slid it open before she landed on her bedroom floor. She then turned around to take Sota. She had expected Shippo to stay with them, but Miroku had hold of the little fox's shirt and said, "Shippo? You and Rin are going to be staying home. Let's go!"

"See you later!" Shippo called as the two of them stood there.

"Wait!" Sota yelled after them, but instantly, they jumped—and disappeared just like that.

"Don't feel too bad," she told him, hugging him tightly. "They do that to me all the time."

"But…" he asked, still lost.

"Look," she said, brushing his bangs out of his face. "You're safe. Let's talk some more tomorrow and…"

But he didn't let go of her, he continued to hug her as if he thought she would disappear if he let her go. And so, she let him climb into the bed with her and she told him everything she hadn't been able to explain at the park. "I'm sorry for not telling you about him," she told him. "But I wasn't sure how to break it to you."

"Kagome?" Sota asked, his eyes drooping. "Do you lo…"

"Do I what?" she asked as he drifted off.

"Do—you…" but he was asleep—now that the shock had worn off and they were safe, his exhaustion had carried him off to sleep.

"Sleep," she told him softly, as she wrapped the blanket around him so more. "You're safe now."

*Later*

Kagome had just started to doze off when she heard him. Her eyes opened in time to see that the sun was rising into the sky, and Inuyasha was climbing into the room. She got out of bed without disturbing Sota, and ran over to him. "Inuyasha," she whispered, throwing herself into his arms.

She looked up into his face as he wrapped his strong arms around her. "Inuyasha…? But…what are you doing here…?" she spoke softly, feeling overjoyed that he had come back to her.

"Kagome…" He began, and for a moment, it seemed as if he didn't know what to say… instead, he placed his hands around her waist and kissed her passionately.

She wasn't sure what caused this, but she welcomed it instantly. She reached up and felt his soft hair through her fingers, as he continued to kiss her.

When she needed air, she pulled away from his lips and asked him, panting slightly, "Did you get him?"

"No," he muttered. "But at least we got two of his men. That's something."

"Who?" she asked.

"Juromaru and Kagerōmaru," he informed her, and she felt some relief. At least she wouldn't have to worry about them anymore.

"That's good," she whispered, tracing his jawline tenderly. "Two down… only the rest of them left…"

He raised his clawed hand and placed it on the side of her face as she stared back at him, trying to figure out what was going on. He gulped and croaked out, "I'm sorry."

She stared at him as she laced her fingers together with his other hand. "For what? You didn't do anything. If not for you then Sota would've…"

"It's my fault that you and your bother were put there in the first place," he told her bitterly. "We shouldn't be together. Who knows what might happen next time?"

She shook her head harder and put her hands up to his face. "No, you don't mean that."

"I'm too dangerous Kagome!" he told her roughly, trying to push her off without hurting him. "Just being near us, near me, is putting you and your family in danger."

"No, Inuyasha…" She began softly. Kagome didn't know what to say… she didn't want to admit it… but he was right. But as she looked into his golden eyes… looking a bit bloodshot in this thin light—she didn't care. So long as she was with him, she was willing to risk her life.

Inuyasha looked down then back out through the window. "Maybe it'll be best if I don't come around anymore."

Kagome looked over at him, tears trying to escape but Kagome kept them in, hoping she wouldn't burst into tears. "…But…why?"

"Kagome…" He turned back to look at her desperately, "You're a human. And I'm a vampire. We're just too different."

"But Inuyasha." Kagome began, crossing her arms over her chest. "I know the risks of being near you. But even still—" She placed her arms down and touched his cold face once more. "I want to take those risks."

"Why do you want me to stay?" he demanded.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked. "When I'm with you, I… I just…"

"What?" he asked her confused.

Kagome leaned her head against his shoulder and whispered, "I'll admit, we barely know each other. But still. I feel like I've known you my whole life. I don't know how to explain it but…somehow you've changed my life. I know that we're different…if only…there was a way to change that."

He ran his hand through her hair.

"Kagome?! Sota?!" called her mother's voice suddenly, causing them to jump apart in alarm. "Are you both up yet?!"

"I have to go," he whispered, looking at her face.

"But, wait!" she gasped, grabbing his hand. "I'm not letting you go until you tell me when I'll see you again."

"Kagome," he said in warning.

"Tell me, or else I'll…" she said, just as warningly.

"I don't know," he answered, pulling his hands free from her. "But I'll see you again…"

"I'll hold you to that," she said, standing up on her toes to kiss him one last time, before he pulled away and went to the window. "Is it ok that Sota knows?" she asked hesitantly.

"So long as he doesn't tell anyone," he whispered back, and jumped up onto the sill, getting ready to jump again.

"Remember," she told him. "You promised you'd come back."

He sighed before he nodded—without looking at her—and then he was gone. She sighed, watching as several fluffy, snowflakes begin to fall… making heart feel cold as she stared up at the still-dark sky. It was going to be Christmas soon… now what?

"Kagome?" Sota's voice asked, slightly hoarse.

"Sota?" she asked, turning around to see he was looking at her from under the covers. She went over to stand by his side and asked, "How are you? Are you feeling ok?"

She placed a hand up on his forehead, and wasn't surprised to see that he was warm, "Oh, you've got a fever."

"Kagome?" he asked with a slight cough. "Why do you love a vampire?"

She blinked before she answered. "I don't know… I never really thought about it. I mean… with the two of us… I just don't…"

"But you love him?" he asked, sounding stuffed up.

She ran her fingers through her baby brother's hair and smiled softly. "Yes," she whispered, looking at the window. "With all my heart."

(Aww. So now, Sota's in on the secret! Isn't that great? What happens now? Next chapter: we find out the meaning behind the prologue. Why would Inuyasha be after her? Hope you enjoyed this chapter.)