It took a bit longer to get this out than I thought it would. I've been doing field research (reading other fanfics)... also, I haven't been able to write at work because we actually starting legit working, so yeah...
But here's the next part! Yay!
I swear I haven't forgotten this story, I am committed to actually finishing this. So without further ado...
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA (BELONGS TO RUMIKO TAKAHASHI)
I ALSO LAY NO CLAIM TO BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (BELONGS TO THE DISNEY CORPORATION)
Enjoy the show!
Chapter Five
Kagome and InuYasha promised to meet every day in the library so that Kagome could read to him, having Kaede bring their lunches to them. Three days had already passed and they were coming to the end of the book they'd begun.
"The noble lord basked in the light of the full moon, folding his arms elegantly behind his back. He walked with the air of a man well beyond his years and the maiden felt unable to draw her eyes from his form.
"Her brain battled with her heart; she was well aware that her station was well below someone acceptable to even associate with one such as the esteemed lord, much less harbor feelings for him. Her heart, however, pounded with the beatings of 100 doves-"
Kagome was interrupted by the sound of soft snores coming from the head resting in her lap. Kagome glanced down at InuYasha's sleep-softened face, smiling at how sweet he looked in his sleep. Looking up at the window, she realized the sun was setting over the trees that surrounded the grounds of the castle. She set the book down on the cushion beside her and returned to staring at InuYasha's face.
InuYasha's face was completely relaxed, lips slightly parted, silver bangs laying over his closed eyes. Kagome bit her lip, before reaching out a tentative hand to sweep his bangs to the side. 'His hair is so soft,' Kagome mused as she lightly petted his hair, attempting not to disturb his sleep. She ran her fingers over his eyelashes, traced a line down the profile of his nose, stopping on his lips.
InuYasha flinched, shifting his head slightly on her lap. Kagome withdrew her hand. 'He's so beautiful… I'm almost jealous.' Feeling annoyed, she reached her hand out instead to stroke one of his ears. Recalling her memory of the morning after the wolf incident, she ran the tip of her finger along the base of his ear, grazing lightly against his scalp.
Her hand was suddenly pulled away and his eyes shot open, staring straight into hers. "I could withstand the face-touching, which tickled by the way, but my ears?" He sat up swiftly and, in one smooth motion, pinned her to the couch.
"InuYasha?!" Kagome exclaimed, trying to pull her wrists from his grasp. "What do you think you're doing?"
"You shouldn't tease me like that, I'm a man, you know," InuYasha said slowly, eyes half lidded. "There's a reason I don't let anyone touch my ears."
Kagome blushed at his implication, feeling her heart pound in her chest. Somehow the thought of being able to incite this kind of reaction from him emboldened her. She arched her head up, pressing her lips lightly against his, before laying back down on the couch.
"And then you do that."
Kagome held her breath in anticipation, her heart pounding even harder. "And what do you intend to do about it? I must admit, I've grown tired of being the one to make the first move."
"Dammit Kagome." InuYasha's face reddened, before lowering his head towards hers. Kagome's eyes fluttered shut, glossing over his lips briefly, before they pressed against hers.
His lips caressed her softly, applying the barest of pressure. She felt his hands release their grip on her wrists and a shifting in the couch cushions as the heat radiating from his body drew closer to hers. Their lips parted briefly before they reconnected, InuYasha's caresses turning heated and more fervent. Kagome's hands found their way to the front of InuYasha's shirt, digging her fingers into it, nails scraping his skin through the supple fabric.
A low growl emitted from his throat, making Kagome shiver. One of his hands cupped the back of her neck, his thumb rubbing slow lines against her cheek. Kagome's fingers twisted into his shirt when she felt his tongue lap warmly at her bottom lip. Kagome blushed, unsure of how to respond: playing kissing games as a child was nothing compared to the strange heat she felt building in the pit of her stomach and InuYasha was most definitely not a child.
He growled again, nibbling at her lip this time, making her gasp in surprise. InuYasha took advantage of her parted lips, swiping his tongue languidly against hers.
Kagome's eyes shot open at the sudden sensation of his warm, soft tongue against hers. Reading romance novels was one thing, experiencing it firsthand was another thing entirely. She moved to sit up, pressing her hands against his chest, but moved too quickly and ended up knocking her forehead into his.
Their lips parted, InuYasha muttering a silent curse, massaging his forehead as he sat up on his haunches. Kagome winced, massaging her own forehead.
"Shit, are you okay?" InuYasha asked, pulling her hand from her head to inspect it himself.
Kagome chuckled, feeling her previous anxiety fade away. "I'm fine, I just… don't know what I'm doing."
InuYasha sighed, sitting back on the couch completely. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have forced myself on you like that. Now you're questioning whether you even like me anymore."
Kagome quickly pushed herself up off the couch, cupping his face in her hands. "No, that's not even remotely close to what I was trying to say!" His eyes met hers, confused. "I meant I literally have no idea what I'm doing: I've never been this intimate with anyone before."
His face betrayed his shock. "You've never had a lover?"
Kagome glared at him, releasing his face. "What is that supposed to mean?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you insulting my virtue right now?"
His eyes widened and he shook his hands emphatically. "No! I just can't believe someone as beautiful as you must have been beating suitors away."
Kagome felt her face heat up. "You think I'm beautiful?"
"Of course I do!" His face turned bright red when he realized what he'd just said. "Anyone with eyes could see how beautiful and special you are."
Kagome felt her heart tighten at his words. She grabbed his hands, squeezing them slightly. "I don't care what anyone else thinks. As long as you say I'm beautiful, I believe you."
His eyes met hers again, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. 'For someone who was kissing me so boldly just a few moments ago, he sure is blushing like a maiden.' Kagome shook her thoughts away before scooting closer to him. "I like you. I definitely like kissing you… but perhaps we could slow down a bit. I'm not going anywhere without you."
He nodded in agreement before pulling her into another slow, sweet kiss.
~Naraku~
Naraku stood before a large reflecting pool, watching Kagome's image move across the surface of the water. The brunette servant woman was helping her get ready for bed.
His eyes raked her body with leering eyes as she was undressed, finding himself disappointed when she was all too soon slipped into a thin nightgown. She climbed into bed.
"You will soon be mine, my Kagome," he said, tracing one finger lightly across the image of her jaw. The water rippled at his touch, distorting the image of Kagome's sleeping face. His hand hovered over the water's surface. He whispered a quick spell, watching in glee as a thick purple miasma seeped from is palm into the reflecting pool, clouding the water.
Kagome's face twitched in her sleep as she twisted beneath her blanket. Yes, not too much longer now, and you shall be all mine.
~Kagome~
Kagome smiled, feeling the warmth of the sun on her cheeks as she was jolted slightly by the movement of the buggy beneath her. She opened her eyes to see the familiar sight of Buyo pulling their buggy, trotting steadily down the path out of town. Grandfather laughed from beside her.
"Finally woke up, dear girl?"
Kagome grinned at him. "Grandfather! It's been too long." She twined her arms around his, leaning her head against his shoulder.
"Hah!" Grandfather laughed, ruffling her hair. "Dear girl, where is your head at?"
Kagome realized – with a tinge of sadness – that she was dreaming. That this was merely a dream. But even dream Grandfather was better than no Grandfather at all. She sighed in contentment and turned her eyes to the bright blue cloudless sky stretching out above them.
In her dream it seemed the rode for hours, talking about familiar topics, sharing laughs.
"What is that?" Kagome asked seeing a faint purple smoke swirling from over the treetops that lined the path. They moved like fingers clawing away the color of the sky. Grandfather looked to where she was pointing and snapped the reins, urging Buyo faster.
"Grandfather?" Kagome grasped the front of the buggy for support as the bounced down the rocky path. Her eyes found the sky again and she found herself gasping when she saw that the purple smoke had completely blotted out the sun. More smoke filtered through the trees, taking on the form of wolves, chasing them.
Kagome felt her heart racing in her chest, sweat beading on her forehead. "InuYasha's Castle!" Kagome exclaimed, pointing towards the looming structure. "Hurry, we'll be safe there."
Grandfather nodded and snapped the reins again.
Kagome's grip tightened, the closer they drew, occasionally glancing back to see the smoke wolves were gaining on them with each passing moment.
"Kagome, look!"
Kagome's head snapped back to the front. Her heart leapt, seeing the figure in front of them. "InuYasha!" Grandfather pulled to a stop when they finally reached him. Kagome glanced behind again, warry of the wolves. They were snarling and backing off, smoky hackles raised. The cart dipped forward violently, drawing Kagome's attention back to the front. InuYasha perched on the front ledge of the cart, head bowed, hiding his face.
Kagome sighed in relief, leaning back against her seat. I guess he's my savior in my dreams now, too? Kagome suppressed the giggle rising in her throat. "Everything will be fine now, Grandfather: InuYasha's here to save us—" Her words stopped short when she heard a wet sound and Grandfather gasping. She turned and fought the urge to vomit at the sight before her. InuYasha's arm was buried elbow deep in the center of grandfather's chest, his hand sticking out from the other side stained bright red with fresh blood.
"I-InuYasha?" Kagome faltered, rising from her seat. This is a dream – no, a nightmare. Wake up, Kagome! She took unsteady steps off of the buggy, putting distance between herself and the dream InuYasha.
He extracted himself languidly from the dead flesh of her Grandfather, bringing his bloodied hand to his face. He sniffed, then licked his hand. Kagome retched, taking another step back, snapping a twig beneath her heal.
His eyes snapped towards her, glowing red.
Wake up! Kagome turned, running towards the castle gates. Her vision blurred with unshed tears, the wind whipping her hair into her face. Kagome screamed as her foot caught a root, tumbling onto the ground. She scrambled to her knees, trying to get up as fast as she could.
Kagome screamed once again as she was pushed back down to the ground and rolled over onto her back.
"Where do you think you're going, little girl?" InuYasha purred from above her. Kagome stared, wide-eyed in horror, frozen in place under his blood red gaze. He traced a claw down the length of her neck, biting lightly into her skin. "Don't you know it's your turn?" A twisted grin marred his face as she felt his hand wrapped around throat.
Kagome's eyes widened further, finally getting mobility back in her previously frozen limbs. She choked out strangled noises while desperately clawing at his arms and face. She felt his fingers tighten, swearing she could feel the bones there cracking. WAKE UP!
Kagome woke screaming, drenched in sweat from head to toe, blankets thrown to the side in her wild slumber. That was too vivid… InuYasha – is he okay? Kagome climbed out of bed, her feet coming in contact with the cold wood floor, reaffirming that she was indeed awake.
Her throat still ached and she was finding hard to get enough air. Feeling uneasy, she exited her room and made her way down the dimly lit hall towards the West Wing. She felt her breath steadily more ragged with each step, gasping for air when she reached the double doors to InuYasha's room. Why can't I breathe?
Kagome slapped her hands urgently against the solid wood, lacking the energy to form her hands into fists.
"I-Inu… Yasha," she managed to croak out, barely a whisper. Her throat constricted, fully cutting off her airway. Her knees came out from underneath her. She dropped to the floor, hands sliding along the face of the door. Her vision began to darken as she desperately gasped for air, colorful blobs dancing in front of her. InuYasha!
The door opened just as her eyes were drifting shut.