Here's chapter six!

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 Six: Promises

InuYasha lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. His thoughts raced with images, sounds, feelings… Kagome… He rolled onto his side, tucking his hands under his pillow, shutting his eyes tightly against the memories of her body beneath his, her lithe fingers tracing gentle paths along his scalp – Fuck!

InuYasha sat up, face in his hands, suddenly feeling too warm and it wasn't from the fire burning in the fireplace across the room from him. I'm never going to get any sleep this way… I can't believe I'm letting myself get so wrapped up over kissing someone. He stopped himself; Kagome wasn't just someone, he couldn't delude himself into believing that any longer. As much as it was completely against everything he believed in, he felt himself opening up to her, in a way he hadn't even with his mother.

He dropped one hand to his lap as the other dragged over his face. I need to face the facts: as much as I don't want to admit it, I'm – InuYasha's thoughts were interrupted by the smell of aged paper and leather, faintly spiced with a hint of lavender. Kagome…

InuYasha felt his heart rate increase as her scent grew nearer. Was she really seeking him out in the middle of the night? Awfully bold for someone who was feeling rushed by a little bit of tongue. He crossed his legs, bouncing a knee in anticipation. His ear twitched when he finally heard her footsteps close in on his bedroom door. His breath caught in his throat as he watched the door, waiting for her knock. InuYasha felt his inner demon peeking his head out from the inner corners of his heart. This is so stupid –get your ass up, drag her in here, and throw her on the bed –

InuYasha shook his, forcing the voice back in its place, a deep warmth spreading over his face and down into his the pit of his stomach. He took a steadying breath before raking his fingers through his hair. Shit, I don't think I can't do this – she can't come in here right now, not while I'm –

Knock knock knock

Okay, clearly she changed her mind, right?... Shit! InuYasha rose from the bed and resisted the urge to jump straight to the door, instead walking like the well-behaved prince he was supposed to be. Act surprised, play it cool: you didn't know it was her, it could have been anyone knocking on your door in the middle of the night. He took one more breath and plastered what he was sure was a stupid grin on his face before opening the door.

He should have sensed the situation sooner; felt the fear dripping off her in sickening drops, her distress a tight cloud of tension. His eyes fell to her collapsed form almost immediately: a crumpled mess of white skin, nightgown, and raven hair.

"Kagome?!" He bent down and lifted her shoulders off the ground, shaking her lightly, her head lolling with the movement. Shit! He gathered her limpness onto his lap and listened for any signs of breathing. You dumbass, of course she's not breathing, look at her! Her lips were turning purple and when he lifted one of her eyelids, the whites of her eyes were bloodshot. Fuck, she's choking! What the hell do I do?! "Kagome, please, don't you dare die on me! You promised me, dammit!" His eyes burned as he pushed her shoulders forward and began pounding his fist as lightly as could against her back, fighting mentally between being desperate to fix her and remembering she was only a human and he really did not want to hurt her.

"Kagome!" he shouted when his attempts to save her had no effect. He gripped her face between his hands and opened her mouth, covering it with his own and releasing a deep breath into her. He pulled back and examined her face and, seeing still no changes, let out a strangled noise that was half cry – half howl, before hugging her to him roughly and giving her back a few resounding slaps.

"Hurgh –!" He felt her spasm against him.

"Kagome!" He pulled away just in time to see her eyes shoot open as she retched out a long stream of purple miasma. What the hell –? InuYasha watched the dense purple cloud swirl in the air momentarily before it darted through his door and busted open the balcony doors, disappearing into the night.

The sounds of coughing drew his attention back to Kagome where she sat in his lap. She shivered spasmodically, eyes shut once again. He cupped her cheek in one hand, leaning his forehead against hers, relishing in the fact that she was finally breathing. Her eyes fluttered open a fraction, long enough to stare deeply into his own, before shutting again and breathing out a raspy sigh. "Thank the gods –" she managed to say before a coughing fit took her over and tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Shh," he murmured, rubbing a hand in slow circles against her back. God, she's freezing! "It's okay, you're fine. You're going to be okay, so stop crying."

She buried her face into his sleep shirt, looping her arms around his neck. He continued to shush her, stroking her hair gently, until she was able to speak in a semi-coherent fashion. "I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered into the cloth of his shirt. "I was so worried."

"About me? I'm fine," he pulled back, holding her at arm's length. "What happened to you?" He ran a comforting hand up and down her arm, trying to rub the warmth back into her icy flesh. "You're freezing, come here." He scooped her into his arms, holding her close to his chest, and carried her into his room, closing the door behind him. He grabbed the duvet off of his bed and sat in front of the fireplace, wrapping them both in the thick warmth of his blanket. They sat there for a while, Kagome clinging to him like her life depended on the contact, InuYasha rubbing the warmth back into her frozen limbs, murmuring soothing words and kissing the top of her head repeatedly, as if assuring himself that she was still there, and listened to sounds of her almost silent sobs.

It took damn near forever but she finally stopped shivering and her skin was starting to give off its own warmth. He pressed his cheek firmly against the top of her hair and squeezed her tighter. "Are you feeling any better?"

Kagome sniffled, finally able to stop crying, and nodded her head against his chest. She wiggled in his lap and tightened her grip on the back of his night shirt.

"Can you tell me what happened now?"

"I had a dream… about my grandfather," Kagome started, her voice hoarse. "It was a nice dream; happy really. But then this dense purple cloud rolled in and formed a pack of wolves that started chasing us towards the castle. Then you were there and I was so relieved!

"That's when everything went wrong: you killed Grandfather, pierced your hand right through his chest. Then you turned to me and your eyes were red. I screamed at myself, trying to wake up, to end the nightmare. I ran from you, towards the castle, hoping to find… I don't know what I was trying to find, but then you were on me, tackling me to the ground, your hands wrapped around my throat –" She shivered in his arms once more.

"It was just a dream," he said, running a soothing hand over her hair.

She pulled back from him just enough to look him in the eyes, a look of indignation on her face. "But it didn't feel like just a dream! I felt you choking the life from as I screamed at myself to wake up!" Her brown eyes were still bloodshot from her prior lack of air. "And even when I woke, I could still feel the pain… the last thing I remember is making my way to your room to check on you and still feeling like I had something wrapped around my throat."

InuYasha hesitated a moment before telling her exactly what he had seen come out of her. Her brows were drawn together in thought. After a lengthy silence he finally added: "I think someone tried to put a spell on you –an unsuccessful one –but still a spell."

Her eyes suddenly shot to his, wide as saucers. "Grandfather! I need to make sure he's okay!" She made to stand up but her legs shook visibly under the thin fabric of her nightgown and she fell back down into him. "What if whoever put that spell on my tried to go after him too; he's all alone." Her eyes met his once more, pleading. "Let me go to him, just for a little while, just to make sure he's alright."

"No!" InuYasha snapped without thinking.

Kagome's face twisted in anger. Shit. "But he could be in danger –!"

He pulled her into his arms, burying his nose into her hair. "I know, but I can't let you leave the castle; not after this. You're in even more danger and I won't be able to follow you." He drew in a shuddering breath, remembering the sight of her mostly lifeless face. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something were to happen to you and I couldn't be there to save you."

InuYasha felt her arms encircle him, returning his embrace, her head nodding in assent against his chest. He could have cried in relief.

He settled for smiling and wrapping his arms tighter around her. "I'll send Shippou to collect your grandfather in the morning: he's the only person in the castle other than you who can leave the premises. And he's a sneaky little kid when given the chance so I'm not worried about them being in any danger." He pulled back to look at her. "Okay?"

She nodded, wiping fresh tears from her eyes.

"So don't go anywhere… you already promised me you wouldn't go anywhere without me." Shit, now I sound like some needy ass kid. He felt heat spread across his cheeks.

Her small hands cupped his face, drawing his eyes back to her now-smiling face. "I will never leave you, InuYasha."

I'm starting to get the feeling that this promise is getting harder and harder for her to keep. He felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He shook it off and wrapped his arms around her again, settling them comfortably in front of the fire.

~Naraku~

Naraku glared at the image of his Kagome wrapped in this other man's arms. His fingers dug into the stone edge of the pool. The man in the image placed a kiss her forehead before picking her up and setting her on the bed.

"Confound this damnable woman!" Naraku roared, fingers cracking the stone. He broke off large chunks and threw them into the water, distorting the image in large, violent ripples, before fading completely. "How can she evade me at every turn? Is she truly so infatuated with this half demon that she couldn't have just slain him in her dream? Why must she make things so difficult?" He pushed his hands through his hair, releasing a deep breath. He had found himself rather aroused when she lay there in front of the man's door, choking on his unfulfilled spell, and he was having a hard time calming himself down.

Kagome will be mine, make no mistake about that, half breed. He narrowed his eyes at the reflecting pool before calling for Kagura.

She appeared before, as always, bowing deeply, and he barely resisted the urge to take out his frustrations on her.

"Master?" she asked after a lengthy period of uncomfortable silence, him leering at the column of her neck with wide pupils.

His eyes snapped to hers. "Bring me the old fool, it's time we end the ridiculous farce; I'm done playing." His lips twisted in a sinister smirk. "It's time I claim what is mine."