A Dream Shard

He had been having dreams lately. Not the normal, hunt-related dreams or the nightmares about his death—dreams about Kagome. Sometimes he would save her and she’d provide a special way of thanking him. Sometimes they were just alone together and there was no reason behind it. And sometimes she was the prey, but those disturbed him a little because they seemed to thrill him the most, and he was sure if Kagome ever found out he’d never peel his face off the ground again. Either way, he had been waking up shaky, sweaty, and spent. Which made him secretly thankful that he had always kept to the trees.

It wasn’t that he was oblivious to sex. He had heard and smelled enough of it in his lifetime to get a fairly good idea of what was involved. And as much as the monk got picked on, he wasn’t the only one out to get some. That damn wolf was all over Kagome every time he dropped by. And it infuriated him that she seemed to like it. Hell, even Sango would slip into the woods from time to time for some special “training.” But for whatever the reason, it had just never appealed to him.

Only now he couldn’t not notice the heat of her against his back as he carried her throughout the day. Her thighs were soft beneath his calloused hands. And while he had always realized this on some level, it just meant something now. He didn’t care what that was, but he damn sure wanted to find out.

Kagome shifted against him and he felt her breasts graze his shoulder. “I can sense a jewel shard.”

Why was she whispering in his ear? He grunted his acknowledgment and glanced back to the others.

“Sango’s hurt. If she pushes herself, she might do some irreparable damage,” she added, pulling his attention back to her. “Miroku should stay with her. I think—I think it should just be us.”

He nodded, hoisting her up higher on his back out of nervousness. They hadn’t had much alone time since the others had joined their group. It would be nice to. . .

He interrupted his thoughts by turning around and calling out, “Let’s set up camp here. I’ll go scout the area. With Kagome.”

Miroku shot him a quizzical look, but Sango jabbed him in the side before he could reply, and Inuyasha took off, happy for a chance to slip away without an argument. Kagome smiled and silently thanked her friend.

****

“It’s just up ahead!” Kagome cried out as the cool wind whipped at her face and she clung tighter to Inuyasha’s back.

She wasn’t afraid he would drop her as he leapt from height to height at frightening speeds; she was never afraid of that, but it was a nice excuse to snuggle closer, and he never seemed to complain.

Inuyasha burst into the clearing expecting any number of monsters to be awaiting him—giant centipedes, half-horse men, whatever—so he nearly pitched Kagome over him when he stopped short to nothingness.

“Oi, wench, I thought you said it was ‘just up ahead,’” he griped, not sure if he should dump her on the ground yet or not. Maybe he hadn’t gone far enough?

“Yeah, that’s what I said,” she answered, squirming to get down and not bothering to explain.

He released her and turned on her, shoulder’s hunched in impatience. “And?”

She looked to him with those wide, blue eyes that always made him shiver and answered, “I lied.”

“Huh?” He wasn’t expecting her dead-pan, and just stood there blankly for a moment.

He felt her fingertips graze the bare skin of his neck as she slid her palms up his chest to linger on his shoulders. She rose on her tip-toes, leaning against him for support, her lips just inches from his own as she repeated, “I lied.”

Something was definitely wrong here. But he couldn’t think past the tightening and tingling of his muscles to pin-point exactly what it was. It might be the fact that there was no shard at the end of his shard-hunt, no monsters waiting to tear his intestines out, or the fact that Kagome had just admitted to deceiving him, but that wasn’t exactly it. Kagome was innocent, pure. And he was tainted with the blood of many things. He knew very well that he was beneath her. So it couldn’t be possible that she was really here, leaning into him suggestively, smelling like she was anything but innocent and holding him like he’d bolt if she lifted so much as a finger from him. It was just wrong. And maybe he would.

This couldn’t be his Kagome. Somehow she must have gotten switched along the way.

“What are you—?”

And then she kissed him.

If he had only been half-aroused before, he was fully up now and more than willing to come out to play. But the idea of it felt wrong, that she’d dirty herself with him, so he just stood there, stiff and unsure how to react.

When she pulled away, he caught the glimmer of tears in her eyes, and she turned her back to him to swipe at her face. “I should have known it wouldn’t work,” she laugh-sobbed to herself and wondered if she had finally damaged their friendship beyond repair.

He grabbed for her shoulder, but she jerked away. “Look, I’m sorry,” she choked-out, heading for the edge of the clearing. “Just forget it ever happened.”

He didn’t like how she was reacting, or the idea that it was somehow his fault, but he didn’t know what to say to make it better so instead he asked the thing that confused him the most, “You wanted it?”

What he really meant was, You wanted me? But he was too chicken to voice it.

“You idiot,” she snapped, and for a moment he feared she would sit him. “Of course I wanted it. I kissed you.”

He stared at her sadly, arms limp at his side. “This whole time? I thought you liked Kouga and the way he brings you flowers.”

She rolled her eyes, but refused to look at him. “I do like the way the brings me flowers.”

He took in the flush of her skin and felt an ache to be near her. It wasn’t just that he wanted her—though he did—he loved her. It was the reason he took her punishments and protected her. It was the reason he wanted to hold her now, crush her against him in need and take in the familiar scent of her skin.

He was before her so quick she hadn’t seen him move, and she barely had time to gasp out, “But I like you more,” before he had caught her in his embrace.

He fisted one hand in the back of her hair and slid the other one lower, claws teasing over the fabric of her skirt, and he breathed against her neck, “You wanted this? This is what you want?”

She was stiff in his arms, and he held his breath, waiting until she relaxed against him, her cheeks burning as she nodded, her voice caught in her throat at his sudden boldness.

“Are you sure?” he added, risking an experimental lick across her skin.

She shuddered against him in response, slipping her own arms up his back to press him even closer, and he thought it might kill him if this turned out to be another one of his dreams.

He breathed out a sigh and pulled back just a little bit to see her face. “Kagome, I—”

But she kissed him for the second time, and he devoured her back.

His mind was racing with thoughts, screaming at him to slow it down, don’t hurt her, lower her gently to the ground. He was on top of her, and oh god, she spread her legs for him as he slipped his hand up her thigh.

The first urge that struck him was to slice her clothing right off like he sometimes did in his dream-hunts, but he didn’t think she’d appreciate that much, so he fumbled with the clasp to her skirt as she slipped out of her top and bra. He stopped after he had slipped her skirt off, content to rub his palms over her bare breasts. His mouth found hers again, but he quickly broke away to work his way down her neck, leaving a trail of wetness across her collarbone, wanting to taste breast in his mouth, flick his tongue across her pert nipple.

She writhed beneath him, whining quietly, impatient to feel his hands on her.

“Are you okay?” he asked, tearing his mouth away to glance up her body, eyes dark but concerned.

She smiled at him and ran a hand through his hair as she answered, “Get undressed.”

He felt his face burn a little at the thought of her seeing him for the first time, of wanting to see him, but he quickly complied, lifting her to slide his hoari beneath her before her tucked his fingers into the waist of her underwear questioningly. She lifted her hips, and he pulled.

There was a moment where they both just admired the other, and then he descended on her hungrily.