InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Learning to Trust ❯ Darkness ( Chapter 6 )

Kagome flicked her ears and clutched her growing belly, a habit she'd developed since she had become pregnant. Already she was losing her sense of hearing and smell, as a dense fog settled like cloth onto her senses. Leaning against the wall, she looked up at the dark clouds that blocked the star filled sky, and also hid the fact that there was no moon. Or, there wouldn't be when the fading light of the sun vanished beyond the far mountains.

 

Her diminished ears picked up loud creaking coming down the hallway. Her first instincts kicked in and she scuttled along the floor to one of the dark corners of their room. She didn't know who it was, because her now human ears only detected the fact that something was walking down the hall; she didn't know whom.

 

Another soft creaking sound and the sound of the shoji meeting the wall greeted her smaller ears. Kagome poked her head out of the corner and part of her sighed in relief when she saw Inuyasha regarding her curiously in the dark. Her eyes were too weak to even make out the features of his face, so she naturally backed up further to the wall when he took a step forward.

 

“Kagome?”

 

She nodded, turning her eyes away from him. She shivered from the cold, and turned her gaze to the gloomy night sky.

 

She actually had to look to see where he was when he settled down next to her, still obviously confused and intolerably curious. His eyes asked a silent question, to which she gave a hint of a smile. He took that for the acceptance it was and pushed her copious hair aside, making sure not to run his claws on her cheek. He ran a knuckle down her human ear, then ran his fingers through the hair in the area her ears normally were.

 

“What is this?” he asked finally. “You didn't change to be human or something stupid like that?”

 

Kagome sighed. Somehow she knew that even if he didn't hit her for it, he would still manage to say something stupid.

 

“It's my--” she began, but cut herself off and backed away to look out the window when he glared.

 

Staring at the sky was somewhat calming, though she cursed internally when she felt adrenaline tingling in her body. This meant that her hands would start shaking any second, and the pungent smell of her fear would invade the room.

 

“Kagome-” She whipped her head around, her hair spreading in an arc around her head.

 

“What happened?” His hand cupped her cheek and he lightly stroked her temple, a silent apology for glaring.

 

She gulped. His eyes softened even more and he pulled her into his lap. There, her head tucked into his shoulder and curled against his chest, she finally found the courage to speak.

 

“The time of vulnerability.”

 

She took in a shaky breath and continued. “On the night of the new moon, I become human. The youkai blood recedes and my ears and claws vanish.”

 

Inuyasha tightened his embrace. “Just for the night?”

 

She nodded.

 

Inuyasha mulled it over, still holding his hanyou-turned-human close to his chest.

 

“So,” he commented finally, “you don't have any youkai skills at all? You're just a weak human.”

 

Kagome nodded again. “I can't hear anything, I can't smell—I can't smell you at all. I couldn't even see you across the room.”

 

Inuyasha pursed his lips, then narrowed his eyes. “There have been new moons before this, but nothing ever happened.”

 

Kagome quivered slightly in his embrace. “I hid.” She whispered.

 

Rubbing her side encouragingly, Inuyasha adjusted slightly to bring her deeper into himself.

 

She took several deep breaths, then spoke again. “The first—the first one you were gone all night, with Ayame, so I just hid in one of the corners, then washed it in the morning to get rid of the scent. The next I just went to my room and went into the closet, then came out in the morning.” She fell silent, shivering as she relived the old memories.

 

In silence Inuyasha stood and carried her to their futon, tucking them both into it and holding her close to keep her warm.

 

“Why didn't you tell me?” he asked.

 

“It's dangerous.” She said. “I can't fight at all in this form, I'm so…weak. If anyone found out they'd kill me. I can't ever sleep on this night, because someone would come and-” Her shaking and stuttering grew worse the more she said.

 

Inuyasha cut her off and held her with his strong arms.

 

“Shhh.” He murmured. “You're safe with me. I'll protect you, so you don't need to worry or fear.”

 

Kagome rolled around to face him and snuggled him of her own volition. She buried her nose in the crook of his shoulder and sniffed. Her fingers, topped with blunt, human fingernails, gripped the cloth of his yukata and clutched it.

 

Inuyasha alternated between stroking her hair and rubbing her back. He would have rubbed her belly, but she was pulling herself flush against him and blocking access.

 

After what felt like hours Inuyasha finally pulled her face up and kissed her forehead, cheeks, nose and lips. She let her eyes drift closed with a soft sigh. He pulled back and carefully brushed her hair away from her face.

 

“Sleep.” He murmured. “I'll watch over you and the pup.”

 

Kagome looked like she wanted to fight him, so he cut her off before she could start.

 

“You're pregnant, and you're tired. Besides, the night will be over sooner if you sleep through it.”

 

She nodded in acknowledgement and shifted slightly to get comfortable. She lay awake for a long time, smiling contentedly as he ran his fingers through her hair and whispered promises of protection and love into her ear.

 

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

 

The darkness of the night crept in through the cave door, a deep penetrating miasma. Kagome blinked and looked around again in increasing fear. The cave again registered on her senses. The overwhelming fear choked her as she remembered her first human night as she darted uncontrollably from the corner she chose to seclude herself in to the door in hopes that he decided to stay away all night.

 

The fear bit into her chest, digging a little pit and lodging itself. She trembled, images running through her mind of what he might do to her if he found her like this. She clung to herself, her weakened human body unable to warm her. The scrap of kimono she wore was also little help.

 

If something were to wander in, some youkai, a friend of his, or worse…

 

Kagome gasped and started choking in breath. A gentle hand stroked her hair and wiped the sweat from her forehead and rubbed her shoulders.

 

“Inuyasha?” she whimpered.

 

“Hai.” He responded, continuing his massaging of her shoulders.

 

“Is it almost dawn?”

 

“In a little bit.”

 

Kagome took a deep, calming breath. She was now aware that she was resting in his lap, her back to his chest. The deep movements of his hands on the muscles of her shoulders helped work out the kinks of thrashing during the night.

 

After several minutes, Inuyasha broke the comfortable silence.

 

“What were you dreaming about?”

 

Kagome sighed. It had become a ritual: she would have a nightmare, he would wake her and have her tell him what had bothered her. It slowly got easier to open up and talk to him about the things that haunted her.

 

“My first new moon when I was here.”

 

Inuyasha nodded and rocked her.

 

“Feel better?”

 

She smiled. “A little. Yes.”

 

Review Responses:

Axel721: I think I like watching Inu squirm too. I don't get any satisfaction out of making Kagome do something wrong. Maybe I'm messed up in the head or something.

 

Sexy Capricorn: Thank you!

 

LucyQ: Thanks for leaving a review. I respect your opinion, but choose to disagree. Also thank you for not insinuating that I'm deranged. I appreciated that.

 

InuGrrrl: Thanks for reviewing and the unconditional support! Also, thanks much for nominating this story in the IY Fanguild. Even though it didn't go on, it made me really proud.

 

Mermaid 232: Thanks for the support!

 

InuKagFan63: I went to therapy once. The people there scared me. And if you find my story so damn offensive, please take yourself and your piss-ass attitude somewhere else.

 

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Assh: I respect your opinion, but I choose to disagree. Thanks for taking the time to leave your opinion. I also respect you greatly for reviewing while logged in. Thank you for the complement.

 

Kao-gurl: I can understand the having too much work thing. Thanks for the support, even if you don't review. Good luck with college.

 

Celestialtriad: Maybe the other 3 youkai will show up, but probably not. Thanks for your comments and taking the time to leave your opinion. Your other questions will probably be answered in upcoming chapters.

 

Anyone I missed, thanks for the reviews and love. (in most cases) Just for you guys, I posted a little early. I must tell you, I don't know if I will continue this story much longer. It's really annoying to have half the reviews telling me I'm off my rocker, and the rest being one sentence long. I'll probably finish it, but nothing phenomenal is going to happen.-Akihana