InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ SNIPIT: Fire can't solve every problem ❯ The one and only ( Chapter 1 )

Fire seems to be the only friend I can trust.

His breath on my face, and in my lungs is always warm and comforting, while the lifelike flames dance above the blackened wood pile. Never cold, never sad; I chanted those words to myself. The flames speak to me, and God knows how often I talk to them. They listen and never judge. Unlike everyone else in my life. The red kissed flames always endure my problems, my worries and my eternal sadness damned only to grow, which I hide from everyone else. They just crackle, which is all the response I want these days.

Tonight I spoke silently to our small camp fire. It was so late and so damn cold, but next to the fire my heart was cheered and I barely felt the biting of the icy wind. My eyes stung and started to water from starring into the flames for too long, and they felt burnt and dry. I blinked the feeling away, glancing at each of the three people sleeping around me. Furthest away, Miroku slept motionlessly across the fire; lying on his back and his face was open to the heavens full of stars above. As if dreaming, his pale brow was furrowed, and small puffs of smoke breathed from him, a result of the cold.

I'd often told the fire about him, as I did tonight. The foolish Monk was always and forever sweet talking women, especially Kagome. I hate his gentleness and I hate his caring heart. Makes me want to throw up, then kill him. I can't though because Kagome doesn't want me to. Stupid human emotions. From the start he's had a thing for her and it drives me crazy. Every passing moment of his sick innuendoes brings me closer to the brink.

Other than that though, he's okay. Revenge burns hot in him; I can respect that.

Suddenly Miroku's slim form tensed and shivered, his face grimacing. But he dreamily wrapped his cloak of midnight blue closer to him, and was still; his face relaxing back into a more peaceful state. I then noticed little Shippo stir. The young foxling nuzzled his face against the Monk's shoulder and edged a little closer for warmth, still asleep. I thought they looked sweet like that. Only in sleep did I truly like that little brat, who forever asked stupid questions and generally made me want to hit him. However, while he slept, I couldn't fathom the act, I even smiled despite myself.

Watching them was making me drowsy, so I tried to lay back. As I did though, I bumped Kagome's arm. She slept beside me in her sleeping bag, which had been kicked open earlier in the night. I stopped and gazed down at her. She breathed deeply and I watched her contentedly as her chest rose and fell. Again, only in sleep did we get along so well. When we're not arguing or giving each other the silent treatment, I'm usually kicking the hide of some demon or another. So, it doesn't leave much time for compassionate conversations or gestures.

The rhythm of her breathing was becoming mesmerising. I leaned my weight against my arms as I watched her. Her hand cradled her head and her silky black hair spread across the ground in a beautiful disarray. I smiled again; every so often her lower lip would tremble.

After moments of disoriented starring and blank thoughts, my soupy brain suddenly realised what was going through it. I forced myself to stop thinking about her. I didn't need that kind of anxiety right now.

Laying down again, I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep. I felt my breathing fall into a rhythm and the heaviness of sleep started to take me. I could feel a dream coming on, taking over my sad, worried mind. I was interrupted however, by something moving at my side. I opened my eyes and turned my head to see that Kagome was shaking, no shivering. Her face was all scrunched up.

"Kagome?" I breathed, but she didn't respond, just kept on shivering.

Without thinking, my arm extended to her and steadied her head. At my touch she lazily kicked the remainder of her blankets away and started to creep up to me. I wrapped my arm around her cold shoulders and held her against my chest, her head on my shoulder and hand on my belly. She sighed dreamily, and I inhaled her sent hungrily, the smell that held the most longing. Kikyo's sent. My head grew light with happiness. If only it could be like this when we were awake.

Kagome groaned against my chest and stirred slightly. Her hand grasped fiercely at my tunic and her eyes tensed again. Dreams were evidently common that night. I closed my eyes, constantly aware of how her hand was moving. It reached far across me, then up around my neck. I was about to manually place her hand back where it belonged when it slipped down the front of my shirt. My eyes flew wide as she twisted and plucked at my flesh. Little squeaks were escaping me; was I ever relieved when her hand grew tired of me and rested still. I let out a long held breath. I wonder what she was dreaming about. Whatever it was, it wasn't over as I soon found out.

Only moments after her hand lay still, it tensed and she pulled closer. I noticed my breathing became jagged as the hand journeyed farther down my torso, grabbing at my linens as it went. It roamed down my stomach and over my navel until, failing in my attempt to suppress it, I groaned deeply as she grabbed at my groin, my whole self in her hand. I began to writhe as she started to feel, almost grope me. Little growlish moans of pleasure passed my lips and I hardened under her touch. I twisted my hips in reluctant protest, trying to remove her hand, my moans grew heavier and I was growing deadly close to being loud enough to wake the others. That would have been an interesting confrontation.

"Kagome, mmgh, Kagome stop it, awwhhh…STOP IT!" I sprang to my feet, knocking her off me in the process. Her head whacked the ground and she sputtered and coughed, bring her hand up to rub her eyes.

"What…what's going on…Inuyasha? What's wrong?" She croaked, starring dizzily up at me. I stood above her, breathing hoarsely, with a pleasantly shocked look on my face. I didn't answer her in words.

"What's wrong Inuyasha?" She asked again, more coherently this time.

"God! You…you were, why were you…in your sleep…" I spat, struggling with each word. I hated the way I sounded, shrill and crackly.

"What?" She cried above my jumbled sentences.

"Shhh! They'll here you." My breathing had calmed a little seeing that the others had not woken. Kagome stared at me, bewildered.

"You were…" I spat it out, "…you were feeling me up, okay!" I said, heavy breathed.

"I was what?!"

"In your sleep!" She stared at me, totally confused until her eyes moved south and met an answer. Damn my thin clothes, they couldn't hide a thing. Understanding graced her face and a purple tinge crept up her neck and on her cheeks. She stared at the ground, hiding a bit of an awkward giggle. I growled, turning away, totally embarrassed. I waited for her response.

"I uh, I'm sorry Inuyasha." She muttered, still not looking at me. I couldn't blame her though; now I really want to know what she was dreaming about.

"I just…just needed to get you to stop."

"I won't, uh, do it again, okay?" I could see that she was fast falling asleep again. Then she shivered and forgot all about my problem.

"Sure is cold out tonight." She said as she shivered again. Totally ignoring me, she stood and moved around the dying fire to where Miroku and Shippo slept. She silently picked Shippo in her arms and lay down next to Miroku, who grasped her shoulders uncontiousely. I stared in disbelief. No sooner had she laid down, her breathing fell back into a soft rhythm and appeared to be asleep. Despite his "being asleep", Miroku smiled, eyes still closed, at his new found warmth. I couldn't help the doggish snarls that came from me. The sight of Kagome cuddled up next to a smiling Miroku just made my blood boil. I wanted to rip her away from him, then cut him up into minced meat. "Bastard," I muttered, then I remembered my uncomfortable hardness that was still present. The camp was silent and the forest behind us was dark. I walked toward the trees muttering and cursing, "Miroku you damned Monk, you're lucky I still fall victim to stupid human urges or else you'd be out of the revenge business with Naraku and haunting me in death instead." I said angrily to myself as I disappeared into the shadows. Human urges…bloody waist of time, but they couldn't be helped, especially concerning Kagome.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a possible contest entry, tell me what you think,

-Stay Puft