InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Stream of Consciousness: A LiveJournal Collection ❯ Turn Out the Light ( Chapter 29 )

Title: Turn Out the Light

Community: First Tweak

Theme: Lamp/Lantern

Place Earned: 2nd

Rating: PG-13

Universe: Canon post-manga

Word count: 844

Warnings: none

 

 

Turn Out the Light

 

Kagome was momentarily surprised to wake up in the middle of the night, shivering without her husband's warmth next to her. Then she remembered what night it was, and sighed forlornly. Inuyasha would not be coming back to bed tonight. She could see the dim light from his lamp flickering against the wall, barely sneaking through the flap covering their door. The old lantern remained inactive twenty-nine or thirty days out of every month, but once per lunar cycle it found its way out of the corner and into use. On the darkest night of the month, it provided light to someone who usually didn't need it, but clung to it desperately during his weakest moments.

 

Inuyasha had never outgrown his fear of the moonless night, and probably never would. His super-human senses were his comfort zone, and being a mere human for even just a few hours was incredibly uncomfortable. But his anxiety went far deeper than that. To this day, Kagome had never seen him sleeping naturally during his human night. He was afraid for his own life, though he would never admit it, and terrified that he would be unable to protect the people he cared about.

 

And Kagome had made peace with that. She accepted the fact that he would probably never allow himself to sleep during the new moon. Back when they were first married, he would stay awake all night, but he would at least remain in bed with her. Now he apparently left her arms as soon as she was asleep, and began a lonely vigil in front of the entrance to their hut. This was the coldest it had been since he first developed that habit a few months ago, and a chill settled in the hut, cutting her to the bone. Realizing she wasn't going to fall back to sleep, Kagome groped for her heavy winter robe, holding it under the covers for a few minutes to take the edge off the cold. Then she slipped it on, shivering as soon as her body emerged from the blankets. She made as much noise as possible so as to let her husband know she was awake and not startle him.

 

Kagome sighed again; she didn't know what she hoped to accomplish here. Inuyasha seemed pretty dead-set on keeping watch on his human nights, and she knew why. She was now about halfway through her first pregnancy, and the first instance of her husband's new behavior had been the first new moon after their child's conception. It was no coincidence, she was sure. But being outside with him was much more appealing than freezing inside by herself, so she walked the short distance to the entrance and exited into the cool night air.

 

Inuyasha glanced up at her, his violet eyes and dark hair still seeming somewhat foreign to her, even after years of knowing him. He was sitting in one of his classic poses, arms and legs crossed and Tetsusaiga propped against his shoulder. She smiled brightly to show that she wasn't upset with him, the expression only partially forced. He grinned back, just a slight upturn of his lips. Kagome was about to seat herself by his side when he set the sword on the ground next to him, a clear invitation to climb into his lap. So she did, settling comfortably against his chest as his arms wrapped around her. He breathed deeply, seeking her soothing scent to no avail. Feeling how cold she was, he pulled her even closer, tucking her further into his body. She could sense his silent apology hanging in the air.

 

But she didn't want it; he had nothing to be sorry for. In an effort to show him exactly that she raised her hand and cupped his chin, turning his head so she could place a sweet kiss upon his lips. She grinned reassuringly, but the expression faded as she met his eyes. The orbs were dark, but there was real fire there, smoldering in fear, worry, hope, love…and desire. Kagome was shocked to see the latter; they had never made love on his human night. She had always been afraid to ask, believing it would make him uncomfortable. But perhaps that was what he needed now. She would always give him whatever he needed. And if intimacy was what he required from her, then she would gladly satisfy his yearnings.

 

Again she kissed him, longer and more passionately this time. He responded in kind, but his motions were hesitant, unsure. Kagome unfolded herself in his lap and moved to straddle him, her hands settling on either shoulder. Her lips found his once more, and this time there was no uncertainty on his part. He clutched her tightly, grinding against her and wringing a throaty groan from her. Reaching blindly down by his side, his fingers located the lamp and turned out the light. As the stars shined down upon the couple, Inuyasha stood, Kagome still wrapped intimately around him. Then, he carried his wife back to bed.