All Night Awake (Moonlight Remix) [Inuyasha; Kagome/Inuyasha]
Title: All Night Awake (Moonlight Remix)
Author: busta_ryoma
Summary: Something's bothering Kagome, and sleep seems far away.
Rating: G
Character/Pairing: Kagome/Inuyasha
Fandom: Inuyasha
Original Story: "Morning Secrets" by musicalmedli (shattere).
All Night Awake
Their campfire crackled cheerfully, the only sound in the forest save for the occasional song of tree frogs and the rustle of leaves in the faint breeze. Shippou yawned, stretching out his arms and cuddling up close to Kirara. This was usually one of Kagome’s favorite times: the small quiet stretch of time that settled once their evening meal had been prepared and eaten, and their conversation had died down. The group of friends were tired after their day’s journey and it had become something of a ritual to simply sit in a comfortable silence that descended before sleep.
Tonight, Kagome was restless. She poked at the campfire with a stick, watching the embers flare up and fade back down to a dull red-black. If the others noticed she wasn’t quite herself, they showed no sign of it. Shippou was already drowsing, curled up snug amidst Kirara’s tails. Miroku was watching the shimmer of moonlight playing across the dancing leaves, while Sango soundlessly polished Hiraikotsu with a bit of soft animal hide, though Kagome saw the way they both sneaked glances at the other when they thought no one was watching.
Inuyasha was just the same as always, resting his back against the trunk of a tree, Tessaiga held close in the crook of an arm.
Finally Kagome couldn’t take the silence any longer and stood, making her way to her sleeping bag, which was set up just at the edge of the campfire’s fading light. There came a soft, “Goodnight, Kagome-chan,” from Sango, but nothing else. What else would there be? Kagome couldn’t help but wonder that as she covered herself with the flap of her sleeping bag, lying on her side with her back to her friends. What has she been expecting?
Kagome had thought she was just tired, that maybe this odd feeling would pass with a night’s sleep. As soon as she lay down, however, she realized she was wide awake. She lay still and tried to slow her breathing, expecting her body to soon relax into slumber. As time passed, she heard the others go to bed too, and in short order, Miroku’s light snores filled the air, but still sleep evaded her. The reflected light of the fire grew dim, the wood snapping only occasionally now, though the leaves still shivered in their irregular rhythm on the night breeze. The sound should have been soothing, but Kagome was not soothed.
Finally she couldn’t stand lying there any longer. She crawled out of the sleeping bag and stood, beginning to walk away from their campsite, into the forest. She picked her way carefully and slowly, doing her best to be silent. She didn’t want to wake her friends.
When at last the campfire’s faint glow was far behind her, she dared to walk more naturally. The moon was nearly full tonight, and where it broke through the cover of the trees, it bathed her path in yellow-silvery light. She came to a small clearing where the moon shone unhidden by leaves and distant stars twinkled in the velvety blue-black sky. Kagome paused, resting her arm against the rough bark of a nearby tree trunk. For a moment she only stared up at the face of the moon, feeling that strange melancholia welling up in her anew. She let out a long breath of a sigh.
“What’s wrong with you?”
The sudden voice rang out in the relative silence of the night, and Kagome choked back a surprised shriek, whirling to face him. Inuyasha wore his customary scowl, his arms crossed over his chest. Only a few feet behind her, too. Kagome silently berated herself for not sensing him there beforehand.
She took a calming breath, schooling her features into a placid expression. She gave a small smile and shook her head. “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong.” Kagome shrugged. “I just couldn’t sleep, so I took a walk, that’s all.”
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “I’m not stupid, you know.”
Kagome’s mouth opened in an ‘O’ of surprise. “I never said you were stup-”
“What’s wrong with you?” he repeated more firmly, cutting her off.
Kagome turned her back to him, hugging her arms loosely around herself. What was wrong with her? As she pondered, biting absently at her lower lip, she was surprised to find her eyes beginning to well up with tears. She let out a small sigh of frustration, more annoyed with herself than at her current situation. “I don’t know.” She gave another half-shrug. “I guess I just...” She trailed off, unsure herself how to put into words the restless melancholy she was feeling. Kagome scuffed a toe at the mossy cover of the forest floor. "I was feeling sort of...not lonely. Alone. ...I guess that’s kind of dumb.” The smooth oval of the moon wavered in her vision and she blinked, forcing twin trails of wetness down her cheeks. She shook her head again, scrubbing away the evidence of her tears with the back of one hand.
A hand fell heavily on her shoulder, clawed fingers squeezing almost imperceptively as they came to rest. “It’s not dumb.” Inuyasha’s voice was gruff, but soft. “But you’re not alone.”
Kagome reached up to rest her hand on top of his, her heart suddenly thudding in her chest. “Thank you, Inuyasha,” she whispered, half expecting a dismissive “keh” in reply.
It didn’t come. For a long moment, there was no reply at all, but then Inuyasha continued slowly, as if afraid of stumbling over his words. “You’ll never be alone, Kagome. I’ll be here. Always. I promise.”
“Inuyasha...” Kagome felt tears welling up again, and her throat felt tight, but this time it was because she was touched by his words. Such a simple declaration, and yet he’d somehow made her feel better with just that. “Will you...sit here with me a while? I’m still not sleepy, and...the moon is so pretty.”
She heard him give a soft sigh, and she had to stop herself from laughing out loud. Kagome knew how easily wounded Inuyasha’s pride could be. “...All right," he said after a small pause, his voice gentle. She felt him stepping back as he removed the hand from her shoulder. She was about to look back at him to see what he was doing, when he unceremoniously dropped his fire-rat robe around her shoulders. “So you don’t get cold,” he said, avoiding her eyes when she turned to offer him a smile of thanks.
Kagome knelt and sat, settling her back against the tree, and tugging his robe around her. She patted the ground near her and looked up at Inuyasha. He only hesitated for a moment before crossing his legs and dropping to a sit beside her. Her hand crept out and rested softly on his. Though he tensed up slightly at the touch, he didn’t pull away. “Thank you, Inuyasha,” Kagome repeated in a quiet voice.
They sat in silence as the moon traced its path across the sky.
Author: busta_ryoma
Summary: Something's bothering Kagome, and sleep seems far away.
Rating: G
Character/Pairing: Kagome/Inuyasha
Fandom: Inuyasha
Original Story: "Morning Secrets" by musicalmedli (shattere).
All Night Awake
Their campfire crackled cheerfully, the only sound in the forest save for the occasional song of tree frogs and the rustle of leaves in the faint breeze. Shippou yawned, stretching out his arms and cuddling up close to Kirara. This was usually one of Kagome’s favorite times: the small quiet stretch of time that settled once their evening meal had been prepared and eaten, and their conversation had died down. The group of friends were tired after their day’s journey and it had become something of a ritual to simply sit in a comfortable silence that descended before sleep.
Tonight, Kagome was restless. She poked at the campfire with a stick, watching the embers flare up and fade back down to a dull red-black. If the others noticed she wasn’t quite herself, they showed no sign of it. Shippou was already drowsing, curled up snug amidst Kirara’s tails. Miroku was watching the shimmer of moonlight playing across the dancing leaves, while Sango soundlessly polished Hiraikotsu with a bit of soft animal hide, though Kagome saw the way they both sneaked glances at the other when they thought no one was watching.
Inuyasha was just the same as always, resting his back against the trunk of a tree, Tessaiga held close in the crook of an arm.
Finally Kagome couldn’t take the silence any longer and stood, making her way to her sleeping bag, which was set up just at the edge of the campfire’s fading light. There came a soft, “Goodnight, Kagome-chan,” from Sango, but nothing else. What else would there be? Kagome couldn’t help but wonder that as she covered herself with the flap of her sleeping bag, lying on her side with her back to her friends. What has she been expecting?
Kagome had thought she was just tired, that maybe this odd feeling would pass with a night’s sleep. As soon as she lay down, however, she realized she was wide awake. She lay still and tried to slow her breathing, expecting her body to soon relax into slumber. As time passed, she heard the others go to bed too, and in short order, Miroku’s light snores filled the air, but still sleep evaded her. The reflected light of the fire grew dim, the wood snapping only occasionally now, though the leaves still shivered in their irregular rhythm on the night breeze. The sound should have been soothing, but Kagome was not soothed.
Finally she couldn’t stand lying there any longer. She crawled out of the sleeping bag and stood, beginning to walk away from their campsite, into the forest. She picked her way carefully and slowly, doing her best to be silent. She didn’t want to wake her friends.
When at last the campfire’s faint glow was far behind her, she dared to walk more naturally. The moon was nearly full tonight, and where it broke through the cover of the trees, it bathed her path in yellow-silvery light. She came to a small clearing where the moon shone unhidden by leaves and distant stars twinkled in the velvety blue-black sky. Kagome paused, resting her arm against the rough bark of a nearby tree trunk. For a moment she only stared up at the face of the moon, feeling that strange melancholia welling up in her anew. She let out a long breath of a sigh.
“What’s wrong with you?”
The sudden voice rang out in the relative silence of the night, and Kagome choked back a surprised shriek, whirling to face him. Inuyasha wore his customary scowl, his arms crossed over his chest. Only a few feet behind her, too. Kagome silently berated herself for not sensing him there beforehand.
She took a calming breath, schooling her features into a placid expression. She gave a small smile and shook her head. “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong.” Kagome shrugged. “I just couldn’t sleep, so I took a walk, that’s all.”
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “I’m not stupid, you know.”
Kagome’s mouth opened in an ‘O’ of surprise. “I never said you were stup-”
“What’s wrong with you?” he repeated more firmly, cutting her off.
Kagome turned her back to him, hugging her arms loosely around herself. What was wrong with her? As she pondered, biting absently at her lower lip, she was surprised to find her eyes beginning to well up with tears. She let out a small sigh of frustration, more annoyed with herself than at her current situation. “I don’t know.” She gave another half-shrug. “I guess I just...” She trailed off, unsure herself how to put into words the restless melancholy she was feeling. Kagome scuffed a toe at the mossy cover of the forest floor. "I was feeling sort of...not lonely. Alone. ...I guess that’s kind of dumb.” The smooth oval of the moon wavered in her vision and she blinked, forcing twin trails of wetness down her cheeks. She shook her head again, scrubbing away the evidence of her tears with the back of one hand.
A hand fell heavily on her shoulder, clawed fingers squeezing almost imperceptively as they came to rest. “It’s not dumb.” Inuyasha’s voice was gruff, but soft. “But you’re not alone.”
Kagome reached up to rest her hand on top of his, her heart suddenly thudding in her chest. “Thank you, Inuyasha,” she whispered, half expecting a dismissive “keh” in reply.
It didn’t come. For a long moment, there was no reply at all, but then Inuyasha continued slowly, as if afraid of stumbling over his words. “You’ll never be alone, Kagome. I’ll be here. Always. I promise.”
“Inuyasha...” Kagome felt tears welling up again, and her throat felt tight, but this time it was because she was touched by his words. Such a simple declaration, and yet he’d somehow made her feel better with just that. “Will you...sit here with me a while? I’m still not sleepy, and...the moon is so pretty.”
She heard him give a soft sigh, and she had to stop herself from laughing out loud. Kagome knew how easily wounded Inuyasha’s pride could be. “...All right," he said after a small pause, his voice gentle. She felt him stepping back as he removed the hand from her shoulder. She was about to look back at him to see what he was doing, when he unceremoniously dropped his fire-rat robe around her shoulders. “So you don’t get cold,” he said, avoiding her eyes when she turned to offer him a smile of thanks.
Kagome knelt and sat, settling her back against the tree, and tugging his robe around her. She patted the ground near her and looked up at Inuyasha. He only hesitated for a moment before crossing his legs and dropping to a sit beside her. Her hand crept out and rested softly on his. Though he tensed up slightly at the touch, he didn’t pull away. “Thank you, Inuyasha,” Kagome repeated in a quiet voice.
They sat in silence as the moon traced its path across the sky.