I do not own Inuyasha or its characters, nor do I profit from the writing I post here, lol.

Kissing the Boogieman

Summary: Kagome discovers that not all things that go bump in the night are bad.

Kagome woke to something, some sound she could neither identify, nor locate.

Things didn't survive the night when Inuyasha was around. They usually died a screeching, bloody death.

Eyeing the group as she slid from her sleeping bag, Kagome counted off the members of her pack.

Everyone in camp still slumbered, evidenced by the steady rhythm of matched breathing, and incoherent mumblings.

Shippo was curled in a ball, all fur and fluffy tail hidden beneath the covers of her bedding. Sango slept near the fire, Kirara's youki form wrapped protectively around her to shield her from both the elements, and their resident pervert.

Miroku slumbered not far from Sango and Kirara, his staff resting across his lap, the tree behind him utilized as the night's pillow.

The only pack member missing was Inuyasha. The fire had all but died out. It was first-hand proof of Inuyasha's disappearance at least an hour earlier.

So what could've drawn her from sleep? What was it that neither alarmed her, nor the half-demon who was usually more than aware of even a shift in the breeze?

Bypassing her shoes, and forgetting the propriety of walking through the night in only a t-shirt for sleepwear, Kagome made her way into the darkness.

There was no moon over head, only dark clouds that promised rain come morning. The normal light show of glittering stars was absent, leaving the night even darker than normal. It left Kagome fumbling for hand holds as she made her way further into the waiting forest.

Trusting her instincts, Kagome moved forward, wincing with every noise she made. Twigs snapped beneath her feet, and leaves crunched between her toes, the crinkling shattering the surrounding silence.

She didn't see what she ran into a moment later- only heard the muffled whoosh of air that resulted. She wasn't sure whether it was her who made the sound, or whatever she'd plowed into.

Falling haphazardly and suppressing a startled scream, Kagome expected to hit the ground hard, but whatever she'd run into cushioned her fall, its muffled 'oof' barely heard above her own startled response.

Pulling away quickly, Kagome stifled the panic that welled up the moment she realized that whatever, or whomever she'd fallen on, was trapped beneath her.

Her legs caged its waist, and her hands were on either side of its head.

A sudden movement had her world spinning, and before she realized what had happened, Kagome was the one trapped beneath the towering form of a man. Pressed firmly between her legs, his long, dark hair shielded her from the sky overhead.

Belatedly, she realized that the t-shirt she'd worn to bed had been forced higher by the impromptu repositioning. The only scrap of material separating her from the being hovering over her was a pair of barely-there underwear.

"What the hell are you doing out here, Kagome? I could have gutted you in a second- you didn't even see me!"

The husky tone of Inuyasha's voice brushed over her face. In a moment of relief, Kagome threw her arms around his neck, knocking the half-demon off balance, and forcing his upper body to come crashing down on hers.

Belatedly, Kagome realized that tonight was Inuyasha's human night, and he'd likely left camp to scout the area for possible threats. But she was too relieved to care. She hadn't run into anything that wanted to eat her, and for that she was grateful.

His breath teased through her hair, its warmth lighting a fire that she was thankful he couldn't sense.

Hanyou or not, she didn't want to explain the shift in her scent, or what it meant to a surly half-demon who was pissed at her obvious shortsightedness in leaving camp to begin with.

"Something woke me up, and you weren't at camp, so I thought-"

Rising up to his elbows, Inuyasha shook his head. The movement was given away by the silken strands of his hair teasing over her arms.

"Stupid wench; I got it under control. You should've stayed at camp. I've told you countless times not to worry about me."

Anger lit through her blood.

With a surge of adrenalin, Kagome flipped Inuyasha back over until she was straddling his waist once more, her hair falling messily around them.

"Well excuse me for caring, Inuyasha. I just wanted to make sure you were all right," she hissed in return, completely disregarding her bared thighs as she leaned over him.

A rush of air later, and his solid body was pressed against her again. They'd shifted positions, and she was, once again, on bottom.

"I told you not to care about me, Kagome. I ain't worth-"

Rising angrily from her place beneath him, Kagome's mouth crashed over his, a desperate attempt to stay the words coming out of his mouth.

She cared! She cared whether he lived or died! She cared if he was injured, both physically and emotionally. To her, he was more man than ninety-nine percent of the population claimed to be.

Expecting to be forced away, Kagome closed her eyes. She memorized the sensation of his lips under hers, and the taste of his kiss when his mouth opened in surprise.

But what she didn't expect was to be kissed in return. They were soft responses that burned through her nervous system, lighting a blaze in her soul.

Whether he kissed her in his human form, or his demon one, didn't matter in the slightest. He was kissing her! His tongue dragged sensuously over hers, his breath hers to keep.

And still, self-preservation tugged at the back of her mind. In a last-ditch effort to allow her the freedom to escape once the kiss ended, Kagome rolled them back over.

Once Inuyasha came to his senses and realized he was kissing her back, she'd need to disappear... quickly! Being beneath him provided no such opportunity.

The kiss ended abruptly, and for one second in time she waited. She allowed herself to memorize the dark tint of his gaze, and the passion that resided there.

He must have felt her tense, must have guessed her intent, for his hand reached forward, his fingers caressing her cheek in reverence. Moments later Inuyasha raised his head, his lips claiming hers. It was a kiss that broke no argument as to who he was kissing, and whether or not he'd wanted it.

Pulling her down, Inuyasha's lips searched and teased, tasted and claimed. When he rolled her back over, his lips never left hers, and his desire never wavered.

Kagome decided then and there - before all thought disappeared and pure sensation took over - that not all things that went bump in the night were bad.

A/N: This one shot was written for, and posted to lj, for the prompt

'Things That Go Bump in the Night'.

It came in at 1118 words.

More chapters are coming soon for 'The Color of Hope'.

There are currently 14 chapters written for it, and I will be adding more here very soon.

I have been writing for Deserted as well. Finally!, lol, right?

While it will take me a bit longer to get it finished, it is the only thing I am plannng on working on

as I am caught up on my other projects for a few weeks. I am hoping to post for it soon as well.

Thank you for your wonderful responses on 'The Color of Hope' , too.

While the chapters for it are prompt-driven, and must come in at a specified

word count, I am still adding to it week by week, and am thrilled that it has

gotten such a warm response.

As always, thank you for your undying support!

Happy Halloween!

*hugs*

Neisha