Sneaking a Peek by SunsetMiko

Exhaustion Takes its Toll

Chapter 89 - Exhaustion Takes Its Toll

*Sapphire* (Stella's Shiny Challenge)

"Could you just not touch me right now?" Kagome snapped.

Sesshoumaru instantly removed his hand from the small of her back, surprised by her tone. He was instantly concerned that he had upset her somehow without knowing it. She wasn't usually so snippy.

The miko was cranky and utterly confused. She'd barely slept for nearly two weeks now, her disturbing dreams waking her over and over again. Exhaustion was getting to her, but the confusion was worse. In every dream she confessed her love to Sesshoumaru, but not every dream ended the same way. Sometimes the taiyoukai reciprocated her feelings and others he was appalled, turned his back on her and left for good.

She couldn't figure out what her mind was trying to tell her. Did her brain want her to tell him, assuring her that it would work out well, or was it warning her to keep the truth to herself? Even her subconscious thoughts were confused and conflicted! Kagome couldn't take it much longer. She needed this to end. She needed to be able to sleep through the night, just once, for her sanity.

Sesshoumaru walked alongside the miko in silence for several long minutes before deciding that he had to say something. "Are you tired? Would you like me to carry you?" he offered. He knew she was exhausted. Both her scent and her appearance told him that. He also knew she wasn't sleeping well because he watched over her during the night. She'd taken to using his thigh as a pillow and even when he was asleep, her tossing and turning would wake him to alert him that she'd had yet another bad dream.

Kagome shot Sesshoumaru a glare. "I don't need help walking," she grumbled.

"We could fly if you need a rest."

"I don't want to fly," she muttered back.

"Would you like the stop for the night?"

"It's barely past lunch."

"We could..." he started.

"I just want to be left the hell alone!" the miko snarled, surprising Sesshoumaru once again. He stopped in his tracks, allowing her to continue past him. He picked up the end of the group, walking behind Miroku. He was unable to keep his eyes off the miko as his concern grew. She was so angry! He couldn't understand why she was so short with him. He hadn't done anything that he could think of to upset her but she wanted nothing to do with him. When he sighed heavily, Miroku turned and grinned at the taiyoukai.

"It'll be okay," the monk assured Sesshoumaru. "She's tired and stressed. She just needs a good night's sleep and she'll be better."

"What does she have to stress about?" the taiyoukai inquired; though he didn't know how Miroku could possibly know something he did not.

"Whatever is bothering her is manifesting itself in her dreams. Until she deals with it, she will continue to wake during the night."

"But what is bothering her?" Sesshoumaru asked in frustration.

"That, I do not know," Miroku responded, disappointment in his tone. "I wish I knew what to tell you to make it better."

*Jasper* (Stella's Shiny Challenge)

Feeling brave, Inuyasha slowed his pace until he was side by side with his best friend. "Cranky much?" he asked teasingly.

Kagome shot him a glare that warned of serious pain. She was obviously short tempered, and so he was going to have to tread lightly if he didn't want to get sat.

"What's going on, Kagome? What are you dreaming about that's upsetting you so much?"

The miko glanced behind her, spotting Sesshoumaru at the back of their pack, before sighing.

"So, it's about him, huh?"

"He can hear you, Inuyasha!"

"So? It ain't like I'm asking for all the juicy details. What I don't get is why you're pushing him away. You fought me so hard to be with him and now you're being all bitchy."

"I'm exhausted," she exclaimed in frustration.

"We can take care of that, wench." He turned and looked back at his brother. "Hey, is there a place we can spend the night nearby?" he hollered, even though the taiyoukai could have heard him perfectly well at a normal tone of voice.

Sesshoumaru nodded, hesitantly approaching the front of the group. He didn't want to upset Kagome with his presence, but he was happy to lead them to a place where she could sleep. The herb garden in the back of the cabin they were closest to would also help his miko get the rest she needed.

"Don't you get it?" Kagome whined. "No matter how much time I have or how comfortable it is, I can't sleep. My dreams keep waking me up."

"There is a combination of herbs that will help you sleep. I had to learn how to make it for Rin when she first began following me. Her nightmares haunted her for months. This tea was the only way she was able to sleep restfully. Everything we will need can be found at a cabin not that far from here." He didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before. He'd had to make it for Rin dozens of times to help her sleep and now Kagome was suffering from dreams that kept waking her from her sleep, so that she never felt truly rested. He should have thought of it in the beginning! He could have saved the miko a great deal of suffering.

"A sleeping draught?" Kagome said nervously as Sesshoumaru began leading the way. Kagome and Inuyasha fell in behind him.

"Indeed. You need to sleep through the night. The tea will help you do so."

Under normal circumstances, Kagome would avoid herbal medications unless given to her by either Sango or Kaede, but she trusted Sesshoumaru. She knew he wouldn't try to hurt her, knew that he wanted to keep her safe and protected. With a nod, the miko decided that yes, she would drink it. Her exhaustion and confusion was causing her to push away the man she loved. Why bother trying to understand her dreams at all if attempting to interpret them caused her to lose Sesshoumaru? That was what she was trying to avoid in the first place!