Nocturne - An Inuyasha Fanfic

Chapter Six: Black and White

Nocturne - Chapter Six: Black and White

Rated - M (for suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, and coarse language)

o - o - o - o - o : Indicates scene or POV change

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

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Kagome's eyes widened in shock, her breath catching in her throat. "What do you mean?" she stammered, utterly taken aback.

Shippo's expression remained blank, a perfect mask of composure that hid the wheels turning in his clever mind. Kagome stared at him, utterly dumbfounded by the sudden shift in his demeanor. He seemed to be waiting for her to catch on, but she was too confused to understand what was happening. Then, after a beat, he narrowed his eyes, a mischievous glint flickering within them.

"You may as well come clean about all this," he said nonchalantly, gesturing vaguely toward Kagome as if everything was suddenly as obvious as the sky.

Kagome blinked, her mind racing to process his words. "I...I don't follow. What are you talking about?"

Shippo sighed dramatically, as if her confusion were a personal affront. "First off," he started, holding up one finger, "you can't lie to save your life." He raised a second finger. "Second, I'm yokai, so I can tell these things." He paused, then added with a grin, "And lastly, I was kidding at first, but you just gave yourself away."

Kagome froze, speechless, her face burning with a mixture of embarrassment and anxiety. "I...I don't—"

"Maybe we should go inside and sit down," Shippo interrupted, unfazed. "Feed me and tell me what's going on."

Kagome blinked again, still processing, but finally nodded and numbly led the way inside. Once they were seated, Shippo immediately crossed his arms and glared at her expectantly.

"Fine, don't feed me," Shippo muttered under his breath, clearly unimpressed that she wasn't rushing to serve him. "But do tell me what's going on. I can tell you're all twisted up inside."

Kagome sighed, feeling utterly defeated. How did he know? If Shippo could tell, then could anyone else? The thought made her stomach tighten with dread. "How did you know?" she asked, anxiety creeping into her voice.

Shippo stretched out lazily, clearly pleased with himself. "I can see the remnants of a spell on you. It's kind of like when you walk through a cobweb, and you can't see it, but you can feel the threads still on you," he explained matter-of-factly.

"A spell?" Kagome echoed, not quite understanding. "What kind of spell?"

"I don't know exactly," Shippo shrugged, clearly unfazed. "Could be anything. But more importantly, who's the other person, and when are you going to tell Inuyasha?"

Kagome's face drained of color at the mention of Inuyasha. She looked away quickly, pulling her knees to her chest in a futile attempt to protect herself from her growing anxiety.

"You know the guy, don't you?" Shippo probed, his voice gentle but with an air of curiosity.

Kagome swallowed hard but didn't answer.

"Okay, is he from the village?" Shippo pressed.

Kagome shook her head and buried her face in her knees, her hair falling to cover her face.

Shippo thought for a moment. "Well, that rules out Miroku, then," he said with a sly grin, raising an eyebrow as if daring her to laugh.

Kagome snorted despite herself, lifting her head slightly to shoot him a mock glare. "Definitely not Miroku," she muttered, trying to suppress the laughter that wanted to bubble up.