InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Little Faith ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are created by Rumiko Takahashi, not me, but the new plots and the original characters (Akiyama, Katsuo, Natsumi, Shin, Isamu and Moriko) are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: To Entropy9, HentaiVixen and Nomina, thank you for reading and reviewing the last chapter. By the way, I've been busy preparing to go on vacation. It is unlikely that I'll be able to update in the 3 weeks when I'm off, but I'll try! In the meantime, I hope that you will enjoy this chapter.

A Little Faith by elle6778 - Chapter 8

She could not believe it.

For standing in front of her, appearing larger than life, was the modern representation of her dream Sesshoumaru.

She was dimly aware that her lungs were protesting against the lack of air, but her whole attention was fixed to the tall, aristocratic-looking man in front of her. He was Sesshoumaru minus the crescent moon and the stripes on his cheeks. His silver hair hung over his ears, but she swore she could see tips peeking out between the strands. Seated on a flat cushion in front of her, he stared up at her as if he was trying to look through her.

She fought the urge to pinch herself. This was too strange to be true. She had to bite the inside of her cheeks to refrain from yelling, `YOU!'

“You were sent by the medical centre.”

Kagome gulped. His deep voice was exactly as she remembered from her dreams. His lips parted when he spoke, revealing straight white teeth. No fangs, so this one was not a demon.

What was she thinking? Get a grip, Kagome! Demons did not exist, remember?

Still, this was too much of a coincidence to be real. Her mind still could not wrap itself around the fact that this might be the same Sesshoumaru. How could it be? But his tone, his appearance and everything she could see so far apart from the demonic markings pointed to one conclusion. Maybe she was still dreaming. Maybe this job, this place, it was all a dream. What else could it be? The whole thing did not make any sense to her otherwise.

“I…um…” she trailed off uncertainly.

His red and white kimono rustled softly against his skin as he stood up. The attire reminded her eerily of the garment usually worn by her dream Sesshoumaru. Then without a word, he quirked a questioning brow at her.

She swallowed at the familiarity of his motion. Her mind struggled to form a coherent sentence. “Um… Hi. I'm Higurashi Kagome. Are you the one with the injury?” she asked.

Only then did she realize just how forced she sounded. She immediately stifled the urge to groan. When he continued to stare at her wordlessly, she felt herself growing increasingly agitated. Without a conscious thought, she took a step backwards, away from the man that should not be real at all.

“Your injury?” she prompted nervously.

He blinked once. “What injury do you speak of?”

She gaped. Had Manten managed to get them to the wrong house? Kagome pressed her palm to her forehead, trying to fend off her growing headache. First, she could not find her work partner and she had to take the case alone. Then, she ended up in the wrong house. To make things worse, she was facing someone who looked like a character in her dream. Was she going crazy? How could the man in front of her look and behave so much like the Western Lord?

Maybe she had bumped into him somewhere before. She must have just added the crescent moon on his forehead and the stripes on his cheeks herself. Because the guy in front of her was definitely not a demon. Yes, that must be it. She did not dare to think of what else it could be.

A niggling doubt instantly surfaced, but before it could take hold, Kagome quickly brushed it away. Because if the whole thing was real, it meant that she had…mated Sesshoumaru. And if things were as bad in her dreams as it seemed, then her dream self would have no choice but to admit that she would have to go ahead with the crazy plan of completing the mating. It was the only thing they could do. At least she could always remember that her first time was with someone special, right?

Sesshoumaru was special alright. He was a demon.

But dreaming of him was something very different from having a real life replica standing right in front of her. She shook her head roughly, trying to dispel the thoughts. Coincidences did happen, right? This could be just one BIG coincidence. The hair, the eyes and the voice. They were all coincidences.

Just how many times did she have to repeat it to herself until she believed it?

Inhaling deeply, she took another step away from him. Focus, Kagome. Focus. This man had no idea what was going on with her and was probably wondering why she was behaving so strangely. She had better leave before she made a fool out of herself. When she got out of this place, she would try to find a quiet spot to think. Or maybe book an appointment with a psychiatrist. Maybe there was really something wrong with her mind.

“Right. No injury, huh? Well, I guess there must have been a mistake then. I'll leave,” she gushed, hating how desperate she sounded.

He moved with a sudden blur of motion.

Gasping, she blinked in disbelief. No human could move THAT fast.

In a blink of an eye, the man was staring down imperiously at her. Then he held out an arm, revealing a shallow gash from his elbow to his wrist. Kagome's eyes widened. Did he just hurt himself? Because she had seen no sign of the injury a second ago.

“You will tend to this injury,” he intoned evenly, his eyes not leaving her.

Her lips parted at the familiar tone. Then she felt herself bristling. “You just did that yourself, didn't you?” she hissed accusingly, all her confusion manifesting itself in a form she was more familiar with; annoyance.

He raised a brow. “It matters not when the injury was received.”

“How did you do it?” she asked as she glanced down at his blunt fingernails. Then her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Was that blood on one of his nails?

“You need not know,” he replied shortly.

She bit her lips to keep herself from retorting. Since this whole thing was most likely just a coincidence, she was not planning to make a fool of herself. She had worked too hard to get to where she was now and she had no intention of losing her job.

“Sit down,” she ground out, valiantly trying to inject a modicum of politeness in her words.

She saw his golden eyes flicker indignantly. Evidently, he took offence at her instruction. More and more, his attitude reminded her of the less than savory personality of her dream Sesshoumaru.

She just needed to get this over with so that she could get away and think. There was no way she could do that when he was right in front of her. So far, her mind had only gone in circles, confusing herself further.

Mind made up, she focused her attention on his wound. Her hands paused when a strange feeling came over her as she touched him. Something nudged at the back of her mind, but she could not quite put her finger on it. Shaking away the feeling, she forced herself to focus on her task. Spraying disinfectant onto the gash, she proceeded to clean the wound.

“I don't think you need stitches. It's a long gash but it's pretty shallow,” she muttered as she placed some medication on it. Knowing that she had to wait awhile before she bandaged it, she tried to think of something else which could distract her from what she refused to think about just yet.

The forms!

“I'll need you to fill in this form, but with that injury, I don't think it's a good idea to write. But if you tell me your details, I'll fill it in for you.” Grabbing a pen and placing the form on a clipboard, she sat down beside him, propping the clipboard on her knees.

Glancing at him, she asked, “Your name?”

His eyes flickered and then, his manner almost deliberate, he replied evenly, “Taishou…Sesshoumaru.”

She froze, not noticing that the pen had fallen away from her slack fingers. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. She wanted to yell at him, to tell him not to play tricks on her. But how could she? Because she had never told anyone about her dreams. Not to mention that it was impossible to impersonate someone else's dream character.

“Girl?”

Kagome, she corrected silently, not `girl'. She quickly forced out a laugh as she tried to find an excuse for her reaction. “Oh, I'm supposed to be here with my partner. But don't worry, I'm new but I'm quite capable of treating your injury.” Yes, it was rather lame and she doubted that he believed her.

His brow rose elegantly. “Is that so?”

She decided to ignore his mocking words. “Address and number?” she asked quickly, bending down to retrieve the pen.

“You will find my file with the relevant information in Tsukuyo Medical,” he told her quietly.

Then it clicked. Taishou… “You're the Taishou of Taishou Holdings?” she squeaked.

“Hn.”

She wanted to sink into a hole. This was so embarrassing. He was at the top of the company which owned Tsukuyo and all she could think of was the fact that he was identical to her dream Sesshoumaru. A bubble of hysterical laughter rose in her throat. She must be going mad. That was it. Yes, she had finally lost her mind.

“Is something the matter?” he asked with a tint of amusement in his voice.

“This is not real,” she muttered, shaking her head.

A short pause followed before he remarked evenly, “You appear to be real.” Something in his tone told her that he had something else on his mind when he said it.

But she knew that she could not be impolite to a patient, at least until she could make up her mind if he was really her dream Sesshoumaru, as impossible as it seemed. So she bit back a retort and worked on calming herself. Turning away under to retrieve a roll of bandage from the kit, she announced needlessly, “I'm going to apply the bandages now.”

“Hn.”

Kneeling in front of him, she proceeded to wrap the gauze over his wound. It was strange, but the wound looked much better than she thought she had seen earlier. A tickling sensation against her cheek broke her train of thought and she glanced out of the corner of her eyes only to find that Sesshoumaru had lowered his head close to her hair.

Her throat went dry. Was he sniffing her?

A flash of her dream returned to her, reminding her of how smooth his cheeks had felt when he nuzzled her. Then she gasped when she realized that she was thinking that this Sesshoumaru was the same as the one in her dreams. She gave herself a mental shake. This modern day Taishou Sesshoumaru was not going to nuzzle her. He was probably leaning closer to see if she was doing her job properly. Right?

“I assure you that quite capable of bandaging an arm. But maybe you would like to go to Tsukuyo Medical just in case?” she asked in a strained voice, feeling increasingly agitated by his proximity.

“That is unnecessary.” His voice was clipped.

She swung around at his tone, just to find a pair of familiar eyes boring into her. There was some unnamed emotion flashing across those golden orbs. It was unnerving to say the least.

…***…***…***…

To say that he was astonished would be an understatement.

This female in front of him resembled the miko in his dreams not only in appearance, but in other aspects as well. Their voice and mannerisms were identical. And from their brief interaction, he decided that this female also possessed the same personality as the miko, albeit a little less temperamental than her dream counterpart. Perhaps it was due to the fact that she was here on a professional basis. He wondered if she was as fiery as the miko in his dreams.

A flash of the passion-glazed eyes of his dream miko came to him as his mind revisited his dream last night.

“Mr. Taishou?”

He blinked as Rin's living room returned into focus, drawing him away from the flashes of the hotsprings during which his dream self had scent-marked the miko. Then his eyes landed on the female in front of him. He immediately suppressed the urge touch her, to determine if her skin was as silky as the one he had caressed in his dream. His blood rushed in his veins at the very thought and he could not help but stare at her heatedly.

To his amusement, a blush appeared on her cheeks.

“Is everything okay?” she asked in a strained voice.

“Hn.”

Her skittishness and nervousness was curious indeed. It was as if she knew what he was thinking. Perhaps she did. Perhaps he was not the only one having dreams. However, the reason behind the odd similarity between her and his dream still eluded him. He would need to obtain more facts before he decided on how to proceed.

She averted her gaze, obviously discomfited. “Oh…Okay.”

Sesshoumaru regarded her silently as she continued to bandage his arm.

Initially, he had only wanted to ascertain if this human smelled like the miko of his dreams. However, when he had sniffed her, the only thing he could sense was her masked scent. His own actions baffled him. Surely he could not be considering that this wench was the same as the one in his dreams. Surely those were nothing but dreams.

What about the pup, his mind questioned. If the dreams were simply dreams, then how did the pup fit into the puzzle? However, if the dream was memories of past events, then it was entirely possible that the pup was his, considering the direction of his dreams.

An odd warmth flooded him at the notion of fathering the pup, although he was still uncertain about the entire situation. From their brief encounter, he had felt something for the pup. The fact that he sired a pup at all was hard to believe but if the pup was his, he would take full responsibility. The pup would never want for anything.

But how could that be? If it had happened, why did he not remember the occurrence of any of these events? Why did he dream of it instead?

Had a spell been cast at some point in the past? One which he was not aware of?

A spell, he echoed silently.

Then he went cold at the implication of his thoughts. It baffled him that this had not occurred to him sooner. Yes, it made sense that a spell was the reason behind the oddly vivid dreams. One which this female had somehow cast to deceive him into believing that the pup was his. Such a simple illusion could be hidden behind the scent-masking. It would also explain her nervousness. No doubt she feared exposure.

It was simply a foolish deception. It was the only thing which fit all the evidences; her scent masking, the boy's appearance, the madness and vividness of his dreams. The fact that she knew enough of the past to instill such a dream in him suggested that she was not human after all.

A strange sense of misgiving washed over him at his thought. It was odd how his instincts balked at the notion of her treachery. From what he could ascertain so far, she did not appear to be the type to do such a thing. Perhaps his misgiving was simply due to his own reluctance to accept that he had been deceived so thoroughly for close to two months.

His lips thinned. He would not allow such trickery to go unpunished. Especially considering the pang of disappointment which coursed through him at the realization that the pup was only an illusion.

Suppressing his mounting fury, he simply stared at her impassively as she stood up with the blood-stained cotton and gauze. She appeared so innocent, so guileless. However, he should have known that appearance could be deceiving.

“Well, all as good as new,” she declared.

Gathering her equipment and the bloodstained items, she went to her medical kit and began to pack. It was clear that she was in a hurry to leave. Her very telling actions reinforced his suspicions. If she was innocent, there would be no reason for her hurry.

Nevertheless, he had no intention of allowing her to leave until he pried the truth from her.

In a blink of an eye, he closed the distance between them. Towering over her, he directed an icy glare down towards her. She immediately stiffened, her eyes were large in her face as she gaped at him. When she attempted to step away, he clamped his fingers around her shoulders to still her movements.

“Hey!” she protested indignantly. “What do you think you're doing?”

“You will release me from the spell,” he instructed in an uncompromising voice. “I will not tolerate such trickery.”

“W-What?” She frowned. “I don't know what you're talking about,” she exclaimed, looking puzzled.

Sesshoumaru simply stared at her while his annoyance coursed through him. His senses were divided. Whilst his instinct told him that she had spoken nothing but the truth, his mind was telling him that there were simply too many other evidences which proved otherwise.

“Do not attempt to deceive me, wench!” he finally hissed. “You will admit to what you've done or suffer the consequences.”

The female bristled. Eyes flashing angrily, she drew herself up to her full height to glare at him. “Hey, you listen to me, alright? What do you think you're doing? You called me here for help and then accuse me of some spell thing. And now you have the nerve to threaten me?” she snapped.

The familiarity of this particular confrontation to those in his dreams was unnerving. However, he forced those thought to the back of his mind and tightened his fingers on her shoulders. “You will cease your pretense and obey my orders,” he gritted out.

“Don't order me around! You're not some stupid lord from the Western Lands!” she retorted heatedly. As if realizing too late what she had just said, the female clapped her hands to her mouth in mortification.

“What did you just say?” he asked quietly.

Shaking her head vigorously as she leaned away from him, she exclaimed, “Nothing, nothing!”

A feeling of triumph coursed through him, mingling with an odd twinge of disappointment. Why should he feel disappointed at all that he had uncovered her trickery? Did he subconsciously wish that his dreams of her were real? Or perhaps he wished that the pup was his. Perhaps the exposure to Rin's and Shippou's kits had affected him more than he realized.

Such wistful thoughts had no place in his mind, he decided, hardening his resolve. The female before him was devious, but she had just made a mistake. Now all he wanted to know was her real identity and confirm her purpose in carrying out such an elaborate farce. She was obviously a demoness in disguise. There could be no other explanation.

In a harsh tone, he hissed, “You have betrayed yourself. Remove the scent-masking and your disguise. You will unveil yourself, demoness.” He allowed his youki to escape to reinforce his words.

The small hands which were pushing at him suddenly stilled. Then she directed a fulminating glare at him, yelling, “What scent-masking? And are you blind or what? I'm most certainly not a demoness!”

“Do not push me, demoness,” he bit out threateningly, directing a wave of youki at her for good measure. How dare she persist in denying him the truth?

To his surprise, her anger only flared further. By now, any demoness would have cowered in fear at the wave of youki he had just released. But this female in front of him seemed completely unperturbed. The entire situation was oddly disturbing…and too familiar for his liking.

“How many times must I say it? I'm not a demoness and I have a name. It's Kagome. Use it!” she yelled into his face.

Eyes narrowing at her insolence, he shook her roughly and snarled, “I will address you however I wish.”

“You…You…” she sputtered in rage as she pounded her fists against his immovable chest.

He wanted to reprimand her for her futile attempts at injuring him but he did not. Instead, Sesshoumaru regarded her with something akin to morbid fascination as her eyes flashed and her face reddened in fury. There was a brief flare of something from her before it was reined in. However, the brief exposure was enough for him to recognize the pure, raw power.

He blinked in astonishment, baffled by what he had just sensed.

She was no demon.

She was a miko. Like the one in his dreams. And from what he could sense, their strength was identical. It perplexed him. It struck him then that she was not lying to him. It meant that there was a real possibility that the dreams were indeed, lost memories of the past.

It occurred to him then that with each dream, everything became clearer. Recalling what had actually happened five hundred years in the past revealed that the dreams explained many things which he had been puzzled about.

For instance, he had not been able to recall what exactly was Akiyama's gift to him. Now that he knew that the dreams were not simply dreams, it was obvious that the Northern Lord had presented the miko to him as a gift. Then there was also his puzzlement at not being able to recall why he had instructed the servants to repair his sleeping chamber for no apparent reason. Again, this could be explained by the fact that the miko had damaged it.

And now that he consciously thought about it, there was an entire period of time which seemed to have eluded him. But his dreams had supplied the missing details.

“Miko…” he hissed.

She sucked in a sharp breath, her brown eyes turning impossibly large in her face. Her cheeks instantly drained of all color.

“No…It can't be…” Blinking as her breath escaped her in a rush, she whispered tremulously, “It's really you…”

Stunned, he watched as a myriad of emotions crossed her face. He could guess that the wench had been having dreams as well. It certainly explained her odd reactions earlier. It was not guilt which had prompted her odd behavior, but confusion and wariness.

Her hands fell from his chest. “IT'S YOU!!!” she exclaimed in a deafening pitch, pointing a shaky finger just a fraction of an inch from his nose. “You were supposed to be just a dream.”

Refraining from the urge to wince at the volume of her voice, and to bite the offending finger, Sesshoumaru responded dryly, “Indeed. The same applies to you.”

“You were dreaming about me? W-What? H-How…” she trailed off, her eyes clouding with confusion.

He did not know.

And it irked him that he did not.

“What did you do?” the miko asked accusingly.

He sent a sharp look at her. How dare she imply that he had caused this entire debacle? “Miko. You will watch your words.”

“Don't call me Miko. It's unnerving,” she snapped.

His eyes narrowed. “I will address you as I wish.”

She appeared not to have heard him. Instead, her expression turned contemplative. “Is it the same dream?” Frowning at him, she added, “Are we somehow sharing the same dream? How can it be just a dream if you're standing here?”

He raised a brow. Did she not realize that demons lived much longer than humans? Which meant that she should not even be alive? Unless, of course, she was a reincarnation. The miko was human, therefore it was simply not possible for her to live through five hundred years and appear as if she had just aged a few years. This suggested that the Kagome in this time was not the same one as the miko. The name was most likely a coincidence and she was simply been having dreams of her past life.

Without any explanation from him, comprehension dawned in her eyes. “Oh…You're a demon. But where are your markings?” Then she clapped her hands to the sides of her face, staring at him disbelievingly. “You lived back then until now, which means that you're really, really… old.”

Sesshoumaru's lips tightened. Did she just insult him? Finding the direction of her thoughts objectionable, he asked instead, “What did your last dream consist of?” If they were having the same dream, she should know by now that they were once mated, even incompletely. And no longer so, if the absence of his mating mark was any indication.

A blush crept up her cheeks, confirming his suspicions. “W-Why don't you go first?”

His eyes narrowed. The miko was obviously embarrassed. “We need to rut to complete the mating bond,” he said stonily.

Her eyes widened. “Don't say it like that!” she exclaimed.

He inhaled slowly in an attempt to calm his irritation at her response. “Miko. We needed to rut in order to…”

She interjected quickly, “I get it! No need to repeat it.” Then she slumped. “What do you think happened? Why am I having the same dreams as you?”

He regarded her thoughtfully, then he said quietly, “It is possible that you are the reincarnation of the miko five hundred years past.”

Her eyes widened in comprehension. “Meaning that everything that had happened was actually real?”

“It is possible.”

“What do you mean it is possible? If it's real, surely you'd remember it.” She grimaced before adding, “After all, you were alive five hundred years ago. How old were you then?”

His eyes narrowed. Why did the miko insist on making his age an issue? “My age is irrelevant.”

She gave him a skeptical look. “So? Why can't you remember.”

He stared at her silently.

“You don't know, do you?” she said with a heavy sigh. She raised a hand to rub her forehead. “This is too much to take in,” she muttered before she adopted a thoughtful expression.

“Hn.”

Then, right before his eyes, she suddenly paled. For the first time ever, he detected fear in her countenance. His brows immediately furrowed. What could have caused such a response from the miko?

Before he had the opportunity to question her, Sesshoumaru's ears picked up the sound of approaching vehicle. It appeared that Rin had returned home. It would no longer be appropriate for them to continue this conversation, much as he wished to question her about the pup. Reaching into his kimono, he pulled out a card and pressed it into her small hand.

“Miko. You will inform me of any further dreams.”

Her eyes bulged. “What?” Then she shook her head vigorously. “No!”

He gave her an uncompromising look. “You will do as you are told.”

“I'm not discussing my dreams with you!” she protested insistently.

Before he could enlighten her of the folly of disregarding his orders, the sound of approaching footsteps stilled him. Soon, his ward pushed the shoji screen open and peered in.

“Lord Sesshoumaru?” Then Rin gasped, her hand flying to her lips when her eyes landed on the miko. “I'm sorry, I didn't know you brought a visitor.”

Sesshoumaru inclined his head, allowing his eyes to soften slightly. “Rin.”

Staring at the miko curiously, Rin stepped into the living room. “Hello. I'm Rin,” she greeted with a smile.

The miko returned her smile. “I'm Kagome. I came here to treat Ses- Mr. Taishou.”

“I see…” There was a speculative gleam in her eyes. “Well, make yourself at home. I have something to do upstairs,” she said quickly.

“Oh no…I'm just leaving.” Flicking a glance at him, the miko continued, “Since you're alright, I'd better go.”

“Miko…”

She rushed out of the door before he could prevent her escape without raising suspicions. Soon, he heard the sound of the ambulance leaving the compound. His lips tightened. Where did she think she could hide? Surely she realized by now that he could locate her easily.

“That was…interesting,” Rin remarked curiously.

He gave the dark-haired woman a sideway glance. No doubt his ward wanted to know about the reason behind the miko's presence.

“Hn.”

“So…who is she?” Rin asked.

“I believe she had introduced herself.”

“You know that wasn't what I meant,” Rin retorted, sounding exasperated. “I mean, I thought it was odd that you'd want to come here in the middle of the day especially when I'm not even here. But then, to call in an ambulance because of…” She waved at the bandage on his arm. “…minor wounds that you can heal within half an hour? Something is going on.”

Sesshoumaru directed a look of disapproval at her. But like the miko, Rin seemed to be impervious to its effect. Instead, she blithely continued with her questions. “So, who is she? You two seemed pretty close.”

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He was beginning to wonder if his odd urge to rescue Rin five centuries ago had been somehow influenced by the miko. Perhaps his subconscious had recognized Rin as a human female which resembled the miko in character.

“She is an old acquaintance.”

Rin's brow rose. “How come I don't know that you have a human female acquaintance?” she asked suspiciously. “Not to mention you tend to avoid females in general.”

“Perhaps you do not need to know everything, Rin,” he responded dryly.

She shook her head. “But, Lord Sesshoumaru, I have the right to know such a thing considering you're using my home for…uh… what exactly did you come here for again?”

“To pay Ah-Un a visit.”

Rin looked skeptical. “Hn.”

His lips twitched at her response. However, he had had enough of being questioned. “It's time to depart.”

She gave him a baleful look. “Fine. But one day, you are going to have to tell me.”

He declined to respond. Instead he made his way out of the house to the car parked in one of the garages. As he drove out of Rin's home, he went through the options of what was possible.

It was obvious that Higurashi Kagome exist and was sharing the same dreams as he was. Now that that was established, the question was how? Assuming that this present miko was a reincarnation of the one in his dreams of the past, then where did the pup fit in?

He knew that until the dreams progressed further, he would not be able to comprehend just exactly what was happening. Soon, he thought decisively. Soon enough, the dreams would reveal the past. And whether she liked it or not, the miko of the present would assist him in solving this puzzle.

…***…***…***…

Kagome could not breathe easily until they had traveled a fair distance from Rin's farm. Only then did she give in to the urge to pinch herself. Too many things had happened in such a short time and she was having a hard time believing it.

“Ouch!” she exclaimed when the stinging pain shot up her arm.

“Are you alright, Kagome?” Manten asked, obviously concerned.

She nodded, trying not to think of what had just happened in the farm. “You heard from Moriko?”

Manten shook his head. “Not from her but Shiori called up to tell me that Moriko had to go home because of some emergency.”

“I see.”

“Was everything alright in there?”

Kagome nodded and then turned to stare out of the window as the scenery rushed past. Almost immediately, her encounter with Sesshoumaru came back to her. An odd feeling coursed through her at the thought that she was the reincarnation of the miko who had mated the aristocratic demon. She could hardly believe it, but she supposed that it was the only thing which made sense.

She ground her teeth in annoyance.

He must have planned this whole thing. Being the owner of Taishou Holdings, he could have easily gotten anyone to agree to his plans. Fragments of Shiori's conversation which she had overhead earlier returned to her and Kagome's lips tightened in irritation when she realized what must have happened. The arrogant demon had forced Shiori to send her out, obviously.

There was only one thing which really scared her, the thing which had caused her to run out of Rin's home. Now that she had met Sesshoumaru, it was more likely that Sachimaru was his son rather than Inuyasha's. The resemblance was striking. And this Sesshoumaru actually had a crescent moon on his forehead in the past, in the exact same spot where Sachimaru wore his.

She shivered. From what she knew of Sesshoumaru from her dreams, the demon was nothing but resourceful. And he was certainly used to getting his own way. What if Sesshoumaru found out about Sachimaru? Would he want him back?

Her lips tightened in determination. If Sesshoumaru was negligent enough to abandon his son three years ago, he did not deserve to have him back. And anyway, she promised Sachimaru that she would never let anyone take him away from her.

But what should she do now? Was there even anything she could do?

No.

Dream or not, she would not contact him. She would try her best to stay out of his way. So long as Sesshoumaru did not know about Sachimaru, there was no reason for him to suspect anything.

And anyway, it looked like Sesshoumaru was just curious because he could not figure out why he could not remember his past. That was why he wanted her to tell him about any other dreams she might have. She cringed at the idea of telling Sesshoumaru certain parts of her dreams. Some of the things which had happened was downright embarrassing. There was no way she would tell him.

Sighing inwardly, she allowed the images from her dream last night to resurface in her mind.

…***…***…***…

It had been one whole day since she had found the solution to the mating issue. But still, she could not come to terms with what she had to do to break it. Sesshoumaru seemed to sense her distress, and had gone easy on her this morning during their training. He had barely spoken to her all afternoon either, but she could sense that he was just as agitated as she was. The demon was probably just waiting for her to accept his decree to complete the mating.

She swallowed a lump in her throat as she walked down the bamboo-lined hallway, her steps leaden as she worried over her predicament. How could she have known that biting Sesshoumaru on the neck would end up like this? How could she have known that in order to break the bond, they would have to complete the bond in the first place? Meaning that they had to have sex.

She blew a strand of hair out of her face as she slid open the shoji screen and went outside.

Yes, Sesshoumaru was a gorgeous specimen of a male. But that did not mean that she would like to lose her virginity to him. But if she wanted to go home, she had no choice but to do it.

What was more important? Her virginity or going home?

It was a stupid question, she thought irritably. She could not live in the Feudal Era forever, leaving her life in the future behind. She sighed. She did not have any choice, but not for the reasons Sesshoumaru thought. Virginity was overrated anyway, right? She grimaced, knowing that she was simply trying to convince herself to go through with it. The entire thing crushed her little fantasy of losing it to her first love in a romantic setting.

She made a face.

Sesshoumaru was definitely far from romantic. Not to mention he was a demon and was probably considered a completely different species from her. She blanched. The entire thought was just too disgusting for words.

But what was she going to do?

“Kagome?”

Startled, she jumped a little before she turned around. Spotting Katsuo at the bridge, Kagome smiled. “Katsuo! Haven't seen you for a while,” she greeted as she walked towards him.

Katsuo grinned. “Well, I've been busy doing real work. Training real warriors and all.”

She returned his grin. “I still can beat you. Say, how about a round of sparring?”

Katsuo's eyes softened. “We'd better not. Lord Sesshoumaru would not be pleased.”

Scowling, she complained, “Why must everyone please him?”

“It's not that, Kagome. His instinct would not allow any danger to come to you. And if we fight, he will sense it as a danger to you.”

“I suppose,” she muttered dejectedly.

“Do not worry, Kagome. If you're bored, you can always go to him,” Katsuo suggested.

She rolled her eyes. Then, with a wave at the grey-haired general, she headed towards the hotsprings. Since she had nothing else to do, she might as well soak herself to pass time.

When she reached the hotsprings, she glanced around. What was she worried about? Ever since that incident with the warrior falling into the hotsprings, none of the servants or guards had dared to venture close. At least now she would be assured of her privacy.

With that thought, she removed her clothes and exhaled a sigh of relief as she sank into the hotsprings. An impromptu sparring session with Katsuo would have helped her release all the pent up frustration she felt at her current predicament. But Katsuo was right, Sesshoumaru's instincts would have gone mad. And the last thing she wanted was for Katsuo to get into trouble.

Sesshoumaru was sure intimidating when he wants to be, she thought with a scowl.

“Miko.”

The shock of hearing the voice of her musings caused her to slip. Eyes widening, she gulped in a mouthful of mineral-laden water before she came up sputtering, bracing herself against one of the half-submerged rocks. This was the second time he walked in on her bath in just as many days.

Once she was upright, she swung around indignantly. “Have you not heard of something called privacy?”

It was only when she saw his eyes raking down her body that she realized her mistake. With a gasp, she dunked herself back into the water, shielding her naked body from his amused gaze. Her eyes narrowed in irritation. How could he just stand there staring at her like he had every right to do so?

However, her traitorous body immediately reacted at his perusal. Unbidden, the memory of their encounter yesterday came back to her. She remembered how his heated eyes had run over her. And how desirable he had looked without his usual icy mask. A surge of molten heat instantly coursed through her veins and her pulse quickened, rendering her speechless.

“We will complete the mating tonight.”

His words bypassed her brain and went somewhere else further down, making her pulse jump.

Then her mind finally decided to function. Complete the mating? Meaning that they had to have sex? She immediately tensed. Averting her gaze, she asked uncomfortably, “C-Can you give me more time to think about it?”

“It will change nothing, Miko.” His voice was oddly gentle.

She expelled a heavy breath. “I know.”

Silence descended upon them.

“I don't know how things work for here, but where I came from, we've been taught to think of the first time as something special.”

A short pause followed before he responded quietly, “You will not be disappointed.”

Surprised at his words, she flicked her eyes towards him. He sounded almost as if he was trying to reassure her. And for once, she noticed that he was not wearing that disdainful expression. Instead, he was tense and edgy. He obviously hated the entire situation. And unlike other men who would probably jump at the chance of sex, he was reluctant to do so.

He had done nothing to deserve this.

She instantly felt bad. “For what it's worth, I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru,” she said softly, staring down at the steaming water. “I really didn't mean for this to happen.”

“Hn.”

Releasing a heavy sigh, she pleaded, “Give me some time, Sesshoumaru. Please?”

Silence was her answer.

And when she looked back up, he was gone.

…***…***…***…

Sesshoumaru despised the odd feeling which refused leave him, even though he had left the miko at the hotsprings half a day ago. The sun had disappeared over the horizon and now, darkness adorned the sky. Still, thought of the miko remained in his mind.

He felt almost…sympathetic towards the miko's predicament. Unlike him, who had rutted with many females in the past, she would be gifting him with something which she should only give her mate. He supposed that she would be gifting it to her mate, however temporary that mate might be.

It had surprised him that she had given in without too much of a fight. He was even more surprised when she had apologized to him. Although she had marked him, he understood that it was unintentional on her part. However, she had chosen to take the responsibility for her mistake.

That, in itself, was baffling.

Most humans would have denied everything and attempt to walk away instead of admitting to their mistake. It was one of the weaknesses which he, Sesshoumaru, despised. One should always take the honorable route.

Much as the miko was attempting to do.

He felt strangely proud of her, although he should have no reason to feel anything towards the wench. After all, she meant nothing to him except for the task he required of her.

Wasn't it so?

Yes, it was so, he decided irritably.

Still, he was reluctant to force the issue. The miko was clearly discomfited by the notion of rutting with him. Although he understood her reservations, his male pride could not help but feel slighted at the rejection. His reaction was unsettling, especially considering that he was not entirely pleased that it had come to this either. The entire notion of rutting to complete a bond only to break it soon afterwards seemed almost dishonorable. And it would bring him more dishonor if he chose to force her. Both of them needed to consent in order to emerge from this chaos with their honor and reputation unscathed.

Perhaps he should allow the miko acclimatize herself with the notion. However, he realized that it might take many moons before she was prepared. Such a prolonged delay was not an option as he did not wish to continue experiencing the urges resulting from the incomplete mating mark. And he doubted that the miko wished to be plague by those desires either.

Perhaps he should familiarize her with the notion by some other method. As far as he could tell, she was very innocent to the ways of carnal desire. Perhaps an introduction of sorts would be of benefit. Yes, it would be wise to prepare her for their eventual encounter.

His grimaced. The last thing he wished to do was to place himself close to her. His mind told him that this was necessary. But although the mating instinct urged him to complete the mating, there was another part of him which told him that what he intended to do was wrong.

His lips tightened in determination, brushing away his misgivings. It would be done and he would cease to think about it.

With that thought, he left his sleeping chamber and made his way to the miko's quarters. The flickering light from the lamp which filtered through the washi screen informed him that she was still awake.

Slowly, he slid the shoji screen open.

The miko gasped and instantly jumped to her feet. “What are you doing in here?” she demanded incredulously.

He gestured at the futon. “Sit.”

She placed her hands on her hips. “Why?”

This was more difficult than he had anticipated. As always, when it concerned the miko, his instincts and his mind could not agree, reducing him to this deplorable state of uncertainty. He suppressed is annoyance. There was only one thing he could do. He would proceed with this in the manner in which he approached everything in his life; impassively and in control. Deciding not to say anything further, he closed the gap between them.

Words were not necessary. He would simply show her.

Her eyes were large as she stared up at him in bewilderment. “S-Sesshoumaru?”

His throat felt oddly dry, but he ignored it. Instead, he concentrated his attention on the miko. Reaching out, he pulled her to him until she was pressed flush against him.

Unsurprisingly, she began to struggle. “Sesshoumaru! What are you doing? Let me go!”

“Miko,” he said softly, his voice sounding odd even to himself.

She immediately stilled.

He inhaled a deep breath. “Just… do not move. You will not be harmed.”

She blinked up at him in confusion. Then, without breaking their eye contact, she licked her lips nervously. He felt his blood rush at her small action and his rigid hold on himself slipped a notch. Stifling a groan, he held her shoulders and lowered his head.

A pleasurable feeling jolted through him at the first meeting of their lips. It began as a soft caress, until he gave in to the urge to suckle her bottom lip. He felt the miko gasp, her lips parting in surprise. Without a single conscious thought, he licked the parted seam, tasting her.

It was different from what he had experienced before with others and dimly, he realized that what he was doing was not nearly enough. Sliding one hand down to the small of her back and the other to the back of her neck, he pulled her closer, relishing in the soft moan she emitted. As her arms wrapped around him, he deepened the kiss until she began to respond. As her lips nipped at his with increasing fervor, his arousal heightened, causing him to groan out loud.

Too preoccupied to rebuke himself for his display of weakness, he simply trailed his lips down her jaw towards her neck. Hands clenching against his back, the miko moaned again as he licked her neck, nipping carefully as he did so.

The scent of her arousal mingled with her usual peach scent assaulted his senses, almost dizzying in its intensity. His control slipped another notch.

“S-Sesshoumaru…” she whispered brokenly.

“Hn.”

Still, he continued to lave her neck as his hand traveled from her waist up the side of her chest, realizing vaguely that he had betrayed his own vow to approach this event dispassionately. When his palms stroked the side of her breast through her thin yukata, the miko gasped, jerking in his hold.

“Shhh…” he whispered against her neck, but continued to gently stroke her curve. Slowly, he reached out and flicked her nipple with his thumb.

A loud moan escaped her lips as she pressed herself tighter against him. His entire body heated at her inviting motion and he panted against her neck. Giving in to the urge, he cupped her rounded breast fully and kneaded it, feeling her stiffening nub rubbing against his palm. Her movements became more insistent as she clamped her lips on his neck, suckling the mating mark she had given him. He was unable to prevent himself from groaning at the pleasure which shot through him at her action. Moving only by instinct, he grinded his hips against hers in an attempt to relieve the building pressure.

“S-Sesshoumaru…Are we…”

Her words penetrated the haze of desire which clouded his mind. With great difficulty, he pulled away from her slightly. Shifting his hands onto her waist, he leaned his forehead against the top of her head as he attempted to calm his breathing.

He was painfully aroused, but he knew that she was not prepared.

“Not yet,” he said quietly.

She looked up at him with a pair of passion-glazed brown eyes. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips bore the evidence of their kisses. He suppressed the urge to take her right there and then.

“You are not prepared,” he replied to her unspoken question.

Her eyes lowered. “Oh.”

He almost groaned at the unmistakable hint of disappointment in her voice. Hardening his resolve, he released her, but not before he nuzzled her cheek.

“Rest.”

With that, he forced himself to leave her chamber and the tantalizing scent of her arousal.

…***…***…***…

Sesshoumaru shot straight up in his bed, his heart beating erratically in his chest.

He was painfully hard.

With a growl of frustration, he lashed out at the nightstand beside the bed, sending it crashing to the floor.

Ever since he had returned from Rin's place earlier, he had not been able to clear the thought of the miko from his mind. He had attempted to escape it by simply taking a rest, however, his dreams were filled with her. Worst still, this particular dream was not one he was likely to forget anytime soon. If it continued in this direction, it was clear that he and the miko would surely end up completing the bond.

Closing his eyes, he willed himself to calm down.

The dreams of the past were more intrusive than he liked, making him feel things which he should not feel. He despised his lack of control over it.

He refused to believe that he could forget his past. Perhaps if he forced it, he could recall the memories instead of waiting for them to return to him in the dreams. He needed to find out more, because it was imperative that he confirmed the identity of the pup before he confronted the reincarnated miko again. Questions needed to be answered and at the moment, he had no grounds to broach the subject of the pup.

Settling down on his bed, he leaned back and closed his eyes. Recalling the last dream, he allowed the images of the miko to resurface in his mind.

At first, the image simply stayed there.

Then, as his anticipation grew, Sesshoumaru felt his subconscious responding.

…***…***…***…

(t.b.c.)

A/N: Yes, that's it. I hope you've enjoyed that enough to drop me a review. Thanks!