InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Mother For Rin ❯ Taking care of Kagome ( Chapter 12 )

 

By the time they had all made it back to the castle Kagome had felt the rapidly growing stiffness set into her arms and shoulders. Her muscles weren't used to having to be the only one getting any hits, and the four rapid fire shots of the newly strung bow had caused her muscles to burn at the time that she had made the attack on the youkai. Though at the time she hadn't thought a thing of it.

 

Now though, as she sat to eat with the others, she was beginning to doubt that she would be able to lift her right hand, her arrow hand, very high at all. Even her fingers were growing stiff. Mumbling an excuse about not being very hungry she slipped away and made her way painfully to the room that she, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had shared the night before.

 

Kagome nearly moaned with each step as she came in sight of Sesshoumaru's chambers. The stiffness that had captured her shoulders was moving down her back, traveling down her spine and tightening around it like a python crushing its meal. She could feel her steps growing slower as the pain in her back intensified with each step and the nearly bruising tightness traveled down into her hips and down the backs of her thighs. She didn't understand why it was so bad this time, sure she had restrung her bow before and had it as tight as it was this time, only those times she had had a chance, usually a day or so to stretch the bow and grow used to its tightness before going into battle. This time though, she had no time to stretch the bow or herself at all.

 

She sighed in relief as she came up to the door of the room. Though her relief quickly turned into a frustration so great that it nearly brought tears to her eyes. She was at the door, yes, but she couldn't move either arm enough to open it. She tried once more to lift her arms, but once again, neither arm would lift enough to get her hand more than just slightly away from her sides. It hurt to move, it nearly hurt to breathe. Maybe if she just leaned close enough, she thought, she could open the door enough to push it open with her foot.

 

Smiling at what she thought to be a brilliant idea, she leant forward only to nearly cry out in the instant and fiery pain that engulfed her back. The move of bending forward, it seems, seemed to have been the very most wrong move to make. It felt as though every single muscle and tendon in her back had instantly locked up. She tried to straighten up but any kind of move was intensely painful. Tears gathered in her eyes as she struggled hard to straighten up, even though she wasn't bent very far forward the pain was excruciating.

 

By the time she was standing straight again; a few tears had escaped her eyes, her stiff arms unable to move to wipe them away, and it felt as though her back arms, and shoulders held burning acid just beneath the skin. She couldn't remember ever having hurt this much, even when she had been slammed into a tree and knocked unconscious during a battle with a worn youkai two months ago had she felt so bad.

 

“Mamma!” Shippou called happily as he came running towards her with Rin.

 

Oh no, Kagome nearly whimpered. She couldn't move, and didn't dare let them know she was hurt, if she did they would be frightened and run to Sesshoumaru. She would be fine, she thought, as long as she could just rest a bit, just lay down. Kagome almost sobbed when Rin slammed into her legs, wrapping her arms tight around Kagome's thighs and Shippou hopped up to perch on her shoulder.

 

Oh kami it hurt to have Shippou on his usual perch. She could feel every single movement he made like fingers of angry fire scratching and biting into her shoulder, the pain traveling down her back and arms. Kagome bit the inside of her cheek and her tongue to keep from crying out with pain and desperately fought the tears that were trying to gather in her eyes, blinking rapidly to make them go away.

 

“Kagome?” Shippou asked worriedly when she didn't greet them and didn't wrap her arms around Rin like she usually would.

 

“Shippou,” Kagome began carefully trying to keep her voice normal and cheerful as she forced a smile. “Why don't you take Rin to get some food? They're just serving lunch in the dining hall.”

 

“Ok Mamma,” Shippou said as he leapt from her shoulder and Rin squeezed her tight before the two energetic children left her to go eat.

 

Kagome turned to lean her back against the smooth wall and watched the children until they were out of sight. She felt her knees begin to buckle and slid down the wall. She held her breath to keep from crying out in both pain and frustration as her body betrayed her and she fell finally the slow way to the floor. Once stopped, she found herself sitting with her back up against the wall and her knees bent in front of her, close enough to wrap her arms around if only she could get her arms to move.

 

I'll rest here for a few minutes, Kagome thought as she closed her eyes, in a few minutes I'll be able to move again. Or so she hoped.

 

Twenty minutes later Kagome was still in the same position on the floor, tears of frustration and pain gathered in her stormy blue eyes. Ten of those twenty minutes had been spent trying desperately to get her body to listen to her. She couldn't even stretch out her own legs, couldn't turn her head, couldn't move her head much at all. Her arms wouldn't move at all, her fingers felt as though they were made of stone for they wouldn't move either. Every part of her hurt, even her hair hurt. They only part that seemed to work was her voice and mouth. She could blink; she guessed she should be grateful for that much shouldn't she?

 

Her eyes closed in painful defeat as she tried once more in an excruciatingly painful and unsuccessful effort to move. The tears gathered in her eyes fell down her cheeks and she felt close to sobbing. A hand touched her shoulder and she had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming in pain.

 

“Kagome?” Sango said worriedly as knelt next to her friend's side.

 

Why was she sitting on the floor and why was she crying? She could feel her friend breathing harshly and could see her flinch. Removing her hand, Sango felt even more worry and confusion when Kagome relaxed, but not very much at all. Sango could tell that the younger girl was in pain, but couldn't see any wounds on her at all.

 

“Kagome are you alright?” She asked the girl.

 

Kagome tried to nod, but found herself unable of even that simple movement. She felt more frustrated and helpless than she could ever remember feeling before. She wanted to cry and scream and sob into her friend's arms but didn't want to scare her.

 

“Can you just, can you help me into the room Sango?” Kagome asked her friend, watching the taijiya through the corner of her eyes.

 

“Kagome shouldn't you go see the healer? I can get her if you want.”

 

“No, no I just need to get inside and rest Sango. I'll be fine if you can just help me inside.”

 

Sango looked worried at her friend's vehemence of avoiding the healer and wondered why. But pushed her curiosity aside as she wrapped one arm around Kagome's waist from behind and slid her other arm under Kagome's knees. Lifting the girl off the ground Sango opened the door with the hand under Kagome's knees and carried her in and laid her on the bed.

 

Sango saw the effort it took Kagome not to cry as she laid her on the bed and again wondered what it was that was hurting her friend. What could possibly cause the girl this much pain?

 

“Kagome are you sure you'll be alright?” Sango asked loathe to leave her friend alone in such a state.

 

“Yeah, I'll be ok Sango,” Kagome said and Sango winced at the effort it took her friend to say such a thing and look like she meant it.

 

“If you're sure,” Sango hedged and waited for a moment before leaving.

 

Sango was walking down the hall, heading back toward the dining hall when she ran into Inuyasha; the hanyou seemed to be silently chuckling about something, the amused smile looking oddly endearing. She had nearly passed him when he caught her arm. She looked into his golden eyes in askance of what he wanted.

 

“Have you seen Kagome?” he asked his eyes watching her for any answer.

 

“Yeah, I just helped her to bed…She looked to be in pain Inuyasha, something is wrong with her,” Sango said and Inuyasha frowned in worry.

 

Inuyasha nodded and left Sango as he moved down the hall toward his brother's chambers where the three had slept together the night before. He remembered waking with the pups and Kagome and his brother all in bed together and smiled as he remembered how right it felt, how good it felt. He slipped into the room and the sight that greeted him worried him like nothing else had.

 

There in the middle of the large bed, lay Kagome. She was still as a statue though she was whimpering in pain as tears slipped continuously from the corners of her eyes. She didn't seem to notice his presence which only served to worry him more. He carefully climbed onto the bed next to her, trying not to make the mattress shift too much, not knowing what was causing her pain, or what would aggravate it.

 

“Kagome?” he said softly once he reached her side. “Kagome what's wrong?” he asked worriedly as he gently stroked her hair away from her face and held his hand to the side of her face as his thumb wiped away her still falling tears.

 

He whined low when she didn't answer. Her eyes looked at him, pleaded with him to make her suffering stop. She looked like she wanted desperately to answer him, but didn't seem to be able to. He leaned over her and kissed her forehead as he assured her he would return, promised her he wouldn't be long. Her eyes begged him not to go, but he knew he needed to, he had to get help, he needed someone to tell him what was wrong.

 

He kissed her lips softly before rising from the bed and slipping out of the room. He moved quickly, following his brother's scent from the dinning hall to the study and slipped inside the room. Sesshoumaru was sitting studying his papers as he tried to finish the most boring task that was required of him as taiyoukai. All of the papers and requests and reports from his various villages and lands and other holdings of the Western Lands were there on his desk, just sitting there mocking him he thought.

 

“Sesshoumaru?” Inuyasha said announcing his presence and the taiyoukai looked up and frowned at the troubled expression on his brother's face.

 

“Inuyasha, what is it?” he asked as he set the papers aside and gave his brother his full attention.

 

“Something's wrong with Kagome,” that statement alone shot his brother to his feet and had the youkai striding quickly toward his hanyou brother. “She's in pain and I don't know why.”

 

“Where is she?” he asked quickly, worriedly.

 

“In our room,” Inuyasha said, not knowing when it was in the past few days that he had come to think of his brother's chambers as `our room'.

 

Sesshoumaru followed his brother quickly down the hall, their silver white manes flowing behind them as the brothers walked quickly to the shared room. Slipping inside they found Kagome in the same way that Inuyasha had moments before and both were careful not to cause any sudden jarring as they climbed onto the bed and came to rest on either side of the human woman they both cared for.

 

“Kagome?” Sesshoumaru asked as he looked upon the silently crying woman, her whimpers having stopped while Inuyasha went in search of his brother. “Kagome what is wrong?”

 

“It…hurts…” she moaned out tiredly, the effort it took to speak alone caused her pain. Breathing it seemed was painful all on its own.

 

“What hurts?” the taiyoukai asked gently as he petted her forehead and hair.

 

“…Everything,” she nearly sobbed.

 

“How does it hurt? What happened?” Sesshoumaru asked as he leaned close to her and kissed her brow.

 

Kagome panted with the effort it took to answer and not simply sob in pain and frustration at her forced paralysis.

 

“I…I…didn't stretch my bow…” she answered her voice breaking on the end as her tears refused to be ignored any longer.

 

Sesshoumaru shook his head not understanding fully what she meant. He turned his head when he heard his brother's curse and looked to him for an answer.

 

“Her string broke after the last battle before coming here. The weapon's master in the village we stayed in restrung it for her. It was pretty tight too; she could barely move it at all when she first got it back. Damnit Kagome you've locked everything up haven't you?” he asked gruffly to the softly sobbing girl on the bed. “Can you even move?”

 

“N-no,” she choked out.

 

Sesshoumaru picked her up in his arms and she bit her bottom lip harshly at the all encompassing pain the movement caused her.

 

“Bring a robe,” he commanded his brother and Inuyasha snatched up the one from the wardrobe door as he followed his brother out the room.

 

Sesshoumaru strode quickly down the hall to his private hot springs in the castle, and slid back the door as he stepped inside. Inuyasha followed behind his brother and closed the door as he stepped inside.

 

“Strip,” Sesshoumaru ordered his brother as he set about removing Kagome's clothes. “It will take a while to loosen her muscles to a more pliable state and in that time your clothing will get waterlogged and heavy,” he said at his brother's raised brow.

 

Once Inuyasha stood naked and Sesshoumaru had divested Kagome of the last of her clothing, he handed her to his brother and stripped himself of his own clothing as Inuyasha took her into the steaming spring. Soon he was naked as well and in the spring beside his brother.

 

Perhaps had the situation been different, both brothers would have taken note of her nudity and perhaps even acted upon it. Seduced her perhaps. But as it was, the girl between the brothers was in pain and unable to care for herself. Inuyasha supported Kagome in the water on her back as Sesshoumaru worked her neck, slowly at first and then more vigorously as the muscles began to loosen up.

 

It took ten minutes of hearty massage before Kagome was able to move her head again, and then it was only a small amount of movement but she was happy to have as much as she did. Sesshoumaru took her from his brother's arms and held her standing in the water and leaned her body against his, stroking her face and hair as his brother worked the muscles of her back.

 

At first it felt to Inuyasha that he was trying to massage a tree or a rock, but slowly, as the hot steaming water soaked her back and loosened her muscles, it began to get easier to massage her. He worked her back until it felt as though it were made of putty, her muscles softer and more relaxed than she could ever remember them being.

 

Once Inuyasha was done with her back, he took her from his brother, and held her in the same way he had. Her bare breasts rubbing against the wet skin of his chest as his brother aggressively worked her shoulders and neck. Kagome's eyes began to droop tiredly as her stiff muscles loosened and became loose and supple.

 

“Go to sleep,” Inuyasha said and kissed her tired eyes.

 

She laid her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes as his brother continued to work her muscles. Once he was done with her shoulders and neck and had done a once over of her back, Sesshoumaru took a breath a dipped beneath the water as he worked her hips, buttocks and legs. Occasionally his head would pop up for a quick breath and then slip beneath the surface of the water again to work her muscles.

 

It had taken the brothers nearly five hours to work her muscles free of all and any stiffness and both smiled softly at the sound of her soft contented snores that sounded more like purrs than actual snores. Sesshoumaru left Kagome in his brother's arms and slipped out of the spring, assuring his brother that he would return shortly, he donned a bathing robe and slipped out of the bathing room. He returned moments later with the girl's yellow pack and set it softly on the dry stone floor.

 

“You said she keeps her soaps in here,” Sesshoumaru said softly to his brother, not wanting to disturb the sleeping girl.

 

“Yeah,” Inuyasha said as he stroked her hair and held her close, “they're usually right on top in the big pocket, sometimes though they slip to the bottom.”

 

Sesshoumaru found the strange snap top bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash. He also found the body pouf that Kagome used to wash with but tossed it aside, not seeing the relevance or use in such a flimsy item.

 

Dropping his robe he slipped back into the hot spring and helped steady Kagome as he and his brother dipped her back in the water to wet her hair. It was easy to discern how to open the shampoo bottle and poured a small amount into his hand. Working the soap between his hands, he lathered the gel and then applied it to her wet raven hair. Massaging her scalp, he worked the lather into her hair until her length mass of raven locks were white as snow.

 

Again the brothers laid her back in the water and Sesshoumaru worked the soap out of her hair. Sesshoumaru looked upon her sleeping face and couldn't comprehend just how it was this innocent angel had woven her spell upon his heart. Inuyasha's attraction was understandable due to all the time they spent together, but for Sesshoumaru, it was as though he had simply opened his eyes one day and there she was.

 

Inuyasha brought her back up to rest against his chest and wiped the water from her face when it spilled out of her wet hair. Sesshoumaru couldn't help the soft smile that pulled at his lips. Kagome was the center piece, the glue that had brought his brother back to him, it was only right that they should both love her as they did. He picked up the bottle of conditioner and found that it opened the same as the shampoo bottle did, although this liquid was much thicker, creamier and according to the instructions, you simply rubbed it into the hair and left it be for a few moments, no lathering needed.

 

He rubbed the conditioner into her hair and ran his claws through her dark locks, combing the conditioner all the way through to every strand. Kagome moaned and sighed happily in her sleep as the taiyoukai worked her hair and she nuzzled her face into Inuyasha's shoulder as she yawned in her sleep. Inuyasha's eyes softened as he smiled down at the sleeping girl in his arms. Three years ago if anyone had told him that he would meet a girl from the future and be sharing her love with his brother he would've killed them outright. Then again, three years ago he was also pinned to a tree by Kikyou's arrow.

 

Sesshoumaru continued to gently comb his fingers and claws through Kagome's hair until the instructed two to five minutes had passed and then with the help of his brother, he once again rinsed her midnight mane. Once her hair was thoroughly rinsed and free of any soap or conditioner, he took her from his brother and raised her up on top of the large flat topped bolder that sat in the middle of the spring for bathing. He leaned her carefully against the smooth stone, both her upper and lower body free of the water.

 

Once he assured himself that she was safe from slipping back into the water, he took her body wash from the side of the spring and brought it over. Both brothers took an amount of soap in their hands and lathered it as they washed her body. Inuyasha applied the soap in his hands to her neck and chest and arms. The hanyou paid extra attention to her firm youthful breasts, finding them a perfect fit for his hands. He traced the contours of her soft silken mounds, soaping around and underneath her pert breasts, plucking at her nipples as he `soaped' them as well.

 

Sesshoumaru it seemed was giving much of the same attention to her lower body as he massaged and soaped his hands from her tiny feet up her ankles, up her legs and around her thighs and hips. He soaped her womanly hair as well, hard pressed not to bury his face between her legs and breathe in her scent.

 

Kagome moaned and sighed in her sleep, the wonderful sensations they were creating crossing over into her dreams, dreams were her same two caregivers were tending to her body in a much more passionate manner. Sesshoumaru was the first to smell her scent spike with her arousal and had to hold himself back with as much control as he had, his youkai blood urging him to bury his face in her apex and taste her.

 

Inuyasha as well groaned although more so for the slap upside the head he received from his brother when Sesshoumaru discovered him kissing her chest and making his way over to her breast.

 

“Baka, we have the spring to rinse her with. Besides that you leach she's sleeping!” he hissed at his hanyou brother.

 

Inuyasha had the good grace to blush and look away. Sesshoumaru gathered the soapy woman into his arms and lowered them both back into the water, dipping her down to her neck as he rinsed her pale skin from the berry scented soap. He lifted her and himself from the spring in one solid leap, the water falling away from her in a showering spray as he broke the surface and landed on the stone floor.

 

“I trust you can tend to yourself Inuyasha,” Sesshoumaru said pointedly as he dried off Kagome and wrapped her in the robe that Inuyasha had brought and dressed himself back into his kimono.

 

“Yeah, yeah, get on out of here bastard,” Inuyasha grumbled.

 

“I'm not the one who was molesting the poor girl in her sleep brother.”

 

Sesshoumaru held Kagome to his chest and walked out of the bathing chambers to the sound of his brother's grumbles and curses. He smirked slightly, highly amused at his brother's frustration as he carried Kagome down the hall and back into his chambers. He laid her down in the center of the bed and moved to the wardrobe. Removing a pale blue sleep kimono he came back to her.

 

He gently divested her of the bathing robe, being careful not to wake her. He smiled softly down at her as he dressed her, marveling at the beauty and innocence she possessed. How had he missed seeing her for so long? Once she was dressed, Sesshoumaru tucked her under the covers and kissed her brow before leaving the room.

 

Walking down the hall and out of the castle, he followed Rin's scent to the gardens along the south walls of the palace and found her, Shippou and a transformed Kirara lying together. The two pups were curled up into the white and black accented mountain of a feline. All three were sleeping, Kirara's tails covering the pups like a blanket. His eyes softened at the picture they made together and was tempted to have an artist paint the scene for him to hold onto forever.

 

Walking up to the feline he watched as her ruby eyes opened and looked upon him. Kirara gently lifted the pups, one by one, in her jaws and handed each over to Sesshoumaru's care before regaining her smaller form and following him as he carried the pups into Rin's room.

 

Sesshoumaru gently laid Rin and Shippou down on Rin's bed and gathered two sleeping kimonos. He carefully undressed and redressed each pup into a sleeping kimono before tucking them under the covers, Kirara curling up on top of the blankets at their feet as the neko youkai took it upon herself to watch over the young ones as they slept. Sesshoumaru kissed Rin's brow and petted Kirara's tiny head before pulling the newly made curtains over the window and leaving them to sleep.

 

As he exited the children's room he was met by Sango who was looking for her neko companion. Motioning for her to be silent he opened the door and let her look upon the sleeping threesome, the taijiya smiling sweetly at the picture they made.

 

“They're adorable,” Sango whispered and Sesshoumaru nodded once to her.

 

“If you're off to your chambers, I'll see you there,” Sesshoumaru said and Sango nodded to him. “Are you enjoying your stay here?” he asked courteously.

 

“Yes, so much. But I wonder,” she bit her lip before continuing. “Would it be possible to practice my katana with one of the warriors? I've not used it in awhile and don't wish to get rusty - as Kagome would say.”

 

“I'll arrange something in the morning if that would suffice?” he said and she nodded. “Would prefer a female or a male opponent?”

 

“Oh, um…”

 

“Surely you know that if there are female warriors in the village that I have female warriors within my ranks?”

 

“I honestly hadn't thought too much on it. The last time I was in a position to practice with a warrior I was in a human village, well technically I was propositioned by a prince …”

 

“Oh?” Sesshoumaru said completely and honestly interested.

 

Sango blushed and ducked her head before speaking.

 

“I honestly wasn't interested in him, but the gesture was flattering.”

 

“If I am not overstepping my bounds with you Lady Sango…are you interested in anyone?” Sesshoumaru asked as they reached her chambers.

 

Sango blushed and shook her head amused at herself. “Somehow I doubt you'd believe me if I told you. Sometimes I don't even believe it.”

 

“Ah, the monk.”

 

Sango's eyes widened in surprise and Sesshoumaru chuckled softly.

 

“Have no worry; I'll not reveal your admiration. I trust though, from prior knowledge, that you'll whip him into shape,” he joked at her and left her gaping at him from her open door.

 

Did he just joke with me? Sango asked herself and then shook herself of the thought as she felt a familiar hand caress her bottom. Her eyebrow twitched in irritation and a small smirk lifted the side of her mouth as she snapped her hand back and slapped the monk hard across the face. Sesshoumaru chuckled to himself as he heard the sound of flesh against flesh and the yell of `Hentai!' as he turned the corner and walked down the hall to his room.

 

Upon entering he found his brother already in bed next to Kagome, his arms wrapped around her, holding her close to his body. Kagome lay with her head on Inuyasha's chest, her hand fisted and lying next to her face as she slept. Sesshoumaru smiled softly at the pair and removed his own clothing, donning a pair of pale blue silk sleeping pants, he slipped into the bed next to the sleeping pair and curled up into Kagome's back, wrapping his arms around her waist as he buried his face into her hair and closed his eyes as he breathed in her scent.

 

He sighed contently as he fell asleep, the three sleeping peacefully as they dreamt the night away.