InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Simple Legacy III ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

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

A/N: To katie33h, Fried deer, kzara 003, HentaiVixen, Tenshi no Hinote, Heartstar, darkserenity07 and gradualwisd0m…Thank you for reviewing the last chapter!!

A Simple Legacy III by elle6778 - Chapter 2

“No…” she choked out.

Landing on her knees beside Sesshoumaru, she let out an involuntary whimper as her fingers hovered frantically over him. There was so much blood. So much that she could barely make out his features. The magenta stripes on his cheeks were completely obscured by the thick coat of the sticky liquid. Her fingers shook as she tried to wipe it away.

Her throat constricted. She was terrified at his stillness. Her blood ran cold at the thought that she might be too late. She should have given in to her urge to come see him. Then he would have had some help to fend of those monsters. He would not be lying here, bleeding to death.

A firm hand stilled her movements.

“Calm down, Kagome. He's strong enough to live through this,” Inuyasha said gruffly. “We need to get him out of here,” he added, glancing around at the hallway littered with the lifeless neko-youkais. His face twisted into an expression of disgust.

Recalling what she had learnt in the future about moving accident victims, she raised a pair of anxious eyes to the hanyou. “Is it safe to move him?”

Inuyasha nodded. With that, he knelt down and lifted Sesshoumaru up carefully. “We need to get the blood off. The way he's covered in it, we can't see his injuries,” he stated quietly.

Kagome followed numbly behind him, still shocked at the state Sesshoumaru was in. She only comprehended where they were headed to when the double door to the hot springs loomed ahead. Running past Inuyasha, she shoved the door open to let them in. Once they were in the steamy space, Inuyasha set the still unconscious Sesshoumaru down and began to disrobe him. Her heart twisted as he pulled off the torn white silk, now stained crimson, revealing ugly gashes peppering Sesshoumaru's back, thighs and shoulders.

A choked sound came from her as she stared at the numerous wounds on his back. “They attacked him from the back,” she exclaimed shakily, her hands fisted at her sides.

“Cowards,” Inuyasha growled. “One against what? A hundred? It's a miracle he even managed to kill them all.”

Leaving his half-brother clad only in the traditional loincloth, Inuyasha stood up and shed his own clothes. The fact that he barely spared her a glance as he did so made her feel less awkward about seeing the two of them undressed.

“Wait here,” he muttered gruffly.

Hefting Sesshoumaru up in his arm, Inuyasha waded into the hot springs. Kneeling beside the water, Kagome watched as the water surrounding them began to stain red from the blood. Her worried eyes never left them and the anxiety in her grew as Sesshoumaru continued being unresponsive to Inuyasha's ministrations.

Once the excess blood had been washed off, Inuyasha stepped out. Uncaring of the dripping water, he quickly donned his clothes back on and carried Sesshoumaru out. It did not take them long to reach Sesshoumaru's quarters. Fortunately, the entire west wing had escaped the attack, Kagome thought as she looked around. Inuyasha immediately set Sesshoumaru's down onto the futon. To Kagome's horror, some of his larger wounds began to stain the white fabric red.

Knowing that she needed to heal Sesshoumaru fast before he lost more blood, Kagome knelt down beside him hurriedly and placed her hands over his wounds. As Inuyasha watched intently, she felt the familiar warmth tingling against her palm as she healed Sesshoumaru. Slowly but surely, the wounds began to close up. But there were many of them and it would take some time before she finished.

Tossing a sideways glance at Inuyasha, she said quietly, “Rin needs to know he's alive. I need to stay here to heal him.”

With a nod, Inuyasha left the room, sliding the shoji screen shut behind him.

Focusing her attention back on Sesshoumaru, she continued to let her healing powers wash over him. She did not know how long she had been kneeling there, her brows furrowed in concentration. All she knew was that she had to get rid of all his wounds. She had to keep that in mind and not break down into a helpless heap. It took some time before Sesshoumaru's wounds were healed, but it was clear that he was far from healthy. He looked too pale, too sickly. Something else needed to be done.

But what?

The next thing she knew, Inuyasha was back in the room.

“Moriko is watching over the kid. She didn't think it was a good idea to let her in here when he is…” faltering, Inuyasha just gestured at Sesshoumaru. “How is he doing anyway?”

Kagome shook her head dejectedly. “I healed his wounds, but he's still very weak,” she said with growing panic. Her eyes stung with her unshed tears and she took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. “He is not getting better. I-I don't know what to do,” she rasped.

Inuyasha's eyes flickered, but he did not say anything.

“H-He lost too much blood,” she continued in a broken voice as she gazed down at the unconscious taiyoukai. “My healing can't give him back what he needs fast enough. The process is too slow.” She inhaled a choked breath. “What if he doesn't make it?”

What would she do if Sesshoumaru did not make it? Her heart twisted painfully at the thought and a fresh set of tears pooled in her eyes. She wanted the taiyoukai to return to his strong, arrogant self, not was lying down there at death's door. But what could she do? She looked up to give Inuyasha a helpless look, hating how useless she felt.

Looking thoughtful, Inuyasha knelt down on the other side of Sesshoumaru. His expression was unreadable, reminding her eerily of Sesshoumaru as he stared down at his brother. Then, a look of determination crossed his face.

As he rolled his left sleeve up, he told her, “Lift his head up.”

Confused, she asked, “What?”

Inuyasha glanced at her, his discomfort clear in his face. “It's something I remembered seeing someone do when I was a pup. Sesshoumaru needs blood.”

As she looked wide-eyed at Inuyasha's sharp claw piercing his other wrist, understanding dawned. “You think it would work?” she asked uncertainly, a frown gracing her forehead.

“We just have to try it, don't we? Then we'll know!” he snapped irritably as his blood began to trickle from his wrist. “Hurry up, will you?”

Taken aback by his harsh tone, Kagome was about to lash out when suddenly, the expression in on Inuyasha's face caught her attention.

Inuyasha was worried. Almost as worried as she was. He was simply reacting in his usual brash manner. Somewhere inside that stubborn head and heart of his, Inuyasha must have some brotherly feeling towards Sesshoumaru.

Softening, she nodded at him and slipped her hand under Sesshoumaru's damp hair. As she tilted his head up, her other hand gently pried his colorless lips open. She winced as one of his sharp fangs pricked her finger, but she ignored the sting. Inuyasha immediately pressed his wrist to Sesshoumaru's mouth. Praying that it would work, Kagome watched silently as Inuyasha's blood stained the taiyoukai's lips crimson. Then, to her elation, some color returned to Sesshoumaru's face.

After what seemed like forever, she looked up to find Inuyasha sagging. Alarmed at the hanyou's drooping eyelids, Kagome quickly lowered Sesshoumaru head and yanked Inuyasha's wrist away.

“Inuyasha!” she yelled urgently as he slumped sideways.

Jumping over Sesshoumaru, she grasped his wrist and healed the cut. To her relief, his heart still beat strongly. Opening his amber eyes, he blinked at her, clearly disoriented.

“Stupid! You could've killed yourself,” she chastised irritably.

As he blinked at her, he managed to smirk. “Feh! I won't kill myself over that bastard,” he declared, weakly pushing himself up into a sitting position.

Kagome shook her head in exasperation. Glancing at Sesshoumaru before she directed her gaze to Inuyasha, she said quietly, “Thank you.”

Averting his eyes, Inuyasha scorned, “You don't have to thank me. He saved my life once. I'm just paying him back.”

A smile graced her lips. Her friend's reaction was nothing but predictable. He would never admit even under the pain of death that he had been concerned for his half-brother. But she knew that he did, and that was enough.

Getting to his feet unsteadily, Inuyasha said shakily, “I'm going to check on Moriko.”

Worried about her friend, she said, “You need to rest, Inuyasha. You've lost a lot of blood.”

Gesturing dismissively as he walked out of the door, he replied, “I can take care of myself, Kagome.” Then he paused and turned to look over his shoulders. “Don't worry,” he added in a gentler tone.

Sighing as the shoji screen slid shut, Kagome turned her attention back to Sesshoumaru. His complexion seemed a little healthier now. Whatever the neko-youkais had done to him, they had caused a substantial amount of damage. She gritted her teeth in fury. If they were not dead already, she would have gladly purified all off them to hell in one blast.

A small sound suddenly escaped Sesshoumaru's lips. To her amazement, he shifted a little in his sleep, his brows furrowing as he let out an agonized breath. She instantly scooted closer and stroked his forehead, wishing that she could take his pain away completely. Inuyasha's blood must have taken effect, she thought with relief.

Her eyes teared up again. She hated to see the proud taiyoukai so weak. Sesshoumaru was always so strong, so unflappable that to see him like this tore at her in the most painful way imaginable. Choking back her sobs, she ran her fingers down the side of his face, tracing the magenta stripes on his cheeks.

In a sudden blur of movement, she found her hand caught in an uncompromising grip. Her eyes snapped to his to find glowing furious red orbs staring back at her. Her heart raced at the threatening expression in those eyes.

A snarl escaped his lips as he bared his sharp fangs menacingly, his grip on her tightening painfully. Kagome bit back a cry of pain. She needed to get through to him before he lashed out and hurt both of them.

Clamping down on her rising fear, Kagome whispered, “Sesshoumaru…It's me. Calm down, you're safe now.”

The red orbs flickered for a moment, seemingly confused. Then recognition dawned and the red disappeared, leaving her staring anxiously at his bleary golden eyes.

“Miko…” he rasped weakly. “Kagome…”

Her breath hitched at the sound of her name from his lips. Vaguely, she realized that this was the first time he had uttered her chosen name. Her fear instantly dissipated to be replaced by an overwhelming feeling of relief.

“Sesshoumaru! I've been so worried,” she exclaimed, gripping his hand with her other hand.

His unfocussed eyes told her that he barely registered her words. To her surprise, she could feel his emotions washing over her. Surprise was dominant, followed by a sense of relief and then, a warm feeling of peace. In his weakened state, he must have been unable to keep up his barriers, she surmised.

“…will cease to invade this Sesshoumaru's mind…” His words were so soft that she could barely make out what he was saying. What was he talking about?

“What is it, Sesshoumaru? Tell me,” she coaxed gently.

His hand tightened around hers and she felt a spike of anxiety from him. “Rin…” he choked out.

“Rin's fine,” she assured him quickly. “Jaken and the rest of your guards are still alive, but sleeping.” Not wanting to agitate him, she decided to leave out the news of the two dead guards at the entrance to his castle.

Sesshoumaru's relief was palpable as the crease between his brows evened out. A moment later, his eyes fluttered shut.

Kagome sighed, feeling a little better than before. It was a good sign that he had woken up, even if he seemed delirious. It must be due to the blood loss. However strong Sesshoumaru was, he was still a living being, and no one could be unaffected by the loss of that amount of blood.

Knowing that she would not leave his side until he was well, she shuffled to find a more comfortable position. With her right hand still firmly encased in his larger one, she found movement somewhat limited.

Weariness washed over her, reminding her that she had not slept for the entire night and it was now almost dawn. Yawning, she laid down beside Sesshoumaru, telling herself that she would just close her eyes for a while.

...***…***…***…

A sensation of burning pain lanced through his entire body, bringing Sesshoumaru to the world of consciousness. Gritting his teeth, he tried to push the feeling out of his mind and focus on something else.

He noted absently that he was enveloped in a soothing scent. Peach, his disoriented mind supplied as his eyes remained firmly shut. He needed more of the scent. Disregarding the pain, his body shifted of its own volition until he came into contact with something warm. A familiar presence washed over him, caressing each of his senses. Calming him, healing him. He nuzzled into the warmth, breathing in deeply as a soft steady beat pulsed against his lips.

His body ached and his mind was dulled. Unfamiliar with the state he was in, Sesshoumaru attempted to recall what had occurred.

His eyes shot open as the image of neko-youkais flashed across his mind.

His thoughts instantly drifted to the battle and a heated rage coursed through him. He had managed to kill them all, but it came at a price. There had been too many of them and it had not been an easy battle. During the battle, it had occurred to him to transform into his true form, however, he balked at the thought of destroying his home. The last thing he remembered was the feeling of a most excruciating pain tearing through his body as he slashed through the last neko-youkai. Then everything had gone dark.

The darkness he had experienced then was different from the mass of darkness which was currently obscuring his vision. Hair, he surmised. He blinked once in puzzlement before he identified the warm body in his arms.

It was the miko.

His breath suspended in his chest.

He recalled a hazy memory of the miko tending to him, asking him if he was alright. Hovering over him, her eyes had been full of concern. She had also told him that Rin and his servants were unharmed.

Somehow, she had ended up on his futon.

He should move away from her. Their current position was improper. Unfortunately, his limbs did not seem inclined to obey him.

Sesshoumaru frowned. His reluctance to withdraw from her warmth disturbed him greatly. This, in combination with his inability to rid her from his mind for the last two months, implied something to him. Something which should have occurred to him prior to this event.

Could it be possible that he was developing some kind of attachment to the miko?

His frown deepened.

Developing?

Something told him that the attachment had already been formed long ago without his consent.

He should attempt to halt the process. After all, his attachment to Rin had been considered a weakness by his enemies. He simply did not need another weakness. However, it occurred to him that anyone would be foolish to use the miko in the same manner in which they had attempted to use Rin. The miko was powerful in her own right and was more than capable of defending herself without his assistance.

Furthermore, how was he supposed to break an attachment which had been formed without his knowledge?

He sighed wearily as he tried to think past the pain in his body. The past two months had proven to him that any attempt to do so would be futile. He should simply admit that he had formed an attachment to the miko and accept it as such. After all, the miko's presence was not unpleasant.

Provided that it did not go further than simple attachment, he did not need to concern himself unduly.

At the moment, he was simply content to enjoy her warmth while his body healed. He felt comfortable enough to purr. Not that he would lower himself to such an action.

However, there was no harm in indulging in this pleasantness for a little longer.

Just this once, he told himself firmly.

...***…***…***…

It was nice and warm, Kagome thought, still half asleep. However, something was tickling her cheeks, forcing her to crack her eyes open in displeasure at the disturbance. Few strands of silver came into view.

Her eyes shot open fully as she tensed.

She was lying on her back Sesshoumaru's futon and she could not move.

His fringe had fallen onto her cheeks and the soft puffs of warm air told her that he had buried his face in her neck. One of his bare legs was thrown over hers and his arm was wrapped around her midsection, effectively trapping her. Glancing down, she saw a magenta striped wrist resting just under her breast. She sucked in a sharp breath as said wrist moved, causing his fingers to brush lightly against the curve of her breast.

Heat exploded low within her belly. She almost groaned out loud as the body behind her shifted again, pulling her closer. Now that she was awake, her body could not seem to stop itself from reacting to the male counterpart pressed so close against her.

Then he nuzzled her neck affectionately.

Kagome's breath caught in her throat and she felt her cheeks burn.

What was he doing? Sesshoumaru was unconsciously doing this in his sleep and would no doubt be mad once he woke up and found them in this position. She needed to remove herself before he found out.

But how?

She took a deep breath. Since he was still healing, maybe he would not wake up so easily. She crossed her fingers. Carefully, she tried to inch sideways out of his grasp.

“Do not move.”

She gasped, her entire body tensing at the unexpected voice.

“Sesshoumaru?” she ventured tentatively. He was awake?

Silence was her only response. Perhaps he was still asleep and he was not conscious of what he was saying. Why else would he ask her not to move? He could not be purposely hugging her like this.

Could he?

Confused, she decided that she should wake him. After all, it was not her fault that he was clinging on so tightly. And it was not as if he could do anything to her in the state he was in. The only thing she had to deal with was her own embarrassment.

“Sesshoumaru?” She raised her voice a notch when there was no response. “Sesshoumaru! Wake up!”

She felt a low rumble against her neck before he pulled away, surprising her with his speed. Suddenly, she found herself free to move. Without a moment's delay, she rolled off the futon onto the tatami mat covering the floor, her heart beating erratically.

“Is it not possible for you to maintain silence, Miko?” he growled as a wave of irritation reached her.

Her eyes went to his reclining form. The sheets had ridden low on his body, exposing his finely chiseled chest to her perusal. The new pink flesh over his wounds did not mar his appeal at all. She gulped involuntarily as the heat in her midsection grew. For some reason, this time was much worse than the time she had seen him naked in the hotsprings even though he was less exposed now. It must be because she could still feel the ghost of his arms around her. Her eyes traveled upwards slowly until they made contact with his sleepy molten gold eyes.

She found herself unable to utter a single word.

His eyes gleamed in an unnamed emotion. “Miko. Your barriers.”

Flushing when she realized what he meant, Kagome instantly dragged up her emotional barriers. It was a little late, seeing that Sesshoumaru had probably caught her less than innocent emotions. She took a deep, calming breath. It was not as if he never felt it before. Not to mention with his looks, he had more than his share of lustful ogling. It probably did not affect him at all.

Shaking the inappropriate thoughts away, she forced herself to focus on more important matters. “How are you feeling?” she asked, surprised at how steady her voice sounded. Sesshoumaru's composure must be rubbing off on her, she thought wryly. Too bad it did not always work.

He pushed himself up into a sitting position and her eyes immediately went to the sheet that had bunched down at his hips. Quickly tearing her eyes away, she fixed them firmly onto Sesshoumaru's face, giving him a questioning look.

“This Sesshoumaru is well.”

She gave him a disbelieving look. The wave of pain which had just washed over her told her otherwise. If his emotional barriers were down and he did not even realize it, things must be bad.

“You were not so well last night. Rin came to get us on Ah-Un. What happened? When we got here, there were hundreds of dead neko youkais all over this wing.”

His eyes narrowed dangerously in recollection. “The youkai responsible will pay for his audacity.”

“Not now,” she quickly said as she stood up. “After you heal.”

“Hn.” Then he looked at her. “Where is Rin?”

“She's probably still sleeping. She traveled all night to find us and when we got here, she was upset. Moriko has been keeping her away from here, so that she wouldn't see you like this. I can go get her-” She broke off suddenly when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

From the sharp glance Sesshoumaru directed at the screen, so did he. A short while later, the shoji slid open to reveal a frowning Inuyasha.

Ignoring his brother, Inuyasha walked up to her. “You've been here the whole night?”

Kagome nodded. “I fell asleep.”

He glanced in confusion at the futon and then back at her. “There's one futon in here. You slept on the floor?”

Fighting her embarrassment, Kagome replied sheepishly. “I fell asleep on the futon.” Then she quickly added, “But it is fine. It's a big futon.”

It took a second for Inuyasha to digest the information. Then his eyes bulged. “You SLEPT with him?! What do you mean it is fine?”

“Inuyasha.” Sesshoumaru's voice was firm. “Do you not trust the miko's words?”

Giving him an incredulous look, Inuyasha sputtered, “What are you talking about? This has got nothing to do with trust and everything to do with the fact that she had just spent a night on your futon.”

Kagome pressed her palms against her forehead wearily, knowing what was coming.

Inuyasha's nose twitched as he leaned closer and sniffed her. Eyes widening, he took a step back. Slowly, his features became red and he spun around to face Sesshoumaru. “What did you do, you bastard?! She stinks of you.”

Not this again, Kagome groaned inwardly. She let out an exasperated sigh. “Inuyasha, look at him. After last night, you of all people should know that he's not well enough to attack a fly. You really think he could do anything to me?”

“This Sesshoumaru is not weak,” the taiyoukai bit out, sounding affronted.

“You're not helping, Sesshoumaru,” she gritted out in irritation. What was wrong with these two? She was trying to calm things down and Sesshoumaru had to say something like that.

Ignoring her, Inuyasha glowered at Sesshoumaru. “I'm not going to sink so low as to attack you when you're in this state. But I'm not going to let you treat Kagome like some sort of toy. And you can't go around sleeping with her unless you intend to court her or something!”

Kagome jaw went slack. A quick glance at Sesshoumaru told her that he had stiffened visibly at Inuyasha's words. She did not blame him. Inuyasha was taking this a little too far. Accidentally falling asleep on Sesshoumaru's futon did not mean that there was anything like THAT going on between them.

But what about him nuzzling her neck?

What about his legs thrown over hers?

And what about his arms around her waist pulling her closer?

Kagome frowned in confusion. No, Sesshoumaru had been just a little disoriented because of his injuries. He had not been himself. Then she suddenly felt irritated. Why could he not have just kept his hands and his nose to himself? If he had, they would not be having this stupid conversation.

“Inuyasha.” Sesshoumaru's voice was tight. “Do not speak of matters which you do not understand.”

Inuyasha's amber eyes narrowed. “How stupid do you think I am? It's obvious that there's something going on between the two of you.”

Kagome ground her teeth together as her irritation mounted.

“And what might that be, little brother?” Sesshoumaru asked in a dangerous voice.

“Do I need to spell it out for you?!”

Sesshoumaru raised a disinterested brow. “Perhaps you should.”

Inuyasha growled. “Why you-”

“THAT'S ENOUGH!” Kagome shouted, furious at their continual jibes. “I'm still here, you know!”

Both of them stared at her wordlessly.

She felt like bashing their heads together. But knowing that would result in nothing but one angry hanyou and an even angrier taiyoukai, she spun around and stalked out of the room. If they wanted to be unreasonable about the entire situation, they could do it without her around.

...***…***…***…

The moment the shoji screen slid shut, Sesshoumaru turned his piercing gaze to Inuyasha. The hanyou had gone too far this time. He had been unsurprised that the Inuyasha had arrived at such a conclusion. What surprised him though, was the fact that Inuyasha had chosen to bring it up right in front of the miko. It was clear that the entire situation had embarrassed her.

Sesshoumaru glowered inwardly. Inuyasha's accusation had stung. Although it was untrue that he had any intention of going any further, Sesshoumaru had to admit that he had taken advantage of the miko's closeness last night. He should have refrained from giving in to the urge to seek comfort. The intimacy they had shared was nothing short of improper considering his state of undress.

However, he was reluctant to tear into the hanyou. After all, without Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru knew that he would not be sitting up this very day. The faint metallic tang in his mouth had confirmed it. Inuyasha had fed him his own blood which had resulted in the acceleration of his healing.

For that, he would refrain from killing the hanyou for his impudence.

Inuyasha glared at him. “I don't like you near her, Sesshoumaru. But she seems to like you. So if you're planning to court her, then do it properly.”

The miko liked him? The thought of it gave Sesshoumaru an uncomfortable feeling. “You will mind your own affairs, little bother.”

“I meant what I said, Sesshoumaru.”

“This Sesshoumaru has no intention of courting the miko.”

“Keh, you sure don't act like it.”

Sesshoumaru stiffened.

“I'm not stupid. You care for her. And that is not something you do. Not to mention you sleep with her. Really sleep, not the type where you keep your senses wide awake. And don't deny it, because I can tell that you really slept last night from that look on your face. And this is not the first time, either.” Inuyasha took a deep breath, looking as if he was trying to calm himself. When he next spoke, his voice was calmer. “Look, one day, things are going to get out of hand. And I don't want you to hurt her.”

“Ridiculous,” Sesshoumaru bit out disdainfully.

Inuyasha's insinuation was not lost on him. Did his half-brother really think that he held such little control over himself? He admitted that he was somewhat attached to the miko, however, it was no more than the simple attachment similar to what he felt for Rin.

Nothing more.

Inuyasha's expression grew thunderous. “Fine! Deny it all you want. But if you hurt her, I will kill you.”

“Your concern for the miko is touching, but completely unnecessary,” Sesshoumaru remarked condescendingly.

Giving him a look of utter disbelief, the hanyou simply spun around and headed for the shoji. However, just as he reached out, Inuyasha paused.

Without around, he asked, “Do you know who did this to you?” His voice was tight.

Sesshoumaru took his gaze away from his brother's back, wondering if he should answer the question. Then, deciding that there was no harm in it, he replied flatly, “Ryokusen is the most likely suspect.”

Inuyasha turned around, a confused frown gracing his forehead. “Who's that?”

“Your lack of knowledge is astounding, Inuyasha.”

Eyes glinting, Inuyasha snapped, “Cut the crap. I just want to know who's capable of taking you by surprise. Who the hell is Ryokusen?”

Sesshoumaru stiffened at the insult, however true it might be. Glowering inwardly, he said, “Ryokusen is the Lord of the Northern Isle. Centuries ago, our father defeated him.”

“So this is payback?” Inuyasha frowned. “Why wait so long?”

Sesshoumaru did not reply. It was odd that Ryokusen had chosen to attack all of a sudden, especially considering that ever since he had taken over from his father, he had not heard from the Northern Lord.

“Keh! I guess you don't know.”

Sesshoumaru found it unnecessary to respond.

Shaking his head, Inuyasha declared, “It's not my problem anyway. Just make sure you kill him before he turns into another Naraku.”

“Hn.”

“By the way, I got the servants to clean up the mess in the east wing. The neko-youkais trashed it pretty badly. I don't think it's a good idea to let Rin stay in that wing anymore.”

Sesshoumaru hid his surprise. The servants had obeyed Inuyasha's instructions? A sudden feeling of annoyance washed over him. The fact that Inuyasha, as the youngest son of Inu-no-Taishou, had every right to do so did not escape him. However, it was still barely tolerable.

Finally, the source of his annoyance walked out.

As the shoji screen slid shut, Sesshoumaru exhaled heavily. The argument had taken its toll on his weakened body and holding himself up was becoming a strain. Disgusted with the state he was in, Sesshoumaru lowered himself onto the futon.

Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply, catching the lingering scent of the miko as he did so. Unconsciously, he rolled over to the spot she had occupied earlier and promptly fell asleep.

...***…***…***…

Kagome fumed as she stomped along the hallway, still irritated by the conversation in Sesshoumaru's room.

Why did Inuyasha accuse them of something like that? She knew that it had looked bad, but surely Inuyasha knew that neither she nor Sesshoumaru would do something like that. With each other, no less. And to accuse them of it had achieved nothing but embarrassment for her. She doubted that Sesshoumaru shared her embarrassment. Knowing him, he would only find it to be an annoyance. Did nothing ever faze him?

When she passed the east wing, she noticed that the servants had already begun to patch up the mess left by the intruders. The dead bodies of the neko-youkais were thankfully gone. At the moment, they were repairing the damaged screens. She cringed at the memory of the blood spattered walls.

It brought her back to the state Sesshoumaru was in. It was obvious that although he had managed to rouse himself, Sesshoumaru was still weak. Weaker than she had ever seen him. His emotional barriers were practically non-existent and she had realized that he tried hard to appear as if he was alright.

And Inuyasha had to come in and make things worse. Kagome immediately glowered.

Just as she stepped out into the courtyard, Rin came rushing towards her.

Eyes wide and worried, the little girl asked, “Is Sesshoumaru-sama alright?”

Pushing her own annoyance aside, Kagome gave Rin a reassuring smile. “He's alright. But he's still healing.”

“Can Rin visit him?”

“You can go, just don't wake him up if he's asleep, alright?” she said gently.

Rin brightened. “Thank you, Kagome-neechan. Rin will just look quietly.”

“Good.”

Watching as Rin dashed into the castle, Kagome heaved a sigh. She could not imagine how devastated Rin would be if Sesshoumaru did not make it. Kagome's heart suddenly twisted at the thought. She could not be sure that she would survive something like that either. Sesshoumaru was now part of her life and if anything happened to him, she would not know how to cope with it.

“Kagome?”

She glanced to the side to find Moriko staring at her, concern written all over her face. “Is everything alright? Inuyasha went in to find you when he realized that you've been gone the whole night,” the forest youkai said.

Kagome flushed at the recollection of just what she had been up to the entire night. “Yeah. Apart from Inuyasha being a jerk, everything is fine.”

Moriko laughed. “That's nothing new. He can be pretty annoying at times.”

A wry smile crossed Kagome's lips. “At least I'm not the one who has to deal with it all the time now.”

Grinning, Moriko said, “Well, someone's got to do it. Who better than the one trying to court him?”

The mention of courting reminded Kagome of the question she had wanted to ask Moriko. “I've been meaning to ask you a favor, but I kind of got distracted with everything.”

“What is it?” Moriko asked curiously.

“One day, out of nowhere, this crane youkai came up to me and started prancing around. Sango said that he was trying to court me. I don't even know him.”

Moriko gaped. “Really?”

Kagome nodded. “Can you find out what's happening?”

“Sure. I can get the trees to find out.” Then Moriko frowned. “Now that I think about it, crane youkai actually does the courting dance. But why you? It's so strange.”

“Yeah,” Kagome agreed. “That's why I want to find out what's happening.”

Moriko looked thoughtful. “I wonder…”

“What?” Kagome prompted curiously.

Shaking her head, Moriko said, “Nothing. I'll get the trees to find out. It shouldn't take long.”

Kagome gave Moriko a grateful smile.

…***…***…***…