InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Absolution's Pursuit ❯ A Touch of Innocence ( Chapter 14 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Lady Sianna 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 07.04.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 390 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 07.04.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 390 | Status: Work In Progress
Absolution’s Pursuit
A Touch of Innocence
_____________________________________________________________ ___________
A pair of clawed hands, ancient yet highly skilled, moved in swift, smooth motions over the now gleaming surface of the shell. Already the armor was beginning to take shape, and Sesshoumaru could not help but to marvel, if only in the privacy of his mind, at the obvious skill of the old sword smith. It was rather easy to forget that, in spite of how dim-witted he typically appeared to be, Totosai was a master of his craft, capable of manufacturing weaponry that could both take life and restore it.
Focused entirely upon his work, the ancient elemental breathed a stream of fire on the shell, molding and reshaping it to his own high standards of perfection.
There was little guessing as to why Sesshoumaru would require armor such as this, though the daiyoukai had given no explanation. He could detect it, even now, even here in his home on the mountain, Totosai could feel the change that was gradually occurring around them. Annihilation whispered in the winds, waiting patiently for the moment when it would claim nearly the entirety of youkai kind.
Though aware of what was taking place, he was also aware that, for the moment at least, he would not be affected. As an elemental, Totosai was more powerful than most demon species, but not even he would escape the god’s wrath should they decide to be rid of him as well. No, Totosai would likely be spared not because of his own innate power, but some other reason he had yet to determine. He had lived for many, many centuries, yet the will of the gods’ continued to be a mystery to him. Admittedly though, he certainly could understand why they might wish to be rid of Sesshoumaru and many other youkai of similar caliber. Most were dangerous and unpredictable creatures! As far as the lesser youkai, they were largely useless, except to serve as fodder to their betters. Typically, they were mindless, corruptible creatures that, in the case of Naraku and others like him, would do the evil biddings of anyone who held the power to sway them.
Now that the hanyou was gone, it seemed that the lesser demons were becoming wilder, more numerous and even more volatile than they had been before. If he were honest with himself, Totosai decided, he would not be terribly displeased to see them gone from this world. Mo-Mo, his flying ox and Myoga were the only living demons with whom he had any real ties these days, and as far as he could tell, both were fairing just as well as he.
Reaching to his immediate right, the old male found his hammer and began a series of light, strategic strikes to the shell, molding it carefully over a semi rounded stone. If he continued undisturbed, his work would be finished before morning.
“Totosai,”
‘Figures,’ the old demon thought. He looked up from his task just in time to see Sesshoumaru turn away and walk unhurriedly out of the cave entrance, apparently expecting him to follow. Placing the partially formed armor and his oversized hammer on the cave floor, the old demon allowed his large eyes to roam to his far right, where Kagome was curled up on his futon. Her right arm tucked beneath her head and her left hidden in the billowing sleeve of her haori, she was the picture of contentment. It had only been a few moments after their arrival before she had nodded off, and Totosai had been more than surprised to see her with the lord of the west. He decided not to question it though.
He had been further surprised, his eyes growing even larger than usual when the girl, having dozed off while leaning against the unforgiving walls of the cave, was lifted, very carefully in Sesshoumaru’s arms and placed upon his futon to sleep. It was obvious that they had traveled some ways, and the human female, just barely into adulthood was probably very tired.
Not for the first time since they’d arrived, Totosai wondered why they were traveling together.
Unfolding his bony legs, he rose to his feet and silently exited the cave. Night had already claimed the land, bringing with it cool breezes and the light, crisp scent of rain. The old demon flexed his fingers and drew in the fresh air, indulging for only a moment before he turned his attention to the one that had summoned him.
Standing a few feet away, Sesshoumaru, unsurprisingly still had his back to him, though he could tell that the inu lord held his head to the sky.
“Well, what is it?” the old demon finally asked when Sesshoumaru did not immediately acknowledge him. For a few additional seconds, the inu lord remained silent, and just as the ancient elemental was about to prompt him again, the demon lord spoke.
“What do you know?” he asked stoically, though there was an unfriendly edge to his voice.
“What are you talking abou--”
“Totosai,” the inu all but barked, “Your feigned ignorance is of no use to me. I know that you have remained unaffected by what has recently occurred, but that will by no means save you from my claws should you continue to test my patience.”
Though unimpressed by his threat as he knew that the inu would not kill him, at least not before he finished the armor, Totosai none the less decided to talk.
“Our species is soon to be eradicated.” he admitted matter-of-factly, his voice raspy at the edges. “I don’t know why it hasn’t affected me yet but--”
“I already know the fate that awaits our kind,” Sesshoumaru said, finally turning to face him. “The shell will only provide a temporary solution.” the daiyoukai trailed off, his expression becoming something unreadable. He averted his gaze, a faint crease appearing at his brow as he continued, “Father believes… he believes that I require a means of absolution.”
Understanding gleamed in the elemental’s large round eyes as gnarled old fingers rose to stroke his bearded chin. “Hmm,” he declared knowingly, “and you think I might have some answers as to how you’re supposed to achieve this.”
Glaring down at him through narrowed eyes, Sesshoumaru studiously repressed the desire to run his claws through Totosai’s thin, age-worn neck. Not only did he detest the faint mocking with which the elder male had spoke, but he also had a sneaking suspicion about the fact that the old bat hadn’t questioned him when he had mentioned his father. Was he hiding something? Perhaps he knew more than he was saying.
Sesshoumaru flexed his claws, a move that did not go unnoticed by the male who stood along side him.
“Unfortunately,” the ancient finally said, looking up at the daiyoukai, his expression unusually serious. “I don’t have the answers you’re looking for.” He paused, ignoring the impatience he detected from the young inu. “You’ll have to talk to Bokusenou I’d wager. If anyone can lead you in the right direction, it’s him.”
Sesshoumaru continued to glare at him, not content with the notion that the elemental might be hiding something from him, but satisfied enough with his answer to let it be.
He had already decided that he would likely consult with Bokusenou regarding this matter. He’d merely taken the opportunity to speak with Totosai because he was already here. The old demon possessed unimaginable knowledge when it came to weaponry, but as far as he could tell, was arguably useless for anything beyond that.
“Hn,” the inu lord murmured at last, brushing past the other male as he went back into the cave. Faintly amused with his apparent petulance, Totosai merely pushed up his sleeves and made his way in behind him. He still had a lot of work to do if he wanted to be finished with that armor by morning.
Her eyes fluttering open, Kagome yawned and stretched, feeling the gentle pull of her muscles as she reemerged into the waking world. Sighing in contentment, she was about to snuggle back down into the thin futon that lay beneath her before she sprang, quite suddenly, into full consciousness. She frowned and began to scan her surroundings, uncertain how she had come to rest where she was. Hadn’t she fallen asleep sitting against a wall somewhere?
The untrained miko propped herself up on her elbow, her gaze immediately finding Totosai as he slept directly across from her. Propped against the side of his enormous brown ox, his legs were stretched out before him while his clawed fingers were laced over his stomach. She might have smiled at the picture he made, if not for the fact that his mouth was hanging open rather unflatteringly. The trail of drool that seeped from the corner of his thin lips, together with the loud snoring that she now wondered how she’d slept through, did little to help in the matter.
Kagome grimaced, averting her gaze before she pulled herself into a sitting position and stretched her muscles again. Her arms held high over her head, her sleeves cascaded down her arms as she drew in a deep breath.
She pulled her knees beneath her and turned, gasping in surprise when she saw that Sesshoumaru was sitting just a few feet away from where she had been sleeping. In the dim light of the cave, it was difficult to see whether or not he was awake, though she suspected that he probably was. It was almost hard to imagine that he actually might sleep sometimes.
“So you’re finally awake.”
His voice was quiet, but Kagome started anyway. He hadn’t moved a single inch as he spoke, and so even though she was positive she‘d heard him, she found herself still questioning whether or not he was awake.
Cautiously, the miko moved closer, inching toward him on her hands and knees as she watched for any signs that he might not want her to come near him. Seeing nothing of concern, she continued until she was beside him; close enough to touch, but still leaving space so as not to invade what might be his comfort zone.
She sat back on her knees, only now noticing the shiny new armor he wore. Had she been on his right rather than his left, she would not have seen it at all, as his enormous pelt would have blocked it from view. Observing silently, her mind attempted to piece together the way in which it had been fabricated. She noticed that parts of his old armor had been used in the construction of the new. And as far as she could tell, the spiky portions at the top of the breastplate and the part that went over his left shoulder, had been scavenged from the old armor. The breastplate itself however, was clearly crafted from Oshiikame’s shell. Before she thought about it, the miko reached forward but then paused, her fingers curling as she slowly withdrew it.
“He finished it,” she said softly, her eyes still fixed on its glassy new surface. “Do you mind if I touch it?”
Their eyes met then, and Kagome thought, only for a moment, that she saw a flash of confusion in his. It was gone just as quickly as it came; assuming it had been there in the first place, and he stared at her with that same bland indifference she had years ago attached only to him.
“Why?” he finally asked, and she was surprised to note the genuine curiosity in the undertone of his voice. Maybe he wasn’t used to anybody wanting to touch him… or his property for that matter. It seemed likely, as those who were anywhere near him typically found themselves in far too much pain to think of anything so innocuous as wanting to check out his new armor.
Finally she shrugged, dismissing the faint discomfort she felt at his unwavering gaze and answered his question with one of her own. “Why not?”
Frowning in a way that didn’t quite speak of malice, the demon lord did not seem to know what to say to this and so Kagome, still watching him for signs of disapproval, reached forward and touched his breastplate. Tentatively at first, she ran her fingers along its smooth surface, marveling at the exquisite craftsmanship.
When he said nothing to dissuade her, the untrained miko became emboldened, running the flat of her palm over the armor’s smooth surface, a small smile finding her lips.
As he seemed to no longer hold her attention, Sesshoumaru allowed himself to watch her openly, faintly bemused by the genuine fascination evident on her pretty face. It was no loss of face to admit that the miko was pleasant to look at, he decided absently. In his mind it held no greater weight than the fact that she had black hair. It was simply a part of who she was.
Aside from that, she seemed odd as far as humans went, not that he knew many personally. Though in some ways she seemed very innocent; almost child-like even, the miko called Kagome was very much a young woman. A human female who was even now running her delicate hands, if not over his body, very close to his body, in a way that seemed strangely intimate. He could feel the light pressure of her touch as her palm slid, slowly and smoothly from one side to the other and then back again.
It made him feel… strange. Neither pleasant nor unpleasant, merely odd and slightly out of sorts. For a moment he considered making her stop, but for reasons he could not quite piece together, his resolve to do so was strangely lacking.
“I can feel your power fusing with it,” the miko murmured softly, almost as if speaking to herself. She was using both hands now, moving them lightly over the surface as her eyes shone with something he could not readily identify. “I can feel Totosai’s and Oshiikame’s too, but yours is more prevalent.” she trailed off, both of her tiny hands still in motion.
He was going to say something, but somehow it escaped him as the swift, unsolicited vision of Kagome, running her hands not over his armor, but over his bare chest flashed ever so dangerously across his mind. It happened so swiftly, so suddenly that it nearly stole the breath from his lungs, and before even he knew it, he had snagged the miko’s left wrist in his hand.
She gasped, her eyes wide and her cheeks slightly flushed as she stared at him. Believing that he might be hurting her, the inu lord loosened his grip, but did not move to release her.
“S-sorry,” she breathed, hoping she hadn’t offended him. She hadn’t meant to molest his armor so thoroughly, she’d just been fascinated by the feel of the different powers as they swirled together beneath its surface. “I just…” she began, scrambling for an explanation, “I’ve never felt anything like it before.”
He stared at her, almost as if attempting to read her thoughts before he finally moved her hand away, placing it carefully in her own lap. He vigilantly ignored the light gasp she emitted when his thumb accidentally brushed her thigh, gritting his teeth as he tried with moderate success to keep his mind free of more unsolicited thoughts.
“Do not trouble yourself,” he said at last, in reference to her apology.
He averted his gaze from her, feeling disconcerted and strange and slightly warmer than he had been just moments ago. It was odd that she could affect him in such a way, and he was certain that she didn’t even realize it. Troublesome woman.
“How is it? The armor I mean… do you like it?”
Her voice was bright with false cheer, an undercurrent of nerves betraying her. It seemed that his accidental brush of her person had affected her in a similar manner as her touch, indirect as it was, had affected him. The thought made him feel somewhat vindicated. Now perhaps the guileless woman would be more mindful of her actions.
“It is fine,” he told her, realizing afterward that he had been a bit short. “I believe it will serve its intended purpose.” he added in a more even tone, not quite certain why at this moment he cared about hurting her feelings when he was positive he hadn‘t before.
She seemed pleased with that, settled back onto her heels and smiled. “That’s great!” she announced happily, her faint discomfort already gone. She was quiet for a moment, her eyes moving slowly from one side of the room to the other as she appeared to look for something. “Umm… now what?” she finally asked.
Sesshoumaru looked at her from the corner of his eyes, his distracted mind attempting to discern what she was talking about.
“What?”
She gave him an odd look. “Now what are we going to do?” she wanted to know. “Since you have your armor I don’t imagine you plan to stick around in this stuffy old mountain with Totosai do you?”
He scowled. “Obviously not.” he told her as he rose to his feet. He began moving toward the cave entrance and Kagome scrambled to her feet and hurried after him. He paused just beneath the craggy archway, the bright spill of sunlight reflecting off his hair and pristine clothing, nearly forcing the miko to shield her eyes as she looked at him. She settled for narrowing them instead.
“I will allow you the time you need to prepare and we will meet at the base of the mountain before mid-morning.”
“Oh, okay.” she sounded disappointed. “Where are we going?” she asked again, her fingers plucking at the oversized sleeve of her haori.
He didn’t look at her, opting instead to keep his gaze fixed on the distant horizon.
“To see Bokusenou.” he said at last, and without another word he leapt into the sky, becoming nothing more than a white blur as he vanished from view.
_________________________________________________________________ _______
Alright my lovelies, hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it turned out a lot different than I imagined, but I think guess its okay. Oh, and just an FYI, I would probably would have finished this chapter sooner, had my computer not suddenly DIED on my! Long story, short, I got it fixed and am a happy girl!
Thanks for reading and please review!
A Touch of Innocence
_____________________________________________________________ ___________
A pair of clawed hands, ancient yet highly skilled, moved in swift, smooth motions over the now gleaming surface of the shell. Already the armor was beginning to take shape, and Sesshoumaru could not help but to marvel, if only in the privacy of his mind, at the obvious skill of the old sword smith. It was rather easy to forget that, in spite of how dim-witted he typically appeared to be, Totosai was a master of his craft, capable of manufacturing weaponry that could both take life and restore it.
Focused entirely upon his work, the ancient elemental breathed a stream of fire on the shell, molding and reshaping it to his own high standards of perfection.
There was little guessing as to why Sesshoumaru would require armor such as this, though the daiyoukai had given no explanation. He could detect it, even now, even here in his home on the mountain, Totosai could feel the change that was gradually occurring around them. Annihilation whispered in the winds, waiting patiently for the moment when it would claim nearly the entirety of youkai kind.
Though aware of what was taking place, he was also aware that, for the moment at least, he would not be affected. As an elemental, Totosai was more powerful than most demon species, but not even he would escape the god’s wrath should they decide to be rid of him as well. No, Totosai would likely be spared not because of his own innate power, but some other reason he had yet to determine. He had lived for many, many centuries, yet the will of the gods’ continued to be a mystery to him. Admittedly though, he certainly could understand why they might wish to be rid of Sesshoumaru and many other youkai of similar caliber. Most were dangerous and unpredictable creatures! As far as the lesser youkai, they were largely useless, except to serve as fodder to their betters. Typically, they were mindless, corruptible creatures that, in the case of Naraku and others like him, would do the evil biddings of anyone who held the power to sway them.
Now that the hanyou was gone, it seemed that the lesser demons were becoming wilder, more numerous and even more volatile than they had been before. If he were honest with himself, Totosai decided, he would not be terribly displeased to see them gone from this world. Mo-Mo, his flying ox and Myoga were the only living demons with whom he had any real ties these days, and as far as he could tell, both were fairing just as well as he.
Reaching to his immediate right, the old male found his hammer and began a series of light, strategic strikes to the shell, molding it carefully over a semi rounded stone. If he continued undisturbed, his work would be finished before morning.
“Totosai,”
‘Figures,’ the old demon thought. He looked up from his task just in time to see Sesshoumaru turn away and walk unhurriedly out of the cave entrance, apparently expecting him to follow. Placing the partially formed armor and his oversized hammer on the cave floor, the old demon allowed his large eyes to roam to his far right, where Kagome was curled up on his futon. Her right arm tucked beneath her head and her left hidden in the billowing sleeve of her haori, she was the picture of contentment. It had only been a few moments after their arrival before she had nodded off, and Totosai had been more than surprised to see her with the lord of the west. He decided not to question it though.
He had been further surprised, his eyes growing even larger than usual when the girl, having dozed off while leaning against the unforgiving walls of the cave, was lifted, very carefully in Sesshoumaru’s arms and placed upon his futon to sleep. It was obvious that they had traveled some ways, and the human female, just barely into adulthood was probably very tired.
Not for the first time since they’d arrived, Totosai wondered why they were traveling together.
Unfolding his bony legs, he rose to his feet and silently exited the cave. Night had already claimed the land, bringing with it cool breezes and the light, crisp scent of rain. The old demon flexed his fingers and drew in the fresh air, indulging for only a moment before he turned his attention to the one that had summoned him.
Standing a few feet away, Sesshoumaru, unsurprisingly still had his back to him, though he could tell that the inu lord held his head to the sky.
“Well, what is it?” the old demon finally asked when Sesshoumaru did not immediately acknowledge him. For a few additional seconds, the inu lord remained silent, and just as the ancient elemental was about to prompt him again, the demon lord spoke.
“What do you know?” he asked stoically, though there was an unfriendly edge to his voice.
“What are you talking abou--”
“Totosai,” the inu all but barked, “Your feigned ignorance is of no use to me. I know that you have remained unaffected by what has recently occurred, but that will by no means save you from my claws should you continue to test my patience.”
Though unimpressed by his threat as he knew that the inu would not kill him, at least not before he finished the armor, Totosai none the less decided to talk.
“Our species is soon to be eradicated.” he admitted matter-of-factly, his voice raspy at the edges. “I don’t know why it hasn’t affected me yet but--”
“I already know the fate that awaits our kind,” Sesshoumaru said, finally turning to face him. “The shell will only provide a temporary solution.” the daiyoukai trailed off, his expression becoming something unreadable. He averted his gaze, a faint crease appearing at his brow as he continued, “Father believes… he believes that I require a means of absolution.”
Understanding gleamed in the elemental’s large round eyes as gnarled old fingers rose to stroke his bearded chin. “Hmm,” he declared knowingly, “and you think I might have some answers as to how you’re supposed to achieve this.”
Glaring down at him through narrowed eyes, Sesshoumaru studiously repressed the desire to run his claws through Totosai’s thin, age-worn neck. Not only did he detest the faint mocking with which the elder male had spoke, but he also had a sneaking suspicion about the fact that the old bat hadn’t questioned him when he had mentioned his father. Was he hiding something? Perhaps he knew more than he was saying.
Sesshoumaru flexed his claws, a move that did not go unnoticed by the male who stood along side him.
“Unfortunately,” the ancient finally said, looking up at the daiyoukai, his expression unusually serious. “I don’t have the answers you’re looking for.” He paused, ignoring the impatience he detected from the young inu. “You’ll have to talk to Bokusenou I’d wager. If anyone can lead you in the right direction, it’s him.”
Sesshoumaru continued to glare at him, not content with the notion that the elemental might be hiding something from him, but satisfied enough with his answer to let it be.
He had already decided that he would likely consult with Bokusenou regarding this matter. He’d merely taken the opportunity to speak with Totosai because he was already here. The old demon possessed unimaginable knowledge when it came to weaponry, but as far as he could tell, was arguably useless for anything beyond that.
“Hn,” the inu lord murmured at last, brushing past the other male as he went back into the cave. Faintly amused with his apparent petulance, Totosai merely pushed up his sleeves and made his way in behind him. He still had a lot of work to do if he wanted to be finished with that armor by morning.
Her eyes fluttering open, Kagome yawned and stretched, feeling the gentle pull of her muscles as she reemerged into the waking world. Sighing in contentment, she was about to snuggle back down into the thin futon that lay beneath her before she sprang, quite suddenly, into full consciousness. She frowned and began to scan her surroundings, uncertain how she had come to rest where she was. Hadn’t she fallen asleep sitting against a wall somewhere?
The untrained miko propped herself up on her elbow, her gaze immediately finding Totosai as he slept directly across from her. Propped against the side of his enormous brown ox, his legs were stretched out before him while his clawed fingers were laced over his stomach. She might have smiled at the picture he made, if not for the fact that his mouth was hanging open rather unflatteringly. The trail of drool that seeped from the corner of his thin lips, together with the loud snoring that she now wondered how she’d slept through, did little to help in the matter.
Kagome grimaced, averting her gaze before she pulled herself into a sitting position and stretched her muscles again. Her arms held high over her head, her sleeves cascaded down her arms as she drew in a deep breath.
She pulled her knees beneath her and turned, gasping in surprise when she saw that Sesshoumaru was sitting just a few feet away from where she had been sleeping. In the dim light of the cave, it was difficult to see whether or not he was awake, though she suspected that he probably was. It was almost hard to imagine that he actually might sleep sometimes.
“So you’re finally awake.”
His voice was quiet, but Kagome started anyway. He hadn’t moved a single inch as he spoke, and so even though she was positive she‘d heard him, she found herself still questioning whether or not he was awake.
Cautiously, the miko moved closer, inching toward him on her hands and knees as she watched for any signs that he might not want her to come near him. Seeing nothing of concern, she continued until she was beside him; close enough to touch, but still leaving space so as not to invade what might be his comfort zone.
She sat back on her knees, only now noticing the shiny new armor he wore. Had she been on his right rather than his left, she would not have seen it at all, as his enormous pelt would have blocked it from view. Observing silently, her mind attempted to piece together the way in which it had been fabricated. She noticed that parts of his old armor had been used in the construction of the new. And as far as she could tell, the spiky portions at the top of the breastplate and the part that went over his left shoulder, had been scavenged from the old armor. The breastplate itself however, was clearly crafted from Oshiikame’s shell. Before she thought about it, the miko reached forward but then paused, her fingers curling as she slowly withdrew it.
“He finished it,” she said softly, her eyes still fixed on its glassy new surface. “Do you mind if I touch it?”
Their eyes met then, and Kagome thought, only for a moment, that she saw a flash of confusion in his. It was gone just as quickly as it came; assuming it had been there in the first place, and he stared at her with that same bland indifference she had years ago attached only to him.
“Why?” he finally asked, and she was surprised to note the genuine curiosity in the undertone of his voice. Maybe he wasn’t used to anybody wanting to touch him… or his property for that matter. It seemed likely, as those who were anywhere near him typically found themselves in far too much pain to think of anything so innocuous as wanting to check out his new armor.
Finally she shrugged, dismissing the faint discomfort she felt at his unwavering gaze and answered his question with one of her own. “Why not?”
Frowning in a way that didn’t quite speak of malice, the demon lord did not seem to know what to say to this and so Kagome, still watching him for signs of disapproval, reached forward and touched his breastplate. Tentatively at first, she ran her fingers along its smooth surface, marveling at the exquisite craftsmanship.
When he said nothing to dissuade her, the untrained miko became emboldened, running the flat of her palm over the armor’s smooth surface, a small smile finding her lips.
As he seemed to no longer hold her attention, Sesshoumaru allowed himself to watch her openly, faintly bemused by the genuine fascination evident on her pretty face. It was no loss of face to admit that the miko was pleasant to look at, he decided absently. In his mind it held no greater weight than the fact that she had black hair. It was simply a part of who she was.
Aside from that, she seemed odd as far as humans went, not that he knew many personally. Though in some ways she seemed very innocent; almost child-like even, the miko called Kagome was very much a young woman. A human female who was even now running her delicate hands, if not over his body, very close to his body, in a way that seemed strangely intimate. He could feel the light pressure of her touch as her palm slid, slowly and smoothly from one side to the other and then back again.
It made him feel… strange. Neither pleasant nor unpleasant, merely odd and slightly out of sorts. For a moment he considered making her stop, but for reasons he could not quite piece together, his resolve to do so was strangely lacking.
“I can feel your power fusing with it,” the miko murmured softly, almost as if speaking to herself. She was using both hands now, moving them lightly over the surface as her eyes shone with something he could not readily identify. “I can feel Totosai’s and Oshiikame’s too, but yours is more prevalent.” she trailed off, both of her tiny hands still in motion.
He was going to say something, but somehow it escaped him as the swift, unsolicited vision of Kagome, running her hands not over his armor, but over his bare chest flashed ever so dangerously across his mind. It happened so swiftly, so suddenly that it nearly stole the breath from his lungs, and before even he knew it, he had snagged the miko’s left wrist in his hand.
She gasped, her eyes wide and her cheeks slightly flushed as she stared at him. Believing that he might be hurting her, the inu lord loosened his grip, but did not move to release her.
“S-sorry,” she breathed, hoping she hadn’t offended him. She hadn’t meant to molest his armor so thoroughly, she’d just been fascinated by the feel of the different powers as they swirled together beneath its surface. “I just…” she began, scrambling for an explanation, “I’ve never felt anything like it before.”
He stared at her, almost as if attempting to read her thoughts before he finally moved her hand away, placing it carefully in her own lap. He vigilantly ignored the light gasp she emitted when his thumb accidentally brushed her thigh, gritting his teeth as he tried with moderate success to keep his mind free of more unsolicited thoughts.
“Do not trouble yourself,” he said at last, in reference to her apology.
He averted his gaze from her, feeling disconcerted and strange and slightly warmer than he had been just moments ago. It was odd that she could affect him in such a way, and he was certain that she didn’t even realize it. Troublesome woman.
“How is it? The armor I mean… do you like it?”
Her voice was bright with false cheer, an undercurrent of nerves betraying her. It seemed that his accidental brush of her person had affected her in a similar manner as her touch, indirect as it was, had affected him. The thought made him feel somewhat vindicated. Now perhaps the guileless woman would be more mindful of her actions.
“It is fine,” he told her, realizing afterward that he had been a bit short. “I believe it will serve its intended purpose.” he added in a more even tone, not quite certain why at this moment he cared about hurting her feelings when he was positive he hadn‘t before.
She seemed pleased with that, settled back onto her heels and smiled. “That’s great!” she announced happily, her faint discomfort already gone. She was quiet for a moment, her eyes moving slowly from one side of the room to the other as she appeared to look for something. “Umm… now what?” she finally asked.
Sesshoumaru looked at her from the corner of his eyes, his distracted mind attempting to discern what she was talking about.
“What?”
She gave him an odd look. “Now what are we going to do?” she wanted to know. “Since you have your armor I don’t imagine you plan to stick around in this stuffy old mountain with Totosai do you?”
He scowled. “Obviously not.” he told her as he rose to his feet. He began moving toward the cave entrance and Kagome scrambled to her feet and hurried after him. He paused just beneath the craggy archway, the bright spill of sunlight reflecting off his hair and pristine clothing, nearly forcing the miko to shield her eyes as she looked at him. She settled for narrowing them instead.
“I will allow you the time you need to prepare and we will meet at the base of the mountain before mid-morning.”
“Oh, okay.” she sounded disappointed. “Where are we going?” she asked again, her fingers plucking at the oversized sleeve of her haori.
He didn’t look at her, opting instead to keep his gaze fixed on the distant horizon.
“To see Bokusenou.” he said at last, and without another word he leapt into the sky, becoming nothing more than a white blur as he vanished from view.
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Alright my lovelies, hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it turned out a lot different than I imagined, but I think guess its okay. Oh, and just an FYI, I would probably would have finished this chapter sooner, had my computer not suddenly DIED on my! Long story, short, I got it fixed and am a happy girl!
Thanks for reading and please review!