InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ An Unforeseen Flame ❯ Sparks ( Chapter 8 )

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

A/N: Hope you all enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters, nor could I ever hope to be as genius as Rumiko Takahashi.

The more time Kagome spent with Sesshomaru and away from Inuyasha, the less time she spent thinking about the hanyou and the more she found herself daydreaming about the Demon Lord. He had shown her that his attachment to her was growing, and she found her fondness for him increasing daily. Unlike Inuyasha, he rarely spoke a harsh word to her, but considering he rarely spoke at all, it probably wasn't much to celebrate. And although Kagome found it silly to think about, she never had to worry about him chasing after Kikyo.

She almost giggled to herself at this thought. He had been tender with her once, and nothing of the sort had happened again since that occasion. There was no reason for her to start scribbling his name in her notebook like some infatuated school girl. If had really happened the way Kagome remembered it, he probably had just felt sorry for her. She had most likely seemed pretty pathetic to him at that moment. Even still, just thinking about the feel of his fingers brushing the delicate skin of her cheek roused butterflies in her stomach and made her heart pound. She was smitten.

Kagome knew that her developing feelings for the Youkai were a hopeless fantasy. Although he was generally kind, he had made it pretty clear that despised humans as a general rule. And even if he was becoming fond of her, it was probably in the same way he was fond of Rin. He probably saw her as helpless and found it endearing. The thought of Sesshomaru having romantic feelings a human was preposterous. He didn't seem to even have any romantic interests at all. Still, Kagome couldn't help but secretly hope just a tiny bit. Something about his affectionate display that night as he asked about her feelings for Inuyasha kept her daydreaming.

Although his ventures away from the group were occurring less and less frequently, Sesshomaru was currently away from the group investigating a lead on Naraku's whereabouts while everyone else was left sitting around trying to find a way to occupy their time. Jaken kept himself distanced from her, as always, constantly muttering degrading comments about human women under his breath, and Ah-Un, although friendly, also kept to himself, not that he could speak, anyway. Rin was the only one of the group she truly interacted with. It was definitely a far cry from her days with Inuyasha and the gang. Kagome mentally groaned. Why did her mind always go there?

Today Kagome found herself stretched out on her back, head resting on her arms, underneath the blazing overhead sun in a flowery meadow disinterestedly watching Rin chase brightly colored butterflies. It was a pretty, but altogether boring, sight. She was glad to see the girl so happy, although this was not an anomaly, but she was completely bored out of her mind. She felts as thought she was stagnating.

She truly missed the adventures she used to partake in and wished very deeply to continue her fight against Naraku. Despite the constant peril and fear she had faced with her friends, Naraku had inflicted great pain and tragedy upon them, and she desired to help them acquire their vengeance. But, she knew Sesshomaru would never allow her to travel with him if it kept her away from Rin. That was the whole reason he had decided Kagome was to stay with them in the first place.

Kagome also knew that such a thing as looking after a human woman during battle would be a terrible inconvenience to the Demon Lord, and Sesshomaru had made it crystal clear that he was not tolerant of those. She really did not want to impose or make herself hassle. Even still, she could not recall the days she spent traveling with her friends without feeling a twinge of nostalgia. She had never been worried about making a nuisance of herself with her friends. With her ability to see the jewel shards among other spiritual talents, she had always felt like an asset to them.

"Lady Kagome!" Rin exclaimed cheerfully, running to Kagome with a sloppy handful of bright white and lavender flowers. "I picked these for you," she said beaming toothily, her arm outstretched as she handed them to Kagome.

"Thank you, Rin. They are very pretty," she replied taking the flowers and giving the girl a good-natured smile, setting them next to her as she lay back down. She suppressed a wistful sigh. Shippo would sometimes pick her flowers during their treks around the feudal Japanese countryside. She missed the kit desperately, and she knew he was probably missing her just as much.

The corners of her mouth twitched upward slightly at the thought of all the grief Shippo was likely to be giving Inuyasha over her disappearance. Miroku and Sango had probably also had some pretty stern words for the hanyou. She had overheard them chastising him before over similar situations. Kagome now found herself trying to suppress mirthful giggles as entertaining scenarios between her friends and Inuyasha played out in her head.

Maybe she should ask Sesshomaru if he would allow her to visit her friends for a few days or so. It would be nice to know how they were, and they would probably be very relieved and happy to see that she was doing well herself. She decided she would approach him about it when he returned in the evening, hoping fervently that he would give her his consent.

Kagome sat up and stretched, arching her back with her slender arms extended up and out at her sides. She listened to all the pops and creaks of her joints as she rose to her feet. She was halfway through eighteen, but some days her body felt about forty. She wondered if her time in the Feudal era was behind the premature body aches. Or maybe it was just all the sleeping on the ground. Kagome yawned lethargically. Rin had stopped playing and was now watching Kagome intently.

"Is it time to go back to Jaken and Ah Un now?" Rin inquired enthusiastically. Her innocent question was followed by a loud gurgling growl from her belly.

"You mean time to go make dinner?" Kagome laughed as the girl put a hand to her rumbling stomach, a sheepish smile on her face. The sun was beginning to descend in the sky, and a peachy pink color was starting to crawl over the horizon. "I guess it's probably about time to go back to camp and get you something to eat. Sesshomaru should probably be back sometime soon anyway. Maybe he'll even be there before us."

Rin grinned up at Kagome happily and thrust her small hand into Kagome's. Kagome returned her smile and gave the girl's hand a loving squeeze. As they walked, hand in hand, back to their encampment, both females silently hoped the Demon Lord would indeed return safely to them soon.

By the time the silver-haired inuyoukai returned, the luminous stars were heavy in the sky, and Rin was sleeping soundly. Kagome smiled to herself as she saw him approach, glad that Sesshomaru had returned at last, but her smile quickly faded when she noticed him stagger slightly.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken cried loudly, worry reflected in his grating voice. Kagome shushed him, afraid that he might wake Rin. She knew Sesshomaru would not want to worry the young girl with his weakened state.

"Sesshomaru-sama," Kagome murmured, also worried, her brows furrowing in concern. She rushed to the wounded demon to tend to him. The inuyoukai was bleeding heavily from the left shoulder, a small comfort to Kagome as his remaining arm was on the opposite side of his injury. He let out a dangerously low growl as she placed a supportive arm around him to help him stand upright and steady.

"I am not so weak and pathetic that I need the assistance of a mortal woman," he berated her angrily. He couldn't believe the nerve of her, trying to assist him as though he was some feeble human. "I did not anticipate the demon's strength. It is a mistake I will not make again. Do not concern yourself with me. I will be fine by morning light."

"You are wounded," Kagome chided him in exasperation, ignoring his protests. It was the most interesting thing that had happened since the ordeal with the lizard demon, a thought that immediately evoked guilty feelings from the woman. She didn't want anyone getting hurt just to liven up her day. "Whether you like it or not I am going to be concerned. I know…you big, strong demons heal quickly, but please, humor me."

The demon lord was silent. Again he did not know how to respond to the female. Should he be offended because she appeared to believe he needed her aid and seemed to even be mocking him, or should he appreciate her concern for him? He decided to ignore his annoyance and her apparent lack of courtesy and at least attempt to appreciate her unnecessary kindness. It was in her nature to be caring, a fact he had determined from watching her interact with Rin.

From where she stood, the clean, floral scent of her hair drifted underneath his nose in waves, distracting him from his irritation with her and the pain of his wound. He could feel her pressing her curves firmly against his side as she guided him to a large tree, and he suddenly felt glad of her company. He didn't need her to help him get settled for the night, but she relaxed him, and so he allowed it. In fact, almost everything from the scent of her skin to the lilt of her voice, even just the sound of her soft breathing was soothing to the Demon Lord. That was with the exception of her constant and incredibly vexing curiosity.

"So, what sort of demon managed to land such a blow?" she asked, sitting him down against the tree. Carefully, she pulled at the top of his haori, causing it to slip off his well-formed shoulder, exposing part of his chest and his wound for her inspection. Kagome tried very hard to stay focused on his injury and not the way the muscles of his chest moved under his pale skin as he breathed. Whatever he was fighting managed to puncture a gaping hole through his shoulder, and she was curious to know how the seemingly invincible Sesshomaru acquired such a wound.

"It is of no consequence since my opponent is no longer among the living," he replied succinctly, finding himself annoyed by her question. Kagome bit her tongue. She did not want to vex him anymore. "Why are you wasting your time with this scratch? I told you I will be fine in the morning."

"Scratch? Hah! You sound just like Inuyasha. Just be quiet, and let me take care of you," Kagome ordered him sternly, quickly becoming frustrated with the sudden distance between them. But, as soon as the words rolled off her tongue, Kagome regretted them. She knew he would overreact to being compared to the hanyou.

"How dare you speak to me in such a manner," Sesshomaru almost roared, stung by her comparison of him to his lowly half-breed brother. Her impudence was already bothersome enough, now she was insulting him outright? It was clear he had been much too kind to the woman and entirely too tolerant of her lack of respect toward him and his superior status.

"I didn't mean that to be insulting," she replied softly, miffed by the sudden show of the Youkai Lord's temper. It was becoming difficult for her to fight back tears. His sudden angry outburst was so reminiscent of Inuyasha and his complete lack of patience or verbal restraint. "I'm finished," she stated, gathering up a first aid kit her mother had insisted she take back to the Fuedal era during her visit home and distancing herself far from the irritated youkai. They exchanged no more words that night, as Kagome had found she was suddenly disinterested in discussing an arrangement to visit with her friends. If he seemed more approachable in the morning, she would consider asking, but tonight she would leave him alone with his pride.