InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ An Unforeseen Flame ❯ Awkward Conversation ( Chapter 9 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: XmArKzThEsPoT 
Sesshomaru discomfits Kagome with some personal questions.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Action / Angst | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 09.25.2012 | Pages: 1 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 403 | Status: Work In Progress
Sesshomaru discomfits Kagome with some personal questions.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Action / Angst | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 09.25.2012 | Pages: 1 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 403 | Status: Work In Progress
A/N: Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters, nor could I ever hope to be as genius as Rumiko Takahashi.
Sesshomaru was now resting comfortably against the sizeable tree that Kagome had led him to earlier that night. He could feel his wounds beginning to mend, and the pain in his shoulder was greatly relieved. But, he hadn't really paid much mind to his discomfort to begin with. He was too busy spending his night contemplating the young priestess and her bewildering actions. She had degraded him in the most unthinkable manner, but her insults appeared to be unintentional. She did not show any remorse for her thoughtless comment and, instead, seemed angry with him for his reaction. For a moment, he almost felt guilty for snapping at her, but, the more he thought about her comment, the more that feeling had quickly faded.
He also found her persistence interesting. He had told her he was fine, but she insisted on aiding him, despite his protests and her own admission to possessing the knowledge that her ministrations were pointless. She even continued tending to his wound after he provoked her anger. He could not help but wonder why. She was completely baffling.
He watched Kagome as she slept soundly next to Rin. She stirred causing strands of ebony hair fall to across her ivory face. She was indeed lovely, not that it mattered to him. He found himself torn between suppressing such tender thoughts, and allowing them to permeate his mind. They seemed to be occurring more and more frequently, but he still had not managed to come to terms with them. Something in him, presumably the part that despised humanity, would not allow him to surrender his basest of desires. Keeping Rin as a companion was distasteful, but it was at least acceptable. Actually lusting and maybe even developing romantic feelings for a human woman was not.
As he continued to observe the slumbering woman, Sesshomaru suddenly realized something about the sleeping young woman; something he hoped was of actual significance. Not once had she called out for Inuyasha since their private discourse in the forest. It was almost as if their talk had put her at ease. He found it strange. Maybe he should discuss this change with her, just to determine if his theory was correct. But, what would he say to her? He often longed to talk with her, but there was never a subject he deemed worthy of discussion, and he really wasn't one for inane chatter. Even if there was something, he wasn't certain he would ever be able to find the words.
Kagome began to stir as the soft tendrils of morning light that poured over the horizon fell upon her face, causing her to wake. A soulful pair of sleep-riddled eyes could almost make out hazy pink clouds that appeared to be painted onto the glowing orange skyline off in the distance. Languidly, the woman sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes surveying the morning campsite. The young girl next to her was also starting to wake, but had yet to do so completely, and the inuyoukai, who was resting in the exact spot she had left him the evening prior, had his golden eyes fixed on her.
"Morning," she greeted, smiling at the Demon Lord lethargically through half-opened eyes. The softer parts of him adored her easy affability. She rose clumsily and moved to sit next to him. "How's your shoulder feeling?"
"Fine," he replied concisely. Wordlessly, she set about tending to his shoulder. The Youkai Lord remained still, not even bothering to turn his head to watch the girl who was treating his wound needlessly. It had not yet healed completely, so she began to clean it and replace the bandage.
Kagome wasn't certain whether the Demon Lord was being his usual tacit self or if he was still upset with her. She yawned quietly, her eyes watering a bit.
'Guess I should just ask him and get it over with. There probably isn't ever going to be a perfect time to say something,' Kagome reasoned internally, trying to fight another drowsy yawn.
"Sesshomaru, I was wondering," she started while she retied the bandages around his shoulder, "would you mind if I went and visited my friends for a short while? I really miss them."
He stiffened, momentarily stunned with apprehension. Had he angered her so much that she needed time away from him? Had she decided to renew her affections for the mutt? Why was he worrying about such trivial matters to begin with? He stayed silent for a long while, pondering the multitude of panicked thoughts racing through his usually composed mind.
"You are aware that they will most likely be in the company of Inuyasha, correct?" he asked finally, hoping she would immediately realize her lack of desire to interact with the half-breed. She nodded furrowing her brows, bewilderment adorning her charming face.
"Why would that matter?" she inquired ingenuously. "I know I said I needed time away from him, but I don't plan on staying with them long."
"He does not deserve your affection… Nor your tears," he said in a reply that only managed to confuse her more. Now he was spouting encouraging garbage that made him sound almost envious of his half-brother. What was this power this petite human woman held over him? Whatever it was, it was driving the Demon Lord crazy.
"I'm afraid I don't understand," she admitted honestly. Sesshomaru was becoming even more of a mystery to the young woman. One moment he was dismissing her as though she was nothing, and the next, he was worrying for her feelings. "I really only want to visit with Sango and Shippo, and possibly Miroku," she added as an afterthought. "I know Inuyasha will most likely be with them, and seeing him again will probably be difficult, but it would be nice to know how he is doing. He is still my friend too, after all."
"It is of no consequence," Sesshomaru remarked casually, in an attempt to back pedal covertly. What was he doing showing his concern for the girl? He really was weak just as his father before him was. "You may go…on one condition," he paused a moment waiting for her to protest or make a nuisance of herself in some other way, but she remained wordless. Instead, she stared at him expectantly waiting for his conditions. "You will allow me to accompany you on your traverse. It is dangerous for you to travel alone," he explained noticing the look of surprise that crossed her delicate features. "You will have three days, and then I will return to collect you."
"That's fine with me, but, um, won't that be a huge inconvenience? I really don't want to trouble you. If you would prefer, you could just send me with Ah-Un," she said worriedly. Losing time to search for Naraku might annoy him greatly, and she that was something she really wanted to prevent, as it was all she felt like she ever seemed to do. He really had been very accommodating all things considered, but this was too much.
"It is no inconvenience," he replied ending the conversation. His authoritative tone clearly told Kagome not to protest any further.
The yellow sun blazed high in the sky causing the shadows of the small traveling party to disappear. Although it was too early in the spring for the weather to be uncomfortably warm, Kagome could tell that temperatures were definitely starting to heat up. A slight breeze caused the grass in the meadow to sway gracefully as if it were dancing and frolicked playfully with strands of her raven-hair.
She had bid her farewell to Rin, telling her that she would be back in a short while. The girl was disappointed to hear that she was going away, but soon became her usual happy self again when she heard that Kagome would return in a few days time. As usual, Jaken and Ah-Un were left to care for Rin, which never failed to irritate the toad-like imp.
Their journey would take a day on foot, but Kagome did not mind terribly. She was used to traveling constantly with Inuyasha, and the thought of spending so much time with Sesshomaru, although unnerving, thrilled her a bit. Her feelings for the demon lord had grown considerably since the night he had brushed away her tears under the stars.
Her mind had begun to wander after that night, daydreaming often, sometimes imagining that he had kissed her sweetly or embraced her tightly afterwards. Sometimes she would have dreams where he would realize he loved her and they would spend the night together doing things that made her blush to think about. She realized that she was probably just projecting her feelings for Inuyasha onto Sesshomaru, because she was hurting, and he was the only one that was close. She told herself that they were just rebound fantasies, and she was being incredibly silly. Even still, she couldn't help the butterflies in her stomach as they began their trek back to the village.
They walked in silence for a long while. Kagome was growing increasingly uncomfortable due to the awkwardness. Finally it became too unbearable and she decided to break the stillness surrounding the pair.
"So…Why did you want to come with me?" she asked peering curiously at the tall youkai. She would have been just as safe with Ah-Un as she was with him, and they both knew it. So why was he so insistent on traveling with her? Her inquisition was met with a long pause as the inuyoukai sorted through his thoughts.
"What are your feelings toward my half-brother?" he inquired in earnest, feeling panicked as soon as the question escaped his lips, though his countenance did not betray this. Kagome stared at him for a moment in surprise. It seemed he always seized any moment he could to befuddle her.
"I… I don't really know anymore," she confessed, her tone unsure. She was completely taken aback by his question.
"You no longer call his name in your sleep. In fact, you haven't since we last spoke unaccompanied. Why is this?" the Demon Lord pressed, hungry for more answers from the woman who had somehow managed to completely beguile him.
"Well... I don't really know," she replied, trying, with some difficulty, not to stutter nervously. These questions were strange coming from Sesshomaru. Was he…jealous of Inuyasha? Kagome pushed the thought out of her mind, almost laughing aloud. What an absurd idea!
"Last night when I returned to camp, before you realized I was injured, you smiled when you became aware of my presence. Why?" he continued his queries much to Kagome's dismay. The miko felt like she would die from mortification. What was with the third degree? It seemed completely unlike Sesshomaru to ask such things, or to even think about them for that matter. In fact, it was completely unlike Sesshomaru for him to say much more than three words to her.
"My, you're really inquisitive today," Kagome muttered blushing, fidgeting with the bottom of her shirt. He could sense her embarrassment. Was it possible she had developed feelings for him? Suddenly he found himself filled with the desire to know the answer to that question.
"What are your feelings…toward me?" he queried softly, his curiosity overcoming his reservations.
"Oh…Um...I...I," she stammered, flushing an even deeper shade of crimson. Why was he asking so many personal questions? Kagome didn't want to answer any of them.
Sesshomaru felt almost triumphant. The woman did have feelings for him, after all. Here he was, berating himself constantly, because he couldn't get her out of his mind, and it turned out that she seemingly felt the same way. Then, reality set in, and he found himself chiding himself mentally yet again. He truly was becoming soft like his father by allowing such feelings for a mortal to get the better of him. He couldn't believe that he, Sesshomaru, was being so ridiculous over a woman, let alone a human. What was the world coming to?
They spent the remainder of their trek in silence. Kagome was entirely too embarrassed to say another word, and Sesshomaru had received the answers to the questions that had been plaguing him. Even if she still had some feeling for the hanyou, he was on her mind as well, and Sesshomaru was content with that knowledge. Once they reached the outskirts of Kaede's quaint village, the pair bade an awkward goodbye and separated, both almost dreading the three days apart for one reason or another.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters, nor could I ever hope to be as genius as Rumiko Takahashi.
Sesshomaru was now resting comfortably against the sizeable tree that Kagome had led him to earlier that night. He could feel his wounds beginning to mend, and the pain in his shoulder was greatly relieved. But, he hadn't really paid much mind to his discomfort to begin with. He was too busy spending his night contemplating the young priestess and her bewildering actions. She had degraded him in the most unthinkable manner, but her insults appeared to be unintentional. She did not show any remorse for her thoughtless comment and, instead, seemed angry with him for his reaction. For a moment, he almost felt guilty for snapping at her, but, the more he thought about her comment, the more that feeling had quickly faded.
He also found her persistence interesting. He had told her he was fine, but she insisted on aiding him, despite his protests and her own admission to possessing the knowledge that her ministrations were pointless. She even continued tending to his wound after he provoked her anger. He could not help but wonder why. She was completely baffling.
He watched Kagome as she slept soundly next to Rin. She stirred causing strands of ebony hair fall to across her ivory face. She was indeed lovely, not that it mattered to him. He found himself torn between suppressing such tender thoughts, and allowing them to permeate his mind. They seemed to be occurring more and more frequently, but he still had not managed to come to terms with them. Something in him, presumably the part that despised humanity, would not allow him to surrender his basest of desires. Keeping Rin as a companion was distasteful, but it was at least acceptable. Actually lusting and maybe even developing romantic feelings for a human woman was not.
As he continued to observe the slumbering woman, Sesshomaru suddenly realized something about the sleeping young woman; something he hoped was of actual significance. Not once had she called out for Inuyasha since their private discourse in the forest. It was almost as if their talk had put her at ease. He found it strange. Maybe he should discuss this change with her, just to determine if his theory was correct. But, what would he say to her? He often longed to talk with her, but there was never a subject he deemed worthy of discussion, and he really wasn't one for inane chatter. Even if there was something, he wasn't certain he would ever be able to find the words.
Kagome began to stir as the soft tendrils of morning light that poured over the horizon fell upon her face, causing her to wake. A soulful pair of sleep-riddled eyes could almost make out hazy pink clouds that appeared to be painted onto the glowing orange skyline off in the distance. Languidly, the woman sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes surveying the morning campsite. The young girl next to her was also starting to wake, but had yet to do so completely, and the inuyoukai, who was resting in the exact spot she had left him the evening prior, had his golden eyes fixed on her.
"Morning," she greeted, smiling at the Demon Lord lethargically through half-opened eyes. The softer parts of him adored her easy affability. She rose clumsily and moved to sit next to him. "How's your shoulder feeling?"
"Fine," he replied concisely. Wordlessly, she set about tending to his shoulder. The Youkai Lord remained still, not even bothering to turn his head to watch the girl who was treating his wound needlessly. It had not yet healed completely, so she began to clean it and replace the bandage.
Kagome wasn't certain whether the Demon Lord was being his usual tacit self or if he was still upset with her. She yawned quietly, her eyes watering a bit.
'Guess I should just ask him and get it over with. There probably isn't ever going to be a perfect time to say something,' Kagome reasoned internally, trying to fight another drowsy yawn.
"Sesshomaru, I was wondering," she started while she retied the bandages around his shoulder, "would you mind if I went and visited my friends for a short while? I really miss them."
He stiffened, momentarily stunned with apprehension. Had he angered her so much that she needed time away from him? Had she decided to renew her affections for the mutt? Why was he worrying about such trivial matters to begin with? He stayed silent for a long while, pondering the multitude of panicked thoughts racing through his usually composed mind.
"You are aware that they will most likely be in the company of Inuyasha, correct?" he asked finally, hoping she would immediately realize her lack of desire to interact with the half-breed. She nodded furrowing her brows, bewilderment adorning her charming face.
"Why would that matter?" she inquired ingenuously. "I know I said I needed time away from him, but I don't plan on staying with them long."
"He does not deserve your affection… Nor your tears," he said in a reply that only managed to confuse her more. Now he was spouting encouraging garbage that made him sound almost envious of his half-brother. What was this power this petite human woman held over him? Whatever it was, it was driving the Demon Lord crazy.
"I'm afraid I don't understand," she admitted honestly. Sesshomaru was becoming even more of a mystery to the young woman. One moment he was dismissing her as though she was nothing, and the next, he was worrying for her feelings. "I really only want to visit with Sango and Shippo, and possibly Miroku," she added as an afterthought. "I know Inuyasha will most likely be with them, and seeing him again will probably be difficult, but it would be nice to know how he is doing. He is still my friend too, after all."
"It is of no consequence," Sesshomaru remarked casually, in an attempt to back pedal covertly. What was he doing showing his concern for the girl? He really was weak just as his father before him was. "You may go…on one condition," he paused a moment waiting for her to protest or make a nuisance of herself in some other way, but she remained wordless. Instead, she stared at him expectantly waiting for his conditions. "You will allow me to accompany you on your traverse. It is dangerous for you to travel alone," he explained noticing the look of surprise that crossed her delicate features. "You will have three days, and then I will return to collect you."
"That's fine with me, but, um, won't that be a huge inconvenience? I really don't want to trouble you. If you would prefer, you could just send me with Ah-Un," she said worriedly. Losing time to search for Naraku might annoy him greatly, and she that was something she really wanted to prevent, as it was all she felt like she ever seemed to do. He really had been very accommodating all things considered, but this was too much.
"It is no inconvenience," he replied ending the conversation. His authoritative tone clearly told Kagome not to protest any further.
The yellow sun blazed high in the sky causing the shadows of the small traveling party to disappear. Although it was too early in the spring for the weather to be uncomfortably warm, Kagome could tell that temperatures were definitely starting to heat up. A slight breeze caused the grass in the meadow to sway gracefully as if it were dancing and frolicked playfully with strands of her raven-hair.
She had bid her farewell to Rin, telling her that she would be back in a short while. The girl was disappointed to hear that she was going away, but soon became her usual happy self again when she heard that Kagome would return in a few days time. As usual, Jaken and Ah-Un were left to care for Rin, which never failed to irritate the toad-like imp.
Their journey would take a day on foot, but Kagome did not mind terribly. She was used to traveling constantly with Inuyasha, and the thought of spending so much time with Sesshomaru, although unnerving, thrilled her a bit. Her feelings for the demon lord had grown considerably since the night he had brushed away her tears under the stars.
Her mind had begun to wander after that night, daydreaming often, sometimes imagining that he had kissed her sweetly or embraced her tightly afterwards. Sometimes she would have dreams where he would realize he loved her and they would spend the night together doing things that made her blush to think about. She realized that she was probably just projecting her feelings for Inuyasha onto Sesshomaru, because she was hurting, and he was the only one that was close. She told herself that they were just rebound fantasies, and she was being incredibly silly. Even still, she couldn't help the butterflies in her stomach as they began their trek back to the village.
They walked in silence for a long while. Kagome was growing increasingly uncomfortable due to the awkwardness. Finally it became too unbearable and she decided to break the stillness surrounding the pair.
"So…Why did you want to come with me?" she asked peering curiously at the tall youkai. She would have been just as safe with Ah-Un as she was with him, and they both knew it. So why was he so insistent on traveling with her? Her inquisition was met with a long pause as the inuyoukai sorted through his thoughts.
"What are your feelings toward my half-brother?" he inquired in earnest, feeling panicked as soon as the question escaped his lips, though his countenance did not betray this. Kagome stared at him for a moment in surprise. It seemed he always seized any moment he could to befuddle her.
"I… I don't really know anymore," she confessed, her tone unsure. She was completely taken aback by his question.
"You no longer call his name in your sleep. In fact, you haven't since we last spoke unaccompanied. Why is this?" the Demon Lord pressed, hungry for more answers from the woman who had somehow managed to completely beguile him.
"Well... I don't really know," she replied, trying, with some difficulty, not to stutter nervously. These questions were strange coming from Sesshomaru. Was he…jealous of Inuyasha? Kagome pushed the thought out of her mind, almost laughing aloud. What an absurd idea!
"Last night when I returned to camp, before you realized I was injured, you smiled when you became aware of my presence. Why?" he continued his queries much to Kagome's dismay. The miko felt like she would die from mortification. What was with the third degree? It seemed completely unlike Sesshomaru to ask such things, or to even think about them for that matter. In fact, it was completely unlike Sesshomaru for him to say much more than three words to her.
"My, you're really inquisitive today," Kagome muttered blushing, fidgeting with the bottom of her shirt. He could sense her embarrassment. Was it possible she had developed feelings for him? Suddenly he found himself filled with the desire to know the answer to that question.
"What are your feelings…toward me?" he queried softly, his curiosity overcoming his reservations.
"Oh…Um...I...I," she stammered, flushing an even deeper shade of crimson. Why was he asking so many personal questions? Kagome didn't want to answer any of them.
Sesshomaru felt almost triumphant. The woman did have feelings for him, after all. Here he was, berating himself constantly, because he couldn't get her out of his mind, and it turned out that she seemingly felt the same way. Then, reality set in, and he found himself chiding himself mentally yet again. He truly was becoming soft like his father by allowing such feelings for a mortal to get the better of him. He couldn't believe that he, Sesshomaru, was being so ridiculous over a woman, let alone a human. What was the world coming to?
They spent the remainder of their trek in silence. Kagome was entirely too embarrassed to say another word, and Sesshomaru had received the answers to the questions that had been plaguing him. Even if she still had some feeling for the hanyou, he was on her mind as well, and Sesshomaru was content with that knowledge. Once they reached the outskirts of Kaede's quaint village, the pair bade an awkward goodbye and separated, both almost dreading the three days apart for one reason or another.