InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Between Heaven and Hell ❯ Honest Feelings ( Chapter 13 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: DestinysTears 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Hentai / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.14.2012 | Pages: 5 | Words: 7.3K | Visits: 290 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Hentai / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.14.2012 | Pages: 5 | Words: 7.3K | Visits: 290 | Status: Work In Progress
As always, big thanks to my beta-Plum. ^^
~ “*†~
The wind rustled the tree’s leaves, allowing for ;the sun to shine through them in scattered, dancing
shapes. In its boughs, a playful songbird skipped along a thick branch, chirping as it went on its way.
Another bird landed, joining the first in the cheerful dance before the two took off together, one flying
after the other in a playful chase.
Leisurely watching the&n bsp;birds disappear from his place on an opposite bough, Sesshomaru leaned his
head more comfortably against the tree’s smooth trunk. Resting an arm against his knee, he closed his
eyes.
Acc ompanying the faraway chirps and songs of the small birds, he could hear the laughter of young
children playing. Amidst the low din of the villagers’ voices in the di stance, Sesshomaru could make out
bits and pieces of their conversations; trivial, o rdinary topics, things not uncommon in their daily lives.
But only one&nb sp;voice out of the entire lot echoed in his ears; one as sweet as a flow er, yet which contained
an undeniable fervor. It was something that could only belong to one with an entire life before her.
Opening his eyes just enough to glance through the s hade of leaves, Sesshomaru caught a glimpse of a
young, raven-haired female carrying a tall stack of baskets full of cloths along with a few other items.
But even past the barricade of objects she held, he could see the smile adorning her rosy lips as she lost
herself in blissful laughter. However, the sight for him was fleeting as the daiyoukai soon found his eyes
narrowing to an imperceptible degree when another figure came into view&nbs p;past the shade of leaves.
The unkempt mess of dark brown hair, the jade green eyes that so easily gave away the emotions within
him… ;Sesshomaru had learnt to recognize the so-ca lled demon slayer by now.
With piercing amber-gold eyes, the daiyoukai turned his head slightly to watch the girl give out a light
peal of laughter as the taijiya said something to her with a large, chil dish grin. After walking ahead of
her, he adde d his own stack to the growing pile of supplies on top of the wooden wagon sitt ing at the
side of the road. The female made an irritated sound of disapproval.
“Ichirou! Come&nb sp;on already!†Kagome whined, frowning as she tried to balance the wobbling items in her
hands.
Ichirou shrugged as he walked towards her at a leisurely pace. “Alright, alright.â€
With an amused chuckle, the taijiya gave her a sly smile. “What would you do without me,& nbsp;Kagome-
chan?†he said in mock&nbs p;superiority while playfully grabbing a few things from the top of the pile in her
hands. However, the loss of weight did more hurt than help as the&nb sp;now completely unbalanced stack
toppled to the ground, taking Kagome as well as Ichirou along with it.
â€&oe lig;Ichirou!†she cried as she tried to push the heavy taijiya off of her. With another chuckle he pried
himself off of& nbsp;the victimized girl, lifting away the basket that had somehow ;landed upon his head.
Ichirou grinned, seemingly unaffected by the entire ordeal. “C’mon, Kagome, you should be a little more
careful. Isn’t this stuff important for your sister’s trip next week?â€&nbs p;
Growling, Kagome subsequently chucked ;another empty basket at his head. “You’re one to&n bsp;talk!â€
However, after a couple seconds of glaring, Kagome found she was unable to keep up the livid
demeanor. With uncontrollable giggles, she tossed yet another basket at Ichirou,&nbs p;who was currently
laughing at Kagomeâ €™s amusing antics.
Meanwhile, after watchi ng the playful scene, Sesshomaru rose to his feet. With a graceful step,
Sesshomaru descended from the tree, quickly disappearing into the shadows.
“Tch.â€
The&nb sp;daiyoukai continued in the direction opposite of the village, closing hi s eyes as he tried to
concentrate on the sounds of the wind rustling the leaves.
~ “*†~
Kagome tilted her head slightly, looking in the direction of the forest. It was a sound hardly audible, but
she could have sworn she had heard something. Luckily she had noticed it enough to have turned her
attention then, allowing her to catch a brief glimpse of silver as it dissolved into the darkness of the
forest.
&n bsp;
It had to be him.
“Some thing wrong?†Ichirou asked, already beginning to pick up the scattered&nb sp;objects that had fallen to
the ground.
Turning her attention back to Ichirou, Kagome shook her head, smiling. Standing up, she also helped
gather things, placing them neatly with all the rest of the supplies on the wagon.
& acirc;€œI think that’s all for today. Thank you for the help, Ichirou,†Kagome thanked him with a grateful smile
as she put the last basket in place.
Ichirou sighed, reciprocating a half grin before he turned to leave. “Alright, let me know if you need help
again,†the t aijiya said over his shoulder. He gave a short wave of his hand as he headed in the direction
of his home. “See you.â€
< br> A quiet breath escaped her as she waved him goodbye, waiting until he was at a safe distance before
she turned again to look at the endless layers of trees. After cautiously checking twice to make sure no&nbs p;
one was watching, Kagome walked quickly into the forest’s shady ;boundaries.
As soon as she passed through its first layer, she glanced around, looking for any sign of where the
youkai might be. When the brief search yielded fruitless, the blue-eyed girl jogged deeper within the
forestâ€&trade ;s confines, lifting the folds of her cotton blue yukata above her knees.
When Kagome believed she had travelled far enough away from the village to keep from being heard,
she called out his name.
â€&oeli g;Sesshomaru-san!â€
Pausing for a moment, she listened. Along with the echo of her voice, a few birds took flight from their
perch in the treetops as the wind continued to rustle the leaves softly. The remaining birds chirped
sweetly, answering each other†™s songs, but for her, no answer came.
Kagome sighed and ran a little further. Then after rounding a particularly large tree , she saw him, his
back facing her as he continued to walk farther away. Kagome’s eyes brightened as a smile lit her face,
finding herself feeling strangely elated to see the mysteriou s youkai again.
“Sesshomaru-san!â&euro ; she said happily, racing to catch up to him.
He opened his eyes, revealing shining yet cold, piercing gold. The silver-haired demon slowly came to a
stop near an old oak as the girl called out to him for the second time.
His name…
Coming to a s top beside him, Kagome caught her breath.&nbs p;“Sesshomaru-san,†she smiled, still breathing a
little heavily.
He turned to glance at the girl, her shining blue eyes looking up at him in a way he found himself unable
to understand. If he had been raised any differently, Sesshomaru believed he might have even acted
surprised.
“Hn ,†he responded almost carelessly, quickly redirecting his gaze towards the shifting pieces of light
filtering through the forestâ€&tr ade;s green canopy. “You noticed this Sesshomaru.â€
Kagome giggled, fol lowing Sesshomaru’s gaze for a moment as she held her hands behind her back idly.
“Well, I’ve been having a feeling that someone’s been watching me lately,†she told him in mock
contemplation. The lively girl tapped her head playfully as she added in amusement, “I’m mor e alert
than you think I am, aren’t I, Sesshomaru-san?â€
Sesshomaru glanced&n bsp;back at the lively girl and exhaled a quiet and clandestine breath as he found her
looking back at him with the same cheerful, bright blue orbs. Despite his earlier provoca tion, he realized
he could not help but f eel amused.
“Which reminds me,†Kagome began as she looked up in thought. “A miko can sense the presence of a
youkai by feeling its aura, but it seems like my sister hasn’t sensed yours yet.†The curious girl furrowed
her brow as she contemplated the matter, placing a finger on her chin. “Why do you think that is?&acir c;€
Sesshomaru reached upwards with his left hand to pluck a leaf from one of the old oak’s low branches.
Looking at the bright green leaf in hi s palm, he silently noted the irony of a young&n bsp;growth coming from
the weathered oak. Continuing to scrutinize the small vegetation, Sesshomaru gave the girl a simple
answer.
“St rong demons are able to suppress their aura,†he replied without looking at&n bsp;her as he released the
little leaf, allowing it to float softly to the groun d.
Kagome seemed to mull over ;his answer in awe for a second or two before suddenly flashing him an
amus ed grin.
“So that must mean that you are said ‘stronger dem on’,†she laughed lightheartedly, giving him a small
poke in the arm. Sesshomaru blinked, watching her giggle with a raised brow.
However, when her laughter quieted, Kagome’s demeanor transitioned to one more of seriousness.
“But truly, that is amazing…â€&nb sp;she said aloud with a sigh that ended in that same bright smile that
Sesshomaru had gr adually become accustomed to.
The daiyoukai’s lips parted just slightly as he watched the girl speak intently, curious as to what she
would say this time.
“You can do so ;many things…†Kagome mused as she gazed at Sesshomaru in wonder. “Heal quickly,
mask your aura–â€
Out of nowhere, the daiyoukai reached forward, brushing his hand against the girl’s soft cheek. Kagome
took an unconscious step closer to him and felt his other arm wrap itself around her waist. Her eyes
lowered to his chest, feeling heat rise in her&n bsp;cheeks as her mind became hazy from the foreign contact.
As he pressed her body closer to his, the youkai lowered his head, closing his eyes as he took in her
intoxicating scent.
Unable to& nbsp;think clearly, Kagome’s eyelids fluttered closed, hoping to calm her quickened breathing.
“Sesshomaru-san… ;†Kagome gasped softly, instinctively placing her hands on his muscled abdomen.
After an unnoticeable pause, Sesshomaru leaned forward next to her ear, his lips close enough to where
she could feel his breath. Kagome could not find her vo ice, as if it had completely left her. She felt her
body respond to his in an uncontrollable shudder, and her hands tensed against him, unsure if she even
wanted this man to venture further. But before Kagome could decide, Sesshomaru began to spea k
softly.
“â€& brvbar;Why do you say my name so formall y?†he whispered sensuously in her ear, sounding as if his main
intent was to hear the answer to his question but all the while desiri ng to prolong the moment.
How ever, the sudden sound of his voice allowed her to break free of his trance, at first causing relief as
well& nbsp;as, to her surprise, a small feeling of dismay. But soon foll owing her initial response, Kagome felt
confusion begin to ;overshadow all else.
“Wh at do you mean…?†she&n bsp;asked, pulling back a little to look the daiyoukai in the eyes as his hand
dropped from her cheek. But again, Kagome’s breath hitched in her throat when Sesshomaru’s arm
tensed lightly around her as he looked straight back at her with intense, golden eyes.
His voice was deep, and at such a close distance, it seemed& nbsp;to echo throughout her body. “You address
the taijiya so casually,†was all Sesshomaru was offering to help clarify.
Kagome’s mouth opened slightl y as she realized what he was saying. And if she hadn’t known any
better, the way in which he said it almost made it sound as if he were… Kagome quickly cleared&nbs p;the
thought from her mind. She knew that could never be true.
Kagome shook her head, furrowing her&nb sp;brow in confusion as her head began to swim with a myriad of
thoughts. “Why ;are you saying this?†she asked quietly, closing her eyes tightly as she shook her head
again. Strangely, Kagome felt a rising indignation of unknown roots swell within her.
â€&o elig;What reason do you believe it isâ& euro;¦?†Sesshomaru whispered hotly against her ear as he leaned forward
once more.
Kagome’s eyes shot open and the blush returned to her cheeks at the feel of him against her sensitive
neck. Immediately, she pulled completely away from his hold, not allowing herself to surrender to his
experienced antics.
“But how can ;you ask me something like that?†;Kagome demanded, breathing heavily as she searched in
vain for an answer in his eyes.
She pause d for a moment and looked away, still tryi ng to calm her breathing and hoping that in doing so the treacherous blush would subside. Biting her lip lightly, Kagome closed her eyes and wondered if she
would later regret raising her voice against the daiyoukai.
“â€&brv bar;I thought you would have realized…&ac irc;€ she said under her breath, without paying much thought into
what she was saying or what was heard. â ;€œâ€¦You’ve never&nbs p;called me by my name… Not&nb sp;even once.â€
Unexpectedly, the corner of Sesshomaru’s lips rose into a smirk at the girl’s statement. From those
simple words, the daiyoukai knew he was not the only one at the receiving end&nb sp;of frustration.
“Hn.⠀ Sesshomaru took a step towards t he raven-haired girl and brushed his palm across her rosy cheek
before grazing it over her&nb sp;ear and along the length of her neck. When&n bsp;his hand made its way to the nape
of her neck, he leaned forward and pulled her against his lips.
Kagome’s head spun at the feel of his mouth pressed against hers. Her body desperately called out for
her& nbsp;to allow the youkai to continue, but&nbs p;she knew she couldn’t let herself be fooled into letting the
unanswered, smoldering question within her go. As he pulled away temporarily with the purpose of
deepening the kiss, Kagom e gasped for air and forced herself to untangle from the embrace.
&aci rc;€œNo… Tell me why fir st,†she pleaded between breaths. “Tell me why you kiss me, yet you haven’t even
said my name once…†Kagome s hook her head, pressing a half-clenched fist to her forehead.
â€& tilde;Do you even care for me…?’ sh e wanted to ask him. ‘Or have I just been completely blind this entire
time?’
â €œWhat am I to you…?†Kagome asked as a crease appeared between her eyebrows.
To her surprise, she felt a stinging sensation begin to burn her eyes. Blinking furiously to keep the
impending tears at bay, she wondered why and when she had begun& nbsp;to care so much.
But in the end, Sesshomaru never gave her a reply. She saw him glance at her for a short moment,
before he turned&nbs p;his attention to something else.
In bl eak understanding, Kagome nodded once and attempted a smile. Tucking a lock of her long,
midnight hair behind her ear, she prayed desperately that tears wouldn’t fall.
â&euro ;˜Well, I guess I should have known,&ac irc;€™ she told herself in reproach .
Kagome gave out a weak laug h, shrugging dejectedly. “I feel so… naïve,†she ;whispered and took a step
backwards as something inside her told her to distance&nbs p;herself as far away as possible from him.
‘â€&br vbar;It was one-side from the beginning.’
“I should go,†Kagome told the youkai, although his gaze was not on her. She inhaled a long breath.
Taking in his image for the last time, Kagome forced a small smile t hat she knew he would not see, and
turned to head back to the village before her tears cou ld betray her.
“Goodbye,& acirc;€ she said softly so as not to allow her trembling voice to give her away. Feeling the first warm
tear roll down her cheek, she was thankful that her back faced him.
But instead of relief, every step she took away from hi m felt strangely unbearable.
~ &ac irc;€œ*†~
Kagome lay wide awake listening to the chirping crickets and animals of the night, but they offered little
comfort. Every so often, the breeze would pick up, making her wooden home creak gently. In hopes of
reaching the solace of sleep, she counted the creaks that sounded from the wooden walls, hoping the
tedious task would prove to&n bsp;be sleep-inducing. So far she had counted forty-three.
The tree& nbsp;leaves began to rustle again, and a low groan sounded from the corners of her room.
Forty-four.
Kagome sat upright in her futon, letting her raven tendrils tumble around her shoulders. Blinking a
couple times, she focused her sapphire eyes on the twinkling night sky outside her window and&nb sp;gave out
a quiet sigh.
At this rate, she would be up all night, although it was not because she w asn’t physically tired. In fact, it
was strang e, but she felt exhausted.
Slippin g out of her futon, she went to the open window, gazing at the endless black sky. Billions of st ars
were scattered across its canvas, bringing light to an otherwise dark emptiness .
Much to her agitation, that same face appeared in her mind once again. Those piercing g olden-amber
eyes, those menacing yet beautiful markings that only a youkai could possess… She could vividly&nb sp;see his
indifferent figure before her, but no matter how many times she imagine d him in her head, he was
always looking anywhere but in&nb sp;her direction.
Why had she ever harbor ed hope for something she knew was too far out of reach…?
Sighing, Kagome leaned forward, resting her arms on the window’s frame as she lowered her gaze from
the heavens. She closed her eyes and raised a hand to her forehead to massage her temples. As the
familiar feeling of heaviness returned in her throat, Kagome wanted to slap her self.
…Why had she let herself come to this so quickly?
Kagome took in a large gulp of air with her mouth as she lowered her arm back along the frame of the
window. Another chilly gust of wind swept forward, caressing her silken locks with their delicate touch.
Absently, she allowed he r tired eyes to open as the wooden walls creaked for the forty-fifth time that
night.
< br> But soon, Kagome found herself frozen in shock as her sight began to focus. Emerging from the shadows
of the forest before her was the silhouette of a man as he walked slowly into the moonlight. The ;moon
caught a brief shimmer of silver as it illuminated maroon-co lored markings and shining golden eyes.
Kagome couldn’t find the strength in her to move her body.
Why& nbsp;had he come here?
While she watched him take each step closer to her, an instinctual wave of apprehension coursed
through her. But at the same time, she felt an u nexplainable tinge of happiness at the back of her mind,
though an even greater feeling of confusion promptly washed over it.
As Kagome opened her mouth to speak, she found herself incapable of doing so. Her anxious eyes
followed the& nbsp;youkai’s every move, unsure of what to expect.
When he had closed the distance between them, immediately, Sesshomaru reached forward through
the wooden frame and pulled Kagome against his chest, eliciting a small gasp from the unsuspecting girl.
H e buried his nose in her hair, breathing in her sweet scent yet again. The faint smell of earth and
jasmine entwined… Sesshomaru&nb sp;released another quiet breath.
At first, Kagome’s body stiffened in his embrace, but eventually, she relaxed in his hold, closing her eyes
as she pressed her lips closer to his warmth.
â&eur o;œYou asked to know what you were to this Sesshomaru,†he whispered into her hair after a moment.
Kagome remained silent, though she opened her eyes as she listened to his soothing, baritone voice.
When Sesshomaru continu ed, his arm tightened around her gently.
“You see&nb sp;things through different eyes,†he told her softly. He listened to Kagome’s soft breathing
against his body and paused. “And though I find no reason, you seem to care for&nbs p;this Sesshomaru…â€
Kagome&ac irc;€™s lips parted as he continued, taking in all he was saying without a spoken word.
“Yet,†the s ilver-haired demon said, his words trailing into silence, â€&oel ig;you give me peace…â€
To her dismay, she felt Sesshomaru pull away slightly, enough to look her in the eyes. Capturing blue
with gold, Sesshomaru would not allow her to look away.
“Soâ€&br vbar;†he concluded as he touched the side of her face hesitantly, “allow this&nbs p;Sesshomaru to remain by
your side…â€
Bending fo rward, the daiyoukai seized her parted lips. Kagome moaned faintly as she felt a shiver run
down her spine, though she admitted, the odd sensation was not unpleasant. Her sapphire eyes clouded
as they fluttered closed, feeling nothing but pure contentment as she willingly allowed it to conquer her
entire being.
As her hands found their way to his chest, Sesshomaru ;half-opened his eyes, gazing at the raven-haired
gir l as she leaned against him.
“Kago me…â€
~ â&eu ro;œ*†~
Next time! : â€&oel ig;Conflictedâ€
~ “*†~
The wind rustled the tree’s leaves, allowing for ;the sun to shine through them in scattered, dancing
shapes. In its boughs, a playful songbird skipped along a thick branch, chirping as it went on its way.
Another bird landed, joining the first in the cheerful dance before the two took off together, one flying
after the other in a playful chase.
Leisurely watching the&n bsp;birds disappear from his place on an opposite bough, Sesshomaru leaned his
head more comfortably against the tree’s smooth trunk. Resting an arm against his knee, he closed his
eyes.
Acc ompanying the faraway chirps and songs of the small birds, he could hear the laughter of young
children playing. Amidst the low din of the villagers’ voices in the di stance, Sesshomaru could make out
bits and pieces of their conversations; trivial, o rdinary topics, things not uncommon in their daily lives.
But only one&nb sp;voice out of the entire lot echoed in his ears; one as sweet as a flow er, yet which contained
an undeniable fervor. It was something that could only belong to one with an entire life before her.
Opening his eyes just enough to glance through the s hade of leaves, Sesshomaru caught a glimpse of a
young, raven-haired female carrying a tall stack of baskets full of cloths along with a few other items.
But even past the barricade of objects she held, he could see the smile adorning her rosy lips as she lost
herself in blissful laughter. However, the sight for him was fleeting as the daiyoukai soon found his eyes
narrowing to an imperceptible degree when another figure came into view&nbs p;past the shade of leaves.
The unkempt mess of dark brown hair, the jade green eyes that so easily gave away the emotions within
him… ;Sesshomaru had learnt to recognize the so-ca lled demon slayer by now.
With piercing amber-gold eyes, the daiyoukai turned his head slightly to watch the girl give out a light
peal of laughter as the taijiya said something to her with a large, chil dish grin. After walking ahead of
her, he adde d his own stack to the growing pile of supplies on top of the wooden wagon sitt ing at the
side of the road. The female made an irritated sound of disapproval.
“Ichirou! Come&nb sp;on already!†Kagome whined, frowning as she tried to balance the wobbling items in her
hands.
Ichirou shrugged as he walked towards her at a leisurely pace. “Alright, alright.â€
With an amused chuckle, the taijiya gave her a sly smile. “What would you do without me,& nbsp;Kagome-
chan?†he said in mock&nbs p;superiority while playfully grabbing a few things from the top of the pile in her
hands. However, the loss of weight did more hurt than help as the&nb sp;now completely unbalanced stack
toppled to the ground, taking Kagome as well as Ichirou along with it.
â€&oe lig;Ichirou!†she cried as she tried to push the heavy taijiya off of her. With another chuckle he pried
himself off of& nbsp;the victimized girl, lifting away the basket that had somehow ;landed upon his head.
Ichirou grinned, seemingly unaffected by the entire ordeal. “C’mon, Kagome, you should be a little more
careful. Isn’t this stuff important for your sister’s trip next week?â€&nbs p;
Growling, Kagome subsequently chucked ;another empty basket at his head. “You’re one to&n bsp;talk!â€
However, after a couple seconds of glaring, Kagome found she was unable to keep up the livid
demeanor. With uncontrollable giggles, she tossed yet another basket at Ichirou,&nbs p;who was currently
laughing at Kagomeâ €™s amusing antics.
Meanwhile, after watchi ng the playful scene, Sesshomaru rose to his feet. With a graceful step,
Sesshomaru descended from the tree, quickly disappearing into the shadows.
“Tch.â€
The&nb sp;daiyoukai continued in the direction opposite of the village, closing hi s eyes as he tried to
concentrate on the sounds of the wind rustling the leaves.
~ “*†~
Kagome tilted her head slightly, looking in the direction of the forest. It was a sound hardly audible, but
she could have sworn she had heard something. Luckily she had noticed it enough to have turned her
attention then, allowing her to catch a brief glimpse of silver as it dissolved into the darkness of the
forest.
&n bsp;
It had to be him.
“Some thing wrong?†Ichirou asked, already beginning to pick up the scattered&nb sp;objects that had fallen to
the ground.
Turning her attention back to Ichirou, Kagome shook her head, smiling. Standing up, she also helped
gather things, placing them neatly with all the rest of the supplies on the wagon.
& acirc;€œI think that’s all for today. Thank you for the help, Ichirou,†Kagome thanked him with a grateful smile
as she put the last basket in place.
Ichirou sighed, reciprocating a half grin before he turned to leave. “Alright, let me know if you need help
again,†the t aijiya said over his shoulder. He gave a short wave of his hand as he headed in the direction
of his home. “See you.â€
< br> A quiet breath escaped her as she waved him goodbye, waiting until he was at a safe distance before
she turned again to look at the endless layers of trees. After cautiously checking twice to make sure no&nbs p;
one was watching, Kagome walked quickly into the forest’s shady ;boundaries.
As soon as she passed through its first layer, she glanced around, looking for any sign of where the
youkai might be. When the brief search yielded fruitless, the blue-eyed girl jogged deeper within the
forestâ€&trade ;s confines, lifting the folds of her cotton blue yukata above her knees.
When Kagome believed she had travelled far enough away from the village to keep from being heard,
she called out his name.
â€&oeli g;Sesshomaru-san!â€
Pausing for a moment, she listened. Along with the echo of her voice, a few birds took flight from their
perch in the treetops as the wind continued to rustle the leaves softly. The remaining birds chirped
sweetly, answering each other†™s songs, but for her, no answer came.
Kagome sighed and ran a little further. Then after rounding a particularly large tree , she saw him, his
back facing her as he continued to walk farther away. Kagome’s eyes brightened as a smile lit her face,
finding herself feeling strangely elated to see the mysteriou s youkai again.
“Sesshomaru-san!â&euro ; she said happily, racing to catch up to him.
He opened his eyes, revealing shining yet cold, piercing gold. The silver-haired demon slowly came to a
stop near an old oak as the girl called out to him for the second time.
His name…
Coming to a s top beside him, Kagome caught her breath.&nbs p;“Sesshomaru-san,†she smiled, still breathing a
little heavily.
He turned to glance at the girl, her shining blue eyes looking up at him in a way he found himself unable
to understand. If he had been raised any differently, Sesshomaru believed he might have even acted
surprised.
“Hn ,†he responded almost carelessly, quickly redirecting his gaze towards the shifting pieces of light
filtering through the forestâ€&tr ade;s green canopy. “You noticed this Sesshomaru.â€
Kagome giggled, fol lowing Sesshomaru’s gaze for a moment as she held her hands behind her back idly.
“Well, I’ve been having a feeling that someone’s been watching me lately,†she told him in mock
contemplation. The lively girl tapped her head playfully as she added in amusement, “I’m mor e alert
than you think I am, aren’t I, Sesshomaru-san?â€
Sesshomaru glanced&n bsp;back at the lively girl and exhaled a quiet and clandestine breath as he found her
looking back at him with the same cheerful, bright blue orbs. Despite his earlier provoca tion, he realized
he could not help but f eel amused.
“Which reminds me,†Kagome began as she looked up in thought. “A miko can sense the presence of a
youkai by feeling its aura, but it seems like my sister hasn’t sensed yours yet.†The curious girl furrowed
her brow as she contemplated the matter, placing a finger on her chin. “Why do you think that is?&acir c;€
Sesshomaru reached upwards with his left hand to pluck a leaf from one of the old oak’s low branches.
Looking at the bright green leaf in hi s palm, he silently noted the irony of a young&n bsp;growth coming from
the weathered oak. Continuing to scrutinize the small vegetation, Sesshomaru gave the girl a simple
answer.
“St rong demons are able to suppress their aura,†he replied without looking at&n bsp;her as he released the
little leaf, allowing it to float softly to the groun d.
Kagome seemed to mull over ;his answer in awe for a second or two before suddenly flashing him an
amus ed grin.
“So that must mean that you are said ‘stronger dem on’,†she laughed lightheartedly, giving him a small
poke in the arm. Sesshomaru blinked, watching her giggle with a raised brow.
However, when her laughter quieted, Kagome’s demeanor transitioned to one more of seriousness.
“But truly, that is amazing…â€&nb sp;she said aloud with a sigh that ended in that same bright smile that
Sesshomaru had gr adually become accustomed to.
The daiyoukai’s lips parted just slightly as he watched the girl speak intently, curious as to what she
would say this time.
“You can do so ;many things…†Kagome mused as she gazed at Sesshomaru in wonder. “Heal quickly,
mask your aura–â€
Out of nowhere, the daiyoukai reached forward, brushing his hand against the girl’s soft cheek. Kagome
took an unconscious step closer to him and felt his other arm wrap itself around her waist. Her eyes
lowered to his chest, feeling heat rise in her&n bsp;cheeks as her mind became hazy from the foreign contact.
As he pressed her body closer to his, the youkai lowered his head, closing his eyes as he took in her
intoxicating scent.
Unable to& nbsp;think clearly, Kagome’s eyelids fluttered closed, hoping to calm her quickened breathing.
“Sesshomaru-san… ;†Kagome gasped softly, instinctively placing her hands on his muscled abdomen.
After an unnoticeable pause, Sesshomaru leaned forward next to her ear, his lips close enough to where
she could feel his breath. Kagome could not find her vo ice, as if it had completely left her. She felt her
body respond to his in an uncontrollable shudder, and her hands tensed against him, unsure if she even
wanted this man to venture further. But before Kagome could decide, Sesshomaru began to spea k
softly.
“â€& brvbar;Why do you say my name so formall y?†he whispered sensuously in her ear, sounding as if his main
intent was to hear the answer to his question but all the while desiri ng to prolong the moment.
How ever, the sudden sound of his voice allowed her to break free of his trance, at first causing relief as
well& nbsp;as, to her surprise, a small feeling of dismay. But soon foll owing her initial response, Kagome felt
confusion begin to ;overshadow all else.
“Wh at do you mean…?†she&n bsp;asked, pulling back a little to look the daiyoukai in the eyes as his hand
dropped from her cheek. But again, Kagome’s breath hitched in her throat when Sesshomaru’s arm
tensed lightly around her as he looked straight back at her with intense, golden eyes.
His voice was deep, and at such a close distance, it seemed& nbsp;to echo throughout her body. “You address
the taijiya so casually,†was all Sesshomaru was offering to help clarify.
Kagome’s mouth opened slightl y as she realized what he was saying. And if she hadn’t known any
better, the way in which he said it almost made it sound as if he were… Kagome quickly cleared&nbs p;the
thought from her mind. She knew that could never be true.
Kagome shook her head, furrowing her&nb sp;brow in confusion as her head began to swim with a myriad of
thoughts. “Why ;are you saying this?†she asked quietly, closing her eyes tightly as she shook her head
again. Strangely, Kagome felt a rising indignation of unknown roots swell within her.
â€&o elig;What reason do you believe it isâ& euro;¦?†Sesshomaru whispered hotly against her ear as he leaned forward
once more.
Kagome’s eyes shot open and the blush returned to her cheeks at the feel of him against her sensitive
neck. Immediately, she pulled completely away from his hold, not allowing herself to surrender to his
experienced antics.
“But how can ;you ask me something like that?†;Kagome demanded, breathing heavily as she searched in
vain for an answer in his eyes.
She pause d for a moment and looked away, still tryi ng to calm her breathing and hoping that in doing so the treacherous blush would subside. Biting her lip lightly, Kagome closed her eyes and wondered if she
would later regret raising her voice against the daiyoukai.
“â€&brv bar;I thought you would have realized…&ac irc;€ she said under her breath, without paying much thought into
what she was saying or what was heard. â ;€œâ€¦You’ve never&nbs p;called me by my name… Not&nb sp;even once.â€
Unexpectedly, the corner of Sesshomaru’s lips rose into a smirk at the girl’s statement. From those
simple words, the daiyoukai knew he was not the only one at the receiving end&nb sp;of frustration.
“Hn.⠀ Sesshomaru took a step towards t he raven-haired girl and brushed his palm across her rosy cheek
before grazing it over her&nb sp;ear and along the length of her neck. When&n bsp;his hand made its way to the nape
of her neck, he leaned forward and pulled her against his lips.
Kagome’s head spun at the feel of his mouth pressed against hers. Her body desperately called out for
her& nbsp;to allow the youkai to continue, but&nbs p;she knew she couldn’t let herself be fooled into letting the
unanswered, smoldering question within her go. As he pulled away temporarily with the purpose of
deepening the kiss, Kagom e gasped for air and forced herself to untangle from the embrace.
&aci rc;€œNo… Tell me why fir st,†she pleaded between breaths. “Tell me why you kiss me, yet you haven’t even
said my name once…†Kagome s hook her head, pressing a half-clenched fist to her forehead.
â€& tilde;Do you even care for me…?’ sh e wanted to ask him. ‘Or have I just been completely blind this entire
time?’
â €œWhat am I to you…?†Kagome asked as a crease appeared between her eyebrows.
To her surprise, she felt a stinging sensation begin to burn her eyes. Blinking furiously to keep the
impending tears at bay, she wondered why and when she had begun& nbsp;to care so much.
But in the end, Sesshomaru never gave her a reply. She saw him glance at her for a short moment,
before he turned&nbs p;his attention to something else.
In bl eak understanding, Kagome nodded once and attempted a smile. Tucking a lock of her long,
midnight hair behind her ear, she prayed desperately that tears wouldn’t fall.
â&euro ;˜Well, I guess I should have known,&ac irc;€™ she told herself in reproach .
Kagome gave out a weak laug h, shrugging dejectedly. “I feel so… naïve,†she ;whispered and took a step
backwards as something inside her told her to distance&nbs p;herself as far away as possible from him.
‘â€&br vbar;It was one-side from the beginning.’
“I should go,†Kagome told the youkai, although his gaze was not on her. She inhaled a long breath.
Taking in his image for the last time, Kagome forced a small smile t hat she knew he would not see, and
turned to head back to the village before her tears cou ld betray her.
“Goodbye,& acirc;€ she said softly so as not to allow her trembling voice to give her away. Feeling the first warm
tear roll down her cheek, she was thankful that her back faced him.
But instead of relief, every step she took away from hi m felt strangely unbearable.
~ &ac irc;€œ*†~
Kagome lay wide awake listening to the chirping crickets and animals of the night, but they offered little
comfort. Every so often, the breeze would pick up, making her wooden home creak gently. In hopes of
reaching the solace of sleep, she counted the creaks that sounded from the wooden walls, hoping the
tedious task would prove to&n bsp;be sleep-inducing. So far she had counted forty-three.
The tree& nbsp;leaves began to rustle again, and a low groan sounded from the corners of her room.
Forty-four.
Kagome sat upright in her futon, letting her raven tendrils tumble around her shoulders. Blinking a
couple times, she focused her sapphire eyes on the twinkling night sky outside her window and&nb sp;gave out
a quiet sigh.
At this rate, she would be up all night, although it was not because she w asn’t physically tired. In fact, it
was strang e, but she felt exhausted.
Slippin g out of her futon, she went to the open window, gazing at the endless black sky. Billions of st ars
were scattered across its canvas, bringing light to an otherwise dark emptiness .
Much to her agitation, that same face appeared in her mind once again. Those piercing g olden-amber
eyes, those menacing yet beautiful markings that only a youkai could possess… She could vividly&nb sp;see his
indifferent figure before her, but no matter how many times she imagine d him in her head, he was
always looking anywhere but in&nb sp;her direction.
Why had she ever harbor ed hope for something she knew was too far out of reach…?
Sighing, Kagome leaned forward, resting her arms on the window’s frame as she lowered her gaze from
the heavens. She closed her eyes and raised a hand to her forehead to massage her temples. As the
familiar feeling of heaviness returned in her throat, Kagome wanted to slap her self.
…Why had she let herself come to this so quickly?
Kagome took in a large gulp of air with her mouth as she lowered her arm back along the frame of the
window. Another chilly gust of wind swept forward, caressing her silken locks with their delicate touch.
Absently, she allowed he r tired eyes to open as the wooden walls creaked for the forty-fifth time that
night.
< br> But soon, Kagome found herself frozen in shock as her sight began to focus. Emerging from the shadows
of the forest before her was the silhouette of a man as he walked slowly into the moonlight. The ;moon
caught a brief shimmer of silver as it illuminated maroon-co lored markings and shining golden eyes.
Kagome couldn’t find the strength in her to move her body.
Why& nbsp;had he come here?
While she watched him take each step closer to her, an instinctual wave of apprehension coursed
through her. But at the same time, she felt an u nexplainable tinge of happiness at the back of her mind,
though an even greater feeling of confusion promptly washed over it.
As Kagome opened her mouth to speak, she found herself incapable of doing so. Her anxious eyes
followed the& nbsp;youkai’s every move, unsure of what to expect.
When he had closed the distance between them, immediately, Sesshomaru reached forward through
the wooden frame and pulled Kagome against his chest, eliciting a small gasp from the unsuspecting girl.
H e buried his nose in her hair, breathing in her sweet scent yet again. The faint smell of earth and
jasmine entwined… Sesshomaru&nb sp;released another quiet breath.
At first, Kagome’s body stiffened in his embrace, but eventually, she relaxed in his hold, closing her eyes
as she pressed her lips closer to his warmth.
â&eur o;œYou asked to know what you were to this Sesshomaru,†he whispered into her hair after a moment.
Kagome remained silent, though she opened her eyes as she listened to his soothing, baritone voice.
When Sesshomaru continu ed, his arm tightened around her gently.
“You see&nb sp;things through different eyes,†he told her softly. He listened to Kagome’s soft breathing
against his body and paused. “And though I find no reason, you seem to care for&nbs p;this Sesshomaru…â€
Kagome&ac irc;€™s lips parted as he continued, taking in all he was saying without a spoken word.
“Yet,†the s ilver-haired demon said, his words trailing into silence, â€&oel ig;you give me peace…â€
To her dismay, she felt Sesshomaru pull away slightly, enough to look her in the eyes. Capturing blue
with gold, Sesshomaru would not allow her to look away.
“Soâ€&br vbar;†he concluded as he touched the side of her face hesitantly, “allow this&nbs p;Sesshomaru to remain by
your side…â€
Bending fo rward, the daiyoukai seized her parted lips. Kagome moaned faintly as she felt a shiver run
down her spine, though she admitted, the odd sensation was not unpleasant. Her sapphire eyes clouded
as they fluttered closed, feeling nothing but pure contentment as she willingly allowed it to conquer her
entire being.
As her hands found their way to his chest, Sesshomaru ;half-opened his eyes, gazing at the raven-haired
gir l as she leaned against him.
“Kago me…â€
~ â&eu ro;œ*†~
Next time! : â€&oel ig;Conflictedâ€