InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Captured and Trapped ❯ Chapter4 : in the same boat ( Chapter 4 )

Here the chapter 4.

 

I apologize sincerely.

My beta and me are joining our voice to say that we are deeply sorry to have been so long to provide you with this new update. Some problems, personal problems had had arizen that had prevented us to deliver this new chapter sooner.

 

Anyways, I hope that you will all like this new update. Thanks for the ones who had let a message. Well, now hop to the story, ENJOY !!

 

Disclaimer : I don't own InuYasha.

 

 

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Captured and Trapped,

Chapter 4 : In the same boat

 

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Sesshomaru stared at Kagome, his face blank, awaiting impatiently her answer. Even slightly unfocused and red from what looked like irritations, when his cold golden eyes gazed at the young Miko so strongly, she couldn't prevent the shiver from running down her spine. Even in this state, Sesshomaru stayed Sesshomaru : a very powerful and intimidating Daiyoukai. But she would never say that out loud to the demon Lord, he didn't need that to boost his already big ego.

 

Kagome knew that she had to take good care of how she would formulate her answer because she already had little chance of convincing him to let her help.

But she did not have much time to reflect on the right reply. If she waited too long, he would not accept nor listen to her.

She looked up at him, dead in the eyes.

 

« Why not ? We are in the same cell, so in the same boat, and you bleeding half to dead will not help the escape. We should be able to put our differences aside and form a temporary truce. »

 

But when she saw his eyes narrow at her, she knew that she had said something wrong that he didn't like. He growled lowly at her. « This Sesshomaru will not honor your proposition. » Then, he turned his head slightly, without breaking eyes contact, dismissing her.

 

Now Kagome was seeing red. How … ? What… ? What an unbelievable pompous ass ! Her hands were shaking with her rage, closed in fists. Oh, how she would like to just hit him over the head for being so stupid and arrogant! Could he not see that without help he would die ?! Baka ! When you are in this kind of situation like they are right now, you put a cloth on your pride if it is needed to save your life…What was so hard to see there ?

 

Before she could stop herself, Kagome voiced her thoughts. « Baka ! Stop being so stubborn. What good will it do to you to conserve so much pride when you will be dead ? Hm ?! Nothing at all ! You will be dead, end of the story. I had thought that you were more intelligent than that, but apparently I was wrong. You are much more like InuYasha than you, or anyone else for the matter, thinks ! »

 

She had really hit where it hurt, when she realized this, she jumped a few steps back from his prone figure. Her blood pounded in her ears, her heart beat widely. She saw his eyes darkening in front of her very own, and he snarled furiously at her. « Do not, ever compare this Sesshomaru to that pathetic half-breed. »

 

She sighed. She knew that she had gone too far. For someone like the demon Lord, even if she didn't approve of his vision, she understood that saying those words, was as close to the ultimate insult as you could get. « I'm sorry. It's just difficult to watch someone as proud as you, give up, possibly even his very life, just because you can't accept someone else's help. » She said sincerely but softly, before turning her head and closing her eyes. Sesshomaru continued to growl but the red that had appeared in his previously golden eyes, faded away slowly, as he calmed down.

 

However, interiorly, after a moment, he started to think of all she said. Even if it hurt him to acknowledge it, she was right on some points. Something was strange about the chains. It was as if they were draining his youki… But it shouldn't be enough to prevent his superior healing : there must be something else or a combination of factors. Maybe they had injected poison in his injuries. He knew that even with the chains and the collar they put on him, which were draining his powers, his healing powers were still working. The proof was that he could hear and see when he couldn't the day before. They must have used at least two types of poison… and the one currently in the lacerations in his right arm and torso, he couldn't neutralize, when he should normally be immune any type of poison…Then, when he was still lost in his musing, a violent pain went through his body. He had to do something, and soon, or he would die here. So he took, to his chagrin, the only logical decision.

 

« Miko. » He said, through his teeth, but nothing more. He would never bend so low and let the words ` help me' escape from his lips. That will never happen. He hoped she would be able to understand what was behind this simple word, because he would not say anything more. For him, it was already asking a lot.

 

Kagome looked back towards him. The demon Lord's breathing was more erratic and noisy… or at least she could hear it, even with her simple human ears. He was getting worse.

She locked her eyes with his, remarking that his focus seemed a little better.

 

« Your eyes are a little better. You can really see me now, right ? » She asked quietly.

 

He just looked at her and didn't answer, awaiting for something. Hm, he can hear me clearly now and can see me… it is better than last night, or what she considered night. At that moment he couldn't see and almost not hearing a thing. She thought to herself.

 

« It wasn't my intention to insult you when I said that you weren't healing normally or at least some of your injuries aren't. However, even I can see that it is not normal for you to still be bleeding now. And you are having difficulties breathing more and more. I didn't mean it as an insult. I just wanted to help. Will you let me help you ? » She spoke softly.

 

But he was still not talking to her, just watching intensely. She had to convince herself not to become angry at him. He didn't look like someone of a lot of words. Too bad for her, since she was the opposite. Nevertheless, he'd stopped growling after calling her, must mean something. He did consent to a step, that's already a lot to ask for somebody as proud as Sesshomaru. That meant that she had to go the rest of the way. Hope that she didn't incorrectly interpret his action or lack there of.

 

Her shaking hands moved nearer to his face. Slowly and delicately, she pushed his hair behind his ears and shoulders. When her fingers brushed the tips of his ears, they moved slightly. Kagome had to prevent herself from giggling. That was something so… cute in a way, and so different from what you should think of anything of the demon Lord.

 

To her surprise, he didn't say anything or even move away when their skin came in contact for a brief instant, just stayed looking at her.

 

No, Sesshomaru didn't make a move, even if the idea of a human touching him didn't sit well with him. He was slightly shocked by the gentleness of her touch though, surprisingly soft.

 

After having put the hair out of the way, she looked more closely at his face. Tentatively, she brushed the skin around his eyes. He hissed at the contact. « Gomen. » She whispered softly.

The outlines of his eyes were extremely red and slightly puffy but didn't seem really infected like she'd first thought. She noticed something running from the corner of his eyes. He must be expeling the poison himself. That must be why his sight is better. She thought distantly.

 

He observed her while she continued to examine him. She put one of her hands in front of his nose.

« Can you smell me ? »

 

At first he was appalled that he had to purposely smell a human, then finally understood what she really wanted.

He took a deep inspiration, thinking absently, not a bad scent for a human. But by doing that, he did a snorting sort of sound with his nose. « Yes. »

 

She flushed and search for the pack of Kleenex in the inside pocket of her skirt. She opened one and blushed lightly when she saw the curiosity flashing in his eyes. She cleared her throat softly.

« May-maybe if you blow… there is something green oosing out from the corner of your eyes and your ears too so perhaps your body is rejecting the poison and all you'll've to… expulse it from your nose to be able to smell normally. »

 

She was nervous, he could tell. He looked at what she had in her hand and back to her eyes, raising an eyebrow.

 

« Hn ? » Cocking her head on the side before understanding flashed in her mind. « Oh ! Hm, it is cloth made in paper and produce exactly for… this type of use. Hm… it comes from my…home town. »

 

He looked at her suspiciously, not missing the hesitation she made when she had said from where she came from. He had always been curious about the human wench that was running around, following his half-brother everywhere like a lost puppy. Her clothes, the way she spoke and even her scent had intrigued him since day one. He knew that something was different in this girl. At first, he was disgusted with himself for even having remarked that she was different. But he was a really curious being by nature, he had lots of problems due to that when he was just a pup to prove it, so his curiosity won. Since the day he admitted it to himself that his interest wasn't as disgraceful as he had first thought, if left unknown by anyone, he started to, when the hanyou and he crossed paths, he observed the young Miko from the corner of his eyes. Something was off about her and not being able to discover what it was had left him with some sleepless nights from analyzing their last encounter, trying to pin point a clue, if there was one.

 

Beside her origin, even her comportment was suspicious. First, the hanyou. She wasn't the first miko of his brother, the insult was that the undead miko was still walking around. And then, the kitsune. Sesshomaru saw the way she was acting with the kit, and it wasn't a miko comportment facing a youkai even a child. No, she was acting as if the species didn't matter or count in her judgement of others. Better yet, she wasn't judging at all. And she forgave way too easily, the foolish onna.

 

Kagome was awaiting a reaction from the demon Lord, but he just stayed silent, his eyes on her but not seeing her, lost in his thoughts. She was anxious that he'd chosen to not let her do anything because he was worried about what she would do with the things that've happened here, and that she saw him in such a state.

 

« Do not worry. Everything that has happened in this cell and until we get out of here, will stay in this cell. In others words, I will never tell a living being, I promise. I just want to help. Like I said before, we are in the same `boat ' and you know what the dictum says : the enemy of my enemy is my friend or ally. I will not say that we should become the best of friends but form a truce and help each other, so we will be able to get the hell out of here and be on our ways. »

 

He hesitated a moment still.

 

« Right now, the injuries on your arm are really severe, and you can't move it and shouldn't move it, so I will do it for you. I know that you aren't a little boy anymore, that you are way older than me and all, but I don't want you to make your condition worse just by reason of pride badly placed. I will never tell. »

 

Still not moving. What she was asking, was really insulting and degrading. But, he could see the way of thinking behind her words. He nodded once. His pride was screaming at him to not let her do it, but he couldn't endanger his life. He wouldn't die before he killed, one by one, the responsible of his abduction. This insult on his honor would not follow him to the tomb. He had to make sure of that. So that's why, after weighing the pros and cons, he'd decided to accept her proposition.

 

She used the last two of her Kleenexes and placed them back after use in the pack, using it as a little `garbage bag', for fault of better solution, and put it all away. She did it without even blinking, as if it was an every day occurrence which put, in a way, Sesshomaru more at ease. Then, she placed her hand back in front of him. « And now ? » She asked softly.

 

He inspired deeply, and this time, without as much problems. Now, he could more clearly detect her scent. « Better. » He said, flatly.

 

She smiled. She shouldn't have expected a longer answer from the Lord of the West.

She ripped up her sleeve and took one piece to wet it.

 

« I will try to do it really carefully. »

 

Then, with a care that shocked Sesshomaru and even Kagome a little, she cleaned up his face, his eyes, his ears. She used another larger piece of her sleeve to get water and squeezed it with one hand, lettting the water fall on the first small cloth dirtied by the poison. She used her hand and the larger piece of cloth to take the water so she could cleanse the poison off the `cleaning' cloth with the water, without contaminating the water source by putting it in directly, since they will need to use this liquid to drink later. When she finished, she put the piece of cloth, which had been in contact with the poison aside.

Sesshomaru was surprised again by her ingeniousity and stopped the growl, just in time, that was menacing to come out. He didn't like to be surprised and that a simple human woman could surprise him, repetitively, without even trying, bringing him close to let slip his perfect impassive mask.

 

It's not the first time. It seemed that she has succeeded in astonishing him each time they crossed paths. Her courage to fight for what she though to be the right thing when he could smell the fear just underneath the surface. Her loyalty, close to stupidity, to his half-brother. The courageous front after each insult and betrayal of the hanyou, too stupid to see that it was the only person who saw him for who he was and not what, and that would not betray him like the walking dead one. Then she'd protected his ward. She was the reason, too that during one or two fights with InuYasha, they were fighting on the same side. And there was that immense unused power too which was running in her veins.

 

Yes, she was the first and only human who had won a little respect after the years since their first encounter that had so long ago, led them to his father's grave. But that didn't mean that he had to like it.

 

His muses were interrupted by her soft voice. « Sesshomaru… ? »

 

His amber eyes locked on her. He immediately remarked that she wasn't making eye contact with him and it was impossible to miss the blush creeping on her cheeks. He raised an eyebrow.

He could smell a scent of nervousity coming off her in waves.

 

« Speak your mind, Miko. »

 

« I…I have to take off your haori. » Her voice quavering.

 

A second eye brow came to join the first one for two seconds before his mask fell back in place, face impassive.

 

« Proceed. »

 

She looked at him in the eyes a moment and nodded. She gulped as her hands reached for his obi. Vaguely, she wondered where his armor was. Slightly shaking, she made his haori slip off his shoulders as low as she could with the `thing' still in place on his biceps.

She had a right to be nervous. She never was like that when she had to do the same thing with InuYasha, but she had to be honest : they weren't at all close to be in the same league. Really, Sesshomaru is… like a God. And she was, her the plain old Kagome, taking off his clothes with him observing everything she was doing. See ? She had the right to be nervous.

 

When his beautiful pale skin came into view along with his injuries, she let escape a gasp. There, in the middle of his perfectly sculptured torso, were three deep bad looking gashes, blood still oozing out.

 

She padded behind him and lift his clothes on his back to see what was behind. She could see old blood but when she passed her hand on his back, all she could find was smooth perfect skin. She was really jealous. How could he be so perfect ? But she shook her head : not the moment to think like that. She cleansed the blood off his back.

 

« Can you move backwards to lean against the wall ? »

 

He nodded once and did it, moving slowly with her help, but that was still painful to move. Immediately, even if his body was relieved to have some support, the pain continued to increase.

 

In this position, it was easier for Kagome to see, since he wasn't in the shadow anymore. Sesshomaru was looking down at what she was doing. She removed the blood she could. Most of his injuries were already totally healed, beside the three deep marks of claws on his chest and the one on his arm.

 

« Miko. »

 

Startled, she looked up, her usually shining brown eyes, troubled.

« They are infected with poison. »

 

« I-I know. What should I do ? »

 

He looked at the one on his arm, closed to his shoulder, and carefully study it for a moment. When he looked up back to her, nervousity was griping her heart at the intensity of his gaze.

He stayed silent a moment longer, just looking at her, like if pondering something. Then, he finally spoke.

 

« Only one solution… » He said flatly as usually, looking at her dead in the eyes. The intensity of his gaze made Kagome fidgeting. What did he have in mind...?

 

 

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End of the chapter 4

 

So, what do you think? Like it or hate it? Well, I will wait your reviews to find out! ;)

 

Thanks again to my genial beta, `Theresa', for her great work.

Well, I'm off,

Take care,

 

Sweetest Angel