InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Condom City ❯ Just Arguing ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I hold no rights to Inuyasha in any way. I merely own characters that I create for the progression of the storyline.

A/N: Some feedback would be appreciated.

Chapter 4: Just Arguing

A few minutes later, Kagome picked herself up off of the ground, her eyes still warily watching the direction Sesshoumaru had gone. Looking around at the area surrounding her, she noticed there was enough wood on the ground to cook over that night and in the morning. She gathered up as much as she could carry, deciding to let the others know where they could get more wood if they needed it later.

By the time she made it back to the clearing where they had set up camp in, the sun was already starting to drop behind the tree tops. Walking into the campsite, she noticed Sesshoumaru wasn't there. Shrugging it off, she walked over and dropped the wood by the area Miroku and Sango had cleared for a fire and began building a fire. She had long since stopped carrying around her portable stove from her time, deciding it and its fuel took up too much space in her bag, so she had gotten used to cooking over an open fire.

Kagome was about to light the wood on fire when she felt someone walk up behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Sesshoumaru with an arm full of wood. Turning her attention back to the fire pit, she resumed trying to light the fire.

"I would have thought manual labor was beneath you as a lord," Kagome growled quietly at Sesshoumaru as he placed the wood on top of the extra wood Kagome didn't use to start the fire. She glanced over at an unconscious Miroku, probably from Sango hitting him for groping her, and then looked at Sango, who was busy playing with Rin and Shippo, who had woken up from their nap, while Kirara rested nearby. At least she wouldn't have to worry about any of her friends overhearing anything she said to Sesshoumaru. She wasn't quite ready for them to know about the deal Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had made.

"I do not normally lower myself to do such menial tasks, but I knew you would be more upset if I returned with nothing," Sesshoumaru explained.

"Honestly, I didn't expect you to bring anything back. I don't expect anything from you," Kagome hissed as the fire flared to life.

"Why do you think so poorly of me," Sesshoumaru asked, gripping her chin and making Kagome look at him.

"You have given me no reason to think otherwise," Kagome said, pulling her chin from his grip and returning her attention to tending to the fire.

"And you have yet to give me a chance to give you a reason," he growled in her ear.

"Oh? And pinning me to a tree by the throat was your way of trying to make me think you are anything other than a rude, insensitive, uncaring, cold jerk," she said, standing up and turning to face him.

Glancing over at the remaining members of the group in the clearing, Sesshoumaru stood up as well and grabbed Kagome by her elbow and started walking towards the surrounding forest. Once he found a clearing a satisfactory distance from the camp, Sesshoumaru stopped, released her arm, and turned to face the miko once again. "If that is what you think of me, then you're obviously not as intelligent as I had thought," he growled at her.

"Why should I think any differently? You have done nothing to improve my opinion of you, as I stated before," she replied, not backing down.

"If I am so cold and uncaring, why have I taken a young human child into my home and provided better care for her than her own village had? Why did I raise her from the dead after she had been killed by wolves? Why have I raised Jaken after he has been cut down repeatedly? Why did I rescue Jaken from death so many years ago in the first place? There is more to me than you know, but all you care about is what my foolish half-brother has told you about me," Sesshoumaru told her. 'Why am I revealing so much to her? Why do I want her to think better of me? She is merely human. It matters not what she thinks of me. She will be mine regardless of how she feels,' he thought.

He was letting this human woman aggravate him more than even the half-breed did. And that alone irritated him. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, his sensitive nose picked up her own anger filled scent, but what confused him was the anxiety that was laced in with it. Certainly she wouldn't be that concerned about what he would do with her once she was his mate.

"So you've done a few nice things. Big deal. You've tried to kill Inuyasha and our friends more times than I would like to count. You've even teamed up with Naraku in the past. And you treat me more like I'm some prize than an actual person. A really junky prize that the only reason you want it is so your brother won't," Kagome practically yelled at him, only keeping her voice down so as to not attract unwanted attention.

"You truly are foolish. If I wanted the hanyou dead, he would have perished long ago. I merely fight with him so he will grow stronger and survive. He has been weak enough in the past that he was sealed to a tree for fifty years, during a time that he could have proved useful. And though I dislike the job of training him, I do it so he will survive. That I assured my father I would do before he died," Sesshoumaru told her, his eyes glowing in the fading sunlight.

'Or maybe that's anger,' thought Kagome as she stared at him.

"Hanyou or not, he still carries the blood of our father, even if it is diluted and tarnished by human blood, and him dying by any hand other than mine would be dishonorable." Sesshoumaru watched the miko's reaction to his words, knowing she would think them harsh before he ever spoke them. Still, she needed to understand that even if Inuyasha was a mark upon the family bloodline, him being killed by anyone else would be an even greater dishonor.

"As for my treatment of you," he continued, "I have given you as much respect as you deserve. This Sesshoumaru has not hurt you, nor have I put you in any danger. In fact, I have stopped several youkai from attacking you when the hanyou had been tossed aside in fights."

Kagome, losing a bit of her anger in light of his words, that oddly made sense, sighed and leaned against a nearby tree. "Why do you even want me as your mate? I'd say you hate humans, but then I wouldn't know how to explain you taking care of Rin. But all of your actions and even your words now make me still think that you, at the very least, greatly dislike humans. So why me," she asked, her eyes intently watching him for any reaction.

"I told you before; you intrigue me. You are a human female, most of which are extremely weak and cowardly. You, on the other hand, have a great deal of unrealized power waiting to be used at any time you are in danger, which is often since you seem to attract trouble," Sesshoumaru told her.

"If you were so curious about me, then you should have just talked to me, instead of making it so you get to screw my brains out for the rest of my life without even talking to me about it," Kagome said, biting sarcasm dripping from her voice at the end as she crossed her arms over her chest and turning away from him.

"There is one other reason I want you as my mate," Sesshoumaru said as he moved up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Really? And what is that," Kagome growled, shrugging his hand off her shoulder. She turned around to glare at Sesshoumaru, waiting for his answer.

"You are unlike any other human, and I find myself attracted to you. Even caring about you," Sesshoumaru said, his voice softening as he raise a hand to cup her cheek.

Kagome took a step back, removing herself from Sesshoumaru's reach. "Why should I believe that?" While she outwardly glared at the youkai lord, Kagome was having an internal battle. 'I don't want to believe that. I can't believe him. If I believe what he says, I don't know what I'll do. But Inuyasha is finally showing how he feels about me. I don't know what to do, but I can't hurt Inuyasha.'

"I have no reason to lie," Sesshoumaru told her, his golden eyes seemingly warming in the waning sunlight.

Kagome didn't like the way Sesshoumaru was looking at her. Normally, she saw contempt in his eyes, but now, she didn't want to acknowledge what she knew she saw in his eyes: the truth. Shaking her head, Kagome backed up a few more steps until her progress was halted when she bumped into another tree.

Sesshoumaru followed her backward movement until he was less than an arms length away from her, and planted both hands against the tree on either side of her head and leaned forward a bit. Bringing his eyes level with hers, he watched the fear creep into her eyes, the disgusting smell of it tainting her normally refreshing scent.

"Do you fear me, or the truth," Sesshoumaru growled before he pushed away from the tree and Kagome.

A few moments later, Inuyasha entered the clearing where they stood, a few dead rabbits in his hand, along with some wild vegetables to make a stew with. Glancing between the stoic Sesshoumaru and the perturbed looking Kagome, Inuyasha wondered what had happened to make Kagome look so upset.

"What are you two doing," Inuyasha asked, looking to Kagome for an answer.

Kagome shot a glare at Sesshoumaru, then turned and smiled at Inuyasha. "Nothing. Just arguing," she replied, walking over to him. "Would you give me a lift back to the camp," she asked as she reached him.

"Yea, hop on," Inuyasha said, turning and crouching down for her to get on.

"Thanks," she whispered in his ear as she climbed on his back and hugged him around shoulders, resting her head in the bend of his neck.

Inuyasha glared at his sibling before taking off back towards the clearing that contained their campsite, leaving Sesshoumaru standing alone in the clearing.

"He didn't hurt you, did he," Inuyasha asked, growling his anger at the idea of anyone hurting her.

"No, I'm fine. Just a little upset. Thank you for worrying, though," Kagome said, letting her nose nuzzle against his neck a bit.

"If he ever hurts you, just let me know, and I'll take care of him," Inuyasha growled as he slowed his pace, giving them a bit more time to talk before they got back to the camp. "I'm sorry I ever made that deal with him," he said as he walked along. He suddenly stopped when he felt her legs loosen around his waist and felt her weight completely leave his back. Inuyasha stopped and turned to look at Kagome, suddenly worried.

"What's the matter, Kagome? And don't tell me it's nothing," Inuyasha told her, dropping the vegetables to grip her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. He was suddenly very concerned when he saw tears shimmering in her eyes, and almost feared her answer.

"Inuyasha, if it ends up that I do have to go with Sesshoumaru after this is all over, please, promise me you won't fight him," Kagome said, her voice cracking with emotion, tears beginning to fall from her eyes.

"You want to go with him," Inuyasha asked, pain entering his voice and features, as his hand dropped from her chin.

"NO," Kagome nearly screamed, shaking her head as more tears streamed down her cheeks. "I don't want Sesshoumaru to hurt you. Or kill you. I wouldn't be able to stand it knowing you were killed in a fight over me."

Inuyasha sighed and shook his head, dropping everything he had in his hands, and gathered Kagome up in his arms, letting her cry against his chest. "Since when has the possibility of me dying ever stopped me from trying to protect you," Inuyasha asked, his mood lightening a bit at knowing it was only her desire to protect him that had prompted the request. "Besides, I'm supposed to protect you, not the other way around."

Kagome only sniffled and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him as tightly as she could. She didn't know what she would do if she had to go with Sesshoumaru, but whatever happened, she knew she wanted to keep Inuyasha from any kind of harm. But the more she thought about it, the less hopeful things became. If she went with Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha challenged the youkai lord to a fight for her, Inuyasha would either be greatly injured and end up dying from his wounds or Sesshoumaru would kill him outright. If she went with Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha did as she asked, he would be emotionally hurt. No matter what, if she had to leave with Sesshoumaru, she would end up hurting Inuyasha.

She wasn't even sure if there was anything she could do to prevent herself having to become Sesshoumaru's mate. She didn't know She didn't know all of the terms to the truce, and could have to become Sesshoumaru's mate for any number of reasons. Upset by the thought, Kagome hugged him tighter, snuggling into Inuyasha's oversized shirt.

They stayed that way for a while until Kagome had calmed down, and her tears had stopped. She slowly stepped back from Inuyasha enough to look him in the face, before she looked back down embarrassed.

Grinning sheepishly, she looked up once more, catching Inuyasha's eye. "I'm sorry," she said quietly before she released herself from his grasp completely and started walking back towards their camp, leaving a bewildered Inuyasha behind.

~*~

Sesshoumaru watched the interaction between the miko and hanyou with disgust. What he had spoke to the miko earlier had been the truth. He found himself strangely attracted to her, not just for her power as the wolf prince was, but for her heart. It was so giving, so loyal, so … loving. She gave her friendship, forgiveness, and even love to those that, in his mind, deserved it the least. Mainly his idiotic halfling brother.

He watched as the miko walked away, tempted to follow after her, shadowing her from the treetops, but his pride kept him from following her around like some lost puppy. Instead, he stayed and watched as the hanyou gathered up his previously dropped prey and prepared to head back to the camp. Pausing after a few steps, he didn't even look back, but Sesshoumaru knew his presence had been detected.

"I know you heard her. She doesn't want to go with you." And with that, Inuyasha walked away, leaving Sesshoumaru alone with his thoughts.

`I know she doesn't want to go with me, but I'm not sure I could go without her.' The sudden thought threw him for a loop, but after a minutes contemplation, he realized it was true. Growling in disgust at his own weakness, he leapt from the tree he had been sitting in, landing silently on the ground.

A realization came upon him as he walked back towards the camp. If he wanted to miko to come with him willingly, he would have to treat her more kindly, showing her a side of him that no one had seen of him since he was a pup, before his father had started training him to take over as the next Lord of the Western Lands.

Sighing in frustration, he formulated a plan as he walked into the camp and sat down on the roots of an old tree. When Rin ran over to him to say hello, he patted her on the head and told her she could go play with the kitsune until dinner was done, his mind still working on how to gain the miko's affections.

~*~

"Sesshoumaru-sama doesn't look too happy," Rin said to Shippo once she rejoined him where they had been playing.

Glancing at the youkai lord, Shippo blinked and looked back at Rin. "How can you tell?"

Rin giggled and shook her head. "Kagome-chan doesn't look too happy either," Rin observed. At Shippo's nod of agreement, Rin smiled toothily. "I've got a plan to cheer Sesshoumaru-sama up. Wanna help?"

"Sure," Shippo chirped.

Together, the two children moved away from the group of adults so they could plan and scheme in private, making sure to remain within sight of help if trouble should happen upon them.