InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Cursed ❯ Why? ( Chapter 23 )

Chapter Twenty Three - Why?

 

And the dawn did come.

 

Sesshoumaru lay there quietly, doing everything in his power to allow the human woman that slept next to him to continue as she was for a long as she could. He would have stopped the sun in its journey up the sky if he could have. Soon the first rays of dawn slipped past the columns of ancient wood and stone that made up outer walls of the fortress and calmly made their way in through the open archway to the Lord of the Western Lands' private rooms as they routinely did. Today though, it seemed that they took extra care when curling up onto the futon that, this morning held two occupants, one quietly sleeping and the other keeping close watch on the first. When her breathing began to change and her heart rate slowly rose, he knew that the inevitable would soon come to pass. He held his breath as she took hers.

 

She felt warm and very comfortable and for that she smile lazily, keeping her eyes closed in an attempt to hold onto the groggy heaven for just a little bit longer. One hand stretched out languidly to wake up the muscles still sleeping within. The slow movement suddenly came to a stop however when it touched silk where simple cloth should have been. It was then that she remembered and then that she knew she was not in the home she had made for herself and the home that she'd hoped someone else would make theirs. She knew he was there, beside her, like he had been on so many mornings before this one and that's exactly why she kept them closed. She didn't want to see him as he was now but instead remember what it was that she had originally come to know him as. The man she'd saved and the man she'd grown to love.

 

Several minutes passed before she found the courage to speak.

 

“This is to be my prison now?”

 

Sesshoumaru was surprised but overjoyed to hear her speak even if the words were not positive in nature.

 

“No, it is not your prison.”

 

“Then I can go home.” She heard him take a breath before answering, he sounded worn.

 

“No.”

 

“Then this is my prison.”

 

A long silence followed and only the quiet breath of the human could be heard.

 

She remained as calm as she could. She remembered yesterday all too clearly. She had been hysterical and rash though she didn't blame herself for her behavior in the least. She took a deep breath before continuing. She needed to know what was going to happen to her now. He needed to tell her.

 

“Why did you bring me here?” Her eyes were still closed.

 

“For your protection, it was no longer safe for you to remain where you were, alone.”

 

“I can take care of myself.” She quipped back. She didn't like this demon telling her that she needed protecting. She'd done just fine for years before he came. She would do just fine again without him.

 

“Like you took care of yourself that day the men attacked you?” He didn't say it for cruelty but in order to make a very valid point. Takana didn't see it his way however. Her eyes snapped open at his words to glare at the youkai that was far to close to her for her comfort.

 

“You bastard, how dare you!” She spat as she quickly sat up and scooted away from him.

 

It was his turn to close his eyes. “Do you deny that you were in danger that day, or the day of the storm or the day you returned to your former village?”

 

“T-that's...that's...I...” She sputtered.

 

“Those men that would have hurt you the first time were the same the second. Do you think their actions were those of men who would forget? How long till they found your little hut?” His voice was stern but he did not attempt to keep her next to him. He had learned from yesterday's mistake and held back his first instincts to pull her back and force her to understand. She was not some inu bitch; she was human and as such would have to be handled in ways that his instincts would not understand.

 

“I suspect they already knew. I brought you here to protect you because I will not see any harm done to you.”

 

“Like the harm you've already done to me?” She spat again. Her anger was apparent but there was not hysteria as there had been the day before. This was just cold, hard anger. He wasn't sure what he preferred at this point.

 

He sighed, exasperated. Was she purposely trying to goad him into acting? He had never excelled at words; actions were his more common approach. Her words though were making it difficult. He stood from the bed as well but did not approach her. He did however; consciously place himself between her person and the bedchamber doors. She would stay and she would understand. Before anything else could be done, she needed to realize what had happened.

 

“I will not repeat myself a third time so listen. Any `harm' you have suffered due to me was unintentional. It was the last thing this Sesshoumaru ever wanted.”

 

“Then why did `this Sesshoumaru' lie to me?” She asked derisively. “If you cared so much, why would you keep me in the dark about something so important?” She was breathing heavily but managing to maintain some of her calm, even if it was a forced one. He kept his distance and it helped.

 

“Would you have believed me?” She didn't answer as she looked to the floor in front of her feet so he continued. “And if you had by some miracle believed that the human you found almost dead was indeed the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands, how would you have reacted. Your past with my kind had not been a pleasant one.” Again silence. “I could not tell you. I could not chance that you would throw what you believed to be either a lunatic human or a soon to be youkai lord to the snows of winter.”

 

She finally looked at him, a tear trickling down her face.

 

“You hurt me.” She whispered to him, unwilling and unable to respond to either his questions or his logic.

 

“I know.” He sounded almost pitiful.

 

She turned her head to look out the balcony opening. “You really didn't know who you were in the beginning?”

 

“No.”

 

She looked back at him. “You didn't do it to toy with a human?”

 

“Never.”

 

“Then tell me why.” When he didn't answer and a hint of consternation crossed his features, she clarified. “Why were you human?” She saw him sigh.

 

“It is difficult to explain.” He was surprised when she laughed. There was no mirth in it but it was better than yelling or worse yet, crying.

 

“I doubt it will be more difficult in the explaining than it will be in my believing.”

 

A long moment passed while he gathered his thoughts before finally he spoke to the woman whose attention he so readily held.

 

“A year ago, I was as I am now. In my travels to patrol my lands I came across a creature I have never before seen, heard of or even imagined. It...questioned me about my feelings on humans. I answered and then I was human myself. The next night I was attacked by the creature you found me next to and everything else you know. The morning I returned as I am now, it had given me back my original form and after that until now, you know as well.” A long moment passed before Takana responded to his story.

 

“What was your answer?”

 

“Answer?” He didn't hide the confusion in his voice.

 

“Your answer on you feelings about humans.”

 

Sesshoumaru's brow furrowed. Of course she would ask that. She was, after all, the only human for miles around in a palace swarming with youkai. His feelings would be of great interest to her after all on such a subject. He could lie, he considered but quickly cast the idea aside. He had lied to this woman enough and he was many things but a liar by trait he was not.

 

“I hate them.”

 

She just stared at him for a moment, dumbfounded by his answer. Honestly, she hadn't known what to expect but for some reason, that had been the last on her list. It did make sense though. Being that she had always lived within the realm of the youkai's Western Lands, she had heard tales of the demon lord that despised her kind. It was said that the only reason humans were allowed to reside within his lands was because he would not sully his person with allowing them in his presence even for the purpose of ridding them from his lands. Humans were that far beneath him.

 

She'd heard the tales of why as well. She'd heard of his father that reigned over the land hundreds of years ago, of the human hime that he took as his own. It was not a fairly tale but a tale of warning to stay away from their kind for nothing but sadness followed the couple. It was said that she died because of her association to her love and that he soon followed in her fate. It was a tale of warning that Takana had followed well and believed as a child. After her rape, she no longer believed it. No woman would willingly go to a youkai. Not a sane one anyway. They were too cruel, too vicious to be capable of the love that the youkai lord supposedly shared with his human hime.

 

“Then why again, am I here?” She finally questioned.

 

“I do not hate you.”

 

“This will not work.” She stated calmly after a long pause, turning to the balcony but not daring to walk out on it for fear of the youkai she might see below.

 

`It must. I will not let you go.' Sesshoumaru said to himself as he carefully walked over to the woman he would protect until death. He did not answer her statement. He didn't know how. He wouldn't take the chance of lying to her again and telling her something as though it were fact when he could not guess the future would be just that. He came to stand next to her but made no move to touch her though he yearned to do so.

 

“You will not be ignoring me then?” He asked and a sad little smile crossed her lips.

 

“No. I don't think I could keep my mouth from moving for that long.” She said, not looking at him.

 

“Good.” They stood in companionable silence for a moment before he spoke again. “You are hungry?” She nodded an affirmative in response. “I will have food brought to us and then we have much to discuss.” She nodded again. They most certainly did.

 

 

AN: Whoo, finally a chapter centered on our favorite pair and a long one to boot. Well, long enough that if you combined the sizes of this one and the last one, you'd have two of my normal sized chapters. Anyway, thanks to everyone who's sticking around and great big smooches to my reviewers. You guys always give me those little warm fuzzies. Happy reading!