InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fetch ❯ Playing Dead ( Chapter 10 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I am too poor to own such magnificent creatures as those that inhabit the Inuyasha world. This lowly peasant bows at the altar of the magnificent Takahashi-san, and eats humble pie for dinner every night.

A/N: This is a prelude of sorts to the last several chapters of this story - and it is along more serious lines, as was the last one. Most of the sexy stuff from here on out will be fairly minor... until we finally get to the claiming of Kagome. Soon. Yes... the end is coming.

---cCc---

They had been walking all day, listening to Inuyasha whine and complain the whole time, and Sesshoumaru had had enough. Not to mention, he'd spent most of the day walking behind his obsession. Even his legendary control could not last forever under those circumstances, and without a by-your-leave, he said, "Make camp here," and grabbed his miko, disappearing under the trees without another word, and completely ignoring Inuyasha's yells of outrage.

Putting up with the half-breed is more tiring than I had thought it would be... if it were not for my onna I would certainly have killed him by now.

Kagome was still trying to catch up with herself - one moment they'd been walking along peacefully, the next, she was tossed over Sesshoumaru's shoulder, and being carried off into the woods.

Trying to look over her shoulder at the daiyoukai, she asked, "Uh, Sesshoumaru? What are you doing?" She was truly mystified... he wasn't usually one to do things like this on the spur of the moment.

His grip tightening on his onna, he growled lightly as she squirmed in his hold. "Getting away from the half-breed - I did not want to kill him, since I know you care for him. However, with his behavior, I would not have been able to keep myself from doing so if I had not left his presence."

Kagome mulled that answer over while trying to shift around on his shoulder. Being thrown over someone's shoulder and carried around like a sack of potatoes wasn't exactly comfortable, and she could only be grateful that he had taken his armor off a bit earlier in the day.

"Okay, I can respect that - I was seriously getting ready to pound him into the ground, myself. But... why did you grab me?"

At that, Sesshoumaru stopped, and sliding her off his shoulder, settled her to the ground, but kept a tight grip on her, and waited for her to look up at him.

When she did, she shivered... his eyes were that molten, almost liquid gold that set her on fire every time she caught that look... it truly left her speechless, breathless, and mesmerized. Naraku could have shown up at that moment, and she'd never have noticed.

"Because, miko, the time for our mating comes closer - and as it does, you will find that I will not leave your side - not for any reason. Therefore, where I go, you go."

Her knees went weak, and she stuttered out, "M-mating? Closer? H-how much c-closer?"

His voice deepening, and becoming slightly husky, he said, "Very close, onna. You will not be innocent for much longer. Naraku's destruction looms, and once I have killed him, I will take you - that very day you will become mine."

"Oh," Kagome breathed.

Lowering his head to her, and just touching his lips to hers, he chuckled almost silently against her skin. "I look forward to that day with desperation, my Kagome... never have I felt want such as I feel for you, and my body desperately desires to join itself to yours."

As soon as those words were out of his mouth, he sealed his lips to hers, and Kagome's mind went blank. Nothing existed except him...

He grinned triumphantly. She was his already - the half-breed no longer had any hold on her or her heart, and by the time he was ready to take her, her body would be ready as well, her reiki no threat to his mark or his seed.

Truthfully, her body was already ready. As was her heart, her soul... and her mind. The words will come soon... she will tell me she loves me, and then, it will all be over - she will be a claimed female - my claimed female.

He had everything he'd ever wanted in his grasp... he'd have to thank that half-breed of a brother of his for being a fool.

Mine... his mind whispered. Mine.

---cCc---

The rest of the group had been startled, to say the least, when Sesshoumaru had given the order to make camp, and then disappeared with Kagome, but nonetheless, they obeyed, getting the camp ready in record time. The only one not happy with it was Inuyasha himself, and he spent the time complaining bitterly while sulking in a tree.

He was, by this point, completely desperate. He was losing Kagome, and he didn't know how to stop it, beyond hoping that Sesshoumaru got his ass killed in the final battle with Naraku. He really couldn't see any other way, but he spent the next several hours contemplating it, thinking of every possible scenario.

That's probably why he didn't notice his beloved's soul gatherers float by. Mind so occupied with plotting against his brother, that he completely missed her summons - and after several of them, apparently she decided enough was enough, because he was suddenly yanked from his thoughts by the commotion in the camp when she decided to come and fetch him - right in front of his companions.

Not surprisingly, that didn't go over well with them.

As Inuyasha hopped out of the tree, he glanced at Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara, and wasn't too pleased to see the dislike on their faces aimed at his miko - nor their battle ready stances.

"Oi! What the hell is you guys problem? Leave her alone!"

Sango glared at him, then turned back to stare at Kikyou, who stood silently at the edge of the camp. "Then get her out of here, you idiot. I will not tolerate her presence - not to mention which, if she pulls any of her tricks trying to kill Kagome again, Sesshoumaru will not hesitate to destroy her, and you know it."

Kikyou looked at Inuyasha as he growled, enraged at the mention of his brother and Kagome. "Inuyasha... why does the mention of your brother and my copy upset you? Does she truly mean more to you than I do?" It was manipulation, plain and simple, but he was too whipped to see it. The others, however, were not so blind, and they cast glances at each other. The woman was after something - and it wasn't Inuyasha.

He snarled at that. "No! Not more, but she's important to me, I won't lie about that. She promised to stay by my side, not my brothers! I won't let him have her!"

Before anyone could answer, Sesshoumaru appeared under the trees, still carrying an obviously tousled Kagome, and he set her down on her feet, before turning and standing before her protectively. Looking first at his brother, then at the undead priestess, he said, "Half-breed, I have warned you time and again that the miko is mine. You have the dead, I have the living. I believe that I got the better end of that bargain."

Kikyou narrowed her eyes in hatred at the daiyoukai. "She is merely a copy of me, youkai Lord - and one of little value, at that. You must have very loose standards, to take a creature such as her."

Inuyasha stared at her, startled. She'd never spoken to him about Kagome like that before...

"Kikyou?" he asked. "Why...?"

"Because it is the truth. She is worthless," she spat.

Everyone in the vicinity flinched when they caught sight of the look on Sesshoumaru's face. He was smiling... but not in a nice way. "Tell me, corpse, how you think you are superior to her? If you are basing your opinion on power, this Sesshoumaru can tell you that her power far outstrips yours - comparing it to yours is like comparing the kitsune kit's power to mine - it does not compare. Or is it another measure that you use to decide you are better?"

Kikyou flinched as he spoke, hating any mention that Kagome carried more power than she - because it was the truth. Hatred evident in her gaze, she stared at a so far quiet Kagome, looking her up and down with disdain.

"How you can think that she will keep you satisfied through all the long years that you would face tied to her is beyond me. Look at her! She is a whey-faced child! She couldn't even get and hold the attention of a hanyou - how is it that you think she will be able to hold your interest? One of your power should have better!"

And then, Sesshoumaru laughed. He'd listened to her words, heard his brother's pained gasp at the realization... Kikyou wasn't truly interested in Inuyasha. She wanted him! Turning to his brother, he spoke. "Truly, you are a fool, Inuyasha. This is what comes from playing with the dead." Then he turned back to Kikyou. "Foolish corpse! Did you think that I would ever lower myself to lay with the undead? I leave that to my fool of a half-brother... I prefer my onna warm and living... and even were you to be returned to life, I would not touch you. You are beneath even my notice - I will have only Kagome beneath me, and no other."

Enraged, Kikyou glared at him. "You would turn to a helpless child!? What does she have that I do not?" She completely ignored the shocked faces surrounding her, and paid no mind even to her erstwhile lover... the truth had finally come out. She wanted the powerful daiyoukai - and the main reason she did is because she didn't want Kagome to have him.

Sesshoumaru stared at her, then said flatly, "Everything." With a disgusted snort, he turned away from her, and pulled Kagome into his embrace, prepared to whisk her out of camp again. Pausing for a moment, he glanced at his brother. "You may enjoy playing with the dead, Inuyasha, but I do not. Make sure that rotting corpse is gone from this camp before I return with my intended... or I will return her to the grave that she stinks so highly of."

With that, he turned and walked away, pushing her protectively ahead of him. He would take no chances by leaving her back unprotected.

As they left, Inuyasha turned shocked, pained eyes on the miko he'd loved for so long. "Why, Kikyou? Was everything between us a lie? Did you only want me so she couldn't have me?"

She glared at him, then turned and began to move away. "Because that pathetic copy doesn't deserve any happiness! Why should she be allowed to be happy, when I was denied the same? I lose my life to betrayal, and she takes my soul and then gains joy and love? I think not! I may be undead - for now, but that is strictly temporary, Inuyasha. I will have the shikon, and I will have my life back - and then she will be the one playing dead, not me."

The people left in the camp stared at each other, then at the pained face of Inuyasha, and didn't know what to say.

Apparently, Sesshoumaru had been correct. Betrayal and pain were to be expected when you danced with the dead, and Inuyasha was learning that lesson the hard way.

Everyone felt sorry for him - but he'd brought it on himself.

At least now, though, the truth was out.

That could only be a good thing.

---cCc---

A/N: Well, well, well. You know, I'd love to find a man to defend me like that... one not afraid to tell it like it is, you know? Of course, it would be even better if it was Sesshoumaru for real - and I'm sure I'm not the only female out there to think that way, either.