InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In Present Company ❯ Chapter 3

Kagome tried to stifle an enormous yawn. She was tired, and her legs were like lead. But Sesshomaru kept walking.

 

“Don't you ever get tired?” She asked, finally too tired to remember to be respectful.

 

“No.”

 

“Do you even sleep?”

 

“Sometimes.”

 

Kagome paused, thinking. “If you don't get tired then why do you sleep?”

 

“To replenish my strength.”

 

“Aha! Then you do get tired!”

 

“No.”

 

Kagome stopped walking, trying to wrap her very tired brain around what Sesshomaru had said. After a moment, she gave up, and went to keep walking.

 

Except her legs wouldn't move right.

 

Somehow she ended up on the ground, with Sesshomaru staring down at her disdainfully.

 

“Go to sleep.” He said simply.

 

“Ok.” And she did. Instantly.

 

Sesshomaru glanced to the south, allowing himself to look momentarily concerned. He thought again of what had been bothering him all day: what if Rin had ended up alone, or with someone who could not care for her? He looked down at the sleeping form of Kagome, so like Rin and yet so… different. Rin would forever be a little girl in his mind. Kagome, however, was clearly a woman. He guessed her to be about 19 years of age. She no longer wore the strange green outfit he had first seen her in, but this grey one was hardly any more modest. Almost the entire length of her shapely legs could be seen, and when she raised her arms the slimmest glimpse of stomach could be seen. It was very improper and very distracting, even for a Yokai.

 

Forcing his mind to change subjects, Sesshomaru looked to the south again. He sighed. If Kagome was going to keep sleeping like this, it would take almost two months to get back to the village of Edo. That was too long. Silently, he bent down and scooped up the sleeping girl. He intensely ignored the fact that his left hand rested on the bare crook of her knees, and began to walk south.

 

 

 

When Kagome awoke, she was surprised to find herself in a forest. Hadn't she fallen asleep in a meadow? She shook her head, reasoning that she might not remember some of the time she walked while half asleep. She stood up and stretched, which is when she noticed Sesshomaru sitting against a tree, staring at her. He looked away quickly.

 

She was about to ask what his problem was when her stomach made an awful noise. She hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast the day before, and she was starving.

 

“There is a village at the foot of this hill. You can get something to eat there.” Sesshomaru stood up, and began walking towards the village.

 

Kagome frowned. “Why didn't we stay at the village last night then?”

 

“The village was not near last night.”

 

“What?” Kagome was very confused.

 

Sesshomaru sighed. “You were wasting my time sleeping so I carried you.”

 

Kagome blushed momentarily, but something tickled her brain. She looked hard, and noticed that poking out of his left sleeve were a full set of claws. That was strange… why hadn't she noticed that before? Come to think of it, why hadn't she noticed when he transformed?

 

“When did you get your arm back?” she asked.

 

“I believe it had something to do with the purification of the jewel.”

 

Kagome caught up with him quickly. “Well, you don't seem too shocked.”

 

“It takes a good deal to surprise me,” Sesshomaru said simply. They walked the remainder of the way in silence. As they approached the village, people came rushing out of their huts to meet them. At first Kagome thought they had hostile intentions, but as they came closer they could hear shouts of “Welcome!” from the villagers.

 

When they arrived, they were treated with a large breakfast, which Sesshomaru turned down.

 

“You don't eat, either?” Kagome asked as she shoveled rice into her mouth.

 

“Not usually.”

 

“Do you like the food?” The kind lady asked.

 

“Oh yes, it's delicious! I'm afraid we don't have much to give for it, though,” Kagome said again.

 

“Oh, that's alright. You must meet the commander, though.”

 

Kagome paused. “The commander?”

 

The girl beamed. “Oh yes, he's the leader of this village, and a wonderful person! I insist that you meet with him before you leave!”

 

There were comments of agreement from the other villagers in the room. Kagome shrugged. “Ok,” she said before she continued to eat.

 

Sesshomaru thought silently. There was something about these people that was just wrong. They all seemed too happy, and there were suspiciously few men and boys. Something was not right. It would be interesting indeed to meet this commander.

 

After eating breakfast, they were led to a very strange looking castle. It looked like adobe to Kagome, but she knew that wasn't common in this era. It was late afternoon by this time.

 

“You must kneel in the commander's presence. He is a very great man,” one of the women offered quietly before they entered his audience room. Before kneeling, Kagome noticed that the room was surrounded by high windows, beneath which sat all kinds of pottery on a ledge that went all the way around the large room. Sesshomaru did not kneel.

 

“Please,” came a voice from the throne, “show a little respect.”

 

Sesshomaru instantly went down on one knee, and Kagome noticed a strangely intense look in his eyes.

 

The commander walked forward, smiling.

 

“What are your names?” He asked Kagome.

 

“Kagome Higurashi and Sesshomaru, Lord of the West.” Kagome said quickly, and then looked very confused.

 

“You fool,” Sesshomaru hissed. “Why did you tell him that?”

 

“I—I didn't… I mean, I didn't mean to… I didn't think, I just said it…”

 

The commander laughed, a sound that was eerie in itself. “Oh, you two are going to be fun to play with. You can stand now.”

 

Sesshomaru stood up immediately, as if he had been spring loaded. Kagome got to her feet a little slower, still confused.

 

“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shun Ishimaru. You may call me commander. I bet you are just dying to know why they all call me that. Well, you're about to find out. Touch your noses.”

 

Kagome's finger instantly flew unbidden to her nose, while Sesshomaru's took a slower path, as if he were fighting it. Suddenly Kagome understood. Whatever this man said, they had to do.

 

The man laughed again, and took a few more steps forward. “I always love that one. You can stop now.”

 

Kagome began to step backwards, more out of fear than planning.

 

“Oh, please, don't leave. Come forward.”

 

Both she and Sesshomaru took a few steps closer.

 

“Have a seat.”

 

They both sat on cushions that were on the floor, wary of what was going to happen. The commander clapped his hands, and several women came in. They lit the lamps, placed trays before Kagome and Sesshomaru, and took seats around the room, chattering happily.

 

“Please, try this delicacy. See if you can guess what it is.”

 

Although she was not hungry, Kagome picked up the piece of meat and began to chew. Sesshomaru did the same. It was rather tough, but Kagome didn't recognize the flavor.

 

Sesshomaru swallowed, and Kagome wondered how he could have chewed the tough meat so quickly.

 

“This is dog meat,” he said, sounding disgusted.

 

Kagome gagged.

 

“Don't spit it out! That would be so rude.”

 

As Kagome struggled with this predicament, the commander smiled at Sesshomaru. “You are an inuyokai, are you not?”

 

Sesshomaru stared at Kagome. “Swallow it or you will only continue to taste it.”

 

She did so quickly, and then coughed. Behind her, many of the women laughed pettily. Sesshomaru could tell that they were being controlled as well. The controller snapped his fingers, and the trays were taken away. The controller walked around them a few times, as if examining them.

 

“Stand up.” They did so. He turned to Kagome, who obviously had a harder time resisting his commands. “Explain everything about why you are here.”

 

“We—” but she didn't say anymore, because she had put her hands over her mouth, and Sesshomaru had placed his over hers.

 

The commander sighed. “Sesshomaru, hold her hands away from her face.”

 

Slowly, Sesshomaru peeled Kagome's hands away and held them, an angry but apologetic look in his eyes.

 

“Continue, Kagome,” the commander ordered.

 

“We are here because we ended up in Hokkaido after we traveled back from a different dimension.”

 

The commander mulled that over a bit, deciding he didn't want to know exactly what that meant. “Where are you going?”

 

“South, towards the village of Edo.”

 

“And what is your relation to him” he nodded towards Sesshomaru.

 

“Uh… I am… good friends with his brother. He helped us defeat Naraku, who was in the other dimension. Somehow we got separated when we came back, and we are trying to get back to where we started.”

 

The commander paused. “This brother of Sesshomaru's… what are your feelings for him?” he smiled wickedly.

 

Kagome looked at the floor, but the words spilled out of her mouth. “I have had a crush on him for a long time.”

 

“How long?”

 

“Almost four years.”

 

“And did anything come of this… crush?”

 

Kagome looked as if she would cry. “Not really.”

 

Once again, the women laughed at her

 

“Stop this now.” Sesshomaru said dangerously, unable to do anything while he still held Kagome's wrists. “This is degrading.”

 

The commander laughed once more. “Well, of course it is! It wouldn't be entertaining if it wasn't, now would it? Now what shall we do with you…?”

 

Immediately, Sesshomaru stopped hearing. He could turn off any of his senses at will, and was very good at hearing, since he often did it to ignore Jaken's prattling. The commander merely smiled, looking straight at him. Suddenly, he looked at Kagome, realizing the commander might do something to her to affect him. However, she looked fine. No, he thought strangely, she looks better than fine. Suddenly she appeared extremely beautiful and alluring to him, and he felt his arms wrapping around her tightly. He realized with horror that the controller was still having an effect on him, making his thoughts go in directions he chose to avoid. He held Kagome to himself, extremely grateful that his armor hid the nature of his predicament. Something wasn't right, though. He realized dimly that Kagome was hitting him. He turned his hearing back on.

 

“Sesshomaru…” she said breathlessly, “You're hurting me….”

 

He let go of her, suddenly released from the spell. She collapsed to the ground and tried to catch her breath as the commander's laughter rang through the hall. Sesshomaru sprang at the commander, but when he swiped his face with his claws, they went right through. He was unaffected, a phantom projected from somewhere else.

 

Sesshomaru glared at him a moment, while the commander smiled smugly back.

 

“I would speak with you privately.” Sesshomaru said beneath his breath.

 

The commander leaned over so he could see Kagome. “Stay there, you can't hear us.”

 

“What?” Kagome asked, now deaf.

 

“You can read minds?” Sesshomaru demanded.

 

The commander laughed. “No, but I can project commands. I didn't need to read your mind, my dear yokai. It was obvious, the way you looked at her. Can't blame you, personally, she is a pretty little thing. I might have some fun with her myself.”

 

“You wouldn't dare,” Sesshomaru growled.

 

“Oh, I would. But you see, that would require a body, something which I lack. But I could always live vicariously through you…”

 

“What are you guys saying?!” Kagome demanded.

 

Sesshomaru glared at the commander a moment longer, and then turned his back on him. He helped Kagome up.

 

“What's going on?” She asked.

 

“We're leaving,” Sesshomaru answered.

 

“Hey, why couldn't I hear you before?” she asked as she stood up.

 

Sesshomaru didn't answer, but took hold of her wrist and headed towards the door.

 

“Stop,” the commander said simply, and Sesshomaru slowed to a snail's pace. He struggled to move an inch or two, succeeding only marginally. The women who had been sitting came and stood in his way.

 

“Get out of my way,” he said through clenched teeth.

 

“Ladies, please make sure that Sesshomaru will be comfortable for his stay. Kagome, help them.”

 

Kagome instantly took hold of Sesshomaru's obi, and then blushed profusely. She and the other women removed his armor, swords, and haori top, leaving him standing in his hakama and shoes. He bore it with dignity, and would not look into Kagome's beet red face.

 

“Kagome,” the commander said sweetly. “You should be comfortable too.”

 

Kagome removed her long-sleeved high school uniform top, infinitely glad she wore a tank top underneath. The commander walked around them once more, and then nodded approvingly.

 

“Please, enjoy your stay here,” he joked, no command in his voice.

 

A few of the women had opened two wide doors only to reveal a cell with iron bars and a padded floor.

 

“Go ahead, go in.” The commander said sweetly.

 

This time, even Kagome resisted a little, but eventually they ended up in the cell. The iron bars slammed shut behind them, and Sesshomaru rushed at them, only to be thrown back against the back wall of the cell.

 

“Like my barrier?” the commander asked smugly. “I'll warn you, it's about a foot away from the bars, so don't try to get any closer. Have a good night.” He walked away, and they listened as everyone left the room and the doors were closed.

 

“What the hell?” Kagome felt for the barrier, and passed through it. She shook the iron bars, to no effect. She realized that she could get through the barrier because unlike Sesshomaru, she could not bend the iron. She slid down the wall, sitting on the floor with an exasperated sigh.

 

“This has got to be the weirdest trap I've ever fallen into.”

 

“Hn.” Sesshomaru agreed.

 

“Why the heck did he put us in here anyway?” Sesshomaru didn't answer, and Kagome watched as the last light faded from the windows. She scanned the room thoughtfully, and suddenly noticed one of the jars on the window ledge was still glowing. She looked at it carefully, realizing it was an aura.

 

“Hey, Sesshomaru. That commander guy is a phantom, right? Your claws went right through him.”

 

“I believe that is correct.” Sesshomaru agreed.

 

Kagome smiled. “I think I know where his body is. Could you—” Kagome stopped short. Sesshomaru's jyaki had just fluxuated violently, sending a shiver up her spine.

 

“Sesshomaru?” Kagome turned around slowly. He was down on the ground, his claws buried in the padding of the floor, his head low, hiding his eyes behind his bangs. “Sesshomaru, are you ok?”

 

“Stay away from me!” he shouted.

 

Kagome gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. “Is he commanding you to hurt me or something?”

 

“No,” came the strained answer. Inwardly, Sesshomaru almost laughed. That would have been much easier to resist.

 

Kagome took a few steps towards him. “What's wrong?”

 

“I said stay away from me, girl!”

 

She jumped at the harsh tone of his voice, but reached a hand out to him. “Is there anything I can—”

 

Suddenly Sesshomaru reached up and yanked her arm, pulling her forcefully to the ground and into his lap. He pressed her to him tightly, a slight growl escaping from his throat. “I told you to stay away from me, Kagome.” He breathed in her ear.

 

“Wha—” Kagome gasped as Sesshomaru pressed her hips against his, making the situation very obvious to her. She was suddenly very aware of the way she was sitting, his hand on her back and the feel of his bare chest against her arms, his skin hot to the touch. He began to kiss her neck, and she shivered.

 

“Sesshomaru…” she said breathless, “don't…”

 

There was no conviction in her voice, and Sesshomaru heard that. He did not stop. His right hand traced its way down her side to her knee, and then began to move slowly back up. “You should wear longer clothing, you know,” he murmured against her skin as his hand slid under the hem of her skirt. She gasped again, her fingers reflexively clutching his shoulders.

 

“Sesshomaru…” she whispered, unsure. She felt herself begin to react to him, and a moan escaped her unbidden as he began to rock her against him. He growled again, and laid her down onto the floor, moving himself on top of her. At this point he couldn't even tell if he was still being controlled, he wanted her so badly. She wound her fingers in his hair, and made little noises that surprised and excited him. He captured her mouth hungrily, and she returned the kiss shyly. He slid the little strap that held up what little covered her off her shoulder, kissing along her collarbone and then lower. Her breath came fast and hot, and he felt her hands press against his back. He reached down, and took hold of her leg, pulling it up a little to increase their contact. She moaned again at the result, and he began to pull the other strap down off her shoulder…

 

Kagome's mind was lost to the things Sesshomaru was doing to her. Her head swam, and she thought of nothing but the new sensations he surprised her with. There was a tickling at the back of her brain that this was wrong, but she couldn't remember why, who would care—

 

“InuYasha.” She said suddenly, the thought coming straight out of her mouth. Sesshomaru paused, and then suddenly he was on the other side of the room, not looking at her.

 

“Get between the barrier and the bars.”

 

“Why?” she asked, her brain still very unorganized and confused.

 

“Do it, NOW!” he yelled. She jumped and did as she was told. He glanced at her, and then sighed, sliding down the wall to sit opposite her.

 

“I'm sorry…” Kagome said shakily, `I didn't mean to—”

 

“Stop apologizing. It isn't you.”

 

“What do you mean? What's going on?” Kagome asked.

 

“I am being controlled,” Sesshomaru said simply, and Kagome's eyes went wide. “This is what we spoke of earlier when you couldn't hear, this is why he put us in here. The only way to protect yourself is to stay on the other side of that barrier.”

 

Kagome's mouth hung open. “Then you… you don't…you feel nothing for me?” she slid the strap of her tank top back onto her shoulder absently.

 

Sesshomaru hesitated. He knew he should lie to her. “If you are asking whether I am attracted to you I think the answer is obvious. However, as for feelings…” he paused, trying to find a way out of her question. “I am a yokai and you are human,” he said coolly. “What do you think?”

 

Kagome bit her lip, clearly hurt. “Oh.” She said simply. Sesshomaru could clearly see the tears rimming her eyes. He wanted to say he was sorry, wanted to tell her the truth, wanted to do everything they had just done all over again, but he couldn't, for her own good. He simply sat against the wall, fighting the urge to run at the barrier.

 

“Try to get some sleep.” He said simply.

 

She nodded, and lay on her side in the narrow strip protecting her. She could not sleep though, and found herself staring at the ethereal image of Seshomaru lit by the moonlight streaming into the room. He would occasionally open his eyes and look at her, as if debating something. The whole picture was so alluring, so enticing to her, and she was confused. In all the four years she had been with InuYasha she had never felt this strongly about it. She had hoped for a kiss, or an embrace, and even fantasized about making out, but she had never dared to think of anything more than that. Here she had been with Sesshomaru for less than a week, before which he would have probably killed her as soon as looked at her, and now this. As she stared at him, she realized that she in turn wanted him very badly, and she had a sneaking suspicion it had nothing to do with being controlled. At last she drifted off to sleep.

 

Not much later, she awoke to find Sesshomaru asleep. She was very uncomfortable lying on her side against the cold metal bars, and something at the back of her mind suggested she would be more comfortable with Sesshomaru. She was halfway across the cell when she realized what was going on, but by then she couldn't stop. With mild horror, she followed her feet to Sesshomaru's sleeping form, still sitting against the wall. She sat on his lap, much in the same way she had earlier, but nothing happened.

 

Sesshomaru, knowing that the commander could not read his mind, pretended to be asleep. Of course, Kagome knew the truth. If she hadn't already known that such a thing would easily wake him, and he was probably awake when she stood up, it was now very obvious to her that he was, in fact, awake and aware of the situation. He half murmured something, and slid an arm around her back, as if still mostly asleep. Only she heard what he said.

 

“Fall asleep.”

 

She rested her head against his shoulder, terribly uncomfortable. Physically, she was in heaven. But mentally, she knew that she couldn't move at all or she would make the situation exponentially worse. Sesshomaru was probably even more uncomfortable. However, sleep eventually came to claim her.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AN

 

And an extremely long chapter… tee hee… this is what happens when you let your subconscious write your stories….