InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In Present Company ❯ Chapter 11

They reached the village in the late afternoon. It was a fairly large town, obviously benefited by travelers passing through the mountains. Kagome quickly realized that while there were a few inns, they had no money. She looked at the village on the side of the mountain, and spied a nice manor a ways away from the rest.

 

“Sesshomaru…” she began, an idea forming in her mind. “Could you curse that manor?”

 

“What?” For once, he actually sounded surprised.

 

“I mean just a little bit. Throw some jyaki on it or something.”

 

“Why?” he peered at her, brow furrowed.

 

She grinned. “Because I don't like lying.”

 

* * *

 

Sesshomaru dropped to the ground next to Kagome, startling her a little. She stood behind a bush, out of the sight of the manor. “Did you do it?”

 

“Yes,” Sesshomaru stated the obvious.

 

“And nobody saw you?”

 

He glanced towards the sky, though the gesture was too apathetic to constitute rolling his eyes. “Of course.”

 

“Alright then. Let's go.” Kagome tried to pull her skirt down a little to make it look longer, realizing how little like a miko she looked. She looked up at Sesshomaru's slightly amused expression. “It's a hopeless cause, isn't it?” she asked.

 

He raised an eyebrow. “Quite.”

 

She grinned a little, and then sighed. “Whatever. I'll just have to act confident, then.” She strode out from behind the bush and walked directly towards the manor, Sesshomaru following a step behind. Once she reached the front gate (which was mostly decorative) the guards hailed her.

 

“May I speak to the lord of this manor?” she asked in an authoritative voice. “There is an ominous cloud about this place.”

 

The guards looked surprised and alarmed, and one of them ran immediately to fetch the donna. He returned quickly, almost out of breath.

 

“Yes, young lady?” he asked, eyeing her strange outfit.

 

“There is a strange and evil aura about this manor. Please allow me to cleanse it from your presence.”

 

He tilted his head. “You're a miko?” he asked.

 

Kagome pretended to be offended for a moment, and then softened her smile to be a little patronizing. “Yes. I don't blame your unbelief with a demon as my companion, but I assure you that I am. Please, let me release you from the evil spell.”

 

He nodded a little. “Alright…” He still sounded suspicious.

 

Kagome was allowed in the gates and wandered about the grounds, following the faint presence of Sesshomaru's displaced jyaki. It was difficult for her with him standing right next to her, but he managed to discreetly guide her towards the old willow tree.

 

Kagome pointed dramatically. “It is originating from this tree.” She proclaimed.

 

“We'll chop it down immediately,” the lord suggested, and turned to make an order.

 

“No!” Kagome insisted. “The tree is good, but it has been possessed by a vengeful spirit.”

 

There was uneasy murmuring from the guards who stood at a good distance. Sesshomaru heard a whispered name.

 

“Takazumi,” he said aloud, and there was a collective gasp.

 

Kagome turned towards Sesshomaru, playing along. “Is that his name?” she asked.

 

Sesshomaru paused, pretending to listen. “Yes.”

 

She turned on the guards. “Who was Takazumi?” she demanded.

 

They shifted uncomfortably. “A few years ago, two of the men got in an argument when they were drunk. Hishiro pushed Takazumi, and he fell off the walkway and hit his head on a rock and died. Right under that tree. It was an accident, but Hishiro felt so guilty he left.”

 

Kagome nodded solemnly. “I will release his spirit from the tree. May I borrow your bow and arrow?” she asked of one of the guards.

 

He handed it over uneasily, and Kagome faced the tree. She moved her body into the familiar position, and focused her energy on the tip of the arrow.

 

ZiiiiiipTHUNK the arrow hit the tree squarely, a path of pink light tracing it's passage. There was a moment's pause, and then a crackling sound as Sesshomaru's jyaki was purified. Suddenly a bright light shot up out of the tree and into the evening sky.

 

Kagome stared after it. What on earth…? She hadn't been expecting that….

 

There were gasps of astonishment, and then cheers. Before she knew it, Kagome and Sesshomaru were ushered to a fine good meal.

 

As Kagome stared at the bounty laid out before her, she was still pondering the white light. Sesshomaru had declined any food, which caused little trouble. While they easily accepted Kagome, they were understandably still uneasy around him. They had their ears chattered off as they ate, but at last it grew late Kagome managed to finish her meal.

 

“Will you be passing through the mountains, miko-sama?” the lord asked kindly.

 

She smiled. “Yes. I was hoping to rest here first, but as I have no money…” she trailed off.

 

The lord waved his hand at her as if this were a silly thing to say. “I would be more than grateful to give you a place to stay. A couple of days soaking in the hot springs and your energy will be fully replenished!”

 

Kagome gasped. “Hot springs???” she dropped her calm demeanor with excitement.

 

The lord merely smiled. “Why of course! We are privileged to have a few private ones on our own grounds, actually.”

 

Kagome grinned. “That's wonderful!” She turned to Sesshomaru, but forgot what she was going to say. He looked so… smug it was surprising.

 

She blinked. He knew. Screw the mountain pass and the village, Sesshomaru had smelled the sulfur of the hot springs. But why…? Kagome finally put the pieces together, amazed at her own thickness. They had changed course simply to find lodgings for one reason alone. And the hot springs were so she could….

 

It was all Kagome could do to keep from turning bright red, and Sesshomaru just went on looking smug.

 

“Th-thank you,” Kagome stammered to the lord. “I'm… I'm feeling a little tired.”

 

The lord nodded. “That was quite the exorcism this afternoon. I'll see to it that beds are laid out for you in the quarters.

 

Kagome frowned. Quarters? As in Men's and Women's?

 

Sesshomaru spoke up, catching on to it quicker. “That will not be necessary. I stand guard over miko-sama as she sleeps.”

 

The lord frowned a little. A male yokai in the women's quarters was not exactly a good idea. A thought came to him, though, and he smiled. “If you don't mind, there's an old guest's quarters near the hot springs. It's a little dusty and hasn't been used in a while, but it's still in good condition. We usually only have guests in the winter.”

 

Kagome smiled. Perfect. “That will be just fine.”

 

The lord turned and instructed a few servants to go air the place out as quickly as possible. He walked them there personally, taking his time and describing the layout of the manor grounds, where the hot springs were and which ones the servants used, etc.

 

“The spring nearest the guest house is reserved for guests, of course, and you are free to use it whenever you like. I assure you you will be undisturbed, lady miko.”

 

She smiled. “Thank you. That is a relief.”

 

They had reached the guest house, and the servants finished up quick things before scurrying off back to the main house.

 

“Thank you once again, miko-sama, and please feel free to stay as long as you need. Tell us if you require anything further.”

 

Kagome blushed a little, feeling guilty about the ruse for the first time. “I'm sure I'll be fine,” she said, and the lord bowed before walking away.

 

Sesshomaru had already gone into the small building, which was no bigger than a large bedroom. Once Kagome walked inside she realized that was about all it was. In the center was a hearth, for winter use. There was a goodly sized futon, a privacy screen, and an oil lamp. A small empty table stood forgotten in one corner. The servants had managed to get rid of the dust and cobwebs, and it really was quite nice.

 

Sesshomaru looked around approvingly, removing his armor for the night. “Where did you learn that trick?” he asked.

 

Kagome put a finger to her lips, and he couldn't help but think she looked cute. She darted out of the building quickly, and came back with a small leafy twig she had broken off the tree next to the building. She closed the door, and then found a place in the floor where a crack widened enough to shove the small twig in. She knelt before it a moment, closing her eyes and murmuring words she had memorized. There was a little flash, and she smiled, standing up.

 

Sesshomaru frowned. “A barrier?” he asked.

 

She shrugged. “It only stops sound. Kaede taught it to me when we were having a hard time with Naraku discovering our plans. We never did figure out how he was spying on us, but it stopped once I learned it.

 

He studied the little twig. “And you don't have to maintain it?”

 

“Nope. It will stay there until someone pulls out the twig.” She smiled a little. “It will grant us a little privacy, anyway.”

 

He nodded. He stared at her, as if waiting for her to say something.

 

“Oh, right. I learned it from Miroku. Every time we were in a village near evening time he would go up to the nicest looking manor and tell them there was an “ominous cloud” above the place. He was lying of course, but he put up a few fuda and we got free meals and a night's lodging.”

 

“I see.”

 

Kagome paused a moment. “Hey, how did you get the tree to do that thing? With the light?” she made a fluttering motion with her hand.

 

He raised his eyebrows. “I didn't. The tree was already possessed. I just made it angry.”

 

Kagome stared at him a moment. Then she really had…. “Huh. Well, I feel a little less guilty about staying here then.”

 

“Hn.” Sesshomaru seemed to find the idea of feeling guilty about it at all a bit silly.

 

Kagome looked around for a place to sit. She glanced at the bed, and then at Sesshomaru. His intentions came once more to the forefront of her mind, and she felt her pulse quicken, her heart thudding against her ribcage in an almost pleasant fashion.

 

Sesshomaru had been leaning against the wall, but he now pushed himself upright, walking towards her with measured, unhurried steps. His hand gently grazed her cheek, but moved on to her neck, where he rested his fingers on her pulse point. He smiled, and it was inherently smug. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

 

“It is good,” he breathed, “to know my ears do not lie.”

 

Kagome gasped. He could hear her heartbeat from across the room?! He chuckled at the sound of her surprise, his hand returning to her chin before he kissed her, taking his own sweet time. He pulled back a little, pausing for words.

 

“In your world, is there… an expected process before intimacy?”

 

Kagome blinked rapidly, surprised by the question. She was honored that he didn't wish to offend her, but she found herself staring at his lips which made it really hard to think. “Uh… um…” she stammered. “I uh… not really, I guess.”

 

He smiled again, decidedly darker, which made her shiver a little. “Good.”

 

Kagome found herself no longer standing on the ground but rather laying on the futon. How the hell did he move that fast? She hadn't felt any impact. Sesshomaru hovered above her a moment before burying his face in her neck, one hand making it's way slowly down her hip.

 

She tensed up, utterly surprised. Her hands pushed at him and he gave way without a moment's struggle, wary of scaring her.

 

“I…I mean… well…” she blushed profusely, “There is … foreplay,” she whispered the last.

 

He nearly laughed full out, but knew it might hurt her feelings. Instead he smirked profusely, and studied Kagome's reaction. She couldn't seem to decide if she wanted to be frightened or relieved. He brushed his lips against hers barely, and she relaxed.

 

“I wouldn't worry about that if I were you,” he whispered.

 

She exhaled deeply, a slight flush coming to her cheeks. He breathed in her scent, mysterious and intoxicating. He wanted to know what it was that made her smell so clean, like water itself. He wanted to know everything about her.

 

He took the cue to slow down, though, and lay beside her, propping himself up on his elbow and patiently keeping his hand at her waist for the moment. Although she was his first human, she was by no means his first woman. He was not some green boy worrying whether he would last. No, he was going to enjoy every second of this. He softened her with kisses, and she came to the task as an eager pupil, hesitantly repeating what he did until she was comfortable enough to improvise. She wound her fingers in his hair, which he decided he rather liked.

 

Ever so slowly he inched the hand that had originally lain at her waist upwards under her shirt. Fast enough that she was aware of what he was doing, but slow enough that she was comfortable with it. But there, where he should feel the tender skin of the swell of her breast, he was met with some cloth undergarment. He slid his hand to the side, and under her back, searching silently, distractedly for the tie. He found none.

 

Kagome noticed his sudden lack of enthusiasm in kissing her, and realized why he was so distracted. She bit her lip so as not to laugh. She summoned up her courage and moved to remove her shirt.

 

It was not up two inches, though, before Sesshomaru stopped her. He left her lips slowly, almost reluctantly, and crouched down to kiss the little bit of skin she had exposed. He paused a moment, staring at it, the ghost of a smile on his face.

 

“What?” Kagome asked, suddenly very self-concious.

 

He looked up to her. “I've wanted to do that for some time.”

 

She grinned. “You had mentioned my uniform was distracting…”

 

He looked back at her skin hungrily. “Very. Although…” he glanced back up into her eyes. “As much as it reveals I find myself wanting to see more…” He held her gaze steadily as he began to lift the hem up her stomach. Her breathing was shaky, but she made no move to stop him, and after a moment sat up a little to make the process easier. He slid his hands below both her shirt and undershirt and began a slow process upwards, kissing the revealed skin. He skipped over the cloth garment and only barely grazed his lips against the upper swell of one breast, making her shiver. She pulled the garment the rest of the way over her head, her hair falling down out of it. Her hands caught on the cuffs a moment, and he took advantage of the opportunity, holding it behind her head while he kissed her with a little more enthusiasm than earlier.

 

Kagome's eyes went wide at his extremely dominant maneuver. It lasted only a moment, though, and he allowed her to bring her hands around front to work them out of the sleeves. As she did so he eyed her hungrily, drinking in the sight of all of her that he could see now. She set the shirt aside once she had freed her hands, and hugged herself nervously. She bit her lip and studied Sesshomaru's expression, seeking for approval.

 

He swallowed. Completely unbeknownst to her, her little nervous action raised her breasts and pressed them together, enhancing her cleavage. His lifted a hand to trace the line of her collarbone, before slowly venturing lower to trace the more intriguing line.

 

She made a quiet little sound, and he watched with fascination as her nipples grew taut beneath the thin fabric. He passed a thumb over one momentarily before reaching behind her to try once more to find the tie. Strangely, though, the fabric seemed to continue from one end to the other. There were a few metalic-looking pieces on the straps, but he couldn't figure them out.

 

Kagome tried very, very hard not to smile. She stilled his hands, and reached back behind herself to undo the clasp. Most guys from her era had a hard time figuring it out, and she would spare his dignity for now.

 

Sesshomaru wondered for a split second how Kagome had managed to do that, but the thought left him quickly as she brought her hands forward. She left it loose and hanging, barely covering her. He reached for her as if in a dream, surprised by how enticed he was. His hands came to rest on her shoulders, and he moved them slowly, torturing both of them, down towards her arms. It fell away, revealing her to him fully. He let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding.

 

Kagome stared into his eyes, desperately searching for approval. He was so hard to read, and though he looked intent and vaguely hungered, beyond that she could not tell. She looked away at last, unable to ask.

 

“Beautiful,” He breathed, and at first she thought she had heard wrong. He tore his eyes away from her body to look into her eyes. “Exquisite.”

 

For some odd reason she blushed, unused to such compliments from him. He kissed her deeply, and eased her back down onto the bed. His hands slid downwards, taking hold of her in greedy handfuls. She moaned deeply. It felt so good, his hands hard against her skin, and she felt the now-familiar trigger bringing her to life. Her hands went to his haori, wanting to make him as undressed as she was. He complied hurriedly, his patience beginning to run out. He freed the garment from his hakama, not even waiting to slide his arms out before he took Kagome into his arms tightly.

 

“Oh god…” she moaned, her body arching against his reflexively. The feel of his skin against hers was like silk, only hot and fluid, and intoxicating. He made a low growling sound in his throat and buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing deeply. After a moment he slowly removed one arm and then the other from his haori, tossing it aside. He kissed her neck, and then her collarbone, and moved downward onto her breast, which was rising and falling rapidly with her shallow breaths. At last he came to the pink little nipple, stretched taught in anticipation.

 

At first he brushed his lower lip against it, which elicited a whimper from Kagome. Smirking, he paused a moment before repeating the motion. Same sound. He made as if to do it a third time, but instead flicked his tongue across the sensitive skin.

 

“Oh!” she cried out in surprise, and arched against him hard. Thoroughly encouraged, he continued to lick and nibble and suck, as Kagome went on with her chorus of surprised and pleased sounds.

 

“Nnn—Oh, Sesshomaru…” she murmured, spurring him on.

 

He loved the way his name sounded coming from her lips. His hand left her breast and slid over her skirt only to move slowly back up under it. She flinched, but moaned. He abandoned her breast to kiss her neck, and then her chin, and then her lips. He made as if to whisper in her ear, but instead tugged on the earlobe gently.

 

Kagome, however, was more focused on his hand, which now slid to her inner thigh, and she bit her lip. The tension was almost enough to kill her.

 

Sesshomaru stopped, and moved so he could look at her expression.

 

“No man has ever touched you like this?” It was less a question and more a distracted musing.

 

“N..no…” Kagome admitted.

 

He lightly brushed his thumb against the small panel of her cotton panties between her legs and she flinched again, throwing her head back.

 

His expression hardened for a moment. “As long as I live no other man ever will.”

 

Kagome startled. Wasn't it a little early to be mutually exclusive? But then, she reasoned, who else was she ever going to be able to connect with this way? She could never be close to anyone who didn't believe and understand what she'd been through, and the chances of a modern guy doing either were slim to none.

 

But there was something more to Sesshomaru's sudden and alluring possessiveness. It said that for him, this was no fling. He was serious.

 

Sesshomaru watched Kagome's face as she worked her way through his words to their meaning. She had an unusual talent for it, and as her brow unfurled her eyes softened, and she unclenched her hands from the bed sheets, reaching up for him with a tender poignancy. It was not the reaction he had expected, and so he took her in his arms, unsure.

 

She pressed her face into his neck, holding on to him tightly. “Sesshomaru…” she said, barely a whisper. She knew he could hear her.

 

“I love you.”

 

Sesshomaru said nothing. He didn't need to, and they both knew it. It was alright with Kagome. But in some small, distant corner of his being he wished that he could.

 

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

A/N:

WHEEEEEEE!!!! LEMON!!!!!!! Tee hee. Aw hell, I won't write anything important because half of you won't read this in your hurry to read the next chapter. I wouldn't. n.n