InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Inexcusable Nature ❯ Sleeping naked ( Chapter 13 )

Inexcusable Nature

Just A Starving Writer

Disclaimer: nope, not mine.

Warning: Do not be fooled by this chapter's title. It has many layers of other meanings, except, of course, for the most obvious.

Part 13: Sleeping naked

After her little practice session, Totosai worked on the katana for barely a few minutes, seeming to make adjustments to it by simple hammer strokes. It took no time at all, and the sword was back in her hands for testing.

"Try it out, Kagome," suggested the sword smith but she stood clueless.

"But I can't just get strongly emotion over nothing." The nearby demon lord's smirk prompted her. "You! Say something to piss me off!"

The demon lord only smirked wider.

"Your request is entirely too easy, wench. Inciting your foolish human emotions is simple."

Of course, that was enough to bring the angry set jaw to her face, but still not enough to provoke sword action.

"You, little miko, are a waste of my time."

Still no reaction from the sword. He reached deeper into his arsenal for something he knew would surely bother her.

"Even amongst weak humans, you are insignificant. You will never be what Kikyou was."

That provoked a reaction but surely not the reaction he'd been looking for. Instead, all watched in wonder as the sword fell from the miko's grip to stick innocently into the ground. She limped toward him and it was almost a comical sight considering her intense expression. A nerve had indeed been touched. While she held nothing against her incarnation, she simply hated to be compared to her, especially negatively. It would not be tolerated, especially not from this arrogant jerk. Stopping in front of him, she said nothing as she cleanly slapped him with all her human might before turning, retrieving the fallen blade and retreating back inside the dark cave.

Totosai followed her, Myoga in tow, expecting the lord to be angry and willing to take out said anger on anything presently living.

The lord however was not angry. The pain in his cheek had been slight, of course, but it was thoroughly enjoyed. This girl that would not bend down to his will, this girl who continued to defy him at every turn, this ridiculously alluring young human woman had just assaulted him for his rudeness, something no one else had ever attempted to do. And this time, she had done it entirely on her own, without any help from a controlling sword.

It was incredible, really. He'd never experienced anything remotely like it. And he liked it. Sickening the extent that he liked it. His already growing opinion of her jumped by leaps and bounds. Knowing what she did about him and his killer nature, she had still taken it upon herself to make him suitably pay for his rude and completely untrue comment. And it turned him on to no end.

He grinned and wondered if the wench knew exactly what she had just accomplished.

*

Somewhere far to the south a hanyou was shaking in his red robes, trying to get the horribly conflicting and entirely wrong emotions out of his head.

Nearby, a toad youkai was doing the same.

*

Somewhere far to the east another hanyou watched the scene with glee while polishing his jewel half and conniving another evil scheme to torture the miko and lord that irked him so.

He was still unsure of exactly what relationship the two shared, but it would be interesting to find out. Pulling out a slightly glowing string from his sleeve, he cut it in half.

*

Back in Totosai's cave, a young miko was attempting to retreat into the deep recesses when she suddenly met unexpected resistance. Looking back at the demon lord who stood staring relentlessly at her from the cavern's entrance, she suddenly grew frightened when she realized their tether had just become shorter. When before she had been able to keep at least a respectable distance from him, now she was condemned to half of that wondrous space.

That thought had apparently occurred to him as well. However, his reaction was slightly different and it terrified her. The recently slapped demon lord grinned with malicious amusement.

Her breath caught in her throat when something indefinably feral flashed across his eyes. He strode forward fluently and she backed away from him as fast as the leash would allow. However, her balance was questionable and she quickly fell to the ground. Even then she tried to scamper away but only ended up against the rocky wall. In no time at all, he was there, bending gracefully to examine her with coldly wild eyes. Placing his hand under her chin, he forced her eyes to his and instantly she was trapped.

"You, little miko, are a fool."

His statement was as threatening as it was baffling. For one thing, she was almost positive he was not threatening her injury or death. Instead, he was promising her something else, something she was not familiar with but that frightened her as much as it excited her. It was similar to the way she felt from his oddly expressive eyes.

He continued his fierce stare for a few minutes longer before releasing her and walking over and reclining against a nearby wall.

After countless minutes, she finally got up from the wall and went as far as the tether would allow to settle down for bed. She could feel his predatory eyes on her long after sleep came. Perhaps that was the cause of her odd and completely complicated dreams.

The demon lord watched her restless unconscious figure with hungry eyes.

*

"WHAT HAS SHE DONE?!" yelled an angry retainer as he burst into the shard hunter's camp. Presently, the fox was asleep while the two humans could only envy him. The strange and frightened emotions being emitted by their miko friend were weaker than before but still strong enough. The hanyou was currently curled into a ball on the ground, his eyes forcefully shut.

"What do you want?" questioned a tired monk.

"That stinking human wench my lord is attached to! What has she done to him!?"

"What has she done to him?! What has HE done to HER?! She's scared to death, you stupid toad!" yelled a presently moody demon slayer.

"SHE'S SCARED?! OF MY LORD'S ATTENTION?? WHY THAT BITCH!"

Silence followed that declaration for a good few minutes.

"What do you mean his `attention'?" asked a suspicious and frightened demon slayer while she rose to her feet.

Of course, by then the retainer realized he'd let something important slip. Something that his lord may not be too interested in having people know about, especially not the miko's comrades.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

The green youkai tried to get away but the monk and slayer were simply too fast for him. Holding him down and confiscating his staff, they proceeded to interrogate the poor being relentlessly.

"I gather you are receiving Sesshoumaru's emotions now?" queried Miroku.

"Maybe…" A quick thunk on the head made him a little more amiable. "Yes! Yes!"

"And what's he feeling like right now?" questioned Sango.

"Nothing…" A few hits later and he was ready to answer. "He's excited, that's all!"

"Excited about what?"

"I don't know!"

However suspicious that answer was, they knew it was the truth. After all, they could only pick up on emotions, not thoughts and it was reasonable that it worked the same for the other two.

The minute they released him, he was gone and they were left to decipher the words. However, it simply was not enough. There was way too much room for speculation. They needed more information and there was only one other source to get it from.

"Inuyasha…" the monk began and the hanyou stopped his consistent trembling. "We know you can feel your brother's emotions."

He shivered and it was odd to see such a strong being so thoroughly beaten.

"Now tell us what your brother is feeling," commanded the monk in his softest, most authoritative voice.

For a while, all the hanyou could do was shudder with a combination of disgust and fear. A firm shake from the monk brought him enough out of the other emotional world to answer the question.

"You," he said cryptically, keeping his haunted eyes locked on the monk's. "My damn brother is feeling lecherous like you….but worse…so much worse…"

After a collective shiver, all belongings were quickly gathered, the fire extinguished and the shard hunters took off again with extreme haste.

*

As the night darkened and the dawn approached, two old demons discussed tactics in the woods far from sensitive ears.

"So you took my advice?" questioned the flea as he paused from feeding off of a three eyed cow.

"Yes, yes, the fluffy jerk will now have his emotions sent out to those who know him best."

"And the Lady Kagome?"

"I was able to lessen the signals but couldn't stop it. It'll have to do for now until she is ready for the sword to relinquish all control."

"Ah." The flea paused in consideration.

"What of the children involved? Between these two connected adults, I am certain there are particular emotions that should not be felt by the truly young," the flea hinted as he winked.

"I've noticed as well. And, yes, I heard about that little human girl the fluffy guy keeps as a ward. I made sure the children would not be receivers. In fact, it looks as if all signals are being sent to her group and the retainer."

"That is probably for the best, but I am curious. Whose emotions is Lord Inuyasha receiving? He is close to both of them."

The sword smith chuckled as he scratched his chin.

"Myoga, I feel sorry for the idiot. He'll get to know his brother in an entirely new way."

"Interesting."

"Yes, I thought so too."

They laughed well into the night.

*

She woke suddenly from a nightmare, the force of the dream driving her quickly to her feet to search for a hiding place. However, as the unconscious life faded, reality came back with a screaming entrance, bringing her back down from the sudden intense pain in her injured ankle. She fell, knowing it was going to hurt, aware that once again her morning had completely and utterly sucked, and completely certain that her first blissful awakening after this long string was going to be appreciated for years.

Fortunately, one piece of knowledge was proved incorrect when she was gently pulled midair into something softer than the ground. Opening her eyes, her grimace faded into shock as she realized she was currently positioned in the lap of the demon lord.

She was about to make a scathing comment to speed her release but it froze in her throat when she noticed how utterly still his face was. That itself was not strange but the extent was, and was only further amplified by his closed eyes and relaxed frame. She quietly gasped when she realized he was asleep.

Now that she knew this, she gently renewed her efforts to escape his unconscious hold. However, his arm only pulled her closer. After a solid ten minutes of seeking release, she gave up, knowing that his strength and agility were working against her. Resting her head against his fur clad shoulder, she remembered how horrible her sleep had been, how tired she was, and how far it was from a reasonable waking hour. Sleep swiftly overtook her as she reclined in the arm of the oblivious demon lord.

*

The remaining shard hunters had decided to have a quick rest sometime before dawn. Their bodies were still tired from the long imprisonment and there was simply no denying that soon an extended vacation would be necessary.

They hadn't intended to sleep and oddly enough it was the hanyou who was the first to succumb. He rested in his tree, breathing slowly with a strangely content smile on his lax face. The others smiled at this odd new twist but soon felt a similar pull. Stretching out on the springy ground, they quickly fell into comforting slumber, feeling better than they had in ages.

*

It only took one quick glance for the sword smith to change his mind about entering his cave. Whatever had occurred to land the miko in her present situation, it was none of his business and certainly he would have nothing to do with it. He turned and practically ran back to the river to inform the flea.

Unfortunately for the sleeping couple, Totosai's surprised gasp was enough to bring the first fledglings of consciousness back to the demon lord. He woke slowly, unwilling to give up the ultimate comfort he was experiencing. Never had he felt so at peace, which was odd considering how the nap had been completely unintended.

He had been seduced into sleep through watching the miko calm and sink further into slumber, her rhythmic breathing a much better lullaby than anything he knew of. He'd noticed it previously but chose to ignore it then. Now, he studied her every move with such intensity that it was impossible to miss and before he'd known the strength of the whispered notes, he'd fallen victim to them.

However, as sleep flowed from him, he came to the realization that it was simply impossible to be this comfortable. It wasn't right and it certainly couldn't be real.

Without bothering to open his eyes, he began to stretch his muscles but soon found a problem. There was pressure on his legs and a weight firmly pressed against his chest. Come to think of it, his arm was not in any position he was accustomed to but instead seemed to be wrapped around something warm…and breathing.

His eyes shot open at that discovery and soon found the source of all his present problems. The wench was asleep in his lap, seemingly quite content to remain if the content smile was any indication. He didn't know how she had acquired her present position and wasn't sure if he wanted to know. In any case, he was at least partially responsible as his one and only arm was snug around her, making escape impossible for the girl. Not that she looked like she wanted to be anywhere else right now, but she certainly would when she woke.

He snaked his arm out from around her waist and glared mercilessly at the offending appendage. This was the second time the arm had acted towards the girl without his permission. Had it been another actual being, it would have swiftly been executed, but it being that it was his own and only arm and destroying his last defense was completely stupid as well as nigh on impossible, he settled for glaring at it some more before using it to lift the girl carefully from his legs and back onto the ground.

He was simply no longer safe while he slept and so he would no longer do it in her company, no matter how pleasant. Waking to find himself in strange situations with the girl was simply not to be allowed. No, if the miko was going to share his bed, he was going to bring her to it consciously.

He smirked at that thought while his eyes looked over her sleeping form. She really did look quite fetching in that blue kimono even if it already was showing wear. Come to think of it, it really was amazing her previous odd clothing had lasted as long as it had. Curious…

She muttered in her sleep before an unconsciously searching hand found the silk sleeve she had dropped sometime during the night. That seemed to be enough to calm the miko as she clutched it for dear life to her chest.

The sleeve gave him a particularly mischievous idea for later, in case she did something deserving of interesting punishment.

*

The humans and fox child were still sleeping soundly, obliviously content to the world.

The hanyou wasn't so lucky. He was pacing frantically, holding his head between his hands, attempting to squeeze out the unwanted emotions. Unlike the miko, these signals were strong and demanding, punishing in their directness. He found it odd that a being so apparently unemotional would have such incredibly powerful feelings.

He found it appalling that his cold brother would be feeling so frisky.

However, the hanyou was not as stupid as he led everyone to believe. If there was something he had learned from being an unwilling receiver it was that his brother had an over abundance of control. To experience such overwhelming emotions and yet maintain a perfectly bland expression must take a lot of work and years of practice.

Still, he worried. Kagome had a strange power about her that just attracted men and trouble, and usually the two were intertwined. Also, she was simply great at making the people around her change. Judging from the growing intensity of the feelings, his brother was getting closer to a pretty powerful change. Whereas before he may have only seen the miko as an interesting tidbit to run his eyes over every now and then, now he was discovering all the different and attractive facets of her character. He was like a moth attracted to the flame, intent upon getting closer to something beautiful, unaware of how dangerous it was. Or perhaps he knew of the danger but was thoroughly unprepared for the extent.

Either way, it was looking more and more like his brother was headed for an emotional breakdown of some sort. As he had discovered over the years, it simply wasn't healthy to keep certain emotions inside, but his brother had been doing that exact thing for nigh on forever. So it was reasonable to assume that what would be a normal emotional response was going to be something massively explosive for the youkai lord.

And Kagome was the cause. And she was stuck next to him.

Another disturbing emotion rushed through his head, temporarily blinding his own thoughts. Once he was able to push it back somewhat, he kicked the monk awake.

"We have to go NOW." It was more of a command than a suggestion. The monk looked at him questioningly, still lost in the miko's feeling of comfort to be of any use.

"Don't be stupid Miroku. We have to get to her and distract him or he'll explode."

The monk still appeared sleepy and clueless.

"He's thinking like you again."

That statement was enough to remind the monk exactly what kind of danger his caring friend was in. Instantly he was wide awake and gently waking the still slumbering slayer.

"Time to go."

*

"What do you think now, Kagura?" The smooth voice was oddly enhanced by the hanyou's continual stare into the murky depths of the tainted jewel half.

"I do not care." Though she had intended to merely mock her master, she suddenly realized it was true. She no longer cared what happened between lord and miko.

"Your lord's heart no longer matters to you?" He shifted his gaze toward her curiously. "Perhaps you have found another to entertain you?"

Her eyes hardened and she refused to answer.

"Ah," he replied on her behalf. "I see. You are as bad as the miko, Kagura, going between brothers so easily."

She only sneered at him, wishing no more than to kill him and be done with the matter. However, as she had discovered numerous times before, that simply was not possible. She was left relying on the strength of others.

"Make your choice, Kagura. You can watch over whichever sibling you choose. But there you must remain until I call for you."

She was cautious, knowing full and well that him allowing her any freedom usually meant he was only going to shrink her cage later.

"So the hanyou it is," he murmured while becoming transfixed once more by the shiny jewel.

It should have been quite the disturbing image. However, at that minute she caught sight of something particularly interesting occurring in the enchanted mirror behind him. The miko must once more be arguing with the lord. However, her battle tactics had changed significantly now that the sword had relinquished some control.

She couldn't help it. Spoiling the entire atmosphere of the entire evil castle, she laughed hysterically. If there was one thing she could say about the miko, it was that she had guts.

*