InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Just A Moment ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

AN: yeah, insert disclaimer, cuz if I do I might cry. Then I'll get attacked by Riasha and seduced by Jax. Hmm, the second part's not too bad…

Chapter 8

Sesshoumaru waited patiently, she would be coming back soon, he just knew. Something peeked into his conscious and then she was climbing up to the top of the well. There he stood; tall, regal, proud and stoic to see her come out of the well. She noticed him immediately and was slightly surprised. He reached a hand toward her she hesitantly accepted, wondering at this. Was the great taiyoukai helping her? But, then again, they were technically mated now, maybe he wasn't quite so cold either. He definitely wasn't ugly, and if he could show her some emotion…

`What the hell am I thinking? I love Inuyasha, don't I? But Inuyasha loves Kikyou, so I have nothing to offer him besides friendship.' She sighed. Finally she decided she might as well be polite.

"Hello, Sesshoumaru. What are you doing so far from your castle?" She greeted and asked amiably. He gave her a sharp look.

"Stupidity does not become you. I have come to get you, Kagome. You must come to the castle so I can show you everything there." His lack of emotion made her want to be compassionate towards him and bring forth what was hidden inside. Even if it was Just for a moment… She shook her head and tried to clear her mind but felt as if she was pulled toward the tall demon standing near her. It was then that her foggy mind saw the parcel in his arms.

"What is that?" She asked curiously, stepping close to him. Somehow she knew it was for her, he was giving her a gift. `Well, it's more than Inuyasha's ever given me.' She mentally smacked herself and looked at him eagerly. His lip twitched but went unnoticed as he handed her the package. She took it delicately, running her fingers over the silk cloth that wrapped it. The material felt so fine it seemed to slip through her fingers like butter and she feared that she would drop it. She slowly pulled the cloth away and found a bow…

It was like nothing she had ever seen before! It was not wooden, but made of some kind of metal that had just the right spring and flexibility. She handed him the cloth when he offered to take it and just stared at the gift for a moment. She held it up in a practiced motion and pulled the string back like an arrow would. She let it go and it sprang back with an elasticity that was unmatched in this world or any other. She peered at a shineless spot on it and turned it a different way when the sun hit it and reflected into her eyes. She looked closer and saw her name engraved on it clearly, with a few marks, including the crescent moon that adorned Sesshoumaru's forehead. She turned abruptly to Sesshoumaru and threw her arms around him, bow in one of them. She hugged him tight, murmuring her thanks over and over. He stood very still and she blushing drew back to look up at him shyly. She was smiling nervously and looked up innocently through thick lashes, biting her lip. He had the urge to smile suddenly and quelled it.

"It is yours. It was made especially for you. It is a gift that cannot be returned nor lost or given away unless it is given to your daughter. It enhances your purifying powers and makes them even stronger and easier to control." He informed her. She had an intently lost look, somewhat content, somewhat unsure.

"I should not accept this. I can't. It's too nice, and too beautiful…"

"Not for you it isn't" He finished. She looked up at him, her head slightly cocked sideways. He took her arm and pulled her close to him before wrapping it around her as a cloud of red formed at their feet. She gasped as they flew into the air, high above the ground and started north. She clung onto the demon lord, but eventually relaxed and looked over the edge. The cloud felt so flimsy, like they would go right through it, but they floated on it lightly as the cloud itself. Over the village, and places she had been through to collect jewel shards but did not remember specifically. It was cold up here and though the demon beside her did not feel it, she did. Soon she was shaking and her teeth were chattering as much as she tried to hide it. He turned to look at her plainly and she tried to smile but was so cold, she could not with her teeth clamped the way they were. He could not have his mate getting sick, but it would be degrading to give her his kimono top…

So instead he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. She blushed and gave him a grateful look.

"Arigatou." She thanked him and his response was to tighten his arms slightly. She slowly relaxed and her shaking stopped, leaving her feeling comfortable and warm. A happy sleepiness drifted through her and she allowed herself to close her eyes and relax against the body behind her. Her body weight sagged and her breathing slowly deepened. Something soft and fluffy was near her hand and she touched it gently, caressing its softness. She pulled it up and laid her face on it, immediately falling into a deep sleep. Sesshoumaru watched her curiously, seeing how she stroked his tail and how his body reacted. Then she pulled it up and snuggled into it, falling asleep. A smile tugged at his face and he looked to the place where they were headed and saw the silhouette of the castle.

~**~

Kagome awoke to the sounds of a smooth, velvety voice in her ear, slowly lifting the fog that permeated throughout her brain.

"Kagome, wake up." She opened blurred eyes and saw amber orbs staring down into hers. No mistake could be made as to whose they were; these were cold and shielded, with the slightest emotion showing through. She surprised herself with how she could see so easily into his eyes and know what he was feeling. Was this part of being mated? She did not know…

She attempted to move but found it restricted by strong arms that held her tightly, but not painfully. It made her feel safe and protected, warm and loved. She smiled sleepily and found her pinions loosening to grab her shoulders and hold her steady while she got her feet under her. She reluctantly stood straight and up away from him, immediately missing the warmth of his secure and warm embrace. She looked up to his eyes in longing and saw him standing there, straight and stiff as ever. But, his eyes, they held something more, almost affection, she might say…

But that wasn't possible! Sesshoumaru was rumored to be ruthless and emotionless; completely devoid of any feelings! He couldn't have any such feelings for her, could he? She impulsively reached a hand up toward his face and ran light fingertips down the side of his cool skin, smiling softly. She saw confusion in his opalescent depths and her smile slowly disappeared. She removed her hand and looked ahead to where they were going. Finally she realized that they were standing in a large courtyard, the wind not been from traveling high in the sky, but from the cold current of air that swept from the deserted courtyard. She looked around and noticed how everything was very beautiful and ornate. The castle itself was huge and obviously a grand work of architecture. It was beautifully carved and sculpted, with towers and pillars and… well, beauty. She gazed at the splendor raptly, enjoying the view from the center of it all. They had touched down right in the middle of the castle, in the very center of the courtyard. A fountain took the splendor of being the main attraction, spitting water to fall in twinkles down back where it had come from. A large dragon was the spitter of the water, curling up and looking mutinous at having such a low job. Whoever carved that had a real talent for bringing his carvings to life. Next she marveled at the statue that took next importance. It was of a gray-black dog, miniaturized. She recognized it somehow for Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's father, in his truest form. The sculpture was spectacular, the marble indented in minute spots to show shadow in all the right places, bringing the artwork to life. The snarling inu looked like it was going to come and rip her head off any moment. She got closer to look at the detail.

"We should get inside before you catch a cold, Kagome." She stood straight very quickly, looking shocked at something.

"You just, called me by my name." She smiled and took the arm he had offered. His expression never wavered.

"Why wouldn't I call my mate by her name?" He asked curiously. She just smiled softly and walked quietly next to him, her hand tucked into the crook of his arm. He was surprised at her docility at the moment. He wondered what she was thinking, and why she was being so cooperative. `Maybe, then again, she really was cold and just wanted to get inside.' His rational mind sorted out and finalized.

Kagome walked with him, feeling powerless and stupid. She felt as if he was leading her inexorability to something she could not control. And yet, she did not want to reject it, or go against it. She felt as if with his strong arm he was pulling her by the soul, and she could not make her body do otherwise but follow him stupidly, almost dazedly. She glanced up at him and found that she wanted to see into his eyes, to see what he was feeling. He could feel her gaze on him and turned to look at her, feeling as if he was loosing control of something. It was a feeling he hated and yet, he did not want to stop it.

She looked deep into his eyes and saw the unexpected still there; confusion, mixed with a little affection. Her eyes held open admiration and attraction for him, she knew it. Her warm gaze seemed to shock him and his eyes became even more confused. Nothing showed in any of his features except his eyes, but she had become used to that somehow. And then her lips were moving and reciting something that was not from her, but came from her lips just the same.

"Take what is needed, do not despair. Useless it is to fight the heart. Needed it is not. Why do it? Why fight it?" Her voice was not her own and she could not stop the words that spilled forth. "Love is not wrong. Why do so many deny it? Stay with the one you want, the one you desire to hold close. Do not let go." Finally it faded and she found herself slightly dazed and uncomfortable. What was it that had just happened? Sesshoumaru was looking at her with a blank expression, his eyes unreadable again. The hall grew darker as he leaned closer and took her hands, whispering in her ear.

"We do it to keep ourselves protected. We fight it for this unreasonable cause and only cheat ourselves. I do not know why you just said what you did, but maybe you are right. We deny love to keep ourselves from being hurt by it, but only hurt ourselves more in the process." He pulled back and she looked up into eyes that were unsure, but warm, not cold as they usually were. "I will not let you go." He said before leaning in and kissing her lips gently. It was whispered caress that seemed to last an eternity, while ending too abruptly. She looked up at him with questioning eyes and he turned and continued down the hall, bringing her with him on his arm. She wrinkled her brow in the utmost confusion. What, exactly, had happened back there?

~**~

Sesshoumaru sighed and felt his smooth exterior slipping. It scared the hell out of him, and yet he wanted it. He wanted her to know, somehow… She was a paradox, an odd freak of nature to him because of what he had to go on about humans. He had never met one with her amount of courage. Her courage went deep, deeper than anything he had ever seen. It was not courage of the materialistic kind, but of the unseen. Concepts like love and feelings she faced as easily as he did a low level youkai that was pillaging his lands. In that way, she was stronger and braver than he was. He recognized the fact that he kept his emotions bottled and locked away; it was the only way to keep himself safe. He had tried these emotions before, and had decided that they were indeed dangerous things to play with. So he left himself without them. Devoid and painless was the way he thought of it.

There was one problem, he had screwed up. He had let himself go, and on this human girl. She had caught him off guard and managed to open him, without trying to she had made him love her. The simple things she did, like the way she would tuck a piece of wayward hair out of her eyes when talking, or how she would laugh at something that would have otherwise been totally serious. That wall he had built had come down with a suddenness that had been irreparable and now he was paying for it. There was a weakness in him that could be taken advantage of, used to get him. The only way to remedy this would be either to kill her or make her love him. If he could get her to mark him like he had her, she would be able to `borrow' his power and use it to save herself if anything ever happened. Sure there would still be problems and possibilities, but the likelihood of her being hurt would decrease greatly. He had to do what he could to make this happen for her sake as well as his.

"Sesshoumaru?" Her voice floated up to him like music. He wondered if she could sing…

"Yes, Kagome?" He liked the way she blushed when he used her name. Apparently, he would have to come up with some kind of `pet' name for her, if it would make her blush like that.

"Where are we going?" She didn't seem to be annoyed, or resisting, just curious. Her melodic voice captivated him on an elemental level and he savored it before answering.

"Here." Was all he said. She looked flustered, almost annoyed, but realized why he had answered the way he had when he opened the next door on the right, a double door that was curved and stood high, almost 20 feet. It opened smoothly and she looked into a room grander than any she had ever seen. The ceiling was high enough to hold Sesshoumaru in his transformed state without crowding awfully much. Above them was one of the most beautiful and intricate chandeliers she had ever seen. It was normal looking, though considerable larger at its core. A normal circular shape, with candles and curves all over. From there is where it differed. At certain points were little chains and more candles that went all the way across the room, finally ending where the ceiling met the wall. There, in every corner, there was another miniature chandelier that was like a piece of the circular one cut out to fit in the corner. The whole effect was elaborate and fantastic.

This led to the next revelation; the room was shaped like a regular octagon! It seemed to be perfectly proportionate, with each corner angle to be the same. There were dinning tables all around the outside and the inside was a ballroom area. It was large enough for hundreds, maybe even a thousand people to dance spaciously.

Kagome was too awestruck to speak. It was beautiful! Enchanting! Majestic… She didn't know how to explain it. She smiled up at the demon lord and saw his answering smile. At that moment, the dining a hall faded, the glowing creature before her did not. His eyes were lighted, his smile faint, but there, and directed at her. Her knees went weak and her heart started to beat too quickly and in the wrong place, way too high. He was so deceptively handsome, almost beautiful. She could not believe it had never occurred to her before with such clarity as it was right now. She stared into his eyes, feeling lost and not knowing what to do about it. The heat from his body seemed to waft over to her that moment and the heat in his gaze matched it. She flushed but could not detach her eyes from his gripping gaze. They were getting larger, and then it hurt her eyes to try and focus on his so she closed them, feeling his lips caress on her own, starved lips. It was sweet and brief, all too brief. She reached a hand up and around his neck. Flicking her eyes open only long enough to find slight surprise in his before closing them as she pulled him back down. Their lips met in a warm frenzy this time, not gentleness. Hers hungered for the feel of his and she brought her other hand up to hold him there. She barely perceived the arms that encircled her body and pulled her closer. Nothing registered, except the feel mouth on hers. He deepened it, running his tongue down the side of hers, flicking on a light in her brain. She finally registered the feeling of a bulge pressed against her middle, and the feeling of his hands, on her back, pressing her closer, the other lower, making her frenzied and wanton. He brought the other hand the juncture between her butt and her thigh and wrapped his fingers around there, making her gasp, which he caught in his kiss.

"Sesshoumaru! Who is the pretty lady your kissing?" A young voice squealed. Kagome sprang, or rather, tried to spring from Sesshoumaru, but found his arms holding her tightly. She pushed at his chest but he only held her tighter, smirking down at her. She finally gave up and sank into his embrace, not really wanting to leave it anyway. It was nice, comforting. But she wasn't sure she wanted to be introduced like this. So she settled for turning around, which was quite hard, and wrapping his arms around her middle. He let her do this with an amused look.

`Silly humans and their false perceptions' He smirked. She didn't want to be caught with his hands all over her body like that. He had to admit, he been quite enjoying himself until Rin had shown up. Now where was the toad…?

"Mi-Lord!" His servant skidded into the hall, breathing hard, looking around for Rin, who had run over to hide behind them. She peeked at him and grinned. Jaken bowed low and started mumbling about how she had run away, the same as usual. Kagome was watching with confusion, not exactly sure what was going on here. She felt a tug at her skirt and looked down.

"Hi! My name is Rin! Rin thinks you are very pretty! What's your name?" Kagome smiled at the young girl and kneeled down next to her when Sesshoumaru loosened his hold.

"My name is Kagome. How old are you Rin?" Her head tipped thoughtfully before she looked pouty.

"Rins doesn't know. Lord Sesshoumaru, how old is Rin?" She walked over and stood before the great taiyoukai. Kagome stood and waited to see what his reaction would be to the child. She had seen very little of him with Rin and wondered how he treated her. It was some surprise when he got down next to the little girl, kneeling on one knee.

"I do not know, Rin. I would guess about 6. I believe that is how old you are." A happy expression lit the little girls face quickly and she spun to face Kagome.

"Sesshoumaru says 6! So that is how old Rin is from now on! And this can be Rin's birthday!" Kagome's brow wrinkled and she watched the little girl in consternation. This little girl didn't know her own birthday? Or how old she was? That was weird, even in the feudal era, people counted their ages, right? She was surprised yet again by the gentleness in Sesshoumaru voice when he spoke.

"Rin, this is my mate, your mother, Kagome. She will hopefully be staying here for a long time." Rin jumped up and down.

"Yippee! Rin has not had a mother in a long time! Rin has missed having a mother! Are you really gonna be Rin's mommy?" Rin stood trying to be still for a moment at her feet. She kept twitching and almost jumping with pent up energy. Kagome was at a loss. What could she say? She had to finish collecting the jewels, and she loved Inuyasha… But that disputable. Perhaps it was just what some people called infatuation. Or maybe it was fading. He didn't love her, he loved Kikyou. She knew this now. She had perhaps always known it and just tried to pretend it wasn't true. He would always choose Kikyou, but that did not dispel the fact that the jewel still had to be completed and kept safe. She didn't have time for this, but looking down at the little girl's face she changed her mind.

"I know that I can't be your real mother, but I can at least try." The little sweetie hugged her and she hugged her back. Then she was off to dance and sing and skip off all around her and Sesshoumaru. Kagome giggled at the girl's spirit and happiness. It was irrepressible and infectious and oh so cute.

"Rin always wanted a mother! Rin always thought of Lord Sesshoumaru as a father, and now she has a mother!" She laughed and took off in the direction of Jaken, who looked horrified.

"Do not touch me disgusting human! Lord Sesshoumaru is no such `father' to you! He is a great and mighty lord who has no need for you!" Kagome was about to give the little toad a piece of her mind when Rin ran over, tears in her eyes.

"Sesshoumaru, do you not care about Rin? Is Jaken right Lord Sesshoumaru?" Sesshoumaru picked the little girl up by her arms and swung her up so her was carrying her bridal style. She still looked so sorrowful with fat little tears running down her face.

"This Sesshoumaru can pretend to be your father, but only because Kagome is my mate, and it would make sense, correct?" Her face lit and all sign of tears was suddenly gone. He set her down carefully and she skipped around them again.

"Yay! Now Rin has a mommy and a daddy!" She stopped in front of Kagome just long enough to grab her hand and start pulling Kagome off.

"Come and pick flowers for Daddy with me, please Mommy?" Kagome Smiled and started to follow the eager girl.

~**~

RyuuAngel