InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Leaving ❯ You Wouldn't Understand ( Chapter 7 )

Chapter Seven

Inuyasha and the regular gang sat quietly around the dulling embers of a once raging fire. Their ever loving, cheerful attitude companion was once again off to god knows where doing who knows what with you know who. Although she had said that she was just finishing up some `homework' they all just presumed that she would be spending her day with the icebox, namely Sesshoumaru. Now she'd been gone for a few hours with not so much as a drop in for a "Hey, how are you?" little chat. It was a little nerve wracking especially for Inuyasha and the energy bound kit.

Now as they sat quietly awaiting her return the sun was setting low in the sky and Inuyasha was getting rather antsy. Instead of sitting comfortably in his tree, he was pacing in front of Miroku, Sango, Shippou and Kirara who sat looking at him in a sort of stupor. As usual, it was Miroku who broke the rather uncomfortable silence. "I'm sure she's fine, Inuyasha… Sesshoumaru doesn't seem to want to harm her…" He wasn't quite sure of his last statement but there should be at least some hope instilled into the highly stressed group of people known as Kagome's friends. Inuyasha, on the other hand, didn't really see things through the same light that Miroku did. He scowled at the monk and grumbled under his breath about something or other. It was a rather typical notion for the jealous hanyou.

Sango stood with Kirara at her heels and looked at the worn trail that Kagome often used to go to various places alone. "I'm going to go looking for her… it's not like her to leave without coming back after a couple hours. Maybe she got into some trouble."

"Keh!" Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest and sat down Indian style. "She shouldn't have left alone… stupid girl…" He looked past Sango down the worn path and sighed. In his own unique fashion, Inuyasha was expressing his concern. He could only wait and pray to the gods that Kagome was safe with the person he loathed and knew as his half brother. "I'll go… you just wait here until I get back with her."

He stood just as Shippou hopped up onto his shoulder. Evidently the little kit was planning on going with him. Inuyasha resisted the urge to smack Shippou upside his head and chose to glare at him. No effect. Inuyasha mentally sighed and turned toward the trail. "We'll be back." The remainder of their group nodded and Inuyasha and Shippou disappeared into the thick of the forest.

Miroku smiled… It was his usual `innocent' grin. Sango didn't seem to se him since she was poking at the dying embers left in the now dead campfire. Miroku looked at her backside and down at his `infected' hand. He couldn't help but wonder why Sango was so resistant to his… condition… Perhaps she needed more of his… infection. He looked at his other hand and held them both out in front of his face. Perhaps double to dosage would do the trick. He looked at Sango's backside and positioned his hands over her… cheeks. "INFECT!!!" He pressed his palms over her buttocks and squeezed.

Sango's cheeks flushed… for a moment or two. She turned, her hand balled into a fist. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" She clonked him over the head with her fists and straddled the poor monk. The wrapped her hands in his robes and shook him back and forth. "That is NO way to try to get someone to like you! GODS! Can't you do anything right!" She made a sound of frustration and let him drop. She grabbed her hair and pulled, trying, at the very least, to relieve some of her pent up frustration at Miroku's many failed attempts to get her to fall for him. Perhaps if he just approached her the right way…

"Sango…" Sango suddenly found her hands grasped between Miroku's and her eyes widened in sudden shock. He was lying there beneath her with a very serious expression on his face. Maybe this would be the day… She gulped and waited for him to continue.

Miroku gently traced patterns along Sango's hands and stared deeply into her eyes. "Sango…" He watched her face tint with a reddish glow and clasped her hands tightly between his palms. "Sango… I never thought you would be on top…"

Sango's eyes clouded over with a red gleam and she tore her hands away from the lecherous monk and made way to knock him the hell out… but he caught both her fists on their way to impact with his thick skull. She glared at him and fought against his strong grip but he wouldn't let her go. "Houshi! Let me go!" But the fact was that he didn't and just waited until she stopped moving altogether.

Beauty queen of only eighteen

She had some trouble with herself

He was always there to help her

She always belonged to someone else

She slumped on him and let her body go limp above him, lowering her head to where her bangs hid her eyes. "Can't you ever be serious?" She sighed and much to her surprise, Miroku relaxed his grip on her hands and guided them to over his chest to rest above his heart.

"Sango… why do you never call me by my name?" Miroku looked up trying to see through Sango's hair into her brown eyes but she had her head lowered. He felt Sango's hands tighten on his as she pressed them against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

I drove for miles and miles

And wound up at your door

I've had you so many times

But somehow I want more

Sango blinked back her unshed tears. Miroku was such a pain in the ass. One moment he could be acting like a total jerk and he won't even give you a glimpse as to what he's actually feeling and then he can change instantly into… into…

"Houshi-sama…"

I don't mind spending everyday

Out on your corner in the pouring rain

Look for the girl with the broken smile

Ask her if she wants to stay a while

And she will be loved

And she will be loved

Miroku released one of her hands and brought it up to her face, tilting her chin so he could gaze into her eyes. She had asked him to be serious… he was trying to be but there was a very serious issue that he would have to deal with if he were always serious… one that he would rather not deal with if given the choice.

"Sango… my name… is Miroku…" He slowly sat up, wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulling her closer against him. Her hands remained on his chest over his heart as he leaned closer to her. "I am a Buddhist monk… and I am dying…"

Tap on my window knock on my door

I want to make you feel beautiful

I know I tend to get so insecure

Doesn't matter anymore

His breath played along the contours of her face and she felt her throat tighten up with suppressed emotion. These were the facts. What he was telling her was the absolute truth and he was being completely honest and… serious… She bit her lip and closed her eyes, keeping her broken sobs and tears at bay. The man she loved… with all her heart… was dying right before her eyes. Everyday was another day he grew closer to his untimely death.

"I… you… I won't let you…"

It's not always rainbows and butterflies

It's compromise it moves us along

Yeah, my heart is full and my door's always open

You come anytime you want

Miroku felt his heart wrench as he watched Sango struggle so hard to stay in control. She was breaking down. She'd lost everyone she had ever loved… he'd just be another person on her list of loved ones. Sure, everyone dies in the long run… but not like this.

"Sango… you wanted to know why I'm not serious…" Miroku rubbed his thumb along her cheek, wiping away a tear that chanced an escape from her closed lids. "Sango… I have never had a long time to live. I've grown up knowing that and I live the way I do because I never know when my time will come. It's better to live life in a frivolous manner when you have a greater risk of death then to live frightened and never having experienced anything because of it…"

I don't mind spending everyday

Out on your corner in the pouring rain

Look for the girl with the broken smile

Ask her if she wants to stay a while

And she will be loved

And she will be loved

And she will be loved

And she will be loved

Sango opened her eyes and stared at him until her tears blurred her vision. Her hands fisted in his robes and she hit his chest in frustration. "You're not going to die! We're going to beat Naraku! You're going to live forever… with me… I… you can't leave me! Please! You… you're all I have left…"

Miroku smiled sadly. He knew how he felt about this girl. Their time together was a valued thing in his mind but he knew that if Naraku were not beaten soon, his time would come too quickly. And then… who would be here for her? If they were together… who would be there for their child? He despised his father for leaving him with such a fate… he despised his father for leaving him… He wanted to be there for his child… He wanted to be there for her.

"Sango… who am I?"

I know where you hide

Alone in your car

Know all of the things that make you who you are

I know that goodbye means nothing at all

Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls

Sango looked at Miroku. She brought one of her hands from his chest and cupped his cheek. Even if such a situation as this, a blush graced her pretty face.

"Houshi-sama…"

Miroku shook his head and kissed her cheek. "No, Sango… who am I?"

Yeah…

Tap on my window knock on my door

I want to make you feel beautiful…

She shivered and brushed her fingertips through his hair. This was the man she loved. This was the man she wanted… she needed. This was…

"Miroku…"

"Yes…"

I don't mind spending everyday

Out on your corner in the pouring rain, oh

Look for the girl with the broken smile

Ask her if she wants to stay a while

And she will be loved

And she will be loved

And she will be loved

And she will be loved

Miroku gazed at Sango's half lidded eyes. He leaned forward but hesitated, waiting for her to either stop him or give her approval. They both held their breath for that split second. It was enough time for Sango to truly see him… Miroku, as he was. His violet eyes made her see his true self… the scared young man who hid himself behind a mask of happiness… the man who was afraid to love but couldn't help falling for her… only her.

She closed the distance between them…

Please don't try so hard to say goodbye

Please don't try so hard to say goodbye

Please don't try so hard to say goodbye

(Maroon 5 - She Will Be Loved)

…

"Sesshoumaru… where are you taking me?" Kagome, by now, had convinced Sesshoumaru to release her from the position over his shoulder but instead of being able to walk on her own steady feet, she was being carried, bridal style through the darkening forest. She couldn't say how long they'd been… gliding through the forest. For further explanation, Sesshoumaru had started out in a run or jog and then slowed down to a steady walk. This walk had ultimately been replaced by a cloudlike substance around his feet that sort of carried them to wherever they were headed. It was a rather fascinating sight to see since they were moving quite quickly. But despite her interest in Sesshoumaru's many abilities, she was starting to get rather concerned.

They had been traveling for quite a long period of time. There was no doubt in her mind that the others would come looking for her despite the fact that she already figured that they knew about her visits with the taiyoukai during the night. But even she would get worried without a drop in for a "Hey, how are you?" from people she considered her friends. "Sess…" He stiffened at her version of his name and glanced down at the yawning girl, raising a single brow to indicate that he was waiting for her question.

Kagome frowned at the stoic youkai and tried to shift in his arms to get a little more comfortable. The once bumpy ride was now smooth and slowly rocking, lulling her into a light sleep. She rested her head on his chest and just listened to his heartbeat for a little. The steady beat was soothing and she felt her lids gently dipping lower over her blue eyes. "Wake me when we get there… okay?" Just as those words left her lips, she was abruptly dropped. She made a sharp noise of pain and clutched her injured backside. "Wait, don't tell me: We have arrived…" She said mocking him in her most unemotional voice she could muster while glaring up at him.

"Hm." Sesshoumaru stepped over her and looked around at the nearby meadow filled with thousands of flowers. "Rin."

Kagome watched a little girl pop her head out from nowhere in the gigantic meadow and make a very high-pitched squeal of delight. "Sesshoumaru-sama!" She stood up, covered in an array of wildly colored blossoms and ran toward the stoic youkai, a large smile plastered on her face. "Sesshoumaru-sama!" The little girl of around eight to ten years old bumped into Sesshoumaru and hugged him tightly around his legs. "I missed you so much, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Kagome smiled at the girl that had yet to notice her. The last time she had come across the girl, she was still referring to herself in the third person. Evidently, it seemed as though Sesshoumaru was teaching the girl some proper grammar skills. Rin looked up to Sesshoumaru with bright, glowing, brown eyes. Sesshoumaru patted her on the head and she smiled brilliantly up at him. Kagome took this as her sign to make herself and started to get up but a very squawky voice stopped her in the process.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Sesshoumaru-sama!" All three of them turned in the direction of the voice to see the tall grass rustling. It hid the small figure of the very unlikable, green toad youkai. "Sesshoumaru-sama! You have returned! You have come back earlier then you're other trips, my lord." Just as he finished his squawks, Jaken, Sesshoumaru's loyal servant, emerged from the tall weeds covered in several assortments of flower jewelry. These were no doubt the work of Rin's talent for weaving flowers to make jewelry.

Kagome stifled a giggle at the funny looking toad but Rin just ran over to him and pounced on him. "Jaken-sama! I thought this Rin had lost you!"

Kagome gave into her urge and smacked herself on her head and slid her head down her face. Well… you could see where she learned her grammatical skills… As it was, her action diverted everyone's attention toward her. She looked up at Sesshoumaru for some sort of help when she noticed Rin's gaze latch onto her like a predator looking for its prey. A mischievous look crossed her features as though she was trying to remember the Kagome from somewhere… and then it happened. Rin smiled and shot up like a bullet. "KAGOME!!!"

Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru like a frightened kitten and shrank back with fear at the approaching young girl. She had every reason to… she looked at Rin who was speeding toward her and giggled nervously… and that was all she had time to do. In a matter of seconds, Rin had all but tackled the young woman and was smothering her in a tight hug of affection.

Sesshoumaru watched the whole scene play out with mild amusement shown on his face. He heard the familiar grunts from his loyal two-headed dragon, Ah-Un coming from the other side of the meadow and looked over. It seemed as though Rin had lots of spare time… He would have to get her back into the habit of schooling with Jaken. The flower covered dragon walked right up to Sesshoumaru and bowed to its master who nodded in reply. By this time, the girl were both up and laughing together. It was an interesting sight to see… the two girls who had undoubtedly found their way into his life… one had completely broken through his heart barriers since the time she had tried to help him.

Rin had always seemed rather… different. There was a quality about her. She was always happy, always ready to accept… loyal… loving… completely innocent and seemingly oblivious to the world around her. Seemingly being the key word. But a child as she was, she had been abused and neglected. She had faced death and despite these hardships, the girl was still as carefree as any other growing child. Perhaps she was brave… or maybe she was just overly stubborn but it would be hard to oversee the fact that Kagome shared many of Rin's traits.

Kagome was an interesting young woman as well. Stubborn, brave and charming in her own way; she possessed that childlike innocence that many would have lost after growing to her age… human as she was, of course. By nature, she seemed kind, compassionate, loyal… but hidden beneath her loving exterior she was still a girl. She was insecure and shy… she had been hurt, by someone she loved and now considered her best friend, no less. And yet, she took everything in stride. She worked past her difficulties and never gave up, another of Rin's peculiar qualities.

Sesshoumaru could actually recall a time when Rin had braved a Cliffside to find a certain kind of plant to save the life of her Jaken-sama, as she seemed so fond of calling her. Of course, when Rin had finally reached the plant, she had been to exhausted to make to return trip to bring Jaken the medicine and had passed out, falling clear off the Cliffside. It was Sesshoumaru who had come to her aid and had brought the herb to his loyal toad. But to think of this little human girl braving a dangerous location with Ah-Un as her only guide through a youkai infested area just to find a plant to save someone she had become close to… it was surprising, even for him, Lord of the Western Lands.

"Sesshoumaru?" He was snapped out of his thoughts by Kagome's voice and a small tug of his pants from a brave little girl, named Rin. He patted Rin on the head again and turned to face Kagome who watched the interaction with a small smile. Sesshoumaru looked at her until she dared not meet his gaze any further. It was then when Jaken seemed to notice the difference in his lord's appearance.

"Sesshoumaru-sama… you're eyes…" Jaken seemed rather taken aback by this new… trait but also somewhat hesitant and weary. He looked over the young miko and stepped toward her. Not being tall enough, he tugged on her clothing. She looked somewhat confused as he beckoned her down but she did as he requested. As she knelt in front of him, he turned her head to get a look at her skin near the juncture of her neck and shoulder. He pulled her shirt off her shoulder just a little but a loud growl came from his lord and he stopped. "Forgive my intrusion, Sesshoumaru-sama… but I do not wish her any harm seeing as she came as your… umm… seeing as you brought her with you, my lord."

Sesshoumaru stopped growling and gave a short nod at Jaken to continue his inspection. If he was correct, Jaken already had an inkling of the reason he had come back and a reason for his tinted eyes. "Rin, go play with Ah-Un." He turned to his dragon pet and gave him a stern look. The two-headed beast nodded and bowed at its lord, following the little girl back into the field of blossoms. The unsaid gesture was understood as the beast watched diligently over its charge, keeping Rin safe from various means of harm.

He returned his gaze back to where Kagome was now sitting with Jaken looking over the discoloration on her neck where a tiny cut had once been. "Jaken." The toad youkai looked up obediently. Sesshoumaru was retreating into the depth of the trees. It provided better… privacy. Jaken told Kagome to stay where she was with a mean glare and scurried off after Sesshoumaru. But as we all know, Kagome had never been one for taking orders.

Kagome stood up once Jaken was out of her view and followed his trail. Unfortunately, it ended not far from where she had last seen him. She growled angrily to the best of her human vocal cords and took several breaths to steady her anger. There was no way that Sesshoumaru would leave her in the dark as to what was going on especially if it concerned her. She concentrated on focusing on Sesshoumaru's aura. She could feel him trying to hide his strength but it was too powerful to completely conceal. She closed her eyes and listened only to her surroundings, closing in on Sesshoumaru's exact location. She grinned and started forward, letting her senses guide her through the vast branches and undergrowth of this forest.

Soon enough she found herself in a small clearing… alone. She looked around confused for a bit. She was positive that he was here. He had to be here! There was no other location from which she could gather his aura. She growled and sat down on the tall grass. "Come out! It's not right to keep such things from me particularly when they include me!"

"My lord, how long have you been training her?" Kagome looked behind her, startled at the sudden voice from Jaken. Almost instantly her attention was drawn elsewhere and she rolled backward, standing poised and ready. She glanced at the sky. It ha already become dark and she was aware now that it was time for her daily training. She cursed under her breath and closed her eyes. "She is still weak and pathetic like I last remembered her…" Kagome threw her leg back at the irritating voice, kicking him in the head with her foot. He was distracting her… but that kick was all it took for the demon lord. He'd found an opening and he charged.

Kagome realized her mistake too late and attempted to step back but quickly found herself thrown down against the ground. Her back arched in pain as she struck the jagged edge of a rock. It cut right through her clothes and shredded into her tender flesh on her lower back. Tears gathered in her eyes and she bit her lip to keep from screaming. It bled with the force as she recoiled, small whimpers escaping her throat. "Fuck…" She squeezed her eyes shut so tightly and grimaced to keep from crying. It hurt like hell but she made herself relax. The rock was still in her back as she took in, or tried to, take in deep breaths to alleviate some of the pain in her lower back. She hardly noticed that she was lying on her right side and her head was in Sesshoumaru's lap. That she was oblivious to but the pain was almost to much for her to bear.

"I'm going to fucking kill that son of a bitch!" She swore but she screamed a minute later as the rock was quickly yanked out of her back, the guttural sound echoing in the small clearing. The tears poured from her closed eyes and her fists clenched on his thigh. "Not you, asswipe!"

Sesshoumaru felt almost guilt for yanking out the rock so roughly but he'd thought the girl was insulting him. Now that he'd given it some thought, she realized she was actually referring to Jaken. "We shall have to work on your ability to stay focused on your enemy… not other, unimportant nuisances." Sesshoumaru started to undo the buttons on her blouse. She was bleeding profusely. That stone must have punctured her more deeply then he thought.

Kagome feel silent as he undressed her and tried her best to stay still. The more movements she made, the worse it felt. Just as he started to pull the shirt from her shoulder, she gave a muffled cry. In order to take off the offensive garment, she would have to twist in a way that would put more strain on her back. "The shirt's already ruined… just rip it off."

Sesshoumaru looked at the blouse then back at her. "You have told me on several an occasion that I should not tear your inexpensive attire…"

Kagome opened her eyes and stared at him through an angry, painful haze. "Inexpensive, my ass! This is brand name… and it was a gift!"

Sesshoumaru mentally snorted. Even in pain this girl was being stubborn. He ignored her and carefully made a slice down the back of her shirt. After sliding both ends off her arms, he gently laid her down on her stomach and inspected the wound. As far as he could tell, it didn't seem too deep but it bled very much. In fact, there was so much blood that he couldn't possibly be sure of the severity of her injury. "Jaken!"

The green toad-like creature scurried into the clearing next to his lord and started to bow profusely. The dangerous glint in Sesshoumaru's tinted eyes was directed at Jaken and he knew that he was going to endure serious hardships for the miko's current distress in the near future. But then again, he did deserve it. After all, it was his fault that Kagome was not focusing as she usually did. He watched Sesshoumaru gather the remainder of Kagome's shirt and start to wipe up some of the blood on her wound. He threw a piece of the bloody shirt to Jaken. "Take this. Run tests. There is something not entirely… correct about her blood."

Jaken nodded and picked up the shirt, grimacing as he did so. "My lord, there is something that I do know about her blood and the way it has affected you." That one comment gathered both Kagome's and Sesshoumaru's attention although Kagome couldn't see the interaction but at least she could hear perfectly well. Jaken continued, "My lord… there is a certain… herb that only few know about. It's rarely if ever used because it has a side effect. Along with being used to cure illnesses and such for humans, there is a certain remnant of this herb within the human. It's rather… remarkable and I have only seen it used once before. But…"

"Get to the point you slimy bastard!" Kagome yelled from her position on the ground. As much as she hated to admit it, that wound was starting to affect her in certain ways, namely dizziness, loss of vision and drowsiness. A little while more and she would definitely pass out.

Jaken scowled at Kagome but a warning growl from Sesshoumaru had him talking in seconds again. "As I was saying, once the herb is used, if the human were to… mate with a youkai, he or she would take on their mate's traits. For example, if a human female were to mate with an inuyoukai, she would indefinitely become like him. The change would be gradual but she would ultimately become like a youkai in every aspect except in one. That one would be the remainder of her emotions. Her lifespan would increase to the same as her mate's and her physical abilities would increase to those of her kind, inuyoukai being this example. It would be her decision whether to broaden her skills. The only time I have seen this happen was when a young woman was on the brink of death and this herb was given to her by an old wise miko. The girl's life was saved, of course, but as she grew later in her life, she was forcefully taken by a ruthless youkai. She survived the… brutal rape and returned to her village. She told no one but the village miko, the one who gave her the herb. The miko knew of the effect and told the girl but she refused to believe. Over the course of a few days, the first changes started to occur. Her villages started to fear her and call her evil. She was cast out of her village. The old miko was the only one who ever visited her. Before the miko died, she gave the plant with the miracle herb to this girl. When the miko returned to her village, the elders asked for the miracle plant but the miko said that she had given the plant to the one she felt deserved it most: the girl they had cast away. The miko died later that night. The girl was said to have been visited by many of those who heard about the herb but she refused to give anyone it's leaves. The girl is still alive today and has never given anyone the leaves of her plant."

Jaken took a long breath and glanced down at the nearly unconscious miko on the floor. Despite his haggard look, the green youkai knew a lot more then he let on and he was a lot older then anyone took him for. He was actually much older then Sesshoumaru and had known Sesshoumaru's father in various ways. He walked next to Kagome and dabbed his finger into the blood on her back. He sniffed it and then tasted it much to Sesshoumaru's disapproval. "There is another effect that only the miko knew about. It was passed down to the girl and I was lucky enough to hear it from the miko herself. Until this very day I had never seen it in action. When the blood and the herb mix it creates an enticing, but slight aphrodisiac. When the blood of the human is… consumed by a youkai of the opposite sex, his or her eyes are supposed to tint red like the blood and their states shift into that of a youkai that would be in… heat… but that would only be if their eyes were to completely tint. As it stands, if there is but a slight tint then there would only be symptoms of sexual attraction but not animalistic lust."

Kagome's eyes widened marginally as she finally clicked together the events of their first kiss. She felt almost stricken with grief that it wasn't… it wasn't real. So technically the only time that their kisses had meant anything was when she had kissed him when they bathed that one time. She felt like an idiot. She closed her eyes and waited for the rest of Jaken's story. "The girl who had the herb had been badly cut and was bleeding profusely. A demon happened to catch a whiff of her scent and attacked her. This demon licked the wound until it had healed but he made smaller gashes on her body to continue ingesting the sweet crimson fluid. He was completely overtaken by the aphrodisiac in her blood and you know the rest. But, I know that this girl, to this day has never given out a single leaf of her beloved plant and despite the many attempts to find it elsewhere, it is believed that she is the only one who contains this special herb. And yet… this miko has traces of it in her blood."

Sesshoumaru looked down at Kagome's wound on her back. He did not want such a thing to scar but if Jaken was right about the effects then… "Jaken! Leave us." Jaken bowed to his lord and left them alone, his scampering being heard by both Sesshoumaru and Kagome. Once he could no longer be heard by Sesshoumaru's acute hearing, the taiyoukai gently gathered Kagome into his arms and headed through the forest at a brisk pace.

Kagome closed her eyes and muffled the small cries threatening to escape from her throat. The wound hurt with every step but she refused to show such pain. Much to her relief though, he slowed as she heard the faint traces of a trickling stream or river. Once again, as the stream came into view, she was gently placed on the ground on her stomach. Sesshoumaru made his way wordlessly to the water's edge and dipped the remaining piece of her shirt in it's depths. He returned with the soaking rag and pressed it gently on her back. She shivered as the cold water made contact with her skin but the shivers quickly turned to shudders as he cleaned the wound, which now stung. As he finished cleaning the wound he bent over her and started to lick the wound. Kagome shuddered for an entirely different reason that time. "Sesshoumaru… don't…"

Sesshoumaru growled and continued to heal the wound choosing to ignore the girl altogether. That was until… "Goddamn it, Sesshoumaru! Stop licking me and listen to me!" Sesshoumaru stopped and kept the girl pinned down on the floor.

"Silence, wench. I will not pounce on you like a horny pup. I have more self-control than that." He started to lap at the wound again and as it shrank his licks turned into a suction around the wound until he was again sucking almost violently at the blood. Kagome moaned and tried to protest but… with his insistent tugs the pain vanished into a very pleasant feeling. She was abruptly flipped over onto her back as Sesshoumaru stood over her. His eyes were now a deep crimson as he stared at her. "Go back to Jaken. Our lessons have been canceled until further notice. I will meet you when they are to be resumed. Ah-Un will escort you back to your comrades. Is that understood?" The dark, dangerous tone he used was one she had only heard once and that was when he was addressing Naraku when he had stolen Rin from him.

Kagome looked up at Sesshoumaru with the crimson eyes. His silver hair glowed in the moonlight and with his attire he looked entirely arcane. "Sess…" She stood up and stepped toward him. The vicious snarl he directed at her made her shudder and jump in surprise. But she continued forward regardless of the direct warning he was giving her. "It's affecting you, isn't it… just like Jaken said…" She spread her arms out and faced him no fear shown in any way of the demon lord. "You have self-control… here I am. I'm not afraid and I'm not going to run. I'm not leaving… Here I am. Now, what do you want?"

Sesshoumaru stepped forward and placed a hand on her waist drawing her flush up against him. He cupped her cheek with his other hand. "You cannot give me what I want."

"Because you never talk to me! What do you want?" She dropped her arms to her sides and looked up into his once golden eyes now tinted like the blood that rushed through her veins. "Sesshoumaru… I know more than you care to believe. What I don't know… or who I don't know… is you…"

Sesshoumaru started to growl low in his chest but refused to back down from her. "I will not allow some pathetic creature to waste my time with their sympathies."

"And what does that say about Rin? Is she just some pathetic creature who's wasting her time… constantly wasting her time on you?"

"She is a child."

"And you're acting like one!"

The silence was deafening as they stared heatedly into each other's eyes but still neither refused to back down. It was Kagome who broke the silence between them once more.

"Why do you close yourself off to everyone?" Kagome brought her hand up and traced the pattern of the crescent on his forehead.

Sesshoumaru didn't flinch but instead tilted her chin up toward him. "You would not understand… Kagome." He closed his lips softly over hers but stopped himself before anything could progress.

"You don't even give me a chance."

"You do not give me reason to."

"As if you gave me reason to trust you!" Kagome retorted a bit hurt by his reasoning. "Numerous times you have attacked me and those I care about and despite that I still meet with you every night with no one at my back to protect me but myself. I've kissed you! I've even gone so far as to bathe with you-"

"You lie." Kagome almost screamed at him but he kept speaking. "Had you completely given me your trust, you would have informed me of what truly lies beyond the lip of that well. You would have informed me of the magic of the well and where it truly transports you. You cannot talk to me of reasons when you have none of your own."

To say that Kagome was caught off guard would have been an understatement. She was completely taken aback and stepped away from him averting her eyes from his. He'd won that and she felt somewhat downcast that she hadn't told him these things… but there were reasons for it. "You wouldn't understand…" Kagome almost slapped herself for saying those words. They were exactly what he wanted to hear her say because… they were the exact words he had said earlier.

Sesshoumaru stepped back from her and stepped into the darkness of the surrounding trees. All that Kagome could make out of his was his silver locks blowing gently in the wind and his glowing, crimson eyes. "You would not understand… Kagome."

She turned her eyes from him and in that split second he vanished into the dead of the night. She was left alone… utterly alone. And she couldn't help but wish that someone, anyone, could be there to tell her that everything would be all right… even if it were a lie.

…

"Umm… Inuyasha… Do you have any idea where we are right now?"

Said hanyou growled dangerously at the kit and Shippou immediately piped down…

"Damn it!" Inuyasha cursed as he tried to sniff out Kagome's scent yet again. "Shit! Fuck!"

"One hundred forty-two. Six hundred eighty-four. Three hundred sixteen." Shippou counted off.

"Damn it! Stop counting how many times I curse! SHIT!" Inuyasha cursed as he stubbed his toe on an uprooted tree root. "Fuck this! We're going back!"

"One hundred forty-three. Six hundred eighty-five. Three hundred seventeen."

Inuyasha glared at Shippou and turned around heading back toward their camp. He seemed to have had forgotten about the tree root… "SHIT!"

"Six hundred eight-six."

Inuyasha growled dangerously at him…