InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Of Snowstorms and annoying old women. ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

 

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

 

 

Chapter Three:

 

 

When Kagome awoke she found herself in a very comfortable position. Someone was holding her closely with her head on their shoulder; she had been wrapped tightly in warm furs, and was that purring she heard? To say that she was confused would be putting it lightly, `I really need to stop waking up like this,' she thought groggily as she opened her eyes to see exactly whose lap she had ended up in.

 

The first thing that met her eyes was bare flesh; a bare male chest to be exact. A lump suddenly formed in her throat. If the pain in her shoulder was any indication; the ordeal the day before had really happened and was not a dream. Which meant that unless Talia kept a young muscular male hidden somewhere, there was only one person that could be holding her right now. Slowly raising her eyes to see the face of the man holding her, she suddenly became ill at the sight that met her.

 

Two golden eyes were staring intently down at her, “Sesshoumaru,” she whispered.

 

“You are awake,” was his simple response. But there was something more. An emotion passed through his eyes. Was it relief? Kagome wasn't sure, but she knew that for there to be any emotion seen in his face at all there had to be something terribly wrong.

 

This wasn't right. Sesshoumaru shouldn't be holding her. His arm shouldn't have tightened around her at the very second that strange emotion passed through his features. He should be threatening to kill her, or at the very least have already left her behind in order to find a way back up the mountain and to Rin. This wasn't the same Sesshoumaru she knew, and while she vaguely remembered that he had amnesia she knew that the moment he remembered doing this he would kill her just to be rid of the embarrassment she presented.

 

“You are troubled,” Sesshoumaru's voice broke through the girls turbulent thoughts, “Are you still in pain?” he asked. His eyes never left her face as he watched wave after wave of emotions wash over her face. Some he did not recognize, but he saw both pain and fear within the torrent of other emotions consuming her and it bothered him. She should not be afraid while near him. Perhaps she feared some sort of punishment for her perceived failings?

 

“You…” she began with a shaky voice, “You really don't remember anything do you?” she asked. Kagome knew that the real Sesshoumaru wouldn't have asked such a question, or have asked it with the soft and soothing tone that he had used. But she had to hear it; she had to make it real. Only then could she calm herself and begin to think of a way to get herself out of the situation she was currently in.

 

Sesshoumaru felt as if he had been set on fire. The rawness of her tone sent waves of nausea through him, and he did not know how to handle either feeling. He had only just woken up a few hours before with no memories, and had been convinced that this girl meant something to him. At first he could not believe it, but now he was convinced. There was no way that this small human female could cause such feelings of anguish in him from nothing more than the tone of her voice or the fear that currently resided in her eyes. He found himself wanting to say he remembered. He wanted to assure her that he remembered her, but he found himself unable to do so as lying was not something he could bring himself to do to her. Even if it was to ease her pain.

 

“No,” was all he said. Shifting her body in his lap so that he could hold her closer to himself without hurting her injured shoulder, he buried his nose in her hair and allowed himself to take in her scent. She smelled of lilac and his chest swelled possessively as he picked up his own scent that clung to her as well, and with her scent he was also able to discern that she had not yet been touched by any male. Thus confirming that she was indeed his intended, and they had not yet become mates.

 

He tried to ignore the way in which she tensed as this action, “But it is not your fault,” he finally finished in a small attempt to ease her mind.

 

Kagome could have laughed if she wasn't currently being embraced by the most deadly male in all of Japan. He was treating her as if she was something of importance to him, and actually attempting to comfort her. `I really messed him up good,' she thought to herself. The entire situation was almost more than she could bear, and what made it worse was the fact that it actually felt good. It felt good to have someone care for her, even if it was someone that could currently be considered a mental patient.

 

It had been five years since she had fallen through the well and found herself thrown into a feudal fairy tale filled with demons and shikon shards. At one time she believed that part of that fairy tale was to have Inuyasha's love. But to have the hanyou love her was more than she could ask, and it had been nearly three years since she had given up.

 

She now viewed him as a possessive and over protective older brother, and all thoughts of romance with any male had been pushed aside to be dealt with after the quest was complete. This lack of companionship in Kagome's life at the age of twenty when most women her age had long been in at least one serious relationship left Kagome nearly starved for a companion, and Sesshoumaru's attentions were not going unnoticed.

 

But as much as she wanted to indulge in his attentions, she knew that she would be treading on dangerous grounds. The moment he remembered who he really was he would surely kill her for her treachery. The only thing to do was to find a way out of her current predicament, and then try to avoid him until she was able to find a way back to her friends.

 

“You don't know what you're talking about,” she insisted, and began trying to wiggle out of his grasp. The rough and urgent movement sent pain shooting down the left side of her body, but she did her best to ignore it. Getting away was more important than worrying about her aches right now. The pain she would have to endure later if she didn't would be much worse.

The demon lord was not about to let her get away so easily. He quickly adjusted his hold with each of her movements, careful not to strain her injury any further than she already was herself. “I assure you I know what I speak Kagome,” he managed to get out between her struggles, “It is not the female's duty to protect her male. The male is to be the one with strength. The fault is mine for falling to whatever is was that threatened us.” With the end of his small speech the woman in his arms ceased her struggle, and turned her head to stare at him with shock.

 

“What did you say?” was all Kagome could manage.

 

His eyes captured hers in a smoldering stare, “As your intended it is my duty to protect you, and I am in my current condition due to my own failings. The fault does not lie with you,” he offered gently as he moved his one hand to brush a few stray hairs from her face; slowly trailing one clawed finger over her delicate cheekbone before finally resting his hand back around her waist to keep her still.

 

 

“Sesshoumaru, let me go!” Kagome squeaked a little less fiercely than she had wanted it to sound, but it achieved the desired result. The demon lord reluctantly let her go, and she stumbled clumsily out of his lap. Averting her eyes away from the youkai in front of her, “I am not your intended,” she insisted firmly. She was unable to look at him. She feared that if she did the gentle and sad look he was giving her would break her resolve, and she would give in to his fantasy that his troubled mind was creating. A companion in a world that he no longer knows.

 

 

“Then enlighten me as to why you were found in the forest with me, sobbing no less,” he questioned. He was trying not to lose his patience with the woman. She seemed adamant to deny him for what he viewed to be ridiculous reasons, but he knew getting angry with her would only make the situation worse. He would play her game, and see what reasons she managed to give him for their situation.

 

Kagome was now at a loss for words. She knew she should tell him the truth, but she was afraid of what the truth would bring. He could kill her even without his memories out of anger for pushing him from a cliff, and putting him in this situation. But she couldn't have him believing there was anything between them. That would only cause problems for her later.

 

Keeping her eyes trained on the window on the other side of the room she simply said the first thing that came to mind, “I was crying because I thought you would die, and Rin would be left alone.” It was the truth. That was the reason she had been crying. He simply didn't have to know how they got there.

 

“And who is this Rin?” he asked skeptically. He smelled no other on his clothing. While the material covering his chest had been removed during the old woman's medical assessment of his person, his hakama had remained on. The only scent on him had been the woman's in front of him. But while she would not look at him while she spoke, he sensed no deception in her words. Perhaps this Rin did exist.

 

 

“Your daughter,” was her solemn reply. She hadn't meant to sound so down, but she was quickly becoming tired. The physical and emotional strain of her current situation was quickly draining what little energy she had left.

 

 

Sesshoumaru had not expected such an answer, and found himself once again beyond confused. The tone in which Kagome used was also unsettling. It was as if she were upset over the matter. If this Rin was indeed his daughter then there was a mother. Kagome had not been touched, and he smelled no other on his person. Perhaps he had dishonored his intended in some way in the past, and this final act of weakness had driven her away?

 

“Then what are you?” he asked, trying his best to keep the panic that was quickly rising from his stomach and making its way into his heart from showing in his tone.

 

Kagome searched her mind quickly for an answer. The last thing she needed to say was that she was his enemy, or his brother's companion. That would only stir up more questions which would lead her down the road to her own grave. “I am Rin's caretaker and teacher.”

 

She was lying. The moment those last words fell from her lips he smelled the deception. He wanted to grab her again and force the truth from her, but he needed to know one more thing before he allowed this game to end. “Who and where is Rin's mother?” he asked carefully, ready to read her face for any reaction.

 

The girl only smiled sadly, “Rin's mother is dead, and I do not know who she was. Both of Rin's parents were killed by wolves,” she said.

 

“So I am not her true sire,” it was a statement, not a question. He was relieved that he had not dishonored her in such a way. At least now he knew he still held enough honor to continue to prove to Kagome that she did not need to hide behind lies. She had no need to run from him.

 

“No, you are not. You rescued her from death, and have cared for her ever since.” Kagome said.

 

“And where is she now?”

 

“I don't know, but I am sure Jaken is taking care of her.”

“And this Jaken is?”

 

“Another servant of yours.”

 

Sesshoumaru shifted his position slightly, and continued to stare at Kagome. She had spoken no lies other than who she was to him, and she still would not look at him. “So you are my ward's caretaker, and the two of us somehow managed to become separated from both my ward and my servant,” he said, recounting her story.

 

When she nodded he continued, “And you and I, after being separated, managed to find ourselves in a battle that resulted in the injury of both our bodies,” she nodded again, “And we are finally found lying together by the old woman where you proceed to refuse treatment or food until my wellbeing was seen to?”

 

“That sounds about right,” Kagome agreed, and finally turned back to look at him. He was still staring at her, but where his eyes had once held sadness they were now studying her; as if he was trying to discern the validity of her story. She had to admit that it was a stretch, but it was the closest to the truth she could get without risking her own death either now or later.

 

“I see,” he said while bringing himself to stand, “Well then it seems we should focus on regaining my memories, and finding our way back to the others.”

 

While he did not believe her entire tale in the least, he would make her believe that he did for the time being. He would have to take a different approach to win her back. He would have to start all over again. The demon lord knew that this would be a difficult task, as he did not have any prior knowledge of Kagome's past, or even her overall personality. He would have to learn everything about her all over again. `I suppose I have all winter as the woman put it,' he thought as he turned to leave the room. “I believe I will go outside for a walk,” he said finally and vanished through the door.

 

 

Kagome watched him leave, and when he was finally out of sight she let out an exhausted sigh. `Well I managed to get him off my back,' she thought tiredly to herself. Her entire upper body was throbbing painfully from the stress of the ordeal, and she would have gladly given into sleep if her mind hadn't been racing a million miles a second.

 

She had just turned Sesshoumaru down. Granted it wasn't the real Sesshoumaru, but even without his memories he was still the most attractive male she had ever laid eyes on. Any other woman would have gladly accepted his attentions for as long as he would offer, and probably would have died happy when he did finally regain his memories and slice them to bits for taking advantage of him. Maybe she should have accepted him and just become his mate. It was really a win-win situation if you looked at it. She wouldn't die a virgin, and he would finally get to kill her after five years of trying. Kagome laughed bitterly to herself, `I think my injuries have caught infection, I'm going insane,' she thought as she rolled over to a more comfortable position. “What if he never gets his memories back?” she whispered into the dark room, after all that was a possibility. She had heard of at least a few people that had suffered from amnesia that never remembered anything, and had to make whole new lives for themselves. What then? Would she go with Sesshoumaru, find Rin and Jaken, and then make up some lame excuse as to why she couldn't be Rin's caretaker anymore? The more she thought about her situation, the more she realized that she was screwed no matter what she did.

 

`Take the easy road and accept his attentions,' a little voice in her head insisted.

 

`It's not right to take advantage of him like that,' Kagome argued with the voice.

 

`So if he remembers you die, at least you got to experience someone love you,' the voice retorted, `And if he doesn't remember the two of you can just live happily ever after. The perfect ending to this feudal fairy tale you've been living.'

 

`And what about the shards? Naraku? Inuyasha? How are we going to explain all that to him smarty pants?' She couldn't believe she was arguing with herself; she really was going insane. Of course the little voice had no answer to those questions, and remained silent. Kagome took the silence in her mind as a cue to finally get some sleep. Hopefully this time she wouldn't wake up in an overly clingy demon's lap, and would be allowed to sleep peacefully until this whole mess was over.

 

--

 

Sesshoumaru waited quietly outside Kagome's window until her breathing evened out and he was sure she was sleeping. He had heard her whispered concern that he would never recover from his memory loss, and knew that it was that concern that had to be a part of the reason she was fighting him so hard. Her guilt, and the fear that she had lost the male she loved forever. He would prove to her that neither mattered as the situation was his own fault, and he was sure that if she loved his other self that she could love him as he was now as well. She simply had to be shown. If he had his way they would be mates before winter's end.

 

The dog demon let a frustrated sigh escape his lips as he gazed out into the darkness. His head still throbbed from his injuries, but that was not important right now. Morning was fast approaching, and he needed to hunt for Kagome's breakfast. She would need food if she were to heal, and he had to prove to her that he could still care for her. He knew that only having one arm was going to hinder that endeavor, but it looked as if it was an older injury and not related to his current situation at all. Surely he had learned to provide for her and his supposed ward with the handicap before, and he would do so again. He would have to remind himself to ask her what had happened to it later, but for now he would not think on it. All that was important was his mission.

Quietly he made his way into the forest of the valley to find a suitable meal for his Kagome.

---

Inuyasha and the others were near their wits end. It had been nearly three days since they had last seen Kagome, and her trail had long since run dry. The snow kept falling, and with every snowflake that fell more and more of any evidence that Kagome had even existed was being hidden from both sight and scent.

 

The group had decided to return home until the snows stopped, and were now taking shelter from the cold in a village Inn not far from Kaede's village.

 

“I can't believe we're just abandoning Kagome like this!” Shippou cried for the hundredth time that day.

 

“Shut it runt, we're not abandoning her,” Inuyasha snarled, “But we can't keep trudging through the snow like this with no idea whatsoever as to where she could be. Our best bet is to just go home and hope that she's already there when we get back.”

 

“You know as well as anyone that she won't be there!” the kit argued, and buried his head in Kirara's fur. He had taken refuge on the fire cats back after being chased one too many times by Inuyasha for crying over the group's decision.

 

“Please Shippou calm down,” Sango pleaded from her seat against the wall, “None of us are happy about leaving her behind, but what else are we to do? Any evidence of her whereabouts have been long since covered up by the snow, and its only coming down harder as time passes.”

 

“She's right, our only course of action is to wait out the weather and resume our search when we are more likely to find her,” Miroku agreed.

 

An eerie silence settled over the group at the monk's statement. No one knew how long the snows would last, or if they would even be able to resume the search for their missing friend before spring. They could only hope that she was safe wherever she was, and that she would survive the winter.