InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Past, Present, and Future ❯ Demon's Guidance ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

It was not yet morning when Kagome woke. She shivered against the cold, but soon there was a pair of warm hands to chase away the chill. Gentle claws caressed her, and soft lips heated her blood.

“Well hello to you, too,” she said and rolled over onto her back.

There was a wanton growl, and she was consumed by her bedmate’s heat. For the second time that night, they found each other in the darkness.

The next time Kagome arose from slumber the darkness had given way to early morning. The space beside her was empty, and she rose to find Sesshoumaru already up and about, getting himself dressed. He left without a word, but he would come back. He always did.

Kagome flopped back down onto the sheets and tried to snooze, but it wasn’t long before she felt a slight pressure on the end of her futon. Cracking an eye, she saw her daughter looking expectantly at her.

“Morning, sweetie,” Kagome said, her voice gravelly with sleep.

“Morning, mama,” Shizuka said with a wide smile, “Lady Kaede asked us to help her today, remember?”

Kagome groaned. She had almost forgotten about that. All the herbs and vegetables in Kaede’s garden needed to be picked before they were ruined by the first frost of the season, which would be occurring very soon. The old miko, her bones becoming increasingly painful with age, enlisted the help of more able-bodied women to accomplish the task. It would take Kagome, Shizuka, Rin, and Sango an entire day’s work to harvest the vast plot.

Kagome yawned. “I remember. Get dressed and we’ll walk there together, okay?”

“Okay!” Shizuka exclaimed, and was out the door like a little demon whirlwind.

Giving a wide yawn, Kagome forced herself out of the cozy sheets and got dressed. As she moved to quickly fold up the tousled sheets, Shizuka’s voice rang through the hut. “Mama, Lady Sango is here!”

It was quickly followed by a knock on the wall outside her room. “Can I come in, Kagome?” Sango asked.

“Yeah, come on in,” Kagome said, and Sango drifted through the curtain, her hands folded in front of her.

“Good morning Kagome,” Sango said.

“Morning,” Kagome replied, cocking her head. She could tell by Sango’s stiff posture and nervous smile that something wasn’t quite right.

“Are you okay, Sango?” Kagome asked.

Sango couldn’t seem to keep eye contact. “Well, actually there was something I wanted to ask you.”

“What?”

“Well,” Sango said, rubbing at the back of her neck. She sighed and closed her eyes. “Never mind.”

“No, what is it?” Kagome persisted. She had a feeling she knew what was coming anyway.

“Well, its just that I’ve noticed Sesshoumaru is spending a lot of time around you…” Sango said, and Kagome sighed inwardly. Just as she had suspected. “And coming up the road this morning, I saw him leaving your house. Is there anything going on?”

There was no point in denying their relationship. Everyone would find out sooner or later that Sesshoumaru was spending almost every night with her, but Kagome wasn’t quite sure what to say. The nature of their relationship was a curious one.

“I don’t even know how to say this,” Kagome started. “But we…have a relationship.”

Sango‘s brow wrinkled. “What do you mean?” she questioned, and Kagome gave a very dramatic roll of her eyes. “No! You mean, you two are…”

“Yes,” Kagome said, and a weight seemed to lift from her chest.

“How did it happen?”

“I don’t know…” Kagome said. There was no possible way she could explain. Sesshoumaru’s changed future self and what had happened between them was something Kagome would have to take to her grave, lest she disturb time and space even more. “It’s complicated.”

“Kagome…“ Sango said, and crossed the room to put a gentle hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Are you sure about this?”

The answer left her lips with swift surety. “Yes, I am.”

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E ight years had passed, and some things had changed. In the beginning, rumors surrounding Kagome and Sesshoumaru’s relationship had swirled and spread like wildfire, but as time went on it became common knowledge. Sesshoumaru became a fixture in the village. He stayed at Kagome’s side and stepped into a larger guardian role to Shizuka, and also to Rin and her growing family. Over time, the wary villagers became desensitized to his intimidating presence.

The passing of eight years had also seen the death of Kaede and the marriage of Kohaku and Rin. The taijya and his wife were starting a family of their own, and according to Sango’s speculations Rin’s heavily rounded middle meant her little brother would soon have twins of his own.

Shizuka celebrated her twelfth birthday, and it was to nobody’s surprise, especially Kagome’s, that Shizuka was growing into almost an exact duplicate of Inuyasha. The way she spoke, the way she carried herself, her mannerisms all reflected her late father. Kagome wasn’t surprised when Shizuka began to ask questions about her father, and also wasn’t surprised that Shizuka began to take an interest in the old heirloom that hung on the wall.

“Shizuka,” Kagome said, taking a seat next to her daughter. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” Shizuka said and continued to stare.

“Just staring at the wall, huh?” Kagome said smartly, and Shizuka rolled her eyes and sighed.

“I’m looking at what’s on the wall, mother,” she replied. Kagome giggled.

She joined her daughter in examining the sword for a moment. For over twelve years it had hung on the wall untouched and silent, without a master to wield it. That haughty sword that could slay a hundred demons in a single strike, the sword that had saved Kagome’s life a thousand times over. For twelve years Tetsusaiga slumbered, but Kagome thought it wouldn’t be long before it would awake and find a new master.

“It’s late, sweetie. Get some sleep,” Kagome said.

“Keh, okay,” Shizuka said, giving the sword one last hard look before trudging off to bed.

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

It was the second time in two nights that Kagome awoke alone. It wasn’t unusual for Sesshoumaru to wake even before the twilight, but it was strange that he should disappear in the dead of night. The previous night Kagome had rolled over and gone back to sleep only to find him back at her side in the morning. But now she was curious. She slowly padded out of her room with only small slivers of moonlight to see by. She immediately saw what was missing. She ran into Shizuka’s room only to find that she was not in bed, either.

She ran outside, looking frantically around the house. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of light in the woods. Without a second thought, she ran into the trees. The flashes of light came far and in between, guiding Kagome to small clearing. At first she didn’t see anything, but then Sesshoumaru burst from the trees, followed closely by Shizuka. Bakusaiga and Tetsusaiga clashed in a flare of light, followed by Shizuka falling on her behind and stringing together a number of profanities. Kagome exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding.

“That is enough for now,” Sesshoumaru said, sheathing Bakusaiga.

“Keh, that’s it?” Shizuka said as Tetsusaiga resumed the shape of a rusty katana. She sheathed the sword and got to her feet, hitting her head on a low tree branch. “Damn it!”

“Your timing is atrocious,” Sesshoumaru remarked.

“Excuse me for not having five-hundred years experience like some people, sensei. I’m going back to bed,” Shizuka said, and slumped past Kagome and back through the woods. “Hi mom.”

Kagome listened as Shizuka crunched through the underbrush, her cursing growing fainter and fainter as she went.

“Watch your mouth, young lady!” Kagome called, and turned around when she felt Sesshoumaru’s pelt brush against her. She took him in a tight embrace.

“You guys scared me to death, you know,” Kagome said. Sesshoumaru didn’t answer, but wrapped an arm around her. “So, you’re teaching her to fight?”

He raised an eyebrow and inclined his chin. “What of it?”

Kagome smiled. “Nothing. Although I’m a bit confused as to why you’re doing this in the dark.”

“She relies on her eyes. She must train her other senses,” he said.

“Oh,” Kagome said, and smiled.

She was glad Sesshoumaru was giving Shizuka his guidance. As a human, Kagome could only do so much for her daughter. Sesshoumaru was the demon influence Shizuka needed in her life, as well as the father figure. Shizuka needed him just as much as Kagome did.

It was funny. There had been a point in her life when Kagome had considered Sesshoumaru an enemy. Now she couldn’t imagine her life without him. She loved his comforting silences, tender touches and innate authority.

She loved all of him, yet she had never told him so. After eight years together, it was well past due.

“I love you, Sesshoumaru,” she said. She knew he wouldn’t respond in kind, but she didn’t expect him to tense in her hold for a moment.

Much to her relief he relaxed and threaded his fingers through her hair, but Kagome couldn’t help but wonder what was going through his mind.