InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Remnants of the Spider ❯ Long Enough ( Chapter 24 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Lady Sianna 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 11.11.2009 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 280 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 11.11.2009 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 280 | Status: Work In Progress
Remnants of the Spider
Long Enough
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‘My wish…’
A soft breeze brushed against him sending several strands of silver tresses dancing at his side. The demon lord blinked lazily before looking into the night sky. A memory flooded his mind.
“A shooting star, quick, make a wish!”
“Why?”
“In my… where I’m from, the first person to see a shooting star has to make a wish on it. Now quick, make a wish!”
A hint of a smile tickled the corner of his lips. He did not make a wish that night but several nights later. It was ridiculous, he knew, but with the idea that there was no harm in it, he had done so anyway. There was something he wanted, something he could not procure under his own power.
‘Rin…’
She was… important to him, but mortality was a cruel thing to those under its hold. In fact, if he was honest with himself, part of the reason he had brought the girl to this village, was because he had wanted to distance himself from her. As she was growing older, he knew that age, or possibly illness would eventually take her away from this world and he did not wish to bear witness to such a thing.
A quiet sigh passed through his lips. However, his success in this endeavor was at best limited, especially if one measured it by the frequency in which he called on this village as of late.
But now perhaps, his abnormally halfhearted efforts were unnecessary?
He, Sesshoumaru, feared nothing, but in this moment he was almost afraid to hope, to take the miko’s words as truth and believe that his wish, as unattainable as it had seemed at the time, just might be coming true.
His wish had been for Rin. He had wished that the bounds of mortality could loosen their hold on her; that she could continue to live beyond the limits of her humanity so that he would never have to loose her again. Was it truly possible that through the kit his wish could become reality?
“It’s strange, you know…” the miko was saying, drawing a portion of his attention again.
“I had never realized it before, but now I can sorta understand why I didn‘t. According to Kaede, once the demon dies, the bond is broken and the human… I guess the human becomes normal again. I haven’t seen very many mixed couples, and on top of that, all of the ones I know of…” she trailed off to stare aimlessly off into the distance.
She recalled Shiori, the bat hanyou, who’s father was a demon. He had been killed off by his own father, a direct result of his decision to mate a human. Then there was Jinenji, the kind and gentle horse hanyou, who’s demon father had also died. Now that she thought about it, Jinenji’s mother appeared to be uncommonly old as well. Not only that, but she seemed unusually healthy, and mobile for someone of her advanced age. Could it be residual effects of the bond she had shared with her mate?
“I wonder…” she began, her voice barely above a whisper, “I wonder what would have happened if their mates had lived.”
“Izayoi…”
The name slipped from Sesshoumaru’s lips before he had a chance to prevent it. Their eyes met then, and for a long moment the miko and the demon lord held one another’s gaze. Shimmering rays of moonlight spilled through thin clouds high above while fireflies drifted soundlessly around them. Staring into his eyes like this was strangely surreal, Kagome realized absently. She felt almost as if she was dreaming. Though his expression was characteristically blank, there was something in his eyes; something she could not identify, but it was definitely there.
She felt slightly mesmerized by the look he was giving her, and even if she wanted to, the miko could not look away. Suddenly a quiet grunt met her ears and the spell was broken. A slight breeze caused Ah-Un to shift beside her, apparently attempting to borrow some of her body heat. Finally looking away, Kagome convulsively stroked his mane. She shook her head slightly to loosen the last tendrils of the mild trance in which she had been captured.
“Inuyasha’s mother?” she asked when she recalled the last thing he had said.
Sesshoumaru continued to regard her intently, and for a moment he could not recall what they had been discussing. When he finally did, he looked away to gaze sightlessly into the distance.
“Yes.” he finally responded. “She possessed such abilities. I never detected the scent of illness on her, and on the rare instances when she was injured, her recovery was unusually swift for a human. Like yourself, I did not make the connection until now. I had believed her abilities to be a result of her spiritual powers.”
“Spiritual powers…?” she began but immediately faltered.
She had never met Inuyasha’s real mother, but she had met the Un-mother Sesshoumaru and Jaken had used to deceive Inuyasha. The Un-mother had created an illusion to help them escape. Kagome furrowed her brows thoughtfully. At the time things have been so hectic and she never really thought about it.
She shot Sesshoumaru what she thought was a covert glance as she recalled the sneaky trick he had pulled on his brother. At the time she had been infuriated that he would do something so mean, but now for reasons she could not begin to fathom, she just couldn’t summon that same resentment. Time, she supposed had a way of changing one’s perspective on things. That incident seemed like a lifetime ago now.
The demon Lord had seen her look at him before quickly looking away. Although a part of him did not wish to acknowledge it, he was reasonably certain he knew what the girl was thinking. She was likely recalling the incident went Jaken had somehow convinced him to employ that wretched Un-mother to impersonate the hanyou’s late mother. He had known such a stunt was beneath him, but his desire to obtain his father’s fang had coaxed him to allow it.
The daiyoukai resisted the urge to sigh. If he recalled correctly, the miko had been almost more angry with him over the incident than Inuyasha himself. He glanced at her and saw that she was idly combing her fingers through Ah-Un‘s hair.
He was surprised to discover that the thought of her disapproval troubled him now. It was very faint, but he could not ignore the whispering knowledge that he would be displeased if she was to become angry with him. It was strange, the woman’s opinion had never been of any consequence before. When had that changed?
Without warning, the memory of her words to Inuyasha echoed through his mind again.
After everything that had transpired between them, the woman had chosen to label him as her friend. Perhaps that was why he did not wish for her displeasure of him. He had tolerated… no he had willingly allowed her to befriend him, but had he also unknowingly accepted her in the same way? Did he consider this human female to be his… friend? It was an entirely foreign concept to him and while he did not particularly enjoy the idea, he could find no genuine fault in it either. Human that she was, Kagome was not an unpleasant creature.
The sudden intake of air drew his attention and he looked over to see the miko yawning quietly behind her small hand. She carefully stretched the muscles of her back before allowing herself to relax against the dragon’s side.
“You know,” she said abruptly, “I don’t think they even realize what’s happening between them.”
She looked at him then, her eyes heavily lidded and slightly glazed.
Though his expression suggested mild boredom, Kagome was left with the impression that he did not know what she was talking about. A lazy smile spread across her face.
“Rin and Shippou I mean.”
“Hn.” he murmured with a slight nod.
“It’s all very interesting.” Her smile widened slightly and she gradually closed her eyes. “They make an adorable couple. I think they’ll be really happy together.” Her voice was becoming quiet, as if she were talking only to herself.
“You should get some rest.” the demon lord told her after a short pause.
“I know.” she breathed quietly, but made no move to open her eyes. “But I’m not ready to go inside yet. Will you…” she yawned again, “will you stay with me… for just a little while longer?”
He looked at her again. Her diminutive form was bathed in soft moonlight, making her skin appeared to glow. A number of dark tresses rested against her cheek contrasting starkly with her near luminous complexion. The dark strands appeared extremely soft and lavishly silky as they reflected the gentle radiance of the moon. For the briefest of moments he wanted to touch them. He wanted to brush the errant locks away from her face and discover if they were truly as soft as they looked.
‘How odd.’ he thought distantly as he continued to stare down on her.
He was not sure how much time slipped by before he realized that the miko had fallen asleep. He could detect it in the decreased rate of her heartbeat, and the heavy even draws of breath that passed through her slightly parted lips.
Idly, he wondered if he should wake her. He did not wish to disturb her, but he also could not leave her to sleep outdoors.
‘Perhaps…’ his mind trailed off as he considered his only acceptable option. After a moment or two he managed to push his apprehension aside and rose to his feet. He quietly crossed the short distance that had separated them before slowly kneeling to the ground. A bit of indecision coursed through him again, but this time he was able to ignore it. He reached forward, carefully tucking his hands beneath her before gently lifting her in his arms. His movements carefully measured, the demon lord rose to his full height. The woman’s head lolled to the side coming to rest against his armor plated chest while her legs draped listlessly over his arm. She felt smaller than she looked, more fragile. Illogically, he became concerned that she would fall and he instinctively tightened his hold on her.
Rin, he realized vacantly, was the only other creature he had ever held this way. At that time he had had only one arm in which to carry her. Although he did not need two arms to support the slight weight of the miko, it made things easier to have them both.
Shifting her slightly, he pushed the straw panel door aside before entering the meek little hut. He carried her the short distance to the sleeping pallet which lay next to Rin. Kneeling, he cautiously lowered her to the futon. Though her eyes remained closed, she immediately reached out as if attempting to locate something. When her hand brushed Rin’s left shoulder, she seemed to relax and a quiet sigh passed through her lips.
The demon lord took it all in with a sort of detached fascination, his own behavior surprising to him.
As he looked down on the sleeping forms of the miko and his ward, an odd combination of emotions coursed through him. Being with the two of them like this was both pleasant, and discomforting at the same time. It seemed almost… intimate, which was… well, he couldn’t decide what to make of it. Only moments ago he had questioned the possibility that he reciprocated the friendship she so willingly offered, but what he was feeling now bordered on the edge of something deeper; something he was unwilling to put a name to at this moment.
The sensation was unfamiliar and extremely perplexing to say the very least. He felt as if he had come to a fork in the road, and needed to choose his next course carefully. Something was changing he realized, and though it was entirely uncharted territory, he had no real desire to turn back. Was change really such a bad thing? A large part of him suggested it should be, and yet...
His eye slowly drifted closed and his mind flooded with memories of the miko who slept so innocently, so trustingly within arms reach of him. From the moment he first set eyes on her, to the day she called him friend; it all flashed through his mind in what seemed like the space of a breath. Over the years she had threatened him, intrigued him fought against him and along side him; she had saved his life and even defended his honor. He opened his eyes and saw a faint curve on the miko’s lips. She almost appeared to be smiling.
‘Perhaps,’ he concluded tentatively, ‘…perhaps it is not so bad.’
After a moment, he rose to his feet and turned to leave. His departure did not go unnoticed and a small smile formed on girlish lips as the straw door fell into place behind him.
____________________________________________________________ __________
“It’s looking a lot better now, but you still need to change the bandages at least once a day alright?”
“Yes. Thank you Kagome-sama.” a middle aged man bowed to the miko before hobbling off on his gradually recovering leg. Kagome watched him enter his hut before gathering her small satchel and her large pail. She had gone to the stream to get some water when the man had hailed her requesting assistance. Since the incident with Rin, she learned to carry her first aid kit with her just in case. The man’s injury was still pretty extensive, but at least the infection seemed to have cleared up, she thought with a sense of satisfaction.
The miko sighed quietly as she lifted the heavy pail and headed back to the hut. Shippou didn’t have any lessons today, so he had come to visit with Rin. They had gone to the outskirts of the village to goof off taking Ah-Un with them and leaving her to start dinner.
As the hut came into view, a faint memory slipped into her mind, and for probably the hundredth time today she found herself fighting off a heavy blush.
‘He touched me! He actually touched me with his own bare hands!’ The thought caused a shiver to race down her spine, but she couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment or… something else.
When she woke up this morning she had not realized anything unusual had taken place. It wasn’t until she saw the ridiculously bright smile plastered to Rin’s face that she realize something wasn’t quite right.
“Good morning.” She had greeted dubiously.
“Good morning Lady Kagome!” The girl had beamed excitedly, and Kagome had narrowed her eyes. Rin was very likely the happiest person she had ever met, but there was something terribly off about that huge smile and the knowing look in her eyes. Before she could question her, Rin asked, “When did you come in last night?”
Kagome frowned at the unexpected query. “I--” she stared blankly off into the distance as she attempted to recall the night before. Rin had watched with barely restrained glee as her mentor’s eyes widened with realization.
“I don’t remember coming in last night. I think… I think I must’ve fallen asleep outside, how did I…?”
“Lord Sesshoumaru brought you in!!” The words practically exploded from the girl’s lips, and if it was possible, her smile grew even larger.
Kagome had been shocked into silence while Rin leapt to her feet to engage in what may have been a charming song and dance routine. The young miko however, took little note of it as she attempted to fathom what the girl had just revealed.
‘How embarrassing!!!’ she thought mildly panicked. ‘I hope I wasn’t snoring!’
She placed a hand on each of her cheeks attempting to cool her heated skin. “Ugh!!! He told me to come inside, but I didn’t listen!”
Rin seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact that her poor Lady Kagome was on the brink of a nervous breakdown. ‘I can’t believe he did that, why would he do that?!’
She never would have imagined the ever stoic, pristine, untouchable Sesshoumaru doing something like that, especially not for her; but now a horrifyingly vivid image of her limp form in his arms was super glued to her mind. Why didn’t he just wake her up?
‘What was he thinking to do something like that?’ she wondered as she barely avoided tripping over a large irresponsibly placed rock. A bit of water splashed from her pail to land on her hakama, and she barely suppressed a sigh. This was all Sesshoumaru’s fault! She couldn’t seem to go ten minutes without wondering why he had done what he did.
Maybe she was making too big a deal out of it. It was not unknown for her to overreact after all. Maybe she should just stop thinking about it. It wasn’t really that big of a deal anyway, right? All he had done was pick her up, ‘With his own bare hands…’ her mind supplied helpfully, just in case she had forgotten in the last few minutes. Her cheeks flooded with color again, but she ignored it in favor of completing her train of thought.
All he had done was pick her up and brought her inside the hut. They were friends. Friends did that sort of thing for one another, didn‘t they? Sure they did, she thought while trying to ignore the trace of uncertainty in the back of her mind.
This conclusion didn’t seem to explain everything, but it would do for now she decided with mild satisfaction.
Before she could make it to her hut, she felt a sudden wind against her back and she immediately turned to see what was going on. A small cyclone appeared before her, and she used her free hand to partially shield her face and prevent debris from flying into her eyes. The winds died down quickly revealing a dark-haired wolf youki.
“Kouga?! W-what are you doing here?!”
Her words were met with a toothy grin before she found herself wrapped in a pair of powerful arms.
“Hiya Kagome, long time no see.” the wolf demon muttered into her hair.”
“Umm, yeah,” she agreed as she tentatively returned his embrace.
He pulled away and looked down on her and a genuine smile found her lips. It had been a little over a year since they had seen him. She hadn’t realized it until just now, but she had really missed the wolf.
Kagome looked just as beautiful as he remembered, and the wolf prince felt a mild twinge of regret in his heart. Time changed a lot of things, but seeing her again brought back a lot of memories. A half smile formed on his lips. He wanted to pull her to him again, but refrained from doing so.
“I can’t stay long.” he told her after a moment. “Is there some place we can talk?”
The miko felt her eyes widen, and an interesting combination of uncertainty and anticipation coursed through her. “Umm, sure” she said quietly. She turned away and he followed her the short distance to her hut.
__________________________________________________________________ ______
Though he really needed to get back to his territory, Kouga could not pass up the opportunity to catch up with his old friend and one-time love interest. And so, after about twenty minutes the miko and the wolf had exchanged summaries of the past year of their lives. News of Kagome’s victory over Naraku had spread far and wide and the wolf demon tribe had caught wind of it a few weeks ago.
He had expressed his regret over not being there, but the goings on in his own territory had kept him quite busy. He had spent the last year or so securing new territory in the northeast, and defending his lands against potential usurpers.
Pulling back her long sleeve, Kagome began to stir her rice with a long wooden spoon. Kouga watched with detached interest, his mind milling over old decisions and new regrets.
After a moment he gave himself a slight shake. He didn‘t come here to pine.
“Anyway,” he said suddenly, “I came here to warn you.”
Kagome faltered in her movements before she turned her full attention to him. “Warn me? About what?” she did not like the way this sounded and the serious look on his face only added to her uncertainty.
“I don’t know how true they are, but some really bad rumors have begun to circulate.”
“What kind of rumors?” she asked as she placed the spoon across the pail sitting next to her.
The wolf could detect her concern in both her scent and the way she was looking at him. He didn’t want to alarm her needlessly, but rumors like the ones he had been hearing held too much potential danger to be ignored.
“Naraku’s gone,” he began carefully, “but I’ve been hearing that he left something or rather someone behind. A demon, I think.”
Kagome gasped quietly. This was definitely not good. “Y-you mean like another incarnation?”
“Maybe.” he agreed as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Wanting to gage her response the wolf watched her intently from the corners of his eyes. Her shoulders had slumped and there was a faint crease in her brows. Her eyes had taken on a far away look, and apprehension tainted her scent. He felt his heart clench again knowing the next part of what he had to say was only going to make her feel worse, but he knew he had to tell her.
“There’s more…” he added quietly, and the miko just nodded and waited for him to continue. “Umm, according to the rumors, whoever this demon is… they umm… they’re out for revenge.”
Kouga knew he didn’t need to say any more for her to understand specifically who the demon would want revenge against.
“I see…” she said after a moment. This was bad, she decided after a moment. Definitely, definitely bad. Her lips twisted wryly.
“They’re just rumors.” Kouga finally spoke up. “None of my tribesmen have actually seen this supposed demon, so who’s to say it really exists?”
“That’s true, I guess.”
“And besides, the Shikon jewel is gone now, so even if there is another demon, it shouldn’t take much to get rid of it.”
That was true too. If something came after her, it shouldn’t be too hard to defeat. She was a powerful miko with excellent archery skills (if she did say so herself) this demon shouldn’t be a problem for her.
“You’re right.” she said with a small smile. “If there is another demon, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”
He gave a quick nod. “ I’ll have my tribesmen look into it. If someone’s after you, they’ll have to go through me first.” he declared, enjoying the way she smiled at his words.
“Well,” he said after few moments. “I really need to get back. Can’t leave Ayame alone for too long before she starts freaking out.”
“Ayame?”
Kouga’s eyes widened slightly. “Did I forget to mention that I took Ayame as my mate?” he asked with a sheepish smile.
Kagome raised a single brow. “Yeah, you did as I think I would remember something like that.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Hehe, well I guess it must have slipped my mind. I took Ayame as my mate about six months ago. The girl was more persistent than I thought she’d be. Anyway she’s… I’m going to be a dad in a few months so I can‘t leave her alone too long.”
The miko’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wow. I-I had no idea.” she said, absently wondering why she felt a little jealous. Well, maybe not jealous, but… well, something…
“Umm… congratulations.” she choked out.
“Thanks.” he said, completely oblivious to her mild inner turmoil.
The sizzling of rice met Kagome’s ears and her attention was drawn back to the almost forgotten cooking pot. “Oh!” she cried as she carefully removed it from the fire with a heavy triple folded piece of cloth. Once she was satisfied that it had not burned she turned her attention back to the wolf again. He was now standing near the door.
The miko rose to her feet. “I’ll umm, I’ll walk you out.
He nodded his agreement and Kagome made her way to his side. He pushed the straw panel door aside, and the pair of them walked out into the softly fading sunlight.
‘The kid’s will be back soon.’ Kagome thought distractedly.
She was caught off guard when the wolf embraced her again. “It was great seeing you.” he said quietly.
“Yeah,” she agreed as she wrapped her arms around his waist. “It was good to see you too.”
Kouga held on for just a little longer than what Kagome felt was necessary before he released her and stepped away. “I’ll visit again as soon as I can, okay?”
“I’d like that.” she said as she smiled up at him.
He returned her smile before turning away. He jogged a short distance before his demonic winds swept around him obscuring his form from her eyes. A second or two later he was gone. For a moment longer she stared at the spot where he had been before turning to go back into the hut. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw Sesshoumaru standing a few yards away. Her heart skipped half a dozen beats as she saw the intense look he was giving her.
A heavy silence passed between them, and for the life of her, Kagome could not understand why she felt so uneasy.
“H-hi.” she finally managed. “Umm… h-how long have you been standing there?”
A single brow rose at her question.
“Long enough.”
________________________________________________________ ________________
Long Enough
________________________________________________________________ ________
‘My wish…’
A soft breeze brushed against him sending several strands of silver tresses dancing at his side. The demon lord blinked lazily before looking into the night sky. A memory flooded his mind.
“A shooting star, quick, make a wish!”
“Why?”
“In my… where I’m from, the first person to see a shooting star has to make a wish on it. Now quick, make a wish!”
A hint of a smile tickled the corner of his lips. He did not make a wish that night but several nights later. It was ridiculous, he knew, but with the idea that there was no harm in it, he had done so anyway. There was something he wanted, something he could not procure under his own power.
‘Rin…’
She was… important to him, but mortality was a cruel thing to those under its hold. In fact, if he was honest with himself, part of the reason he had brought the girl to this village, was because he had wanted to distance himself from her. As she was growing older, he knew that age, or possibly illness would eventually take her away from this world and he did not wish to bear witness to such a thing.
A quiet sigh passed through his lips. However, his success in this endeavor was at best limited, especially if one measured it by the frequency in which he called on this village as of late.
But now perhaps, his abnormally halfhearted efforts were unnecessary?
He, Sesshoumaru, feared nothing, but in this moment he was almost afraid to hope, to take the miko’s words as truth and believe that his wish, as unattainable as it had seemed at the time, just might be coming true.
His wish had been for Rin. He had wished that the bounds of mortality could loosen their hold on her; that she could continue to live beyond the limits of her humanity so that he would never have to loose her again. Was it truly possible that through the kit his wish could become reality?
“It’s strange, you know…” the miko was saying, drawing a portion of his attention again.
“I had never realized it before, but now I can sorta understand why I didn‘t. According to Kaede, once the demon dies, the bond is broken and the human… I guess the human becomes normal again. I haven’t seen very many mixed couples, and on top of that, all of the ones I know of…” she trailed off to stare aimlessly off into the distance.
She recalled Shiori, the bat hanyou, who’s father was a demon. He had been killed off by his own father, a direct result of his decision to mate a human. Then there was Jinenji, the kind and gentle horse hanyou, who’s demon father had also died. Now that she thought about it, Jinenji’s mother appeared to be uncommonly old as well. Not only that, but she seemed unusually healthy, and mobile for someone of her advanced age. Could it be residual effects of the bond she had shared with her mate?
“I wonder…” she began, her voice barely above a whisper, “I wonder what would have happened if their mates had lived.”
“Izayoi…”
The name slipped from Sesshoumaru’s lips before he had a chance to prevent it. Their eyes met then, and for a long moment the miko and the demon lord held one another’s gaze. Shimmering rays of moonlight spilled through thin clouds high above while fireflies drifted soundlessly around them. Staring into his eyes like this was strangely surreal, Kagome realized absently. She felt almost as if she was dreaming. Though his expression was characteristically blank, there was something in his eyes; something she could not identify, but it was definitely there.
She felt slightly mesmerized by the look he was giving her, and even if she wanted to, the miko could not look away. Suddenly a quiet grunt met her ears and the spell was broken. A slight breeze caused Ah-Un to shift beside her, apparently attempting to borrow some of her body heat. Finally looking away, Kagome convulsively stroked his mane. She shook her head slightly to loosen the last tendrils of the mild trance in which she had been captured.
“Inuyasha’s mother?” she asked when she recalled the last thing he had said.
Sesshoumaru continued to regard her intently, and for a moment he could not recall what they had been discussing. When he finally did, he looked away to gaze sightlessly into the distance.
“Yes.” he finally responded. “She possessed such abilities. I never detected the scent of illness on her, and on the rare instances when she was injured, her recovery was unusually swift for a human. Like yourself, I did not make the connection until now. I had believed her abilities to be a result of her spiritual powers.”
“Spiritual powers…?” she began but immediately faltered.
She had never met Inuyasha’s real mother, but she had met the Un-mother Sesshoumaru and Jaken had used to deceive Inuyasha. The Un-mother had created an illusion to help them escape. Kagome furrowed her brows thoughtfully. At the time things have been so hectic and she never really thought about it.
She shot Sesshoumaru what she thought was a covert glance as she recalled the sneaky trick he had pulled on his brother. At the time she had been infuriated that he would do something so mean, but now for reasons she could not begin to fathom, she just couldn’t summon that same resentment. Time, she supposed had a way of changing one’s perspective on things. That incident seemed like a lifetime ago now.
The demon Lord had seen her look at him before quickly looking away. Although a part of him did not wish to acknowledge it, he was reasonably certain he knew what the girl was thinking. She was likely recalling the incident went Jaken had somehow convinced him to employ that wretched Un-mother to impersonate the hanyou’s late mother. He had known such a stunt was beneath him, but his desire to obtain his father’s fang had coaxed him to allow it.
The daiyoukai resisted the urge to sigh. If he recalled correctly, the miko had been almost more angry with him over the incident than Inuyasha himself. He glanced at her and saw that she was idly combing her fingers through Ah-Un‘s hair.
He was surprised to discover that the thought of her disapproval troubled him now. It was very faint, but he could not ignore the whispering knowledge that he would be displeased if she was to become angry with him. It was strange, the woman’s opinion had never been of any consequence before. When had that changed?
Without warning, the memory of her words to Inuyasha echoed through his mind again.
After everything that had transpired between them, the woman had chosen to label him as her friend. Perhaps that was why he did not wish for her displeasure of him. He had tolerated… no he had willingly allowed her to befriend him, but had he also unknowingly accepted her in the same way? Did he consider this human female to be his… friend? It was an entirely foreign concept to him and while he did not particularly enjoy the idea, he could find no genuine fault in it either. Human that she was, Kagome was not an unpleasant creature.
The sudden intake of air drew his attention and he looked over to see the miko yawning quietly behind her small hand. She carefully stretched the muscles of her back before allowing herself to relax against the dragon’s side.
“You know,” she said abruptly, “I don’t think they even realize what’s happening between them.”
She looked at him then, her eyes heavily lidded and slightly glazed.
Though his expression suggested mild boredom, Kagome was left with the impression that he did not know what she was talking about. A lazy smile spread across her face.
“Rin and Shippou I mean.”
“Hn.” he murmured with a slight nod.
“It’s all very interesting.” Her smile widened slightly and she gradually closed her eyes. “They make an adorable couple. I think they’ll be really happy together.” Her voice was becoming quiet, as if she were talking only to herself.
“You should get some rest.” the demon lord told her after a short pause.
“I know.” she breathed quietly, but made no move to open her eyes. “But I’m not ready to go inside yet. Will you…” she yawned again, “will you stay with me… for just a little while longer?”
He looked at her again. Her diminutive form was bathed in soft moonlight, making her skin appeared to glow. A number of dark tresses rested against her cheek contrasting starkly with her near luminous complexion. The dark strands appeared extremely soft and lavishly silky as they reflected the gentle radiance of the moon. For the briefest of moments he wanted to touch them. He wanted to brush the errant locks away from her face and discover if they were truly as soft as they looked.
‘How odd.’ he thought distantly as he continued to stare down on her.
He was not sure how much time slipped by before he realized that the miko had fallen asleep. He could detect it in the decreased rate of her heartbeat, and the heavy even draws of breath that passed through her slightly parted lips.
Idly, he wondered if he should wake her. He did not wish to disturb her, but he also could not leave her to sleep outdoors.
‘Perhaps…’ his mind trailed off as he considered his only acceptable option. After a moment or two he managed to push his apprehension aside and rose to his feet. He quietly crossed the short distance that had separated them before slowly kneeling to the ground. A bit of indecision coursed through him again, but this time he was able to ignore it. He reached forward, carefully tucking his hands beneath her before gently lifting her in his arms. His movements carefully measured, the demon lord rose to his full height. The woman’s head lolled to the side coming to rest against his armor plated chest while her legs draped listlessly over his arm. She felt smaller than she looked, more fragile. Illogically, he became concerned that she would fall and he instinctively tightened his hold on her.
Rin, he realized vacantly, was the only other creature he had ever held this way. At that time he had had only one arm in which to carry her. Although he did not need two arms to support the slight weight of the miko, it made things easier to have them both.
Shifting her slightly, he pushed the straw panel door aside before entering the meek little hut. He carried her the short distance to the sleeping pallet which lay next to Rin. Kneeling, he cautiously lowered her to the futon. Though her eyes remained closed, she immediately reached out as if attempting to locate something. When her hand brushed Rin’s left shoulder, she seemed to relax and a quiet sigh passed through her lips.
The demon lord took it all in with a sort of detached fascination, his own behavior surprising to him.
As he looked down on the sleeping forms of the miko and his ward, an odd combination of emotions coursed through him. Being with the two of them like this was both pleasant, and discomforting at the same time. It seemed almost… intimate, which was… well, he couldn’t decide what to make of it. Only moments ago he had questioned the possibility that he reciprocated the friendship she so willingly offered, but what he was feeling now bordered on the edge of something deeper; something he was unwilling to put a name to at this moment.
The sensation was unfamiliar and extremely perplexing to say the very least. He felt as if he had come to a fork in the road, and needed to choose his next course carefully. Something was changing he realized, and though it was entirely uncharted territory, he had no real desire to turn back. Was change really such a bad thing? A large part of him suggested it should be, and yet...
His eye slowly drifted closed and his mind flooded with memories of the miko who slept so innocently, so trustingly within arms reach of him. From the moment he first set eyes on her, to the day she called him friend; it all flashed through his mind in what seemed like the space of a breath. Over the years she had threatened him, intrigued him fought against him and along side him; she had saved his life and even defended his honor. He opened his eyes and saw a faint curve on the miko’s lips. She almost appeared to be smiling.
‘Perhaps,’ he concluded tentatively, ‘…perhaps it is not so bad.’
After a moment, he rose to his feet and turned to leave. His departure did not go unnoticed and a small smile formed on girlish lips as the straw door fell into place behind him.
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“It’s looking a lot better now, but you still need to change the bandages at least once a day alright?”
“Yes. Thank you Kagome-sama.” a middle aged man bowed to the miko before hobbling off on his gradually recovering leg. Kagome watched him enter his hut before gathering her small satchel and her large pail. She had gone to the stream to get some water when the man had hailed her requesting assistance. Since the incident with Rin, she learned to carry her first aid kit with her just in case. The man’s injury was still pretty extensive, but at least the infection seemed to have cleared up, she thought with a sense of satisfaction.
The miko sighed quietly as she lifted the heavy pail and headed back to the hut. Shippou didn’t have any lessons today, so he had come to visit with Rin. They had gone to the outskirts of the village to goof off taking Ah-Un with them and leaving her to start dinner.
As the hut came into view, a faint memory slipped into her mind, and for probably the hundredth time today she found herself fighting off a heavy blush.
‘He touched me! He actually touched me with his own bare hands!’ The thought caused a shiver to race down her spine, but she couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment or… something else.
When she woke up this morning she had not realized anything unusual had taken place. It wasn’t until she saw the ridiculously bright smile plastered to Rin’s face that she realize something wasn’t quite right.
“Good morning.” She had greeted dubiously.
“Good morning Lady Kagome!” The girl had beamed excitedly, and Kagome had narrowed her eyes. Rin was very likely the happiest person she had ever met, but there was something terribly off about that huge smile and the knowing look in her eyes. Before she could question her, Rin asked, “When did you come in last night?”
Kagome frowned at the unexpected query. “I--” she stared blankly off into the distance as she attempted to recall the night before. Rin had watched with barely restrained glee as her mentor’s eyes widened with realization.
“I don’t remember coming in last night. I think… I think I must’ve fallen asleep outside, how did I…?”
“Lord Sesshoumaru brought you in!!” The words practically exploded from the girl’s lips, and if it was possible, her smile grew even larger.
Kagome had been shocked into silence while Rin leapt to her feet to engage in what may have been a charming song and dance routine. The young miko however, took little note of it as she attempted to fathom what the girl had just revealed.
‘How embarrassing!!!’ she thought mildly panicked. ‘I hope I wasn’t snoring!’
She placed a hand on each of her cheeks attempting to cool her heated skin. “Ugh!!! He told me to come inside, but I didn’t listen!”
Rin seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact that her poor Lady Kagome was on the brink of a nervous breakdown. ‘I can’t believe he did that, why would he do that?!’
She never would have imagined the ever stoic, pristine, untouchable Sesshoumaru doing something like that, especially not for her; but now a horrifyingly vivid image of her limp form in his arms was super glued to her mind. Why didn’t he just wake her up?
‘What was he thinking to do something like that?’ she wondered as she barely avoided tripping over a large irresponsibly placed rock. A bit of water splashed from her pail to land on her hakama, and she barely suppressed a sigh. This was all Sesshoumaru’s fault! She couldn’t seem to go ten minutes without wondering why he had done what he did.
Maybe she was making too big a deal out of it. It was not unknown for her to overreact after all. Maybe she should just stop thinking about it. It wasn’t really that big of a deal anyway, right? All he had done was pick her up, ‘With his own bare hands…’ her mind supplied helpfully, just in case she had forgotten in the last few minutes. Her cheeks flooded with color again, but she ignored it in favor of completing her train of thought.
All he had done was pick her up and brought her inside the hut. They were friends. Friends did that sort of thing for one another, didn‘t they? Sure they did, she thought while trying to ignore the trace of uncertainty in the back of her mind.
This conclusion didn’t seem to explain everything, but it would do for now she decided with mild satisfaction.
Before she could make it to her hut, she felt a sudden wind against her back and she immediately turned to see what was going on. A small cyclone appeared before her, and she used her free hand to partially shield her face and prevent debris from flying into her eyes. The winds died down quickly revealing a dark-haired wolf youki.
“Kouga?! W-what are you doing here?!”
Her words were met with a toothy grin before she found herself wrapped in a pair of powerful arms.
“Hiya Kagome, long time no see.” the wolf demon muttered into her hair.”
“Umm, yeah,” she agreed as she tentatively returned his embrace.
He pulled away and looked down on her and a genuine smile found her lips. It had been a little over a year since they had seen him. She hadn’t realized it until just now, but she had really missed the wolf.
Kagome looked just as beautiful as he remembered, and the wolf prince felt a mild twinge of regret in his heart. Time changed a lot of things, but seeing her again brought back a lot of memories. A half smile formed on his lips. He wanted to pull her to him again, but refrained from doing so.
“I can’t stay long.” he told her after a moment. “Is there some place we can talk?”
The miko felt her eyes widen, and an interesting combination of uncertainty and anticipation coursed through her. “Umm, sure” she said quietly. She turned away and he followed her the short distance to her hut.
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Though he really needed to get back to his territory, Kouga could not pass up the opportunity to catch up with his old friend and one-time love interest. And so, after about twenty minutes the miko and the wolf had exchanged summaries of the past year of their lives. News of Kagome’s victory over Naraku had spread far and wide and the wolf demon tribe had caught wind of it a few weeks ago.
He had expressed his regret over not being there, but the goings on in his own territory had kept him quite busy. He had spent the last year or so securing new territory in the northeast, and defending his lands against potential usurpers.
Pulling back her long sleeve, Kagome began to stir her rice with a long wooden spoon. Kouga watched with detached interest, his mind milling over old decisions and new regrets.
After a moment he gave himself a slight shake. He didn‘t come here to pine.
“Anyway,” he said suddenly, “I came here to warn you.”
Kagome faltered in her movements before she turned her full attention to him. “Warn me? About what?” she did not like the way this sounded and the serious look on his face only added to her uncertainty.
“I don’t know how true they are, but some really bad rumors have begun to circulate.”
“What kind of rumors?” she asked as she placed the spoon across the pail sitting next to her.
The wolf could detect her concern in both her scent and the way she was looking at him. He didn’t want to alarm her needlessly, but rumors like the ones he had been hearing held too much potential danger to be ignored.
“Naraku’s gone,” he began carefully, “but I’ve been hearing that he left something or rather someone behind. A demon, I think.”
Kagome gasped quietly. This was definitely not good. “Y-you mean like another incarnation?”
“Maybe.” he agreed as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Wanting to gage her response the wolf watched her intently from the corners of his eyes. Her shoulders had slumped and there was a faint crease in her brows. Her eyes had taken on a far away look, and apprehension tainted her scent. He felt his heart clench again knowing the next part of what he had to say was only going to make her feel worse, but he knew he had to tell her.
“There’s more…” he added quietly, and the miko just nodded and waited for him to continue. “Umm, according to the rumors, whoever this demon is… they umm… they’re out for revenge.”
Kouga knew he didn’t need to say any more for her to understand specifically who the demon would want revenge against.
“I see…” she said after a moment. This was bad, she decided after a moment. Definitely, definitely bad. Her lips twisted wryly.
“They’re just rumors.” Kouga finally spoke up. “None of my tribesmen have actually seen this supposed demon, so who’s to say it really exists?”
“That’s true, I guess.”
“And besides, the Shikon jewel is gone now, so even if there is another demon, it shouldn’t take much to get rid of it.”
That was true too. If something came after her, it shouldn’t be too hard to defeat. She was a powerful miko with excellent archery skills (if she did say so herself) this demon shouldn’t be a problem for her.
“You’re right.” she said with a small smile. “If there is another demon, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”
He gave a quick nod. “ I’ll have my tribesmen look into it. If someone’s after you, they’ll have to go through me first.” he declared, enjoying the way she smiled at his words.
“Well,” he said after few moments. “I really need to get back. Can’t leave Ayame alone for too long before she starts freaking out.”
“Ayame?”
Kouga’s eyes widened slightly. “Did I forget to mention that I took Ayame as my mate?” he asked with a sheepish smile.
Kagome raised a single brow. “Yeah, you did as I think I would remember something like that.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Hehe, well I guess it must have slipped my mind. I took Ayame as my mate about six months ago. The girl was more persistent than I thought she’d be. Anyway she’s… I’m going to be a dad in a few months so I can‘t leave her alone too long.”
The miko’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wow. I-I had no idea.” she said, absently wondering why she felt a little jealous. Well, maybe not jealous, but… well, something…
“Umm… congratulations.” she choked out.
“Thanks.” he said, completely oblivious to her mild inner turmoil.
The sizzling of rice met Kagome’s ears and her attention was drawn back to the almost forgotten cooking pot. “Oh!” she cried as she carefully removed it from the fire with a heavy triple folded piece of cloth. Once she was satisfied that it had not burned she turned her attention back to the wolf again. He was now standing near the door.
The miko rose to her feet. “I’ll umm, I’ll walk you out.
He nodded his agreement and Kagome made her way to his side. He pushed the straw panel door aside, and the pair of them walked out into the softly fading sunlight.
‘The kid’s will be back soon.’ Kagome thought distractedly.
She was caught off guard when the wolf embraced her again. “It was great seeing you.” he said quietly.
“Yeah,” she agreed as she wrapped her arms around his waist. “It was good to see you too.”
Kouga held on for just a little longer than what Kagome felt was necessary before he released her and stepped away. “I’ll visit again as soon as I can, okay?”
“I’d like that.” she said as she smiled up at him.
He returned her smile before turning away. He jogged a short distance before his demonic winds swept around him obscuring his form from her eyes. A second or two later he was gone. For a moment longer she stared at the spot where he had been before turning to go back into the hut. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw Sesshoumaru standing a few yards away. Her heart skipped half a dozen beats as she saw the intense look he was giving her.
A heavy silence passed between them, and for the life of her, Kagome could not understand why she felt so uneasy.
“H-hi.” she finally managed. “Umm… h-how long have you been standing there?”
A single brow rose at her question.
“Long enough.”
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