InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Remnants of the Spider ❯ Meeting of Three ( Chapter 30 )
[ 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: 3 | Words: 5.4K | Visits: 264 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 11.11.2009 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.4K | Visits: 264 | Status: Work In Progress
Remnants of the Spider
A Meeting of Three __________________________________________________________________ ______
Chestnut eyes stared into the darkened hues of the endless sky. Innumerable stars stared back at her as Kagome searched the cosmos as if the answers to all of her questions could be found if she only looked long enough.
A small photo was clutched loosely in her right hand, while her mortar and pestle sat nearly forgotten beside her. It was late, and she knew she should be sleeping, but as it had so many nights before, sleep was again eluding her. She had gotten out of bed some time ago deciding that since she could not sleep, she would sit outside and grind herbs. She wasn’t sure she knew why she brought Kaede’s picture with her, but somehow it comforted her to have it. She’d stared at it for the longest time, wishing her mentor could be with her again.
The miko sighed quietly before absently stroking Ah-Un’s thick mane. The creature made a low rumbling sound which almost, almost sounded like a purr. Kagome smiled at that.
The dragon had returned from foraging a short time ago and had decided to join her at her usual spot near the entrance of her hut. In what was becoming an ongoing state of preoccupation, the miko noticed the creatures presence in only the most abstract of senses.
Kagome had spent the past few days thinking very seriously about herself, and the friendship she shared with Sesshoumaru. She had considered what Inuyasha had said, she had considered what both the Spirit Priestess (Masuyo) and Kaede had told her, and she considered her own feelings.
What the elder mikos had told her… it made sense, but when she applied it to her current situation, if frightened her. She wasn’t sure she could follow her heart when it came to Sesshoumaru. It was almost too scary to think about. She wasn’t really sure of her feelings toward the ever stoic demon lord, because for some time now, she had avoided probing into them too deeply. In a very vague way she knew she had grown to like him, but, a few nights ago, she was forced to consider the fact that her feelings just might be deer than that; much deeper.
Sesshoumaru had touched her…
The miko closed her eyes, allowing her mind to conjure the image of the demon lord as he appeared when he had touched her face. It was so surreal, a part of her kept trying to convince the rest of her that it had only been a dream.
What really had her thinking, was not the fact that he’d touched her, he had done that before and she‘d thought little of it. It was the WAY he touched her that day. It stood out so starkly in her mind because it was completely different than the ways he had touched her before. That, in addition to the way he had been looking at her… well, needless to say, it was enough to have her heart skipping several beats even days after it had occurred.
She could admit, if only to herself, that she’d indulged in the standard girlish fantasies as she and Sesshoumaru began to get close. He was, after all, a beautiful creature and she considered herself quite privileged to be as close to him as she was. The idea that they might one day become more than friends was something that hovered almost constantly at the back of her mind. She had known it was there, she had even glanced at it from time to time, but she had never REALLY considered it. Thinking about it for real, was way too scary.
Fantasies were harmless, they were normal, they were… safe.
The way he had touched her, the way he had looked at her that day… that, was not a fantasy and it was NOT safe.
What if Inuyasha actually was right? What if Sesshoumaru was developing stronger feelings for her?
The miko shook her head as if to deny her own thoughts. It sounded crazy, but the way he looked at her… it was real! He truly looked as if he’d wanted to kiss her!!
The thought scared the hell out of her!!!
And the reason that it scared her… well, that was scary too. Had she continued to avoid her own thoughts on the matter, she might have guessed, very fleetingly, that it scared her because of how wrong it was. She had been in love with his brother, and where she was from, you didn’t go from being in love with one guy to kissing said guy’s brother. It just… wasn’t right. Not to mention that this was, of all people, Sesshoumaru!! It was hard to believe that he even knew what a kiss was!!! He hated nearly everyone, and only tolerated a select few. It was almost unimaginable to think that he ever had or ever would like someone enough to actually kiss them!
She allowed her eyes to open slightly and stared blankly at the darkened earth beneath her. But no, it wasn’t the sheer sinful wrongness of the idea that scared her the most… what truly frightened Kagome half to death, was the fact that if she was really, truly honest with herself… she wanted him to kiss her.
The miko slowly lifted her hand brushing the tips of her fingers lightly across her lips. What would it have felt like to have him press his lips against hers? If the very thought could ignite the naughtiest of fires in her belly, the actual act probably would have caused her to spontaneously combust!
She smiled to herself. Whatever the case, she had wanted that kiss; but it was wrong, wasn’t it? She shouldn’t want to kiss Sesshoumaru, the brother of her first love. It just wasn’t right, yet she still could not decide whether Rin’s interruption had been the greatest of blessings, or the most horrific curse.
All this time, there had been a sort of invisible barrier between her and Sesshoumaru; well, between everyone and Sesshoumaru, but with her, that barrier was growing thinner and thinner as of late.
If he had kissed her, the barrier would have been shattered completely, and then… well, she didn’t know what would have happened after that, but thinking about it was more than enough to invoke heart-stopping fear, and near paralyzing uncertainty.
When he had touched her, and looked at her with those piercing golden eyes, he managed to ignite a fire in her that she had never felt before. Inuyasha had never come close to triggering something so intense. It was a really scary thing!
Moving slowly, Kagome placed Kaede’s photo in the folds of her yukata before folding her hands into her sleeves and settling more comfortably against Ah-Un. In a gesture which seemed oddly protective, the dragon adjusted it’s large body so that it was almost completely surrounding her. The miko smiled as a heavy puff of air was expelled from the great creature.
Looking into the moonlit sky again, Kagome allowed herself to be consumed by her thoughts once more.
Who could have ever imagined that her life would become so complicated? When she was younger, just like so many other girls her age, Kagome had dreamed that one day she would meet the perfect guy, fall madly in love, and live happily ever after. As she grew older, she realized that it might be silly and she knew it was unrealistic, but a part of her still believed that the dream could come true.
It never did, and from the looks of things, it was never going to.
She never met the perfect guy. At the age of fifteen, she was pulled down an old well by a jewel-crazed youkai, and brought five hundred years into the past. She’d gone on to meet a hanyou boy who wanted to kill her, eventually fallen in love with said hanyou, then was forced to let that same hanyou go for fear that he would soon leave her anyway.
No, the dreams were just that… dreams. Love was not as clean cut as she would have thought and it had not been as kind to Kagome as she believed it would be. While she suspected that Inuyasha returned her feelings, he would never admit to them, nor did he display any willingness to commit to her. Then, with Kikyou fully back into the picture, she was sure she didn’t stand a chance.
Then there was Kouga, who had boldly and quite literally declared his love for her from a mountaintop. He had eventually lost interest, moved on, and was now mated to someone else. She’d never returned his feelings, but the idea that he seemed to have moved on so easily stung just a little bit.
The last time she had seen him, he was still professing his love and declaring that she would become his woman. She hadn’t had any idea that he had taken a mate until just recently.
Now she seemed to be slowly drifting into dicey and potentially dangerous emotional territory with a certain demon lord.
‘No good could come of it.’ she thought mournfully.
Sesshoumaru had spent his entire life shunning and detesting the human race. While he seemed to tolerate humans now, he surely wasn’t prepared to fall in love with one!
What if he was actually falling in love with her, and didn’t even realize it yet? What would he do once he found out? Surely he wouldn’t take it well. He would probably try to stop it before it became too serious. He might decide not to be her friend anymore. He might even take Rin away from her and decide never to see her again.
The miko felt herself shudder unpleasantly.
‘No, I’m sure no good would come of it.’
Suddenly feeling very tired, and sad, and pitifully alone, Kagome closed her eyes. A single tear slipped down her cheek as she came to a very painful decision.
She wasn’t sure if it would result in him taking Rin away or not, but she found that she was unwilling to risk heartbreak again.
‘Once was hard enough…I can’t do this again. I just pray to Kami he won’t take Rin away from me.’ __________________________________________________________________ ______ “Kagome-sama?… Kagome-sama?!” An uneasy voice broke through the calm of the early morning.
“Sleeping…” came the muffled reply.
“You must wake up Kagome-sama!”
“Nnngggmmmfff…”
Attempting to escape the annoying voice that sought to disturb her, Kagome burrowed more deeply into the warm soft hair that pillowed the upper portion of her body. The silence that followed was more than welcome, and the miko sighed in content. Believing her tormentor gone, she allowed sleep to wrap its soothing embrace around her again.
Wait a minute… that wasn’t sleep wrapping around her! It was someone’s hand!!!
A large hand had attached itself to her shoulder, and was gently rocking her back and forth.
The miko reluctantly opened her eyes to see a pair of large, crystal blue orbs staring back at her in what appeared to be great concern. Taken by surprise, a short shriek burst from Kagome’s lips as she scampered away from the unfamiliar male. In her disoriented state, the miko stared up at him, her large brown eyes blinking several times to rid herself of the last vestiges of sleep.
Finally, she sighed in relief as she recalled the name of the male who had been kneeling over her.
“Tsunjin… what are you…?” she faltered as she stretched and began to look around. She was about to question him as to why he had come into her hut, but she soon realized that she was outside! Had she fallen asleep out here?!
“My apologies, I did not mean to frighten you Kagome-sama.” the demon intoned kindly.
The elemental had been flying over the village, when he saw her unconscious body propped against the dragon youkai. Alarmed, he had immediately landed, intending to assess whether or not she had been harmed. He was relieved to discover that she was only sleeping, but was still rather disquieted by the fact that she had chosen to do so outdoors.
Kagome looked up at him. He was kneeling on the ground just a few inches from her, and she was dressed in nothing but a short white yukata. She might have been uncomfortable to be so near to him in just her sleeping attire, but the demon made no attempt to look at anything other than her face. Strange, she had only met him a few days ago, but he clearly respected her, and he appeared to be genuinely concerned over her wellbeing.
Offering a small smile, Kagome tucked her legs beneath her, and brushed her messy hair away from her face. She stretched again before yawning behind her hand.
“I must have fallen asleep out here.” she admitted through her yawn.
She noticed how Tsunjin’s brows drew together upon hearing her words.
“Kagome-sama…” he began carefully, “Forgive me, but I must ask that you not do such things. I have been charged with your safety, and Sesshoumaru-sama would not be pleased to discover…”
“Discover what?”
Both miko and elemental looked up in surprise as the demon lord himself seemed to appear out of nowhere. He was a few yards to Kagome’s right, and Tsunjin’s left, and the fact that his hair and pelt were just settling behind him indicated that he had just landed. Tsunjin immediately backed away from the miko, stood, and turned to face his lord.
“Sesshoumaru-sama.” he said in greeting before executing a reverent bow.
Kagome looked back and forth between them, not missing the crease in Sesshoumaru’s brow, or the thinning of his lips. For his part, Tsunjin looked a bit uneasy. It was as if he had just been caught doing something he shouldn’t have.
Pulling her feet fully beneath her, Kagome stood and directed her attention to the demon lord. She wasn’t really sure why he seemed so upset, but there was no need to be angry. Tsunjin hadn’t done anything wrong.
“It’s okay,” she said reassuringly. “I just fell asleep. Tsunjin just came to check on me.”
The demon lord looked at her then, his eyes scanning over her carefully. He noted, with a level of displeasure, that she was standing just a couple of feet away from his soldier wearing nothing but a short white yukata. Her hair was mussed, her cheeks were faintly flushed, and her eyes were lightly glazed.
Logically, he knew that her appearance was nothing more than the lingering affects of having just woke up, but the way she looked in that moment, coupled with the slightly guilty expression Tsunjin was wearing, struck something very deep inside of him.
The daiyoukai found himself becoming more and more annoyed by the moment. No, now that he thought of it, annoyed was not a powerful enough word. What he was feeling teetered dangerously close to searing rage, and really, it was only the truth he had detected in the miko‘s scent and voice which kept him from lashing out against his sentry. The way the two of them appeared together sent surprisingly unpleasant thoughts and imagery through his mind, and he just barely bit back a growl.
Something in the back of his mind seemed to be trying in vain to warn him against what he was feeling, for it was not anger alone. No, interwoven into that powerful emotion was something equally powerful, yet fully resistant to the voice of reason. It was something his addled mind kept trying to attach a name to, and even though he wished to deny it, there was only one name which could accurately describe it…
Possessiveness.
Pushing his assessment aside to be considered at a later time, the demon lord walked over to his sentry. His eyes narrowed, and his powerful aura crackling against the senses of the other demon, the daiyoukai spoke so quietly that Kagome could not make out his words.
“You will not touch her again.”
In that simple phrase, Tsunjin picked up the thinly veiled warning. From the beginning he had suspected that his lord’s feelings for the miko were more than he would have others, and maybe even himself believe, as evidence by the fact that he was here. The woman’s safety seemed to hold high priority for Lord Sesshoumaru, an unusual state of affairs in and of itself. That coupled with the fact that the inu lord had warned him against the idea of courting her was more than just a hint.
Tsunjin did not know Kagome-sama well, but anyone could see that she was kind, honorable, and exceedingly powerful, even more so than most demons. Were he a man less bound to the ties of loyalty and honor, he would surely consider challenging the daiyoukai for the privilege of courting her. Lord Sesshoumaru was powerful and highly skilled in the art of combat, but so was he. Still, he would not challenge his lord. Clearly Kagome-sama meant something to the daiyoukai of the west, and such a thing was truly rare. Kami would not forgive him should he choose to interfere.
A curt nod signaled the fire demon’s agreement and acceptance of his lord’s order.
The males stared at one another for a moment longer as unspoken communication was exchanged between them. Each held a level of reluctance to accept the situation as it was, but both seemed to realize that there was nothing for it. Somehow words were not needed as one male seemed to fully understand the position, and resolve of the other.
Notably calmer now, the demon lord issued his next order. “Return to your patrol.”
“Yes my lord.” the elemental agreed with a respectful bow. before turning on his heel. Feeling as if she had again missed something, Kagome watched him leave.
Before she could think of what to say, Kagome found herself between the outer wall of her hut, and a silver-haired demon lord. Her eyes wide with surprise at his speed and proximity, the miko managed a quiet, “Hi…”
Ignoring her attempted greeting the demon lord asked, “You slept outside?”
“Yeah…” she answered slowly.
The inu lord frowned. “That was unwise.”
Annoyance filtered in rather quickly, and Kagome rolled her eyes. “I didn’t mean to do it, I just fell asleep. Besides, I’ve slept outside more times than I can count since coming to this time.”
Knowing that she was referring to the time she had traveled with the hanyou and her other comrades the demon lord intoned, “That was different.” Though he could think of only one real reason why that was the case.
Kagome frowned and placed a hand on each of her hips. “Oh, and how’s that? Because Inuyasha and the others were around to protect me? Well, if you haven’t noticed, Ah-Un is here!” she said gesturing to the dragon that lay a short distance away from them. “Not only that,” she continued, “But I’m not a little girl anymore! I am capable of taking care of myself now! I don’t need anyone to protect me!”
The demon lord surprised her by moving even closer, his larger body casting a dark shadow over her own.
“That is not the point Kagome. You and I both know that carelessness and over confidence can combine to create disaster.”
Kagome’s lips parted soundlessly, his quiet utterance disarming her completely. Without thinking to do so, the miko looked at his left arm. It was restored now, but she could just imagine that his statement was triggered by the memory of its loss.
“You’re right…” she heard herself say. “I’m so sorry.”
“It is not necessary to apologize. Simply agree to be more careful in the future.”
“She slowly nodded up at him. “I will.”
He nodded then, and the two stared at one another in silence.
A strange combination of emotions, including uncertainty, something which seemed like anticipation, and a hint of fear trickled down Kagome’s spine to pool in the center of her belly. The look the demon lord was giving her was unnervingly similar to the look he had given her a few days ago, and with his proximity to her, she knew it would take very little effort for him to lean in and press his lips against hers if he chose to do so.
Remembering the thoughts that had plagued her over the past few days, and the painful decision she had made, Kagome swallowed against the unpleasant lump that formed in her throat. If she had been able to, she would have backed away to put a bit of distance between them.
The demon lord noticed her uncertainty and the trace of disquiet visible by the faint crease in her brow. Before he could question her on the matter, Kagome blurted out, “There’s something I need to talk to you about!”
She would not get to do so however, as the demon lord turned away to face the two demonic auras which were closing in from behind him. One was that of Tsunjin while the other was entirely unfamiliar to him.
“Forgive the interruption my lord.” Tsunjin spoke up as he tailed the other demon. “I met this demon on my patrol near the edge of the village. He wishes to speak with Kagome-sama.”
The elemental spoke tersely, his eyes never leaving the strange demon. If the creature showed any signs of threat against the miko, Tsunjin would reduce him to a smoking pile of ash even before he could lay a single finger on her.
Sesshoumaru too eyed the unfamiliar demon with suspicion. To his further annoyance, Kagome stepped from behind him to get a look at the diminutive male.
“State your business.” the demon lord intoned before she could speak. He ignored the indignant glare she flashed him in favor of keeping his attention focused on the stranger.
The demon looked between the inu lord and the miko before bowing to each.
“I am called Daisuke.” he said carefully. Forgive me lord of the west, but my business here is with Kagome-sama.”
The demon lord looked as if he would argue, but Kagome spoke out first.
“Lord Sesshoumaru is…” she trailed off, and the daiyoukai noticed how she avoided looking at him. “A trusted ally.” she continued. “Whatever you need to speak with me about will be safe with him.”
The formal address, and the use of the less personable description of their relationship were not lost on the inu lord, and he felt his brows furrow in disapproval.
The kitsune seemed to sense the slight tension in the air, but managed a small smile anyway.
“Very well. But would it be possible for us to speak inside? This matter is of a very sensitive nature.”
“Alright.” Kagome agreed through a forced smile.
She could feel the penetrating golden glare being leveled on her, but did the best she could to ignore it. If she had to guess, she would say that Sesshoumaru wasn’t too happy with her right now. Surely he hadn’t missed the fact that she referred to him as her ally rather than her friend. The demon lord was quite observant after all.
‘If he’s mad now, I don’t know how he’s gonna react when I tell him what I was going to say.’ _______________________________________________________________ _________
A Meeting of Three __________________________________________________________________ ______
Chestnut eyes stared into the darkened hues of the endless sky. Innumerable stars stared back at her as Kagome searched the cosmos as if the answers to all of her questions could be found if she only looked long enough.
A small photo was clutched loosely in her right hand, while her mortar and pestle sat nearly forgotten beside her. It was late, and she knew she should be sleeping, but as it had so many nights before, sleep was again eluding her. She had gotten out of bed some time ago deciding that since she could not sleep, she would sit outside and grind herbs. She wasn’t sure she knew why she brought Kaede’s picture with her, but somehow it comforted her to have it. She’d stared at it for the longest time, wishing her mentor could be with her again.
The miko sighed quietly before absently stroking Ah-Un’s thick mane. The creature made a low rumbling sound which almost, almost sounded like a purr. Kagome smiled at that.
The dragon had returned from foraging a short time ago and had decided to join her at her usual spot near the entrance of her hut. In what was becoming an ongoing state of preoccupation, the miko noticed the creatures presence in only the most abstract of senses.
Kagome had spent the past few days thinking very seriously about herself, and the friendship she shared with Sesshoumaru. She had considered what Inuyasha had said, she had considered what both the Spirit Priestess (Masuyo) and Kaede had told her, and she considered her own feelings.
What the elder mikos had told her… it made sense, but when she applied it to her current situation, if frightened her. She wasn’t sure she could follow her heart when it came to Sesshoumaru. It was almost too scary to think about. She wasn’t really sure of her feelings toward the ever stoic demon lord, because for some time now, she had avoided probing into them too deeply. In a very vague way she knew she had grown to like him, but, a few nights ago, she was forced to consider the fact that her feelings just might be deer than that; much deeper.
Sesshoumaru had touched her…
The miko closed her eyes, allowing her mind to conjure the image of the demon lord as he appeared when he had touched her face. It was so surreal, a part of her kept trying to convince the rest of her that it had only been a dream.
What really had her thinking, was not the fact that he’d touched her, he had done that before and she‘d thought little of it. It was the WAY he touched her that day. It stood out so starkly in her mind because it was completely different than the ways he had touched her before. That, in addition to the way he had been looking at her… well, needless to say, it was enough to have her heart skipping several beats even days after it had occurred.
She could admit, if only to herself, that she’d indulged in the standard girlish fantasies as she and Sesshoumaru began to get close. He was, after all, a beautiful creature and she considered herself quite privileged to be as close to him as she was. The idea that they might one day become more than friends was something that hovered almost constantly at the back of her mind. She had known it was there, she had even glanced at it from time to time, but she had never REALLY considered it. Thinking about it for real, was way too scary.
Fantasies were harmless, they were normal, they were… safe.
The way he had touched her, the way he had looked at her that day… that, was not a fantasy and it was NOT safe.
What if Inuyasha actually was right? What if Sesshoumaru was developing stronger feelings for her?
The miko shook her head as if to deny her own thoughts. It sounded crazy, but the way he looked at her… it was real! He truly looked as if he’d wanted to kiss her!!
The thought scared the hell out of her!!!
And the reason that it scared her… well, that was scary too. Had she continued to avoid her own thoughts on the matter, she might have guessed, very fleetingly, that it scared her because of how wrong it was. She had been in love with his brother, and where she was from, you didn’t go from being in love with one guy to kissing said guy’s brother. It just… wasn’t right. Not to mention that this was, of all people, Sesshoumaru!! It was hard to believe that he even knew what a kiss was!!! He hated nearly everyone, and only tolerated a select few. It was almost unimaginable to think that he ever had or ever would like someone enough to actually kiss them!
She allowed her eyes to open slightly and stared blankly at the darkened earth beneath her. But no, it wasn’t the sheer sinful wrongness of the idea that scared her the most… what truly frightened Kagome half to death, was the fact that if she was really, truly honest with herself… she wanted him to kiss her.
The miko slowly lifted her hand brushing the tips of her fingers lightly across her lips. What would it have felt like to have him press his lips against hers? If the very thought could ignite the naughtiest of fires in her belly, the actual act probably would have caused her to spontaneously combust!
She smiled to herself. Whatever the case, she had wanted that kiss; but it was wrong, wasn’t it? She shouldn’t want to kiss Sesshoumaru, the brother of her first love. It just wasn’t right, yet she still could not decide whether Rin’s interruption had been the greatest of blessings, or the most horrific curse.
All this time, there had been a sort of invisible barrier between her and Sesshoumaru; well, between everyone and Sesshoumaru, but with her, that barrier was growing thinner and thinner as of late.
If he had kissed her, the barrier would have been shattered completely, and then… well, she didn’t know what would have happened after that, but thinking about it was more than enough to invoke heart-stopping fear, and near paralyzing uncertainty.
When he had touched her, and looked at her with those piercing golden eyes, he managed to ignite a fire in her that she had never felt before. Inuyasha had never come close to triggering something so intense. It was a really scary thing!
Moving slowly, Kagome placed Kaede’s photo in the folds of her yukata before folding her hands into her sleeves and settling more comfortably against Ah-Un. In a gesture which seemed oddly protective, the dragon adjusted it’s large body so that it was almost completely surrounding her. The miko smiled as a heavy puff of air was expelled from the great creature.
Looking into the moonlit sky again, Kagome allowed herself to be consumed by her thoughts once more.
Who could have ever imagined that her life would become so complicated? When she was younger, just like so many other girls her age, Kagome had dreamed that one day she would meet the perfect guy, fall madly in love, and live happily ever after. As she grew older, she realized that it might be silly and she knew it was unrealistic, but a part of her still believed that the dream could come true.
It never did, and from the looks of things, it was never going to.
She never met the perfect guy. At the age of fifteen, she was pulled down an old well by a jewel-crazed youkai, and brought five hundred years into the past. She’d gone on to meet a hanyou boy who wanted to kill her, eventually fallen in love with said hanyou, then was forced to let that same hanyou go for fear that he would soon leave her anyway.
No, the dreams were just that… dreams. Love was not as clean cut as she would have thought and it had not been as kind to Kagome as she believed it would be. While she suspected that Inuyasha returned her feelings, he would never admit to them, nor did he display any willingness to commit to her. Then, with Kikyou fully back into the picture, she was sure she didn’t stand a chance.
Then there was Kouga, who had boldly and quite literally declared his love for her from a mountaintop. He had eventually lost interest, moved on, and was now mated to someone else. She’d never returned his feelings, but the idea that he seemed to have moved on so easily stung just a little bit.
The last time she had seen him, he was still professing his love and declaring that she would become his woman. She hadn’t had any idea that he had taken a mate until just recently.
Now she seemed to be slowly drifting into dicey and potentially dangerous emotional territory with a certain demon lord.
‘No good could come of it.’ she thought mournfully.
Sesshoumaru had spent his entire life shunning and detesting the human race. While he seemed to tolerate humans now, he surely wasn’t prepared to fall in love with one!
What if he was actually falling in love with her, and didn’t even realize it yet? What would he do once he found out? Surely he wouldn’t take it well. He would probably try to stop it before it became too serious. He might decide not to be her friend anymore. He might even take Rin away from her and decide never to see her again.
The miko felt herself shudder unpleasantly.
‘No, I’m sure no good would come of it.’
Suddenly feeling very tired, and sad, and pitifully alone, Kagome closed her eyes. A single tear slipped down her cheek as she came to a very painful decision.
She wasn’t sure if it would result in him taking Rin away or not, but she found that she was unwilling to risk heartbreak again.
‘Once was hard enough…I can’t do this again. I just pray to Kami he won’t take Rin away from me.’ __________________________________________________________________ ______ “Kagome-sama?… Kagome-sama?!” An uneasy voice broke through the calm of the early morning.
“Sleeping…” came the muffled reply.
“You must wake up Kagome-sama!”
“Nnngggmmmfff…”
Attempting to escape the annoying voice that sought to disturb her, Kagome burrowed more deeply into the warm soft hair that pillowed the upper portion of her body. The silence that followed was more than welcome, and the miko sighed in content. Believing her tormentor gone, she allowed sleep to wrap its soothing embrace around her again.
Wait a minute… that wasn’t sleep wrapping around her! It was someone’s hand!!!
A large hand had attached itself to her shoulder, and was gently rocking her back and forth.
The miko reluctantly opened her eyes to see a pair of large, crystal blue orbs staring back at her in what appeared to be great concern. Taken by surprise, a short shriek burst from Kagome’s lips as she scampered away from the unfamiliar male. In her disoriented state, the miko stared up at him, her large brown eyes blinking several times to rid herself of the last vestiges of sleep.
Finally, she sighed in relief as she recalled the name of the male who had been kneeling over her.
“Tsunjin… what are you…?” she faltered as she stretched and began to look around. She was about to question him as to why he had come into her hut, but she soon realized that she was outside! Had she fallen asleep out here?!
“My apologies, I did not mean to frighten you Kagome-sama.” the demon intoned kindly.
The elemental had been flying over the village, when he saw her unconscious body propped against the dragon youkai. Alarmed, he had immediately landed, intending to assess whether or not she had been harmed. He was relieved to discover that she was only sleeping, but was still rather disquieted by the fact that she had chosen to do so outdoors.
Kagome looked up at him. He was kneeling on the ground just a few inches from her, and she was dressed in nothing but a short white yukata. She might have been uncomfortable to be so near to him in just her sleeping attire, but the demon made no attempt to look at anything other than her face. Strange, she had only met him a few days ago, but he clearly respected her, and he appeared to be genuinely concerned over her wellbeing.
Offering a small smile, Kagome tucked her legs beneath her, and brushed her messy hair away from her face. She stretched again before yawning behind her hand.
“I must have fallen asleep out here.” she admitted through her yawn.
She noticed how Tsunjin’s brows drew together upon hearing her words.
“Kagome-sama…” he began carefully, “Forgive me, but I must ask that you not do such things. I have been charged with your safety, and Sesshoumaru-sama would not be pleased to discover…”
“Discover what?”
Both miko and elemental looked up in surprise as the demon lord himself seemed to appear out of nowhere. He was a few yards to Kagome’s right, and Tsunjin’s left, and the fact that his hair and pelt were just settling behind him indicated that he had just landed. Tsunjin immediately backed away from the miko, stood, and turned to face his lord.
“Sesshoumaru-sama.” he said in greeting before executing a reverent bow.
Kagome looked back and forth between them, not missing the crease in Sesshoumaru’s brow, or the thinning of his lips. For his part, Tsunjin looked a bit uneasy. It was as if he had just been caught doing something he shouldn’t have.
Pulling her feet fully beneath her, Kagome stood and directed her attention to the demon lord. She wasn’t really sure why he seemed so upset, but there was no need to be angry. Tsunjin hadn’t done anything wrong.
“It’s okay,” she said reassuringly. “I just fell asleep. Tsunjin just came to check on me.”
The demon lord looked at her then, his eyes scanning over her carefully. He noted, with a level of displeasure, that she was standing just a couple of feet away from his soldier wearing nothing but a short white yukata. Her hair was mussed, her cheeks were faintly flushed, and her eyes were lightly glazed.
Logically, he knew that her appearance was nothing more than the lingering affects of having just woke up, but the way she looked in that moment, coupled with the slightly guilty expression Tsunjin was wearing, struck something very deep inside of him.
The daiyoukai found himself becoming more and more annoyed by the moment. No, now that he thought of it, annoyed was not a powerful enough word. What he was feeling teetered dangerously close to searing rage, and really, it was only the truth he had detected in the miko‘s scent and voice which kept him from lashing out against his sentry. The way the two of them appeared together sent surprisingly unpleasant thoughts and imagery through his mind, and he just barely bit back a growl.
Something in the back of his mind seemed to be trying in vain to warn him against what he was feeling, for it was not anger alone. No, interwoven into that powerful emotion was something equally powerful, yet fully resistant to the voice of reason. It was something his addled mind kept trying to attach a name to, and even though he wished to deny it, there was only one name which could accurately describe it…
Possessiveness.
Pushing his assessment aside to be considered at a later time, the demon lord walked over to his sentry. His eyes narrowed, and his powerful aura crackling against the senses of the other demon, the daiyoukai spoke so quietly that Kagome could not make out his words.
“You will not touch her again.”
In that simple phrase, Tsunjin picked up the thinly veiled warning. From the beginning he had suspected that his lord’s feelings for the miko were more than he would have others, and maybe even himself believe, as evidence by the fact that he was here. The woman’s safety seemed to hold high priority for Lord Sesshoumaru, an unusual state of affairs in and of itself. That coupled with the fact that the inu lord had warned him against the idea of courting her was more than just a hint.
Tsunjin did not know Kagome-sama well, but anyone could see that she was kind, honorable, and exceedingly powerful, even more so than most demons. Were he a man less bound to the ties of loyalty and honor, he would surely consider challenging the daiyoukai for the privilege of courting her. Lord Sesshoumaru was powerful and highly skilled in the art of combat, but so was he. Still, he would not challenge his lord. Clearly Kagome-sama meant something to the daiyoukai of the west, and such a thing was truly rare. Kami would not forgive him should he choose to interfere.
A curt nod signaled the fire demon’s agreement and acceptance of his lord’s order.
The males stared at one another for a moment longer as unspoken communication was exchanged between them. Each held a level of reluctance to accept the situation as it was, but both seemed to realize that there was nothing for it. Somehow words were not needed as one male seemed to fully understand the position, and resolve of the other.
Notably calmer now, the demon lord issued his next order. “Return to your patrol.”
“Yes my lord.” the elemental agreed with a respectful bow. before turning on his heel. Feeling as if she had again missed something, Kagome watched him leave.
Before she could think of what to say, Kagome found herself between the outer wall of her hut, and a silver-haired demon lord. Her eyes wide with surprise at his speed and proximity, the miko managed a quiet, “Hi…”
Ignoring her attempted greeting the demon lord asked, “You slept outside?”
“Yeah…” she answered slowly.
The inu lord frowned. “That was unwise.”
Annoyance filtered in rather quickly, and Kagome rolled her eyes. “I didn’t mean to do it, I just fell asleep. Besides, I’ve slept outside more times than I can count since coming to this time.”
Knowing that she was referring to the time she had traveled with the hanyou and her other comrades the demon lord intoned, “That was different.” Though he could think of only one real reason why that was the case.
Kagome frowned and placed a hand on each of her hips. “Oh, and how’s that? Because Inuyasha and the others were around to protect me? Well, if you haven’t noticed, Ah-Un is here!” she said gesturing to the dragon that lay a short distance away from them. “Not only that,” she continued, “But I’m not a little girl anymore! I am capable of taking care of myself now! I don’t need anyone to protect me!”
The demon lord surprised her by moving even closer, his larger body casting a dark shadow over her own.
“That is not the point Kagome. You and I both know that carelessness and over confidence can combine to create disaster.”
Kagome’s lips parted soundlessly, his quiet utterance disarming her completely. Without thinking to do so, the miko looked at his left arm. It was restored now, but she could just imagine that his statement was triggered by the memory of its loss.
“You’re right…” she heard herself say. “I’m so sorry.”
“It is not necessary to apologize. Simply agree to be more careful in the future.”
“She slowly nodded up at him. “I will.”
He nodded then, and the two stared at one another in silence.
A strange combination of emotions, including uncertainty, something which seemed like anticipation, and a hint of fear trickled down Kagome’s spine to pool in the center of her belly. The look the demon lord was giving her was unnervingly similar to the look he had given her a few days ago, and with his proximity to her, she knew it would take very little effort for him to lean in and press his lips against hers if he chose to do so.
Remembering the thoughts that had plagued her over the past few days, and the painful decision she had made, Kagome swallowed against the unpleasant lump that formed in her throat. If she had been able to, she would have backed away to put a bit of distance between them.
The demon lord noticed her uncertainty and the trace of disquiet visible by the faint crease in her brow. Before he could question her on the matter, Kagome blurted out, “There’s something I need to talk to you about!”
She would not get to do so however, as the demon lord turned away to face the two demonic auras which were closing in from behind him. One was that of Tsunjin while the other was entirely unfamiliar to him.
“Forgive the interruption my lord.” Tsunjin spoke up as he tailed the other demon. “I met this demon on my patrol near the edge of the village. He wishes to speak with Kagome-sama.”
The elemental spoke tersely, his eyes never leaving the strange demon. If the creature showed any signs of threat against the miko, Tsunjin would reduce him to a smoking pile of ash even before he could lay a single finger on her.
Sesshoumaru too eyed the unfamiliar demon with suspicion. To his further annoyance, Kagome stepped from behind him to get a look at the diminutive male.
“State your business.” the demon lord intoned before she could speak. He ignored the indignant glare she flashed him in favor of keeping his attention focused on the stranger.
The demon looked between the inu lord and the miko before bowing to each.
“I am called Daisuke.” he said carefully. Forgive me lord of the west, but my business here is with Kagome-sama.”
The demon lord looked as if he would argue, but Kagome spoke out first.
“Lord Sesshoumaru is…” she trailed off, and the daiyoukai noticed how she avoided looking at him. “A trusted ally.” she continued. “Whatever you need to speak with me about will be safe with him.”
The formal address, and the use of the less personable description of their relationship were not lost on the inu lord, and he felt his brows furrow in disapproval.
The kitsune seemed to sense the slight tension in the air, but managed a small smile anyway.
“Very well. But would it be possible for us to speak inside? This matter is of a very sensitive nature.”
“Alright.” Kagome agreed through a forced smile.
She could feel the penetrating golden glare being leveled on her, but did the best she could to ignore it. If she had to guess, she would say that Sesshoumaru wasn’t too happy with her right now. Surely he hadn’t missed the fact that she referred to him as her ally rather than her friend. The demon lord was quite observant after all.
‘If he’s mad now, I don’t know how he’s gonna react when I tell him what I was going to say.’ _______________________________________________________________ _________