InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Remnants of the Spider ❯ Stay With Me... ( Chapter 50 )
[ 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: 01.05.2010 | Updated On: 01.05.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.0K | Visits: 324 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 01.05.2010 | Updated On: 01.05.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.0K | Visits: 324 | Status: Work In Progress
Remnants of the Spider
Stay With Me…
_____________________________________________________________ ___________
“Sesshoumaru… what, what am I to you?”
Practically holding her breath, Kagome noted the almost imperceptible widening of the demon lord’s eyes once her question was voiced. She fought the urge to fidget beneath his lingering, but slightly far off gaze, her heart suddenly racing. His lips parted as if to respond but when no sound was forthcoming, Kagome nearly withdrew her question.
‘No!’ she told herself vehemently, ‘Don’t take it back! If we are still just friends… if… if we’re something more…’ her mind trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought until she heard what he had to say. Whatever they were to each other, she needed to know! Now that she’d finally asked, she seemed to truly realize the importance of knowing where she really stood with him.
The silence seemed to stretch on forever and the miko found herself becoming increasingly tense. Her muscles, trembling and tightly wound, jolted every few seconds or so as if she were repressing the urge to run away from his impending rejection, to stomp her foot and demand that he answer, to scream in frustrated confusion because she really didn’t know what she wanted him to say. At the moment she really couldn’t tell.
“Sesshoumaru?!” she prompted loudly and he could hear the impatience that lined her voice. A faint furrow appeared in his brow. There was a note of desperation there as well he realized, and he found that he did not like her voice when it was like this. Though he did not fully understand it, he immediately knew that the sharp, icy pain it sent plunging through his chest was not something he wanted to experience again.
Momentarily, the demon lord pressed his lips into a thin line before they again parted in preparation to speak. Before he could do so however, his attention was drawn elsewhere. In a flurry of red and silver, Inuyasha skidded to a halt between them and only through an admirable force of will, Sesshoumaru repressed the low growl that nearly grated across his throat. He was not even certain what he had been preparing to say, but he did not appreciate the fact that the hanyou had so thoroughly and instantly capitalized on the miko’s attention.
“What the hell?!” the boy was asking impatiently, his right hand clasped firmly around the upper portion of her arm. “Why the hell did you just run off like that?! What were you thinking?! You’re just lucky you didn’t get yourself hurt!” he continued to scold vehemently, though worry and relief rolled off him in waves.
He realized it was not entirely based in logic, but the daiyoukai felt an abrasive grating against his nerves at the interaction between them; at the proprietary way in which the younger inu handled her. Perhaps he permitted a small growl to escape, or maybe the boy was not as dense as he had always believed, because before he could voice his displeasure, or more likely correct his behavior physically, Inuyasha slowly released her and turned back to look at him. The expression he wore was one of obvious surprise, his eyes wide and his lips slightly agape. A moment later, this look was replaced with a resigned scowl, and the boy moved aside, shoved his hands into his sleeves and muttered something beneath his breath.
“Well?!” the half-demon demanded after a moment, still wanting an explanation but opting not to touch her again.
Kagome, flustered, frustrated and otherwise out-of-sorts, was not permitted a chance to answer due to the strong yet slender arms that wound themselves around her.
“Kagome!” Sango cried out happily. Leaping from her perch upon Kirara’s larger form, she’d ignored the slight but jarring pain in her back which had only been exacerbated by the recent fight against the strange ice creatures. She’d immediately drawn the younger woman into her embrace, happy to see her friend alive and safe. Miroku stood to the side and slightly behind her, murmuring a silent prayer of thanks that the young miko was apparently unharmed.
A wan smile making its way to her lips, Kagome returned the slayer’s embrace, though her eyes slid back to Sesshoumaru. A slight crease immediately formed on her brow and the weak smile faded from her lips.
The demon gazed back at her for a long time and the concerned chatterings of her friends faded into the background as she stared at his impassive face. Suddenly, slowly, he turned away and began to walk. “We’re going.” she heard him say, and with those words the hurt and fury that had taken refuge in her breast erupted in a fiery explosion and only the slayer’s strong arms kept her on her feet. Did he really think it was okay to just ignore her question; to decide for himself that she would call and end to HER mission?!
A low growl tore from Kagome’s throat and more harshly than she intended, she tore away from Sango’s embrace, nearly toppling the still mending female over. Miroku moved in to catch her quickly but the miko was beyond the point of noticing. She brushed past her friends in a heated rush, her sole intent to catch up to the demon who suddenly seemed intent on getting away from her.
“Going?!” she barked out from a few paces behind him. “And just where is it that you think we’re going?!”
He didn’t turn back to her. “This mission is over.” he said again and the miko could hear an edge to his voice. “We will take the keys we have acquired to the northern lord and…”
“I did NOT agree to that Sesshoumaru!!” she yelled loudly, her voice cracking under the weight of her mounting rage.
Finally, his long strides came to a halt and he pivoted to look down at her. “Miko,” he bit out coldly, “This Sesshoumaru does not require your agreement.”
Her friends looked on in confusion, not understanding why the two were suddenly arguing. Unsurprisingly, Inuyasha was the first to speak. “What the hell…?” he began but came up short when Kagome started yelling again.
“You don’t require my agreement?!” she was saying, “Well, I don’t require yours either!!” there was a short pause in which she glared up at him breathing heavily, her little fists clenching and unclenching at her sides. “Look Sesshoumaru,” she said at last, “If you don’t want to do this with me anymore… you don’t have to. But I am NOT abandoning this mission!”
With that, Kagome whirled away from him, her strides swift and purposeful though she had no specific idea where she was going. She had taken less than half a dozen steps before her breath was stolen by the large, masculine arm that wrapped around her waist. Her eyes widening with incredulity at the striped wrist that had settled so firmly against her belly, Kagome instantly began flailing, a short scream bursting from her lips. “Let go of me Sesshoumaru!” she demanded angrily, almost completely unaware that his doing so would mean grievous injury as they were now several yards above the ground.
Behind them, Inuyasha moved to give chase, but Sango immediately blocked his path. “I don’t know what exactly is going on with them,” she said as calmly as possible, “But this is something they need to work out on their own.”
Before he could protest, Miroku spoke up as well, “You know that he will not harm her Inuyasha.” the monk added with a meaningful look. “We should give them a few moments and then catch up to them a bit later. At any rate, it does not seem likely that we will be continuing our journey today so there is really no need to rush.”
The hanyou growled low but made no further attempts to get passed his companions. “Humph!” he finally grunted, his eyes still fixed on the shrinking forms of the miko and his brother. He knew the monk was correct as the last swirls of sunset were already beginning to fade into the deeper blues that signaled early evening. They would be making camp soon.
Absently, he almost hoped that there were more ice creatures on this mountain. They hadn’t been much in the way of a challenge, but at the moment he would welcome the physical exertion and the opportunity to vent his own mounting frustrations.
_________________________________________________________ _______________
Still fruitlessly struggling to escape the youkai‘s grasp, Kagome just barely managed to keep her powers in check as they rose to strike out at the one who dared to hold her against her will. She was not sure how long or how far they traveled before a jolt shot through her body and she realized that they were now at the base of the mountain, the side opposite of where they started. The moment he released her she rounded on him so quickly that she was momentarily hit with a wave of dizziness. Ignoring it, she looked up at him and scowled, preparing to give him the tongue lashing of a lifetime.
“Why are you so insistent that you should risk your life for a mission you never even wished to undertake?!” the demon lord demanded before she could speak.
Still fuming she shot back, “It’s my life and whether or not I choose to risk it is not for you to decide!” she informed him, completely unaware of the lance of ice her words speared through his heart. “Besides, that’s why I’m here in the first place! That’s why the well allows me to come here! Do you think that other people can just leap into a well and end up five hundred years in the past?! Well they can’t Sesshoumaru! Just me! I don’t know why I was chosen, but I know that as long as the well allows me to come here, I have to accept any mission that’s required of me! For Kami’s sake, I’m not even from this time!! If someone asks me to do something, especially something this important it’s because I was supposed to do it all along! Don’t you understand that!? Don’t you understand that once I’m finished I’ll leave this place and probably never be able to return!?”
“You will not leave!” Sesshoumaru all but roared, his characteristic control fraying at the edges.
“Oh yeah?!” she countered animatedly, “And why not huh?! Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t leave Sesshoumaru?!”
“Because I need you!”
The raw, unfiltered confession rang into the air leaving both miko and daiyoukai to stare at one another in sheer astonishment. Neither of them seemed to have anticipated the demon’s response but now that he had voiced it, Sesshoumaru knew, knew that his words were true.
Kagome felt her heart beating violently against her chest, her eyes wide in disbelief as his declaration played over and over in her mind. His words were so spontaneous, so real that there could be no denying them and for the briefest of moments, the miko was terrified. Obviously he was attracted to her and enjoyed her company, but this… this was far more than she ever dared to imagine.
“Wh-- what?” she finally asked, her voice timid and small. She watched, as seemingly in slow motion his right hand uncurled from a tight fist. Very, very slowly, as if unsure of his movements, or possibly to avoid frightening her, the demon lord reached for her. In spite of his unhurried movements, the miko flinched anyway, an odd sensation flowing over her as she frantically tried to decide whether to stand her ground or run away.
His hand wrapped around hers and he gently tugged her toward him. The miko resisted, her mind still muddled with confusion, traces of uncertainty and fear.
“Come here Kagome.” the inu lord commanded softly.
The request seemed to bypass her brain because without consciously thinking to do so, she slowly began to close the distance between them. When she could not take another step, Kagome looked up at him, her eye shining with curiosity and apprehension. His expression was even, but now held an air of warmth she had never seen him direct toward her. Dusk was lowering its heavy blue curtain around them as a soft breeze picked up to ruffle their bangs.
With something akin to reverence, Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and resting his chin on the crown of her head. Kagome’s heart swelled and a painful lump formed at the base of her throat.
“Kagome,” he spoke up softly, but she could hear the note of uncertainty there. “Do not be cross with me. I… do not always know how to deal with you.” he admitted and a watery chuckle escaped her lips. “I cannot say with certainty what you are to me now, but I do feel that friendship is no longer an appropriate description of the connection between us. I asked you to abandon this mission, because your safety has become very important to me.”
The miko quickly brushed a stray tear from her eye before pulling back slightly to look up at him. “Then stay with me.” she said softly, her voice slightly rough from her earlier yelling. “Stay with me… protect me. But don’t… don’t ask me to deny my destiny.”
For just a moment, Kagome’s independent spirit recoiled at the fact that she’d asked for his protection, but she studiously ignored it. Yes she was now a powerful miko who, at this point was more than capable of fending for herself, but Sesshoumaru was an inu youkai. It was instinctually ingrained in him to protect those he cared for, regardless of the icy façade he tried so hard to maintain. He was strong willed, stubborn even; but then again, so was she. Maybe… just maybe if she showed that she was willing to give, just a little, he could swallow his pride and do the same.
“Stay with you?” the demon lord repeated softly and Kagome smiled and gave a quick nod. There was a long pause in which he seemed to think something over, and then, “Yes. I will stay, but in return I will make a single request of you.”
The miko’s smile faded against the slight surprise that he would require compensation, but after a moment she decided that it was only fair.
“Okay.” she said at last, her spine straightening as she waited to see what he would ask.
“You wish me to stay with you and I have agree to do so, but in return… I ask that you would do the same.”
A faint gasp escaped her lips and Kagome felt her heart sink into the depths of her belly. She knew what he was asking and she almost, almost wanted to pull away from him. He seemed to sense it because his embrace only became more firm.
“Sesshoumaru… I don’t… I don’t know if I can…”
The demon placed a silencing finger over her lips. “Not now,” he said softly. “There is time yet.” He realized that this was a big decision for her and he did not want her to regret it. For now, he would allow her time to think it over.
Still, he had no intention of making it easy for her to decide against him. Removing his finger from her mouth, he slowly, carefully threaded his claws through her hair and leaned forward. She did not flinch this time, did not back away, and their lips met in a kiss so soft; so exquisitely delicious that it nearly broke Kagome’s heart.
She inhaled sharply against the softness of his lips as his arms tightened around her and her feet lifted from the ground. He drew her lower lip into his mouth, sucking gently and drawing a small whimper from the young miko. The sound heated his blood and stirred his loins and Sesshoumaru immediately decided that he needed to stop now or else he would be unable to do so at all.
Languidly, reluctantly, he pulled away to look down at her flushed face. Her eyes were wide and lightly glazed while her slightly parted lips were still moist from their kiss. Redirecting his gaze lest he capture her lips again, he took in the now star speckled sky, inhaling deeply as he did. “The others will be joining us soon.” he informed her, his voice quiet and just a bit ragged. “We should locate a suitable place to set up camp.
She didn’t know when he’d put her back on the ground, but Kagome was grateful that he was still holding her because at the moment she was certain that her knees were not strong enough support her.
“Yes,” she said, her voice just as frayed as his. “That’s probably a good idea.”
Each missed the warmth of the other as they finally broke their embrace, but the feeling of mutual contentment remained firm. Side by side, the miko and youkai moved from the base of the mountain in companionable silence, their shadowed forms moving silently into the nearby forest.
_______________________________________________________________ _________
Look ma!! No cliffy!!!
Hope you all enjoyed and please review!
Stay With Me…
_____________________________________________________________ ___________
“Sesshoumaru… what, what am I to you?”
Practically holding her breath, Kagome noted the almost imperceptible widening of the demon lord’s eyes once her question was voiced. She fought the urge to fidget beneath his lingering, but slightly far off gaze, her heart suddenly racing. His lips parted as if to respond but when no sound was forthcoming, Kagome nearly withdrew her question.
‘No!’ she told herself vehemently, ‘Don’t take it back! If we are still just friends… if… if we’re something more…’ her mind trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought until she heard what he had to say. Whatever they were to each other, she needed to know! Now that she’d finally asked, she seemed to truly realize the importance of knowing where she really stood with him.
The silence seemed to stretch on forever and the miko found herself becoming increasingly tense. Her muscles, trembling and tightly wound, jolted every few seconds or so as if she were repressing the urge to run away from his impending rejection, to stomp her foot and demand that he answer, to scream in frustrated confusion because she really didn’t know what she wanted him to say. At the moment she really couldn’t tell.
“Sesshoumaru?!” she prompted loudly and he could hear the impatience that lined her voice. A faint furrow appeared in his brow. There was a note of desperation there as well he realized, and he found that he did not like her voice when it was like this. Though he did not fully understand it, he immediately knew that the sharp, icy pain it sent plunging through his chest was not something he wanted to experience again.
Momentarily, the demon lord pressed his lips into a thin line before they again parted in preparation to speak. Before he could do so however, his attention was drawn elsewhere. In a flurry of red and silver, Inuyasha skidded to a halt between them and only through an admirable force of will, Sesshoumaru repressed the low growl that nearly grated across his throat. He was not even certain what he had been preparing to say, but he did not appreciate the fact that the hanyou had so thoroughly and instantly capitalized on the miko’s attention.
“What the hell?!” the boy was asking impatiently, his right hand clasped firmly around the upper portion of her arm. “Why the hell did you just run off like that?! What were you thinking?! You’re just lucky you didn’t get yourself hurt!” he continued to scold vehemently, though worry and relief rolled off him in waves.
He realized it was not entirely based in logic, but the daiyoukai felt an abrasive grating against his nerves at the interaction between them; at the proprietary way in which the younger inu handled her. Perhaps he permitted a small growl to escape, or maybe the boy was not as dense as he had always believed, because before he could voice his displeasure, or more likely correct his behavior physically, Inuyasha slowly released her and turned back to look at him. The expression he wore was one of obvious surprise, his eyes wide and his lips slightly agape. A moment later, this look was replaced with a resigned scowl, and the boy moved aside, shoved his hands into his sleeves and muttered something beneath his breath.
“Well?!” the half-demon demanded after a moment, still wanting an explanation but opting not to touch her again.
Kagome, flustered, frustrated and otherwise out-of-sorts, was not permitted a chance to answer due to the strong yet slender arms that wound themselves around her.
“Kagome!” Sango cried out happily. Leaping from her perch upon Kirara’s larger form, she’d ignored the slight but jarring pain in her back which had only been exacerbated by the recent fight against the strange ice creatures. She’d immediately drawn the younger woman into her embrace, happy to see her friend alive and safe. Miroku stood to the side and slightly behind her, murmuring a silent prayer of thanks that the young miko was apparently unharmed.
A wan smile making its way to her lips, Kagome returned the slayer’s embrace, though her eyes slid back to Sesshoumaru. A slight crease immediately formed on her brow and the weak smile faded from her lips.
The demon gazed back at her for a long time and the concerned chatterings of her friends faded into the background as she stared at his impassive face. Suddenly, slowly, he turned away and began to walk. “We’re going.” she heard him say, and with those words the hurt and fury that had taken refuge in her breast erupted in a fiery explosion and only the slayer’s strong arms kept her on her feet. Did he really think it was okay to just ignore her question; to decide for himself that she would call and end to HER mission?!
A low growl tore from Kagome’s throat and more harshly than she intended, she tore away from Sango’s embrace, nearly toppling the still mending female over. Miroku moved in to catch her quickly but the miko was beyond the point of noticing. She brushed past her friends in a heated rush, her sole intent to catch up to the demon who suddenly seemed intent on getting away from her.
“Going?!” she barked out from a few paces behind him. “And just where is it that you think we’re going?!”
He didn’t turn back to her. “This mission is over.” he said again and the miko could hear an edge to his voice. “We will take the keys we have acquired to the northern lord and…”
“I did NOT agree to that Sesshoumaru!!” she yelled loudly, her voice cracking under the weight of her mounting rage.
Finally, his long strides came to a halt and he pivoted to look down at her. “Miko,” he bit out coldly, “This Sesshoumaru does not require your agreement.”
Her friends looked on in confusion, not understanding why the two were suddenly arguing. Unsurprisingly, Inuyasha was the first to speak. “What the hell…?” he began but came up short when Kagome started yelling again.
“You don’t require my agreement?!” she was saying, “Well, I don’t require yours either!!” there was a short pause in which she glared up at him breathing heavily, her little fists clenching and unclenching at her sides. “Look Sesshoumaru,” she said at last, “If you don’t want to do this with me anymore… you don’t have to. But I am NOT abandoning this mission!”
With that, Kagome whirled away from him, her strides swift and purposeful though she had no specific idea where she was going. She had taken less than half a dozen steps before her breath was stolen by the large, masculine arm that wrapped around her waist. Her eyes widening with incredulity at the striped wrist that had settled so firmly against her belly, Kagome instantly began flailing, a short scream bursting from her lips. “Let go of me Sesshoumaru!” she demanded angrily, almost completely unaware that his doing so would mean grievous injury as they were now several yards above the ground.
Behind them, Inuyasha moved to give chase, but Sango immediately blocked his path. “I don’t know what exactly is going on with them,” she said as calmly as possible, “But this is something they need to work out on their own.”
Before he could protest, Miroku spoke up as well, “You know that he will not harm her Inuyasha.” the monk added with a meaningful look. “We should give them a few moments and then catch up to them a bit later. At any rate, it does not seem likely that we will be continuing our journey today so there is really no need to rush.”
The hanyou growled low but made no further attempts to get passed his companions. “Humph!” he finally grunted, his eyes still fixed on the shrinking forms of the miko and his brother. He knew the monk was correct as the last swirls of sunset were already beginning to fade into the deeper blues that signaled early evening. They would be making camp soon.
Absently, he almost hoped that there were more ice creatures on this mountain. They hadn’t been much in the way of a challenge, but at the moment he would welcome the physical exertion and the opportunity to vent his own mounting frustrations.
_________________________________________________________ _______________
Still fruitlessly struggling to escape the youkai‘s grasp, Kagome just barely managed to keep her powers in check as they rose to strike out at the one who dared to hold her against her will. She was not sure how long or how far they traveled before a jolt shot through her body and she realized that they were now at the base of the mountain, the side opposite of where they started. The moment he released her she rounded on him so quickly that she was momentarily hit with a wave of dizziness. Ignoring it, she looked up at him and scowled, preparing to give him the tongue lashing of a lifetime.
“Why are you so insistent that you should risk your life for a mission you never even wished to undertake?!” the demon lord demanded before she could speak.
Still fuming she shot back, “It’s my life and whether or not I choose to risk it is not for you to decide!” she informed him, completely unaware of the lance of ice her words speared through his heart. “Besides, that’s why I’m here in the first place! That’s why the well allows me to come here! Do you think that other people can just leap into a well and end up five hundred years in the past?! Well they can’t Sesshoumaru! Just me! I don’t know why I was chosen, but I know that as long as the well allows me to come here, I have to accept any mission that’s required of me! For Kami’s sake, I’m not even from this time!! If someone asks me to do something, especially something this important it’s because I was supposed to do it all along! Don’t you understand that!? Don’t you understand that once I’m finished I’ll leave this place and probably never be able to return!?”
“You will not leave!” Sesshoumaru all but roared, his characteristic control fraying at the edges.
“Oh yeah?!” she countered animatedly, “And why not huh?! Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t leave Sesshoumaru?!”
“Because I need you!”
The raw, unfiltered confession rang into the air leaving both miko and daiyoukai to stare at one another in sheer astonishment. Neither of them seemed to have anticipated the demon’s response but now that he had voiced it, Sesshoumaru knew, knew that his words were true.
Kagome felt her heart beating violently against her chest, her eyes wide in disbelief as his declaration played over and over in her mind. His words were so spontaneous, so real that there could be no denying them and for the briefest of moments, the miko was terrified. Obviously he was attracted to her and enjoyed her company, but this… this was far more than she ever dared to imagine.
“Wh-- what?” she finally asked, her voice timid and small. She watched, as seemingly in slow motion his right hand uncurled from a tight fist. Very, very slowly, as if unsure of his movements, or possibly to avoid frightening her, the demon lord reached for her. In spite of his unhurried movements, the miko flinched anyway, an odd sensation flowing over her as she frantically tried to decide whether to stand her ground or run away.
His hand wrapped around hers and he gently tugged her toward him. The miko resisted, her mind still muddled with confusion, traces of uncertainty and fear.
“Come here Kagome.” the inu lord commanded softly.
The request seemed to bypass her brain because without consciously thinking to do so, she slowly began to close the distance between them. When she could not take another step, Kagome looked up at him, her eye shining with curiosity and apprehension. His expression was even, but now held an air of warmth she had never seen him direct toward her. Dusk was lowering its heavy blue curtain around them as a soft breeze picked up to ruffle their bangs.
With something akin to reverence, Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and resting his chin on the crown of her head. Kagome’s heart swelled and a painful lump formed at the base of her throat.
“Kagome,” he spoke up softly, but she could hear the note of uncertainty there. “Do not be cross with me. I… do not always know how to deal with you.” he admitted and a watery chuckle escaped her lips. “I cannot say with certainty what you are to me now, but I do feel that friendship is no longer an appropriate description of the connection between us. I asked you to abandon this mission, because your safety has become very important to me.”
The miko quickly brushed a stray tear from her eye before pulling back slightly to look up at him. “Then stay with me.” she said softly, her voice slightly rough from her earlier yelling. “Stay with me… protect me. But don’t… don’t ask me to deny my destiny.”
For just a moment, Kagome’s independent spirit recoiled at the fact that she’d asked for his protection, but she studiously ignored it. Yes she was now a powerful miko who, at this point was more than capable of fending for herself, but Sesshoumaru was an inu youkai. It was instinctually ingrained in him to protect those he cared for, regardless of the icy façade he tried so hard to maintain. He was strong willed, stubborn even; but then again, so was she. Maybe… just maybe if she showed that she was willing to give, just a little, he could swallow his pride and do the same.
“Stay with you?” the demon lord repeated softly and Kagome smiled and gave a quick nod. There was a long pause in which he seemed to think something over, and then, “Yes. I will stay, but in return I will make a single request of you.”
The miko’s smile faded against the slight surprise that he would require compensation, but after a moment she decided that it was only fair.
“Okay.” she said at last, her spine straightening as she waited to see what he would ask.
“You wish me to stay with you and I have agree to do so, but in return… I ask that you would do the same.”
A faint gasp escaped her lips and Kagome felt her heart sink into the depths of her belly. She knew what he was asking and she almost, almost wanted to pull away from him. He seemed to sense it because his embrace only became more firm.
“Sesshoumaru… I don’t… I don’t know if I can…”
The demon placed a silencing finger over her lips. “Not now,” he said softly. “There is time yet.” He realized that this was a big decision for her and he did not want her to regret it. For now, he would allow her time to think it over.
Still, he had no intention of making it easy for her to decide against him. Removing his finger from her mouth, he slowly, carefully threaded his claws through her hair and leaned forward. She did not flinch this time, did not back away, and their lips met in a kiss so soft; so exquisitely delicious that it nearly broke Kagome’s heart.
She inhaled sharply against the softness of his lips as his arms tightened around her and her feet lifted from the ground. He drew her lower lip into his mouth, sucking gently and drawing a small whimper from the young miko. The sound heated his blood and stirred his loins and Sesshoumaru immediately decided that he needed to stop now or else he would be unable to do so at all.
Languidly, reluctantly, he pulled away to look down at her flushed face. Her eyes were wide and lightly glazed while her slightly parted lips were still moist from their kiss. Redirecting his gaze lest he capture her lips again, he took in the now star speckled sky, inhaling deeply as he did. “The others will be joining us soon.” he informed her, his voice quiet and just a bit ragged. “We should locate a suitable place to set up camp.
She didn’t know when he’d put her back on the ground, but Kagome was grateful that he was still holding her because at the moment she was certain that her knees were not strong enough support her.
“Yes,” she said, her voice just as frayed as his. “That’s probably a good idea.”
Each missed the warmth of the other as they finally broke their embrace, but the feeling of mutual contentment remained firm. Side by side, the miko and youkai moved from the base of the mountain in companionable silence, their shadowed forms moving silently into the nearby forest.
_______________________________________________________________ _________
Look ma!! No cliffy!!!
Hope you all enjoyed and please review!