InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Secrets of the Shinju (Part III): Loss of the Demon Soul ❯ Kiss from a Rose ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter Nine

Kiss from a Rose

Kagome woke to the sound of voices. She looked up and saw that both brothers were up and prepared to fight. She too got to her feet and listened to what they were saying.

"You sent our father to his death!" InuYasha raged at his older brother. Sesshoumaru stood there, not denying it.

"He was a disgrace and was better off dead than continuing the life he chose." Sesshoumaru stated coldly. InuYasha continued to stare at his older sibling with hate reflecting heavily through his eyes.

"Father had more honor than you ever have, Sesshoumaru." Both brothers stepped closer to one another and Kagome prepared to put up a barrier if it became necessary.

"You know nothing of our father. Do not speak to me of honor, half breed." Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru, then to InuYasha. She realized that Hitomi had been here and apparently making both of them relive their father's death.

She noticed that InuYasha's eyes shone slightly and he spun and left. He had not known the same father that Sesshoumaru had. The man he watched die was noble. While Sesshoumaru watched a monster receive his retribution.

Kagome thought about running after InuYasha and then realized that he would most likely want to be alone. If he had in fact begun to cry he would not want her to see. She knew that he hated his human emotions and did his best to hide them when he transformed on the nights of the full moon.

She glanced back at Sesshoumaru, who was staring at her. "What happened?" She asked him softly. He turned from her and sat down. She moved to sit near him and the two did not speak for some time. He stared at the ground and then began.

"It was I, who sent my father to battle with Ryuukotsusei. Once it was done and he was lying in his bed dying, I took great pleasure in that fact." She looked at him; he didn't let any emotion show in his voice as he said this. There was silence for a moment and then he spoke again. This time he held a deep sadness in his voice.

"I could never forgive him for what he had made me do to Sakura. Then he had the audacity to bring home a human mate of his own." His final comment was laced in hate.

Again Kagome looked at him with pity. Sesshoumaru was not evil. He had lived through much pain, and when the tarnished shinju was given to him it destroyed what was left of his good spirit. She thought about Inutaisho. `What could have made the shinju tarnish in the first place?' This thought had floated through her mind before.

She again looked at Sesshoumaru. "I'm sure Sakura forgave you for what happened." He looked at her and then shook his head.

"No, deep down she never forgave me." Kagome looked at him and then sighed.

"Maybe you could find her again, and make amends." His eyes held deep pain and he looked at Kagome.

"Sakura died shortly after giving birth to her first pup." Kagome could feel the intense pain and sadness he was experiencing. He had probably always held an extreme feeling of guilt for what he had done to his friend, and now that he was human he was being forced to deal with the emotions.

Kagome reached over and again took Sesshoumaru's hand. He felt himself stiffen but oddly didn't want to let go of the soft hand that was now in his. He turned to look at the priestess who held a look of compassion and even pity. She leaned closer to him and spoke to him softly, tears now shining in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry about Sakura. It wasn't your fault." Kagome watched Sesshoumaru's face. It was full of pain, and as she watched his eyes filled up with tears. She had seen him cry before but this was different. The way he looked at her made her heart nearly stop.

Sesshoumaru felt her finger brush his cheek, where a tear had finally slid down. She then surprised him by gently kissing his cheek and keeping her face near his for a long second. He sat there slightly stunned while the priestess looked at him softly. She leaned closer to him and again kissed him, this time on the lips.

He sat in near shock for a brief second, and then he let his human instincts take over. He pulled her closer to him and returned her kiss, letting one of his hands move to her soft hair while he wrapped his other arm around her. He felt her gasp when he moved his tongue over her lips, but she parted them allowing his tongue to gently caress hers. He felt her moan softly and pulled her closer, tightening his grip around her while deepening their kiss.

A moment later they were interrupted by an angry voice. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" They turned to see InuYasha standing there looking at them.

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

InuYasha was finally beginning to calm down and decided to head back for camp. He was still swearing at his brother under his breath. He had been too young to remember his father's fight with Ryuukotsusei. But now he remembered it vividly. Sesshoumaru had taken him there and used him as bait to get his father to come. He had watched the battle that inevitably led to his father's death.

He was almost to camp when he saw Kagome sitting close to his brother. She was holding his hand speaking to him softly. He stood there unable to move when she leaned close and kissed Sesshoumaru on the cheek. They then looked at each other for a few seconds before Kagome slowly leaned toward him a second time and kissed him again, this time on the lips. Then his brother reacted and it became more intense. Finally, InuYasha could take no more and burst from the trees. Both looked at him stunned for a moment and then Kagome stood.

"InuYasha!" Was all she got out before he took off from camp again. She chased after him, but couldn't keep up. Finally she stopped running and returned to Sesshoumaru. He was still sitting there; he now appeared deep in thought. Kagome stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

`Oh my god! What did I just do? My first kiss was Sesshoumaru…and I was the one that kissed him.' She blushed and looked at him. He was gazing at her with an odd look, as though he were very confused about something. He then spoke to her.

"Let him go, he'll return eventually." She nodded slightly and moved to sit across from him.

`Why did I do that?' She asked herself. She then thought about it. She knew she was attracted to him, but almost any girl would be. There was something deeper than that. She had spent so much time with him, getting to know him and his life that she felt a strong connection to him. When she was sitting there with him, seeing him vulnerable she had an urge to comfort him. The first kiss was almost instinctual, a way to calm him. But why she decided to kiss him a second time confused her. She looked over her shoulder in the direction InuYasha had gone. He was in pain now, and she knew exactly how he felt. She felt that same pain every time he went to Kikyo.