InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shivering Sands ❯ Gleam ( Chapter 4 )

A/N: Well, Taking the advice of my critics *wink* I made this chapter longer. I hope you like...I had to edit an annoying mistake or two...

 

Kagome awoke slowly to the realization of where she was as the sunlight filtered through the room. She sat up slowly and peered around the room confusedly as she thought about the events of last evening that led her to this moment.

 

Sesshomaru's ears flickered as he heard the sound of her sitting up in bed. He left the kitchen and began climbing the stairs. Her eyes flew to his face as she watched him enter the room, his face unreadable. She trembled slightly,

 

"Are you well," he asked seriously as he watched her face. She nodded slowly, knowledge dawning her eyes. "You saved me," she breathed.

 

He favored her with the tinniest of smiles. "Would you like to eat," he asked quietly.

 

She nodded slightly. He stood staring at her until she blushed realized that he desired she stand. She self consciously rose out of the bed and moved to stand before him.

 

He began walking down the flight of stairs, his nose filled with her soft gardenia scent

as she followed closely behind him. Kagome stared at him bewilderedly, her mind

bursting with questions that she needed answers to.

 

She gazed curiously around the soft opulence of the castle. From her small vantage of the hall, the rooms were furnished beautifully.

 

Her eyes slid over his form again. He was just as handsome as he was all those centuries ago, perhaps even more handsome. He somehow seemed bigger, and more omnipotent than before.

 

From her vantage point on the stairs, she gasped as she saw the downstairs great room, with its Mediterranean arches leading to the gorgeous lawns and garden outside

 

They reached the downstairs, where she was astounded to find breakfast awaiting her. Her eyes swung to his face. "Did you do this," she asked, surprise infecting her voice.

 

He almost laughed. "No," he said, the light of amusement in his eyes. "My housekeeper." She continued to look at him wonderingly until he swept his hand toward the table. "Please sit." She looked at him once more and sat down.

 

She lifted her fork, and began eating, blushing as his eyes remained on her. After a few minutes, she pushed back her plate. He raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Are you done?"

 

"Yes," she said softly.

 

"Come with me," he said and stood. He strode through the triple arched doors to the covered outside patio. The air was alive with the chirping of the birds, of the squirrels that scampered to and fro.

 

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked outside, the view was absolutely perfect. To her right, there an enormous garden with a deep rocky pool and waterfall. A deep forrest sat at the end of the lawn

 

"Its so beautiful here, Sesshomaru," she said, using his name for the first time. He smiled, pleased as she looked around. He directed them to the dark brown leather sofas and they sat.

 

He considered her slowly as she sat down, her body hunched and tense as she looked at him, her eyes flickering with some deep emotion. "Are you all right," he said, his voice low. She couldn't stand it a moment longer, and her eyes lightened as a gleam of hope pervaded her senses.

 

"Where is he,” she said plaintively. “I have to know. What happened to InuYasha?"

 

His eyes grew clouded and he seemed to grow distant as he replied, "I don't know." Disappointment coursed through her body, and she hung her head and began to weep, the tears pouring profusely. "Oh, InuYasha," she whimpered low.

 

He had seen her tears these many long months, and they never seemed to cease. She barely made a sound as she wept tearfully for the hanyou who had loved her so. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

 

His eyes looked into hers steadily, and she thought she saw some sadness there. "Its fine," he replied. She wiped her tears with her fingers. "Tell me about you,"

 

His flickered. "I continue as I have before, I sometimes must negotiate on human terms though.. I still patrol and manage my lands.”

 

She gazed at him searchingly. "Are you the only one left," she asked quietly. His eyes flickered impassively. "No. Of those that remain, most keep to the countryside. But some have assimilated."

 

She watched as a lazy dragonfly flew near. Her eyes returned to his. "S.E.S.S Enterprises is yours," she said as the notion dawned upon her, finding that thought to be so foreign but imagining him in this century was foreign too. He nodded.

 

“My father worked for you then?”

 

He nodded slowly, not wishing to upset her further, he knew how much his loss hurt her. "I manage my interests every once and a while and return here." She searched his face.

 

"Alone?"

 

His eyes clouded, and he replied, "Yes."

 

Her voice was soft as she asked, "What happened to Rin? "

 

He flexed his jaw and his eyes flickered to the garden. A woman passed by with her tiny daughter, and for a moment reflected something akin to pain. "Time," he said softly.

 

She inhaled softly. "So you are alone." He continued to peer out at the garden. His eyes then returned to her. She looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry," she whispered. `So much loss' she thought.

 

His eyes grew pensive as he stared out toward the forrest. "She married. I wanted her happiness."

 

His eyes returned to the distant sun staring pensively. “The last I knew of InuYasha, he had taken possession of the kit that followed you and was raising him."

 

A single tear trailed down her face to fall upon her knee. "That's what we had planned," she said, her voice trailing off to a moan as her face contorted and her hands flew to her face. She whimpered as the tears flowed, and he watched as she bent forward, the black cloud of her hair hiding her features.

 

He stood and walked toward her; reaching out, he grasped her tiny wrist and pulled her forward. The contact startled them both, and there was a decided pause as he looked into her tearstained face. "Come, I'm going to take you home," he said cooly.

 

Her eyes were wide as she returned his gaze. She stood as he pulled her along and began walking toward the gardens. "We're not turning into the white light again are we," she asked nervously.

 

He smiled slightly. "No. Its daylight. It wont take long to take you back to your dorm."

 

They walked side by side through the beautiful gardens, the two of them wrapped in their own thoughts. He watched her quietly as she walked, her head down, her eyes lost in thought.

 

She was assailed by the notion that she didn't want to leave him as they walked among the foliage. Her eyes skimmed over the dainty flowers as she peeped at him beneath her lashes.

 

He wore his white robes, their antiquity making him look even more impressive as they walked for sometime among the pristine gardens. Her head shot up when she began to hear the sounds of the downtown traffic as they entered the clearing that led to the street.

 

As they began to view the rise of city buildings shortly beyond the trees, he stopped. "Do you need me to take you further," he asked solicitously. "No," she said said hesitantly. A pause passed between them as she gathered her thoughts.

 

"Sesshomaru," she said looking into his eyes, "please, don't leave. Today is the only day, that I knew that I wasn't crazy, that it all didnt exist in my head, that it was a dream. I have so much to say to you, to ask you," she said, tears filling her eyes.

 

His eyes flickered with something. "I will see you again," he said quietly. He moved away as he noticed a group of her friends scurrying toward them. "Kagome!" Yuka, Eri and Ayume screamed in her direction.

 

She watched him as he went into the crowd, her mind still astounded by how different he now seemed. "We were just looking for you," said Eri, "we're headed to lunch." Yuka poked her. "Were you talking to someone," she said teasingly.

 

"No," Kagome said, her eyes still on the spot he departed, "just thinking of someone I knew before."

 

~***~

 

The four girls settled into the diner, Ayume glancing at Kagome furtively as they took their trays to their seats

 

Kagome sat in the dinner quietly as her friends talked and giggled, her mind going over and over again her night with Sesshomaru. `There wasn't enough time,' she thought, dispiritedly. `I need to ask him... everything.'

 

"KAGOME, are you listening to me," Yuka said loudly. "Yeah, Kagome," Eri said looking at her with confusion, "are you okay? You seem really out of it today..."

 

Ayume fidgeted and looked down for a moment before gazing at Kagome, concern in her eyes. She had fidgeted all during lunch as she quietly considered Kagome. "Your mother called, wondering if you had made it home last night," she said quietly.

 

Kagome's eyes flew to Ayume's anguished. Yuka and Eri gasped. "You didn't come home last night???" Both girls stared at her agog. "Kagome!!!! Where were you?"

 

She stood up quickly. "I have to go," she sobbed as she flew out the door and the three girls stared after her bewilderedly. She ran home, the tears spilling for her cheeks as all the horrors of yesterday rose to the forefront.

 

She hopped on a bus to make the short distance quicker and muffled her sobs to stop the gawking from the other passengers. She flung off the bus and ran up the shrine steps, stopping as she reached the top, exhausted from her labor.

 

She walked slowly to the door and upon reaching it, her mother flew the door open, her face contorted with worry and exclaimed, "Where have you been????"

 

She flew into her mother's embrace sobbing profusely. Sana's eyes widened and she tightened her arms about her . "My darling," she said as Kagome hiccuped piteously. Sana pulled her inside and the two of them sunk down upon the floor.

 

She stared at Kagome bewilderedly for a few moments as she sat stroking her daughter's head. "What happened," she murmured. Kagome closed her eyes as she rested her head in Sana's lap. "I...I...," she whispered.

 

Sana's heart began beating faster, but she struggled to remain calm. "Oh," she said calmly, too calmly. "I was walking by the botanical gardens, and this man and his friends carried me off," she said brokenly. "No one was there, no one could hear me."

 

Sana's hands were now trembling as she stroked Kagome's hair. "Di...Did they," she said falteringly. Kagome shook her head negatively as she stared out at the wall. "No. I was saved...," she said, her voice low, "by InuYasha's brother."

 

Sana's eyes widened in surprise. "InuYasha's brother? I thought..." Kagome trailed her finger across the floor. "I know, that he hated InuYasha and would never save me. But he did," she finished in a far off voice.

 

Sana murmured shakily, "then I am forever indebted to him." The two women were quiet for some time. "What happened to InuYasha, darling?"

 

A tear rolled out of Kagome's eye and landed upon the wood floor. "He doesn't know. They weren't close Mama. But I don't think he's here still, he would have mentioned if he felt he was still alive," she said tearfully.

 

"I had so many things I had to say to him, to ask him, but I was just so shook up after it happened. I couldn't think. I slept at his house, and he brought me back early this morning. I don't know if I'll see him again."

 

Sana patted her head a final time. "I think you should go upstairs and shower and rest. And I don't want you staying at your dorm right now."

 

Kagome nodded and began to stand. "I don't want to go back there yet, I think I'll stay here." She wiped her eyes and began moving toward the stairs. Souta walked in then, bouncing a soccer ball. "Hey sis, wanna play Recon 3 with me?"

 

Kagome turned her head and began walking up the stairs. "In a little while, brat," she said with affection. "I need to take a break." "Souta," Sana said, intending to distract him, "why don't you see if Grandpa is ready for lunch? He's been in the shrine for some time now."

 

"Okay!"

 

***

 

Sesshomaru sat in his huge office in the Shibuya Business District his golden eyes staring fixedly at the young supervisor. "Why has this not been performed to my satisfaction," he said his voice dangerously neutral.

 

The young man sweated and cringed. "Actually, sir, Mr. Sakura says that he refuses to take no for an answer, sir."

 

Sesshomaru's eyes grew amber. "I see," he said, his voice velvety. "Then perhaps it is necessary that I pay him a visit." He stood and began walking toward the door. "Clear my schedule," he said coldly. "I shall return return tomorrow."

 

The young man quailed. "Yes. Sir." As Sesshomaru's tall form exited the room, the young man exhaled and sank to the floor in relief. "Phew!"

 

~*~

 

Smiling panther-like with triumph that the matter had been taken care of to his satisfaction, Sesshomaru decided to return to the castle. "I wish to return home." "Certainly Sir.”

 

As the powerful car barreled down the highway, Sesshomaru thought quietly to his time spent with Kagome. After observing her movements for the past year, he still debated about whether or not to approach her, but when he saw her being manhandled by those insects, he could not stand idly by.

 

He had every intention of seeing her again. It had been so long since he had encountered someone who knew what he was, that he didn't have to hide his true self.

 

As he sat opposite her, watching her shed tears for InuYasha, he marveled at the depth of feelings she held for him, even after all this time, the tears remained as real and profuse as the day she slipped away. "We're here, Sir.”

 

"Yes. Thank you," he said as he exited the vehicle. He strode into the front of the castle intent upon mediation in the garden. He strode up the stairs to his bedroom and removed the dark gray suit that molded to his handsome form perfectly to change into his white robes.

 

He then strode through the house and the arches to the outside gardens by the small pool of water. His mind then flew back to their encounter of last evening. She appeared so small, so helpless, so utterly resigned to the fate that would have befallen her if he hadn't intervened, and it angered him.

 

"She is a mere shadow of what she once was," he said quietly. But was InuYasha any different? The last time he saw him, throughout that blazing encounter, InuYasha was as near to tears as he had ever seen him.

 

He had soon take the kitsune and departed into the west and their paths had not crossed again. He knew InuYasha was no longer here, he had not felt his presence for centuries; no scent, no sound, nothing, not even on the wind.

 

His thoughts then returned to Kagome. For some reason, she held an allure to him, as she did all those years ago at his father's grave. 'I will go see her,' he decided.

 

***

 

Kagome sighed inwardly as she listened to her Grandfather rant to her as she watched the television news. "Kagome," he said importantly as he peered at her over his newspaper, “you don't look too well. it is due to all that western food you eat, it disturbs your chi..Huh?"

 

Both of their attention was drawn to the news anchors words. "The Botanical Park Marauders have been captured after assaulting a civilian and being revenged by another civilian."

 

"Wha," Kagome trailed off. Sana and Souta entered the room curiously, Sana's eyes trained upon Kagome's who had her eyes closed in a silent prayer. `Please don't say my name, Please don't say my name...'

 

The newscast continued. "Several of the members were captured by police after they were attacked by a civilian. They have been charged with a litany of offenses and their arraignment is in the morning. They would not say who caught them, they only muttered, "He wore white. In other news..."

 

"Humph! Damn hooligans," Grandpa sniffed. "Its about time that trash was taken off the streets." Kagome sighed in relief that she had not been mentioned and tilted her head back to peer at her mother who patted Kagome's face replied, "I agree Grandpa. I agree."

 

~~~

 

Kagome stood gazed longingly out at the dainty crescent moon that was now beginning to appear across the sky as the sun began its decent. The pinks, blues and purples of the sky were absolutely beautiful, the beginning ebb the silvery glare reminding her infinitely of Sesshomaru.

 

She needed to see him, something about his presence was so comforting. She walked outside to the comfortable swing nestled between the tree's where her mother often read. She loved sitting here, it was one of the few places where she could be alone with her thoughts.

 

As she nestled among the pillows watching the blaze of colors fan across the sky as the sun descended, she thought "I just want answers. I have to know"

 

Her mind played over and over again the moment she awoke, realizing she was in his bed. She felt a tingle of embarrassment, and she didn't know why, but she also felt something reminiscent of hope. Her eyes drowsily upon the glimmer of the moon, before she fell asleep.

 

~**~

 

He stood below her window, sensing that she was not there but was close by. With his sensitive ears, he contemplatively listened to her soft breathing as he found her lying asleep upon the swing. She was sleeping, her hair spread over the pillows in a mass of black waves, her rosebud mouth open just slightly.

 

He watched her with a mixture of affection, and something like concern; he felt very protective of her.. He sat near the trunk of the Goshinboku, content to just watch her. He didn't wish to wake her. Judging by her exhausted countenance, she had slept so little these past months that he was loathe to disturb her.

 

He glanced at her lap and noticed a medium sized sketchbook she held loosely. A soft pencil sketch of the tiny kitsune caught his attention first, and he examined it closely. The kit was sitting upon a log, thoughtfully licking a piece of candy she had apparently given him.

 

His eyes went to the next pictures of the monk and the demon slayer. The girl sat upon the grass at night time, stroking the cat demon, the monk as he stood thoughtfully by the fire.

 

He knew what the next picture would be. InuYasha stood against the sunset, looking slightly over his shoulder. He felt a pang; she had captured the very essence of who his brother was. 'She has talent,' he thought quietly as the memories washed over him.

 

He once again turned his consideration to her as she slept on. His eyes swept over her small face, with the pleasing dark brows, her lashes lying like a smudge against her cheek. He returned the sketchbook to her lap.

 

Her eyelids fluttered as she climbed from blissful dreams to feel a wonderful feather light tingle enveloping her body. The dark eyes opened and then focused upon Sesshomaru sitting on the base of a nearby tree, looking undeniably handsome.

 

It took several moments for it to register, and then her eyes widened in surprise. "Sesshomaru?" she said in a soft questioning voice and she sat up clutching the sketchbook to her. "Yes," he replied his eye brows lifting slightly. "I came to see about your welfare," he said quietly.

 

She nodded slowly. `My heart is pounding hard still,' she thought incredulously. "You scared me," she said breathlessly. His eyes slid over her form lazily. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, "I did not mean to."

 

She swallowed. "Its okay," she said, "I wanted to see you." She fidgeted and looked down at her hands. "They...caught them," she said low. "The police..." she trailed off. He nodded. "I made sure of it," he said looking into her eyes. "They are lucky this didn't occur in the past when I wasn't so nice," he said deadpan.

 

She looked at him incredulously at him for a moment, and then smiled as a tiny giggle escaped her. His eyes flashed with amusement, feeling happy that he made her smile.

 

Silence pervaded for a moment. She quietly basked in the feel of his energy, as youkai bodies released a different series of energy than humans, and it was strangely soothing.

 

As the tingle spread throughout her body. "What made you come," she said, as her eyes went to his. He held her gaze. "I told you that I would see you again." Her heart fluttered slightly as he continued. "Come to my home."

 

She lowered her gaze shyly. "I will. I think I know how to get there." He nodded. "Perhaps, around 1 p.m. We will talk as long as you desire then," he said as he stood and turned to walk away.

 

She started as she felt the fluttering of rememberance and she once again felt a loss at his departure. His golden eyes lit upon her as he turned his head to depart and she inhaled softly as a thousand tiny memories of golden eyes assailed her from long ago.

 

'It was you,' she said in a soft whisper but before she could reply, he was gone.