InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shivering Sands ❯ Spark ( Chapter 5 )

A/N: I had a little bit of writer's block *kicks rocks* , but I'm back on track. I love the possibilities I forsee...*cues up dreamy music* Enjoy!

 

He walked home silently, feeling invigorated from their conversation. It had been years since he conversed with someone with such ease, not since...

 

As he took to the air, flying along the coast, gazing at the waters illuminated with the night, he thought then of Rin, and her innocent question to him some eons ago.

 

~~~

 

"When I die, you won't forget about me, will you?" she said as she knelt before some tombstones. He had gazed at her, touched, and responded in his usual manner.

 

"...What a foolish thing," he replied, his tone belying the feeling behind his words.

 

~~~

 

He flexed his jaw tightly to stop the welling sadness as he spotted his castle, gleaming with the light of the moon.

 

He touched down upon the lawns and walked slowly toward the house. He entered after sliding the glass partition and made his way up the stairs to his shower. Casting aside his robes, he stepped into the large shower with its steamy heat. He stepped out and dried himself thoroughly before he got into bed.

 

He missed this castle as it was in the past, filled with laughter and chatter. It was so quiet here sometimes that he could not stand it.

 

As he lay back among the pillows, he thought of Kagome then, as she laid upon the swing, her lashes fluttering gently as she dozed.

 

She was an enigma to him, something he never quite figured out, and Sesshomaru made it his business to investigate all things that fell under his curiosity; she did, having attracted his notice those many years ago during the battle for Tetsaiga.

 

A gentle creature, yet when called upon, could be as vicious as an alpha female protecting her pup. She interested him, as very few things did, and he was beyond intrigued.

 

He gazed thoughtfully at the ceiling. 'I have to know more about her,' he said softly; he then closed his eyes, and he slept.

 

***

 

Kagome emerged from the math building, nervously wiping the sweat from her brow. "Whew," she said nervously, "that test was murderer." "Hey Kagome," Eri exclaimed as she, Yuka and Ayume approached her.

 

"Hey guys," she said turning to them, relieved. "How do you think you did," Yuka said nervously. Kagome shrugged her shoulders nervously. "I don't know."

 

Ayume looked pretty perplexed. "I thought it was easy," she said, shrugging. "You would, you nerd," Yuka said affectionately, and they all laughed.

 

At that moment, a uniform clad young man stepped away from a white Rolls Royce toward them. "Higurashi, Kagome?" he asked in a polite tone.

 

Kagome turned to him in surprise. "Ummmmmm, Yeah?"

 

"Will you follow me please," he said with a bow, "I have been instructed to pick you up."

 

Her heart fluttered nervously as her friends looked at her in astonished surprise.

"Wha?" they all exclaimed.

 

Kagome stepped closer to the young man, and said low, "Sesshomaru?" The young man nodded. "Yes, he said I was not to come back without you," the young man said fidgeting. She nodded and gave him a small smile. "Its okay. I'm coming."

 

She turned to her friends. "I'll see you guys later okay," she said as she stepped in the car. "KAGOME," they all exclaimed as the gleaming car drove off.

 

"Just what are you into," Yuka said in exasperation.

 

Ayume looked at her companions dubiously. "I don't think we'll tell Hojo-kun and Jin about this," she said, and Yuka and Eri shook their heads in agreement.

 

~**~

 

She gazed around the immaculate vehicle wondrously as they barreled down the highway, inhaling the scent of the car, her eyes roaming over the leather, and the gleaming woodgrain throughout the vehicle.

 

"We're almost there miss."

 

She nodded and sat back, gazing at the scenery speeding past them until they reached huge wrought-iron gates, the long perimeter iron fence hidden by large towering trees. The car drove forward for what seemed like a long time down a narrow tree-lined road.

 

She gasped softly, seeing the castle from the front entrance. "Its so beautiful," she whispered. The car stopped and the driver paused in the circular drive way. He bounded out of the vehicle and opened the door for her. "He's waiting for you miss," he said, indicating his head toward the front door.

 

She swallowed and nodded. "Okay." She stood and smoothed her white skirt and red shirt, and then walked toward the front door. She stood before it for a few seconds quietly and then he stood before her.

 

Her eyes darted upward toward his before she stared forward at his chest shyly. "Hi," she said with a slight blush. "Kagome," he said as he stared down at her quietly. "Come in." He stood aside and she walked inside. She glanced upward at the beautiful entryway as he met up with her and walked ahead of her.

 

"I have arranged for us to sit outside," he said quietly as he glanced at her over his shoulder. I hope this is suitable?" She met his eyes and nodded unable to take her eyes off of the gorgeous interior of the house. Ancient art absolutely abounded upon the walls and life-sized terra cotta warriors were placed strategically in the front entrance, yet the house was tastefully Fung Shui.

 

He obviously had taste, and she shouldn't have expected anything less, but still, his castle was far more gorgeous than any of the imperial palaces.

 

She followed him to the open patio with its gorgeous table and chairs with soft creamy cushions. It was cool enough today that they didn't require the umbrella to be opened. He directed her to the single leather chair while he took the loveseat opposite her so that he could observe her.

 

She sat down primly, her legs before her, her eyes lowered in thought, as if she was bursting with questions that she found difficult to voice.

 

She remembered it now clearly, being in that dark, dank place, with strange sounds and creatures surrounding her, the threat of water sweeping her away and whimpering with terror, a pair of golden eyes appeared, driving off her tormentors and strong arms lifting her out of that horrible shaft.

 

He considered her contemplatively, with a raised brow. "You are curious about something," he said inquisitively. She started and looked up at him fixedly. "Yes," she said nodding slowly, "It was you. I know that now. That time,” she said in a measured tone, “when I was seven and fell into the sewer, and no one knew I was missing? It was you.”

 

Sesshomaru gazed at her, his eyes now amber and fathomless. He said nothing.

 

“I never told anyone,” she said softly.

 

He paused a long moment before answering, “Yes.”

 

“You've known me since I was that young?” she said, her eyes questioning. He raised his brow, “I've known of you for five hundred years now,” he said as she blushed with embarrassment. `Of course he did.' `”But yes,” he continued, His eyes flickered to hers, "I've always known you."

 

A sliver of something heady and deep passed through her and she shivered. Her face grew warm and she wanted to lower her gaze but couldn't. “So you've looked after me?”

 

“Yes.”

 

"Why," she said low.

 

He paused for a mere second. “Curious,” he replied and then gazed at her seriously. “As well as you and I are the only ones who remain from that time. Naturally I'd be interested.”

 

She nodded slowly. “That's true,” she trailed. She thought back to the Sesshomaru of old. 'Yes, when he wanted to know something, he would seek the answers,' she thought.

 

"What do you know about me?” His eyes flickered slightly. "I've only watched you from afar," he said quietly, “I know as much about you, as you do about me.”

 

"Oh." she trailed. A moment of silence passed between them. "You are in college now, I believe," he said, his face inscrutable.

 

She smiled. "Yeah. I started early, just taking a class. School makes me forget..."

 

She looked down at her hands, willing herself to stem the aching sadness. She glanced over to his hands, powerful, elongated, and at the tip, the razor sharp claws and their deadly poison, and remembered.

 

"What about you," she asked, her eyes sliding toward his face. "Me," he rejoined his eyes showing a trace of amusement. "You seem so different to me now," she said softly.

 

His eyes flickered and his face was mildly impassive as he replied, “You think so?”

 

She nodded solemnly.

 

“No one changes,” he said in an almost far away tone, “you just see a side of them never seen before previously.”

 

As she looked at him, as his eyes bore into hers, she felt something then, something warm and languid slid through her body. “What was that, she thought hazily. She suddenly felt hot and clammy.

 

She stood nervously. “May I be excused for a moment?”

 

He raised his eyebrow. “Of course,” he said.

 

Kagome slid off the couch, heading toward the restroom she saw earlier. She hurried inside and shut the door behind her in relief. She took a few squares of tissue paper and wiped the slight sweat that formed at her temples. “Calm down,” she whispered. She took a few deep breaths and then returned outside.

 

As she returned to the patio, in her nervousness, instead of sitting opposite him as she did originally, Kagome sat down right beside him. After a few seconds, she realized her mistake, looked at him, then looked away and blushed, feeling absolutely mortified. Sesshomaru noted her embarrassed flush, but said nothing.

 

She fidgeted slightly without even realizing it, looking out to the scenery before her. She lifted her gaze to his. “I've wanted to ask you something,” she said softly.

 

“You may,” he said just as softly, his energy seeming to intensify, he absently flickered wave of energy at her to stem her nervousness.

 

Her skin tingled and her body relaxed as the pulsating energy surrounded her. `InuYasha had this,' she thought languidly. `He used to do this when ever I was angry at him.'

 

His eyes were upon her as she indicated the long white fur; he anticipated her question. "The badge of the heirs of the Inu." He flicked a finger toward his face as she looked to the purple markings. "My age." She then gazed at the crescent moon in the center of his forehead. “The position of the moon on the night of my birth.”

 

“Am I the only one who can see them,” she said softly. “Yes,” he said, more casually than he felt, “other's see a concealment spell.”

 

She edged closer to him, fascinated by the gleaming white length that spread before her. 'I've always wanted touch this, just like InuYasha's ears,' she thought. It was a deep urge to touch him, it was primitive, primal.

 

Her hand lay against the seat near the fur. Unconsciously, she ran the very tip of her knuckle against a small, soft section. He did nothing but go very still, his eyes now hooded.

 

Unbidden, she gingerly touched him with her fingers, her face lighting with pleasure at its softness, soft as a thousand chinchillas. As she ran the back of her knuckles against him, he inwardly bristled with pleasure, the only outward movement he made was to lower his lashes somewhat.

 

"InuYasha didn't have one of these," she murmured absently. He said nothing, instead concentrating upon not leaning into her caress. A twittering of birds overhead seemed to break her from the languid spell she had fallen under. She pulled away slightly and blinked slowly.

 

Her eyes went to his and she blushed. Her eyes flew toward the sun making its descent in the sky as the day had deepened. "Its late. I should go home," she said nervously, for some reason feeling guilty. She began to stand and he stood immediately. "I will escort you," he said.

 

She nodded and he walked down the steps, and Kagome followed him slowly. She found herself gazing at his tall form, his hair as long as ever. He glanced at her sideways, and she lowered her eyes to the soft grass.

 

They both were silent as they traversed the rocky path leading to the meadow and walked below, each wrapped up in their thoughts.

 

'What are you doing,' she thought dismayed. 'Touching him like that.' She wilted a little. `There's no telling what he thinks about me.'

 

She stumbled slightly upon the path and his arm flashed out immediately, catching her before she even began to descend. He pulled her to him so that she was almost flush against him, her back against his warm chest.

 

"Thank you, Sesshomaru," she breathed, her admiration apparent on her face as she smiled up at him. "I had forgotten how quick you were." His eyes smiled at her then, with a slightest upturn of his mouth that made her heart beat just a little bit faster.

 

She blushed as she noticed just how close she was to his hard chest, and stepped back a pace as he released her. Turning around with a glance to the trail, she began walking once more.

 

As they continued on, she snuck a glance at him from beneath her lashes. 'I like this, being around him,' she said, continuing her earlier line of thought. `He seems much more...human to me now...'

 

They crossed the meadow and began the walk down the sidewalk leading toward the shrine. `But he is that person,' the other part of her said. `That's the other side, he is a demon, and there is a part of him that terrifies me.'

 

`But he is the only thing I have from the past, and I don't want to let him go,' she thought with a soft sigh.

 

He heard it and turned his head toward her. "Is something amiss," he asked inquisitively. "No, I'm okay, " she assured him as they walked up the shrine steps. He surprised her by walking to the front door of her home.

 

She paused, her hand upon the latch. "I'm glad you came to get me," she said with a soft smile upon her lips. He favored her with a small smile. "As am I," he said.

 

A moment of silence passed between them, as she nervously glanced at him and then back at the ground, as he stared down at her, seemingly indifferent but his eyes betraying more than he would say.

 

“Until the next time,” he said, and he turned and walked away. Her eyes followed his departing form, his silver hair gleaming oddly in the blue sky of evening, his well muscled back encased in the trademark white robes. Kagome stared after him pensively.

 

***

 

After dinner, Kagome climbed up the stairs to the bathroom where she ran a long bath. She undressed quickly, her mind elsewhere and slowly slid into the water. She sighed as the water spilled over her shoulders as she submerged her head beneath the steamy pool and then rested her head against the back of the tub.

 

Her thoughts flickered to Sesshomaru.

 

She shook her head ruefully, 'Thank heavens Gramps wasn't around, he would have had a fit if he'd seen him.' She sat up and leaned her chin against the edge of the bathtub.

 

“I want to see him again," she said, looking down at the floor. "I want to be his friend. I need to be his friend,' she said sadly.

 

'He helps me forget...'

 

Her face grew pensive. `No, he makes it not hurt so much,' she said softly.