InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Silver-Haired Beauty ❯ Sudden Sickness ( Chapter 11 )

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Week two

Day Two

Sesshomaru was unhappy, extremely. After listening yet again to his fiancée and half brother pass the night before last together, he'd been livid. 'That damned bastard has spent two nights in her bed. Two! What have I done? Touched her shoulder and almost gotten brained by her. The way this is going, who knows what will actually happen in the marriage? By the time we die, I might have actually gotten to kiss her. If my brother isn't in the way!'

He seethed inside because although the two being together was troubling, he knew they had done nothing but sleep. Declared an undying love for one another sure, but no tangible acts of that 'love' had followed. The fact that there had never been the heavy musk of arousal from the room bothered him all the more for its absence. Lust he could understand. What Kuroi and Inuyasha had was frankly beyond him.

He'd even tried to relieve some stress the usual way by taunting his brother and goading him into a fight. For some reason, Sesshomaru had felt the need to gauge just how strong a protector Inuyasha actually was. But the presence of their father and the shifting colors in the old Lord's eyes had prevented a good brawl from starting. Robbed of the normal means of venting, the young lord had gone and slaughtered a few sub-level demons.

The mindless killing spree had made him feel infinitely better.

However, the problem of his future wife still loomed heavily on his mind, so he'd created a new pastime to occupy himself.

Ever since the day by the river, he'd taken it upon himself to keep an eye on his bride to be. What he'd seen had only succeeded in confusing him more. She was uncouth, with a mouth that probably would have made his hanyou brother blush at its creative rudeness. She had no fashion sense, preferring a tacky shift-like robe to the various kimonos and silken apparel he had ordered for her. Her eating habits were queer at best, especially that banana/tree thing, and she rubbed elbows willingly with the lower servants, even appearing to be 'friendly' with a few of them.

The low hum of a snarl was cut off before it could be heard by any passing servant. How was he supposed to marry that? Especially when she seemed to have absolutely no self control? She went wherever she wanted regardless of those around her or the propriety the location. The barracks where the guards stayed was her favorite place to be.

Sesshomaru Knew that he could find her there spending countless hours wrestling and sparing with the guards. While he admired her speed and prowess from afar, he couldn't condone her actions. They just weren't proper.

River bathing was one thing, but when she'd discovered his personal hot springs in the back woods he'd almost had a heart attack. Every time he tried to take a relaxing bath, she would suddenly appear in the water directly across from him. While bathing with a beautiful woman wasn't something to object to, it unnerved him that he couldn't sense her coming! One moment he was alone and the next there was a foot against his and the smell of peach blossoms.

She had no shame about herself either. Laughing at a joke or stretching, she moved herself as her limbs demanded regardless of the finite cover her short robe provided. It was as if she had no clue of how desirable she was.

He paused to orient his mind around that last thought. Yes, she was desirable but that was beside the point. A quick left around the corner sent him towards the front of the house which was nearly complete. Amazing what youkai builders could accomplish in so short a time. While admiring the work, his thoughts strayed back to Kuroi.

Snapping at a servant, he reflected that she hadn't done anything you could consider improper when she was around him. Just mildly infuriating. She asked questions all the time or insisted on telling him about her brothers and sisters and growing up with them. All twenty of them. While he wanted to find it boring, some of the stories she'd told had been…very amusing.

A slight smile touched his face. Especially the ones about Kiso. They were… With a curse, he put both a lid on his train of thought and a sizable hole in a new portion of wall before going outside. She was getting to him. Breaking that tight leash of control he had over himself and it was really starting to piss him off.

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Kuroi laughed and swung through the trees still singing. Another great day to be outside! As she grabbed a branch and swung up onto it, she debated going to the barracks again. A good tussle sounded fun but what she really wanted was to go see Inu and Kagome. Thinking about the mound of clothes in her closet, she decided to take a load as gifts. 'Kagome and Sango would love them! Heaven knows I don't use them.'

Dropping to the ground, she sniffed herself and winced. "Bath time first." A mischievous giggle bubbled up as she skipped to the hot springs located just beyond the waterfall. Maybe she could sneak up on Sesshomaru.

It had become a game for her to catch the stalwart youkai by surprise. He'd been getting seriously irritated when he'd learned he couldn't tell when she came around. Coming to the spring, she pouted that it was empty but sighed in pleasure while she stripped. Leafy limbs hung low enough overhead to keep the intense rays of the sun from overwhelming a person, by didn't hinder the occasional breeze. Not to mention the fantastic view of the surrounding area from up here.

Not more than a few feet just past the stream, the waterfall dropped off, making a cloud-like mist that framed the distant mansion against a backdrop of the mountains and forests. 'Beautiful.' Taking a bucket from a natural stone bench, she rinsed herself off before getting in. The hot water soothed aching muscles as she slid in up to her neck and rested her head against a smooth stone. Moaning, she felt herself melt away in bliss and smiled. "No matter what, he is so not getting this to himself again."

"Then I might have to kill you after all."

Stiffening as she slowly opened her lids, Kuroi smiled hesitantly up at the narrow-eyed youkai. "How long have you been there Sesshomaru?" The bubbling water hid her body from view so she didn't worry that he would see something. 'Like he'd care if he could.'

Pressing lean fingers to his temple, he walked over to a flat rock. "Long enough to hear you lay claim to my personal bathing spot." He looked back at her thoughtfully. "Scoot over."

Amused, but not put out, she did. Neutral eyes widened slightly. She took the hint and turned around, but peeked from behind a curtain of hair.

Sesshomaru deftly removed his clothes as he turned away from her. Kuroi watched the play of muscles beneath his fair skin appreciatively. 'With Inu, there's such strong definition to his body. Sesshomaru is toned but leaner.' The way his forearms rippled when he folded his garment caused her lips to purse in speculation. 'Definitely a strong man, but the strength seems more honed and concentrated. I wonder how much he can actually carry?' A sudden image popped into her head, causing her to blush hard and avert her eyes.

Glancing her way after removing the last of his clothing, Sesshomaru noted her ruddy tint and frowned. "If it's too hot, you might consider leaving. I don't know if I could bring myself to rescue you." Sliding in opposite of her, he didn't even blink when she twisted and flicked a few drops in his face.

"I hope you sunburn." she remarked dryly.

"I have a really good healing rate, so I don't." A rag flew over and landed beside her. When she picked it up and gave him an unsure look, he moved towards the edge of the pool. Drawing a large portion of his silvery hair aside as he leaned over against the warm rocks, he answered evenly, "Do my back. Call it penance for using my spot."

She snorted, a gesture so like his brother's that Sesshomaru actually glanced around to look for him. Water lapped the stones as she positioned herself to fulfill his 'request'. Her fingers lightly gathered the rest of his hair and swept it aside to get full access to his neck and shoulders. The wet cloth rubbed over his shoulders with deep, experienced strokes and as Kuroi kneaded muscles he hadn't realized were tensed, he relaxed into her touch. A breeze blew the humid air aside, but it returned quickly, shrouding the two in a misty cocoon. After a while, he asked something that had been on his mind for the whole week.

"Why do you and my brother not make love to one another?"

The rag dropped away as if it had never existed.

'Only this unfeeling bastard could ask a question like that with a straight face.' The water seemed to be hotter than before, but she ignored it. She had called truce, and she meant truce.

Unperturbed by her silence, he angled his face to watch her surprise settle into a thoughtful expression. 'No guilt though, interesting.' he noticed. 'But it doesn't answer my question.'

"I hear the two of you declaring your love for one another often enough, I simply wondered why you never consummated it?"

"Because it's not like that!" Watching the rag bob along the surface of the pool, she moved as far away as the small spring would allow. "When I'm with Inu, I feel peace, love. A place where I'm whole again." She frowned and looked at the watchful eyes frankly, "I don't think I've ever once felt lust for him or anything like it. I've seen him unclothed as much as he's seen me, but we never evoked so much as a quickened heartbeat from it. We just, well, enjoy being around one another. That's all." She snagged the rag and brought it out. Piling her hair back on her head, she turned and offered her back to him.

"Do my back. Consider it penance for the rude question." A ghost of a smile played across his lips at how she'd turned his demand back on him.

Presented with the creamy expanse of her shoulders, he was almost reluctant to touch her. The scene at the river flashed across his eyes, hardening his resolve. He tried to put the same skill into washing her that she had shown him. 'After all, one shouldn't be ungracious and fail to return a favor. It's not proper.' The small smile wisped by his lips again.

"Kuroi."

Lost in the delightful sensation of the cloth covered fingers skillfully moving on her skin, she purred. "Hmm?"

"Will you…stop sleeping with my brother?" She glanced back confused. 'Did he almost say please?'

"But we don't do anything, you said it yourself. We just sleep."

The cloth stilled, then resumed. "Yes, but you smell like him for the rest of the day and it…irritates me."

At the revelation, Karol blinked. 'So that's why he's so damned testy!'

"Hold on." Sliding around to face him, she came within a few inches of his chest and laced their fingers together. Yellow and blue eyes met and held as she took a deep breath and instructed him softly, "Breathe."

Not knowing why, he followed her directions anyway. After the first whiff, his eyes glazed over and he staggered, but regained his footing in the steaming water quickly. Her fingers tightened automatically to support him, otherwise he was sure he would have drowned. As it was, it was taking everything Sesshomaru had simply to breathe.

Like the dawn her smell rose around them, filling his nostrils, fogging his mind, seeming to saturate his very soul.

Glazed as they were, his eyes lost all focus and the world around him simply ceased to be. There was only the touch of her hands against his and her scent, everything else was obliterated by its sweetness and purity. After what seemed like an eternity, it faded away but didn't disappear.

"How…?"

That shy smile he'd so often seen her bestow on his brother lit up for him. He felt strangely honored. "I learned after being around Koinu and other youkai in the army for so long that if I concentrate, I can hold in most of my scent." A self conscious laugh escaped as she pried her fingers loose and moved away. "It helps me not to get tracked. I can mask Inu's scent on me the same way, but I'll ask him not to sleep over so long, okay?"

After regaining his composure, Sesshomaru moved away and watched her thoughtfully. "You surprise me everyday." Leaping fluidly from the water, he wrapped himself in a towel and flew away. Kuroi scratched her chin. "Now what was that supposed to mean?"