InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Curious Case of Kagome's Scent ❯ Cinnamon ( Chapter 3 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

She was still avoiding him, but it seemed different this time. She wasn't wary anymore, more like embarrassed. Every time she caught his gaze, always by accident, her cheeks turned a brilliant shade of red and she quickly averted her eyes. He didn't like it, how she insisted on looking anywhere but at him. He wanted her to notice him, to be drawn to him like he was drawn to her. It was the only way he felt would ease his discomfort with his growing desires.

He couldn't stop thinking about her and that kiss. How he wished he had taken it further. His beast was always going on about it in his mind, how he'd wasted an opportunity. He could have teased her mouth open and mapped it with his tongue, memorizing the feel of every bit of her sweet oral cavern. He could have learned just how she tasted, instead of just having a hint from the bubblegum residue on her fingers. Maybe if he had, she would have realized that he was interested in her and not just the variations in her scent.

Yes, he could admit it now. He wanted her. He wanted to hold her, kiss her, make passionate love to her, and to possess her in every way possible. No, he didn't want to mate her, he refused to sink that low. That didn't mean he wouldn't do everything just shy of it though. He didn't need a mate anyway, so it wasn't like being with her would prevent him from mating a proper demoness at some point in the future.

Still, he had no idea how to pursue her. If he did anything too overt, Inuyasha would notice and throw a tantrum and the boy would do everything in his power to keep them apart. No, he couldn't just come out and tell her he wanted her. He had to take it slow, draw her in until she desired him enough to go against the hanyou's wishes. Too bad he couldn't find a way to take the first step. He needed to talk to her, to get her comfortable in his presence. But how?

His beast whispered in his mind once again that her scent was the key. Perhaps if he continued on his quest to understand her ever-shifting scent, as well as to discover her natural one, their relationship could develop. Sesshoumaru gave a mental sigh, ignoring as his other half snickered at his frustration.

'Every morning she goes off and returns smelling differently, but it is always the same new scent. Perhaps you should ask her about it? Start a conversation and show interest in her items from the future. She always seems happy to explain to the others about what she has brought back from her time. Maybe she will also be willing to explain them to you.'

He wasn't used to his beast being so logical and helpful, but he had to admit that it was a good idea. Her morning routine had long been a source of confusion for him. It would at least answer one question out of a million. At best, it could be his way in. It might give him the opportunity to talk to her, to establish a friendly relationship that he could nurture into something more. Finally, it was decided.

Waiting throughout the rest of the day and then the whole night was torturous, but he managed to pass the time by reliving that kiss while mentally plotting just how he could make it happen again. Sleeping was impossible. The fact that he was finally going to make a move, even a tiny one, had him far to wired to even consider rest.

He was so relieved when the sun finally started to rise that he allowed a small sigh to pass his lips, knowing that no one was awake to see or hear such an undignified action. Soon... soon she would wake and he would speak to her.

-

Kagome woke slowly, groaning as bright sunlight shone through her closed lids. She contemplated rolling over and continuing her rest but in the end, she knew she had to get up. If she didn't, Inuyasha would start bitching about his empty stomach and she would never get the chance to complete her morning ritual.

She rose with a yawn and  a joint popping stretch, while glancing around only to find that no one was awake yet. "Great, I could have gotten a couple more minutes after all," she muttered. With a sigh, she slipped away to do her business in the bushes before going back to get her supplies.

He was acquainted with her routine well enough to know she would be coming back, so when she returned he approached, making sure to make enough noise that she wouldn't be startled. "Kagome," he spoke softly, mentally running a hand over his face when she jumped. Somehow he still managed to startle her... that or she was still uncomfortable with him speaking to her. He couldn't blame her, the last few times had to have been confusing.

"Yeah?" She looked everywhere but directly at him and his frustration grew.

"I wish to speak with you."

"Again?" She couldn't keep the whine out of her voice and was surprised when a frown flickered across his face. "What is it this time?"

"Come, you were about to go to the stream, yes?"

"Well, yeah, but... didn't you want something?" Kagome wasn't sure what was going on, but she had a sinking feeling this would somehow concern her scent once again. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. The last time hadn't been too horrible. If truth be told, it had been quite nice, except for the fact that it made no sense and confused the hell out of her. Why was he suddenly so focused on her?

"This Sesshoumaru is curious about the items you bring from the future."

"And how they affect my scent, right?"

He couldn't help but smirk. She certainly wasn't stupid, something he greatly appreciated. He gave a slight nod, before extending his arm as if inviting her to start walking. She took the hint and he followed in silence as they approached the stream.

"So what is it you want to know this time?" she asked as she stopped and knelt at the edge of the water. He watched as she splashed the cool liquid on her face, scrubbing away her residual tiredness.

"Every morning when you return from your waking ritual, you have a peculiar scent to you, and this Sesshoumaru would like to know the cause."

"Well, I'm just going to do what I usually do and you can tell me when you smell it then, okay?" When he didn't protest, she proceeded as if he wasn't even there, washing her face once more and scrubbing her hands. Finally, she pulled out her toothbrush and toothpaste. As soon as she opened the tube, he was on his knees beside her, pulling the tube from her hands. "You could have asked," she said snidely, not awake enough to realize that she shouldn't talk to Lord Sesshoumaru in such a tone.

He ignored her attitude, mostly because he knew very well that he was being rude, and sniffed at the foreign item. "What is this?"

"Toothpaste. I put it on this brush and use it to clean my teeth."

"Show me," he ordered, returning the tube.

With a sigh, Kagome mentally counted to five before beginning again, this time actually succeeding in putting the paste on her brush. She felt silly, having him watch her while she brushed her teeth, and she did her best not to drool foam, turning her head as far away from him as possible to spit when she was done brushing. She then rinsed her mouth and turned back to him.

"See?"

"What is the purpose of this 'toothpaste'?" he asked her, his eyes never leaving her mouth. Oh how he hoped he could turn this into another opportunity to kiss her.

"It cleans my teeth. I guess demons don't need to do that since you're all so invincible, but if we humans don't take care of our teeth, they will get weak, rot, and break."

"Ah, so that is the source of the vile breath most humans possess."

Kagome wanted to smack him, but instead clutched tightly to her knees. Gods, he was such an ass sometimes!

"People of this time don't know nearly enough about dental hygiene. What are you...?" Kagome couldn't believe he was doing it again. There she was, trying to explain something to him, and he just leans in and kisses her!

Sesshoumaru found himself on cloud nine as their lips met once more. He hadn't meant to do it, but her mouth looked so inviting that he couldn't resist. This time though, he planned to keep his wits about him. He wanted more from this kiss than he'd managed from the last and he intended to get it!

His lips moved over hers and after a moment, Kagome found herself responding. She didn't mean to, really, but it simply felt too good. He was so gentle, so warm, and she wanted it to go on forever. If he was kissing her, than he couldn't piss her off by talking like he so often did. She was caught off guard when he nibbled her lip and she gasped at the new sensation, only to then be introduced to yet another. His tongue swept into her mouth, brushing teasingly against her own, and she decided he could kiss her whenever he wanted if it would always be like this.

He was enjoying it so much, feeling as she participated. She was kissing him back! That was definitely a step further than he'd before. When her mouth opened, he dove in eagerly, ready to taste her, to learn all her secrets, but after a moment he noticed that his tongue was starting to burn. The feeling increased as he traced her teeth, and though he tried to ignore it, it grew more and more painful. Finally he was forced to pull away, leaning down to scoop water into his mouth like a man denied fluids for days.

Kagome watched in shock as he suddenly ripped his lips away from hers and started washing out his mouth like she was the most disgusting thing he'd ever tasted. "What the hell? You kissed me, you know, I didn't ask for it!"

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as he realized just what she must be thinking, seeing him behave in such a way. Finally the burning in his mouth subsided enough that he could stop rinsing and he turned to her. "What is in that substance you used for teeth cleaning? I have never felt such a thing in my life."

"What... what do you mean?" the miko asked, suddenly concerned, her anger washing away at the confusion clearly shown on his usually expressionless face.

"It burned as though I had just eaten very spicy food."

Kagome instantly paled. "Oh gods, I forgot you have sensitive taste buds! You should never have done that! Are you all right?"

The taiyoukai felt his heart swell at the concern in her voice. She cared about him. Somehow, in some way, she had actually come to care about him! "This Sesshoumaru is fine. What exactly was that?"

She couldn't help but giggle. "Cinnamon. That'll teach you not to just go around kissing girls without warning or permission."

He smirked at her, hearing as her pulse sped up at the sight, and leaned close to whisper in her ear. "Not girls, Kagome. Just you, and you are far from a girl. You are a beautiful woman... One who needs to find a new way to cleanse her teeth."

"And if I don't?" she asked playfully.

"Then perhaps eventually I will become accustomed to the burn. Until then, I will just have to suffer."

"Or you could just not kiss me."

His tongue slipped out and traced the shell of her ear, making her gasp. "That, Kagome, is simply not an option."