InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Time After Time ❯ A Dangerous Endeavor ( Chapter 20 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chapter 20:  A  Dangerous Endeavor

Kagome sighed, sure that she could happily stay right where she was forever, and not miss a thing.

They had reached the Western Citadel after a weeks travel, and the moment Kagome had been shown to her room, she'd asked for the bathing facilities.  She'd expected a small tub and warm water after a long wait.  

Instead, she was escorted into a natural hot spring.  The palace had been built up against the side of a mountain, and the builders had taken advantage of the hot spring in a shallow cave and built that wall of the palace right up to it.

It hadn't taken long for Sango to appear, too, and she was enjoying the peaceful, comfortable silence and occasional desultory conversation with her best female friend.

“So,”  Sango said idly,  “I'm surprised you haven't purified the hell out of Kana, yet.”

She was answered by an angry growl and dark scowl.  “That woman is getting on my last nerve, that's for damn sure.  All her little hints about Sugimi's performance in bed – constantly trying to shove in my face that they were lovers.  I swear, too much more of that, and I will purify her and to hell with the consequences.”

Sango giggled at the sight of her normally peace-loving friend threatening violence.  “Don't feel bad... she's really annoying everyone – Sugimi looks like he'd like to kill her himself.”

With a deep, heartfelt sigh, Kagome shook her head, her face falling as she thought about the woman's extraordinary beauty.  “I don't know, Sango.  If she's the type of female he's used to,  what the hell is he doing chasing me?  She's beautiful, she's powerful, youkai, smart, and experienced.  I'm none of those things.”

Frowning, Sango tutted at her friend.  “I hate it that you're so blind to your own appeal, Kagome.  Hasn't it occurred to you that there has to be something about you for you to draw so many males – and it doesn't even seem to matter whether or not they're youkai or human?  I mean, even Sesshoumaru, Mr. I hate humans himself reacts to you better than he does anyone else, human or youkai.”

Tugging a wet lock of ebony hair over her shoulder, she played with it absently.  “I don't know, Sango.  I guess they want to be friends, mostly.  Either that, or-”  she wiped her face of the sweat from the heat of the spring,  “-they're like Koga.  He only wants me because I can find shards... and to get away from Ayame.  I think her single-mindedness on his account scares him,”  she chuckled.  “Not as if he wasn't the same with me, ne?  And then there's Hojo...”  she trailed off.

“I can guarantee you,”  Sango huffed,  “it's not friends those guys want to be with you.  They all want what Hojo wants.”  She frowned thoughtfully for a moment, then said,  “Let's put it this way.  Sugimi wouldn't be so hot over those males if they didn't scent of arousal when around you.”  She laughed at her friend's suddenly red face.

“What do you mean?”  Kagome squeaked, hands coming up to cover reddened cheeks.

“Just what I said, oh, naïve one.  Those other guys want you for themselves, and Sugimi, being inuyoukai, can smell their attraction and arousal around you.  That sets him off, making him aggressive.”

Wide-eyed, Kagome thought about that for a moment.  “So, you mean, he can scent things like that?”

“Mmmhmm,”  Sango hummed, closing her eyes and laying her head back against the rocks surrounding the spring.  

Horrified, Kagome sank under the water, totally embarrassed.  That's how he knew I was attracted to him!  Oh, my god!  What do I do?  This is so humiliating – it's like someone reading your mind!

Coming up out of the water when her need for air overrode her embarrassment, she slicked her hair back and sighed.  “This really sucks, you know that, right?”  she asked.

“Kagome, you need to stop worrying about it so much.  I know that Inuyasha and his crap made you afraid to open up to another male, and I can understand that, really.  But...”  she trailed off, opening her eyes to catch her companion's gaze and hold it.  “I'm a taijiya.  I know a lot about all kinds of different youkai.  Would you agree?”  she asked.

Kagome nodded.  

“Good.  Then you can take me as the expert in youkai behavior.  Only a youkai would know more.  I've watched this whole thing with Sugimi, and I can only cheer him on.  Inu like him have certain behaviors that make it easy for someone who knows what's up to know what they are doing.  That male is besotted with you.  Dangerously,”  she said, strongly emphasizing that last word.

“What do you mean, dangerously?”  Kagome asked.

“Just that.  If someone tries to take you away from him, he can and will kill to keep you.  Inuyasha would have been dead several times over already if Sugimi weren't his father.  You know what I mean – look at that last fight when Inuyasha ignored the courtship rules and cornered you in your time.”

“Oh.”  She looked down, then, quietly contemplating that.  “What I don't understand is why.”

Sango shrugged.  “Who knows?  With an Inu, there's no way to know.  But it's telling that almost from the moment he woke up, he's been after you.  I mean, the same day he woke up, he was watching you like a hawk.  That tells me that he was instantly attracted.  It was fast – but that speaks to his sincerity in his affections and desire for you.  When a youkai meets their mate, the attraction is instant – and the emotion follows quickly.”

“Emotion?”  Kagome asked, surprised, not sure what her friend was getting at.

“Yes, Kagome, emotion.  Sugimi is in love with you, and that will never change.  He makes no effort to hide it – you seem to be the only one blind to it.  All your fear to open your heart is doing is hurting him.  You need to move past what bakayasha did to you, and accept the mature, gorgeous, devoted male that's just waiting for you to open your arms to him.”

With a flush, Kagome thought about what Sango was saying.  He... loves me?  How can he?  I'm not worthy of him... can't he see that?  I could never be his equal, I'm too young, too plain, too foolish to ever stand beside him as a mate.  She scowled as Kana came into her mind.  I can't stand her, but she's definitely more his speed.  And with the way she's going, it's easy to see she certainly agrees – she's completely blatant in her pursuit of him...  

A tiny voice spoke up then, reminding her that the big inu was just as blatant in his continual rejections of the youkai female.

Oh, who am I fooling?  As afraid as I am of giving in... I'm more afraid of not giving in.  Letting go... I don't know if I could do that.  So, how do I feel about him?  At that thought, her mind blanked.  I don't know how I feel for sure... but I know that I want him.  

As her mind admitted that openly for the first time, she nodded to herself.  With a suddenly determined look on her face, she quickly washed her hair and body, then climbed out of the spring, drying off and getting dressed.  Sango just watched with an amused expression as she also washed, got out and dressed.

“Made an important decision, Kagome?”  she asked archly, laughing at her friend's rosy cheeks.  “No, that's fine, you don't have to tell me.”

“Thanks, Sango,”  she said, and she waved a casual hand before disappearing out of the doors.

The taijiya just shook her head and chuckled at Kagome.

Hopefully, Sugimi can repair that girl's self-esteem.  She scowled then.  If they could get rid of all this interference, that is,  her mind going to that absolutely irritating Kana.

Maybe hiraikotsu and I should have a little talk with her.

She smiled toothily at the visual that accompanied that thought.

-sSs-

Wringing her hands nervously, Kagome stopped in front of the doorway out into the palace's gardens, trying to buck up her courage to corner Sugimi.  With a deep inhale, she held it, and then deliberately relaxed her hands, before letting the breath out.

With a determined nod to herself, she slid the door open, and stepped outside, looking around with interest.  If you had to meditate, this place would be good for it.  It's very calming.

Which I need right now, she thought, annoyed at herself for getting into this state. I don't think I've ever been this nervous – not even the first time I sang in front of a crowd.

Shaking her head to clear it of any thoughts not directly related to what she was out here to do, she marched off towards the inu's overwhelming aura, bracing herself for the conversation to come.

And then she scowled, recognizing the smaller aura that had been hidden under Sugimi's own – Kana.  Oh, this is just great – now I find myself in the same position I did with Inuyasha and Kikyou.  Maybe I should just give up and go away... no, her shoulders slumped... I can't.  I have to know, one way or the other.

With that, she moved forward and hid behind a large magnolia, peeking around at the two youkai in the center of the garden.  She listened avidly, not wanting to miss anything... this confrontation would decide her own actions, whether she accepted Sugimi's pursuit of her or not.

“...old you to stay away from me, didn't I?”  Sugimi growled, obviously angry.  “How much more blatant do I have to be to get it through your head that I do not want you?”

The beautiful but spiteful woman glared angrily at him.  “But you would have me believe you want that milksop maiden – miko or no she's hardly an equal to you as I could be!”  she snapped vehemently, unknowingly echoing Kagome's own thoughts of earlier.

A thunderous growl broke free of the inu's chest, and he flash-stepped up to Kana, grabbing her around the throat, smiling dangerously as her eyes bugged and her airway cut off.

“You will never be equal to me, Kana.  And it does not matter what you think of Kagome – she is a thousand times the woman you will ever be... she's warm and giving, unlike you. I love her, whereas I never loved you. Our... affiliation was nothing more than an affair. I terminated that all those years ago because you are frigid where it counts – inside, and I no longer felt like bedding an iceberg.”  With that, he opened his hand and let her fall, choking and desperately drawing in air to her starved lungs as she landed awkwardly on her knees before him.

He watched her evenly, no expression on his face, and once she stopped gasping and panting, spoke again.  “You will stop all the little innuendos that you keep dropping to my miko, Kana, and this is not a request.  Push me even a little, and it will be the last thing you ever do.  Just remember – I am not answerable to you.”

Kagome was astounded, but melting on the inside... for the first time ever, since she'd been put in this kind of position, she was the one being chosen, the one being... loved.  She hadn't missed what he'd said... “I love her..”  and her heart clenched inside her.  I guess Sango was right... I feel so bad, now.

It was now or never, and so, gathering the remnants of her courage, she stepped from behind the tree, and walked into the glade, completely ignoring the woman on the ground.  Coming to a stop in front of the big inu, who had frozen as soon as he'd caught sight of her, she reached a gentle hand up and hesitantly ran a finger along his crests with a soft smile.

He smiled back uncertainly, worried that she would take Kana's presence here wrong – not realizing that she'd been there for some time, and knew what was going on.

“Kagome?”  he questioned, hesitantly.

She let her hand fall back to her side, though she didn't look away from him, and said,  “I came out here to talk to you... but she was already here.”  She sighed, and turned to look at Kana, who had once more gained her feet, and was watching with narrowed eyes.

“You need to learn to give up and move on.  Do you really think pissing him off is going to make him want you?”  She brushed a lock of hair back over her shoulder as she held the woman's gaze for a moment, then spoke again.  “And you think I'm the childish, naïve one.  I at least know when I've been rejected, and don't keep pushing myself where I'm not wanted.”

“Oh, and you would know all about being rejected, wouldn't you, girl?”  Kana purred spitefully.

Kagome flinched just a bit, that dart hitting a bulls-eye, and a flare of hurt passed through her for a moment.  However, she didn't look away from her nemesis.  “Yes, I do – but it looks like I'm not the only one, eh, Kana?  You are in the same place now as I was then.  Only I didn't continuously throw myself all over Inuyasha, nor try to separate him from Kikyou.  I accepted it with grace.  That's the difference between you and I.  Now, it would be appreciated if you made yourself scarce – I have things I need to speak to Sugimi about, and we don't need an audience.”

Sugimi had remained silent through all of that, letting Kagome handle things, simply thankful that she had heard the things she had, and not assumed him to be trysting with Kana.  He feared anything that would draw her away from him, and that was a first, because he was not used to fearing anything.

But now, with Kana staring at Kagome with enmity, he stepped in, and backed up Kagome's request, making it an order.

“She told you to leave, Kana.  Do it.”  He flared his aura warningly, his eyes flashing crimson once more, and with an angry huff, she finally took the hint that had turned into a shove, and left, her pride hanging in tatters around her.  She was sincerely regretting her impulse in joining this quest, but she had given her word, and could not break it now.

The two watched after her for several moments, and Kagome sighed in relief as the woman disappeared from view, before looking down at the ground in shame.  She felt really awful about what she'd been putting Sugimi through, and all because she was being a coward.

A gentle hand turned her to face him, and Sugimi looked down at her for a second, then tilted her chin up to meet his wanting gaze.  He was surprised to find her eyes filled with tears and shame, and, crooning softly, he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her comfortingly.

Kagome was stiff for a moment, and then with a tiny sob, allowed herself to slump into his embrace, burying her face in his chest and allowing the tears to fall.  All the emotional tug of wars lately had burned her out, and she needed to get it all out into the open.  

Fear, frustration, uncertainty; they all were released in his embrace, and he simply held her for a time and let her cry.

Inwardly, he was exulting – not at her pain, but that she had come to him for comfort.  It was a first, and a significant one, and he couldn't be more pleased if he tried.  This was the way things should be – she should come to him for all her needs... it was the bond of mates.

After a few minutes, he swept her up into his arms, and sat down in the shade, just enjoying the silence and the feel of his chosen in his embrace, along with the cool breeze spreading the scent of the gardens everywhere and making the inuyoukai drowsy with peace and contentment.

He nuzzled into Kagome's thick locks, happily inhaling her beautiful scent – one that was only marred by the scent of her tears.  After a few moments, he once again lifted her face to him, and smiled at her, before leaning his head down and softly licking the tear stains from her flushed cheeks.

Kagome sighed deeply, letting out all her tension.  Accepting Sugimi's comfort, the same smell of sun and soil and flowers also making her drowsy, she relaxed into him, a small smile tilting her lips as he licked her cheeks.  

Sugimi was in heaven.  All this time, this contact was what he had been craving... needing.  He could happily sit here forever, but he knew that couldn't be, and as much as he didn't want to move from where he was at or disturb the first peaceful moments they'd really had, he needed to know what her presence here meant.

Reluctantly, he pulled his face away from hers, and brushing a hand through ebony bangs, waited for her to open her eyes.  When she did, he spoke.  

“How much of that did you hear, Kagome?”

There was a pause; and then her soft voice said,  “You were telling her to leave you alone, that you didn't want her.  And then she called me a milksop maiden,”  came an even softer chuckle.

“Ah.”  Sugimi sat up a bit more, considering her words.  So... she heard me say that I love her.  Is that what brought on this affection?  “Tell me... why did you come out here, little onna?”

At that, Kagome blinked back the drowsiness that had come over her, and sat up a little, completely unaware that her squirming around was having a certain effect on the male holding her.

“Well, you see...”  she started, then trailed off, mumbling under her breath, “no, that's not it... but then how do I, and wha-”  she was cut off by a finger landing against her lips, and she looked into Sugimi's amused gaze.

“Is it really so hard to say?”

She nodded up at him earnestly and blurted out,  “Yes!”  

He chuckled at her.  “Take all the time you need, then – I'm not going anywhere.”  She is so full of contradictions – one moment, staring down an enemy with no fear, and then, in the next, flashing once more back to an innocent young girl unused to the games of life and love.  But she is unique for that, and I find that her innocence is a good thing – it sits well with me that she has never known another.

He couldn't stop his momentary upset that he wasn't equally untouched, but the past was past, and all he could do was move on from there.

He looked down when she nodded to herself, and then looked up at him, catching his gaze.  “I've been really confused by all of this courting stuff, you know.  The only relationship I've had was Inuyasha, and that wasn't much of one at all.  So... I didn't know how to handle it, or you.  I still don't, really.  But my confusion has been getting in the way, and I needed for it to be alleviated, so I came looking for you.”  

She stopped, looking uncertain again, and he sent her an encouraging hum.  

“I... wan-”  she was cut off there, as a large cloud of youki permeated the area, causing Sugimi to growl, and his eyes to redden in anger again just as a light orb landed before them, only to fade away to show a woman that could only be Sesshoumaru's mother.

Stunned, Kagome stared at her for a few moments, remaining unmoving until Sugimi wrapped his arms around her and stood up, carefully setting her on her feet next to him.

Eyes as narrowed as she'd ever seen them, Sugimi scowled at the newcomer with not one ounce of welcome.

“Well, Satori?  Come to cause some mischief or other?”  

The female inu didn't answer, instead staring at Kagome with an aloof haughtiness.

There was a guarded silence for a few moments, and then the woman asked,  “So, Sugimi.  Tell me, when did you get into bedding children?  I had not thought you leaned that way.”

Kagome's angered gasp filled the clearing, startling the woman known as Satori.  

“Listen here, you uppity twit, I'm not a child and am perfectly capable of making my own decisions.  I don't care who you are, I won't tolerate anyone talking down to me.  So you can just take that attitude and shove it!”

With that, Kagome looked back at Sugimi, who was grinning, and huffed.  “I'm going back inside – I'm getting a bit tired of being harped on by all your exes... right now, the only one that was worth anything as far as I am concerned was Izayoi.  Tell me, my lord, what woman am I going to get cornered by next?  Maybe you should get rid of all the floozies around here chasing you, and then come talk to me,”  she finished tartly, before glaring once more at the startled inu female and then stomping away, highly irritated.

“This one has teeth,”  Satori purred after a moment, watching the younger woman's dark hair flaring around her in the breeze for a moment, then turned back to Sugimi, who now looked like he was ready to kill the next woman that came near him.

She grinned, showing her razor sharp fangs.  “But my teeth are much, much sharper, and I think I should teach her to respect her betters.  And those with more power.”

She was startled when Sugimi flash-stepped into her face, eyes widening at his warning growl, she froze.

“If you think you are more powerful than Kagome, then you are a fool.  And if you even attempt to touch her, you will find out just how much of a dangerous endeavor that will turn out to be.  Listen well – if you challenge her, you will die, if not by her hand, then by mine.”

With that, he snapped his fangs viciously at her, then turned to follow after Kagome, quickly disappearing into the fortress, leaving a suddenly wary Satori behind.

Is that child really that strong?  She shivered for a moment in the breeze, and then headed into the palace herself, a smirk crossing her face as she thought of her human-hating son.

I wonder what Sesshoumaru thinks of his father's newest dalliance?

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