Summary: Bankotsu kidnaps Kagome to lure Inuyasha to the Band of Seven, and ultimately his death. But when the two are forced to take the trip together, new feelings start to emerge. For them both. Will the mercenary follow orders to kill her?
Disclaimer: Inuyasha and others, not mine. Sigh...
--
Vacations
Kagome gave a slight sigh as she pulled herself out of the rickety old well that trailed back to feudal Japan. Her chocolate-colored eyes scanned her surroundings as she swung her legs over the mouth of the well. Everything was simply beautiful, that was the one and only word to describe it. Seeing the sunlight filter through gargantuan trees and patches of wild flowers blowing in the breeze was much better than seeing tall gray skyscrapers or ugly factories.
"Oh, finally decided to join us?" an annoyed voice scoffed as Kagome was stretching her arms up towards the sky.
"Inuyasha!" she gave a warm smile despite the hanyou's tone of voice. "I brought you some ramen back like I promised. Ready to head back to the village so we can eat lunch and get a move on?"
The dog demon's ears twitched at the word 'ramen.' He stood up from where he was seated in the grass and stretched as well. "Yeah, I've been ready. Hurry up, will you?"
Inuyasha turned around and stooped down slightly. Kagome rolled her eyes and got on his back. He must've really been in a hurry to get back to the hut. Probably to scarf down all that ramen, no doubt.
The two flew through the air with incredible speed thanks to the demon's powerful abilities. He hopped from treetop to treetop, looking like a mere blur to anything watching from down below.
They made it back to Kaede's village in mere minutes. When they returned, they found Sango, Kirara, and Shippo gathering water in the bottles that Kagome had brought back for them to keep like she always did. Miroku was off on his own somewhere gathering firewood. Or pestering women, one of the two.
Inuyasha let Kagome down and turned around to face her. His expression softened now that they were back at the hut and she was finally there to stay. "So what took you anyways? You were gone for three whole days."
She set her oversize book bag on the floor and kneeled down to retrieve all of the noodles that she'd packed for the group. "I had a few exams to take," she explained, pausing to remember that he didn't have a clue what those were. "They're like those tests I take, only way more important. They determine if I'm smart enough to pass the class or not."
Inuyasha only replied with an uninterested, "Oh." His nose twitched slightly and he cast his glance over towards the girl. "You know, you really smell a lot like… Buyo."
Kagome nearly dropped the package of ramen that she had. "Gee, Inuyasha, thanks a lot. It's nice to know that you think I smell like a cat. That's what every girl wants to hear. It's just because he lays on me whenever I'm at home."
He snickered slightly when he saw that he'd gotten her annoyed. "Really now. Sooo…when you gonna start cooking lunch?" He changed the subject to something he actually gave a damn about.
"When Sango and Miroku and Shippo come back!" She stated irritably, stacking up the packages of food. She saw the look that she was getting from Inuyasha across the room. "…We are not eating without them! I think you can wait just a few more minutes."
"Aw, come on! Don't be so heartless! It takes forever to cook those stupid things, especially when you have so many." He sunk down to the floor and crossed his arms, clearly defeated. He suddenly had a thought and popped back up. With a smirk, he murmured, "Be right back."
"Huh?" But he was out the door before Kagome could even register what he was doing. Just a few moments later, he came back shoving a monk, a demon slayer, and two little demons through the door.
"Hey Inuyasha, what's the rush?" Sango exclaimed as she tried to juggle the bottles in her arms. Miroku ventured to the corner of the hut and dumped all of the firewood from his hands.
"You bunch were lagging along slower than a dying snail. And I'm sitting here waiting for you, damn near starvation!" Inuyasha glowered at his friends and sat down next to the soon-to-be fire that Miroku was trying to start.
Shippo pounced on the dog demon's head and tugged his ears upward. "Hey! We were actually doing work, you know! You're so lazy, the only thing you do when Kagome leaves is sit by the well and stare!"
"Why you," Inuyasha growled, swiping the fox demon from his head and making to fling him clear across the hut. But when the little tattle tale screamed for Kagome's help, Inuyasha was the only one in pain.
"Inuyasha!" She scolded, not even needing to turn her head to see what he was doing. "Sit, boy."
There was a sudden yelp, followed by quite a big bam. The firewood rumbled off of the floor and settled back into a pile, as did the water bottles. Miroku finally sighed with relief when he got a small fire going thanks to the reorganization of the wood. "Good. Maybe if he stuffs his mouth with enough ramen, he'll have to be quiet."
"Wanna say that again, monk?" a muffled voice asked from an indentation in the wooden floor. Inuyasha raised his head only to be caught by one of Kagome's warning glares. He flattened his ears and one of his eyebrows twitched. Jumping up and sitting a bit farther from the priestess than before, he tried to play it off by complaining about when lunch would be ready.
--
It was about midnight when Kagome realized that Inuyasha was watching her. He had that 'I-feel-a-bit-guilty-but-I'm-still-gonna-try-to-look-mad' expression on his face. He'd randomly make, and soon after break, eye contact with her before she decided to stand and leave the hut.
She knew from the start that he'd follow. That was part of the reason why she left. She knew that she couldn't get any solitude within that whole group, but at least they could be alone to talk if she lead him out. It would be less awkward if Sango or Miroku woke up.
Kagome finally decided that a hill before the edge of the forest was far away enough from the hut to clear her mind and feel like the two would actually be alone. She only had to turn around and wait ten seconds before the familiar swoosh of his red kimono against the wind sounded.
"Hey," Inuyasha said, his voice soft yet edgy. "What's your problem? You poked your noodles around at lunch, you didn't sleep…you seem distant. You okay?"
The girl was quiet for a moment, her face serious. But within that awkward silence, Inuyasha wouldn't hold her gaze for very long. She sighed and slid to the ground to sit. He did the same. They both stared out at the sleeping village for several minutes before any conversation was made.
"Inuyasha, when I went back to my time, did you miss me?" she asked with little care, as if that weren't the real question. She never even looked at him, though he turned his head towards her in confusion, eyes narrowing.
"Kagome… I, er, I suppose. You always take so long, how else am I supposed to find the jewel shards?" She still didn't look at him, and this bothered him worse than he'd have liked. It made his blood bubble with annoyance. His ears twitched; she looked as if she would turn at any moment and command him to sit. Out of fear, he added, "I-I can't do it without you, of course."
Another silence slipped between them. Inuyasha was on edge, and he jumped just a hair when she finally looked at him. "Inuyasha, you always do that. You give me some long answer, it's never a yes or a no. But I guess your answer is an answer itself."
He cocked an eyebrow. My answer is an answer itself? Of course it's an answer, cause… it's… an answer! There she goes, confusing him again. He spent his time thinking about that rather than what she had said before it.
Kagome turned her head forward again to gaze upon the village. "Are we going to talk about it? You know we have to." Her voice had no emotion, her eyes didn't blink.
The dog demon snapped from his thoughts, that guilty (though he refused to screw himself over if she didn't know) look played back on his face. "…What do you mean? Talk about what?"
"Before I had to leave, I sensed it. I sensed her spiritual powers, I sensed the souls. I saw the shining light of the shikon jewel, I saw her unusual aura, I saw the soul collectors, for God's sake. Inuyasha, I know you went to see her. And you waited until nightfall when you thought I was sleeping."
Inuyasha blinked stupidly. His golden eyes were now fixed on the ground, his mouth set. "Oh…You mean Kikyo…" He murmured softly. Then his egotistical side decided to kick in, and he went into full-on male mode. "Hey! It's not like I went sneaking off or nothin'. It's Kikyo, I don't need permission to see her. And I don't sneak, so get that idea out of your head right now!"
He waited for her angry response, for her to stand up and tell him to sit a million times and then storm away. But she remained still, her eyes locked forward and refusing to look at him. This tore him up inside. He stopped talking and dropped his head slightly, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes, blushing a bit. A low growl rumbled from him.
Kagome was quiet for a few seconds before responding. "Today when you and Miroku went into the village to visit that castle that needed to be exorcised, Sango told me that earlier in the morning you left into the woods again. You saw Kikyo twice. You saw her right before I went back home… You saw her right before you greeted me today…"
Inuyasha's ears lay completely flat against his head now. He didn't want to keep feeling so guilty, so submissive. Damn it, he was a half demon. "H-hey! I'm sick of you accusing me of all this stuff! How do you know I didn't smell Naraku or sense a demon coming? You-"
He was cut off dead when she turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were so cold. They lost their shine, their emotion. Her face was as serious as that of the grave, yet her voice was still so quiet and sure. "Sango told me she saw the soul collectors hovering above the forest with her own eyes, Inuyasha. I'm not accusing you, I'm confronting you."
He frowned as he ran his eyes over her face. He'd never seen her so hurt before, and to know that he had caused it... But all he did was go to see Kikyo. She was one of the most important people in his life until the day that she fixed him to a tree. She was his love…but was she still? He didn't quite know. He did know, however, that it irritated him how overly sensitive Kagome was. Why did she give him such a hard time about seeing his ex-lover? He just couldn't quite understand.
Kagome finally stood up. "Inuyasha, I can't take this anymore. It isn't fair to me, and I need to stop forcing myself to endure this pain. Tell me the truth right now. Are you in love with Kikyo?"
Inuyasha stopped breathing. That was a question that he hoped she would never ask him. It was off bounds. He sighed, letting the anger in his aura drop down. His voice was soft, somewhat apologetic. "Kagome…I don't think you want to ask me that."
"I'm asking."
"Kagome-"
"Tell me!"
"You aren't going to like the answer, okay?!"
Her shoulders stiffened. She'd expected that…No, she'd known. She'd known for the entire year she'd been with him in the Feudal era, but she just refused to believe what her heart told her. Now she had proof, the actual thing that would stop her breath and shatter her heart.
She took one step forward, fists clenched. Her voice was so low and sorrowful that only a demon with acute hearing like Inuyasha's could understand her final words. "Before I leave, then, do you love me?"
The hanyou sprung to his feet and walked towards her cautiously. "Kagome, you've got to understand, I really do. It's just that…I promised Kikyo my love fifty years ago. You must know that she was here first. And you are her reincarnation, so I suppose it's fate that I would have feelings for you too."
That's when the silence died and the apathy withered away. Kagome spun towards him, her hand coming across his face. Ah, how months of suppressed anger builds up. "I've stayed by you for an entire year, took that year away from my school and my family to help you get a sacred jewel, and you only love me because I'm her reincarnation? I've gone through hell and heartache so you could be happy in the end, and that's all I am to you? Her twin? Inuyasha, how could you? You…you bastard! I should've just left with Koga all those times!"
Tears welled up in Kagome's eyes, but these were a new breed of tears. These were ones born from pure rage. She was through crying out of sadness for Inuyasha, that ungrateful two-timer standing before her, rubbing his cheek. She was finished. A year of ruining her heart was finally enough for her, she was finished crawling back just to suffer.
"Goodbye, Inuyasha. I loved you with all my heart, but I guess you only loved me because I was the cheap knockoff of Kikyo. Have fun finding the jewel by yourself. Rot in hell." She took in a rather long inhale and spat out uncountable sit commands as she charged down the hill. She returned to the hut only to quietly gather her bow and arrows, then continued shouting the commands as she made her way back up the hill and into the forest. She did this for two reasons. One, so that the worthless cur who she wasted a year swooning over and crying about would be in some pain as a bit of payback. And two, so that he'd be so deep in the ground and so paralyzed that he wouldn't be able to follow her.
--
It was somewhere around three in the morning now, still dark and eerily chilly. Kagome was still crying, though the bitter tears were filled with newfound sorrow and coming in waves of sobs.
I promised myself I wouldn't do this. I vowed never to cry over him again; he's made his choice. He chose that dead bitch, so I have to move on. I'm not gonna let myself suffer any longer. I'll admit, this hurts like hell now. Without him like this… But it hurts worse when I'm there beside him.
Another sob coughed from her body, and she couldn't even see where she was going by now. Hell, she'd stopped trying to figure anything out two hours ago. Her eyes were puffy and clogged with tears, and combined with the darkness of night, she was basically blinded. She'd been stumbling around in the forest to search for the ancient well, but now she was just desperately scrambling to find a village or some sort of shelter.
She paused in her steps to rub her eyes irritably. Blinking several times, her sparkling brown orbs attempted to peer through the darkness. "I…I don't even know where I am now. Great job, Kagome. Walk right out into the pitch black and try to identify any part of a natural maze, why don't you."
Kagome sighed and leaned against a tree. She didn't recognize anything, but she really didn't care. Though she tried to lie and hide it, in the pit of her stomach she was scared to death. Her body shook as fresh tears paraded down her face. She couldn't deny it, she felt so incredibly vulnerable without Inuyasha there. She could die right now, and he couldn't protect her anymore.
She shook her head as if accepting those facts. She set her weapons down in the dirt and slid down the tree to sit on the ground. She wiped at her eyes once more before attempting to find peace in unconsciousness. So what if Inuyasha couldn't protect her. Maybe she was better off dead.
Once her mind was unscrambled and she could hear the forest more clearly, she picked up the sound of running water. It was strong, like a waterfall. She secretly hoped that she hadn't ventured near Koga's den. If he even thought that he caught her scent, he would come find her and never let her go off on her own. And he'd try to kill Inuyasha, no doubt.
Still, she put that worry aside. She didn't sense the jewel shards in Koga's legs anywhere, so she knew she was safe. Safe from rescuing, she inwardly scoffed, knowing that she wasn't safe from any demons waiting to take her shards or eat her flesh.
--
The bright sunbeams cast down into the forest early that morning. Kagome stirred quietly on the ground, her sore eyes aching from the intense light.
"Ow," she complained as she stood up and became aware of how stiff her body was from sleeping so awkwardly. She looked to her left and her right. She might as well see if she could recognize anything now that it was daytime, but she still hadn't a clue. All forests looked the same to her.
To her relief, she also noticed that Inuyasha hadn't found her. Yet. If she stayed there, he was sure to track her down. She had to get a move on. She picked up her sack of arrows and her bow, taking a moment to stretch and rustle her hair. It'd be nice to wash up before I leave. Who knows when I'll find water next, so I'll have to try to hunt down that waterfall.
Kagome walked towards the sound of running water. She guessed it was coming a little northeast from where she was standing, but her hearing was nothing compared to…Inuyasha's. "Ugh, I wish he'd stop coming into my thoughts!"
She frowned. "Well, I'm only a mortal, so at least the water can't be far if even I can hear it so clearly." She continued to make her way down a path in the forest. It looked as if few had traveled on it before. She found no trace of footprints or broken branches.
Though the waterfall couldn't be too far away, it was still too far for Kagome's liking. She couldn't find where it was at, let alone the stream it was pouring into. With her luck, she was probably going too far off course. She just wanted to hurry up and find it, get a drink and wash up, then set out to find the well.
"Ow! Grr…Ouch…" she mumbled to herself as she tried to watch where she was walking. She set her gaze down at her shoes to make certain she wouldn't trip and fall…again.
Kagome swatted branches away and tugged at the brush while she stepped over obstacles on the ground. She was so focused on trying to walk without falling that she hadn't even noticed the sound of water getting louder. Or the presence of the tainted jewel shards ahead. Her brown eyes glanced ahead of her as she parted some tree branches. She gasped when she saw that she was out of the path and into a clearing.
She froze in her tracks. Someone else was at the waterfall, and this is when she noticed the impure shards, not to mention the enormous halberd resting against a rock. The stranger was washing his face in the stream when he noticed the girl.
"Huh?" He turned his head towards her, water droplets surrounding his face and the prisms gleaming around him. His eyes sparkled and dazzled in contrast, their deep blue color locking with Kagome's eyes.
He stood up and smirked, walking casually over towards her. "Heeey, lookey here. There's a beautiful young lady in my presence! Well I'm Bankotsu, leader of the Band of Seven. " He seemed to be merely walking over…that is, until he swiftly grabbed his Banryu along the way.
Kagome gasped and took a few steps back. If she turned and ran, she wouldn't be able to dodge him if he attacked. If she drew her bow and arrows, well, he looked much quicker than she. Oh how she wished this was Koga's waterfall now.
The man smiled unusually warmly. A deep metal sound occurred when he pointed his halberd directly at her chest. "Say now, you've got some sacred jewel shards, don't you? I'm afraid I'll have to take those," he said, almost sounding as if he were scolding her for having them.
The girl winced with uncertainty as she hesitantly reached over her shoulder and grabbed an arrow. She drew it back with the string of the bow and pointed it threateningly towards Bankotsu. A slight wind picked up, blowing his long braid away from his back. He cocked his head upward slightly and smirked. "My, you're a feisty little one, aren't you?"
She frowned with fear. She had to try, and she knew that. She let the arrow fly through the air with precision, whistling on the breeze and sparkling with her spiritual powers. It grazed Bankotsu's arm, though the power behind it made the wound bigger and threw him off his feet.
He stabbed his Banryu into the ground and used it to fling himself upward, landing on his feet once more. Within a flash he was gone from that spot, now directly behind Kagome, halberd to her throat.
Though his voice was misleadingly playful and a smile was on his face, his words were like daggers. "Hey now, wench," he growled with frustration, grabbing a fist full of Kagome's hair in his free hand and yanking her head upward. "That was pretty rude of you. I was gonna try to be nice and make this painless, but now I'm not so sure that I want to do that anymore."
She shivered from his threats and decided that if fighting couldn't work, maybe begging would. "Y-you'd kill a woman?" she breathed, eyes wide as she took in the sight of the gargantuan Banryu pressed against her neck.
Bankotsu was silent for a moment before he erupted with laughter. "Oh, and you're so funny, too! You've never heard of the Band of Seven? I'm a mercenary! Men, women, children. Hell, I kill 'em all. I simply kill for the pleasure it brings me." His voice got deeper towards the end of his sentence, and Kagome could just hear his smile grow.
"Well, it 's been real. Thanks for the jewel shards." He drew his halberd away from her throat, then swung it back towards the same spot. She screamed in terror, making the experience all the more enjoyable for him. But right as his blade was about to make contact with her skin, Bankotsu's powerful arm stopped it in mid-swing.
Kagome peaked an eye open and turned her head upward to see what Bankotsu was doing. He was looking up at the sky where one of Naraku's poisonous insects was giving him a message. He seemed to frown at whatever it was saying.
"Ah, are you kidding?" he pulled Kagome off of the ground by her hair, looking her up and down. "This is enough to lure Inuyasha to us?" He let out an angry scowl and raised his voice. "Fine! Whatever. I guess for now I cannot disobey Naraku's wishes, for he let me keep all these jewel shards."
That's when something snapped in Kagome. Inuyasha. With his nose, maybe he was close by. Maybe even close enough to hear her if he'd been tracking her down. "INUYA-" she began as loud as she could, but a hand clamped over her mouth suddenly.
"Hey now, we can't have that happening just yet. You're coming with me for now." He gave a small snicker and began to drag her by her wrists.
"No! Why should I go with you? Hey, answer me, you!" She fought and struggled, but he was definitely stronger than she could ever hope to defeat. She even tried to stay planted to the ground, but he continued to pull her without effort.
Bankotsu's face was very plain. He didn't look at all amused, simply bored and maybe a bit annoyed. "You ask too many questions. Don't you stop talking?"
Kagome growled. "Well if you're dragging me somewhere against my will, I would think you could at least explain where we're going or what you plan on doing!"
He sighed. "Is that the only way to shut you up, girl? Fine. I'm taking you back with me to meet up with the others from the Band of Seven. That's when you can cry for your little Inuyasha all you want. But I can't let you do that now, cause as you can see, we aren't united yet. You're simply bait."
The girl's eyebrow twitched. "Oh, so for him I'm just a clone, and for you I'm just bait!"
Bankotsu glanced over his shoulder with a curious look on his face. He smirked. "What? What's that mean?" He pulled her arm roughly so that she stumbled into a walk beside him.
Embarrassed that she'd let her thoughts slip into words, she tried to yank her wrist out of his grasp again. He distractedly let her frail hand slip from his. Her face angry, she breathed in deeply. "INUYASHA, IN-"
"Hey!" Bankotsu barked, spiraling around and knocking her yards away with his Banryu. He was over to where she lay quicker than she could pick her head up. He swung his weapon down and stopped it right at her throat. "I'm in charge here, wench, and I said don't do that. I can just kill you and drag your dead corpse along the forest if we really need your scent that bad! I suggest that you stay silent, unless you want to die young."
Kagome's eyes quivered at the sight of the Banryu at her neck again. It was the biggest and most intimidating weapon she'd ever seen, and Bankotsu had made her abandon her weapons by the waterfall. When she looked into his eyes and saw the black light radiating from the jewel shards in his throat, she knew that he was completely content with carrying this threat out.
"Get up," he ordered in a low voice, never moving his stance. She stay frozen in the dirt, only her eyes moving.
"I…I can't," she mumbled.
"What? Why not!" Bankotsu yelled, his temper flaring. He glared down at her, ready to kill her in that very second. His grip on the handle tightened.
"Because you actually have to move your halberd first," she breathed, noticing the glisten that only a true murderer's eyes held.
He blinked, his face contenting. He stepped back and slung his weapon onto his right shoulder. Laughing merrily, he said, "Oh right, my Banryu! Of course. Here."
Kagome focused her eyes on the hand that he'd extended out towards her. If she took it, would he just fling her across the forest? Would he kill her right here and now? Technically it would benefit him if she were alive, but it wasn't absolutely necessary. Still, not wanting him to be angered, she took the offer for a hand up.
"Good girl," he growled, closing his eyes and flashing his smirk. "Say, I never did catch the name of my little hostage here. So what is it?"
"Kagome," she mumbled quietly.
"Oooh, Kagome, huh? Well, are you gonna walk fine on your own, or do I have to carry you like my Banryu?" he asked, tapping the halberd to his shoulder. "And you know, I'd rather not hold hands for so long this early in the relationship. I mean, I just learned your name, after all."
The priestess frowned and a bit of pink ran across her cheeks. Oh, what a jerk. One second he's trying to kill me, the next he's joking around. "I'll walk fine," she sighed, looking at the ground.
Bankotsu sighed with relief. "Good, that makes things a lot easier. Otherwise I'd either have to drag you or carry you. Or chop one of your legs off so you couldn't run away if I let you walk alone." His tone was joking and he was smiling, but his eyes were very serious.
Kagome stared nervously. "Uh…huh…" She breathed, glancing at his Banryu again. She wished she had never confronted Inuyasha. Then she would be safe at camp, eating breakfast by the fire with all of her friends.
--
"Aw come on now, don't give me that look. It's not like I'm the one making the orders here, I'm just doing what this Naraku fellow wants. He seems to have some problem with that Inuyasha character."
Kagome was walking a few strides slower than Bankotsu, who would occasionally stop and turn to face her with a questioning glance. He rolled his eyes and groaned, facing forward again. "Fine, be that way. Don't ask for any sympathy when the others start to pester you."
She blinked. Maybe if she tried to at least make acquaintances with this evil violent mercenary, he would maybe possibly save her from any harm. Right. Still, it was better than him killing her himself.
"W-what do you mean?" Kagome asked, speaking for the first time since they'd been walking for two hours. She noticed that Bankotsu's face lightened up just a bit when the silence was broken, but his expression remained the same.
"Well, lets see here… To start off, I already know that Mukotsu will try to abduct you when we aren't looking. He'll attempt to make off with you and have you as his bride." He began walking again.
The girl's eyes widened. "What? Why would he want to do that, he doesn't even know me!"
Bankotsu laughed coldly. "Oh, he doesn't care. He's a desperate one. Anyways, Jakotsu will hate you. No doubt he'll be very rude. He doesn't like women, you see."
She sighed. "That's great. So far one wants to marry me and one hates me."
He continued, "Suikotsu will probably just want to kill you. He really doesn't like anyone at all. Kykotsu will want to eat you, he likes to feast on humans. Quite the cannibal, that one."
Kagome's expression deepened with disgust with each passing member. "Oh my god. I'll be dead before Inuyasha even has a chance of knowing I'm there!"
Bankotsu chuckled. "Anyways, Renkotsu is an odd one, it's hard to predict what he'll think. I bet my soul he'll try to get your jewel shards. You see, he's funny that way. Always thinking of the logical thing to do instead of being distracted at the fact that you're a women."
The girl dropped her head. If he wanted the jewel shards, he'd probably want to kill her for them as well. "Okay…that's five."
Bankotsu slanted his mouth as he looked up at the sky, thinking. "Oh right, right. Ginkotsu. He really doesn't care about people much. He probably won't think anything of you. Still, they'll all ask me before taking any kind of action when it comes to harming you."
Kagome's eyes fluttered up from the ground. She looked at him, but since she had decided to walk behind him, she couldn't see his expression. She damned that decision now. "Well what about you, what are you thinking of doing? Murdering me before we even get there so they don't get the chance to have all the fun?"
Bankotsu turned around and snickered, his eyes gleaming.
The priestess stopped walking as well. Oh God. That was a, "Hey! Good job, you figured out the plan!' snicker, wasn't it? She suddenly felt sick to her stomach.
Bankotsu stopped laughing and gripped the handle of his Banryu. "Nah, I'm afraid I can't really do that. I'd be going against Naraku's orders. I guess it kinda sucks that I'm a mercenary in this case, though."
Kagome blinked. "Why's that?"
"Cause! If I weren't, I would have a problem with killing a pretty girl such as yourself. But alas, I can kill anything now without hesitation." He sighed and turned around, shrugging his shoulders offhandedly.
She gave a small gasp at what he'd said. He didn't care, he would kill her no matter what. She was going to die at the hands of the Band of Seven, and most likely their leader at that.
Bankotsu could practically feel the depression oozing out of her. "Aw, come on. I already told you that I can't kill you yet!"
"Yeah, yet," she huffed, tears dampening her eyes. She crossed her arms and stared at the oh-so-fascinating ground. Bankotsu glanced over his shoulder and saw her begin to cry. He rolled his eyes and sighed, looking forward again. Geez, why were women so emotional. All humans have to die some way, couldn't she be happy with the honor of dying by the head of the Band of Seven?
--
The pair had decided…well, rather, Bankotsu had decided to finally find a place to stop and rest for the night. No doubt Kagome would go to sleep, but the mercenary knew that he couldn't. He'd have to watch her through the night, making sure that she didn't try to make her escape.
He slid his Banryu into the ground and sat down beside it, leaning against a broken tree. He sighed contently and slipped his hands behind his head, closing his eyes.
Kagome hesitated, eyeing the mercenary up and down. If she got too close, though she didn't even like being as close as she was now, he might get mad and kill her. If she lingered on the trail like this, he might get the idea that she was trying to run.
"You don't have to be so hesitant. I've already told you a billion times that I won't kill you. Look, my Banryu's not even in my hand." His eyes were still closed and his face carefree.
Kagome inched her way over to the fallen tree. "I really don't think you need that to kill me. Besides, all you have to do is grab it. I've seen how quick you are." She sat down and leaned against the tree as well, her eyes still glaring at Bankotsu.
He smirked. "True, very true. But like I said, I won't , okay? So just relax. You'll need it for when we meet up with my 'brothers.'"
The girl looked at him. She couldn't tell what it was about him, but he seemed so…different, so weird. He could be really civil and almost nice at times, his voice would be gentle and he seemed at ease. But sometimes his words were horrible and the calmness was just a cruel mask, a joke. He could do anything at any given moment, his mood had no input.
Hours passed by and the night grew deeper. Kagome still couldn't sleep while knowing that her kidnapper was right there, his huge halberd within an arm's length. What if he went back on his word? It looked as if Bankotsu was sleeping softly, his face was so peaceful. She stared at him a moment longer. He really was handsome, she especially found his eyes drawing her attention. Shaking her head, she rose from her spot on the ground.
She walked off a little ways until she couldn't see the dark figure of the fallen tree in the night. But she was only alone for fifteen seconds before a cold and eerie voice was right behind her, something cool touching her now bare back.
"You promised me you wouldn't try to run. Now, now, if you go back on your word, who's to say I can't go back on my word of not killing you?" Bankotsu asked, his voice low and serious, his weapon against her.
Kagome shrieked as she turned around, her arms hugging her shirt up to her chest. Even in the darkness, she could see Bankotsu's face change. His eyes grew the size of tennis balls and his mouth hung open. He blushed slightly.
The girl's face was redder than Inuyasha's kimono, and she didn't think twice about yelling at him. "You idiot! I wasn't trying to run away, I was checking my chest for bruises! When you slammed your Banryu at me earlier, I felt like I even broke a rib. You perv, you perv, you PERV! Go away!"
Bankotsu was stunned to the spot for a moment longer before Kagome chased him away. He jogged back to the fallen tree, a huge grin on his face. He found this quite funny, actually. He'd almost even dropped his Banryu back there when he saw her.
Kagome returned a few moments later, her face completely shrouded in embarrassment and a bit of anger. She plopped down a few feet away from Bankotsu and scooted further away once she was seated. She crossed her arms and gave him a death glare.
"Hey, calm down! Don't worry, I didn't see anything. By the time you turned around, your shirt was covering you. Plus it's dark out. So calm down, okay? Next time try not to sneak off like that."
"Oh, what, was I supposed to just pull my shirt off right here in front of you?" She growled, suddenly being forced to look at the ground.
"Well if you'd have done it silently enough, I would've never known, now would I? You didn't think I'd know you were leaving?"
Kagome sighed. "Come on, you could've opened your eyes at any given time. How awkward would that have looked?!"
"Um, about as awkward as it just did back in the woods?"
She sent another hard glare. He gave another of his devious smirks.
"Ah, don't worry, Kagome. I liked what I saw!" He erupted with laughter as her face grew redder than a rose. She wanted to yell at him, to call him every name in the book and slap his face. But she couldn't. He'd most likely kill her.
Bankotsu sighed and leaned against the tree again, closing his eyes. But this time, his face was very animated. He was still grinning and he peaked an eye open just to get another look at Kagome's horrified face. "Listen, just go to sleep. And tomorrow we can pretend like this was all one big dream!"
"A dream?" she seethed, clenching her fists. "This wouldn't be a dream for me, I think you mean a nightmare."
Bankotsu frowned. "Well, it would have to be your dream. Cause you see, this is no dream of mine. My dream would've had a few changes back there. And what kind of dream? Hm, I think you'd rather me save you the embarrassment and not say." He gave a wink and wagged his eyebrows.
Kagome couldn't even bring herself to say anything. She knew it'd only make her situation worse. But at least he seemed to be enjoying himself. Seemed. Maybe he would feel worse about the idea of killing her. Probably not.
--
"Hey Kagome, wake up. Come on, we're leaving." Bankotsu reclaimed his Banryu from the earth and held it up towards the sky, noticing the way that the brilliant metal sparkled.
Kagome's eye twitched. She didn't like the idea of being awakened to seeing the leader of the Band of Seven winging his halberd around in the air above her. He noticed that she'd finally woken up and he kneeled down, looking at her curiously. Still, he didn't say anything, he only offered her a hand up like he did last time.
"Erm, thanks…" Kagome muttered shyly. Had he gotten nicer? Even when he was about to kill her at the waterfall, he seemed friendly. She just could never tell with this one.
"We should meet up with the other six by nightfall if we keep a steady pace, so lets get going."
Kagome looked at Bankotsu's face. He raised an eyebrow and set his mouth in a straight line. "What?"
Kagome blinked and looked away, embarrassed at being caught staring at him. "Nothing, it's just…you look really tired. Did you sleep at all last night?"
The mercenary snorted. "No, I couldn't go to sleep. I had to watch this hostage girl. Quite the hassle, you know." He slung his weapon onto his shoulder and began to walk down the trail once more.
The girl jogged to catch up with him. "Hey, I said I wouldn't leave, already! Why won't you believe me?"
He turned around, his eyebrows raised. "Why is it that you won't believe that I won't kill you? I'll start trusting you more with things you say when you stop walking on eggshells around me. It's annoying."
Kagome stiffened. How could he expect her to do that?
Bankotsu groaned. "Come on! Why can't you just believe that I won't kill you?"
"How can I? You've already told me that you're a mercenary and the leader of the Band of Seven. You said that you won't hesitate to kill me."
He sighed. "So suppose I lied? Maybe I would feel kinda bad about killing that pretty face, huh?"
Kagome looked taken aback. She was waiting for him to laugh, to say he was just kidding and he planned on killing her by nightfall. But he continued to walk down the path, waiting for her response.
"Really? Are you messing with me? …Is this because you almost saw my boobs?"
Bankotsu swung around. "I didn't see your boobs! And I'm not joking. For the last time, I won't kill you, okay? You're the only human besides my comrades that I don't completely hate."
Was that a strange Bankotsu compliment? Kagome smiled at the thought.
"Woah, that's the first time I've ever seen you smile. And it looks great on you, too. You should try it more often. Oh, speaking of which, you looked real upset when I first saw you back at the waterfall. Why were you wandering around in the first place?"
Kagome stopped smiling. Could she trust Bankotsu? He was a brutal killer, someone with a tainted heart and no mercy. Just look at the dark glow around the jewel shards. Still, she felt as though she could tell him. This felt less and less like a kidnapping by the hour. She told him the story of how she wasted a year loving Inuyasha, how he continued to hurt her. How he eventually had driven her away.
"And then to top it all off, I get abducted by a killer. Isn't my life great?" she added sarcastically, looking accusingly at Bankotsu.
He ignored that last comment. "Ah, so it seems now I have my own reason for killing this Inuyasha person besides mere orders. Excellent!"
Kagome looked up at him questioningly. "What's that?"
"He hurt that pretty face, that pretty face that even I don't think I could hurt."
The priestess stopped in her tracks. Bankotsu noticed her pause and he turned around curiously. He saw her eyes drop to the ground and he noticed her face growing slightly pinker. "What's with you, something I said?"
She glanced up at him for a moment. "It's…You really won't kill me, will you? Though you've already hurt me once, thanks. You nearly broke me in half with your Banryu!"
Bankotsu felt satisfied when he knew that she finally accepted his promise. But he frowned and walked over towards her when he heard the last part that she'd said. "Yeah, about that. Before I was just after your jewel shards. But I've gotten to know you a little better, and there's just something about you. I don't think I could kill you, and I have to admit, it pisses me off. Though you hurt me too!" He held up the arm she shot with an arrow.
Nonetheless, he grabbed Kagome's hand with his free one. "Sorry that I hurt you…and nearly killed you." He laughed, smiling slightly. Kagome rolled her eyes but smirked as well.
He dropped her hand and turned around. "Now lets get going. I want to hurry and meet up with the other six as soon as possible"
Kagome was still looking at the hand that he had held, her eyes sparkling. She shook her head and began to follow him once more, this time walking directly beside him. "Oh great. I bet that'll be fun."
Bankotsu seemed a bit offended by what she'd said. "Huh? Why don't you wanna meet the others? You got something against mercenaries?"
The girl scoffed. "You've already told me that just about all of them are going to want to kill me! I'm not really anxious to go be held captive."
The man smiled and began to laugh. "Oh right, that. Well don't worry, they're just a little weird is all. They won't do anything without my command, though, so you're pretty much safe. Try not to think of it as being held against your will, think of it as…a visit!"
Kagome snorted and crossed her arms. "A visit? I'm going to visit a band of ruthless mercenaries who're all dying to kill me, and we're all going to sit and wait for Inuyasha to come so you can kill him as well?"
"Okay then, if you find it that hard to think of it as a visit, I can make you think of it as a vacation," he smiled with self satisfaction, glancing down at Kagome.
She raised an eyebrow and looked up at him, meeting his gaze. She didn't quite get what he meant.
"A vacation?" she repeated, still holding the eye contact.
"Well sure! I can make all your problems go away, make you feel better than you've ever felt in your entire life. Afterwards you'll probably feel quite…refreshed." He gave a lustful half smile.
Kagome's eyes widened when she understood what he meant, and she looked away embarrassingly. Why did she always have to ask? "I told you that you're a perv."
But Bankotsu extended his hand out and put it under her chin, tilting her head towards him again. "Hey!" He was going to have a smart comeback, he was going to laugh and joke like he always did. But her eyes…they just killed him. He couldn't stop himself.
Kagome was suddenly frozen, and she knew what was about to happen. Though, for some reason unbeknownst to her, she didn't try to stop it. Bankotsu stepped closer to her and bent his head down, kissing her gently. And to both of their surprise, she kissed back. They remained that way for a moment before the mercenary stepped back, grinning cockily.
The priestess was out of breath, staring at the man before her. She'd thought since the day that she first saw him that he was extremely handsome. The way his raven bangs fell around the unique diamond marking in his forehead, his amazing eyes that were always so beautiful. But she'd never expect that this man, the mercenary who had almost killed her and was dragging her back to his band of followers, would kiss her like that.
She was probably going to hate herself for this later, but it was as if she had no control over her actions. She put her hands against his chest and leaned up towards him, capturing his lips in her own. She could feel him smile in the kiss, which was far more passionate than the earlier peck.
Bankotsu dropped his halberd and wrapped his arms around Kagome's waist. Oh how he was enjoying this. He wasn't lying when he said he could never hurt her, not even the very first time he'd uttered it. He kissed her back, running his tongue across her bottom lip. She opened her mouth instantly, allowing him access to her own tongue.
Suddenly Kagome pulled back, looking sharply to her right. Bankotsu frowned at first, thinking maybe he'd moved too fast for her taste. But he soon realized that it was something else. "I sense the sacred jewel shard. There's…there's so many!"
The mercenary swiped up his Banryu and pointed it towards the forest where Kagome was looking, his left arm still wrapped around her waist. He was quiet for a moment, though, for he thought he heard a familiar sound. He smiled and lowered his weapon, letting go of Kagome and walking forward.
"Ah! So they've found us, and far before nightfall. Well this is very convenient!"
The girl walked up towards Bankotsu, not sure of what to expect. "Bankotsu?" she asked, looking a bit fearful. He glanced down at her and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Big brother!" a male's voice shouted from afar. Kagome could now hear the sound of machinery clinking across the forest floor. She narrowed her eyes to try to see who was coming their way.
A giant tank-like creature was coming towards the two. On the left side of this creature was a very odd looking male. He wore a pink kimono that was tied up to reveal his left leg. He looked very feminine. On the right side of the tank was an extremely scary looking male with spiky hair and green markings on his face. He was wearing gloves with long claw-like razors on the edges. On the top of the mechanical being was the one who'd called out to Bankotsu. He had the most of the jewel shards out of the four that were coming.
The group made their way over rather quickly. Bankotsu greeted them all happily and sat down in the dirt, content with this very spot to rest. "Where are Mukotsu and Kyokotsu at?"
The one that was at the top of the tank jumped down. "Those insects told us of a wolf with some shards of the shikon jewel around this area. We sent those two to deal with him, though I'm sure Mukotsu will be upset that he isn't here at this moment," he commented, looking at Kagome.
Bankotsu frowned slightly. "Yes, I know. Though she's off limits, you all hear that? It's a direct order. If you pester with her, you pay the price." He swung his Banryu up in the air and spun it around like a pinwheel before stabbing it into the ground.
The four gulped. "Understood," they all sighed in unison. The feminine one was the next to jump down and throw in his two cents. "So what's the deal with this wench? Why are you bringing a woman around?"
Bankotsu sighed. "This wench is named Kagome, Inuyasha's mate as it would appear. If we have her, he'll track her down eventually and he'll be lured right to us, where we'll destroy him for Naraku."
"Hey!" Kagome shouted, glaring at the lot of them. "I am not a wench, okay? And I'm definitely not Inuyasha's mate, you got that? We aren't even friends anymore!"
The four gasped in shock as they stared at their leader, waiting for him to snap her neck in half. Bankotsu, however, remained silent. He closed his eyes for a moment and then glanced up at her with a smirk. "Ah, so you guys never mated? That's very… interesting to know." He almost sounded smug.
"Anyways," he continued, nodding towards the other four and closing his eyes once more. "That's Jakotsu over there in the pink. The big one in the middle is Ginkotsu, and on his right is Suikotsu. Then over there is Renkotsu. Men, as I've said, this here is Kagome."
They all remained silent, casting glares at her. Bankotsu opened one eye, glancing around at them. "Well gee, that sure isn't welcoming. You guys wouldn't want to have to answer to my companion, would you?"
The others muttered their greetings and fell back into silence. Jakotsu stepped forward and sat down in front of the leader, poking his forehead to get his attention. "Hey, why are you being so tolerant with that foolish wen…girl?"
Bankotsu opened his eyes again. "Hm? Oh, I'm actually rather fond of Kagome. That's why none of you are going to touch her, isn't that right?" They all nodded nervously. "Heh, good. That's a wise choice."
Bankotsu cast his gaze over to Kagome, who he noticed was smiling. "You know, you don't have to stand up. They're all at ease, they won't hurt you. Come rest a bit while we wait for that bastard Inuyasha. Man, you're so hesitant, I swear."
The priestess watched the other four as she took her seat next to the leader of the mercenaries. He sighed contently and rested his arm around her shoulders. "So tell me, men, how long has it been since Mukotsu and Kyokotsu have been gone looking for this wolf fellow?"
Suikotsu was the one to respond. "Hmm, they actually left several days ago. And Naraku said that the Koga person was close in range. You don't suppose…?"
Kagome gasped, her eyes trembling. Oh no, Koga! I hope he's okay, please don't tell me they killed him. The mercenaries all noticed the sudden change of expression that the girl took.
Bankotsu eyed her carefully. "Say now, you don't by any chance know this Koga, do ya?"
"Um…no," she lied, turning her head the other way.
The leader snorted. "That so. Well, I guess one of us should go look for them. Though I'm very iffy about leaving Kagome with any of you four. You know what, wait here. Kagome, you're coming with me to find my brothers and this Koga."
Aw crap. If Koga saw Kagome, he'd surely try to pick a fight with Bankotsu. And Bankotsu would discover that she was lying. She prayed that they just found his brothers alive so they could leave.
The two parted from the others of the Band of Seven. The silence was quite awkward, and the mercenary was the one to break it after an hour. "Oh yeah, I was wondering. What do you think about me?"
Kagome blinked, stunned by the question's randomness. "What do I think?"
"Yeah! Like before, you said that you thought I was an untrustworthy cold-blooded killer. You still feel that way? Is that all I am? …Oh, uh, just askin' by the way."
Kagome scratched the back of her head awkwardly. "Well that's because you kidnapped me and nearly killed me. But now I…" Her eyes were wavering as her heartbeat increased. She looked intensely at Bankotsu, and like a magnetic reaction, they drew near each other and were locked in another kiss. This time she tangled her hands in his hair and she was the one getting entrance into his mouth. They stood there making out for who knows how long, completely forgetting the task at hand.
A thud sounded as he again dropped his Banryu. He wrapped his arms around Kagome's back and lowered her softly to the ground, hovering atop of her. He left her lips and began to kiss her neck, making her squirm pleasurably beneath him.
"Bankotsu," she breathed, turning her head upward to reveal more of her neck. He made his way down to her collarbone, and that's when he started to nip. Kagome couldn't help but to sigh beneath him, breathing heavily and taking every ounce of her being not to moan. "Bankotsu!"
He loved it when she said his name like that. So desperate, so wanting. He smiled quite evilly, making his way back up to her mouth where he leaned forward to kiss her. She, however, bent up off of the ground to greedily capture his lips instead, her tongue instantly exploring his mouth.
She ran her hands across his chest, the coolness of his armor sending chills through her spine. Her hands found their way up to his shoulders and across their width, then down his back. "Ban…kotsu!" she uttered again, this time more loudly and pleadingly. She pulled her hands back up to his shoulders, leaving scratches along the part of his back that had no armor.
This urged him on. He loved it so much that he thought he was going to die. This was even better than killing. He ran his hand down her chest, along her stomach, and across her thigh. He was going to continue, he knew what to do. But that's when he heard someone call his name, and this time it wasn't Kagome.
"B-Bankotsu!" A shocked voice gasped from somewhere ahead of them in the trail. The mercenary snapped his head up and leaped off of the girl, pulling her up as well. She yanked her shirt back down, which Bankotsu had been running his hand under half the time, and attempted to fix her hair. Oh, how embarrassing.
Bankotsu was making for his Banryu when he suddenly recognized the voice and the figure. "Mukotsu?" he hissed, teeming with rage from being interrupted from something so pleasurable and desired.
He pointed his halberd at his brother angrily. "How dare you do something so disrespectful and rude as to invade my privacy like that! I should have your head for this, you little bastard!"
Mukotsu shook with fear, for he knew his brother's threats to be true. "I'm so sorry, older brother! I didn't know you were…" he trailed off, staring at Kagome. The fear washed from his face and was replaced with a dreadful smile. "Oh, and who is that delectable-"
Before anyone else could see, Bankotsu was over to Mukotsu in the blink of an eye. He smacked the ugly little man across the path with ease. "Can you not see that she is with me? The others have orders to leave her be, and that goes double for you. I don't even want to see you looking in her direction. Understood?"
Mukotsu sat up, rubbing his head. He gasped when he saw the Banryu swing to stop right in front of his face. "U-understood!" he peeped, scooting backwards.
Bankotsu sighed, shaking with anger. "And where is Kyokotsu?"
The other sighed, rubbing his injured arm. "He and I fought with the wolf, but the demon got the shard embedded in Kyokotsu's head. I was lucky enough to get away. The wolf is still lurking as well, however."
The leader sighed, his face clear with rage. Kagome smiled inwardly with relief. "Get back to the others and tell them I'll be on my way back. Follow this path and you will find them. Now!"
"Y-yes older brother!" Mukotsu cowered, running away from the scene. He snuck one last peak at Kagome before scurrying off to find the rest of the Band of Seven.
Once they were alone again, Bankotsu sighed and sunk to the earth. He held his face in his right hand. "Damn that fucking bastard to hell," he mumbled, punching the ground with his left fist. Kagome had never seen him so angry, not even when she'd made him mad at the waterfall two days ago. She cautiously kneeled down behind him and put her hands on his shoulders.
"Hey, don't be so mad. It's okay," she ensured, kissing the side of his neck. He turned around and took her hands, still too pissed to even look her in the eyes.
"But you don't know. He always ruins everything," he pouted, gritting his teeth together. Kagome reached up and brushed the bangs out of his eyes, causing him to look at her. God how she was a sucker for those orbs.
"You have such gorgeous eyes," she commented. "You shouldn't lessen their beauty with a petty emotion like anger." She ran her hand across his cheek, loving every second that she was here with him.
Bankotsu couldn't help but smile. He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly again. After a few moments, the two stood up. "We'd better get back to the others, I told them I'd return shortly."
--
Days surprisingly passed into weeks, and Inuyasha never showed up. No one quite knew why. Maybe it was because he knew Kagome was serious about her leaving words, or maybe he'd finally gone off with Kikyo. Either way, Kagome was glad he never came. Even if she didn't love him anymore, she didn't want to see him get killed.
Naraku let that plan fade and left the Band of Seven to do as they pleased for now, collecting jewel shards and such. Kagome stayed with them for a while until they all split up to get a wider range on the shards.
This suited her just fine, for she and Bankotsu got to be alone together everyday.
"I love you," Kagome huffed, lying on the forest floor. A pile of clothes and a pile of armor were scattered around the two.
"I love you too, Kagome. I always will," Bankotsu breathed back, kissing Kagome with the most passion he'd ever shown. "Are you sure you're ready for this…vacation?" he smirked, his eyes beaming.
"Yes, I'm ready," she half laughed, closing her eyes.
"Good. It'll be the most memorable and pleasurable vacation you'll ever take," he snickered confidentially.
They'd long since admitted their love for each other, but Kagome had been too shy to move any further past kissing. That is, until now. She was ready and willing, because she knew that Bankotsu was the only man she would ever love this way. This love was even stronger than that which she had had for Inuyasha. And she knew that Bankotsu felt the exact same way.
"And you know, I'd rather not hold hands for so long this early in the relationship. I mean, I just learned your name, after all."
"He hurt that pretty face, that pretty face that even I don't think I could hurt."
"So suppose I lied? Maybe I would feel kinda bad about killing that pretty face, huh?"
"Really? Are you messing with me? …Is this because you almost saw my boobs?"
"A vacation?"
"Well sure! I can make all your problems go away, make you feel better than you've ever felt in your entire life. Afterwards you'll probably feel quite…refreshed."
"You're the only human besides my comrades that I don't completely hate."
"Bankotsu!" she screamed after a while, when everything was nearing an end. Both were now exhausted, and he soon laid down beside her. He had honestly never felt so fortunate.
The mercenary smirked happily. He had claimed Kagome as his forever, and they would be together until the end of time. "God, Kagome, I love you so damn much. Heh, who'd of thought that I could love."
"I-I love you too, with all of my heart," she sighed happily, her hair plastered to her face with sweat. They kissed slowly beneath the moonlight. Then, they both whipped their heads around when they heard a noise in the woods. Bankotsu gave a fierce growl.
……
"DAMN IT, Mukotsu, get the fuck OUT of here!!"
-End.-