Unasked,
Kagome
Crawls
Into your lap
As you sit,
On guard,
Leaning
On your
Father's
Sword…
…
…
Her hair
Smolders
Dark in the
Light
Of Kaede's
Firepit
As she
Gently
Explores
Beneath
Your fire-rat
Hitoe
And white
Kosode-
Shirts that
Father left you-
Shirts
Suddenly
Too hot
For an early
Spring night
When the
Threat of frost
Hangs unspoken
In the air…
…
…
Pleased,
Startled,
Embarrassed
You watch
Kagome tug
At the knot
On your
Hakama,
trousers,
The one that
Holds them
Up-
She pauses,
Watching
Your face-
You catch
Her hands
In your
Taloned ones-
You don't
Want her
To stop,
But…
…
Kagome's face
Falls…
…
Tentatively,
You embrace her
There is no
Screaming,
No crying,
No disgust-
Just
The steady
Beat
Of Kagome's
Heart
Through her
Strange kimono
Against yours…
…
….eyes closed,
Your face
Against the
Top
Of her head,
Smelling her
Hair…
…
…to be so
Close…
…
…
So close…
…
…
To anyone…
…
Your eyes sting…
…
(…I never
Thought…)
…
…
Kagome
Snuggles
Into you,
Soft…
Warm…
…trusting…
…you want…
…to tell her…
…
…
…to tell her…
…
Smiling,
Kagome rests
A finger
On your
Lips,
"Please,
Be my
First?"
…
…
…it's wrong,
…not now,
…of all times…
…
…if we…
…
….what if she…
….what if she…
….what if she…
…
…hates me…
…
…after we…
…
You open
Your mouth
To say
Something,
Anything-
A loud
Hog's grunt
Escapes it-
Startled
You sit up,
Tessaiga,
Clattering
To the floor-
The echo
Of your own
Snore
Loud as
Thunder
In your ears-
You'd dozed
Off…
…
Kagome
Sleeps,
Oblivious-
Shippo sprawled
Innocently
Across her feet…
…
…
…Kirara opens
One red eye,
Stares at
You
From beside
Sango…
…
…
Miroku
Rolls over
Mumbling,
Breathing ragged,
Right hand
Twitching…
…
…
Kaede's
Soft
Old woman's
Snores
Purr
Unbroken…
…
…
You sit
Wide-eyed,
Sweating,
Butt pressed
Hard against
The floorboards
Of Kaede's
House,
Staring
Up at
Her ceiling
Where
Last year's
Daikon
Roots
Dangle,
The front
Of your
Hakama
Bulging…
…
…
Sweating,
You sidle
Three-legged
Out the
Door,
Father's
Sheathed sword
Across
One shoulder….
…
…
You step
Into a
Newly filled
Rice paddy,
Mud squelching
Through
Your toes,
And sit down
Shirtless
In the frigid,
Mountain
Runoff,
Tessaiga cradled
In your arms,
Eyes on
Kaede's
House
Where
Kagome
Sleeps…
…
…
Unmolested.