I'm bored. I moved the tip of my finger over the cold surface of the glass. I looked through the curvy lines that I made and saw the snow as it continued to fall outside. What good was a white Christmas if I couldn't enjoy it?
Cough Cough Sniffle
I turned and walked back to the box of tissues that were on my night stand. I pulled out two to blow my nose with.
Cough Cough Cough
I covered my mouth instead and sat down when my head began to pound. I folded the tissues and blew my nose four times. I shook as the cold started to make it's way up my body through my feet. I pulled them up into bed as I laid down and covered up with the blanket I have used every winter for as long as I could remember.
I reached around the lamp for the bottle of cold medicine that I had steadily been drinking from since I woke up feeling like I used up rag. Sesshomaru was being kind and stayed with me last night when the shivers started, but his body heat didn't do anything to fend off the cold that I had already gotten.
Cough Cough
I told him to leave after we had breakfast together. He was suppose to be home helping to organize the move. The battles were getting closer and I wanted our mating ceremony to go on as we planed in almost a year and half's time from now, on my twentieth birthday.
We were two days too late to be here in time to cut the Christmas Cake and now I wasn't even helping Mama clean the house for New Years. Most homes did it on New Year's, but since we also had a temple to take of we did it as close to the New Year's as we could, when we found we had the time.
For some reason she shooed me out of the house. "To have some fun in the snow," she said. I was already too old for snowball fights. Well, I felt too old for snowball fights, but I went along anyway to just see Rin play really. Rin, Shippo, Inuyasha and Miroku wanted to go out and play and Rin, with my Mama's help, talked me into it. Sesshomaru came because I went. If I had known what would have happened I would have stayed home with Sesshomaru and help Mama clean instead.
We walked hand in hand as we watched the others as they ran around hiding and starting to throw quickly made snowballs at each other. I stood and watched them for a while as Inuyasha and Miroku, who he had mated with almost two years before, as they ran circles around Rin who was now nearing the end of her twelfth year. Shippo, who was now as tall as Inuyasha, protected her as much as he could before they could build up a way to fight the two demons who were being sneaky and hid in the trees.
I felt my toes as they started to get cold from standing in the snow for so long. Sesshomaru realized this and pulled me onto the stone path that lead us under the eves of the temple. He lead me up the steps to a bench that grandpa had put in this year for some of the older temple goes who had complained about not having somewhere to sit, where they weren't being walked over. He wasn't even going to provide them until Mama talked him into it.
Now Sesshomaru pulled me down to sit in his lap. As I sat on his thighs I looped my arms around his neck thinking that I had gotten really use to doing this.
I have gotten use to this also, he said as I kissed his forehead.
Thank you for staying the night but you should go back home and help with the move, I told him as I looked into his eyes.
I left Katsu-taichou and Masumi-sama with very good instructions. I will be returning in the morning. They can be without me for a few hours. I bent down and kissed his warm lips. Before I could pull away I heard a surprised squeal that sounded like it came from Rin. I turned and stood to see where she was now.
As I looked around I didn't see her. I didn't Shippo or the guys either. "Sesshomaru," I called out loud to him as I moved further away looking for anyone.
I can still smell them love. They are not that far away, he told me.
But is Rin ok? I asked him as I now neared the tree line.
Shippo will protect her, he told me. I stood still instead of walking into the trees.
You're right, I told him as I stood there looking into the darkness that was being cast by the many trees on the edge of our land. The sun had also long ago set, providing a deeper, darker layer of black to the forest of trees. As much as I believed him I couldn't stop from worrying.
I will find her, Sesshomaru said as he walked up behind of me. I felt his hands on my shoulders before he moved past me and into the dark group of trees. I wasn't even sure how far they went. Mama always told me never to go in there, and I never did. At first I was just too scared from all the stories grandpa told me. Then when I was older, I didn't think about it and had no reason to go in. I'm sure Sota already knew all about this part of the temple grounds.
I walked back to the bench and sat down as I waited for them to return. The cold was traveling up my legs and I didn't think to go back inside. I stood and walked back and forth for a while, and as a strong wind picked up I felt my body heat, what little of it I had left, as it was pulled out of me. I rubbed my arms as I thought of waiting inside the building for them to return.
It must have been almost an hour later when my fingers started to hurt and I realized that beside the pain I didn't really feel them anymore. I looked back at the house and shivered as I saw the snow. I walked into the temple and waited for Sesshomaru to come back to me.
* . * . *
Kagome.
I was cold and pulled my jacket closer to me.
"Kagome," I heard a voice say louder. I opened my eyes and I saw white long hair framing the face I was waiting to see.
So cold, I told Sesshomaru as I reached out for him. He lifted me up from the floor and I started to shake in his arms as the cold in my body fought with the heat from his. Later as I stood in a hot shower with Sesshomaru he told me what had happened.
Shippo did indeed take care of Rin. Miroku and Inuyasha were having a snowball fight that they seemed to have gotten caught up in. Every time they moved to a safe place they would end back up in the middle of it. After a while they started to fight back before Rin made it known that she was cold and wanted to head back to the house. This was the moment that I found them.
He told me how she had cried ever so slightly that it wasn't fair that she wasn't a demon too. I smiled and held him closer. I was just happy that she was ok, Sesshomaru was back and I was once again warm. It was as I was drying my hair that I started to cough and sneeze. Sesshomaru pulled me into bed with him and there is where I fell asleep. When I woke up he was still there holding me close. I turned to look at the clock just as I coughed. It was ten thirty two. He never went home.
Sesshomaru, I said as I reached out with one hand to touch his face. Those golden irises of his looked at me with a small amount of concern and a lot more love.
Yes Kagome? he asked. I covered my mouth with my other hand as I coughed.
You stayed, I told him.
Yes, I stayed. There was no reason for me to leave. I will go back in the morning, he told me as he pulled me closer and kissed my forehead. I felt that he wanted to kiss my lips, but I had them covered with my hand from the last time I coughed.
I love you, I told him as rested my face against his chest. I quickly fell back to sleep as I felt his love trying to warm me all over again as the chills started to take over my skin.
The morning came and I opened my eyes to see Mama giving Sesshomaru some medicine along with a tray of food. Mama looked over at me but only smiled before she stepped out of the room and closed the door. I sat up and immediately started coughing. Sesshomaru stood still until my fit was over. He then placed the tray on my desk and walked over with a measuring cup and the bottle of medicine. I saw that he was fully dressed in one of the new outfits that he had made for Sango and Kouga's mating last year. It wasn't drastically different from what he normally wore, it was just a little more red and the flowers were in a different place.
Your mother said three hundred milliliters, he said sounding a bit confused, if he could sound confused at all. I took both things from him and measured out the dark blue liquid. As I downed it in one go I squinted my eyes as I felt the burn go down my chest. When I opened them again I saw that he had already placed the chair in front of the bed and the food was on the chair. There was miso soup, rice and fried eggs on oatmeal.
I felt hungry but at the same time it was hard to tell my body to move again. It wasn't that hard to take the medicine from Sesshomaru, so why can't I reach out for my breakfast? I ended up not having to. Sesshomaru feed me the oatmeal and eggs first. I had half of the miso soup and the rice before I told him I couldn't eat anymore. He was putting everything back on the desk when I started to feel a headache starting to build.
Rest now, I heard him say as I felt him next to me pushing against my shoulders for me to lay down. I didn't fight him, I just held his hand as I closed my eyes to the pain and soon fell asleep again. When I woke up once more I was feeling better and I smiled as I saw Sesshomaru sitting at the foot of my bed, with my feet in his lap. His back was against the wall while he read a book that he seemed to have found an interest in.
Go home, I told him.
You are feeling better? he half asked.
Thanks to you, I told him as I sat up once again. I rubbed my feet together in the palm of his hand wishing that I wasn't still feeling sick and that we had brought one bottle of the formula with me. But I promised Mama that I wouldn't. Besides, I had learned over the years that we didn't need the formula to have fun with each other. He started to rub the sole of my left foot as I felt a cough starting to build. I covered my mouth and turned my face away from him.
Thank you for staying, but you can't help me anymore. I turned and looked at him. You have to go back to have a home ready for us to come back to, I told him as I tried to smile.
You will take your medicine before I leave, he told me as he started to get off the bed. I watched as he walked up to my side table and picked up the cup and small bottle medicine. He smoothly moved to sit behind my back as he handed them to me. I felt his heat in my shoulders as I opened the bottle and poured out the right amount and felt his tail around my waist as I started to swallow it.
I heard a deeper emotion from him when I felt his lips touch the back of my neck. Be well, he conveyed before pausing. I will be back after nightfall, he told me as he stood and slid his tail from around my body. I smiled up at him hoping he would kiss me knowing that he would hear me. He bent down and held my neck as his lips caught mine. I prayed that I wouldn't have the urge to cough or sneeze while we did this.
I'll see you at dinner, I told him when he pulled away. I hadn't coughed, or anything, much to my delight. He moved a thumb across my cheek before turning and leaving the room.
Now I laid in bed looking up at the ceiling as I wiped the tissue under my nose. I had gone down for lunch two hours ago, but I didn't stay because I didn't want to make anyone else sick. When I was on my way back up I saw Sota, Rin and Shippo running back outside. I made sure to tell them to wear a hood with the snow still falling outside. Mama and grandfather were hanging small electric lights around the doorways. Inuyasha and Miroku seem to have left for parts unknown I realized as I finished walking upstairs.
I looked around for something to occupy my time with, once I was in my room, and the only thing that caught my attention, oddly enough, was a textbook. I walked over to my bookshelf and pulled it out. To tell the truth it never really became a textbook for me. I held it at my side as I walked back to my bed where I crawled under the blanket and sat down with my back to the wall. I was suppose to take this class on ancient folk tales at Tokyo U during the summer, but I ended up spending this summer training with a priestess that Sesshomaru had found to help me straighten my abilities. I now wish that it had included how to fend off illnesses.
I opened the large red bound book and started from the beginning.
* . * . *
HOWL
I sat up with a start. I then heard a loud whine that got quieter and quieter coming from out in the hall way. The feeling of sleep came back to me when I realized what it was that woke me up. I looked out the window and saw an orange and red sky that told me that the sun was just about to set. I closed the book and moved it aside with my covers so I could get up and I walk out into the passageway.
"It's ok Mama," I said when I saw her starting to come up the stairs.
"Are you sure? No one is hurt?" she asked as she stopped half way up and held her hands.
"No Mama. No one is hurt, but I'll check to make sure," I told her as I turned to walk towards the bathroom door. When I got there I turned my face and smiled at her until she turned around and went back down.
Knock Knock Knock.
I heard shifting coming from inside. It sounded far more than what one person could make, and definitely more than one demon could make. I leaned against the wall as I heard mumbling and whispering going on from the other side of the door.
"Occupied," was what Miroku decided to say.
"I know it's occupied," I said quietly since I knew they would be able to hear me through the door.
"So we should keep it down?" Inuyasha ventured to ask me.
"I don't know if you can do that," I said as I remembered hearing them one day when I came home early and they were in the garden with the swing. I was amazed that I never found out. "I'm saying that you can't do it inside, and no. I don't feel bad about 'throwing you out'," I told them as I stood there now looking at the door.
Mumble, mumble, "she can't get any," mumble, mumble.
"That is not the reason," I said as I raised my voice a little higher. I clearly heard Inuyasha as he laughed from the other side of the door. At moments like this I still itched to say 'Sit', but today I had something better.
"You two should behave before I tell grandpa what you are up to," I threatened with a grin on my face that I knew they couldn't see. I then heard as Inuyasha was being gagged before I heard Miroku speak.
"Sorry for having disturbed you Kagome-sama," he said almost as formally as he could.
"Thank you Miroku-kun," I said before turning from the door. I thought about saying goodbye to Inuyasha, but the words failed to leave my mouth before I got to my room. I sat back down on my bed and lifted the book back into my lap. I check to see how far I had gotten before I fell asleep. Page twenty two. I didn't get that far at all. Most of the stories so far had been short ones and a few of them I had heard before I got the book. Like 'The Two Frogs' and 'Little Peachling'. The one I fell asleep reading was 'The Stonecutter'. I back tracked a bit and continued to read.
"Oh, if I were only a prince!' said the stone-cutter to himself, as the carriage vanished round the corner. 'Oh, if I were only a prince, and could go in such a carriage and have a golden umbrella held over me, how happy I should be!'
And the voice of the mountain spirit answered: 'Your wish is heard; a prince you shall be.'
And a prince he was. Before his carriage rode one company of men and another behind it; servants dressed in scarlet and gold bore him along, the coveted umbrella was held over his head, everything heart could desire was his. But yet it was not enough. He looked round still for something to wish for, and when he saw that in spite of the water he poured on his grass the rays of the sun scorched it, and that in spite of the umbrella held over his head each day his face grew browner and browner, he cried in his anger: 'The sun is mightier than I; oh, if I were only the sun!'
And the mountain spirit answered: 'Your wish is heard; the sun you shall be.'
And the sun he was, and felt himself proud in his power. He shot his beams above and below, on earth and in heaven; he burnt up the grass in the fields and scorched the faces of princes as well as of poorer folk. But in a short time he began to grow tired of his might, for there seemed nothing left for him to do. Discontent once more filled his soul, and when a cloud covered his face, and hid the earth from him, he cried in his anger: 'Does the cloud hold captive my rays, and is it mightier than I? Oh, that I were a cloud, and mightier than any!'
And the mountain spirit answered: 'Your wish is heard; a cloud you shall be!'
And a cloud he was, and lay between the sun and the earth. He caught the sun's beams and held them, and to his joy the earth grew green again and flowers blossomed. But that was not enough for him, and for days and weeks he poured forth rain till the rivers overflowed their banks, and the crops of rice stood in water. Towns and villages were destroyed by the power of the rain, only the great rock on the mountain side remained unmoved. The cloud was amazed at the sight, and cried in wonder: 'Is the rock, then, mightier than I? Oh, if I were only the rock!'
And the mountain spirit answered: 'Your wish is heard; the rock you shall be!""
Knock Knock
I looked up from the book to see my mom peeking around the door.
"Can I come in?" she asked.
"Sure Mama," I said as I looked at the page number again before closing the book and putting it aside. I'm pretty sure that I didn't have anymore "talks" to fear having with her. In fact most of the talks she had with me, I ended up telling her a few things that she didn't know and we just ended up making promises to each other. I smiled at her as she came into the room and closed the door.
She sat on the bed and I came closer to edge to have my feet touching the floor.
"How are you dear?" she asked as she raised a hand and touched my forehead.
"I'm getting better," I told her as I wiped the tissue, that never left my hand, under my nose.
"Well your fever seems to be gone, and you sound better," she said happily. "Grandpa has been cleaning out the temple all day and just came in demanding some buckwheat noodles," she said smiling.
"Have I missed the Kōhaku Uta Gassen yet?" I asked as I remembered thinking it was my one chance to see some of the songs that I had heard everyone else around me singing. Even grandpa had a tune in his head that he hummed without telling me who sung it when I asked.
"It's about to start which is why I came to check in on you," Mama answered.
"Ok," I said as I started to look around. I pushed the book further out of my way and reached for the box of tissues and the cold medicine next to it. I started to open the bottle when Mama stopped me.
"Take it after you have had something to eat," she told me. I nodded my head and she left the room just ahead of me.
* . * . *
I looked at the time on the cable box. It was 10:52pm and the show was just about finished. They were showing the end of the last song, but I wasn't in the mood to hear it. I hadn't been in the mood to hear the last four songs. I looked through the living room and into the kitchen. I barely took notice of all the shimmering decorations that hung around the rooms as I focused on our back door, for the umpteen time in the last thirty minutes, as I waited to see something that shouted Sesshomaru, but once again there was nothing.
I got up and turned off the tv before walking toward the door to look out and towards The Well hoping to see something. Grandfather and Sota had hung large lanterns around the shed housing The Well including the temple and the house I currently stood very warmly in. They glowed and flickered with an orange yellow kind of light and made the red paper of the lanterns look like they housed spirits. I thought that I saw movement, but as I continued to look I realized that it must have been some snow falling from the trees. I closed my eyes and rested my head against the window. I opened my mind like Sesshomaru had shown me and hoped for something. I just missed him so much.
Let me in please.
My eyes snapped open and I saw his gold ones looking at me. I looked at him for a moment to make sure that he was there before I did what he asked. The cold air slightly chilled my exposed skin and blew my hair back as I opened the door. I moved to stand behind it to let Sesshomaru enter and hide myself from the night air until I could close it out again.
He thought, I have missed you, as he walk into the kitchen. But said, Have you been well? As he reached his arms out towards me. As we spent more time together I've learned to tell the difference between both. I leaned into his embrace and rested my forehead on his chest as I moved one hand around his waist. His tail moved around my body as he held me to him.
I have recovered and I missed you too, I told him as I closed my eyes.
I will take you to bed now. If you are ready? Sesshomaru asked as I just stood in his embrace.
Yes, I'm ready, I told him. I felt his body tense, then almost as quickly relax.
Oka-san? He inquired. We hadn't mated yet, but he called Mama like she was already his.
She went to bed about an hour ago. I stayed up to wait for you, I confessed to him. He relaxed his hold on me and I looked up into his face. I was returning his gaze when I felt the back of his fingers as they moved down the side of my face and his fingers held my chin with his thumb just below my lower lip. I thought that he was going to kiss me, but he just continued to look at me.
It is cold here, Sesshomaru stated before the room flew by us and we were standing in the middle of my bedroom. I shivered a little and huddled into Sesshomaru's frame instantly. We both looked around and saw that the window was slightly open letting some of the winter air into the room. Sesshomaru left me as he moved to close it, but as he was pulling it in, a not so distant howl pierced the cold air. It had a different tone from the one earlier in the day, but I knew that it was either Inuyasha or Miroku that made the sound.
After that brief inquiring pause he closed the window and walked over to my chair where he started to undress and drape his clothing over it. The last thing to leave his body was of course the white briefs. They were the only things he asked for from this side of The Well.
I then watched as he moved towards me slowly and with purpose. I was already heated up from just watching him get undressed, so I didn't even think of objecting as he started to undress me now. My own garments received far less care as they were slowly pulled from my body and tossed onto the foot of my bed or the floor next to it.
As we stood naked facing each other, his tail moved up my right arm and slid around my neck before coming down my other arm. I felt the pull around my neck and moved closer to my love. I laid both my hands over the red markings that covered his hips as I continued to look up at him. His hands came to my face and I closed my eyes as I tilted my head backwards. He kissed my forehead, then above my left eye. His lips moved more to the left where he kissed the corner of my eye before moving lower down to my cheek.
I licked my lips and waited to feel his lips there also. He got closer as he kissed the side of my mouth but I felt him placing a kiss on my nose before rubbing it with his own.
Later, was his only explanation when I opened my eyes to look at him as he pulled away. Read to me, he stated as he held my hand and lead me to our bed. He sat down first and I blushed as I saw him sitting on my bed with his legs parted waiting for me to sit between them. I sat on the edge of the bed and slid backwards until I felt his heat against my back. He laid the blanket over us and handed me the book that I was reading earlier.
What story were you reading? Sesshomaru calmly asked me as I opened the book and looked for the page that I left off at.
The Stonecutter, I answered him.
That will do, he commented. I turned to look at him, but he just wrapped his arms around me and waited for me to start reading.
Do you want me to read out loud? I asked him.
Yes hatsukoi, he commented before kissing the side of my neck. A pure glow of love filled me and I mentally sank into him to feel even warmer until I opened my eyes and reached for the book to start reading again.
""And a cloud he was, and lay between the sun and the earth. He caught the sun's beams and held them, and to his joy the earth grew green again and flowers blossomed. But that was not enough for him, and for days and week he poured forth rain till the rivers overflowed their banks, and the crops of rice stood in water. Towns and villages were destroyed by the power of the rain, only the great rock on the mountainside remained unmoved. The cloud was amazed at the sight, and cried in wonder: "Is the rock, then, mightier than I? Oh, if I were only the rock!"
And the mountain spirit answered; "Your wish is heard; the rock you shall be!"
And the rock he was, and gloried in his power. Proudly he stood, and neither the heat of the sun nor the force of the rain could move him. "This is better than all!" he said to himself. But one day he heard a strange noise at his feet, and when he looked down to see what it could be, he saw a stone-cutter driving tools into his surface. Even while he looked a trembling feeling ran all through him, and a great block broke off and fell upon the ground. Then he cried in his wrath: "Is a mere child of earth mightier than a rock? Oh, if I were only a man!"
And the mountain spirit answered: "Your wish is heard. A man once more you shall be!"
And a man he was, and in the sweat of his brow he toiled again at his trade of stone-cutting. His bed was hard and his food scanty, but he had learned to be satisfied with it, and did not long to be something or somebody else. And as he never asked for things he did not have, or desired to be greater and mightier than other people, he was happy at last, and heard the voice of the mountain spirit no longer.""
I paused before starting the next story. Sesshomaru had been gliding his fingertips over any patch of my skin that came to his mind as I read the end of the story.
Do you want me to read another? I asked him as I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the right side of his chest.
What time is it? He inquired as his hand now laid flat against me but continued to roam. I took my time in turned to look at my clock that was at the head of our bed. It was 11:57pm. I hadn't realized that so much time had already passed since he came home.
11:57, I told Sesshomaru as I started to close my eyes when I felt him cup my breasts for a few moments before sliding back down to my waist.
"Ah!" I squeaked as he quickly and smoothly turned me around in his lap to face him and wrapped my legs around his waist pulling us that much closer together. I wasn't warm anymore, but flushed as my skin heated up from something other than a cold related fever. Sesshomaru's lips were strong and forceful as he started kissing around my face and down my throat.
When I heard some muffled pops I opened my eyes and saw small bursts of colour as they appeared on my bedroom wall. The fireworks were going off.
Happy New Year, I told him and he pulled back from licking my collar bone to look into my eyes with his own that were a slowly churning mix of colours. Now he descended onto my lips. The raw need I felt, more than the kiss itself, temporarily took away my breath.
When we pulled apart we both pulled in ragged, long breaths. I had my hands fisted in his hair as I slowly slid back down onto the bed from up on his chest where I had somehow ended up. Sesshomaru's hands still cupped my face as I felt him fighting for control.
As our breathing evened out, he slowly lowered his head until his forehead rested on my own. His hands fell to my neck and rubbed the pulse he felt there until we heard the last pop of the fireworks.
What did you wish for? Sesshomaru asked before pulling me up against him again. At first I didn't know what he was talking about, then I realized that we just shard the first kiss of the new year. I smiled as I laid my head in the crook of his neck.
What do I have left to wish for? I asked him instead. I felt his love for me and I tried to convey the love I had for him as I started to feel tired and so very happy.
The End
Kōhaku Uta Gassen - the Red and White Song Festival. More commonly known as simply Kōhaku, is an annual music show on New Year's Eve.
Hatsukoi - First love. I choose this one to tie back to what I had him say in the preceding story 'Together' where he tells Kagome that she was his first love.