Cloud Nine
By: Lehua
Disclaimer: Inuyasha is not mine.
Chapter Two
Kagome wrapped a bandage around Rin's upper arm. "They're not deep; the bandages are to protect your clothing from bloodstains."
Rin nodded and shrugged on a clean kimono shirt; the one with the bloodstains was soaking in a bucket nearby. "Thank you, Kagome."
Kagome's hands adjusted Rin's kimono, her eyes averted from Rin's face. Rin knew the miko wanted to say something, wanted to soothe the ache, but said instead, "You don't need to leave."
Rin pulled away. "I know, but I can't stay."
Kagome followed her out of the hut. "But why? You're welcome to stay here; we could use another priestess, especially since," but Kagome didn't finish the thought, unable to form the words.
"I--" Rin began, but her voice caught in her throat as Inuyasha approached. The sunlight falling on his features brought another face to mind; she turned away quickly, tears forming.
Kagome placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "I understand."
"You're leaving?" Inuyasha said, his hands hidden in his kimono.
Rin nodded, blinking back the tears. It seemed foolish to pretend she wasn't crying, especially with Inuyasha's heightened sense of smell, but she couldn't help herself; she didn't want to be crying right now. She promised herself when she first dressed in the robes of a priestess that she would be a new woman, one which wouldn't ache over a distant past and a lonely future.
He snorted. "Stupid woman." To her surprise he pulled her into an embrace and then released her quickly. "Come back sometime. Kagome and Izayoi will miss you."
Rin smiled. She said her goodbyes to everyone and was soon on the road to…somewhere else. Rin had no idea where she was going; she just knew she needed to get away. She'd spent her childhood on the road, knew the general area pretty well. A traveling priestess would be valuable to any village that didn't have their own personal priest or priestess. The general populace would welcome a priestess into their homes, would see to her needs better than a priest. She had knowledge and gender on her side and wasn't worried about wanting for anything.
She was worried about the dull ache growing in her chest and the need to burst into tears suddenly. She followed the dirt road, her lone footsteps clattering on the stones. She had some food, a bow, arrows, a knife, and a change of clothing. This was her new life, alone on the road to no where. What was she thinking?
She moved off the road and found a shady spot to lie down in. Laying down and staring up into the canopy of leaves, her mind worked over the choice she'd made today. She was out here, alone, no one to protect her, no one to confide in; she'd chosen this life over the life of tortured servitude with her Lord, "Sesshomaru," she muttered, trying to separate the demon she'd grown up with from the demon who had let her go without a backward glance.
"Rin," a soft voice said, jerking her from her reverie. She sat up and found the very demon she was trying to run away from leaning against a nearby tree.
She stood stiffly, her jaw clenched painfully and retreated back to the road; she knew he followed though she couldn't hear his footsteps. What was he doing here? Shouldn't he be…lording over his dominion somewhere? Why was he following her?
They walked in silence, Sesshomaru behind her, for what seemed like an eternity before she rounded on him and yelled, "What do you want?"
He stopped, his eyes widening. "Do I need a reason to follow you?"
Dark words stopped before she could utter them at his reply. Did he need a reason to do anything? No. He was a great lord, a daiyokai; he could do whatever he wanted. She turned away and began to walk again, the tense silence somewhat lessened from before.
He followed her all day, the silence lengthening into hours. When it was no longer safe or prudent to travel any longer, she found a secluded spot to camp in and started a fire. "If you're going to follow me, you might as well find us something to eat," she said, poking the fire until it blazed hot against the night sky.
Before the fire had calmed he presented her with an animal carcass, cleaned and ready to roast. She took it, turning it carefully so it cooked evenly. In her mind she reviewed all the times she'd spent with him; he'd never eaten in her presence and she'd never asked him what it was he ate. Did he even need to eat? Did he sleep? She followed him most of her life and now that she thought deeply, she didn't really know anything about him. He was a great demon; he had a half-brother named Inuyasha; he had an imp for a vassal; he had literally brought her back from death once; his mother had brought her back from death once; his mother thought she was a snack item; his father was dead; his father had also been a great demon. There were many other little tidbits she knew, but she didn't know him personally. What were his dreams? What did he think about? What made her so special that he would follow her for a whole day without saying a word?
"What do you eat?" she said before she could stop herself.
"I don't need to eat," he replied.
She might as well continue. "So you don't eat?"
"Never."
He was staring at her with those eyes again, making her cheeks flush. She wanted to run away but she also wanted to stay and talk with him. "You've never eaten anything?"
"Never," he repeated.
She chanced a look at him and then quickly looked away. "Sit down."
He seated himself across from her, his gaze never leaving her face.
His proximity to her made the hairs on her body rise. The young girl within her wanted to beg his forgiveness for turning away from him, but the woman within her demanded he beg for her forgiveness. "Where's Jaken?" she said, turning the roast.
"Home."
"You sent him home?"
"Yes."
"Why?" She peered at him through the fire, hoping he would answer, hoping his answer would be the one she was praying for, but he remained silent.
The roasted animal was done. She cut it into smaller pieces and offered some to him. "Try it," she said.
He narrowed his eyes but took a piece, opened his mouth and swallowed it whole. He grimaced.
She laughed. His expression, one of mild puzzlement at her reaction, caused her to fall backward and laugh harder. The laughter came up from the pit of her stomach, aching to be released after all the tension she'd gone through this afternoon. She rolled from side to side, clutching her stomach, tears streaming down her face as she laughed. Through the haze of her tears she saw him lean over her, felt him grab her wrists, felt his breath on her face as he spoke to her, felt herself being lifted from the ground, saw him lean closer to her face, his beautiful features contorted in panic, felt the deep rumbling from his chest. She pressed herself closer, his armor cutting into her flesh, and kissed him, deep and passionate, releasing all her frustration in one moment, begging him with her body to hear her plea. For a moment he let her and then he pushed her away, a look of deep disgust on his face.
She sobered, adjusting her clothes with shaking hands and turned away from him. "I'm sorry," she said, "I was overcome."
--------------------------------------------------------
Sesshomaru watched as she seated herself by the fire again, the priestess he'd followed all afternoon returning once more.
She continued to surprise him. He hadn't been prepared for her bout of laughter and tears, had been even less prepared for her sudden kiss. The moment she'd pressed herself against him and her soft lips had touched his own, his body had hardened painfully and he'd had the urge to rip into her, to feel her tremble beneath him in ecstasy and pain. He'd pushed her away to stop himself from going further, stop himself from hurting her. He never wanted to hurt her, never wanted to cause her to bleed, but today he'd done it twice, and both times she'd been aroused. He knew what she wanted, but she didn't know what she was asking, didn't know the consequences such actions would lead to. He couldn't do what she asked, couldn't fulfill her wish.
He sat across from her again and watched her eat. She wouldn't look at him. Her heart beat furiously in her chest and she was still aroused, but she wouldn't look at him. He wanted her to look at him, to be the girl who used to follow and wait for him faithfully. Where had she gone?
"Will you be staying all night?" she said, after she'd eaten.
"Yes," he replied.
"Then I will sleep."
He watched her as she arranged her bed roll and lay down, her back to the fire. He knew she was awake, would be unable to sleep for hours, if at all, but he let her be. He would watch her all night, would make sure no one or no thing came near her.
He'd followed her every move since she'd left the village, a shadow in the trees, silent and dark. He would have continued to follow her without her knowledge, but when she'd said his name while she was resting he couldn't help but respond with hers.
Why did he feel like he was stalking her? Like she was his prey and he was waiting for his moment to pounce and eat her up?
All day he'd followed her, like some love-sick puppy. He was disgusted with himself. What was he doing here, following a mortal woman? Why was he sitting here, watching her pretend to fall asleep? He should be…doing something…somewhere else.
But there was no place he'd rather be then right here, watching her. He'd spent the last few days waiting for the moment when she would finally come home, and when that moment had arrived she rejected him; she decided to stay in the mortal world and be a priestess, an occupation that was hazardous for her health. Couldn't she have picked a safer profession, like…what did mortal women do? Besides populating the world with more disgusting humans, what else did these mortals do? His observations concluded that Rin had only one other choice: to marry and have children. Was that why she chose to be a priestess instead? He should drag her home right now and put an end to this.
A soft snore pulled him from his thoughts and he was shocked to find that she had fallen asleep. He moved toward her to watch the moonlight as it filtered through the leaves and onto her beautiful face. He'd known when he'd first met her that she would grow into a beautiful woman; and here she laid, the girl he'd cared for, nurtured, protected from various demons and humans, the girl he'd retrieved from various evil things intent of using her as bait to kill him, now a grown woman. Her life would be but a blink in the entirety of his own, but he wanted her to be with him. She had been so devoted before, her faith perfect in him, and now she ran away.
She murmured his name and sighed, drawing the blanket closer to her body.
He watched the moonlight all night as it moved across her body, waiting for her to awaken from her slumber.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Read and Review. Thanks for the reviews for chapter one.