Silver Beauty

It had been a month since she had started traveling with Sesshomaru, and Kagome was content to follow him wherever he chose to travel, even though it seemed he had no true destination in mind. Towards the beginning of their travels together, he took her to a village not far from Kaede's and told her she needed to wear clothes better suited for this time period if she wished to travel with him.

She hadn't felt insulted at his clipped words that she change her wardrobe since she understood her school uniform was way outside the norm here and travelling with him would be different then her time with her friends. She was a little sad at all the recent changes in her life, but she was looking forward to her future with Sesshomaru, a new adventure.

Obediently, she had gone into the village while he waited on the outskirts, but not before he had provided her with currency to buy her new clothes. Her first inclination was to argue, but seeing him lift a silver brow, daring her to refuse his money, made her change her mind and offer a small smile, and words of thanks.

The villagers remembered her from an earlier visit and welcomed her arrival. They again thanked her for her past help in not only healing the sick and injured, but eradicating the volatile youkai threatening them. They were glad to offer her clothing, and a miko's traditional red and white garb was presented to her. She had hesitated before accepting the clothing and an extra set, paying them with Sesshomaru's money.

At first, Kagome had reservations about dressing as a miko, since she would look even more like Kikyo, but she decided if she was to remain in this time and travel with Sesshomaru then she might as well jump into her new life with both feet. She, however, refused to dress her hair in the traditional style and allowed it to remain hanging free to the middle of her back.

Returning to Sesshomaru, she asked, "How do I look," and gazed up at him shyly.

"Satisfactory," he told her as he eyed her new clothing.

She fidgeted under his gaze and babbled. "The villagers recommended them. They said a miko should wear them."

He gazed into her eyes, reading more than she revealed with words and surprisingly offered comfort. "You are not the dead miko, Kagome."

She gaped at him, surprised not only by his kindness but for calling her by her name. He had never referred to her as such before, and she offered him a bright smile in return. "Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama."

"Hn."

That was the end of that discussion as he turned away, and they were on their way once more to nowhere in particular. By midday, they had stopped again by a river. Here Sesshomaru told her she could fish for nourishment. Kagome had never tried fishing with her bare hands before, and she reluctantly tied her long pant legs around her knees and waded into the cold water. After almost half an hour of watching her failed attempts, Sesshomaru was beside her in the water, ignoring the way it soaked his hakama.

"Sesshomaru-sama! You're pants are soaked now," Kagome fretted as she saw what he had done, not knowing why he had stepped into the river with her.

"It matters not," he told her, his eyes on the water. Too fast for her eyes to track, he had caught a fish and threw it on the bank.

"Oh! Thank you," Kagome said in surprise, then blushed as she gazed at him beneath her lashes and tried to apologize for her inadequacies. "Sorry. I've never done this before."

Eyes on the water once more, he acknowledge her apology with his customary, "hn," before another fish joined the one on the back. Then he walked out of the river and sat on a huge rock near the bank, tilting his head back, sunning himself. The sight he represented was so beautiful to Kagome that she caught herself staring. His gaze moved over to her, catching her in the act, and she blushed scarlet for the second time in as many minutes before busying herself with starting a fire, with the help of her small supply of lighters. After that was finished, she skewered the fish, preparing them for lunch.

"Hey, Sesshomaru-sama?" began Kagome hesitantly.

His eyes again found hers, silently giving her his attention.

Used to his silences, Kagome asked, "Is there enough fish for both of us?" She was dubious as there were only two.

"This Sesshomaru does not eat human food," he told her.

"Oh, then what do you eat? I mean, I haven't seen you eat anything since I started traveling with you," asked a worried Kagome. Surely he had to eat sometime.

"You are worried for this Sesshomaru?" He seemed to read the truth in her eyes. It was disconcerting at times that he could read her so easily.

"Of course," she told him. "You're my friend," she added with conviction.

He gazed at her with another one of his long silences that where hard for her to interpret, but she thought she saw surprise linger in his golden eyes as he watched her. Then he looked away from her again to gaze into the distance as he was want to do.

"Do not worry needlessly, miko. This Sesshomaru eats the flesh of lesser youkai."

Kagome turned a little green at the thought, but who was she to judge another's food preference? She went back to cooking her fish in companionable silence. Afterwards, she took out her brush and a ponytail that had yet to snap, and put her hair up in a bun as the humidity was baking her alive.

"Sesshomaru-sama. Would you like me to put your hair up since it's so ungodly hot? It might help," she coaxed, itching to get her hands on his glorious mane.

"That is unnecessary," he replied, deflating her.

Later, he told her they would be staying there for the rest of the day and night. It was still light out when he told her she could bathe, and she knew he would keep her safe without even having to ask him. The water felt good on her overheated skin, cooling her down and making her sigh with pleasure. She had finished and was brushing her hair out, allowing Sesshomaru to take his turn in the river. She knew he had to be as hot if not hotter than her with all that armor on and big furry pelt of his.

Sesshomaru returned, his hair wet, and carrying his armor to set beside him, and wait for his hair to dry before putting it back on. He was sitting on the ground this time, leaning his back against the same, huge rock, combing his long, clawed fingers through his lengthy hair in the fading light, making the silver sheen shine. Again her hands itched to touch his silver locks and feel how soft it surely had to be. It was so straight like a water fall. Beautiful. Like the rest of him. And so long. Surely he would like some help with brushing out the tangles?

This time, she took the initiative by grabbing her brush from her yellow pack and walked towards him, only to stop and stand at his side with her hands behind her back.

"Um, may I help? I could brush out the tangles for you?" she asked and held out her brush as proof.

He glanced from her to her brush and back again before resting his hands on his knees.

"Do as you wish."

Suppressing her excitement, if barely, she sat on the rock behind him and took his long hair in hand, and almost sighed at the silky feel of it even wet as it was. She set the brush through his hair, starting at the ends so as not to snag the brush in his hair. He would probably never let her touch his sliver mane again if he found the task unpleasant, and she hoped to make a regular habit of this.

Her hands sifted through his hair, making it shimmer and sparkle. She set the brush from the top of his head and stroke as far down as she could. It was a time consuming process as his hair was so long, but she was having such a good time of it, brushing his hair took longer still. He didn't complain or get impatient with her, but sat quietly beneath her administrations. If she didn't know any better, she would guess that he enjoyed the attention as well if his blissful expression was anything to go by.

Her hand and wrist protested after a while, forcing her to stop. She patted his shoulder and chirped, "All done! It wasn't so bad, huh?"

"Hn," was the only response she got, but she wasn't put down by it.

Walking back to her pack, she glanced over her shoulder and winked at him. "I didn't realize how cute your ears were until now."