Chapter Two:

Kagome was doing the one thing she knew a healer was not supposed to do, she panicked. She leaned down to press her face to the hard muscles of his chest. Breathing a deep sigh of relief as she realized his heart was still beating she tried hard to pull herself together. There were so many unexplainable emotions rising to the front but somehow she knew...she just knew that if he didn't make it she would never be okay. Somehow Sesshomaru was tied to her soul. In a twisted unfathomable way she knew her life was tied to his.

The hand that she held against his chest felt his heart beat a little slower, a little softer. It was subtle but in some way she had more knowledge about it inside herself than in the actual feeling of his heart through her hand. Tears fell from her eyes as she used his shirt to try to get the blood to stop flowing. No matter how often she tried to cleanse his body or how long she held pressure to the wounds more blood kept coming. Her tears fell faster as she realized that if he kept losing blood at this rate he would not survive long enough for her to help him heal. A tear fell to his cheek as she sat over him and his nostrils flared slightly. Slowly, almost as if he was upset over her distress his eyes cracked open and he moaned before he cut off the noise.

Kagome glanced up to his face. "Sesshomaru, I am here. Everything will be fine. I just have to get this bleeding under control. Try not to move. It's going to be okay." She slid her hand back up his side to soothe his blood soaked hair away from his face.

Sesshomaru reached up to grasp her hand and though the movement was fluid the motions were slow and calculated giving away his pain. "Miko, what you are doing...it will not help." He continued on at the look of confusion and desperation that crossed her face. "My body is bleeding to rid me of the poison left behind from the attack."

Kagome was beautiful in her grief, as if so much emotion could not be contained in the flesh of her body. Though she had always been open and free with her feelings. "Sesshomaru, you don't understand. You are already getting weak from blood loss. Your body won't be able to sustain you if you lose much more."

A flash of irritation swept through him at the thought of such a small, fragile human woman calling him weak. The feeling was fleeting however as he began to feel almost delirious. "Perhaps, female, that is insignificant," He stated in a cold voice. "Perhaps now life for this demon is only a hindrance." Through even after saying this he smiled, something so deadly yet breath taking. At least once he was able to address her as femal, the highest honor and most special endearment for in youkai women. She was entranced by his small smile even as her eyes widened at what he was implying.

Was he saying that he wanted her to just let him die. No! She couldn't. She just couldn't, not even if that was truly his wish. But what could she do. He had said it was poison. Wait...poison! She knew in her time when someone was bit by a snake then usually someone would suck out the poison so they could make it to a hospital to get the anti-venom. 'Would that work?'

It didn't matter. She had to try. Even with the situation Kagome blushed furiously as she settled on the ground and steeled herself for what she was about to do. Slowly she settled over him and starting with the wounds on his chest she placed her lips against his skin.

Sesshomaru jerked beneath her touch, curious about her intentions. Then she opened her mouth and began to draw the blood into her mouth. Unsettled he started to warn her before he saw her turn her head and spit the toxic blood to the ground. A bright woman, she was taking the poison from his blood. He knew that because of how long it had been she wouldn't be able to get all of it but she should be able to get most of it out and his natural resistance to poison would do the rest. His thoughts became fuzzy as her ministrations continued. It seemed as though his body felt less and less pain and more of her moving against him. By the time she had moved on to his navel he felt feverish but whether it originated from the wounds or the sight of her bent low with her mouth on his skin so close to the markings wrapping his hips he was not sure.

When she sat up abruptly he almost moaned again though this time the sound would not have been caused by pain. She looked down at him with her lips and chin stained with his blood and the sight was chilling. He should never have to see her blood stained. She should never be touched by that darkness, especially not the taint in his blood, the taint in his soul. "Is it...Did it help? Can you feel any difference?"

He looked at her with eyes gold streaked with red and it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. Although this night of fear seemed to be full of images like that. Closing his eyes slowly he responded, "Yes, female, you did well. I will live through this. I need to sleep so my body can successfully process what poison is left. It may take a few days for me to fully recover but I am strong so do not fret." He felt amusement when he heard her sigh heavily in relief.

Minutes passed before he heard the constant rustles of her clothing though the sound was quiet. Looking over he saw her shivering. His guild was immediate thought there were no outward signs. Usually so calm his emotion were in constant chaos where she was concerned. "Why do you shake so?" He asked as if he did not know.

Kagome smiled sheepishly. "I'm cold." Then shrugging she said laughingly, "I never really learned how to make a fire."

Looking at this as a good excuse to get back to normal and think clearly again he said, "Go home to your warmth and safety, woman." Closing his eyes he figured he had adequately dismissed her without being unnecessarily harsh.

"I can't just leave you here after what just happened!" Thinking after her outburst that she didn't want to be insulting at all she added in a quieter tone, "I know that you are strong..." And did she ever... "but I just wouldn't feel right about leaving you here alone right now." Then just to try to sway him to her way of thinking she exploited any kind of feeling of protectiveness he might have. "Plus it's dark out and I don't like to travel in the dark, especially by myself."

After a moment a tiny sigh escaped him. She had a point. He did not want her traveling home at night without him there to protect her, though she would not know. However, she was not as convincing as she might think she was being. He knew her main reason for staying was because his female felt the need to protect him. With any other person the idea would have been laughable but in regards to this woman...this one woman the thought brought a feeling of tenderness to rest where his heart should be. That alone made him realize how she was set apart from every other being on this Earth and probably beyond. "Come, female, you may sleep next to me since your human body requires warmth." He used these words to remind himself that was just that, only human. However, instead of the revulsion he should feel at the idea he felt an insane urge to protect her from her own vulnerability. Kagome came and laid next to him quietly speaking her thanks. When time had passed and he realized that her shudders had grown less frequent but were still there he moved closer in the guise of settling in to sleep. Not long after when he was sure her body was relaxed did he finally allow himself to sleep.

Some hours later Sesshomaru was awakened by the feeling of his woman against him. She had settled her head on the uninjured side of his chest. The sight was breath taking even as the feeling was incomparable. Settling in once more for sleep, feeling content, he did not try to remove her in any way. He pacified himself with the knowledge that she would not know he had woke in the night to find them in this position. That he had allowed this. He could remove her from him in the morning. If only it was that easy to remove her from his thoughts and, apparently, his feelings.