"Sesshomaru... " she whispered,the sound of her voice and look of her neutral face made the male demon frown a bit. She didn't know he was even there yet was obviously too tired to even be shocked.

"Kagura." Sesshomaru looked up before turning to walk away.

"Do you ever get lonely? " a light voice asked with pure innocence for the first time. It sounded so genuine that he stopped walking and stared towards the beauty above. He arched a perfect brow.

"This Sesshomaru does not depend on another's presence. " he responded. He sat down against the tree was leaning on earlier. He sat with his back against the tree, one leg out while the other was bended up, one arm resting out on his perched leg's knee and his eyes closed.

He heard her scoff then nothing.

After a while of silence Kagura answered. "Does Sesshomaru expect me to believe that? " she sneered her lips yet with no insulting tone or anger in her words.

"Sesshomaru expected nothing at all. And why suggest that as if I lied? "

She looked down at him and saw him.

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

"Because a few months ago I would have believed that but after visiting you and your little band of misfits, I observed a lot. And I know by now how many monsters and people you'ld slay for your little Rin and , ha, even Jaken. And you're proud of that, even if your face and body doesn't show it, you really are." she gave him a sincere smile and released a shaky breath as she rose to get down from the branch.

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and narrowed them to the moon above.

"You're one to talk. As if you haven't grown emotions for children such as Rin. And you should not be moving too much. You may accidentally open up your shoulder wound even more."

"And you shouldn't try and change the topic. Besides I'm done anyway. Look. "

By the time Sesshomaru tilted his head towards her voice, Kagura was already attaching the feather back on her bun,standing now on the ground, she made her way to sit.

The silver haired demon closed his eyes with a sigh and got up to stand. Making his way towards the injured demoness , he walked with a silent graceful yet lethal stride like always. Kagura looked away from her shoulder, when she saw a clawed hand stretched out to her. Before her, stood

Sesshomaru bending down yet still standing, looking at her to take his hand.

Ruby met gold as she took his hand. He gently pulled her up in a quick motion.

He brought a clawed hand under her chin, and softly tilted her head to the right as he pulled down her sleeve from her kimono and inspected the red stained ripped piece of cloth that was used to bandage her wound.

He froze when he felt the woman's body flinch.

"Sto-" she hissed out. His claw accidently grazed her shoulder wound when he pulled her sleeve down a little.

He looked tried to look into her eyes but they were closed.

"Kagura." he said in his normal emotionless voice. Yet as blank as he sounded it helped the sorceress open her eyes and focus.

"All I did was graze it and it hurt. Yet you were able to go this long with that wound."

Sesshomaru raised a brow.

"I'm surprised. You have incredible durability to fatal blows it seems."

Kagura straightened herself so that she wasn't leaning against Sesshomaru anymore. She gave him an amused yet dark smile.

"I have to. Considering I'm forced to work under an evil bastard such as Naraku and how much he likes to take his anger on his most outspoken minion which happens to be me. Durability and independence are necessary." she let out a humorous chuckle ,but from looking into her eyes they darkened. "This is what happens when you are made to be the servant of someone that's no better than a dirty rat. Yet no matter what you try you can't get away because all the bastard needs is to fist one hand around your heart and you're done for."

Kagura looked at him, Sesshomaru. The most stoic male she has ever come across. The one that should be her enemy,yet deep down stole her heart even if Naraku possesses it physically.

"Why did he lash at you this time? " was all he asked.

'This time' she thought dryly. 'For what did he lash out at me THIS TIME? '

" Let's just say that I payed your brother's group a visit and well I returned the female demon slayer her sibling to get Kohaku away from Naraku, sacred shard and all."

She didn't realize he was still holding her hand until he gave her a gentle pull to follow him.

They stood in the edge of the gentle river. "Sit. " The word coming out more as an order than an option. Kagura sat down kneeling by the riverbed beside Sesshomaru. Letting go of her hand, he raised his hand and turned her head a bit. What startled her was when she felt him unravel the cloth she bandaged her wound.

"Your wound shall be infected if it is not properly cleaned."

"I know that. My question is- Why are you cleaning it? Wait… it's now that it just enters my mind , Why are you here?" she raised her voice.

"Kagura I'm only cleaning your injuries so that you don't catch an infection on my time." he said with a hint of annoyance.

"Oh, well that still doesn't answer my second question. Why ar-"

"I sensed an aura similar to Naraku's. After I left the others somewhere safe to rest, I picked up the scent of blood and followed it. It led me here."

Kagura took in his response, after a while she nodded only and let Sesshomaru continue clean out her wound.

They sat in silence the whole while. After about 10 minutes of Sesshomaru wiping away the blood and cleaning it he added an ointment that he carried for Rin probably Kagura guessed.

Sesshomaru 'humphed' to tell her he was done. "Thank you." Kagura said and he simply nodded.

As she was about to pull up her sleeve again she was stopped. Sesshomaru pulled her hand away and adjusted the sleeve back down her arm. Kagura gave him a confused look.

"It needs fresh air to breath. The wound was obviously deep when you got it and it was healing but very slow. The ointment helps to quicken the process.

She gave a small nod and looked up.

Sesshomaru faced up but studied her from the corner of his eye.

'She is lost and yet persistent. Confused yet totally focused. Bloody and battered yet flawless and brigh- wait what…' Sesshomaru frowned at his thoughts.

'This Sesshomaru can assist but fall is not something I will ever do. Sesshomaru does not love.'

"Are you okay?" The red-eyed woman raised a questioning brow.

"That is none of your business wench. " the inu Lord narrowed his eyes.

" You're right about that, yet I still ask. My left shoulder was nothing of your concern yet you still 'assisted' me now didn't you? " Kagura was testing him, he was sure of it. When he didn't answer he felt a hand on the curve of his neck.

Sesshomaru stared her down furiously for touching him in such a way. Yet she looked unfazed by his icey amber eyes. She was stubborn.

She merely scoffed at his attempt to scare her.

"Come here."

"Do not touch me. " Sesshomaru warned.

Kagura gave him a heated glare. "Why?! Do I disgust you?! Ugh forget it. Thanks for my shoulder. Tell Rin I said hi. I'll see you around Sesshomaru." she said as she turned away pulling her hand from his skin now missing the warmth her palm brought.

Kagura stood and started walking away about to pull her feather from her hair. She was suddenly pulled and the force or should she say a grasp on her right arm, made her stumble back a few steps.

The sorceress felt her back hit against something warm and broad. She moved her left hand and glided it against whatever was behind her. Once her palm made contact with something around her waistline she felt a groan coming from the person behind her. . 'Was it a painful groan or a pleased one? Oh shit, I just touched Sesshomaru around his LOWER WAIST LINE! HIS LOW WAISTLINE! ' She released a shocked squeal when the hold around her right arm let go and coiled around her waist and spun her around.

There before her stood the great Lord Sesshomaru staring down intensely at her. Kagura could feel the tips of her ears burn and her cheeks flush. She shied away but the demon's strong hold on her grew more secure as she felt his arm muscles flex around her body.

"What are you doing?!" she asked in a very un-Kagura way.

Sesshomaru didn't know what made him pull her to him, all he knew was that when she asked that it echoed through his head and once her hand left his face he felt cold. Now here he was holding his enemy's incarnation in his arms and why he felt warmth in his chest, he did not know. It happened too quick. For the first time ever,he let his instincts and heart take over before his mind could even start to comprehend what his actions.

Kagura's face was as red as an apple and her heart was skipping beats feeling trapped up her throat.

He raised his hand,and out of instinct from Naraku striking her in the past, Kagura flinched trying to pull away with her eyes shut to no avail.

Kagura opened her eyes in confusion wondering where the blow went until she felt a larger clawed hand caress her smooth ivory skin.

She stared down at the hand in shock that seemed to be stroking her strands of hair grazing the back of her neck. The contact sent shivers down her spine and Sesshomaru almost smiled as he witnessed how his touch affected her.

"How free are you? " the inu demon asked in a light voice.

"I'm not. " Kagura answered with a hollow response.

He simply stared at her.

Bringing his palm up her neck to her cheek, he traced the outline of her jaw and gently tilted her to look up at him. Sesshomaru had a blank face yet his eyes expressed a warm look like no other. He craned down and nuzzled his nose to her cheek, the newly refreshening scent now vibrant that the blood was washed off again and wound was closing.

'You shouldn't be making yourself this open to the enemy!' his mind ran about.

'But he already knows Kagura would never hurt him, or at least not now. ' his heart reasoned.

She's a light. It's dim but it's there. She has grace. Lives in pain yet sports a smile on her face. She isn't meant to exist. Yet...she does and you should be disgusted by her yet you aren't. She is cursed yet she is perfect.

Kagura shut her eyes once again and held in her breath scared that just one movement might prove this blissful scene to be only but a dream.