Passions, Chapter 2

It was morning already.

Kagome didn't get much sleep due to keeping watch, though she figured she'd doze off in the afternoon when it was safer. She rubbed the bleariness of her eyes away, and with a yawn, she climbed out of her sleeping bag.

Surprisingly, Inuyasha did not come for her during the night. She didn't know if she should have been worried or relieved. It usually did not take him long to trace her scent, but maybe he was still sulking over their argument. If anything, the events seemed to turn in Sesshomaru's favor.

She lethargically made her way over to him and gently tugged the blankets away. He was still in the same position that she left him, unconscious but breathing. That was all she could really hope for. His bandages were soaked in blood, but Kagome expected as much. He was still holding on by a mere thread and was vulnerable- Kagome would dare say. More than likely, Sesshomaru was never going to admit their current predicament to anyone. He was far too prideful, she knew. He'd never reveal that a human priestess acted in his defense when no one else would.

Kagome liked the sound of it.

Climbing to her feet, she paced her way over to her backpack. His bandages needed changing again, and she just wanted to get it over with. The faster she did so, the faster she and he both had a chance to rest.

This time, as she lifted the bloody bandages, she noticed a decrease in the blood that rose to the surface of the many lacerations. The wounds were attempting to close from the inside, which was the best thing. He was healing, but the process was slow. The stitching she administered looked as though it was holding together nicely the same, so he was doing well- so far at least. As long as he didn't move around too much, he was safe.

It wasn't like he was going anywhere any time soon. Kagome shrugged, peering down into a jar of salve that she used the day before. She easily slipped her slender fingers into the jar and gathered as much of the substance as possible into her hands, "Alright." She breathed, lifting her wrists and sliding her sleeves back, "It's about that time again." Dressing his bandages was easier this time around. She gently smoothed the salve over the wounds, being as gentle as she could.

This close, she had to admit that Sesshomaru seemed different. She stared intently at the magenta markings stretching across his cheeks, and the blue moon sitting at the center of his forehead. He had a chiseled face with those deep, golden and penetrating eyes, the perfect nose, slender yet prominent, lips that seemed soft as silk, strong arms, his stomach hard and defined with silky fair skin covering the steel hard muscles- Kagome quickly shook her head. She didn't like where her thoughts were wondering.

But now, touching his hair merely seemed so…tempting.

It seemed so…soft.

He wouldn't wake up anytime soon, she reminded herself.

Slowly, she eased her way over towards him. His hair was so long that she didn't have to move too close. Hesitantly, she picked up the silver strands between her thumb and index finger, and memorized the texture. It was like silk, though she believed that it was far softer than that.

It was far more different than Inuyasha's hair….

Inuyasha!

Kagome quickly shifted back away from him, all the way over to the other side of the fire.

What was she doing?! She couldn't be fawning over Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's enemy! Even if he was unconscious, she couldn't exploit his weaknesses.

Sesshomaru did not tolerate humans, half-breeds, foolishness- everything that popped into Kagome's head as she thought about it. He was an advocate of self-progression. He cared nothing for anyone- except for Rin.

He was a complete enigma when it came to the little girl. He despised humans, found them weak and useless, and even refused to accept their help in death, but he allowed Rin to travel with him, brought her back to life with Tenseiga- and even seemed to care for her.

Gnawing onto her lower lip, Kagome waved those thoughts off.

It wasn't her job to try to figure Sesshomaru out. She took a lingering glance at him before standing.

Getting a fire ready again wasn't difficult, and she soon had her cooking pans hanging over the flames. She ate her breakfast, managed to pack all of her things, and decided to return to her sleeping bag, but from the corner of her eyes, she caught him…shaking.

Ever so often, he'd tremble, uncontrollably almost. Was he…cold? Kagome's brows knitted as she hesitantly made her way back over to him. Perhaps she did something wrong…. No, she followed Kaede's procedures step by step.

Sesshomaru merely needed warmth.

The fire and blankets were already keeping him warm, but he needed something else…

He needed body heat. He had lost too much blood.

Currently, she was the only person around that could give it to him. However, it meant actually lying against him in an effort to keep him warm. Kagome's entire face reddened over.

She couldn't lie next to Sesshomaru. She didn't have the willpower to.

Another shudder racked through him.

She didn't have a choice. He was going to freeze to death if she didn't act quickly.

Knowing well the consequences of what she was doing, Kagome drug her sleeping bag over to the unconscious taiyoukai's side. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she pulled the blanket over him and her both. She could feel her heart beating wildly within her chest as she shifted closer and closer to him, and finally, she was pressed against his satin flesh. By then, she did not know who was shuddering more, him or her. He was so…cold. He must've been freezing the entire night, but she failed to notice.

She was too focused on keeping watch.

Kikyo wouldn't have made that mistake.

Grimacing, Kagome's eyes grew partially lidded, and she drew the blanket up towards her chin. Kikyo would have remembered that a drop in temperature accompanied blood loss. If she was Kikyo, she would have been able to heal Sesshomaru with her purifying powers….

However, in her musings about the dead priestess, she failed to realize the molten orbs of predatory eyes that were staring at her, dazed, yet very much present.

When she did so to look at him, Kagome's own eyes became large saucers, and she swallowed down a scream that rose to her throat. A hand slapped over her mouth, and she released a harsh breath that left her nauseous.

Was he awake?

She felt his entire body tense against her. His aura pulsed, but it was faint, so faint that Kagome almost missed it.

Sesshomaru should not have awakened, not yet. She expected him to be out at least for a few more days. Him gaining conscious this soon was out of the plan. If he moved around too much now, he was going to further injure himself. If he was able to move around enough, he was going to kill her. If Inuyasha found her dead, Sesshomaru was going to get killed the same. In his current state, he didn't stand a chance against the Tetsusaiga.

He continued to stare, his vision unfocused and glazed over. His brows briefly knitted, only slightly before his lids lethargically closed, shielding his golden eyes again.

He was out again.

Kagome remained in the same spot, virtually not moving for what seemed like hours. She doubted she could muster the courage to do anything else.

Sesshomaru was fighting to awaken, but his body simply would not let him.

Kagome managed to get hold of her nervousness, and she released an exasperated sigh. Perhaps now she could have slept, at least a little. She'd have to stay up again to keep watch, so it was best to sneak in a little sleep before nightfall.

If she could sleep.

Being pressed up against Sesshomaru wasn't exactly the best sleeping aid, but she was doing the right thing, she had to remind herself. She was doing what any priestess would do when faced with her current situation.

Whether she liked it or not, her lids were growing heavy from the lack of sleep. She strained to stay awake because of her fear and nervousness, but she was forced to succumb to the arms of slumber. Kagome wasn't awake to notice, but Sesshomaru stopped trembling. He was finally warm.

When she did awaken, it was late in the evening, and the sun was beginning to sink over the line of trees. It was nearly time to begin her watch. Groaning, she stretched her arms above her head with a yawn and passed a gaze over at the sleeping demon at her side.

At least he wasn't conscious. His bandages were soaked all the way through, meaning it was time to change them again. With a last stretch, she pushed the blankets back and paced her way over to her backpack.

A pain in her stomach reminded her that she had not eaten since breakfast, but her meal would have to wait until she was done with changing his bandages.

Gathering her supplies in her arms, she made her way back over to him and lowered onto her knees. She fumbled around trying to find her container of bandages, but then she felt something wrap around her neck.

It was Sesshomaru's hand.

Her own hands immediately lifted, taking hold of his wrist, and her wide eyes lifted to view his face.

He looked nothing like the Sesshomaru she was used to seeing.

The whites of his eyes were bleeding an angry red, his brows were narrowed harshly, and his fangs were bared, a snarl following suit. He wasn't himself. The growl that rose from his chest was guttural, almost like the sound a predator would make before it caught prey- yet just as the animalistic look crossed his features, it was replaced by pure incredulity. It only lasted for a moment, before he gagged.

Something was trying to come out of him. Wearily, he turned away, and another growl left him. He managed to lean over the other side of the tree and gag another time. Blood merely left his lips, his own blood. He immediately regretted moving, and was instantly paralyzed by the shooting pain traveling the length of his left arm- the deep wounds inflicted on his chest and shoulders, and broken ribs. A blinding pain engulfed his head, and if he was already seeing double, but in the corners of his eyes, he saw blackness. It was spreading. He was losing consciousness again.

Kagome did not know what to make of it. Fear gripped her until she was suffocating, and when Sesshomaru did finally release her when he began to gag, she scrambled to distance herself. She watched helplessly and he struggled to regain his original position. He was giving it all he had, yet it barely seemed as though he was making progress.

She was unable to watch him suffer.

Without thinking, she made her way to him, attempting to assistant him with his effort, yet a swipe of his claws quickly made her fall back onto her backside.

Sesshomaru was awake, not mobile, but awake. That little incident took a lot out of him, she could tell. He was panting harshly and sweat beaded his brow, though she realized he was attempting to retain his usual calmness. He could not get his vision to remain steady nor was he able to instantly heal the pain searing through his veins.

She had to help him. He wouldn't like it, but she had to help him. At this point, he was reopening his wounds and further injuring himself.

He was currently unsure of where he was, and how long he had been unconscious, and he merely could not focus. His usual mask of coolness was steadily slipping into place, though he was being forced further into sleep by his body.

But, the only enigma that plagued him was the girl's presence with him. What was she doing there? It was a distant thought, gnawing at him in between his pain and confusion. He was not even certain himself if she was present or not, but her scent was unmistakable.

"…Mind your own business, or I'll put an end to your interference…" He managed to speak, though his tone was not as smooth as it usually was. It was a whisper- raspy and deep- truly lined with the signs of fatigue. However, the threat was clear.

Even if he did promise to kill her, Kagome knew that he was incapable of carrying it out. When he was trying to choke her, his grasp was weak- weaker than it should have been. If he had held on longer enough, she was sure that she would have been able to peel his fingers away and escape.

As every second ticked by, he was losing his consciousness. Kagome could see it in his eyes. They continued to focus and refocus before all together becoming empty. They closed.

He was a bit more pissed than she initially thought…This was going to be a problem.