Still PirncessofDarkness11 writing.
The next chapter will be mine ^_^
Sesshomaru approached the library late that evening to find Kagome hugging her knees to her chest on the floor. Tears fell silently down her cheeks to drop onto the papers scattered around her. Sesshomaru took a step backward, wanting nothing more than to flee with all haste, and bumped into the doorframe. He cursed himself. Kagome looked up at him through her tears and forced a weak smile.
"I still haven't found anything… I'm sorry," she said, "I'll get back to work."
"You're rather presumptuous. I did not come here to see if you'd made any progress. I came to tell you that tomorrow, you will not set one foot in this room," he said with all the authority of one who is accustomed to running things.
"I can't! I have to find a way to help you… I'm so close! I know it!" she wiped the memories of Inu Yasha from her mind and approached the shelves once again.
"You must really wish to be free of my company," he said monotonously.
Kagome chuckled and glanced over her shoulder at him. "Or maybe I really wish to help you."
Sesshomaru was slightly taken aback by this. Nobody ever actually wanted to help him. His expression softened and he walked over to stand behind her.
Kagome knew he was behind her - she could feel the heat that emanated from his body- but she didn't acknowledge his presence. She reached for a book and, finding it just beyond her grasp, stood on her toes. However, it still evaded her by nearly half a foot. Suddenly, Sesshomaru reached up, well above her head, pressing his body to hers- deliberately or not, she didn't know - and got the book for her.
He stepped back and she turned to receive the book from him. As she took it from his hand, he grabbed her wrist. Pulling her to him, he covered his mouth with his own, invading it with his tongue. The book slid from her fingers and fell to the floor with a dull thud. She wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head to allow him better access. He backed her against the shelf, his arm wrapping around her waist.
'What am I doing?' she thought, 'What is HE doing? Why am I letting him?' His fingers brushed the small of her back, sending waves of warmth through her body, 'Because he cares enough to…'
"Sorry to interrupt, but you just left without…" Koga's words were lost when he saw who Sesshomaru had been kissing so passionately. "Kagome?" he exclaimed.
"K- Koga? What are you doing here?" she said, with a confused look, and tried to step forward, but Sesshomaru moved in front of her.
"What do you want, Koga?" he stated, "I told you, I'm busy."
"I see why," Koga retorted bitterly, then, to Kagome, "Does Inuyasha know that you are so intimate with his brother?"
Kagome gasped, her eyes widening and brimming with tears again. Koga grinned.
"I see," he said, stepping farther into the room, "First you choose that mutt over me, and now this cold hearted bastard?"
"Koga, I really didn't- I mean, I just…" Kagome thought over what she was going to say.
"She owes you no explanation, wolf," Sesshomaru said, "She is free to make her own decisions. I merely asked for her assistance."
Kagome leaned over to pick up the book and then she saw what it had opened to.
'Piccolo Lilies,' she read, 'A healing herb that, when stewed with purified water, peppermint oil, dried and powdered newt, and the hair of the drinker for 2 hours, gives the drinker regenerative powers for 24 hours. They are only found deep within the western forest.' Next to that was a picture of a beautiful flower with purple petals and a single blue leaf.
"Sessh-" she started, but ceased when she heard what was being said.
"As soon as I have my arm back, you and my pathetic half demon brother can resume fighting over her, as usual," Sesshomaru said.
She snapped the book shut, standing upright and glaring at them both. 'And what if I decide I don't want to leave?' she thought, brushing past him. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go to bed now. Good night!" she huffed.
Koga made to follow her, but Sesshomaru stopped him with a single passing glare. He followed her up to her room and threw the door open without a second thought. They both froze- Sesshomaru still holding the door handle, Kagome preparing to slip a clean shirt on. She blushed and hurriedly threw the shirt on.
"What?" she snapped.
Recovering from his shock, he closed the door behind him. "I have angered you."
"Gee, what gave you that impression?" she said sardonically.
"What did I do that has put you in such a foul mood?" he asked.
"Just- what you said to Koga about… me going back to Inuyasha," she said, turning away from him so he wouldn't see the tears slip past her lashes and down her cheeks. But he could smell them.
"Why are you crying? Do you not wish to leave?" he asked.
"I am not crying!" she said, trying to, and failing miserably at hiding it.
"Do not lie to me, Kagome. I can smell your tears," he said, crossing to her in a fraction of a second and turning her to face him, "What has my brother done that has you so devastated?"
"Nothing," Kagome lied. His grip on her arms tightened slightly and his eyes bore into hers. She sighed. "He chose a bunch of bones and clay over me. That's all… nothing big, I'm just being stupid."
"You loved him," Sesshomaru said. It was a statement- made as though he saw her very heart.
Kagome stared up into his amber eyes, realizing that, though the same color, they were very different from Inuyasha's. Sesshomaru's eyes were so- masked. You saw nothing in them, yet they saw everything in you. She reached up and brushed her fingers across his cheek.
"I thought I loved him," she said softly, "But now- now I'm just not so sure if what I felt for him was real."
"Do you wish to leave?" he asked again.
"I don't know… not to… I don't know," she said.
"You should get some sleep. I am waking you early for breakfast," he said turning to leave, "And remember- not one foot."
Kagome smiled and slipped into bed. She fell asleep quickly and was thankfully blessed with pleasant dreams.
Sesshomaru stepped into the hallway and almost ran into Koga. He scowled.
"Why are you still here?" he spat.
"Kagome is my woman. Do you honestly think I'll leave her alone with a heartless monster like you?" Koga said.
"Your woman? Why do you brand her with meaningless titles, as though she is a possession?" Sesshomaru replied.
"Because, I love Kagome, and I'll die before I let you soil her," Koga growled.
"What are you talking about?" Sesshomaru asked, walking past him.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Koga retorted, following him down the stairs, "I know all about you Sesshomaru. You're heartless and you're known all over these parts for your merciless cruelty toward women. I won't let you do anything to Kagome!"
"I don't know where you heard such things, but I assure you that I have never harmed any women in the way that you are suggesting. I am not, as you said, a monster," he said.
"Do you honestly think that I'm going to believe you? You said yourself that you asked for her assistance. What other use is a human woman to you other than a mere plaything?"
"You know nothing of me or of my ways. Now, if you do not leave my home at once, I assure you that you will regret it," Sesshomaru said, baring his fangs.
"You'll have to kill me first," Koga replied, bracing for battle.
"I will not fight you while there are children sleeping nearby," Sesshomaru said, "We will take this battle outside."
"Fine with me," Koga stated, walking out the door, "But if I win, you give Kagome up to me."
Sesshomaru chuckled. "You will never win."
Kagome woke in the middle of the night to a huge crash. She looked out her window to see Sesshomaru poised over a body. He was raising his arm, preparing to finish the battle. Kagome's eyes widened. That was Koga!
"Sesshomaru!" she yelled, making him look up toward the window, "Wait!" She looked down at the ground and, determining that it wasn't that far from her window- she was only on the second story- and jumped from the window. She landed with a slight 'oomph!' and ran to Sesshomaru.
"Don't kill him!" she said.
"Why? He was making rude insinuations about you and he refused to live unless I killed him," Sesshomaru said.
"Still… he has a tribe to take care of. They depend on him for support, so please don't kill him," she pleaded.
He lowered his arm, sighing. "I can't believe I'm listening to the pleas of a mortal."
"Am I still alive?" Koga groaned.
"Yes, thanks to Kagome," Sesshomaru said.
"Where are Ginta and Hakaku?" Kagome asked.
"I don't know, but they should be here soon," Koga said.
"Good. We'll wait with you until they get here to take you with them," she said, sitting down. Moments later, the two wolf demons arrived. After a brief explanation, they carried Koga off and left Kagome and Sesshomaru alone again.
"Why did you stop me?" he asked.
"I already told you," she replied, "He has a lot of people who depend on him. Besides, he may be a delusional fool, but he's not such a bad guy. He just needs to find someone else to dote on."
Sesshomaru chuckled. "He has a fiancée, does he not?"
"How did you know about Ayame?" Kagome asked.
"I know all that goes on- everywhere," he replied, making Kagome laugh.
"I should probably go back to bed," she said, standing up, "Good night, Sesshomaru."
"Hmm… good night," he said, watching her walk back to the house.
Kagome was shaken awake much later by Sesshomaru. She sat up, covered in a sheen of sweat, and shook her head, looking up at him.
"Were your dreams troubled? You were tossing and mumbling in your sleep," he said.
"You could say that," she replied, blushing.
Sesshomaru had poised himself over her and… she shook her head again, but nothing could get that dream out of her mind.
"The kitsune- Shippo? -is downstairs with Rin and Jaken. They are waiting for us," she said, holding out his hand, "Shall we?"
Kagome got out of bed and took his hand. She walked with him into the main room where Shippo flew at her. She caught him in a motherly embrace.
"Are you really going to spend the day with us, Kagome? Sesshomaru said something about a picnic!" Shippo exclaimed.
"I thought you said he was scary!" she teased.
"He's not so bad…" he said, grinning.
"Then why is he always trying to kill Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.
Sesshomaru sighed. "I suppose you deserve the truth. I never actually intended to kill him. It was my father's dying wish that I train my younger brother so he would be more capable of protecting his tomb," he explained, "As much as I despised it, I had to respect my father's wishes."
"Oh… I never- never- would have expected that. Although I guess it makes sense. There were several occasions where you could have killed Inu Yasha, but you always managed to walk away…" Kagome said, chuckling nervously, "Well, are we going to eat or what?"
And so, they commenced with breakfast. Rin and Shippo finished eating first and began chatting animatedly. Kagome smiled at her plate. 'They already act like siblings…' she thought when Rin thumped Shippo on the head.
When they all had finished, they sat in the parlor. Sesshomaru told Rin and Shippo tales of battles that he had witnessed and fought in, while Kagome simply sat back and listened, smiling at the awe on Shippo's face. Jaken had long since been dismissed on errands unknown to Kagome.
Her mind kept wandering to the book, hidden in her room. 'Piccolo lilies…' she thought, going over it in her mind, 'If I tell him, I'll have to leave, but if I don't he'll never get his arm back. Damn it! Why am I being so selfish? Of course I have to tell him!' And then he laughed at some silly thing Shippo had said. 'Although… nobody says it has to be now…'
"Kagome! Tell them about your time! I really like the stories about your s- sk- 'skole'… they're funny," Shippo exclaimed.
"I'm sure they're not interested in- in…" Kagome's eyes widened, "Oh my god! Mom's going to kill me!"
"What are you ranting about?" Sesshomaru asked.
"I have to go home- now!" she said, standing up abruptly.
"I thought we agreed that you could go back to idiot brother after I got my arm back," he said coldly.
"I'm talking about my real home, dumb ass!" she yelled, then sighed, running a hand through her hair, "Sorry, but I need to go home to my mom, and my grandpa, and my little brother. Please take me to the bone eaters well."
"Why?" he asked.
"Because, that's the only way for me to get home. Shippo, you and Rin stay here, we'll be back in a flash," she said, smiling.
Sesshomaru grabbed her and in only a few minutes they arrived at the well. Kagome jumped into it, waving to Sesshomaru. He reached out in alarm to grab her hand, only to be pulled into the well himself.
Review please ! ^-^
The next chapter will be of my own creation, and so will all of the following :)