A/N- Hey people! Ok well here goes the excuses...Ya know, when I read other fics and authors go long periods of time without updating I think, Oh come on! They could at least write a small update! Can't they see that we fans need updates!? But I completely understand now. I've had some family issues. When I say family issues I mean family issues. Then it's the end of the year and I have finals... and did I mention that my computer got a virus? It's my brother's fault...needless to say he is no longer allowed to touch my computer. My lap top is my baby. I named it. It's name is Takara...which means treasure in Japanese. Yes,I am dorky, and proud of it. Wow I got off subject. Anyways you guys now know why I haven't updated in forever. Thanks for being patient with me and this story. Well I'll shut up now. Here ya go!
DISCLAIMER: If Inuyasha weremine Sesshomaru would smile more.
" Kagome?" A raspy voice was calling my name. It took me about 0.2 seconds for me to realize who it was. I shot up to once again to find that I had somehow migrated over to Sesshomaru in my sleep. Turning to him I smiled.
" Yes Lord Sesshomaru? Do you need something?" He closed his eyes.
" So I remembered correctly, your name is Kagome. Can I have some water?" I tried to get that to really make sense but it just seemed impossible for Sesshomaru to be asking for water. To be asking for anything for that matter. None the less I shifted and grabbed a water bottle then held it to his dry lips.
" Here, try to drink slowly." I lifted his head slightly and he winced. Still the not so cold liquid slid down his throat smoothly. At least all of the blood was out of his mouth. I mused.
" How are you feeling?" His eyes slanted toward me. The look in his eyes told me that the Western Lord was quite sarcastic.
" Though I can't remember them I'm sure I have seen better days." So there was humor in there too. I smiled. If I could see him in this light perhaps this whole mess would turn out ok.
" Where does it hurt? How does your chest feel?" I opened his haori to look at his chest. The black puss was back. How long had it been? I looked up at the sky. Maybe...seven hours. Something like that.
" My body is burning. The pain blends so I can't tell where one wound ends and another begins. Although, those herbs that you used worked rather nicely to dull the pain. My chest feels...why would my chest feel any different?" I paused. Should I tell him about the black magic? Would anyone want to know that they might die if certain conditions weren't kept? Then again if it was me I would want to know if my life was in danger, and why.
" There is a spell placed on a wound that is on your abdomen and chest. If I tell you something do you promise to believe in my ability to keep you alive?" He 'hn'ed. Well some things never change.
" You seem to be capable of doing that so far so go on, tell me." He closed his eyes again. In the back of my mind I was mentally listing all of the traits of the realSesshomaru, not the one that hid behind a mask. He was sarcastic, had a sense of humor but was still calm. I know that much.
" Well, you have this...servant, his name is Jaken, and while you slept he came and told me about the spell. He has about two weeks to find the person before my strength runs out and I can no longer continue to purify it. After that the black magic will take over and destory your youki. If that happens..."
" I will die. The darker magic will have consumed my soul, correct?" The words stuck in my throat. I only nodded. When said aloud it was just flat out depressing. My shoulders slumped.
" So you are a miko?" My head snapped up. Had he not known before?
" Umm, yes, I am. Why could not sense it before?" He glared at me suddenly. I added another thing to my mental list. He hates to be seen as weak." I didn't mean anything by it. I was just wondering why-"
" My sense of smell seems to be the only thing that can reach its full ability. The rest of my senses are dulled." I nodded and absent mindedly began the process of cleaning his wounds.
" Hm, well that is interesting. I wonder why it's like that..." I trailed off, deep in thought. He interrupted, apperantly not liking my inattentiveness.
" Who is Inuyasha? You were mumbling as you slept and you said his name. You spoke of others but his name seems fimiliar." I paused as I was removing his hakamas. Should I tell him about Inuyasha? If I told him then that might jump start his memories and the sooner he remembered Inuyasha the sooner he remembered me.
" He is your half-brother." I had to tell him at least that. He deserved to know that much of the truth.
" Why do I feel that I do not like him?" I began to fumble nervously.
" You two don't get along that well. It's just sibling rivalry." I hoped that, because I didn't really know why Sesshomaru hated Inuyasha, that Sesshomaru couldn't smell my lie. Then again perhaps it wasn't that much of a lie...
" Hn. Then who is Shippo?" I smiled. This was a pleasant change of subject.
" Shippo is my son. He is a kitsune demon." Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed.
" You lie. I do not smell deceit but that is impossible. Not only are you human, therefore unable to give birth to a full blooded demon, but you are pure, bodily and mentally." I blushed. No, it was worse than blushing. I felt heat spead through my body. He could smell that! Kami help me...wait. Did he just tell me that I lied to him? I turned red but from anger this time. How dare he!
" I did no such thing! I adopted him because his parents were both killed!" His eyes closed again. That was going to get annoying. How was I supposed to know if he was asleep or just relaxing?
" I might not have my memories but I know that it is unheard of for a human to take in a demon, orphan or not." I huffed.
" About as unheard of as a demon taking in an orphaned human girl." He froze. Oops, I think I hit a soft spot. The words had just come. He must have been...I mean be really attached to the girl to miss her when he couldn't even remember her. Speaking of which, I miss Shippo.
" Look, Sesshomaru, I didn't mean-"
" Never mind that. Finish with my wounds." Silence. It wasn't exactly awkward it was just...sad. It was a sad silence. I unwrapped, cleaned, and rebandaged all of his wounds.
" We'll get her back you know. She's out there somewhere and we're going to get her." I placed my hands on his chest. The pink and white flared up and danced in little sparks over his body. The poison was eventually purified, that is until it would return in a few hours.
" Why do you say things like that? Why should you care? I know you are my servant but why should you be concerned?" I smiled softly.
" Why should anyone care about anything? You loved that little girl and you are wounded, therefore unable to get her back. You miss her even though you cannot remember her, and for that, I care enough to want to help you." There was a pregnant silence shared between us. It wasn't quite sad, nor was it awkward. This was a thoughtful silence.
" You are unusually kind and loyal. Most others would have left me here." I blushed at the completely random and unexpected compliment. I found it ironic that he thought I was being loyal to him when his half brother, who he hated, was the one I actually traveled with. Looking at him, I found that his golden eyes were searching for a response.
" I am not 'most others'. You were hurt and I helped you, there is nothing more to it." There was another thoughtful silence, this one not near as long as the last. His eyes, which had once again closed as he was thinking, slanted toward me.
" Tell me, how was it that you came to be in my debt? What was I like before?" The good news was that I had discovered another hidden trait of Sesshomaru's, curiosity. The bad news was, I couldn't answer the questions honestly...or could I? An idea hit me, a way out. I thought of the time he saved me from the poison phycho,Mukotsu, when he was choking me, trying to get me to be his bride.
" You once saved me from a man that made all kinds of poisons. He was very evil and traveled with six other mercaneries that went around destroying villages. He wanted to take me as his bride and just as he was about kill me because I refused to do so you came in and used your whip to kill him." A content sound came out of his throat. Then he looked at me again. I remembered the other part of his question. Now, how do I get out of this one? He would smell it if I lied. I wrung my hands together. There was always the truth...
" Well, you were usually quiet. No that's not the right way to say it. You only said things that you found were worthy of your breath. You were quite arrogant and prideful. You were, I mean are, very strong with several demonic abilities like your whip and poisonus claws. You were graceful when you fought and you thought others were beneath you. You were pretty stoic and you didn't have many close to you but personally...I think you were lonely. I think inside you weren't as hardened as you would like people to think." His head was turned fully toward me now and his face that now freely showed emotions was marred with a frown.
" I do not like my past self." I 'hmmed' softly and scooted closer to him. I put his haori back on and lay down beside him.
" You were kind enough to save an orphaned little girl and myself. You have actually saved Rin on several occasions. You used to fight Inuyasha over your father's old sword but once you found out it allowed him to control his demonic blood you stopped." There was another silence. I believe this one was contented. It was only interrupted by a loud growl. Thankfully yet unfortunately it came from my stomach. How long had it been since I'd eaten anyways? Oh Kami...how long had it been since Sesshomaru had eaten?! I stood up and walked over to my bag.
" Are you hungry Sesshomaru? I have some food that's already made. It's spicy but it's good." He looked at the plastic bowl in my hand thoughtfully.
" Are such things common?" I looked down at my bowl.
" Umm, not really, not around here." I smiled nervously.
" Hn, I do not know if I can."
" Oh but please, you must. It's not all that bad. Your brother is the only one that doesn't like it. Besides, you're the great Sesshomaru, I have seen you do far greater thins than eat spicy food." He growled lowly.
" You seem to think rather highly of me. Hn, and it is my throat that would make it difficult to eat the food." I glanced at his throat. The wound was not nearly as bad as it used to be but swallowing would still be painful.
" Here, let me help you." I shifted until I was hovering above him and genly placed my hands around his throat. I urged the power from earlier through my fingers. I blue light appeared and I watched as the dark and scabbed over line puckered at the edges and sealed closed. When I was done I plopped back down and wiped my sweaty brow. That had taken a lot out of me. Healing was a lot more straining than purifying.
" Whew! Does it feel better now?" His left arm, the one that had been cut off, began to rise only to stop short. His brows furrowed and I suddenly remembered the promise to myself to give his arm back to him.
" What happened to this arm?" Any words that I could have spoken were caught in a strange lump in my throat. Think Kagome, think!
" You lost it in a bad fight." His sarcasm showed again as he looked at me with a look that said 'Duh!'
" I know that. What fight, who was I fighting?"
" I...I'd rather not say. I don't think it would be a very good topic for this current situation." There was another silence. This one was anything but comfortable. I began to fidget as his golden gaze bore into me. I felt my clenched and sweaty fists clench tighter. Finally,when I thought I would bust,I started to move so I could heat the food. I took a small pot out of my bag and adjusted some sticks over the fire so they could hold the pot without burning the sticks down. I watched as the food started to sizzle. I moved it around and made sure it didn't burn. When it was nice and hot, I took the pot off the fire. My back was turned to Sesshomaru and I was facing the fire still. I didn't want to turn around. No one had spoken during this tense silence. I jumped at his voice.
" I do not think it is for the better for my healer and servant to refuse to speak while in my presence. If you hate me perhaps you should not be here, or if you refuse to speak you could at least give me my portion of the food seeing as how you healed my throat so that I could do so." I cautiously turned with two plates of food.
" I don't hate you and I will speak. In fact I thought that you might hate me after not giving you the answer that you sought. It's just that...I think you should let certain memories come back on their own." His golden eyes bore into me once more and I felt as if the very power of the sun was shining through my soul.
" If you believe it is best then I will not argue. I suppose you're not my closest assistant for nothing." I smiled down at him. Looking down at the bowls in my hand I frowned. How was Sesshomaru going to take to being fed?
" I,umm, I will have to feed you." His eyebrow rose in his signature 'Duh' look.
" Indeed." I blushed as I lifted his head onto my lap. I brushed his hair out of his face. Feeling the clumped up mess, I got an idea. Later, I told myself, later.
" This will be spicy but the flavor is actually very good." I picked up a piece of soy-soaked steak and a few vegetables and popped it in his mouth. He chewed slowly.
" How do you like it?" Light shone through his usually dull and bored stare.
" It is...pleasing." I smiled. He liked it!
" I'm glad you like it. I made it myself. You're the only one that seems to enjoy it." He chewed more and swallowed. I felt proud when he licked his lips.
" Would you like some more?" His eyes closed.
"Hn." Now he had many 'hn's. Not one of them was the same. I hadn't spent a long time with him but I knew this 'hn' as a yes. At least I hope so...
I lifted more steak with my chop sticks and popped it into his awaiting mouth. He chewed once more and swallowed. With a smile that was growing steadily wider I lifted a piece out of my bowl and ate it. I realized something then. I had fed him with those chop sticks! Although I was a grown woman and probably should have worried about something like catching a sickness or disease, the teenage school girl in me came out. That was indirect kissing! I indirectly kissed Sesshomaru!
I couldn't stop the blush from spreading on my face. It was silly really. Pfft, me kissing the great Lord of the west, Sesshomaru, killing perfection and ice prince himself.
" Ahem." I shook my head and giggled as I popped another piece into his mouth. One more trait for Sesshomaru,impatient. I picked up another piece out of my bowl once again and ate it. Don't even think about it. Don't think about it. You only ate with the same chop sticks...that's it
Why am I flipping like this?!
I fed him another piece.
I shouldn't be thinking that when he's in front of me still injured! It's not as though I have a crush on him.
I ate a piece once more and chewed violently.
He is quite handsome...what am I saying! That's crazy!
This time I lifted another piece up to his lips but they were closed. His hand shot up and gripped my wrist.
" What troubles you?" I blushed and tried to yank my wrist away but he held strong.
" I-it's nothing, silly really. Don't concern yourself with it." He 'hn'ed once more. I stuck another piece into his mouth and he chewed. There was a short moment of silence as he swallowed.
" I smell your lie, as well as your nervousness." My mind buzzed. What could I tell him? This whole thing is so stupid! Why was I even worried about it?! I'll just tell him what I thought and...I looked into his golden gaze. My mouth opened but nothing came out.
" I-I was thinking a-about us sharing chop sticks. Where I come from it's...sort of romantic. But I-like I said it's nothing. It's stupid. It's-" Sesshomaru interrupted me.
" Something you have never experienced. Meaning you are not experienced in romantic situations." The piece of meet I was about to swallow seemed too large now. I almost choked on it.
" N-not exactly. I-umm-I mean I've hugged your-umm- I mean...you know what? No, I have never been in a serious relationship with a member of the opposite sex." I admitted with a red face. Why was I so nervous!?
" It's no wonder with the scent of innocence clinging to you. You are as innocent as a ten year old." I had a good come back, I really did. But my mouth opened and nothing came out. I closed it and opened it again. I did this several more times. I imagined I looked like a fish now. Finally, I gave up.
" You know, I think I liked you better when you were asleep."
"Hn." I really, really, truly hate that word.
A/n- Yes! I finished this chapter! Praise the Kami! I know it's short(to me anyways) but if you read the author's note up top you know my life has been a living hell as of late. You guys know how often I used to update! I love to write and not having time to do it has been devastating to me! So please excuse this humble author for her updates tardiness. I hope all of you guys out there are still reading...I miss you. Oh and I have a question. I read a fic written by a guy not too long ago. I wondered if there are any other guys out there. Guys seem like an alien life force on this site. Dreamer to male gender...Dreamer to male gender...are you out there...? Ahem, I also wanted to say this. If I do not see at least two reviews I will cry pitch a fit and keep my updates to myself. That is all, thank you. Oh and I'll try to get an update for my other story up soon. Please please please please please please please please review. I'm in withdrawals without them...
~Dreamer
P.S.- I know my authors notes are too long but...The story seems 'out of tune' with what I originally planned it to be. Please remember this story is pretty much a stress reliever. I sort of express my mood in it so it can go from serious to funny to stupid to sad to...you get my point. Ok, that is all. Oh and I have the next chapter ready. All you have to do is review...