Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha. This story is partially based on the anime series Gravitation
Gravitation
Chapter 4: Lover
Her heart pounded out of control, in an instant everything crashed down upon her. He knew! What happened?! Where did she go wrong?!
"Wh-what gave me away?"
That sinful smirk was still on his lips.
"You can cut your hair, wear baggy clothes, hide your scent, and even censor that aura of yours, but your blood is something you can not change."
He lowered his head and nuzzled the crook of her neck; need slammed into her, she couldn't stop herself from reaching her hands up and circling them around his neck, pulling him in.
"Your blood was very feminine. There was no hiding it."
He whispered in her ear and she whimpered; the miko pressed her body closer, but he pulled away. Their eyes met and her body failed her, those eyes, she couldn't escape them when they were so close, when he was so close. She was at his mercy and he knew it; he had seen that same look in the eyes of many women, but there was something more to her gaze. She looked at him as if she wanted more than just his body, something else burned in her eyes.
"You are very quiet little miko."
She shiver ran down her spine at the sound of her nick name. Damn it, why did his voice have to sound so… sensual. He lowered his head until their lips were but a millimeter apart; her legs chose that moment to give way and she fell back onto the wall, but he caught her and drew her into the safety and strength of his arms.
"You're not getting away that easily."
He said, sounding very sure of himself, in truth he was all but in complete control; trapped in his arms, her legs useless, hands helpless to do anything but hold him, she was at his mercy. He dove back in a second time and captured her lips; it took her a moment to realize he was kissing her. It was soft, not demanding or controlling, but the moment she pushed back, he pushed back harder. He pressed her up against the wall, his body flush against hers, helping her stand upright; his knee wedged itself between her legs forcing them apart so he could feel her heat on his thigh. All thought was erased from her mind, all worries, all problems, until there was only him, only his touch.
"Sesshomaru…"
His name fell off her lips like one of her sweet melodies and he felt his heart jump at her voice; he had had enough of the PG stuff, he wanted something a little more satisfying. Hands found to hem of her shirt and he impatiently pushed it up exposing her wrapped torso and padding.
"Seems like an awful lot of work for one secret."
He teased; his hand caressed the skin that was covered by the wraps and she began to pull at them, wanting them off. She still couldn't speak, her throat was tight and her mind was blank; he had called back something she had forgotten long ago that robbed her of her senses. The only thing that was left for her to think about, were his skilled hands and how her clothes were getting in the way.
"Off. I want them off."
She said tugging at the stretchy material and the foam padding; he wasn't one to turn down her demand as claws tore away the constricting items. Flawless tanned skin graced his presence and he drank the sight with his demon eyes, there was only one thing obstructing his perfect view: a single wrap tied tightly across her breasts. Small hands gripped him tightly as his fingers danced across her skin, torturing her with their erotic ballet. His mouth found hers again and the flame within her grew, it burned away everything except the need for more; more of his touch, his kiss… more of him. It felt so good, she felt the tears burning her eyes; this wasn't just lust or need, this was obsession, an insatiable addiction that would never have the proper fix.
"What do you want little miko?"
She shivered from the sensual voice that spilled from his lips; her hips involuntarily pressed against his and he pushed her back down. He knew the answer, he saw it in her eyes from the day he healed her wounds and even the day they first met, he knew, but he wanted to hear her say it. Their eyes met and time slowed down; he stopped his sweet torture, waiting patiently for an answer. Her eyes, glazed over with desire bore deeply into his until she saw her reflection in them; those cold eyes hid many things inside them and she wanted to know them all, she wanted to know what made him laugh, what made him cry… what made him happy. Her right hand came up and caressed the side of his face, an action she never would have done had it not been for this fire that threatened to consume her.
"You."
She answered; her voice concealing nothing, everything she felt, everything she was laid bare to him with just one word. His heart pounded out of control, only for a moment, but it was that one moment where he doubted himself; he believed himself to be a demon with no feelings left in him, but this small woman with her loud mouth and caring eyes had his legs feeling weak. She knew it in her heart, she could kiss no ones lips but his, she would touch no one but him, and she would love no one but him. He had gotten his answer, but did nothing, only staring. A tiny ounce of courage welled up in her and she smirked.
"You got your answer Sesshomaru so what are you waiting for, an invitation?"
He snapped out of his stupor and all at once his domineering side was back.
"Bold words for someone who was keening only moments ago."
He whispered seductively and that small bit of bravery fled her as he attacked her neck, leaving his marks wherever he went, fangs bit lightly into her flesh, not enough to cause pain, but just enough to leave an indent and even a hickey. The look on her face was priceless, her head tilted back to offer more of herself to him, eyes rolling back, lips parted as she dragged air into her lungs. Her hands fisted his hair, the silken threads tangled in her fingers as she pulled him lower.
"My, my; aren't we the needy one?"
He teased and she pushed up against him, her sanity had long ago abandoned her, she was now a human vessel for this obsession, the furnace for a fire that felt so good. The miko was so consumed she forgot to breathe and was forcing herself to remember to take in air.
"It's all your fault I'm like this; I want to make you happy."
Her voice was nothing but a hoarse whisper and she cried out when his hot mouth enclosed around her bud, she cursed the single wrap that was still around her breasts. Frustrated that he hadn't removed it, she futilely pulled at it, but she had the knot tied tightly; the young woman growled, but all movement from her stopped when the demon pulled away, rested his hand in between her valley and gripped the stretchy material. He felt her heart pounding; the pulse caused her whole body to shake from it. Golden eyes broke the intense contact they had with the chocolate brown ones as they looked down at the hand that began to tear away the last wrap around her chest. He pulled it down at an agonizingly slow pace; every inch of skin exposed, he kissed, nipped, and sucked until he felt the texture of uneven skin. He pulled away and looked down; with his demon eyesight he was able to see a deep scar right over her left breast where her heart resided.
"Where did you get this?"
His hand caressed the roughened skin and Kagome gave him a confused look before taking a shaky hand and feeling the scar with her own fingers. Confusion was etched into her face as she ran her fingers across it; the scar was shaped like a disfigured star, like something very sharp had stabbed her and the star shape came from when the skin was torn.
"I don't remember… I got it from… no it was an accident… but it wasn't…"
His eyes furrowed in confusion, she wasn't making any sense; she looked off into the distance, her eyes told him that she was in another world. Pain was carved into her expression as one hand came up and clutched the scar while the other drove the heel of her hand into her forehead. The priestess clamped her eyes shut as voices filled her head, flooding her senses, they caused her pain, but she knew that beyond the pain was something important. The demon watched her intently and the lines on her brow increased; he pulled his hands away, figuring out from her body language that she didn't want to be touched. The voices in her head grew louder and so did the pain; she felt tears forming around the brims of her eyes.
"It wasn't supposed to turn out this way…"
It was her own voice; she never remembered saying anything like that. Kagome felt like shards of glass were piercing her skull, but still the voices did not stop. Just a little longer, she could see the memory begin to clear, the voices suddenly took the forms of people she knew. People in black surrounded by snow, someone's picture inside a shrine built over a freshly dug grave; the picture may have not been clear, but the sorrow she felt from the memory resounded clearly and tore at her heart. The pain in her heart was too much, she felt like she wanted to die, with all of her being she wanted to put an end to her suffering.
"I'm sorry…"
"Kagome NO!"
"Aki…"
She whispered and everything went black; her body went limp and she began to fall, but the demon caught her. She looked exactly as she did when his incompetent brother brought her in two weeks ago, all color was drained from her face, a cold sweat covered her skin, and that pain stricken expression marred her beautiful face.
"I guess even a priestess has one or two inner demons."
When she didn't respond he picked her up bridal style, carried her to her room and set her gently in the bed. Her face was much calmer now, the pain seemed to have faded away; with a damp washcloth he wiped the sweat from her face. Still very confused he sat on her bed peering down at her, waiting for those chocolate eyes to open. When they didn't a hand came up and cupped the side of her face, out of instinct she leaned into it, somehow knowing it was him. She looked so beautiful, so innocent and she just admitted that she wanted him; he knew what would happen if he touched her, he knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't resist.
He climbed on top of her and kissed her perfect tanned skin; hands caressed her, tracing every curve, mapping every inch of her, but when he came up to look into her eyes, they were closed. She had not woken up and those sounds that came from her in the living room would not be repeated this night; he could easily take her, but he didn't play dirty. He had done many things to many women and demonesses, but never without their consent; this seemed wrong even to his defiled conscience. As he pulled away from her he felt the very strong urge to take her and make her his; the temptation was too strong. He felt his fangs and claws lengthen, eyes bled a vibrant red, and his demonic aura seeped out of him. The demon bent down to take her blood, his fangs lightly brushed against the soft, exposed skin just above her collarbone when the last thread of his morals brought him back up again.
"Damn it!"
He hissed and threw himself off the bed; a feral cry came out of his mouth as he made his way towards the bathroom. Every fiber in his being told him to turn around and claim her, but if he did that, she would surely die, he was a demon, he may still be young in some ways, but he was very strong. If he slept with her in the condition he was in now and she passed out and unable to deny him, there's no telling what he would do. He stumbled into the bathroom and climbed into the shower; the author turned the water on and ran it at an ice cold temperature in his clothes and all. Once the freezing water hit him, he felt himself get back in control; the claws and fangs retracted to their normal size and his eyes went back to their original golden color. The desire to take her was still there, but it had been significantly reduced; he kept his head under the water until he was positive that he could go back into her room and not try anything… it took longer than expected.
"Damn it!"
He cried out again and punched the tile, the ceramic that was supposed to be able to stand up to a demon's wrath cracked and fell apart. He slowly pulled his hand away, the skin on his knuckles had torn, but right before his eyes, the skin healed and looked as if it had never been hurt. He laughed pitifully, the story of his life; he had been hurt and he tricked everyone into thinking that he was fine. Everyone but one.
"I want to make you happy."
She said that and he couldn't understand it, he said nothing about himself, yet those chocolate eyes looked right through him and saw his walls, protecting him, it was almost as if she knew there was no happiness left in him. He turned off the water and walked out of the bathroom soaking wet; the writer stepped into her room and saw her sleeping soundly with a peaceful look on her face. The sight of her was almost too much with the way her shirt was pushed up and only that small strip of clothing was covering her chest. He let out a small sigh, walked up to her, pulled the shirt back over her torso, and tucked her in the covers. There was only one other person he had ever shown such courtesy to; he snorted at the thought.
"You look nothing like her; why do I even bother?"
His crude humor was short lived as he stared down at her head poking out from the fluffy covers; a clawed hand reached out and cupped the side of her face once again as voices from the past filled the empty room.
"The mobs are growing Sesshomaru, your parents both died from them; as you aunt and new guardian I've decided that for your safety I'm going to send you to America. The people there are much more accepting of demons than Japan is; I feel that you should stay there until things calm down here."
"Hi I'm Yuki. It's great to finally meet someone who's from Japan like I am. Even though you're a demon, if you need any help, the school council has entrusted me to help you. I've also been put in charge of teaching you English; so I hope you like the sound of my voice because you're going to hear it a lot."
Her smiling face was burned into his mind; he could never get it out and that voice, so sweet and innocent, there was no other like it.
"Yuki…"
"Yes Sesshomaru?"
He smiled ruefully.
"… how long has it been since I last saw your smile?"
"My smile will always be on my face if that makes you happy."
Her voice echoed in his mind, taunting him with a past he dared not go back to. His heart painfully lurched every second he stared down at the sleeping woman below him; it was too dangerous for her to be around any longer. Sesshomaru turned away from Kagome and straightened himself up; eyes scanned her room until he found her suitcase, he picked it up and began grabbing her things.
Kagome opened her eyes to bright beams of sunlight shining through her window; it took her a moment to realize that she was in her room with another headache. This was her second episode, first time people believe to be a freak accident, but a second time? She couldn't deny it anymore, something was seriously wrong with her; she'll check it out with Aki when she goes back in for practice. She sat up in bed and stretched her stiff body, the miko rose to her feet and went to the mirror to get all of her wraps and padding in place. Her shirt fell to the floor and she could only stare at all the markings that littered her body and realization dawned on her.
"He knows! Oh my God what have I done?!"
Her heart pounded out of control as memories of the previous night flashed through her mind; she suddenly felt his caress all over her and she hugged herself, her whole body shook. He had her one wrap away from being topless! Oh God and it felt so good it almost brought tears to her eyes; her heart pounded so hard she thought it was going to burst. Trembling hands dug nails into her skin; eyes helplessly looked around for something to sustain her sanity. She found that something when she looked out the window and saw clouds from the south coming; there was going to be storm tonight. She always loved the rain, it felt so refreshing and rejuvenating, but it also gave her more than one illness.
"They say that the rain can wash away all sin."
She mused and decided tonight, she'll dance in the rain. A friend once told her that she must dance at least once a day in order to stay sane. No matter what mood she was in, dance to what she was feeling; whether she's frustrated, heartbroken, or overjoyed, just dance. It can cleanse the mind if only for a few moments, lose herself in the music and no matter how she dances, just dance as if she'll never dance again. The singer did that once before on Sesshomaru's pond and she really felt a lot better even though he caught her; at least now she doesn't have to hide herself. As she dressed herself in the clothes she had on the night before, not noticing that all of her other belongings were packed away.
The priestess shyly stepped out of her room; this was the first day in four months that she was walking around without her wraps, padding, or perfume. She almost felt naked, but then again last night she almost was naked; a blush crept up and her cheeks. She forced air in and out of her lungs at a slow pace when her body wanted nothing more than to hyperventilate. Her feet froze half way down the hall, the priestess had to gather up her courage and walked into the open with her head held high, but when she stepped into the kitchen, the demon was not there.
"Sesshomaru?"
She called out, but no answer, the miko poked her head around the living room, his study and room, even the bathroom, but he was nowhere to be found. She sent out a tiny wave of her power to locate him, but even her "radar" couldn't pick him up; he wasn't in the house or the surrounding grounds. It was strange, but at the same time, she always left early in the morning and was gone until late at night. She had no idea what he did when she wasn't around; the miko shrugged her shoulders and plopped herself on the couch. This was the band's one day off and she was going to spend it by being a total couch potato.
"… but even with all the violence and death, your novel is a love story is it not?"
Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull when she saw him on the TV; so this was where he was. The woman next to him was a very well known reporter; she was one of the few whom Sesshomaru allowed an interview. The priestess saw his trademark smirk on the screen when he heard the reporter's question.
"People can interpret my books any way they please. If you want it to be a love story, then it's a love story."
The woman chuckled a bit.
"Come now, even the amazing Takahashi must admit that the bond between the two main characters is the most important aspect of the book. Love conquers all, does it not?"
She flipped through the pages of the novel.
"No it doesn't; out of all the emotions love is truly the weakest."
Her eyebrows rose at this.
"Oh really? Am I to take it that Sesshomaru Takahashi doesn't believe in love?"
The demon smirked and looked at her; Kagome held her breath waiting for his answer.
"You're smarter than I first took you for."
She felt like a huge stone was dropped in her stomach; quivering hands clutched a pillow and brought it up to her chest. It only took one sentence to have her world come crashing down, she could only stare helplessly at him hoping that she had heard wrong. He was lying, he had to be lying. The reporter flipped through the book again and read a few passages.
"Critics say that your style seems to have changed over the past two and a half months; I may not be an expert, but even I can detect a slight variation in your writing. Care to elaborate?"
Her heart sped up; two and a half months? That was around the time she first moved in to his place; a small glimmer of hope had her heart pounding in anticipation. There was no way she could influence him; she shook her head to rid herself of such naïve thoughts. Even though she was denying it, with all her heart, she wanted to hear him say that she had influenced somehow. She looked up and saw the demon pause for a moment, those golden eyes bored straight into the camera as if he knew she was watching.
"There has been a minute alteration in my living arrangements, but it is being properly dealt with and once that is done, my writing will resume its usual course."
'Properly dealt with'? What did he mean by that? She was in denial; the miko didn't want to admit it, but the demon wanted her out from the start and he was going to. A stinging pain filled her heart and made her sick; he wouldn't… not after last night. Would he? That smirk on the screen taunted her and she threw the pillow at his face before turning the TV off. She curled up into a ball on the couch, her hands caressing the marks that he left on her skin; the miko could still fell his hands on her, touching her in places that had never seen the light of day. An involuntary shiver ran up and down her spine as she recalled his skilled hands.
"He's not even here and he gets me riled up."
She muttered and stifled a yawn; the miko was tired and that was very strange to her since she had slept the night before. The need to sleep had come so strong, somewhere deep within the maze of her mind, there was a locked door and her dreams seemed to bring her closer to it. The priestess didn't even know she had fallen into her subconscious world as everything around her fell away where darkness resounded.
"It's not fair Otou-san!"
Kagome cried at her father who was seated across the table; the Higurashi family always held their most important discussions at the dinner table. Thirteen year old Kikyo and eight year old Kagome did not take the news they just heard lightly, but it was the younger sibling who voiced her resentment.
"I want a family too! I want to have sons and daughters of my own to train!"
Their father sighed; he knew he should have had this discussion when his girls were younger, but he didn't have the heart to tell them until now. He would always give them subtle hints, he knew his eight year old wouldn't understand, but judging by his eldest reaction, she figured it out long ago. His wife who sat beside him looked down at the table unable to look her children in the eye, she knew what she had gotten herself into when she married her husband, but it still hurt when her children were this upset and were being denied the one thing everyone wants most of all: someone to love.
"You have a family with us Kagome; we may not always be here, but we are family and when you're older you can train Souta's children."
She stamped her foot on the wooden floor below.
"No! I don't want to train Souta's kids I want to train my kids! Like you do with us Otou-san!"
He shook his head.
"It can not be done. Whether you like it or not you are a part of the Higurashi family and as such you will follow the sacred laws given to us by our ancestors to prevent past mistakes."
They all knew what he was talking about.
"But Otou-san…"
Everyone one looked to Kikyo as she spoke for the first time since the conversation started.
"… why does this law even matter now? The Sacred Jewel of Four Souls is already back in this world; that was the whole reason why the Higurashi women were forbidden to have a family, yet the Jewel is in the main house being purified and the law is still in effect. Why?"
She repeated allowing some of her resentment to leak out of her voice. The priest wished that question had not been asked; he obviously underestimated the intelligence of his teenager.
"Although the women in our family are not allowed to have children or husbands is considered a sacred law, since the Jewel was brought back to the world of the living, this law now stands more as a very important tradition that allows our young and beautiful priestesses to stay priestesses. When you marry, the woman becomes a part of the man's family, giving up her own for him; if so choose love over family and tradition you will no longer be a priestess."
The young girl sucked in her breath; she couldn't imagine any other life than the one she was living. She could never give up being a miko; it was who she was, what defined her.
"What do you want to be? A priestess or a woman?"
The sisters looked at each other and without saying a word they both knew who they wanted to be. To the young girl, boys still had cooties, they were icky, and called girls sissies; as a woman it wouldn't be "proper" to beat them up, but as a miko she could knock them out cold and wouldn't get in trouble because they had disrespected her and she was in a position of high respect and if it wasn't upheld, then she could deliver any punishment. The siblings looked back at her parents and at the same time said
"Priestess."
Their father smiled and so did their mother, but a part of the woman suddenly felt a deep sadness for her daughters who will never experience the joys of having children, of raising them, teaching them, being loved by them. No mother wanted to deny her children something extremely important and that made this especially hard for her. She had many fights with her husband over their daughters; the couple had come from two separate families with polar opposite ideals. She remembered how she pleaded with her husband to allow Kikyo to attend a public school instead of being home schooled like the rest of the Higurashi girls were; so that her oldest child would have some form of normalcy and interact with others outside of the family. He allowed it, but was reprimanded by the head of the family.
"You've made a very wise decision girls and I'm proud of you."
He rose to his feet which meant the discussion was over and they were allowed to leave; Kikyo went back up to her room to finish her homework while Kagome ran out the door with a very bitter expression. As she stomped through the kitchen door the young miko bumped into someone. She jumped, her eyes shooting up to see the person's face, but gave a sigh of annoyance when she saw who it was.
"Oh, it's just you Old Hag."
She muttered and Tsubaki's face contorted, deepening the frown lines around her mouth.
"Why you ungrateful child! How dare you treat me with such disrespect!"
The girl gave a very unladylike snort; the childish frustration and anger from the conversation she just had needed to find a vent and since she never liked her great-aunt, she was going to take it out on her.
"Oh save it you mean old lady!"
The girl struck a nerve in the older woman; she wanted to strike the girl and raised her hand to do so, but the child back flipped and landed on the bookcase high above. She decided to use her words instead.
"I heard the argument in the kitchen."
She said smugly and the girl made a face at her.
"Eavesdropper."
She spat and the old witch continued.
"Out of all the Higurashi girls I've trained, you are the weakest. Maybe not in power, but in the mind. To fight with you father because you can't marry is absurd! Love is the worst thing to fight for because it doesn't exist!"
Anger swirled in the miko's eyes.
"You're wrong! It does exist! You don't believe in it because you're a sad, old prune face!"
The older priestess growled and flared out her spiritual power.
"You take that back right now!"
She cried and made her way to the bookcase where Kagome was just out of reach; the miko jumped over her great-aunt and made her way to the door, but before she left she turned around and stuck her tongue out.
"Make me Prune Face!"
She sprinted out the door soon followed by the old miko.
"Get back here!"
She wheezed and the girl looked back.
"Make me! Make me!"
She taunted and laughed while running through the gardens, leaping across ponds with ease; she looked back to see her aunt had stopped running. Tsubaki had grown tired of it so she resorted to her sutras; withered old hands reached into her sleeves and pulled out a very special sutra and placed her hands in the proper positions. Just as the little miko jumped over a pond the priestess executed the attack.
"Hya!"
A shock wave was sent through the ground and air; the moment it reached Kagome she felt all her power being zapped from her body and she fell like a rock into the middle of a mossy pond. There was a huge 'splash' as her body hit the water, waves crashed up against the sides, some of it sloshed onto the miko's feet as she walked to the edge of the pond. Before even bothering to help her niece out of the water, she placed the sutra on the girl's forehead to keep her strength from returning. An unkind, wrinkled old hand fished the priestess out of the water like a wet and dirty towel, dragging her by the back of her shirt to the steps leading to one of the many homes in the Higurashi main house. She dropped the child onto the wooden planks, her body, limp and unresponsive flopped onto the steps and began falling down until those cold hands gripped her shoulders and roughly yanked her up into a sitting position. Her head rolled on her shoulders, not even having enough strength to hold it up.
"Look at me. I am not so kind when it comes to dealing with little brats; I don't care if you're Kagami's daughter, you father isn't here and I know you are not going to breathe a word of this."
The witch hissed and yanked her head so they were looking at each other eye to eye; cruel dulled eyes stared into the vibrant and defiant ones possessed by her niece.
"You are to remember what you said to your father, now you are to repeat it to me: I am a priestess, not a woman."
She saw instant anger in the girl's eyes and her grip tightened so that fingernails were digging into soft skin. When she got no response she gave a repugnant look.
"Your voice is not paralyzed unlike the rest of your body; now say it."
She saw tears of rage build up and the rebellious glint in her eye grew.
"No."
She spat out.
"Then I will keep you here, helpless and powerless while I deliver a punishment that you've never had before."
Her voice shook with conviction and even at this age Kagome knew that there was a time to fight and a time to submit, but with every fiber of her being she despised it, despised the woman that was cruel to her and her sister for no reason other than jealousy.
"I am a…"
She began using her most defiant voice possible and she saw an immediate change in her aunt; the old woman's eyes glinted with triumph as a smirked formed on aged lips.
"… priestess, not a…"
Her voice gave way, she couldn't bring herself to say it; it was one word, one simple, innocent, common word yet the open she opened her mouth to speak it, her vocal chords constricted and ceased all further talk.
"Not a what, Kagome?"
Her aunt whispered as satisfaction swelled within her, joy that she was finally able to get the upper-hand on her wayward niece. Rage, pure, un-tampered, unrestricted rage blazed in those chocolate eyes; she was seething with it and the older priestess felt her repulsion to say it.
"… woman."
She finished and a huge grin spread across Tsubaki's face.
"Good. Now say it again, but this time with no gaps between the words."
The old wench felt the power fueled by the anger within the child build up inside the sutra, how a mere child was able to organize her spiritual energy within the chaos to the sutra she'll never know, but so long as the paper remained stuck to the girl's forehead, she wasn't going anywhere or doing anything.
"I am a priestess, not a woman."
The witch let out a chuckle.
"And you will do well to remember that."
'SLAM!'
Kagome jolted awake, her reaction flew her off the couch and landed on the hard wood floor in a clumsy heap. She cursed and swore, slowly rising to her feet and turned to see the demon walk through the door a little surprised to see her, but the shock quickly disappeared and replaced with that all-knowing smirk.
"I see that the young woman has been fast asleep."
There was a pang in her heart by the tone of voice he chose when he said 'woman'. The pillow she had been gripping was on the floor and instead of dignifying his remark with a response she picked up the pillow and placed it among the others. The miko said nothing as she walked past him to try and head for her room when a strong hand reached out and gripped her arm, not hard enough the hurt, but she couldn't break free. He pulled her back.
"What? No good afternoon kiss?"
He teased and she blushed slightly as her anger grew; the singer shook off his hand and made her way to her room, when she paused and turned around.
"How could you say something like that?!"
He quirked an eyebrow.
"Like what?"
She reached for something to throw at him, but remembered she was in an empty hall and returned her hand to her side. In her anger she released some of her spiritual power and allowed it to coat her body as it took the form of blue flames.
"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about! How could you tell that woman that love doesn't exist?! And what do you mean I'm going to be 'properly dealt with'?! There's nothing you can do to me! I hold your social life and maybe even your actual life in the palm of my hand, if I so choose, I could go to any news station and tell them what you tried to do to me!"
She despised herself for stooping so low, but she was desperate, she didn't want to leave and she would even use her blackmail as a real threat if that's what it took. Gold eyes narrowed as they bore dangerously into hers.
"Doesn't that thick skull of yours comprehend that you're no longer in power? I know your secret too and if you truly wish to use that bit of blackmail against me then I'll use mine as well. If you intend to take me down, then you're going with me."
The absolute truth, however cruel it was, showed through his voice; he would take her down without a second thought if that is what it took to get her out of his house. He felt sorrow leak into her powerful aura along with the stinging sense of betrayal; she took a step forward and then another until they were but a step apart. Instantly her entire body language changed from aggressive to passive. With her eyes shut tight she leapt up and wrapped her arms around him while her lips met his. The demon did not move a millimeter; with that same cold expression he looked on as if nothing was happening, only when she pulled away did he lower eyes to meet those filled with pain.
"Did last night mean nothing to you?! Was my kiss just as hollow to you as all those others you shared with women?!"
His smirk slowly returned.
"Granted your kiss may not have been hollow, but it certainly was not cheap."
Her eyes furrowed in confusion.
"What are you talking about?"
He pulled away from her.
"How much did my sister pay you? I never had a chance to count all the 1,000,000 yen bricks. Was it ten? Twenty? She might have even gone up to thirty."
She shook her head and grabbed his shirt with her small hands.
"No! Wait! It's not what it looks like! I didn't want to take the money, but she insisted; she said it was going to help you!"
He scoffed and looked away, preparing to leave when she spoke up again.
"She wanted me to ask you…"
The writer turned back around; unable to look in his eyes, she turned away while reciting the exact words the demoness spoke to her that night in the bar.
"… how long will you keep her waiting?"
His eyes widened by only a small fraction, he had an idea of what it meant, but he had to make sure.
"Who is this 'her'?"
The young woman shrugged her shoulders and looked at the floor.
"I don't know, she only gave me the money to ask you the question, she didn't attach an explanation. I didn't want to do it, but she wouldn't let me leave if I didn't accept the money."
He could sense no dishonesty in her, the miko was telling the truth, but he wished she wasn't; it would have been so much easier to kick her out if she was lying. He actually found the money thrown carelessly into the corner of the closet with a pile of dirty clothes on top of it; not exactly the ideal place to hide a small fortune such as that. It probably meant she planned on returning it and hid it there for the time being. The priestess backed away from him, her head bowed in shame; she no longer needed the yen, Inu-Yasha was funding nearly everything for the band with the Takahashi fortune.
"I didn't want it and I was planning on donating it, but then this happened."
She rubbed her arm as her aura dropped; now that she explained herself, she no longer felt the need to keep it up. When her eyes went back up to meet his, she saw that same look in his eye, nothing about them had changed. He shifted and pointed his finger to the hall behind him.
"There's the door. You'll find all of your belongings packed."
He saw her body jerk at his words, like what he said was an arrow piercing her deeply. She was feeling it again… this sorrow and anguish that took over her heart when she saw that memory, only this was fresh and very potent. 'Is this really how you want to go Kagome?' She asked herself, asked her heart which only wanted to cry out in pain and do whatever it took to relieve it. 'At least walk out with some of your dignity preserved.' She instantly straightened herself up and froze the tears that threatened to spill; all at once she had the demure of a strong and capable woman, very different from the person he saw begging not moments ago.
"Fine."
She said curtly; the miko sealed her aura so the demon couldn't sense what she was feeling and it worked, until she walked past him. Their arms brushed against each other's and Sesshomaru was hit with such a powerful wave of sadness, he felt as if someone had punched him in the gut, but quickly got over it when she didn't stop for him. He followed her out to the door and saw her survey her suitcases that sat by it; small hands grabbed them and opened the door. Thunder boomed and lighting forked the sky while sheets of rain poured on as it had for hours.
"May I ask you one simple question before I go?"
She turned up to him with those chocolate orbs; he smirked.
"You already did."
Hoping to lighten up the subject, he failed miserably and with a small sigh of annoyance he nodded his head in agreement.
"Why are you doing this?"
Her question didn't throw him off one bit; he pushed himself away from the doorway and the howling wind of the rainstorm.
"You blackmailed you way into my home and stayed here for over two months, you're annoying, a loud mouth, childish, and I recently found out that now you're a lair. Let me put this in words that you can understand…"
He turned and looked at her with his cruelest eyes; she recognized those, he used them to stare at Inu-Yasha with, at Mika when she left, at the paparazzi who tried to get under his skin. Never did she think he would look upon her with those eyes, they broke her heart as much as his next words did.
"… I don't like you."
Once again he saw her body jerk from the impact his words caused; she bit down hard on her lip and without saying or doing anymore, she ran out of his house and into the freezing rain. She wasn't going to let him see her cry, she wouldn't allow it. The priestess made it to the edge of the gate before she broke down; falling to her knees she wrapped her now fragile arms around a tree; it provided shelter from the rain with its thick leaves and strong trunk. Nails dug into the bark as tears burned her eyes worse than acid; she threw her head back and let out a cry that was muffled by the lightning. Tears ran freely, leaving streaked stains on both sides of her face; her spiritual power exploded and encased the woman in flames of anguish. The bluish light that reflected off her lit the whole area, no doubt the demon saw it, but if not he surely felt it.
"You may feel my pain, my tears, my sorrow, but I will never allow you to see them again."
Kagome swore as she faced the house, the singer sensed his eyes on her, but knew that she would not be seen. She turned away from him and faced the tree that had sheltered her; focusing her power, she used her index finger to carve a message on the tree. The characters written on the trunk glowed with her spiritual aura; she stepped back and looked over her work before snatching up her items and ran back out into the rain. Her body glowed with power and she used it to jump over the locked gate and ran out into the night, ran to where she hoped she would be accepted, would be loved. A new pain coursed through her; she felt like she betrayed the trust of her band mates. She constantly reassured them that she had control of things, yet now she was running back to them and worst of all she was probably going to be crying like a baby.
She ran all the way to their apartment, it was a very long distance by foot, but she was no ordinary human. The rain was pouring just as it had, even though it was freezing and relentless, it gave her a bit of comfort knowing that someone or should she say something was feeling just as sad as she was. Kagome walked into the parking lot, soaked all the way to the bone and shivering uncontrollably, clothes clung to her skin and every time she moved she felt the cold, wet clothing brush against her and served only to make her colder… she was so miserable. The singer choked back a sob as she walked to the front door and reached into her pocket for the key, but she couldn't bring herself to unlock the door. Beyond these mere inches of wood resides a warm bed and five people who cared about her, but she was so cold, so separated from their warmth, she felt as if she could never be warm again.
"Forgive me…"
She whispered already knowing what their reactions would be and how she would treat them; placing the key back in her pocket she knocked on the door, feeling that it was better to be invited in than to let herself in. Aki answered the door, he looked so happy, there was even a glint in his eye, but all that disappeared when he saw her standing at the front door.
"Kagome?"
He asked disbelievingly, this couldn't be her, this couldn't be their singer; this woman looked so saddened, so disillusioned. Their eyes met, she felt the heat of his body and the coldness within her shivered; she was shaking and still glowed with her spiritual aura. He had only seen her like this once before and this sight brought back so much that he had desperately tried to bury.
"Aki."
She whispered his name and broke down just like she knew she would; she flung her arms around his torso and sobbed pitifully in his chest, burying her face in his shirt. Immediately everyone was at the door and surrounded her as they made their way into the apartment. The band tried consoling her as best they could, but it only seemed to make her cry harder; the anguish and betrayal that rolled off her almost made them want to shed tears. Knowing that she did not want to be seen this way, they turned off the lights, only when the lightning flashed did they see her face and it was enough for to fill them with a blinding rage to go out and kill whoever did this to their precious Kagome. She felt so pathetic, never before had she ever felt this weak, this vulnerable; she hated it.
The five guys were at a loss, they weren't used to seeing the vocalist this way, so they didn't know what to do; they tried asking her questions, but her voice was constricted, she couldn't speak. They touched her skin and were taken aback by how cold her body was and instantly they ripped the blankets from their beds and wrapped her in them, but still she remained cold, it was as if her very core was frozen by her sadness. It took a good fifteen minutes before her sobs became muffled chokes and her river trickled down to a dried up creek. They all waited in anticipation to hear what had happened or if she would even tell them.
"Kagome-sama?"
Shippo cautiously approached her, not wanting to upset her again; she wiped the dried up tears from her face and turned to him. Beyond his sympathetic and caring actions anger boiled, rage was seething deep inside and threatened to spill.
"Who did this to you?"
He asked; they had not seen all of her belongings behind the closed front door where she dropped them; if they had, there would have been no reason to ask such a question. There was a slight twitch from her when she recalled the memory.
"Is it okay if I stay with you guys again?"
They all sucked in their breath; the band knew what she meant and their rage began to show in spite of trying their best to hide it.
"What did he do?!"
Inu-Yasha nearly howled; all around her the air grew thick with a mixture of very dangerous auras; they patiently stood by her, waiting for an answer, but it almost didn't matter now, seeing their singer like this was enough to want to kill the demon. She looked up at them and shook her head in horror and grabbed the half-demon's pant leg.
"What do you plan to do once you find out?!"
She challenged back and the guys were at a loss; she was defending him, after the pain he caused she was trying to protect him! She rose to her feet, but her legs were weak from the long and exhausting run and shook beneath the many blankets. She was them all make moves towards the door, she had to say something, had to do something to get them to stop, get them to stay.
"Before you go out there I want you to know something. Sesshomaru didn't exactly invite me to stay in his home… I blackmailed my way in to get back at what he did when we first met."
If their rage wasn't dampened, at least she took their minds off it with her confession; they were surprised to say the least that she would do such a thing.
"He didn't know I was a woman so he had nothing on me and I did, he didn't have any choice. Sesshomaru didn't like me, I knew that from the beginning, so when he found out I was a woman—"
"He knows?!"
Koga interrupted, but quickly shut up. His words only voiced the shock that resided in all of them; silence resounded again as she continued.
"When he found out… he took advantage of it."
Her lower lip quivered and she wrapped her arms around herself, oh God even now she could feel him all over her and she hated the way her body cried out for only his touch. The band got mixed signals when she said "took advantage of it", but Aki was the closest, to be sure he grabbed her arm and took her to her room. He shut the door and locked so it was just the two of them. He gave her no warning as he set her down on the bed and tugged at the collar of her shirt, exposing the marks the author had left the night before.
The miko suddenly saw everything about him go very still; she quickly scrambled to cover herself up, but it was far too late, he knew and there were no words to describe the out rage he felt. Someone had touched her, took advantage of her feelings to cause her so much pain; nobody could do that to Kagome and live. He was dangerous now; the singer reached out and slipped her hand past his shirt and brought out the necklace he kept hidden from everyone.
"This needs another rejuvenating session, but not tonight, it can't be tonight. If you release it you don't know what you'll do. Please, stay here, we'll deal with it tomorrow, just don't do this."
She pleaded with him, her hand tightened over the smoothness of the crystal pendant, but he pulled away and not being strong enough to sustain a good grip, she let go. As quickly as he was in the room he was out of it; he yanked the door open and grabbed his jacket and the keys to his own motorcycle; the other guys became alert the moment they saw Aki storm out of their singer's room.
"I'm going for a ride."
He said and looked at them and the guys froze, they had never seen such anger, such blinding rage in the guitarist's eyes before; there were few times they saw him angry, but this was completely off the chart for him. The redhead never lost his cool like this before, but he didn't just loose his cool, he burned it.
"If any of you follow me, you will suffer such a fate that would have even iron stomachs cringing."
It was a pure threat that he swore with everything he had, everything he was and although they wanted to get their revenge as well, it would have to wait. They said nothing as they watched Aki walk through the door.
"Look after Kagome and don't let her follow either."
He warned before slamming the door, moments later they heard the loud screeching of tires slowly fade away; lightning struck the earth again and lit the dark apartment as the broken priestess slowly emerged from her room. She looked at them and noted who was missing.
"You two are really close aren't you?"
Miroku asked about her and the guitar player, she turned to him and nodded her head.
"We've known each other since we were five; Aki is like a brother in my family, the Higurashi's outside my immediately family accepted him even though his is a…"
Rain poured in icy sheets as the red haired player roared down streets; it seemed like an eternity before the gates to Sesshomaru's mansion came into view. The necklace hidden beneath his clothing glowed a fire red as his rage grew, what that necklace sealed was becoming harder to control. With an unnatural source of strength he leapt over the locked gates and walked down the long gravel driveway to the house. It took only a few minutes to get to the door, once there he rang the door bell; the band mate, shook his hands to get rid of the itching feeling of anticipation. He heard footsteps on the other side of the door and his whole body became alert, there was the clicking of the locks being undone and the turning of the doorknob. It opened and the demon stepped into the door frame; Aki clenched his fists and swung his right arm back.
"Who are y—"
The author didn't have time to react before the guitarist punched him right in his gut, knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying to the far wall.
'CRASH!'
His body and the wall collided; there was a three foot deep crater where he hit it. Sesshomaru forced air through his lungs; demon eyes burned a blood red as he looked up at the intruder who dared do such a thing. A red glow caught his eye and he saw the teardrop shaped necklace shine with a great intensity, one that hurt to look at. He sniffed the air and recognized Kagome's scent, but this person who stood before him had a very strange mix to him. He was human, yet not human and then it hit him.
"Half-demon."
He spat out and Aki took a step back out of shock, before sniffing his clothing and realizing that the rain had washed away the spray he used to hide his scent. He scoffed and cracked his knuckles.
"Doesn't really matter now does it? Half-demon or not I'm still going to make you suffer."
Sesshomaru grabbed both sides of the wall and pushed himself out of the hole; he winced slightly as he straightened himself up, but already he could feel his demon blood work to repair the internal bleeding Aki's punch had caused. As he was standing up he felt every fiber of his opponent come to life as he prepared himself for another attack. He sniffed the air to find out what specific breed of demon he came from, but remnants of the spray prevented him from doing so. He also sensed this half-demon was stronger than he first realized when he saw that inside the necklace was the kanji character for "seal" and was filled with the blood of a very powerful spiritualist.
It wasn't uncommon for children of one human parent and one demon parent to masquerade as humans, hiding their demonic aura or completely sealing it away. There are plastic surgeons now that specialize in removing demonic features that are otherwise impossible to hide. Certain dyes can change any exotic eye color into the normal brown, acid eats away at the claws and fangs to reduce them to the harmless image of human teeth and nails, and a special kind of tattoo ink is used to cover the demon markings; all that pain and suffering for what they deem as normalcy.
"Is that so? If that one punch was your best, and judging by how much you exerted in it, it probably is, I want no part in fighting you. You aren't worth my time."
The air began to crackle with electricity and it was no surprise to the Takahashi that it was coming from the hanyou. The necklace was furiously trying to prevent any more leakage of Aki's true power; already his demonic features began to show. Nails that were once short and harmless grew into claws that could kill in one sweep, his canine teeth sharpened and poked out through his lips, and eyes that were a dull bronze with round pupils became a lightened bronze and the pupils narrowed into thin slits. Already Sesshomaru deduced from his eyes that the half-breed came from a very ancient and powerful demon line. Slits signified power and a very old ancestry and although Sesshomaru had slits, they were wider and more oval shaped.
"Like hell I'm not!"
He cried and charged to deliver a second blow; the demon stood his ground and waited for the perfect opportunity. He found it and lashed out, grabbing the guitarist's hand, stopping him dead. The force of attack blew books and heavy vases off his tables like they were pieces of paper. Amidst the chaos the demon stood calm, his demeanor never changed; eyes cold and ruthless stared into their opponent whose anger only grew. The demon's hand tightened around the fist and he could see a slight wince from the band mate, but he didn't stop there. Slowly, humiliatingly, he forced Aki's hand to lower; and while the half-demon appeared to be exerting himself to keep up with Sesshomaru's strength, the author wasn't even breaking into a sweat.
"If you truly wish to test your mediocre skills against mine I suggest we take this outside. I want a house to go back into when I'm finished with this."
He released the hanyou and walked to the door without bothering to look back; the redhead clutched his hand which now sported several broken fingers; they would heal, but not soon enough, so long as the necklace he wore was still around his neck, his full power remained dormant. His good hand came up and stroked the smoothness of the pendant; the blood that was held inside it was still warm, spelling out the character for "seal". The glow had subsided for the moment feeling its host calm down somewhat; the hybrid turned to the open door and saw the rain and beyond that the demon who waited for him to follow, dared him to follow. With no second thought running through him he walked out the door and was welcomed by the rain; the pendant began to glow again.
"Do you have any idea how much she cares about you?!"
He yelled over the deafening thunder and pounding rain, not waiting for an answer as he sprinted at top speed as power grew within him. The red glow burned beneath the shirt, it was holding back too much, the stress was too much. The writer crouched down into his fighting stance, his claws spread out wide, waiting for the prey to come to him. He saw his opening and swiped his claws, but the only thing he caught was a shred of the hanyou's shirt. He turned and faced those burning eyes that kept a safe distance. The light from the pendant was blinding him he had to narrow his eyes to see the silhouette of the band mate behind it.
"You're all she ever talks about!"
He cried once more; the half-demon's outcries certainly got his attention, but why was the hybrid shouting it out as if the world had ended and it was his fault. The author didn't have time to think about it too much before his opponent came at him a fourth time; he dodged the lethal claws and countered with his own. He drew blood this time, a thin set of cuts across Aki's right cheek, but they were healed in a matter of seconds; the hanyou turned and ran at the demon again, but he didn't do just one attack. The guitarist swung his claws blindly, not caring that he could be in serious danger.
"You made her cry! You broke her heart!"
His voice rang out over the thunder; all that time while he was being attacked, Sesshomaru did nothing but dodge. The demon studied the hybrid, trying to find the source of this anger; he was fighting with a little more passion then the author thought was possible for someone who was just looking to get revenge for a friend. Realization dawned on him; he was shocked that he didn't see it sooner. It was so bluntly obvious in the way he fought, the way his anger grew with no limit.
"You're in love with her."
Aki froze all movements as his heart lurched; was it that obvious? It apparently was, if he was going to lie his way out of that one, he blew his chances when he stopped. The demon smirked for the first time; he knew the hanyou's weakness now: his anger. It is common knowledge that the angrier you make your opponent, the more mistake's they'll make, but the writer couldn't help but fuel anger of his own. In spite of himself, he caught a small growl before it could escape his throat; there was a flood of undesired jealousy that there was someone else who wished for the miko's affections. He didn't like competition.
"How typical, a lowly half-demon falling in love with a worthless, insignificant human—"
"Shut up! You don't know anything about her or how valuable, how precious she truly is because you have no heart! You're a cold son of a bitch!"
Demonic power was seeping out more and more, the pendant could contain it no longer.
"Nobody toys with Kagome's heart like that and is allowed to live!"
Once more the hanyou came after the youkai; the author was ready, but just as he was about to jump and miss the assault, the faint sound of crystal breaking caught his ears. Everything went still before the sudden explosion of a very dangerous demonic aura threw him off balance and collided with the trees. The hybrid froze as his eyes saw the crack that had formed on the pendant; he stared down at his hands and saw the fire red demonic markings grace his wrists. He felt his power go through the roof of what it used to be; he looked up and with his enhanced vision saw the demon slowly make his way back to the open area. The hanyou growled with displeasure suddenly finding his rage much harder to control. He looked down at the necklace that was cracked, but still sealed a good portion of his power within him.
Fourteen years, for fourteen years he wore this necklace and nothing ever happened to it, he always took care of it and always trusted it to help him, but for the very first time, he didn't want that help, it was more of a hindrance than anything else. Slowly he lifted his hand up and gripped the thin silver chain, without further thought of the consequences he ripped the chain off of his neck. Just like a dying star, Aki's demonic power collapsed within him before it blew up, sending his immense aura in all directions. Sesshomaru witnessed it all and when that now deadly aura slowly sunk back into its host, he was no longer looking at the same half-demon.
Golden eyes looked back at the writer, the slits were perfect, resembling those of a pure-blooded demon; beautiful wings of blood red and pure gold perched on his back, a long tail of the same colors trailed behind him like a elegant fan only partially opened. His hair was no longer the dull red, but a vibrant crimson with golden streaks and from his forehead sprouted three feathers, like the long ones on his tail, draping gracefully over his hair. They reminded the youkai of peacock feathers, but these were far more elaborate. Now he knew which breed of demon this hanyou descended from.
"Phoenix. Not many of your kind flying around here anymore."
Aki gave him a tasteless sneer.
"If I am not mistaken, the dog lineage is limited to the Takahashi's. You're the last of a dying breed just as I am."
Now it was the demon's turn to smirk.
"Don't think of yourself as such a pure being. Your nothing more than a half-breed and from what I can smell now that infernal spray is completely gone, you're not even unique in your own standards."
There was a slight pause as the golden eyes of the hybrid narrowed.
"Your father has many children with many women does he not?"
He gave a small uncaring sigh and a half-assed shrug. The Takahashi was certainly surprised at the sudden calm that surrounded his opponent; perhaps releasing this half-breed's true power relieved the frustration and anger that had built up.
"My father was never known for his fidelity."
He looked at the half-phoenix up and down, the spitting image of his demon parent. Out of all the children the phoenix had, the one standing before him had the most resemblance to the ancient youkai.
"Quite an impressive amount of demon power you have. I've never seen this in any of your siblings. You're mother must have been a very weak human for you to obtain such strong demon features."
And then he saw it, a twitch, though small as it may be on his right arm, gave him away. Obviously the subject about his mother was just potent as the subject of Kagome; his frown deepened as he turned his body to fully face the inu youkai.
"My mother is none of your concern."
He reached back and plucked a long feather from his right wing, blood red up to the very end where the tip made a dramatic change to gold. He turned and once again faced the demon, holding his feather like a sword and right before Sesshomaru's eyes, the feather contorted, reshaped and solidified into a rather dangerous looking sword, but the beauty of it could not be ignored. It looked like an ordinary katana (traditional samurai sword), but the blade was the same blood red as the feathers were and the ribbons that decorated the hilt were a shocking gold and floated gracefully at the end of the hilt. He raised his swords in a warriors salute and waited for it to be returned.
"Come now Sesshomaru, even a city dwelling demon such as you must have a sword of his own."
He did, three of them actually. One useless in battle: Tenseiga, with the power to heal and left by his father; one he couldn't use: Sounga, because his father placed a seal of the Three Divine Beings over to keep it in check, and the last one was the one he felt most comfortable with: Tokijin, forged from the fangs of the Takahashi's and even the Higurashi's most hated clan. The Onigumo clan descended from a volatile half-demon who created descendants from his very flesh; one such descendant, Gatenmaru, came after his and Kagome's ancestors, but was killed and his fangs were used to forge the third sword. The demon raised his hand in the air and without taking his eyes off the half-phoenix, called out to his sword.
"Tokijin, I summon you to fight."
Rain spattered upon the windows in the dark apartment; Kagome had retreated back into her room again and left the four guys to soak in the information that she just gave them. Aki is a half-demon; they figured demon blood was in him, but certainly not half of him. He didn't look like it, but she didn't tell them of the seal he wore beneath his clothes that hid his appearance and his aura. The band members were surprised when the miko emerged from her room a second time, the blankets still wrapped around her; they all rose to their feet and waited for her to approach them, but she did not.
The now hollowed brown eyes of their singer looked out the window beside the back door leading to the small backyard. The rain called to her, beckoned her into its refreshing touch; unlike the rain before that froze her to the core, this one seemed to have the soul purpose of cleansing her. She brought her hands up and brushed away the blankets; they fell to the floor, leaving a distinctive curve where her body had previously occupied them. A small hand reached for the doorknob when Miroku finally had enough courage to speak up.
"Kagome, what are you doing?"
She turned to them with a dazed smile, her eyes slightly glazed over.
"I'm going dancing."
She replied quietly and without waiting for a reply, she opened the door and walked out barefoot into the unkempt grass. The rain poured on her and she spread her arms wide in offering allowing the cool rain to wash away her sins. The moment she heard the music that was only meant for her did she start to dance.
What if I wanted to break? Laugh it all up in your face.
What would you do?
What if I fell to the floor? Couldn't take this anymore.
What would you do?
Lightning flashed as if it felt her growing excitement; the priestess threw her head back as her body bent backwards into a beautiful curve. She lost track of what she was doing and began releasing her spiritual aura in short bursts, almost like a very slow pulse. It froze a few raindrops and suspended them in midair, and when the lightning forked, they glittered like diamonds. The display of nature's power had the miko dancing in a beautiful, but quick paced dance.
Come break me down! Bury me, bury me!
I am finished with you!
Her excitement died down again as her arms gracefully spun in intricate designs and patterns that were strange, but mystifying. The miko continued her dance, feet moved constantly, but there was no disturbance on the grass; it was as if she was a ghost, floating upon the ground. She never took her eyes away from the sky, the dark and brewing clouds, knowing that Sesshomaru and Aki were caught up in the same storm. She raised her right hand up and lightning forked across it, answering her call.
What if I wanted to fight? Beg for the rest of my life.
What would you do?
You say you wanted more; what are you waiting for?
I'm not running for you.
She closed her eyes and listened to the story the lightning told her of the battle that was being set; the two had their weapons, now they were waiting to see who was going to strike first. The band that looked out at her thought she had completely lost her mind, standing out in the middle of the rain and narrowly missing the lightning that shot across the sky. What surprised them even more was the blankets they had wrapped their singer in were covered in frost from the inside. Was it humanly possible to do such a thing even for someone as amazing as her; the blankets didn't seem to be frozen by her on purpose.
As they stared out at her dancing, Miroku studied her movements, there was a pattern to them that seemed strangely familiar, but he couldn't quite remember where he had seen it. Right as they turned away to examine the blankets, lightning struck the ground in the backyard and fearing the worst they cried out the miko's name and tried to open the door, but it was jammed. They looked up again and saw a transparent blue bubble absorb the power of the wild electricity. White streaks of the dangerous element now surrounded her, trapped by her barrier it could only circle around her.
Come break me down! Bury me, bury me!
I am finished with you!
Look at my eyes; you're killing me, killing me!
All I wanted was you!
Her face suddenly seemed so down trodden, the likes of which they never saw before except on this night; her eyes seemed to be crying out for something or someone. As her dance continued, the haze over the monk's mind seemed to clear with ever step she took, he remembered a book he had come across during his teachings with techniques that only a select few had potential for. Aura Transferring, one of the hardest subjects there was; if mastered, one could send their aura any amount of distances to fight, or in most cases, defend. He now knew what she was doing, but who was the technique for and how was she supposed to move her power if she had no link?
That was one of the weaknesses to this skill, there had to be a connection between the spiritualist and the location or else the aura would remain with its host, but he soon saw the connection, several actually; she was drenched in one, another almost killed her, and the last one boomed over their heads. How clever to use the weather, but he could see the reluctance in her to use such a technique. Even though she appeared to have the ability, she didn't seem to want to have anything more to do with the demon and he mouthed: I'm sorry, to her.
Kagome listened to the lightning as it spoke volumes to her, although the lightning did not have a consciousness of its own, the element did have a type of memory bank, showing her scenes of the mansion and the quarreling hanyou and youkai. The priestess did not need the lightning to realize that the seal had been removed from Aki's person; she could sense the phoenix aura all the way to the apartment. As much as she cared about the half-demon who has been like a brother to her, she did not want him to harm the one she had grown deep feelings for. This would be the last thing she would ever do for Sesshomaru.
I tried to be someone else, but nothing seemed to change.
I know now this is who I really am inside.
Finally found myself, found it for a chance I know now
THIS IS WHO I REALLY AM!
The words screamed so loudly in her mind she swore she screamed them out loud; she wanted him to know who he was dealing with for the last time. She closed her eyes, dug deep within herself and found her anger, found her sorrow, her pain, her unrequited love all swirling chaotically within her, but in an instant they froze and for once obeyed her command as she concentrated them into the lightning.
"Show me."
She whispered to the element that swirled around her and immediately she saw images of a sword with a tainted aura far more dangerous than the one who wielded it: Sesshomaru; saw Aki with his blood red katana, one she was very familiar with. They stood facing each other and the demon said something that her ears could not hear, that moment the half-demon snapped and came charging at his opponent with all his force.
"NO!"
Come break me down! Bury me, bury me!
I am finished with you!
Look at my eyes; you're killing me, killing me.
All I wanted was you!
She screamed and at last finished the complex pattern; her hand shot up to the sky once again and the lightning wrapped itself around her arm. She shut her eyes and thought of the image of the place she had to take her aura and immediately felt a pull.
Come break me down! Break me down!
Break! Me! DOWN!
Aki swung his blade up and brought it down just as Sesshomaru raised his to parry the blow; the two blades collided, but not with each other. White hot lightning struck right where their blades were to meet; they stood there rooted to the spot staring at the glowing blue flames as they slowly began to take shape, the figure raised it's head against Aki who was dumbfounded.
"K-Kagome?!"
What if I wanted to break?
What are you waiting for? I'm not running from you.
Her slightly disfigured eyes narrowed in anger.
"Aki, return to the apartment."
She said quietly and he stammered away, appalled at the thought of his blade anywhere near her, even if it was just her aura taking the form of her. The look of betrayal hung heavily over him as he stared at the way she was facing him, like he was her opponent now.
"Why are you defending him?!"
He cried over the booming thunder pointing his blade at the one she stood in front of; she sighed and looked him dead in the eye.
"I would tell you if I had an answer."
Was her reply and he lowered his katana; at sight of this her harsh tone softened.
"Please Aki, I don't want anyone hurt on my behalf; I hold no resentment towards Sesshomaru, so you shouldn't either, so please return to the apartment."
She pleaded with earnest and gave him a look that he couldn't refuse; he growled, but loosened his grip on the hilt of his sword which turned back to nothing but a harmless feather. Bending down only to pick up the broken necklace, he came back up with a look of absolution.
"If you ever make her cry again, I will kill you; if nothing else ensure that you can't have children."
With that he turned away, got back on his bike, and drove off. Instantly the demon saw the figure relax; he refused to believe that the blue flaming figure was Kagome until she turned around to look back at him. His heart betrayed him as it leapt out of his chest; even like this, she looked so beautiful to him. He hand reached out to cup the side of her face, but it only passed through the now harmless aura; realizing his mistake, he forced his hand back to his side. She gave him a small smile and turned to face him fully, raising her hand to touch his face; he felt her aura brush against him and he had never felt so soothed before. They were finally alone and both wanted to prolong the moment, but time was against the miko; her strength greatly depleted from her run, maintaining her aura so far away became a strenuous effort; she only had a few more moments left.
"Goodbye… Sesshomaru."
She whispered his name with such aching, such longing that his soul called out her name even though he said nothing; he forced his arms to stay where they were, that had never been so difficult. Slowly she began to fade and so did her touch until he was alone, so completely, utterly, bitterly alone. Never before did he regret something so much than when he let her slip away, judging by the tone of her voice, for good. While the rain continued to pour, he turned his back from the spot where the miko last stood and walked back into his home, but no longer did it provide the comfort he sought.
Kagome opened her eyes and found herself lying in her bed, surrounded by the guys with only one missing: Aki. The technique had taken its toll on her and the moment she brought her aura and her consciousness back to the apartment she collapsed, her strength all but completely gone. Seeing their worried faces, she smiled up at them, sensing the negative feelings weighing her down were gone. The miko sat up in her bed and they all backed away to give her some breathing space.
"Kagome, what you did in the backyard… what was…"
Koga couldn't find the right words to say, but she only continued smiling.
"I was only trying to bring a lost bird home."
They all knew who she was talking about and seconds later, their bird walked through the door and went straight to her room. Immediately the guys stood up, suddenly very wary of the half-demon; he cleared his throat and looked away in shame.
"I-I would like to have word alone with Kagome."
When no one made a move to leave, he gave a sigh and looked up at them.
"I promise I won't leave."
Only then did they slowly make their way out; Shippo shot him a warning glare.
"If you raise your voice at her once or do anything to upset her again, I will remove you."
He swore and walked out the door, closing it behind him with a slam; now alone he walked up to her and showed her the broken necklace, now back in his possession, it once again hid his true form, but some features now stood out.
"I'm sorry."
He said quietly indicating to both the necklace and what he did at the demon's mansion. She took the necklace from him, being so close to its presence he looked like he always did, no changes. The priestess turned it over in her fingers in examination; the blood was still contained inside the crystal, but the crack was dangerously close to the kanji character holding the powerful blood.
"This will have to hold up for now. We'll wait until a concert is set back in Kyoto where the main house is, that way we can make an excuse to go find you a new one, but I don't know if Jiji (Grandfather) still has them, then again, he hasn't cleaned out his storage room in years."
He nodded his head in understanding, very grateful that she had not cursed him out of her room or scolded him like a child for acting so foolishly. She couldn't be angry with him, as a matter of fact, she felt touched that he would go to such drastic measures to get revenge for her. The miko didn't want any more tension between them, she had to find something that'll take his mind off what he did. He turned to leave when she called out to him.
"Something's been bother me…"
She confided knowing he was the only one who could help and he placed his full attention on her words.
"… I'm having trouble remembering some things Aki and I don't know why. I've been passing out and getting such terrible headaches… it's scaring me."
She whispered the last part and he felt her fear in her voice; his heart jolted, she had had more than one episode.
"I keep hearing voices and I feel a great loss for someone, but I don't know who and I don't know why. Something's wrong with me and I want answers. I haven't told anyone else about this because you're the only one I can confide in."
She looked up at him and he recognized that look of desolation and the trust she put into him to tell her the truth and help her. Walking back to her and sitting her bed he took her hand and grasped it lightly; he had to get these episodes to stop, but the only way he knew how was for her to stop thinking about them.
"Nothing's wrong with you, forget these memories; I've been with you since we were kids and I have no recollection or reason for you to feel such loss."
She found comfort in his words and with that worry now taken care of, she allowed her body to succumb to the exhaustion she felt. The miko reached out and hugged him with a light hearted smile.
"Thank you, Aki. I'm so glad you're here, you're the one person I can fully trust and I know you'll never deceive me."
And with that she slipped back into her subconscious world. Her words tore him apart and he hated it, hated having to lie, but there was nothing else he could to do to preserve the Kagome he knew now; if ever at any given moment she remembered, she would surely die.
Three weeks had passed and Kagome's recovery was looking bright, she was smiling so much now, laughing and having fun with the band. Another concert was scheduled and with the new found popularity of the band tickets were disappearing from the sale booths the moment the doors opened. Never did they believe it was possible, not only were their concerts being sold out, but their phones were ringing off the hook with reporters from all the big magazines, going so far as to offer money for exclusive interviews.
"Screw them."
Their manager would always say.
"Hold out for more."
They did, the group never saw so many zeros after the first number on a check before in their lives; what drew reporters and people in the most was the unique singer with such soft looks it was hard to believe she was a he. The vocalist was the life of the band, when on stage, no one shined more than she, when in practice none gave more effort than she. There was just something else about her that made it impossible not to be drawn in by her welcoming smile and healing voice. But underneath all of the positives she showed to the public and her band, something deeply troubled her; no one understood how frustrating it was to have pieces of their memory missing or completely obliterated.
There was one person she was able to take out her frustration on and whose presence she took comfort in, but he kicked her out of his home and on the night of the storm, she said good-bye to him for the last time. The loss she felt for him was greater than she expected, her heart ached at the thought of him and her abdomen clenched in anticipation for his touch. Her body called out for his sinful kisses and forbidden caresses, but she made her body and mind two separate things and forced herself to focus on the tasks ahead. At night when she was in her room alone, she would dream of him, they were so real; she could feel his touch even as she lay awake covered in a cold sweat, her blankets strewn about and her pillow covered in rake marks from her digging into them.
"Come on Okaa-san! We're going to the amusement park!"
Shippo cried and grabbed her hand as the band made their way to the designated vehicles; all of them were overly disguised in hats, sunglasses and the fox demon even attempted a fake mustache. They stuck out like zits on a model's face and only when darkness fell did they get to enjoy the rides without being recognized by the swarms of fangirls. She never had so much fun before; finally she felt that she was finally over the demon, her dreams of him stopped and he no longer was the focus of her wayward thoughts. She was even able to pass by a bookstore with his novels in the window without looking back. But still deep down, she could feel the dull ache in her heart and her mind would conjure up the look on his face when they parted for the last time.
Contrary to what she was feeling, her young "son" seemed happier now that she was living in the apartment again; he clung to her and followed her around like a baby duckling. It made her smile and also had her wondering if she had children, would they be like her demon child? With their next concert only days away, Shippo made sure that he did whatever it took to make his mom happy; he still wasn't sure how serious he was about the miko being his adoptive mother, but she was the first person he ever felt anything close to a family connection, but now wasn't a time to think of such things. Tonight was a night of celebration, their concert had officially sold out and they were living it up on the roller coasters, pushing their confidence to new heights.
"Falling Leaf! I wanna go on the Falling Leaf!"
The kitsune cried out pointing to the tallest metal structure there was; the Falling Leaf was the most unpredictable ride there was. Thriller seekers were strapped to the underside of leaf shaped seats, so they were lying horizontal with their noses to the ground and were hoisted up hundreds of feet before being released. Like the light-weight leaves the riders fell twisting, turning, and flipping randomly like a real leaf would; it was not a ride for the weak hearted. After a dozen nonstop falls, Miroku finally lost his dinner and the band decided to call it a night. They all piled back into their cars and bikes before driving off; once back to the serenity of their apartment, all clamored into their respective beds and observed eight hours of silence. Kagome fell asleep with a smile on her face, her thoughts of the joy she experienced and shared with her closest friends, not once did a certain somebody come into her mind.
"I see, so this person from your past is appearing in your dreams and is speaking to you when you're awake?"
The doctor asked discretely with no hint of mocking while Sesshomaru reclined on the couch; his gaze went from the white ceiling to the woman with short black hair and thin black rimmed glasses. In her hands she held a pen and clipboard on which she wrote nonstop, everything he was telling her. He nodded in reply to her question.
"Tell me, have there been any changes in your environment? Has a woman with a similar personality or description come into you life since our last meeting?"
The miko's face jumped into his mind so fast he involuntarily blinked a few times, his heart lurched; not wanting this to be seen by the psychiatrist, he turned his face away.
"No."
He said curtly; it was his worst lie yet and the woman sitting in the roller chair knew it. She adjusted her glasses and looked over several papers that she had filled up the moment their session started; with a sigh she set the clipboard down and laced her fingers together.
"Mr. Takahashi, I don't know what more I can do for you. You've been my patient for over eight years now; we've been meeting regularly on a monthly basis and suddenly you show up in my office and force me to cancel a meeting with one of my other patients. What you are asking of me is something I might be able to do."
He looked over at her and could see the conflict going on inside her mind whether to do what he asks or stick with her original plan and hope everything is smoothed over.
"Demon physiology is still being studied Mr. Takahashi; I don't know if the potency of the prescription you are asking me to give you will work or kill you. The drugs you are on are already very powerful, if you can't yield results from those, I'm not sure this new drug will be any better."
Of course he knew the risks, but he was willing to take them, and she looked up at him.
"The last two sessions you had with me, you showed a great deal of improvement, but suddenly you come here and it is as if you've taken two steps backwards from where you once were."
Last two sessions… that was around the time Kagome began living with him; he shook his head in denial, no way was that black-mailing, two-faced woman helping him with his mental health. She stood up and walked over to him, he rose to his feet as well, knowing that their time was all but up.
"My suggestion Mr. Takahashi would be that whatever you were doing, whatever was going on the past two and a half months before this…"
'Please don't say it. Please don't say it. Please don't—'
"… you should start it again, bring it back into your life, because it was obviously a very good thing, even if you don't realize it."
'
"Dear brother, if I'm not mistaken, I believe something's bothering you."
Kagura Onigumo, her face partially hidden behind her fan of white, red and black, teased walking over to him; she closed the fan with a flick of her wrist revealing that smirk Naraku Onigumo found so annoying. The hanyou regarded his demon sibling with obvious distaste throwing down the magazine sporting Bad Luck on the cover; the garnet colored eyes looked down at the magazine.
"So what? Some small time band is in the spot light; they'll never go big. Ask will be on top, just like we always are."
Those sickly red eyes looked at the demoness who took matters too lightly for his liking. He was the leader of their band Ask whose members complied of the descendants of the infamous Naraku; it was a great honor to be named after his ancestor, but he did not feel he got the respect of the name and this feeling was amplified every time he saw the wind sorceress who always hid behind her fan.
"Look at the charts Kagura; they're right below us and they've got another sold out concert tomorrow."
The half-demon turned to his other sister; she had a child-like appearance, looking no more than eight, dressed in nothing but white and obsidian colored eyes that had no limit to their depths. She held a silver mirror in her hands, the cover of the magazine reflected in it.
"Their popularity will only grow."
Her hoarse voice called out in the silence; it was rare for young Kanna to speak and when she did, they were sure to listen. Hakudoshi Onigumo leaned forward peering down at the face of the lead singer; he knew that face from somewhere. The silver-haired demon nudged his twin brother Moruyomaru and pointed down at the vocalist's face. The demon with puppet like movements looked at the face as well, but shook his head not recognizing the face.
"Naraku, this singer, who is he?"
The half-breed yanked up the magazine and read the article about the band. His group would not become second to such filth. He could never be beneath a band that complied of demons, humans, and worst of all: half-demons. Although he was a half-breed as well, he despised it and did what he could to expel the only thing his human mother gave him: her mortal blood. He couldn't be the leader of a demon group if he had human in him. His violet-red eyes narrowed in anger when it did not yield the results he wanted.
"It just says that his name's Kagome and goes on about how amazing his voice is, all the other band members have last names, but he doesn't. In fact there's nothing here about the singer's history, not even a home town."
Then he went very still and everyone knew he had come up with something genius and cruel. A sneer pulled at the edges of his lips; the little light went off in his head at the location and date of the next performance.
"I'm going to a concert tomorrow."
He scanned the room, looking around at all of them.
"I want the necessary equipment ready."
It was fifteen minutes before the concert was to start and already the seats were filled and a stadium of five thousand people chanted the band's name, urging them to come out. Kagome could feel the rush of excitement, the anticipation and little jitters she always got before a performance. Like a nervous child, she poked her head through the curtains and looked out into the packed crowd, scanning the unfamiliar faces; she didn't know why. It was becoming a habit for her now, an impulse she couldn't stop. The singer turned away, not knowing what to expect from such actions; she couldn't deny it anymore… some part of her wanted to look out in that crowd and see his face, see him staring up at her while she sang from her heart. As the band stood behind the closed curtains, waiting for them to part, they all gave signals to the vocalist, asking if she was okay.
"I'm great! Never better!"
She was, but a small part of her whispered: liar, her words and bright smile convinced those who mattered most and they visibly relaxed. Now with that worry out of the way, excitement grew within them as the curtains parted and spotlights shined down upon them. The miko brought the microphone up to her lips and smiled.
"Hello Golden Stadium!"
The audience erupted and her smile grew bigger; their presence soothed her chaotic mind and deterred her thoughts from a certain silver-haired demon. The concert went on without a hitch; the band was phenomenal with Kagome at the top of her game. She shone brighter than a new penny, but despite that, she felt a particular pair of eyes on her, dangerous and sickly, the longer the concert went on, the more dark the feeling came. Someone with demonic power was staring her down and not liking what they were seeing. As she sang she poured her very soul into her voice, spiritual power leaked out and spread through the crowd.
While everyone else, even those of demon blood felt soothed, the person with the sickly eyes hissed and turned away slightly. She felt their shock, whoever this person was, was not expecting that from her and the more she sang with the help of her power, the more the vile thing sank away until she felt its presence was no longer within the audience. The priestess couldn't help but arrogantly smirk at her small, but satisfying achievement; now with the pest out of the way she could place all of her attention on appeasing the concert goers. No one had noticed the little scuffle, but it was perfectly concealed. After several hours, the final song finally came.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you have been a wonderful audience and we would like to conclude our performance with one of our latest songs. We hope you enjoy it."
She hid the reluctance to sing this last song; it was an admission of something she didn't want everyone else to know. As she heard Aki open on guitar she felt her heart accelerate and a funny feeling bubble up in her stomach. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly; with the microphone up to her mouth, her lips parted and her voice rang out like soft church bells.
"This time, this place. Misused, mistakes.
Too long, too late. Who was I to make you wait?
Just one chance, just one breath, just in case there's just one left,
'Cuz you know, you know, you know."
The soft, but electrifying sound emanated throughout the stadium as her voice climaxed into the chorus, but there was only one person who she wanted this to be heard by and he wasn't here. She'll never see him again.
"That I love you; I have loved you all along
And I miss you, been far away for far too long.
I keep dreaming you'll be with me and you'll never go.
Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore."
The intensity died down and she felt a painful sting in her heart as the chorus ended; she cursed the day she wrote this song, but the honesty of it made for great music. It actually made Mr. K tear up when they played it for him; despite what she swore earlier, she felt herself tearing up again, but she refused to let them spill and diverted her attention to her music.
"On my knees, I'll ask last chance for one last dance
'Cuz with you I'd withstand all of hell to hold you hand.
I'd give it all, I'd give for us, give anything but I won't give up,
'Cuz you know, you know, you know."
As the chorus came a second time, she placed more emotion into her voice, she couldn't help it, music was her life and even though it hurt her, she would not deny this song the energy it deserved. The sheer power was amplified as the rest of the band was affected by their singer's voice and gave even more to their song.
"I love you, I have loved you all along.
And I'll miss you, been far away for far too long.
I keep dreaming, you'll be with me and you'll never go.
Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore."
For the first time she opened her eyes, but her vision was blurred so the faces of the audience all blended together like ink in water. Closing her eyes again, she allowed herself to be swept away.
"So far away, so far away. Been far away for far too long.
But you know, you know, you know…"
Her voice climaxed again, but no longer was she singing with her voice, her very soul was poured out as well as her spiritual power which escaped of its own accord.
"I wanted, I wanted you to stay.
'Cuz I needed, I need to hear you say:
That I love you, I have you all along
And I'll forgive you, for being away for far too long.
So keep breathing 'cuz I'm not leaving you anymore.
Believe it, hold onto me never let me go."
As the song ended there was an explosion of sound, the likes of which that had never been heard in the stadium before. She turned away from the audience for a moment to blink back the tears before turning around and bowing to the audience and once again thanked them for their attendance. While Shippo, Inu-Yasha, Koga, Miroku, and Aki all exited to the left, Kagome left by herself to the right where she would meet up with everyone else backstage. The moment she stepped out of the sight of the audience and crewmen, a tall figure dropped down behind her and covered her mouth with a clawed hand. She gasped, breathing in through her nose and in spite of what was happening, this person's scent made her feel at true ease for the first time in three weeks. A mouth descended towards her ear and sensually whispered:
"If you want to come back, meet me at the front entrance when everyone, especially that half-demon, is gone."
With that said, the demon left and the miko stood there frozen in place as weeks of unshed tears almost immediately rolled down the sides of her face.
"God damn you."
She whispered; the flood gates opened and everything that was bottled up spilled out. It took one week to get her smile back, another to get her personality, and the third to get her mind and body to stop screaming out for him, but that one moment completely shattered everything she had done. Her mind was in turmoil, over-flowing with chaotic emotions and thoughts, but one thing resounded clearly in her mind: he wanted her back. She hugged herself suddenly feeling the imprint of his strong arm that had not moments ago wrapped around her. Nothing ever felt so right before when he held her in his arms and it was then she knew what she had to do.
Putting on the fakest smile she could, she dried her tears and walked over to the guys who all had looks of accomplishment. When they spotted her, she was immediately pulled into the center of their circle and it wasn't as hard as she thought to smile when surrounded by them. Sake was passed around and they held a toast in honor of a concert well done; Kagome filled her tiny glass to the brim and downed the clear, but strong alcohol in one gulp. She made a move to grab the bottle to refill her cup, but Koga pulled it just out of reach.
"Whoa! Slow down Kagome! Save it for the party we're going to have back at the apartment."
The stinging sense of betrayal flickered across her features, she wasn't going to be at that party; she needed to find a way to be alone and in order to do that she needed to be sober. Lowering the hand that held her empty cup she gave him a very false pout face.
"Aw come on Koga, it's no fun to be all tense before the celebrating starts."
She teased and everyone pretended to side with her and held out their empty cups for him to fill. They stayed backstage having fun and goofing off for nearly twenty minutes, by then all the people were gone; only Mr. K remained waiting by the van used to transport the band and their instruments. After the crazed manager lobbed several live grenades and emptied the bullets in his machine gun saying that he needed to catch up on his beauty sleep, they postponed their celebration until they returned to the apartment.
The guys immediately loaded themselves into the van; Aki turned back and held his hand out to her to help her into the van, but she didn't take it. They were on the side of the stadium, close to the front entrance; she felt his presence in the area. The demon was watching her, seeing what she was going to do; no doubt he had heard everything they said backstage. She backed off, playing with her hands and looking nervously around, she had to find something to say. Because she was not getting in the van, everyone turned their eyes on her and this was the one time she wished the spotlight shining down on her would disappear.
"Ah, y-you guys go on ahead. I-I'll um stay here, y-you know, g-get some uh f-fresh air."
She cursed her voice and mind for not cooperating; unable to stop her fingers from shaking, she crammed them in her pockets and scuffed the toe of her shoe against the asphalt.
"What are you talking about? You can't stay here by yourself."
Aki said offered his hand out to her a little more urgently, but she shook her head.
"Please guys, I-I just want some fresh air."
After a few moments the half-demon looked back at the band and sighed.
"Alright, you guys go on ahead, Kagome and I will stay here."
He began to get out of the car.
"No!"
She cried out and stepped in front of him to prevent him from leaving the van; quickly collecting herself she backed off a little bit and looked down.
"I-I really want to just be alone. Please do this for me."
She looked up at him and pleaded with her voice and eyes; he scanned them and gave a frustrated groan.
"It's because of him isn't it?"
She was a little shocked at the tone of his voice, but nodded her head all the same; she looked away ashamed for lying, but she had to get them away.
"I've got money for a cab and my cell phone so you can call me."
That was two more lies, she had no money and although she had her cell phone, she would not be answering it tonight. They all exchanged worried glances, but the decision rested on Aki who did not like the small responsibility.
"You better come back."
He finally said half-joking, half-serious and she gave him a forced smile.
"I will."
With that said, he turned away and closed the door on her; moments later the van drove away, the headlights fading until they disappeared all together. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned around walking slowly to the front entrance. Immediately she felt as if she was taking a step back in time; the miko saw him just outside the ring of light of a lone streetlight, she was alone, and the moment he saw her coming, he stepped into the light a lit cigarette in his mouth. At the sight of him, her legs wanted to give out, but she forced them to keep walking until she was the one out of the light's soft touch. Sesshomaru pulled the cigarette away from his mouth and stamped it out with his foot; their eyes met, his arrogant and electrifying, hers calm and apathetic despite the turmoil of feelings buzzing inside her.
"A very interesting last song, but how much truth is in those words?"
Her heart pounded out of control as an unfamiliar feeling crept up inside her, perhaps it was happiness, but it felt different. He heard her sing, he had hidden somewhere to hear her and that was all she needed to know to get her spirits soaring.
"I don't sing lies Sesshomaru."
Her voice was soft and collected; he smirked.
"But you do tell them."
At this she grew very silent, her cool composure was failing her; she stepped into the light and looked up at him, very intimidated by their height difference.
"Why did you come?"
She asked, hoping to change the subject to one that was obviously as uncomfortable for him as her lying was for her. It worked; he looked away reaching for his cancer stick only to realize he had stamped it out earlier. Tucking his hands in his pockets, his gaze focused on the sign to the stadium instead of her eyes he replied.
"My own plan backfired on me; I believed that once you were gone, things would return to normal, it did, but there was an… emptiness to it and it's affecting my work. I'm missing very important deadlines."
She quirked an eyebrow and before she could stop herself she countered.
"Oh is that why? You want me to live in your house again just so you can feel comfortable enough to make your deadlines?"
She gasped and clamped a hand over her mouth and looked up at him with worry reflecting in her eyes, he on the other hand almost breathed a sigh of relief; it was those wisecracks and puns from her that made his life interesting. Her presence, her just being here brought back the comfort the little slice of sanity he needed.
"Don't take it personally. You should be happy."
She was about to make a retort when he took two steps, dangerously narrowing the distance between them; in one unseen motion he brought her into the shelter of his arms.
"No woman has ever affected me like this."
He whispered and her heart skipped a beat before it pounded out of control; it was so right, it felt so right and she cursed herself, her body for feeling that way. She didn't want this, she didn't want to feel this way, didn't want to hear these things and respond with such raw emotion, but she couldn't help it, couldn't fight. She smothered her face in his expensive suit and gripped the front of the jackets with her small hands. Her body screamed: take him now, take him now! Her heart screamed: take him now, take him now! Her mind screamed: take him now, take him now! But she ignored all of them, using up her last bit of sanity to ask one question.
"W-what are you saying Sesshomaru?"
He closed his eyes for a moment, loving the way she said his name, as if she was the only one who would ever say it in such a manner. He pulled away slightly so he could lift her chin up and have their eyes meet; there were tears forming in hers. The demon opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't say it yet, there was a little unfinished business he wanted to take care of. Slowly, torturously he brought his head down upon hers and caught her lips with his; everything within her went still before it all exploded. He was kissing her… he was kissing her! The tears around her eyes spilled free, 'You bastard.' She thought almost lovingly as she closed her eyes and deepened the kiss.
Nothing had ever been so perfect in her life, nothing had ever made her happier than when his lips met hers; everything she felt over the past three weeks she poured into that one kiss just as she had with her last song. He swept his tongue across her lower lip, asking for admission and she opened up to him whole-heartedly. He delved deep and danced with hers; that moment she felt it was as if someone had clamped down hard on her feminine core as heat pooled deep within her abdomen. Need uncontrollable and primitive spread throughout her very being until she thought she die of it; an insatiable addiction that felt way too good, a fire that knew no bounds. She almost cried out when he pulled away, her desire suddenly cut off; she looked up at him and saw that same look in his eye. His desire was reaching a fever pitch, but now he felt was a good time to ask; a clawed hand reached up and cupped the side of her face with surprising gentleness.
"Kagome, will you be my lover?"
Oh another evil cliffy! I am on a roll with those! Sorry about the long update, life got in the way. My family has been hiding my grandmother from my mentally insane uncle who's on the loose, but don't worry he's only a danger to those who share a blood relation to him (me included… shit).
It's hard running away from a bipolar man with no grasp on reality and has access to several guns; sorry too much info, but if want to give me hell for my long update, take an f-ing number and wait until my next chapter comes out when hopefully things simmer down, BUT and I want to make this clear to all: NO flaming! I only accept constructive criticism.
There's a difference between: "Oh my God that was horrible, the scene changes made no sense at all and they were SO annoying" and "perhaps you could have done a little more work of alternating between parts of the story in correspondence to the characters". Quote A I will get pissed at (or laugh depending on my mood) and completely erase you from my memory bank, Quote B I will listen to and take what you have to say into consideration. Please respect what I have made with a dignified review.
Okay credits!
Songs:
The Kill by 30 Seconds to Mars
Far Away by Nickelback
Characters:
All Inu-Yasha characters correspond to the Gravitation characters.
Mr. K and Seguchi Tohma are from Gravitation
Thank you for reading and please review, I would very much like to know how you felt about this chapter, a little angst, I guess real life sort of leaked into my chapter.
-Love's Essence
