japanesegirl101 won the contest! Make sure to message me for the request, JG101 :) Also, I am sorry for the shortness, but SAT prep has sucked my time away.
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"I'm going to take a bath." Kagome turned to Sesshomaru, who was resting after a long day's walk. She doubted he was as tired as everyone else, but his closed eyes gave a different impression.
"Miko, you do not smell foul enough for a bath," he said, though his tone carried no hint of being interested.
Kagome sighed, wishing she did not have to go through explaining this again. Three years of traveling, and her friends still did not fully understand the need to bathe whenever possible."Where I come from, people bathe every day, including myself. Shippo smelled a hot spring nearby, so I thought it would be good to tell you where I was going before I left."
"I could track you by scent if it came to it. Think before you tell me unnecessary things."
Kagome huffed, opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it, and walked toward the hot spring. Sesshomaru seemed about as rude as Inuyasha, only with more class.
She spent the first ten minutes of the bath angry, but as the water soaked into her skin, she relaxed. It had been some time since her last bath. She wasn't about to waste it brooding. The hot liquid soothed her muscles. Her hair felt better than it had in days.
The alone time also gave her an excuse to think. No children chattering or focus on finding possible shards to distract her. Her rhythmic scrubbing slowed, her lids lowering.
She was the mate of Sesshomaru. Perhaps not officially, but she was as good as committed. He had even kissed her forehead, on the new mark that told everyone who she belonged to. She wasn't sure why he had done so, but assumed it was some cultural thing. He wouldn't do so willingly. He probably hated her more than any other female. Up until now, she was his brother's wench, and a miko. Enemy of all youkai that went against her. He would not warm up to her easily, if at all.
Thinking about it only depressed her. She tried to focus on bathing herself again, rubbing soap all over herself, before dunking underwater to wash it away, and surround herself with soothing heat.
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He grew more irritated by the minute. That woman had insisted on taking a bath when she smelled perfectly acceptable, at least among human standards, and it seemed she refused to return.
"I told you that she likes long baths." Shippo was facing Rin, but it was clear who he was addressing. The kit had warned him of her lengthy baths shortly after she left. Sesshomaru ignored him. He refused to take advice from one so young. Regardless, he still held a distaste for long baths. Rin would only take minutes with hers, when Ah-Un took her to a spring. There was no reason for the miko to linger.
But what did he truly care? They had set up camp for the night. Dinner had been eaten. If she wished to take a long time and have less time for sleeping, let her. It would not be of consequence to him.
"Lord Sesshomaru, when will Kagome be back?" Typical of her curious nature, Rin was asking him something he could not answer. Sesshomaru turned to her.
"I have no control over how long she bathes, Rin. You heard the kit."
"But it's late." Rin frowned. "I'm worried that she might be hurt. Can't Ah-Un check on her?"
He sighed. Her concern over others would be a burden someday, he was sure. "I will do so." Sesshomaru stood. "Guard them, Ah-Un."
"Wait! Mama never liked it when Inuyasha tried to get her from the bath, and I don't think-"
Sesshomaru glared at the kit. "Do not speak that name."
Shippo shrunk back, and didn't say anything when Sesshomaru continued toward the hot spring.
". . . and I know, you will always be beside me, listening to every word . . ."
The song of the miko trailed to his ears, filling him with the sweet sound. He would not admit it to her, but her voice was pleasing. She was better than most of the entertainers that came by for the castle galas to provide music.
As if I should care about music. He was not one to be easily swayed by sounds.
"You'll always be the one to hear my song, my sweet-" The song stopped suddenly. Sesshomaru paused at the edge of the hot spring, Kagome's scent barely detectable among the steam. "Stupid Inuyasha," he heard her say. "Why can't I stop thinking about him? Ugh."
Sesshomaru smelled salt, and heard soft cries coming from her. "Miko."
The cries stopped. "Sesshomaru? What are you doing here?"
"You should have smelled me. Are you not a youkai?"
"I'm not used to it," she snapped. "Oh, sorry," she said, correcting her tone. "I'm just a little on edge. Wait, can you see me?" There were splashes. Sesshomaru guessed she was covering herself.
"I cannot see you past the steam, miko. And I am not looking toward your direction. I came to tell you that your bath is too long. The kit is worried."
"Shippo knows I like long bathes."
Sesshomaru paused. "Finish your bath, miko," he said, turning to leave.
"His heart was cold, but his words held true. The path to my heart is paved with you." The short melody rang loud, the sound echoing off the trees after it stopped. She giggled when she heard him stop. He growled. She was mocking him with music.
"Why do you sing?" The question came out before he could stop it, and Sesshomaru mentally cursed at himself. He had no interest in the miko or her songs. Says you, his inner youkai chuckled.
"Because music makes me feel better," was her simple answer. He stayed a moment longer, but she didn't say anything else. Reminding himself not to take further interest in her, Sesshomaru returned to camp.
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"Inuyasha, we have to leave." Sango put her foot to the sand, ready to smack the hanyou.
"Leave me alone!" he snapped, turning his back to her. "I haven't seen Kikyo in a while."
"I thought we were on Naraku's trail," she complained. "You said yourself that you had found his scent lingering. And you suddenly stop to visit Kikyo?"
"I was on his trail as well," Kikyo said. She peered at Sango, and down the edges of the beach. "I notice that my reincarnation is not with you."
Sango shifted, looking behind her to Miroku, who waited on Kirara's back. "There were some complications."
"Meaning she gave our shard detector to my bastard of a brother." Inuyasha scoffed. "That's why I stopped trailing Naraku. Kikyo detects shards too, and I bet she does a better job of it."
"That's crap!" Sango fumed. "You just wanted to be with her, and you didn't think about her helping us with shards until just now. You're just selfish and want to spend all your time with her instead of us!"
"That ain't true," he snarled.
"Inuyasha, calm yourself." Kikyo put an arm on his shoulder. "Tell me, youkai slayer," she said to Sango, "where has my reincarnation gone?"
"She's with the Lord of the West." Saying the words still upset Sango slightly. The past few days without her had been hard to get used to. "Because of the Hana no Shukumei."
"Hana no Shukumei?" Kikyo's eyebrows raised, and she smiled. "She must be with her destined mate, then. I am happy for her." Since Inuyasha had proclaimed his love for her, Kikyo had felt badly about her reincarnation losing love. It made her feel better for her to have a mate.
"Happy? She's with my bastard of a brother!"
Kikyo frowned. "Inuyasha, I have learned about the Hana. It only pairs those that would be happiest together. If my assumptions are correct, she is your friend. Do you not want the best for her?"
"Not if it involves my brother! That bastard has spent his entire life trying to kill me. And he tried to kill Kagome too! The only reason she went with him was because she thought she had to."
"Calm down," Kikyo urged, touching his shoulder. Inuyasha shook her off, growling.
"That bitch betrayed us. She was supposed to stay and help us finish the jewel, and now she's run off with him." Inuyasha could feel his blood boiling. The anger he had felt after Kagome left had been contained, directed toward hunting and finding Naraku. Thinking about it, he growled. His claws burned with the need to damage. "She betrayed us," he repeated.
"Inuyasha." Sango put her hands up.
"This is not a solution." Miroku, seeing the conflict, rushed to Sango's side. The hanyou glared at him. "Inuyasha, settle down."
"Why? Why should I? That bitch chose my brother over us!" His eyes were leaking red now, the blue stripes on his face plainly visible to all. Kirara growled, the flames on her hackles rising.
"You were treating her like crap!" Sango said. "You didn't even like her anymore!"
"That's what you think!" he snarled. "I was trying to distance myself from her! Choosing Kikyo over Kagome was one of the hardest things I ever did! I was trying to stop liking her, so I could focus on Kikyo. I was bullshitting it, okay?" His claws began to glow, yellow with his rage.
"Inuyasha, calm yourself!" Kikyo grabbed his arm in desperation.
"Leave me alone!"
The tear of cloth and split of clay rang throughout the beach. A short scream, and silence. Only the rush of beach water could be heard.
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Hey, all! Thanks for reading this chapter! :) Once again, the shortness is because I've been busy with SAT prep. I'm taking it a year earlier than I planned to, due to my accelerated graduation, so I'm a little on edge about everything. Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter. Sesshy and Kags are gonna be getting closer in the coming chapters, so get ready! For now, ja ne, and please review!
