{.x.o.} | Beauty & the Blood | {.o.x.}
{x| Chapter 10: Lost |x}
Nightfall set in after they arrived at the first lodge he allowed them stay out. Two nights and a day of traveling got them out of her clan's search grid, he was sure. He said nothing that wasn't necessary to her in that entire time, perhaps only a handle full of words, and nada to his own child who showed just as much interest in him as he did…
None, it other words, he wasn't really there while he led Kagome and Seishirou around. Physically, yes, of course, but mentally he had long checked out shortly after they got down the hill near her slayer village. Truth be told, he hadn't any intention of stopping earlier that evening for an entire night—hadn't his little pit stops to allow her time to rest and get something to eat for Seishirou and herself been enough? Apparently not, he sighed at the thought of how weak mortals were…
The one bed room that he had purchased for the night had an overly homey feel to it, if you asked him, and even with the curtains open there was little light shinning in front the stars of the sliver of a moon. It was perfect; he didn't want to be stuck in the light any longer. It was his nature to prefer the night, anyway.
Was that why he couldn't sleep? Was that why he pulled up a chair to the side of the bed opposite of that of the window to sit like a statue with folded arms and an unwavering gaze upon the sleeping slayer and… and his child? His child… that just hadn't set it even if that had been one of the many things his mind tried to get a hold of over their travel. There was no doubt in his mind that Seishirou was in fact his, the golden gaze they shared told him that, but… for all those years he had a child and didn't know it? It was so surreal.
It was probably not his most chivalrous moment when he thew her into the icy water and damp cave, granted, but he hadn't thought it would—no, that'd be a lie, he had every intention of it bring her physical discomfort, after all the turmoil she caused him... how could he not want to? It wasn't like he hit her, though the thought crossed his mind briefly when she couldn't form a sentence properly, it was just water. How was a vampire supposed to know that it would lead to her catching a 'cold'. That was the most ridiculous thing to call an illness, he thought, but that didn't change the fact that she started to cough and sneeze and—ugh, mortals and their bodily limits, how was he meant to deal with it?
That was really the only reason he finally decided to stop somewhere, so she could rest. As soon as they got into the bed room she flopped down on the bed and was out. Seishirou climbed up not long after her to nuzzle up against his mother and go to sleep, too. He couldn't help but wonder if the kid was always so quiet or if it was just being in the presence of a vampire that silenced him.
He was old enough to know how to talk, right?
The ruffled sound of the sheets moving around caught his attention, it was then that his son sat up and rubbed his eyes. The night was midway over, probably, so he couldn't be planning to get up for good… at least, Inuyasha hoped so. He probably wanted to get to know his son but… not now, and not without a mediator present. Honestly, he didn't know a damn thing about humans and that's what Seishirou would be for years and years… The little boy turned his body so he could look over to him for a long while before he stood up and walked on top of the bed to the edge of it only to promptly step into Inuyasha's lap. Of course, his hands snapped up to grasp the child so he wouldn't topple over.
It was the first time he had ever touched his own son… it felt as if everything in him froze for that moment.
Seishirou didn't seem to mind at all, on the contrary, he rearranged himself so he could sit in Inuyasha's lap, lean against him, and fall back to sleep. What was he supposed to do? Move him back to the bed? Why did Seishirou do that? They hadn't spoken a word and as far as he was aware Kagome hadn't explained to Seishirou who he was yet…
He found himself wrapping his arms loosely around his son all the same.
—{.x.o.x.}—
Sleep alluded him entirely that night, not that he cared. He could go another day without it but… not another without anything to drink. Before he could think to gravely about the latter problem he heard the swift of the sheets to see that Kagome was finally stirring, if she had ever truly had trouble finding slumber than she was cured.
Her bronze beauties slowly flickered open as her hand searched the bed for something. Was it their son or her husband? Inuyasha wasn't sure until she finally kept her eyes open long enough for them to scan swiftly around until they found Seishirou, a small smile swept up her lips.
"Good morning," she whispered a bit hoarsely. He had hoped a 'cold' was something a mortal could sleep off.
His eyes just left her for the little boy that was still fast asleep, what was he supposed to do now?
"Did you pick him up…?"
He shook his head, "he did it himself, in the middle of the night."
"That's odd," she murmured not yet finding the will power to leave the warmth of the covers.
"How so?" He grumbled back, moving his golden gaze from Seishirou to her.
"He doesn't really…" she paused for a moment to ponder for the proper word, "socialize much, I guess you could say. He's quiet and reserved for a five year old and very much likes to keep to himself. He only ever clings to me… and for the exception of my brother Souta, he doesn't like other people touching him. I think that him going over to you must mean he likes you, Inuyasha," her sincere smile caught his full attention for only a while before he looked back down to the boy in his arms.
"You said… he only clings to you and allows Souta to touch him then does that means he didn't like it when your husband did?" he inquired softly and for the omission 'husband' without any real emotions at all.
"They never really connected," she mused meekly as she grasped the sheets and looked away. "Hojo and Sei, they—"
"Don't call him that," Inuyasha snapped, startling her almost enough to get her to sit up.
"Don't call who… what?"
He didn't want to say it, he hadn't any idea why, but to call his son by their name was just… he just couldn't, "Kikyou calls me Sei, don't call him that."
"Kikyou…?" she coaxed before the name set in and an image of the vibrant vixen came to mind.
"My creation," he muttered, "how many years has it been?"
"What…?" her eyes wondered over the serene look on his face, she wouldn't say that he was happy but… gods, untouched. That was exactly what he appeared to be, completely detached from all this. Not once in their journey here had he made any effort to try and connect with his son or… her. He was simply stoic as they strolled along, without an apparent care in the world.
"How long has it been since I last saw you?" he rephrased, he couldn't be sure how many years had passed. It was different for him, for his kind, mortals judged the passing of time by seasons, immortals relayed on the passing of generations.
She swallowed back the lump that instantly formed in her throat—did he not know? Did it not affect him like it did her? Did the years not drag on and on and slowly killing him as it did her? Did… she not matter anymore? "Six… six years," she replied in a hush as she gradually pushed herself off of the bed to sit up, turning her body so she could face the two.
"What have you been up to in that time?"
"Not a lot…" she sighed as she pulled the sheets up to her waist once again, "that was the first hunt," she sped to confess, "that I went on since Sei—Seishirou," apparently, she was forbidden to call her son by his nickname now, "was born. It was only supposed to be a goblin… there weren't supposed to be vampires. I didn't… want to hunt them…"
"I see," he nodded once. His eyes still lingered on nothing but the unconscious boy, "I've been in the east. I've been with… my creation, my Kikyou. She's loyal to me, she… I made her give up someone important to her so that we… in all my years, she has never abandoned me, never. You should thank her."
"Pardon…?" She mumbled, thank her? For what? For keeping him company—probably in the most intimate of ways, too—during those six years? For stealing his heart? No… she couldn't have stolen something that Kagome had given away.
"I would not have come here to see you if she hadn't forced me to. She's… very intelligent and compassionate, she's selfless in ways I'll never be. She wouldn't marry me in less I came here to get closure. So here I am…"
Marry…? Marry? Did he just say that? Was he really going to marry someone else? She hadn't any right to feel her heart sink into her stomach from the very idea that in all her years stuck in a sham of a marriage he was... loving another. Some things you lose and some things you just give away, she didn't lose Inuyasha… she pushed him away, far away. It was her fault, but that didn't stop the new found glorious ache from beating along with every pump of her already feeble heart.
"We're going east, we'll reach the ship by tomorrow, it'll be a two day and three night boat ride and then it'll take us another two or three days to get to the area my lair is currently located."
"Wait," she whispered with furrowed brows, "why are we—?"
"There aren't any slayers in the east, not as many, at least. If we stay here there will always be the chance we'll run into your clan and I don't want to deal with that." He finally pried his eyes from little Seishirou to look at the worry written across the woman he had grown to resent so gravely over all these years' face. "I feel like I have a right to take S… him away from you for five years, like you did to me. So if you don't want to come that's fine but—"
"Wait, wait," she fretted quickly as she switched to her knees and grasped the sheets tightly, "you can't do that! You can't—!"
"Shut up," he hissed, "you're too loud. Will you come with me to the east, then?"
A meek nod was all she could muster up, he… he meant it when he said he couldn't forgive her for letting another man act as father for Seishirou and it was true. Oh, so, true, there was a grave difference between wanting the mortal mother of his currently mortal child to come along and play care taker for him and forgiving the woman for her bastardly betrayal. She had taken five years from him and his son that he'd never get back. Did she honestly think that in only a few days that he'd get over something like that?
"Then it's settle," he muttered right before Seishirou stirred. "You can recuperate on the ride over, Kagome. Is that enough time to get over a 'cold'?"
Why did it even matter to him? Honestly, his words sounded like he was mocking her and her mortality... She sighed as she looked over to the window, finally the sky had cleared up and the sunlight cascaded out of the clouds to create the prettiest scene… yet it didn't warm her heart a bit. "Colds last a while, it's nothing life threatening. I'll be fine."
—{.x.o.x.}—
"This'll do, right?" He questioned, captivating her right away as he opened the door to the little two story cottage on the outskirt of the pine-tree woods. "It's been empty for ages since it's so close to where my kind lives. I'm… fairly certain that the former inhabitants actually," well, he let those words trail off, he needn't say 'murdered' in front of a five year old. "So… all the furniture is still here but… dusty, it'll do, won't it?"
"Yes," she nodded with a smile as she and Seishirou walked in together. It was nice to hear Inuyasha talk to her every once and a while… he disappeared for quite some time after he declared they'd be heading east and came back refreshed—he must have went for blood… she hated to think of his lips on someone else, even if it meant he was just feeding. He returned to saying close to nothing to her while they went to the boat but he didn't keep his distance from Seishirou any longer just as Seishirou didn't keep his from him. He seemed to prefer to walk beside his father than by his mother, it worried her some that Seishirou was so alright with everything. He didn't even ask who the man was or why they had to leave their home, he was always a quiet child… sometimes it was eerie, even to her. She hadn't told him that Inuyasha was his real dad yet ,she didn't really know how to tell a five year old the only man he had ever called dad—on the rare occasions he bothered to talk to Hojo—wasn't really his father.
When they got to the boat he vanished frequently… she wanted everything to be alright again. She wanted him to love her; she needed them to be a family. As soon as she saw the land they were destined for she wanted to cry, she wanted to curl up in a little ball and mourn… they were going east so Inuyasha could be with the women he loved, his cherished creation. She… was just going to be his mistress? No. Not even that, he showed no interest at all in her. She'd just tend their child as he loved another… married another.
It was terrible how karma came back to slap her in the face.
"There aren't any other 'monsters'," he mocked as he glanced around the first floor, "in this area since it's purely ours. You shouldn't be bothered here, but if anyone does come by tell them that you belong to Seishirou, got it? If that doesn't work, tell them that you belong to Taisho's Seishirou, no one will bother you then."
"Me?" Seishirou inquired as he sat down on the old green couch.
His eyes automatically snapped to his child, that was the first time… he heard him talk.
"No, sweetie," she whispered as she knelt down beside their son and kissed him on top of the head, "his name is Seishirou, too."
His sunlit stare moved from the floor to his mother as he tilted his head.
"You are named after him, honey," she explained as she brushed his blonde hair off his forehead. It confused her that he was a blonde… Inuyasha had silver hair, after all, and she had black hair. Hojo didn't have a problem with it at all, though, and even though he had brown hair he said when he was a child his hair was blonde. Apparently, that was normal.
Though, she thought it only made Seishirou look all the more precious, golden hair to match his eyes? It was adorable.
She was sure he'd cock his head to the side more if not actually ask 'why' this time but he just nodded and looked away as if… that somehow made sense.
"Can I trust you?" Inuyasha inquired as he folded his arms and leaned against the doorframe.
"What are you talking about?" Kagome countered before she looked over to see his hard stare locked on him.
"You will be here when I get back, won't you?"
"Where would I go?" She whispered, it hurt… it hurt so much to know he didn't trust her but why would he after all the deceit?
"I'll find you," he warned, "if you leave. Well," he murmured as he stood up straight, "if you leave and take…" he just moved his eyes to Seishirou.
Why couldn't he say their son's name? She hated it…
She couldn't help it, she had to ask… "otherwise you wouldn't care if I left?"
His eyes just snapped back to Kagome only for a moment before he turned and left without another word.
—{.x.o.x.}—
"A child?" Kikyou whispered as she tapped a slender finger against her lips, her eyes following the unnerved man all about their bedroom.
"How was I supposed to know?" he gripped with a frustrated gesture with his hands as he kept his frantic pace, "who would have thought? It's so rare… so very, very rare…"
"Well, your family is known for such… indiscretions," Kikyou jabbed, her ginger gaze followed him as he swiftly turned around to glare at her, she simply shrugged her shoulders, "it's true."
He pointed at her, his arm shaking some from fury, as he opened his mouth to say something but just as quick he snapped his jaw together and stiffly walked over to her before he dropped to his knees before her. The entire time she had been sitting slouched over with her elbows resting on her knee and chin cupped in her hands. It took a while before she sighed and sat up straight to open her arms for him, just like she predicted he pressed his forehead against her knees. She wrapped her arms around his head and leaned hers down upon his.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I know."
"Are you going to be OK with this?" he muttered as he slowly moved his hands up her thighs until he could wrap his arms rather awkwardly around her waist.
"With what?"
"With me… having a child…"
"Of course, Sei, you are going to tend to him, aren't you?"
"Of course, he's mine."
"Ah," she laughed weakly, "right, how could I forget? You are ever so possessive; it's nice to know that women aren't the only trigger for that attitude."
"Ha," he grumbled, "you're funny."
"Aren't I? Sei, can I meet him? I adore children and he's yours so… it's very important to me, please?"
He slowly lifted his head from her lap to look at her face that was ever so close, "you don't even have to ask, Kikyou, I wanted you to meet him... if you were alright with it." He wasn't completely inconsiderate, he was aware that having one lover meet the misbegotten son bore to him by another lover could be... very undesirable to some.
But, of course, it was Kikyou and a smile lifted her somber lips before he blotched it out with his own.
A/N: Oh, ye of little faith that thought everything would be happily every after just because they were together again.
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