Ten

"You've been slacking off!" Sesshomaru criticized, disappointed in her for not keeping up in her physical training while trying to improve her elemental powers.

When Lenezma figured he'd have her work with her fires again, she was wrong. Instead, Sesshomaru approached her and quite bluntly told her they were doing the pinning exercise, a work out that required rendering their opponent helpless or immobile, a checkmate of sorts, and only claws and agility were allowed today.

Needless to say, Len was doing a horrible job trying to pin Sesshomaru. She never could - never has. She got really close once, but he pulled out of it in time to pin her instead. They were only going two pins today, but Sesshomaru had already managed to get her once.

When using this exercise, Sesshomaru would often spend the first few minutes keeping her on her toes, giving her few chances to attack him before he'd go on the defensive, allowing her several attempts to tackle him prior to switching back to offense, pinning her - often with little trouble.

Lenezma watched as Sesshomaru altered his tactics, shifting into second gear as he began to mostly avoid her attacks, hardly fighting back.

She rushed him, swiping rapidly, several air slashes flying around as she fought him, trying her damnedest just to land a single blow.

It wasn't long after did Sesshomaru kick it into third gear, intent on pinning her for the second time. Besides, he could easily tell she needed a break, she was panting heavier than usual.

Lenezma pushed herself as hard as she could, but found it hopeless as Sesshomaru forced her to the ground after having dodged a barrage of attacks.

Sesshomaru, hovering over her on all four, held her upper arms to the ground roughly, proclaiming his victory, celebrating it by mocking Lenezma, who still breathed heavily.

"You need to start practicing more on your own time, I'm not going to instruct you at any time of the day,"

"Yeah, yeah… But I don't think it was me slacking as much as you were trying to make this as difficult as you could," Len retorted, smirking up at him.

For a moment, Lenezma could have sworn she caught the same, dreamy expression in his eyes. He didn't stare down at her with as surprised a look, but his gaze suddenly made her feel uncomfortable.

Her apprehension grew when she felt his breathing pattern change. It was hard to tell, but Sesshomaru normally breathed through his nostrils with an intense softness, barely feasible. Yet for a moment, just his pattern changed, an unusual quickness to it.

Lenezma cleared her throat and tried pulling herself out from beneath him, but found she was still held down by him. "Wanna let me up?" she asked casually, hoping he couldn't tell she'd noticed a difference in him.

Sesshomaru blinked hard for a short moment before leaning back on his knees, releasing Lenezma as he pushed himself up to his feet, Len sitting up calmly at his feet, resting there without looking up at him.

"Come," he called as he turned his back to her, "we'll rest at the river,"

Once there, Len sat at the shore, drinking her fill of water, rejuvenating her. Sesshomaru did not drink from the river nor rest in the grass as she did, relaxing.

She sat comfortably in the grass, gazing up at him a moment before deciding not to ask, returning her eyes to the scenery across the river; Sesshomaru stared off as well, neither making any comment.

After a few minutes, Sesshomaru decided to settle in the grass as well, not far from Len.

"So… Where have you been lately?" Len inquired, breaking the silence between them.

"… I've had business to attend to," he replied without looking at her.

"Really? I've sensed you around the house but you were never where I looked. So, what kind of business?"

Sesshomaru did not answer.

"So…" she spoke up yet again when another silence fell upon them. "Got anything to talk about?" she asked randomly, unable to find a topic on her own. But Sesshomaru did not answer her, grunting softly to show he had no desire to talk with her.

Len made the same "Hmph" response before falling backwards, lying in the grass easily, placing one hand behind her head, the other upon her stomach.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, relaxing in the soft, green grass. Not long afterwards did Sesshomaru sense a change in her breathing pattern, signifying she'd fallen asleep. He ignored her for a while, but found himself unable to think on another subject.

What a nosy, loafer she is… Why does she feel the need to talk so much? Why… why do I actually feel like answering her half the time?

A small spark ignited within his chest, the familiar tweaks of pain beginning to return to him, but soft for now.

What is this feeling I keep getting? Is it really because of Lenezma?

Several more thoughts followed, each leading to a reason he should not care for this woman as he did, and yet I still get this way…

Past images of Lenezma returned to him, each one doing something different from glaring to cooking to smiling. Her smile… Another twinge of pain arose within his chest as the memory of a genuine smile she had expressed towards him flashed through his head.

His hand gently caressed the center of his torso, attempting to massage it to lessen the irritation.

And then, curiously, he slowly turned his eyes towards Lenezma, lying in the grass, basking in the sun ever comfortably. He tore his eyes away quickly, but found his eyes returning to her. No matter how often he forced them away, his gazes lasted longer and longer until finally Sesshomaru no longer fought it, staring at her as she slept easily beneath the light of the sun.

His mind was racing, different thoughts and feelings flowing through his head, each contradicting the other, all the while the knots in his chest grew.

Sesshomaru sighed deeply, his mind cleared, the pain in his chest nearly depleted. He blinked softly down at Lenezma as he began to move.

He began crawling, amazingly silent as his fingers slid through the blades of grass like snakes, his feet like those of a wolf. With an incredible silence about it, he made his way towards Lenezma, his own ears unable to pick up most of his movements.

He took a moment of great care to place one arm on her other side while keeping the rest on her right. He settled into a comfortable position above her, staring down serenely.

Another emotion ran through his chest, but not of pain like before. It felt like a wave of… of… Oh, who was he kidding? He had no idea what this feeling was, it never existed within him before, and it was only now that he stared at her did it arise.

His golden rods seemed to soften even more as he sighed noiselessly. Just a taste… That's all I want: just a taste…

Sesshomaru began to lower himself, making sure to avoid any touches or movements that might awaken her, leaving her staring eye-to-eye with Sesshomaru in such a predicament.

He lowered himself more and more, their noses apart by only several inches, but his senses became too drawn in on Lenezma, realizing a moment too late that some of his silky white hair slipped from his shoulder, grazing against Lenezma's cheek before resting on her arm. Had it not been for that subtle touch to the cheek, it would most likely have gone unnoticed by her arm.

Instead, Sesshomaru found himself staring into the large blue eyes of Lenezma, her shock quite easy to read as she stared back. He didn't doubt there was a visible trace of alarm in his own eyes.

Len couldn't move, couldn't think. She was suspended in time, her limbs immobile as if still asleep, her mouth gaping with her gasp of surprise.

Sesshomaru couldn't think; what was he to do? He'd been found out… Sure she would have awoken to his embrace, but he felt that would have been better to have to deal with than her eyes.

No… I can't stop now. Not now… I'm so close… his thoughts wandered dreamily as his eyes began to change, transforming into the familiar, surreal golden rods she'd seen several times now.

He continued his descent, more of his silver hair gliding over his shoulders like smooth, streams of water.

She watched in silence as his body lowered over hers more and more, his head dropping closer to her own. Lenezma found herself unable to move even the slightest bit; even if she could, she didn't know where she'd go… or if she even wanted to.

Lenezma could feel her heart beat racing frantically as Sesshomaru grew closer. Time seemed to have come to a standstill, moving slower than… something really slow. All her senses were on high alert, specifically her senses of sight and touch. His soothing golden eyes closed in on her.

Sesshomaru stared down at Lenezma, the woman who has been living in his very own home, whom he had spent almost every day with, training for the past several weeks. But it was only until recently had she sparked an interest within him; until now that she was beneath him in such a way, did he find himself attracted… wanting.

It was a strange hunger that began to grow inside of him, a sensation he's never felt before, but he held it at bay, restraining it as he stared down at her… No, she was too beautiful to be overwhelmed by such… lustful urges.

He came closer and closer to her, her radiant cerulean eyes filled with anxiety, but slowly getting calmer. He was so close to her now, he could feel her nervous breath on his lips, her lips almost quivering as she breathed deeply.

Such features only deepened his desire to embrace her, but he held it off, wishing to hold onto this moment as long as possible.

Lenezma, like Sesshomaru, could feel his warm breath on her lips, a tingle running down her spine as his nose softly brushed against her own.

Sesshomaru was about to make the final half-inch, both sets of eyes on the verge of closing for the climax… but both of their senses reacted, his nerves pushing him back up, completely destroying their brief moment of intimacy.

His head swiftly turned to his right, staring at the forest line. Lenezma had also turned her head quickly at the sound of rustling leaves and breaking twigs quickly approaching. With how intense their moment was, it was a small miracle the both of them heard it coming.

Just then he saw them: two deer leaping through the forest hastily, breaking through the trees and dashing through the field in a frantic. Even Lenezma, whose sight was hindered by the tall blades of grass, could see them in their frenzy as they rushed through the trees.

The two of them watched as the two deer, one buck, one doe, skidded to a halt when they noticed the two demons lying in the grass, changing direction as quickly as possible to keep running. Their smells had reached both noses just before the deer attempted the turn, the doe sliding onto her side, having turned too quickly.

The male nudged her quickly, rearing at her to rush her to her feet and continue sprinting. Quickly following came the dirty, foul scent of devils, putting both demons on extra alert; it would explain the deer's panic.

Suddenly three, decent sized wolves burst through the trees after them, each bearing three eyes and two rows of fangs with quite mangled fur. As they ran after the standing doe and her mate, they took no notice to Sesshomaru or Len on the other side, at least not until the deer began running again.

The first two wolves also skidded to a stop at the sight, but the third paid no heed and continued after the deer. Apparently, the wolves had the ability to speak the human tongue:

"It's Sesshomaru!" one of them yelled, fear beginning to overwhelm him.

But the second one seemed more interested in Lenezma as she lowered her head, getting a better look. "Whoa, Sesshomaru's got himself a bitch…"

"Never mind that! Let's split!" the first one yelled as he began to run back to the woods, but the second ran towards the other, who was soon upon the deer.

Without a word, Sesshomaru rushed to his feet, dashing after the one that fled in fear. Lenezma released the dragon as she too got to her feet.

The dragon rushed after the third wolf, smacking him in the jaw with his wing just before he could take a snap at the doe's hind leg, sending him rolling along the field. Sesshomaru reached the first in no time and quickly sliced him with his venomous whip. Lenezma rushed over and stopped right in front of the second, causing it to stop immediately.

"I am not a bitch!" She swung her arm, the air slashes cutting the wolf down, killing it instantly. Both Lenezma and Sesshomaru watched the dragon chase the third wolf into the forest, where it came down on him. They could hear the wolf yipping with fear and pain… and then there was no more. The dragon flew back to Len where it reentered her body through her chest.

The two deer had ducked into hiding in a patch of wild flowers, but now rose to see the female demon approaching them. They're instincts told them to run, yet they couldn't move.

Len kneeled down, smiling gently as she attempted to placate them, calling them to her with a hushed voice.

The deer hesitated, and despite all better instincts, they came to her. She stroked their heads and ran her hand down their necks and past their shoulder blades, rubbing their cheeks with the back of her hands.

"Yeah… you're safe now…" she whispered to them.

Sesshomaru only watched as she pet the deer like domesticated pets. And like pets, they showed their affection towards her, nuzzling her cheeks, even licking them once. He watched this peaceful moment a while longer, somehow feeling at calm with this sight.

Then the flashes of her beneath him popped back up in his head; he could still feel her breath on his lips, see those eyes gazing into his own.

He wasn't sure what was happening to him. When he first laid eyes on Lenezma, he was well ready and willing to kill her. And when he found out she was part demon, her stance with him hadn't all that much improved. He had spared them on behalf of Rin, whose happiness had grown tremendously, and yet he had never even wondered about Lenezma.

But he was still lost in his own thoughts. He's run into many female demons over the centuries, some very similar to her, but always dismissed them from his sights, deleting them from his memory like they were one of those meaningless wolves.

But Lenezma... seemed different. His first encounter with her had been mind-boggling, her ability to conceal her demonic scent from him having interested him, as did her whole disguise, but there was still something about her, something that fascinated him more than anything else, but only until today did he truly realize it.

Sesshomaru just wanted a taste… He had hoped that by doing so he might overcome these pains that attacked him, aches that forced him to look upon Lenezma in another way.

But when she opened her eyes… her bright, cerulean jewels gleamed as she stared back. Everything she did, though minor, had managed to drive him further. He no longer wanted to rid himself of these unusual pains, but embrace her for the pleasure of it.

He watched her stand up, giving one last stroke to each of them before turning and walking back towards him, the deer standing and returning to the woods shortly after.

As she approached him, nothing came to mind as to what she should say. If it weren't for the deer, who knows what would have happened? Well, she knew what would happen, but what would it have led to?

Len pushed the thoughts of her and Sesshomaru aside, knowing something like that would never work. Why? It just… couldn't. But… when he had that look in his eyes… No, she pushed it all aside again, now standing before Sesshomaru, still with nothing to say.

"If you feel you're done training, we'll return home. … Well?"

"Uh… Yeah, I'm done."

Sesshomaru did not speak again, merely stood staring down at her with his usual blank gaze. Suddenly Len heard a soft wisp in the wind, looking down at her feet where a strange mist cloud appeared, lifting them into the air.

She tensed up at the rising of the cloud, her hands instinctively gripping the nearest object: Sesshomaru's arm. Len gasped as she realized what she'd done, as his eyes fell upon her; her hands retreated quickly, the red streaks across her cheeks quite visible as she turned from him, unable to meet his eyes, but in her shock, one of her feet took a step back and slipped beyond the cloud's reach.

Her eyes widened as her body began to fall, unable to catch herself – but she was caught just in time, Sesshomaru's hand grabbing her upper arm and heaving her back up, her body colliding with his, her eyes stuck on his throughout it all. "You need to stay still," he told her calmly, still staring into Lenezma's eyes with a calm gaze, sucking her in to his warmth.

Again, red streaks flared as she hastily forced a gap between them, making sure of her footing this time as she took a step back. She couldn't face him… not with that look in his eyes, not with her cheeks on fire like this. She had been shocked, that was all… her blush meant nothing… right?

The cloud rose up high into the sky and softly transported them back to the mansion, a cool breeze blowing their hair softly. Despite her attempts to avoid him, she could not shake off the knowledge of his hand still gripping her arm firmly, keeping their arms pressed together, their bodies close.

Both were very silent, not even hinting to each other that they wanted to talk, even though both badly wanted to. Sesshomaru couldn't get the image of her below him out of his head and Len couldn't stop picturing his eyes and the look on his face.

Defeated in her desire to escape his touch, she brought her other hand up in order to grab at her elbow, to give her better anchorage, but without looking and it went too far and grazed Sesshomaru's fingers.

Lenezma flinched yet again, forcing her eyes not to look up at him when she put her hand down at her elbow, watching it this time, yet fully aware of his gaze in the corner of her eyes. She was able to suppress her blush in his presence, but looked away just the same.

She looked over the cloud, holding on tightly as she glanced over the edge down at the forest below them. It wasn't long at all before she could see the mansion, and down the cloud went.

As soon as they got off, the cloud evaporated and Sesshomaru finally released her. She turned to Sesshomaru, deeply desiring to speak to him, finally ready to talk, but found him already at the door and walking inside. She sighed heavily before following him in.

She walked in and could sense he walked towards the room with the large fireplace, but could not bring herself to go see him. Instead, she returned to her room where she collapsed on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

What happened today? Was it all just some strange dream or… Or was Sesshomaru actually trying to kiss me?

"He no longer wanted to rid himself of these unusual pains, but embrace her for the pleasure of it."
*drool* Another favorite line… *twitch*