Yoko carefully stalked his way into the room. After looking around the dark area he deemed it safe from any traps or people, so he relaxed, and slowly walked to the center of the room. On a pedestal, resting on a satin pillow, was his target. He calmly reached down and took the necklace. Raising the valuable object to his face, he got a good look at it.
"I went through all that trouble, for this?" It was worthless, compared to what the rumors were saying.
He believed he would find an expensive treasure locked away within these old rustic walls. But his information was obviously wrong. This necklace was worth, maybe, half of what he usually got out of his findings. He sighed, while lowering the necklace chest height.
Lately, since he failed twice to capture one of the most powerful artifacts on this world, he had felt unfulfilled. He believed he needed a break from the jewel and the woman who accompanied it. He thought he was losing his touch. His skills had gotten rusty, and he needed something to bring his old self back.
When he heard the rumor of an item trapped in this heavily guarded facility, he couldn't say no. He hoped the treasure would be worth the trouble, but it wasn't. It was just a ordinary sliver necklace with a blue stone. But he should have known better then to follow such a long shot. He was taking risks coming here, but he had thought it would be worth something, at least.
He sighed, staring at the necklace once more. The surface of the jewel dimly reflected his own image back at him. He watched as his ears twitched-
"Though I do find amusement in watching your ears twitch while you think, I am just going to tell you, save you the trouble." She laughed. He reached up and touched his ears. His ears don't twitch…do they?
He chuckled in amusement, realizing she was correct, they actually do move. Who would have thought? A small smile crept its way across his features.
As he looked at the jewel more closely he thought about the price he would get for it. Not much- It wouldn't even be worth taking back and selling. Yet he would hate to leave empty handed, especially after all the traps he went through to get here. He hummed to himself, deep in thought. He resisted the urge to chuckle as he watched his ears twitch in the jewel's reflection.
Getting serious he looked at the gem. It is a stunning color of blue- The image of Kagome's smiling face appeared in the reflection. Now that he thought about it, it did resemble her eyes. Such lovely blue pools. He couldn't count how many times he got lost, just staring into their deep color…
Every time he looked at the jewel he continued to think about her more and more. A rare smile showed itself on his face as he thought about the fiery female. An unknown feeling warmed its way through him. Maybe this necklace was worth the trip after all? He smirked, staring at the jewel's hypnotic beauty.
It reminded him so much of her, that he felt incapable of letting it go.
"Hmm." Maybe he should give it to her?
A taint of pink went across his nose as he thought of the idea. Why did he feel this way? Why did a mere jewel give him such a reaction? He shook his head. It wasn't the jewel; it was the woman that had him bewildered. He snorted. Bewitched, was a more suitable word.
How was it that she has intrigued him so much-
A loud clang rang into his ears, making them twitch in alert. He quickly spun around, seeing the door barred closed. Damn, a trap-! A piercing pain shot through his body and he roared in agony.
Kagome sighed as she sat in Sesshomaru's very comfortable chair, behind his desk. She uncrossed her legs, only to switch places with the other leg, while crossing them once again. She watched Kage's facial expression change into a serious one, and his forehead wrinkled, showing he was thinking very deeply.
Her ears twitched as she heard a familiar click. She smirked, realizing he had finally made his move, and reached into her bowl. She pulled out her stone and placed it on to the board that was sitting in the middle of the desk. She watched him carefully from the other side of the expensive furniture, wanting to see his reaction. Her grin grew into a pleased smile, when he didn't react any differently to her move.
He didn't realize what that move really meant. That was just the first step in her great plan to completely wipe him off of the face of this world! She chuckled evilly inside her own head.
Another click went into her ears, but she recognized very quickly that it wasn't the sound of the stones. She looked over and saw Sesshomaru walk into the room, his usual indifferent expression on his face.
"What are you doing?" He asked. You could tell he had a slight taint of anger laced within his words. She almost laughed at it, knowing he was mad because she was in his seat.
"What does it look like? We are playing Go." She motioned towards the board. He calmly started walking to his desk.
"You are in my chair." He pointed out.
"Yes, it's very comfortable."
"Remove yourself." He ordered, finally reaching them and standing beside Kage.
"Once the game ends…" She told him plainly.
Kage was still thinking over his move, even through all of this, his wings twitched and his hand moved to underneath his chin as he thought deeply. She laughed at his novice behavior. He was never going to win against her…
Sesshomaru looked down at the board. He reached over and took a stone from Kage's bowl and placed it onto the board- Kagome's eyes widened and her laughter instantly stopped. She was speechless as she stared at the board. With just once glance, he realized her plan and place the perfect move-
"No way…" She whispered. He beat her in just one move- She couldn't counter a defense like that, nor could she make a defense herself; she was at a stand off. Her eyes narrowed as she heard a deep chuckle come from the other side of the desk.
"If I'm not mistaken, Kage is in the lead by 2 points…" She glared at his pompous attitude. "Now, I believe the game is over, are you going remove yourself from my seat?"
She huffed, and quickly stood out of the chair. He chuckled at her childlike behavior and walked to the other side of the desk and sat down. She stood beside Kage with a sour look on her face, arms crossed over her chest. He was just too damn good at that game…
"I see…" Kage mumbled, his wings twitched in joy and a smile played across his face. "I finally won a match against Lady Kagome!"
"Because of Sesshomaru's help." She rolled her eyes at his false happiness.
His shoulders drooped and he sighed in defeat. She laughed at his sadness and patted his shoulder in encouragement. His wings twitched yet again and he smiled down at her, happy she was kind enough to lift his spirits up yet again.
"Why are you two in my study?" Sesshomaru asked.
"She ordered me to do it, sir." Kage blamed her, a sly smirk on his face.
"Tattletale…" She mumbled.
"Kagome, what do you have to say for yourself?" Sesshomaru asked, placing his hand underneath his chin for support as he leaned against his armrest.
"Well, I was bored, and so I thought playing a game in your room would be a nice way to pass time…"
"I see…" He leaned forward, staring at her with his piercing golden orbs.
She started to fidget, feeling nervous under his intense gaze. "The fox hasn't been around for a few days so I got very bored." She confessed.
"Alright." He gave a rare smile, leaning back against his chair. "You may go now…" He motioned her away with his hand, while searching though some papers lying on his desk.
"That's it?" She questioned, obviously confused. No commands. No punishments to do paperwork; her dreaded enemy. No treats or comments about how silly and idiotic she was? Just 'alright'?
"Would you like to have more?" He asked, glancing at her.
"No…" She mumbled.
She was bored, and wanted to see Sesshomaru, and maybe have a nice day with him. She sat in his chair and played Go, just to see how he would react. Though she was unsatisfied by his calmness, she did not wish to do any paperwork, at least not today. And by the looks of it, he is once again busy with the Three Kings and could not have a day off to play with her- She sighed, feeling her body slump slightly, disappointed that she wouldn't be able to spend time with him yet again. A feeling of sadness flooded her; she looked away from him, focusing on the wooden floor.
"Good." She glanced over, noticing he was shifting through his papers once again.
Her eyes drooped and she turned around, walking away from him. The door gave a soft click behind her as she closed the door, leaving the room and not saying anything else.
Sesshomaru looked up from his paper and glanced at the spot where she once stood, before focusing at the door. A small hint of guilt hit him and he sighed.
"Follow her." He ordered Kage to keep her company.
"As you wish, Lord Sesshomaru." Kage gave a low bow, before turning and walking out of the room, following her like he ordered.
He started at the door a few more moments. A soft sigh escaped his lips once again and his expression softened. For some reason, today, she seemed easier to upset…
"The fox hasn't been around for a few days."
"Is that fact actually bothering her?" He shook his head, quickly denying it. He turned back to his papers and started skimming them again, returning his attention to his work.
Of course not…
Kagome walked down the hallway, not much on her mind. For some reason she felt sad. Why did she feel so sad? Maybe she had just been lonely lately-
"Lady Kagome." A familiar voice called to her. She turned around and was greeted by her favorite crow demon.
"Kage." She gave him a small smile.
"Lord Sesshomaru sent me to be with you." He told her.
"I see." Her expression softened as she realized what that meant. Sesshomaru noticed her change and sent Kage to keep her company. "Come." She motioned for him to follow her.
She continued walking to her room, at a calm pace. Why would she feel lonely? She had Sesshomaru. She sighed. But he had been busy with work lately and couldn't hang out with her. She smiled, knowing she still had Kage and the small army under their command-
Now that she thought about it, she hadn't checked up on them in a few days. Maybe she should go see them? A small grin showed itself as she thought about her men. And don't forget Renji; she hoped he had improved since she last checked on him.
"How has the boys been fairing?" She asked the crow.
"They have been doing very well, but it would not hurt to check on them and raise their morale."
"You read my mind…" She laughed as he puffed out his chest slightly and twitched his wings in pride. "I would like to see Ishi and Tane…" The twins had always entertained her with their funny antics, while trying to outdo each other.
"Yes." He gave a light chuckle. "They miss their favorite 'sexy goddess'. I couldn't stop them from complaining the whole time while you've been away."
"I suppose your right. Watching my men from afar will not be enough, if I wish to have there respect as a leader." Lately she had been neglecting them…and she was wrong for doing so.
She supposed it had a lot to do with the fox. After he appeared into her life she hadn't been watching them as closely. She sighed, realizing how much she'd been putting off because she was having such a good time with him.
Yet after her birthday, she had not seen hide nor hair of the fox. But she was happy to see her book was missing from the windowsill. She smiled, imagining the fox sneaking around the castle and stealing a book from her window. She couldn't help but wonder; what had he been up to?
She shrugged not knowing the answer. Standing at her door she sighed and slowly opened it. What greeted her was something she wasn't expecting. Blood was all over her once beautiful wooden floor, staining it with its rich red color.
Her shocked blue orbs quickly focused onto a weak body lying helplessly in a large pool of blood. She easily recognized who it was.
"Yoko-!" She quickly rushed over to him and kneeled onto the floor beside him, not caring that she got covered in his blood.
At first glance, from what she could see, he only had one serious wound and it was a fist size hole on his shoulder. She winced at the sight as the blood pored freely from the wound with no sign of it stopping. The thick liquid covered his body and soaked his clothing. She looked towards the door and made eye contact with Kage, who looked on in seriousness.
"I need you to get me my bag." The bag she would always use in case the men got a little too rough in training. He nodded, understanding, before quickly leaving the room.
Right away, she knew the wound was too severe to use her powers. If she did, it would be too concentrated and the pure energy would kill him. She kept calm, and did what she could without her supplies. She tore off his shirt and wrapped it around the wound in a hurried bandage. She applied pressure, as much as she could, and kept an eye on his breathing and consciousness.
"Yoko." She tried to talk to him, to check his responses. "Yoko? Can you hear me?" He gave a weak cough, and opened his eyes halfway.
"A beautiful angel…am I in heaven?" She gave a small laugh and shook her head. If he was able to joke then he should make it- wait, he could be hallucinating…
"You know who I am?"
"Kagome…" He whispered weakly.
She gave a soft smile. He slowly raised his hand and she looked at it questionably. She freed one of her hands and took his clawed one in a comforting manner. She felt his hand loosen from its tight fist, and something fell into her palm. She looked down, and was greeted by a beautiful necklace. She opened her mouth to question it, but then saw his hand go completely limp and fall onto his chest.
"Yoko!" Her body instantly tensed and she was filled with worry. She put her hand onto his neck and sighed in relief when she still felt a heartbeat. "Thank goodness…" He was breathing, but only faintly.
Kage suddenly flew into the room, literally, and came to a stop beside her. His large, strong raven wings beat in a rhythmic and calm manner, while placing him safely on the floor next to her. He handed her the bag and she shifted through the containments to make sure she had everything she needed.
"Thank you Kage." She nodded her thanks. He nodded back.
"Is there anything else you need?" He asked.
"Yes. I will need some help lifting him up off of the floor, so I can clean and dress his wound properly."
"Of course…" He then joined her on the floor, kneeling in the pool of blood without a second thought. She smiled, happy to have him for support in helping her.
Before she was able to start, the object in her hand caught her attention once more and she looked at it. Its blue jewel sparkled with life and she couldn't help but smile, hoping it was a good sign. She then placed the necklace safely into her pocket, so it would not get damaged.
She then proceeded to take care of the thieving fox, and couldn't help but worry, wondering if he was going to be okay…
Darkness, and the nothingness that it provided, was the only thing he noticed. Yet that changed quickly, for the sound of his own heavy breathing fell onto his sensitive ears. He soon calmed and relaxed himself, allowing his breathing to soften, so he could understand his surroundings better.
Soft, almost unnoticeable whisper of breathing was heard beside him. Someone else was with him? That thought made his body tense with nervousness. Who was it? A familiar sent of vanilla wiggled its way into his senses and he sighed, instantly relaxing. It was her…For some reason that thought made him happy.
He finally started to have feelings back into his body, no longer feeling numb. He soon regretted it though, for he received something that you would not want to have when you woke up- pain. He resisted the urge to wince as a small stab hit his chest, below his shoulder. He sighed as the pain swiftly went away, replaced by tingles and a warmly pool of comfort spreading along his body. He was unable to holdback the moan that escaped his dried lips, enjoying the sensation very much. A soft laugh fell onto his ears.
"You're welcome…" She whispered. Her voice was laced heavily with worry and sorrow.
Slowly he fought his body's sluggish movements and opened his eyes. He was greeted with the sight of Kagome, sitting beside him on a bed. Yet he was surprised to actually see the sadness in her eyes as she was looking at the floor, not noticing he was awake yet. He followed her arm, and looked down, seeing her hand placed onto his shoulder, in a comforting manner. A small smile graced itself on his face and his expression softened.
"Thank you." He replied, his voice raspy and horse.
She gasped, jumping in surprise, and leaped from the bed, going into a fighting position out of reflex. She looked around the room, a serious look on her face, expecting an intruder. His deep but dry chuckle filled the room, finding the event amusing. A sly smirk played onto his features, enjoying himself.
"Didn't know you were so easy to spook, Kagome…"
He slowly sat up, trying not to growl as he body tried to resist his movements, fighting him the whole way. He carefully watched her, and was surprised to see her expression completely flip around into relief and joy.
"Yoko…" She whispered, as if in disbelief. Soon tears started to form in her eyes. He raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. Why is she-
"Oomph!" He grunted as she slammed into his body, enclosing him into a tight hug. His body instantly relaxed and he returned the hug. Placing his nose into her raven locks, he admired her lovely sent. It always calmed him- "Hello..." He smirked and his hand slowly started to move down her backside- A loud smack tore though the happy moment and he groaned in pain, rubbing his reddened cheek.
"I can't believe you..." She shook her head in shame while looking down at him.
"I can't believe you struck an injured man like that..." He argued.
"You seem fine to me." She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "And here I was worrying about you."
"So you were worried." It surprised him she would be worried about him, of all people.
"Of course I was. You're my friend." She sighed and looked towards the window, as if thinking.
He couldn't help but watch her for several moments, carefully examining her expressions as they quickly flashed by her blue orbs, while she thought deeply. Something suddenly clicked and he frowned, lowering his head. He was in her room- How? Why?
A piercing pain shot through his body and he roared in agony.
He growled, remembering what happened. How could he allow himself to be caught in such a obvious trap! His clawed hand clinched in anger, unable to believe it. His jaw tightened and his golden orbs hardened. He was Yoko Kurama, one of the greatest thieves in the world, yet that was a rookie mistake!
"You okay? Does it still hurt?" Her soothing voice flowed into his mind and he blinked in surprise. Feeling a soft hand placed onto his shoulder, he calmed down, and a small smile appeared on his once angry facade.
"No, I'm not in physical pain." He reassured her.
"I see. Hurt pride, uh?" She smiled at him and shook her head. "Men…" A chuckle escaped his lips. He supposed she was correct, why get angry about the past?
He slowly looked around, and his ears twitched in curiousness as he saw dry blood spilt all over her once lovely floor and clothes. He knew right away that it was his blood, and he felt regret for putting her in such a position like this.
Why did he come here anyway? He couldn't help but ask. When he was able to escape, she was the only thing that came into his mind. Why did he think of her at his time of need? Why was her smiling expression and happy disposition the only image plastered onto his mind while he was running for his life? Why was he wishing to see her, as he body slowly got weaker and weaker, on the verge of death? Maybe…he instinctively knew she would heal him, and save his life…?
Yes, that had to be it…there could not be any other reason...
He slowly scooted across the bed, allowing his legs to hang off of the edge, and his feet touched the cold wooden floor. Carefully, he pushed himself off of the bed and stood on his feet, without any trouble. He was about to take a step forward, but a fiery female stood in his way.
"You're not going anywhere, you're still hurt." She objected.
"I'm fine." He looked down at her, his seriousness showed he was not wishing to argue with her today.
"Oh, Ha-ha, funny stuff right there." She mockingly laughed, and raised her hand. She then brought it down and playfully slapped him on the chest- right where his wound was-! He hissed as a stab of pain hit him. "Perfectly fine…" She spoke sarcastically. A smirk was on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest in defense.
He grumbled in persist, but did not back away. "I'm fine." He argued, but said it with less confidence then the first time. "I caused enough trouble for you already."
"I see…" She moved out of his way and motioned towards the window. "Well, I can't stop you if you want to leave." She smiled at him, but the expression was laced with sadness. Why is she sad? Is she actually worried about him?
"Of course I was. You're my friend."
He unconsciously looked away from her, out of shame. She helped him, and he was just going to leave her? He shook his head, releasing his emotions, and started to slowly stroll to the window. Just as he placed his hand on the rim of the lip, a soft touch on his shoulder stopped him. He turned his head, only to become face to face with a familiar trinket that got him into this mess.
"You almost forgot this." She smiled at him, tilting her head in a cute manner. His expression softened at the look, and reached out, gently grabbing the jewel.
He carefully examined the blue gem resting in his palm, deep in thought. He didn't even remember taking this with him while he was running for his life. Why did he even bother to keep it? He glanced up, and his golden orbs locked onto her deep blue pools. He was soon in a trance, staring into the vast lake that was filled with such kindness…
A soft expression appeared once again on his face. He reached out and gently caressed her cheek with his knuckles. He bent down and slowly licked the tip of her nose in a playful manner.
"Thank you." He whispered in his deep voice.
A small tint of pink quickly showed itself on her face, causing a sly smirk to appear on his, satisfied by her reaction. He reached up and gently placed the necklace over her head. It was a perfect fit in his opinion, and he growled, pleased. He stared at the gem, and then looked into her deep pools once again. It matched her very well…like he knew it would.
"It's yours now." He told her. "It suits you best." Slowly, he moved his hand up her neck, before resting it on the back of her head, his clawed fingers entangled in her raven tresses. "It only adds to your beauty…" He purred and slowly bent down once more. She suddenly seemed fidgety and her pink tint quickly turned tomato red. He smiled, enjoying that expression very much…
He continued bending down, and pressed his lips against her forehead in a friendly gesture. He then backed up, while releasing her hair. He turned around and looked at her over his shoulder. He smirked, seeing the confused look plastered onto her face. She reached up and touched her forehead softly, as if in disbelief.
"You better be back tomorrow. I have to look after that wound of yours- you're not healed yet." She warned. "You hear me? You better not run off again." Her expression changed to an angry one, but he could tell it was fake anger. She was trying to hide her worry for him…
"Goodnight Kagome…" He spoke his farewell and waved to her over his shoulder.
He suddenly was held tightly from behind. He instantly froze, but then relaxed when he heard a contented sigh come from the woman who was embracing him.
"I'm fine." He told her again. Placing his hand onto her smaller one, he gave it a reassuring pat. After several seconds she finally let go and he smiled. Without looking back, he then jumped out of the window, and landed gracefully on the ground.
Unbeknown to her, or even the fox himself, a tint of pink appeared across the cunning thief's nose…
