Hey guys! Still sorry it's taken so long… I've got two days left of vacation with nothing to do. Bear with me please and here goes.
Enter disclaimer here.
Chapter 12: Almost
The look on Sesshomaru's face as he watched her could very well have mimicked remorse and pain. But as she sat high in the Goshinboku, trying to hide from prying eyes, he went unnoticed. She sat in the tree, her head on bended arm, and tears falling all but silently. What was she to do? Once they got rid of the Shikon Jewel, she would have to make a choice. She knew that. But…how could she? She loved everyone in this time and she couldn't deny that. She had made so many friends and went on so many more adventures than anyone could ever imagine. How could she possibly return to a boring life in modern Japan? There were no demons to fight, no hanyous to befriend, no taijiyas to call sister, no monks to call brother, and most certainly no kitsunes to call son. How would Shippo even feel about her leaving? This would most certainly break his heart.
She looked up towards the sky, past the flowing branches of the ever-so-familiar tree and stared at the bright blue sky. She needed some nice mother-daughter time. There was no doubt about it. She didn't want to have to talk about this with her, but in reality, what choice did she have? There was nothing she could do but sit and talk about it with the one person who knew her better than anyone: her mother. Problem was, how could she go to that time without Inuyasha sealing the well behind her?
"I'll just have to talk to him about it." She said, finalizing her decision as she climbed out of the hundred year old tree. She turned to walk towards the village when she bumped into the one who was watching her.
"Miko. Are you alright?" he asked, a small glint of concern allowing itself to show in his eyes. They'd been so close while it was just them at his palace, but since the ordeal with Naraku, it seems they'd grown apart. It seemed strange to him. Yet he couldn't figure out if it was he who pulled away, or the Miko who stood in front of him eyes wide and jaw dropped. She quickly ducked her head and wiped her tears, trying to hide the fact that she had been crying but moments before. He pulled her chin up with his finger, looking into her swollen puffy eyes.
"Are you alright?" he asked again, not letting her look away this time. She closed her eyes in a sigh. She had hoped no one had known where she was. But of course, who could escape the great daiyoukai?
"I'm fine, I just… I don't want to leave here. But at the same time, I don't want to leave my family behind. They'd miss me more than they do already and they'd be in a constant state of worry, worse than they already are. I can't do that to them. But I love everyone I know here and I can't bear to live in my time without them. Compared to this place, my time is so…" she paused, trying to find the right word. With a sigh, she finished, "ordinary." That word alone seemed to shatter her heart. People from her time, her friends included, thought the feudal era to be so boring and plain. But really, it was amazing and so full of adventure. Sure there were tough times for the village folk, but since she'd met her friends, they'd helped with that as much as they could.
"What do you mean?" Sesshomaru asked, gesturing for her to sit next to him. She did, and tried to think of a way to explain it.
"In my time, we have the technology to make just about everything easy. We have electricity, which lets us use lights whenever we want. We have automobiles so we don't have to walk everywhere. The world has been overtaken by technology and pollution, and no one seems to think any different. People have asthma which can sometimes be caused by the smog in the air from the factories, and yet out here," she took a deep breath to enhance her point, "the air is crisp and clean. Granted we have baths and shampoo, but that's why I like going back and forth. I get the best of both worlds, while everyone else is stuck with one or the other. It's just so amazing here. I've done more to help people here than I ever would have if I hadn't fallen through the well all those years ago. It just seems strange, the idea of choosing one over the other. It hardly seems fair. But….of course…. Life isn't fair, is it?" she said, letting herself stop and look at the beauty around her. Sesshomaru sat silent for a second.
"No, it doesn't. But what you say is true. Life isn't fair. However, it's up to us to make it fair. To make it what we want. Some things we can't change, but others we can. It's a choice little take, but it's a choice we all have." He replied, glancing over at her. She looked at him and smiled, leaning her head against his shoulder. It surprised him, considering they hadn't been this close since the ball, but still, he couldn't help but enjoy the weight of her head on his arm. He moved his arm so it was circled around her and she was leaning against his chest. They sat like this for a while, Kagome all but forgetting the decision she had to make. It felt like she had already talked to her mother, though she hadn't.
They didn't move until they heard Inuyasha's harsh voice calling for them. With a sigh they stood and walked to the village, trailing closely next to each other. Kagome wanted to tell him how she felt, but she knew she couldn't. If she were to tell him and leave, she would spend the rest of her life wishing she had stayed so she could know how he felt. Then again, if she told him and stayed, her feelings could very well be hers alone.
"What are you thinking about, Miko?" he asked, noticing the far off look in her eyes. Her face turned red and she stuttered, obviously caught off guard.
"I-I was just… I was thinking about that night in the hot spring." She said quietly, her face reddening more with each word. A smile crossed his face and he leaned down to her ear.
"You want to do that again?" he whispered, his breath hot on her neck. She gasped, and almost tripped had he not caught her. She couldn't help it as her face deepened in color. Their bodies were pushed together, her chest against his, their breath hot on each other's faces. She felt just like she had that night when he caught her and held her close. He leaned towards her slowly, and without her realizing it, she leaned towards him. Their lips were just a breath apart when again they heard Inuyasha.
"Oi! What's taking so long! Kagome, Sesshomaru, come on!" he yelled. Sesshomaru sighed and pulled away, straightening Kagome out then turning to walk away. Kagome stood still for a moment, her hand rising to touch her lips. He almost kissed her. Maybe he did feel for her what she felt for him. She shook it off and kept walking; telling herself it was simply the primal need for sex. They reached Kaede's hut and walked in.
"What are you being so impatient for? We were on our way." Kagome asked as she took a seat next to the elder priestess.
"You need to make a decision. Soon." He said simply. Kagome rolled her eyes, and bit her tongue for a second. It took everything not to sit him.
"And I couldn't do that in private?" she asked, irritation evident in her voice. Inuyasha shook his head.
"Fine. I choose…I..choose…" she looked around at everyone's faces, all expecting her to make the hardest decision she could ever face. "I…" she stopped, choking on her words. She stood up, and ran out the door.
And there we stop! Ohh such a horrible cliffy… sorry everyone. R&R, and I just might post a chapter sooner ;)
