Well, it isn't too long, but it's a rather important turning point in the story. You'll find out why when you read. Anyways… I wanted to get another chapter posted before I left for the weekend, that's another reason for the measly length. Sorry to seem hasty, but I didn't want to make you wait too much longer before I added to the story.

Enjoy… you lovely people!

Disclaimer: Don't own squat…

Obsession of Sin

Unforeseen Occurrences

Stumped at the fact that he would say anything at all, never mind compliment her, Kagome remained as she was: on her haunches, jaw slack and eyes wide.

Sensing her shock and the tantalizing scent of her excitement, he turned to face her fully, a half smile tilting his lips as he teased, "You seem flustered, miko, perhaps you should take this time to bathe."

Blinking as she registered his words, Kagome found it somewhat odd that he would suggest bathing at such a time… or for such a reason. Why would she need to bathe because she was flustered? Something about the statement did not sit well with her, and she questioned skeptically, "What does that mean?"

He took a step toward her, his stride fluid and smooth as he explained, "Is that not what you do when anxiousness sets in? Give yourself time to… think of things."

As he walked leisurely toward her, Kagome couldn't help but feel like his confident stride was more of a slink, like a wolf creeping up on an unsuspecting rabbit. Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper as she intoned uncertainly, "Sesshomaru…?"

His smirk broadened, fangs peering out the corners of his mouth in a feral manner. "Now," he began; voice thick with arrogance and confidence, "why does that sound so familiar?"

In a single, soul jarring second, everything clicked; the pieces of the puzzle falling neatly into place. His knowing, smug attitude, his constant teasing: it all led to one thing. He knew. That uneasy feeling of eyes… they had been his.

"You!" she shouted loudly, disbelief and horror underlying her frantic pitch. "It was you?!"

He lifted a brow at the accusing finger pointed in his direction, and in an instant he was before her, his large, clawed hand brushing the extended appendage aside. "It is impolite to point, miko."

Eyes nearly bugging out of her head, Kagome spluttered, "How dare y- impolite to poi- you've got some nerve pal!"

Tongue clucking lightly behind parted lips, Sesshomaru admonished, "Do not think to scold me, miko. I am taiyoukai, and as such I have the freedom to wander where I please when I please."

Eyes ablaze, Kagome squeaked in incredulity, "I can't believe you! Out of all the people in the world… I mean it isn't a matter of what rights you have. It's a matter of privacy! I would have thought that you would have too much honor to stoop so low as to peep!"

Growling at her allegation, the inu youkai snarled, "Do not accuse me of such lowly devices. It was by coincidence that I came upon you. It is not my fault that my senses are far keener than that of another's. Your scent and aura gave away what you were doing instantly, and it was while I was leaving you to bathe in peace, unhindered, when I caught the utterance of my name. As you can see, miko, I am guilty of no crime. I cannot help what I am, nor can I help the vastness of my abilities."

Sesshomaru was, in truth, shocked at her remark. He had not thought of the occurrence in such a light, and it made him realize, with no small amount of disgust, that she was correct. Though he was no leering pervert, he had stayed longer than was necessary to observe her display. Therefore, the majority of his upset was not directed at the miko for her accusation, but at himself for his weakness. How could he, the noble Lord of the Western Lands, have stooped to such a despicable level?

His mood soured. His plan had not turned out the way he had foreseen it. He would not, however, allow the miko to know his outlook on the situation, and he was never one to back down. He would finish this game of his, damn it all, no matter what.

"Don't go thinking yourself a god because of this."

Her quiet, indignant response drew his attention back to her still form. Upon her understanding of the situation, she had risen from her position, and now stood with crossed arms and hunched shoulders. "Pardon?" he questioned in a low key.

Huffing, she threw her hands up in the air and spat, "I'm attracted to you, alright? It's no big deal! Just because I find you attractive doesn't mean I want you, so don't you get all high and mighty on me! I find a lot of guys attractive, so you're not special or anything!"

He was silent for a moment, and she grew nervous.

And then he was kissing her.

His lips were far hotter than she had imagined, burning with a passionate heat more intense than anything she had ever experienced. His hand was at the base of her skull, pressing her into his embrace. With tenderness she never knew him to possess, he angled her head to the side and deepened the kiss, his mouth demanding and domineering in its conquest. His body, even through the thick metal of his armor, was burning to the touch, and she felt said heat rolling off of him in powerful waves.

She was so shocked that she had almost no time to react, and just as she began to respond, it was over. The cool air that swept through the glade made her shiver, and she wrapped her arms about her shoulders. She was alone.

Her head spun to the side, her tiny feet turning her in a full circle as she sought out the taiyoukai that had, only seconds ago, been kissing her senseless. When she found no trace of him, other than the lingering warmth on her lips, she sighed, confused and flustered.

Why had he done it? Why had he thrown aside his usual indifferent mask and tossed all caution to the wind? Was he trying to say that perhaps he had an attraction to her as well? Was it to shut her up and prove his point? She wasn't certain she was quite ready for the answer.

And so, she stood unaccompanied in the colorful field, gazing longingly at the moon, its flawless pallor and ageless beauty reminding her so much of the fair inu youkai who had been turning her world upside down as of late.

It was then she truly discerned that she was the only occupant of the field. Where was Rin? Had she ran off earlier? Perhaps she had seen them kiss and… oh, she sincerely hoped not. She could just see the boisterous little child running into camp, wide grin on her face as she tittered madly. And all the while she would be singing, "Kagome and Sesshomaru, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

Kagome slapped herself on the forehead in a dejected manner. Why had she taught the children that song again? With everything in her she severely prayed that the brunette had taken her leave before their little… episode. That would be just what she needed. To return to camp and be bombarded by several disbelieving stares and one fuming hanyou. He would likely take the time thereafter to shout about how insane she was for kissing his elder brother.

Looking to the ground, she found the tiny bouquet she had once been holding strewn about her feet, having fallen from her fingertips when Sesshomaru bestowed his… unexpected kiss upon her. Clearing her throat, she knelt and collected the scattered flowers hastily, trying to take her mind off what had occurred.

It took her a minute to build up enough resolve to risk venturing back, and once she had gained the courage, she set her shoulders and marched back to where the little encampment was nestled, flora in hand.

'Oh great Kami,' she prayed silently as she wound her way through the withering foliage, 'if ever there was a time when you planned to grace me with your mercy… now would be that time.'

Nervously she took that final step into the camp, her breath catching in her lungs as all members of the group turned to her. Time seemed to freeze, and she waited anxiously for their reaction. Much to her relief, they simply smiled and turned back to what they had been previously engaged with. Her breath slid out in a thankful sigh.

Two members of the camp were still staring, however, both of which were expected. Firstly there was Inuyasha, setting a somewhat suspicious look on her. After he examined the flowers in her hand, however, he seemed convinced and turned to stare at the fire.

Rin was grinning widely at her, her large, brown eyes sparkling with mischief. So she had seen… well, something, anyways. Kagome knew she had been there when she and Sesshomaru first began conversing, but after that her attention had been… elsewhere.

Speaking of which, she noted finally that Sesshomaru had not yet returned to camp. 'Probably went somewhere to brood over the fact that he's dirtied his person by touching a human,' she supposed bitterly. 'Or… he's off beaming with pride at the fact that he proved his point. Damn, how can I be so easily swayed? What ever happened to my steely resolve?'

The young miko shook her head as another puff of air passed her lips, strolling languidly over to where the beaming little girl sat. Stretching her arm out, Kagome passed the bouquet into Rin's anxious hands.

"Thank you, Kagome," she piped happily.

Looking around, the priestess questioned, "What happened to your flowers?"

"Oops," Rin mumbled, blushing, "I must have forgotten them back in the glade. I left because I was getting cold… and I must have dropped them somewhere." She held her breath while the older girl seemed to process her explanation, hoping that she would not catch the fib. To her delight, Kagome smiled lopsidedly and ruffled her hair, whispering goodnight to her before meandering over to her own sleeping space.

'That was a close one,' she thought to herself in relief.

Poppy red eyes narrowed in suspicion and curiosity. This certainly was quite the development. What Naraku was looking for she had no idea, but she was sure he'd find this interesting.

A grimace crossed ruby painted lips. The taste of him was still thick on her tongue, and for a moment she envied the little miko. How she would have loved to share such a moment with the fierce, powerful taiyoukai and wash the disgusting flavor of her master away with his sweetness.

Jealousy, bitter and tart, consumed her being. She, a powerful wind sorceress, had been bested by a miko. What did the whelp have that made the taiyoukai favor her? Sure the miko was beautiful and powerful, but so was she. The girl was still human.

She had arrived shortly before the child and priestess entered the clearing, watching from a great distance away, sitting atop her feather. It was odd that the taiyoukai had not noticed her. His senses were powerful, she knew, and if she was in range to see what was occurring, he was obviously in range to sense her. His mind must have been sidetracked… no doubt thinking of the infuriating miko.

Was it her ties to Naraku that made her undesirable to Sesshomaru? She found it a very likely explanation. How she loathed the disgusting abomination that had birthed her into a life of slavery and torture. If she ever had the chance, she would kill the bastard without a moment's hesitation.

However, Naraku was no pushover. Cowardly and conniving, maybe, but he was, all in all, an evil genius. He knew exactly how to play his cards. Using trickery and manipulation he wove a web so tangled that, once trapped in it, it was impossible to free ones self. The number of souls he had influenced to do his dirty work was astonishing, and though the majority of them ended up dead, all of them served a vital purpose in his master plan. He was suave and charming when need be, like the devil himself, promising his victims the world if they agreed to help him. And, of course, greedy as most beings were, they agreed. How were they to know that they would end up dead by following simple orders? The poor fools.

And, as much as she hated to admit it, Naraku rarely lied. The demons that managed to succeed in their tasks without dying would come to collect their reward. He had promised them greatness, and upon their victorious return, he absorbed them, explaining that, in the end, they would be obtaining greatness, as a part of his ultimate design. Naraku omitted, more than anything, and twisted words around so that they had a double meaning that most people would never catch. He was a dangerous man, to say the least.

His latest order had her wondering what sick ploy he planned on adding to his already complicated plan. There was no doubt that he planned on using the pair to destroy one another, the only question left unanswered was… what, exactly, would it entail? If he succeeded, his victory would be inevitable. The miko was Inuyasha's source of strength, and the group's only means of finding shards. Without her, they would fall easily. Sesshomaru was his greatest foe and most powerful enemy. If he were to parish, no one would be able to stop Naraku from gaining all shards of the Shikon and ruling the world.

Things were looking rather bleak and, for the sake of her own future, Kagura seriously hoped that Kagome and Sesshomaru managed to evade whatever scheme Naraku was concocting.

Considering the fact that the little group seemed to be doing nothing more than camping, and Sesshomaru had up and disappeared, the wind witch decided, albeit begrudgingly, it was time to return with the information she had collected. No doubt Naraku was awaiting her return.

How she sorely wished Kanna's mirror had the ability to perceive sound as well as images. If it could, she wouldn't be stuck running around all the time, playing 'I Spy'. With a hefty sigh, she summoned the wind to carry her to Naraku's latest location of hiding.

As she traveled, she made certain to change the wind's direction numerous times, to make certain neither the taiyoukai nor the hanyou could pick up on her trail. Her master would not be happy if she were to return with Sesshomaru hot on her tail.

"Damn," she whispered gloomily as his manor came into view, "That bloody miko better not get Sesshomaru killed. If he perishes… my chances of freedom get blown away on the wind."

Okay then, there we have it. Poor Kagura, I've always felt so terrible for her. Honestly, she just doesn't deserve all the crap Naraku puts her through. Sure she's a bit bitchy, but she's not evil. More indifferent than anything. Hey, if a guy held your beating heart in his hands wouldn't you do what he told you to? I think so… as crappy as the situation would be.

All together though I didn't think it was too bad of a chapter.

Please review…

P.S. Has anyone heard of the anime, 'Trinity Blood?' I'm sure there are tons, but if you haven't I suggest watching. Well worth it. Beautiful animation and wonderful storyline. It's on Razer-Kamikaze or Cartoon Network-Adult Swim… I believe. Anyways, if it interests you, I've posted another oneshot called 'Redemption', under the category Romance/ M Rated. The pairing is Abel/Esther. Give it a peek, I promise you won't be disappointed. However… I warn you now… citrus. Don't like, don't read… simple as that. Ta!