Disclaimer: Inuyasha characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Other characters are property of Kidoairaku.
Rating: PG-13: for possible language and just in case
Summary: [Sess/Kag] What if Sesshoumaru was the one that met Kagome on the other side of the well?
Genre: Romance/Drama
A/N: It's been forever, hasn't it? That plus eternity, huh? ^_^ Guess what? I managed to spit out ten pages! It's such an accomplishment for me, LOL. =) I can't say I like the way it's divided, though; maybe I should stick to shorter chapters? Those seem to turn out better, anyways. Enjoy!
S e s s h o u m a r u
Chapter Fourteen: Snow Globe
February 2004—May 2004
Although there was the welcomed benefit of her silence, Kagome's reaction was wholly undesirable. Sesshoumaru blamed the outcome partially on having never tried the rite before, and partially on the fact that he had not exactly been thorough in the decision to transfer the blood. He faintly remembered his father saying the ritual did not always have the desired effect…
He glanced down at the girl draped across his arms. She was not dead, of that he was certain. Yet, she was not quite unconscious, but in a sort of limbo. The rhythm of breathing pulsed through her body as she shifted every so often, so he was assured of her wellbeing. It was in his confidence that the girl would soon awake, revitalized and unharmed.
For now, he traveled by air, where the environment was better suited for stealth and speed. Balmy winds glided over his skin and rumpled his clothing, an involuntary shiver tripping down his spine as he sensed the girl's discomfort.
He sighed in spite of himself and trained his eyes on the horizon.
```
She felt surrounded, engulfed, by a churning sea of blood.
The liquid bathed her in thick, flowing silk that seemed to muffle all sensation, but make her more aware of everything at once. It washed over her, caressed her in warm, smooth strokes, and then spilled over, vanishing in a flourish of scarlet mist.
She lie in a bed of rose petals kissed with the blood of the sun itself. Around her stretched plain, endless white—so blinding she had to squint. The air was still, soundless except for her whispering breath.
As she shifted and sat up, the soft flutter of flower petals sighed through the room.
Absently, Kagome smoothed the material of her kimono, a design of creamy cherry blossoms snaking from the hem and across her backside over her shoulder, the sharp black backdrop pointing her out starkly in her colorless environment.
Her eyebrows quirked. I wasn't wearing this…It's not even my style! Definitely not my color… Dark colors weren't her cup of tea; they made her feel a little dark herself—moody, depressed almost. It wasn't often that she wore any gloomy shades. Sighing, she scanned the cavern, looking for signs of her companion.
"Sesshoumaru?"
```
His eyes shifted down to her, observing the girl as a troubled perplexity overcame her features. Her lips formed his name with irritation, her voice calling mutely. Unconcerned, he continued to watch the falling sun in the distance.
```
"Sesshoumaru?" she called again.
Her bleak surroundings seemed to quiver, like rippling water. As if she were the center, hilly rings of shaded grey expanded outwards from her feet, moving on indefinitely. It just never seemed to end…
"Where am I?" she called out, "Sesshoumaru? Are you here…?"
A roundabout glance brought her eyes back to the rose petals—now not scarlet as they'd been, but an array of morphing colors. Curious, she sat herself down in their midst, waiting for something to happen. After all, if they changed color once, then they could do it again, and she wanted to watch. It was better than the watery floor, she thought. Besides, she'd never seen flower petals change color before. At least, not in this way…
```
The girl kept moving around, as if restless. He bore it with steady arms, allowing her to shift as she pleased.
Her mumbling had ceased with the onset of dusk, and although it didn't worry him, he wondered what was happening in her subconscious. Perhaps she was unstable with the demon blood flowing in her system…perhaps she was yet coming to terms with the change in her body… Nevertheless, he hoped she would come to soon; the transfusion had left him more lethargic than he cared to admit, and his arms were tiring quickly.
```
Gradually, she felt a breeze begin to stir. The petals lifted like hovering beetles from the ground to dance in a whirlwind around her still form. She watched in amazement as each tiny petal transformed into a minute, diamond-shaped crystal before it stopped, floating undecidedly in midair.
Kagome cast a suspicious eye around at the dozens of tiny shards—some a feathery pink, others a flaming red. What are they? Reluctant to stand, she stayed on the ground. Seeming to sense her curiosity, though, a darker shard levitated to her side, whereupon she carefully smoothed its gleaming edges between her fingers.
"Ow!"
The crystal vanished, leaving in its wake a splash of thin red liquid. She stared at it.
Okay…?
A whistle of high wind found the fragments soaring towards her in a volley of blood-colored glass.
Like the first, every one left its bloody signature stained on her skin and clothes. Every one was unforgiving, quick and razor-sharp with its laceration.
She winced as each one cut her.
It didn't hurt, though…
Kagome stared at the cuts plastering her in a second skin of wine-colored blemishes, a wave of sickness washing over her.
```
Suddenly, he had gotten very dizzy.
He dropped to the ground, sliding down against the supportive body of a tree, the girl safely ensconced in his arms. Her brow, shining with sweat, furrowed.
Sesshoumaru pitched forward, resisting the urge to gag. What was going on?
Kagome's body went stiff right before she shot up. The air around her felt thick and cloying, like Tokyo on a humid summer day. It suffocated and clung to her. Puffs of air ran against the demon lord's neck as she tried to settle herself.
Temporarily unconcerned with their proximity, she draped her arms around her companion's shoulders and buried her face in the crook of his neck. Her breath came fiercely…erratically.
"So much blood," she muttered, voice constricted with lack of air. "So much blood…"
Sesshoumaru felt dangerously nauseous; he could only guess what was going to manifest itself in a few seconds' time. The girl was obviously delirious, among a number of other unfortunate things…
With a wrenching gag, Kagome vomited, passing out.
The former contents of her stomach warmed his right side with irritating efficiency. Sesshoumaru, disgusted as he was, did not move…did not blink. The smell that rose in acrid strength around him…it only took half a sniff for him to realize that it was the scent of his own blood, diluted with the girl's own.
Footsteps shuffled around them, conspicuously broadcasted by the crunch of dry leaves and twigs, the sounds only amplified by the demon's sensitive hearing. They stepped and stopped, stepped and stopped.
"Show yourself," he demanded impatiently.
All sound broke off, and then he could feel them shifting in the trees.
Humans…
They were humans…
The leaves overhead rustled with a wandering night gale, memories of a night far past resurfacing…
***
The young prince stood motionless in the center of a forest clearing. Around him, evergreens towered, intimidating. Every few seconds, the branches shifted and creaked with the settling of his father's weight; he could hear the swish of silk as he moved. The motion became more continuous, and the rustle of branches became seamless with the night breeze. It was like his father had turned into the wind itself, playing through the spindly foliage of the trees.
Sesshoumaru became frustrated, tired of this game he'd played countless times before. He rocketed upwards and clawed his prey in mid-leap, giving no thought to the possibility of his father, the Lord, being injured. Having completed his designated task, the child waited impatiently as his father took on a look of surprise. Across the Western Lord's arm slithered five wounds, each as thin and small as his son's developing claws.
"You should have told me you mastered this exercise, Sesshoumaru."
With a wide grin, the taiyoukai sailed to the ground to nurse the scrapes while his son followed obediently. As they sat against the trunk of an evergreen, the child watched his father earnestly, anticipating a lecture. For a while, they said nothing.
"You see this blood, Sesshoumaru?" his father finally asked. No answer was expected. "This is your blood, too."
Of this, the young lord was well aware.
"There is a magic to this blood, boy." There was a pause, in which Inutaisho seemed to contemplate the life-giving fluid. He tilted his eyes down to meet his son's in a clash of liquid gold. "You are in the range of twenty years…?"
The child nodded.
His father heaved a deep sigh. "Someday, you will want to share your blood, Sesshoumaru…" He stared off into the dappled windows of the forest canopy, where shafts of receding straw-colored light penetrated through to pierce the ground. "There is a rite…"
The hesitation was indefinite.
Sesshoumaru waited.
"It is meant for humans. I used it on your mother."
There was a mournful longing in his voice. His son had never heard him speak of his mother before; this fresh mention of her caught the pup's undivided attention.
His gaze nailed the forest floor. "Unfortunately…it failed to have the desired effect." For an interminable stretch of time, the only sound was of the leaves waving to the breeze. Then, Inutaisho lifted his arm to expose his wrist. "When you feel the time is right, you will do this." And the demon lord moved his finger in a diagonal slash above his skin. "The one you choose will drink your blood."
Sesshoumaru furrowed his eyebrows. "Why? What will happen?"
His face split in a laughing smile. "Oh, it will be very convenient for her, my son. It could be said that a few demonic qualities would be taken on," he said. "Quite a convenience in some cases."
"Why would I use it on a human female, Father?"
Inutaisho took his son into scrutiny. He chuckled. "You will come to understand when you have passed your first century."
***
Unnatural shadows lurked in the darkness. He watched them with the focus of a predator, for now unconcerned with his own blood spilled over his shoulder. The girl twitched, clutching him, her grip viselike and threatening.
"Sesshoumaru."
Her voice was too low, her tone too harsh to belong to her.
"Sesshoumaru…"
When her face appeared before him, he visibly started. Once blue eyes had sickened to a dark red, gruesome in a face so seemingly innocent. Blood smeared her pallid lips, curved in a vicious growl.
He stared at her, unsure what to do, but she acted for him.
The sharp points of her canines had almost pierced the skin of his neck when an arrow implanted itself firmly in her back. With a screech, Kagome swiveled around, a ferocious glare leveled on the treetops. Sesshoumaru watched in morbid fascination as another arrow took its mark in her shoulder, and she fell forward, still holding him securely, now as if pleading his help.
"Show yourself," he demanded again.
Four successive thumps sounded around them, and accordingly, a group of darkly dressed humans stepped forward, each brandishing a weapon of ill-meaning intent.
"What—"
He, too, fell unconscious.
```
"What do you make of it, Father?"
The voices were hazy, dreamlike. His head felt weighted with drowsiness as he tried to awaken. Unfortunately, awareness was slow in its coming, and he had to suffer through his state of oblivious vulnerability.
"It certainly is strange…"
Sesshoumaru felt their even breathing hovering to his far right, along with Kagome's ubiquitous aura on the edges of his subconscious. His faint sense of smell summoned whiffs of dry earth and tatami, along with a light trace of mixed demon blood. Half-breeds…? What were they talking about?
"There are cuts…wounds…arrows didn't hit…"
Things were beginning to fade out again.
"Reci—cated…where is…blood…?"
"Strong demon…Sesshoumaru…human girl…faint…blood…bitten…"
"Togeth—kind…curse…"
He could make little sense of what he could hear, so it didn't bother him too much when he drifted off again.
***
Why is it that, every time I nod off, I end up in a white room? Kagome turned her head one way and then another, looking for traces of lethal flower petals. She was sure the previous event had scarred her forever; roses would not be her choice of flower ever again.
Blowing out a frustrated breath of air that soon melted into a sigh, she folded her arms and glanced down at a new outfit, a plain white dress. The material felt like cotton, but more weightless; it reminded her of something futuristic and ethereal, however plain it was.
Briefly, she stretched and started walking, hoping her blanched universe would take her somewhere.
***
He was conscious again, seeing around him a sparkling expanse of darkness. Shadows haunted every breath, and even his clothes seemed to have been painted with a tar-colored hand. When he shifted, the material flowed evenly over him, like silk, only much lighter. He was unused to this strange cloth, but, had he access to it, all his garments would be redone. It almost felt like he was wearing nothing at all except, perhaps, a veil of mist.
He wondered distantly what he was doing in such a lightless room, with no lantern to guide him. He wondered, too, whether or not he was really awake…could he be dreaming?
Far off, a white speck shimmered. It seemed hours away, just sitting there. Or was it moving?
His eyes flickered with curiosity as he rose and moved forward, intent on finding this beaker in the dark, like a single star on an unlit night. As he wandered, feeling as if each passing second brought the firefly closer, fleeting thoughts of his companion drifted through his, for once, absent mind.
If I am here…where is she?
***
Stopping to squint at the black dot on the horizon, Kagome miscalculated what should've been an instinctual step. She tripped over her own feet and tumbled to the formless ground. Skipping, after all, was not an easy task while unfocused. Especially with someone of her attention span.
"Darned feet!"
With a sigh, the girl continued on her happy-go-lucky way, still contemplating the fact that not everything was white in her special room. She could've argued with reasonable enthusiasm that in some places, it was eggshell. Not white.
Her eyes did a quick review of the open field again. Again, she spotted the black dot. This time, though, it held her attention while she came to a swift stop. For a time, she studied it.
Ha! Something else that's not white!
Feeling not the least bit embarrassed, she cried, "I'm gonna get you! Don't move—okay!"
Mentally, she shook her head. Man, she mused, all this white is doing something to me…
***
Had he heard someone shouting somewhere?
He quieted his breathing to a fraction of a whisper, tuning everything out to listen for a call far off. Perhaps the girl was here after all? An eyebrow did a quick, upward twitch. If so, why wasn't she within the thirty-foot limit? Surely, if she were inside the radius, he would've seen her…or at least, smelled her…
But perhaps not.
The demon lord certainly couldn't say that, right now, he was at his most sensitive. After all, everything was enshrouded in what seemed like a heavy, black wool blanket…excepting himself and that insufferable pinprick of light in the near-distance. It looked as if he could reach out and simply touch it—curl his fingers around it and bring it back…
He cast a long-suffering glance at his feet, barely distinguishable against the inky darkness.
If only he could rouse himself from this irritating dream…
***
To her immense satisfaction, the dot seemed to have listened to her. Not one inch had it moved! Thrilled with this revelation, the girl continued to trip along, faint yearnings of food and distant thoughts of Sesshoumaru gracing her busy mind. Funny how this all works out, she thought to herself, I don't think I've been hungry since that…blood…
Kagome's brow seemed to cloud with the unpalatable thought.
I can't believe I…drank that stuff… She grimaced and skidded to a stop, a reluctantly contemplative light to her face. It kinda tasted like hot sauce! Maybe a little more like wasabi… With an agonized groan, her face plunged into her hands. I'm becoming a vampire!
"…"
Oh no! Does this make me a vampire??? …I knew this guy couldn't be trusted…stupid demon… Holding her hand out in front of her, Kagome took her pallor into scrutiny. Would this be counted as that sick, pale skin that vampires have…? She sighed. Looks pretty normal to me…
For a moment, she stared up blankly at the invisible ceiling of cream, lost in her own world.
Then, remembering her monumental quest, she stumbled into action again, making for the ever-closer inkblot on the horizon. She cleared her throat self-importantly, running with a little more dignity.
"I hope you're not moving!!! I'm still coming! Be there in a sec!"
***
There it was again…that infernal yelling. The second time around, he still couldn't make out a single word. Everything was just noisy gibberish.
But it was the human's voice he heard.
So, she was here after all. The possibility of her having gone insane in this perpetual midnight received his notice more than once. Why else would she be screeching her inanities, seemingly addressed to no one in particular?
Had he been partial to expressing emotions, he would've scowled and cursed, but, being the way he was, the demon lord simply stood.
Quiet.
Repenting.
And pissed off.
Damn! Not only did he have to be saddled with a human girl (a woman—so much more mature, so much more bearable, would have been preferred), she had become mentally unstable. Even with his boundless patience, how was he to handle that? He was to be the Lord of the Western Lands in no fair amount of time. If the bond had not been severed by then…what would he do with this flaw on his immaculate image?
Irked, he glared at the growing light. It seemed to skip along its path to him…
Without doubt, that annoying little insect was Kagome.
***
It won't be long now! The girl grinned from ear to ear. Almost there!
What looked to be an ashy column, mounted by a shimmery veil of starlit silver, rose glaringly against the marshmallow walls. Again, she dived into an abrupt halt, leaning forward with a hard squint at the figure, no farther than twenty-five feet away. A sense of déjà vu overwhelmed her as she slumped to the ground to sit cross-legged as best she could. Her gauzy white gown didn't allow much freedom for that.
Well, she thought bitterly, I should've guessed. Her hands came up to massage the sides of her nose bridge, a habit signaling she was irritated but too tired to waste any energy broadcasting it. He would be the only thing black in my perfectly pale paradise…even if it's not a paradise…
While waiting for him to make his sluggish, "I'm-too-good-to-exert-myself-to-get-to-your-unworthy-human-hide-faster" way, Kagome rounded up a number of questions to fire at him as soon as he was in arm's reach. Like, where, exactly, are we? Are you in my brain? Why am I dressed like this? Hey, doesn't the stupid thirty-foot limit run in brains, too? If, that is, you're in my brain? Or, maybe we're in your egotistic head? That would certainly explain why I had the presence of mind to shout some embarrassingly stupid things across a room with no walls, painted completely with a shade of white that is neither eggshell nor off-white. You know, it actually looks like a grayish white…wouldn't you agree? But why would I bother asking you? You're the stupid baka who wandered into my brain. Or, is it yours? While you're at it, answer me this: why in the world are you black??? Is this supposed to be some sort of sign? Oh yeah…my stomach is feeling pretty queasy…do you know what happened? Something with your ucky blood, maybe? Oh well, you're right. At least, I'm not really hungry… Hey—!
A splash of indecipherable blah spoofed from Sesshoumaru's open mouth.
"What?"
***
He looked skyward as she rambled, on and on, like a waterfall's perpetual tumbling, flowing, falling…
"Human. Stop your babbling," he finally interrupted.
Half of the things she'd said he hadn't picked up on; they were merely superfluous tidbits that did not concern him. A blank look slowly infected her expression, her mouth opening and blurting out, "Erstuck?"
An eyebrow shot up, silently questioning. So she has lost her mind here…
"Donato! Clock tar mine cheer! Men April green swirls!"
He glared. Speaking in damned circling riddles. How can I leave? He turned away, attempting to scout a way out of the infinite bowl of charcoal.
Nothing.
It was endless.
Behind him, the crazed girl continued to howl her enigmatic curses. Every so often, he would hear the repeated, "Hair to men! Hair to men!" The demon lord put every ounce of energy into pretending she did not exist. Considering the fact that she was tugging on the leg of his pants, it was difficult.
LOOK AT ME, DAMMIT!
He nearly jumped hearing something comprehensible slip from her mouth, which, upon his looking back, was clenched in a thin line. When his gaze locked with hers, he heard a deep, contented sigh, followed by a murmuring Finally.
Blinking, he set his glare squarely on her discolored lips. He made a mental note to feed a ruddy complexion back into her; his blood obviously hadn't a preferable effect for the girl's appearance.
Kagome's eyes widened as words filled the air between them without a single twitch. I think…I just heard his thoughts…
I think…
"Sesshoumaru."
The golden orbs, previously focused elsewhere, centered on her eyes, a condescending inquiry. Her sanity is not lost after all.
A slow smile spread over her face. "I heard that."
His thin lips twisted in a frown. It has left her again…
Kagome paused, the light slow to dawn. I think…I understand.
***
Quite easy to grasp once he thought about it. The only question left was of their location. They could conceivably be in a manifestation of the curse between them; after all, if they shared breathing space and physical pain, mind space might as well be thrown in with the lot. What was it to him? Just a little more of his formerly full, free reign falling prey to childish sharing with a human chit.
I resent that…
Be silent, girl.
Oh, shuddup. You're such a jerk.
My popularity has never been an issue.
I suppose your appearance makes up for it, then?
In most cases.
Oh, shuddup. You're just sinful.
I am a demon.
For God's sake, stop thinking!
…
Man, this has to be embarrassing…every thought channeled to someone else…
…
But how can you stop thinking?
…
Stop thinking, Kagome.
…
…This is so hard…!
Woman.
I'm trying to stop thinking here!!!
You are wearing white.
Yeah? And you're wearing black. You're the only thing in here that's black.
Sesshoumaru refrained from slapping her. I conform to my surroundings quite well; you, if anything, are a conspicuous mistake.
Whatever. Carelessly taking hold of his hand, she hoisted herself up.
Kagome glanced through her bangs at him, her breath faltering as she faded out.
He breathed a sigh of relief at her sudden disappearance. Consciousness.
```
As soon as she awoke, pain blossomed swiftly in the small of her back, needles pricking at her skin. Her shoulder throbbed as well, thankfully with slightly less acerbity. Lifting her hand to her eyes, she was surprised when it was accosted by one of its kind hovering just above her.
"So you're awake?"
Kagome looked up, finding a warm fingers wrapped around her own, a set of gentle brown eyes staring into her. Uncomfortably, she shifted. Her skin felt grimy and unclean, not to mention being a sickly kind of milk color. If Sesshoumaru was distracted enough to take note of her appearance, then this man certainly would.
Sesshoumaru… Her eyes wandered across the spartan furnishings: wooden boards climbing up in smooth, sandy planes to construct walls, a scarce drawing tacked up, and a ghost of a shelf resting beside a flap leading out. Not more than an arm's length away, Sesshoumaru watched her intercourse with the stranger. Relaxing, she allowed herself to make direct eye contact, made amiable by an open grin.
"Yes. Who might you be…? Were you the one taking care of us?" She motioned to herself and her companion.
The man took a cursory glance at the demon lord before turning his attention back to Kagome.
Sesshoumaru noticed the hesitant animosity directed toward his person, the slight aversion to being near him. Noting with a hint of satisfaction that the boy avoided the space between him and the girl, he sat up unobtrusively to examine their caretaker. Absently, he mentally thanked the humans who'd had enough sense to strip his soiled clothing from his person, also making a note to bathe as soon as time would allow.
The boy seemed mature in human terms. His skin tone was healthy, vibrant, and the light behind his expressions was genuine, if guarded. His thin frame was overtaken by lean muscles, doubtlessly earned from years of training.
The youkai sniffed. Taijiya…
"My name is Kohaku, miss." The tilt of his lips was beguiling, making Kagome all the more aware of her state of untidiness. "May I have the pleasure of knowing yours?"
This whole "courteous rescuer" thing was new to her. When was the last time she was afforded so much respect? Never. "The pleasure's all mine, Kohaku-san," she shot back quickly. "Please, call me Kagome." She turned to Sesshoumaru, silently asking approbation to give his name.
He inclined his chin.
"And my companion is Sesshoumaru."
Kohaku seemed to accept all this with a brief nod. His face took on an intense expression, eyes turning solemn. "How are your wounds?"
Kagome balked. "…Wounds…?" A throbbing reminder pulsed through her back. Flinching, she curled her hand away from his.
"I apologize…at the time we attacked, we believed you to be assaulting Lord Sesshoumaru." The man's brow furrowed as he gathered his thoughts. "You see…he was covered in blood…" He didn't continue, unsure of her reaction.
The young woman stared blankly at the ceiling. I don't remember any of this…when did it happen…? How could she respond…?
"Your apology is accepted," the taiyoukai cut in. "Your intentions were for the best."
With a strained look, Kohaku bowed his head. "Of course, Sesshoumaru-sama."
Kagome shook herself from her stupor. Catching wind of the tension quickly weighting the air, she flashed a sunny smile at the man. "Thank you, Kohaku-san. Please, could you give us a moment?"
He offered no objection, and, with a quick tilt of his chin, he pushed the flap aside to walk out, allowing, for a second, the sunlight to streak consolingly onto her face. She relished the momentary warmth before turning her head to demand answers from her ever-reliable partner.
"What's going on?"
Silent, he watched the doorway, as if expecting someone to enter. Impatient, Kagome was about to shoot off her mouth when the steady thud of footsteps padded away outside. Her mouth still agape, she huffed instead of speaking.
"You do not recall your refusal of my blood?"
She considered, commanding her brain to pull things from some out-of-reach memory. Nothing. She shook her head.
Just beyond the doorway, birds sang, and leaves rustled and waved. Light waxed and waned with the passing of windswept clouds.
Half a second was all it took to get his bearings. "After you fainted—"
"I was in my snow globe," she supplied. Upon receiving an ambiguous look, she explained, "The white place."
He continued. "When you came back into consciousness, you mentioned something of blood and rejected mine from your system."
She winced. "I threw up on you…?"
Slightly miffed that he didn't understand the term she used, he assumed it meant what he had been implying. "Yes."
Immediately, she looked mortified. Wider-than-wide eyes, open mouth, general incredulity. "I-I'm so sorry!" Her guilt only spanned a total of seven seconds before she scrunched up her nose. "You deserved it, jerk. Who told you to give me your oh-so-mighty blood?"
He sensed it was a rhetorical question, so he ignored the insult. "Proceeding that episode, you were attacked by a number of taijiya. They wounded you with two arrows, one in your back and another in your shoulder. You fell unconscious, so I had the grace to follow your example."
There was pointed silence.
"Sorry," she offered.
He left out the part where she almost bit him. It was probably best left unsaid.
"…Taijiya." The word was phrased as a question.
"Demon exterminators."
"Oh."
He waited for her next question.
"I guess you're the exception, huh?"
He would be amazed if she didn't learn the meaning of his silences soon.
"I see." Shifting cautiously, the girl took a delicate sniff at her shoulder. I really smell…definitely traces of regurgitation in there… "Well, Kohaku-san seems nice enough."
An eyebrow lifted curiously. Hopefully, she would not do that at his inauguration.
A pregnant pause…
"Hey, Sesshoumaru…I'm kinda hungry…"
The demon sighed imperceptibly.
"It's not like I really…" She moved her hands forward in circles, as if pushing herself along. "need food. I just…haven't had it for a while, so…"
Yes, he should've ended it right when he'd laid eyes on her. The reason was good enough; seeing the future Western Lord bathing was an offense punishable by death, in his opinion.
"Can we ask Kohaku-san for something to eat?"
When would he be rid of this burden?
"Sesshoumaru…? Are you listening to me…?"
A/N: Please, tell me what you think. =) It was funny, you know, how people seemed to, like, flood the last chapter with reviews. You really think I'd leave it like that? D Even *I* know that's a sucky ending! As a side note, sorry for the abrupt change of writing style through the chapter. It just kinda switched on me…this took quite a while to write. There were, like, a few lines coming out a day, and then, I wasn't totally happy with the way some things turned out. Forgive me? And thanks for sticking with me! T_T *huggles*
-kidoairaku