Chapter 20: Shower gel
Sesshomaru had continued to read long after she fell asleep and made sure to change the ice pack a few times. It had been well past the middle of the night when he put the book down to rest his eyes. Some time before the sky begun to light up he woke up to her light stirring. He opened his eyes without rising his head from the pillow. Sesshomaru reached out and slowly brushed a few shreds of hair from her face. He almost chuckled. So defenseless... she rolled on her back, one hand bent under the pillow, the other extended over her head reaching to the board. Her face remained slightly turned towards him, letting the length of her neck exposed. The angle of her body twisted at the waist under the covers. Her breathing quickened and soon her eyes slowly opened. She smiled at him in the dim light.
"Hey." she greeted in a whisper. At that he lifted his head to rest in the palm of his hand. Kagome turned on her side. "What are you smiling at?" his smile turned into a grin.
"At some defenseless lass." her eyes narrowed and she turned on her other side.
"I'm not defenseless..." she looked over the shoulder. "...or a lass..." she grumbled. He chuckled his good disposition. She too smiled against the pillow.
"Then certainly fearless." he neared her and circled her waist with his arm.
"Well, I have nothing to fear here..." she started. Her sentence was cut short from the rumble of her stomach. "Except for hunger..." she laughed and he joined in. He pushed himself up on his fore arms topping over her. He turned her face to him. She let her cheek rest against his hand. Sesshomaru looked her over from the short distance. Her face regained in color and there was no moisture on her brow. He lowered his lips to hers in a light kiss. Their eyes closed for a moment and he deepened the kiss. They parted only when air was necessary.
"Good, your fever subsided completely." he said raising and getting out of bed. Kagome pulled the sheet up to her mouth and laughed.
"If I were to check any patient's temperature like that, I'd most likely get disciplined." he walked to the closet and pulled out fresh clothes for her and himself.
"Then just refrain from doing so..." He hung his on a chair and threw her hers. "Unless the patient wants to." She watched with a creeping blush as he took off his shirt to put it in the laundry basket next to the door. He shook his hair and then stretched his muscles with a full extension of the body. She sighed and stood at the edge of the bed. They left the subject end at that and enjoyed the silence around them. He took his clothes and left to shower without a word.
Kagome swung her legs back and forth before plopping back down on the bed. She stretched her hands above her head and then to the side. She stared at the ceiling until she heard him return into the room. She watched as he dried his hair with one hand. He threw a bottle of shampoo and a towel next to her.
"Use Rin's." She stood on her elbows and smiled.
"Is yours off-limits?" he stopped for a second and arched an eyebrow at her. Then he sighed.
"If you wanted to join me you should have said so..." her mouth opened slightly and her cheeks burned. He turned and exited the room and she quickly stood to follow.
"Hey! No fair!" she wined going to exit the room. His hand stopped her at the door. His features were calm and relaxed. She stared at him uncertain. "What?" she asked when he kept looking at her silently.
"It is good to see that you are feeling better." he squeezed her shoulder lightly. She smiled gratefully.
"I am, thanks to you."
"I'll see to breakfast." he said and descended the stairs. Kagome sighed and then ruffled her hair. She took what she needed and went to shower. She stripped and got under the water curtain. Even if she blushed a deep red thinking of his joke she still eyed the shower gel sitting just a little bit to the side.
He had gone about the kitchen and prepared breakfast. He had made some light sandwiches that she could easily eat and turned on the water boiler for tea or coffee. He went to the front door and got today's newspaper from the mail slot, then left it on the chair as he passed through the living room. He finished setting the table for the two of them when the doorbell rang. Sesshomrau looked at his wristwatch. It was just fifteen minutes past seven on a Saturday morning, most would still be sleeping. He walked to the door and looked to see who it was before opening it.
Kagome stood there under the shower, pondering if she should dare or not. She chewed on her lip looking from one to the other. She could always take another shower at her house later today... even buy a similar scented shower gel from the local store... but... where was the fun in that? The two bottles gleamed in the morning light. Rin's was fruity scented and it would make her dried skin soft... while his... had the smell that surrounded her all night and made her hearth speed up earlier... well mostly he did and he was so addicting... would he joke at her again, if she did use his shower gel?
Sesshomaru calmly opened the front door to the two waiting outside. The fast response to their action surprised the two. Apparently this was their first stop. They must have noticed him moving about the house.
"Good morning. Can I help you?" he asked in his monotone voice.
"Good morning, sir." one of the two greeted. "We are sorry to disturb you at this early hour." Sesshomaru nodded once for the man to continue. "We would like to ask a few questions, if it is alright with you."
"I understand." Sesshomaru stepped outside and closed the door behind him so that the curious one of the two, the woman, would stop looking around his house. "Please continue." he narrowed his eyes at the woman when she kept checking him over.
"Ahem." the man cleared his throat and his colleague regained her composure. "Do you know this woman?" the question was simple and that only left the picture handed to him. He narrowed his eyes as he continued looking over the picture.
"Yes. What about this woman?" he handed back the picture. The two shared a look before the woman answered.
"She was reported missing since yesterday." she opened her notebook and begun reading from a marked page. "It seems like no contact could be made for the past two days." Sesshomaru sighed and opened the door. No point in talking about this in the middle of the street.
"Come in." he invited stepping to the side of the door. The two police officers nodded and warily entered the house. He showed them into the living room. "Have a seat." he gestured to the couch. The female police officer blushed and nudged her partner when her eyes settled on the dinning table.
'Well that settles it.' Kagome thought as she rinsed her skin with lots of plain water. She sighed. She had tried it, she really had and it didn't like her to much... She scratched her shoulder. That was the fastest allergic reaction she has ever got from shampoo. Even with body lotion it took more than five minutes... She eyed the other bottle. Was the risk even worth it? She traced it with her fingers lightly. Then bringing it closer and opening the cap. She breathed in the scent and closed her eyes... A smile played on her lips. "Yep, totally worth it."