Child of the Sky

Chapter 19

Childish

firefox369

Words: 1,753

Kocoum stood in front of the small hut and took in a deep breath. This was it. This would be the first time he approached Skychild since the 'incident' a few days ago and the first time he would actually speak to her since his uncharacteristic forwardness days before that. Pocahontas and Kekata stood at either side of him, giving him their silent comfort. Them being there made him question his decision to see the girl. On second thought, maybe he was better off waiting a few more days for things to die down a bit more before approaching her. As if sensing his thoughts, Kekata shoved him into the hut.

Upon regaining his balance, the warrior stood properly and raised his head only to wilt a little inside when he met Skychild's bitter glare.

"What are you doing here?" she grumbled.

"I came to check on you" he replied simply, gingerly stepping towards her bed. Subconsciously, he looked around to make sure that no dangerous objects were in her reach.

"You come now, not when I was scared and crying?" she snapped. Kocoum tried his hardest not to shy back like a child under severe scolding. He should have listened to his men and visited her immediately after rinsing off the blood and dirt of his hunt.

"Skychild-"

"Do you know how scared I was? You jackass!"

He couldn't help but wonder where she'd learned the swear, but her ongoing tirade quickly drew him from his musings.

"I was curled up in this bed wondering if there were more of them-"

"Skychild-"

"-when they'd come for me next. I mean, I can't protect myself properly in this state and-"

"Skychild!"

Kocoum's sudden outburst left the miko speechless. Never had he raised his voice like that to her, or to anyone for that matter. She gaped at him and simply watched as he placed one hand on his hip and the other over his face. He sighed with aggravation.

"You're acting childish."

"Childish? Childish? Of course I'm childish. It's in my freaking name."

It took all his of his effort to not walk outside, find the nearest tree, and proceed to pound his head against it. Since when was that godforsaken girl so stubborn? Of course, that question was as rhetorical a question as a rhetorical question could possible get. When she continued her tirade, he interrupted her if only to prevent the huge, rapidly approaching migraine.

"They're gone" he said loudly.

Silence.

"What do you mean 'they're gone?'" Kagome sputtered, leaning forward from her perch at the end of the cot. "They can't all be gone. Who knows how many of them there were and-"

"They're gone" Kocoum repeated, lowering his hand and gazing resolutely at the girl. When she said nothing, he again stepped towards the miko. "After Ahanu took you back to the village, the other men and I found the second scouting party."

"What?" she breathed. He was close enough now that Kagome reached out and pressed her hand against his broad chest. She used him to support her weight as she slowly rose to her knees, and he let her. Even with the extra height of the cot, the top of her head just reached his eye level.

"It was the only way I knew how to protect you" he confessed. Kagome's blue eyes grew large, and she looked into his own dark eyes imploringly. Her innocent countenance and her close proximity nearly drove him over the edge. He could feel her soft breaths against his bare skin, and it seemed as if all of his nerves had singled onto the place above his heart where her hand lay. Surely she felt his racing heartbeat.

Her focus flickered down to gaze at his chest and she gradually pulled her hand away. Kocoum stopped her, placing his hand over hers and pressing it against his body again. He folded his fingers under her palm.

Kagome tried to pull her hand back again, but his grip was tight. "Kocoum, I-"

"I thought I'd lost you," he interrupted, "I was reminded of my failure as your guardian every time your name was mentioned. If I saw you in that state..."

Position temporarily forgotten, Kagome straightened her back and glared at him antagonistically.

"Since when were you my guardian?"

"Since I said so."

Kagome scowled.

"Now wait just a moment. I'm not just some pretty object that needs watching."

"Object, no, but watching, yes" Kocoum mused, moving in so close that their bodies brushed. The contact reminded Kagome of their position, and she scooted back on the cot nervously, eyes fluttering between his relentless stare and his broad chest. Kocoum followed her, maintaining his closeness. Her cheeks flushed.

"K-Kocoum, I really don't think-"

"You're my charge, and I'll protect you with my life."

Her back hit the wall and her breath hitched just as Kocoum's other hand landed against the wall next to her body, effectively trapping her. The cot creaked as he propped his knee against it and used it to balance himself. When he leaned in so close that she could see the specks of bronze in his eyes, she flinched and looked away. However, much to her surprise, his goal was not her lips. Instead, he placed another soft kiss on her forehead and stepped away. When he let go of her hand, she slid down the wall and until her butt plopped against the cushion underneath her and raised the trembling palm to her forehead where the touch of his lips lingered. Even though she so feared his kiss before, for some reason the brief touch left her wanting.

Kocoum observed the aftermath of his actions with smug satisfaction. Despite his reputation as an emotionally underdeveloped man, he damn well knew how to woo a girl when the situation called for it.

The tense moment was broken, however, when the skin hanging in front of the door was flapped aside. Both Kocoum and Kagome turned their heads and quickly bowed when the Chieftain step in. With a sigh, the leader gazed at the two regretfully. He really didn't want to pull the two doves apart, but the current business could not be delayed any longer. No words needed to be said. His expression was all they needed to see before they understood.

"How long?" Kocoum asked.

"The day of the new moon."

"That's only a few days away" Kagome breathed, the color draining from her cheeks. The skin, flushed with color just moments before, looked incredibly pallid in comparison.

"Everyone has been expecting and preparing for this," the Chief stated, his eyes unwavering as he stared at the only other man in the room, "Young Kocoum the most of all."

Kagome's attention shifted to the warrior in front of her. Kocoum hesitated, glanced quickly at the miko at his back, quickly bowed, and excused himself. After he'd left the Chieftain spoke again. He stripped the authority from his tone and replaced it with one more fatherly and soothing.

"Skychild, Kocoum knew that this would be inevitable when he hunted down the remaining Massawomeck scouts."

"What do you mean?" she demanded, knowing well that the answer was one she definitely did not want to hear.

"We may have been able to talk peacefully with the Massawomecks had he left it at the men who attacked you, but Kocoum was ruthless. He chased down the other scouts. There were no survivors. It won't be long before they realize what happened and declare war."

Kagome slowly shook her head in disbelief.

"Kocoum was the one I spoke to when the Massawomecks first began to show aggressive behavior. Perhaps he has been the one preparing for this outcome the longest, though I didn't realize it until now."

"How long ago did the problems start?" she whispered.

"Just weeks after we found you in the forest."

Kagome gasped.

"We believe they've been planning this for some time now" he added, but the miko did not hear his words.

Everything suddenly clicked into place. Kocoum had always been kind to her since the beginning, but he was distant. It wasn't until the Chieftain had fallen ill that he truly opened up to her, and then they were inseparable. His devotion to her safety and happiness was beyond comprehension. She should have realized the very second that Pocahontas and she had caught him by the field of flowers that he was completely infatuated with her. Somehow, she'd simply ignored his advances and convinced herself that, though strange, that was how he normally acted. Deep inside she had known, but she hadn't been ready to accept it.

Almost from the very moment he saw her, Kocoum loved her.

It was so obvious. He was being so forward. The flowers, the arrow, his tender gaze and his leniency towards her...

And then there was his anger, an anger she now realized was an outlet for his fear. He knew the entire time that she was in danger. He knew. He knew.

She thought he was joking when he made his promises, but knew how stupid she was when she realized that Kocoum did not joke. Even if his tone was teasing, he meant every word that came out of his mouth.

He said he would protect her.

He said he was her guardian.

He said he would get rid of the men who were after her.

"Kami-sama."

He said he would die for her.

However, instead of simple gaping in shock or swooning over his chivalry, Kagome became inexplicably angry. She was the cause of this war, and that headstrong warrior thought that she was his charge? Pah! She'd battled demons and defeated Naraku, the baddest bad boy of them all! If he thought that he was accustomed to battle, then Kagome practically lived in it. She'd like to see him fight a war with demons and come out with all his limbs attached.

She stood from the cot and rolled up her imaginary sleeves, fully intending to stomp after him and give his suicidal self a good hunk of her mind. Kocoum protect her? No. No no no no no. Just like the rest of the village, his protection was her responsibility, and she was completely determined to set things straight.

TBC

AN: Honestly, this is probably one of my least favorite chapters so far. I rewrote it several times and I just couldn't get it to where I want it. :( Regardless, I hope you still enjoyed it!