Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
Abi straightened from her deep bow, settling into a refined seiza as she gazed respectfully at her benefactor.
"It is only a matter of time," she murmured softly, "Sesshoumaru dispatched Sara-hime and the other bitches are running scared."
"Good," the voice boomed from the darkness of the cave. "See to it that you do not fail me, Sara, there will be dire consequences if you do."
Abi inclined her head respectively. "I understand." A cruel smile curled her lips. "But there might be something else... he has in his possession a human."
"A human?" the voice seemed intrigued by this concept.
"Yes."
"Interesting... you know what to do."
Since travelling to the demon world, waking up and going to sleep were now the most pleasant parts of the day. In those moments she got Sesshoumaru completely to herself; she didn't have to share him with the bitchy princesses. She could pretend, just for a moment, that they were back at her apartment, ensconced together.
This was the reason Kagome was playing possum, though she'd woken up. She'd opened her eyes, but was refusing to move, lest she wake Sesshoumaru. If she woke Sesshoumaru, the day would begin, and her snapshot of comfort would disintegrate.
Staring at his sleeping profile from under her lashes, Kagome couldn't fight the smile that bloomed. He was curled up on his side, facing her; one arm outstretched on which she had laid her head, the other hand had a handful of her sleeve. His silver hair fell half across his face, concealing parts of his peaceful sleeping expression.
Her hands twitched with longing and – though she cursed her lack of restraint – she swept those tantalising strands back from his sleeping face, stirring the slumbering demon into wakefulness.
"Good morning," she whispered regretfully as those bleary golden eyes met hers.
"Good morning," he returned, his voice still husky with sleep.
Predictably, he pulled himself quickly into a sitting position, clambering from the warmth of the futon. With a regretful sigh, Kagome stretched in a particularly feline manner and with one last look at her, Sesshoumaru escaped the room.
And reality intruded.
Sesshoumaru set his back against the bedroom door and rubbed a hand over his face. Demon, human or god, no one could resist waking up to a vision like that. Kagome didn't seem to realise the tempting vision she made, especially when his resistance was at its weakest. He wasn't made of steel, and there were moments where he just wanted to give in to his instincts. But right now wasn't the time. And any kind of non-platonic physical contact would make her a walking target.
She was a rabbit in front of a snake, and she didn't even realise it.
With a sigh, he wandered towards the hot springs, futilely attempting to scrub the image of Kagome sprawled next to him in his bed from his mind.
Setting his teacup down, Sesshoumaru stood in one fluid movement, tucking his sword into his sash. Clutching her teacup to her chest, she felt swamped by the disappointment that Sesshoumaru was, once again, leaving to entertain the invading bitches.
"Haven't they gone home yet?" she grumbled.
Sesshoumaru paused in the doorway thoughtfully. "Hopefully, after yesterday's display, many will have run for cover," a small grim smirk played at his lips as he thought back to the satisfaction he'd experienced at the sight of the whiny bitches cowering.
"It was so much easier, when we were back at my apartment," Kagome murmured, tone melancholic as she sighed into her tea.
Sesshoumaru's expression softened, the dejectedness in her tone making him feel oddly helpless. As things were, most of what was happening to them was outside his control. He had no real solution to the sadness permeating Kagome's aura.
Walking back to her side, he dropped to his knees beside her and carefully cupped her cheek in his hand.
"I will fix this," he vowed. It was about as close to an apology for dragging her into this as he could muster. As much as he lamented the upheaval of her life, he would never apologise for meeting the extraordinary girl staring at him with soulful blue eyes.
Kagome's eyes softened and she laid a hand over the hand cupping her cheek. "We'll be okay."
Pressing his lips to hers in a chaste goodbye kiss, Sesshoumaru absently wondered when he'd become the one in need of comfort. Pausing once more at the doorway, he looked back at the svelte miko sat at his table.
Kagome smiled. "I'll be here when you get back," she promised.
"Stay safe," he ordered.
"Right back at you," she murmured, a small half-smile playing at her lips.
Nami stalked into the almost-empty sitting room, eyes shrewd as she took in the lone figure of Abi-hime, sat ramrod straight at the chabudai.
"Where are the others?" she queried imperiously, staring down her nose at the dark haired bird-yokai.
Abi smiled serenely, but her painted lips made her seem rather calculating and sinister. "They left after Sesshoumaru-sama's display yesterday."
Arching a silvery eyebrow, Nami pasted her own smile on her face. Like Abi's it lacked the warmth of a traditional smile and contained all the intent of a predatory snarl. "I see."
And she did. The lady of the West had not earned her title by being an ignoramus. Nor was she even remotely naive. Abi's deception was plain to see; only a few of the lesser demons would have been cowed by Sesshoumaru's recent outburst, the others would have found his display of masculinity an attractive attribute. Which meant that the sneaky wench sat calmly at her table had either persuaded the other demonesses to leave, or she'd pressed the matter.
Judging by the bloodthirsty look in Abi's eyes, Nami deduced that most had been dissuaded from further pursuit rather... permanently. The bloodthirsty part of Nami's personality appreciated the female's voraciousness, but her Machiavellian mind was still turning. Something didn't quite add up. If the female had slaughtered her adversaries, she should be bragging, but she wasn't. Suggesting she wanted them in the dark as to her deathly proclivities. Which begged the question; why was she playing innocent?
Strolling casually into the room, fully aware of the conversation that had passed between his mother and the princess, Sesshoumaru glowered through Abi.
"Does this mean if I kill her my ordeal will be over?"
"I'm afraid the northern mountain province would not appreciate those words, Sesshoumaru-sama," Abi hummed, clasping her fingers soberly.
Nami's interest was, once again, piqued. Sara had been inconsolable when Sesshoumaru had voiced his wish to murder her, but this woman acted as though it barely fazed her.
A small crease appeared between Sesshoumaru's brows. "Hn..." he drawled, giving Abi a precursory look-over as if she was a particularly irksome fly.
For a moment, Nami wondered if her son would turn to her and ask if he could kill her anyway, but apparently he had a firm leash on his temper this day.
Abi's smile widened and by equal measures, became more creepily vacuous. The fact that she still wasn't showing any teeth made the gesture a little foreign; but it seemed the demon was attempting to avoid showing her fangs and thus conveying any aggression.
"My people would bring great power to your line, Sesshoumaru-sama," Abi continued smoothly, allowing her words to flow like a well crafted sales pitch. "I need not be a burden. Our combined bloods would breed a powerful alliance."
Sesshoumaru's lip curled at the thought of breeding with the detached demoness opposite him.
"I will not make Sara's mistake," she assured him placidly, "I will not involve emotions in any agreement made between us." Her eyes became calculating. "This is a negotiation, an alliance, nothing more."
Nami pursed her lips. It seemed the bitch was playing to her son's practical side, but, like many before her, she'd taken the emotionless facade he projected for truth. Silly little wench.
Sesshoumaru arched a brow wryly. "Indeed."
This time, when she smiled, teeth were involved; it made her look like a shark scenting blood, an improvement over her former demented sycophant smile. "Do we have an agreement?"
"It would seem so."
Knowing it probably made her quite strange, didn't mean that Kagome could stop craving for the action of yesterday to repeat itself. At least when she had been fighting for her life, she hadn't been feeling lonely. Kagura hadn't turned up, and though Rin was there, she only helped stave off some of the encompassing solitude.
She watched as Rin deliberated over her next move, her little pink tongue sticking out of the side of her mouth. Carefully, she moved one of the pieces on the shogi board, and Kagome didn't have the heart to tell her that the pawn couldn't move like that.
"Kagome," Bankotsu's voice interrupted the solitude of the moment and Kagome jumped in shock.
The assassin stood in the doorway of the room, leaning casually against the frame. Kagome hadn't heard him enter, and she glanced confusedly at Rin to see if the little ghost had noticed something, but the child spectre was still frowning at the shogi board.
"Bankotsu-san," Kagome inclined her head. "What brings you here... and how did you get in? Sesshoumaru's shiro doesn't take well to visitors."
The lithe assassin prowled into the room, pursing his lips as if deliberating his answer. "I think he allowed my entrance, in order to give you a warning."
"A warning?" Kagome bit out, jumping to her feet and turning her no-nonsense glare on Bankotsu. Rin rose too, floating in her disconcerting way until she hovered at roughly the same height as Kagome. "Is Sesshoumaru okay?"
Treating her to an intense stare, Bankotsu answered measuredly, "He's bringing... a guest."
"A guest?" Kagome asked blankly.
"Apparently, he agreed to mate with Abi-hime of the Northern Mountains. They're coming here now; she wanted to meet his pet."
"He wouldn't mate with one of those vile women," Kagome spat, eyes narrowing at the dark-haired male.
"Because he's your lover?" Bankotsu queried, tilting his head to one side in consideration.
Kagome's mouth flattened into a stern line. "Because he hates them. He said so."
Bankotsu chuckled. "Nice save. But I already know about the two of you. You forget, I was at your apartment."
Still, the little woman said nothing, eyes narrowing into slits.
Becoming a little uncomfortable, Bankotsu hastened to reassure her, "I know you're a miko too, and I haven't told anyone. You can trust me."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why are you keeping my secrets?"
Bankotsu sighed heavily. "I remember what it was like, after Nami-sama resurrected me, being the only human in a demonic world. But, more importantly, Sesshoumaru is going to come back with a woman on his arm. You'd better be able to hide your jealousy."
"Why doesn't he just kill her?" Kagome demanded, her ruthlessness surprising her and the assassin.
"She's the daughter of a powerful clan. Killing her without provocation would mean war," Bankotsu pulled a face and shrugged, making it clear what he thought about the politics of the matter.
"Then I'll kill her," Kagome growled, casting around for her bow and arrows.
"As Sesshoumaru's pet, he'd be held responsible for your outburst. War would still be on the cards."
The thought of playing the part of a good little pet as Sesshoumaru paraded his mate in front of her sent her anger skyrocketing.
"Why did he agree?" she hissed, angry tears springing to her eyes.
Bankotsu looked away, awkwardly twisting his hands together. "I'm not sure," he admitted lowly.
"Go," Kagome murmured, "you too, Rin-chan. I need to compose myself for when Sesshoumaru gets here."
Sesshoumaru wasn't sure what he was expecting to find when he walked into the shiro, but it certainly wasn't Kagome, kneeling in the genkan, with a painted smile on her face.
"Welcome home, Sesshoumaru-sama." She bowed respectfully. "And honoured guests."
If his mother was surprised by Kagome's act, she didn't make a fuss about it, only smiling widely. Abi glanced down at the human curiously, but followed along behind Kagome nonetheless as she led them through into one of the many sitting rooms.
Demurely, she served them tea, and never once did she make eye contact or speak. Smiling tranquilly, she acted as though she hadn't a care in the world. It was disconcerting.
"The mating customs of my clan demand that you must visit with our matriarch before we can proceed," Abi spoke in a business-like tone.
"Well then," Nami murmured happily, "you should head to the northern mountains straight away, my son. I will look after your little pet."
The older demoness gave Kagome a smile that spoke of nightmares and Kagome beamed back vapidly.
"No," Abi kyboshed the plan with startling finality, "bring your pet. My mother has always found humans amusing."
Sesshoumaru's lip curled. "Then she will come with us."
Kagome smiled wider. "Of course, Sesshoumaru-sama."
Sighing with no little relief when Abi agreed to return to his mother's more lavish shiro for the evening, Sesshoumaru sought out the little miko.
She stood in the garden, the moonlight illuminating her pale skin and making her eyes glitter.
"Kagome."
She glanced his way for a second, hurt resonating in those deep blue eyes, before turning her gaze back to the moon.
Sesshoumaru glanced at the orb hanging above them for a moment, sighing. "Kagome. I have to—"
She didn't give him a chance to say any more, simply turning and walking back to the shiro. A low growl rumbled in his chest and he was beside her in an instant.
"Kagome," he rumbled, grabbing her arm and spinning her briskly to face him. "I want you. Not her."
"You have a funny way of showing it," she mumbled, gazing at his throat as she avoided his gaze.
"I had no reason to reject her suit. No one knows about us."
"Is there an us?" her gaze sought his out and held his. "Why can't you just admit it to everyone? Are you ashamed of me?"
"Someone is already trying to dispose of me," he attempted to explain, "exposing our relationship would put you in even more danger."
The rational part of Kagome had to admit that this sounded plausible. But she didn't want to be rational right at that moment. "I'd rather that than have to watch her touching you," Kagome snapped, "I won't be your dirty secret whilst you gallivant around with Abi-hime, Sesshoumaru. I have more self-respect than that."
"Kagome, be rational—"
"I'm sleeping alone tonight," Kagome snarled, yanking her arm from his. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Kagome, wait!"
But the little miko had already stormed off through the shiro, wearing her anger and upset like a cloak. If Sesshoumaru hadn't known any better, he could have sworn he felt a tension headache seeping in, but demons didn't get those. Supposedly.
And he hadn't even had time to warn her that he thought Abi might be up to something other than a forced mating. Something told him that if he went after her now, he was liable to have his head bitten off by an angry miko.
With a deep sigh, he stared up at the stars and blithely wondered if this was the 'doghouse' his father had often spoken of when he was a pup.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed my update, I took a little longer than I would've liked to update, so apologies. I hope you liked this chapter enough to drop me a review, I love hearing from you guys!