A/N: 1. Inuyasha is not my creation but I am eternally grateful for Rumiko Takahashi because she
brought Sesshoumaru to us, and nothing has been the same ever since.
2. Henceforth, I will be using "Daiyoukai" instead of "Taiyoukai" for I discovered from
another writer's mistake that taiyoukai means fishyoukai. Dear lord, no wonder I can't land
first base with Sesshoumaru! ROFL!
3. I stumbled on this song "The Way You Look At Me" and I felt that this chapter deserved a
perfect love song/theme song. Love you all & enjoy the song! SMI
The Way You Look At Me
.com/watch?v=hVTtA7EZ1S4
VOICES"Sesshoumaru, I'm really, really sorry. Please don't be mad at me anymore." Her small voice reached him from his spot across the room.
The daiyoukai sighed. Damn that woman and her blue eyes! He looked back at her and sensed her abject embarrassment and remorse at what happened to him. She looked tiny over there at the opposite wall hugging her knees with a blanket around her shoulders.
Rin and Shippo finally left after making sure that no on toward fight would ensue so he and the miko had been for the most part ignoring each other, and every so often, found themselves staring at one another from their respective sides.
Sesshoumaru had been still, unlike the miko, who was slightly fidgeting as she ran her fingers on her silver tresses. The demon lord's eyes were following the comb and pull of her finely tapered fingers as well as the uncovered shapely arms from her short sleeping tunic.
"May…may I go there?" The miko asked hesitantly and inclined her head in an endearing fashion.
"No."
"Oh, okay." She sniffed and drew back, hurt at his rejection. "I understand." That small voice again and as her waves of sadness flowed over him Sesshoumaru regretted his curt answer.
"But…" The miko glanced at him. "Instead, I will go there. Do. Not. Move." He lifted his brow for emphasis.
The miko smiled and her happiness was plain to see. "Okay." she said softly and nodded.
Sesshoumaru stood slowly, gingerly, but with grace…allowing his body to follow his movements without tweaking any nerves that might suddenly protest at the action. So far, so good…
"Oh!" Kagome started when the inu lord sucked in a sharp breath and paled. "Are you okay?" She began to get up….
"Stay!" The sharp word and staying hand froze Kagome, she chose to ignore that he just ordered her like she's a pet or something.
"Okay! Sorry…" Kagome went back to her place at the wall. Sesshoumaru waited two heartbeats before he resumed, the action deliberate and slow.
From her seat at the wall Kagome was smiling as her eyes admire him. Wow, why didn't I notice he changed clothes?
Oh yeah, girl, that's because you were clobbering him a while ago, remember?
Oh, he looked so handsome…
Finally, Sesshoumaru sat beside her…but not too close. He was looking at her while sitting down; like he doesn't trust her not to move where she's at. Kagome found a little miffed at his distrust.
"What ails you now, miko?"
"Huh?"
"Your nose just turned up at me. What offends you?"
"Nothing." And she turned up her nose at him.
"Hn." he smirked.
Mortified, she blushed. "Sorry, it's just that you don't seem to trust me at times."
"I trust very few people, Kagome." The voice of the demon lord sounded tired.
"Oh."
"Why does earning my trust important to you?"
"Well…" she said softly. "We had been allies before…"
"And you assume that fact would, by design, ease trust amongst us?"
"Doesn't it? We have fought together…"
"Just a convenience for a common cause, is all."
"That's all?" Kagome felt a deep chasm between them at his statement. Why do I felt slighted? That fight with Naraku had been done and over with for nearly 10 years now so technically that alliance has been broken.
"Tell me, truly, miko, why you want my trust?" The miko turned when she felt his warm breath on her cheeks.
"Uh…" Kagome blinked in surprise at the inu lord's proximity and the intensity in his eyes; the miko had forgotten the question. "Sesshoumaru…" Why is he staring at me like that? She could feel her heartbeat begin to race, her throat suddenly felt all dried up. What's happening here? She could feel her hands and feet getting cold and there's this 'anticipating' air about that she couldn't put her finger on. It's making her more nervous, but not the bad kind of nervous…oh drats!
Kagome felt her breath catch when Sesshoumaru picked up one of her hands from her knees; she didn't know that she had been restlessly clenching her knees in her confused agitation. Her eyes followed his hand as his thumb began to caress the back of her hands. Never in her life had that kind of touch felt so…so…fantastic…
It's making my insides do crazy things and he was just holding my hand for god's sake! She wanted to pull her hand away.
No! Don't do that! A voice in her head yelled.
What? Why? This is making me uncomfortable…No, he was making all those tingles inside you. Kagome's emotional side began to logicalize with her.
Yeah, but why is it different? I've never felt that even when Inuyasha held my hand.
Hm, maybe…because this is called 'chemistry'? Emotion playfully said. It's good, right?
Yeah. Wow, yeah….
Don't fight it….the voice whispered.
Kagome raised her eyes and their eyes met; their faces so close from each other, the quiver that were racing in her body before now felt like charged electrons zipping through her body.
Sesshoumaru do you feel and smell her excitement? She likes you. The voice of his beast excitedly whispered in his mind. Its true, the combined swell of scents was affecting him like heady perfume.
Since when have you felt this kind of sensation ever in your life, hm? It was unusual. It was surprising. It was new. Right?
Hn.
Tell me, how many have evoked this feeling from you? Almost none. How many females could you say held your attention this way?
He had to agree to his beast. He's not one to brag about his conquests, he had been physically involved with many females but the attraction didn't last after the initial bedding. He became bored and dismissed the female posthaste. But this exhilaration of just holding a female's hand is a totally alien feeling; but not just any female, the miko's hand.
He had felt drawn to her; again, an unfamiliar feeling for him. It went beyond physical attraction that much he's sure, if only he could understand what the other feeling was about…it begs for more; but the answer is as elusive as grasping mist.
How could I be attracted to her, she has a combative nature and, gods, she has a way of getting me all riled up on something…he snapped the thought to his beast.
It shrugged. Yes, but had she not been combative would you even spare her a second look?
Hn. He had tried to deny his hidden admiration and attraction for this woman ever since he and his half-brother's pack became allies in bringing down Naraku.
His impression about her evolved throughout their forced association when the initial awkwardness had passed due to their previous encounter things had become, not relaxed, but there was tolerance and later, acceptance and perhaps, a grudging respect for her unsurpassed courage and unswerving devotion to her friends. Had she been a full youkai that indomitable character would have been sought after within the four cardinal lands.
Sesshoumaru felt he lost his chance to get to know the woman more when the miko was forced back into her own time, a matter he did regret a little.
And now she is back in our era with the combined power of miko and youkai! Wonderful! She's such a powerful woman! We like powerful women, don't we? Some men would have been daunted with this power but we are in the opposite realm, right?
Hn, this Sesshoumaru is the most powerful in all the land and only a powerful woman such as she could equal me…the thought excited him. But…I want more…
Now as their eyes met the taiyoukai felt a little bit thrown off balance at the foreign emotions eddying in his blood that is threatening to overcome his self-control.
She's waiting for you to make the first move…go ahead….the beast nudged the daiyoukai closer to those waiting lips…
I think there was a question I was supposed to answer…what was that? "Tell me, truly, miko, why you want my trust?" Ah, yes…silly of me to forget, Kagome thought.
"I…I want you…" she breathlessly began as for some strange phenomenon her body began to lean towards the daiyoukai….
"A-Aherm…Sesshoumaru!"
~}O{~