Running Up That Hill
By: The Hatter Theory
Chapter 25: She Stole The Keys To My House
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha or anything by Placebo or Kate Bush
A/N: I wanted to say thank you for the reviews left, and for everyone's continuing support on this story. I'm sorry I haven't been able to get back to you personally, but it's been hectic with studying and my upcoming tests. Pray for me, I'll need it lol.
Kagome was stretching lazily in the sun, enjoying her free day with the children. After having envied Americans their two days weekends, she had decided to implement the idea at the shiro and it was working well, if she did say so herself. Even Sesshoumaru seemed to enjoy the time off, which she had insisted upon and won, only by giving in when he told her emergencies would be seen to. The daiyoukai was once again playing the monster to the children's heroes, the other males acting as monsters as well. Screams of delight and laughter filled with joy echoed through the gardens, and more than content to watch, Kagome pillowed her head on her arms as she let the sun warm her back.
"So this is the pack my son has gathered around him," A voice said as a shadow fell over her. Kagome started, surprised that the massive amount of youki was suddenly just there, all smooth, sharp edges in her awareness. Her white hair and gold eyes were a perfect match for Sesshoumaru's own, and Kagome could see the similarity in their features. Not to mention the cold stare, which was at odds with the daiyoukai as he was currently, but was a perfect model for the expression he wore while dealing with his council.
"Son?" She finally asked, staring up at the pale youkai in awe. If anything, she was as beautiful as Sesshoumaru, a perfect, female version.
"Yes. You are the miko, I presume?"
"Yes, ma'am. My name is Kagome," She said, standing and inclining her head. She looked over her shoulder to see Sesshoumaru standing perfectly still, the children around him watching her and the newcomer warily. Shinzuru and the twins were stock still as well, as if they had been struck by lightning.
"Dear son, is that any way to act when your mother is present for a visit?" She asked sweetly. Kagome eyed the female daiyoukai warily, surprised by the sudden flash of petulant anger from Sesshoumaru's direction. He moved from the children, who hung back with the other youkai, stalking forward angrily.
"What are you doing here?" He demanded once he had closed the distance between them.
"You lack your father's charm," His mother commented dryly, then brought her hand, covered by the flowing expanse of a silk sleeve, to her face and sniffed delicately. "I'm hurt that you can't even greet me properly."
"Sesshoumaru-" Kagome hissed, but was stopped by his ever hardening eyes.
"I will ask again, what are you doing here?" The woman's sadness didn't seep away, it disappeared completely as she took in her son's appearance.
"I was not invited to the ceremony when you took this girl in. I'm surprised, perhaps even offended." Her words were cold, but her golden eyes glittered in amusement. Kagome let her gaze swing between the two, wondering what she was missing. "And you haven't even introduced me to the rest of your pack. I'm hurt."
Sesshoumaru answered with a growl that started low in his chest but didn't even have time to escape before the woman was turning to Kagome again.
"I'm Yuugao, little miko. Are all of the human ones and the hanyou, yours?" She asked delicately. Kagome blushed furiously and stuttered for several minutes.
"No!" She cried out, mortified. "Well, I mean, they're mine. Ours. We adopted them," Kagome corrected.
"Mother is being foolish. She can smell that none have your blood," Sesshoumaru snapped. "Why are you here?" He demanded again.
"I told you, son. I am here to meet the additions to the pack. As much as it pains you, I am still a part of it," She replied, brow arched haughtily.
"You're pack?" Kagome choked, then berated herself for not realizing it sooner. Of course she was pack, she was Sesshoumaru's mother!
"Yes, little miko. Where is that delightful little imp you keep, oh, never mind, he's hardly important. What is important is why you have suddenly decided to take in so many children."
"That is none of your business or concern," He growled. Yuugao sighed heavily and slanted her eyes in Kagome's direction, mischief making them shine as she allowed a small smile to dance on her lips.
"You know, his father was quite the charmer, and I'm not entirely without my wiles. I wonder how it is my son never developed any. Such a rude pup."
"He's perfectly fine," Kagome said stiffly, suddenly angry the woman, mother or no, was saying such things. "He has everything that matters," She finished through clenched teeth, glaring at the inu when the pale female gave a delicate laugh.
"We shall see. I have arranged to stay for a time," She suddenly announced. Kagome heard the strangled noise from behind her, and realized it was coming from one of the twins. Yuugao heard it as well, and waved over the daiyoukai's shoulder. "Hello boys, it's good to see my son hasn't maimed you!"
As quickly as she had come, she was off, exiting the gardens and leaving stupefied silence behind her.
"How is she your mother?" Kagome asked at last.
"I do not think I have to explain the process to you," Sesshoumaru growled.
"I mean, I know that," Kagome sputtered. "But she's nothing like you."
"You mean I am nothing like her," He finished before stalking into the shiro, the door sliding shut with a decidedly loud bang after him. Kagome turned to the crowd that had gathered and saw Shinzuru with his head in his hands, groaning. The twins both looked positively horrified.
"What's wrong?" She asked as she jogged over to them. "Is she really that bad?"
"The Lady is-" Shinzuru started, but stopped, at a loss.
"She loves torturing everyone! She's devious!" Kasai started. "We're harmless compared to her!" Kagome tried to understand exactly how they meant it, wondering if the woman was a prankster or evil.
"If she is here, something is happening that we do not yet have wind of. That woman never leaves her fortress," Shinzuru groaned. "This can only be bad, and she will make it worse," He guaranteed.
"How bad can she be?" Kagome asked.
"She meddles in her son's life," Mizu tried explaining. Kagome uttered a small 'oh', suddenly realizing just what that meant. Sesshoumaru did not like people messing about in his life, and she could only imagine the amount of meddling the mischievous woman could do, when moved.
"Any uproar we have so far endured will be small compared to the chaos she will wreak."
"What kind of chaos? I mean, it's not like she's after the jewel, and I'm sure she won't harm the children."
The three adult youkai stared at her incredulously.
"She won't, you know, try to hurt the kids, will she?" She squeaked.
"No, pack is pack. And she does not try to harm," Shinzuru tried again. "But she often seeks to get her own way."
"So she's a pushy mom. We'll just have to be here for Sesshoumaru," Kagome told them, smiling brightly. Really, they had to be making too much of the problem. Yuugao seemed nice enough, if lacking tact. And her mischief might be good, heavens knew Sesshoumaru needed to relax.
But her comment was only met with another groan from the moth youkai as he pinched the bridge of his nose, warding off a headache while the twins shook their heads and muttered to one another.
Kagome was surprised later that night by knocking on the door to her room. Pulling on a simple yukata to go over her shift, she moved through the rooms to the outer door and slid it open curiously. When she was met with the smiling face of Yuugao, she smiled brightly in return despite the sense of foreboding that made her want to close the door.
"May I come in?" The woman asked, her voice hinting at cheer. Kagome moved aside to let her in and watched as the woman practically floated into the room and gracefully sat herself at the table. Kagome closed the door and followed, seating herself on one of the plush cushions and staring at her alpha's mother. The woman looked ready for bed herself, her hair was down and she was dressed in a silk kimono that Kagome assumed was for sleeping, even though it looked too ornate for such a thing.
"I have decided to have a portrait of the pack commissioned," The inu said at last. Stifling the urge to sigh in relief, for the woman's seriousness had worried her, Kagome nodded happily.
"That sounds wonderful," Kagome commented.
"I'm glad you think so. My son will fight it tooth and claw. The last time I managed to get him to agree was just after he became western lord two centuries ago."
"Why would he fight against it?" Kagome mused aloud, smiling at the thought of an irritated Sesshoumaru snarling as the painter tried to paint him as quickly as possible.
"He does not appreciate being told to sit still for any length of time," The woman confided, as if it were some great secret. Kagome shrugged. The daiyoukai seemed to take his relaxation time easily enough on the newly designated 'weekends', lounging around, reading, or playing with the children.
"My son has changed much since I saw him last. It was not so long ago, and yet I find him vastly different."
"He hasn't changed much," Kagome defended, angered by the woman's amused tone.
"You are blind if you think so. In less than a year he has brought children of every possible race into his pack, as well as a miko. And don't think for a second I did not see him playing with them this afternoon."
"He deserves a break!" Kagome snapped angrily. "He works hard all week dealing with those crazy advisers and the problems left over from the war, not to mention just trying to keep everything going smoothly. And he feels partially responsible for the children being orphaned in the first place. He did an honorable thing, by adopting them. So who cares if they're not inu youkai, or even youkai at all-" She started, stopped when when a hand raised to quiet her. She took a deep breath and waited for the inu to speak.
"I have no issue with my son bringing in humans and hanyou. It is you I do not understand. My sons is many things. Honorable, intelligent, strong. But he is not known for his compassion."
"It wasn't compassion," Kagome snapped. "He was trying to avoid another situation like the one with Naraku by giving me his protection."
"Child, either you are incredibly naïve or blind. Since I know some of your story from the old tree, I cannot write it off to the former, and yet you seem perceptive." Kagome bristled, wondering why the woman had really come.
"Yuugao-san, please speak plainly. I don't like riddles."
"Those are what I am best at, I'm afraid," She sighed, interlacing her fingers and resting her chin on them. Kagome felt the weight of the woman's stare and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end and goosebumps formed on her arms. Refusing to shiver in front of the woman, she stared defiantly at her. Then the woman smirked and stood, covering her mouth as a small yawn escaped.
"The painter will be here in a few days. We will need time to find proper clothes for the children. And you of course."
"Proper clothes?" Kagome asked dumbly, more than stunned by the sudden shift in conversation. But even as she was saying it, the door was sliding shut behind the strange female.
Kagome was beginning to understand why Sesshoumaru didn't like having his mother around.
"I'm not wearing this!" Kagome hissed, looking at the layers of kimono laid out separately on the bed. A maid, the first one she had ever had in her room, at least while she'd been present, was wringing her hands at the miko's violent reaction.
"It is a gift from Sesshoumaru-sama's mother," The maid began, seeing the power sparking along Kagome's skin. Nervously she began edging for the door. Her efforts were in vain as the miko stomped past her, and she released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
Everyone that was anywhere close to the miko fled, knowing her intent. Barely suppressed fury pulsed out in irate waves. She was never so angry as this unless she was seeking out their lord, and knowing where he was and the path to him gave them an outline for a new no man's land.
"Your mother has got to stop this!" Kagome snarled as she slammed the door to the study open. Her words were out of her mouth and into the open before she realized that Sesshoumaru had been joined by none other than the female in question.
"Stop what dear? Oh, you aren't ready yet, and the painter is already setting up his things. You should hurry, it could take you well over an hour," The woman said with a smile.
"I am not wearing that, that-" Kagome sputtered, at a completely loss for words.
"It's is traditional and is only proper since you are now part of Sesshoumaru's pack. You will-"
"No. I am not wearing a hundred layers of kimono just so I can stand and suffocate for a painting!" Kagome snapped. "We covered this the other day. Simple kimono or my normal miko clothing. I thought you agreed."
"I don't remember stating any such agreement," The female stated simply, as if baffled by such an idea.
"It was a very kind offer," Kagome ground out, more than ready to lunge at her. "But I am afraid I must decline."
"All of the children will be well dressed. Do you want to stand out, look shabby for such an important portrait?" Yuugao demanded.
"I want to look like myself. Not like some fairy tale princess! It's a beautiful ensemble, it truly is. But I cannot and will not wear it. I refuse to pretend I'm anything but what I am," Kagome finished, trying desperately to reason with the woman. Yuugao had been a hurricane whirling through the shiro since her arrival, and Kagome understood the men's grumblings about her. The children had, much against their wishes, been given clothing, elaborate clothing, for the painting. Kagome had resisted and she was sure she and the older woman had come to an agreement.
And damn his eyes, Sesshoumaru was watching the both of them as if he found the whole thing amusing.
"Fine, if you want to look like some pauper-"
"I do," Kagome snapped.
"Then go ahead. I see how grace is treated here," Yuugao sniffed before turning smartly on her heels and walking away, but not before Kagome saw the tears in her eyes. Immediately she deflated and felt awful about what she'd said.
"My mother likes to have her way," Sesshoumaru said, breaking the silence. She finally turned to him, angry at him for not intervening, and even more irate that he was saying something so mean after his mother had left the room in tears!
"You are a jerk!" She snapped before turning and running after the woman. As luck had it, Yuugao had not gotten far, and Kagome was able to reach her.
"I'm so sorry," She said, afraid to take the woman's arm even though she felt like doing something, anything, to try and reinforce her words. "I didn't mean to get so angry. I just, I don't wear formal clothing. I'm a priestess. And it is a beautiful outfit, but it's too extravagant for me," She tried explaining. Yuugao regarded her solemnly before tapping her bottom lip with a clawed fingertip.
"A compromise, perhaps?" She suggested at last. Kagome smiled brightly and nodded, grateful that the woman's anger had seemed to vanish at her apology.
"That would be nice," Kagome agreed. Yuugao smiled at the girl and they began walking for the family wing. Lost in her relief, Kagome didn't notice the mischievous glint in the inu's eyes.
"Painting so many will already be a great difficulty," The youkai grumbled as he sat with his sketchbooks out in the gardens. "I do not need vain females making it worse."
"You will cease your complaining, or I will cut out your tongue," Sesshoumaru said in a quiet voice, finally tiring of the bird demon's whining. Grateful when he heard his mother and Kagome's voices on the other side of the door, he turned to it expectantly. His mother exited first and turned to the figure hiding behind her, cajoling first and then outright demanding.
"Stop dawdling, the painter didn't come here to stare at a bunch of children and men!" Yuugao finally snapped, her hand shooting out to wrap around Kagome's wrist. Given no choice, the miko followed, head down, and his mother stepped aside.
He heard the others gasp and felt his own eyes widen as the miko smiled shyly at everyone.
"Is it that bad?" She asked, nervousness making her tone waver. She unconsciously smoothed the blue furisode and it's white obi, her eyes fixated on the ground. A chrysanthemum was painted in a light blue on the bottom, and they way it shown in the light it looked as if it was underwater as she fidgeted nervously.
"You have my compliments on your choice, mother," Sesshoumaru finally acknowledged.
"I thought so. See child, it wasn't that hard," Yuugao laughed.
"Oh, her eyes," The painter breathed from Sesshoumaru's right. "I've never seen such eyes. They are magnificent."
"Blue eyes are not uncommon," Yuugao remarked, obviously miffed that her work on the miko's clothing was not being appreciated.
"Not among youkai, but our eyes are different. Our pupils, they give us a different appearance than that of a human. Her eyes, they have the round pupil. They make her look soft, ageless. I would be honored if she would sit for me after I finish the commission," He said with a bow, his head never moving as he continued staring at Kagome.
"That is up to the miko," Sesshoumaru rumbled. "What would you have us do?"
"It's too many to try and get standing, the children would move too much, and the women would tire. Perhaps a seated arrangement?" He suggested politely, finally tearing his gaze from Kagome, who had long before started feeling uncomfortable under such intense regard.
"We could tell the kids a story to keep them occupied, unless that would disturb you," Kagome suggested.
"No, that shall be more than fine. I must make several sketches, and a long story should do. Perhaps two," He added thoughtfully, looking once more to the group of children. Kagome nodded and tried to move gracefully past him despite the geta she wore. The boots she was accustomed to had been sneered at by Yuugao, and she'd been forced into the tall sandals, her toes protesting the width of separation.
"You look lovely," Shinzuru said as she came near. He was just close enough to catch her when she stumbled some on unseen rock or root. Chuckling richly, he helped her to the blankets they had set out earlier for their picnic. After settling herself, the children began arranging themselves, completely ignorant of the expensive silks they wrinkled as they settled on their stomachs or lounged on one another.
Sesshoumaru -in his normal clothing, she noted sourly- sat next to her, much closer than he normally would have. Shinzuru took her other side, lounging, putting his weight on his elbows instead of sitting up as everyone else was. The twins took positions to the outside of the children, and last of all Yuugao took a place near Sesshoumaru's right.
"So what story would you all like to hear?" Kagome asked after everyone had settled in.
"You've never told us how you and the pup met," Shinzuru observed. Kagome flushed brightly, looking to Sesshoumaru for help.
"I'm not sure that's a children's story," She started.
"It is alright," Sesshoumaru said with a slight incline of his head. "They hear tales far bloodier, and it will do them good to know that all warriors suffer defeat at one time or another."
"You make it sound so noble," She muttered, rolling her eyes. "Not at all like you attacked an innocent girl and tried to kill her."
"And what innocent girl would that have been?" Yuugao asked, her eyes narrowed in interest, a smirk dancing on her lips.
"Me."
"He didn't!" Shinzuru asked, laughing uproariously.
"He did," Kagome replied hotly, as if he had been accusing her. "It all started when-"
"It seems the painter has been inspired," Sesshoumaru told her three days later. "My mother says he is almost complete, and she finds it satisfactory. It is rare for her to be so happy."
"Maybe she'll settle down and stop meddling," Kagome giggled, sighing as another thought occurred to her. "I don't know how I feel about him painting me. He's been so good, even if he is getting paid, and working so quickly. It's strange though, to have someone so focused on me like that."
"I will accompany you, should you desire it."
"You don't have to," Kagome demurred, although the idea of the daiyoukai sitting with her made her feel more secure with the idea.
"I do not know him," Was all the youkai said. Something was suddenly blocking their light, and Kagome again cursed the fact that Sesshoumaru's mother was able to dampen her own aura so that she was practically invisible until she decided to make herself known.
"The painting is ready," She told them both. "Would you like to see it?"
"Already?" Kagome asked, stunned. "Yes, we would, come on!" She urged, taking Sesshoumaru's hand as she stood. He allowed it, letting her to drag him along. Both women chatted about the picture, and Yuugao only hinted at the masterpiece the youkai had spun from his brush tips in a matter of days. After several twists and turns throughout the halls of the shiro, they stopped in front of a guest room. Sesshoumaru could smell the paints and the artists unwashed body. Wrinkling his nose, he tried to ignore the urge to bring his sleeve to his nose as the door opened and the excited youkai urged them all to come in.
Kagome gasp drew his attention from the scent of stale sweat, and his focus moved to the painting suspended on a frame before him.
"It is perfect," His mother sighed happily, as if she had been the one to paint it.
Colors blended and moved together, and though the traditional style usually wouldn't have left much room for realism, the artist had captured Shinzuru's faint wrinkles, the indolent grace of the kitsune twins, and even his mother's mischievous grin. The children were listening, some awestruck, others merely skeptical, but all of the expressions were vivid and close to their living counterparts. But it was the artist's depiction of himself and Kagome that captured his attention.
Kagome's eyes were bright, and it seemed as if she were the only person in blue. Her eyes seemed to glow in the context of the painting, and she was leaning against him, almost lounging, and his expression was one of utter contentment. The effect was one of a true pack, a family, spending a spring afternoon together.
"It's amazing, like a memory in my head put on paper exactly as I remember it, warm and peaceful," Kagome breathed, her eyes looking over the painting one inch at a time, giving it it's due. Sesshoumaru only nodded, silent, but his appreciation was clear in his eyes for both his mother and the painter to see.
"I think, perhaps, that in time, you will be called to make more paintings," Yuugao murmured to the painter, who was almost crying from the expressions on the miko's face. Rarely did anyone appreciate his work so, and for the lord of the west to give his approval, it meant almost as much as the miko's.
"I am humbled by your praise, Miko-sama," He mumbled at last.
"Well, son?" His mother asked at last.
"This Sesshoumaru thanks you for the gift," He admitted, still awed by the enormous painting and what it revealed to him.
"Good boy. Now, I remember you saying something about the miko sitting for you. Have you considered his offer, Kagome?"
"I will, after what he's done for us, I can't do anything else," She murmured, eyes still on the painting.
"I will be guarding her," Sesshoumaru replied almost as soon as she was finished.
"Oh, perhaps both of you could sit for me. Two such beings, it would be the first time anyone has had the opportunity to study and paint such a pair," The youkai stuttered, as if unable to believe his good luck.
"My son doesn't often sit for paintings," Yuugao tittered.
"I will," Sesshoumaru said, to spite his mother more than anything else. He did not enjoy being in her debt, and this commission easily put him there.
"It will be magnificent," The painter exalted, as if the painting in his mind were already taking shape.
"When would you like us to sit for you?" Kagome asked.
"I would like time to rest, if that is agreeable," He replied, suddenly shy. "Perhaps tomorrow?"
"The council will be convening tomorrow," Sesshoumaru rebutted.
"The day after then?" The painter asked hopefully.
"That is acceptable."
"Thank you both, this is a great honor," The youkai said with a steep bow. Kagome only blushed and waved the words off with an awkward shrug. Sesshoumaru turned to leave and felt Kagome following after him, her aura still radiating a quiet joy that warmed his own.
"What a strange man. I don't see what the big deal is in painting both of us," Kagome murmured. "But his work is gorgeous," She admitted with a sigh. "Especially for only three days. I can't imagine how he did it."
Sesshoumaru looked to her again, and felt a small amount of awe that she could be so oblivious to what the painter had alluded to. A daiyoukai and a miko sitting together for a painting. It would be a first, and both he and the miko were not unattractive, which would be all the better for the youkai. That she was completely unaware of this no longer phased him. He had grown to accept that her position and power did not figure into her way of thinking. That it was not false humility or a way to fish for compliments, as many often attempted, warmed him.
"He has earned the right to paint the guardian of the jewel and the lord of the west and the house of the moon," He informed her after they had been walking for several minutes in silence.
"You make it sound like such a privilege," Kagome giggled, rolling her eyes and looking pointedly at the daiyoukai.
"It is. He will be celebrated among his peers for attaining such an opportunity, and it will draw more of the nobles to him, demanding their own commissions."
"I hadn't thought of it that way," She admitted.
"You do not often think," He murmured, just before a fist slammed into his left arm. Stopping, he turned and stared down at her, his expression bland. She stuck her tongue out and made a huffing noise before stalking away, her hands still clenched in fists at her sides.
"Miko," He called.
"It's Kagome, jerk!"
"Kagome," He answered, knowing it would stop her just long enough.
"What?" She demanded as she turned back toward him. But it was too late, he was in front of her one moment, and the next she was slung over his shoulder and being jostled with each step he took. Ignoring her angry sputtering and her expressive use of creative -but not overly colorful- language.
"It sounds like you have been around the children too long. Your insults lack bite," He commented as he opened the door to the outside garden and launched himself into the air. The rush of wind blocked out her muttering ramblings, but nothing could dampen the sudden feeling of teeth sinking into his back, the only barrier between them was his silk kimono. Her jaws clenched together and though he knew human teeth were dull compared to a youkai's, they were sharp enough to hurt. Most of all, her actions shocked him. Shocked him so much that he almost dropped her.
"Sesshoumaru, don't you dare let me go!" She screamed. He quickly shifted her back over his shoulder and dropped down the ground, ignoring her undignified screech as the ground rushed up to meet them. He landed gently, but when he dropped her, it was with a vehemence that suggested her very touch burned.
"You will never do that again," He snarled.
"Oh, so you can be a jerk but if I-"
"Biting is an act of intimacy," He shot out, trying his damnedest to steady his breathing. Why was he so angry? He could just coolly inform her. In fact, that was probably the best way, seeing that she looked as if he'd struck her.
"I'm, I- Kami, I didn't, I'm sorry," She stuttered, her eyes growing ever wider as her skin paled. Sesshoumaru forced the sudden onslaught of emotions down, and felt himself calm when he won another battle with the baser instincts.
"I am aware. Do not do it again."
"Can we please go back home?" She mumbled. He nodded, but didn't move to touch her. Seconds later her ki materialized into a cloud, and she was on it, hugging her knees to her chest tightly. Her face was still ashen, and her eyes big pools of stormy, dark blue. Energy sparked erratically all over her skin as they pressed forward. Within moments they were back at the shiro, and she moved inside without saying a word to him.
"Cat's been acting off all evening. Did something happen? Was it the painter?" Mizu asked, firing off questions so rapidly Sesshoumaru didn't have time to answer. He was still in his study, burying himself in work he could have left for Jaken, or even left alone period.
"It is nothing," Sesshoumaru muttered, still angry at his own extreme reaction to the miko's mistake. She had not known, and all he had done was upset her by treating her as if she had understood what she was doing.
"She looks ready to cry, and Shinzuru refuses to stop cuddling her. Did the painter say something-"
"She bit me," Sesshoumaru sighed at last, wishing more for Resshin's presence than anyone's. Mizu was an intelligent being, but still a kitsune. Jokes and mischief would always be a part of his personality, and Sesshoumaru was not in the mood to hear jokes.
However, the kitsune surprised him by sitting down across from him, staring him down thoughtfully.
"How did you react?" He asked, his voice carefully neutral.
"I informed her that she should not do so again, and what it meant," He intoned stonily, feeling defensive at the caution in the other man's tone.
"How did you inform her? Was it calmly?"
Sesshoumaru glared at the kitsune, strangling the growl before it rose any further up his throat.
"I might have been more harsh than I intended," He admitted at last. The kitsune's knowing nod bothered him, and he wanted, just for a moment, to pick a fight with him. To lunge at him and see if the kitsune would fight back, to feel flesh rending beneath his own claws. Shaking his head as if he could physically shake such violent thoughts, he focused on the kitsune again.
"I'll talk to her. It was an honest mistake, on both your parts. She didn't know what she was doing, and you're none the lesser for having instincts," Mizu sighed as he stood.
"What have my instincts to do with this?" Sesshoumaru demanded with a growl at his friend's careless dismissal of the problem.
"You're kidding right?" When Sesshoumaru continued to stare at him blankly, Mizu sighed and allowed a small smile. "Never mind, doesn't matter anyway." With that he left, the daiyoukai at the table still in his own state of confusion. His muscles tensed, bunched, longed for a fight, for blood, for relief. Deciding that his people had seen too little of their lord, he shoved the papers aside in disgust and stalked from his study and then from the shiro.
The change overcame him, and instead of rushing through the process, he allowed it to take him slowly. There was a measure of comfort in the jolting pain of his bones breaking, snapping, reforming themselves to suit a bigger body. Embracing his natural shape and the instincts that roared to the surface, he lunged into the air, seeking a forest to hunt in. With one savage howl, he threw himself into the night, determined to quell the burst of inexplicable, savage rage.
Kagome shivered once, hearing the emotion within the howl.
"What was that?" She whispered.
"That's the pup, seems he's in a right state, dunno what could have got him that way though," Shinzuru sighed as he cuddled her to his side. She leaned against him gratefully. No matter what else he was, Shinzuru had become a father, and all that entailed. In her dreams and wishes her father's arms had always been a safe place to hide, and the reality of his warm, gentle strength almost made her weep as he made the comment.
"I did it," She whispered, careful to keep her voice low enough so that the children wouldn't hear. Shinzuru started a little in surprise, then nodded once for her to continue. "He was being a jerk, and had me over his shoulder. I bit his back," She whispered in as low a voice as she could muster without it being pure breath.
"I see," Was all Shinzuru said.
"I didn't know what it meant," She admitted. "He said my insults lacked bite, and I told him I'd give him bite. And the rest, yeah. He was really angry."
Mizu showed then, a small, sad smile playing on his lips as he walked over to them.
"You talk to the pup?" Shinzuru asked. Mizu nodded once, then extended his hand to her, that sad, knowing smile still on his face. Shinzuru nudged at her, urging her to accept his hand. She did, and was led from the children and to her own suite of rooms. He followed her in and took a seat from her across the table, the whole time looking as if he wanted to say something, but dared not.
"We are all very instinctual creatures," Mizu began at last, his eyes meeting her own evenly. "Sesshoumaru, being who and what he is, has stronger instincts than most. He keeps a tight leash on them, make no mistake, unless it suits his purposes to do otherwise. I know you didn't mean to provoke those instincts, and he does as well. I think, perhaps, he was angry because they flared up so easily."
"Why, I mean, if they're instincts, and he controlled them, everything is okay, right?" Kagome asked. Mizu gave a small sigh, as if he were bearing the weight of the world.
"He is more angry at the perceived slip. It is my opinion that is was so unexpected, he did not think to keep a tight grip on them. Even you must admit that the idea of you trying to provoke those baser instincts is absurd to you both." Kagome nodded, agreeing with him wholeheartedly.
"I didn't realize it was that sort of-thing," She admitted in a small voice. Mizu looked ready to laugh for a moment before sobering quickly, as if a joke, once considered, was no longer funny.
"It will be fine. A good run and hunting will soothe what ails him."
"Is he mad at me?" She asked at last.
"No. I think he regrets his harshness with you, although I don't know if he'll apologize for it. I'm fairly certain he won't want to mention it again."
"I'm more than fine with that," Kagome confided. "It was a stupid accident, and I don't want either of us bothered by it."
"Then perhaps it is best to pretend it never happened," Mizu answered, once again that small, sad smile playing on his lips. Kagome smiled and thanked him, watched him leaving her rooms, then slumped on the table.
At least that was over. A stupid misunderstanding, and he wasn't mad at her for it. And neither of them would apologize. It would be as if it never happened. That worked for her, more than worked for her. The very idea of trying to initiate anything intimate with anyone sent a jagged bolt of cold running through her, followed quickly by nausea as the memories of her rape assaulted her.
"Not tonight," She muttered. "Not ever. I will not let them get to me." Determined to get a good night's sleep and wake to a new day, she walked to her rooms and prepared for bed. When another long, hungry howl echoed from somewhere in the distance, she shivered and pulled her sleeping robe more closely around her, then scampered under her covers.
The painter eyed them both nervously. Despite their unspoken agreement to pretend nothing had happened, their manners were still stiff around one another, stilted. They sat side by side, postures painfully erect, and the easy comfort they had held with each other during the painting of the first portrait was gone.
"Perhaps another day," He murmured. Kagome sighed, trying to figure out what to do. Everything was suddenly so awkward, and Sesshoumaru had taken the first step often enough that she wanted to try and break the rapidly forming wall between them. She just didn't know how. An idea occurred to her, and she turned to the painter, a small smile on her face.
"Do you need us in any particular position?" She asked.
"I suppose not, why?" He asked, bewildered. Kagome chuckled.
"Sesshoumaru, I'll be back in a moment," She assured, moving quickly from the room. Since the incident, Shinzuru had never been far, and though she had begun to wish for true privacy again, this time it would work in her favor.
"Shinzuru, I need a favor," She informed him.
"Anything, child, so long as it is in my power to give it."
"I need you to guard Sesshoumaru and I while we are being painted." His confusion was more than evident, he was stupefied by the request.
"Why would you need me to guard you? He should be more than sufficient," Shinzuru started, but followed her when she returned to the painter's room. He took a seated position near them, watching her closely.
"Mirror me," She told Sesshoumaru as she sat with her legs crossed. Warily he did as she asked, and she took his hands in her own, interlacing their fingers. His eyes widened a fraction, but she was already sending out a thread of her own power. She ignored the painter's frightened gasp.
"Shinzuru will keep us safe. Please, follow," She urged. It was hesitant, but Sesshoumaru's power eventually reached out to her own, and she dove inward, feeling him follow her along the path of her energy, down into the strange place that was not a place.
"Why have you brought me here?" He demanded, still formal with her, still distant. The coolness of his tone cut at her, making her feel as if they'd moved forward only to step back.
"Because, I don't want something stupid to mess up everything. We're friends now, I think. I hope so, anyway. I don't want to lose that because of a misunderstanding," She explained, feeling much more free to speak now that she was in her core. The tree had grown, kami, had it grown. No longer remotely able to qualify as a sapling, it easily looked as if it were several decades old, something not quite an oak, although that was the closest thing she could think of when she saw it. It stood, a giant beacon in the field of tall, emerald grass. It's foliage was thick and it's branches heavy with the weight of them. Moving under it's shade, as the sun shone down brightly on them, she sat on the bare ground beneath it, smiling up at the light that filtered through in patches.
He joined her, still reluctant, and sighed deeply. "I do not like this," He admitted. She started, then flushed guiltily.
"We can go back, I'm sorry-" She started.
"I do not like this strangeness between us," He interrupted, correcting her assumption. "I am sorry I spoke so harshly." Kagome was floored. Mizu had said he probably wouldn't apologize, or ever mention it again. Her face must have reflected that astonishment, because he pressed on.
"My instincts, they responded. I did not think to leash them-"
"Because the idea of me doing something like that is crazy," She finished, laughing softly. "Mizu said something like that, and you guys are right. I'd never, I mean, no offense, I just-" She didn't finish, staring into the distance instead.
"It is probably for the best, you already have more than enough children," He tried, suddenly uncomfortable with her silence and the blank look in her eyes. His comment did the trick, and the jolt of pain that had lanced through her core was gone as quickly as it had come, and she smiled at him gratefully.
"You're right. I have kids, I have a pack. I don't need anything else. I've got more than I ever dreamed of," She admitted. "Definitely more kids than I planned on!" She added with a rueful smile.
Several minutes passed in companionable silence, the awkwardness had passed, and both felt that they were on even ground again. How simple it had been! And Kagome admitted to herself that she was glad she had taken the first step. Sesshoumaru had almost always been the one to try and span the gap between them, and although she still didn't understand why, she had lost the desire to find out. It was enough that they were friends, as unlikely and surreal as it was.
"I wonder if I can fly here, without the cloud," She sighed. "I envy you guys that. You just zip into the sky, as if you had invisible wings."
"I suppose that anything is possible here," He admitted slowly. Kagome stared at him expectantly.
"Well?" She demanded.
"Well what?" He asked, caught off guard by her sudden impatience.
"How do you do it in real life, that way I can just do it here."
At a loss, he tried to find the words to explain that there was no thought behind it, it just was. As natural as breathing, he could take to the air, gravity nothing but a silly notion. As if sensing his inability, she sighed and stood, brushing the back of her hakama off and moving back into the sea of grass.
"In a story in my time, one way to fly is to think happy thoughts," She murmured. Only a foot or so behind her, she could feel the weight of his incredulous stare.
"Happy thoughts?" He asked, as if the idea were not only absurd, but so far removed from reality that whoever had come up with the idea was completely mad.
But Kagome was no longer listening. Instead she was thinking about the pack. About her family. 'No, best not think of them,' she told herself. 'Just the pack.' And she did. Picturing them vividly in her mind, playing monsters and heroes, even Sesshoumaru, his strange bark echoing through the gardens seemed to echo through her own mind and around her.
"You are not flying, but you are not touching the ground," His voice observed.
"It worked," Kagome squealed in delight, then a grin stretched her smile wide. Giving out a delighted squeal, she shot up into the sky, exhilaration blending with curiosity. How much had changed in her mind these past months? Was there anything besides the tree and the fields? Was the ocean still off in the distance, or was it like the horses, only there when she wanted it?
Sesshoumaru was up in the air with her, looking amused and she flew loops in the air, simulating the twists and loops of a roller coaster. Childish delight overshadowed any sense of silliness or embarrassment she might have felt.
"This is amazing," She exclaimed breathlessly as she came up to him again. He looked ready to shrug indifferently, but refrained, nodding instead and allowing a hint of a smile. With an impish grin she darted forward, quick as any pixie from the stories, and poked his shoulder.
"Tag, you're it!" She crowed, suddenly yards away. When she turned to look over her shoulder, he was following, giving chase and looking more than just amused. He looked happy, and more than anything else that made her smile back.
It felt like hours had passed when they finally touched the ground again and she leaned back against the tree.
"I do believe this is the most fun I've had with you yet," She admitted. "I wish we could do this in reality."
"I am glad we cannot. It is hard enough to keep track of you as is," He confided. "I am supposed to be protecting you, and you make it difficult to do."
"You were silly to think anything with me would ever be easy," She retorted as he took his seat against the tree. "Experience tells you I'm a pain in the butt."
"Indeed. And yet you have enough redeeming qualities to keep me from strangling you." It was out before he could stop it, and once again he wondered if being in such a personal place didn't force the truth from people. Certainly he had admitted to things he normally would have kept to himself.
"Good to know. Same for you," She chuckled. "We should probably head back," She sighed. "I'm pretty sure we've freaked out the painter by now. And Shinzuru will probably have a few things to say to me when we get back. I didn't really warn him."
Silently agreeing, he let himself drift along the motes of power that seemed to coalesce in the air, not quite visible, more like air shimmering over a fire. The sensation of settling back into himself was no longer so unsettling, and his eyes blinked open, instantly gauging their surrounds when he realized two things.
One, that they had drawn an audience. Chief among them being his mother. And two, that at some point, somehow, the miko and he had bent forward perfectly so that their foreheads touched. Her blue eyes blinked open, and startled by his breath on her face, jerked back.
"We wondered when you two would come back," Yuugao stated dryly as the daiyoukai and the miko moved apart. "But the painter is beside himself. Your auras are very visible, and the way they tangled, then merged," She said the word in such a tone to convey a question, "Has given him any number of ideas. He's currently resting his eyes."
"How long were we gone?" Kagome asked.
"About two marks, give or take. I've never seen any youkai quite so happy to see a miko's powers. I have no doubt there will be several rather interesting results," Yuugao commented. Her words were dry, almost funny, but her eyes were sharp, and Kagome felt pinned beneath the stare, like a mouse under the eyes of a particularly large owl.
Her stomach however, broke that stare, especially when Shinzuru allowed a booming laugh to erupt.
"Let's get you some food, Cat," He chuckled, helping her to her feet. Sesshoumaru was standing before she had finished, and she stretched her legs cautiously, feeling more than a little resentment. Apparently youkai limbs did not fall asleep.
I hope you enjoyed, and remember, reviews feed starving artist's souls.
A/N: I truly hope you all enjoyed this, as I enjoyed writing it. I do love Yuugao, and I'm hoping you all do to.