Day 25:
Kagome still wasn't talking to Inuyasha or Sesshoumaru.
Neither male was very comfortable with that fact.
Sesshoumaru couldn't take Miroku's advice seriously when all the monk did was waggle his eyebrows with an annoying smirk. Even Inuyasha had scoffed at the human in disbelief.
The monk never did seem to be serious when it came to women.
Kagome's lack of attention to the inus was painfully obvious, earning countless giggles from the children and curious looks from Jaken and Sango, but no one was brave enough to actually speak up and ask what was going on.
It was finally Miroku who proposed the men and children go forging in the woods for food and firewood. The children agreed, leaving Jaken no choice to accompany them, and Inuyasha complied good–naturedly. It seemed Sesshoumaru was the only one who noticed the gleam in the monk's eyes.
It wasn't until the children got thoroughly distracted in the nearby flower field that Sesshoumaru turned on the monk.
The demon lord didn't have to say a word and Miroku was raising his hands in surrender, leaving Inuyasha to look on in confusion.
"I promise there's a reason I left the women by themselves!"
Inuyasha looked befuddled. If Sesshoumaru cared he would have felt bad for his oblivious half-brother who managed, "A reason? What the heck are you talking about Miroku?"
With a pleased smile Miroku brought his finger to his lips in the universal gesture for silence and tiptoed back to the edges of the camp. Sesshoumaru huffed, trust his brother to make a fool of himself and also tiptoe in such an exaggerated manner when the hanyou walked with a demon's grace.
Eavesdropping.
The western lord looked over at the monk. While it was not a favored method of gathering information, and perhaps not the most honorable, he wouldn't ignore a chance to gain even a sliver of information on the mysterious subject know as women. Knowledge was power after all.
Sesshoumaru placed himself next to his brother, settling in to wait and absently hoping they would speak of something productive. Thankfully it didn't take long.
"Kagome."
The miko gave a heavy sigh, but didn't turn to face her friend. She was extremely focused on slowly pulling a needle through a kimono. Her tongue was sticking out as her face was screwed up in concentration, "Yea?"
"What's going on? And don't even try to give me that innocent act Kagome," Sango scolded, forcing Kagome's mouth to snap back shut. "I want the truth."
Sesshoumaru watched the miko carefully, ignoring Inuyasha twitching at his side. Her eyes grew unpleasantly dull, her shoulders giving a deflated shrug. "It was probably just me overreacting."
Sesshoumaru would have given a scoff in agreement had he not been so focused. If he had his brother's ears they would have been high and alert.
"What happened?"
Kagome gave another shrug, absently tugging at the needle and thread. "Well, I healed Sesshoumaru's arm right?"
"I noticed," the demon slayer replied dryly, earning a half-hearted smile from her companion. "It must have taken a lot because you passed out. Lord Sesshoumaru wouldn't let anyone except the kids touch you."
Sesshoumaru brow furrowed momentarily. Why did she feel the need to add such a random detail? Sesshoumaru's gaze narrowed further at the faint blushing appearing in the miko's cheeks.
"Sango!"
"Just stating the facts."
"Well," Kagome continued, clearing her throat, fiddling once again with her sewing tools. She was going to end up making herself bleed. "You know I woke up after a little bit and I was completely fine."
"You did seem your normal energetic self."
"Exactly! But I figured I would play it safe and hold off on any more healing until the next day."
"Wise."
Kagome gave an absent nod as she tugged at her needle. "I thought so too. I know I worried everyone when I passed out – a girl goes into a coma once and everyone freaks out every time I close my eyes!"
"Kagome!"
"Too soon?"
Her friend merely glared, making Kagome give a bashful smile as she continued, "Sorry. But anyways, I woke up and was fine. I waited until the next day though before I would even think of trying to heal Sesshoumaru more. I could tell he was still a bit edgy about the idea. He was hovering a bit."
Sesshoumaru blinked. Of course he was being watchful. He was no neglectful alpha.
"I told him I was fine – no one seems to believe me when I say that! Because really, I'm fine. I'm better than fine, I'm great! But no, anytime I tell people I'm okay they just get all -"
Sango cleared her throat to regain the miko's attention.
"Right, so he still didn't believe me, then I told him I was ready to heal him again and Inuyasha freaked out on me! Of course he was just being overprotective as normal and it's kind of sweet, but it can be annoying. So I tried telling him I could handle it."
Sango nodded in agreement, encouraging Kagome further. Sesshoumaru could see an odd mixture of relief as the miko spoke, even as she worked herself up by retelling the story. How she did such a thing was beyond his understanding, but then again she was a woman…no, it was more than that. She was Kagome.
"Then Sesshoumaru said no! He was actually agreeing with Inuyasha! If that wasn't enough to throw me through a loop -"
"Kagome, where did a loop come from?"
"Sorry. Well, I was confused and then I was getting upset because I wanted to help him! Heck, I don't understand why he wasn't leaping at the chance to finally get his arm back, but he said no. Then he goes on about how I just woke up from the coma – it's been five days!"
The taijiya fidgeted a bit. Even she was not so comfortable with the fact the miko woke a mere five days ago. Definitely not long enough for a female human to properly recover.
Kagome tossed a look in her friend's direction, her face lightly traced with curiosity as to her friend's silence. What his miko saw made her give a small pout. "You agree."
Sango fidgeted a bit more, rubbing at her already clean weapon. She refused to look her friend properly in the eyes. "What if you push yourself too far?"
"But I won't," Kagome sighed, her voice was gentle and though it held understanding it was infused with a pleading air. "That's the thing Sango, ever since I've woken up my reiki - I don't know if I can explain - but if I don't use some of it I feel like I'm going to burst. At times it hard to hold it back."
"Kagome!" Sango managed to reprimand and empathize with her friend all at once. "Have you told Lord Sesshoumaru or Miroku about this?"
Kagome shook her head. "No, I had been doing fine holding it back, but when I sat down to heal Sesshoumaru it's like my reiki just took control! I couldn't have kept it back even if I had tried. I was so worried I was going to purify him…I'm pretty sure that's why I passed out."
"Kagome!"
"I know! But I didn't purify him. And Sango, I'm pretty sure if I hadn't freaked out and stopped myself – or passed out, however you want to put it – well, I'm pretty sure he would already have his full arm back."
Sesshoumaru glanced in Inuyasha's direction at his half-brother's exclamation of wonder. The demon lord had similar thoughts himself. Both brothers looked at said appendage. To think, he could have already had his arm back.
"Don't even think about it," Inuyasha warned under his breath.
Sesshoumaru didn't even try to hold back his eye roll.
"Kagome," Sango murmured, recapturing the two inus' attention. "This is dangerous, you could have purified Lord Sesshoumaru. Who's to say you reiki won't whip out uncontrollably? What if you hurt Shippo?"
Both girls cringed and the miko bit at her lip, worry dimming her eyes. "I just didn't want to hinder anyone, besides, it not like there's anything else Sesshoumaru can teach me about my reiki. We've covered everything he knows to be similar, and as impressive as it is that he knows anything about reiki, well…" She trailed off, her scent having soured as she spoke.
Sango nodded in agreement, "Indeed, Lord Sesshoumaru has helped you this far, but you still need help. Couldn't you be a normal miko, Kagome?"
Kagome groaned good-naturedly at her friend's teasing, "I try Sango! Turns out the kamis just don't want me to be normal."
The two girls chuckled and let their conversation drift to more lighthearted matters, neither wanting to contemplate the uncomfortably serious matter of how they would get Kagome's bursting reiki under control. Kaede wasn't powerful enough and Sesshoumaru was a demon. They didn't really have many other options at this point.
Sesshoumaru felt Inuyasha's gaze turn to him. While they had learned the reasoning behind the miko's upset – women were such emotional creatures, he would have to make a point later to soothe her wounded pride – they also had another problem on their hands.
It seemed the miko needed a new teacher.
Otherwise she could purify even those she loved.