Here it comes, the big reveal!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
Confess
The sun was descending, mere hours from vanishing past the horizon. The inu lord watched its slow progress from the veranda, patiently awaiting the moment he knew would soon come. A battle was imminent.
As a daiyoukai he'd lived through many such moments, calm, ready, eager for the impending bloodshed. A renowned tactician, a legendary warrior – the prospect of a fight hardly fazed him… though on this occasion, such was not the case. For the first time in a long time, Sesshomaru felt concerned. Not for himself, but rather for the raven-haired beauty who was currently resting in the shiro behind him. It was her safety, her welfare that had him anxious. If she were to somehow get hurt… he didn't know how he'd live with himself if he failed in such a manner…
A darkness stirred, prickling along the edge of Sesshomaru's senses. He focused on the ominous manifestation, gauging its size and distance. Naraku was on the move, it seemed, bringing with him an army of considerable numbers.
The pale youkai turned as he felt Kagome approach, their eyes meeting as she joined him outside. Her expression was one of unease, delicate hands wringing as she stepped up to the railing.
"You feel it as well?" he guessed, gaze turning back to the horizon.
"Yeah," she affirmed. "The jewel is calling. How long do you think we have?"
"Until dusk."
"What about the others?" she asked, knowing their friends were still a long ways away.
Sesshomaru glanced down at her. "Once the fox has finished his commission, we will depart. If we leave soon enough, we will be able to close much of the distance between ourselves and our pack mates."
She gave a little nod, fists tightening in nervousness. "Do you… do you really think this will work?"
"So long as everything goes according to plan," he replied, silently hoping that nothing wouldgo wrong.
"And… you don't think it would be a good idea to let the others know what we're going to do? Isn't it a bit risky to leave them in the dark?" she asked, not wanting to insult him or doubt his judgement, but thinking it odd that their plan was to be kept secret from over half of the group.
"If they are aware of what is occurring, their mannerisms may very well give us away. We need their reactions to be genuine, so that it will be believable," he explained.
Sighing, Kagome deferred, "I guess you're right. You've been doing this sort of thing longer than I… well, any of us, I suppose."
He stepped back from the railing, turning to face her. Long fingers encircled her slight shoulders, and he waited for her to look up at him before saying, "You will succeed. Remember your training, and do not deviate from the course, no matter what you think you see. It is imperative that you are ready when the time comes."
The miko steeled her resolve, tilting her head sharply in confirmation. "I will be ready."
"Good," he hummed in approval, thinking perhaps this was a good time to speak with her about his earlier revelations. It would likely be the last chance he would get before the fight.
"I have the utmost confidence in you," he told her truthfully. "Yet, as the battle draws nearer, I find myself… troubled."
Kagome frowned. She viewed the daiyoukai as such an immovable creature; to hear him admit to such a thing was very strange.
"The notion of you being anywhere near that detestable vermin…" he began, though was unable to finish his statement. His lips thinned, teeth grinding together. Displeasure rolled off of him in waves, body tense with worry.
The priestess observed him closely, thinking he seemed a little… off. It almost seemed like he was… afraid for her, but that was ludicrous, right? Sesshomaru, afraid? It was unheard of!
He exhaled sharply, shaking his head as he went on, "It is most illogical; our plan is sure to succeed."
Wanting to dispel some of the tension, she gave him a friendly swat on the arm. He lifted a brow at the action, but remained otherwise unaffected. Sighing, she told him, "I'll be fine, Sesshomaru! Though I'm beginning to worry about you; you're not your usual, stone-faced self. If you're not careful, people might start to think you've developed a soft spot for me."
He stared intently down at her, hoping his silence would speak for him. It didn't take her long to pick up his meaning, blue eyes widening in shock.
Kagome gawked, unable to believe what was happening. He couldn't possibly mean…
He heard her pulse accelerate, her lips parting as she made to say something. He silenced her with a single, clawed finger, and – bending – pressed a kiss to her lips, cradling the back of her head in his wide palm as he pulled her against him. Sesshomaru had never told anyone he cared about them before, he wasn't really sure he knew how to do something like that. So he poured every ounce of his passion for this woman into his kiss, needing her to understand.
She shook in his grasp, tiny hands fisting in his clothing. For countless minutes he held her, savoring the taste and smell of her, the way she fit perfectly against his larger frame. Slowly, reluctantly, the daiyoukai pulled away, looking down into her flushed, enchanting face as he whispered, "What have you done to me?"
Kagome shook her head. "What have I done to you?"
He huffed; it sounded something like a laugh. "I am not entirely aware of that answer myself."
He brushed a knuckle over her cheek, pushing a stray lock of her midnight locks back behind her ear. "I only wish I had more time, so that I could show you everything I'm feeling… that which cannot be explained in words."
The priestess felt her heart pounding behind her ribs, uncertain of how to respond. All this time she'd been telling herself that she could never have a future with someone like Sesshomaru, that he would never want a future with someone like her. Now that he stood before her, soul bared and vulnerable, she didn't know what to say.
'Well… how do you feel about him?' she asked herself. He was still staring down at her, tensed as though waiting for her to respond. It didn't take more than a moment of gazing into his golden eyes for the answer to come to her, warmth blossoming in her chest. 'I guess… all that's left to do is give him the reassurance he's looking for.'
She rose up on her toes, softly brushing her lips over his.
Her touch was light, ghosting over his flesh for only a second. It was all the confirmation he needed. Bending further still, he wound an arm beneath her backside and lifted her from the ground, hauling her up and against his chest – ever mindful of his armor. The kiss was long and slow, deep and ardent, more sensual than anything he'd ever experienced before.
Was this what his father had left for Inuyasha's mother? An inexplicable draw to be near her, to hold her and never let her go? He couldn't have resisted had he wanted to, though he most certainly did not want to. The sensation felt too good, to right to ignore or deny, and he was not the type to deny himself what he wanted.
They parted, the priestess panting as he held her aloft, her lovely face hovering just over his. She touched his cheek with her small hand, fingers tracing the curve of his jaw before following the ridge of his ear.
He watched her as she caressed him, thinking on the past and his sire's untimely demise. He vowed to himself again that the past would not repeat itself, that he would not make his father's mistakes. No… he would learn from those mistakes, use them to ensure that he did things properly, so that she was never put in such a vulnerable position. He would protect her.
"No harm shall come to you, this I swear."
She smiled down at him, about to say something when a small cough caught her attention. Blushing furiously, her eyes shot to their audience, Akimitsu regarding the pair with a knowing look.
Sesshomaru glowered, not having heard or felt the kitsune approach. 'Troublesome fox.'
The dog demon set Kagome down gently, never taking his eyes off the wily youkai. He merely smiled cheekily, producing a charm from seemingly nowhere. He offered it up for the daiyoukai's inspection. "Does it meet your standards, Lord Sesshomaru?"
The inu took the proffered item, inspecting it closely. It appeared unassuming enough, small and plain, the simple charm hung on a thin cord. "It works as I specified?"
Akimitsu nodded, explaining, "It only needs to be worn for the effects to take hold."
Turning to the miko, Sesshomaru presented her with the charm, instructing, "Do not put it on until we are ready to set the plan into motion."
She nodded, tucking it carefully away in her pocket before smiling at the kitsune. "Thank you so much for all of your help, Akimitsu."
"I will do my best to assist you, Lady Kagome."
"We depart," the daiyoukai commanded. "Naraku grows ever nearer."
The priestess moved closer to him, and he wrapped an arm around her middle. "You know what you must do, fox?"
The crimson-haired demon nodded, sly grin curving mouth.
The inu lord manifested his youki, encasing himself and the priestess within his orb once more. Wasting no time, he launched skyward, knowing Akimitsu could keep up; kitsune of such caliber were never slow. He clung tightly to his passenger, racing toward their comrades.
To the east, the approaching darkness swelled, just visible along the horizon. It hung in the air like a thick, black cloud, rolling and churning as it loomed. Sesshomaru's strained to control himself, his bestial nature struggling to be unleashed. His instincts clamoured within him, demanding he destroy the one who would threaten those dear to him.
'Soon,' he promised himself with vicious certainty, thoughts of his massive fangs piercing the hanyou's false body seemingly enough to calm him. Come the morrow, his adversary would be no more, and this war would finally be over.
Shorter than the others I posted recently, but they can't all be that long!
One step closer to the end of their hard-fought battle! Hoorah! Tell me what you thought?!