Everything's Changed Part I

Kagome knelt beside Sesshomaru, worried.

After he'd fainted, which had been hours ago, she had been unable to wake him. Perhaps that was a good thing. She had been doubtful that he would have been able to get them very far when Sesshomaru had tried to take them away from the manor before Onigumo had stopped them. Now, hours later, she was actually glad that they had remained. Although she was sad about Onigumo's death, Kagome could not—refused—to blame the Inugami for killing the bandit, not after Onigumo had tried to kill them first.

She hated all the senseless deaths and bloodshed, but she'd come to learn that sometimes it was a necessary evil when one was forced to defend oneself and others. In her naivety, once upon a time Kagome had never condoned the murdering of another human being for any reason. However, on the other hand she'd been raised on the belief that it was a priestess' duty to eradicate evil spirits and demons terrorizing and killing humans.

That was why she'd been so horrified and uneasy when Sesshomaru had first told her that he would kill the bandits for taking everything from her. She was no man's judge and executioner, but she was a miko, and that meant that she was a demon's executioner.

Now she realized that she'd been close-minded and foolish. No, she still knew that Sesshomaru had been wrong to slaughter the bandits who had destroyed her village, but after Onigumo's death, she remembered the first time that she'd met Sesshomaru. He'd killed for her then, too. He'd defended her, protected her. Kagome hadn't condemned him then because she'd realized that. She also understood that he'd killed Onigumo for the very same reason. He'd even taken the arrow meant to kill her in his back.

No, it wasn't right for a man—or woman—to kill another, but when you were defending yourself or protecting another, then it wasn't murder. On some level of her subconscious, she'd always understood that but had never been consciously aware of the concept before. Killing humans was wrong, and that's all she'd ever really thought about the subject.

And those bandits Sesshomaru had slaughtered, Onigumo's men… They had been marching upon another village right before Sesshomaru had stepped in their path. Sesshomaru's aim had not been honorable. He'd only wanted to spill blood to show her what revenge felt like, looked like. His lesson had failed. She hadn't been alright with it. And she'd been too busy judging Sesshomaru, too consumed with horror, that she'd been blind.

Sesshomaru had saved that village. Just like when she'd been attacked at the Inu no Kami's shrine, Sesshomaru had protected the village from death and destruction.

While her mind whirled with self-realizations, Kagome had quickly and efficiently removed the arrow from Sesshomaru's back. She'd been fearful of hurting him further, but he never woke. She needed to stop the bleeding. Already there was a pool of blood growing in an ever widening circle beneath him. She needed medicine or herbs to make it. How did one go about treating a demon's wounds?

She'd decided to treat him like she would a human. Surely it was close to the same thing?

Sesshomaru was dead weight as she struggled to remove both of his haori. In the end, she'd had to use one of her arrow heads to cut the fabric away from his body. She'd gasped, horrified anew when his wounds were revealed to her. The one on his chest worried her the most. He was breathing strangely, so leaning down, Kagome put her ear close to his chest, and heard his lungs raddling. Blood was filling his lungs, possibly slowly drowning him at that very minute. Worse, at least one might be punctured and deflated.

A life threatening wound for a human. She just hoped his demonic healing was swift and repaired the damage. He'd said he wouldn't die from this, right? She hadn't heard him wrong, had she?

After that, Kagome had forcefully compartmentalized her feelings in the back of her mind and focused on stopping the bleeding. She removed her outer haori and used the arrow head to cut our a few squares and long strips. Sesshomaru was heavy, so placing the padded squares over all his wounds front and back and winding the stripes around his chest was an arduous task. In the end, she'd propped his upper body against her own and clumsily put the squares in place and bandaged him. No simple task. His weight had almost toppled her over twice, and once she'd almost dropped him.

When she was finished, blood was already soaking through the bandages in many places, and she was covered in the crimson substances, even her hakama when it had soaked up the cooling fluid in the pool she knelt in.

She needed supplies, medicine, rags, and water—a lot of it. She hadn't wanted to leave Sesshomaru's side for even a second, but after laboriously rolling him onto his side in hopes that whatever blood was in his throat would spill out of his mouth and not drown him and maybe he would breathe easier without the weight of his body pressing down on his lungs, she left the room.

Ignoring the two dead bodies, Kagome had searched the manor. Though it looked to be abandoned, it didn't seem to be ransacked, so when she finally stumbled upon the kitchen, she found herbs she could use to make ointment with and in case Sesshomaru had a fever or infection. She even found a bucket. A basket was filled with supplies, and Kagome went back for Sesshomaru. Following his aura, though it was pretty weak right now, she returned without too much trouble.

What felt like hours later, Kagome had ground the various herbs into an ointment or powder, went outside to collect the rain water in the bucket she'd found, washed the blood from Sesshomaru's body, his wounds, and rewrapped his chest and shoulder with what was left of her shredded haori.

She was weary, but there were still things to do. She'd found the futon she'd woken up on earlier and moved everything to Sesshomaru before painstakingly moving him on the bed and covering him with the large kimono. Next, Kagome had removed Tatsuo's three haori to be used as bandages and cooling rags later, grimacing the whole time. Afterwards, she'd tried to drag the dead bodies out of the room…and failed. They were too heavy, so with a weary sigh, she was forced to let them remain in the room to grow colder and stiff while she looked after Sesshomaru.

While Sesshomaru rested, Kagome cleaned up the blood coating her flesh but since the rain had finally stopped, she was unable to wash her blood crusted clothes, wanting to save her last bucked of water for Sesshomaru. There was also a half full pitcher of water with an empty cup beside it. Every so often, she'd force water down his throat as well as the powder she'd made to fight off the fever that raged through his body.

His face was flushed though his body trembled as if he were cold, and he was sweating profusely. Kagome had already been forced to locate another blanket for him since the first one had been damp from his sweat. Hoping to cool him off, Kagome lowered his blanket, exposing his chest to the cool air. His shivering increased, worrying her, but she had to do something. At least his injuries weren't festering, no infection seeped out of his wounds whenever she would check, just to be sure. Next, Kagome dipped her rag into the bucket of water, wrung it out, and dabbed at his forehead.

Surprisingly, his eyes cracked open.

Gasping softly, she removed the rag and bent closer to him. Lifting a hand to his cheek, she stroked his heated flesh tenderly, meeting his feverish amber gaze.

"Sesshomaru? How are you feeling?" she asked in a low, worried voice.

You're alive..?

Kagome frowned. "Of course I am. Why would you think..?"

He closed his eyes and turned his cheek into her hand, nuzzled her palm.

I saw you die…many times. Were they dreams? Or…is this a dream?

Kagome stopped breathing for a second at his admission. He'd been dreaming of her? Gazing into his eyes when he opened them to regard her again questioningly, she knew that he was delirious with fever.

Tenderness made her worry relax somewhat. She stroked his cheek again. He seemed to like that.

"This is no dream. You saved me," she told him softly.

His chest rose and fell heavily on a sigh—of relief?

I thought I had failed you, over and over again.

"Why is it so important to you that I live?"

Can't bear the thought of you dying, was his only answer, but Kagome had to know more, to understand. She still couldn't understand why he hadn't killed her when he'd thought she was past saving when Tatsuo had placed his magic on her, amplifying her negative feelings, or why he'd taken the blow that would have killed her, possibly dying in her stead.

His actions were contrary to everything she thought she knew about him. Sesshomaru was a self-serving demon bent on corrupting her, or so she'd thought. He cared nothing for human life, and yet he hadn't taken hers, had in fact preserved it. He was selfish, but he'd been willing to sacrifice his life for her.

Why?

It was probably wrong of her to take advantage of his sick state, but she doubted he'd be truthful any other time. So with no little guilt, she questioned him gently, while soothing his heated flesh with the rag.

"Because you still wish to change me, to corrupt me?"

He shook his head wearily. I stopped wanting that a while back.

Her heart pounded at his admission.

"Then why did you remain by my side if you no longer wanted it so?"

You are special. A gem. My gem, and I wanted to keep you for myself.

She had no idea what he meant by that, but hearing that Sesshomaru had stopped trying to corrupt her because he thought her special eased her resentment even further. But it wasn't enough. It sounded more like possessiveness than a confession of affection.

Before questioning him further, she put her arm beneath his head and gently lifted him so he could take a few sips of water. Afterwards, she went back to wiping the rag over his upper body exposed by his bandages. Luckily, he'd finally stopped bleeding, but he was far from healed, she knew. Still, he hadn't died and seemed to be on the mend despite the fever plaguing him. Thank goodness he wasn't a mortal man, or he probably would have died long ago.

"Is that why you couldn't kill me?"

Sesshomaru's eyes closed, and at first she thought he'd gone back to sleep, until she heard his voice whispering in her mind again.

Yes. No. I'm not sure…

She remembered what Tatsuo had said during the fight, that Onigumo had claimed…

"Do you…care for me?"

She'd been about to say 'love' but quickly changed her mind. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear him deny it again with such contempt.

I was so blind to my feelings for you.

"What…are your feelings?" she asked, barely breathing, waiting for his answer.

You cried a lot, too damn much actually, but I helped caused them.

What kind of answer was that? But she didn't interrupt him when he continued speaking.

Even after all the cruel things I had done and said to you, you would still look at me kindly and smile. After all of that, you still tried to see the good inside of me even though I didn't think there was any to find.

He cracked his lids open again, amber meeting her rapt stare.

You once told me that no one could love such a selfish being as me. But you seemed to accept me the way I am regardless.

When had she..? Oh, now she remembered. She'd flung those words at him after he'd killed all but Onigumo, when he'd tried to…

Is this love, Kagome?

Kagome frowned in confusion, not understanding. "What?"

I think about you all the time. Though you've aggravated me to the point of madness on many occasions, I couldn't get you off my mind. I was jealous of Onigumo, hated the thought of any male near you, and I want you to smile only at me. I want to hold you, not just to rut, but fall asleep with you in my arms and wake with you there, always.

"Sesshomaru…" she breathed his name, unable to form a coherent thought after his confession.

I thought it was…obsession, but when Onigumo tried to kill you… No, my feelings go beyond that. They are hectic and confusing. …Is this love?

Before she could swallow the emotions clogging her throat and answer, he'd closed his eyes again, his breathing becoming more relaxed, and she realized that he'd fallen asleep again. She brushed his sweat damp hair off his cheek. Would he remember this conversation when he was better? Or would he deny everything and claim it was the ravings of a feverish man? Had he spoken truthfully?

He'd never said anything so…kind to her before. Did he love her? After what he'd told her, it was…possible. Very possible, and realizing that made her heart flutter.

Had she been wrong about him? When she'd thought that he'd manipulated her feelings for him, she'd been filled with such anger, but if what he said was true, he'd also been ensnared—by her. She'd been so confused by her growing feelings towards Sesshomaru that she hadn't stopped to think that he might be feeling the same and been just as confused. She'd never been in love before, but neither had he.

A small grin spread over her lips as she realized they were much like children fumbling around, trying to understand things that were new to them.

Hours ago, when she'd noticed that he'd stopped bleeding and probably—hopefully—lived, she'd been dead set on distancing herself from him, to find Kikyo on her own if she had to. Now?

She didn't know.

Sesshomaru had still lied to her about many things, important things. Though he seemed to care deeply for her, he hadn't said he was sorry.

Could she forgive him knowing that they had probably fallen in love with each other, no matter how reluctantly?

"Why can't you be more open and honest when you're not sick?" she asked on a sigh, knowing he was incapable of answering, oblivious to the world.

"Kagome."

The woman jerked awake, having somehow fallen asleep in a kneeling position beside him, amusing Sesshomaru enough to crack a small grin. He'd just woken up to the stench of blood and corpses—most of the blood his own. Before he'd spoken, waking his living companion, memory of their battle returned. He knew not what day it was, how long they'd been there, but going by the smell of Tatsuo's and Onigumo's dead bodies, he judged it had been at least a few days…and he had no memory of them.

The last thing he recalled was saving Kagome from the arrow aimed for her head and taking Onigumo's head off for trying to harm her. A life for a life.

Looking into her worried, brown eyes, he wondered if she blamed him for taking Onigumo's life, hated him. If she didn't hate him for killing the bandit, he had no doubt that she despised him for all the lies he'd told her.

Even as she asked him if he were alright, his heart sped up a few paces at the memory of her being angry at him most of all for making her care for him. Did she still harbor affection for him, or had all his lies replaced her feelings with hatred? If so, he could not see any anger in her eyes directed towards him. A good sign? Surely if she had ill feelings for him, she wouldn't still be here, and going by the bandages around his chest, she'd done her best to aid in his recovery.

Until he remembered that she'd helped Onigumo as well, though she had no love for the bandit. The thought killed what little hope he had that she still cared for him, even a little. And it was all his fault. The knowledge of that tasted bitter on his parched tongue.

"Water, please," he answered.

While she reached for the small cup beside her, he anchored his elbows behind him, and sat up, almost groaning at the soreness of his body. He was not completely healed, but given another day or two, he would be at full strength again.

"Should you be sitting up?" she asked him in a low voice, even as she offered him the cup.

He took it from her and drank deeply before answering.

At first his natural response would be anything but serious and truthful, more mockery of her concern, but Sesshomaru quickly bit his tongue before such caustic words could spill forth. For her, he tried to be a little more truthful, a little les condescending, to make up for all the lies he'd fed her in the past. Though, he wasn't completely sure any manner of truth saying from him now would rectify his past lies. Still, he had to try…

"I am well enough to get off this floor. The tightness I feel should loosen after stretching my body."

The scent of his sweat was strong, almost causing his nose to crinkle in distaste that he'd reek to such a degree. And the old blood was not helping either—his or the corpses so near.

"A hot bath would be better," he said more to himself than to her. "You would do well with one, too. I seem to have bled all over you."

"There's a bath farther in the manor. I can show you…" she said hesitantly.

She was strangely quiet and aloof, which was very different from her animated personality he'd become used to. A bad sign?

Instead of answering right away, he turned his gaze to Kagome's face as he set the cup aside. Leaning towards her, he experimentally reached for her, wondering if she'd deny his touch. But no. As soon as he cupped the side of her head in his left hand, she leaned towards him ever so slightly and closed her eyes, a small sigh easing the tension in her body. Her easy acceptance of his touch after her previous resentment during their battle tightened his chest, made him yearn for the liberties she allowed him before. To touch her, dragging her under him, possessing her body. He craved that physical closeness not because lust had him in its grasp, but because he wanted closer to her. To be inside her was as close as two beings could get, and he wanted nearer than even that.

However, he did not press for more contact. A part of him shed away from the thought that she might refuse his advance for closeness, believing he only wanted sex from her. That couldn't be further from the truth, but how was he to tell her? He'd never felt this way before. He was having a hard time accepting them but found it impossible to voice his emotional need to experience that oneness with her.

And if he did tell her and she still denied him? Sesshomaru didn't think he could live with the wound that rejection would cause him.

"Yes, show me," he murmured, regretfully lowering his hand.

His eyes settled on the bruise near the corner of her mouth as they stood, remembering that he'd been the one to give it to her. It was an ugly black and blue and large, damn near covering one side of her jaw. He wanted to reach out and touch the mark, to apologize for giving it to her, but he did not. She'd attacked him, dammit. He'd only ben defending himself. That knowledge did not ease the guilt he felt. He was not accustomed to feeling any such thing, but he felt it now, and hated it, hated how weak she made him feel.

Regardless, he could not fully resent her for bringing these emotions out of him.

Walking stiffly beside her, Sesshomaru grimaced as he felt his blood crusted clothes scrape his flesh, chafing him, and he desperately wanted new clothes. Before they reached their destination, he halted her with a hand on her shoulder. Kagome turned to gaze at him inquisitively.

"We need new garments," was all he said.

Though confusion pinched her face, she did not question him as he waved his arm, summoning his minion with just a thought. The little, green imp appeared a second later, unable to fight against his call once it had been made. Not that Jaken would attempt to fight his summons, the groveling toad.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Jaken cried, elation splitting his lips into a smile, looking more grotesque than anything with that beak of his. And the small creature fell to his knees in a deep bow.

Kagome leaned against his shoulder, whispering, "I didn't know you're a lord."

"I'm not, but I out rank him."

Though that went without saying. The imp was weak, a very low class demon, but he had his uses. One of which he would not be mentioning to the miko, since he had commissioned Jaken to throw a boy into the river as a means of distraction as he sought to have Onigumo murdered that first time. She was already unhappy with him. No need to add to the flames.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru intoned in a commanding voice, halting the imp's groveling mid-sentence. "The miko and I require adequate clothing. Hakama and haori for the miko as well. No cumbersome kimono."

Sesshomaru didn't give Jaken time to reply, but waved his arm, depositing his minion into the market place in the spirit world. When their clothes were purchased, all Jaken had to do was call out his name, and Sesshomaru would bring him to them again.

Kagome began to lead him towards the promised bath once more without a word. Long minutes later with a heavy silence Sesshomaru found uncomfortable with all that was left unsaid between them, they arrived to a large room. The floor was marble tiles, the walls thick rock with a high ceiling, shelves lined one wall with folded towels and other cleaning supplies, and in the center of the room was two large baths, steam rising from the water. Obviously, there was a hot spring underneath the manor's structure, feeding the pools, keeping them heated.

Sesshomaru could already feel his muscles beginning to unknot at the promise of soaking in hot water. But first, he had to walk behind the available screen and scrub the blood and sweat from his body. As he walked behind one of the two screens, he called over his shoulder before thinking over his words.

"There's plenty of room if you wish to bathe as well, Kagome."

Halting behind his screen, he stiffened at his unconscious words. While he thought nothing of sharing a bath together, and there were two pools if Kagome didn't want to share one with him, he belatedly realized that the intimacies they'd once shared were probably long gone.

He waited for her denial and for her steps to leave the room to give him the privacy he did not crave, but instead, Kagome surprised him when he heard her approach him from behind. Ignoring her, trying to regain some measure of calm to the hectic emotions plaguing him ever since he woke, Sesshomaru used his claws and began shredding his blood spotted bandages he recognized as stripes of her outer haori.

His heart beat heavily the closer she got, but no, she did not round the screen but continued forward silently to one of the shelves. As Sesshomaru was forced to rip some of the fabric from his chest, the blood making it stick to his flesh where his wounds had once been, he listened intently for her. Water lapped. Had she gotten in a pool? He didn't think so. He hadn't heard her undress. Then she was walking towards him again. He thought she would walk by his screen again, but she surprised him and stood before him.

He stared at her, but she wasn't looking at him. He watched while she put down the bucket of steaming water she'd gotten from the pool, a rag hanging from the lip, before staring up at him. Normally when she took in his bare chest, she'd blush but stare, her scent instantly heightening, becoming aroused. This time was notably different. Though her eyes roved over his exposed body, no flush spreading across her cheeks, her gaze didn't dart away then back in embarrassed curiosity, there was no lust in her eyes, and most disconcerting was that her scent remained the same, unaroused.

Did Kagome no longer desire him? In the past, if he'd had any doubt about her feelings for him, he'd at least been reassured that she desired him. Now? Had her hate killed off her attraction for his body as well? The thought made his heart drop, and any lustful ideas he might have had at any other time with fantasies of washing each other, bathing together, and sharing a sexual interlude died a swift death.

Her lack of desire easily murdered any lustful stirrings in his body. Resentment rose, attempting to choke him. Sinister thoughts of forcing himself on the girl surfaced, attempting to cloud his judgment with a strong need to make Kagome remember how it felt between them when he touched her, when he was thrusting inside her. She'd responded to his touch every other time. This time would be no different. However, he did not go through with his dark thoughts. Even if he was able to force her body to respond to him, it was too much like rape for his liking.

Sesshomaru refused to take her. Never by force. He'd done many despicable things in the past—to her—but he was not going to add rape to his many sins. He was a bastard, but not a complete degenerate.

He opened his mouth to thank her for fetching the water for him and dismiss her briskly when her words had the sharp remark dying on his tongue.

"I'm sorry, Sesshomaru."

He blinked at her, not understanding why she was apologizing to him. It was only when she stepped up to him and placed her hand over the scar she'd given him on his left shoulder that comprehension dawned on him.

"The scars will disappear soon," he told her softly, his tone coming out gentle, surprising him.

Instead of answering, her hand shifted across his blood spattered chest, ignoring how the dry mess coated her hand, her fingers tracing the thin line where Tatsuo's sword had impaled him. She was sad. He could see it clearly on her face. Was she not angry then? Her compassionate heart must surely be drowning out any ill feelings she had to be harboring for him. A small respite. Once he was perfectly healed, the signs of his injuries fading into nothingness, would her kindness dry up as well? Would she leave him then?

Any tender feelings he felt at her show of compassion fled at the thought. She was obviously sorry and sad at the sight of his injuries, perhaps her heart softening to some degree that he'd saved her from that arrow, but her emotions changed constantly, and he feared she'd soon turn her back on him. Worse, scorn him.

But until then, Sesshomaru wanted to bask in her soft touch. It would undoubtedly be all over soon enough if he was unable to find a way to keep her by his side indefinitely.

"Do not blame yourself," he told her softly.

"Tatsuo may have been the one to give this to you, but it's also my fault. If I hadn't succumbed to the darkness inside me, this would never have happened." Her voice was equally soft. Neither of them seemingly wanted to talk louder than a whisper though they were alone. There was no one to hear them should they spoke louder, yet they did not.

What was he to say to reassure her that she was blameless in his eyes? Being blunt, perhaps.

Reaching up, he grasped the back of her hand and shifted her palm over the steady beat of his heart. When she looked up at him to meet his earnest gaze, he spoke. "I do not blame you. Not in the slightest. If you believe nothing else, at least believe that." Then he lifted his other hand and brushed her hair tenderly. "You fought off the darkness inside you. That took courage and strength. You are always surprising me, Kagome, always proving me wrong."

"I—I have?" she asked unsteadily.

Perhaps she could see the swirling emotions he could not voice in his eyes, was reacting to them. For her, he tried to speak of them, at least a little.

"I never agreed with many of your ideals, ridiculed your sentiments. I once thought you to be blind and naïve, but that is not the case. I was wrong. I am the one who was blind."

"About what?" she asked, and he could tell she was holding her breath, waiting for his answer. He heard her heart speed up, and he realized his answer was important to her.

It was hard, so very hard to say these things, for it left him weak and vulnerable for a verbal attack that could savage the heart he did not know he had. Now he realized just how much damage his condescending words had had on her, and he felt regret. A first for him, and he did not like it, did not like any of these feelings she brought out of him. Life had been so much easier without them—and bleak. He'd never noticed before how empty his life had been until now, thinking only of himself. Now there was Kagome, and he wanted her in his life, forever—desperately.

Perhaps he deserved her ridicule, for her to throw his words back in his face and feel her pain. Regardless, he would probably bite her head off if she dared.

"Love."

The word was wrenched out of him. There was more he wished to say but could not. It went against everything he'd once believed in, so admitting that he now believed in the sentiment was more than difficult.

Though he didn't elaborate, Kagome seemed to understand. Her expression softened, and dare he say became affectionate?

"You said it was a foolish human notion mistaken for lust."

"I was foolish to say so, and even more so to believe it."

Sesshomaru was thankful that she'd understood him, that she'd given him an easy way to express his feelings without making him actually saying the words. They were heavily implied, and she heard the silent message. Instead of ridiculing him, she smiled up at him, one of those soft smiles he'd rarely been given and hadn't appreciated until now.

The atmosphere around them seemed to lighten.

She gestured towards his hakama and boots. "Finish undressing. I'll help you clean the blood off."

She did not have to tell him twice. If she wanted to remain close to him, he was not about to tell her no. She took his swords when he removed them from his hip, and as she set them aside, he kicked off his bloody boots. As she turned back to him, he shamelessly untied the knot that held up his hakama, let gravity slide them down his thick thighs and muscular calves, and stepped out of it.

Her gaze darted away. At first he thought she was finally seeing him as a man again, but when she nudged the small, wooden stool closer, he thought otherwise, deflating. With a small, inward sigh, he sank gracefully onto the stool while Kagome took up bar and rag. She went out of view when she moved behind him. A few seconds later, his hair was picked up and gently settled over his shoulder before the soapy rag began moving along his upper back.

Though her touch was gentle, Kagome firmly and methodically scrubbed his back. The washing session was not as erotic as he'd wish, meaning it wasn't arousing in the slightest. She used long strokes without lingering, her touch precise and not even trying to arouse his senses.

A heavy weight settled over him as his fear of having lost her forever once again came to mind...until he felt her lips on his back. After washing his flesh, she'd tipped the bucket over his back and used some of its contents to rinse the suds off. When that was done, that's when he felt her lips on him.

The breath in his lungs froze there.

The wound she'd given him must have been scarred still as the ones on his chest, and she was kissing the mark. Then her lips moved between his shoulder blades, lightly kissing the scar tissue from Onigumo's arrow.

"You were so brave," she told him. "You saved my life again." Then her fingerstips brushed down his vertebrae, nails scraping his flesh. Was she trying to arouse him? At the thought, his cock stirred for the first time since waking. "I haven't thanked you yet this time."

"I did not do it with the intention to be praised," he said, swallowing thickly.

"Regardless, thank you," she murmured in his ear, his blood heating at her proximity.

Her lips went to the scar that Tatsuo had given him. Then she stood and walked around him. It was the most natural thing in the world to spread his knees wider and let her step between them. His erection hardened further at her position, and when she knelt between his thighs, he thickened to a full blown erection, his shaft standing at attention between them.

Again she moved his hair to fall over his clean back. The gaze she leveled on him as she peeked up at him from under her lashes told him she knew what her closeness was doing to him, her scent telling him that she liked the sight of him thusly, reacted to him. Her arousal filtered to his nose, light but heady. He had to clench his hands around his knees to stop himself from grabbing her.

She'd offered to wash him, not slake either of their lust, and he would not touch her unless she asked him to. Restraining himself was not easy when he knew that Kagome desired him, especially when she began washing his shoulders and chest. However, her scrubbing was the same as when she'd washed his back, methodical and precise. He wanted to sigh in disappointment.

But like before, after washing his chest and arms, even his hands and between his clawed fingers, she rinsed the suds away and leaned in to kiss his scars. But this time was slightly different. Her tongue traced the thin line where Tatsuo's blade had pierced him. His next exhalation was rough, his heart pounding, blood rushing in his ears as the sexual tension in him built. She had to be doing this on purpose. Was this some kind of punishment? To torture him with things he could not have?

The idea should have angered him. Instead, he derived a twisted sort of pleasure out of the idea that Kagome would seduce him yet deny him satisfaction in the end. He must have gone mad from lack of blood to his head when it all went rushing down south.

"You're very beautiful, Sesshomaru," she whispered to him. "With muscles so hard I want to sink my teeth in them."

His heart damn near stopped at her erotic words. Oh, he was hard all right. His shaft pulsed. If he'd had any doubts that she was trying to arouse him, they were put to rest. She was and he didn't know why. Her wantonness surprised him, for she'd never verbally teased him before. He liked it, more than liked it, actually.

Unable to help himself, though he'd told himself not to physically or verbally respond to her sexual assault on his senses, he spoke, his voice rough, heavily laced with lust.

"There's a specific part of me that's hard for you alone right now."

Brown eyes sought his with a sultry look of feminine knowledge and something more. Without answering his comment, she stood and took a step back. He thought she meant to leave him then, but all she did was pick up her bucket, walk around the screen to refile it, and come right back. His long legs were washed next. His thighs twitched when the rag moved across them, his cock jerked towards her for similar attention, but she ignored his erection—though she couldn't possibly miss it—and washed his calves and feet.

When she rinsed the suds off, he thought she'd stop then and there, but she did not. Kagome looked him straight in the eyes as she grabbed him, her hand wet, her hold tight as she wrapped her fingers around his shaft. A groan was wrenched out of him when she tightened her fist, border lining pain, yet only adding to his pleasure.

"This will have to wait," she purred at him, stroking him slowly, making him sweat. "I have to wash your hair, first."

Releasing him, she moved behind him once more, and Sesshomaru heaved a heavy breath. Did her words imply what he thought they did? His cock ached at the thought of being incased within her moist depths, a bead of precum weeping from the slit in a silent plea.

"Close your eyes," she murmured in his ear, before dumping the hot water on his head, wetting his hair. Then her fingers were sifting through his long mane, soaping his hair, her nails scraping along his scalp. It took long minutes to wash. Kagome had to rinse his hair twice between washes to get all the blood out. And all the while his erection remained in eager anticipation, while Kagome's scent remained aroused.

The waiting was torture, the not knowing if there was more to come even more so.

The rustling of clothing behind him got his attention, but then he wrote that off as Kagome probably picking up his discarded garments. Seconds later when he was about to stand, thinking she was finished washing with—arousing him more like—her hand fell on his shoulder, halting him.

"Now you can wash me."

Had he heard right? Turning his head to look at the miko who stood at his side, her naked breasts were at eye level. Her pink nipples were already hard, but when he saw the dried, crusted blood painted on her flesh, his ardor cooled slightly, though his erection remained. His blood. Once upon a time, he'd wanted to fuck her when her body was covered with blood. Now? At the reality of it at this point in time when he'd come to love her, it did not arouse him in the slightest. In fact, it had the opposite effect, making him want to cleanse the brown stains away.

Instantly he was on his feet, and with a hand on her arm, he gently deposited her on the stool he'd just vacated. Unlike her, he started at her front, where she instantly spread her knees to allow him to kneel before her. Though it was harder than he'd thought it would be, his touch was as straight to the point as hers had been. His need to wash his blood off her person helped him control himself.

Though his touch was not meant to arouse, he did not hesitate to wash her breasts, swiping the rag around her generous swells, dipped between her cleavage and moved on to her flat stomach. It was impossible to miss how her breathing turned heavy or the tension in her body when he refused to linger. Knowing he could return the favor and torture her as she had done to him was satisfying, but he was sure not to show it.

He washed her arms next, then her legs, before soaping up his hand. Meeting her lust glazed eyes though they were soft from some unnamed emotion, he stared heatedly at her as he used his bare hand to wash her sex. Her core was scorching hot and weeping for him. The evidence of her need for him made his palm slick, but like her, he merely gave her a taste of his touch, and quickly redrew his hand. He rinsed the suds away and offered her a few, small kisses of his own, one on each puckered nipple, before withdrawing to her back.

Kagome trembled as he settled behind her and started scrubbing her back. Her hair was next and it didn't take nearly as long to wash as his had been. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, Sesshomaru stood and moved to stand before her decisively, reaching out his hand for her to take. What he was silently asking of her was in his eyes, and she stared back at him for a moment, before standing and taking his hand, her answer clear.