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Rin sat patiently as Jaken fumbled with the bandages. Leigh had her face buried in the pillow, her fingers curling tightly around the edges fearing pain. The cut was nearly gone, the edges had healed nicely and were the light pink of new skin, while the center and more deep part of the cut was still closing. Very little was left of the scab but it needed careful attention to keep from infection as it was very dangerous to infect a back wound.
"It looks good. Yes very good. Lord Sesshomaru will be pleased." Jaken muttered as he pulled the last of the bandages off.
"I'll get the poultice!" Rin said buoyantly.
Leigh didn't acknowledge either of her nurses. She simply kept her mind off the slight itching sensation from the scab and away from thoughts of Sesshomaru since all that did was make her blush. She felt the cold of the slim sliding over her skin and it made her shiver. The tiny hands worked efficiently and quickly, barely caressing Leigh's skin. Rin had gotten quite good at applying the medicine to Leigh's wounds and had learned how not to inflict pain on her patient.
"Do you think you could play with me today?" Rin asked quietly, praying for a yes.
"It doesn't hurt, so I don't see why not. I'll just have to be careful not to rip the scab off again." Leigh teased, earlier on that week Rin had been rough housing and Leigh's wound had opened bleeding anew.
"I promise to be good. Nothing too dangerous!" Rin said smiling washing her hands as Jaken wrapped Leigh up again in clean cloths.
"I don't think there is any worry of that happening. This wound should be almost completely gone by dinner tonight thanks to Lord Sesshomaru's poultice." Jaken said distantly, almost to himself.
"Well that's good." Leigh said bitterly thinking of the man who had healed her.
"Oh Lord Sesshomaru isn't so bad once you get to know him!" Rin pleaded sensing Leigh's unhappiness with her master.
"He's been all but too generous with you, if you ask me." Jaken spat.
"How so!" Leigh said indignantly, "By spying on me change? By being rude? Please explain yourself Jaken."
"He's fed, clothed and healed you when for most others he would have left for dead." Jaken said stepping back as Leigh sat up to re-dress.
"OH yes… he's clothed me… after he burned my clothes! Besides these kimonos are simply leftovers. I'm sure he would have had no problem letting me walk around practically naked with what he left me of my original clothing."
"Leftovers? Why you must be mistaken." Jaken said looking intently at Leigh's face, "Lord Sesshomaru has never had another lady in his house, not even his own mother. He had these commissioned especially for you."
"Excuse me!" Leigh said shock fluttering threw her like a tidal wave.
"Oh yes!" Rin spoke up, "I went with him when he had them made. I got to pick out some of the colors. Didn't he do a splendid job? They fit you so wonderfully."
And they certainly did. How could such a bastard have taken the time to do something so out of character and genuinely sweet? And how did he know her measurements so exactly from seeing her naked once, while she was unconscious nonetheless? Her mind spun with this new information making her stomach flip. Could it be possible these dresses were an apology for undressing her without her knowledge? That had to be it, this was a different time period, demon or not, men had morals and a code by which they were supposed to treat women. Reluctantly Leigh concluded that a thank you was in order, after play time with Rin.
They played in the pond for a while catching and releasing the fish, chasing after frogs and splashing each other playfully. Leigh had begun to teach Rin how to swim in the deeper parts of the pond, starting with the basics of doggy paddling and floating. The young girl was a quick learner and was able and comfortable to place her head under water with very little fussing. To dry off the two girls laid on the hot stone path and let the sun warm them. They picnicked under the blossom trees with Jaken grumpily standing by as the girls dressed him in garlands and crowns of flowers. Sesshomaru watched from afar laughing to himself as they convinced Jaken to participate in a game of hide and seek. The grumpy imp obliged but was terrible at grasping the concept of the game and lost more than the other two. He watched as Leigh caught Rin behind a large tree, having a face off to see which direction Rin would run back to safety. Rin was cunning and faked one way and sprinted the other but she was no match for Leigh's long legs and was quickly over taken and scooped up laughing.
Leigh tired quickly however and the game was brought to a halt, excluding the hidden Jaken from this knowledge. For half an hour Leigh sat quietly playing with Rin's hair as the sun beat pleasantly down upon them in the open field. Suddenly a smiling Jaken bounced forward from the tall grasses startling them.
"I have won then have I not? You two quit the game because I was so well hidden. This makes me the champion of this seeking and hiding." Jaken smiled greedily.
Bewildered the companions looked at one another and came to a silent agreement, "Yes Jaken you won."
"I knew it! I knew I was the best hider. No one can find Jaken if he does not wish to be found!"
The girls giggled quietly as Jaken indulged himself in self praise. The day drew on and the sun dipped lower in the sky. By now most of the company was exhausted and ready to head in for supper. Rin sported a stylish up do with a halo of flowers and loose curls framing her face, while Leigh had a long loose braid draped down her back with blossoms tucked randomly into the center points of the braid.
Sesshomaru was waiting for them in the entrance way to the castle. His amber eyes bore into her blue ones making a faint flush creep up her cheeks and a warm sensation bubble in her stomach.
"Have a productive day out?" He addressed Rin with his eyes still holding Leigh's.
"Oh yes Lord Sesshomaru. Master Jaken is the champion of hide and seek. And see the pretty flowers Leigh has placed in my hair?"
"Yes… they are quite beautiful." He said still not looking away from Leigh, "Dinner is ready if you'd wash up and hurry along it should be all set by the time you are finished."
Dinner passed with relative ease. Rin talked most of the way through until exhaustion overwhelmed her and she fell asleep at her place. Sesshomaru excused himself and placed her in bed for the night. He returned moments later to continue the silent meal with Leigh.
Her nerves were on fire. She was hyper aware of everything going on around her and she could almost see all the different smells, and emotions swirling on the air. She was concentration so hard on her meal that she did not see the servant stumble before it was too late. The tray of plates went tumbling towards the floor. In a flash, instinct and reflex, Leigh caught the plates before they crashed, not spilling a drop. The poor servant looked scared to death, eyes darting from Leigh to Lord Sesshomaru.
"Take the plates from our guest and be on your way. Be more careful next time." Sesshomaru said from down the table his eyes flashing something deep and powerful.
"I… think I'd better go to bed. I'm very… tired." Leigh said cursing herself internally for letting her natural, demon reflexes take over her human instincts.
"That's quite alright." Sesshomaru said in an even voice, "No harm was done and that was an excellent display of latent talents."
"I… it's…" Stuttering she stood from the table panic filling her. The fight or flight instinct took over and flight was winning. He was beside her in a flash blocking her escape. Fight slowly pushed flight out of her mind and she could feel the powers of Midori pulsing through her.
He saw her eyes flicker to green gold. Slowly he reached out and touched her face trying to let her know he wasn't going to hurt her. He knew her instincts for fight or flight were bubbling over since she was still so young there was no way she knew just what to do with all the latent power.
The soft caress shocked her. His demonic aura was extremely strong and yet there was no threat from him that she could sense. She slowly pushed the flash of power deep with in her trying to extinguish the flame.
"So eager yet clearly not ready." Sesshomaru whispered to her, his hand still hard against her soft cheek.
"I don't…"
"Shh. It's alright. You must have forgotten that we've already met once. Long ago, before you gave my father his freedom."
"How could you… what?" Leigh said stepping back.
"I know you are Midori. We met almost three hundred years ago. I was still rather young but my father saw it pertinent to have me accompany him on business with you. You were also rather new to the earth yet had managed to gain control and respect from all the land based demons in less than a decade."
"I… don't really remember that far back." Leigh said quietly as flashes of distant memories flitted through her head. Some happy ones of laughter and play; others terrifying glimpses of battles, blood soaking the earth and dripping from her fingers.
"There must be something special about your family, that both you and your cousin would be the reincarnations of beings from this era."
"It could do with the fact that Midori and Kikyo were so closely linked in their deaths." Leigh said finally raising her eyes back to his.
"You don't have to worry, Leigh. My father respected Midori greatly and earned her trust and respect in turn. Through him I learned the proper way to uphold my opinion of you. While my family is no longer bound by duty to serve you, that does not mean I will expose you before you are ready. I can help you."
"Thank you…" Leigh said thinking how earlier this morning she was simply going to thank him for the dresses and now she owed him so much more, "How could you help me?"
"Train you to use your powers that your keeping locked up. Teach you how to fight and protect." Sesshomaru said stepping closer to her.
"Oh…" She muttered as the distance between them became almost non-existent, warmth spreading through her body and flush creeping up her cheeks.
"Help you unlock the key to releasing what's inside." His hand reached for her hair.
Leigh's knees shuttered and her heart raced. It felt so good to be so close to him, to feel the warmth of his hard, toned body next to hers. Yet she was scared, it felt wrong.
"I never thanked you for these lovely kimonos." Leigh managed to breath.
He felt her hesitation and pulled back his own desires. The last thing he wanted to do was force himself upon her. She was still young he reminded himself. Staring into her blue eyes he smiled slightly.
"I'm glad you like them, though I didn't think you'd find out that I had them made for you."
His crooked smile made her want to jump him, "I was pleasantly surprised by that news. If this is you way of apologizing for undressing me, you've been too generous but I accept it. No hard feelings."
He stared lopsided at the hand she had extended in a gesture camaraderie, "Well if they were an apology I would accept your polite gesture. But seeing as how I have nothing to apologize for I cannot accept."
Leigh was taken aback, "Nothing to apologize for? You saw me naked without my permission or knowledge! Aren't you feudal men supposed to have some code of ethics on that matter!"
"You needed healing I didn't have time to ask your permission, as for knowledge I didn't think it was pertinent to let you know who exactly healed you. I thought you would have been grateful for the hospitality nonetheless. And seeing as how I'm not a man I don't have to follow those guidelines. I do as I please."
"Why you arrogant bast…"
He put his money where his words were, planting a rough un-hindered kiss upon her still moving lips. She was tensed and angered and he could feel that through her lips. Soft as they were he felt her resistance. He deepened the kiss until he felt her exterior crack and acceptance wash over her. That's when he pulled away and stepped back. He would wait for her to come to him. He already knew he wanted her, now he needed to know she wanted him.
Wide eyed she stared back at him confusion and desperation swirling across her face.
"You see. I do as I please." He said and turned to leave.
"You had no right to do that!" Leigh finally managed to get out, cursing herself for sounding so breathless.
"Like I said, I do as I please." This time he continued out not waiting for her response.
A/N: Okay so i know it's taken me a bit longer to update but i really hope this was worth the wait. PLEASE send reviews! i'd love to know what you think! THANKS
