Stunned silence filled the space between the inus. Kagome touched her lips, her brow furrowing. Sesshomaru kissed her.
She glanced up, searching for any sort of explanation. Sesshomaru stared back. "Why?" Kagome bit her lip, tasting a difference, and she shivered. "I mean . . ." Words failed her.
Tired of her stuttering, Sesshomaru said again, "I do not want you to leave, Kagome. If the physical expression of such is not enough to make that clear to you, I fear nothing will."
Kagome took the words in, and frowned. "You told me you weren't a physical person. And all of the sudden you kiss me?" She paused, and sighed. "These mixed signals are not helping, Sesshomaru."
He frowned as well, and said with a dark tone, "You wanted me to express my feelings."
Kagome opened her mouth to say something, and stopped. She could still feel her lips tingling. Sesshomaru found her and went so far as to kiss her. She thought he would remain stubborn and ignore her until she came back. Kagome initiated everything between them so far.
To know that he cared enough to reverse the situation . . .
And it wasn't as if Sesshomaru was doing this simply to please her, or placate her. He was not that type of youkai. If he did or said anything, he meant it.
Kagome looked him in the eye. "You care about me, right?"
Sesshomaru eyed her suspiciously, and nodded. "I have stated as much."
Biting her lip, and tasting him there again, Kagome asked, "And you kissed me because . . . you feel a romantic attraction toward me?"
This made the daiyoukai pause, and look away. Kagome waited, shifting on her feet, for an answer. After a moment, he turned back to her, and said, "I have little experience with love. But, I am aware of lust and what it feels like. I did not kiss you as a result of this feeling." He paused again, and said, "I did so because I care for you, and wish you to remain by my side."
Before she could stop herself, Kagome said, "Would you be averse to kissing me again?"
And an even longer pause ensued. Kagome gulped as the silence encroached on them, Sesshomaru turning away once more to ponder.
The kiss had been an impulse decision. The moment he saw her, Sesshomaru felt his inner youkai push him toward it. His rational mind would never commit such an act without carefully weighing the consequences.
And yet. He remembered the feeling of the kiss, the ghost of her taste still present. He kissed women. When the heat hit the females and his lust reared its head, he ravished the noblewomen until they were not fit for court. But that side was hidden, something he dared not mention to anyone. And kissing was not something he considered doing outside of the heat.
Kagome clearly wanted to try it again. That much was obvious from her tone and body language. Any decent woman of this age would not have kissed a man willingly without a marriage, but he would bet Kagome, with her strange homeland, had kissed men before. The thought made him want to growl.
Did he want to kiss her again? Sesshomaru faced her, looking into the blue eyes. What he felt for her could not be love, not after such a short time. Perhaps, though, he could stand to give her more affection. The kiss was pleasant, that much could be said.
With a quick motion, he grabbed her waist, and planted another kiss on her lips. Kagome yelped, the sound muffled between their lips. Sesshomaru drew back, and cupped her face. "I am unused to kissing for the sake of emotion," he said, and tightened his fingers. "I believe I could grow to enjoy it."
Kagome blushed furiously, and pushed away, but the daiyoukai's arms held her tight. "S-Sesshomaru," she said, staring at his chest because she didn't dare look him in the eyes. "Warn me next time." Her heart pounded so hard, Kagome thought it might burst from her chest.
"Very well." His grip loosened, and Sesshomaru released her. "If all is forgiven, I suggest we return to our path. Lord Rei will be waiting for our arrival."
Still flushed, Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Lord Rei?"
"We need to discuss the situation concerning Naraku, with the other rulers." The thought made Sesshomaru think of their group, Rin and Hatori with Jaken and Ah-Un. "You will need to be introduced to the other lords as well, and this will be a well enough time for it."
"All right." Kagome touched her hair, running her fingers through it. She understood what Sesshomaru said, but her mind refused to move from the kiss. Such willingness from the stoic youkai was a shock.
Sesshomaru turned to leave. Kagome hesitated, and began to follow. As her mind cleared, and the meaning behind his words sunk in, she stopped, and said, "Wait."
The daiyoukai looked at her. "Yes?"
"I haven't told Kaede anything about this. She promised to train me with my powers." Not exactly the truth, but Kagome wouldn't leave the miko without so much as a word. "I don't want to leave before she's shown me anything."
Sesshomaru frowned, remembering the kit's words. The elder miko had not promised to teach Kagome, until she felt the need to return to Sesshomaru. But the tone of her voice spoke honesty. Kagome truly believed the elder would teach her. "Kagome, I recognize that your were upset about what happened with the village." Sesshomaru chose his words carefully. "However, the priority is handling the situation with Naraku."
"I'm not upset about the village," Kagome said with a huff. "I'm upset about the way you treated me afterward. And I need someone to teach me about my powers. Kaede is the one I trust to do that."
"I am able to teach you," Sesshomaru said. It felt almost typical, that returning with Kagome was not as simple as he hoped.
"Not about my miko abilities," Kagome countered. "I at least want to discuss this with Kaede." At Sesshomaru's frown, she added, "I understand the importance of destroying Naraku and taking steps toward that. But I need to be able to control my powers." She moved in front of him, and walked with intent down the path to the village.
Sesshomaru bared his teeth, and mentally sighed. Even flustered at his change in attitude, Kagome was stubborn. He followed, if only to make bringing her back easier.
A new scent filled the hut Sesshomaru had been to, though it was familiar. The scent of the old miko, coating the residence but stronger now that the woman returned. Along with it was the smell of the hanyou and Shippo.
Kagome pushed open the entrance, calling, "Hello, Kaede!"
Sesshomaru saw the elder through the door before opening it himself. His presence did not seem to disturb her, as she opened her arms to hug Kagome. "It is good to see you after a long day, child. I can tell you have been using your powers."
The words sounded strange, and Kagome tried to smile. "Ah, yes, I was practicing outside the village. I suppose you know who came to visit." Kagome turned, surprised to see Sesshomaru inside the hut rather than waiting outside.
"Mama, are we going back?" Shippo sat on the floor, eating stew with Hansha.
She touched Shippo lightly on the head. "We have to, I think. Lord Rei is waiting for us, to speak about the trouble with Naraku."
"And what about the training you wished to receive?" Hansha had spoken from her corner of the room.
Kagome glanced at Sesshomaru. He showed no emotion, but his fingers flexed. "If you feel I can be trained Kaede, I would like to do so." She bit her lip. "Naraku is the priority now, though. I've been able to grasp a few things about my powers on my own, so I should be all right."
Kaede raised an eyebrow. Kagome's vehemence to learn from her had not faded, but she kept exchanging glances with the daiyoukai. "Are you returning willingly, Kagome?"
Sesshomaru turned to the elder. Quite a rude question, considering he stood feet from her. Kaede gave him a look with her singular eye, no trace of fear in her face.
"Yes, of course," Kagome said. "We have to catch Naraku at any cost."
Kaede frowned at her, and turned to Sesshomaru again. "Lord Sesshomaru, how do you feel?"
"I agree with Kagome," Sesshomaru said quickly, though he wished he could treat her the same way he treated all humans. Kagome would surely abandon him again if he did so.
"I did not ask how you felt about Naraku," Kaede chastised. "If you allowed me to finish, you would have heard me ask, how do you feel about Kagome?"
Shippo visibly tensed, though the hanyou continued to eat obliviously. Sesshomaru looked at Kagome, who stared back.
Another rude question from the elder. Sesshomaru could refuse to answer and insist on leaving. Kagome would return with him. She knew catching Naraku was important. On the other hand . . .
"I care for Kagome," he said, deciding to answer honestly. "It is better for me to have her near."
Kagome eyes went wide. It was one thing to admit how he felt to her, which was an enormous step for the daiyoukai by itself. It was another entirely to say this to other people.
"And how do you feel, Kagome?" Kaede turned to her.
Kagome looked at Sesshomaru, searching his eyes. "I care about him as well," she said, unsure herself how much she meant it. "I didn't want to leave, really. It's just . . ."
Kaede gave her a soft smile. "I understand, child."
They stood for a long moment, no words between them. Kagome gulped, clenching her fingers. She didn't know what Kaede wanted to hear from her. "I wish we could have done something," Kagome finally said. "I didn't mean to come here and bother you for nothing."
"That is no concern to me," Kaede said, reaching up to ruffle Kagome's hair. Kagome giggled a bit, and smiled. "Child," Kaede said. "I enjoy your company, no matter what. And you said it yourself. You can learn about your powers on your own. Naraku is the priority." She looked at Sesshomaru. "As long as Lord Sesshomaru takes care of you, it matters not to me when and why you visit."
"Do not doubt my ability to care for my mate," Sesshomaru said, an edge to his voice.
"Never," Kaede answered. "If you wish to go, Kagome, that is fine with me. It was lovely to see you." She gave her another hug. Kagome returned it, still wishing she could have accomplished more while she was here.
"So we're going back?" Shippo dared to ask, finished with his meal. "Back to Rin and Hatori?"
"Yes." Kagome stepped closer to Sesshomaru. "Back to our family."
Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. Kagome smiled at him, sure to keep her distance. He frowned, and reached out, wrapping an arm around her waist. Kagome squealed, and braced herself against his chest as Sesshomaru pulled her to him.
"Back to our family," Sesshomaru repeated quietly. Shippo stared at them for a moment, before breaking into a grin.
()
Kyoko felt a chill in the house after they left. The trio were a change in routine, and she'd hoped they would stay longer than one night. Even the emotionless Lord Sesshomaru was interesting. Though, Kyoko thought, crooking her lips in a smirk, he did not appear so emotionless anymore. All the stories depicted him as a violent killer. All Kyoko saw of him in person was an admittedly strong youkai who cared for his mate.
And Kagome seemed to care for him as well. This was reassuring, considering her worries about returning with him. Whatever happened between them must have resolved their current issues. Kyoko sighed, putting away the dishes from dinner. Kaede insist they stay long enough to eat, and so Kagome had dinner with them before departing. Lord Sesshomaru refused to eat.
Thinking of the future mates, Kyoko touched her own stomach. The pup could not be felt just yet, but there was a firmness to her belly. Soon it would grow. If only Inuyasha were here to experience this with her.
She still felt awful about the situation. As much as Kyoko wanted Inuyasha with her, wished they could be true lovers the way she dreamed of when she was young, Kaede constantly reminded her that Kyoko had to see the reality. They bred when Kyoko was in heat. There was no emotional attachment.
The least Kyoko could hope for was that they remained friends. It would be difficult to care for a pup if Inuyasha resented her. As she finished cleaning up from the meal, Kyoko wished again that Inuyasha were here.
"You are deep in thought, Hansha."
The tiger hanyou looked up at the sound of her new nickname. Kaede was mixing herbs, crushing them under smooth stone to use as medicine. "Yes," Kyoko answered. No one could deny the truth from Kaede.
"If it is about Inuyasha again, I offer my advice that clinging to him will not bring what you desire." The elder miko stared at her with her single eye, that Kyoko felt could pierce someone's soul if Kaede wished.
"I know," Kyoko said, having heard the same advice multiple times. "I'm trying not to, but every time I think about the pup . . ." She trailed off, touching her stomach again.
"It is natural to worry for the pup," Kaede said. "But you are mostly worried for yourself. If you pine for someone's attentions too long, it can break your heart beyond repair. Kagome is an example of that."
"Is she?" Kyoko's ears perked. "I thought she was only with Sesshomaru recently."
Kaede shook her head, and said, "Kagome pined after Inuyasha for many years. Did he not tell you of his troubles with women?"
Kyoko remembered that day all too well. She brought Inuyasha sake as a thank you for helping her hunt, and they got hopelessly drunk together. Inuyasha spilled everything about his love life. "Yes," Kyoko said, nodding. "But Kagome said nothing of it. I only know Inuyasha's side of the story."
Kaede paused in her work, and swiped some of the herbs with her thumb, tasting it. "A bitter tale," she muttered. Louder, she said, "Kagome fell in love for the first time at fifteen, and watched Inuyasha obsess over my sister, a woman dead long ago, for nearly three years. It it were simply unrequited, that would have simplified things. But Inuyasha loved Kagome as well, and could not come to terms with it because she resembles my sister so well. He knew not if her loved Kagome as herself, or as my sister's reincarnation. He struggled with it, and Kagome struggled beside him."
Kyoko's ears lowered at the thought. Inuyasha said he loved a woman who had passed on, but he never mentioned Kagome was the woman's reincarnation. No wonder he had issues with Kagome.
"It took the Hana no Shukumei, the flower of the gods, to separate Kagome from Inuyasha and help her on the path to realizing her true love," Kaede said, resuming her work with the herbs. "Hansha, that plant is one of the rarest discoveries of this land. The last one found was by Inuyasha's mother, more than two centuries ago. You cannot rely on an outside force such as that to lead you in the right direction."
The true lesson of the story sunk in, and Kyoko twisted her fingers together. Kaede was doing her best to teach her while Kyoko stayed here. Kyoko knew this, but moving on from this was something she wasn't sure she could do.
"I know that," Kyoko said, after a long moment. "I want to be strong enough to care for myself, Kaede." She twisted her fingers around again. "For now, I also want Inuyasha with me. The pup depends on him."
Kaede shrugged, and she collected the ground herbs into the glass canister beside her. "You need not move on from anything, Hansha. I simply warn you that an obsession can be hurtful to both parties involved."
As the old miko moved to put away the herbs, Kyoko rubbed the feline ears on her head. They resembled Inuyasha's, with a slightly different shape. Another indication of the one thing they had in common, a split blood line that separated them from most other people.
Kyoko wanted someone to understand her. Inuyasha seemed to do that, at first.
Maybe she was being immature about it. Kyoko thought back to her discussion with Kagome, how she wanted Sesshomaru to treat her like a grown woman and not chastise her when she knew she made a mistake.
Kyoko stood, and moved to the bedroom to prepare herself to sleep. She wanted to be treated as a grown woman. Every female wanted that, even in the patriarchal society. Perhaps she could be treated that way, instead of like the child Kaede seemed to think she was. But a few changes needed to be made.
Looking into a small mirror, Kyoko brushed the hair from her eyes. Pining over Inuyasha like a fifteen year old miko would do her no good. It was time to make a difference in her life.
()
They made it back to the camp by nightfall.
It was late, and Shippo thought he would fall asleep any minute. He rarely needed to go to bed as early as he had when first traveling with his mother, but the stress as of late wore him down. He yawned for a third time.
The trees parted, and a small clearing came into view. Shippo jumped from Kagome's back to walk the rest of the way. They decided that running at inu speed would be the fastest way to get back. If he walked the rest of the way, Shippo knew he could at least stay alert enough to say hello to Rin and Hatori.
They sat around a low fire, Jaken tending to Ah-Un with some grain, Rin and Hatori talking animatedly with each other. Upon hearing them, all five heads turned, and the children burst into smiles.
"Kagome-neechan!" Rin ran forward to hug her, giggling.
"Hi, Rin." Kagome held her close and stroked her hair. "It's nice to see you again."
"We thought you might not come back," Rin said, pulling away to look at her. "Sesshomaru got worried after you were gone for a whole day."
"Speak for your own emotions, Rin," Sesshomaru said, passing them to sit against a tree at the far end of the resting site. Rin merely laughed again.
"Hi, Rin." Shippo yawned again, and braced himself as Rin tackled him.
"Welcome back, Shippo!" She rubbed her face against his neck, and Shippo felt his face turning red. The short fox was barely Rin's height, and her strangle hold made him feel smaller.
"Welcome back." Shippo looked up from Rin's grasp as Hatori spoke, standing a few feet away. Rin released him, and he waved. Hatori gave a gentle smile. The quiet neko never spoke as much as Rin, but was clearly happy at the restoration of the odd group.
"Let's get to bed," Kagome said, ruffling Hatori's hair. He chuckled and patted his hair down, watching Kagome settle by the fire. The children followed, all three leaning against Ah-Un's protective stomach.
"My lord," Jaken said, turning and bowing to Sesshomaru. "If we hurry in the morning, I believe it may be only a few days before we reach Lord Rei. We are almost at the edge of his domain."
"Good," was all Sesshomaru said, closing his eyes.
That seemed to be the signal to put the evening to an end. Kagome removed her heavy backpack from her shoulders, digging around until she found a blanket. She laid it on the children, whose eyelids had already fallen, snuggled against the two headed dragon.
Jaken moved to sleep alone, some distance from Ah-Un and further away from the rest of the camp. Kagome pulled a sleeping bag from her backpack, ready to lay it down. After today, learning about her powers and dealing with Sesshomaru, she was more than prepared to sleep.
"Kagome."
She looked up at Sesshomaru, sitting across the fire from her. "Come here."
Kagome glanced at the others. The children were gone the moment they laid their heads down. Jaken seemed to be asleep, but even if he heard them, Kagome didn't particularly mind. She faced Sesshomaru again, and whispered, "Why?"
"It is time to sleep."
"Uh, yes?" Kagome put her sleeping bag down and began to unzip it.
"Mates commonly sleep beside one another."
She froze, and looked at Sesshomaru again. Nothing about his expression betrayed his thoughts. After the kissing and the way he held her in Kaede's, Kagome wasn't quite sure what to expect from the daiyoukai anymore. "We aren't mates yet," she said, though she did not open her sleeping bag further.
"Did you not want me to act as if we are? You seemed pleased by my shows of affection."
Blood surged to her face. Kagome turned away to hide the blush. "I-it was nice," she admitted. "I do care for you, Sesshomaru, and I like showing affection to those I care about." Kagome paused, and looked him in the eye. "But I don't want you doing anything you don't want to do."
In response, Sesshomaru merely moved his arm, holding it to the side to open himself to Kagome. She blushed deeper, and glanced at her sleeping bag. Slowly, Kagome finished unzipping it, and refused to look at him.
Sesshomaru frowned, and lowered his arm. If Kagome refused, so be it. He could sleep alone. Sesshomaru closed his eyes, prepared to rest, when he heard Kagome coming closer.
Eyes open again, Sesshomaru saw Kagome had opened her modern sleeping cocoon, to transform it into a thick blanket. She knelt tentatively at his side, holding the blanket against her, and waited. Sesshomaru blinked, and opened himself to her again.
Kagome gave a small grin, and shifted to be underneath his arm. She spread the blanket over them both, laying her head against his side. Her heart pounded so loudly, she was sure Sesshomaru could hear it. But she did not feel uncomfortable. On the contrary, the warmth of his body calmed her.
She looked at the arm now draped over her shoulders. His left arm, the one taken by Inuyasha so many years ago. The daiyoukai had gained it back after he acquired a new weapon, a deadly sword Kagome had not seen in battle yet. She always felt guilty, Inuyasha forcing his own brother to live without a limb.
Now, with him close to her body, as she curled into Sesshomaru's embrace, Kagome smiled.
()
Hi, everyone! WOW, it's been a while. Heh. I've been busy with finals, but I think I passed everything, so I should be good. And because I'm on vacation for the next month, weekly updates are back on schedule! Wooh! We'll move back to every other week when school starts for me again. In the meantime, enjoy the story.
We've reached a milestone! Sesshomaru is no longer afraid of caring for Kagome and proving it to her. Kagome will hopefully accept this change of personality. But don't worry, our favorite daiyoukai will retain his surly demeanor. I wouldn't dare change that much about him.
Some people have commented that Kyoko/Hansha isn't a well developed character, and I admit it's true. I didn't think too hard about her when writing the previous story. She was a means to make Inuyasha happy, mostly. This time around, however, I'm trying my best to go more in depth with her. I'm still flailing a bit, but getting a better picture for who she is and why she acts the way she does.
I'll tell you now that Hatori will also be getting more attention soon. Those who read the previous story know everything about him, but I'm going to switch a few things around. That's all I'll say.
I hope you enjoyed the new chapter! I had fun writing it, especially the new dynamic between our love birds. Keep reading, and thank you so much for all your contributions with reviews and encouragement. This story is something I'm determined to finish, and it definitely helps me practice my writing. Thanks again! I'd really appreciate it if people reviewed.
Next update will be around the 29th or 30th. See you then!
Ja ne~