It was drawing close to night and Sesshomaru was in discussion with his father. It was the latest report; something was happening in the West. It wasn't anything concerning as yet, but the occurrence was one that still brought pause. Some of the lower demons were dying with no explanation. Sesshomaru was perplexed and begrudgingly sought guidance from his experienced father. However, Toga had never heard anything like it before. From what was being described, the only reason they were able to discern that the deaths were related was that their eyes were completely white and they all smelt of white lilies. It was decided that tomorrow evening his father would go and investigate.
Although the news was troubling, it had not distracted his father enough to not notice a person missing.
"Sesshomaru, where's Eiji?"
It was uncharacteristic that Eiji wasn't there. As the other head of the Western army, Sesshomaru's head guard and his friend he would usually be in here lounging about when his duties were lax.
"He's guarding the Miko," he responded flatly.
"Guarding her? I thought we all agreed she's capable of protecting herself"
"She is"
A surge of outrage flitted through his system, spurred on by his beast. It was quick, but it was there for his father to see.
"What happened to my student, Sesshomaru?" His tone grew dark.
"She was poisoned" he stated matter of factly.
"Why didn't you alert me? Or Natsu? Or the monk? We are the ones with the responsibility for her if she gets hurt!"
"The Miko is fine"
His father flew out of the study, most likely to Kagome's room to ascertain if she truly was in good health. Sesshomaru wasn't going to tell his father that she was immune. That conversation will lead to how they first met and how he tried to kill the blue-eyed woman.
It wasn't his proudest moment, in retrospect. He wasn't too convinced that he could imagine a world where the Miko wasn't currently in his life. Where he wouldn't know her resolute strength. Her fierce loyalty. Her smile directed towards him. it slowly crept up one side of her face faster than the other. Their late-night conversations on lofty ideas and the future.
All these thoughts happened swirled in his mind within seconds. Only to be broken with his father's return.
"The room is empty"
Sesshomaru didn't wait for his father to finish pronounce the last syllable. He was up and on the hunt.
...888...
"Yes!" A euphoric sound alerted the father and son to her location behind the heavy wooden double doors. It sent a wave of something down his spine knowing he found her.
This was how they found her, within his vast armoury. Her long legs were the first thing Sesshomaru noticed. It was right in front of his face, eye level. His eyes zeroed in on the creamy piece of flesh trapped between the top of her boots and the hem of her short kimono.
And while somewhere in the back of his mind he revelled in the sight, made more tantalising that it was no longer free on display for every eye, there was one problem. Her thigh should not possibly be in his direct line of sight. She was not that tall. For kami-sake, she barely came up to his chest.
The rest of her body was stretched up, reaching for something on the top shelf. Dainty fingers froze in place on a longbow, blue eyes wide in shock. Her mouth was slightly parted. She made a pretty sight up there, however, it was how she was up there had him irritated.
"H-hey Sesshomaru, T-toga-sama. Fancy seeing you here" Kagome wavered
"I know this looks bad, milords, but I have my reasons" was a masculine voice giving his excuses
The reason why her legs were up there was that it was wrapped around Eiji's ears. The blonde's face pushed against her stomach. It was quite a provocative sight.
His father next to him let out a low whistle.
"Eiji, is this how you guard females? You abscond with them into a dark alcove"
"No my lord" he stuttered. His friend was wide-eyed, his grey and gold eyes flickered between himself and his father.
In a quick move, she dismounted from his shoulders. Sesshomaru at any other moment in time he may have been impressed with her increased dexterity and sure-footedness. But right now, all he felt was unexplainable, inexplicable rage.
"Well tomorrow is the exhibition of skills and I wanted a bow so I could do archery," she said in a small voice.
"I would have gotten it for her, but she insisted on picking one for herself"
"Not any bow would do," she muttered under her breath giving her excuse.
The justification for them being there made sense. One has to ensure that the weapon is best suited to them. The logical part of him knew this, however, his illogical brain thought that she could have just come to him.
He couldn't get the image of her legs, wrapped around Eiji's head. It caused deep anger in him. He was more frustrated with the images supplied by his beast. However, instead of helping her get a bow, his tongue would be delved deep within her folds as he drank her holy nectar while she-
"Eiji, stay." Sesshomaru turned his back towards them stalking forward. The pitter-patter of small feet hurrying behind him was all he needed to hear to know she understood him. He couldn't stay there.
He blamed the mental images on the quickly arriving night. He blamed his possessiveness on him knowing her first, yet she went to Eiji.
Usually, such things are inconsequential to his life.
"Sesshomaru," her voice wafted to him
Usually...
He snapped at her, "Miko, do you know what could have happened if this Sesshomaru had not found you?" He made a deliberately slow walk towards her.
"Hai"
"So have you become daft, since the last time I've seen you!" He didn't shout at her. Not even in his anger he would shout at her. He kept his voice down to a seething whisper. "Or have you become reckless with yourself because of some training and now you are willing to chance your safety?"
"No, it's just that I didn't realize it was so close to night," her small voice answered, hanging her head low.
He turned away from her and stalked away from her to the long cupboard next to his desk. He opened it, completely blocking his view from her as he looked at it's contents.
The salt of her tears, brought a revelation to him as he snapped his head towards her.
Her head was turned to the side, barring her neck to him.
"Gomen'nasai, Sesshomaru sama"
He wasn't angry. He was worried and he was overreacting. He was worried for her safety. After someone tried to poison her earlier, hearing she wasn't in her room quickened his heart. He wouldn't deny she was strong, but she was fallible with a proclivity for being kidnapped.
If he was anyone else he would be sighed. Grabbing the contents of the cupboard he went back to her.
She didn't look up once.
He leant towards her and licked her neck. One long, wet swipe on her cool flesh.
"Sessh-"
"Here" he gently placed it in her hands.
"My bow! You kept it?" She finally looked at him, her blue eyes shining.
He hummed non-committedly. He had when she left, she left it behind at the elder Miko's hut. He had gone with Rin to lead the slayer and the monk to his Shiro. His ward had insisted on visiting the elder when he saw it. He just knew she would have wanted it when she returned.
"Arigato!" She jumped and embraced him tightly. Her face pressed into his chest. He didn't hug back, instead he placed a hand on her head.
"Son are you finished with Kagome?" His father's voice called from behind his door. She looked at him and then at the door. He gave a small nod and she let go. As she made her way to the door Sesshomaru sat at his desk to resume work.
"Rest. Tomorrow Rin and the kit are due to return"
She squealed in delight before leaving. He didn't bother fighting the slight quirk of his lips.
This wasn't supposed to be the next chapter. The chapter I planned was the show off of powers (I need to get a better name for this, any ideas). This chapter was just to be a small piece at the beginning where Kagome got her bow and bringing in Rin and Shippo. But I just kept going and going and... yeah.
Also what's y'all thoughts on the upcoming Inuyasha sequel? Because I don't know how to feel honestly.