Chapter 10
Kagome stretched and yawned. It felt as though she had been asleep for a week. She rolled to her side and fluffed her pillow. She didn't need to get up yet, her bed was so comfortable. Something brushed her hair and her eyes popped open. She wasn't home in bed! She was still in the Sengoku Jidai. Kagome assessed her location, her "bed" and "pillow" seemed to be thick white fur, the thing that brushed her hair seemed to be Shippo's tail, and she was laying across Sesshomaru's lap...again. She sat up, a minor feat for her stiff and sore body, and looked around. Miroku and Sango were asleep tucked into Kilala's side, and Shippo was asleep next to her, his foot twitching in the air and his tail flopping around as he dreamed. She turned to look at Sesshomaru only to find him staring at her.
"Mmmm...what did I miss?"
"You have been unconscious for days."
"Days?"
"Hnn."
"What happened? The last thing I remember was Koga, and you flung me..."
"You were ill."
Kagome stifled the urge to laugh. Sesshomaru was certainly a man of few words. "How did Miroku and Sango get here?"
Sesshomaru scowled, "The wolf went for them."
Kagome looked back at her friends, noticing how they were snuggled into one another, the swell of Sango's belly giving away the secret hidden there. Kagome smiled and rested her head against the daiyokai's chest once more. Realizing his armor was missing, though it was certainly more comfortable leaning directly against his body. She swallowed hard and blushed at the thought. She reached her fingers down and touselled her kitsune's hair. The familiar action bringing a smile to her lips again. Her whole family was here now...well almost... Kagome tilted her head back, looking up at Sesshomaru again. His eyes were closed, one arm draped gently around her waist, the other propped on his knee. Kagome ran fingers through the white fur wrapped around her. She had always wondered what his pelt felt like, she had never been brave enough to touch it though. It was amazingly soft. She continued trailing her fingers up and down the fur, assessing their surroundings. They had been in the forest the last time she was aware of. This was most decidedly an open meadow. Kagome leaned slightly to the left, some damaged trees catching her attention. The earth behind the taijiya troop was obliterated, a deep gash stretching wider as it got further away. Kagome's sharp inhale caught Sesshomaru's attention and he looked down at her. She turned to look at him fully, "The wind scar?"
"Hnn." The look in his eyes was soft yet proud.
"But how..." Kagome looked back at the damage, proof that Sesshomaru had mastered Tessaiga while she slept.
"You were attacked. I retaliated." Sesshomaru brushed her hair behind her ear. She swallowed and blushed. Clearly he had gotten quite comfortable with a certain level of proximity while she was unconscious.
"It listened to you?"
"Hnn."
"But how?"
"I think I can shed some light on that." Miroku walked closer to them, his eyes asking Sesshomaru's permission before he sat beside them with a smile.
Kagome squealed with delight and threw both arms around him, earning an "oof" from the monk and "huff" from the yokai. "Oh, Miroku! I've missed you all so much!"
The monk laughed awkwardly, pulling himself from her grip and patting her hands gently. "The Tessaiga only worked for InuYasha when he declared that he would use it to protect you, remember?" Kagome braced herself for the usual pain that hearing her hanyou's name brought, but it didn't come. Simply a dull ache. "Sesshomaru-sama, while twice as strong as InuYasha, was never any friend to humans. However, in using Tessaiga to protect you, it finally saw something of its creator in him and came to his aid." Miroku cast a glance at the daiyokai, "Would you agree with my assessment, Sesshomaru-sama?"
"Hnn." Sesshomaru leaned forward until his chest was touching Kagome's back and she looked at him again, his arm wrapped around her waist again and he leaned back pulling her with him.
"Thank you, Sesshomaru." Kagome said, sheepishly, hyper-aware of their proximity and his hold on her. "I don't remember it. Were you hurt?"
Sesshomaru's brows drew together and he responded tersely, "Minutely."
Kagome's brows raised in concern, "Where?"
"Hnn. My back. I had abandoned my armor for your comfort."
Kagome felt tears welling. He had done so much for her. She didn't deserve all of this, she had never done anything for him. Without thinking, Kagome threw both arms around the daiyoukai's neck, pulling her face into his hair. She nuzzled her nose into his throat, "Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama, thank you." A deep rumbling filled Sesshomaru's chest and his arms tightened around her, pulling her body against his. She lost balance, but rather than try to catch herself, she allowed his arms to hold her up and pull her to him. He turned his head into hers and she felt his nose against her own throat.
Miroku cleared his throat and Kagome pushed herself away from Sesshomaru, blushing. "I'm sorry, I just can't believe you went through so much trouble on my account. I'm such a bother to everyone." Sesshomaru stood and walked away. Kagome stifled the urge to whimper. Somehow she felt it had been a while since he had been so far away from her. Her reiki boiled inside her at the loss of his presence. Kagome turned to Miroku, "Do you think it was something I said?"
"Momma!" Shippo's little body flew into Kagome's arms and she smiled brightly as she snuggled the boy. "Oh, Momma, you're alright! I was so worried about you!"
"Oh, Shippo, I missed you so much!" Kagome's arms tightened around her kit, and her eyes welled with tears. It had been too long since she had held him, the earnestness with which he clung to her told her that he felt the same way. She couldn't leave him again. Maybe Sesshomaru would be willing to let him travel with them, or maybe he was ready to be rid of her by now. Kagome glanced in the direction he had walked away in. She had been way more trouble than she was worth.
"Kagome-chan!" Sango's voice called over the happy purrs emanating from Shippo. Kagome looked up and smiled as her friend tried to stand and was having obvious trouble. Miroku rushed to his wife's aid, and as soon as she was on her feet, she batted him away like an annoying fly. Kagome laughed, standing to her own feet and shifting Shippo to one side in order to wrap her other arm around her pregnant friend.
"Sango! You're a momma! Congratulations to both of you!" Kagome's smile was as bright as it could be.
Sango smiled back, "We need to catch up."