I don't own anything Inuyasha.
…
Kagome found herself in darkness and smiled. A warm, incomprehensible space surrounded her, wrapped around her, and the promise in that empty expanse reminded her of rich earth- where what would grow depended on what was planted. Her hand moved through the space with the pure glow of her reiki trailing in its wake. Content, Kagome made her mark in graceful, deliberate designs as she floated in velvety soft winds of the endless pleasant night. A steady beat of rumbling thunder kept cadence with her slow breathing, lulling her deeper and deeper into the embrace of this in between world, and she felt her spirit grow.
An endless, pitch black pool of crystal clear water was then beneath her. Its undisturbed surface mirrored bright, fluttering sprites and the pastel glow burning off her skin. Opening her arms, she stared down at the reflection and waited.
Something moved underneath, unsettling the pristine, mirror shine of the water. Growing ripples spread in the wake of whatever was slowly drifting towards her. It was silent here, but as the first sharp reach of magic broke through the surface the space around her abruptly stilled, like prey realizing it was being hunted. Anticipation quickened her breath as the blinding bright aura crept from the black pool. Its flickering, sporadic movements sought purchase and soon another thick strand of jagged energy slowly rose out of the water. The air hummed as they searched, the end of their lines still too deep in the water to see what was on the other side, but Kagome knew.
The lightning like cords moved closer and her reiki reached out to guide them. It was a dangerous, hungry power, and once they made contact it struck her forcefully, trailing up her bare arms in a rising, electric arc. Her blushing flames danced along with them, teaching them, and Kagome slid her hands down the long tethers as the spiking current pricked harmlessly against her skin.
She grabbed hold of the sparking youki and pulled.
The velvet winds dropped out and the space spun dizzyingly around her. As she shifted the balance of the world the drag of the youki ropes increased dramatically, threatening to pull her down to where they led. It was oppressive and disorienting, but she did not feel afraid. Focusing her spiritual energy, she tightened her grip and fought against it.
Kagome always did what was right over what was easy. She had defied time and powers much stronger than herself with a relentless hope that spread to those that stood with her. And they were with her now. A prankish laugh. A sisterly embrace. A wise word. The comfort of a best friend and thrill of first love. They gave her strength, even after they were gone, as she had given them. Violent winds whipped at her as Time tried to keep spinning- to move on and forget- to leave behind the magic that once brought the world to life. Some things had to pass, as was natural, but Kagome was still here and she would not be forgotten. She had the power to change fates and would always use it for the betterment.
She blazed, igniting the youki tethers with amethyst flames, and breathed a prayer she had not used in years.
The space stilled, jolting her forward and into a hard, warm body. The conflicting powers steadied around them as Kagome pushed off to look at what she had wrested from the waters.
An inky, opalescent being floated in front of her, unilluminated by the light from their auras. She felt the weight of its predatory presence weigh on her chest and, swallowing hard, whispered, "Wake up."
Its eyes opened, and the sun dawned.
.
It was almost overwhelmingly bright and the loose tendrils of her dream faded in her irritation. Kagome's back ached and her eyes felt swollen. The morning sun warmed the muggy room uncomfortably, making her feel slightly sticky as she slowly awoke. Kagome could smell the earthy petrichor of the woods, the herbaceous shoji pine, and the musty old furniture of the cabin. Then, as she groaned in protest, she caught the scent of mineral hot springs and thunder clouds. She felt the hard, thinly carpeted floor against her sore hips and shoulders, and, kicking the stifling blanket off, finally realized she was in the main room.
The sun filtered in through the large window. Kagome stretched and surprisingly found some comfort in the cool, silk sheets that skimmed over her as she moved. Frowning, and not remembering ever buying silk sheets, she finally fluttered her eyes open. Her hand rose to her inspection and the cool blanket gave way to a hundred silver threads that slid through her fingers, sending a shiver up her arm.
She noticed the warmth of someone next to her and spun her head towards the sunlit window. He was backlit, just a radiant silhouette, but there he was, staring at his hand as he turned it over and experimentally flexed his fingers.
Kagome sat up with a jolt. "Sesshoumaru!" she called out with a surprised, groggy voice. Her eyes traveled over his humanoid form in a frantic pace, but spots swam in her vision. "You're back!" she continued, quickly rubbing the sleep out of her eyes to see him clearly. "You're here!" She blinked away the stars and smiled up at him. "You're…" Fully awake, Kagome now realized how close he was. Then, she noticed his pale, luminescent skin, exposed from when she had kicked the blanket off. Two matching, magenta stripes curved over his hips and followed the lines of muscle under his naval. Kagome gasped and quickly averted her attention away, blushing hard. "Oh my god, you're na-"
"This one..." Sesshoumaru interrupted, his voice rolled through her, deep and smooth, as if it had not been suppressed for centuries. She shuddered and kept her gaze aside until a warm touch pressed against her chin, urging her eyes back to his. His ethereal presence was overwhelming, from the heat radiating from his bare skin to the tips of overly long fangs peeking out from soft lips. Sesshoumaru was still backlit by the red early morning sun. The sultry light illuminated his silver hair, spilling from him like liquid fire that pooled in the little crevices of space between them. Its soft shine beckoned for touch while warning against it at the same time. His gilded eyes were unnatural and threatened to swallow her whole while his stern face brought forth memories of fear and protection. The demon lord's strong, bare shoulders squared to her, resolute and open, and the brazen display of the bold stripes gracing his cheeks and naked wrists suddenly seemed more intimate than the way their powers responded to one another.
The tiniest tilt of his lips broke his statuesque appearance. The small smile he offered to her was genuine and unexpected, somehow appeasing the tension between them. His touch fell away from her face once her eyes were captured in his. "I am grateful."
"I can see that," she murmured then fidgeted, unsure if she should break their eye contact or even move. He was just staring at her, longing for something she could not understand and was unsure she could comply with. Kagome quirked her head to the side, studying only his face for a moment, before breaking into a wide smile. "What do we do now?"
His brow wrinkled and eyes glazed over as if suddenly very lost in thought. "Hn," he snorted, and the sound was very true to him and so misplaced in this time, as tangible parts of her past collided with her present, that her breath hitched.
Suddenly, the front door knob turned, alerting both of them instantly. Somehow, something was able to approach their cabin without their notice, and was now coming in.
Kagome heard a familiar voice call from behind the door as it began to open. "Knock knock," Nathan called out. "Hello?"
Sesshoumaru growled like an overly vigilant dog.
"No!" Kagome gasped. "Sesshoumaru, don't-"
He was already gone, and the crash that followed shortly afterwards had her scrambling quickly after him.
Nathan was pinned high up against the wall, a bag of breakfast items crashing to the floor and spilling out. A panicked Kimiko came in next, saw her husband restrained, and yipped, "What are you doing!? Stop!" right when Kagome crashed into the block wall of an inuyoukai.
The dazed miko pulled at the demon's wrists. "Sesshoumaru! Drop it! Er, I mean, put him down!"
He growled again, unamused with her command.
"Kagome!" Kimiko shrieked. "Who is that!?"
Kagome was, unsuccessfully, struggling to pry his hand away from the man's neck and the demon's eyes bled red; the chaotic energy heightening this tension.
"So," Nathan struggled to talk, "you really are a demon?" He stopped kicking, obviously trying to remain as calm as possible, but it had to be difficult when restrained by an ancient and infinitely strong being that flexed his claws against major arteries. Nathan looked down at the youkai and couldn't stop a sardonic smile. "And, um, eh heh," he coughed, fighting to get more air, "You're naked."
The harsh amber of the youkai's gaze targeted deeper in Nathan's own. "And you are intruding."
Kimiko was chilled into silence when Sesshoumaru's deep baritone filled the room. Kagome rolled her eyes and tried to pull at his shoulders instead. Distantly, she was marveling on how weird the world worked. It wasn't too long ago he was an enigmatic creature that just screamed 'Don't Touch!' Now, she was trying to disengage a naked Sesshoumaru off his prey, fighting to keep her friend from harm.
"They aren't intruders," Kagome admonished between gritted teeth. "They are friends. Remember? From the warehouse? The clinic?"
His brow furrowed. "No."
"Trust me, then," she begged with urgent exasperation.
It took another tentative pause, but Sesshoumaru finally put the tall man down and stared at him until the human edged his way to his wife's side.
Kimiko worried over her husband as they backed away into a corner of the kitchen, then turned her angry attention to Kagome, a storm burning in her eyes. "Kagome," she demanded, "What is going on!?"
...
A/N: Kind of a shorter chapter, but we are starting NaNo prep in my house, and I didn't want to put off an update.
Thanks for reading/reviewing :]