1649
Kagome and Kouga lay lounging under a sakura tree, enjoying the spring sun. Rin sits amongst the flowers with her mate, and Kimiko is resting on a bench near the koi pond. No one moves when Sesshoumaru enters the garden, and walks to his own tree to recline against. The day is far too nice to be indoors bent over paperwork.
"Finally give up, Sess?" Kagome teases, shifting to lay on her stomach, crossing her arms over Kouga's chest and rest her chin on her arms, kicking her feet into the air. Kouga chuckles underneath her, not bothering to open his eyes.
"Hn. This One merely added his work to yours, therefore, my work for the day is done." Sesshoumaru replies, his eyes closed as he leans his head back against the trunk of the tree, one knee up, an arm draped over it.
"What?! That's not fair, Sess! That's gunna take me days to do." Kagome whines, earning several chuckles from her surrounding pack. "Ugh. Almost a century, you'd think I'd be used to this." she groans as she rolls onto her back, her head still on the wolf.
"Yep, you'd think you would, Kags." the ookami laughs at her.
"Shuddup, you." she giggles, smacking the wolf lightly. "Gods, next year it will be a hundred years since I got pulled through the well." Kagome whispers, staring up at the gently waving branches of the Sakura. Sighing heavily, she closes her eyes, willing the memories away. "Hey, a hundred years since I met you two." She chuckles then.
"Yeah. Hey, how long til the kits supposed to visit?" Kouga queries the group.
"He should be arriving tomorrow." Sesshoumaru supplies quietly. "Enjoy the quiet while you can."
"What? He's just a kid, he can't be that bad." Kouga states, confused.
"No, he's right, Kouga. Shippo's not the tiny kit he was then. His tricks are a lot more... just more..." Kagome giggles.
"You encourage him too much, miko." Sesshoumaru grunts.
"Well, he's still a kid, my kid. Let him have fun, so long as no one gets hurt, and nothing destroyed, let him have fun. And, he's only ever here for a month. You'll survive." Kagome's lilting laugh spills from her.
"Uh. Maybe I want to cut my vacation short…" Kouga hedges.
"Don't you dare!" she says, sitting up to look at him. "Besides, he'll love to see you again. It has been almost a century." Her smile is bright, and Kouga can't help but return it.
"Alright, alright. I'll stay. But if he does anything, it's on your head." He grunts as Kagome flops back onto him, about to say something snarky, when squawking is heard coming closer. Kagome groans instead as she sits up again, waiting for Jaken to come and say whatever he needs to say.
"My Lady! My Lord!" the toad comes sliding into the garden, eyes frantically searching for Sesshoumaru and Kagome. "Oh, thank Kami. There is an intruder at the gates!"
Both Sesshoumaru and Kagome flash to their feet, followed quickly by everyone else. "Kimiko, Matsu, take Rin." Kagome orders quickly, before dashing towards the gate with Kouga and Sesshoumaru on her heels.
They arrive together, seeing the gate guards holding down an unfortunately familiar body, making Kagome pale momentary before her anger takes over, and her aura snaps out harshly, making every youkai but the two next to her cower a bit.
"What. The fuck. Are you doing here." she grinds out, her eyes and fisted hands glowing pink with her power.
"Kags, calm down, you're gunna hurt the guards." Kouga soothes, his hand brushing her arm gently. The reaction is instant, her aura sucking back in so quickly that it almost leaves vacuum.
"Answer her, whelp." Sesshoumaru growls, his knuckles cracking.
"I ain't gotta answer no foul... mouthed…. Kagome?" InuYasha stutters, eyes wide. "What're you doing here?" he breathes out.
"The better question is what the fuck are you doing here, dog shit." Kouga spits out.
"Kouga? The fucks going on? Why are you two… you fucked him?!" the hanyou bellows upon catching Kagome's scent.
"What they do is none of your concern, whelp." Sesshoumaru flicks his whip at his half brothers cheek.
"Gods. All this time, I've been feeling guilty and worried about you, and you've been cozying up with my asshole brother and fucking the wolf." He laughs, falling forward, until a pink whip wraps around his wrists and yanks them out from under him, making him crash face first into the ground.
"Who the fuck did that?!" he roars as he rights himself, then paling when Kagome flicks her whip out again, snaking it around his throat, and taking a step forward.
"I did, asswipe. Who the fuck do you think you are, to come to my home and start insulting me? Better make sure you answer correctly, or I may start taking appendages." she hisses, eyes glowing pink, as she rips her whip back from his throat, letting it slice him superficially.
"Keh, think cuz you've got two body guards, you're so tough?" he smirks smugly, before watching his brother and Kouga jump away from the little miko, whose face has twisted into a sneer, eyes flaring with lethal intent.
"Oh, I don't need them to turn you into dust. Ask anyone here. Ask your brother, just how powerful I am. Your brother can't even best me, now. Granted, I can't beat him either, but..." she flaps a hand dismissively, smirking darkly again. "So, tell me again. About how weak and pitiful I am. How I need guards." Her finger glows as she builds up her reiki, then points at the ground in front of it. A flash of light appears before the ground between the hanyous feet trembles and a smoking hole is seen, cracks radiating outwards.
"Shall I show you what else I can do?" Her hand flicks, and a dagger appears in his shoulder, eliciting a sharp gasp from him. "How about letting you feel it." A barrier goes up around her and the hanyou, the guards long having stepped back to let her deal with the intruder. She strips her shackles on her aura and the barrier fills instantly with a thick pink fog that crackles with power, making InuYasha scream as the currents travel across his skin.
Kagome pulls her reiki in instantly again, and drops the barrier, smirking as the hanyou collapses on the ground. "See. For some reason, you thought that I'd have spent the last 91 years since you abandoned me with my thumb up my ass, doing nothing." Kagome steps up to the heap on the ground and crouches next to him. "No, you see, I spent the early years learning everything I could from Kaede. Became quite powerful, too. More powerful than your precious Kikyo, that's for fucking sure. And, that was before. Now. Oh. Now, I'm the most powerful fucking miko to ever live. I rival the most powerful youkai to exist in Japan. Possibly the world, though, kinda hard to test that. No. I didn't do nothing. I've spent every day for the last hundred year honing my skills, learning new ones, inventing some. Do you know, can you even fathom, how fucking powerful you have to be in order to bend the universe to do what you want it to by sheer will alone."
At this she holds her hand up, pooling reiki in her hand before it ignited and burns, a pink flame. "What miko could do that?" Turning, she throws the fire at a tree near them, igniting the trunk, before flashing to the same tree in the blink of an eye. Placing her palm on the flaming trunk, Kagome closes her eyes before dousing the flames entirely, and then healing the burnt wood.
Turning back and flashing over to crouch again in front of the shell shocked hanyou, she smirks again. "So, I ask again. What the fuck are you doing in my home?"
He stares dumbly at Kagome for several long minutes, before she stands, sighing and walking over to Sesshoumaru and Kouga, feeling utterly exhausted. Kouga loops an arm around her and pulls her to his chest, Sesshoumaru stepping in front of them and glaring at his half brother.
"Nothing clever to say now, whelp? This is her home. You will treat her with the respect she has unquestionably earned. The reverence she is owed. A single word to the contrary and your tongue will be forfeit. Understood?" he growls, knuckles still cracking with the desire to gut the idiot. A mute nod is all InuYasha can manage, before he is hauled up by a guard. "Take him to the secondary meeting hall. We will join shortly." The guards nod, bowing their heads and drag the hanyou into the shiro.
"Are you alright, Kagome?" Sesshoumaru murmurs quietly.
"Yeah, just tired. Anger is exhausting, and I wasn't prepared for it, so I didn't even have a chance to stifle it and give it a better outlet. I'll be fine, promise, Sess." she replies with a small smile, reaching for his hand to give it a slight squeeze.
"Very well." he says with a short nod, squeezing her hand in return, before pulling away. "Do you wish to rest before dealing with the whelp?"
"No, I just need a few minutes, and tea. Tea would be good. Can we go to the study before we deal with him?" she asks quietly, her head still resting against Kouga's chest. Sesshoumaru nods and begins walking in the direction of the study.
"C'mon, gorgeous." Kouga says as he scoops the miko into his arms. "Let's go get you your tea and then find out what the moron wants."
InuYasha looks up at the door to see Kagome, Sesshoumaru, and Kouga enter the room he's in and settle easily at one end of the table situated in the middle of the room. Curiously, Kagome sits at the head of the table, the two males on either side of her.
"You ready to answer now?" she clips out, her eyes narrowed, but expression blank. Even less emotion is showing from her than from Sesshoumaru. Kouga is making no effort to hide his disgust, however.
"I got no where to go. I didn't know you were here, but I wanted to try and see if I could be a soldier or something. Give me something to do. Somewhere to be." InuYasha shrugs dejectedly, eyes trained on his lap.
A loud scoff echoes the room, making him look up, unsure who it came from.
"You want to belong somewhere? Fine. You can report to Captain Haruto. You earn your keep, you train daily, you keep your smart mouth shut. No one here is going to go to bat for you, not anymore. You have no allies here, but you're your father's son. If you cause problems, you will face the punishments alone. The only thing you have my backing on is that no one will treat you as less than simply because you are a hanyou. Your blood does not dictate your place. Otherwise. You're on your own." Kagome stands, finished with what she has to say, and turns, ready to leave.
"Wait! I... thank you. I don't deserve it, but thank you."
"You're right. You don't deserve it." she clips out, still facing the door as the two males stand to join her. "Guard, escort him to Captain Haruto, tell him that I said he's to start from the bottom, and that means without using his swords powers. I won't take it from him, as he needs it to keep his blood in check, but he's to learn how everyone else does, even if that means he straps it to his back and uses a bokken." Turning her head slightly, "I will find another way to bind your blood, so you're not reliant on a sword. You'll need it eventually anyways once Japan bans the carrying of swords." Then all three leave the room.
"Fuck." InuYasha mutters quietly as he slumps in his seat.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
Kouga sits against the outside wall of the dojo, watching the little miko shoot arrow after arrow into the target, her aura roiling waspishly, making her fury fairly palpable. Yet, he sits quietly, allowing her to work through her anger and bitterness in her own way. When she wants his help, she'll ask, and he'll happily supply his own brand of stress relief. Suddenly, she sits heavily on the ground, sighing, before falling back and staring at the sky. Taking this as a sign that she's ready for company, he moves to sit next to her, but still waits quietly for her to initiate a conversation.
She rolls over onto her hands and knees and crawls into his lap, curling up in his arms. "Thank you." she whispers against his throat.
"Hm. Anytime, gorgeous." They sit like that and watch the sky in silence. Eventually, Kagome shifts again, sighing, turning to rest her back against his chest, stretching her legs out in front of them, prompting him to lift her slightly and cage her with his own outstretched legs, leaning back on his hands. "You okay?" he asks softly.
"Yeah. Just... mad. Thank you for letting me just... be." she replies, turning her head slightly when she feels Sesshoumaru's aura turn the corner of the dojo. "Hey, Sess." she greets with a wan smile.
"Hn." he says as he crosses the grass to sit by them both. "Would you like to spar tomorrow?" he offers after a minute, eyes cast to look at the sky.
"Yeah. I'd really like that." she laughs breathily, smirking. "Thank you both. Really." she murmurs.
"Think nothing of it." Sesshoumaru replies, leaning back on his own hands to watch the sun begin to set. Kouga hums in agreement, before looking at the miko when she giggles.
"Look at us. Human hating, icicle lord, brash and wild wolf, weak and untrained miko. A century later, all stupid powerful, and all friends, watching a sunset together." A soft huff from the inu and a chuckle from the wolf join her bubbling laughter. "I'm really glad I fell down the well, and glad I begged you to let me come home with you, Sess. I wouldn't trade my life for anything." She smiles again, settling into the silence to watch a sunset with her two best friends.
"Mama!"
"Shippo!" Kagome laughs as she catches the kitsune who had launched himself at her. No longer the tiny kit who could sit on her shoulder, he comes up to her chin, growing steadily to match her five foot six height. "Kami, I've missed you, honey." she says quietly, tucking him under her chin and hugging him tightly. "Hey! I've got a surprise for you." she announces brightly as she pulls away.
"Really? What?" Shippo asks, half excited, half wary.
"You'll see." She smirks, looping his arm with hers and trailing towards the gardens. Turning the corner, her grin grows bigger as Kouga stands chatting with Rin and Kimiko. Pulsing her aura, Kouga turns around and smiles widely.
"Hey, kid! Long time, no see." Kouga calls, walking towards them, the two women trailing behind.
"K-Kouga? Kami..." Shippo stutters, mouth agape, turning to look at Kagome as Kouga walks up to her and puts his arm around her shoulders. "You... him? Really?" he squeaks.
Kagome and Kouga laugh, before Kagome answers, "No, we're not together. He's my best friend." Her smile warm as she looks up at the wolf, his own fanged grin on his face.
"Yeah, not looking for anything serious, despite what I used to say." Kouga chuckles.
"Uh. Okay... Um. Hi Rin, Kimiko." Shippo greets while looking sideways at the wolf and miko, unsure what to think, so choosing to ignore it for now. "How're you guys? Sesshoumaru still being a stick in the mud?"
"Hn. Indeed, kit."
"Eep. Um. Hi, Sesshoumaru. I was just... going... over there, yeah!" Shippo edges away to hide behind his mom and the wolf.
"Sess, really, do you have to scare him every time?" Kagome giggles. "Come on, let's go sit in the garden and relax. I'll have a servant bring out some snacks." With that, Kagome starts walking towards the gardens, everyone trailing behind her.
An hour later, the group is settled in all their preferred spots.
"He what?! How dare he, where the hell is he, I'll show him." Shippo says, springing to his feet, having just been told that InuYasha is in the barracks.
"Shippo! Chill. It's been handled. You're here for vacation and I seriously doubt you'll even run into him on the grounds, unless you go looking for him, which you will not." Kagome tells him, voice stern.
"Yes, Mama." The kit bows his head as he sits down again. "So, you and Kouga?"
"Told you, we're not together, just enjoying each other." Kagome says, smirking, laughing when the kits face screws up in disgust.
"I so did not need to know that." he grouses.
"You asked." She shrugs lightly.
"So, you've been coming here a lot then, Kouga?"
"Yeah, at least a couple times a year for the last... how long now, Kags?" Kouga turns to her.
"Um... Sixty ish years? I'd have to check my journals for an exact number, but about six decades." Kagome replies.
"Huh. And I've missed you every year til now." Shippo states.
"Wasn't on purpose, I promise. Just happened that way. I can't really stay long, so I tend to only stay for a couple weeks when I can get away." Kouga admits, leaning on one hand to rub at the back of his neck.
"How'd you two meet up again then?"
"That banquet Rin was attacked right after, he was there." Kagome answers, still smiling.
"Wow." Shippo whistles lightly.
"So, what about you? Anything impressive?" Kouga asks, watching the kit puff with pride, stand up and turn around.
A sharp gasp from the miko draws everyone's attention, then Kagome hops up and runs to her kit, grabbing his tails. "You've got four!" she squeals.
"Just got the fourth one two weeks ago." Shippo gloats.
"Oh my gods, that's amazing!" she crows, grabbing her kit to turn him around and hug him again. "I so proud of you, baby." she whispers against his hair.
"Thanks, Mama." he murmurs, gripping her tightly for a moment before pulling away. "I'm the youngest kitsune in five centuries to reach four tails."
"Impressive, kit." Kimiko says from her spot on the bench. "Few your age even manage three tails."
"Hn, indeed, well done, kit." Sesshoumaru tips his head.
"Oh, Shippo, congratulations." Rin claps.
"You'll be one hell of a powerful kitsune one day, kid." Kouga flashed a grin.
"I say we have a feast tomorrow night. We haven't had one in a while, and good things deserve celebrating." Kagome announces. "I'll let the kitchens know your favourites. And, welcome home." She hugs her kit one more time before letting him go free with a laugh.
"Harder." Kagome gasps, arching sharply as Kouga works her over. The wolf pants above her, nose pressed to her neck, slamming into her before they both cry out, shuddering as their mutual climaxes overcome them both, before collapsing together.
"Stay there." Kagome says when Kouga moves to roll off her. "Not ready for you to move yet." she breathes, pressing her lips just under his ear.
Huffing a laugh, he settles on top of her, resting his head on her shoulder. "Fine by me, you're comfortable, just shove me when I get too heavy." His eyes close, feeling her inner walls still twitching every few seconds around his slowly softening member. They stay like that for a long time, before the miko starts to squirm under him, prompting him to roll onto his side, off of her.
"Hey, Kouga?" she whispers after a bit.
"Hm, 'sup, gorgeous?" he murmurs.
"Never mind. I know what your answers gunna be." She rolls onto her side, slipping an arm around his waist.
"Ask it anyways. May not be."
She heaves a sigh, and is quiet for a while before inhaling sharply. "Do you think I was too harsh on him?" she finally asks.
"The fact that you still won't say his name should give you your answer, Kags." he says softly, reaching a hand up to cup her cheek. "He abused you. A lot. For years, and then abandoned you when you needed your friends the most. Just because you were different. He's been gone for ninety one years and didn't make any effort to find you. And when he does see you, he starts spewing more garbage to upset you and put you beneath him. No, I don't think you were too harsh on him. He's alive, unhurt, and he's got a warm bed and a generous opportunity. If anything, you went easy on him. Sesshoumaru and I would've turned him into a smear on the floor. Still will, if he tries anything. Do not, for one second, feel guilty over that piece of trash. Do you hear me?" Kouga tells her sternly, voice never raising above a soft murmur.
She nods, not trusting herself to speak, before burying her face in Kouga's neck, pressing a kiss there.
"Good. Now, go to sleep. You got a feast to plan tomorrow."
"You should talk to her." Kouga tells the inu lord in his study, while the little miko is running around with her kit, planning his celebration feast.
"Hn. Why?"
"Her minds beating her up over InuYasha. Logically, she knows he got the bare minimum of what he deserves, but he really did a number on her back then, and she's slipping into the old patterns, turning it into her fault, when it's not." Kouga says, growling lightly.
"How can she possibly think it is her fault?" Sesshoumaru asks, his shock so potent that it's evident in both his voice and his face.
"Like I said, the whelp really fucked her up with the four years he had to abuse her on a daily basis. She was a kid then, and had convinced herself she was in love with the idiot, because she didn't know any better, and it allowed him unrestricted access to torment her, beat her down and break her. How she's not more broken, I don't know. Some of the shit I saw… sure, he never hit her," a growl rips from the inu Lord, "but what he did was worse. Hitting her would've only left physical marks. What he did... It was a doozy. I talked with her last night, and we've talked about it all before, but him showing up seems to have shocked her back into an old mindset and I don't think she even sees it. So, I think you should talk to her. She values your opinion on stuff like this more than anyone else's. She knows I won't lie to her, but you won't sugar coat it just because the truth might hurt. Which she needs. She needs the truth to slap her awake." Kouga sighs, watching Sesshoumaru, waiting for his response.
"I will speak with her. Tomorrow. Let her have tonight." Sesshoumaru answers after several minutes.
"Thanks, man. See ya later, then." Kouga agrees, flashing a smile and leaving to go find Kagome.
"Kagome." Sesshoumaru says, catching the Miko walking back from the dojo.
"Hey, Sess, what's up?"
"After you bathe, I would like to speak with you in the study. I will have food brought."
"Yeah, sure thing." She flashes him a bright smile before jogging off to her room.
An hour later, they sit in the study, Sesshoumaru holding a cup of tea, while Kagome eats a bowl of fish and rice. He waits until she finishes, having learned over the many years with her that one should feed her before delivering stressful news. When she sets her bowl down and leans back at her desk, he speaks.
"Kagome. How are you feeling with the hanyou here?"
Wincing slightly, she looks down at her hands in her lap, sighing heavily. "I know I shouldn't, but I feel guilty." she whispers.
"Why?"
"I don't know. I really don't. I just keep thinking that he's lived such a hard life, and he can't help how he is, his gruffness is just how he is. And, I shouldn't be angry with him for it." She looks up when a sharp scoff escapes the inu.
"His life is hard because he chose it. He was offered every comfort here when he was found again after his mother's death, which had not been that long. He refused. His life was hard, yes, but he was told he could always come home. Until he went after the Shikon and refused to do his duty when the panthers rose up, and then he was pinned to that gods damned tree. And yet, even then, after Naraku, I still extended an invitation for him to make a home here. I offered him recognition as pack, as an heir, formal training with his sword. His answer- he scoffed, called me an asshole and left. He spent four years abusing you, cutting you down, denying your right to learn, refusing to let you rise to your potential. When he found out what the jewel did to you, he disappeared, leaving you alone. He not once searched for you. I know he never did because I have had guards stationed in Edo since you first came here, in case he did come looking. Not once, Kagome. He never went back for you. Then, when he sees you here, in your home, the first thing from his foul mouth is to call you a whore. He is not gruff, he is abusive. Now. Please tell me what he has done to warrant your guilt." Sesshoumaru finishes, fighting to keep his temper in check the entire time he's been speaking.
"I... I didn't know. He... all this time… you asked him to come here?"
"My exact offer was telling him that he had proven himself and if he wished it, I would be honoured if he would to return to the West to make his home, and he would have every opportunity as a true son of the West."
"And he said no." she clarifies flatly.
"Hn. He said, and I quote, 'fuck no, asshole' before spewing garbage about how he refused to be turned into a puppet heir and he told what to do. Then left, presumably to find you, as when I came to wish you good luck shortly after the conversation, he was already there."
"He... oh fucking hell." she puts her head in her hands and her shoulders start shaking, worrying the daiyoukai that she was crying for a moment before he hears her laughing. "He... fucking told... me that... you threatened him... that you wanted... the jewel... and I had to… give it... to him... to make...the wish… immediately." she gasps out before falling forward onto her desk, laughing too hard to continue speaking then.
"And, you believed him?" Sesshoumaru looks at her incredulously.
Kagome sits up, gulping air, and wiping her eyes, trying to calm down enough to speak. When she can, she shakes her head, "No. I knew you had zero interest in the jewel other than wanting it gone. Which is why when you showed up, I was making the wish. I wasn't going to give it to him, cuz I knew what his wish was going to be, and that was only going to cause more problems. Gods, he was so pissed after you left. Why didn't I see it before. Kami, I'm an idiot. I mean, I knew I was always an idiot with him, but jeez. Literally, he'd been telling me to give him the jewel so he could make the wish, and you walked up to us, I held up the jewel and wished it away. You said good bye and left, and as soon as I couldn't feel you anymore, he lit into me so badly I ran off to the Goshinboku and cried alone for hours. Man. Fucking idiot. And then, the next day, I find out I can't die, and he fucks off and leaves me alone for a century. What the fuck is wrong with me?! Why do I feel guilty over that fucking ass?! How stupid can I be?!" Kagome is shrieking by the end, beginning to hyperventilate, when Sesshoumaru's face fills her vision, his hands on either side of her face.
"Kagome, breathe. You must breathe. That's it. Good girl. You are not stupid. There is nothing wrong with you. You were young and abused, fed lies and vitriol, every day, for years. Then the first time you see him again, he feeds you another lie and then tries to make you feel badly for him again when you did not cower to him. It is the way of abusers. That does not mean you have anything to feel guilty about. Do you hear me? Do you understand." he says, his voice soft as his gilded eyes hold her own cerulean ones, the edges softening as he speaks.
She nods mutely, her own hands coming up to rest on his wrists, holding them in place. "Yeah. I understand. Just. Be prepared to remind me again, cuz I'll probably need it."
"Willingly. Now, I ask again, how are you feeling with him here." His eyes search her own, as he leans back.
"I'm… upset. I'm still angry and hurt. But, less now. I definitely don't think it's a good idea for me to be anywhere around him, though."
"Agreed."
"I do still want to find a way to seal his blood without it being tied to the sword, though. Not just for him, but it would help other hanyous." His hands slide from her face and clasp her own hands gently.
"I believe I already have a solution for that. The seal father used, is just that, a seal. It is tied to the sword only because it is what the seal was placed on. It is a simple matter of casting the seal onto something else infused with a full blooded relatives youki to create an adequate replacement."
"What about a ring?" she muses, head cocking as she thinks.
"There is no reason why not. You could even spell it to not be removable by anyone other than yourself. Just infuse the spell into the ring, and someone else can present it to him. Similar to the kotodama."
"Huh. Okay. Can we fashion that soon then? I was serious about him not using his sword to learn, and he'll ignore that as soon as he thinks people have forgotten my orders. If he has the ring, his sword can be taken and put elsewhere."
"I will find the spell and find a ring suitable to the task. It should not take long, I will find you when everything is ready." he confirms, standing and bringing her with him by their connected hands. "Miko. You once told me that you were here for me to confide in, or vent. I wish to convey the same sentiment to you." he murmurs, releasing one of her hands to brush her hair back from her face to tuck behind her ear, her face leaning into the touch.
"Thanks, Sess. For everything." She steps forward and wraps her arms around his waist, pressing her nose to his chest and inhaling his comforting scent, unsurprised when his own arms wrap around her, holding her there as long as she wants the contact. After several minutes, she pulls back and looks up at him, smiling. "I should probably get started on that extra large pile you left me on my desk."
He chuckles lightly, releasing her, "Indeed, it is rather sizeable now."
"And whose fault is that?"
"Hn, I have not read them, so I know not who sent them all." Kagome scoffs, before giggling at his joke, and sits down to work.
Kagome stares at the man in front of her, uncomprehending what is happening. Shaking her head lightly, she blinks rapidly, then holds up a hand.
"Stop. I don't care. Go back to the barracks." she says, before turning to leave.
"Kagome! I wanna fucking talk to you!" he bellows after her.
"No, you don't. You want your punching bag back. Go back to the barracks. Don't make me put restrictions in place to forbid you leaving them." she states flatly, her back still turned to him.
"But... Kags..."
"DO NOT." she snaps loudly, her shoulders tensing.
"Kags, I missed yo-"
"I said stop!" Her voice echoes chorally, the force of it making the walls tremor.
"The fucks going-" Kouga comes sprinting around a corner before seeing who was in the hallway. "Oh hell no. Get the fuck out of here, dog shit. You get back to the barracks and leave her the fuck alone." he growls.
"I ain't talking to you, flea ba-"
"InuYasha!" A deep baritone growls out behind him, making the hanyou turn, and come face to face with his furious older brother. Sesshoumaru's eyes are blood red, his youki roiling and creating its own wind, snapping his hair and clothing around.
"Oh fuck..."
"Yeah oh fucks right, shit for brains. Get back to the fucking barracks and stay there unless told you can leave by a superior." Kouga snaps out, stepping between InuYasha and Kagome, his hand reaching back to brush against her back.
"You ain't got the authority, wolf mutt." InuYasha smirks.
"But I do, little brother." InuYasha pales, his face falling. Sesshoumaru reaches out and grabs the front of his fire rat haori, before flinging him down the hallway towards the exit. "You are forbidden from the shiro. Return to the barracks and do not leave them without an escort by your superiors. Do you understand?" InuYasha dumbly nods, too afraid to speak. "Guard." Three guards flock to the hanyou and grab him, dragging him out and away from the miko.
"Kagome." Sesshoumaru says quietly, walking over to the trembling miko.
"Kags, he's gone. He won't be coming back." A soft whimper meets their ears, and Sesshoumaru moves before he can even process the thought, gathering the girl to him and tucking her under his chin. Kouga reaches out and places a hand against her exposed cheek. "Kags, he's not worth your tears."
"I know." she whispers. "I know. I'm not crying over him. I'm just overwhelmed. I snapped and suddenly everything was so bright and I could hear my own voice screaming in my head a hundred times over. I hate losing control like that."
"Is that why your voice went all weird?" Kouga asks, nodding when she does.
"It's only happened a couple times before, and I try not to let it happen because I lose control of myself when it does. If you two hadn't shown up, I might've actually hurt someone."
"Hurt someone how?" Sesshoumaru asks above her. Suddenly a barrier pops up around the three of them.
"It's the jewels power. I assume I don't need to do a whole history lesson, but the jewel is made of two parts."
"Fuck. The youkai in it. It got absorbed into you as well." Kouga deduces, making Kagome nod.
"Usually, it's not a problem. The jewel was as purified as it could be when I made the wish, making their contribution minuscule. However, certain overwhelming emotions, namely ones that are 'negative', can sometimes trigger it, and I can lose control of myself a bit. It never lasts long, but my powers become rather potent. I should learn to control it, but the triggers for it are so extreme, and rare, that it's hard to. Plus, there's no one who can withstand my powers to help anyways." She shrugs lightly, still in Sesshoumaru's arms. "So, I just try to avoid the triggers when I find them. Should've known he'd be one, he always was." she snorts harshly.
"Indeed. He will not set foot outside of the barracks for a long time, now. As well, I have found the sealing spell and a suitable ring. You may infuse it tonight if you wish, and I will present him with the finished product and relieve him of his sword tomorrow."
"Okay. Let's go do that now." She nods jerkily, dropping her barrier as she pulls away from the inu, and reaching to grab both of their hands, turns and starts walking to the study.
"What the fuck?! You can't just take Tetsusaiga!"
"I believe, little brother, that I can." Sesshoumaru drawls, using his whip to snatch the fang away from the hanyou, catching it lightly and slipping it into his obi.
"I need it, though!" InuYasha cries out, frantic.
"Oh, but you do not. Not anymore. Kagome was kind enough to find a solution." Sesshoumaru smirks, and flashes to InuYasha, grabbing his hand and shoving a ring down on his middle finger. A flash of pink and gold light erupt before settling back into the ring.
"The fuck is this?!"
"That, ungrateful whelp, is a ring with the same sealing spell that was placed on Tetsusaiga. With a small addition that is. No one but Kagome herself may remove it. Now you need never fear losing control. Enjoy." he declares, turning abruptly and disappearing from sight, ignoring the shouting coming from the hanyou behind him.
"Man, I wish I could've been in the room with you to see him lose his shit." Kouga laughs as Sesshoumaru enters his study, placing Tetsusaiga on the rack behind his desk that holds Bakusaiga and Tensaiga as well. "I can hear his screaming from here. Good Kami can the whelp screech. Worse than a cat."
A delicate snort from beside him makes him chuckle again.
"I'm glad I wasn't in the room. And, aren't stuck in the barracks with him. He's about to have an unpleasant night." Kagome giggles and Sesshoumaru huffs a quiet laugh.
"Indeed." His eyes meet with the miko's, softening slightly. "Tomorrow, we should spar, little miko."
"Yeah, okay." she replies, smiling warmly. "A just for fun spar, or an actual training spar?" she inquires.
"Which would you prefer?"
"I don't mind either way, fun is fun, but learning from you is great, too. Surprise me." She smiles wider at him, and he nods.
"Very well. You should go to bed, it is late. I shall see you tomorrow morning." he tells her as he stands and moves to exit the study, his eyes catching hers one last time.
"Kouga?" Kagome asks as they lay in bed, still dressed.
"Hm?" He tilts his head towards her, eyes still closed as he lays on his back, an arm folded to cushion his head.
"Has Sess been acting weird to you?"
"Weird how?"
"Well... like… I dunno. Weird." she mutters, huffing. "Like, being affectionate."
Kouga snorts, "Maybe with you. Dude's still an icicle to everyone else. Anything else or just that?"
"I... I don't know how to explain it. Like... he keeps looking at me, touching me, using my name more, asking me what I want to do. I dunno, being weird! Ugh." She flops her hands back to land above her head on the pillow.
"Kags. I'm gunna be honest here. But before that, I want you to promise me something." Kouga says after a moment of silent debate over whether to share what he knows or not.
"Uh. Okay. What is it?"
"You can not freak out. And you will not deny it. You will listen, think it over and then talk to him about it. Got it? And I'll know if you don't."
"Uh. Sure. Seems easy enough." Kouga snorts at her, making her huff.
"Kags. He wants you. No! You promised to listen, not freak out and not deny it. Let me finish." Kouga cuts her off quickly when he feels her sit up and hears her inhale. He feels her flop back and let out the breath with a muttered 'fine'.
"He wants to court you. He's just stubborn, like you, and doesn't want to admit it, but he's wanted to for a long time."
"How long?" she asks quietly.
"I first realised it with the first sparring match you guys had."
"What?!" she whispers.
"No interrupting. Think back to it, and how your other 'just for fun' spars go. Do you remember what Kimiko told you about traditional courting rites? About how partners will battle to see how their powers match?" Kouga hears her suck in a breath and knows it's clicked for her now. "He's been doing it from the beginning. Whether he realized it or not, is another matter. Like I said, he's stubborn, like a certain miko I know." he teases, earning a light smack, before continuing.
"When did he first start asking for your opinions on things?"
"Um. Probably when he asked me to be his... secretary… fuck, Kouga. Why hasn't he said anything?" she breathes.
"Lots of reasons, probably. The biggest one being he wasn't aware it's what he wanted at first. He just knew he trusted you and enjoyed your company, and for someone like him, that wouldn't equate to mate, that's just be a friend, since he's never really had any before. Later, probably because he knew about the arrangement we have. Had. I assume it's not going to continue now, which is fine, by the way- I've been prepared for it for a while. But, he knew the terms of it, we didn't want someone serious and we're just having fun. He doesn't want fun. He wants forever." Kouga tells her, his eyes, having remained closed the entire conversation, open finally to turn to her. "Honestly, I think he loves you. Like, loves you loves you. He just doesn't know how to go about dealing with it, and taking that first step with you, so he waits. I don't think he's ever going to take the step without help. Does mean I was wrong when Haruto bet he'd pursue you relentlessly and you'd be the one who was blind about it. Maybe if we weren't a thing, he might have." Kouga shrugs.
Kagome stares at him, processing everything he'd said and thinking back on all the little things Sesshoumaru had done and said over the last eighty odd years. All the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place, making her gasp quietly. "Oh, Kami, Kouga."
"Mhm. Now. Next step, you think about what you want. If you want to try with him, great. If not, he should know how you feel. He might take it a bit hard, you know how he is. When it comes down to it, he's not going to turn away from you if you're honest. But, Kagome. Don't say yes just to avoid hurting him, and don't avoid talking to him to avoid hurting you both. You both deserve to be happy, and if that's with each other, great. Personally, I think you're perfect for each other. Just. Think about it. And, I'm here if you need to talk." Kouga leans forward and presses a kiss to her forehead, before settling to go to sleep.
Kagome lays there for a while, thinking over everything Kouga had said and all the things she pieced together herself, mulling over the idea before realising she was smiling, a lot, at the thought of courting the Western Lord. I'll talk to him tomorrow after sparring, and see what he says. If it's a misunderstanding, we'll be a little awkward for a while, but we'll get over it. If it's not… I'd like to try.
"Sess? You in here?" Kagome says, peeking her head through the door to the study where she felt his youki.
"Hello, Kagome."
"Hey. I wanted to talk to you about something." she states as she slides the door closed and puts up a barrier before walking to sit in front of his desk.
"What is it?" he prompts when she hasn't said anything for a few minutes.
"I... damn, this was easier in my head. Sess, I wanted to ask you... how you... felt... about me." she poses the question slowly, eyes lowered a bit before looking up to his face. His eyes are widened slightly, body stiff. She waits patiently, soft smile on her face, encouraging him silently to tell her. After several agonizing minutes on both parts, Sesshoumaru leans back against the wall behind him, letting out a deep breath.
"The wolf?" he asks simply.
"Only a bit. The rest was me. He just helped me put the pieces of the puzzle in the right order." she tells him honestly.
"What did he say?"
"That you've been dancing around courting me for a long while. Which, you have, even I can see it now."
"Hn. Perhaps. I was not aware I was doing it until a few years ago, however, and when I did realise it, I did not want to interfere with your arrangement with the wolf. Despite my mother's nagging." he huffs.
"She would, wouldn't she. I don't know if I would have been ready to a few years ago, I only started noticing it a few months ago, really, and wondering why."
He nods, leaning forward to his desk against and crossing his arms on top of it. "What do you wish to do?" he queries after a few minutes.
"Well, you still haven't really answered my first question." she teases with another smile, reaching a hand out to rest it against one of his, watching as he turned his over to grasp it.
"I care deeply for you. I have for a long time, and I would like to court you properly, with the intent to mate." he answers softly, his golden eyes swirling with emotions when they meet her cobalt gaze.
"Yes." she replies simply, reaching her other hand out to hold his other one.
"You are sure? You were with the wolf not that long ago, after all." he acknowledges, voice devoid of any jealousy, only concern.
"I'm sure. I was, but as we've said to everyone who's ever asked, we weren't a serious thing. We mutually used each other to satisfy urges. We're friends first and foremost, and will remain so, without issues. In fact, he told me he had been prepared for this to happen since the first spar we had all those decades ago." Kagome giggles, standing to move around his desk and sit next to him.
"Really. He will not become upset if I were to take you here and now?" Sesshoumaru questions.
"Well, if I didn't want it, he would. Otherwise, no. We were never any exclusive anything, I've had partners when he was away, and so has he. He will need his own room, though, since I assume you won't want us sharing anymore."
"You are correct." he agrees as he slips his arms around her waist and tugs her down to straddle his lap. "I will assign a room for his use, unless you'd like to give him yours and move into mine." Sesshoumaru rumbles as he leans forward and rests his forehead against her own.
"Well, now that's not a bad idea. But, I should probably keep my own room for now. I will miss my personal heater, though." she taunts, tilting her face up, her lips brushing against his as she speaks.
"This One will happily fill the role for you, you need only come to my bed." he murmurs before nipping her bottom lip lightly and then, losing the fight against the urge, surging forward and rumbling as he captures her lips. Her mewls of pleasure encouraging him to explore deeper, slipping his tongue to trace against hers. Her hands glide up his shoulders to burrow into his hair, scratching and pulling enticingly. His own hands grip her hips tightly as he resists the temptation to throw her onto his desk and shred her clothing off. Pulling back from the kiss, he sucks in air before moaning quietly as she trails kisses and nips down his throat.
"Kagome, unless you wish this to go further now, you must stop." he whispers, resisting a whine when she does pull away and shift off his lap to kneel in front of him. Looking down, he arches an eyebrow at her, wondering what she is doing and why she has that look on her face. Then her hands slide up his thighs and find the ties of his hakama. "Kagome..."
"Shh. You'll enjoy it, let me." she tells him, fingers making quick work for the ties and obi of his clothing, shooing it all out of her way, as she slips her lithe hands into his hakama and freeing his erection.
"Kagome…" he grinds out through clenched teeth, his hands gripping his desk as she begins to stroke him slowly. His eyes close at the pleasure she is inciting within him, only to snap open when he feels something wet on his head. Looking down, he finds her trailing her tongue down his member slowly on one side, and the slowly back up the other. Her eyes locked with his, she slowly slips the head of his arousal into her mouth and then sucks. His head flies back as a loud groan escapes him, his hips bucking lightly.
"Again…" he breathes, his voice ragged with want. She complies, this time taking him in further, her free hand sliding up his inner thigh before trailing her fingers across his sack, earning another deep groan. He gasps when she sucks again, back arching as he releases his desk to lean back against the wall behind him. Kagome goes down again, this time swallowing him whole, the head of his member slipping past her gag reflex and down her throat. Then, she swallows, and Sesshoumaru swears he sees stars.
His hands clench at his sides as his hips begin bucking of their own accord. Her tongue is swiping the underside of his cock, her fingers playing with his testicles, and her throat constricting against his head. His breathing hitches and his abdomen clenches, hands flying to her head, before he jerks upwards and roars as he spills down her throat. He can feel her swallowing around him still as his orgasm continues before he sags against the wall behind him, panting hard, and she slides up his member, sucking as she goes, drawing out a final gasp from the him.
She sits before him, his fingers still buried in her hair, her lips dewy and slightly swollen, and he drags her forwards to him to crash his lips to hers, tasting himself on her tongue as he ravishes her mouth. Finally releasing her to breathe, he looks at her, eyes roving her features.
"I am the luckiest male alive, truly. You are perfect, Kagome." he whispers, awed, pressing a sweet kiss to her lips again as he gathers her to sit in his lap, nuzzling his nose into her hair. "Tonight, I will return the favour, in full." he rumbles.
"I'll hold you to that." she murmurs, smiling as she settles comfortably in his arms.