Chapter 16

"You did not mention my copy would still be around, InuYasha." Kikyou growled, her dark eyes filled with hatred as she stared at the miko. Kagome for her part said nothing, just kept running the brush through Shippo's tail. Sesshomaru, the children, and her had just returned from bathing when InuYasha and Kikyou manifested out of the darkness, and immediately the group was at a standstill.

The sound of the water boiling over the pot and into the fire beneath was enough to break the tense silence that had formed. The steam from the water was between her and Kagome, and still the younger miko could feel the hatred rolling off of Kikyou in waves. What bothered Kagome the most was that while most of the hatred was directed towards her, the rest was directed to everyone else in the group, even InuYasha. Kikyou hated everyone, which meant she was a threat. Still, Kagome could do nothing as long as InuYasha was there to protect the dead miko.

At this point Kagome had no idea what she saw in InuYasha. She would look back at the male who she used to love, and there was literally no change between now and then. That meant she had loved him even while he was rude, obnoxious, and naïve. And that didn't sit well with her. So often she would preach to others to only love another who could love you back. And the way InuYasha treated Kagome wasn't love. She had given her all to InuYasha, and he threw that right back into her face.

She was no longer upset over it. It was a lessen learned, and she was just glad she learned it. She could only think that her mother was right. Kagome had grow and matured while InuYasha had stayed the same. She felt bad for her friend, and yes, he was still her friend. No matter what happened between them, or what didn't, InuYasha was still her friend, and would remain so. She just wished he could find true happiness, but she knew that wasn't going to happen. Instead, it was his turn to learn. She had a feeling that what ever Kikyou had planned would be enough to make InuYasha open his eyes. She just hoped nobody else got burned in the process.

The sound of sizzling water distracted Kagome from her thoughts, and she finally reached for the pot, moving it from the fire and to the ground beside it. She had warmed it for some ramen, but looking at the others around her, food was the last thing on their mind. So instead, she went back to brushing Shippo's tail. Once she was done with that, she would move onto Rin. Currently Rin was brushing down Titan, and though he would never admit it, she could tell he was really enjoying it.

"Gome ain't going anywhere. No matter what inubaka says." Shippo stated, crossing his little arms and narrowing his eyes at the dead woman. Kikyou returned the favor, her eyes that of slits, her anger directed towards the kit. Kagome immediately grabbed Shippo and placed him to her side, putting herself between him and the dead one.

"Don't listen to anything she has to say Shippo. Its not important. That goes for you too Rin." Kagome calmly said, continuing the brushing of the bristling fox tail.

"Yes Lady Kagome." Rin sang. She could care less what was going on around her as long as she had flowers, or Titans fur in her hands. She was mature for her age and sometimes Kagome would forget that she still was only eight years old. Soon though, she would be old enough to marry, and Kagome prayed she found love. Though she doubted Sesshomaru would let her have any less.

Thinking on Sesshomaru, her eyes traveled to Titan. She was surprised to see his golden eyes on her, a type of emotion swirling within them. A small blush began to form on her cheeks and she looked away and to the tail in her hands. She had no idea why, but when she looked towards Sesshomaru, in any form, her heart began to race and her chest constricted.

"InuYasha, she is not needed. If you wish for me to stay, you will make her leave." Kikyou demanded, and InuYasha flinched. He was going to be forced to chose again and he didn't want to. Kagome had told him she no longer loved him in anyway, but he found that hard to believe.

"Let me say this, InuYasha. You are my friend, and I will always help you if you need it. But this, I will not do. I refuse to help the enemy. If that means you wish to send me away, then so be it. But I can assure you, you will be alone." Kagome stated, never once looking up at him. She had met InuYasha first, but she knew Sango, Miroku, and Kirara were loyal to her. They have seen how InuYasha thinks, and if they were forced to chose, they would pick Kagome. She would never betray them like InuYasha was currently doing.

Understanding her words InuYasha looked towards the last three members of their group, and met their eyes head on. There was determination there, along with grim acceptance. And he knew, in that one moment, he was more alone than he had ever been. Before he had never known what it felt like to have friendship, and now, he did. But he was losing that friendship just as quickly as he gained it.

"Can't you too just get along?" InuYasha asked, looking towards Kikyou. She stood with a hand over her stomach. She wasn't far along but she was already showing. InuYasha assumed they had about five months left to go before their baby was born. He was terrified of being father. Even more so now that his friends didn't support him. What did he do to deserve this? All he had wanted was to keep his word.

"You wish for me to travel alongside my copy? The very person who stole my soul." Kikyou scowled, clearly not happy about that prospect, but then suddenly a new light shown in her eye, and she was signing a new tune. "So be it. I will allow her to stay. It will be quite entertaining to say the least." Kikyou could already see all the pain and misery she was going to cause her reincarnation. And she wouldn't even have to lay a finger on her.

"Now that, that's done. How about dinner." Kagome said, motioning to the still hot pot of water. Sango, still silently observing the dead one distributed equal amounts of water. Miroku attempted to make polite conversation with Kikyou. He had always been polite, but even he was having to force it.

All through dinner Kikyou was being obnoxiously affectionate, even borderline obscene. At one point she reached for his manhood, and even InuYasha had enough couth to push her hand away with a glance to the children. It was at that point Kagome almost said something, but she kept her cool, and decided it was time for bed. Luckily they were dressed for the occasion already, so they simply moved away from camp, but stayed close enough to be seen. Kirara went with Titan since he had become her nightly pillow. That just left a monk, demon slayer, half-demon, and dead miko in the camp. And soon, even Sango would rather be groped than to stay in that clearing anymore, so her and Miroku quickly went to bed.

The moment they were alone Kikyou began being her cold and distant self again and soon enough she went off on her own, leaving InuYasha to stare at the diminishing fire. His ears drooped to his head, hiding in his hair, and he wrapped his arms around himself. He felt cold.

…CBCH…

"I am very proud of you." Sesshomaru praised the moment Kagome found him, and she beamed, knowing exactly what he was speaking of. "Do not give her the satisfaction of control by giving in to her taunts."

"I won't. Most of it is stuff I have already heard anyway." She replied with a shrug of her shoulders. He began walking, and she followed, not even realizing how quickly and easily she fell into step beside him. "Are we going to train somewhere new?"

"Hm. Not today, little miko. This Sesshomaru has decided to give you this night off." He answered, but said no more as he continued to walk. She didn't ask anymore, knowing he wouldn't answer anyway, and instead trusted him. It was another difference between Sesshomaru and InuYasha. She would never be able to trust InuYasha like she could Sesshomaru.

The silence between them was comfortable, and she continued to smile as she took in her surroundings. However, she hadn't realized just how close she had gotten to the lord. At least not until her hand brushed against his. His fingers were warm to the touch. She didn't jerk away, but she made sure she didn't touch him again. She knew how he felt about those kinds of things, so she wasn't going to make him uncomfortable.

She was quite surprised when his own hand reached out and grabbed hers, lacing their fingers together and gripping tight. She looked at their hands, felt his callouses, yet softness, and blinked, confused, but… happy. The simple act of holding his hand made her happy, and she looked up, curious to see what Sesshomaru was thinking. He wasn't looking at her. He was instead watching where they were walking, but she could see the thoughtfulness in his eyes, and knew his brain was working as fast as hers.

Trees and trees passed, getting so think, that the two would have to scoot closer together. At one point, it was too narrow to stand side by side. Still though, he didn't release her hand, instead he pulled her in front of him, guiding her in the right direction while holding her close to his body. She couldn't explain, and she wondered if Sesshomaru could.

He couldn't. He had no idea why he was acting this way, but he didn't want to stop. He had never held hands with someone before, but he saw two humans doing it once and thought Kagome might like it. He didn't realize he would like it as well. Even now, while she walked in front of him, his arm over her shoulder, the scent of her hair, wafting up to his nose. He enjoyed it all, but what surprised him the most was he wanted more. He wanted to taste her, not only her mouth, but every inch of her. He wanted to feel her body pressed against his. He wanted to be skin to skin as he showed her pleasure that only he could. He wanted her hot breath on his skin, her moans in his ears, her hands on his flesh. He wanted it all, and not one bit of that disgusted him.

He knew, though he didn't know why, if she offered herself to him in this instant, he would take it. And cherish it. Then he would take it again and again and again. He had a nagging feeling he would never tire of it, and again, that didn't bother him. If anything, he wished for it.

He stopped suddenly a few feet from their destination, he wanted to see her face when they entered the surprise he had for her. While she had been unconscious and out of his reach, he did some exploring, and this is where he ended up. He had known immediately that she would love it, so not wasting a second, he maneuvered them, ignoring the feeling of her body rubbing against his, and stood before her. His eyes met hers, molten gold clashing with blazing cerulean eyes. For a moment they were stuck there, transfixed on one another, and Sesshomaru had to force himself to look away. He needed to show her the reason they walked out this far.

Still holding her hand, he began to walk backwards, pulling her along with him. She followed blindly, but still smiling as she blushed and met his eyes again. He damn near stumbled and that wouldn't do. He wouldn't give her any reason to laugh at him if he could help it. And then he saw it. The moment her eyes took in their surroundings, the way the trees suddenly separated, whispering their secret of the oasis that could only be found by accident.

Owl like, in size, her blue eyes darted to and fro, taking in every blade of grass, every flower, and their were millions of them in this clearing. Millions of yellows, and pinks, and blues, and purples, all dancing in the whispering wind. The oasis itself was striking, as clear as could be. Though it was filled with water, one would assume it empty at first glance. Completely clear was the water, and the only thing missing was the presence of fish or wildlife. This dream world held nothing but plants and things like it. Still though, this area was perfect to him, just as her reaction was.

"It's beautiful Sesshomaru!" She whispered excitedly, almost as if she feared her voice would ruin the permanent tranquility that rested around this place. He smirked, knowing their was no need, but he would let her still be amazed and beautiful. He could admit that he thought this human in front of him was beautiful, and he had no problem telling people otherwise. If they dared to argue…he would kill them.

Lifting a hand, he ran his finger gently down her cheek, feeling the softness of her skin, even after all of the traveling she had done in her hunt for Naraku. He watched as her attention left that of their surroundings, and focused solely on him. And he wasted not even one second before he pressed his lips against hers. Their last kiss was rushed, and done out of desperation on his part. He had needed to be sure she was real and actually there, this time he wished to show her exactly what it was he wanted. Though he didn't know the full extant of what he wanted, he knew enough.

So his lips pressed against hers, firmly yet soft. She kissed him back immediately which pleased him greatly. It was easy to see that Kagome was completely over InuYasha, and Sesshomaru wanted to gain her affections instead. But he still needed to take things slow. He couldn't hold back the growl as her hands raised, grabbing ahold of his shoulders and holding on. His own hands made a trail up her thighs to rest against her hips. Their mouths continued to move against each other. While the kiss went no farther, it was one of the best Sesshomaru ever had.

He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but soon she was pulling back from him, and he followed, wanting to taste her just a little bit longer. But finally he released her lips, allowing her to take in a gasping breath as she started to breathe again. It seems he had made her forget to breathe, and that was always an ego boost. Not that he needed it.

"Sesshomaru." Kagome whispered, her eyes opening as he smirked. He leaned down, softly kissing the corner of her mouth, leaving a blazing trail towards her ear. He couldn't get enough. He wanted so much more.

"Sess- Oh!" She gasped when he nibbled her ear and suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him for dear life.

"You wish to speak?" He teased, leaving kisses and little nips along the column of her neck. It was amusing seeing how she reacted just to this much attention, and he wondered how she would be when he decided it was time to take this farther. Already she was so responsive.

"Yes. Whh-" She cried out as he gave a rougher nip just above her collar bone, and his eyes tinted as the smell of her arousal slammed into him. She liked a bit of pain. He needed to put an end to this, or there would be no waiting. That wouldn't do at all.

"Speak Kagome." He ordered, his voice much deeper than normal. He pulled away from her skin, took in the way she panted. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes dazed. He could see the mark he left behind on her shoulder, and he was proud of it. Luckily Kagome's clothing would cover it. If it wasn't for InuYasha, he would make her show it to the whole world.

"I.. um… I" She tried. His eyes widened as she suddenly slammed both of her hands to her cheeks. The sound echoed around them, and he gently removed her hands, then soothed the reddening flesh. "Better." She whispered. "Sesshomaru, what are we?"

"Is that how you clear your mind, my little koneko." He drawled, loving the way het eyes lit up.

"k-Koneko? Yours?" Kagome stammered, more confused than ever. Sesshomaru wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"Yes, kitten. Do you not think it fitting. They seem small and innocent, but if you were to make one angry…" He teased, running his nose along her cheek. No matter how hard he tried, he could not get himself to stop. And it was making him begin to wonder. He had seen how his father reacted to the human princess, how affectionate he was. And that was something that was uncommon between demons. It was how his father knew he wanted Izayoi as a mate. Is that what Sesshomaru wanted? Did he want the little miko as his mate.

"And the other thing." She gasped out, her hands shaking as she clutched to his haori, her eyes wide as he leaned down, pressing his lips to the tip of her nose. He still couldn't stop. No part of him wanted to stop touching, and he didn't see the reason why they should. He was alone, with a beautiful woman in his arms. Why should he not give into the temptation that she was.

"The other thing?" He questioned. He knew exactly what she was asking, he just wanted to hear her say it. Because in that moment, he could do nothing but accept it. He knew exactly what he wanted from this miko, and he would have it. It would take time. With her being human, she would need to think things over, probably too much. But he would wait, and he would seduce, and eventually he would have.

"I'm yours?" She breathed. The thought exhilarated her, made her stomach quiver and her heart race. She didn't expect the reaction to she got from Sesshomaru though. Just those two words, and he was becoming feral, attempting to keep himself held back, His eyes were bleeding red, his fangs showing in a silent snarl. But she knew, she had no doubt, that she was safe. Everything that she was told her that he would never hurt her. Not anymore.

"Yes! You are mine." He growled, pressing his lips to hers once again. This time the kiss was bruising, and all Kagome could do was let it happen. Not that she cared, she wouldn't have fought him anyway. Yes she had questions, and they would need to be answered, but right now, she gave in easily and accepted his kiss and words. Nothing in her wanted to fight it. So she didn't.

…CBCH…

Yes, Sesshomaru knows he wants to mate Kagome. He does not know he loves. And she still doesn't know how she feels about him. Therefore, the curse is still not broken. It will happen eventually though. I hope you all enjoy.