Legal: No, Inu Yasha isn't mine- if he was, I wouldn't have to worry about school now would I?
Chapter 13: Making Waves
I smiled nervously, guiltily. "Uh, washing your hair?" I blushed bright red and screwed my eyes shut when I realized just where my line of sight was. I had assumed that Sesshomaru was sitting on a ledge or some other kind of seat under the water, when he stood that assumption was shattered; suddenly my line of sight wasn't on his face but below his waist. That's right boys and girls; I had had an up close and personal look at his manliness. I heard water splash and a low chuckle in my head as he dunked under again and ran his hands through his hair to wet it. Not needed now, I covered my eyes with my hands and waited until Sesshomaru finished. I freed one hand and felt around the floor for the conditioner bottle.
"Sesshomaru," I mumbled when he came up again. I held out the bottle and waited for him to take it. He took it from me, saying nothing but I felt curiosity and amusement emanating from him while I took my hand back and covered my eyes again. I kicked my feet in the water idly, wondering how long it would take me to go get a bath and dress again. I sighed through my nose, dropping my hands and folding my arms across my chest. I kept my eyes closed as I sat there blushing as red as a cherry, listening to Sesshomaru move about in his bath.
Inu Yasha, I sensed, was moving about in his room, combing through my bag for whatever he was looking for. I smiled to myself, betting he was after my ramen to satisfy his hunger. I wondered what Sango, Miroku and Shippo were up to upstairs, how they were getting along with everyone. I reached out mentally to Taomaru and found him sitting on the roof of the castle, looking over the landscape as the sun began its decent and keeping guard in his own way. That brought me back to the attack we were facing and I frowned.
Sesshomaru had begun the lengthy job of setting up the attacks and defenses I had mapped out. Even as I sat here, Jaken was overseeing everything with the scrutiny of a slave driver- at least the little twit was good for something. We were going to need more than just good attacks and defense- like a hell of a lot of luck. We would have to play dirty and booby trap the area. I scratched my head; now if I only knew how to do that. I had to take a look at the boxes I had brought with me- though I had picked through them I hadn't really been taking stock of their contents; all of them had something useful but it was a matter of finding that specific use. One thing was for sure, I needed to find my dad's bike and the emergency generator. With the generator as a power source, I could use extension cords, hook the lamps together and light this place up like a beacon.
Okay, now for traps… damn. I yawned, resting my chin on my fist, losing myself to my thoughts. The only real threat I could come up with was the three tanks of gasoline upstairs. I could spread it over the ground and light it with an arrow but gasoline evaporated very fast. I didn't know if the fumes would stay around long enough to do any damage. And there was no guarantee that our troops wouldn't be caught in the flames. Arg! I growled in frustration; this was so hard! Alright, fire was out unless it was up close. Maybe if we could launch one of the tanks or just small containers filled with the flammable liquid over the Dark Army and shoot it full of holes so it showered the soldiers and then used a flaming arrow to light them. Hmm... That was a bit excessive. Maybe covered pits? I wasn't cut out for this kind of work; I was too compassionate (or at least had been until I started renting room in my head with the dog demons) and planning ways to kill people made my skin crawl- this after I over killed fifty a few hours ago. Sheesh, Kagome; get a grip! I chided myself angrily. I sighed again and slumped, defeated.
You need a break, my lady. I jumped in surprise when Sesshomaru sounded in my head. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into the water while I shrieked.
"Let me go! No; wait!" I pushed at him, grabbing the rim of the tub and trying to stop his momentum. "What are you doing?!" I lost my hold and Sesshomaru just waded out further, eventually just touching the sloping bottom with his toes. I could only hold onto him, waiting until he got tired of me and let me go. I was soaked and hot and really worried, entertaining all sorts of unhappy scenarios- none of which I would enjoy. I felt Sesshomaru's tail curl around my waist and hold enough weight that my head was above the water line. We were out almost too deep for my liking. but for the dog demon, I guess it was fine. With his arms free, Sesshomaru swept his arms languidly in the water, his legs moving like scissors beneath him to keep us both afloat.
A bath, my lady? Sesshomaru asked, saving his breath for swimming and simply whispering in my head.
I frowned at him angrily. "Yes, Fluffy now let me go and I'll go get one." This was the last time I decided to be helpful without reason- every one just kept playing with me because of it. I should have stayed in my room with Inu Yasha; at least I knew how to deal with the hanyou. Sesshomaru cocked his head at me and I wondered if he was still suffering from his accidental endorphin rush; he sure as hell wasn't feeling any pain from the injuries he'd sustained or the headache he had been suffering from earlier. I pushed at him lightly- I didn't want to be around if he felt like cuddling again. His tail tightened around me and kept me in place. I was stuck until he was done. Of course, what he would be done with was what bothered me. I looked around, hoping to find something to free myself with.
Lips touched mine when I turned and I gasped in surprise. I jerked away from Sesshomaru, pulling my head away and blinking. I started backstroking, getting a few inches between us so I could use my legs and kick. The demon lord let me swim a foot away, me dragging his weight and mine, then pinned me back against him. He stood, his feet firmly on the bottom, and pressed me against his chest, kissing me as if he'd eat me from the mouth down. His hands slid up my back, under the soaking cloth of my nightgown, his fingers kneading the muscles along my spine. His skin was hot, hotter than the water we were in and it was as if his fingers had a direct link to my nerves. Sesshomaru's touch sparked something inside of me, a part that was pure woman and completely sexual in nature. It wasn't a spell or any kind of outside power except for the natural attraction a woman has for a man. It was exciting and frightening how much I wanted to kiss him back, wanted him to touch me, his skin against mine.
I was appalled at myself- I never though this way about Inu Yasha! Sure I had a sexual attraction for the hanyou but it paled to transparency in comparison to my attraction to Sesshomaru. I had wanted to be held by Inu Yasha, to find comfort and welcome in his arms; with Sesshomaru I just wanted to feel him inside me, to really find out how good a lover he was. The youkai kissed me harder and his hands moved from my back to my ribs, dangerously close to my breasts. I gasped and Sesshomaru growled low in his throat- he wasn't threatening me or angry; it was a particularly male sound. I needed air and Sesshomaru moved to my neck, biting along my pulse and then nibbling on my collar bone.
Think, Kagome, think! The problem was that I couldn't think while Sesshomaru touched me- his thoughts were overriding any coherent thoughts. That wasn't to say he wasn't thinking coherently- on the contrary, Sesshomaru was thinking about the information he was receiving from his senses. I tasted good, my skin felt soft against his, and most importantly I smelled wonderful to the youkai. He could hear my heart beating, could hear my blood pumping from his touch. It had been a long time for Sesshomaru and he'd forgotten about all the little niceties of the female body, but I didn't think anything would have made him touch a human! I blinked, panting for air as his hands finally closed that small gap and he cupped my breasts, his thumbs teasing my nipples.
Human! That was the answer! "Sesshomaru?" I swallowed thickly and pulled his head back to me. He blinked unfocused amber eyes at me, looking confused. "Sesshomaru, I'm human." I said, a hand on either side of his face and forcing him to look me in the eye. He frowned and used his incredible strength to pull away from me, pick me up and spin me around, pinning my back against his chest. He wrapped his left arm around my waist and trapped my arms while his right arm crossed my upper chest. His shortened tail curled around my legs, making it impossible for me to kick away. His head buried under my hair, nuzzling my neck again and making my skin break out in goose bumps. He growled softly, whispering in my ear, a curtain of his wet white hair obstructing the rest of the bathroom from view.
"Your friend Sango is human," Sesshomaru whispered vehemently. "My daughter Rin is human. Those boys from the village are human. The monk Miroku is cursed but even he is human."
I didn't like where this was going. "I'm human." I said, my voice tiny and hollow. I was saying it, I wanted to believe it but somehow I knew that Sesshomaru was right. Along the way, my life had taken its own road. The more power I manifested, mine or one of theirs, was making me wander further and further from the human path. I was Kagome, but a growing part of me doubted I was still human anymore- especially with recent events. That didn't mean I wanted to hear him say it, however. "I'm human." I said again with more force.
"No!" Sesshomaru bit my neck, his fangs drawing blood. I gasped and tried to pull away, wriggling against him. "You are not human, Kagome, you are a miko! You are more than a mere human!" His words rang true in my head and through all the sensation clamoring through my body, one screamed loudest: loss. It was true- I knew it, he knew it, hell everyone must have known it- but part of me didn't want to know it. I had been clinging to my last shred of normality with tooth and claw and now even that tiny scrap was gone. I was Kagome Higurashi, a miko, a Jr. high school student, daughter, friend, and lover if Sesshomaru got his way, but I was not human. I was many things but no; human was not one of them, not anymore.
The youkai nuzzled my neck, his tongue flicking out and sealing over the wound he had created. I simple stood there, unresponsive. My thoughts chased each other, threatening to overwhelm me and send me screaming into a corner somewhere, never to stop. Did Inu Yasha know? He had a sharp nose, had been the closest thing I had to a friend in this time. He had had the most contact with me through all sorts of different adventures; if anyone would have picked up on it, it should have been the hanyou- not Sesshomaru who only knew me through passing.
I felt myself being shaken and didn't care. My world had been shaken and stirred, again- the second time in the space of a few hours- and by god I deserved some sympathy! I wasn't human now but had I ever been? I had always been treated as something more by my father when he had been alive; even though I had buried those memories, that impression still made itself known. My dad had been teaching me a form of dance that was supposed to raise and control power but I didn't know if that power was supposed to come from me or from some sort of outside force.
Sesshomaru called my name, trying to draw me out of my reverie and away from the growing panic clawing at my heart. I slammed up shields, not wanting anything to do with anybody. Every time I let them in, anyone in, I got hurt in some manner. The solution to this was to not let anyone in again ever but, if I wasn't human in body, I was in mind- small comfort that it was. My personality was human and humans loved- it was an emotion that defined our species, from one extreme to another and I could not shut the feeling away permanently. In a while my heart would heal itself and someone else would find his way into my heart, be it for a few days or many years- someone always found a way around the armor we wore. It was a hope filled, but also depressing, thought.
There was a saying among the older girls in my school, whispered in passing by the girls in the graduating class who had traveled love's rocky path: Don't confuse lust with love. Some girls followed the statement with; Lust is so much easier and fun. I hadn't understood either saying until this moment, but in Sesshomaru's arms and with Inu Yasha quietly moving in my head, I got it. I leaned back against the youkai, looking up at the hazy ceiling and contemplated the simple meanings and how they related to my situation and me.
Lust was the desire for someone sexually. In lust, love could be a factor or not (more often not) but physical attraction was always there. Two people could be completely incompatible in every way except when it came to sex- then they got along just fine. That relationship could be taken a step further: you could have a friend as a lover and still not be emotionally attached to him in any other way except plutonic. In other words, your lover could be your friend, you confidant, and your port in a storm but yet not be your romantic interest. In terms of the two brothers, Sesshomaru fit the bill. He was physically attractive and interested in me as a bedmate but probably not more than that. He was the more sensual of the two; not necessarily more romantic, just more carnal- the candy you wanted but couldn't have.
Love was more nebulous an idea. It was harder, more demanding, but had many more rewards if all went well. Your love interest, boyfriend/ girlfriend, could be your best friend, your confidant, your psychologist, and your bedmate- anything and everything you ever wanted. That person would be by your side, would protect you, would love you for who you were, not what you could do. The physical effects of love were also intriguing- people in love had better immune systems, were more confident, more fun to be around; a host of positive side effects that made the world seem like a better place. But just as there was a good side, there was also a down side. Love if unrequited made days seem longer, the world colder because you knew, somewhere inside, that your object of affection would never pay any attention to you. You would never be their special someone- I smiled wryly- never be their cuddle bunny and would most likely have to watch them become a couple with someone else; someone not you. And yet, because of love and the fact that the emotion could not be destroyed ever, you still hoped that one day, one day, they would wake up and turn to you and hug you, telling you that they love you.
Yah; all that was Inu Yasha territory. I sighed, ignoring Sesshomaru and the single tear that fell from my eye. The funny thing was that Inu Yasha had admitted he loved me; my heart fluttered at the aspect but my head was wary. He said it now, after Sesshomaru had expressed an interest in my body, and also when Kikyo was far, far away. Hmm... Food for thought; he could say it in private and when his claim on me was threatened but other than that he ignored me- and through it all my heart pounded with the knowledge that he loved me in some way. Sesshomaru had the keys to my libido and Inu Yasha had the keys to my heart- there was no way I would survive being bonded to either. I frowned, my anger getting the best of me, and smashed the water's surface with my fist. Damn him! I screamed in my head.
I voiced that scream when I felt myself being lifted up into the air. The sound ricocheted off the tiled interior and amplified until even I was deaf. Sesshomaru threw me and my body flew through the air as I screamed, struggling all the while. I finally splashed down in the deeper end of the bath and sank from the force. I came up sputtering, blinking and spitting water. I gulped air and tried to calm my racing heart. I gasped, glaring angrily at Sesshomaru, who was standing in the water, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked bored! When I was through making sure I wouldn't drown I paddled toward him with sure strokes. When I was close enough I began yelling at him in outrage.
"What the fuck do you think you are doing?!" I screamed at him, watching with an odd sense of satisfaction as he winced. "I could have drowned! What if you had thrown me into a wall, then what would you do?" Still looking extremely bored with me and my yelling, he dropped his arms back in the water. He sighed, rolling his eyes as I approached and then splashed me with a wave of the liquid. I pushed my hair out of my eyes and stared at him in shock.
Don't be silly; I would not allow harm to come to you. He frowned at me. At least you aren't depressed anymore. Sesshomaru's voice whispered through my mind sulkily. My jaw dropped as I watched him watch me. He finally sniffed at me arrogantly, suppressing a smile as he turned his back on me and began wading toward the rim of the bath. I stared and then laughed.
"You miserable beast!" I laughed and splashed water at him. I hurried forward and grabbed him by the tail when it tickled my feet. I pulled him, inadvertently tugging him backward into the water. He toppled, flailing madly in a vain attempt to regain his balance. I grinned when he went under and then jumped on him when he surfaced. I covered his eyes to blind him and wrapped my legs around his shoulders. Sesshomaru snarled and pulled at my legs but didn't hurt me. I growled at him playfully, knowing he would hear it, and kept thoughts of fun in my head to show him I meant no harm, that I wasn't a threat even though I was technically attacking him.
He paused, cocking his head to one side and trying to look up at me. I kept my hands over his eyes and he frowned. So you wish to play, do you my lady? He teased and I knew I wasn't going to like however he retaliated. He started moving toward the deep end of the bath and I tried using my weight to tip him over. I squealed, laughing and splashing water as I kicked.
"No!" I howled, laughing. "Noooo!" I heard a noise come from Sesshomaru's den and I looked that way, wondering who could be showing up now. I tried to see past the mist but, in a move only a youkai could pull off, Sesshomaru dove under the steaming surface and I had to let go of him or be dragged out into deep water again.
I surfaced, swimming back into shallow water. I grabbed the rim of the bath, intending to jump out and run from the room before he could catch me. It didn't work out that way unfortunately. I did make it to the rim, had pulled my self out at least partway, when I saw who had entered Sesshomaru's den. I stared at Inu Yasha as he strode across the floor and stood in the door way to the bathroom. We stared at each other for a few seconds before strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me backwards.
"Little minx!" Sesshomaru yelled and dragged me back into the water, dropping me in an unceremonious heap in the deeper end. I began treading water in an instant and the youkai merely arched a brow at me. I frowned and began splashing water at him as fast as I could, effectively starting the water fight. He let out a shout, blocked with his arms and then sank into the water, coming up underneath me and lifting me high in the air. I squealed in surprise then laughed as he started tickling me. As strange as the whole thing was, it was something I should have expected; as Inu Yasha and I adopted more and more of Sesshomaru's personality into our own, little by little the youkai was experiencing our humanity, our emotions. It had allowed us to be able to lapse into that bored posture and become indifferent to what was going on around us while Sesshomaru could now empathize better with other people- enough so that he wanted to cheer me up after our depressing conversation about my humanity, or lack there of. It was actually quite touching- more so considering the source.
I heard a tearing sound and felt my nightgown fall away. "Hey!" I yelled and squirmed until he dropped me. Inu Yasha, finally recovering from his shock at the whole scene echoed my shout. I disappeared under the surface and, instead of coming up right away; I stayed underwater and swam to the shallow end. Blushing, I popped my head out of the water, my arms securely around my breasts for modesty.
Inu Yasha and Sesshomaru were glaring at each other further down the bath, one in the water, the other standing on the side. Both dog demons were growling at each other and the top of Sesshomaru's tail danced above the surface, twitching angrily. Uh oh. I dropped my barriers a little and paid careful attention to Inu Yasha. Call it instinct, call it great intuition, or just call it phenomenal luck, but I had a feeling that the hanyou's temper was going to get the best of him. I dropped almost all of my barriers between him and I except a thin shield, figuring that that would be enough if anything happened.
I didn't know what I was doing or what I hoped I'd be able to do but I tried anyway, feeling my magic widen the link between the hanyou and me. Immediately I was assaulted by images, jagged and fractured, of Sesshomaru and I. It was then I realized that, even though we all had our shields up, information still passed between us- information being memories from the person's point of view. On the heel of those images, Inu Yasha's demon side roared over me and into me. I whimpered in fear and clutched at my splitting head.
I used my magic to fight Inu Yasha's power, feeling it claw and roar in rage inside my body. I concentrated harder feeling it being pushed back. I ground my teeth and screwed my eyes shut, just pushing at Inu Yasha's power and trying to make it calm down. A hand toughed my shoulder and I screamed at the burning touch, pulling away and tripping over my uncoordinated feet. I fell in the water and surfaced sputtering. In the few seconds that elapsed, Inu Yasha's power had gained ground and was fighting full out. I stumbled to the rim and collapsed against it, turning my thoughts internally to keep my sanity.
Inu Yasha's power was simply power in its most undiluted form: raw, virtually untapped, and primal. It was savage in its ferocity; like a living animal trapped inside my flesh- an angry, scared animal with sharp claws and big teeth. It slashed and screamed in anger, trying to find and outlet where it could escape and relieve its pain- or revel in the pleasure of killing. It fought my attempts to subdue it, unwilling to submit to my touch until it felt safe. I lay on the tiled floor screaming weakly, unable to move or see, and fought Inu Yasha's power. I could feel it try a different tactic- a Sesshomaru tactic possibly- and it purred, making my blood hum. It had taken on a more coaxing approach: Please, it cooed, please let me out, please let me show you the joy I can bring- like a wet dog pawing the door to be let in out of the rain that would kill you once it saw you.
The worst part of it all was that I couldn't let it out, couldn't let it go because it would just crawl back inside Inu Yasha and make him transform. If he transformed again, there was nothing that could bring him back to the loveable hanyou we all knew and loved- not Tetsusaiga, not a blow from Sesshomaru, not me. Inu Yasha would be gone forever, always seeking out opponents until the day he died. I could not let that happen, would not let that happen, so I let his power claw at my insides and even asked for more. Until it calmed back down to normal, all of the hanyou's demon power was dangerous so I drained that power, taking all of it into myself. I wasn't human, but I wasn't demon either; I didn't know if my magic would do anything or if I'd simply explode when the pressure became to great, but I was willing to try anyway to save Inu Yasha.
Fighting won't work! Taomaru's voice made my head hurt. Inu Yasha's power is used to fighting- try something else!
I mentally frowned at him and was glad he couldn't hear my verbally- I wasn't up to talking anyway. So the great one decided to share his wisdom, I said darkly. Where the hells are you and why didn't you say something earlier? My body spasmed, making my spine bow out. I panted, wanting to scream but not willing to. If I took the time to do so then Inu Yasha's power would gain in power while I was distracted.
Taomaru snarled at me. I am upstairs taking care of a small palace revolt and a hotheaded wolf youkai who insists he knows you. I felt him try and quell his own power and calm down. Kagome, you have to try something else, any type of fighting won't help.
I coughed and felt something ooze from my lips- please let it be water. Wolf youkai? Medium height and build, dark hair, really fast?
Um, yah. Taomaru said in surprise. How did you know?
I curled on my side, little shockwaves spreading through my limbs and making them jerk. I stopped fighting Inu Yasha's power gradually, slowly backing off and leaving it alone for the moment. His name's Kouga, I whispered quietly. We all know him- he and Inu Yasha are rivals in fighting. He's generally sweet, but not very bright. I shuttered, feeling suspicious claws poke the walls of my body- Inu Yasha's power trying to assess the situation. Taomaru had been right- if I didn't fight it, the hanyou's power didn't know what to do. It only knew that it was trapped inside me with no outlet. Inu Yasha's power wasn't happy with the arrangement, but it wasn't being harmed, or bothered, so for the moment I was all right.
Something soft touched me gingerly, lying against my exposed skin warily. I touched it, feeling down the softness to figure out what it was. I blinked sightless eyes wondering why I suddenly couldn't see. I touched my face, prodding gently less I poke out my eyes or something, searching for anything that could be covering my eyes. Nothing was touching me except the soft thing and that was on my chest. A stirring of panic ran through me, making Inu Yasha's power restless. I was blind and I didn't know why.
Notes:
Ack! I'm sorry this chapter was so late! No school one day, work and a math final (::moans:: it was so awful!) delayed any posting. Once again, very, very sorry about that.
I'm betting that a lot of you are out there blinking at he computer and asking yourselves just what this extremely weird woman is up to. ::shrugs:: Me too. For a bit, this story is going to be a bit strange. Does everyone remember that a few chapters back, I put in my two cents about magic? I said that magic cannot be pinned down exactly when it was being described (or at least that was what I meant) which basically means that all the magic bits and descriptions will be done primarily from Kagome's point of view.
I do the more vague scenes from Kagome's POV because, well, Kagome doesn't know what's what about magic (Neither do I for that matter ::sighs::) and like most people, Kagome will work through a situation as it relates to her. I think it gives a more believable approach, personally, but that's just me and if anyone ever reads my little dribble section, they should know that I can be very round about with my reason and explanations. ::scratches her head::: Probably why I'm not very popular at school. Eh.
Anyway! For the next chapter or two (I'm not sure) I'm asking for a suspension of disbelief. Just take it as it comes- I'll explain everything later. Speaking of explanations, how about a few tidbits?
1) The dream youkai from Sick days is Momiji, the dead first Guardian of the dog clan- the lady who started Kagome's involvement. She initially caused some major problems for Inu Yasha and Kagome, and Sesshomaru later on, not the least of which was a slight rift in Inu's head. (Remember how strange he was in reality- completely different from the one Kagome dealt with in the dream mesh.) Did she do it to protect her former kingdom from its ancient threat or did she set the cogs of fate in motion for other reasons?
2) The current Guardian of the Western Lands is Taomaru, brother of Momaru the former Demon Lord. He is the uncle of Sesshomaru and Inu Yasha and wants to protect his nephews to the best of his capability. The only drawback to that however is that, before Kagome woke him up in the dream mesh, he was at deaths door. To aid his family now, he draws on Kagome's blossoming powers to feed his strength both physically and magically. To do this, Taomaru shares a bond with Kagome but is this bond similar to the mating bond between the she, Sesshou and Inu, or is it different? The two have gotten along better than expected considering that they met just recently- is there something more afoot?
3) Sesshomaru, Inu Yasha, and Kagome are all bonded together and said bond is pulling them tighter together mentally. Though a highly unlikely combination, the strange trio may be the ultimate defense against the enemy looming on the horizon- if they can live long enough. Of the three, Kagome seems the hardest hit by the effects of the bond between them and at times seems the only one affected. If a bond meant to bring two mates closer together is causing damage such damage when it is not complete, what will it do to her when it is finally cemented and the two are joined permanently?
On another note, Inu Yasha is acting quite odd and this will be explained later in depth (more round about explanations, sorry) so please wait a bit then you can yell at me. Momiji's meddling and the dream mesh as knocked something loose inside the hanyou, leaving Inu more irrational than usual. Again, this will be explained later!
4) And let's not forget about the three lords skulking about and causing trouble. These three are not to be trusted and will turn upon those they have sworn allegiance to as soon as they sense weakness. A plot to take the throne was hatched long ago, leading to a few innocents being lost in the struggle. Who could be behind it? The lords intend to take charge- one way or another- and they aren't near out of tricks by any stretch of the imagination. Come hell or high water, fair or foul, they want the Dog Clan throne.