Author's Note: Well, I know I said I'd probably write a lemon chapter of this story, but I was blushing so badly while writing this chapter taht even my husband noticed. I have nothing against lemons, I'm just not sure I can write one, and that's saying something considering I've been married for several years! Also, I post new chapters to this story every other day. Most of the time I try to have the entire story completed before I post anything, but this time I'm writing as I go. I can't really write any faster, considering I have a full-time (and then some) corporate job.
Tiger of the Wind: Not to worry, I have the plot of the story all planned out. You're not too far off, though :) Trust me - there's a happy ending. I'm not good at those angsty stories, much as I enjoy reading them.
Disclaimer: I only own Tsuki and Hana. Oh, and this chapter has some citrus leanings in it but nothing too bad.
Kagome's Gone
by Maia Serrelinda
Chapter 7
******
Sesshoumaru stopped at the edge of the forest. He was certain he had determined the identity of the poorly-concealed scent he had been tracking. He thought it must have something to do with the hanyou and his woman, because the scents all led to the same point. Inuyasha's scent was more recent, leading him to believe that his woman had been taken by the owner of the concealed scent.
He knew that they were all in the house that was a short distance away. He had a feeling that the situation would shortly become extremely interesting. He would wait.
******
Kagome placed the tray on the dressing table. Smiling ruefully at Inuyasha, she handed him a bowl and a pair of chopsticks and served herself. They ate in companionable silence, occasionally asking one another pass this item or that.
When they had finished, Kagome set the tray outside the door. She turned back to Inuyasha with a shy smile. "So what happens now? I mean, what happens before we are truly mated?"
Inuyasha looked at her, a serious look on his face. "There's more, but I want to wait until after tomorrow."
"Why?" Kagome asked.
"Tsuki's sworn to kill me. I won't leave you alone after such a short time."
"Oh," she responded. "I see," although she really didn't. She would be just as heartbroken whether they were officially mated or not. "Do you really think she will kill you?"
"The thirst for revenge can do strange things. It can allow some to become many times stronger than normal. I'm not ruling anything out."
"Did she tell you why she wants to kill you?" Kagome asked.
"No, did she tell you?" Inuyasha replied.
"Yes. It's an interesting story. There's something about it that bothers me, though. Would you like to hear it?"
"Sure. But I think I would like to bathe. I've been running for almost two days without stopping. Let's meet in the garden just outside our rooms in a couple of hours. There's a covered pavilion out there, right? I saw it on my way here. We'll be dry there."
Kagome agreed and walked out of the room. She thought that a bath sounded like a great idea also - she had had an emotional day so far and knew she would feel better with a nice hot soak.
She undressed and entered the bathing chamber, washing quickly and settling herself into the hot spring, pouring in a dollop of the sandalwood fragrance. She made a conscious effort to relax and was soon dozing softly in the warmth and comfort of the water.
******
Inuyasha sank slowly down onto the futon in relief. That conversation had proceeded far better than he had hoped. Well, after Kagome'd gotten angry and slapped him. That certainly hadn't been planned. In the end, though, they had - mostly - settled their problems. The rest....the rest they would deal with after tomorrow.
He sat in silence for a few minutes before rising. He undressed quickly and, wrapping a towel around his waist, entered the bathing chamber Tsuki had pointed out earlier.
******
Kagome roused from her sleepy doze at a slight sound from the far end of the chamber. She lazily opened her eyes to see what had caused it.
It was Inuyasha.
He was nude. Well, mostly. He had a towel wrapped around his waist.
And, he didn't appear to have any idea she was already there. She guessed that their rooms shared a bathing chamber, something Tsuki evidently chose not to mention.
Kagome held her breath. Should she let him know she was here? He obviously didn't seem to be aware of it. What if she didn't? Now there was a thought. He'd seen her nude several times. She'd only gotten to see him two times, and never when she could really look. Anyway...they were going to be mated. Shouldn't she know what she was getting? That settled her mind and she silently sank down in the spring, grateful that the steaming, mineral-rich water hid her body from view.
He was investigating his side of the chamber. There were apparently two washing areas in the room, only she'd never thought to explore the other side of the pool. She guessed he found what he needed. He sat down on a bench identical to the one on her side. He ran his claws through his hair, apparently trying to detangle the silver mass. After doing this a few times, he picked up a comb and set to work a little more seriously, stopping several times to concentrate on particularly nasty snarls. Once he had finished, he stood and unwrapped the towel, dropping it on the bench.
"Oh, dear Kami-sama." Kagome gasped and felt a blush immediately rise. With an extreme effort, she stifled her gasp and her eyes opened even wider than she'd thought possible.
She had a perfect view of Inuyasha. His hair fell down to below his rear. She could see taut, well-defined thighs and calves. His legs were powerful-looking and yet not too bulky.
He moved over to the water pipe that protruded from the wall and lifted a small lever. Water flowed from the pipe. He stood underneath the stream, not moving at all at first. Then he gathered his hair in both hands to wet it thoroughly and Kagome thought she would go out of her mind.
She had a clear view of his butt. Now, Kagome had never been a "butt woman", preferring a guy's eyes and face. Not that she'd never really looked at a lot of guys before, at least not since meeting Inuyasha. But this....well, it was enough to tempt any woman. Clear, unblemished skin covering firm buttocks and sleek muscles. It was the kind of butt that made her just want to grab on with both hands and never let go.
Inuyasha scooped up a handful of the soft shampoo and worked it through his silvery locks. Kagome watched the play of muscles on his back as he worked up a rich lather. He rinsed his hair and quickly washed the rest of his body. Kagome managed to keep her breathing under control. but only with a lot of effort.
He reached for the lever that would turn off the stream of water. He reached again, this time for the towel, and then, before turning around, he said--
"If you don't want a real eyeful, you should probably close your eyes until I tell you it's safe."
Kagome thought she was going to die of embarrassment on the spot. She instantly felt a hot blush suffuse her entire body. She had achieved incandescence. She followed Inuyasha's suggestion and closed her eyes.
"You didn't really think I wouldn't know you were here, did you?" Inuyasha asked as she heard him drop the towel (here she swallowed audibly) and step into the pool.
Kagome opened her mouth but no sound came out. Oh Gods, he's right! Why would I possibly think he wouldn't know? How am I going to get out of this?
"You can open your eyes now, Kagome."
She opened her eyes but didn't look at him. She stared down into the steaming water. "I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have--"
"It's okay, Kagome. I didn't exactly leave, did I? Did you like what you saw?"
Kagome sputtered and slid under the water, hoping that even the steaming water would cool her off a bit. When she surfaced, she could hear Inuyasha laughing softly.
"We're promised to be mated. I would have expected you to be a little curious," he blushed before continuing, "I know you've never, uh..."
Kagome's blush returned in full force. "Do we have to talk about this?"
He snickered. "Seriously, Kagome. Don't worry about it."
The couple settled into a comfortable silence as they soaked in the relaxing water. After fifteen minutes or so, Kagome asked Inuyasha to please close his eyes as she stepped out of the pool.
Once she had wrapped the towel around herself, she said, "Okay, you can open."
Inuyasha opened his eyes and immediately realized that she had no idea what she looked like. The thin fabric of the towel clung to her damp skin and left very little to the imagination. He gulped and forced his mind away from the vision before him.
"I'll meet you outside in, say, about half an hour?" he asked.
"That sounds fine to me." Kagome left the room and slid the door closed. Immediately, she slumped to the floor against it. She was still extremely embarrassed, but she didn't regret what she had done.
Gathering her wits about her, she dressed in the clothing that had been left for her again - this time a soft cream colored warm yukata with a deep red sash. She combed out her still-damp hair and plaited it into a thick braid that hung down her back, leaving a few locks to brush her ears and rest at her neck. She slid aside the screen and stepped outside.
******
Inuyasha soaked for a few more minutes and then got out of the spring. He dried off and re-entered his room, pleased to see that Tsuki's servants had at least let him keep his fire-rat clothing. Not that he minded the clothing they had been giving Kagome, not at all. He dressed and combed his hair. He picked up Tetsusaiga in its sheath and stepped outside.
Kagome was already seated on a bench under the small pavilion. He drew his breath at the picture she made. The garden was lush and green, with several flowering shrubs and trees surrounding the pavilion. Kagome was in the middle, framed like an exquisite jewel on rich velvet. She'd put her hair into one braid with a few loose tendrils. He had to tear his gaze away from her slender, creamy neck. She was looking off towards the mountains. He started moving towards her almost in a daze.
"Shit!" Inuyasha cursed. He hadn't been paying attention to anything but Kagome and had stubbed his foot rather painfully on a small rock. Kagome's head whipped around and, seeing him, a brilliant smile lit her face, making Inuyasha completely forget about the pain in his toes for the moment.
"What's wrong?" She hurried over to the stunned-looking hanyou.
He seemed to shake himself and said, "Oh, I, uh, stubbed my toes. It'll be okay. " He held out an elbow to her and she smiled up at him as she tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. He led her to the bench she had been seated on earlier.
"So, tell me why Tsuki wants to kill me."
Kagome took a deep breath and told him everything she knew."Like I said before, though, something about it just doesn't seem right. From what I've heard of your father, that just doesn't seem like something he would do, powerful lord or not."
"Well, I don't really remember him that much, but I think you're right. I wish I knew what really happened."
They talked about it a little more, knowing that there really wasn't anything they could do at this late time to get more information than they already had at their disposal. In a mutual, silent agreement, they talked of inconsequential things, avoiding talk of the future for now. Sometime during their talk Inuyasha had taken Kagome's hand and was holding it with both of his. She tried not to concentrate on it, but before she was aware of it, she was next to him, her head on his shoulder. He released her hand with the arm nearest to her and slid it around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. He had to restrain himself from touching the expanse of neck that had been bared by her hairstyle. He did, however, wind the loose strands around his fingers lightly, marveling in the feel of her silky tresses.
They fell silent, enjoying the afternoon sunshine and each other's company. The sun began to set and both knew that this interlude would end soon. Inuyasha could smell the evening meal cooking and he could also feel Kagome shivering slightly as the slight warmth of the day ebbed away with the twilight.
He unwound his arm from her shoulders and stood, using the hand he still held to pull Kagome gently to her feet. "We should go eat."
Kagome nodded sadly, not wanting the afternoon to end. They began the walk to the dining room.
******
