**********CHAPTER 19 IS ON MEDIAMINER.ORG UNDER THE SAME TITLE NAME*****

Lost Within

Chapter 20: Repercussions of an Act

The glowing blood-red and deep-blue energy began to disipitate at an alarming rate, the only audible sound in the room being the joint panting of both the young woman-child and man.

Both retracted their mouths, pantingly loudly.

Sesshoumaru slumped against Kagome, knowing full-well that his weight could have crushed an ordinary human woman . . . but Kagome was no longer human . . . Kagome was . . . his.

With that thought in mind, ignorant of the pain radiating in his shoulder, he fell into a dreamless sleep . . .

Kagome fell not long after.

*

"YAY!" the young child cheered, dancing aroung the large crystal sphere.

"Young lady, what have I told you about watching the mortals when they are . . . *hugging*?" intoned a large, burly, greek-like man.

"Um..." she trailed off sheepishly. ^.^; "-I forgot...?"

*

"Took them long enough...yeeeuch...I dearly hope Sesshoumaru-sama washes himself thoroughly befor-" Jaken mumbled to himself, thoroughly discusted with the task that he had accomplished, but not altogether displeased.

-

Kagome awoke with a start, her awareness of the present reality came much swifter than usual; she decided not to think on it, but to take a bath . . . she absolutely reeked of salty sweat . . . and . . . sex.

The weight of another warm body seemed to finally catch her attention; without thinking Kagome shoved the body to the side of her; she needed to do two things, get up, and take a frikkin' bath . . .

Her eyes went impossibly wide . . . oh shit . . . it hadn't been a dream . . .

A snarl tore from his lips as he was brought to a rude awakening from an otherwise, *extremely* pleasant night . . . he glared at the offendor and froze; there Kagome stood, long dark hair, shimmering with an ethereal blue tint . . . bright sapphire eyes wild with confusion and bashfulness, the two, dark-blue-nearly black stripes that graced her already exquisite features . . . he felt himself go hard . . .

'Oh no! Oh NO NO NO NO NO!!! Once was enough for me thankyouverymuch!!!' Kagome thought frantically, her now verymuch sensitive nose easily picking up Sesshoumaru's musky arousal . . . not good...sooo not good.

Sesshoumaru made to rise, "No! No- You've done y-your part in 'saving-the-world' garbage, and so have I, so no! No no no! Don't even *think* about it because no!" Kagome snarled not-so-coherently, not sure if she made sense, but the tone in which the words conveyed was sense enough for any idiot in the vicinity.

He managed to look indignant despite his bold-faced erection clear for everyone and anyone to see, "As if I would lower myself to bed with you- a lowly miko." Sesshoumaru snapped arrogantly, pinning his golden eyes to a point in the wall, willing his erection away . . . no such fuckin' luck...

Kagome found it safer not to say anything to that, because she damned well knew the truth about that matter . . . change or topic...wai- oh... Kagome studied the spot where Sesshoumaru now sulked and where she stood, measuring the small distance, if she didn't know better, this seemed a little farther than ten feet . . . was the bond becoming more leniant? Or was it simply fading?

Let's test this out then . . . Kagome took a step back, nothing-no warning tug or sick feeling in the stomach, another few steps, nothing, she turned around and strode brazenly through the front doors of Sesshoumaru's chamber, turning down the hall, walking a good thirty steps-still nude mind you- then-

'Thud!' followed by an undignified grunt and then a finishing growl of mild anger and pain . . . hunh . . . so it had gotten more leniant, at least allowing them to be in seperate qaurters . . .

"Sesshoumaru-" Kagome spoke, addressing the floor in which said Demon Lord was still getting off of, "This bond-thingy has stretched a bit, so we can have our own qaurters, meaning- *I* can sleep in peace without having you paw at me at all hours of the night..." Kagome trailed off, wondering why-in-the-hell she'd suddenly become so ballsy . . . oh well . . .

"I'm going to go take a bath, *alone* and *uninterupted*" Kagome growled warningly at the shell-shocked Lord-of-the-Western-Lands . . ., "Seeya in a few-"

And with that, Kagome turned on her heel and walked back into Sesshoumaru's room and into the adjoining bathroom; Sesshoumaru swiftly entered his room, still in relative shock; Kagome was a youkai alright, in more ways than one . . .

. . . he began to wonder if he should've just left the damned world to be destroyed, it was bad enough to deal with a human Kagome, he wasn't so sure he could deal with a full-blooded youkai one . . .