Chapter 16: Family Affair
Ai hurriedly stepped out of the well with Kagome following closely behind her. She bowed to the younger girl who was wearing a green school uniform and thanked her for all she had done to help her in the past week. Ai slowly turned around and saw Sesshoumaru standing as regal as ever, wearing his usual placid expression, Rin and Jaken were there as well, with only a few inches separating them from the great demon lord. Kagome smiled and silently took off down the well, figuring that Ai would look some privacy for her "family reunion".
Rin excitedly ran over to Ai, and the older girl bent down to embrace her, giving a small smile as she felt the younger girls arms around her waist. Rin was over come with joy, even if she was only separated from Ai for a week or two, it had been the longest amount of time she had gone without seeing her. It had also been terribly quiet around the palace without Ai gone, and Rin was left with Jaken whenever Sesshoumaru went out on one of his expeditions, and that was never any fun. After the small girl caught her breath she verbally expressed her worry.
"Rin was worried, she didn't think Inoru-san was coming back, you're not going to leave Rin and Sesshoumaru-sama alone again, are you?"
Ai looked over Rin's head and saw that Sesshoumaru was standing only a foot or so behind the young girl, as she was answering the small girl's question she looked at Sesshoumaru the entire time, the answer being more directed to him than any other person in the clearing.
"No I won't, as long as I'm treated well."
Ai stood up and walked right up to Sesshoumaru, with a boldness that only a woman from the future could possess, and before he got a chance to protest or speak another remark about all the things that could possible be wrong with the human race, Ai slid her arms around his waist and embraced him. Sesshoumaru immediately stiffened and images of him throwing this woman into the well disappeared just as quickly as they had came. Ai noticed the reaction she had gotten out of him but she did not let go of him, instead she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper so only his sensitive youkai ears could pick it up.
"I know you're not exactly enjoying me holding you like this, but I want you to know that you were missed."
And then as if she couldn't cross the line anymore than she already had, Ai leaned up (as he was taller than her) and kissed the demon lord on his cheek. She then walked back over to Rin, who was saying something about kissing being yucky, whilst Sesshoumaru began to swiftly rub his cheek as if he were ridding it of some kind of infection that Ai might have passed on to him when she kissed him just a few short seconds ago. After recovering from the incident and regaining his composure, which in total took about 22 seconds, the lord of the western lands decided to speak.
"You will not do that again."
Although it was more of an order than a statement, Ai pretended not to hear a single word he had spoke, and walked past him with Rin in tow, the bold teenaged girl speaking hurriedly as she walked.
"Don't just stand there we have to get going, unless you intend on sleeping on the well tonight."
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes somewhat, and quickly moved in front of the girl, resuming his usual position at the front of the line. They walked the remainder of the way in silence, except for when Rin would occasionally tug on the bottom of Ai's kimono to ask her a question. When they reached the palace Ai entered her room with mixed emotions, happy to be "home" but at the same time feeling a dull pain of sadness that was mixed with a longing to be in her own time period. Little did she know that before she had graced the room with her presence Sesshoumaru had returned one of her kimono that he had been holding on to while she was away, not wanting to loose the scent she carried, which smelled heavily of cherry blossoms, rain, and roses, not the stench that he had familiarized with the human race. She smelled gentle and soft like most youkai women did, even if that wasn't how she always behaved.
As he sat in his room Sesshoumaru looked at looked at the letter in his hands. His cousin Hito would be visiting, most likely to satisfy his family's curiosity about the rumors that had been circulating about the great demon lord traveling around with two humans. Judging form the date of the later, Sesshoumaru expected there arrival sometime tomorrow afternoon. Glad to be thinking about someone else besides Ai, his mind wandered to that of his cousin Hito. They had always been close, especially when the passing of Sesshoumaru's mother came about and his father's marriage so quickly there after. His cousin lived far away as his lands were located in the east, and even though the two were very close their duties kept them occupied, as the last time they had seen each other was the year before Ai had "arrived".
Sesshoumaru stood up and had one of his servants deliver the news of Hito's arrival to Ai, so she could dress appropriately. However, he had left out the fact that Hito was not only coming to satisfy his own curiosity or to pay Sesshoumaru a visit, but he was also currently looking for a new wife.
Ai hurriedly stepped out of the well with Kagome following closely behind her. She bowed to the younger girl who was wearing a green school uniform and thanked her for all she had done to help her in the past week. Ai slowly turned around and saw Sesshoumaru standing as regal as ever, wearing his usual placid expression, Rin and Jaken were there as well, with only a few inches separating them from the great demon lord. Kagome smiled and silently took off down the well, figuring that Ai would look some privacy for her "family reunion".
Rin excitedly ran over to Ai, and the older girl bent down to embrace her, giving a small smile as she felt the younger girls arms around her waist. Rin was over come with joy, even if she was only separated from Ai for a week or two, it had been the longest amount of time she had gone without seeing her. It had also been terribly quiet around the palace without Ai gone, and Rin was left with Jaken whenever Sesshoumaru went out on one of his expeditions, and that was never any fun. After the small girl caught her breath she verbally expressed her worry.
"Rin was worried, she didn't think Inoru-san was coming back, you're not going to leave Rin and Sesshoumaru-sama alone again, are you?"
Ai looked over Rin's head and saw that Sesshoumaru was standing only a foot or so behind the young girl, as she was answering the small girl's question she looked at Sesshoumaru the entire time, the answer being more directed to him than any other person in the clearing.
"No I won't, as long as I'm treated well."
Ai stood up and walked right up to Sesshoumaru, with a boldness that only a woman from the future could possess, and before he got a chance to protest or speak another remark about all the things that could possible be wrong with the human race, Ai slid her arms around his waist and embraced him. Sesshoumaru immediately stiffened and images of him throwing this woman into the well disappeared just as quickly as they had came. Ai noticed the reaction she had gotten out of him but she did not let go of him, instead she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper so only his sensitive youkai ears could pick it up.
"I know you're not exactly enjoying me holding you like this, but I want you to know that you were missed."
And then as if she couldn't cross the line anymore than she already had, Ai leaned up (as he was taller than her) and kissed the demon lord on his cheek. She then walked back over to Rin, who was saying something about kissing being yucky, whilst Sesshoumaru began to swiftly rub his cheek as if he were ridding it of some kind of infection that Ai might have passed on to him when she kissed him just a few short seconds ago. After recovering from the incident and regaining his composure, which in total took about 22 seconds, the lord of the western lands decided to speak.
"You will not do that again."
Although it was more of an order than a statement, Ai pretended not to hear a single word he had spoke, and walked past him with Rin in tow, the bold teenaged girl speaking hurriedly as she walked.
"Don't just stand there we have to get going, unless you intend on sleeping on the well tonight."
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes somewhat, and quickly moved in front of the girl, resuming his usual position at the front of the line. They walked the remainder of the way in silence, except for when Rin would occasionally tug on the bottom of Ai's kimono to ask her a question. When they reached the palace Ai entered her room with mixed emotions, happy to be "home" but at the same time feeling a dull pain of sadness that was mixed with a longing to be in her own time period. Little did she know that before she had graced the room with her presence Sesshoumaru had returned one of her kimono that he had been holding on to while she was away, not wanting to loose the scent she carried, which smelled heavily of cherry blossoms, rain, and roses, not the stench that he had familiarized with the human race. She smelled gentle and soft like most youkai women did, even if that wasn't how she always behaved.
As he sat in his room Sesshoumaru looked at looked at the letter in his hands. His cousin Hito would be visiting, most likely to satisfy his family's curiosity about the rumors that had been circulating about the great demon lord traveling around with two humans. Judging form the date of the later, Sesshoumaru expected there arrival sometime tomorrow afternoon. Glad to be thinking about someone else besides Ai, his mind wandered to that of his cousin Hito. They had always been close, especially when the passing of Sesshoumaru's mother came about and his father's marriage so quickly there after. His cousin lived far away as his lands were located in the east, and even though the two were very close their duties kept them occupied, as the last time they had seen each other was the year before Ai had "arrived".
Sesshoumaru stood up and had one of his servants deliver the news of Hito's arrival to Ai, so she could dress appropriately. However, he had left out the fact that Hito was not only coming to satisfy his own curiosity or to pay Sesshoumaru a visit, but he was also currently looking for a new wife.
