Love & Hate: The Collection

Not an Enemy

They were supposed to be enemies, yet he was kissing her with all the passion a heart can muster. She didn't particularly like the scorch of his lips, but she didn't resist when his tongue battled with her own. It was the knot coiling in her belly that kept refusal at bay.

It had been a year since her first encounter with the tai-youkai of the west. A battle had occurred, a ferocious one between blood brothers. Nobody usually lived through confrontations with this foe, but everybody had managed to that time. Her companions on the quest to kill a half-breed named Naraku, include this brother. It was during a fight with this demon when the western lord joined the fray. He made fighting look easy, though he had no allies in the particular event.

It was only when the brothers defeated Naraku together, did Inuyasha refuse to fight his only living relative. It was a heroic decision. He told his brother, Sesshoumaru, that he had nothing against him, except he took orders from a man sixty years dead. He was hit for his insolence, but Sesshoumaru left. A relationship between the two was established.

From then on, the attacks between the two were nothing more than training and tests. Sesshoumaru even seemed to enjoy the fights. Soon, his appearance became as fixed as the landscape.

Inuyasha introduced them all informally. During Sesshoumaru's stays, he'd call somebody's name for no reason. Kagome was already known. He had screamed after her enough during their previous battles. But it was Sango that kept ensnaring his attention, and one day, he chose to fight her.

It turned out to be an awkward battle. Inuyasha wasn't used to sitting on the sidelines, and Sango was out of practice. It was obvious, after a few play rounds, that Sango was a worthy opponent. She memorized Sesshoumaru's attacks and movements, and at the same time, remained unpredictable. It ended in a draw, blades against the other's throat. The sparing had taken its toll on Sango, leaving her breathless and disheveled. Even Sesshoumaru's figure seemed to slump a bit in exhaustion. Not even Inuyasha had ever managed to tire him.

From then on, Sango was included in their fights. She found herself fighting against the western tai-youkai, until he suggested she fight Inuyasha. At first she thought nothing of it, showing him no mercy, and he the same. It got heated, until Sango forgot she was supposed to be just sparing. Inuyasha's onslaughts were hard, and quite violent. It was then it clicked what was going on. She was well learned in the ways of demons. She knew she was considered part of Inuyasha's 'pack'. She also knew that dogs were territorial, and very into dominant and submissive rolls. Fighting him was challenging him for his 'dominance', in his puppy brain. He was the leader.

After swinging wildly at him, sending him jumping back, she bowed in defeat. Surprised, Inuyasha said that it wasn't fair. He wanted to win by hiself. He was no doubt winded. He panted hard, and his long silver hair was matted with sweat. Sesshoumaru immediately caught his near fatal mistake. He calmly and shockingly commented her on both the fight and her knowledge on inu-youkai. She nodded in response, quickly turning away before her blush was noticeable.

After that, the fighting intensified between the two. Inuyasha wisely sat out many of them, seeing that they were more interested in fighting each other than him. It was offending, but he did find it quite amusing most times. Sango provoked the demon lord often, and her sharp tongue always tempted him into another round of clashing and sparing, in more ways than one. Her strength and spirit surpassed that of a human. It was really hard to make himself remember that it was true.

All of it led up to the kiss they were in now. Sango had at first denied her attraction towards the eldest western lord. She did little annoying things, such as calling him demon instead of using his name. He in turn often referred to her as huntress or more commonly, slayer. When she fell from grace she was human or wench.

But at this point, neither cared about it. All focus was on the feeling threatening to drown them both. The spark and then tension was well noted. Sesshoumaru knew exactly how to 'cure' it, and was well experienced in that area. But this was the place where Sango's sheltering was put in play.

Trained as the eldest son would be, she knew the laws and art of fighting. She wasn't told about what was expected out of a woman. Out of her. Not until she noticed that more and more friends were busy with a husband and child, did she understand something was done differently for her. Not only that, no offers had been made for her hand in marriage.

It was part of the reason she'd hungered for the youkai's attention. She knew youkai valued strong, dependable, and healthy women to bare heirs. Her father often told her that if her beautiful face didn't get her suitors, her hips, would. She was told she had a mother's hips, fit to breed children. She coddled Kohaku as a son, especially when he first started his exterminator training. When he got ill, she did everything to make him comfortable. But that was not enough to satisfy a maternal urge.

Lord Sesshoumaru promised to fill that hole in her life. His kisses swore it. Whether he'd be around to help raise that child was a question she didn't want answered. She knew she'd be quite content with a bastard child. But a part of her was angry for confiding in the demon lord when he caught her crying. It was his eyes, filled with disgust that stopped the tears. He was angry that the only human he ever admired had fallen to the emotions that were mankind's greatest weakness. He even told her so, proving he could be trusted, and he cared more than he'd ever say. And when she submitted, it got her into his arms, and into is frozen heart..........

When he drew back from her she whimpered. The sound both amused and confounded him. She was, in every behavior, a demoness, an untrained bitch. All she lacked was heritage. It could easily be fixed by a combining- of- the- bloods spell. But he doubted she'd go for it.

He replaced his needy appearance with his usual emotionless facade. She glanced up at his eyes. They were always so expressfull, betraying his every secret and feeling. Where he was cold, his eyes were warm, battling with unsaid thoughts.

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered up at him. He had many well rehearsed retorts to say to her, but they wouldn't come to him at the moment. Not only that, her pitiful state had turned on a protective switch in his being. But he noted that every word she spoke dripped with her morality.

"I follow my instinct," he growled turning away, but not willing to let her go. She caught his lie, and a grateful smile slipped on her tear stained face. She made a soft chuckling sound.

"Liar," she accused affectionately. He glanced down at her, letting her glimpse the intense feelings swirling in his remarkable golden orbs. She read the startling amount of longing and caring, and her hear twisted in her chest. It was proof enough that, in time, he could be taught to love her.

So in response, her hand crept up into his hair, guiding him gently back to her lips. Their next kiss was sweet, drenched with a softer side of Sesshoumaru she'd never witnessed. It was intoxicating, the unexplored part of the usually cold demon.

She pulled his arms around her waist, and then snaked hers back into his silky tresses. She was the one to break their second kiss, but she wouldn't allow him out of their embrace. With seriousness, she stared into his eyes to find he words he wouldn't say. They were there, veiled behind blatant lust. A smile tugged at the edge of her mouth.

"I could love you, you know," she whispered. He grunted a reply, but she read loud in clear.

"And I you."

(End)