An Unlikely Pair
*disclaimer: Inuyasha and co. belong to the great Rumiko Takahashi-sama
Chapter 4 ~ Slowly Falling for the Enemy
Somehow, she had managed to get pretty far. She managed to stumble a couple times without completely falling. Her tears were coming more frequently. She tried to wipe them away, but during her moment of blindness, she stumbled but fell into the arms of someone. It was a man and in her state of mind, she clung to him. Trying to find comfort in him, she buried her face into his shoulder and clutched his haori. Her tears soaked into his clothing, and she didn't know who it was, but she welcomed the comfort he seemed to be offering her.
He had strong arms and what she could tell with her senses was his clothing was made of silk, his voice was calm and smooth even in a whisper, and he smelled of the forest.
'Cami don't let this moment end.' He thought. 'She smells even more incredible up close.' He ran a hand stroking her head letting his fingers comb slightly through her hair. He felt the approach of Sango and decided to make an exit. He pulled her closer to himself before brushing his lips against her temple. "We'll meet again." And he disappeared before making sure she had her balance.
'That voice. Could it have been him? Why?' She thought wrapping her arms around herself oddly missing the warmth. It wasn't long before she heard Sango and Shippou catch up to her. Without uttering a word, Kagome began walking back. Still clutching herself. She didn't seem to notice when Sango helped her up onto Kirara. She didn't even notice when they returned. Miroku had finally gotten up and was celebrating, but even that didn't wake Kagome from her thoughtful state of mind. She went through her actions afterwards with a distant look in her eye and without saying anything. It was beginning to creep the others (except Kikyou) out.
Having enough of her strange behavior, Inuyasha approached her while the others were busy setting up camp. "Oi, Kagome. Snap out of it. You're scaring everyone." She didn't respond, but kept unpacking her sleeping bag and some ramen as well. "Hello? Earth to Kagome." Inuyasha waved a hand in her face. Getting a little frustrated and possibly concerned, he took her by the shoulder and shook her. The distant look in her eyes disappeared into a look of lost ness. "Why, Inuyasha?" She managed to whisper. "Why what?" She looked hurt. Shrugging her arms out of his grasp she said, "Leave me alone Inuyasha. You have Kikyou now." Kagome tried to walk away, but he grabbed her arm.
"Kagome, wait. What are you talking about?" "Let go of me Inuyasha. I told you to leave me alone." She bitterly spat. "Fine." He grunted slightly pushing her away and went back to fawning over Kikyou (his new pottery). Kagome snorted at Inuyasha's behavior and commenced to make their dinner of ramen.
Dinner went by smoother than Sango and Miroku thought it would while watching from the sidelines. Aside from the death glare Kikyou sent to Kagome and the equally venomous look Kagome sent back, there wasn't any fighting or yelling. As for the sleeping arrangements, Kagome chose to sleep on the farthest side of the clearing from Inuyasha and Kikyou while Miroku and Sango slept in between the three closer to the fire. Shippou and Kirara had passed out a while ago near Sango. Distrusting the walking corpse, Kagome allowed herself to sleep only enough to keep her going the next day.
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'One day, I will be there to protect her and she will be able to sleep as comfortably as she wants at night.' He thought in a tree not far from the clearing. He had been watching over her the entire time. 'The fools. They don't even know I'm still here. But now I'll always be around so long as she is with them. What have you done to me Kagome? If only you could see how much I want and need to be with you.' Shaking his head roughly he growled at himself. 'No, I am not that dependent on her.' He sat there brooding before saying, "Yes. Yes I am." 'Because I love you more than anything else.' He finished with a thought.
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Kagome woke up earlier than usual to bathe by herself. After checking to make sure the others were still asleep, she silently crept away to a nearby hot spring (they're just conveniently everywhere nearby). There was a fog above the hot water in the crisp morning air that she could just barely see the whole pool. She undressed and quickly slipped into the soothing liquid without noticing the figure leaning against a rock on the other side.
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Naraku had woken up in the tree he had been sitting in the night before. It was still a bit dark, but there was enough light for no need of fire. Stretching, he gracefully as well as silently left the tree to spy on his new interest. She was still slumbering. He decided to scout the area better, and when he spied the hot spring, he couldn't resist a quick, relaxing soak. He almost groaned when he let the relaxing waters engulfed his naked body. It sent tingles down his spine when it touched the cursed returning burn scar shaped as a spider on his back. After they went away, he settled to lean back against the rock he sat by and closed his eyes letting himself fall into a light sleep.
He had awoken when he felt Kagome silently near the spring. He dare not budge from his place in fear that she would scream and alert the others of his presence, although he thought that after the day before she wouldn't do it on purpose. He decided to play it safe and sat there deathly still while she undressed and slipped into the water after he scolded himself to keep his eyes from wandering. He had seen her naked before, but not this close.
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Kagome sighed and opened her eyes. "Did he really catch me?" She asked to no one in particular, but the other heard her clearly. "Was he the one holding me so possessively, but so comfortingly to him? If he was, then why? Aren't we enemies?" She sighed again closing her eyes to the fog and steaming water. She sat there thinking for a few more minutes before a blush crept over her cheeks. "But enemies do not kiss. Not even if it was not on the lips." She thought about it longer and while she was washing her hair. The blush on her face hadn't left and at times it grew brighter than it started out as.
The other spring occupant could smell the emotions rolling off of her. He could understand her confusion and anger, but when a spike of arousal came to him he almost fainted, and it took all of his control not to jump the young woman and take her in the water when she said, "I wouldn't mind kissing him other places though." She giggled and it sent a shiver down his spine. "He is cute. Maybe cuter than Inuyasha. No he isn't cute." He visibly slouched when he heard this. "He's handsome. He's no boy like Inuyasha, but a man." His slumped posture disappeared and he sat up straight while a smirk took over his face.
'I wonder what he looks like... naked.' The blush on Kagome's face deepened twenty shades darker. 'Where are these thoughts coming from? Get your mind out of the gutter Kagome.' "But I can't help it. I'm 18 years old and well, he's gorgeous. Evil, but gorgeous." She sighed again and picked up her sponge and bottle of shower gel.
"Can't help what may I ask?" Kagome shrieked into the hand that quickly clamped over her mouth dragging her into a body that made the blush on her face turn darkly crimson. "Now don't be doing that. We don't want any interruptions this time." Kagome relaxed, but was still embarrassingly aware of their state of dress. Feeling the tension in her body dissipate, he loosened his hold on her. Resting his head on one of her shoulders, he turned his face to hers and gently kissed her cheek before completely letting her go. Kagome quickly covered her chest while turning her head with her eyes closed.
"What are you doing here?" Naraku softly chuckled. "It's all right, you can look. As for me being her, does it matter?" She cautiously peeked through one eye before opening them both completely. "Yes, it matters. For one, I was bathing and for two you almost scared me to death." He chuckled again. "What exactly is it that you find funny about this situation?" "Nothing at all my dear. Would you object if I joined you?" Kagome blush had begun to die down, but it remained when the reality of the situation completely sunk in. Naraku watched as Kagome's eyes began to wander from his face to his hair and down his chest towards his navel, but her eye quickly shot back up to his smirking face with her blush growing once again.
"Please, come sit down so I may scrub your back. It's the least I could do for scaring you." Kagome hesitated, but reluctantly sat down on an underwater ledge near the edge of the spring. The water came up enough to keep the essentials below the waist hidden. She felt the water shift about her as he took a seat behind her. She watched from the corner of his eyes as he grabbed the forgotten sponge. She slightly flinched when the sponge touched her back, but then relaxed, when he started gently scrubbing her back in soothing circles. During this process, Naraku used his other hand to sweep her hair over one of her shoulders to get it out of the way. Kagome was on the verge of drifting off into sleep when his voice reached her ears again.
"Are you going to answer my question?" Her brow furled with concentration trying to remember what he was talking about and when it hit her, her blush covered her entire face. She began to nervously laugh. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." "It's all right. You don't have to tell me. I see that you are embarrassed from the blush." Kagome felt like she was going to die from embarrassment. Naraku fell silent as he continued his ministrations. Kagome began to relax under his attention again and the blush began to leave her face. As he began to rinse her back off with his hands, she softly said, "I was thinking of you." "I see." There was a long pause before Kagome quickly blurted out, "Naked." The blush returned, but it was only a shade of pink this time. He chuckled. Before she could say anything else he scooted closer to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, dragging her back against his side. Letting his cheek rest against the exposed shoulder her hair wasn't draped over, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "Did anyone ever tell you that you smell incredible?" Kagome rested the side of her head against his. "Inuyasha once told me... but that was a long time ago. But now he has Kikyou... it doesn't matter anymore." A sad tone seeped into her voice. Naraku hugged her closer to him. Turning his chest towards her back, he let his free hand rest against her hip.
Feeling her inhibitions dissolve in his embrace, she let her arms settle away from her chest and onto his. Leaning into his embrace she softly smiled. "Do you know the phrase 'keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer'?" Kagome asked. "Yes, why?" "There is a flaw in the saying." "What are you suggesting?" "There is the possibility of falling in love with the enemy." Naraku softly smiled as well. Before he could inquiry as to where the conversation was headed, they heard the voices of Sango and Shippou calling out for her. Naraku sighed, but quickly stood and exited the water grabbing his clothes and taking shelter in the forest. Kagome was too distracted trying to quickly scrub away his scent she knew clung to her before Shippou came, and just as Sango and Shippou emerged into the hot spring's clearing, she dunked herself completely underwater. Coming back up, she turned to her friends and smiled.
"Hey, what's up?" Kagome asked with a smile. "We came looking for you because you disappeared. Breakfast is cooking. It's almost done." "All right. Thanks guys. I'll be there in a moment." "Ok, well, see you at camp." Sango said. Kagome nervously eyed Shippou sniffing near the edge of the spring Naraku had been sitting, but let out a silent sigh of relief when he shrugged and scampered off behind Sango after waving. Neither saw these expressions. As soon as they had disappeared, she turned around and made her way across the spring that she had seen Naraku disappear to. As soon as she reached the edge, Naraku came out wearing only his hakama. She ogled his torso for a second before letting her eyes settle on his own crimson set. Naraku walked towards her and knelt down on a knee before her. One of his hands instantly found its way to her face and he gently ran a thumb over her cheek. "I'll be watching you." She smiled warmly at him reaching a delicate hand to his own masculine face. As her hand came in contact with his face, he leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss upon her lips as they continued to drown in each others eyes. "We will meet again, love." He whispered against her lips. With another quick kiss, they slowly departed, and he disappeared once more into the woods.
A light blush covered Kagome's face as she stepped out of the water and got dressed. She touched her fingertips to her lips as a dreamy haze filled her eyes. She stood like that for a little bit, but quickly remembered that breakfast must be ready by now. She grabbed all of her things and rushed back to camp in time to see breakfast being served.
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Naraku watched Kagome silently from the trees after he had gotten dressed. "You didn't refuse me. Must you feel the same as I do you?" He softly asked.
A/N: Yes, yes, I know the title says slowly falling for the enemy, and yes they are slowly falling because they have not declared those certain words to each other so it isn't official yet. And they won't be declaring those words for a few more chapters or more................................. thanks for reading!!! ^__^
*disclaimer: Inuyasha and co. belong to the great Rumiko Takahashi-sama
Chapter 4 ~ Slowly Falling for the Enemy
Somehow, she had managed to get pretty far. She managed to stumble a couple times without completely falling. Her tears were coming more frequently. She tried to wipe them away, but during her moment of blindness, she stumbled but fell into the arms of someone. It was a man and in her state of mind, she clung to him. Trying to find comfort in him, she buried her face into his shoulder and clutched his haori. Her tears soaked into his clothing, and she didn't know who it was, but she welcomed the comfort he seemed to be offering her.
He had strong arms and what she could tell with her senses was his clothing was made of silk, his voice was calm and smooth even in a whisper, and he smelled of the forest.
'Cami don't let this moment end.' He thought. 'She smells even more incredible up close.' He ran a hand stroking her head letting his fingers comb slightly through her hair. He felt the approach of Sango and decided to make an exit. He pulled her closer to himself before brushing his lips against her temple. "We'll meet again." And he disappeared before making sure she had her balance.
'That voice. Could it have been him? Why?' She thought wrapping her arms around herself oddly missing the warmth. It wasn't long before she heard Sango and Shippou catch up to her. Without uttering a word, Kagome began walking back. Still clutching herself. She didn't seem to notice when Sango helped her up onto Kirara. She didn't even notice when they returned. Miroku had finally gotten up and was celebrating, but even that didn't wake Kagome from her thoughtful state of mind. She went through her actions afterwards with a distant look in her eye and without saying anything. It was beginning to creep the others (except Kikyou) out.
Having enough of her strange behavior, Inuyasha approached her while the others were busy setting up camp. "Oi, Kagome. Snap out of it. You're scaring everyone." She didn't respond, but kept unpacking her sleeping bag and some ramen as well. "Hello? Earth to Kagome." Inuyasha waved a hand in her face. Getting a little frustrated and possibly concerned, he took her by the shoulder and shook her. The distant look in her eyes disappeared into a look of lost ness. "Why, Inuyasha?" She managed to whisper. "Why what?" She looked hurt. Shrugging her arms out of his grasp she said, "Leave me alone Inuyasha. You have Kikyou now." Kagome tried to walk away, but he grabbed her arm.
"Kagome, wait. What are you talking about?" "Let go of me Inuyasha. I told you to leave me alone." She bitterly spat. "Fine." He grunted slightly pushing her away and went back to fawning over Kikyou (his new pottery). Kagome snorted at Inuyasha's behavior and commenced to make their dinner of ramen.
Dinner went by smoother than Sango and Miroku thought it would while watching from the sidelines. Aside from the death glare Kikyou sent to Kagome and the equally venomous look Kagome sent back, there wasn't any fighting or yelling. As for the sleeping arrangements, Kagome chose to sleep on the farthest side of the clearing from Inuyasha and Kikyou while Miroku and Sango slept in between the three closer to the fire. Shippou and Kirara had passed out a while ago near Sango. Distrusting the walking corpse, Kagome allowed herself to sleep only enough to keep her going the next day.
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'One day, I will be there to protect her and she will be able to sleep as comfortably as she wants at night.' He thought in a tree not far from the clearing. He had been watching over her the entire time. 'The fools. They don't even know I'm still here. But now I'll always be around so long as she is with them. What have you done to me Kagome? If only you could see how much I want and need to be with you.' Shaking his head roughly he growled at himself. 'No, I am not that dependent on her.' He sat there brooding before saying, "Yes. Yes I am." 'Because I love you more than anything else.' He finished with a thought.
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Kagome woke up earlier than usual to bathe by herself. After checking to make sure the others were still asleep, she silently crept away to a nearby hot spring (they're just conveniently everywhere nearby). There was a fog above the hot water in the crisp morning air that she could just barely see the whole pool. She undressed and quickly slipped into the soothing liquid without noticing the figure leaning against a rock on the other side.
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Naraku had woken up in the tree he had been sitting in the night before. It was still a bit dark, but there was enough light for no need of fire. Stretching, he gracefully as well as silently left the tree to spy on his new interest. She was still slumbering. He decided to scout the area better, and when he spied the hot spring, he couldn't resist a quick, relaxing soak. He almost groaned when he let the relaxing waters engulfed his naked body. It sent tingles down his spine when it touched the cursed returning burn scar shaped as a spider on his back. After they went away, he settled to lean back against the rock he sat by and closed his eyes letting himself fall into a light sleep.
He had awoken when he felt Kagome silently near the spring. He dare not budge from his place in fear that she would scream and alert the others of his presence, although he thought that after the day before she wouldn't do it on purpose. He decided to play it safe and sat there deathly still while she undressed and slipped into the water after he scolded himself to keep his eyes from wandering. He had seen her naked before, but not this close.
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Kagome sighed and opened her eyes. "Did he really catch me?" She asked to no one in particular, but the other heard her clearly. "Was he the one holding me so possessively, but so comfortingly to him? If he was, then why? Aren't we enemies?" She sighed again closing her eyes to the fog and steaming water. She sat there thinking for a few more minutes before a blush crept over her cheeks. "But enemies do not kiss. Not even if it was not on the lips." She thought about it longer and while she was washing her hair. The blush on her face hadn't left and at times it grew brighter than it started out as.
The other spring occupant could smell the emotions rolling off of her. He could understand her confusion and anger, but when a spike of arousal came to him he almost fainted, and it took all of his control not to jump the young woman and take her in the water when she said, "I wouldn't mind kissing him other places though." She giggled and it sent a shiver down his spine. "He is cute. Maybe cuter than Inuyasha. No he isn't cute." He visibly slouched when he heard this. "He's handsome. He's no boy like Inuyasha, but a man." His slumped posture disappeared and he sat up straight while a smirk took over his face.
'I wonder what he looks like... naked.' The blush on Kagome's face deepened twenty shades darker. 'Where are these thoughts coming from? Get your mind out of the gutter Kagome.' "But I can't help it. I'm 18 years old and well, he's gorgeous. Evil, but gorgeous." She sighed again and picked up her sponge and bottle of shower gel.
"Can't help what may I ask?" Kagome shrieked into the hand that quickly clamped over her mouth dragging her into a body that made the blush on her face turn darkly crimson. "Now don't be doing that. We don't want any interruptions this time." Kagome relaxed, but was still embarrassingly aware of their state of dress. Feeling the tension in her body dissipate, he loosened his hold on her. Resting his head on one of her shoulders, he turned his face to hers and gently kissed her cheek before completely letting her go. Kagome quickly covered her chest while turning her head with her eyes closed.
"What are you doing here?" Naraku softly chuckled. "It's all right, you can look. As for me being her, does it matter?" She cautiously peeked through one eye before opening them both completely. "Yes, it matters. For one, I was bathing and for two you almost scared me to death." He chuckled again. "What exactly is it that you find funny about this situation?" "Nothing at all my dear. Would you object if I joined you?" Kagome blush had begun to die down, but it remained when the reality of the situation completely sunk in. Naraku watched as Kagome's eyes began to wander from his face to his hair and down his chest towards his navel, but her eye quickly shot back up to his smirking face with her blush growing once again.
"Please, come sit down so I may scrub your back. It's the least I could do for scaring you." Kagome hesitated, but reluctantly sat down on an underwater ledge near the edge of the spring. The water came up enough to keep the essentials below the waist hidden. She felt the water shift about her as he took a seat behind her. She watched from the corner of his eyes as he grabbed the forgotten sponge. She slightly flinched when the sponge touched her back, but then relaxed, when he started gently scrubbing her back in soothing circles. During this process, Naraku used his other hand to sweep her hair over one of her shoulders to get it out of the way. Kagome was on the verge of drifting off into sleep when his voice reached her ears again.
"Are you going to answer my question?" Her brow furled with concentration trying to remember what he was talking about and when it hit her, her blush covered her entire face. She began to nervously laugh. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." "It's all right. You don't have to tell me. I see that you are embarrassed from the blush." Kagome felt like she was going to die from embarrassment. Naraku fell silent as he continued his ministrations. Kagome began to relax under his attention again and the blush began to leave her face. As he began to rinse her back off with his hands, she softly said, "I was thinking of you." "I see." There was a long pause before Kagome quickly blurted out, "Naked." The blush returned, but it was only a shade of pink this time. He chuckled. Before she could say anything else he scooted closer to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, dragging her back against his side. Letting his cheek rest against the exposed shoulder her hair wasn't draped over, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "Did anyone ever tell you that you smell incredible?" Kagome rested the side of her head against his. "Inuyasha once told me... but that was a long time ago. But now he has Kikyou... it doesn't matter anymore." A sad tone seeped into her voice. Naraku hugged her closer to him. Turning his chest towards her back, he let his free hand rest against her hip.
Feeling her inhibitions dissolve in his embrace, she let her arms settle away from her chest and onto his. Leaning into his embrace she softly smiled. "Do you know the phrase 'keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer'?" Kagome asked. "Yes, why?" "There is a flaw in the saying." "What are you suggesting?" "There is the possibility of falling in love with the enemy." Naraku softly smiled as well. Before he could inquiry as to where the conversation was headed, they heard the voices of Sango and Shippou calling out for her. Naraku sighed, but quickly stood and exited the water grabbing his clothes and taking shelter in the forest. Kagome was too distracted trying to quickly scrub away his scent she knew clung to her before Shippou came, and just as Sango and Shippou emerged into the hot spring's clearing, she dunked herself completely underwater. Coming back up, she turned to her friends and smiled.
"Hey, what's up?" Kagome asked with a smile. "We came looking for you because you disappeared. Breakfast is cooking. It's almost done." "All right. Thanks guys. I'll be there in a moment." "Ok, well, see you at camp." Sango said. Kagome nervously eyed Shippou sniffing near the edge of the spring Naraku had been sitting, but let out a silent sigh of relief when he shrugged and scampered off behind Sango after waving. Neither saw these expressions. As soon as they had disappeared, she turned around and made her way across the spring that she had seen Naraku disappear to. As soon as she reached the edge, Naraku came out wearing only his hakama. She ogled his torso for a second before letting her eyes settle on his own crimson set. Naraku walked towards her and knelt down on a knee before her. One of his hands instantly found its way to her face and he gently ran a thumb over her cheek. "I'll be watching you." She smiled warmly at him reaching a delicate hand to his own masculine face. As her hand came in contact with his face, he leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss upon her lips as they continued to drown in each others eyes. "We will meet again, love." He whispered against her lips. With another quick kiss, they slowly departed, and he disappeared once more into the woods.
A light blush covered Kagome's face as she stepped out of the water and got dressed. She touched her fingertips to her lips as a dreamy haze filled her eyes. She stood like that for a little bit, but quickly remembered that breakfast must be ready by now. She grabbed all of her things and rushed back to camp in time to see breakfast being served.
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Naraku watched Kagome silently from the trees after he had gotten dressed. "You didn't refuse me. Must you feel the same as I do you?" He softly asked.
A/N: Yes, yes, I know the title says slowly falling for the enemy, and yes they are slowly falling because they have not declared those certain words to each other so it isn't official yet. And they won't be declaring those words for a few more chapters or more................................. thanks for reading!!! ^__^