Moonlight Silhouette
This chapter dedicated to my brother, for being my consultant n.n I'm dying of writer's block so sorry for the lateness of this update. Any suggestions are welcome. Oh, and I'm sorry for the extreme shortness of this chapter. I got fed up of trying to make it longer. Better a short chapter than nothing at all right?
Chapter Ten
"How did you do that?" The demon rasped, "Why can you bring me down now but not before?"
"It's simple really." Lord Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes in distaste. "There is much you do not know."
I turned my face away as the Tokijin sliced through the air. I heard the sickening chop and a soft thud. I felt my stomach clamp up, and I shut my eyes until I felt a soft hand on my shoulder.
"Rin." It was Lord Sesshoumaru's voice, "He's gone." I turned around and indeed the demon's body had drifted away into dust. All that was left was the evil-looking blade. Lord Sesshoumaru stood still and silent, not taking his eyes away from the sword.
The sword began to emit a faint hissing noise and violet sparks danced around the blade. Then the blood stained silver surface glowed dark red and the hissing rose to a terrible keening wail. I clamped my hands over my ears and watched as the sword slowly disintegrated. Soon all that remained of the demon's weapon was a fine, crimson dust that floated lazily through the air.
"W-what was that my Lord?" I asked timidly. He eyed the space where the sword had been and then turned to me.
"A Hell-blade." He said softly, "Forged in the netherworlds."
I looked up at him, fear in my eyes.
"Do not fear Rin. It is over now." He laid a reassuring hand on my shoulder. I nodded.
"You..you..fought well." I said lamely. Of all the ways to compliment him! But he smiled slightly at me.
"Perhaps you need to rest Rin." He said. I smiled to myself. Lord Sesshoumaru wouldn't say something like that if he himself wasn't tired. I nodded.
"Who was he anyway?" I asked, leaning against a tall tree. Lord Sesshoumaru was standing and surveying the bloodied ground. I could have sworn I saw his nose twitch.
"Inuyasha." He growled softly. Thinking it was an odd time for him to be mentioning his half-brother I looked up at him questioningly.
"What was that?" I asked.
"He's coming." He murmered.
"How close?"
"He is near. The blood was covering his scent." Lord Sesshoumaru directed his piercing glance into the trees. We both waited until the sound of approaching footsteps-leaps, actually- were heard. Finally the red-clad figure crashed through the trees.
"Sesshoumaru!" He cried, "What the hell?"
"I killed him Inuyasha." Lord Sesshoumaru spoke his half-brothers name with scorn, "Obviously an enemy of such... complexity was beyond you."
"Keh! He ran away from me." Inuyasha growled. "Anyway...If he's gone for good I'm not wasting any of my time talking to you." He gave my Lord a smug look, "Kagome's waiting." He said it in an almost boastful voice and turned away, running back the way he came. Lord Sesshoumaru muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'idiot'.
-00-
"Well. I guess things are back to normal now." I said. Lord Sesshoumaru looked at me sharply.
"Let me see your hands." He said. I was puzzled for a moment and then remembered the dagger. I opened my stinging palms. They had each had a long, deep gash running across them. The whole palm was covered in sticky, drying blood. I winced as his slender fingers traced the wound on my right palm.
"I can get some...bandages." I muttered, turning my eyes down. I felt my heart quickening at his closeness. I could feel his light breath on my collarbone as he bent over to examine my hands. My face was burning. Why now? Why was my reaction so strong all of a sudden?
He straightened and looked down at me. "Is something the matter?" He asked gently. I gulped and shook my head hurriedly, feeling like I would choke if I attempted to talk. He looked quizzical, but didn't ask any further questions.
I busied myself bandaging and cleaning my hands while Lord Sesshoumaru stood by the forest's edge, seemingly staring into space. How he could do that and be not be bored to pieces was beyond me. I found my eyes lazily travelling up the length of his body.
Hn. Lust. This was new. I stood and walked over to him. "So. Are we going to travel anywhere soon?" I asked, touching his hand with my own. I felt his hand flinch slightly at the touch. It was to be expected anyway.
"Not tonight, Rin." He said, "But we will leave this place tommorrow."
"Oh." I said, trying to ignore the faint roaring in my ears. "Aren't you glad this whole thing's over?" He didn't reply but I knew that he was. I was...partly. Now I felt even more intensely towards him. While he had been injured, and during the battle, I had at least had some distraction.
I stood beside him, staring out at the lush greenery, trying to see what Lord Sesshoumaru saw in it. I wasn't quite able to.
"You must be tired." I tried once more at conversation. "Why don't you come and sit down with me?" I really am laughable. I had only seen Lord Sesshoumaru sit down a couple times in my life. Other than when he was injured.
"Rin." He said calmly, looking at me. "Perhaps you shouldn't stay with me all the time."
"W-what?" Lord Sesshoumaru always brought me with him now. Always.
"It is too dangerous." He said and I was startled by the sharpness of his voice.
"It was even more dangerous before! I was kidnapped if you don't remember!" I clenched my fists, wishing I could get that impenetrable look off his face. "Or is it just that you can't stand having a weak mortal around?"
"Don't be a fool." He said.
"Or maybe," I mused, "You've grown to care about me so much more that the idea of me getting hurt is too unbearable to you?" It was a daring thing to say, by my standards, but I didn't care. It was win or lose now, and nothing could matter but the outcome.
He was silent for a long time, then said harshly; "Of course I care about you! You would have died long ago if I didn't." I felt the corners of my mouth turn up in a smile.
"You..you care about me?"I said. I knew he cared about me. But he had never said it before and I wanted to hear it again and again.
"Please go somewhere where you won't be in danger, Rin." He said. And for the first time in my life I felt like he loved me.
"I won't leave you!" I cried, and, before I could think I threw my arms around him, burying my face in his lower chest. I felt the surprise shock through his body but I held on tight. Finally he placed his arm awkwardly over my shoulder. I didn't want to end the embrace. I could have stayed there forever, breathing in his scent and feeling his hand on my back.
He bent his head and spoke softly into my ear. "You can stay, Rin." His breath in my ear sent shivers down my back. Still clinging tightly to him as though my life depended on it I raised my head.
"Really?" I said. He nodded slowly with an expression on his face as though he could not believe what he was doing.
"Thank you Lord Sesshoumaru!" I said brightly, finally drawing my arms away. I stood on tiptoe and kissed him quickly on the cheek, feeling myself blush. His eyes widened slightly as though he had just realized something startling. But he said nothing to me.
-00-
AN: Yeah..that's it for now. All apologies :(
OKAY V. IMPORTANT! I will be drawing MS to a close soon and I don't want to mess the ending up to badly. So I want you to let me know what kind of ending you want. There are only a couple of these I want to write, but I'll definetly change my mind if I'm overridden. Okay, here are your options:
A)A hot, fluffy, romantic end, with a tastefully limey prologue.
B)A neat, sweet happy ending(basically the more chaste version of the above ending)
C)A 'hopeful' ending.
D)An "I can get over you, let's just go back to normal" ending(hopefully this will be the most unpopular ;)
And depending on the ending that is chosen(so most likely) I will probably be writing a one-shot sequel on Sesshoumaru's feeling about the children. After all, they would be hanyous which he's hated for like ever.
so let me know! thanks for reading!