Kikyo's heart was racing, but she tried her best not to freak out. She didn't want to lose the air held in her lungs that she needed to stay down and out of sight. Kikyo sunk herself deeper and began to swim in the opposite direction that she had seen Sesshomaru. Maybe if I get far enough away, then I can slip out of the water and hide in the forest Kikyo thought hopefully, trying to reassure herself. But then she realized that she wouldn't be able to get her clothes, and she cursed inwardly. Can't walk around the forest naked! Kikyo squeezed her eyes shut and pumped her arms and legs as fast as they could possibly go in order to cover as much distance as she could with the amount of oxygen she had left. If Sesshomaru saw her like this, what would he think? In a way she wanted him to see her…maybe he would find her beautiful. But she quickly brushed the thought away. Finally, when her lungs felt about ready to explode, Kikyo slowly rose towards the light. As her head broke the surface, she immediately found herself directly facing a familiar youkai lord…holy crap! Kikyo swore in her head, which was very unlike a priestess to do. There stood Sesshomaru, thin rivers of water trickling down his muscular shoulders and smooth chest. Kikyo could feel a blush creeping up onto her cheeks. I must've been swimming the wrong way! She thought. Her blood was pumping hard, her anxiety completely taking over. Suddenly feeling very self-conscious, Kikyo lowered herself down slightly so her breasts weren't showing. Luckily, Sesshomaru wasn't the type to gawk at a woman's body parts. His wide eyes were locked to Kikyo's face in surprise, her ethereal skin reflecting in his shimmering golden orbs. Kikyo stared back, knowing that if she looked down she would see more of the man then she ever wanted to. Sesshomaru suddenly tore his gaze from Kikyo's face, ashamed.
"You shouldn't be here," he said firmly, the embarrassment obvious in his voice. He had never in his life seen a woman this way…
Kikyo had no idea what to say. How was she supposed to react? Instead of responding, the priestess sunk deeper into the surrounding water. She felt so exposed…like she was revealing everything to Sesshomaru, even though it was a complete coincidence that they both happened to be in the same lake. I'm sure he feels the same way she thought.
………………………………………
"Sesshomaru?" Rin called, her small voice not carrying very far. All she did was walk off to take a pee and the next thing she knew, he was gone. So maybe she had gotten a little sidetracked with the pretty butterflies. Maybe stopping to pick flowers made her forget. But you'd think he woulda waited! Rin had no idea where to go in this giant forest with nothing to guide her. It's hopeless she thought in despair. Rin trudged around aimlessly for a while, hoping that this was all a game and that Sesshomaru would pop up behind a tree. Unfortunately, no youkai lords came springing at her anytime soon, which caused her worries to deepen.
"I don't want to be alone!" she cried out, all of a sudden swept with the same aching loneliness that she had felt when her family was killed by wolves. As she was about to give up and just bawl her eyes out, Rin heard the sound of waves and streaming water. Realizing how thirsty she had become, she followed the noise and came to a break in the trees, overlooking a magnificent lake.
"Aiyaa! It's so pretty!" she exclaimed, her worries immediately dispersing. "This is going to be so fun." As the little girl skipped to the edge of the water, ready to take off her clothes and jump in, she slipped on a red and white kimono and hit the ground. She groaned and stood up, glancing down at the cause of her fall.
"Hey, that kimono looks familiar…oh my gosh! Kikyo is here!" Rin gasped. She reached down for it and noticed the big furry thing Sesshomaru normally wore sprawled out on the dirt amidst a pile of white robe. Rin's eyes grew wide. For a kid her age, she was pretty quick at jumping to conclusions. The realization came slightly frightening yet exciting at the same time. Rin squinted across the lake for the two of them, and spotted their forms pretty far out in the deeper areas of the water.
"Kikyo! Sesshomaru!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.
The young girl's voice caught Sesshomaru's attention and in a flash he was swimming away, cutting through the water at a quick pace. Kikyo continued to stand there, shivering, her feelings completely distorted and confused. As Sesshomaru neared the shore, Rin's face broke into a smile. "Lord Sesshomaru, I had no idea that you…"
"Quiet" he snapped. "Pass me my robes."
Rin immediately shut up and did as she was told. The youkai slipped on the kimono over his wet body, and climbed up the small hill that surrounded the lake, making it seem almost like a huge crater. Rin made to follow him, but remembered that Kikyo was still there. She turned around and waded into the water, not even bothering to take off her yukata.
"Kikyo!" she called.
Kikyo could barely hear the little girl's voice over the thoughts and emotions that swarmed her body and soul. Every inch of Sesshomaru had been frighteningly beautiful…his hair, his eyes, his perfect body…
Rin finally reached the priestess, and held on to her tightly so as not to drown (since her feet couldn't reach the bottom). Kikyo looked at the girl that clung to her arm. She was so innocent and naïve.
"Do you like Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked rather openly. She didn't even seem to realize or care that Kikyo was completely nude.
Kikyo was thrown off guard a bit by this question, and bit her lip. Everything he had done for her, and made her feel…he saved her life twice, each time retreating with apathy rather than basking in all its glory. Of course she liked him. It was all she could do to restrain herself from touching him, exploring his body's natural curves. Sesshomaru was the most peculiar man, cold as ice, yet melting in front of her alone. Kikyo wanted to show him what she was like; take advantage of all the opportunities that she missed with Inuyasha. But Sesshomaru wasn't one to love. 'Demons don't love' was his constant reply. Kikyo knew that. Yet she felt as though there was still a way. Maybe time was the only remedy…
"Of course not." Kikyo lied. "He's a pervert."
Rin laughed. Just the word 'pervert' being used against Sesshomaru sent her into hysterics. She laughed until tears came, at which time she had to stop in order to regain her breath. "That was funny!" she exclaimed in between pants. No one has ever called Lord Sesshomaru a pervert before."
……………………………………………………..
Night had fallen. Kikyo sat by a warm crackling fire now fully clothed, staring at the hot, burning embers. Rin sat across from her, the flames casting a soft glow on her cream colored face. Sesshomaru had been gone for a while now, and neither Kikyo nor Rin knew whether he'd be back.
"Are you hungry?" Kikyo asked, seeing as Rin was looking a little on the thin side.
Rin shook her head. "If you're not, I'm not."
"Oh come on, it's not that big of a deal to hunt something. I have my arrows."
Again, Rin shook her head, this time more violently. "I'm really not in the mood…" she mumbled.
Kikyo sighed. When were they going to eat then? Staring out at the moonlit water, she suddenly had an idea. "How about we catch some fish?"
Rin's entire face seemed to brighten, and she eagerly nodded. So the two of them headed out to the water, Kikyo sharpening a thin branch to make a spear. She handed it to Rin, then made another one.
"Have you ever speared a fish before?" Kikyo questioned, her eyes scanning the water for any sign of movement.
"No, I don't usually catch fish this way" Rin replied simply.
"Okay, well here's how it's done…" Kikyo started her little lesson, angling the spear just right, showing Rin how to locate and stab the fish with one quick motion. Rin was a natural, and got one right away.
"Wow, you're pretty good" Kikyo complimented, quite surprised.
Rin grinned triumphantly, watching the small trout flop at the end of her sharpened branch before falling limp. Meanwhile, Sesshomaru had slipped out of the shadows and was sitting by the fire against a tree trunk, watching them intently. It amused him to watch Kikyo. After seeing her without a trace of clothing, his whole perspective of her had changed. She was more than just a priestess…
"Look! I caught another one!" Rin squealed, jumping up and down.
Kikyo smiled. Rin was a fast learner, just like Kaede. Kikyo still remembered the first time she took Kaede fishing. It was so long ago that the memory was hazy and barely recognizable, but it was still there, locked away in Kikyo's memory. They stood at the water's edge a while longer, until they had caught and speared six fish. Kikyo scooped up the shiny, wet trout and carried them back up to the fire in her kimono. However, as soon as she noticed Sesshomaru there, she dropped them in surprise.
"Lord Sesshomaru! You came back" Rin said happily while beginning to pick up the dead fish.
Sesshomaru kept silent and refused to make eye contact with Kikyo. His mind was still taken over by the image of her in the lake, completely exposed to him. Sesshomaru couldn't believe how this one mortal woman had managed to make him feel so unusual. It almost angered him…how did she do it?
Kikyo could feel the tension in the air and knew that Sesshomaru was isolating himself from her. She only sighed and helped Rin gather the rest of the fish. Then they took one at a time and roasted them over the fire. It was very quiet, the night hushing every creature in the forest. There wasn't even the slightest bit of wind.
Rin took a bite out of a roasted trout and licked her lips. "This is really good" she said, immediately stuffing more into her mouth.
Before eating one herself, Kikyo tried offering it to Sesshomaru. But he reacted just as she thought he would; he completely ignored the gesture and didn't even bother glancing at her. Fine, be that way Kikyo thought, taking a delicate bite out of the fish herself. Everything was deathly silent, except for the sound of chewing and the crackling fire.
A/N: I hope you all were satisfied with the lake scene...i couldn't make too much happen there because then the characters would be really OOC (i know they already kinda are, but i want them to seem at least a little realistic!). so ya. thank you all reviewers by the way!