Chapter 8: Anything for My Mate

The youkai exploded, sending green ooze everywhere. The slime landed on Sesshoumaru's hair and kimono. Kagome wasn't spared either, she felt the disgusting slime fall on her head, slowly making its way down to her face.

Sesshoumaru's shoulders were tense. It had been yet another youkai wanting 'the girl who can sense the shikon shards'. And now its disgusting ooze covered Sesshoumaru and Kagome.

Sheathing the Tokijin, Sesshoumaru turned around slowly and glared at Kagome. She shrank under his intense gaze and gave a weak smile. "Eh..eh.. looks like we need a bath?" She tried to smile as Sesshoumaru grabbed a fistful of slime from his hair and threw it to the ground.

"You." He started towards her. "Everywhere we go it has been nothing but, 'give me the girl with the shikon shards'. I've wasted all this time protecting you. And for what! To get this shit in my hair?" Sesshoumaru growled and Kagome began to take a step towards him.

"I told you this has never happened before! So don't blame me!" Slowly they began to make their way towards each other.

"Well it's happening now! And they wouldn't be coming if you weren't here!" Sesshoumaru snapped, and took a step.

"I wouldn't be here if you had helped Tsuki in the first place! You cold heartless youkai!" Kagome pointed out, and then took a step.

"It wouldn't have matter if you had kept your mouth shut and didn't add in your damn two-sense! Then she wouldn't have chained us together!" Sesshoumaru growled and took another step.

"Ok so it's my fault that I have a heart unlike you!" Kagome shouted and took a step.

"It's your fault that you always speak out of place!" Sesshoumaru countered, and took a step.

They were now mere inches from each other. They stood there, Kagome breathing heavily from her yelling and Sesshoumaru's golden eyes swirling. He looked down into Kagome's sapphire orbs that had a thunderstorm of anger in them. Her face was red from her boiling anger and green slime oozed from her raven hair to her pale face. Even in the mist of the slime she still looked striking.

Reaching out he grabbed a fistful of ooze that was on her right shoulder and threw it to the ground. "You need a bath." His voice no longer angry or cold, just indifferent.

The storm that was raging in Kagome's eyes calm and she gave a smirk. "I need a bath? You aren't looking so pretty yourself." Kagome said sarcastically. "And that green is working for me, how can I swoon over you when you're not matching?"

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes as he had seen her do so many times Sesshoumaru mirror her smirk. "I smell a hot springs, follow me." He walked past Kagome and soon felt her walking next to him.

"Follow you? As if I had a choice." Kagome huffed.

"Indeed." Sesshoumaru stated. Kagome rolled her eyes at the use of his favorite word.

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Naraku smiled. That was the last youkai up his sleeve. It was time now. It was time to make his bargain and get the price he had worked so hard for. The fight they just had proved to Naraku how annoyed Sesshoumaru was getting, he wouldn't protect Kagome for long.

And with Kagome out of the picture, Inuyasha will easily be seduced by Kikyou. And with his new anger and jealousy at Kagome, it wouldn't take long for him to decide that Kikyou should travel with him.

With her there, Naraku had complete control over the group. She had made a bargain with her soul to serve him and in return he would gave her just that, her soul. After he was done with Kagome... that would be the last thing that she needed.

He had gotten his hands on Kagome once and almost had gotten what he wanted. This time, nothing would be standing in his way.

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Sesshoumaru and Kagome had found one of the many convenient hot springs in Japan. And lucky for them, this hot springs was divided in two parts, with a large rock wall running down the middle.

They had stopped in front of it and Kagome smiled. "Look Sesshoumaru, the perfect hot springs." Sesshoumaru just grunted. "Man, I keep forgetting to get my backpack every time we meet up with Inuyasha!" Kagome complained as she realized she had forgotten it again. Giving a depressed sigh, she and Sesshoumaru begin walking to the springs.

She knew why she kept forgetting it. Every time she saw Inuyasha, they would just end up fighting. And the first thing she wanted to do was leave. "Grow forty feet." Kagome said absent-mindedly as they walk towards the spring.

They divided and went into their separate parts and began undressing. Slowly Kagome sank into the springs. She leaned against the rock wall. Pulling her hair to one side of her shoulder she began ranking her fingers through it and then cupping up water and pouring it on her hair to wash out the slime.

On the other side, Sesshoumaru went entirely under water and then slowly came back up. Letting his body lean against the rock wall for support, he closed his eyes and began to take in Kagome's scent.

It was smell of sakura blossoms after a late April rain. The hot springs just intensified the sweet smell and it was making Sesshoumaru's head spin. And as he sat there taking in her scent, he suddenly heard her voice speak.

"Sesshoumaru..." She softly said his name, her voice void of any edge or sarcasm. It was soft and lace with sadness. "I'm sorry I'm such a pain." She said finally. The words he had spoken early had finally gotten to her and she was feeling rather guilty about it.

"I know... I know it's hard to always be around me, to have to protect me and you don't even like me." Kagome went on. She was on the other side, her raven black hair clean of slime, flowing over her bare shoulders and then floating in the water around her. "But I'll try, ok? I'll try to be stronger to where you won't have to fight you can just watch. And I'll find a way to set you free from me, I promise." Her voice was now a pleading whisper.

Kami! Kami! Kami! How could she do that? How could she make herself sound so vulnerable? Sesshoumaru felt something, deep inside his youkai heart. Something he could not name and would not try to. 'Guilt...?' No dammit! He said he would not try to name this new found feeling tugging ever so slightly at the edge of his heart.

So the words he had spoken early had gotten to her, eh? It wasn't like he meant them. They were just ranting, doing what they always do. But now Sesshoumaru wasn't so sure. Maybe the strong front Kagome put on was just her way of protecting herself from the emotions she really felt underneath.

Oh Kami. What the hell? This Kagome creature was more complicated than at first seemed.

Now... the question was, what or rather who had placed these insecurities in this girl named Kagome. It was obviously something that had been growing for quite some time. But what?

Kami... now Sesshoumaru's head was spinning. Spinning with questions and confusion. What the hell? Sesshoumaru was never confused. Damn. Damn it all to hell. Why the hell should he care if she was insecure and if his harsh words made her feel guilty?

Suddenly a new sent reached his nose and it was making it hard to smell Kagome's. His eyes snapped open at the familiar scent and soon he was out of the water drying off and dressing.

"Make the chain grow three-hundred feet." Sesshoumaru commanded.

"What?" Kagome was snapped from her depressing thoughts when she heard Sesshoumaru's voice.

"I do not repeat myself." Sesshoumaru said, putting on his armor.

"What?" Kagome asked again and smirked.

"I do not repeat myself." Sesshoumaru said, getting agitated at the scent and her questioning.

"Ha, you just did." Kagome smiled and a little bit of her feistiness began to shine through.

Growling at her, Sesshoumaru heard her long sigh and she muttered the words, "Grow three-hundred feet." As new links appeared on the chain, Sesshoumaru sped in the forest, leaving a rather confused Kagome.

"Would it kill the guy to let me know what the hell he is doing?" Kagome muttered to herself as she went under water and then back up again. Looking around she noticed three rabbits come out of the forest and stop at the edge of the hot springs. They were staring at her with wide eyes.

"AW! How cute!" Kagome squealed and went closer to them. Slowly she reached out her hand and began petting the rabbit in the middle.

"Thanks so are you." It said, speaking clear as day.

"Eh?" Kagome withdrew her hand

"No." The one on the right said. "She's beautiful."

"Eh?" Kagome blinked and stared at the three rabbits that slowly began to morph into their humanoid form. "EEP!" Kagome screamed and then fell back from them while submerging herself deeper in the water so she looked like a floating head.

Before her stood three young youkai, who looked about eighteen. Each of them looked the same as the other. Both had unnatural blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. They did not wear shirts but loincloths of rabbit fur around their waist.

"She's rather pretty, ne Seiteki?" The one on the left said to the middle.

"Hai, Burondo." He licked his lips. Looking to the youkai on his right he grinned, "Or as Aoiro said, beautiful..." Soon all of their blue eyes fell on Kagome, who was glaring at them.

"May we join you?" Burondo asked as he began to untie his loincloth.

"NO!" Kagome screamed and they all blinked in surprise.

"Have we ever been rejected?" Seiteki asked his brothers.

"No." They replied at once.

"Maybe she is just playing hard to get." Aoiro offered.

"That has to be it." Seiteki smiled and then began to untie his loincloth as well.

"STOP!" Kagome commanded. "I'm not playing hard to get... I'm... I'm... taken!" She said hastily. "I have mate thank you very much and he would not be happy to see you three trying to hit on me." She continued and huffed. "He would tear you limb from limb."

"Oh really?" Seiteki grinned. "And what is your mate's name? Because I can't really smell if you have mated or not." Although he did smell the presence of a male youkai, he couldn't tell if they had mated.

"His name is Sesshoumaru!" Kagome said without even thinking.

Now the three began to laugh. "Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands?" Burondo asked between his laughing.

"Yes!" Kagome said with confidence she did not feel. 'Oh Kami... what have a gotten myself into?'. She thought with horror that her face did not portray. "Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands is my mate!"

"Listen girl," Seiteki began once they stopped laughing. "Sesshoumaru's reputation follows him well. And there is no way that he would ever mate with a human, no matter how beautiful she is."

"Well there is where you are wrong. Because I am human and Sesshoumaru is my mate." Kagome said.

"Really. Well if he is your mate, then call him. Ask him to join us." Aoiro said mockingly as he smirked.

Well whatever Sesshoumaru went off to do, it was going to have to end because she needed him now. Under breath she mumbled, "Invisible." Out of the corner of her eye she saw the chain that had been unnoticed vanish. "Ok." She said to them. "I will."

"Return to three feet." She whispered.

"So... where is he, girl?" Seiteki smirked "I don't see him. Looks like you were just playing hard to get, but not matter. You don't have to play anymore." He licked his lips again. "Well, at least you don't have to play--"

"What is going on here?" Came a deep voice from behind Kagome.

Turning her head, she saw Sesshoumaru standing on top of the rock wall behind her. His golden eyes glared down at the three rabbit youkai in front of him. Kagome felt her heart beat quicken at the sight of him standing there, towering over them with all of his youkai greatness.

"The girl was right!" The three said at the same time. "He is her mate!"

Blushing, Kagome looked away from Sesshoumaru but she could feel his eyes on her and she could feel the smirk that was playing on his lips. "Mate?" He said his voice no longer cold and almost with a hint of surprise in it.

"Yes?" Kagome asked, to make it sound like he was addressing her. Now she turned and met his eyes, her own eyes pleading with him to go along with it.

Mate eh? So this Kagome lied and said that they were mates. He smirked at her pleading eyes. He was going to get back at her for this. But right now he would go along with it. Turning to the three youkai beneath him his face turned cold again. "I will dispose of you for trying to touch my mate."

Screaming they turned into rabbits and then scurried into the forest. "Ano...thanks Sesshoumaru." Kagome blushed and looked down at the water.

Sesshoumaru still stood on the rock wall and stared down at her. "Well, what are mates for?" He smirked when her head shot up and she met his dancing gaze with a glare. "After all, mate; I don't want them to touch you."

"Shut it you jerk! I thanked you for going along with it now leave it at that!" Kagome gave a 'Sesshoumaru growl'.

"But, my mate, you haven't thanked me properly yet. I'll join you and have you wash me, how's that?" Kagome's face blushed and turned fiery red under his smirking gaze at his last comment. "Why don't you get up so I can see you in all of your glory, mate."

Kagome's face turned an even deeper shade of red and she put herself more under the water's surface so it came up just to her nose. "Go away you jerk!" She yelled but the words hit the water and only came out as bubbles.

Sesshoumaru continued smirking as he threw down her yellow book bag. It landed on the shore next to her springs, and Sesshoumaru watch Kagome nearly jump up in surprise.

"You got my backpack!" Kagome said her shoulders above the water now so her words could be heard. She stared from her backpack to Sesshoumaru, she couldn't believe it. She wanted to get up and hug him...that's how happy she felt. But she restrained herself from doing so.

"Anything for my mate." He said mockingly and then stepped down to the other side of the wall. "Get dress, woman. We have a shard to find."

"Hai!" Kagome grinned.

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It was going to rain, and Sesshoumaru being the good doggy youkai that he is, smelled the oncoming storm before it reached them and found a cave to take shelter in. They were sitting around a fire and Kagome was rummaging through her backpack.

"I'm telling you Sesshoumaru it's not going to-" Outside fat rain drops suddenly broke free from the clouds and fell onto the ground. "-rain." Kagome stopped looking through her backpack and stared outside in wonder. "Never mind."

She found the Ramon that she was looking for and began to cook it. There was silence between them as she ate her meal. She even offered some to Sesshoumaru who only grunted at the sight of the disgusting food.

Shrugging Kagome rolled out her dearly missed sleeping bag. Lying on top of it, because she couldn't get the chain inside, she turned her back towards Sesshoumaru and let her eyelids flutter close. "I'm taking a nap." She yawned and then soon she was asleep.

Sesshoumaru stared at the fire. It's flames danced against the cave wall in a taunting sort of way. He could hear the girl's deep breathing next to him and closed his eyes. Her breathing rhythm was soothing for him and became just as taunting as the flames. Sleep...something he never did much of but could use some of its magic right now.

And as the shores of sleep became closer, he was suddenly jerked from his rest as the air in the cave grew cold and the smell reeked of disgusting stench of Naraku. The hanyou appeared at the mouth of the cave and Sesshoumaru gave a deep growl.

"Naraku." He cracked his claws and began to stand.

"Sit down, Sesshoumaru. You and me both know this is not me, but my puppet. I did not come here to fight but to make a bargain with you." Naraku didn't move from his spot and Sesshoumaru didn't get up.

Kagome instantly awoke but dared not to move. What was Naraku doing here? Bargain? What bargain was he talking about? Kagome shuddered at the thought of him, she remembered the last time he had captured her. He had lured Inuyasha away from her with Kikyou. And then with Inuyasha preoccupied, Kagura had swooped down and kidnapped her.

Mind games, for two days straight it was nothing but mind games that he played with her. He wanted her eyes. Her eyes that could sense the shikon no tama. And would have got them if Inuyasha hadn't come to his senses and rescue her.

"This Sesshoumaru will not bargain with a lowly hanyou." Sesshoumaru said coolly.

"Ah but this bargain might free you of that girl, Kagome." Naraku smiled as he saw Sesshoumaru twitch. "Of course I know about it, Sesshoumaru. I know everything that goes on in Japan. So... do you want to be free from her or not?"

Kagome's eyes widened as she laid on the ground numbly. Just what did Naraku have in mind?

End of Chapter

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Moonchild: OoO What does Naraku have up his sleeve? Find out next time on Chained to You! --stay tuned--

Inuyasha: I know what it is! I've read the script! You see he-

Kagome: Sit.

.Thump.

Inuyasha: Bitch...

Moonchild: Thanks Kagome! You saved the cliff hanger in the nick of time!

Sesshoumaru: What. A. Dumbass.

Inuyasha: Shut it Sesshoumaru! I wasn't trying to give away nothing! I was just saying that Naraku is going to-

Kagome: Sit!

.Thump.

Moonchild: Oh my gosh! Am I going to have to duck tape his mouth shut? Jez that was the second time!

Sesshoumaru: Just close the damn chapter, MC

Moonchild: Good idea. Alright! Thanks so much for reading my fic! It means a lot to me. Please R&R my friend, but no flames! They give delays in my updating.