"A Heart's Immaculence"
Disclaimer: No, I do not own Inuyasha. I never have and I never will.
Author's Note: I'm back! First of all, once again, as I'll always be saying at the beginning of every chapter, thank you so very much for your wonderful reviews! I appreciate it a lot! Thanks for giving me the opportunity to continue writing this story for you all. I know everybody has their own things to do, but for you to take the time to read what I write is amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Okay, now that I got that off my chest, let me just say that this chapter is supposed to be a bit comical, but it's also supposed to lead into more serious things too. I just had to make Sesshomaru come face-to-face with the lighter side of life, which Kagome seems to provide in an embarrassing way. He's just so serious sometimes and needs a change in scene. Oh, and I hope you don't mind the somewhat long descriptions I write. Please read them with patience because they are written carefully for a purpose. But I think you'll find my description of how Sesshomaru's feeling at the beginning amusing. On with the story….
Chapter Eleven
Crash!
"Ahhhhhhh!"
"What did you do!"
For some unfortunate circumstance, whether it was done deliberately or accidentally, Jaken tripped over the pot of food cooking over the fire, the contents within spilling onto the ground in a slushy heap. Kagome was as upset as she could be, knowing Rin was practically starving, the time it had taken the vegetables to boil an unbearable wait.
Jaken was on his stomach when he had fallen, but Rin came over and began jumping on top of him like a trampoline. The green imp was being crushed by the angry girl's weight, his breath stomped out of him with the pressure of small feet slamming torturously into his back.
"L-o-o-o-rd Sesshomar-u-u-u! H-e-e-e-lp M-e-e-e!" Jaken screamed.
Sesshomaru, unconcerned by the spectacle before him, ignored Jaken's plea and remained stationed to the spot where he stood, his thoughts immersed in a new-fangled dimension all his own. Although he heard the voices of Jaken and Rin intermingled with the crackling of the fire and the clanking of the cooking pot, he was attentive to other sounds cloaked around him which captured his interest.
The sky was slightly darkened now, stars peeking from the clouds sporadically, the moon's grand light illuminating the carpeted blackness of night, unveiling an exotic ambience both magnificent and exquisite. Wearing a gown in shades of black, grey and silver, the night was a seductress, hypnotic to admiring eyes, spellbinding the senses, catering to desires held secret within its entranced observer. Even the earth with its vast, aesthetic features succumbed to the night's celestial charm, the faint noises and sounds of nature whispering an incantation.
As he stood transfixed by the night and its mesmerizing temptations, Sesshomaru looked at the moon as though he were in worship, his head bowing to its full and rounded face. For a reason he could not trace, the moon seemed to always be in unison with his thoughts. It responded to him in silence, in stillness and tranquility, and its light was an incandescent beacon, one he was able to find when lost in his tribulations. The moon, like a maternal touch or a lover's kiss, was the only comfort he had ever known, the one thing which pacified him whenever his mind and heart were troubled by realities, dreams, nightmares and memories.
On this particular night, however, the moon appeared less consoling and somewhat distant from soothing the longing he despised feeling. It was an illness to him that the moon never failed to remedy, but it did not have that potent effect at all. Perhaps his present feelings were too strong. The thoughts he had of his father throughout the day drained him internally, but somehow he knew that was not entirely to blame for his current state of being. Focusing his senses on his surroundings, Sesshomaru blocked all sounds occurring outside his demonic aura except one: human breathing.
Kagome's light and gentle waves of breath floated into the air and created its own breeze. It was both warm and pure, mild and calming. While still looking at the moon, Sesshomaru felt her breathing caress his cheek and stroke his hair like the night wind. It entered through the opening of his sleeves and traveled along his arms, touching his skin the entire way until her breathing reached his chest. Penetrating into his heart, Kagome's breathing flowed from the core into the demon lord's veins, swept away by his blood and spreading swiftly throughout his body.
To Sesshomaru's surprise, Kagome's breathing had a soothing, aphrodisiactic effect on him, but although this feeling was more than pleasant, he disliked how it interfered with his sense of control. He felt intoxicated by Kagome's essence, yet he felt a sudden and powerful urge to break away from the pleasure he did not know existed until now. For a few moments, his own breathing was aligned with hers, but there was an abrupt breach, Kagome's breath no longer slow and placid. Her breathing suddenly increased in speed. However, rather that Sesshomaru's breathing maintaining its normal rhythm, it increased as well and much faster than Kagome's.
"For how long do you intend to stare at me?" Sesshomaru said to Kagome, aware that her large, black eyes were looking at him the entire time he was bathed in the moon's light while feeling her breathing inside him.
Kagome was as much intoxicated by his appearance as he was by her breath. The moonlight embellished Sesshomaru's beauty and gave him an angelic appearance, and she was in awe of the certain softness she found in his face. He always kept a blank, expressionless face and slightly altered it in situations of extreme purpose, but on this night, for a reason she desired to know, Sesshomaru exposed a side to him not seen by anyone except for the cheerful little girl he had resurrected and adopted.
"You look different," said Kagome, a pencil in one hand and a small book on the other.
"What do you mean?" Sesshomaru said, using the same serious but seductive voice he was known for.
"I don't know. Your face has changed. I can't really explain it."
Sesshomaru knew he had to relinquish any remaining feelings Kagome was making him experience, for he did not want her to continue investigating his face. He was unaware his feelings were gradually seeping through him and came to be reflected on his countenance, so he did his best to force them into oblivion.
"Kagome!" Rin said, rubbing her stomach roughly. "I'm very hungry! Stupid Jaken! What am I going to eat now?"
Kagome pointed at the pot on top of the fire. "Don't worry, Rin. I brought extra vegetables in case I accidentally overcooked the ones I did before. I'm cooking some new food right now. It'll be ready in a few more minutes."
When Kagome turned her attention back to Sesshomaru, he was no longer looking at the moon but was sitting against a tree, his right leg bent towards his chest. She had hoped the youkai would have stayed in his former position, since she was inspired to do a sketch of him in her art book. Although he was in a different place, Kagome thought she might be able to continue to draw him in the manner she wanted, but it would be rather difficult now that Sesshomaru was staring at her from where he sat. She knew he was doing it to make her feel uncomfortable, yet she looked at him in return as long as she could in order for her mind to photograph him exactly as he was before she went back to drawing.
"What are you doing?" Rin asked, curious to see what Kagome was writing in her book. "Can I see?"
"Oh, nothing!" Kagome said, closing the book and holding it against her chest. "I was just making silly markings in my book to pass the time. You know, doing something while waiting for the food to be done."
Kagome grabbed her backpack nervously and was about to hide her sketchbook inside it when she accidentally opened the zipper too wide and everything within spilled out in clear view. Rin looked at all of Kagome's belongings on the ground and was curious to inspect each of them, having never seen most of it before.
"Oops!" said Kagome. "Silly me!"
"How very klutzy of you!" Jaken said to Kagome.
"Look who's talking!" said Kagome in return. "Weren't you the one who tripped over tonight's dinner?"
"That was not my fault! Rin pushed me and made me trip."
"You're lying, master Jaken!" Rin said. "You were looking at Lord Sesshomaru when you were walking and didn't watch where you were going."
"So I see," Kagome said, a mischievous smile on her face. "You better be careful, Jaken.
Next time your eyes might pop right out of your head for staring too much at your favorite object."
Jaken looked over to see if his lord and master was listening in on what they were saying, but he did not appear to be in the least interested in their conversation.
"What in the world are all those things of yours?" Jaken said, kicking his way around Kagome's belongings.
Rin excitedly picked up several things from the ground and showed them to Kagome.
"What is this?" Rin said, holding a circular object with numbers inside.
"It's called a clock. You see these symbols inside it. They're called numbers. It's used to tell what time of the day it is. If you look at these two hands, they tell you what the time is. Right now it's eight o'clock at night."
"What about this?" Rin said, showing Kagome a sharp, slender object with a two-holed handle as she opened and closed its twin blades in her hands.
"Oh, be careful with those!" Kagome removed them from Rin's grasp. "They're called scissors. You use them to cut things. Let me show you. Ha! I know. I have an idea! Jaken!"
Jaken was amused by his own inspection of Kagome's belongings, and he found something that looked very odd to him. Kagome looked at the piece of clothing Jaken had in his hands and her eyes bulged at the sight.
"What a strange looking garment," Jaken said, holding it high above his head. "It looks like two small bowls covered in lacey material attached by straps. How is this worn on the body?"
"You want to see how scissors work, Rin?" said Kagome, her cheeks turning scarlet.
She tore her undergarment from Jaken's hands and grabbed him by the collar, placing the pointy edge of the scissors at his neck.
"Like I said, Rin. Scissors are used to cut things. Well, let me cut Jaken's head off so you can see how sharp they are!"
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken yelled, frightened by Kagome's hasty action. "This girl has gone mad. She is going to kill me! Please don't forsake me, my lord!"
Once again, Sesshomaru ignored what was occurring before him.
"No, Kagome!" Rin said, scared for what she was afraid Kagome might do. "Don't hurt him!"
Kagome removed the scissors from Jaken's neck and released him. "I wasn't going to hurt him, Rin. I only wanted to scare him. Here. You see this piece of paper," She tore a sheet from her sketchbook and cut it in half with the scissors. "See. Easy. But I don't want you to touch these scissors anymore. You might cut yourself."
"I like this too," Rin held a small contraption with many buttons and a handle. "What do you use it for?"
"It's a radio," Kagome opened the tiny door on the back to see if there were batteries in it. "You can listen to all kinds of music on here. It plays songs."
Sesshomaru's contemplation was severed suddenly by Kagome's explanation of the device she was describing.
"Where I come from, people sing songs and play music in a place where it is recorded on this small disk called a CD. There are millions of songs and music that you can listen to with these CDs. When you insert it inside this door, close it and press the play button, you hear the music. Want to hear something?"
"Yes!" Rin said excitedly.
Kagome placed a CD in the radio, pressed the start button and moved the volume switch. A blaring, electric guitar-screeching, drum banging and male yelling song played through the speakers. Rin and Jaken covered their ears in agony as the music vibrated throughout the forest. Even Sesshomaru protected his ears as he gave Kagome a horrible look, his expression like that of one in physical pain.
"Sorry!" Kagome said apologetically, pressing the stop button and removing the CD.
"Is that music where you come from?" Sesshomaru asked, finally speaking after being silent for some time.
"In a way," Kagome said, embarrassed.
"Ewww!" Jaken blurted. "That cannot be music. It is just noise and different sounds put together. It is nothing but senseless racket! I almost thought my ears were going to explode!"
"You sound just like my mother," Kagome said. "Yuck! That is just too creepy for me!"
"Is that what you listen to, Kagome?" Rin said, still holding her hands over her ears.
"Sometimes, but I have other music that I know you'll like. Oh, like this!" Kagome took out another CD and played it on the radio.
This time Kagome's choice of music suited the listeners well. It was an instrumental song, almost classical in nature. A harp was heard in the background as a violin and piano played together and accompanied the main chorus, a female's voice echoing through the sweet, elegant melody. Then the single sound of a flute took over the voice and other stringed instruments were weaved into the harmonious music.
Once the song was finished, Kagome turned off the radio.
"Play another one!" Rin said. "That song was beautiful."
"I agree!" Jaken said.
Kagome turned to see Sesshomaru's reaction towards the song she just played.
Nothing.
The altered countenance she had seen before when he was showered under the moonlight was gone. He appeared the same as before, bland and impassive. The song, as beautiful and tender as it was, seemed to have not affected him.
Maybe I should play that heavy metal music again, Kagome thought. At least he reacted to that!
But, unbeknownst to Kagome, the song did have an affect on the demon lord, yet he refused to reveal his satisfaction with the lovely music he had heard. He was struggling to keep his composure, for the young woman's simplicity of actions were affecting him even more. The song had complimented his current mood and had soothed his demonic nature. It made the night more pleasing and comfortable, diminishing any threatening thoughts he had about the surrounding darkness.
Unfortunately, Sesshomaru's serene disposition would not linger past dinner.
A strong aroma of vegetables filled the air, an indication that dinner was ready, and Kagome served the food onto three bowls she had in her bag. After doing so, she gave a bowl to Jaken and was about to give one to Rin, who was speaking with Sesshomaru, but she could not hear what it was the little girl was telling him. Kagome walked a few steps and did not notice there was a part of a huge log beneath her, the darkness of the night making it hard to see, the fire not providing enough light.
Kagome tripped just as she stretched out her arm to pass the bowl of food to Rin. Falling to the ground with a heavy thump, Kagome whimpered in pain, for her chest slammed hard on the ground.
"Oh, no!" Rin yelled, worry evident in her voice.
"I'm alright, Rin," Kagome said, slowly lifting herself off the ground.
"Oh, my!" said Jaken, a bit of fear in his own voice. "I cannot look! It's too frightening!"
"What are you talking about?" Kagome said. She did not understand how Jaken could be scared. She only fell after all. "What a fool I am, tripping over like that!"
"You certainly are a fool!" Jaken replied. "Look at what you've done to Lord Sesshomaru!"
Kagome tried to imagine what it is she had done to Sesshomaru to arouse such fear in both Rin and Jaken. But she knew very well what her accidental trip had caused. Turning her head slower than a moving snail, Kagome saw the damage she did not mean to commit. Still sitting against the tree, Sesshomaru's regal bearing was a sight to behold despite the food which had spilt on him, pieces of potato and carrots sticking to his hair, brownish drops of broth gliding down his face and onto parts of his armor and clothing.
What have I done! said Kagome to herself. I've dirtied him! I've stained his beauty with my clumsiness!
Sesshomaru remained frozen to the spot, which made Kagome more apprehensive, frightened at what outcome her fate would be.
Oh, well, she thought. I always imagined doing something like that to him anyway. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts.
"My lord!" Jaken said. "Allow me to get rid of that human girl once and for all! I'll use my staff of two heads to burn her to a crisp!"
"You will do no such thing, Jaken," Sesshomru said, but though his voice was calm, he was indeed angry. "I will take care of her myself, but not at the moment. I must remove this disgusting mess she has spilt on me."
"I'm really sorry!" said Kagome, grabbing a nearby towel and wiping the stains off the youkai's armor and the side of his sleeve. She wanted to wipe his face as well, but she knew better than to do that, so she began removing the pieces of vegetables from his hair insead. It was the first time she had ever touched a part of Sesshomaru, and although his hair was stained and smelled of food, her nose inhaled the stronger scent of Sakura blossoms as she held his strands in her hands.
"Keep your hands constrained from touching me!" Sesshomaru said in the cold manner he was used to when speaking to Kagome. Her touching him brought forth a sensation that was unfamiliar and foreign to him.
"I said I was sorry!" Kagome's feelings of guilt soon expired after Sesshomaru's unpleasant treatment of her. "It was an accident!"
"It is not surprising that you would be the one to ruin the evening," Sesshomaru said, standing up and looking at Kagome fiercely.
"Yeah," Kagome countered. "Well, leave it to you to be ungrateful and inconsiderate towards someone who is extremely sorry and wants to make amends for the wrong she's done. Although I shouldn't even bother with you! You don't deserve it!"
"Say what you wish! I care not! Your words are like dust. Soon they will be carried by the wind and forgotten."
"Keep it up, mister! I may not know how to defend myself correctly in battle, but I can sure fight you with my mouth! At least I can attack you back with my words."
Sesshomaru brushed passed Kagome, almost knocking her off her feet by his height and muscular strength.
"Jaken!" he said. "I must bathe at once. The scent of food and human which clings to me is suffocating. I am to be alone this time. You will accompany me once I reach the spring. After I have removed my clothing, you will take it away, have it cleaned and leave me be. I do not want any disturbances from you or anyone. You will come to me when I call for you. Is that understood?"
"Y-y-yes, my lord!" Jaken said, bowing low and discreetly to his master.
"Going to take a bath are you?" Kagome said. "I'll have you know that if it weren't for me finding that hot spring, you wouldn't be going there to bathe yourself. Besides, what ever happened to ladies first?"
"Lord Sesshomaru bathes before anyone else," Jaken intervened. "We all must wait until he is done. That is the way it has always been, and since you are with us, you will follow the same rule!"
"Is that so? Well, that rule stinks if you ask me!"
Kagome's temper was flaring.
Lord Sesshomaru this, Lord Sesshomaru that. Jaken's undying affection for his master was beginning to exhaust her.
Sesshomaru was about to walk away when Rin ran up behind him. "What shall I do, my lord?" she asked. "What do I do while you're gone?"
"Have your dinner, Rin," he said. "And wait for me until I return."
Sesshomaru and Jaken left together, and Kagome was left alone with Rin.
"How can you follow him around everywhere?" Kagome asked Rin. "Doesn't his attitude bother you sometimes?"
Rin shook her head and smiled. "Lord Sesshomaru doesn't really act like that with me. He treats Jaken better too. He's not in a good mood today for some reason."
"It's because of me," Kagome said, frustrated. "Isn't it obvious?"
"But I like you!"
Kagome patted Rin on the head. "I know you do. Come on. Let me warm up your dinner."
After Rin and Kagome ate their tasteless supper, picked up around the fire and put back all of the young woman's belongings in her backpack, they both sat together and talked. Kagome continued to draw in her sketchbook while Rin looked, unable to see what her friend was writing within its pages.
"Can somebody help me!"
Jaken was carrying what looked like a long, red and white blanket, but when Kagome removed the mass of cloth from the demon's hands, she saw that it was Sesshomaru's clothes, both the upper and lower parts of his outfit.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" Kagome asked.
"Clean it, of course!" Jaken said. "You are the one who dirtied my master's clothes after all."
"You expect me to do the dirty work? No way! Why don't you clean it? You're his servant! Anyway, I don't think Sesshomaru would like the idea of my human scent sticking to his clothes again."
"If you do not clean his clothes, we'll both be in trouble! I am too small to carry all the components of my master's attire in one heap. I must come and go with different pieces of his clothing. By the time I'm done, my lord will have finished bathing, and his clothes would not be cleaned yet. Do you know what he'll do to us if that happened? You have known him long enough to not know the consequences."
"Alright! Alright! Hurry up and bring the rest of his clothes before I lose my patience on you again!"
Jaken skidded off towards the direction of the hot spring and disappeared.
"Great!" Kagome said as she pulled out a bar of soap from her backpack. Luckily, she and Rin had gathered some water from a nearby river and had plenty left to use to clean.
"Can I help?" Rin said.
"Thank you, but I can do it myself."
"But I want to help. Please!"
Kagome smiled, and both she and Rin began to rub off the stains from Sesshomaru's clothes with their hands using both soap and water. Meanwhile, as they were cleaning, Jaken brought more pieces of Sesshomaru's outfit, including his armor, sash, boots and fluffy boa.
"I don't know if I can handle any more!" Kagome said. "Who does he think we are? His slaves!"
"Are you almost done?" asked Jaken.
"I don't know," Kagome answered. "Is there any more of Lord Sesshomaru's clothes left aside from all this that needs to be cleaned?"
"No. This is all."
"Thank goodness!" Kagome paused, looked over the pieces of clothing and noticed something was missing from his entire outfit. "Wait a minute! What about his swords, the Tenseiga and theTokijin?"
"As if my lord would bathe without his weapons on hand!" Jaken said. "He never leaves his swords behind."
"Makes sense," said Kagome. "He's clever."
Kagome caught herself and noticed that was the first positive thing she had said about Sesshomaru since their small quarrel. For some reason, she hated to think badly about him, for she knew there was more to his personality that what he displayed to her. The conversation with Rin earlier in the day had proven that.
Suddenly entranced by the thought of Sesshomaru once again, she grabbed his shirt which was hanging on a tree branch to dry and tried it on.
"What are you doing?" Jaken said in shock.
"Be quiet." Kagome said pensively.
She felt the smooth texture and silkiness of Sesshomaru's shirt brush against her hands as she touched every part of it. Kagome tucked her arm under her cheek and rubbed her face on the outer folds of the cloth. She traced the read and white flower emblems imprinted on the shoulder part of the sleeve and wondered what they meant. Her nose dug itself inside the part of the shirt which rested at the neck and tried to smell his scent.
What is this scent I smell? Kagome thought, her nose inhaling whatever particles were left on his clothing. I don't know how to describe it. It's so sweet yet so masculine, like perfume and cologne intertwined. A bit of flowers, a bit of dirt. A touch of wind, a touch of moonlight. Perhaps it is the scent of hate and love mingled as one.
Kagome closed her eyes and imagined herself being embraced by Lord Sesshomaru. As she wore a part of his clothing, she could not avert the thought that she would never be as close to the demon lord as she was on this night. She had touched his hair, and now she was wearing his clothing, but somehow these experiences were not enough for her. Her longing to get deep inside him was mounting, and her present exploration into his personal possessions did nothing to dissipate her feelings. She felt protected and sheltered beneath his white coverlet, but the reality that he was bathing, that his body was bare and exposed without anything to shield him except the water, made her blush.
Hesitating for a few moments, Kagome finally removed Sesshomaru's upper garment and placed it back on the tree branch to finish drying. She cleaned the remaining garments and saw that the only part of the youkai's outfit that needed cleaning was his armor. She tried to life it, but it was terribly heavy for her. Not giving up in her determination to move it for easier cleaning, she tugged at it until it budged. However, she pulled at it too hard. Sesshomaru's armor had fallen on top of Kagome, and she was trapped underneath it.
"How can he move around so easily with this thing? Its so heavy!" Kagome said.
Seeing an opportunity to get his revenge on the girl, Jaken jumped on top of Kagome and began hopping up and down.
"Get off me!" she said.
Rin pushed Jaken off and tired to lift the armor off Kagome, as useless as that was.
"Just wait until I get free from this thing, Jaken!"
"Jaken!" said Lord Sesshomaru from a distance.
"Coming my lord!" Jaken ran as quickly as he could to tend to Sesshomaru's requests.
"I need to get out of here!" Kagome said in a panic. "What will Sesshomaru think if he sees me like this?"
"Don't worry, Kagome." Rin said sweetly. "He won't hurt you."
Poor Rin! Kagome thought. She's so innocent and naïve!
After a few minutes of struggle, Kagome gave up on her endeavor to remove the armor. She then heard Jaken's voice and saw him return. He took the upper and bottom portion of Sesshomaru's outfit and left with it back to the hot spring.
"He's coming!" Kagome said.
Sure enough, Sesshomaru was already walking on the pebbled path which led to the hot spring. He was adjusting his collar and had not yet noticed Kagome's state until Jaken opened his wicked little mouth.
"Uh, my lord," he said. "I think you'll find this interesting. That girl named Kagome tried on your clothes while you were bathing and now she's taking a relaxing rest underneath your expensive armor."
Snapping his head upward, Sesshomaru's eyes pinned themselves on Kagome's trapped body. His glaring stare was heavier for her to bear than the armor lying on top of her. She did not believe what Jaken had just mentioned to Sesshomaru. She knew the demon toad disliked her, but she was unaware of how much until he had spoken those words.
Sesshomaru flew into the air and landed next to Kagome, removing his armor from her body in one swift movement. He said nothing to her but continued dressing, walking over to the tree where the rest of his clothes were drying. His nose caught Kagome's scent again, but this time it was deep inside his robes. Had it been any other human's scent, he would have torn his clothes to pieces with his fangs, but Kagome's earthly fragrance was one he was beginning not to mind. He found her smell appealing, as aromatic as the scent of rose buds after being showered by a light morning rain.
Kagome, standing erect and smoothing out her kimono with her hands, watched Sesshomaru put on the many articles of his clothing before he strapped on his armor. The only thing left for his outfit to be complete was his white, puffed boa.
"Would you like me to claw out your eyes?" Sesshomaru said to Kagome without looking at her.
Kagome crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the ground. "Is your lordship done bathing, because if he is then it's my turn for a bath. I don't want to waste my time looking at you dress anyway."
Turning around, Kagome ran towards the hot spring, ready to bathe in peace and in luxury, for she had not had a bath in a while and was aching for the simple pleasure.
Once she was at the spring, she removed her clothes without effort and jumped right into the water, causing a huge splash. She swam deep underneath and broke the surface as soon as she felt calm and relaxed.
Resting her head on a rock, Kagome massaged her body and closed her eyes, tuning out the humming of the insects and the other sounds of the night, concentrating only on her breathing, the rippling of the water, and the whistling of the wind.
I wonder if Sesshomaru rested his head on this same rock, Kagome wondered.
She felt a tingling and a delicate shudder all over her body once her mind engaged itself in reverie about the youkai.
"No, I won't think about him!" Kagome said, yet she could not avoid it. She was bathing in the same water he had just been in, cleansing herself with the same water he had used. A part of him was in the water with her, and she knew better than to fantasize, but her imagination was far too deep already.
"I cannot believe I still feel this way. What about Inuyasha? I don't understand! I know it's wrong, but what I feel now is stronger than anything I had for him, the dearest person in my life. What is it about this mysterious creature I once disliked that I now crave for with a passion?"
Unexpectedly, Kagome concealed her entire body beneath the water, for she heard a light rustling behind the nearby bushes. She looked to see what it was, but all that appeared from behind the leaves were two glowing eyes….
I hope this chapter was not too shabby. The intensity is building between Sess and Kag, but they still are not together. Bummer! There's a reason why I am building the suspense here, if you have not realized it yet. If you read what I wrote carefully, you'll see that although they both have not had real physical contact (not in a sexual way, okay!), they are connecting through other means. There's the clothing, the water, their scent, etc. Sess and Kag are experiencing each other's "essence" through simple things that are usually taken for granted and merely unnoticeable. They are beginning to explore their attraction for one another, but the funny thing is that neither one of them knows how they truly feel towards each other. Their feelings are torturous and at the same time pleasurable for both of them. The only way these two are going to fix their emotional turmoil is to get together. Plain and simple! But who will have the guts to make the first move? I am ready for this action to take place now, but none of them are making the effort. Sesshomaru and Kagome— get it on already! What are you two waiting for! DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW, PLEASE! If you don't give me your honest opinion, I may have to delay my submission for the next chapter. I need to get a bit strict this time, since I work very hard to write my best, and I think I deserve as much feedback as I can get. You are the critics, so review if you can.