{Disclaimer: I do not own Inu. I do not own Inu.. I do not own...*giggles and runs off with Inu*}
NL: Okay, I realize in the previous chapter, Sesshoumaru seemed a bit out of character, right? Well... Yeah, that's the only way I could do what I wanted with that previous chapter. He's gonna be slightly strange in this chapter, too. But it's a good strange. Really!
Inu-chan: *huffs* Yeah, strange like you? That's good?
NL: *growls and zaps InuYasha with my Flame of Hell whip* Tee-hee... you deserved it, little hanyou.
Inu-chan: @_@ *fried* Owwww....
NL: Anywayz, here the chapter you've desperately been waiting for. Gomen nasai for the EXTREMELY long wait.
Chapter Five
Bathing Together?!
Kagome and Sesshoumaru mounted his ryuu and took off for the castle, a disturbing silence setting over the couple. Kagome sat in front of Sesshoumaru again, who had his arm wrapped her. She was a bit uncomfortable now that she knew that she was betrothed to be Sesshoumaru's mate. Unfortunately, she didn't know how Sesshoumaru was handling this.
Sesshoumaru tensed as soon as the Tree said they were meant to be together. He noticed that he seemed a bit more possessive of Kagome than before. He didn't know why. But he couldn't help but think about it. 'There's no way I could mate with this... this human.'
'Oh, but I think you can.'
'And who are you?'
'You mean you don't know me?'
'Why have you come to bug me now?'
'You're in turmoil. I'm supposed to help you out and lead you down the right path.'
Sesshoumaru smirked. 'I don't need a leader. I know which path I'm to take. Be gone.'
'Fine, but I warned you... Just remember that.'
Sesshoumaru growled lightly, earning a strange look from Kagome. 'How dare he say that he "warned" me...' His thoughts were interrupted by Kagome's scent changing from uncomfortable to frightened. He looked down and saw her brown eyes staring into his face as if she were a child who'd just been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to do. Sesshoumaru's face remained stoic as he said, "Gomen, Kagome. I did not mean to frighten you."
Kagome shook her head. "It's not a problem, Sesshoumaru." With that, she turned around and the rest of the flight was dead silent.
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Jaken started screeching the minute Sesshoumaru came home with Kagome. "But Sire! How could you allow another human to stay with us?! Isn't Rin enough?!" An icy glare from Sesshoumaru silenced the toad youkai.
Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru accusingly. "And just who is Rin?" She mentally gasped. 'Why do I feel like this? Why do I feel as if I'd just found out he's had an affair with someone else?'
Sesshoumaru gazed at Kagome and said, "She is the human child that I have had under my care for a while now. She was mute due to a loss of family when I found her. Well, I should say when she found me."
Kagome blinked and blushed, ashamed of how she'd felt earlier. "Oh, sorry. I didn't realize..."
"Think nothing of it." Sesshoumaru looked at the servant before him. "Jaken, take Kagome to her chambers. Prepare a bath for her in one of my springs." He turned to Kagome and smiled. "You will find clothing in your closet. You are expected to join me for dinner, so dress properly." With that, he walked past the two and up the stairs.
'Blah, blah, blah...' Kagome thought. 'Yet another dog who thinks he can boss me around...' She looked at Jaken and glared. "Well?!"
"Don't you dare use that tone with me, you stinking human! I am youkai, which means I am above you!" Jaken glared back, but was "out-glared" by the miko.
Kagome's face mirrored Sesshoumaru's after a few minutes of glaring. "Jaken, even though you believe that you are 'higher' than me, Sesshoumaru is higher than you. So you must obey him." She stood firm in front of Jaken and waited for the toad to take her to her room.
"Keh, for once, human, you're right. Follow me." Jaken turned and climbed the stairs, Kagome one step behind him.
As they continued throughout the castle, Kagome noticed that it wasn't like many other castles. There was actual carpet instead of wood or bamboo, and the walls had elaborate paintings of youkai and animals. 'Figures there wouldn't be any humans.' There was also many antiques, at least to her, sitting on stands in various places. Vases with beautiful flowers painted on them, pewter statues, carvings... There seemed to be so much history within the castle. She stopped when she saw a particular painting on the wall. 'It... It looks like Sesshoumaru, but... There's something different about this one...' The youkai had long, silver hair that brushed against his calves, brilliant, golden eyes, a crescent on his forehead, two magenta stripes beneath each eye, and a tail wrapped around his left shoulder. His clothing was very similar to Sesshoumaru's, but the colors and patterns were different. He had a midnight blue haori with matching hakamas, and the design was golden stars on the shoulders and the end of the sleeves. His sash was a forest green with black designs on it. 'Could this be... Sesshoumaru's and Inuyasha's father? InuTaisho?' There was one person around who could answer this, and he was getting impatient.
"Human! Why have you stopped?!"
"Jaken, who is this?"
Jaken looked up at the painting. "That is the previous taiyoukai, InuTaisho. A wonderful demon he would have been if he had not associated with your kind." He glared at Kagome and barked at her. "Continue moving!" He turned and proceeded down the hallway, a pensive Kagome following behind.
When they'd reached Kagome's room, Jaken stood outside waiting while she picked out her clothes, with the help of Akira when she arrived. It had not taken long, much to the pleasure of Jaken. He led Kagome and Akira to one of Sesshoumaru's springs that was not as fine as others. Kagome was about to strip down when Sesshoumaru came in.
"This is not where you are to bathe. Follow me."
Kagome obliged, grudgingly thinking, 'I am so tired of following people. I could find my way with direction.'
"You could, eh?"
"Damn you. You were reading my thoughts again." She looked up at the back of Sesshoumaru's head and glared at it. "And as a matter of fact, I could!!"
Sesshoumaru smirked. 'Well, this will be interesting. Let's see if she'll find the right spring...' He turned around and look at Kagome with his usual stern face. "Fine then, go to the end of this hall, take a left, go down for twenty paces, turn right, count five doors down on the left and that is the spring in which you're to bathe."
Kagome blinked. That was a little too fast for her, but she'd try anyway. "Alright." She swept pass him, hoping that he hadn't caught her look of despair. Akira was about to follow, but she was stopped.
"Akira, I want you to stand outside the spring that is opposite of where I told her and one door down. That's the spring that I do not want her to enter, understand?"
"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama."
Sesshoumaru disappeared with the blink of an eye, only to reappear in the same spring as the one Kagome was to use. 'How in the world did I end up here?' he thought sarcastically. He began to take of his haori. As he threw it to the floor, he heard the door open very softly. He reached for his sash and heard a gasp. Then a thought came into his head that was not his own.
'Oh my Kami. Is... Is that Sesshoumaru?! I... I never knew he was that built! But... This is the spring that he told me to use... So...' Kagome cleared her throat. "Um, Sesshoumaru?" He grunted in recognition. "Ano... Have I come to the correct spring?"
"Hai, Kagome."
"Um, okay... So..."
Sesshoumaru turned around to see Kagome blush twenty shades of red. "What are you so ashamed of? Have you not seen a man's naked chest before?"
Kagome looked up suddenly with big eyes. "What?"
Sesshoumaru walked up to Kagome, looked down at her, and reached for her hand. Once he had it in his grasp, he raised it to his chest. He noticed that she shivered when she touched him. "What's wrong?"
Kagome's blush went even deeper. "........Nothing........"
Sesshoumaru used his other hand and lifted her chin. "You're a bad liar, Kagome." He smirked when she went to a shade of scarlet that he'd never seen before. 'That blush is very becoming of her... I'll have to embarrass her more often.' He let go of her abruptly and walked over to the spring. "And, since that the door has closed and locked until our baths are finished, we might as well bathe together so that the door will open sooner."
"Couldn't we just unlock the door and open it?"
"It is not that simple. You see, there are guards outside this spring. They always secure the spring that I bathe in. And if you were to unlock the door and simply stroll out, they would kill you without a moment's hesitation."
"Oh..." Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru began to undo the sash that held his hakamas up. 'I can't watch this...' But for some reason, whether it be lust or curiosity, she couldn't advert her eyes. Luckily, though, Sesshoumaru's hair was long enough that she couldn't see his backside... His entire backside. It was only when he turned around when she started to blush furiously. She could no longer keep a steady gaze. She turned her eyes to the floor and began twiddling her fingers. That's when she heard the soft, "pat, pat, pat" of feet moving across the stone floor. 'Kuso... Why must he come over here?!'
"Because you haven't undressed to bathe." With that, he reached over to Kagome's obi and undid it, pressing his nude body into her kimono-clad one. She started to shiver again when he reached for her kimono. He was but centimeters from touching the silk when she grabbed his hand. He quirked an eyebrow when she looked into his eyes.
"Um, could you go into the spring with your back turned to me while I undress? Then I'll...*gulp* join you..."
Sesshoumaru smirked, nodded, and walked over to the spring, tying his long hair back before entering. Sighing, he relaxed in the hot water. 'Heh... This will be the most fun that I've had in several hundred years.'
Kagome released a sigh as Sesshoumaru slinked down into the water. 'Now I might be able to undress with dignity... or what I have left...' She slid the kimono down past her shoulders and stopped. '.......... What do I care? He's a taiyoukai. He's probably seen many bodies before! So why do I care so much that he sees mine?'
'It's called modesty.'
'Whatever.' With that, she yanked the kimono off her body and walked over to the water, carrying herself proudly. She looked at Sesshoumaru's face and saw that his eyes were closed. 'Whew!' She lowered herself into the water, keeping a sharp eye on the taiyoukai. She got as far as her waist before both of his eyes opened. He smiled as she plopped herself into the water.
"Well, about time."
"Gomen, Sesshoumaru." Kagome kept a steady glare as she watched Sesshoumaru. He just leaned back and placed his arms on the sides of the spring.
"There is no need to be ashamed. I've seen worse."
"HENTAI!" Kagome splashed water as Sesshoumaru, who didn't even try to avoid it. He just sat up, looked Kagome dead in the eye, and before she knew it, he was directly beside her, his arm around her waist. She looked over and gasped, "What are you doing?!"
Sesshoumaru just smirked and turned Kagome so that her back was to him. He felt her shiver at his touch. "You must stop doing that. It's making you far too tense." With that, he placed his hands on Kagome's back and began massaging it, feeling her relax gradually.
"Mmmmmmmm..."
"I take it you're enjoying this?" A simple sigh was all he needed. "I take it that's a yes?" He smirked when she gasped as he massaged her lower back. An idea popped into his head and he began placing butterfly kisses on her neck and shoulders, licking and sucking. He smirked against her skin as shiver after shiver ran though her body. Her breath began to come in soft pants as he continued his ministrations.
"Sesshoumaru..."
"Hai?"
She turned around, aware of where his hands were. Her eyes were half-lidded, glazed, and passionate. She smiled softly and said, "What are you doing?"
Sesshoumaru mimicked Kagome's facial expression. "Letting you relax..." He leaned down and licked her neck, trailing his tongue up to her jaw. He softly kissed Kagome's lips and cheeks, then traced his tongue over her ear, sending waves of chills throughout her body.
"Sesshoumaru... We... can't stay too long... I mean... the servants are waiting for us... to come to... dinner..." Kagome panted. His fingers felt so good caressing the length of her torso, his tongue tantalized her, his kisses drove her insane.
"They can wait..." Sesshoumaru breathed.
Suddenly, the door flew open to reveal an impatient Jaken. "Sesshoumaru-sama, we're all waiting for..." That's when he spotted the two in the spring, whose heads jerked toward him. "YOU!!" Jaken screamed as he walked up to the bath, pointing at Kagome. "Human! Did you attempt to seduce Sesshoumaru-sama?! HOW DARE YOU!! You filthy, dirty, stinking--" Jaken was cut off by a clawed hand wrapping itself around his throat, pricking his throat, causing little creaks of blood to trail down his neck.
Sesshoumaru growled threateningly. "How dare you interrupt my bath..." Sesshoumaru whispered dangerously.
"But milord!! The food! It grows cold!!" Jaken managed to say.
Sesshoumaru glared at the youkai. If looks could kill, Jaken would've been one fried toad. Sesshoumaru threw Jaken towards the door and said, "Fine. We will arrive at the dinner table shortly. Now leave."
"Yes, milord..." With that, Jaken was gone and the door was closed.
Kagome blushed. "Well..." She watched as Sesshoumaru stepped out and offered his hand. She grabbed it and was hoisted up, an arm automatically wrapping around her waist. She blushed as she felt something rub against her lower abdomen. "Um, Sesshoumaru?" She looked into his eyes, which still had some anger radiating out of them. "Um... I'm... I'm not sure how to dress in that kimono that I brought... to wear for dinner..."
"I understand." Sesshoumaru mentally contacted several servants, who immediately came at his beckoning. Sesshoumaru assigned two of the four servants to dress Kagome and the remaining two to dress Sesshoumaru in a separate room. Sesshoumaru grabbed his robe and walked out, leaving Kagome and the two servants looking on.
Kagome sighed and thought wistfully, '........Sesshoumaru......'
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NL: So? What did you think? Good chapter? One of the longest I've ever written, I think, for Namida.
Kagome: *grins* I know I liked it.
NL: Yeah, *sighs* I wish I was you.
Kagome: I know...
Sesshou: *quirks an eyebrow* Why, pretell, do you wish you were her, NL?
NL: *blushes* Never mind. Anywayz, here's the preview, two recommendations, and review responses!
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PREVIEW: Chapter Six, Dinner and Dreams
This chapter continues from this chapter, obviously, but the dinner's more uncomfortable than one had predicted. A visitor comes and joins dinner, making the atmosphere so thick you could cut it it with a butter knife. After dinner, the couple takes a walk through Sesshoumaru's garden, each of them thinking about what happened in the spring. As they fall asleep, thinking of each other, both have dreams that seem familiarly disturbing. What could that mean? Keep waiting for the next chapter to find out!
RECOMMENDATION: The Loss of a Child; and Unexpected Allies, Part III, Trial of the Century, by Striking Falcon, story IDs: 1520817 and N/A at this time
Okay, before you read UA, PtIII, Trial of the Century, you've GOT to read The Loss of a Child. Otherwise, you'll be truly lost when you read Trial. In Trial, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha are arrested and tried for treason. The Elder youkai has made a deal with Kagome to set the Inu Bros. free. She must complete a mission: kill Naraku. Will she succeed? A MUST READ!!
REVIEW RESPONSES:
Hiraikotsu Slinger: Thanks, Rici! I'm glad you liked that chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one!! Laterz!!
Sunstar-1217: Thanks! I'm glad you were happy! Keep reading!!
midori mizu: Thanks! CHOCOLATE!!! Yum!! Keep reading! Thanks once again for the review!!
FaLLeNGoDdEsSoFtHeMoOn: Thanks for the review!! I know!! I was SOOO happy when SF recommended me!! And sorry about the part one confusion. I hope you got it all right... Thanks once again!
Chiisana Kitty: Thanks! And sorry for the long wait!! WRITER'S BLOCK SUX!! *shoots writer's block monsters* AAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!! Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter!!
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NL: Well, that's it for another chapter of Namida no Ame!! Once again, sorry for the long wait! Until next time, my friends! Sayonara, minna!!
