A/N:
Thank you so, so much for your support and kind words, I was quite overwhelmed with your wonderful feedback.
I have to say that I didn't think this story would stretch this far, and it's really thanks to you my readers for inspiring me to both continue and truly flesh it out properly. This started as a harmless way for myself to experiment and test if I was right since age ten with my small assumption that SessKik, starting from their first meeting, would work well together had they ever joined forces given their canon parallels and characterizations decided by the legend herself Rumiko Takahashi, which later developed into something more substantial that I now really enjoy further exploring, creating and sharing with all of you.
So, with that said, I'm very happy to know that I'm making you happy. You can say it's a win-win situation ;)
Also, thanks Maradigma on Tumblr for an amazing artwork for this story! Oh my, I feel so spoiled! Individual links (as much as this site would allow, at least) to you talented folks are in my profile's bio so others can also enjoy your fabulous works.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The calm blue of dusk conquered the strong red of sunset as late evening settled upon the land, lowering the temperatures along with it and welcoming the cold of the mountains down onto the valley, sneaking through the dense trees and lush wildlife surrounding Sesshomaru and Kikyo's current location.
This fact, however, meant little to the priestess as her body was still overflowing with the incredible warmth her lengthy exchange with Sesshomaru had transferred to her, his stubborn heat as if enveloping her being and refusing to let go, making her now stand quietly with her back to the inu daiyoukai as she sent both of her hands to gently fix her white haori shirt and smooth her long hair back into place, her expression impassive, yet her mind still racing with countless thoughts.
Once she was done with returning her appearance to its presentable state, Kikyo simply lowered herself down to pick up her discarded weapons, propping the string of the arrow quiver back on her shoulder with her other hand clenched onto her longbow in silence. Composed, she stepped to the straw-weaved box still resting against one of the trees located closer to the path, reaching down for its strap and lifting it up to her right shoulder as well, adjusting it next to the wooden barrel.
Then, she eased herself, turning around halfway back to where he was, her eyes meeting his.
"Something like this..." Kikyo started, only for the sentence to come into an unplanned stop, causing her to release a small breath as she soon shifted to stand in her companion's direction, fully.
Sesshomaru quietly studied her from where he stood through an unreadable expression, eventually beginning to slowly stride towards her until he reached where she was, as if to alert her of his keen attention and encourage the words out of her, whatever those may be.
Understanding his gesture, Kikyo simply straightened before him, tilting her head slightly to the side
"You are... more experienced than I had guessed, Sesshomaru." She calmly determined, ridding her face from the somewhat flustering effect that her own words carried, "Therefore, I think it is best that we set boundaries regarding physical contact between us."
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes slightly down at her, a bit taken aback by this specific impression she held of him until now.
And he only allowed a low, mocking breath through his lips.
"I have indulged in meaningless acts of the sort, many years ago." The daiyoukai informed dryly, yet there was an avid hint of achievement in the way he raised his chin before her, of a certain acknowledgement that he also wished for her to possess about him. Holding her wordless eye-contact for another moment, Sesshomaru eventually side-stepped the priestess and continued on his way towards the main path sited behind her, not sparing another ounce of information on the subject.
Kikyo's fixed gaze followed after his slowly distancing figure as she stood in stillness, her eyes observing his being for a long moment in which neither of them said anything.
And reading through her silent invocation, Sesshomaru halted, gold interlocking with mahogany once again over his left shoulder.
"Rest assured." He eventually replied through a low voice, fixing his attention once more on her, "I shall not allow myself to pitifully lose control like that again."
Processing his sudden promise, Kikyo quietly watched him.
'So that was not intended, huh.' She deducted, the sensation of his breath on her neck still vividly present both in her memory and on her false flesh.
An unplanned mixture of embarrassment and somewhat happiness found its way into her mind, carried by the sudden realization of the full weight behind the highly indecent curse of actions both Sesshomaru and her took only moments prior, the smothering warmth threatening to exude out of her through her spiritual aura before him, which, apparently this inu daiyoukai standing before her had no problem of deciphering in order to read through her feelings and understand the exact information that she would much rather keep hidden.
Knowing this now, however, Kikyo collected herself, making sure to immediately clear her mind and weaken the holy waves engulfing her being as much as possible, and eventually, she resumed her steps in his direction, walking out from the dense forest and into the narrow path as well, coming into a smooth stop next to where he was positioned.
"I did not hate it..." The priestess confessed simply up at his direction, allowing her gaze to linger on him for another moment before breaking away and casually placing her focus forward to the distance of the long path before them.
Sesshomaru observed the evening wind flow through her straight-cut bangs and unbound hair, her long eyelashes blinking against the coolness in the breeze as it reached their grounds once again with a tranquil whisper, rattling the leaves above their heads and discharging their low and static melody to spread through the atmosphere.
"...However, hearing that it was due to a momentarily lack of self-control is a relief, I must admit." She added.
He exhaled silently to her words, his keen gaze never separating from her aesthetic profile.
"It was mostly the result of you insisting to distance yourself for so long." The daiyoukai informed, prompting her to raise her eyes once more to him, "I would have been able to resist these troublesome urges more efficiently, otherwise."
Lost in the intensity of his golden orbs and meaning behind his claim, Kikyo stared up at her companion in silence.
'Were these past few days truly that hard on him?' She wondered, maintaining his fierce eye-contact.
And once Sesshomaru noticed her evaluating gaze already reading perfectly through him, he soon tore from her, fixing his stern attention on the continuation of the path and quickly resuming his steps, abruptly ending the exchange.
Kikyo only kept her ground, allowing herself to quietly study his back.
Then, she breathed in deeply.
'Such a peculiar man...'
This same peculiar man, however... was the one she had unexpectedly fallen in love with.
The once snarky and belittling youkai lord whom she believed to be nothing but a dangerous, proud killing machine in the guise of a human, merely pretending to wear the exterior of his prey and bearing no substantial regard to human life, was also someone who she had somehow managed to entirely misjudge.
A full-fledged youkai, and the older brother of Inuyasha, her former lover.
Kikyo blinked as the half-breed's name crossed her mind, making her lift her chin as she suddenly filled with an immense feeling of guilt.
There was no question that she had managed to develop these strong feelings for Sesshomaru, now; Overwhelming, unusual sensations and a level of mutual understanding that she had never experienced before, even during her time as a living priestess of flesh and blood. Not only that, but she was also the one to voluntary initiate the contact between them, and later fully reciprocate to Sesshomaru's advances.
As if on cue and before she even noticed, slender fingers already rose to the spot where the warmth was still etched into her flesh, gently tracing the left side of her neck in slow, tender movements.
What exactly did all of this mean regarding her relationship with Inuyasha? Regarding the emotions that she was so certain could never waver, a place in her heart and mind that she so strongly believed no one would ever be able to replace...?
And moreover...
What did all of this mean regarding her as a person and as a human, having the capacity to actually love a species that she had lived her entire life knowing to be nothing more than power-hungry, vicious beasts?
The priestess exhaled her deep breath into the cold air, raising her gaze to the already darkened clear sky above as her hand slid down from the side of her neck to once again rest idly at her side.
There was only one person who was somehow able to predict this entire outcome... and that same person might very well be the one able to also grant her with the answers she was now actively seeking.
"Do you sense anything new, Jaken-sama?" Rin called to the trembling imp-demon from inside the still sturdy barrier with interest, raising her hands to warm herself against the steady flames of the small fire she had prepared and was sitting next to.
"No!" Jaken bitterly screeched in response, his small arms wrapped tightly around his form in a desperate attempt to sustain his warmth against the cold of the late evening, yet with little success, "Sesshomaru-sama had most likely left to find that damned, unpredictable miko again... and who knows when he'll be back..."
But Rin only giggled at his words, causing him to immediately whip his head at her direction, anger clear in his features.
"Just what are you laughing at, insolent child?!" He yelled, narrowing his yellow eyes.
"Rin told you Jaken-sama, but you didn't listen!" She happily answered, a pleased smile decorating her expression, "Sesshomaru-sama likes Kikyo-sama a lot!"
Slumping his shoulders, Jaken shook his head and felt the energy escape him.
As much as he wanted to deny the claim... by now he was already aware that the child had been right all along.
Rin watched him sigh heavily, then, turn his head once again to her.
"How could you tell it was the case?" He investigated, his mouth forming a straight, displeased line.
Keeping her soft smile, Rin shifted to place her gaze back on the steady flames before her.
"Before they were killed, Rin's mother and father used to look at each other the same way Kikyo-sama and Sesshomaru-sama do."
Processing her reply, Jaken only released another labored breath into the cold air before him.
"What misfortune." He muttered under his breath, hanging his head low, "To think that all of this could have been prevented had I, Jaken, not informed Sesshomaru-sama of that dangerous miko's location that one night... had it not been for myself..."
His small moment of wallowing in self-pity, however, was abruptly cut by an unexpected voice;
"Quiet, useless youkai." Kocho and Asuka suddenly asserted simultaneously to his words with a toneless call, "You are not capable of influencing anything."
Stilled by his shock for a moment, Jaken's yellow eyes bugged out of his skull to their uncalled-for insult, making him leap to his feet and angrily point his Nintojo at the direction of the one closest to him.
"W-What did you say!" He sputtered, the heat of humiliation allowing him to momentarily forget about the coldness of the early night.
But before either party could add anything more to the loud argument, both Rin and Jaken witnessed the two girls close their eyes and lower their head slightly, bringing their small hands performing the hand seal closer to their chest as the vast, consistent dome of holy protective spiritual energy began dissipating into thin air.
Jaken flinched and proceeded to step backwards as fear consumed him, swallowing hard and already reading into their sudden actions as a potential preparation for a gruesome death-match.
Luckily for him, Rin's cheerful voice soon broke him from his stark misunderstanding.
"Ah! Sesshomaru-sama! Kikyo-sama! Welcome back!" The child greeted with excitement, climbing to her feet and stepping closer to the two beings separately landing slowly before her.
Turning his head in his master's direction, the imp-demon filled with utmost relief to the sight.
"Sesshomaru-sama! Oh, thank goodness you're back, my lord!" He cried, trotting towards both the daiyoukai and the priestess as well.
Sesshomaru scanned the area before him for a moment, making sure that there were no possible threats of any kind lurking deep into the shadows, then, silently set his fierce gaze down onto his vassal.
"Retrieve A-Un, Jaken. We shall settle for the night somewhere off this path and closer to a water source." He instructed down at him through a low voice, causing the small youkai to quickly nod with confirmation. With that, the daiyoukai simply raised his golden eyes forward once again, resuming his movement and striding past his servant.
Jaken's yellow eyes stayed on his form for a moment, eventually turning to stare at the human, undead miko, who silently called back on both of her snarky assistants as those once again engulfed with bright spiritual light and shifted into nothing more than two small pieces of paper, wafting through the air and landing softly in her palm. Then, he witnessed her lowering herself into a kneeling position in front of the excited child, her stern expression easing before her.
And once he picked up on the unquestionable scent of his master so fiercely lingering all over her being, the imp-demon's already considerably large set of orbs widened even further.
'H-How shameless...!' He swallowed his scorching need to voice out his avid disapproval with the obvious fact, shocked by the notion of someone of Sesshomaru's rank and status indulging in such immodest acts so causally.
But the inevitable conclusion behind the information soon found him, making him only sigh deeply with sheer defeat, turning to step in the two-headed dragon's direction, instead.
"Have you been good, Rin?" Kikyo asked, a gentle smile spreading its way through her features the more her gaze relaxed on Rin's small being, and a strong sensation of both relief and ease washed over her to the sight of this child being safe and unharmed.
Rin quietly nodded, then, looked the priestess up and down with a sudden, newfound interest.
"Kikyo-sama, you seem so happy. Did something good happen?"
Blinking with silent amazement to Rin's words, Kikyo's mahogany eyes widened slightly.
Then, she only released an amused breath.
"A lot has happened." She vaguely confirmed, raising her free hand to the top of the girl's head in order to smooth her frizzy dark hair a bit into place, "I believe you and I have some catching up to do."
Venturing higher into the entangled forest which veiled the mountain's side, the group had eventually arrived at a secluded, large clearing, far enougn from any human province and parted in its middle by a convenient, fresh river stream. The gentle sounds of flowing water cascading onto stairs of firm rock surface seeped through the lush greenery to dance in the air above their heads as both Rin and Jaken worked on preparing another small fire to maintain their warmth, while A-Un had already fallen into a comfortable slumber, yet again.
Approaching her companions in silence, Kikyo steadily entered the campsite, lowering the strap of the heavy box from her right shoulder to rest on the grassy earth near her sandaled feet, then, she simply and elegantly sat herself down on a large, flat-faced rock.
"What is that, Kikyo-sama?" Rin voiced her curiosity, lifting her head from the current task.
Kikyo eyed her in silence, proceeding to place the longbow in her hand against the rock she was occupying.
"Want to come and see?" She asked, reaching for the box and dragging it closer towards her.
The child immediately rose to her feet, leaving the imp-demon to the chore and stepping closer to the priestess with eagerness.
Heaving the box onto her lap, Kikyo opened the straw lid to reveal the items inside, making Rin's eyes widen with amazement. Without saying a word, the priestess sent her hand to grab at the neatly folded kosode positioned at the very bottom, pulling it out between various supplies and handing it to the child with a soft smile.
"Wow... is this for Rin?" She asked, accepting the gift into her arms as her brown eyes ventured over the new, colorful and soft fabric.
"I thought of you while being away." Kikyo said, enjoying the honest reaction from the small girl, "Do you like it?"
Giggling with joy, Rin unfolded the kosode and placed it against her body, letting it drop to her calves as she spun once in her place, staring down at the cloth with a wide smile; a brand-new yellow kosode striped with horizontal pink lines and made from the softest of simple fabrics, combined with an orange obi belt.
"It's so pretty, Kikyo-sama! Thank you!" Rin exclaimed, her eyes never leaving the gift she received, "Can Rin change into it?"
Kikyo let out an amused breath before her, glancing over to Jaken, who was running into some technical difficulties with starting the fire due to a lack of enough wood to burn.
"I think it would be best to do so after we collected some firewood." She suggested in return, causing the child to turn back and realize the troubled state of her green companion, as well.
Nodding with understanding, Rin stepped forward once more, curious to see what else the box carried inside.
And her brown eyes quickly scanned through bags of rice, spices, and a considerable amount of fruits of many kinds; apples, pears and oranges, peaches and plums, two of each, a precise, calculated amount as if used to test a certain possibility regarding their existence.
"What are all of these fruits for, Kikyo-sama?" Rin asked, lifting her confused gaze to meet with the priestess' calm one.
Easing her shoulders, Kikyo released a soft breath.
"I suppose I wanted to try and see if any of those would be favored here." She stately answered.
Rin tilted her head to the side as she attempted to process the meaning behind the woman's odd answer, eventually noticing Sesshomaru's keen gaze placed on both of them over his right shoulder, listening closely to their exchange all the way from his position closer to the edge of the flowing small river.
Then, the child blinked with silent realization.
"Shall we go, then?" Kikyo's voice prompted her to once again meet her eyes, making Rin nod in response, her mouth curving up into a happy smile. She handed the kosode back to the priestess, watching as Kikyo folded the garment neatly and placed it inside of the straw-weaved box once more, eventually closing the lid and lowering it back to the grass beside her.
And with that, the two of them set out on their journey into the depth of the forest surrounding their campsite, tasked with gathering enough firewood to sustain the flames for the night.
Walking side by side to Kikyo, Rin's eyes earnestly traveled the earth before her, skillfully distinguishing each and every potential piece of wood that could be of valuable use as she hurried to lower herself down and pick it up, handing it to the priestess to carry in her arms.
Kikyo kept silent as she stared down at the hard-working child for the longest time, eventually releasing a deep breath into the chilly air.
"Rin." Kikyo said, causing her companion to halt for a moment and turn back to face her being, "I think I owe you an apology."
Rin stared up at the priestess in silence, puzzled by her sudden words.
"What do you mean, Kikyo-sama?" She asked, lowering herself once more to continue with her current duty.
Kikyo lifted her head, shifting the weight of the small amount of wood in her arms to one hand as the other rose to tuck a strand of long dark hair behind her ear.
Then, she only inhaled the freshness in the air deeply.
"You were right... about Sesshomaru and I." She answered, watching the child closely, "And I have entirely dismissed your claims during all of this time. I am sorry."
Hearing that at long last, Rin simply giggled, lowering herself to collect another wide stick.
"Rin is so happy to hear you've finally noticed, Kikyo-sama!" The child called, turning around to hand the loot up to it keeper, "Has Sesshomaru-sama noticed, too?"
Kikyo swallowed harshly to the inquiry, taking the wood out of Rin's small hands and already sensing the familiar warmth slowly manifesting in her chest.
"Yes, you can very well say that we have both noticed." She steadily confirmed, clearing her throat while preventing her mind from recalling the unthinkable act she participated in only hours prior.
"Yay!" The child exclaimed with pure happiness, a radiant smile embedded in her features as she threw her stained hands up into the air.
And watching her endless joy, Kikyo simply exhaled, allowing her lips to curve up into a soft, genuine smile as well.
"Hush, now... do not be too loud." She cautioned through an amused chuckle, shaking her head at the refreshing honesty which allowed this girl to so effortlessly transmit her emotions to her surroundings.
Rin quickly halted and then comically sent both of her palms to cover her mouth, her brown eyes going wide once she recalled the two of them were currently still venturing through the middle of the lush forest, meaning danger could be lurking at any corner and easily attracted to the sounds of a happy small human child.
Keeping quiet like that for another moment, Rin eventually lowered her hands back at her sides, her alarmed expression easing. Then, she raised her gaze back to the priestess, her smile never leaving her face.
"Rin wishes we could stay like this forever, Kikyo-sama." She said, the sincerity clear in her voice, "You, Sesshomaru-sama, Rin, Jaken-sama and A-Un!"
But her pure words somehow caused Kikyo's smile to gently fade at that moment, and her expression once again regained its unreadable qualities before her. Closing her eyes, the priestess released another small breath, lowering herself to Rin's eye-level as she knelt down before the child with a smooth motion, the collected wood now resting on her bent knee and held in place by both of her arms.
"Something like that..." She began, opening her mahogany eyes once more as those shone Rin with deep contemplation, "Ultimately, you must know that we cannot remain like this forever, Rin."
The child, however, only granted her back with a look of mild confusion.
"Why not?" She innocently asked.
Kikyo inhaled the chilly air deeply, shifting in her position as the pieces of firewood in her grip slightly rattled against one another from the movement.
"What do you plan on doing once we eliminate Naraku?" Kikyo further investigated, her studying gaze never breaking away from Rin's honest one, "Have you thought of that?"
Rin simply shook her head as a response, blinking at the woman in front of her.
"Rin doesn't think about that at all, Rin just enjoys what she currently has!"
Kikyo exhaled her breath, allowing the inspiring simplicity of the child's words to rise through and conquer the eerie silence of the forest surrounding them as she let it settle in her mind if only for a small amount of time in order to somehow ease her own unrelenting thoughts on the matter. But keeping her quiet before Rin for so long caused her companion to notice the silent, heavy pondering that the woman had suddenly sunk into, and her expression crossed with a hint of worry.
"Is something wrong, Kikyo-sama?"
Hesitating, the priestess stared at Rin for a stretched moment in which neither of them said anything.
"Is living this way truly not scary for you, Rin?" She eventually asked, mahogany eyes locked with wide brown ones, "Do you not think of this situation as odd? Do you not miss your life back at your human village, back with your own species?"
Contrary to what Kikyo had predicted, however, Rin's eyes suddenly flashed with nothing but sadness to the memory of her old life.
"The people in Rin's old village did not like Rin." The child answered, her voice small and barely audible as her gaze fell down to the earth before her bare feet, "After Rin's family was killed, Rin found it hard to speak or cry, and the villagers couldn't understand Rin at all."
Kikyo narrowed her eyes to the harsh information, listening attentively as she continued;
"They gave Rin a small shack to live in near the river, but... Rin always felt so alone there."
Silence reigned in their secluded location once again as not even the sounds of crickets could be heard to grant them with a relieving sign of life. Eventually, only the cold breeze slithering through the greenery and meeting with their features released the low, barely audible hum of nature into the air, the wind flowing against the priestess' face and through her long, dark locks as if granting her with a certain realization on the subject.
"That is why you feel so comfortable here, huh?" Kikyo concluded, fully understanding this small child in front of her.
Nodding with confirmation, Rin's mouth soon curved up into a warm smile, once again.
"Sesshomaru-sama, Jaken-sama and A-Un are like Rin's new family, now." She said.
"Even though they are youkai?" Kikyo further asked, observing the girl closely.
But not even a hint of doubt was evident in Rin's brown eyes.
"Yes, they're a lot nicer than the human villagers." The child lifted her hands and balled them into small excited fists, "Sesshomaru-sama especially is amazingly powerful and kind!"
Hearing that, Kikyo blinked with a final, quiet comprehension.
Just as this world contained ill-intentioned youkai with no regard to human life whatsoever, it also contained ill-intentioned humans who kill on a whim, villagers who shun the weak simply for being different and neglect them enough until those become a meal for a predator, bandits who steal, corrupt and slaughter their own species without batting as much as an eye, same as animals merely driven by their instincts of greed and lust for power... no different than the worst kind of youkai, at all.
After everything that she had learned and been through until this point, really... where exactly had the once strict line even crossed now, anymore?
Breaking from Rin's gaze, Kikyo lowered her mahogany eyes to the grassy earth when another revelation soon surfaced in her mind, causing her eyebrows to form a confused frown;
'I didn't even consider any of this as an option back then, when I was still alive... when I first met Inuyasha.' She mused.
Back then, fifty years ago, turning Inuyasha into a full human using the power of the Shikon Jewel seemed like the only reasonable choice if they both wished to live together... and yet now... the same indisputable line dividing her thoughts and organizing her ideology into place had suddenly faded completely.
Was she that consumed by her own prejudice before, to prove so blind to the actual truth?
Or perhaps...
"Kikyo-sama?" Rin's soft voice tore her from her deep contemplation, causing the priestess to quickly compose herself as she lifted her eyes and set them once again on the child standing in front of her.
"I am sorry, Rin." Kikyo calmly apologized through a small breath, allowing a reassuring smile to show on her face, "I was inattentively lost in my thoughts, again."
Then, she rose back to her feet, placing her unreadable gaze on the continuation of the forest ahead.
"We should collect a bit more firewood and return to camp, it is already late."
Stepping back from their small journey now fully equipped with more than enough wood for the fire to consume, both Kikyo and Rin emerged from the row of trees marking the beginning of the pathless forest lands as they walked into the clearing where the rest of their group members were currently rested.
Approaching closer to the camp area, however, they were both greeted by a very alarmed small imp-demon, hurriedly making his way towards them as pure intent displayed on his face.
"Silence!" He quickly asserted through a sharp whisper, his head whipping backwards and then once again up in their direction, "Make no sound, you two!"
Interested, Rin stepped forward, closer to her agitated companion.
"What's the matter, Jaken-sama?" She asked, her brown eyes large.
Jaken raised his hand to violently shush the child, while Kikyo simply ignored his flailing presence as she quietly stepped past him, resuming her steps in the camp's direction.
And once the priestess reached the familiar grounds surrounded by a few large rocks etched into the grassy earth, she gently lowered the wood in her possession to the ground, doing her best to make as little noise as possible and finishing off by dusting her garments from both the dirt and dust. Rising back up, however, her gaze suddenly caught the open lid of the box she had brought along with her, and she silently stepped near it to study its contents, noticing that a small amount of the fresh fruits she had picked was now mysteriously gone.
Kikyo turned her head to the imp-demon as he soon approached the camp area as well, her impassive gaze narrowing down at him with a silent, although obvious inquiry.
But Jaken only shook his head to her accusation, his yellow eyes flickering to the actual culprit, far behind where she was standing;
To the large set of trees growing slightly outside of the camp's boundaries and near the gentle river, their thick, swerving roots supporting none other than Sesshomaru's being as he comfortably sat himself against them, his long silver hair and fur sash draping far below him and swaying according to the breeze's capricious rhythm.
Eyeing the sight for a while in silence over her shoulder, Kikyo eventually turned on her heel and began casually stepping towards it, causing shock to conquer Jaken's expression as he clenched both of his fists with displeasure, eventually sighing deeply and giving up entirely on his will to stop her.
Lured by a strange curiosity that she suddenly couldn't resist, the priestess steadily made her way through the tall meadow, the more she approached the river's moist location, the more the soft greenery damped the ends of her scarlet hakama trousers as the air around her filled with a most soothing freshness that couldn't extend to her entangled place from before.
And Kikyo only made sure to weaken her spiritual aura as she soon reached him, her gaze falling over his resting being as her expression displayed a hint of surprise to the fascinating sight.
Sesshomaru was sleeping.
Captivated by the rare occurrence, she simply stood in stillness, mahogany eyes studying his surprisingly relaxed features under the subdued rays of moonlight, noticing that the harsh scowl always present in his eyebrows was now entirely gone, making him appear so impossibly peaceful before her, younger, even. Breathing deeply, her gaze eventually fell to his broken armor, assessing the state of its battered, although already healing form as a new understanding soon found her, making her tilt her head slightly to the side.
'These past few days must have truly been exhausting for him.' She mused.
Kikyo allowed her quiet gaze to further examine her companion, the defenseless state which was presented before her so alien and yet incredibly inviting, as if at that moment, this proud, all-powerful and centuries-old inu daiyoukai was truly no different than herself; simply a very tired individual attempting to regain their lost strength.
Just then, a single, small leaf detached from the rich tree above, breaking her from her lengthy thinking process as it fell onto the daiyoukai's head, caught in his smooth silver bangs and hanging in plain sight before her keen eyes.
Without much thought, Kikyo followed after her next impulse as she sent her free, right hand towards it, gently clasping it between her slim fingers and extracting it out of its unsuitable spot, causing strands of his silky hair to pull softly after the movement as they eventually fell back into place.
Before she managed to stray far, however, a large hand swiftly rose to grab at her delicate wrist, long fingers and sharp nails surrounding her false flesh as golden eyes fluttered open before her, granting her with a tired, although still fierce look.
"What is it." Sesshomaru demanded, his voice low.
Inhaling sharply to the sudden contact, Kikyo simply lifted her chin slightly before him.
And she did her best to not let any of the embarrassment which flooded her at that moment to the evidence of herself acting this recklessly show on her face.
"A small matter that needed to be fixed." She calmly answered, glancing down to the small leaf still held between her fingers "I apologize for disturbing your sleep."
But his grip on her hand stayed strong as his heat once again effortlessly transmitted to her through their shared touch, causing her to swallow harshly.
Sesshomaru stared at her for the longest time in silence, neither breaking their calm eye-contact or sparing a single word into the air between them.
"If you do not wish to sabotage my self-control, miko, I suggest you refrain from engaging in these sorts of acts." He eventually cautioned, watching her closely.
Kikyo simply blinked to his words, perfectly understanding the meaning behind them.
"Certainly." She confirmed.
And her gaze inevitably traveled down to his large hand clasped so firmly around her wrist, his thumb pressing into the heel of her palm in a way that was both impossible to escape but also carefully calculated as to not harm her being. Composed, she allowed herself to study his close features in silence, sharp, deadly fingernails and two magenta stripes slashing across the back of his hand reminding her of his rank and power, while also solidifying the concept in her mind that indeed, claws that were designed to rip and tear through flesh, are evidently also capable of a gesture so harmless such as this.
But noticing Kikyo staring so intently at his hand like that, Sesshomaru suddenly eased his grip and released her completely, drawing his sole arm back to rest on top of his bent knee as only his gaze was left to linger on her being for a silent moment, her mahogany eyes soon rising back up to collide with his gold.
Then, he simply broke away from her being, placing his stare onto the distance in front of him.
"You do not need to provide for me." Sesshomaru eventually told her, his expression not revealing any of his emotions, "I hunt my own meals whenever I sense the need."
Processing his answer to her pondering from before, Kikyo only stared at him.
"Is it beneficial for you to eat so rarely?" She voiced her hidden interest.
Hearing that, Sesshomaru found her gaze once more.
"It is my nature." He replied.
Kikyo kept quiet to his reason, eventually closing her eyes with acceptance.
"I see." She acknowledged calmly, "Then, I shall stop concerning myself over this subject."
The river's cascading sounds settled all around them once again as both fell into familiar stillness, the now soft wind finding its way through their long hair and robes, affording them the same relieving tranquility from before. Once she deemed it enough, the priestess read into their current lack of words as the preferable end to their shared exchange, and she simply turned on her heel with a smooth motion, beginning to step back to the camp's area behind her.
However, before Kikyo managed to distance herself too much;
"I did not say you needed to leave." Sesshomaru's low voice soon reached her, causing her to halt her movement, completely.
Lifting her chin to his unexpected words, Kikyo blinked with mild surprise.
And silent, Sesshomaru observed her as she simply released a small, amused breath, proceeding to turn back in his direction and walk towards him, closing the small space she had created. With her eyes lingering on him for single moment through an unreadable, albeit rather curious expression, Kikyo eventually lowered both the arrow quiver and her longbow to rest against one of the elevated roots of the trees, elegantly sitting herself down not far from the daiyoukai and leaning her back to the trunk behind her, as well.
And neither of them said another word, allowing themselves to plunge into a comfortable silence beneath the crescent moon above, surrounded by the endless, painted sea of bright stars.
A/N:
Regarding Rin's new kosode, (You would find color symbolism to play a certain role in this story in various places, so heads up ;)) The general colors that I chose for her are pink and yellow, yellow symbolizes freshness, happiness, positivity, while pink symbolizes caring, compassion and loving energy. There is also an orange obi there, just to add in a dash of some enthusiasm and joy to the mix.
I would imagine Kikyo to favor the color purple since the Kikyo flower, in actuality, is purple. (Which is also Sesshomaru's signature color in the manga, as it symbolizes royalty, nobility and wisdom. An interesting piece of trivia, isn't it? Hm.)
Until next time!