Acceptance

"A soul collector!"

The white, ghostly, snake-like creature was weaving its way through the trees in the forest. Its movements were repetitive and deliberate, almost as though it wanted to be seen. Having a soul collector appear in such a manner could only mean one thing: Kikyo was near and she wanted me to come and see what she was up to.

But if Kikyo was near, and Inuyasha was…

"Inuyasha!"

Without a second thought to the demon Lord (which in hindsight probably wasn't the best thing to do considering I would be adding ignoring him to the unfortunately very long list of offenses I had made against him, but at the time my mind could only focus on one thing), I took off into the trees to follow the trail of the youkai servant of the dead priestess.

In accordance to my fears, which I suppose would be fitting considering the day I had been having, the snake-like parasite demon led me in the direction that I had last seen Inuyasha after Sesshomaru's assault. I followed the creature past the broken trees Inuyasha had been thrown though, but came to a stop when I set eyes on the mistress of the youkai that had led me there.

If Kikyo knew I was watching, she gave no indication of it. She walked gracefully over to the large tree where a figure lay slouched and crumpled on the ground at its base. Inuyasha was still unconscious, but given he had been transformed to his human self; I was simply grateful that he was still alive considering the injuries that he had suffered.

I watched as Kikyo kneeled beside him and gently lifted her hand to brush away the strands of dark hair cascading across his peacefully sleeping face. Her touch caused him to stir. He moaned pitifully and slowly opened his eyes.

"K…Kagome?"

Ha! So I'm not the only one he confuses! Take that Kikyo! How does it feel to be mistaken for someone else? Granted he had just woken up from being unconscious and probably had a nasty concussion, but still, at least now I wasn't the only one who had been the recipient of that annoying little mix-up.

I actually had to cover my mouth so that any inappropriate giggles couldn't spill out, but while my hands were busy keeping my mouth shut, my feet took their turn to act of their own accord and started dancing a little victory jig. Of course it was then, during one of my most unlady-like and childish moments; that I realized I wasn't watching the little scene alone.

I turned to the side where I felt the other presence, and sure enough there was Sesshomaru. He was just…looking at me. I don't know what it was about the way he was looking at me, either I'm getting really good at reading him (which would be just scary and I would prefer to think that is not the case) or I was just imagining what I though I was getting from him; but I could have sworn at that moment that he was laughing at me.

Even though he probably had every right to be laughing at me given the state he had found me in; I was still annoyed that someone would be laughing at me, even if it was Sesshomaru and he still scares me to no end. So in keeping with my childish antics (I mean the embarrassment couldn't get any worse) I stuck my tongue out at him and whirled back around to go back to my little spying session. I didn't wait to see his reaction, but I could just imagine that I had earned an eyebrow raise for that move.

When I looked back to Inuyasha and Kikyo, I realized that I must have missed something while I had been side-tracked by Sesshomaru. Inuyasha was struggling to raise himself from the ground using his Tetsusaiga as a brace, but Kikyo was at his side trying to keep him on the ground.

"You are injured. You should not try and move."

"But I have to find her!" He finally gave up on trying to pull himself to his feet and collapsed back against the tree. In his human form he hadn't the strength to push aside injuries as easily as when in his hanyou form. He turned away from Kikyo then, shadowing his eyes behind the curtain of his bangs. "She could be dead now and it would be all my fault."

I almost called out to him then. I couldn't bear knowing that he was hurting because he thought that he had failed me. I wanted to be there with him, to tell him that I was ok, that everything was going to be alright, that he didn't need to worry. But I couldn't be with him, I couldn't be the one to clear away his fears or his doubts; instead it was Kikyo.

"She has not been hurt. My soul collectors have told me that my reincarnation is fairing well. You need not worry about her. Concentrate on healing now."

When he looked back to her then, I could see the unending love and devotion shining in his eyes. His love was for her, it had always been for her. Deep down I had always known that, but being able to see him show it, seeing him not bothering to mask his feelings for her; I knew without any doubt that there would never be room in his heart for any other.

I turned away and started walking back through the trees, leaving the two to their privacy. I had seen enough.

I was just walking back to village, back to a friendly face, back to warmth and comfort. I was so preoccupied with my thoughts and with my determination to finally get into bed and put an end to this horrible night that I failed to notice that I wasn't alone. That is, of course, until I heard the voice from behind me.

"It pains you to see him like that."

I sighed. Would he ever leave me alone? All I wanted to do was curl up and die (not literally of course, I had had enough of near-death experiences for one night), but he just wouldn't leave me alone. I didn't even bother looking back at him to answer. I couldn't care less if I was being rude; I just wanted the night to end.

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Salt."

Damn dogs and their stupid noses that pick up every stupid thing! I lifted my hands to my face and scrubbed away the tears before turning to face him.

"It does hurt, but not in the way that you might think. I love Inuyasha, but I long ago gave up on thinking there could ever be anything between us but friendship. His heart belongs only to her. I can accept that. But while he loves her, she wants to hurt him. And the worst part is I think she has him convinced that he deserves that pain."

I couldn't believe I was saying all of this to Sesshomaru. Like he would care what kinds of pain were inflicted on Inuyasha as long as he was the one that finished him off in the end; and judging by the look he was giving me, he was thinking the exact same thing. I sighed again. Well at least while I had his attention I decided I should put it to some use.

"He doesn't you know. His whole life has been one struggle after another. He has been shunned and feared by humans, hated and hunted by demons, never given a chance to be anything but an outcast; and yet look how strong he has made himself in spite of all the trials. No, he doesn't deserve to be treated like that. Not by anyone."

I sent Sesshomaru a pointed glare before I turned and walked away from him again.

"In three days," I called over my shoulder, "I will repeat this experiment again. I hope that I will not see you again until after that has happened. If it works, the next target will be Naraku."

And he let me leave. I walked back to the village and my companions and finally got some rest.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"So that's it. That's my story."

"The next day, after a terribly awkward conversation with Inuyasha where I tried to explain my encounter with Sesshomaru using as little details as possible and completely leaving out the role of the sex pheromone, I came home. It was almost as though nothing had ever happened. No one knew of my near-death experience with Sesshomaru, or of the millions of questions plaguing my mind that all centered around what he had done, why he done it, and what reason he could possibly have for doing it."

"So now I'm am sitting here at my desk, my feet propped up and my chair balanced on two legs in the best possible position to do any thinking, going over the whole encounter again; and still I can't for the life of me come up with any answers."

"Why did he spare me, not once, but twice? Was it because he believes that my experiment will be able to draw out Naraku? But if that were the case, if he truly wanted me around for my experiment, then why would he have threatened me the second time? So then if it is not the experiment, what could possibly have made him spare me after I refused to tell him where I am from? How could he have so quickly changed his mind when I had done nothing but flat out refuse to tell him what he wanted to know?"

"I have so many questions, but so few answers. All I can come up with is that there must be something he wants from me; something that he has yet to reveal. But what could it be? What…"

"Is it a common trait among humans to speak to themselves in such a manner? Or is it simply that you are not of the right mind?"

"AHHHH!"

The voice from my doorway startled me so much that I lost my balance and my chair fell backwards from its two-legged perch, taking me along with it on its path towards the floor. I landed hard, smacking my head off the carpeted floor. Groaning pitifully, I rolled onto my stomach to tried and get up.

As I shook my head to try and clear out the dizziness, I kept telling myself that the deep velvety voice I heard did not belong to who I thought it did. I had just been doing too much thinking about that particular person and my mind had heard something that was not true.

I slowly looked up towards the person standing in my doorway.

Black boots. Ok well it could still be anyone. Black is a very common color for shoes after all.

White baggy pants. Still, nothing to worry about. The guys nowadays wear their pants baggy right? It could still be anyone.

A long blue and yellow sash in which are tucked two swords that look suspiciously a lot like Tenseiga and Tokijin. But it still can't be who I'm thinking it is because I left him on the other side of the well and 500 years in the past, so it must be just a coincidence.

Spike plated armor, long silver hair, and a big white fluffy boa. Please tell me it's Halloween and that Inuyasha has decided to play dress-up. I've heard of Christmas in July, maybe someone decided Halloween needed to be celebrated in July too. It's not that far of a stretch is it?

When my eyes finally made it to his face I couldn't help but groan again. There, standing in my doorway as though he had every right to be there, was Sesshomaru.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: I almost ended it there, but just this once I'll be a little nice and go for a bit more :)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I was at a complete loss for words. I tried to speak, but all I ended up doing was opening and closing my mouth a couple of times so that I looked like a gaping fish.

What the hell was he doing here? How did he get here? And most importantly, what the hell was he doing here?

He didn't say anything of course. He was just standing there looking at me. I guess he was waiting for an answer to his question. What was his question again?

Then suddenly he gracefully stepped to the side, freeing the doorway for another.

"Kagome!"

Souta rushed into my room, completely oblivious to the fact that there was currently a killing machine occupying it with me. I blinked and looked at him in confusion. My brain had turned into a pile of mush and was refusing to function.

"Kagome! You promised you would help me with my science fair experiment tonight! What are you doing in here? Mom said the kitchen is all ready for us. She even has the vinegar on the stove heating up like you said. So come on!"

"Ummm…ok Souta, I'll be right there."

"You had better be!"

He turned around and started out of my room, but he caught sight of Sesshomaru while doing so.

"Hi there. I'm Souta. Who are you?"

Sesshomaru looked down at Souta's questioning face, and to my amazement gave him an answer.

"I am Sesshomaru."

Souta blinked a few times then scrunched his face in concentration. Finally after a moment he turned to me and asked.

"Hey Kagome, isn't this the guy that you said was nothing but a selfish, arrogant, pompous, son of a mmph…"

I have no idea how I moved so fast, but somehow I snapped out of my daze and flew across the room just in time to slap my hand over Souta's mouth before he could finish that statement. I looked up to Sesshomaru and released a few nervous giggles.

"Kids you know, they have such imaginations."

"Indeed," he replied as he raised an eyebrow to tell me that he knew exactly where the statement was going and that it was not Souta's imagination that had produced it. "I think I should like to see this experiment."

Souta became ecstatic at the prospect of showing off his experiment to someone else. He squirmed out of my grasp and took off to the door.

"Come on," he called back to Sesshomaru. "This is really cool, I'll show you!"

Sesshomaru followed my little brother out of the room, leaving me behind to try and figure out what happened. When my brain finally started processing again, I groaned.

"This is not going to be pleasant."

And I too left my room and headed down into the kitchen to begin yet another experiment that somehow Sesshomaru had gotten involved in against my wishes.

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Sw1: Awww…poor Kags. She doesn't know what Sess has planned for her. If she would ask me I would tell her that…

Kag: What? You mean you know? Come on tell me! Please?

Sw1: Now Kags I can't tell you because if I did Sess would probably kill me.

Kag: Come on! I won't tell; it will be our little secret.

Sess: The ningen author is correct. I would kill her for such a breach of contract.

Kag: So you do have something planned for me! Come on Sess, tell me! I have to know!

Sess: -raises an eyebrow-

Kag: Gah! Would you cut that out already! How am I supposed to figure out what you're thinking just because you raised your stupid eyebrow!

Sw1: Calm down Kags. Look, I'll interperet that eyebrow raise for you. He said 'You will not know of my plan until I am good and ready to tell you AND if you ever call me Sess again OR if you continue whining like you are, then you will never know'

Kag: But…

Sw1: No buts. We have to end this chapter. It's getting way too long.

Kag: But…

Sess: Miko.

Kag: Ok fine! But this reason had better be worth the wait –pouts-

Sw1: -sigh- Well goodbye. Until next time

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters I am about to weave into my web of chaos. Any and all definitions have been taken directly from Wikipedia the online encyclopedia because I am far too lazy to do any further research to support my Inuyasha obsession.