Nocturne - Chapter Twenty: Take Me With You
Rated - M (for suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, and coarse language)
o - o - o - o - o : Indicates scene or POV change
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
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Kagome still felt quite anxious even after Rin set on her way back to the village, and Sesshomaru had assured her that all would be well. He didn't use all that many words, but the point was he tried to put her at ease, and she appreciated that he had taken even that small effort.
He had followed her back into the tiny house once Rin was out of sight and watched in silence as she settled the baby. He seemed quite interested in the baby but did not voice that interest aloud. Setsuna began to fuss a little and squirm around. She pushed out with her small feet and began to nuzzle into Kagome's chest. Kagome's face flushed red when she realized that the child was hungry and that she would need to feed her. She debated asking Sesshomaru to turn around or do so herself but settled on being brave. This was her home, after all, and it was only natural to breastfeed a baby.
She quieted the small child and pulled down her shirt to expose her breast. The baby, smelling her meal, instantly latched on and began to suckle. Kagome was not ashamed but still felt odd feeding her child in front of him. Taking a deep breath, she raised her head to see what emotions, if any, had graced his stoic features. 'Did yokai feed their children this way? Or did they perform mastication? Or were they born with fangs and claws ready to cut down any available meal?' she wondered.
He did watch her, and there was no trace of disgust like she had feared. He watched her with what seemed to be awe, for Kagome had never seen such an expression rest on his face. She bit her lip and turned her head down to focus on the little one. Setsuna's blue eyes looked up at her, watching her as intently as Kagome was. The baby had wrapped her tiny fingers around Kagome's hakui, gripping the fabric tightly.
Once the baby was satisfied, her eyes became heavy and began to droop. Kagome readjusted her clothing before she began to run her finger lightly down the bridge of Setsuna's nose. Kagome could still feel Sesshomaru's gaze upon her, and she flashed him a smile.
"Would you like to hold her?" Kagome asked.
His brows drew together in consternation. The look of bewilderment caused Kagome to laugh aloud, which broke the sleeping spell the baby was falling under.
"I don't think she can hurt you." At least not physically. But like with all children, once you are exposed to their light, you are forever under their spell. This was something that Sesshomaru had learned during his time as Rin's guardian. Though Rin was much older, her innocent nature was what began to thaw Sesshomaru's hardened heart.
Kagome brought Setsuna over close, making sure to take slow movements. Setsuna held her head up and sat with assistance now, a feat unheard of in human babies. Setsuna was growing much faster, which Kagome thought was attributed to her yokai bloodline. Kagome sat the baby down before Sesshomaru and held her underneath her arms. The child's silver hair had grown longer and nearly seemed darker at the ends. Kagome did not hold out hope that her daughter's hair would retain its pure silver appearance as she aged.
Sesshomaru seemed entranced by the small being before him. Once Kagome sat her down, Setsuna stared up at him with large blue eyes. They beheld each other quietly for a few moments, and Kagome thought she would try something. She steadied the child and moved away, leaving Setsuna sitting unassisted.
It was only a matter of time before she toppled over, and she would be fine if she did, but Kagome wanted to see how Sesshomaru would react.
Remarkably, the child did not so much as sway. It was as if she innately knew who the man was before her, and they were sizing each other up. The moment passed, and Setsuna began to lose her balance, falling forward. Before she could touch the ground, Sesshomaru swiped her up and cradled her in his arms. He shot Kagome a knowing glare before returning to stare into his daughter's eyes.
If his hand trembled, it must have been a trick of the light, but Kagome could have sworn it had while he reached to touch her. His fingers ran over the crescent moon on her forehead and inevitably over the child's nose as he imitated the motion Kagome had taken to get the child to sleep. The baby gripped his mokumoku tightly with both of her tiny hands, but with a full belly shortly after eating, she began to drift off.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Kagome asked softly, breaking him out of his trance.
He looked over to her with soft eyes. "Indeed."
Kagome smiled but rolled her eyes. She was asking a lot from him in such a short time. But now it was time to address the elephant in the room. "So, what are we going to do?" She grabbed Setsuna from him, who relinquished the small child reluctantly, and placed her carefully down to rest.
"I must rectify the situation I have placed you in," he answered matter-of-factly. Of course, he would resort to his duty. All of that tied into his pride and sense of honor, which played into everything that made him what he was.
"Where does that leave us?" she gestured to herself and the baby. "W-Will we be coming with you?" she asked timidly, afraid of his response.
He shook his head and stood, "I should prefer you remain here. It is not safe."
Kagome stood, too, jumping up. "What makes it safe here? Hasn't our location been exposed by that...by that woman?" She had begun to shake and seethe with anger. Would he leave now? How could he?
Sesshomaru expelled a breath and turned his head. "I cannot risk bringing you along. You would only…"
"What?!" she interrupted. "Get in your way?"
He growled in annoyance, "Precisely."
Kagome took several smoldering steps up to him and put a finger in front of his chest. "Don't. Lie." She poked his cuirass with each word.
He snatched up her hand and held it. "This is beyond your comprehension, woman. Do not presume to know me."
Her jaw dropped at his words, and she snatched her hand from his grasp. "You bastard! I may be human, but I am capable of understanding a great many things! Things even you wouldn't begin to understand!" She put heavy emphasis on the word 'you.' He acted as if she were an ignorant wench whose sole role in life was to be rutted and pop out babies. "I know that you had never felt vulnerable until humans entered your life. Rin taught you compassion," she spat, "but we have shown you something else."
His fangs were visible as he snarled in anger. "You dare to speak to me so informally, wench? You are naught to me but a good time and the child, a byblow."
"A what?!" He-he called their child...a bastard...How could he turn so cold in a matter of seconds?
He turned and called over his shoulder, "I shall waste my time here no longer. I have what I'd come for now. Take care; for yourself and the child. I will keep the trouble at bay. It is the least I can do."
"You-you're leaving?" she asked miserably. His cruel words instantly quelled the fire she had felt.
"Yes."
His monosyllabic response incised her, and she spat out her retort. "Good. I'd hate you to waste any more time here. I'm surprised that you broke off your engagement. You two were probably suited to one another."
If her words phased him, he did not show it. "Hnn."
She could hear Setsuna stir from behind her, awoken by the raised voices of her parents. Kagome turned her head to check the child quickly. When she turned back, he was gone before she could even blink, and she instantly felt so empty. Kagome crumbled to her knees and put her face in her hands. How foolish of her to believe that she could mean anything more than a good time to Sesshomaru. She drew in a shaky breath and placed a steady hand on the ground. Something was not right.
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He knew where his brother had laid up, avoiding anyone and everyone in his pathetic despondency. Sesshomaru had to be quick; otherwise, his headstrong brother would react without thinking.
He landed near the tree and approached in an obvious manner, hands by his sides in a non-threatening gesture. Inuyasha plummeted from the tree branches and landed before his elder brother, a grimace on his face.
"Come to rub my nose in it, you sick fuck?" Inuyasha flexed his claws and gripped the hilt of Tessaiga.
Sesshomaru had no time for his half-brother's antics. "Quite the opposite. I am leaving."
Inuyasha scoffed and visibly relaxed. "Why am I not surprised?" He folded his arms against his chest and leaned back against the tree. "So, lemme guess. You came back here for a quick lay, and now she wants more. Something you can't give? So now you're running off."
Sesshomaru answered his brother with silence. He had returned on a strong impulse. One that he barely understood and drove him with primal instinct. His sense of pride contradicted the instinct to protect his...his…m...no-the woman and child...gods he could scarcely think it within his mind..the instinct pulsed through his veins yet. The woman and child made him feel a level of weakness he had not experienced since Rin traveled at his side. He could not succumb to that weakness. His enemies would use them against him, he knew. It is better to cast off his weakness and put on a facade than allow his enemy to use them against him.
"Just what I thought. You're pathetic," Inuyasha spat.
Sesshomaru glared at Inuyasha. The man was trying his patience. "Hold your tongue before it is cut out. You won't need it to do what is demanded."
Inuyasha uncrossed his arms and held them out in an engaging manner. "You won't do shit. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here asking me for help. That's why you came, ain't it, Sesshomaru?"
"The time has come to collect. Need I remind you of that night. You groveled and begged at my feet like the pathetic mongrel you are." Sesshomaru hadn't thought he would need to bring the request up. He would have brought them back anyway, but Inuyasha did not know that.
Inuyasha bared his teeth at the mention of begging anything from Sesshomaru. But he complied and grunted, turning his head with a noncommittal noise.
It grated upon Sesshomaru's nerves to ask a boon of his brother, even if it was owed. "It is only requested that you care for her."
"I was doing that before you swooped in on her like she was a bitch in heat. I thought you were in control of your more "baser" instincts, big brother?" he taunted.
"Then it should prove no challenge for you to do so again." Sesshomaru rose on his yoki, and Inuyasha watched with a scrutinizing glare. There was no time to respond to the goading. "And Inuyasha," he called.
Inuyasha looked up at him with scowling eyes, barely raising his head. Sesshomaru continued once he was sure Inuyasha was giving him his full attention, "Should anything happen to her, I will not hesitate to kill you. Brother or not."
"Feh. Fuck off. As if I'm scared of your empty-ass threats." Inuyasha rolled his eyes.
His brother was sadly mistaken to assume that the threat was empty. Sesshomaru was a man of his word. Even if he could not be near those he cared about, he would not let anything befall them, and he was not above vengeance should the occasion call for it.
A/N: Damn you Sesshomaru! Why do you have to be so cruel and hurt Kagome's feelings just when she is acknowledging her feelings? If only they could read each other's minds like we can in this story. Oh well.
Hey? You….Yeah, you...How are you? I hope you're well :) Thanks for reading!