The tension rolling off him is stifling.

Kagome forces down a swallow of tea. It feels like her heart is slowing, her throat tightening as the turmoil he suffers churns within her. She can feel it in her stomach and in her chest, and everything in her silently cries out, wishing to make it better.

Next to her, Sesshoumaru says nothing. His face is passive as he sips his tea, his eyes glued to the pages of the book in their lap. But it's the set of his jaw that gives the most away.

Pieces of her break for him.