Foil
Prompt: Red Spider Lily - Never to meet again, lost memory, abandonment + Drama (SessKag Week 2019, day 4)
Universe: Post Canon; Independent sequel for Chapter 5: Even in the The Miko and the Daiyoukai collection
Genre: Romance, Drama, Angst
1,658 Words
Kagome had not been looking for a romance. It had, quite frankly, been the furthest thing on her mind.
That dream had died years ago when Inuyasha had cast her aside and she'd fled Edo in a heartbroken haze that had been equal parts of hurt, anger and grief.
But after years of wandering, rumours about a new powerful and destructive force of demons and concern for the friends she'd once thought she'd never see again had lured her back to Edo.
Kagome had come prepared and had fully been expecting to meet some familiar faces.
She just hadn't thought Sesshoumaru's would be the first of them.
That she'd actually ended up saving his life had been another surprise.
That moment had truly seemed to capture the change her years of wandering and training had wrought, had shown how much the balance of their relationship had shifted.
Sesshoumaru had regarded her with admiration and respect.
And ever since, he'd treated her as an ally and an equal, as they planned to take down this new threat of the demon horde together.
That, Kagome supposed, had made all the difference.
Something between them had just sparked, something that had never been there before, not until now that they were on an equal footing.
It had happened quickly and unexpectedly.
Just three days after she'd saved him and they'd joined forces, they had decided to spend the afternoon sparring – a convenient excuse to test their strength against one another, something which both of them were eager to try.
It turned out they were very well matched, as long as Sesshoumaru abstained from taking advantage of his superior strength and speed. Their swords met with a sharp clang, sweat rolled down Kagome's forehead and stung in her eyes and she was grinning – a wide, wild smile, brighter than any that had touched her lips in years.
She lunged, he parried, they stopped.
Then the swords fell to the ground, forgotten, as they came together in a hungry urgency.
She buried her hands into his hair, scraped her nails against his scalp while he growled and pulled her lower lip between his teeth for a brief moment before he captured her mouth in a devouring kiss.
She pressed her body against his, slid her tongue into his mouth.
He held her tighter, one hand coming to rest on her buttock.
Afterwards, they lay together, naked bodies entangled as they both fought to catch their breaths. He was lying on his back, gazing up at the cloudy sky and cradling her to his chest.
She was tracing a lazy circle on his shoulder and once she had recovered her wits and restored some air in her lungs, she propped herself up on his chest so she could meet his eyes.
"Well wasn't that interesting," she murmured, a smile tugging at her lips.
"A rather pleasant surprise," Sesshoumaru agreed, raising his claw-tipped finger to softly trace the scar on her neck.
His golden eyes were hooded as he studied her, the look in them soft and warm.
And that was the moment that Kagome knew; that despite the ferocity of their sudden passion, this spark between them was not simply about lust.
This was a romance.
By a mutual agreement, the battle against the demon horde was something they did not rush into headfirst.
Sure, there were minor skirmishes if they chanced on the destructive youkai on the road.
But their main focus right now was in assessing and developing a strategy and making alliances and gathering forces.
Sango and Miroku were among the first they recruited for their cause – and despite all that had happened, the painful history and the years of distance, it felt right to be fighting by their side again.
Besides, Kagome had no reason to hold on to her broken heart. Not anymore.
She glanced up and met Sesshoumaru's gaze, the cool gold instantly turning molten.
They took their time over the next several weeks to build their approach and weigh the merits of each and every tactic.
Miroku's role was especially important since his particular skills were very adept at gathering intelligence, and to succeed they'd need all the information about their new enemy they could get their hands on.
And from the bits and pieces they were able to gather, one thing was starting to look clear: Something was going on besides the obvious.
There was someone, something, who had orchestrated everything, who possibly even controlled the horde.
To stop the horde, they'd have to take down the mastermind.
And finally, after weeks of planning, they determined and agreed on the best approach to accomplish that.
Now that they had a proper plan with which to flush the mastermind out from wherever they were hiding, and a time frame in which to do it, a calm settled over Kagome.
It was one of Kagome's favourite feelings – the moment of acceptance when you know the battle is inevitable and imminent, when all your prior worries and reservations fall away until the only emotion left is the determination to defeat your opponents and live another day.
Her heart was light and her smile fierce and easy, especially when Sesshoumaru's warm hand settled on her shoulder.
She turned and leaned into his touch, resting her head against his chest. His fingers toyed with a strand of her hair.
"What is on your mind, miko?" he asked in a low murmur.
"That I'm ready for a battle. Now that everything's settled I just want to get it all over and done with."
"Perhaps this Sesshoumaru can provide a distraction," he offered, amusement colouring his voice.
"Well now," Kagome sighed, smiling as she turned to fully face him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "There's an offer I can't refuse."
Tension simmered between them, hovering on a knife's edge as Kagome rose to the tip of her toes.
The kiss started slow and languid, even though heat erupted in the pit of Kagome's stomach the moment their lips met.
She knew well that Sesshoumaru wasn't immune either; she could feel how much his heart was pounding, felt the tips of his claws as he clutched her tighter and closer.
The kiss went on, a sweet long taste of bliss.
When Kagome pulled away at last, Sesshoumaru followed, briefly catching her lips for another quick taste.
Then, he leaned forward to press his forehead against hers.
They looked at each other, a little out of breath.
They didn't need words, that one long gaze said it all.
Whatever would come, they would get through it together.
The scent of Kagome's blood lingered in the air. Deep down inside, Sesshoumaru was still howling for revenge, but it was in vain – all their enemies were already dead.
He sat by her futon, gently holding her limp hand in his own and willing her to wake.
A small hand squeezed his shoulder, and Sesshoumaru spared a glance for Rin.
"I have done the best I can, the rest is up to her now," she said softly. "Whatever jyaki was in that attack, she is already purifying and purging out of her body. The bleeding has all but stopped."
"I wish I could kill that bastard all over again," Sesshoumaru growled.
"I think the fall actually did more damage than the attack itself, that's when she hit her head," Rin said.
Then, with another comforting squeeze, she exited the hut, leaving Sesshoumaru alone with Kagome.
Helpless, he looked on as she lay there, so pale and peaceful, her shoulder-length hair fanned against the white sheets.
In his mind, he kept replaying the battle, trying to find a flaw even when he knew they had done all they could.
They had divided their troops so that Sesshoumaru, Sango and others had focused on the mastermind, while Kagome, Miroku and the rest had taken on the horde of demons when it was summoned.
She had been magnificent, cutting through the horde with brutal efficiency, stabbing and slashing, purifying the rabid demons left and right.
Sesshoumaru had felt a swell of pride. That moment, he had truly believed Kagome to be unstoppable.
The mastermind had evidently agreed, because he had launched his next attack right at Kagome, and neither Sango or Sesshoumaru had been able to block it.
Kagome had sensed the danger too late, and been unable to fully dodge the blow. With a strangled cry, she had crumpled to the ground and Miroku and the other allies had rushed over to her aid.
Sesshoumaru had concentrated all his efforts to defeating the mastermind then, and it hadn't taken him and Sango much longer to cut the bastard down.
With his death, the demon horde had vanished on the spot.
The victory was theirs.
But victory did not mean anything to him, not until he would be able to share it with the miko he loved and who had fought alongside him.
Sesshoumaru wasn't sure how long he'd sat there by her side, waiting for her to wake, until finally his body tensed in anticipation and he leaned forward.
There was a change in her breathing pattern and her heartbeat was quickening.
A moment later the slender and callused fingers twitched in his grip. Her dark lashes fluttered.
Sesshoumaru's heart soared when finally he was looking into her blue eyes again, and a rare smile rose to his lips, unbidden.
"Kagome," he breathed, squeezing the hand he was still holding. He leaned forward and kissed her brow, just below the bandage wrapped around her head.
She squeezed his hand and stared at him, but she didn't return his smile.
Her blue eyes were clouded with confusion. She was starting to frown.
"I am glad to see you awake at last," Sesshoumaru said, tenderly tracing the scar on her neck and feeling more relieved than he ever had.
Until Kagome finally cleared her throat and spoke.
"Who are you?"