Rude
The sun had begun to set as wedding guests lined up to speak to the bride and groom. Sesshoumaru and Kagome sat together in silence, while watching the couple bow and give their thanks to the well-wishers. The guests parted and allowed the couple to approach the palanquin. Hajime lifted their clasped hands in the air, before a moment of confusion crossed their faces. Kiyomi shook their hands together, then tried to pull away from her husband. They stared at the red string tied around their hands. Why hadn't they noticed the bit of youki surrounding them until now? They were stuck together holding hands!
"Oi! Hatakeyama! You bastard!" Hajime yelled out across the clearing.
The guests laughed, and whooped and hollered at their expense.
The nine-tailed kitsune only grinned in response. It wouldn't be a kitsune wedding without its tricks.
Kiyomi smiled warmly at her frustrated husband. "It's alright. I'll take care of this one." She raised her free hand in the air with a sweeping motion, releasing a bit of her own youki as she did it.
Kagome looked up in awe. Balls of fox-fire fell from the sky, casting an imitation of falling stars as the orbs floated down to mingle around the guests, bathing the area in a green glow.
Hajime helped his wife into the waiting palanquin, before climbing in himself. The guests took this as a cue to begin lining up to follow the procession back down the mountain.
Sesshoumaru stood up and held his hand out to the beautiful woman who had sat beside him. She didn't hesitate to place her hand in his. He pulled her up and she stumbled against him. Her hand lingered against his chest as she steadied herself.
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"Sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama. I didn't realize my legs had fallen asleep."
He didn't care about her clumsiness, but acutely felt the loss of her hand against his chest when she drew away from him.
She tucked the folded umbrella under her arm, and allowed him to lead the way.
They had only been walking a few minutes before a chilling energy crept up her back, making her turn to look over her shoulder. She turned and saw the nine-tailed kitsune, his sharp green eyes following the path of her curves, starting with her sandaled feet and ending at her face, which now carried an irritated expression. Kagome glared at him for the blatant and rude assessment of her body.
She turned away from the golden kitsune, intent on ignoring him. He sidled up beside her and pulled her arm into his grasp, walking with her as if he were a gentleman. A small spike of fear coursed through her. Perhaps he was just being friendly, but Manako had warned her against thinking that way. The golden kitsune knew what he was doing and that concerned her.
Sesshoumaru stopped dead in his tracks, and turned to stare at the kitsune who dared to touch Kagome.
Kagome's eyes met Sesshoumaru's and she tried to convey to him that she would handle it. She let her reiki glide over the daiyoukai in what she hoped was an assuring manner. His molten yellow eyes stared at her for another second before turning around to continue walking. The heat of his anger seared against her as he turned his back to them.
Hatakeyama grinned and patted the hand he held hostage.
"My, My...You have quite a leash on that dog. I commend-" Pain laced through his arm so sharply, he gasped in surprise. The smell of burnt flesh filled the area.
Kagome wrenched herself out his hold. "How very impolite of you to assume that I would want your company or your attentions."
Guests around them continued to walk, but now their attention was solely on them. The party had become silent in order to observe the interaction.
"I had heard many wonderful things about you, but I never understood why they sought to invite a miko and a dog to such an important wedding." Hatakeyama shook his smoking arm, watching it heal almost instantly.
Kagome spared him no glance, picking up her pace to catch up to Sesshoumaru.
"I had heard that nine-tailed kitsune were known to have infinite wisdom, but I have found that you are nothing but a fool." She called back to him.
Hatakeyama bared his fangs and snapped at the insult. "How dare you!"
He rushed to grab her arm but Kagome's reiki gathered around her like a protective shield to stop him from touching her.
"Ack!" The kitsune cried out.
Kagome turned to around in response to the noise and her heart sank at the sight.
Sesshoumaru's hand was wrapped tightly around the persistent kitsune's throat.
His cool eyes gazed at the struggling kitsune, belying the raging anger beneath the surface.
"Behave yourself. We're at a wedding," he said mildly, before spitting out, "Take."
Her eyes widened. Sesshoumaru knew this jerk? He usually hated everyone, but what caused him to despise this kitsune in particular?
Hatakeyama raised his arm up and broke the hold on his throat, before shoving the daiyoukai away. He let out atsk, rubbing the reddened skin of his neck. "No one has called me that in years," Hatakeyama scoffed.
"Touch her again, and I will kill you." Sesshoumaru warned before resuming his walk down the path.
"Oi, Miko, I see that you're his property now. Did he piss on you too?" Hatakeyama spit on the ground, tastefully showing Sesshoumaru what he thought of him.
He didn't see the fist that punched him in the face. Blood spewed from his mouth, and he stumbled backward in shock.
The golden kitsune's face screwed up in pain, as he brought up his fingers to touch the red blossoming from his lips. His brows furrowed in anger and his eyes narrowed to slits. "You will regret that, dog."
Sesshoumaru grabbed him by the lapel of his robe and pulled him closer. His fist reared back to hit the insolent kitsune again.
"Stop." Kagome said to his immediate right. Sesshoumaru paused holding the kitsune in place. She reached up to Hatakeyama's face and brushed her fingers lightly over his busted, bleeding lip. His eyes widened as Kagome released reiki through her fingertips, increasing the pain in his wound. A slow smirk spread across Sesshoumaru's face. She was ensuring his lip wouldn't heal. He would have to wear that injury throughout the party. She had been too kind when she allowed him to heal his arm.
"Perhaps the next time you open your mouth, you will think before you speak." Kagome said lightly.
With a puff of smoke, the kitsune vanished from Sesshoumaru's grip like a cheap magician. Kagome's eyes darted around, making sure he was gone for good before breathing a sigh of relief at his disappearance. Thank goodness he was gone.
Slowly the guests had begun to talk among themselves again. The happy atmosphere returned, and the party continued their trek down the mountain with the fox-fire lighting their way.
Kagome walked closer to Sesshoumaru's side, their sleeves touching. She could still feel his anger, and she really couldn't blame him. She was proud of him that he handled the situation so well. He's such a touchy person, but he could control himself. She wanted to wrap herself around his arm and assure him somehow. Would it be too forward of her to touch him so freely? They had touched rather intimately before, but this was in front of a crowd, who would take it as a statement of intent. She frowned. Considering that everyone just saw that confrontation, it was no doubt that they already assumed that she was a consort of Sesshoumaru's. So...what difference did it make?
Would he care?
Her cheeks burned red. He was usually the one to touch her, not the other way around. She really didn't have any experience in pursuing someone. She always...
Anxiety rose in her like a tidal wave. She wanted to pursue him? Her feelings toward him had definitely swung in that direction, but...there was no way he could feel that way towards her, right?
Could she...let go of the past long enough to feel love for anyone else?
It was alright. He clearly hated humans, and particularly hanyou. No way he could...but then there's Rin, for whom his love was very clear. He also cared for Katsurou...
Kagome shyly looked up at him from the corner of her eye.
So...had all her assumptions about him been wrong? Had she been blind to his true character?
Sesshoumaru turned to look at the miko walked dangerously close to him. He could feel her nervous energy lapping at him. Was she upset about that asshole kitsune?
Her heart pounded in her ears. She swallowed her fear.
Lithe, but strong arms encircled his left arm. He looked down at his side to find Kagome tucked against him, while keeping a hold of the umbrella under her arm. She rested her cheek against his arm. His anger diminished bit by bit, as his own scent drowned out the scent of kitsune on her body. Her warm tingling energy mingled with his own, and a sense of rightness filled him. For a moment, their energy overwhelmed him. It felt as though he could reach across his own youki, and grab a hold of her reiki. He did not know where his power began and hers ended. It hummed in equilibrium.
His eyes widened with realization. Their energy...it was balanced.
"Kagome-dono." He said softly to get her attention.
Her jumbled thoughts came to an abrupt stop. She jerked away from him, breaking the connection. Her head turned away from him, too embarrassed to even look at him.
"I'm sorry, I..."
He grabbed her hand, pulling her against him again. He wanted so desperately to feel that connection again. That kind of power was intoxicating.
"Did you feel it?" He asked.
Kagome looked up at him bewildered. "Feel what?"
"Our energy was balanced."
She gasped. "How did we do it?"
Sesshoumaru clenched his jaw. He was at a loss. He had no idea how they did it. Was it their mindset that allowed it to happen or was it their physical contact?
She stared up at him with her mouth open. Guilt ate at her. How could she have not felt it? Was this not what they had attempted to do for months? Maybe she had just been too consumed by anxiety to focus on it.
He gave her hand a small squeeze, drawing her attention back to him.
"It can be done." his voice rumbled between them.
Yes...it could. They proved that it was possible! A smile broke out across her face.
She pumped her fist in the air. "We did it! If we did it once, we could do it again!"
"Hm."
She didn't have to feel guilty. They were making progress.
Kagome's cheeks warmed when she realized they continued to hold hands.
He held onto her all the way down the mountain.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Author's note: Thank you so much for the reviews! I was so glad that so many of you enjoyed the wedding.
A little side note for the curious: Often in Japanese folklore, dogs and tanuki are the enemies of kitsune.