Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, and in truth, I only own the interpretation of a certain narrator and some characters and perhaps bits and pieces of the nonexistent plot. Also, this is melancholy and kind of about Christmas but not really.
Kagome blinked before finally staring at the fearsome demon lord. Then Kagome frowned.
"Sesshoumaru-sama…" Kagome looked down to the snow. What should she say? How could she explain precisely why he couldn't just leave this way? How to explain…
Glancing up, Kagome breathed in deeply. The cool wintry air burned, but Kagome relished the sharp cold. "Sesshoumaru-sama, you really have to tell Rin about your plans. It wouldn't be right to just leave her here without a word. It would almost be like…" Kagome paused, biting her lip. She opened her mouth and took a fortifying breathe against the queasiness in her stomach. "It's almost as though you're abandoning her."
Not daring to look up, Kagome studied the snow-filled horizon. That was when she felt like she was dying.
Sesshoumaru held her above the ground, claws pricking mercilessly against her throat. It took only another blink of Kagome's eyes before she felt the sting of an open wound and a thin silk of blood paving a trail down her throat.
Distantly, Kagome heard herself choking. Was this how she would die?
Then, she fell harshly against the unforgiving snow. Coughing, Kagome stared at the blurry figure in front of her. It was only after a few minutes of coughing that she could even sit up.
Brute, she thought to herself. Maybe the brothers weren't so unalike? Blinking, Kagome summoned all her power to rise from the snow.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, you are like Rin-chan's father. If you were to leave her here without explanation, it would be like you abandoned her-
"You question my honor, human." Above her, Sesshoumaru tilted his head imperiously. "This one should spill your blood for your impudence."
With a fierce frown, Kagome stretched herself to her full height. "And I should just purify you out of existence for daring to harm me when I'm just trying to help you. Look, Sesshoumaru, you can't do this, not to Rin, not to any child, especially not a human child. It can be traumatizing. Rin-chan is young. She won't understand why you would leave her to a group of people she barely knows. To her, it will be as though you abandoned her."
Staring fiercely into Sesshoumaru's depthless eyes, Kagome curled her hands into fists. This wasn't the moment to lose nerve. She wasn't doing this for herself but for Rin-chan. Kagome straightened her spine.
In front of her, Sesshoumaru simply stared. He was statuesque, Kagome noted absently, tall and imposing, without a single thought or emotion on display. He was an empty mask. Perhaps he had not thought to tell Rin-chan because he was uncaring, but because he did not have the ability the care-
No, that couldn't be it. He had to care. He had to, right?
Between them, the silence mounted, creating an invisible wall. Maybe, Kagome feared, maybe, Sesshoumaru wouldn't change his mind, maybe poor Rin-chan would have to suffer that feeling of abandonment. Would she also stare into a camp fire and miss her Sesshoumaru-sama, Jaken, her old life?
No, Kagome couldn't just let this happen! "Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagome bit her tongue, "Sesshoumaru-sama, please don't do this. I tell you from experience that child, especially human ones can't handle separation or abandonment well. What's more, children grow up very fast. Even in a year, Rin-chan could become a completely different person. You don't want to be gone and miss all those little changes…"
Kagome licked her lips. On her tongue, she felt the burden of a thousand words that wished to burst from her mouth. But she kept silent for a while. In reality, there was little more that she could say, so Kagome turned to leave before finally saying, "Please, Sesshouamru-sama for the sake of Rin-chan do not leave her like this. At least, explain to her. At least, come visit every couple of weeks."
When she returned to the village and Rin-chan asked her where Sesshoumaru had gone, Kagome only said that Sesshoumaru said he had very important business to attend but that he would be back soon.
It was a long time before the snow began to thaw. At least a month. Kagome studied the ground beneath her feet. Soon, spring would bring forth a slew of life, of flowers. Perhaps they would cheer Rin, or perhaps they would make her melancholy worse.
Suddenly a shadow loomed before Kagome. "InuYasha, did you already go get the wood? Kaede says there's probably one last big storm coming before all the snow thaws-"
"Keh," InuYasha snorted, "I'm telling ya, there won't be a storm!" He snorted again. "You humans don't have good -nuff senses to know like I do."
Rolling her eyes, Kagome stood up. Together, InuYasha and Kagome walked towards Kaede's hut with a comfortable silence between them. They only had ten minutes more of walking when InuYasha stopped, ears alert.
It was then that Kagome saw Sesshoumaru.
"Whatcha doin' here?" InuYasha's eyes squinted. Stepping behind him, Kagome seconded his question.
"This one is here to speak to his ward-
"Finally got a conscience?" InuYasha sneered. "Took ya a real long time to realize that you ain't supposed to abandon kids, you-
"InuYasha, stop." Walking in front of InuYasha, Kagome pursed her lips. "Why did you come, Sesshoumaru?
Blankly, Sesshoumaru stared down at Kagome. " This one realizes the merit of what you told me some time ago."
Taking a deep breathe, Kagome nodded. "Rin-chan has been waiting for you, Sesshoumaru. I'm glad you came back, but before you see her, will you be taking her home?"
"That is my intention."
Raising her head, Kagome said, "I think you better start talking to Rin-chan before you do that. She's been very sad."
Imperceptibly, Sesshoumaru's eyes widened.
It wasn't much, but maybe it was a start, Kagome mused to herself. Maybe this was the beginning of him being the kind of father that Rin-chan deserved. Maybe Sesshoumaru wasn't so heartless. Maybe Rin would be uninhibitedly happy once again.
Kagome gave a tentative smile and hoped beyond hope that all would be well, that Rin, unlike her, would not have to so miss her family, her home. Surprisingly, Sesshoumaru gave Kagome a nod.
"Thank you," he said before leaving to find Rin.
Original Posting Date: February 4, 2018
Prompt: N/A
Word Count: 1035
Note: It may seem unfinished, but I kind of intended that way. This was meant to explore Kagome's sense of abandonment and loss of her family. It's why she feel so strongly about Sesshoumaru's perceived abandonment of Rin. And Sesshoumaru, well, he isn't one to take advice from anybody really. But when he did come back, Kagome sees hope that Sesshoumaru can be there for Rin, be a good dad, a good person. And maybe that's a start for something new, between them, maybe a friendship, an acquaintanceship, maybe nothing. Fin. Hope you liked it.
***I have the dreadful habit of writing for fandoms I know nothing about. Let it be known: I have never actually read the InuYasha manga or seen the anime.