Hey people, I got no reviews so here's chapter two. Thought maybe you dudes were impatient! lol.
Disclaimer: I claim ownership of absolutely nothing but the plot. Jesus, help me smite the lawyers...please?
Every Time We Touch
Kagome thought about her gift to Inuyasha. She had scoured the mall at home, looking for something for the picky inu-hanyou, and had been unable to come up with anything she'd thought he'd like, besides a truckload of Ramen, which she could not afford. She sighed.
She had one other idea, but she wasn't sure he would go for it. She was eighteen now, plenty old enough to be intimate with him, should he wish. She knew her mother would have a cow if she knew, but Kagome was an adult now, and her mother could no longer tell her what she could and could not do.
Kirara growled softly as they approached the hut, warning of danger ahead. Sango grabbed a tuft of fur and held on tightly. Kagome did the same.
The giant cat slowed them to a stop as they round the corner, to see…nothing. Sango frowned, and Kagome looked around, her hair flying, the sensation of impending danger rising in her veins.
Through the tree line across the way, Sesshoumaru appeared, accompanied by Jaken and Rin. Both girls sighed in relief. There would be no fighting today.
Inuyasha, who had dozed off on the roof after returning from the girls' performance, snorted and woke himself up, and almost rolled off the edge. He cried out, "Whoa!" as he dug his claws into the wood, stopping his descent.
Sesshoumaru, close enough to have heard him, laughed scornfully.
"Are you always this articulate, little brother?"
"What do you want, Sesshoumaru? I ain't in the mood for your shit, so make it quick before I'm forced to do you in with my Tetsusaiga."
Kagome looked from one brother to the other. This was going downhill fast.
"Yes, Sesshoumaru," she said politely, bowing a little and trying to divert both men's attention away from each other, "please tell us why you've come."
Sesshoumaru looked at her and noted her respect in the way she stood, and in her tone of voice. She was trying to prevent the inevitable fight, and he found himself respecting her a little more in return.
"Believe it or not, I am here at the urging of our Father."
Inuyasha sat up so quick he almost fell off again. He snorted. "What the hell are you blabbering about? The old man's been dead for two hundred years, how could he have possibly spoken to you? Or are you crazy now, too?"
Kagome glanced at Inuyasha, and Sesshoumaru growled loudly, his lip curling in disdain. When she saw his hand rest on Tokijin's hilt she decided to step in.
"Inuyasha, let the man speak. If this is about your Father, I'd think you'd be the first person willing to listen."
She turned back to Sesshoumaru. "Please, Lord Sesshoumaru, continue."
He smiled slightly. He liked her; she was spunky. And her actions made the hanyou furious. He liked that even more.
"Well, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted-" here Inuyasha turned up his nose and looked away, "-our Father has been coming to me in my dreams for the past several nights. He is very vague, but he keeps saying something about 'the evil one shall not fall until two brothers can stand tall', or something to that effect. Frankly, I'm finding it to be quite annoying, and I wish it to stop."
Inuyasha raised a brow at Sesshoumaru. "You mean the old man's coming to you in your dreams and you want him to stop? What's the matter with you?"
Kagome suspected that Inuyasha was jealous. He'd never met his Father, and would give anything to see him, speak to him, hear praise from him…be loved by him. She sympathised though; she'd barely known her Father, either, and missed him terribly.
"Nothing is the matter, Inuyasha. Father and I did not part on good terms, and I wish he would leave me alone."
Everyone present exchanged a glance. In that one sentence Sesshoumaru had revealed more about his past to them than they had been able to figure out in the three years they'd known him. His expression was still passive, but there had been a vehemence in his voice that was hard to miss.
Inuyasha just snorted and crossed his arms.
Sango was deep in thought, and Kagome had her hand to her mouth. Was the 'evil one' Naraku?
"Sesshoumaru, do you think your Father was referring to Naraku when he said 'evil one'?"
"Honestly, miko, I have no idea, nor do I care." He moved his eyes to her face. "But I'm willing to do just about anything to get him off my back and out of my head, even if it means helping my little brother, here. But be warned, Inuyasha." Here he returned his cold golden gaze to Inuyasha. "I will not tolerate your shit. If you piss me off, I will hurt you."
Inuyasha glared. Sesshoumaru only returned the favour.
"Fine. Do what you want, but don't expect anything from me." He got up and jumped away, looking for Miroku, leaving Sesshoumaru with the women.
Sango watched him leave while Kagome went forward, timidly at first, then more boldly as she got closer. "Do you have a place to stay, Sesshoumaru?" she asked, and he felt oddly touched by her concern, but nevertheless refused her.
"We will camp nearby." With that he turned, and ordered Jaken to set up a place for them to sleep.
Rin had watched the whole exchange in silence. Kagome waved to her and the little girl ran over, and Kagome crouched.
"Well, Rin, looks like you'll be staying with us for a while. Are you hungry?" Rin nodded.
"Yes Lady, Rin is very hungry."
Kagome smiled. "Good," she said, "Shippo is around here somewhere, and he has a huge bag of candy with him. If you find him and ask him to come see me, I'll see to it that he shares some with you, alright?"
Rin grinned and nodded. Kagome had given her candy once before, and Sesshoumaru and Jaken had thought they would never hear the end of the little girl's praises for "the Candy Lady, Kagome".
Kagome smiled as she watched Rin run off in search of the fox-child, hoping she wouldn't have too difficult a time prying him away from his fan club.
She followed Sango into the hut to begin supper.
Sesshoumaru thought about what had happened that day as he sat under a tree, watching the stars come out. Rin had joined the others in the hut for dinner, and afterwards Kagome had brought her back, along with a portion of the meat for Jaken and himself. He had thanked her, then ignored her, but she didn't leave. Rin wouldn't let her.
She begged Kagome to tell her another story, and, unable to resist the child's pleas, she had settled in with Rin on her lap to tell her a story.
Apparently Kagome had already told everyone a story in the hut, for she sighed heavily, but she made a place in her lap for the child anyway, and proceeded to spin another tale. Sesshoumaru listened with half an ear as she told Rin about a princess named Cinderella, and her two evil sisters. He thought the story amusing; always a happy ending, always a load of shit.
He frowned. There were no happy endings. Both his Mother and his Father had died in pain, and for what? He clenched his jaw in bitterness as he thought of his Mother's end, and how his Father had done nothing to stop it. He deserved what he got, Sesshoumaru thought viciously, recalling his Father's demise: burning alive under a pile of flaming timber, all to save Inuyasha and his mother.
He frowned, and narrowed his eyes. It all came down to that, to why his Father was so ready to save Izayoi's life but seemed to have cared nothing at all about Sesshoumaru's Mother's life. He burned when he thought of it. Was a mere human worth more to his Father than his Mother had been? Than even he had been?
He would never know. He had slowly begun to despise his Father, and aspired to defeat him, and take his place, but the Inu no Taisho had denied him that honour, as well. Sesshoumaru had had to fight every step of the way for his Father's love and approval, and now that the dead man was haunting his dreams, he felt violated and more than just a little irritated. Even in death he had seemed to give Sesshoumaru a hard time; not one, but two of his swords had chosen Inuyasha over him, and the sword that had taken to him was the one he knew his Father knew he didn't want.
Was the old man trying to be funny when he'd bequeathed him Tensaiga? If he had been Sesshoumaru failed to find his joke humorous.
When he brought himself around Kagome had long finished her story and sat next to Rin, running her fingers through the child's hair as she slept.
When she looked up she met his gaze; he stared steadily back, to see what she would do, but she continued to look back, blinking occasionally. Finally, he spoke.
"You may return to your companions, if you wish."
It was a dismissal, and she nodded. But she didn't leave.
He was beginning to become annoyed. Her very proximity was making his temperature rise, and he could feel the blood creeping into his cheeks, staining them red. Not that she could see that in the firelight, of course, but still, he wasn't pleased.
She could feel the irritation rolling off him in waves, but she did not leave. She wondered how long it would take him to voice his displeasure with her presence.
Oddly enough, he managed to keep his thoughts to himself. She yawned, and he watched her from the corner of his eye; she stretched her arms high in the air, and he heard her spine crack several times.
She stood, and brushing her skirt off, said, "Goodnight, Sesshoumaru." then turned and left. He watched her go, the skirt flying up every now and then, giving him fleeting glimpses of her pale legs. He knew that outfit was outrageous, but couldn't help appreciating her better qualities displayed from beneath it. He thought only whores wore such revealing outfits, but she was the furthest thing from a whore he could imagine.
This woman, with the ability to purify anyone with a single touch, this innocent girl who, from her scent, was still untouched, was the epitome of all good, and he could see why she was protected so fiercely by her friends; in her innocence, others were compelled to preserve her, and shield her from the world and its pain. Strangely he himself felt a protectiveness toward her, and understood why his brother was attracted to her, although it appeared he still had not claimed her.
Sesshoumaru hated Inuyasha, but he respected his brother's right to have a mate, and a family, if he so wished. As long as they were of no threat to him, he would not harm them.
She disappeared into the hut, and he reached for the meat. It was good; he ate it all before falling into a light sleep, aware for any changes around them.
The following morning, Kagome and Sango got up early, and headed back to the clearing by the Well, to practice their dance moves before Inuyasha woke up and hurried them into a hunt for another shard of the jewel.
They turned up their music and went through the routine until they were sweaty and refreshed, awake and no longer stiff from sleep. Gathering up their things, they trooped off to the hot spring for their daily bath, meeting Shippo on the path.
Through him they confirmed that everyone was still asleep, except Sesshoumaru, who'd been gone before even they went out, so they assumed they were safe from prying eyes and jumped into the spring, splashing and making an awful racket.
Sesshoumaru had been the first awake, and had scouted the area for any signs of Naraku, whom he assumed was the 'evil one' his Father had referred to, since he had not graced Sesshoumaru's dreams last night. He woke up refreshed for the first time in two weeks, and decided to make the most of it. When he returned, his attention was diverted by the loud noises coming from the hot spring. He went to investigate, masking his scent in case whoever it was turned out to be a threat.
When he was close enough, he saw that it was only Kagome and Sango, and the fox-child, singing loudly and splashing hot water everywhere. Shippo flew through the air, the new ball, and screamed in delight as Sango and Kagome passed him between them.
He remembered doing that as a child, only it had been his parents passing him back and forth, not a couple of girls. He hooded his eyes. What was it about these people that made all his memories rise to the surface of his mind?
He jumped into a tree and decided to keep an eye on the women. He had nothing better to do anyway.
When they got out and dressed, he stole away, and returned to his camp, where Jaken eyed him suspiciously, but in his better judgement said nothing.
Inuyasha rolled over. He blinked his eyes and Miroku's nose, snoring, came into brilliant focus; he pushed himself away, disgusted.
He had been dreaming, and in his dream Kagome had given him his gift…and a very sweet gift it had been.
He scratched behind his ears, and tried to shake off the heat he was generating from such a vivid dream. He left the hut to wash out his mouth at the stream.
He met Sango and Kagome on their way back from the spring, and they waved and called, "Morning, sleepyhead!"
He grunted and nodded to them, looking around outside and stretching his limbs.
Everyone was accounted for…except Sesshoumaru.
Inuyasha growled. What was his brother up to now? He turned around and lifted his nose to the wind. It took a minute, but he finally located his brother's stench, and he began to follow it.
Just as he disappeared into the forest, Sesshoumaru walked out, his hair flapping in the breeze, his furry ruff fluctuating across the surface, rippling like water after a rock had been dropped.
Sango and Kagome waved to him too, then went into the hut to change.
Sesshoumaru settled at his camp, and kicked Jaken. He'd only left for a moment to do his business behind a tree and the toad had fallen back asleep!
"My apologies, my Lord," he prostrated, backing away. Sesshoumaru ignored him. It was time to move out.
He strode over to the hut, and stepped inside. The women were behind a screen, changing, while the monk, the kit, and the old woman sat around a small fire, reheating last night's leftovers. Inuyasha was absent.
"Where is Inuyasha?" he asked, his tone demanding an answer. Kagome poked her head over top of the screen and said, "Sango and I saw him just before we saw you. Isn't he outside?"
Sesshoumaru didn't answer, but turned around and went back outside to look once more.
He saw no sign at all of Inuyasha, but his scent was fresh; he'd been here, very recently. As Sesshoumaru began to follow him, he realised Inuyasha was following his scent from earlier, when he'd gone to spy on the girls. He growled, and frowned, quickly following him.
A few private whippings should keep the hanyou's mouth shut.
Inuyasha had followed Sesshoumaru scent to the tree branch, but lost it there, for he had been masking his scent prior to reaching it. He sniffed hard, to no avail.
Looking around, he noticed that the hot spring was clearly visible from this vantage point. Sango and Kagome had been coming from this direction when…
A grin grew on his face as it all fell into place.
Sesshoumaru, that cold, unemotional bastard, was a pervert, just like the monk! Ha! He almost giggled in anticipation. Just wait till he told the women about this little lookout point, oh, Sesshoumaru would be soo dead!
He jumped as he heard a noise from below him. While he waited in silence, his claws flexing, Kikyou stepped through the foliage, followed by her horde of soul-collectors.
Inuyasha groaned inwardly. Of all the times for her to show up!
Maybe if he didn't say anything she'd miss him.
"Inuyasha, are you not going to even greet me? Do you loathe me that much?" she asked without looking up, continuing to walk under the branch and down the path. She knew he would follow.
He had no luck today. Not a damn ounce.
He jumped down before her, making her pause. "What brings you to this neck of the woods, Kikyou?" he asked nonchalantly, hoping she wouldn't pick up on his edginess. He had a feeling she was here for the same reason Sesshoumaru was: to battle this 'evil one' which they all assumed to be Naraku.
She looked at him with her cold eyes. He almost felt like he was watching his brother, not his former girlfriend. Her eyes were like ice in their diamond-hard intensity, boring through him until they alighted on the answer they sought, then stabbing it ruthlessly to death.
"I am here because I have been receiving a vision from who I assume is your Father, or so he claims."
"I figured as much," he mumbled, thinking, Kagome's really not going to like this.
A poisonous green whip came sailing out of nowhere and struck Inuyasha across the back, and he howled in pain and surprise.
Sesshoumaru walked calmly toward them, and Kikyou had quickly drawn her bow. Sesshoumaru vaguely remembered this woman; he liked the other girl better. This one stunk; death cloaked her, and it turned his stomach.
Sesshoumaru had to be quick with his words; he could hear the others following behind him, and he didn't want them to witness what he was about to say.
"Inuyasha, I assume you followed my scent to the spring this morning." It was a statement, not a question.
Inuyasha turned, half blocking Kikyou from Sesshoumaru's view. He chuckled, amused.
So, this dead wench is the reason the other girl goes unclaimed, he thought, filing this new information away. He might be able to use it against Inuyasha later.
Kikyou fired off an arrow, and as he had done to Kagome's arrow, Sesshoumaru caught it, and dissolved it.
Kikyou drew another.
"I'm just curious, hanyou," he drawled, annoyed with the dead woman, "how many lashes will it take to keep you quiet about my activities this morning?"
Inuyasha grinned, but received another lash before he could dodge it.
"Care to make it three?" Sesshoumaru was enjoying himself now.
Inuyasha decided to give in, he could hear everyone coming through the forest, they were almost on top of them.
"Fine, you have my silence," he snarled, defeated for now.
Sesshoumaru smiled graciously, and very briefly, before the familiar mask resumed his face. His fingers ceased to glow, and he put his arm down, no longer a threat.
Everyone burst through the bushes, winded and bent over.
Miroku was the first to speak. "What's going on? Why did you rush off, Sesshoumaru?"
The demon Lord turned to the monk with a look that clearly said, None of your damn business.
Shippo climbed onto his shoulder and, seeing Sesshoumaru's face, scuttled behind Miroku's neck and refused to come out.
Kagome looked up, and sighed. Great, she thought sarcastically, Kikyou's here. Excellent. Maybe she can show me up some more with her superior skills and make me look stupid today.
Kagome looked at her rival with little emotion; she'd gotten good at hiding her feelings these last three years, especially when it came to the dead woman. Kikyou's dead eyes stared back, almost challenging, but Kagome refused to be baited, and looked to Sesshoumaru, who had averted his gaze to Inuyasha once more.
Sango couldn't stand the silence. The tension in the clearing was thick enough to cut, and she knew that something had to happen before someone exploded.
"Well," she said loudly, clapping her hands together and moving to the centre of everyone's attention, "looks like we have another visitor. What brings you, Kikyou?"
All were silent, awaiting the priestess' answer.
Kikyou swung her gaze away from Kagome to Inuyasha and stepped up beside him. "I had a vision, of Inuyasha's Father. He asked me to find you."
Sesshoumaru blinked. Her too? Hnh. Just when he thought he was special…
Kagome heard Sesshoumaru's soft snort of disbelief. She, too, was not inclined to believe Kikyou's words, and she unconsciously stepped closer to the tall Lord, clearly siding with him.
Inuyasha saw this and fought the urge to go to her. But Kikyou was vulnerable here, with his friends; he knew just as well, if not better, how much they didn't like the dead woman. They bad-mouthed her often enough that even a dimwit like him had to agree that she wasn't all-good. She was different now, but he still had a hard time accepting that, much to Kagome's extreme disappointment.
Inuyasha felt a pang of regret as he watched Kagome side with his brother.
Sesshoumaru had had enough. "Let's go, we have business to finish." he barked, and turned to lead the way back. Kagome nodded, judiciously, and immediately followed.
Kikyou noted with contempt that the stupid girl hadn't even brought her weapons, and was still blundering unarmed into unknown situations. She ignored the fact that neither the monk nor the slayer had brought their weapons, for a full demon and a half-demon had been present, and therefore made weapons rather unnecessary, especially since there was no enemy present.
Sango and Miroku followed Kagome, talking quietly amongst themselves, Shippo watching their faces intently.
Inuyasha finally began to follow, not saying anything to Kikyou, for she remained on his tail all the way back to the hut.
She said nothing the whole way.
Inuyasha was too busy feeling bad about Kagome to even notice her silence.
Well, that's chapter two. Prepare for some violence and plotzing ahead! Muahahahaha!