Title: Scant
Prompt: Dust.
Word Count: 300.
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: This ficlet was written for the Live Journal community dokuga(underscore)contest and their prompt—#149: Dust. Third Place.
"Ahh," Kagome hissed in pain, bringing her hand to her eye immediately. "Crap."
Sesshoumaru glanced at the miko, expression blank, but eyes curious. "Miko," he said, the deep timbre of his voice wielding a subtle command. "End that noise at once."
Kagome turned to him in exasperation. "Well, that's easy for you to say, Sesshoumaru-sama." She couldn't withhold another hiss. "You're not the one with dust in your eye!"
Faster than she could blink, he was at her side on the riverbank.
"Gah!" Kagome gasped. "Sesshoumaru-sama, I asked you to please stop doing that!"
Silently, without allowing Kagome to protest, Sesshoumaru took her wrist and gently pried it away from her face. "Open your eye," he directed.
"It stings, Sesshoumaru-sama, but this isn't necessary, I promise," she eyed him warily, aware that she was still in his grasp. "I just need to flush it out with some water, and I'll be fine."
He didn't move.
"Sesshoumaru-sama—"
"Sit," he said simply.
Kagome huffed, but knew by the look in his eyes—that scant beyond scant change that she had only come to know through intense scrutiny for over a year—that resistance was futile. She sat with another huff, and waited as Sesshoumaru knelt beside her. His hand released hers, but it was cupped at her cheek a moment later.
"Blink."
Kagome did as she was told, blinking against the water that was suddenly cradled into her eye. When finished, Sesshoumaru inspected her until he was satisfied with what he saw.
"Taiyoukai are so pushy," Kagome said, clearing away the blurriness. "But thank you."
"Hmm."
And so he left her by the side of the river, his fingertips just dusting the line of her cheek as he departed, the movement so swift and so scant that she couldn't be sure.