AUTHOR'S CORNER:
My deepest apology, my dear readers, for the quality of this chapter. It's shorter than my usual and it's just not a very good one. I've had horrible writer's block all week and was only finally able to overcome it last night and the night before.
By the way, what's the Inuyasha Fan Guild? I've been told on my other submission site that I was going to be nominated for some awards I guess, but then I received an email from fanfiction telling me that I've been nominated for best original character and best action/adventure. What does that mean? I'm sorry, I'm a noob to the fanfiction world. Anyways, I guess that means that people have voted for me, so if you did, THANK YOU!
Well, I'm off to work! Enjoy and remember to R&R! X3
Chapter 32
Sunlight slanted through the window and played across the sleeping miko's face earning a groan from the small female. It was entirely too warm and comfortable at that moment to be disturbed by something so trivial as morning, so she snuggled deeper and buried her face against her source of warmth to rid herself of the incessant light. Her fuzzy mind however began to realize that the pillow she'd attempted to hide against was much harder than any pillow she'd remembered sleeping on when she began to feel a slight vibration against her nose and forehead, the slightest sound of purring could be heard over her own breathing.
Wait ... purring? Lifting her head ever so slowly, she cracked her eyes open and glanced up, squinting in the bright morning sunlight trying to discern just why her pillow felt different and was purring at her.
Sesshomaru had watched in fascination whilst his little miko slept, her head resting on his chest and one arm draped across his torso, the morning sun creeping across the bed until it lit up her pale face, giving her a golden glow and lighting her hair in highlights of midnight blue against the raven strands. A small smile graced his features as her little face had scrunched up against the light, her eyes squinting tightly shut before burrowing into his chest and causing him all sorts of internal problems. A small purr had escaped him a the feelings she was causing, but he was glad it did when she stopped moving at the small sound and seemed to be groggily thinking things through.
The taiyoukai wanted to laugh out loud as the young woman slowly dragged her head up until her chin rested against his chest and cautiously cracked one sapphire eye open the slightest bit, clearly not ready to face the world yet. His desire to laugh grew even more intense when her eyes became impossibly wide despite the light and an alluring blush stained her cheeks when she realized just who her pillow was. Truthfully, he couldn't remember how the two of them had gotten into their current position with her draped over top him since he himself had fallen back to sleep having needed more rest in order to heal and just being too comfortable with her in his arms. However, he wasn't going to complain.
"Sess-Sesshomaru!" she made a move to get up, but an arm of steel was wrapped around her waist and held her in place and all her squirming accomplished was to make the shoulders of her too-large-sleeping robe slip off and almost make a very interested taiyoukai growl… almost.
"Yes, little miko?" he asked using his free hand to delicately slip her robe back onto her shoulders, though the expanse of bare white shoulders was nice to look at, earning a deeper blush from the young woman.
"Um… how uh… how did I get here? I thought I fell asleep next to the bed…" she pulled the robe protectively up around her neck with one hand as she looked around herself in confusion. Propping himself up so he could continue to look down at her more easily he began running one long fingered hand through her hair, letting the raven tresses slip through his claws to fall in a feathered mass about her shoulders.
"You did indeed fall asleep next to the bed, little one," unconsciously Kagome's eyes became half lidded during his ministrations to her hair. "I awoke during the night to clean myself of the stench from my battle and found you still here, so I took the liberty of making you more comfortable," he informed her, a self-satisfied smirk on his handsome features.
"Oh!" Kagome's head came back up and her eyes came open wide again and her fingers immediately found where the burn had been on his face, inspecting the new skin before moving on down to his shoulders. Sesshomaru loosened his hold on her in order to let her examine him. He was purposefully sat up and his robe was pushed off his shoulders as she maneuvered him around so she could fully see where each of the burns had been, touching the pink skin with little fingers in her little examination. The inuyoukai watched in amusement as she poked and prodded at his shoulders, arms and ribs, refusing to wince even when it really did still hurt. Her little fingers were leaving small fiery trails down his skin wherever they touched, even more magnified by the newer healing skin and that particular heat had nothing to do with the fact that he was injured.
Capturing her tiny hands in one of his own, he ignored the fact that he was still shirtless and pulled her across the bed to him, turning her around with his other arm so that she sat in his lap sideways.
"Kagome, we have much to discuss," he began and finally his small miko managed to get her thoughts back into some semblance of order because she turned to face him with a reproving expression on her face.
"Yes we do, Mr. High-and-mighty!" Sesshomaru raised an elegant eyebrow at her but she plunged on. "I get attacked out in the gardens, Fubuki gets broken, Akiko is injured and you kill the bad guy and then just leave! On top of that, you give no one an explanation for the attack, worry me sick by disappearing for an entire day and then come back bleeding like a sieve! With holy burns no less!" Sesshomaru cocked his head.
"Sieve?" Kagome glared at him.
"Never mind, you're changing the subject," she pouted, crossing her arms and he had the sudden urge to get rid of her pout with his own lips, but shoved the thought to the side… for a while.
"My dearest little Kagome, if you would just be silent for a moment and let me explain instead of throwing wild accusations around, I'm sure you will be satisfied when I'm through," Kagome blushed deep crimson.
"Wild accusations!" she sputtered but he placed an elegant finger over her lips to keep her quiet. She shifted in his lap and he had to stifle a groan.
"I had a lead that I needed to investigate that involved a group of holy men and women and it turned out they were a lot more powerful than Takehiko or I had even dreamed of thinking. As for leaving right after the battle in the gardens, Sho and Daichi had everything in hand, so there was no need to stay and you seemed preoccupied. It seemed the ideal time to go," he smoothed over and Kagome gave him a dubious glare.
I was also insanely jealous, but she doesn't need to know that. The beast snickered.
"I do, my little one, have an explanation as to why Fubuki was broken," Kagome immediately perked up much to his annoyance. "The snake leader was carrying a sentient dagger that was in essence Fubuki's complete polar opposite. It is difficult to get such a large soul to attach itself to a dagger instead of a sword, however if it is successful then the blade's power is magnified due to its small size. The snake took advantage of a moment of Fubuki's distraction and struck at his weakest point, which even in human form is the same spot, and managed to snap him in half," Kagome listened in fascinated horror.
"Oh," she began looking away, "speaking of which… I um… I invited …someone over to uh… to fix Fubuki," Sesshomaru looked at her curiously when she began stammering and knew instantly she was keeping something from him. Lowering his face so he was nose to nose with her, he forced her to look at him and held her in place with a hand behind her neck.
"Out with it," Kagome's eyes got impossibly wide.
"I invited Totosai over!" she blurted out and Sesshomaru wanted to laugh. Obviously the woman thought he bore the sword smith ill will of some sort, but he kept his expression grim.
"Well then… I suppose I shall let him live until he's finished with Fubuki," Kagome eeped. The taiyoukai leaned back and ran a self satisfied hand through her raven tresses. "But now… on to more interesting subjects," he began and Kagome looked at him curiously and he had to resist the urge to chuckle, she was so adorable.
Briefly the colder part of him told him not to do this because she was indeed human and of course the great lord Sesshomaru needed no one. Pushing his thoughts aside, he knew he did need her. Sitting up and ignoring the fact that he was still shirtless and she was in a sleeping kimono and that this was hardly the environment to do this in, he took her tiny hands in his big clawed ones and made sure he had the absolute attention of those saucer-like blue eyes, though he doubted he would have had to try very hard to gain her attention anyway.
"Miko Higurashi Kagome, this Taiyoukai Sesshomaru would like the honor of courting you with the intent to take you as a mate. Will you accept this Sesshomaru's offer?" Repressing a snicker, he watched in amusement as her jaw dropped and threatened to fall off her head entirely and she looked as if she were going to faint.
Kagome's mind refused to work. Did he just offer to court me! Yes I believe he did! Wait, that's the same as being engaged…engaged to Sesshomaru… ice prince of the west…very hot ice prince of the west…oh shut up and think! Finally her brain began to work enough to realize that he was indeed still sitting there waiting patiently for her answer. Say something!
"A-are you sure?" no not that! Great going, Kagome. One silver eyebrow raised.
"Are you questioning this Sesshomaru's sincerity?" good one, Kagome, now you've insulted him.
"I mean…. it's just that I… I mean…I'm going to die sometime…" Kagome stuttered looking away, but she felt his hands cupping her face and forcing her to look up into his golden eyes and like the night before, they were completely unguarded and took her breath away.
"Kagome, though it would be a short time together, at least from my perspective, it would be well worth the centuries alone as long as I had memories to keep me company in the dead of night," tears welled up in her cerulean eyes. She'd never in all her life ever expected to hear something like that from the ice prince of the west.
"S-Sess-Sesshomaru…." she was having trouble even getting his name out through her choking tears.
"So what do you say, little miko? Can I have you for at least a little while?" Sesshomaru was all wavy through her tears, but her aim was accurate as she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in the crook of his neck.
"Y-yes!" Sesshomaru's arms came around her in almost a crushing hug as she clung to him and his nose nuzzled the crook of her neck, breathing of her deeply and anticipating the moment when her scent would be permanently mingled with his. The beast was howling within his chest to take her now, but he knew he needed to move slowly with his fragile yet so strong miko and make sure she knew everything she was getting herself into.
Their news was met with overwhelming approval, at least from those present, and many excited voices began yelling overtop one another for dominance creating a nice jumbled blur that Kagome wasn't entirely able to make out.
"That's wonderful congrat – this means a celebrat – oh, how wonderful a weddi – LOTS OF SAKE – wonder what other demons will – who will represent – have my body back by then – TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF MY BOOBS!" The last yell from Akiko stopped all the buzz of conversation and the entire room turned in comical silence to stare at the poor servant who was clutching her hands against her thighs as if her life depended on it, her face an embarrassed and angry flush. Suddenly the entire room except for Sesshomaru burst out into uncontrollable peals of laughter. Yoko wiped the tears from her eyes and cleared her throat.
"So, how long until the ceremony?" she asked regaining control of her breathing.
"It will take place as soon as Kagome deems herself prepared," Sesshomaru responded and Kagome's head snapped up to look at him, a questioning look in her eyes and Yoko nodded in understanding.
"Kagome-chan, we'll have to go over with you what happens in youkai ceremony in order to prepare you and then once you understand what's required of you it will be up to you as to when the ceremony is." Kagome still looked slightly confused, but decided to drop it since she had the distinct impression that part of the conversation would involve embarrassing things.
"Now, on to the next order of business," Sesshomaru began and all attention turned to him, "it would appear that Totosai should be arriving in just a few days time, and I believe I have promised not to kill him until he's finished fixing Fubuki…(Sesshomaru's telling jokes!)" everyone looked at each other in amusement, Sesshomaru must be in a good mood if he's joking around. "However, I do believe I know the reason that Fubuki was broken in the first place." The entire table leaned forward as he raised his arm above the surface, his long draping sleeve covering the glossy finish before retracting the appendage along with the aura he'd had tightly controlled around it leaving a fiercely red glowing dagger on the table where his hand had been. Akiko braced her hands suddenly on the table, a dazed look coming over her, but she spoke in Fubuki's voice.
"A fire elemental…" everyone present stared at the dagger.
"How was a dagger capable of breaking a sword, if you don't mind my asking," Takehiko voiced from the other side of the table and Akiko's body gave him a look.
"If you doubt my prowess you should just say it," Fubuki said with a dramatically raised eyebrow to which mumbling was heard from Takehiko's direction that was something to the effect of stupid spirits who shouldn't be allowed to leave their swords. Turning his attention back to the dagger he stared at it through Akiko's eyes intently.
"I don't even have to touch it to know that the dagger has a very powerful spirit bound to it. A very angry elemental. The process of binding a soul to a sword is very tricky and can be dangerous. The longer and larger the blade, the easier it is to transfer the soul. However, if a binding-smith is capable of placing a soul successfully into a smaller blade, the power of the soul is magnified making it stronger, but entirely unstable. In other words, the smaller the blade, the greater the power and the greater the chance of the spirit going insane." He/she looked at the blade sadly.
"So the burst of power that occurred when the power of your combined 'blades' collided it was enough to break you in half," Kagome finished, using the word 'blade' though he had been in human form.
"Exactly," Fubuki nodded Akiko's head.
"Ah, that does indeed make a lot more sense now," all the other demons around the table nodded and Sesshomaru briefly wondered to himself how on earth he had acquired so many semi-permanent house guests. "However, now on to more interesting subjects," Fubuki huffed, "I take it your visit to the holy temple did not go well?" Takehiko asked Sesshomaru earning him a glare of death.
"Oh! But Sesshomaru! You really should consider letting them burn the rest of your skin," Kagome blanched, "the pink tint of this new skin really is more preferable to that of 'death warmed over' pale," Fubuki was nodding vigorously and Kagome 'eeped' at the look Sesshomaru was sending the sword/neko's way.
"If you were not in a woman's body, then I would let you test out the 'beauty treatment' first, elemental…pale water elemental," Sesshomaru added and the whole table burst out laughing again. "If I wanted fashion advice, then I most certainly would not ask you," he picked up his teacup regally and ignored the ragtag group that was now gasping for breath.
"FUBUKI! If I have to keep inadvertently saving your ass then you're gonna be in big trouble! This whole 'in a woman's body' thing is only going to get you so far!" the whooping laughter magnified until the whole table was roaring, all that could be seen of Toshi was his knees since he'd fallen over and was rolling on the floor and Yoko's head was down on the table, her shoulders shaking violently.
The only member of the table that was strangely detached was Matsu who kept glancing at his cousin in such a worried manner that Kagome felt for the poor young neko. A thought suddenly occurred to her.
"Sesshomaru, an announcement was never made the other night about Matsu's proposal for southern lord," Sesshomaru's golden eyes slid in her direction and she had the distinct impression that he had a 'now why did you have to bring that up' expression hidden in those fathomless orbs.
"Indeed, an announcement was not made because someone is incapable of avoiding trouble long enough for anything to be done properly," the table's occupants were ready to fall off their cushions, who was this guy and what did he do with the taiyoukai of the west? Better yet, how much of his fortune did he have to dish out for a sense of humor? Having a sense of humor installed in such a cold person must have been expensive! Kagome's face flushed bright red.
"Well if I recall correctly I wasn't the one who threw a temper tantrum and ran out of the palace like a two year old brat who hasn't gotten his way! Which I might add ended up getting said two year old extremely badly injured!" All heads turned back to Sesshomaru.
"If someone hadn't been down on the job and kept their wits about them there might not have been an attack at all, miss 'I can sense auras,'" all heads turned back to Kagome.
"Well, mister 'I have demon senses,' YEA! Maybe someone should have been doing their job!" all heads turned back to Sesshomaru.
"This is gonna be one hell of a marriage," Yoko whispered to Hoshiko who nodded with huge eyes.
"Perhaps, but unlike some people, some of us have real responsibilities and don't have time to act like a two year old who needs to romp in the gardens in the middle of an important event," all heads turned back to Kagome.
"HA! You can't use an insult I've already used! I win! So there!" Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her tongue out at the taiyoukai of the west in a remarkable impression of a 'two year old.' Sesshomaru stared at her with his emotionless mask firmly in place for a few moments, letting the little miko think she'd won the fight.
Just as Kagome was about to gloat her victory in the blink of an eye he was gone from his seat and standing beside where she had been sitting before. Had been because she was now tucked securely under his left arm with her backside facing forward getting a nice face full of silver hair. Giving the rest of the room a curt nod and ignoring the kicking, screaming, swearing, and shrieking miko he turned and left the dining hall.
The room watched him go in silence, only youkai reserve keeping their jaws off the floor before blinking a few times at the blank space where the couple had been.
"Well, I think I want a bath," Yoko said and the men jumped in their seats. Hoshiko nodded and the two women rose leaving the men behind to still blink with dazed expressions at the empty cushions.
Sesshomaru walked in a slow but purposeful pace down the hall, still completely ignoring the woman tucked under his arm. The woman in question had finally given up struggling and hung limply from his grasp, letting her arms and legs dangle toward the floor boards that were passing beneath her, admiring the nice shine that the floors had and making a mental note to say something to her staff about doing such a good job.
My staff, a shiver ran up her spine at the thought and Sesshomaru bit back a smirk at the little tremor he felt go through his little miko.
The ground beneath her swinging hands and feet changed as she felt him step down, it was no longer floor boards but now stone with grass on either side, oh, we're in the gardens now…I wonder where he's bringing me? She watched detachedly as the stone turned to grass, wondering how long she'd be able to stand so much blood pressure to her head before something popped until suddenly she felt the whole world turning… or maybe that was her being turned and the world standing still… either way it was rather disconcerting, until she found herself lying on her back in the grass with a triumphantly smirking taiyoukai kneeling over her.
"You knew that this Sesshomaru would not tolerate your behavior back there and now you will have to pay the price," Kagome realized too late that he had brought both of them to a very secluded part of the gardens that was un-viewable from the palace. Pinning her arms with one of his hands, he grabbed her side and started tickling her. The little miko squealed and squirmed, but unfortunately there really wasn't a whole lot that could be done and soon her eyes were streaming with tears from her laughter.
"Now, little one, I think I'm supposed to be hearing a graceful apology…" he pinned her to the ground beneath his weight and held one of her hands in each of his, his face close enough to feel her warm breath. Kagome merely responded with a grin and a firmly planted kiss on the end of his nose to which he did a very comical impression of a dog who's just had something odd placed on his snout and was trying to wiggle it off with the muscles of his face making the raven haired miko only laugh harder.
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the little woman who 'eeped' and squirmed underneath him. His eyes took on a predatory gleam as he moved in… yes, courting her will definitely be enjoyable.