Chapter 16: The Dragon's Courting
Later that evening, Masahiro lead Kagome away from the camp and the both of them sat by the river. They could heard the crickets chirping as they stood beside each other. Masahiro was nervous, he was about to do something he had never done before. Kagome could see the redness around his cheeks. She wondered why he was turning red and why he brought her out here tonight.
"Kagome." Masahiro said, turning towards her.
"Yeah?" Kagome asked, turning towards Masahiro.
"There's something I want to tell you." Masahiro said.
"What is it?" Kagome asked. Masahiro was silent while his cheeks were turning into crimson red as he stuttered,
"I...I...lo-love y-you!"
Kagome felt like the floor opened up beneath her feet. She couldn't breathe as the blood was drained from her face. She never had such a confession before. Well, Hojo confessed to her, only that she didn't feel anything when he confessed. It felt like he only liked her because of her so called illnesses. But when Masahiro confessed, her heart was beating rapidly, like it was beating a hundred miles per second.
"You...love me,..Masahiro?" Kagome asked, shocked.
"Of course! I love you for who you are, Kagome. You're kind and caring towards others. You're very courageous when you try to protect others and you always put them first before yourself. You're also very beautiful, Kagome." Masahiro said, blushing.
"Me? I'm not…" Kagome began to say. But Masahiro interrupted her.
"Don't you dare say it, Kagome." Masahiro said with a stern face which shocked Kagome.
"You are beautiful. Your blue eyes are more bluer than the afternoon sky, your long silky blue black hair is darker than the midnight sky, and you are more attractive than any other demoness I've ever met." Masahiro said. Kagome blushed crimson red all over again. No one had ever called her beautiful before. Without even knowing, a kind and warm smile was on her face.
"Kagome, I wondering if you would allow me to court you?" Masahiro asked, nervously.
"Court?" Kagome asked.
"It's when two individuals spend time with each other, getting to know one another before they mate." Masahiro said.
"Mate?!" Kagome said, shocked.
"Yo-You don't have to mate with me if you don't want to!" Masahiro said, blushing beet red while waving his hands in front of him. Kagome was shocked when Masahiro said he wanted to have her as a mate. That was most unexpecting. Well, Koga kept thinking that she was 'his mate'. That was really annoying of him.
"But I just want to let you know that I really want you as a mate. Not because I need an heir or because of your powers. I want to mate with you because I love you for who you are, Kagome Higurashi." Masahiro said, combing his fingers through her long black hair. Kagome was too shocked for words when Masahiro told her the reason why he wanted her as his mate. She started to cry. She tried to stop, but they wouldn't.
"Why are you crying, Kagome?" Masahiro asked when he stood in front of Kagome and started to wipe away her tears. It sadden him when he saw tears coming from Kagome's beautiful blue eyes. He wanted to erase of what pain Kagome was going through.
"I accept." Kagome said.
"Huh?" Masahiro asked, blinked in confusion.
"I'll accept your courting, Masahiro." Kagome said with a smile through her tears. Masahiro felt like his heart could barely contain itself.
"Really?!" Masahiro asked, surprised. Kagome nodded.
"Hai, I accept." Kagome said, "So...how does courtship go?"
"Well, a male demon puts his courting mark on the female demon. The scent of my mark keeps the other males away. I also give you a hint of my power in it." Masahiro said nervously as he scratched the back of his head.
"Is it painful?" Kagome asked.
"Not really." Masahiro said.
"What do I do?" Kagome asked.
"Move your hair off to the side and expose the spot between your shoulder and neck." Masahiro said.
"Okay." Kagome said as she moved her hair to the side and exposed the side of her neck. Masahiro held Kagome close to his chest as he leaned towards her shoulder and started to lick the spot. She tasted so exquisite and her scent was so addictive. Then he used the tip of his fang and gave a small pinch, leaving behind his courting mark. It was in the outline shape of a pair of wings. He gave the mark a small lick to stop the bleeding. Her blood tasted so sweet like honey. He raised his head and looked at Kagome. She was blushing really hard. Masahiro couldn't help but gave a quiet chuckle. Then he leaned closer and placed his lips against Kagome's. She liked the sensation of Masahiro's lips as he pushed his tongue in. Her body heat was rising as he continued to kiss her. Masahiro could smell her arousal as he sucked her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck to help deepen the kiss. It was a long and passionate kiss. He didn't want it to end, but he knew that they needed to breathe soon. Then he released her lips.
"Shall we head back?" Masahiro asked, smiling as he stared in Kagome's sapphire blue eyes.
"Hai." Kagome said, smiling back as she stared in Masahiro's amethyst eyes.
Hansuke sat near the river when he heard Masahiro's confession. He sighed to himself with disappointment and depression. He also liked Kagome, but now she belonged to the dragon prince. Somehow, he knew that she was not meant for him. But he still had feelings for her. He'll just have to seal these feeling away somewhere inside himself. Then he felt a familiar aura nearby.
"Akari, I know you're there." Hansuke said, without turning around. Akari came out of her hiding spot behind a tree and walked over to Hansuke.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Akari asked as she stood next to him. Hansuke sighed as he looked at the ground.
"I knew that I wasn't destined to be with her. But is it wrong to still have feelings for her?" Hansuke asked.
"I think it's alright. Even though she's with Masahiro, you still care for her. You only wish for her happiness and maybe that's what you should be doing." Akari said.
"Well said, Akari." Hansuke said, "Now there's only one problem."
"What's that?" Akari asked, her brow arched in confusion. She didn't think that Masahiro and Kagome would have any problems. Well, they'll probably have a problem with Koga.
"How is Inuyasha going to take this?" Hansuke asked.
