Sango and Kirara flew around the mountainside for more than an hour, hoping to catch even a glimpse of Kagome and Sesshomaru. She sighed and gave the cat demon a pat on the neck and ordered her to take them down. She figured the two should bathe and enjoy some alone time before they went back to the children.
"Kirara, the hot springs should be around here." The demon slayer trotted not so quietly through the underbrush when the cat bit her sleeve, keeping her from walking forward. The demon's ears swiveled back and forth, letting Sango know they weren't alone. She drew her weapon and snuck forward, the sudden humidity let her know the springs were nearby. Voices ahead of her made her stop and crouch, causing her to nearly crawl through the bushes.
She was met with the heat of the water and the sight of them. Kagome and Sesshomaru were soaking in the spring, sitting on some rocks way out in the middle of the pool. She examined Kagome and was in disbelief to see the priestess wearing the demon lords hankimono and he was naked from the waist up. This was very unlike the Sesshomaru she had grown to know over the past three years. She had never even seen him without his swords at his side.
She laid flat on the ground with Kirara shrunk down and tucked under her chin and listened to them.
"My Lord, thank you again, for letting me wear this. And thank you for joining me, it was… very enjoyable." She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked away, trying not to blush.
"Hn." She knew he wasn't much for giving 'your welcomes', so that was as close as she was going to get. Kagome looked at him and began to admire him. He was pulling all of his hair together over his shoulder and began to twist the water out of it. She wondered if it was as soft and thick as it looked. He rose from the water and flicked his hair back over his shoulder, bringing her out of her reverie.
"You should not linger in the water any longer, your face is red."
She knew it wasn't from the heat. He was beautiful, any woman, human or demon would blush at the sight of him. He pulled his hakama away from his legs and squeezed the fabric, causing steam to rise up around his body. Within a few seconds, the fabric was fluffy and dry.
She was still in the water when he looked over to her.
"How did you do that?"
Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow. "Demons have extreme body heat, it doesn't take much to concentrate it all in one place."
She giggled and turned her back to him and peeled off his hankimono. He knew he should turn around but he couldn't take his eyes off of her body. Her small frame looked so delicate and her skin was pale except for where she was blushing across her body. He went to take a step forward when he caught himself.
"Stop. What are you doing Sesshomaru? She's but a human, we greater demons do not lust for them. We don't want them."
His heart was starting to become conflicted and tight in his chest. He looked up to see her facing him, the hankimono held tight to the front of her body, shielding her from him. Kagome walked up to him and smiled.
"Do you think you could turn around my Lord?" He blinked a few times before he comprehended what she meant. He turned his back to her and waited. After a few seconds, the sound of her struggling to wring the water from his hankimono could be heard. A smile crept to his face.
"I will take care of my clothes, get dressed. We have company."
Kagome looked around but she saw no one but she knew better than to question his superior senses. She reached around him and pressed his clothes to his arm, not wanting to put it on the ground. Kagome quickly got dressed, frowning at how her clothes stuck to her damp body. She tangled her fist in the sleeve of his hanjuban and he turned around.
"Come out, demon slayer."
Sango knew she was busted long before he mentioned her presence, Sesshomaru was no fool. She pulled herself from the underbrush and walked towards them.
"I figured I couldn't stay in hiding long around you."
Kagome was shocked, she thought it to be Inuyasha or Kikyo, not Sango.
"Kagome, what are you doing here? Why are you with Sesshomaru?" Sango was beyond relieved to find her safe but that didn't stop her from being afraid for her. She knew Sesshomaru but she didn't know him. He could do anything to her.
Kagome stepped forward, releasing his sleeve.
"I… I ran away from Inuyasha. Then all three of us got into an argument and Sesshomaru took me away." Kagome sighed. "And honestly, I needed to get away from him."
"So, he just brought you here? Because you 'needed to get away'?" Sango was miles away from believing her. "He doesn't just do that. He doesn't do anything for anyone except Rin and himself." He continued to get dressed, drying his clothes and tying his armor in place. He watched as the two talked, hoping he would finish tying his obi before the conversation got too heated.
"Kagome, come back to the village. We can figure out what you're going to do." Sango was desperate to get her away from him, it was obvious in her body language.
"Sango, he isn't going to hurt me. I will go back when I'm ready, I wish to stay here with Sesshomaru." He looked at her and Sango didn't miss it. He slid his swords into place and came to stand beside her, his hand planted on her shoulder.
"Demon Slayer. I will care for the priestess. I can assure you she will not be harmed." Sango armed her weapon, causing Kagome to tense up against him.
"So, you want me to just take your word for it? You want me to just go back to the village and sit there dumb while you do whatever you want with her?" He gave her a blank stare.
"If I wanted to ravage her body and have my way with her, do you not think I would have already done it? I would have skipped the bathing." His cold words made Kagome's skin crawl but he did have a point. Demons don't waste time if they want to kill someone. Maybe he was just looking after her though.
"My half-breed brother has always done wrong with things, especially living things. He will use them until they are of no use to him and discard them. He is only mad because someone wants to care for something he has thrown away but thinks he still owns." Kagome looked up at him, snaking her arm around his back. He pressed her close to him. "He's like a child who forgets about a toy only to throw a tantrum when someone else wants to play with it."
Sango looked at Kagome pressed against him. She was so small against the large demon but she didn't look afraid. Sango lowered her weapon and sighed. "Okay. I will go back, but you better come back soon Kagome. I will come and look for you." She glared at Sesshomaru before turning and taking her leave.
The two stood there for a few moments until the demon slayer and her companion was out of sight.
"Kagome." She smiled at the way her name sounded coming from his lips. He turned her around and placed a hand on her cheek.
"Will you come with me? To the West?"
She looked up at him, nearly on her tiptoes. "I need to find out who needs my help, why the well let me come back."
He lifted her off her feet where she was a head taller than him. He held her, letting her sit on his arm like he would Rin when she was younger. Kagome brought her hands up and placed them on either side of his face.
"I'll help you if you will let me. For some reason… I don't want to let you alone. I wish to keep you safe Kagome." His words brought a smile to her face. She didn't understand what was going on, why he was here. She didn't care either. This was the most attention a man had shown her in her life. Even Inuyasha couldn't stir her butterflies like Sesshomaru was doing.
"I'll go with you."
She leaned down, her lips nearly to his when someone struck her from behind. Kagome heard him suck in a breath as she fell against his shoulder. Someone had caught him off guard, that much was obvious from how quickly he moved back. He pulled her down and tucked her against his body. She wrapped her arms around his neck but her vision was going black and her back was burning.
"Well well well, look what we have here."
Kagome heard the voice of a woman and slinked down further against him, holding tight to his armor.
"My Lord." She managed to say and she tried to breathe. Between his tight hold on her and the throbbing of her back, it was hard.
"Stay still Kagome, stay quiet."
She felt his mokumoku snake around her legs. He was attempting to hide her from sight, from whoever was there.
"Sesshomaru, haven't I asked you not to follow in your father's footsteps?" The voice filled Kagome with ice, sending fear through her body. She had to be another greater demon like Sesshomaru but she was so much stronger. Her aura was overwhelming, much more than she ever felt from Sesshomaru. He tightened his grip on her side.
"This time, I'm not going to listen to you. Mother."
Sesshomaru tried not to show any emotion to his mother, she was known to use everything to her advantage. Kagome had gone limp against him, whether from pain or fear, he didn't know. He took a deep but subtle breath. She wasn't bleeding, which was good. He let his eyes rake over his mother to see what she hit her with. She stood with her hands folded over the end of a bamboo blade that was sticking in the ground. She smiled at him, seeing he finally saw her weapon of choice. She brought it up and rested it on her shoulder.
"You like my new toy Sesshomaru? I've been waiting to use it on something alive. I'm afraid your little human wasn't much fun though." She made a sarcastic frown at him. Sesshomaru felt insulted, she would pay.
"Inukimi, what is your business?" He had never called her by her first name, it sounded strange on his tongue. Sesshomaru tried to keep Kagome hidden under his mokumoku, his first priority was to get her away.
"You dare address your mother so? What's wrong Sesshomaru, you seem upset with me. She's just a human, you can always find another." She giggled at him. Inukimi stuck the blade in the ground and started to walk towards them. "I was wondering if it was that young orphan girl and had come to check on you but when I saw that it was just another human, I assumed she was just food. Didn't I always tell you not to play with your food?" He adjusted Kagome so he could retrieve his Bakusaiga. If his mother wanted a fight, she would have it. Before he could completely unsheathe his sword, she was on him. She didn't attack, only placed her hand over his to push his sword back in place.
"No need for this terrifying thing. Tell me, do you know how I found you?" Inukimi reached her hand around his mokumoku and pushed it aside. She looked down at Kagome's face and pushed some hair from her forehead. She had woken back up and made a small yip when Inukimi smiled down at her. Sesshomaru took a step back away from his mother, drawing a frown from her.
"Well, I'll tell you. It was a gift from your father. He learned this trick from other demons many centuries ago. It's also how I knew he was seeing Izayoi." She turned away and kneeled by the steaming water. Kagome reached her hand up and touched the tips of her fingers to his cheek but he only narrowed his eyes.
He watched as his mother tapped her finger to the water, sending small ripples out.
"The bird demons, the Tengu, taught it to him so he could keep an eye on you and me during the war. They knew just how out of his head he could get about his family." She smiled and beckoned him over. "I taught it to you when you were a pup, I doubt you remember."
He took a couple of steps forward and looked into the water. There was a clear reflection in it, but not of them. Of Inuyasha and Kikyo.
"The water mirrors." Sesshomaru's voice was deep and low.
Inukimi smiled. "I use it to watch the orphan in the village of the dead priestess. I use it to watch your castle in the West and it's how I found you here today."
"What is your plan Inukimi? Surely you're not just bored."
She laughed. "Of course not. I do not get bored. I'm here for the girl, you don't need her. She'd make a great servant for me though."
He narrowed his eyes at her, taking a step back. Kagome pulled her knees up and closed her eyes.
"Inukimi, go find something else to occupy your time with. If you want her, go take the dead one. Inuyasha is surely to dispose of her before he makes up his mind on what woman he wants to love."
She smiled and before he could blink she was in front of him again, her hand was resting on Kagome's head. Kagome immediately began trembling under her touch. A million things started going through her mind, the main one being if he could protect her. The demoness ran the back of her hand across Kagome's forehead, her touch was very gentle, very motherly.
"You still choose humans over carrying on the full blood of your father and I. Trust me, I will be back my son. Humans are not meant for mates, seeing your father's mangled corpse should have been enough to steer you away. Remember what I always told you, or your heart will turn into ice." The demoness vaporized in a puff of smoke, leaving the two alone in the woods.
She was going to be back, whether to take Kagome or face him in battle but he would be ready. Kagome's quiet sobs drew his attention. She was still trembling against him and her knuckles were white from how tight she held onto his armor. Inukimi must have terrified her so much.
"Kagome…" He kneeled down and placed her on the ground. She watched how he sat on his knees in front of her. She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck but he grabbed her wrists.
"Are you afraid?"
She closed her eyes and stifled a sob. "I'm fucking terrified Sesshomaru."
He gave her wrists a light squeeze then whipped her around. "Hold still." He gently pulled up her shirt, exposing her back. She had a long purple bruise from her left shoulder blade down to the middle of her back.
"I won't let her hurt you again."
Kagome slammed her fists into the ground. She was so tired, so confused. Everything kept hitting her over and over again, like waves in the ocean. She just couldn't catch her breath. "Why? Why are you here? You've never cared about me, you've never tried to protect me. Why now?"
She shuddered at his warm hands as they glided over her back.
"Rin taught me many things about the human world. She taught me patience, she taught me how to love. She showed me the joy of spending time around people who know they have a fleeting life." His voice was low. "If… you hadn't of been there that day… when she was attacked, I would have never learned all of those things." Kagome closed her eyes and recalled the memory that was still so vivid.
"Rin! Stop running! I'm going to protect you!" Kagome shouted through the forest as she ran after Rin and away from the snake demon. "I can't help you if we're apart!"
The little girl skidded to a stop and Kagome collided with her. Kagome scrambled to her feet and pulled an arrow from her quiver. Her bow was long gone but if she could get close enough to the demon she could kill it.
"Little girlsss… the blood of little girlssshass alwaysss been my favorite." The demon slithered around them, taunting them. It lunged forward, taking Rin into its mouth and thrashing her around. Kagome thrust the arrow into its tail and Rin went flying.
"You bitch!" The demon's tail started to turn to ash where the sacred arrow was lodged.
Kagome charged the demon, grabbing it by the arm and praying. Her hands turned a violent shade of pink and vaporized the ligament. Before she could react, it brought its tail and flung her back, knocking her into a tree. The breath was gone from her body but that didn't stop her from standing back up. She could see Rin in the corner of her eye, she had to get to the girl.
"Come and get me!" Kagome screamed. Her voice echoing through the trees. The snake lunged again but Kagome didn't flinch, she only held her hand out. The demon met her palm and she focused all her spiritual power into the snake. The creature vaporized in a cloud of sparks and ash. She quickly turned away and ran to Rin. The girl was bad off, her chest and stomach were ripped open. But she was alive.
Kagome focused all her power and essence into her hands and let her aura complete overtake the dying girl. Her body shook at the adrenaline pumping through her and she knew that was the only thing keeping her upright. She was wounded herself but it didn't matter. Kagome went like this for an hour until her powers burned Rin's wounds shut. The girl started to stir just as Kagome started to falter.
"Priestess."
She looked up to see Sesshomaru, his face was full of fear.
"She's okay my Lord, she's okay." He was on her in an instant, grabbing her by the shoulders before she could fall to the ground.
"Thank you, thank you so much." He pressed her against him, his face in her neck. She could feel tears wetting her skin.
"Ever since that day you've been in the back of my mind. You saved my own like she was yours." He pushed her shirt down and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him. "To demons… doing something like that, it means more than saving the demon themselves. You saved my child so I'm am indebted to you for the rest of my existence."
She squeezed his arms tight. "I'd do it again, you know. In a heartbeat."
"I know."
She sighed. "Will you take me home? I want to say goodbye to my mother before we go West." Her words surprised him.
"You still want to go with me? Knowing my mother wants you dead?"
She smiled. "I know you'll be able to protect me."
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