Chained: In More Ways than One

Are we there yet?

They were making good time. With the edition of Uh-Un to the group they headed in the direction of the Demon Head Quarters with no obstructions in their way.

Sesshoumaru had to pay close attention to the location of the Miko flying behind him on Uh-Un. because if he went too fast she'd be pulled off the two headed dragon by the chain attaching them together.

He knew that she wouldn't really end up getting hurt if that did happen because they were high enough from the ground that the chain would break her fall but…

Sesshoumaru had seen what she did to his half brother in her anger and he didn't want to have to deal with the Miko's temper especially after her being dragged through midair by the chain after him on his yokai cloud.

She wouldn't care who he was in that moment.

With his current luck she might've even hit a tree. He was sure the elder didn't want her more damaged than she already was. All and all with her sprained angle and slight smell of ogre on them both even after their bath yesterday, that he felt would never wash away.

'It really wasn't that bad once you get used to it. If you close your eyes it feels kinda like your riding Kirara.' Kagome thought as she petted both the heads of the flying dragon.

The Miko had finally managed to calm down and relax enough only to notice her hunger. Her stomach let off a long growl causing her to look down. She forgot she hadn't eaten anything that morning. They had left so early she hadn't felt up to making anything.

This caused Kagome to reflect on the happenings of last night and earlier that morning.

She wasn't a morning person. Especially after her sleeping arrangements of last night. Because Sesshoumaru didn't need to sleep he wasn't going to when he was on a mission. Which ended with them sleeping with a log between them. She laid on one side as he leaned on the other.

Even with the giant piece of wood between them Kagome still didn't feel comfortable enough to fall into a deep sleep. He was still too close. When ever she was almost asleep she would feel his eyes drift over her snapping her close to wakefulness.

But when Kagome looked all she could see was the back of his head.

Causing her to be even more uncomfortable was she didn't have her sleeping bag because it was on top in her bag blocking all her other items from being covered by the purified ogre but it wasn't so lucky. She hadn't had a chance to wash it yet. Leaving her shivering in the cool summer night.

Just when she had found a comfortable position to be able to sleep in she was rudely snapped awake by a tug on the chain. It was also still pitch dark!

The only function she could managed that early in the morning was to grumble about "over eager dog demons" and "worse than Inuyasha" as she tried to flatten down her embarrassing bed head.

It was now close to noon and she agreed with her stomach that it was time for her to find something to cure her hunger..

"Can we land so I can make something to eat?" Kagome yelled ahead to Sesshoumaru.

"You will address me with my proper title of Lord Sesshoumaru." Was the response she got from the pompous demon lord.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, can we land so I can eat… please." Kagome said it with a hidden tone of displeasure. Not wanting him to think she had no manors she added on the please at the end just hopefully to make Sesshoumaru believe her sincerity.

"We won't be landing till we reach our destination for the night." Sesshoumaru knew the land very well and had a clearing in mind that he wanted to reach by night fall but if they landed for her to eat he would have lost serious travel time.

Kagome glared into the back of Sesshoumaru's head. Then she got a brilliant idea and her frown turned into a smirk.

She knew that it was childish and would have probably ended up in her death if Sesshoumaru didn't need to trade her for something. Kagome knew that it drove the adults in her time crazy so why couldn't it work on the demon lord.

…

"Are we there yet?" She had waited no time before putting her plan into action.

"No." Was Sesshoumaru's monosyllable answer as he didn't know what she was doing.

"Are we there yet?" Kagome only waited a couple minutes before repeating herself again. She was going to make him break. Her smirk grew bigger as she noticed Sesshoumaru's shoulders tense.

"No!" He was starting to become suspicious as not more than a couple minutes later she asked the same question only in a different format.

"How bout now?" With all of his strength of will Sesshoumaru managed to say nothing as his left eye brow began to form a twitch. If she said repeated that one more time he was going to strangle her.

"How bou…" Kagome was cut off as Uh-Un started to descend to land in a near by clearing after receiving a signal from Sesshoumaru.

He had figured out what she was trying to get him to do by the third time. He didn't care if he was seen as being weak for giving into a human women's whims or if they were wasting time. He just needed her to shut up and stop repeating that same annoying question over and over again when he knew she already knew the answer.

The Miko was worse than Rin and Jaken's power of annoyance combined. It was also causing him to form a seriously strong headache.

"Hurry up Miko!" Sesshoumaru commanded Kagome as she dismounted the two headed dragon. She could tell from the tone of the demon lords voice that if she wanted to remain in one piece she shouldn't push him any farther at this moment.

"I wouldn't have had to resort to dirty tactics if you had let me to eat in the first place." Kagome had thought she'd only said it in her head but she had actually mumbled it to herself out loud allowing Sesshoumaru's demon hearing to pick it up.

Before she knew it the demon lord had sprung at her in attack only to be rebelled off of a barrier.

As Sesshoumaru was still on the ground confused to what had happened Kagome realized something. 'He can't hurt me. Oh I'm going to have fun with this.' Kagome did a little happy dance in her head.

Sesshoumaru knew that the chain protected him against her holy powers but he didn't know it also protected her against any of his attacks or maybe from any harm from coming to the Miko at all.

As Kagome came down from her happy glee she noticed that Sesshoumaru was giving her a suspicious glare that was making her nervous.

She had the same grin on her face that he'd seen right before the 'Are we there yet?' fiasco. What could the Miko be cooking up in her little head? Well what ever it is it didn't bode well for the demon lord.

"I need to go to the river to fetch some water." Kagome could hear the water flowing on the other side of the trees but it was too far away for her to reach with the chain.

She was glad he stopped glaring at her and didn't ask any questions as he followed her to the river. She actually did need to fetch some water so she could make ramen but she planned on taking as long as she possibly could doing it.

She couldn't let him calm down or her plan to get him to let her go wouldn't work.

It wasn't until they actually reached the river that she put the next part into action. Hoping it would work as well as her last plan.

"Oh no. I forgot to bring the pot to fetch some water… so I guess we have to walk all the way back now." Saying the last part as not even a question.

Kagome hoped he wouldn't noticed the fake tone to her voice but as she started to turn around, she was shocked as she felt a copper pot get pushed into her hands almost winding her. 'Well this puts a little stopper on my plans.'

She looked at the demon lord in confusion. Where was he keeping it. It must have already been on his person somewhere. Kagome's money was on his sleeves. 'I wonder what else he keeps in there?'

The Miko was taking too long causing Sesshoumaru to become inpatient and a little self conscious. Her eyes just kept surveying his person like she was trying to see through his clothing.

"Well are you going to use it or not?" Kagome snapped back to reality at the demon lords annoyed voice. She gave him a slight nervous glance out of the corners of her eyes before clearing her throat and walking the rest of the way towards the river and crouching beside it.

Kagome knew she had to think of something quick but the only thing that came to mind she was reluctant to do. The pot Sesshoumaru had given her was really good quality for even her time.

It was between the cooking pot of her dreams or her freedom and she'd quickly made her decision.

"Oops!" She made sure Sesshoumaru wasn't looking before making quick work of throwing the pot as far away from her as her arm would physically allow her into the middle of the water to be washed down stream by the current.

It wasn't until it was too late to retrieve the cooking utensil that Sesshoumaru had realized what the Miko had done as he wasn't paying attention at the moment of the incident.

He sent a scathing glare in her direction as she fawned an innocent look.

Sesshoumaru then went on to receive a cup from his right sleeve handing it to the Miko trying to remain calm but it was the last straw after Kagome dropped the cup after filling it and having him walk half way back to camp.

He attempted to grab her arm but received a light shock guessing the chain could sense his anger. He shook his hand that had gone slightly numb then confronted the Miko.

"What are you trying to do. I know your clumsy but not this much. Your doing it on purpose." Kagome received the demon lords signature glare knowing it would be unwise to try the same trick twice.

"What do you think I'm trying to do? Your kidnapping me and trading me over for god knows what purpose! If I annoy you enough you'll realize that this isn't worth whatever they are offering you for me." Kagome was confident that it would work.

"This Sesshoumaru, can live through another day or two of your annoying childish behavior. Even if I can't physically threaten you I have a lot of mental restraint."

Sesshoumaru was confident that he could block her out. He had a lot of practice after traveling with Jaken for so many years.

"I'll give you till sunset." Kagome said in a smug tone. Already had of cooked up her next genius plan taking another page from the 'How To Annoy Adults' book that all children from her time were required to read to know how to get what they want.

They both swapped a glare making a silent bet. Both confident in their victory.