CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Mikage

As I opened my eyes, a huge headache crashed down on my skull.

"Nngh..." I moaned, rolling onto my back. It was pounding. Holding my head with both hands, I was startled to look into the eyes of Lord Sesshomaru. He was leaning over me, now supporting my shoulders. He spoke no words as he set me down. He turned and nodded to someone before walking away.

Gakupo was sleeping beside me. Hm...? How did he get here, I wonder...? Did I fall asleep?

Holding my head, I sat up. Lord Inutaisho came to stand beside me.

"Sesshomaru told me that you had quite the nasty fall," he said quietly, smiling. Fall? So is that what happened? I must've hit my head. Closing my eyes, I got some relief from the endless throbbing. Not knowing what to say, I just nodded. Something didn't seem right to me. It didn't add up. But it hurt my head to think right now. "Mikage, does your head hurt that badly?" I nodded again, letting out another small moan. "We should try to find your parents. They would know what to do," he suggested. No! I couldn't. Not now!

"N-no... Please not now... She'll..." I quickly cut myself off.

"You're a weakling!"

"Wow, sis! That's got to be like, the eighth time you've beaten Yuuhi!"

"I win,"

"I did good, huh Lord Sesshomaru?"

"You did."

"Gakupo. Mikage. Where are those bruises from?"

"I'm sorry, sis... I don't want to do this."

Then it was black from there. I hadn't fallen... I beat Yuuhi... And then... Gakupo... He had put his hand on my forehead. I remember worrying, being scared and... Blackness. I had to find Lord Sesshomaru. He would know. I tried to scramble to my feet, but Lord Inutaisho stopped me.

"Mikage. What is the matter?" he asked, looking confused.

"Let me up please, Lord Inu no Taisho!" I exclaimed, putting both of my hands on his palm. Lord Sesshomaru could fly away, and then I couldn't ask him!

Lord Inu no Taisho closed his fingers over my hands, easily covering them so that I couldn't see them anymore. He looked at the sliding door. Then he looked back at me, smiling.

"Do you want Sesshomaru back in here?" Inu no Taisho-sama pointed to the door with his other hand. I nodded quickly. He turned. "Sesshomaru, she wishes for you," he called. The sliding door opened quickly, revealing him. Had he been sitting just outside? He came beside me, kneeling down.

"What is it?" he murmured quietly.

"What happened, Lord Sesshomaru? Why did you lie? I didn't fall, did I?"

He searched my face for a moment. I licked my lips. I could feel my body jittering with anxious movements as I awaited his response.

"No. You didn't fall."

"I knew it..." I looked to the side, following the lines in the floor with my eyes. Then I returned them back to him. "Do you know what happened?"

He was silent again. Now I was worried, because he looked upset. Did something happen to him?Seeing as it made him uncomfortable, I gave him my best smile, even though I didn't want to.

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me!" I told him. Inu no Taisho-sama let go of my hands, backing out of the room with this weird smile. Lord Sesshomaru didn't seem to notice, though. Now that my hands were free, I hugged him the best I could with his armor on.

"Why are you embracing me, Mikage...?" he asked, what I guessed was surprise finding it's way into his voice. I hugged him tighter, letting a laugh escape my mouth. I was ignoring the pain from my head, just so that I could give him the best attitude I could.

"Whenever I'm upset, I like hugs. Maybe you would too, if you gave it a chance, Lord Sesshomaru!"

He grunted.

"Come on, Lord Sesshomaru! Just try it! It couldn't hurt you," I said persuasively.

"No. Absolutely not."

"Pleeeaaassseee?"

"No."

"You aren't trying to get away," I laughed, pulling back just a bit to look at him. He looked angrily to the side. "Stop pouting, Lord Sesshomaru! You know I'm right!"

"What are you trying to prove?"

"Nothing, really. Just that you secretly like hugs!" I cried, throwing myself back at him. We both tumbled to the ground. He looked a bit taken aback as he looked up at me. I just grinned. "Okay, fine. Just smile then! You don't even have to give me a hug back! All you have to do is smile! Just a little. Please?"

"Where did this come from, Mikage?" he grumbled. I continued to sit on him, leaning back against his bent legs. That's when I got an idea. Leaning forward again, I slipped my fingers in either side of his mouth, drawing them back to force a smile His lips pulled back to reveal his fangs, though still in a smile..

"There!" I said with a satisfied huff. "Now is that so hard?" He exhaled through his nose abruptly, just glaring up at me. "Try on your own now!" Rolling off of him onto the floor, I watched as he quickly made a frown. "Awww! No Lord Sesshomaru!" I sighed, propping myself back up on my elbows. He looked over at me, his small temper seeming to cool down a bit.

"What makes you so hyper all of a sudden...? Go to sleep," he reached over to put a hand on my head, trying to lay it down.

"Ooohhh... I get it now."

He kept his gaze steady on me under his slightly closed eyelids.

"You get what?" he questioned. Letting him get my head down this time, I had to try to mumble through my- sorry- his sleeve.

"You're tired, Lord Sesshomaru, aren't you?"

"I am most certainly not. You're the one who is overtired. You are acting completely different."

"Am not."

"You are."

"I am not."

"Are too!"

"I'm done arguing."

With that, he turned away from me. We lay in the quiet for a little while, before I crawled over to him, peeking my head over his legs.

"I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru. If you were sleepy, you could have just said so. I would have understood," I intoned, blinking the sun from the window out of my eyes. He respired quietly.

"Yes well, I was not planning to fall asleep in here," he declared, his eyes shut. I could see the crimson markings easily on them now. I traced my own eyelids, knowing that the color there was blue.

Again, I waited for a short period of time before speaking again.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Hm?"

"Red and blue make purple, don't they?"

He paused for another moment.

"Yes."

"And yellow with blue makes green," I stated, now running my fingertip over the sun on my forehead. I felt a hand on my head again, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Mikage. You're mumbling again."

"Oops. Sorry," I apologized, looking up at his wrist. He sat up, placing his hands under my arms.

"Come here Mikage, and go to sleep, all right...?" Picking me up, he lifted me over the place he was laying before. "Will you sleep easier if you are near someone?" I nodded. "Very well," he sighed, laying down himself. "Don't expect me to allow this again."

"Mm hm!"

Curling up next to him, I smiled. He was actually being kind. I lay there as my eyes had begun to get heavy. Little did I know as I drifted off, that a certain cat was watching us the whole time.