Chapter 90: Don't Speak

Sesshoumaru growled again, but lowered her to the ground, not releasing his grip.

"Look, I am sorry if I offended you by touching you. I shouldn't have. Honestly, I don't know why I did, this time or last time. It's like my hands have a mind of their own. To be fair, you didn't seem to object last time. I know you hate humans, how could you not after what they did to you. I am not them, though. I have been nothing but nice to you."

"You assisted in taking my arm."

Kagome gasped. He was right, she had. "I am sorry for the roll I played in that. You tried to kill me with your poison. So lets call it even. Are you still holding a grudge over that?"

"No."

"Then why do you hate me so much? I am just trying to help, in any way I can. I know, I am a weak human as far as you are concerned, but I thought maybe after we all played a part in Naraku's defeat, I just might gain a bit a respect from you. Does none of that matter to you? What does matter to you?"

"Don't speak, Miko."

"No, I don't want to live like this forever. Do you?"

"This Sesshoumaru does not hate you."

"Could have fooled me!"

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed at her.

"Your hands around my throat." She said softly. Gathering her courage, she released her grip on his arm with one hand, cautiously bringing it up to allow her fingertips to touch his cheek before the rest of hand followed in cupping his cheek. "Why won't you let anyone in?"

For a long moment, he stared at her, her hand tenderly on his cheek. Then she was alone within a blink of an eye, her hand hovering before her stupidly. Sesshoumaru's aura fading fast, he was moving quickly. She'd done it again, pushed too much. Inuyasha had the same tendency to run off.

Kagome hurried to finish her mini bath and wrapped herself up in the red towel once more before plopping down on a rock near her bag. ~Why does he have to act like this? It's not like I am going to bite. I mean, that little human girl, Rin, followed him around for years. He would come to her rescue everytime she was in danger. He must have cared about her... dare I say even loved her. She was such a sweet little girl. She adored him. There has to be a reason, the innocence of a child, trusting him so completely as she did.~

Rain started dropping through the leaves, heavy, ceasing her train of thought. "Perfect... just fricken perfect!" Kagome said to herself, hurrying to gather her clothes and bag before dashing through the forest in her towel. She didn't have a chance to put back on her sneakers, stupid mistake on her part, and cut her foot on a particularly sharp rock along the way. Swear words excaped her mouth as she half hopped the remaining distance to her tent.

The fire was being put out in the cold downpour. Her fingers were numb and she fumbled with the zipper trying to get inside and get dry. "Damn it!" Kagome shouted, dropping her bag and clothes to the forest floor.

"Step aside, Miko"

"I've got it Sesshoumaru. I don't need your help!" Kagome shouted, frustrated at the circumstance and with the demon lord. She couldn't get the zipper to budge from it's place. The rain had throughly soaked her towel, making it very heavy around her. One of her hands had to keep ahold of the towel to keep it on and closed.

"Miko!" Sesshoumaru yanked her up by her left arm, the one holding the towel. In a smooth motion he unzipped the tent, tossed her wet backpack into a corner before turning to her. He pulled the soaking towel from her.

"Sesshoumaru, don't!" Kagome fought to keep the towel around herself. Sesshoumaru's strength easily won out, he pulled it from her and tossed it over a branch, then pushed her inside the tent, none to gently.

Kagome landed in a heap on the tent floor, her wet hair making a puddle around her. She glared out of the tent door at him. "What the hell is your problem? Has being locked up so long warped your brain?"

"My brain is fine, Miko, now dry yourself." Sesshoumaru zipped the tent closed.

"AHHHHHH!" Kagome screamed and threw one of her shoes at the closed tent door.

Kagome was furious. She had come out here to relax, to get away from everything. Not to be manhandled by some crazy demon lord. ~If he planned to be such a jerk, he should have just stayed home!~ She reached into her bag and pulled out a hand towel and started drying her hair.

Kagome notice a small river of blood trickling from her foot to join the puddle of water her hair and body had made in the center of the tent. "Shit." Kagome laid her towel down on her sleeping bag. Lifting and turning her foot she saw the one inch cut in the arch of her foot. She pulled a bottle of water from her bag, placed the towel under her foot and started flushing the dirt and dead leaves out of her wound. Once she was satisfied that the debris was out, she used soap to clean it. She gritted her teeth, soap in the cut stung. She pulled a shirt from her bag, ripped off a strip, and wrapped her foot.

After pulling on pajama pants, socks and a t-shirt, she began cleaning up the water and blood from the tent. After everything was done, she snuggled into her sleeping bag to warm up. The rain was still beating down on the fabric of the tent. She could hear the thunder booming in the distance and see flashes of lightning. There was no way she was leaving the tent anytime soon.

Kagome sighed. She could feel Sesshoumaru's aura, he was close. Really close. Kagome slid out of her sleeping bag and crawled over to the door, unzipping it. Sesshoumaru was sitting under his tree, dripping wet, with his eyes closed. Instantly Kagome felt horrible. He had helped her get in the tent, to get her dry and she had yelled at him. Now here he was sitting out in the downpour.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, come inside the tent." She shouted through the thunder.

"Go to sleep Miko."

"Not until you come in out of the rain."

"This Sesshoumaru is fine."

"And this Kagome doesn't care that you say you're fine, come inside the tent where its dry. Please?" A flash of lightning lit up the clearing and she could see his golden eyes glowing as he looked at her.

"No."

"Fine then..." Kagome unzipped the door farther, "If you won't come on your own, I will come drag you in here."

"Don't be a fool."

"I am not a fool." Kagome said, stepping out of the tent, making her way towards Sesshoumaru. A particularly loud roll of thunder caused her to jump. "Why do you need to be so stubborn? I thought dogs were supposed to be creatures that were happy to please people!"

"I am no dog." Sesshoumaru growled

"You are a dog demon. A very stubborn one at that." Kagome knelt near him, her pajamas were already soaked through, and her hair was saturated.

"Go back inside."

Kagome shook her head, flinging water from her hair, "Not without you." She reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Release me, Miko."

"Or what? You'll grab me by the throat again? Pin me down again? Kill me?" Kagome tightened her hold on the back of his hand. "If you want to kill me, Lord Sesshoumaru, then go ahead. If not, then please come with into the tent and out of this storm."

"NO!"

Kagome sighed, "Okay, then I will sit in the rain with you."

"You're absurd. You will fall ill."

"So what? Do you care if I get sick or not?" Kagome looked at him. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. "You care?!" Kagome was shocked! Baffled! Stunned! "W... Why?!" She couldn't seem to stop her mouth from asking.

Sesshoumaru looked away from her. Kagome reached out and gripped his hand now with both hands. She stood and started pulling on his arm, his left arm, the one she had assisted Inuyasha in taking. "Come with me, inside the tent. Please."

"Miko... release my person."

"Nope. Not until you get out of the rain. I don't care if you won't get sick from it, I don't want to leave you out in the rain while I am nice and dry inside the tent. What are you afraid of?"

Sesshoumaru growled, "I fear nothing." He pulled his arm back, causing Kagome to slip on the muddy earth and fall into his lap.

Kagome didn't move. This is the last place she expected to be when she had come out here. Something inside her hummed to life. Her miko energy? No. She wasn't sure what it was, she had never felt it before. Sesshoumaru's golden eyes were on her sapphire ones as she looked up at him from his lap. She reached her hand up and twirled a strand of wet silver hair through her fingers. "I'm not going to judge you. I will never think you are weak, I know better. I have seen you in action, I know fully well what you are capable of. Please, come inside the tent, out of the rain." Kagome removed herself from his lap and started towards the tent. She glanced over her shoulder to see the demon lord raising and following her.

Kagome entered, holding the flap open so Sesshoumaru could enter. "Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru." She whispered before zipping the door closed, sealing them inside. Together. Alone.