Chapter 20: Check and Mate
Sesshomaru eyes peered around the slumbering camp, his golden eyes quickly returning to the rumpled silhouette of the miko after each careful pass. Ebony hair tumbled in soft waves around her face and over her curled fingers, resting next to her head as she slept on her side. She shifted slightly, a small shiver causing her to furrow her pale brow as she hunkered more snugly within her sleeping bag.
His claws twitched minutely as the desire to share his warmth with her crossed his mind. Every night, the temptation to share the sleeping bag with her plagued his instincts. And every night he resisted by reminding himself that, while Kagome was remembering bits and pieces of their time together as children, for the most part there were still large, blank areas. The lack of recognition in her sea-deep eyes stabbed at his indifferent facade, and Sesshomaru still wrestled with the resentment that had embittered his soul for centuries.
'She forgot everything,' he reminded himself as he stared a tad too intently at her gently curved mouth. 'She forgot me...'
"Sessho..." The barest of whispers nearly evaded his heightened sense of hearing, and fire-bright eyes flickered eagerly back to the young woman's lips. A whimper of distress had him closing the distance between them, his quick movement unmarked by even the shifting sounds of cloth and armor.
"Sess-sho..." Kagome muttered, still so quiet that even this close he was straining to hear her voice. Noticing her white-knuckled grip on her sleeping bag, the taiyoukai brushed his claws lightly over the back of her hand. Hope and doubt warred within him even as her hand relaxed its stranglehold.
'Does she call for this Sesshomaru,' he wondered, uncertainty dampening his thoughts, 'or for the boy from her lost memories?'
He didn't notice the way his calloused fingers continued to trace the delicate bones and joints of her hand as he waited for her to say something else. Dark lashes fluttered momentarily before settling, and a tension he hadn't noticed before eased from her body, leaving it limp and still. Disappointment muffling the touch of excitement he'd allowed himself to feel, the pale lord began to pull away, feeling seven-shades of foolish for wanting her to say his name.
'And which name was I hoping she would say,' he chastised himself harshly as he pulled his hand back from hers, a frown marring his features. 'Either way she-'
His thoughts were abruptly cut off when he felt a sharp tug on his trailing sleeve. Looking down, he was surprised to see Kagome's hand twisted into the white and red-patterned silk. Unsure as to the cause, he debated with untangling her fingers and moving back to his space across from camp when her soft plea shattered any thoughts he had of distancing himself from the small onna.
"Sessho-chan, don't leave me again."
The droplet of hope he'd felt earlier bubbled and frothed, sending tingles of warmth through his body as he absorbed her request, and the address she had used. In her sleep, her subconscious didn't identify him as InuYasha's brother, or the Lord of the West or as an ally- it had called him friend. Decades of anger soothed in the wake of her unknowing request, and without any more hesitation, Sesshomaru settled himself next to her. Shifting her carefully, so as not to jostle her awake, he arranged himself with his back against the tree she was next too, with her head pillowed on his lap. Lacing his claws with her slender fingers, he watched as the anxiety left her face with satisfaction. Humming lowly, he allowed himself one more liberty with her person, and was rewarded when she snuggled closer into him while he lightly brushed her bangs back from her forehead.
"It would seem that I also broke a promise to you, little one," he murmured lowly, eyes never leaving her now serene features. "And between the two of us, this Sesshomaru was the only one who did so on purpose."
Settling himself back against the tree behind him, the taiyoukai determined to stop trying to distance himself from the miko laying so trustingly against him. While he had been gently coaxing her memories to the surface when it appeared she was having deja vu, perhaps it was time he went about things more directly. In the years since she had first arrived in the past, he'd slowly been drawn back to her side, despite his anger with her.
'No more fighting the inevitable,' he decided firmly, feeling the rightness of his choice as soon as he made it. Wondering how he was going to go about actively bringing Kagome's memories of him back, Sesshomaru thought back to the items he'd brought with him when he'd finally come back through the well. A devious smile stretched his face, and he spent the rest of the night planning for the days to come.
~o~o~o~o~
"Mi'lord!"
Jaken's squawk of victory had him turning in expectation. He'd sent his loyal retainer back to the shiro once dawn had breached the horizon, with explicit directions of what he needed for his intrigues in the coming weeks. Approaching the still rambling toad and Ah-Uhn, the stoic demon ignored the looks being sent his way by the rest of the pack, who was busy eating lunch in the nearby shade.
"Jaken," he intoned, pleased when his retainer immediately quieted. Carefully lifting the small chest from his mount's back, he carried it the short distance back to the group and seated himself, making certain to keep himself turned so that the miko wouldn't be able to see the contents of the container. Flicking the catch and numerous latches open with practiced ease, his eyes quickly assessed the numerous items inside, gratified to find everything as he had ordered brought.
'I must remember to reward Jaken when we return to the Shiro.'
Making a mental note to do so, he picked up a worn scrap of parchment with barely leashed excitement. The edges of the paper were frayed, and it was worn to near destruction along every fold from being opened and closed multiple times over the years. Thankfully, the words, while faded, were still crisp enough to be legible, and as Sesshomaru's eyes roved the list a predatory grin split his face.
'I still don't know why she was checking this Sesshomaru against the items on this list, but I'll make certain to ask her once she remembers it.'
Tucking the tattered sheaf into his haori, he then pulled out the next item in the box, intent on setting his scheming in motion. Closing the tiny chest once more, he stood and approached Kagome with a deliberateness that wasn't lost on anybody. Inclining his head politely, he allowed himself a mischievous smirk as he challenged the tiny miko.
"Would you indulge this Sesshomaru in a game of chess, Kagome?"
"I have never played 'chess' before."
Kagome's shoulder's sagged momentarily, before her chipper smile stretched her face even more. Plopping down across from her demonic friend, she briskly started unpacking the game pieces as she reassured him.
"That's okay, Sessho-chan! Mama taught me how to play, so I'll teach you!"
She unfolded the care-worn checkered board, carefully rubbing down the corners where the thin, adhesive-backed pattern had started to curl away from the pressed-paper base. The young girl then began separating the white pieces from the black pieces arranging them in piles on either side of the game board. Several of the plastic pieces were scuffed up from repeated use, and the white side was actually missing on of it's original bishops. In it's place were two white pawns glued together, and Kagome frowned at it for a moment before deciding that it might be better if she went first to minimize confusion.
'The sooner he learns, the sooner I can make that baka eat his words,' she thought to herself sourly even as she set the box aside and turned back to her waiting friend.
"Okay, these are pawns," she pointed to the smallest of the game pieces, watching to make sure that Sesshomaru was paying attention. "On their first move, they can move either one or two spaces, but only forward! After that, they can only move a space at a time, and only in one direction. Now, if two pawns are diagonal from each other like this..."
Kagome showed him the basics of each piece's moving and capturing abilities, explaining the point of the game and the rules of play. She had noticed over the months that her friend was a quick learner, so she didn't doubt for a minute that he'd be able to understand this particular game.
'Not that he's going to beat me though,' she thought smugly, preening under the knowledge that nobody had beaten her at chess in over a year.
"Any questions?" she asked as they each finished setting up their individual sides.
"The only requirement to win is to 'check' the king, right?" Sesshomaru asked, sun-kissed eyes dancing with eagerness.
"Yup!"
Taking his nod as a sign to begin, Kagome quickly chose her favorite pawn and moved it forward two spaces. She had decided to show him one of her favorite plays, partially to show him how the strategy of the game worked, and partially to show off. There was so much that Sesshomaru was good at, that the young girl couldn't help but want to flaunt one of her talents. She watched as Sesshomaru mirrored her move, a smile on her face as she quickly shifted her next piece into position.
They played this way for a few minutes before Sesshomaru paused, a tiny claw tapping against his chin in thought. Not wanting to rush him, Kagome's thoughts turned to the argument she'd had with Hojo at school that morning...
:Earlier that day...:
"Why do you get mad whenever they do that, Higurashi-chan?" Hojo asked curiously.
Shoulders still shaking in anger, Kagome looked away from the fleeing Eri and Yuka to face the cause of all their teasing. Every day, Hojo came to school with a gift for her in thanks for that stupid cootie-shot she had given him ages ago. And every time, her friends started chanting that annoying song about kissing and getting married. It drove her up the wall, but what was worse was the fact that the boy in question didn't seem to mind the teasing at all.
"Why don't you?" she asked waspishly, her temper getting the better of her even as she pushed away his latest offering. "If you would stop bringing me gifts, they wouldn't keep teasing us, you know."
The young boy pouted slightly, glancing briefly to the rejected My Little Pony Band-Aids in his hand before responding, "But you always seem covered in bruises and scratches. I guess you must be really clumsy to get so banged up, and thought these would not only be helpful, but look really pretty on you."
Kagome felt her temper coming to a boil once more, but before she could explode, Hojo continued, taking the steam out of her, only for it to be replaced by horrified shock.
"Besides, it's only right to give gifts to the girl you are going to marry!" he announced with certainty.
"My papa gave my mama a bunch of stuff before they got married, and always tells me it's a man's job to take care of his girl!"
"But I'm not your girl!"
Her indignant screech took some of the wind from his sails for a moment, but then he rallied with a petulant look.
"Then whose girl are you?" he asked.
For a second, Kagome didn't have an answer. Did she have to be someone's girl? She thought about telling him no one's, but something about the look on his face told her that he'd only take such a response as an invitation. Flustered, her mind supplied her with a picture of serious tawny eyes and a firm voice saying 'I found you first...'
"I'm Sesshomaru-sama's girl!" she declared, tilting her chin up in challenge.
Hojo blinked owlishly at her, obviously not expecting there to be another boy. Recovering after a moment, he scowled at her doubtfully.
"You're making it up! There's no one at this school named Sesshomaru!" he accused, crossing his arms stubbornly.
"He...can't come to school," the young girl hedged, realizing that she couldn't really explain her time-traveling youkai friend to anyone outside of the shrine. Beyond the fact that they would all think she was crazy, Kagome realized that she just didn't want to share him with anyone.
Especially not this bratty boy calling her a liar.
"What, is he too stupid? Because if that's the case, then he's not good enough for you and I'll make you my girl anyway!"
Kagome jumped to Sesshomaru's defense, angered by the insult to him.
"He's not stupid, you are! It's none of your business why he can't come to school! Besides, he's way better for me than you, baka!" she shouted, not noticing that they had managed to draw crowd with their argument. She was rudely made aware of the fact when a resounding "Oooooooh!" echoed around them from the bystanders. She blushed, but refused to back down, and was met glare for glare by Hojo, who was in the same position.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah! He's smarter, better looking, and stronger than you! He cares more about me, is super loyal and... and..." blushing, Kagome closed her eyes as she finished, "He already kissed me!"
:That Afternoon...:
…Kagome could still hear the cat calls and gasps from the students gathered around them. Yet even after her outburst, Hojo had refused to back down and give up on her. Since neither of them would give ground, school-yard rules had taken over, and it had been decided that Kagome would have to test both boys for the right to marry her. The 5th graders had even gotten involved, and made a list of categories each boy had to best in order to 'win' her.
'Like I'm some sort of prize,' she groused to herself even as she felt the thick piece of paper in her pocket like a lead weight. 'Besides, Sesshomaru is just my friend. It's not like I'm actually going to marry him.'
Kagome felt a thread of sadness lace through her at that thought, but quickly shook it off. Her only goal with this was to prove to Hojo that he wasn't good enough for her. And the first category for him to be defeated in was "intelligence". Thus, she'd decided the best way to test that would be a game of chess. She was confident neither boy would beat her, but she was certain she could at least defeat Hojo much quicker than Sesshomaru once he learned the game.
'Speaking of, how long is he going to take?' Kagome wondered, focusing on the silver-haired inu across from her. She was about to ask him if he needed help when he reached a clawed hand forward and deftly moved his bishop.
With a sharp clack, he withdrew his hand and looked up to meet her stunned gaze, a devilish grin on his face.
"Check, Mate." Sesshomaru murmured for the twelfth time, eyes glowing with amusement as Kagome's face twisted in frustration.
"How do you keep doing that?" she complained, stubbornly refusing to tip her king over in defeat.
'Or submission,' his mind supplied with a touch of approval.
No matter how many times he won, the bullheaded miko always refused to tip her king and admit her defeat. Instead, as now, she just reset the game and demanded another round. Used to her competitive nature, the rest of the group had settled in for a day of rest while she matched wits with the battle savvy lord.
'No matter,' he mused as he watched her immediately reach for her favored pawn, just like in their first game from so long ago. 'She was not made to submit to anyone...'
TBC...
... in which Kagome and Sesshomau both have a list, and it's being check twice, but it's got nothing to do with naughty or nice XD
So this Chapter, along with the next 5 are part of see03's Superior Sense of Smell Challenge. Because that's how I roll. No worries, it didn't change the plot at all... just rearranged a few bits and got you some fluff moments MUCH sooner XD
This chapter is NOT beta'd because I'm a lazy troglodyte!
THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO Coffee-Fae, MusicLovesEveryone, Mistress-0f-Dragons, see03, kasey44, InaliaFox, RinTaisho22, and SerraTsunami for their splendiferous donations!
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All Characters Belong to Rumiko Takehashi
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