Chapter XXII: In the Palace Gardens
In the palace gardens, Kagome and Sesshomaru were enjoying the day outside with Rin and Shippo until Inuhime came along.
"Brother, may I have a word with you?" He opened one of his eyes.
"Inuki, can't it wait. I am enjoying the day with Kagome."
"No, it can't wait! Please, brother. It's important! I promise, I won't interupt you until after your mating."
He let out a deep sigh and said, "Very well."
He stood up and walked with his twin. He had a feeling that it wasn't very important because her 'important' is very different from his 'important'. Then something just occured to Inuhime that every time they were together someone or something always interrupt them. How could she be so stupid? First time was when they were in her caverous prison. She wondered if her twin had simply forgotten, but then again it wasn't the same cave that he, himself, put her. That cave had a hot spring inside. Then it was that insufferable imp, she was still amazed that her twin had put up with him over the years. Her twin was slowly but surely melting the walls around his icy heart then, she inwardly chuckled. Now, she was doing it again, but she needs to ask some questions. Simple question, yet for him it would be hard. She sighed. Then she had to ask the some questions to Kagome, so in a way, there was no way of avoiding it. They arrived at the study.
He asked, "What was so important that this Sesshomaru had to be away from his lady?"
"Well, have you assigned anyone for the annual ball, yet? I know that you hate these gatherings. You had always avoid these things if you could help it."
"Are you asking that you want to take up this bothersome task?"
"Yes, brother, I am."
"Very well. Jaken will assist you."
"What? That annoying little toad! I don't need any help, thank you very much."
He rolled his eyes, "Listen, Inuki, I just want to be with my lady. Is that so much to ask?"
She smirked and thought, "BINGO!"
So much for asking those questions, which she was happy about it because they decided not to meddle in each other business unless it has something to do with the family or the lands as a whole. She used to give him advice on such things.
She answered him, "No, that isn't so much to ask and I will seek for your approval before taking any action."
"Good. Inuki, may I ask you something?" She nodded, then he continued, "Can you help me express my feelings to Kagome?" She smiled softly and nodded.
She said, "Tell me when you are ready."
She had almost exit the study somehow knowing...3...2...1 "I'd been ready for a long time."
She smirked then turned around to face him. "How much time have you been with a woman? Youkai or human women?"
He comtemplated how many women that he was with. "Not many emotionally like I am with Kagome. Physically...there were many. They didn't mean a thing to me. You knew how I felt about humans for a long, long time until my Kagome and then my Rin came into my life. Sister, I fell hard in love with Kagome. I was jealous of our half-brother that he could had taken her scent in and be near her so much so that wanted to kill him, and even Kagome at that time. I felt then it was her fault why I hurt so much whenever she was near that whelp..." He went on and on about how many times that Inuyasha broke her heart while the hanyou would go and find that undead bitch miko of his, Kikyo.
Inuhime asked, "Physically? Do you mean just sex? No emotions at all?"
"Yes."
"Have you ever woo a woman?" He shook his head.
Inuhime wasn't surprised because they were opposites. She would socalized with her subjects in the villages of the Western Lands, the servants, and the palace guards as he would always avoid any contact with them. It didn't matter if they were youkai or human, he would always avoid them. He wasn't, by no means, shy, but she was. She was as modest as Kagome was. They are like yin and yang.
She sighed and said, "Well, a woman likes to be told how beautiful she is. We like to be loved and in return we return that love by giving ourselves to that certain male. We like to be hold, to feel secure, to feel happy, and the list goes on and on. Brother, I know that you had problems to speak your feelings. You were always more a man in action than man of words. Believe it or not, women likes to hear one speaks and put those feelings into action to whatever their feelings are at the time. Kagome's heart is so delicate, but yet so strong. Her heart's been broken so many times in the past. I believe if you broke her heart that she would never recover. Don't string Kagome along and then dump her like she was trash or something because believe me I will..."
She was interrupted by her twin, "Sister, I am not Inuyasha. I know how delicate Kagome's heart is. You, my twin, should know better than anybody else in this world, that when it comes to something like this, I am serious and don't make these kinds of decisions rashly. I also have no intentions to hurt Kagome like our baka half-brother did."
"Is there anything else?" He shook his head. She smiled, then left the study.
-
Outside, in the gardens, Kagome was enjoying the scents of flowers made and a gentle breeze caressing all around her body. Inuhime walked outside to find Kagome. She could feel her love and happiness, but yet nervous. She smiled as she walked up to Kamone from behind. She gently touch her shoulder and said, "Kagome?"
"Ahhh! you scared me, Lady Inuhime!"
"I apologized. Kagome, you can drop the formalites when you are around me. If you want, you could call me by my nickname, Inuki...*Kagome nodded*...It's beautiful out here, isn't it?
"Yes."
"Care to tell me, why are you nervous?"
"Oh, is that obvious?"
"Remember inuyoukai can sense emotions," Inuhime said as she pointed at her nose.
"Right, I knew that." They giggled a litttle.
"Seriously, though, why are you nervous?"
Kagome sighed. "I am nervous because...I...don't know what to expect when I am being mated to."
"Oh, I see."
"Inuyasha and I never mated. I wanted to wait for a while. You know to get...to do that." Kagome blushed as Inuhime giggled.
Kagome continued, "When he tried to initiate the mating, but I never wanted to go any further. Somewhere deep inside my heart I knew that he wasn't the one. I mean I did love him, but something doesn't seem right to be with him. I believe he felt obigated to be with me because he had always went to Kikyo."
"I see...how did you and Sesshomaru meet?" Kagome laughed.
"Well, at the time, Inuyasha and I were trying to get along. Then here comes, Sesshomaru riding on some giant ogre or oni. He was looking for the Tetsusaiga. He tried to coax the information out of Inuyasha by having the Unmother disguised as his mother, Izayoi. Sesshomaru found out that he had the Kuroshinju in his right eye. He somehow drew it out, then he opened up a portal that led to their father's tomb, where the Tetsusaiga was sealed in a stone platform. Sesshomaru tried to pull it out, but no avail. Inuyasha tried, but failed. They fought a little. Then being a klutz that I am, I pulled it out with no effort at all. Then Sesshomaru tried to kill me with his poison, but the Tetsusaiga, itself, saved me. They fought some more because Inuyasha thought that I was dead. Suddenly, I raised out of Sesshomaru's poison goo. Sesshomaru was beyond angry. He transformed into his true form after I gave the youkai sword to Inuyasha. It took awhile for Inuyasha to figured out how to use the katana. He announced that he was going to protect me from Sesshomaru. Then the Tetsusaiga started to pulsing, then it transformed. Inuyasha charged at Sesshomaru to cut his left arm off. Sesshomaru retreated and returned to the living realm. There you have it."
"Tell me, when you first seen him, what was your first thought?"
"At first, I thought he was evil and less compassionate. He would kill without a second thought. Then, I think the third time that I seen him. He had Rin with him. His face remain emotionless, but when you look into his eyes I saw warmth in them. I guess, as time when on I came to respect him more. After we defeated Naraku, he came around to visit Rin. We started to actually have a really conversion. He seemed to only speak to Rin and myself. I guess along the way, I started to have deep feelings for him. I would never guess that he would return those feelings."
"And why not? You are smart, beautiful, gentle, caring, and etc...I believe that Rin was the first to begin to warm his heart. I bet if my father was alive, she would have him wrap around his finger, too. I know I adore that child and Shippo."
Suddenly they were interupted by Sesshomaru, which they both were startled.
"Ladies?"
"Sesshomaru, you scared us," they said in unison.
He chuckled and said, "I apologized. Inuki, I assigned Jaken to assist you with the annual ball. He's in the study waiting for you. Now, I realized that you are trying to bond with my lady, sister, but I want to return to be by my lady's side."
"I see. If you need me, you know where to find me."
She began walking to the palace. She turned to look over her shoulder and smiled. If she had to, she would do his work, that he could court Kagome. She will do that, too. The more time that they spent time together; the better.
Inuyasha (c) Rumiko Takahashi
Fanfiction & OCs (c) ladytari