He kept silent as he watched her work, desperately trying to keep from noticing the way her hands fluttered over his chest as she cleaned the large but not deep wound he had received while on his latest case. She was muttering almost annoyed as she reached for the disinfectant, spreading it lightly over his cut, he didn't flinch didn't move or react in any way as he struggled to bring his mind back to the reason he had come over in the first place.
A potential solution, or at the very least a way to coerce the spirit to fight to live despite her wanting to die.
He had been mulling the problem over in his mind in the weeks that had proceeded he pervious meeting with spirit Kagome, after the spirit had warned him away from stopping living Kagome from making that fatal jump into the distant past. The main solution- and the most recurring- to come to him was perhaps also the most obvious, he could train her, but that came with a slew of complications two, however stood out the most. First and foremost was the conflict of schedule, it was hard to find time to train when their meetings were so beyond sporadic, due to her time traveling and his job.
Second was the difference in energies, despite what the demons may fear about him, and what rumors they may spew as a cause of said fear, he was indeed not a holy man, perhaps a mutation of the holy beings but not a holy man in the strictest sense. Where a holy beings energies were based on purity or impurity of the soul, his energy had more to do with the purity of his intent- the strength of his resolve. And so with the vast differences he would be unable to teach her even the basics like simply summoning her energies to her let alone anything more potent.
However after much thought the answer had come to him quite by accident when she had been once again attempting to chisel away at his unbridled dislike of demons, she had spoken in favor of their honor this time.
More like lack thereof. He snorted. But the word honor had hammered his head until he applied to Kagome.
In her own way Kagome was honorable, perhaps not in the way that warriors were, and often he would consider her actions soft hearted rather than particularly honorable but one thing he could not dispute was her inability to break a promise, her willingness to go to most any lengths to keep said promises.
Certainly an honorable act by any standards.
A prime example was her dealings with the half demon who on a constant basis showed how inept he was at keeping her safe physically or emotionally, and yet because she had promised to be there for him she was.
Hell she even goes as far as to call him friend.
Another good example was her determination, her promise even if only to herself, to find and fix the dreaded jewel, when so many would have just given up, let another do it, but she had promised herself to do everything in her power to complete the bauble, so she would.
Persuading her into a promise that she'll feel compelled to keep, because it is in her personality to do so, saves Kagome from dying, and keeps me from truly interfering in a way that could change the fate of her kit.
Forcing his mind from his thoughts he caught her hand as she moved to step back and observe her handy work, she blinked owlishly up at him as her head tilted dropping silken black strands in her face which he reached out to brush behind her ear, smiling softly at her light blush. "Kagome I need you to promise me something."
"Of course anything!"
He studied her for a moment before leaning his forehead to hers. "Promise me that if anything should happen to you while you're in the past you'll fight with everything that you are to return here- return to me."
"Shinobu what brought this on?'
"Please … just promise me."
She searched his face for a moment before smiling at him. "I promise Shinobu with everything that I am I will always fight to come back to you."
He closed his eyes reveling in the warmth her presence provided, ignoring the painful twist of his heart.
Please let this work.
Let the spirit Kagome be just as honorable in her promises as the living Kagome is.
Not sure how I felt about this chapter, my mind wasn't really on it and it definitely shows.
On a side note why does microsoft word and google recognize 'hearted' as a word but fanfiction . net does not?
Also I did doodle a cover for this story.