She'd aced her test.
Well, not aced it, but she'd certainly done better than the last one, and she couldn't help feeling Sesshoumaru's 'treatment' had something to do with it.
After returning to camp, Kagome hadn't been able to look him in the eyes, quickly going over her notes before diving into her sleeping bag. She'd also been worried about tossing and turning all night, especially since Sesshoumaru barely slept and had elected to stay within the confines of their camp.
It hadn't taken long for sleep to claim her, though, the looseness of her muscles keeping her relaxed so that she'd slept the entire night. No nightmares, no stress of the impending exam. She awoke refreshed and ready to conquer the day—or at least her midterm.
And she had.
Now all she had to do was figure out how to live it down. Sango had been the first to ask how it had gone as soon as she'd returned, wanting to celebrate her success even as Inuyasha pushed them to get moving. Sango had smacked him, berating him about how the world didn't revolve around him, even if they were still looking for Rin.
Sesshoumaru had caught her eye during the scuffle and smirked knowingly, causing heat to seep into her face. His techniques may have worked, but he doesn't need to rub it in, she thought bitterly, tightening the strap of her quiver around her shoulder.
Of course, that thought immediately sent her right back into the moment of why she'd been able to focus on her exam, the blush only lingering.
"You have never been one to hide your emotions, miko," he taunted, flicking his hair over his shoulder. "It is a wonder how you were ever able to use the element of surprise."
Only the thought of explaining her behaviour to the others stopped her from retaliating. "I'd rather be open about my emotions than be an uptight prick like you," she said, lifting her chin.
"I will remind you that this uptight prick enabled you to do well in your studies." His tone was so smug that if she didn't know any better, she would've said he was teasing her but brushed the thought off as soon as it formed. This was Sesshoumaru. He probably didn't even know the meaning of the word.
"You helped," she allowed. "That's it." She wouldn't let him undermine all the studying and hard work she'd put in before his massage session.
"Was that not the point?" he asked.
She rolled her wrists to keep from throttling him. "Of course." Digging her heels into the ground, she bowed her head. "Thank you for helping me."
"Hnn. You should be more grateful considering how you keep your education in such high regard."
Kagome raised her head, crossing her arms. "I'll remember that the next time I have an exam and can't think straight."
"As you should." Her mouth dropped open as he continued down the path after the others. Had he offered to do that again just to help her focus? The blush returned to her cheeks, followed by a muffled curse as he smirked over his shoulder.
And why was the thought of him touching her again so appealing?
Kagome had resigned herself to quick rinse-offs in any stream they came across, but having another female there, especially one who was used to leading helped tilt the scales in her favour when it came to taking a break.
Granted, their breaks were still short, and only if they happened across a spring directly in their path, but it was nice to take a few moments to soak between villages. And being able to wash the grime and dirt from the constant travelling did wonders for her mood.
"How many more of these exams do you have?" Sango asked, leaning back against the edge of the spring.
"Too many," she replied, dragging her fingers through her hair. "At least it feels that way. Every time I finish one, there's another one on the horizon."
"Sounds like the shard quest," Sango joked.
Kagome chuckled. "Maybe a little less life and death, though."
"Are you sure? Inuyasha makes it seem like he'll die every time you go back." Their gazes met momentarily before they burst into laughter.
"I swear he never grows up," Kagome said, wiping tears from her eyes. As powerful as he'd become, as dependable as he was with his role in the village, he was still quick to temper, often reminding her of a child throwing a tantrum.
"He's doing better," Sango argued as the water rippled around her shoulders. "I think he feels responsible about what happened to Rin."
Twisting her hair around her head, Kagome sat beside her, stretching her arms out under the water. "We all feel that way."
Sango shook her head. "It's more than that. He was the one who was supposed to pick her up. If he'd gone sooner—" She bit the edge of her thumb, and Kagome leaned against her, trying to think of something comforting to say.
Inuyasha was the type to bury his emotions, focusing on the negative ones until he blew up at someone. So far, that someone seemed to be Sesshoumaru, who took it in stride, though not without retaliating. She'd seen Kohaku's hollowed expression when he was tending the fire, the teen much less adept at shielding his emotions when it came to those he cared about.
"We'll find her," Kagome said, hoping her tone was convincing not only to Sango but herself as well. The days seemed to drag, the hopelessness of the situation growing with each sunset. They'd gathered some information from the surrounding villages but nothing that would point them in a specific direction.
She couldn't decide if the fact that Rin wasn't the only one who'd disappeared was comforting. On one hand, it appeared that Rin hadn't been targeted specifically, but without a ransom or communication in any form, they were left wondering just how bad the situation was.
Patting Sango's shoulder, she rose out of the water. "We should head back," she said softly, knowing Inuyasha would want to get an early start. Her friend nodded, and they quickly gathered up their supplies, unable to even appreciate that they'd been able to have a bath undisturbed by prying eyes.
It didn't take them long to return to camp, but by the time they'd returned, Kagome could feel the build of reiki in her hands, the questions about Rin and how her disappearance connected to the well still unanswered.
No one else noticed anything out of place, but when Sesshoumaru returned from patrol, she gave him a helpless look, the single incline of his head leaving her to scramble out of her sleeping back. The rest of the pack was already asleep, Ah-Un stirring as she walked by but settling back against Kohaku.
"I had thought you would last longer, considering the success of your last test," he mused, already removing his armour.
She didn't even have the energy to argue, finding the flattest place to lie down. "This isn't about an exam. Sango and I were talking and—" She bit her lip. "We haven't found any trace of Rin, and no one seems to know anything." Raising her hands, she brought her reiki forth, her power sparking out of control. Usually, she could control its movements, but every time she pushed it forward, it shot out in a different direction.
It had barely been a week since she'd been back, and she was already back to where she'd been before he'd graciously helped her out. Muscles clenched as she tried to keep her tears at bay. She did not bring Sesshoumaru out here to cry in front of him.
"You allow your emotions to control your reaction," he said, motioning for her to lie down.
The distraction worked, her temper flaring as she rolled down the top of her sleeping yukata. She longed for the comfort of regular pyjamas, but she was trying to fit into the time period, which also meant adhering to their fashion customs.
She refused to give up her bra, though.
"Emotions are a way of coping with overwhelming situations," she snapped, glaring at the ground instead of him, biting back a moan as his hands slid up her spine.
"Then you must not let the situations overwhelm you." The touch was soft, softer than she needed it to be, but small bubbles of stress were expertly pushed from between her muscles, and she relaxed against the grass.
"Easy for you to say," she groused. "You don't feel anything."
"Do you honestly believe that to be so?"
She sighed, wanting to focus on what he was doing instead of the brewing argument, resigning herself to another lecture. "No, but there's a wide spectrum of emotions that you don't seem to experience on a regular basis."
There was a soft snort as he moved to her ribs, fingers brushing the underside of her breasts. She wasn't able to smother her gasp, heat pooling in her stomach. He wasn't using any youki, so she hadn't been expecting the heat to build so quickly, and she cursed her neglected libido.
"Such as?"
His voice anchored her, and she dragged a deep breath into her lungs. "Joy, sadness, regret, fear." He snorted again at the last one, as she knew he would. "Desire," she continued. "You seem to be fixated on arrogance and disgust. It's not healthy."
"Yet you are the one in constant need of realignment due to such emotions." He used the balls of his wrists next, her spine cracking in several places.
Kagome bit her lip to stop herself from telling him to go lower. "But I also get to experience the more positive ones after the fact," she countered. "Did you feel anything when you found out Rin was missing?"
His hands paused for a moment. "Anger."
It felt like there was a shift with that admission, and she pressed him to keep going. "What about when Inuyasha complains about not pulling your weight?"
"Annoyance."
She chuckled, expecting it. "When Kohaku cares for Ah-Un?"
The pause was longer this time. "Respite."
"And now?" She wasn't sure what she was getting at, she just wanted to come up with different events—different people—to see if there was a pattern.
"Exasperation."
She tried to push herself up, wanting him to bear the full brunt of her glare. "I can't be more annoying than your own brother—" She froze when hands returned to her, sliding over her hips.
"Curiosity."
The coil had been given a reprieve with their banter but tightened viciously at his touch. "Those don't really go together," she whispered.
"Do they not?" Her yukata was bunched around her waist, but he somehow found a way to get past it, the tips of his claws dangerously close to where the heat of her body was twisting into knots. "You exude power, miko, yet allow simple things like emotions to clog and impede your abilities. It is most frustrating."
"Sorry to disappoint you with my humanity," she griped, trying to pull away.
"You have yet to do that, which is why you are so frustrating. You misconstrue morals and high standards with inhibitions that would allow you freer reign of your power."
None of what he said made sense, but it was very hard to concentrate with where his hands were, and she was so close to pushing back against him. "Why do you care?"
"I do not. You care too much."
She thought she cared just the right amount, but baser instincts were screaming for something else, and she forced herself to breathe. "Keep going."
One hand moved, fingers splayed wide on her stomach. "And how far do you wish me to go?"
"What's that supposed to—"
"Will you continue to lie to yourself that your invitation was meant for nothing more than a massage?"
She wasn't sure if arousal or shame had her skin heating, but she buried her face in the grass all the same. "No," she mumbled.
"Then what propelled you to seek This One's guidance tonight?" She shouldn't have been surprised that he'd seen through the ruse. She had needed the massage, her conversation with Sango causing the blockages to worsen, but she could've stayed in the camp and let him work on her hands.
Instead, she'd allowed him to lure her away, far enough away that they wouldn't be heard, and then stripped down in the hopes he'd offer the same services as before.
What she hadn't counted on was it not being enough.
"Tick, tock, miko," he said, pulling his hand away. "If you cannot admit to your basest of needs, then I will not—"
Kagome reached behind her, grabbing onto his wrist. "I wanted this. Wanted you to touch me."
She could see his smirk even without turning around. "Was that so difficult?" He didn't give her the chance to respond, a soft snap sounding behind her before his hand delved between her legs. She grabbed at the earth, strands of grass coming off in her hands as he pushed at the bundle of nerves through her underwear.
The fever returned as he teased it, relying more on physical touch than youki, and Kagome quickly found herself pressing against him, trying to increase the pressure. She thought he'd demand she beg for more, to revel in her desperation, but all it took was a simple plea of it not being enough for him to push the fabric out of the way and slip a finger inside her.
Kagome's moan was muffled against her arm, muscles clenching around the intrusion as he worked it back and forth. The coil tightened, reiki buzzing under her skin as every part of her fought for release. She was so close, so close—
A second finger joined the first, curling inside her, and Kagome arched, whimpering as her nerves exploded. His fingers continued to move, working her into a frenzy before she collapsed on the ground, the muscles between her shoulders twitching. Breathing heavily, she struggled for words, unsure what to say in that moment, but all she could do was whimper as he pulled out of her.
It was everything she'd thought it would be, yet the thought of using his offer for something so mundane had shame slowly replacing the euphoria she'd just experienced. "Thank you," she managed, words still failing her.
"You are welcome to request This One's services anytime, miko." His words were almost last in the rustle of silk, and she pushed herself up on her elbows, finally meeting his gaze.
"Am I?"
Amber eyes blazed in the darkness. "As long as you are honest about the request and do not hide it under false pretences of training or unclogging your power."
"Why?" The question slipped out before she could stop it, wishing more than ever that she could read the emotions on his face.
Sesshoumaru considered her a moment, then turned away. "Curiosity."