Week 4: Cherry blossom, Dance, Plum, Deal

He hadn't outright said it was her fault, but Sesshoumaru couldn't stop his mind from wandering. Her level of purity had been high, even for a miko, and her ability to create life from nothing continued to astound him.

He regularly found vegetation around the underworld, though it mainly consisted of moss or seedlings—nothing like the complex bloom she'd gifted him with after he'd first saved her. The flower was still thriving, even without food or water, and sat in an empty vase on his bedstand. She constantly cooed to it whenever she entered his chambers as if it spoke to her, and he'd thought it was just an odd quirk, of which she had many.

But Bankotsu's assessment of the lingering winter had shown no end to the snowfall. It continued to cover the mortal realm, forcing the humans indoors and preventing their crops from seeding. Spring was several weeks late, even with their silly superstition about animals predicting the weather. And the only thing that had changed was his current company.

So, a test had been ordered.

Sesshoumaru was against it, as the miko had been through enough, but he knew more than most how precarious the balance of elements was. And even Jakotsu was getting antsy.

"No one's fighting because they're too cold," he whined, leaning back in his chair. How he'd procured one without a desk job was beyond him.

"You're just bitter about the lack of fear when you show up," Bankotsu replied, smacking the back of his head with his parchment.

"Exactly!" his brother moaned. "Death by hypothermia is no fun. They've accepted their fate at that point. Showing up in the middle of battle makes things much more interesting. Their denial is delicious."

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. His denial about Jakotsu's ability to do his job had been short-lived, especially since it had come at Bankotsu's insistence. As flamboyant as he was, he was efficient. The only pleasure he took was with those who deserved it. The innocents, especially the children, were always cared for.

The mortals would laugh if they knew how merciful those in charge of their deaths truly were. It was those who resided in the light that were to be feared. His father was uncaring when it came to the consequences of his actions. He enjoyed instilling fear in humans as long as they worshipped him.

"What have you ascertained?" he asked.

Bankotsu clicked his tongue. "The latest blizzard has finally let up, but it seems the humans have resorted to desperate measures to keep warm." He thumbed through a few pages. "A fire broke out in the village near where your guest was found. Unnecessary lives were lost. And the earth remains dormant."

He could sense Kagome's disquiet and knew she was listening. Hands flexing, he rose to his feet. "I will investigate it personally."

"Is that wise? They're already on edge—" Sesshoumaru silenced his assistant with a sharp glare, and Bankotsu shrugged, marking something down on his parchment. "Fine. But don't blame me when you have to deal with the repercussions."

Jakotsu sat up in his chair, instantly intrigued. "Does that mean I get to meet her?"

"No," they both chorused, leaving him to pout as Sesshoumaru returned to his chambers.

Kagome sat on his bed, where he'd left her, silently chewing on her lip. There was tension between her shoulders that hadn't been there before, and he lay a hand on her head. "You are not to blame."

"But I could be," she murmured.

Sesshoumaru tilted her chin up, no longer concerned about touching her. "You are one person, Kagome. There is more to this than what a simple mortal could muster."

She stared up at him, emotion swirling in her eyes before she took a deep breath and smiled. "I'm not a simple mortal, though," she said, confidence flaring.

The edge of his lips quirked. "No, you are not."

Her hand tightened around his as they walked through the wreckage that was her village. She'd only been there a week but had taken up residence due to an outbreak of unexplainable rashes plaguing the children, not calling it home but a temporary reprieve as she restocked her supplies.

"It will be difficult for them to cultivate this land," he mused, sidestepping a fallen beam. "The earth is scorched." Unsalvageable was more appropriate, but although Kagome had insisted she could handle the horrors that mankind held, he still wished to shield her from such hardships.

She shook her head, then tugged him toward what had been a field. "Only if you don't know where to look." She knelt down, brushing away the ash. Placing her hands on the ground, she closed her eyes. Power collected between her fingers then pulsed under their feet.

The potency surprised him, spreading out like roots before she pulled it back, and he felt the spark of new life shimmer under her fingers. A seedling poked out through the ground, struggling to reach out its branches, and Kagome clicked her tongue. She cupped her hands around its leaves and pulled upward, replacing it with a mature sapling.

Sesshoumaru was always amazed at her power to create something from nothing. She never asked for anything in return, always offering herself to others to keep them from suffering.

She was too good for him, and he knew he couldn't keep her, especially if she was the reason spring was delayed.

Even now, he could feel the chill receding, the roots she'd created begging for attention. The tree grew, soft cherry blossoms breaking out onto the branches, and suddenly, the ground didn't look so bare.

"There's still life here," she said, brushing off her hands. "If we could only—" A shrill cry had her darting away. The paths were barely discernable under snow and ash, and she tripped several times but eventually made it over the last hill. Sesshoumaru followed swiftly behind, keeping her within his sight, and saw her shoulders stiffen.

Taking his place next to her, he found the reason for her ire, realizing too late that he should've taken the time to dispatch the entire horde responsible for her sacrifice.

The few remaining men had regrouped and had just finished setting fire to the last remaining house in the village. A family of five had barely escaped, the children covered in soot as their father nursed a broken arm.

"This is what you get for not giving us food!" one of the men called, the rest cackling as the roof caved in. "None of you believed we'd do it, but we warned you we'd be back." The youngest cried for a lost toy, and Sesshoumaru barely had time to move out of the way before lightning struck the ground where the men were standing.

Turning to Kagome, he found her covered in dark purple flames, thorns sprouting up from each step she took toward the engulfed house. The ground shook, much like it had when he transformed, and Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in shock.

This was the extent of her power?

Her ring glinted in the darkness, and he shook her head. No, she was purer than this. Her power was based on life and compassion.

This was rage.

Revenge.

A smirk tugged at his lips as he followed, content to watch, to see what she was capable of.

He'd been so worried about corrupting her that he hadn't considered the thought she would enjoy such power.

She encouraged the family to escape, trapping the men responsible within a wall of their own flames. They'd already recognized her, screaming obscenities about how the original fire had been her fault, claiming she'd been bewitched by death, by him, and they'd been doing the village a favour by getting rid of her.

Her eyes were the same shade of purple as the flames surrounding her body, and her power slithered toward the men like serpents, snapping at their heels in a makeshift dance. Fangs sunk into their flesh, and they began to scream anew, falling to the ground and begging for mercy.

She gave none.

Her lips moved, but no words came out as they were forced into the burning building, the serpents wrapping around their legs to keep them in place. Power surged, containing the blaze, effectively snuffing out the flames and the lives of the men inside.

She stood over the pile of rubble, breathing heavily as her hands clenched and unclenched. The violence of her power slowly receded, the silence deafening before she gasped, turning around to face him. "I'm so sorry! I had no right—"

His mouth was on hers before she could finish.

Hands delved into her robes as he pulled her away from the carnage, and she was all but writhing against him when they fell to the ground beneath her tree. Her soft moans cut through the silence, and she dragged her nails down his chest as their robes were opened.

"Please," she begged. "I've wanted you for so long."

Sesshoumaru groaned, inhaling her sweet scent, body aching. "I have been trying to resist you."

Her laughter was strained. "And here I thought you were smart." She pulled him down before he could protest, draping her legs over his hips as she locked him in place. She found the stripes on his hips, following their path down to something much more enticing, and he was helpless to stop her.

Her touch burned. Far more than the flames she'd inflicted on her kidnappers, and the image of her darkened with rage was too heady of an invitation. He reached under her, claws digging into delicate flesh, but now he knew she wasn't so fragile, taking her to the hilt in one fluid stroke.

Instincts roared, the bond he'd initiated but left unfinished calling to him—to both of them. He knew he could feel it too, her hand grabbing his instead of steadying herself as he plunged into her again. The thorns that had followed her away from the house bloomed, crimson roses bursting from razor-sharp tips, coating the ground in a sea of petals.

It was too much too fast, their bodies unable to take the strain from putting off completing the bond for so long, and she cried out his name a moment before his fangs sunk into her neck. Her body clenched, release coursing through her, and as the bond snapped into place, he felt her pleasure as if it were his own, release tearing through him.

There was a flurry of petals, entire flowers torn from their vines as their power wove together, only settling when their hearts beat as one. Fangs retracting, he slid his tongue over the mark, attempting to ease her pain, and he groaned as shivers wracked her body. She was already so sensitive to his touch, but he had to keep his head.

There hadn't been time for questions, the sight of the warrior she had become causing heat to pool in his stomach as her revenge was fraught upon those who'd caused nothing but harm.

He hadn't been able to resist her siren song—more so when she'd responded in kind—but he needed to slow down, to allow her time to recuperate. An apology was on the tip of his tongue but was quickly smothered as she yanked on his robes, rolling him onto his back. Small hands slid up his chest to the marks on his shoulders, the sweet scent of her arousal causing a fresh set of roses to appear as her lips curved up into a seductive smile.

"Again."

Sesshoumaru sighed in contentment, tilting his head into her touch. Kagome placed another bloom into his hair, leaning back against a newly formed plum tree. The ground around them was lush with grass, containing them in a small patch of flora as snow continued to melt.

Spring had arrived.

The plum tree had flourished until it bore fruit, and she slipped another slice into his mouth before eating the rest herself. She hummed softly at the taste, and he reached up, brushing the remaining juice off her chin. She grinned, nipping at his thumb, and he growled softly.

"The whole point of this picnic was so that you could rest."

Kagome flushed but shrugged a shoulder. "You're the one who insists on touching me." The backs of his fingers slid down her neck, and they both shivered when he touched her mark.

"Indeed." He swallowed thickly but removed his hands. Temptress she may be, she was still mostly human, and he wished to savour her for as long as possible. Even as they'd retreated to the shelter of her newly formed sapling, flora had sprung up around her feet.

She was the essence of spring, and he knew he couldn't keep her. No matter how every fibre of his being said the opposite.

Bracing himself for the conversation that needed to happen, he slowly sat up. She didn't back up an inch, brushing a kiss across the stripes on his cheek before gathering up a bundle of plums. "Can we take these back with us?" she asked.

The question was so innocent, so domestically normal, that he leaned in, claiming her lips in a sweet kiss that quickly had her clinging to him. Her arms wound around his neck, and he pulled her into his lap, their robes still loose around their waists. She was open for the touching, for the taking, and more than anything, he wanted to sink into the softness of her welcoming embrace.

But he could not.

He needed to distance himself from her.

"Not that I'm complaining," she said, breathing heavily. "But I thought we were going home."

He shuddered at the word, forcing himself to pull back. "You must remain here."

He felt her scowl before he saw it, the edges of her eyes matching the bundle of plums. "Why?" Wincing, he tried to detangle their bodies, but she held fast, grabbing onto his hair. "You're not going anywhere until you explain. I know you want me."

Sesshoumaru groaned, his head falling onto her shoulder. "I do."

"And this isn't just a fling."

"Certainly not."

Her ire eased slightly at the admission, and she wrapped her arms around him. "Then why are you trying to push me away?"

He sighed. Trust him to find the one female with a brain who didn't whine or simper. "You are the reason spring was delayed. As long as you remain with me, the mortal realm will languish in perpetual winter."

She drew circles on his back as she contemplated the information. "And you can't stay up here with me?"

He snorted. "You have met my employees. Look at what happened after I was absent for only a few days."

She chuckled slightly, eying the small patch of paradise around them, then tugged on his hair, forcing him to look at her. "A compromise, then?"

He raised an eyebrow, sensing the gears move in her mind. "I am listening."