Inuyasha went to the old hideout in the forest to get his stash of old toys. He had outgrown many of them, they were just too childish but he had some new ones to replace them. From his bag, he withdrew some doubles of his favorite manga series and some game chips for his console.
Souta was behind him admiring the hidden entrance and the sturdy construction of the small hut. "How did they do this?" He asked and Inuyasha shrugged.
"I don't know, he was already a teen when I was born so he never told me anything." He explained as he sealed up the small safe once more and shut the small panel that hit it from sight. Souta exclaimed when he watched him.
"I really don't care how they built it, this is the coolest place I've ever seen!"Souta looked around the small room and found there to be a cot and a set of chairs around a small table. Boxes lined the back wall and he looked up at the wall where an old calendar hung.
Inuyasha pulled himself up from the place he was crouching and heard Kagome yell for them to come in. Inuyasha perked up and ran to the entrance.
"Kagome's calling," he said and he and Souta raced to the house where she was waiting for them on the porch. She smiled when she saw them running and greeted them both with a hug. She squeezed them tight before she turned with them to go to the dining area and knelt with them to eat. Souta pigged out, Hiko and Inuyasha both took their time and Kagome watched them making sure that they ate before standing and starting to clean the area.
"Kagome, why don't you eat?" Hiko said and she sighed and tried not to be too annoyed.
"I ate while I cooked, I am not hungry," she said and Souta shared a knowing look with the dark-haired man. Hiko knew her too well to call her out on her lie. But he did know her weakness.
When Hiko left the property, it was the dead of night. He drove for hours to find a convenience store and when he walked into the fluorescent lighted building he knew that he would find what he was looking for. He found three. He knew they were her favorite. He drove back to the home, a single car in his rearview until he pulled into the exclusive drive.
Kagome found his gift on the tray beside the entrance to the kitchen. She felt her stomach growl knowing he had left them because she was too stressed out to eat and took one with her to the dining area. "How does everyone know my weakness," she grumbled.
The afternoon dragged in without the work she was used to. Her homework was done, emailed in to her professors and the application for graduation was completed.
Her employer was all too happy to give her time off. After a brief conversation, she knew that Sesshomaru had gotten to her first and she was in no danger of losing her job. She sighed and couldn't escape the caged feeling from the antiqued walls of the safe house.
"You haven't been training," Hiko said. He was tired of watching her mope around. The quiet worry and restless pacing was setting his teeth on edge and there was only one way to break this cycle.
"No," she sighed and he threw a small object at the side of her face. She moved back out of the way and it flew past her nose. She started, looking at him and not appreciating the brand of humor.
"Now's a good time to start again. I could use another good workout." He said and Kagome rolled her eyes. "Come on, do you want to pine over your missing fiance or use your time to get stronger for both of you," he said and she looked at him.
"Sensei, I appreciate it but -" she started when he drew his blade and she felt the wave of deadly intent and stood out of reflex.
"Nope, your boyfriend gave me a run for my money. It got my blood pumping. You can fight, so fight," he said and lunged after her meeting her blade and matching her skills to his.
Kagome had gotten rusty, her movement was strained from disuse but it came back to her. Like reawakening from a long sleep, Kagome began to feel like her old self.
Sesshomaru spent the next day clearing each room of the riverside hotel to find the remaining enforcers. By the time they found them, Sesshomaru felt the deadening for his spirit. So much human filth was uncovered among their people he was beginning to expect the twisting of nausea as he opened one door after the other until he found them.
In return for killing his watchman, Sesshomaru butchered thirty. It was only fair though, as he had a household worth of goods and a displaced family to also think about.
Over the next several days they ravaged the turf of the spider gang. Then they returned to the headquarters. Their silence was met with cold unyielding eyes and he knew he must be a sight to behold. No one took their eyes from him for even a moment until he had sat behind the desk at the head of the room.
Koga brought him a handkerchief and he wiped his face and hands. The white cloth came back red. He would need to wash again to clear the blood but for now there was one more thing to take care of.
He seethed thinking that Kagura had escaped them after delivering his generals head. She would pay, along with her cowardly Boss. All of them would.
Sesshomaru heard the next man enter his domain. The inu were poised and he held his breath to see the remaining men enter the headquarters with a prisoner. Sesshomaru leaned forward to see who it was that they brought him. He smirked at their prize.
"Hinten," Sesshomaru said amused and the man paled under those killer eyes.
"I want to make a deal, I tell you what I know and I walk away," he pleaded and Sesshomaru barked out a hollow laugh.
"You think you are walking away? How cute," he stood and went to the man with some venom. "You have only two choices, either you die easily telling me what I want to know or you will be made an example of like the one from the organ harvesting lab. There will be no other way," he said and Hinten sucked in a breath.
Sesshomaru hadn't seen what Jakatsu and bonkatsu had done but he had heard through the men that they would be having nightmares for days from the sight.
"I can't just give up the Boss!" Hinten pleaded. Sesshomaru yawned and sat back in his chair bored. "I can be of some use though, but I can't do it if I'm dead. Can we make a deal?" He asked, trembling.
The men scoffed, booing, and Sesshomaru raised his hand to quiet them. He was amused, the man didn't know what hell he was facing either way.
"Boss, we found him with the others, he said he had some value and demanded to see you," a youthful face stepped forward. Sesshomaru didn't recognize him off hand but the others with him vouched for the information and so Sesshomaru pursed his lips.
"We will see how valuable he is then,"
Naraku felt his blood boil at the news he was given. His operations and their trade routes were all disrupted. He leaned on his crutch and felt the pure rage from the injury. "You will not walk away from that," he had said. Naraku felt sick recalling the men who grabbed him from the ground and had taken him to the one they called the doctor. He was neutral among the gangs, equipt to treat nearly any injury, and even then he had barely kept his leg and life.
Six weeks and two ungodly surgeries would have to heal him, but for now, his knee was useless. He seethed thinking about that Silver-haired inu. He hated that smug confidence and the possessiveness he had for Kagome. He recalled the incident, he had been fit to watch but as soon as he smelled the hint of a proposal he had lost his mind. He should have killed them rather than confronted them. It would have been easier to get rid of them both rather than entertain the war that had been heaped in his lap.
When he called the six arms of the spider they would come. For now, he would search for her. When he finally got her alone he would ask her one more time to return of her own will. If she resisted him, it would be the last thing she ever did. But he would ensure her compliance this time. "Myoga, we will go over this one more time, where are the family safehouses? Where is he hiding them?"
The man spit blood, "I don't remember," he said
Kagome felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on edge as her phone rang. She didn't recognize the number but there was only one person who had this contact.
"Kagome," she heard his voice through the receiver and smiled.
"Sesshomaru, I miss you, how are things going?" She asked and heard the hesitation before he answered.
"I have missed you as well, how is everyone?" He asked and she sighed.
"It's been hard to get Souta to do his homework but Inuyasha has been on his best behavior," she said and could hear the smile in his next words.
"That is good to hear, I worry about you all while I'm gone," he admitted and Kagome felt her heart squeeze. He didn't normally voice such things and she wondered what had happened.
"Well don't worry too much, Hiko has been here with us, he seems to think that he's needed here for some reason," she sighed and knew he had probably asked him to stay.
"Yes, well I am not disappointed." He said and she nodded.
"Are you coming home?" She asked and from the silence that greeted her, she knew her answer before he said anything.
"I can't," he said and she wanted to know why but knew better than to ask.
"Please tell me that you will soon," she said and he laughed hollowly through the receiver.
"I will not leave you much longer," his voice was warm, Kagome didn't want to let him go but these conversations had not lasted much more than a few minutes each and were often days apart. "I have to go now, I-" he said and he hesitated not knowing how to say what he wanted to.
"I love you too," she finished and heard the call disconnect. She sighed feeling a bit sad and tried to bury that feeling for the things she was doing there.
Kagome looked out into the yard and beckoned Hiko to start once more. Her helplessness turned to rage and she felt fire in her chest. Hiko challenged her, needing her complete concentration as they battled.
The boys watched them and Souta stood to cheer her on as she dodged a devastating blow to her front. Kagome was starting to feel like her old self. A few more days of training like this and she could resume the tournaments and skyrocket into the semi-professional circuits.
Or kill Naraku herself.
Kagome looked at the two boys who cheered her on from the sidelines. Souta stood, hands raised and he cheered on Hiko, who grinned.
"Hey Kagome it looks like I've won the crowd," Hiko said and Kagome scoffed.
"Well I'm making dinner so I better win or you'll be eating anchovy stew and riced vegetables," she said and Hiko stopped.
"Wait a minute!" He said and Kagome lunged, drawing her weapon across his chest and drawing a line across his dobak.
Sesshomaru hung up the phone and set it on his desk. The sound of her voice had soothed him after so much bloodshed. He missed her gentle kisses and arms that wrapped around him. He sighed remembering the last moments with her, and thinking it had been too long since he tasted her strawberry Chapstick.
Koga saw the look in his eyes. In all of the days since leaving the safehouse Sesshomaru had not given in to one ounce of selfishness. All of this was for the men and the shaky alliances he managed after the incident in the park.
When Inuyasha and Kagome were the thoughts that occupied his time the blackened rage of his friend was muted.
Sesshomaru pushed the phone aside as he let go of the warmth her voice had brought out in him and he thought about the next part of their search. The traitor Hinten had given the good information and had ensured the damnation of the spiders.
"It's been two weeks why don't you go home, I'll watch things here," Koga said and Sesshomaru looked up at him surprised.
"Why?" He asked and Koga blushed.
"You need a break, this campaign is pretty bleak, and you…. Well let's just say the men are trading stories," he said and Sesshomaru sighed.
"We have not uncovered his hiding place," he said and Koga agreed
"No, but it took us nearly three months to figure out his name, that man is a rat, we will keep working here. Go home, tonight," he said. Sesshomaru was happy to accept the suggestion, just the thought of it was making him feel a lot more generous.
"I will, but first, let's take care of the rat in the room," Sesshomaru stood from his desk and circled it to the trembling man strapped to the chair there. He had waited for his turn to speak with the boss like all of the others who claimed to have very valuable information for him.
"Please, spare my life," he said and Sesshomaru leaned down and made a single inquiry. All of these conversations started the same way, it was boring.
"Why should I?" He asked and watched the man look between him and Koga. His wheels were turning behind his eyes and Sesshomaru wondered what would come from the desperate man's mouth now.
"I have a daughter!" He said and began to cry bitterly. "Don't make her grow up an orphan!" He said and Sesshomaru furrowed his brows. That was new.
"Didn't we pull you from a trafficking operation? What about those daughters?" He asked and the man blanked, he hadn't expected that. " Now that I think of it, there were children among them too, weren't there Koga?" He asked
"Yes Boss," he replied and Sesshomaru smirked.
"I detest the trade of humans, and more than that, the people who trade them," he reached into the man's pocket and withdrew his wallet. He rifled through the small bills and found the folded picture in the back. He peered down at the photograph and showed it to Koga. "You know I did not build this empire, my great grandfather did, and crime is crime, we are not heroes here, but," he paused and refolded the paper and stuffed it into the man's shirt pocket. "The inu do not cross the line between violence and deviancy, do we Koga?"
"Nope, we don't pimp or purchase," he said and Sesshomaru nodded.
"So why would scum like you deserve to live?" He asked and the man looked around
"I can help you, I'm not like the others," he pleaded and Sesshomaru scoffed.
"Koga, I'm bored of this one, I'll let you do whatever you want with him," he said and left the room.
"Alright boss, you know how much I hate pedophiles," he said and the steel door closed as Koga's first punch connected.
Sesshomaru walked through the ranks of men. Their normal activities filled the space as they tried to forget about the things they had done that day. Each of them turned to look at him as he made his way to the back of the room. Their fear filled his nostrils, Koga was right, the aura of prey was everywhere in the room.
"Hakkaku, I need the keys for vehicle 6,' he said and the man stood nervously and left to get them.
"Ah, here you go, Boss!' he said cheerfully. Ginta was beside him and they both watched him carefully as he took the keys and went to the garage. "Where's he going?" He whispered.
"Do you really want to know?" Ginta asked.
"Yeah you're right, he's probably going somewhere really scary,"
Inuyasha chased Souta through the trees. The game had evolved from a game of samurai and demons to a more modern game called the Demon and the Jewel Keeper. Souta played the jewel keeper and Inuyasha looked for it through the subtle underbrush.
"Come on Inuyasha!" Souta goaded him and Inuyasha narrowed his eyes to observe his surroundings.
"I give up, where did you hide it?" He asked and Souta scoffed.
"This is our pretend house, if this is the kitchen then you have to go into one of the bedrooms," he crossed his arms and Inuyasha groaned.
"Why can't we just play a normal game?" He asked and Souta sighed.
"It's important, you have to remember everything," he said and Inuyasha noticed the hint of desperation that tainted his confidence.
"Oh, alright, but can I have a clue? You promised if it took more than ten minutes you would give me a hint," he complained.
Alright, I'll tell you again. But you have to remember it this time," he said and he walked through the hand-drawn floor plan in the dirt. He started at the front door and walked into the main home. "Living room, look through the window. See the old cedar with sutras hanging from it. You have to look at it from the side or you'll miss it." He explained and Inuyasha followed him.
"And it's always going to be the same directions? You're not just making up these rules, so you win, are you?" He asked and Souta shook his head emphatically.
"Always the same," he said and Inuyasha nodded.
"Okay. I'll cover my eyes and spin around one more time but this is the last time and then we are playing something else!" He said and Souta agreed.
Hiko watched the boys through the open sliders. They looked like they were having fun, their game was strange, but he didn't pretend to understand children. Kagome worked in the front yard hands deep in dirt and grass, trying for everything she had to make a small garden. She had worked entirely too hard to find flowers within the forest and had been determined to keep them alive. He didn't care so long as she wasn't moping around.
She looked up at him. Knowing he was watching her and he turned away.
"Are you just going to watch or are you going to help me?" She asked and Hiko scoffed but came over to where she was. He settled on the ground next to her and grabbed a small bulb attached to a small stem.
"Your aunt used to make me help her in the garden too," he said and she looked up.
"It's been a while since Aunt Kikyo was around," she said and he nodded with a sigh.
"Yes, it has, but you know her, she always had to do things on her own, which is why we never worked," he said, planting one more bulb next to the other.
Kagome settled back, stretching her arms and shoulders as she sat back into her feet and whipped the sweat from her brow.
"Yes, Mom said I look just like her. I don't know anymore, it's been too long," she said and he nodded.
"You do," he said and she saw the wistful look in his eyes.
"Uncle, you need to call her," she said and he shook his head.
'I made my bed, I'm content to sleep in it," he said and she laughed.
"The dog house?" She questioned him and he shrugged.
"You have no room to talk!" He said and she smiled but knew he was right.
"We haven't spent this much time together since I was a child. It's strange seeing you here. Why did you decide to stay?" She asked and Hiko looked at her then. He pretended to be occupied with a small flower.
"Well, I sensed something. It's strange but I have this feeling that I need to be here, for you and Souta, and I didn't know it before but Inuyasha too." He said and she nodded.
"It's been pretty crazy since my parents died, I used all of your tricks to keep him off of our trail but he always found us," she said and hugged herself.
"Yeah, who would think that sweet kid could be so twisted and after….. oh well that is ancient history. What is done is done," he said and Kagome wondered what he would say as they finished planting the last of the flowers.
"Yeah, well I can't think about that, all I can do now is prepare dinner and work around this old house." She sighed and stood offering Hiko a hand as she did.
He waved it away and stood.
Kagome let the steam of her bath clear away the worries she felt from that day. The workshed done in the garden and around the house caught up with her as she sank into the water. The boys had gone before her, splashing the floor and leaving the soap and sponges lying out for her to clean before she could settle.
Taking a breath she closed her eyes and relaxed into the water. She had an odd feeling as she did. Sensing something altogether frightening she sat up quickly and rinsed off before grabbing her towel.
Tucking it into itself she went out from the baths and to the corridor. Her wet feet left behind prints as she walked and turned into the place where she felt the energy. She was shocked to find the door to her room slightly open. She took a breath and went in.
"Sesshomaru, I wasn't expecting you," she said and he turned to take in the sight of her. He looked down at the towel and then back up to her face. She blushed and gripped the towel a little tighter."I thought I heard something," she explained. He did not move from where he was standing.
His hands were hidden, eyes shadowed and he seemed almost listless as he watched her. She shut the slider behind her and went to him. Raising her hand to his face and cupping his cheek. "I'm glad you're home," she said, leaning up to kiss his lips.
He caught the kiss as if it belonged to someone else, briefly letting their lips touch before stepping back. "Kagome, I needed to see you," he said and she stepped forward to catch his hand and pull him to the bed where he sat down beside her. Kagome didn't expect him to lean to her lap and put his head down on her thighs. His hands grasped hers and he was silent.
"What happened?" She asked and the shadows deepened before she spoke again.
"Too much," he replied and let go of another breath.
"Do the boys know that you're here?" She asked and he shook his head.
"Only you. I need to clear my mind before I see them," he said and she felt the weight of his words and brushed his hair back from his eyes. The motion was one she knew soothed him and let her fingers grasp the silver strands.
Sesshomaru sighed and relished the feel of her warmth. When he closed his eyes he could see all of the people he'd killed and knew that for several weeks his mind would find them again and again.
His aura was dark, almost palpable in the room and Kagome stamped down every instinct she had to flee from him. The shadows in his eyes told her what he'd done, all of the souls he'd claimed, and she felt the effect it had on him.
"Kagome what is going on I feel the aura of a-" Hiko came in and Sesshomaru sat up to lock eyes on the older man. Hiko stopped in his tracks feeling the deadly aura and he stepped back from the room. "Oh," he said and slid the door closed again. She didn't miss the subtle glance towards her and his pink cheeks when he realized she was only in a towel.
Kagome shook her head at the interruption and saw the stark anger written on Sesshomaru's face. The rage that lit through him at the interruption caused the black aura to spike and she felt her breath catch. He stood as if he'd been burned and moved to walk from the room. "Wait!" she said and he hesitated. She crossed the room and embraced him. "I missed you, won't you stay a while?" she asked and he let go of the breath he was holding and nodded gratefully.
"Kagome, I-" he stopped and she nodded.
"You don't have to say anything, I was just getting ready for bed, why don't we just rest a while?" she suggested and he nodded and went back to the bed to sit while she went to the small dresser. She found her nightgown and pulled a thin robe from the wardrobe before returning to the bed where he was.
"You seem at home," he said
"Yeah the first week was pretty hard, I missed going to school and work, but I've been trying to take a break so that when I do go back I can really focus on improving," she said, feeling his eyes on her as she turned to the nightstand and clicked on the light.
When the room was lit she could see that he hadn't been sleeping. The shadows under his eyes were deeper than they'd ever been. She went to where he was sitting and made him rest again with his head propped on her thighs.
Sesshomaru didn't need to say what he was feeling. She seemed to understand and react with exactly what was needed at that moment. Her hands feathered through his hair and he felt the tension in his shoulders relax. It was a long time before he could speak. This wasn't how he wanted to spend this time. But Koga was right, the men were starting to fear him, and the things he had to do to get this far were starting to scare him. Not for the stark fear that used to stop him at the thought, but for the ease with which he did them.
"How long are you going to stay?" she asked and he looked up at her then.
"Not for too long but Koga suggested I take a break, the men are beginning to fear me," he said and she didn't doubt it.
"I see," she said and he saw the small smile that formed on her lips.
"You're not disappointed?" he asked and she shook her head.
" I told you, do what you need to do and I will still be here. I mean it," she said and he sat up enough to kiss her lips and she sighed feeling the familiar warmth. She grasped his face and held him to her before he moved into a sitting position. The need to possess her was stronger than he anticipated. Grasping a handful of her hair at the base of her neck, Sesshomaru delved into the pleasure of her affection for him.
She gasped as he grasped her tighter to him and needed more. Her lips moved against his stark desire as he pressed her down to the mattress. His tongue caressed her bottom lip and was granted access with a small breath. It was automatic he moved his tongue as if it were his body within hers and felt her hands grasp the front of his shirt.
"Sesshomaru, I need you," she said and he was on her. Pressing her shoulders to the futon he parted the robe and found her heaving chest under his examination.
Kagome laughed when his hands came up to her breasts, his face pressed into them as if it were the last time and he pulled her firmly against his. She gasped. " Sesshomaru," she said. She recognized this action, one that had been repeated many times throughout their time together.
Sesshomaru felt himself react to the excitement of her body. Hands gripping her thighs she felt him hard against her through the fabric of his slacks. When he was over her he looked down at a thin nightgown and gripped the hem as he got rid of his slacks and button-up shirt. He was bare, ready, and wanted to forget about the things that had happened during his time away.
"I missed you," he said and she knew that he meant it. Sesshomaru moved from her collarbone to her stomach dragging his lips along her skin until she gripped his hair in fistfuls. Gripping her thighs and pulling them apart, he could do nothing but taste her. Kagome jerked at the first contact and bit her he continued.
Sucking on her bud of pleasure he felt it when she began to move against him. Plunging one finger into her he heard her take in a sharp breath. Unbuttoning His slacks he gripped his erect member to ease the growing need he experienced. Her small cries fueled him and when she came he moved up to take her mouth with his and entered her at the same time.
Kagome gasped, feeling the thick member enter her. When he was fully seated inside she closed her eyes to gather herself. He could not wait any longer and pulled back to enter her once more. Her nails grasped his shoulders, his lips and tongue moved against hers as she came into the first orgasm.
When her orgasm lit through her he lost some of his restraint. Kagome felt the change in him as he grasped her hips, and bared down for his release. He needed her, needed this to forget all of the blood he had shed. Her light was addicting, her small gasps and moans went right to his head and he could not hold back anymore.
When she came again he moved her to her stomach, raising her hips to meet him when he entered her again and she could not hold back the sound of pleasure. He moved to his knees grasping her bottom and touching her back before he entered her.
Kagome reached back to hold the hand that grasped her waist when he passed the point he normally stopped and entered her cervix. Kagome gasped and orgasmed once more. Sesshomaru closed his eyes to enjoy this feeling. He knew he was close, but tried to hold back the release as he pulled back and entered her depths once more.
"Ah, Sesshomaru," she gasped and he saw her fist the sheet. Her toes curled and he felt her release once more.
"I'm cumming," he said, moving into her and flattening her to the mattress with the force of his need when he stilled for his release. Sesshomaru did not mean to cum inside her, he hadn't thought about it, but there was no feeling like this, and she was his. When he was spent he let himself settle next to her, his hands caressed her side and hip, pulling her to his chest to hold her against him.
"I missed you," she said, putting her arms around him and kissing him deeply before letting her head rest on his arm.
"You are my reprieve, my soul," he said.
Kagome smiled. "I love you too,"
Sesshomaru did not let her leave their bed for several hours into the next day. He could not let her go, even when they heard the running footsteps of the boys and heard Hiko yelling at them to settle down, he ignored it.
She was beneath him once more her addictive sounds and the feel of her body were bringing him back from the darkness, when he entered her she grasped him biting down on his shoulder and opening for him to take what he needed. And when he came again she closed her eyes. "You're going to get me pregnant," she said and he looked into her eyes, they were warm, satisfaction dripped from her and he reached down to press it back inside.
"I could think of worse things," he said, letting himself smile softly at the thought. He had never considered children, Inuyasha had been enough, but the idea that he would sire an heir did not displease him.
Kagome smiled and leaned up to kiss him again before she sat up and leaned over him. She took in the sight of his granite chest and the tattoos she loved. Her lips fell to his jawline and moved down his neck and shoulders. "I could too," she was muffled, between kisses and he felt the immediate response from the gentle press of her mouth in his chest and stomach. He grasped a handful of her hair, feeling the tension building and she laughed against him. He felt her breath and groaned. She had not done this for him. She grasped his hardened member in hand as she kissed his hip and navel.
Pumping slowly she felt his eyes on her as she moved downward to take him in her mouth. He restrained himself from moving as she worked the tip with her tongue. He was amazed at the gentle way she elicited pleasure from him, each movement brought him closer to his limit and when he was about to cum again she raised herself to take him inside her.
"Kagome," he came hard, grasping her hips and letting her ride out the cascading release.
"Boy or girl?" She asked playfully and he shook his head.
"I don't care," he said.
Souta and Inuyasha heard disturbing things from the room where Kagome slept. They gave the place a wide berth and knew better than to investigate. Hiko stayed with them, keeping a good distance and ignoring anything he heard. His face was crimson, the demon of a man had not emerged, but he could feel the black energy as if it were a miasma.
He looked up at the sun and knew it was going to be another cold day. The winter was coming fast, the leaves were gone on all of the greenery and he felt the distinct chill of snow. "When is Kagome getting up? I'm so hungry," Souta complained again.
"Mind your own business," he said to him again and Souta wilted.
"My brother is back, it could be days," Inuyasha said and Hiko eyed him.
"What do you know about that," he questioned him and the boy shrugged.
"When he comes home after being away for a long time he usually stays in his office for a few days to calm down. Since Kagome is here they are probably talking or something," he said and Hiko nodded.
"Yeah, let's stick with that," he said and was surprised when the door slid open and Sesshomaru emerged. The dim eyes stare had faded and he seemed almost his normal self. Inuyasha stood and ran to the man to hug him.
"Brother!" He said, and Sesshomaru brought his hand to the boy's head and patted him affectionately. Kagome stepped out from behind him and Hiko could tell she was a little flushed. He hid his smirk and watched the interaction. "Hiko was making us play Othello, he's winning but this is the seventh game and I'm bored," he said and Sesshomaru looked over to the man and nodded.
"Thank you for watching them," he said and Hiko nodded.
Kagome went to the baths before getting started on breakfast, she felt Sesshomaru watching her, his heated eyes never left her but he seemed finally to be himself again. The dark energy had faded and his eyes no longer held the shadows of his work, but he would leave again and the shadows would come back.
Kagome bit her lip thinking about that. She hated seeing him suffer so much because of vengeance, this was supposed to be her problem, not his.
She looked up at him watching her from the porch and took the soup pot from the stove before going to him.
"I want to go with you," she said and he shook his head.
"Absolutely not," he said and she knew he would not budge.
"Are you still looking for Onigumo?" She asked and he nodded.
"That has been my priority," he said and she sat down beside him.
"I know where he hides, let me come with you," she said and saw his frown.
"I can't risk you getting hurt," he took her hands and kissed them. "Especially if we are growing our family," he whispered and she blushed.
"Yeah, well our family will never be safe so long as he is out there. I don't want to let you go back, whatever you are doing to find him is not good for you, it's killing you," she said.
Sesshomaru was surprised by her words, taking her with him when he stood he kissed her deeply and was grateful for her. "I have survived this long,"
"But how much more, and at what cost?" she said and he felt her eyes looking into his soul.
"All of this was bought with our souls, my family has always done this," he said and she gestured towards where the boys were playing in the yard.
"Don't you want to be happy? Like your father found his happiness?" she was serious, wanted to make him understand and he considered it.
"Yes, you are my happiness," he said and she shook her head.
"I cannot be all of your happiness, you need to do what is best for you. And I need the same, so let me come with you and we will kill Naraku and be done with vengeance," she said