Chapter 9: "You will not win"

I brushed stray hairs away from her face. I always enjoyed watching her sleep. She was the epitome of beauty. I could not get enough of her. Our conversation lingered in my mind. Losing her was the last thing that I wanted to think about. Much less at all. I kissed her lips softly, waking her. Her eyes opened slowly. She smiled up at me.

"Good morning." She said,

"Good morning my love."

A slight blush spread across her cheeks.

"Did I sleep the night away again?"

"Hn. It is morning now."

She curled up, moving closer to me.

"You have to stop doing this to me Sesshomaru."

I smirked. "Pleasing you? Now, why would I ever do such a thing?"

A blush spread across her cheeks.

"Maybe we could go into town today. Some fresh air would be nice. Hopefully, the rain will stop." she said ignoring what I'd said.

Before I could let her know that would not be possible. Thunder roared causing her to jump, and multiple flashes of lighting followed. She turned to look out the window.

"The skies are so gray. It looks as though it could be closed today. Has it been like this since the night before?" she asked.

I nodded. "I have not seen a storm as ferocious as this. Only when…"

I trailed off as the realization slowly hit me. I quickly rose from the bed, rushing over to the window.

"Sesshomaru, what is wrong?"

My eyes scanned for him. Lighting struck the very top of the hill. It was no normal lightning. I would recognize it anywhere. He was calling me. The lightning struck the same spot, much more fiercely this time. He was growing impatient. I clenched my jaw, dressing in my robes.

"Kagome, wait for me. I will be right back. I promise you." I told her before jumping out of the window.

I made my way to the hill. He was there waiting for me. His back turned to me. He had found me. Meaning he had found Kagome. That was a problem. I stopped a few feet away from him.

"Zeus," I said.

He turned to me. A small smile on his face.

"Ares."

"Do not call me that."

He seemed surprised. "What should I call you if not your name?"

"I am Sesshomaru."

"Hmm. A fitting name for one such as yourself. Did she give it to you?"

I said nothing.

"You have been spending quite some time here."

"My whereabouts have never been any of your concern."

He scowled. "That is because you have always come home."

"That palace has never been my home. Why are you here?"

He sighed. "She is a mortal woman, boy. Mortals are our playthings. They are meant to be enjoyed, then you move on. That is why they die so quickly. You do not spend all of your time with one. No matter how beautiful she may be. You are a God and these mortals are beneath you. They are here to serve us in whichever way we see fit."

"I am different from the rest of you lot. I am very capable of making my own decisions. I am no child. You have no control over me."

He took a step forward. "Watch your tongue. I am your father; your ruler. I will order you as I see fit and you will listen."

"I will do no such thing. My place is with her. She is my home."

I could see the anger in his eyes.

"You abandon your home and your duty-"

"My duty? Surely you do not mean Aphrodite?"

"She is meant to be your wife and bear your sons!"

"Never in any world will she and I ever be together. If you wish for her to marry this much, you can have her."

I watched him relax. "No, I will not have her, but I will have your little mortal. You need to be taught a lesson. I will savor her night after night, and she will scream my name until she no longer wants to be in your presence. I need to see just how sweet she is to have you acting like such a fool. I will take her from you. Mortals are fickle, Ares. When something better comes along, they abandon their lesser things. "

His words did not anger me. Kagome would not fall for his schemes. She was better than that.

"She will not go to you."

"You seem so adamant in your words."

"She has chosen me over her half. She would not choose the likes of you."

"Then that makes the challenge that much sweeter. You will thank me for this."

With that, he was gone. Taking the storm with him.

Sesshomaru had been behaving strangely since early this morning. He hadn't spoken much and he kept his distance as well. When I asked if anything was bothering him. He would just give me a small smile and tell me not to worry. Then, go back to staring out the window, at the hill in the clearing. I went over to him. I kneeled beside him, resting my chin on his shoulder. I brushed his hair back out of his face, tucking it behind his ear.

"What is wrong, my love?"

I could see the hesitation on his face.

"Perhaps I am just tired."

He was lying to me. I could tell. I swallowed hard.

"Well, alright. I will head into town and grab a few things. I will cook you something that will make your melancholy go away."

"That is not necessary. Do not go out of your way."

I kissed his lips softly.

"I want to do this for you. Wait for me."

I made my way downstairs, grabbed the pouch of coins, and made my way out. He did not want to tell me the truth now, but in time he would and I would wait. He needed some time to himself for a bit. Thankfully the walk to town was not long, since we lived close by. There were many people in town today. Meaning, there were plenty of merchants to buy from, but something familiar caught my eye. A head of silver hair. Had Sesshomaru followed me after all? I moved through the crowd of people quickly trying to get to them. The closer I got, the further away they moved. I would not give up easily. I have chased them to the other side of the town.

"Wait!"

The man had finally turned towards me. It was not Sesshomaru after all. Though he did look similar to him. Perhaps they were related in some way. He came over to me.

"Forgive me. I have mistaken you for someone else."

He smiled. "It is quite alright. I do not mind a beautiful woman such as yourself chasing after me. It is quite the compliment."

"I see… Well, good day to you sir."

I quickly turned on my heels, but he stood in front of me.

"What is the rush? I would like to spend time with you. Speak to you and know you. As well as… bask in your beauty."

"No thank you. Someone is waiting for me. He basks in my beauty plenty. Excuse me."

He blocked my path. "He cannot be more pleasing than I am to the eye."

I was beginning to get frustrated.

"I would have you know he is. The most beautiful man I have ever laid eyes on."

He scoffed. "You sound so sure."

"I am."

"I could touch you in ways that he cannot-"

I put my hand up, cutting him off.

"I will not have you, bad mouth the man that I love. I will let you know that not only is he more physically pleasing, but he has touched me in many ways! In ways that I could not have ever imagined, and I hope he continues to do so. Not only that, but during our first meeting I enjoyed his pleasant company, unlike you. You are a brute. You can take your cheap tricks somewhere else. I would never have anything to do with the likes of you."

He seemed shocked that I had told him off the way I did. I had said some embarrassing things, but I did not care. I would not allow him to speak about Sesshomaru that way. His shock faded into a slick smile. He took a few steps towards me. Stopping a few inches away from me.

"You may not want anything to do with me, but you seem to be very entangled with my son. If he makes you feel that way. Imagine what I could do for you… to you. Everything he is came from me."

My eyes went wide. His son? Sesshomaru is his son. That meant that this was… Zeus. It all made sense now; why I thought he seemed so familiar. He stuck a finger under my chin, tilting my head upward. I hated the feeling of him touching me.

"I can show you things. Things that he cannot. The ways he touches you are nothing compared to the things I am capable of."

I tried to back away, but he had a hold on my wrist.

A wicked grin sat on his lips.

"There is nothing special about that boy. I am better in every way."

It sounded as if he was trying to convince himself more than he was me.

"You couldn't even dream of being better than him. What father does this? Tries to compete with his son. As if you are threatened by him."

His hold tightened on my wrist.

"He is a killer!" he yelled.

"YOU MADE HIM THAT WAY!" I screamed back.

He had not expected me to speak to him that way. While he was stunned, I took my chance to snatch my hand away from him. I was shaking. My throat felt raw from screaming.

His eyes darkened. "You think the world of him. You should not. I know him in a way that you do not. In ways that you never will."

I balled up my fists. "That man is incredible in every single way. You are pompous, and do nothing but use women however you see fit. Whereas he is kind, thoughtful, sweet, and caring. That man is my safe place. The sky could be full of stars and I would still only have eyes for him. He is perfect to me; for me. He can see right through me. He knows me better than I know myself. I have cast aside my other half for him and I would do it time and time again. He is all that I can think about day and night. When I am away from him, I am lonely. As if a piece of me is missing. My heart is so full of him, I could hardly call it my own. There are no words perfect enough to describe how much he means to me, but I will spend the rest of my life trying. I love him and I will continue to do so until the end of my days. I would choose him and love him in every lifetime. You will never be better than him. Not to me."

He dropped his hands, backing away from me. A blank stare in his eyes.

"Kagome."

My head snapped in the direction of the voice.

"Sesshomaru!" I yelled running over to him.

I threw myself into his arms, glaring over my shoulder at his father.

"I told you she would not fall for your cheap tricks Zeus."

"Father." he corrected. "This will not work. One day she will grow old, and she will die, and there will be nothing you can do to save her. Then you will be alone once more. You will have no choice but to return home Ares; and when you do. I will be waiting to pick up the pieces that she has left behind."

With that, he disappeared. Sesshomaru cupped my cheeks, making me look up at him.

"Are you alright?"

I held back my tears. He kissed my forehead.

"Do not cry, my love. I am sorry that I let that happen, but I needed him to see. To understand that you are not like other mortals. That you would not fall for his empty words."

"I only chased after him, because I thought he was you."

He kissed my forehead. "It is alright. Come, let us go home."