Summary: Gojo felt like he was staring at a ghost. Kagome was declared dead 10 years ago when a mission she was on went awry, yet there was no mistaking her. As if she existed to bend the rules of the Jujutsu Society, her manipulation of the Shikon no Tama was unheard of. She was the first and the only one to control the Four Domains of the Jewel.
Pairing: Satoru Gojo/Kagome Higurashi
Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.
Chapter One
It was clear in the way she carried herself that she was aggravated by something. Her stiff movements and her stoic expression did little to hide what she felt on the inside. Once an open book, always an open book surely. The sun had just reached its peak in the sky, the large branches of the Goshinboku tree blocking out its harsh rays.
There was a curtain that existed over the shrine. It served well to block out her aura or any other life that might be present. It was powerful, made by her own energy. Despite that, she was able to alter it to keep it from calling attention. Her unique signature could not be detected. It was a difficult skill most never dreamed to accomplish, yet she'd mastered it with ease. Even keeping it up without a break was child's play for her.
"What's bothering you?"
The question took her by surprise. It was clear she hadn't clued into the fact that he'd noticed her soured mood. The surprise soon faded from her face as she crossed her arms across her chest.
"It's the fifteenth, isn't it?" Kagome asked. It was a question she already knew the answer to, but he nodded either way.
"Ah," Sesshomaru responded with a low hum, closing his eyes as he folded his arms across his chest to mirror her stance. "This marks ten years, does it not?"
Kagome nodded, her ire still burning vibrantly in her scent.
Ten years.
It was ten years ago that those bastards tried to kill her.
Well, to be fair, in their eyes, they had succeeded. It was thanks to Sesshomaru's intervention that she'd survived. He'd caught whiff of her blood and managed to track her down before her soul was too far gone.
"This is nothing personal against you, Higurashi-san."
The pain in her abdomen only grew worse as her arm was soon covered in the crimson that leaked from the wound there. She lifted her gaze to the figures that had managed to corner her. They had been chosen- hand-picked- to go on this mission with her.
She bit back a frustrated groan. Something about them when she met them that morning felt strange, but she'd managed to convince herself that she was just paranoid. She should've trusted her instincts.
"There is no other choice. Not when that cursed object is a part of you."
"Is that so?" she asked. She winced as she pulled her arm away from her wound. She couldn't heal it. That'd been what she tried first, but something seemed to impact that ability. "I'm not so sure," she stated. "I can think of a few other decisions that could've been made here."
"It's not our right to make any executive decisions. Find peace and die with the curse you bear. It's the least you can do for bringing it back around."
Her eyes narrowed in frustration. As if she'd willingly taken on such a thing. Her heart was like lead in her chest. Even though she tried to remain on her feet, her balance soon ended up slipping from her grasp. She fell back, hitting the ground when she'd lost too much blood.
Her body felt cold, but from within her chest, the jewel felt scorching.
…
"Kagome."
A familiar voice reached her ears, dragging her mind from the fog that was unconsciousness. For the first time in her whole life, she was aware of each breath she took, of each thump of her heart. Her eyelids felt heavy, but she was soon able to open them. When she did, she found herself looking into a pair of golden eyes.
Surprise flowed through her, but then the memory of what happened came barreling back to the front of her mind. Anger flashed through her eyes as she sat up, her eyes going down to examine her appearance. Blood still stained her clothes, the tears in the fabric acting as glaring evidence. The wound had healed, but the scar would remain.
"Those…-" The words she felt burning a hole in her tone wouldn't quite form properly. She had a lot she wished to say, but it all got tangled up together as her hand curled into a taut fist. She soon lifted her gaze, her stare landing back on the ever-emotionless expression of Sesshomaru. "You… saved me?" It came out as a question, but not in the sense that she doubted he'd do such a thing. But that he'd managed to.
He nodded, eyes narrowing. "Who?"
She didn't miss the anger that flashed through his eyes. Kagome was quiet for a moment, pushing herself back onto her feet as she slowly felt her senses resurfacing.
It didn't matter. Ignoring the tears in her eyes, she looked at him.
"I can't stay here," she murmured. If the elders realized the execution hadn't been carried out properly, then more would only come. While she wanted to stroll back onto the school campus and act as though nothing had happened, she knew it'd only bring her more trouble and grief. "I won't stop you from killing them if you want, but first… I can't be here."
She'd left alongside him before anyone could get a feel for her aura. Briefly, in the back of her mind, she wondered if anyone had ever gone to try and retrieve her body after the fact…
"It's so strange to be back home after so long," she mused, her hand unfurling and coming up to rest over her heart. She felt the thrum of the jewel just below her skin. It was a constant reminder, but she had adapted rather well to it.
She'd grown stronger, becoming far worse than what they thought possible, surely. If they'd wanted her dead for merely being associated with the jewel, then she couldn't imagine how much they'd loathe her state now that she was so heavily combined with it.
Her expression softened as she sighed.
"I want to do some sightseeing tonight." It was such a random decision to make, but after ten years, all she wanted was to enjoy the familiar sights. She'd been away from Japan for so long, after all. "There used to be this really nice bakery I liked when I was a teenager," she mused softly, her gaze softening in fondness for the recollection. "I wonder if it's still in business…"
"If that's what you want, then we'll go."
Kagome smiled at his approval. It felt like they were akin to family now, so she wasn't surprised when he relented to going with her. "Yay!" She clasped her hands together beside her head, her smile brightening. "You're seriously the best, you know."
"Hn."
If her words made him happy, he certainly didn't show it. In the same boat, he wasn't annoyed by it, either.
000
"Oh, hey!" Her eyes lit up, her hand reaching to grip him by his wrist. He didn't react other than glancing down at her. He saw what she pointed to, glancing towards it. "It's still as popular as ever!"
It was a cute bakery with a very pink theme. There were plenty of patrons inside, with a few more seated at the outdoor tables.
"They have really good teas and coffees, too," she stated, looking up at him. "You're not too keen on sweets, but I figured you'd find something to like here, too."
He was given every chance to decline the invitation, yet it never came. He didn't tug his wrist away, instead matching her pace as she started towards it.
"We can order and then come outside since it might be too loud inside to sit…" she murmured softly, giving thought to his heightened senses.
The door opened as soon as she reached for it. She pulled her hand back as she took a step back, offering room for whoever it was to leave. A few seconds passed when she felt a stare bore into her. Confused by the reaction, she glanced up, but when she did, she found herself looking at a familiar face.
Dark sunglasses rested on the bridge of his nose, even long after the sun had gone down. Beyond those dark glasses, vibrant blue eyes could be seen. For a moment, it felt as though she'd stumbled back ten years all over again.
"So this is your favorite place, huh, Mochi-chan?"
An arm went around her shoulders as she was tugged to the side. Beside her, her white-haired classmate leaned down some to be closer to her height. She hadn't expected to run into him there, of all places. She'd gone to catch up with middle school friends, but she'd been the last of them all to leave.
"Yeah, it is," Kagome responded with a faint sigh. She'd swat him away, but it'd do very little to get him to leave her be. "I used to come here all the time with friends before everything went to hell."
"Yeah, that so?" Gojo hummed, his tone contemplative. "Well, don't you think it's only fair to go with me one day?" he asked. "Show me your favorites, why don't you?"
Kagome sighed and shook her head, tilting her head to the side as she leaned against him. "Yeah, why not?" she mused softly. Truthfully, she didn't mind the idea of it all that much. "Next time we both have free time, let's go."
It was unfortunate that such a thing never got to happen. Not even two weeks later, she was sent on her execution disguised as a mission. She held her silence for a long while, feeling as Sesshomaru observed her, looking for any negative shift in her expression.
"Kagome."
It was her name that came from him, not the nickname he'd often stuck to back then. Her expression softened as she nodded, glancing at the ground.
"Ah, yeah…" she murmured, lifting a hand to tuck a lock of hair back behind her ear. "Long time no see, huh, Satoru?"
The first time she was out on Japan's streets in ten years, and she managed to cross paths with someone who knew her. She'd been blocking her aura and anything that could be traced back to her, and yet…
Fate really seemed to be against her.
Auroua-chan: Ending this chapter here.
Kagome and Sesshomaru have a relationship closer to family at this point. Not that Gojo knows that. Sesshomaru's rather pretty himself, so there's bound to be a bit of jealousy until Gojo pieces it together.
Anyway, that's it for now! Thank you all for reading and I hope you all enjoyed. Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting, but if not sorry.
Please remember to Review, Favorite, and Follow, thank you!
Bye for now~