Summary: The hope of someone taking her hand was nothing more than a fleeting dream. Kagome was tired of shouldering burdens that weren't hers, but it's what the world needed from her. Chosen to be much more than she ever wanted, all she could do was face each new battle with a fearless smile. She'd be the sacrifice to spare the others of that fate. That's what heroes did, right?

Pairing: SessKag

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

Chapter Two

It'd been months. Months since she had left her home and all the familiar faces that belonged there behind. Nothing but short letters had been exchanged between her and her mother. All other contact with that part of her life had been severed at the nape, cut off for the comforting embrace of a safety wall for them.

Despite the initial dread she'd felt at having to say goodbye to it all with a more permanent mentality in place, being gone hadn't been all that bad once she'd grown accustomed to her new surroundings. Every once in a while, or perhaps far more than she'd allow herself to admit to, she thought of her friends and wondered how things had been for them. She never let herself ask, but it didn't stop her from wondering.

Especially when it came to Izuku. Her mother mentioned in a few letters that he came around every once in a while still asking about her, and her mother always offered what little updates she could.

Even wondering about him now, a conversation from what felt like forever ago burned in the back of her mind. Resting her chin in her palm as she leaned her weight against the ornate railing overlooking the calm waters below, she found herself entertaining those thoughts and that memory far more than she had before.

"You know, Quirkless or not, that shouldn't stop you from pursuing the fate you want for yourself." Held in her had was a handkerchief that her mother had put in with her things earlier that week. Kagome found herself making ideal use of it at that moment as she pressed it to her green-haired friend's face. The complicated aura lingering around him made her smile draw tight as she tried to keep the mood light.

"You're the only one who seems to think that way," Midoriya responded, flinching faintly when she applied a bit more pressure.

"Well, what does it matter?" she countered, pulling her hand away and setting it on her hip. The question took him by surprise. "People are gonna think and say whatever they want, but none of it matters if you stick to your resolve."

So much attention to the scrutiny cast by others never did any good.

"Whether its someone mocking you, or even if its someone believing in you, it doesn't do you any good if you cling so tightly to it," she murmured, turning to sit on the bench behind her. She sighed and leaned back, tilting her head up to look at the sky. "It doesn't matter if you don't believe in yourself, you know."

"Believe in myself?"

She merely nodded in response to his softly uttered question. He soon sat down on the bench beside her as a silence fell to hang between them. She could tell he was thinking closely on her words, and she refrained from breaking his concentration.

"Kagome…?"

The sound of her name being called caught her attention, and she glanced at him. "Hm?"

"You're the only person who doesn't see anything wrong with the fact that I'm Quirkless," Midoriya stated. "You never ask questions or speculate, or even try to steer me on a different path." He paused for a few seconds after saying those words. Kagome didn't say anything as she resumed cloud-watching. "Why?"

She didn't offer a response at first as she sat there, merely gauging the shift she'd felt in his aura. After a while, she sighed and shrugged.

"Because you're you," she stated, tucking a lock of hair back behind her ear. "You've never given me a reason to see you as anything less, so why should I?" She didn't pause to give thought to what impact those words might have on him. A second later, she shrugged, a small smile painting her face. "My father was a lot like you," she said, only to pause and sigh. "Well, I guess that doesn't mean much. It's not like I know him particularly well or anything," she stated. "But… I know he was also born Quirkless."

The door opening behind her caught her attention, and Kagome swiftly turned to face the familiar figure that's come to join her. She leaned against the railing as she pushed all prior thoughts away.

"You seem set on attending that school," Sesshomaru remarked. At the mention, the smile on her face grew a bit softer as she nodded.

"Well, yeah," she admitted with a faint sigh. "After all," she mused softly, "it's only the top school around," she stated. "Who wouldn't want to? Anyway…" she trailed off, her gaze straying to the ground at her feet. "I think it's important for me to connect with my roots."

She couldn't help but want to go. After all, it was the same school her father had attended. There was no shame in wanting to be closer to that side of her, was there? Whether she knew him or not, it didn't matter. He'd taken the path he felt was the best, and so would she.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes, but she could tell by the faint furrowed brow that he was annoyed by it all, and she had to stifle a laugh. "It all pales in comparison to what you stand to learn from me."

Kagome rolled her eyes and pushed her weight up from the railing. She stepped from the balcony and back into the room. The interior was comparable to that of a castle- ornate and fancy, but not in a flashy style. There were plenty of deep blues and rich crimsons paired with a silver palate. She expected nothing less from the demon in front of her, after all. Just as it was all hidden away from the expanse of humanity on a lush isle. Human life was sparse there with her being the prime example.

"Careful," Kagome hummed as she walked by him. "Keep that up and I might start to think you're getting jealous~" she remarked in a taunting hum. She felt the spark of agitation that flooded his aura at her comment. He reached for her, and she swiftly evaded- a skill she'd learned rather quickly being there. Acid dripped to the floor, melting holes into it. It possessed no threat to her, and she wondered just how often he wished it did. The sizzling sound soon faded to nothing as she glanced down. She sighed. "That was my favorite rug, you know," she stated, a mild note of disappointment saturating her voice.

Sesshomaru scoffed and turned away from her. "I'll see to it that it's replaced." Something in his tone caught her attention, and she followed after him before he could leave the room.

"Wait just a sec," she reached for his wrist and gripped it. For a moment, she was confused that he'd let her grab onto him so easily, but that confusion soon melted into something else. Before she could even begin to anticipate it, the positions were reversed. He'd taken her by the wrist and tugged her arm up so she was forced to rise up onto the tips of her toes. In the same breath, she was pressed up against the doorframe as he caged her in. She stood there dazed for a few seconds, peering up at him as she held his molten gaze. After a short while, a smile broke across her face. "You are jealous," she stated, unable to keep the teasing lilt from her voice. "Because I don't wanna stay-"

"If you know what's best for you, then you will be quiet," Sesshomaru growled. The threatening sound, while still somewhat chilling, didn't frighten her like it once did. Still, she caught the hint and held her silence. He gave it a few seconds to test and see if she would abide by his command. When she offered no response, he bowed his head and pressed his forehead to her own. The silence shifted from tense to something much more warm. "If you are insistent on going, then I will do what I must," he stated.

"Huh?" Confusion had once more painted her face, seeping into her voice as she processed his comment. "What're you talking about? You don't have to do anything." Despite saying that, she knew perfectly well what he was getting at. In the silence that followed her pointless question, a faint smile melted onto her face. "I'm more than capable of taking care of myself," she murmured, a gentle warmth seeping into her voice.

"Capable or not, I do not care," Sesshomaru responded. "Where you go, I shall follow." Something more lurked in those words, making it perfectly clear that she had no foot to stand on in any argument that came from this decision. Should she go, then so would he. If she stayed, then he would stay, too. "I have no intention of allowing you to stray elsewhere on your own."

"You mean you don't want to risk letting me lean on someone else," Kagome retorted in a blunt tone. A flicker of annoyance flashed across his face when she called him out on the hidden meaning behind his words. She expected him to ignore it entirely like he usually would, and she was left taken aback when he actually offered a response to her comment.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Sesshomaru asked, his voice low. "I'm not one to share what is mine."

He was posing a challenge in those words. He was daring her to voice any complaints she could try and come up with in the face of his resolution. Not that it mattered any to him. He would do as he pleased, whether she gave him hell for it or not. He wasn't one to back down, and he held no interest in giving it a try now.

"..." Kagome glared at him as she held her silence for a long pause, a faint hint of red just barely rising to dust at her cheeks. After a while, she huffed and turned her head to the side. "... dumb demons… ornery and stuck in their ways…-" she muttered under her breath.

He arched a brow at hearing those words. She'd said them quietly, sure, but quiet didn't matter when his hearing far exceeded that of a human. "Care to repeat that?" he asked flatly.

In other words, he was giving her a chance to take those words back.

"You heard me," Kagome huffed. If not for his grasp on her wrist, she would've folded her arms over her chest and fully turned away to pout. She said nothing else. Sesshomaru's brow ticked in mild annoyance. Wordlessly, he pulled back an inch or two to glare at her face in the silence that followed.

He was more than used to her stubborn attitude, but that didn't mean he favored it by any means when it was directed towards him. If it was directed to others, then he had no complaints, but when it was directed towards him? It was purely aggravating.

He sighed, the sound one of frustration and annoyance, before he leaned closer. His lips pressed briefly against the column of her neck before he nipped at the skin. A trail of crimson leaked to stain the collar of her shirt as he licked to soothe the bite. The skin healed, knitting back together almost instantly due to her own abilities paired with his saliva. Left behind was a mark that was destined to fade in a few week's time.

"Hey-!" Kagome huffed when she felt him bite her. Only when it had healed did he allow her to finally move away from him. She set her hands on her hips to glare up at him. "See what I mean?" she asked in a flat tone.

Dumb territorial nonsense! Talk about insufferable!

"I would have no need if you allowed me to leave a permanent mark," he responded, turning to walk through the door. Kagome fell into pace behind him automatically.

"You say it like it's an easy thing," she argued back.

"It is."

"To you maybe," she grumbled when he so easily seemed to pose his argument. "It sounds seriously painful, and I'm not a fan."

"The pain is only temporary," he responded. "Hardly something to complain about when you've endured worse." Kagome lifted her gaze to glare at his back, her arms folded over her chest as she walked. "Either way, until you agree to a permanent mark, I will continue to replace each mark that fades," he stated. "I have no intention of sharing what is mine."

Kagome sighed, blowing her bangs from her face.

A lot of good it'd do if she was around a bunch of humans who lacked even the faintest of understanding in demon custom and culture. She was dreading what could happen if Sesshomaru deemed any of them to be overstepping. His inherent distaste for humans certainly wouldn't help, either.

Auroua-chan: Gonna wrap this chapter up here. I've also settled on the pairing. I'm gonna make it SessKag because I want something indulgent.

So in this chapter, there was a mention of Kagome's father. She's going to be All Might's daughter in this story (albeit, estranged.) He's been absent from her life with the intention of keeping her safe (along with the rest of her family.) He'll recognize her, of course. It's sure to be awkward, but he might still take interest. Who's to say he hasn't from afar?

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~