Clothed once more, Kagome and Sesshoumaru left the relative privacy of her room and entered the main chamber of the den. All across the vast space, drunken wolves lay scattered—some snoozing from stone ledges, others sprawled on top of pelts or one another. Even shy young Akito had passed out spectacularly. Half his dangling leg submerged, he snored face down at the edge of the central reflecting pool, an empty sake bottle cradled in the crook of his arm.
Kagome let out a sigh of relief. This made her wild night with Sesshoumaru seem a little less debauched. Stepping carefully around the comatose wolves, she made her way over to the large hide bed at the back of the room, where Kouga and Ayame were covered and sleeping.
“Kouga-kun? Ayame-san?”
Crouching down, Kagome gave Kouga’s shoulder a light shake through the supple pelt above him. Growling faintly, the wolf prince rolled over with a drowsy scowl, his high cheekbones still flushed from drinking.
Kagome shook him again. “Kouga-kun, we’re about to head out…”
Blue eyes slid open blearily, straining to focus on her face. “…Eh? Kagome-chan?” Clapping a clawed hand to his forehead, Kouga sat up, the pelt blanket falling down his bare chest. “You’re leaving already…?”
“Ye—kyah!” Kagome’s cheeks flared as the blanket fell woefully short of concealing Kouga’s lower half. Shielding her eyes with her fingers, she twisted away. “Kouga-kun! You—your—cover that thing up already!”
This must be how Jakken felt… Kagome despaired inwardly.
As the wolf prince glanced down in dull confusion, Ayame shifted at his side. Rising with difficulty onto an elbow, she blinked sluggishly up at Kagome and Sesshoumaru beneath her half of the fallen blanket, her naked breasts hidden just barely behind her arm. The daiyoukai made a short sound of irritation as he turned.
“We are leaving,” he said in a clipped tone, steering Kagome around by the elbow as he slanted a cool look down at the inebriated couple. “Make yourselves presentable if you wish to see us off.”
Outside the fortress gates, Entei stood waiting for her next to Ah-Un and Jakken, who was still looking vaguely traumatized as he feebly adjusted the dragon’s saddle. At their approach, the poor imp peered piteously up at Sesshoumaru as though all hope and joy had been sucked out of the universe forever. Ignoring his distraught vassal entirely, the daiyoukai ascended his reptilian mount.
A few minutes later, the now-decent wolves staggered out to bid them farewell. Even the Elder’s four legs were decidedly wobbly as he settled back onto his haunches. Clinging to her husband’s arm for support, Ayame caught Kagome’s eye meaningfully as she directed a not-so-subtle glance toward Sesshoumaru. Stomach sinking, the young miko sported what she hoped was a halfway convincing smile in return.
“Goodbye, Kagome-san,” the wolf girl said with a grin as she stumbled forward a bit to embrace her. “And good luck.”
Kagome blushed as Kouga swept her up in a bone-crushing hug, much to Sesshoumaru’s simmering displeasure. “Give ‘em hell for me, Kagome-chan. And don’t let that dog push you around. You’re a one-of-a-kind woman.”
Her blush deepened as Ayame huffed, hooking a claw into the front of Kouga’s hide vest and dragging him off with a smirk. “I’ll show you ‘one-of-a-kind’…”
With a grave sigh for the current generation, the Elder bowed his shaggy head. “You will always be welcome among us, Kagome-sama.”
“Thanks, Elder-san,” Kagome beamed, bowing as well. “Er, I don’t suppose…”
Ice blue eyes regarded her twitching fingers for a moment before he padded forward, allowing her one last parting ear-scratch. After bidding goodbye to a tearful Ginta and Hakkaku, who’d loaded up Ah-Un’s saddlebags with a plethora of farewell gifts, Kagome climbed aboard Entei and looked to Sesshoumaru.
His golden eyes met hers—lit to blinding by the rays of the morning sun, his hair a glimmering stream of burnished silver. A lump formed in Kagome’s throat as she glanced away, feeling scorched just by the sight of him.
“…Let’s go.”
It was a long, quiet flight back to Edo village. Sesshoumaru was reflective, Kagome was melancholy, and Jakken was utterly morose. As the sun began to set, the familiar village rose before the miko’s eyes like a desert oasis.
“Kagome-chan!” she heard Sango cry from a distance.
Hitching up the skirt of her yukata, the taijiya hurried to meet them as they landed on the crest of a nearby hill, Miroku, Shippou, Rin and Kaede not far behind. Kagome tumbled clumsily from her saddle in her haste get to her beloved friends, her parched, weary heart soothing as she hugged them each in turn.
“Kagome-chan, we were so worried,” Sango said tearfully, pulling her into another tight embrace. “You were gone for so long.”
“Another day, and we would have set out to find you,” Miroku joined gently, the palm of his right hand well-behaved for a change as he rested it on Kagome’s shoulder.
“Aye, child,” Kaede nodded, patting Kagome reassuringly on the back, “ye gave us quite a fright.”
“Kagome-chan, I missed you so much!” Shippou gushed as he clasped his arms around her neck, Kirara leaning over from Sango’s shoulder and nuzzling Kagome’s cheek.
“I’m sorry,” Kagome said, blinking back her tears. “Things turned out to be more a bit more complicated than I’d thought…”
“Were ye able to speak with Kouga-sama?” Kaede inquired.
Kagome smiled softly. “Yep. He decided not to join up with us, in the end. But…” Slipping a hand beneath the neck of her haori, she withdrew her necklace, its sliver of a pendant glowing faintly pink. “He gave us this, instead.”
“A shard of the Shikon no Tama,” Sango murmured, sharing in Kagome’s glittering smile. “Kagome-chan…you’ve given us hope once again.”
“It wasn’t just me…” Kagome hesitated, glancing over to where the daiyoukai stood, gazing down at his adoring ward. “…I couldn’t have done it without Sesshoumaru.”
His gaze slid to her at the mention of his name, and for a moment before the tenderness in his expression faded, Kagome’s foolish heart warmed hopefully in vain.
“Ye two have done much together, indeed,” Kaede affirmed with a sly look, the younger miko stiffening as Rin gasped in concern.
“Oh no, Jakken-sama…why are you crying?” the little girl asked as she knelt, the vacant eyes of the imp beside her continuing to stream.
“Such a strange and sudden reaction,” Miroku remarked. “Is he ill, I wonder?”
Blushing guiltily, Kagome looked away with a grimace. “…Beats me.”
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
No sympathy for Jakken. It’s his own fault. I hope from now on he learns to curb his tendency to barge in unannounced!!
Also, I’m feeling somewhat heartened at this tender look Sess was bestowing on Kagome.
❤❤❤
I hope you’re having a better day Char
Lol yeah, you reap what you sow XD
Glad you liked the tender look 😉
And thank you!! things are definitely going much better <3
Gahahah! Poor Jaken, so shell shocked. He had thought Sesshoumaru impervious to such desires, he must be wondering where he’d ‘failed’ his lord. X’D Ngl, I think his devotion is adorable because it makes it so easy to bully him.
And oh, Sesshoumaru and Kagome on two different wavelengths still. I’m worried because their communication has always been difficult, but one seems to have made up her mind about what Sesshoumaru wants/thinks while the other just has no clue that the object of his fervor is troubled… Tho with the way Sesshoumaru was thinking, it could be potentially disastrous if they had their confrontation now.. BUT TENDER GAZEs are a GOOD STARt.
Hahaha I think that is *exactly* what Jakken would be thinking! He takes everything with Sesshoumaru so personally… XD
The importance of communication in a relationship cannot be stressed enough! so lol…yeah, these two ::shakes head::
Glad you’re enjoying the tension! 😉 Thanks, Mimo!! <3
Communication is /so/ important, but I also cant blame Kagome too much because….haven’t many of us been in her shoes at least once in our lives. Haha. It’s the way we protect ourselves from getting our hopes and hearts crushed. Especially when we THINK we know exactly what is going on. It’s hard to pull yourself out of that head space when you’re so intimately involved, too. Relationships already so hard even when not cross species with a very proud demon lord.
Ahh yes Jaken; truly a character that brings out the sadism in everyone. And it’s not even because I hate him (I love him honestly)…I just enjoy how overdramatic he is because he cares so much.
I don’t know why I thought the adored look was because he was looking at Rin. Then when she called him, he looked up and Kagome caught his look before it disappeared. But I think a good talking to needs to happen! Because it is going to get awkward between them. Sess thinks she won’t be able to resist him, but Kagome feels used/misunderstood so she may not want to bring me an explicit chapter until this is solved😥😭 why me!!! 🍷🍷🍷🍷
that mysterious look 🙂 hehe
yeah, talking is not his strong point…but without communication, any relationship is rather doomed, i would say. Anyway! here’s to future developments 😉 <3
I guess I’m evil for enjoying Jaken’s misery.
Serves him right for barging in like that. It should not have come as a surprise anyway. There was an earlier chapter where he noticed Sesshoumaru’s tail on Kagome.
Kagome isn’t the 15-year-old who got dragged into the Feudal Era anymore and did not know what to do. She is older, more familiar with the Feudal Era and have dealt with all sorts of creatures. Tell the handsome demon lord what ails you, woman. He isn’t a mind reader. Plus I doubt if he will make the first move.
Is Jaken going to weep the whole day? Such a crybaby.
If you’re evil, then so am I!!
Jakken is a bit of an idiot… haha
Totally love your analysis of Kagome here 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing, Doug! <3
My brain supplied a dramatic gap in the voice of Sebastian the crab while exclaiming, “she knows!” in regard to Kaede’s sly glace there.
These two. Man. If communication with Inuyasha was trying, DAMNIT for it happening with Sesshoumaru! But, honestly, I kinda dont feel so sorry for Kagome. Sesshoumaru is giving her everything he knows how to in his own way without even realizing he’s actually in love with her. I know she feels dirty, but she DID pretty much ask for things to go down.
Sigh. If only the power of communication worked for these two…
Bahahaha! Sebastian…oh man, that’s great stuff XD
and yeahhh i so agree – communicating w/ Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru would be equally difficult, in their own ways. Inuyasha is a hot-head, defensive and rather dense, while Sesshoumaru is cold, standoffish, and rather insensitive
But yeah, I would agree it’s not all on Sess in this case! XD
thanks for sharing your thoughts!! <3
I especially love this observation: “Sesshoumaru is giving her everything he knows how to in his own way without even realizing he’s actually in love with her. I know she feels dirty, but she DID pretty much ask for things to go down.”
And felt the need to express this. Thank.
Also, yeah one of the major obstacles in communicating with Sesshoumaru is mostly due to how intimidating he is too… He’s not exactly a character that exudes a ‘safe’ aura that invites difficult and emotional conversations.
Sesshoumaru, safe…pfft! Totally not what you first think of when you picture someone “safe”.
Maybe their dad was a better communicater? One can only hope!