Kagome’s palm cracked like lightning across Kohaku’s left cheek. Maybe on some level he felt he deserved that much, but the incensed miko begged to differ. She would have lit up the other side of his face as well—if he hadn’t grabbed her wrist and dug his fingers into the soft underflesh of her forearm.
Kagome winced, gasping. The biting pressure of his hold made her hot stinging eyes boil over with tears. At the sight of them, Kohaku sneered. His voice sounded coolly triumphant even as the red heat of her blow bled unchecked across half his face.
“So,” he said, “you can feel something for me, after all.”
“Whatever I felt for you, it’s over now,” Kagome snapped, trying to yank her captive hand free with the other. “Let go of me, you rotten punk.”
“Why?” Kohaku retorted, smiling nastily at her still. “So you can strike at me again?”
“Yes!” she said, her expression twisting in fury. “I’d give you a hundred more slaps if I could. Someone ought to make up for all the times your dead mother should’ve.”
Kohaku shoved her from him with a glare. “Shut your stupid mouth, Kagome, or I’ll shut it for you.”
Kagome rubbed her aching wrist, glaring back at him in seething disdain. “Go ahead, little boy. Do your worst. Lash out at me again in spite, just like that stunt you pulled with Rin-chan. I see now the only mistake I ever made was treating you like a man for even a second. And for that I’m sorry—by the gods, I really am.”
Kohaku bared his teeth at her, a muscle working tensely in the line of his jaw. For a moment, Kagome thought he might actually lay hands on her again, but she didn’t give a damn. She wasn’t intimidated by him. She never had been. He couldn’t cow her, not really—and he knew it as well as she did, though she had tried up until now not to shove this truth so cruelly in his face.
“I’ll leave today,” he said through gritted teeth. “I never want to set eyes on you again.”
Kagome grimaced as she turned, and left him to it.
With nowhere else to go, and a tempest of agitation still thundering inside her, she took herself off to a far corner of the outpost, to see Kohaku on his bitter way. She wouldn’t be content, the miko decided, until she saw him out of Edo. Though neither she nor Rin would ever knowingly betray him, it was better safe than sorry in Kagome’s mind. As disappointed as she was in Kohaku’s actions, she couldn’t hold him entirely to blame. He was only a dumb kid, the way she saw it. An unwitting victim in her own desperate schemes. Collateral damage, in her view.
But Sesshoumaru wouldn’t see it that way. And he could be uncannily perceptive, Kagome had to admit.
“It’s for the best,” she told Ikiryou as he padded up to her, a bit of bloody down still sticking to his muzzle.
Kagome glanced away with a sick feeling. She’d thought he’d just wanted a bit of fun, chasing after those chickens. Now she could only hope one of them was sporting no more than a bitten wing.
With her eyes averted from the main tower, she found herself squinting ahead at a curious sight—a slim, salmon-pink shape, emerging from one of the other guard towers and growing larger and more distinct by the second.
“Kagome-sama!” Kanako wheezed as she skidded to a halt, bracing her hands against her bony knees as she caught her breath. “I have just learned—Kohaku-dono—he is leaving Edo this very day!”
“Yeah, I know,” Kagome said, hushing Ikiryou absently as he started to growl. “I more or less showed him the door.”
Kanako gaped, her owlish eyes somehow managing to go wider still. “…Kagome-sama, whatever your differences, you can settle them later. We must go with him now! Only tell me what to pack, and I will see it done.”
The miko laughed shortly. “What are you talking about, Kanako-chan? We’re not going anywhere—or I’m not, at least. You’ve always been free to do as you like.”
Kanako’s face fell as if Kagome had crushed her whole spirit. As the miko frowned, befuddled, the waif fell prostrate at her feet.
“Kagome-sama, please, you must listen to reason! Only enemies surround you here—only Kohaku-dono can deliver you from the jaws of that wicked beast. You must make peace with him—you must ally yourself with him before it is too late!”
Kagome leapt to her feet. “Keep your voice down; you’re causing a scene!” she hissed, for surely enough all of Kanako’s groveling and wailing was drawing unwanted attention.
But the hysterical girl had gone totally off the rails. Even Ikiryou’s snapping and bristling didn’t deter her. Frantically, Kagome looked around as those nearby glanced between themselves and muttered.
“How long will you suffer his perversions, Kagome-sama? How much more of your holy flesh will you sacrifice to appease the appetites of that unholy monster? That demon who calls himself your brother!”
“Kanako, enough!”
Though the girl continued to thrash and moan in her despair, it was Ikiryou’s sudden stillness which arrested Kagome even before she noticed the way the gathering crowd had parted around Kohaku’s grave and silent form.
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
Ohhhh shit!!!!
<3 <3 <3
And shit just hit the fan!!! Kohaku should know he doesn’t have a chance now 😭
Lol yeppp <3
Oh jeez. What will Kohaku-kun do now? I’m literally dying to know.
I’m a longtime reader but it’s my first time commenting here. Lovely work as always!
Hey thanks so much for commenting!! So glad you’re enjoying the story <3
Oh jeez. What will Kohaku-kun do now? I’m literally dying to know.
I’m a longtime reader but it’s my first time commenting here. Lovely work as always!
Oh shit…..🤐.
<3 <3 <3
Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck!!!! Damn this is going to be totally stream of consciousness but what a chapter! I don’t really understand why this is happening but my heart is racing! So Kohaku is leaving–seemingly suddenly but Kagome has been out of it so who knows–and although he claims to never want to see her again I can’t help but assume he is somewhat ashamed of how he has behaved recently. What with the almost forcing himself on Kagome and whatever the hell happened with Rin, that man’s dick is all over the place. He still seems to crave her attention, her passion in whatever form he can get it. He is like a little boy pulling pig tails, acting out until his crush finally acknowledges his existence.
And now Kanako is having a heart attack about Kohaku leaving (btw did she ever deliver the abortifacient to Rin?). While normally I would take her advice with a grain of salt, she has been sleeping with one of Ren’s minions so she might know more than she lets on. Whatever she does know, it can’t be good. Interestingly, she sees Sesshoumaru as the one true threat to her lady, and is desperate to get her out of his clutches. Tbh I can’t really blame her, their relationship atm is hella dysfunctional and exploitative.
And now!! Kohaku knows that Sesshoumaru has been… uh… perverting Kagome’s flesh? Whatever the fuck that means. Is he smart enough to put all of her erratic behavior together and figure out what has been going on? Will he blame her? Will he try to avenge her? Or…will he insist that she comes with him? Man, I am so excited to see what happens next! I am on the edge of my seat!!
“He is like a little boy pulling pig tails, acting out until his crush finally acknowledges his existence.” – that is such a great way to put it!!
Love hearing your stream of conscious reactions, Alex!! So hope you enjoy the fallout from all this – I’ll try not to leave you hanging too long! <3
Omg… if he puts it together that she came to his room that night to destroy the evidence of Sessh’s crimes, it’s ALL going down. Is he gonna figure out that she’s been protecting them from one another this whole time? AHH
Thanks, K!! So glad you’re enjoying the buildup in this scene and hope you like how it all plays out…! <3 <3 <3
Everyone seems to hate Kohaku, but I’m over here like YES, GIVE ME MORE ANGST AND CONFLICT. I appreciate the complexity and nuance of your characterizations— both Kagome and Kohaku are right in their own way, and they also possess the capacity to be truly horrid to each other. I’m EXTREMELY interested to discover how Kohaku responds to this news— especially since Kagome initially seduced him in order to protect Sesshoumaru!! Now there’s a fascinating flip with Kagome trying to protect Kohaku from Sesshoumaru. Can’t wait!!
And can I just say again how much I love how the theme of “control” has evolved from a simple kinky bdsm title, to actually resonating with questions like “does Sesshoumaru have control over his beastly nature?” and “can Kagome keep in control of the political dynamics happening around her?” Love it.
Waah thank you so much, adlyb! <3 So glad you're enjoying the turmoil - gotta admit I love writing these kind of scenes so much! (Maybe even more than the smut? lol)
Absolutely love hearing your take on this scene and the larger implications for our poor tortured characters...! And of course on the theme of 'control' 😉
Hope you're doing great and enjoying the long weekend!! <3 <3 <3
A part of me hopes Kohaku will be understanding once he hears everything, but he’ll probably twist it into something like “You whored yourself instead of having faith that I could defeat one of the most powerful yokai lords that’s ever existed, how dare you!”
Also, can’t wait for Sango to lose it on Kohaku for raping Rin. I know she’s protective of Kohaku, but even she has her limits, especially when it comes to men who willingly hurt or take advantage of women.
Lol admittedly Kohaku doesn’t have the best track record, does he? XD Hope you enjoy how it all goes down…. <3 <3 <3