Later, gathered together with all her friends and allies in Kaede’s hut, Kagome filled everyone in on the events of her journey over dinner. Even Sesshoumaru was in attendance, technically. Leaning against the open doorway, he was about as far from the rest of the group as he could possibly be, his face turned away from them as he gazed out into the night.
“…So, the creature Mouryoumaru was nothing more than another puppet of Naraku’s,” Kaede observed as she refilled Kagome’s cup of tea.
Taking a sip, the younger miko nodded. “Seems that way. It was the infant inside who was really pulling the strings.”
“The infant, who in actuality, is the expelled heart of Naraku,” Miroku summarized, bracing his rosary-clad fist beneath his chin. “A calculated risk, indeed–so long as his heart remained outside of his body, Naraku himself was essentially invincible…”
“But the heart had a will of its own,” Sango said, frowning down at her bowl as she chased around the last few grains of rice with her chopsticks. “And when that heart grew too rebellious in its aims, Naraku reclaimed it.”
“Yeah,” Kagome said with a shake of her head, “keeping his heart hidden and separate just wasn’t worth the risk anymore—now that he knows Sesshoumaru can bust through his barriers.”
After a moment of consideration, Miroku spoke again.
“We should press our advantage and take the offensive as soon as possible,” he said. “While Naraku is busy gathering the remaining Jewel shards and bolstering his defenses, we should aim to strike.”
“I agree,” Kagome said. “He’s going to be coming after our shard anyway, so it’s better to meet him head-on. We don’t want to give him the luxury of plotting against us. Myouga-jii,” she said, turning to the flea perched on Kirara’s brow, “have you been keeping an eye on Naraku’s movements?”
“Trying to, yes,” Myouga answered with a sigh. “Naraku’s path of destruction has been widespread as he combs the land for the remaining shards, but he himself remains ever in the wings.” The flea bowed his head. “Now that he has the infant’s Fuyouheki stone in his possession once more, he will only be that much more difficult to trace.”
“Right,” Kagome said, her shoulders slumping. “I’d forgotten about that part…”
“Whether Naraku’s shouki is concealed or not is of no consequence.” All eyes turned to Sesshoumaru as he continued, his glinting gaze slanting back toward the world outside, “The wind sorceress Kagura flew south when she fled. I’ve been tracking her scent since we left the wolves’ mountain.”
“Then south we’ll continue to go,” Kagome decided.
Miroku nodded. “Sango and I are well enough to join you, but it will probably be some time before we are all able to return to the village. We should prepare accordingly.”
“Three days should give us enough time,” Sango agreed.
“What do you think, Sesshoumaru?” Kagome asked. “Does three days sound reasonable to you?”
Her skin prickled as his golden eyes dragged across her face. “Yes.”
“Okay, then,” she said a little jumpily. “It’s settled.”
With a plan in place, the talk soon turned to lighter subjects as Sango and the others filled Kagome in on all the activity—and in Shippou and Rin’s case, all the shenanigans—that had transpired during her absence. Seemingly bored with this chitchat, Sesshoumaru wandered away, Jakken trailing after him with a distinct air of dejection.
Kagome’s tension eased at the daiyoukai’s departure. She found herself laughing more freely and smiling more easily in the company of her friends. It felt nice and right and normal to be back with them again—to be back with people who actually cared about her as a person, for a change.
As the night grew late, and everyone began yawning every five minutes or so, bedtime became an inevitability. After bidding a goodnight to Kaede and gathering up a drowsy Shippou and Rin, Kagome and Sango walked back to the taijiya’s hut with Miroku accompanying. At the door, the monk paused, giving Kagome a light bow.
“Sleep well, Kagome-san.” Straightening, he leaned forward, pressing a chaste kiss to the taijiya’s lips. “Goodnight, Sango.”
“Goodnight, Miroku,” Kagome’s friend echoed softly as she turned, a pretty blush highlighting her cheeks as she stepped into the lantern light.
Awww, so sweet, Kagome gushed inwardly as she followed Sango inside. Who would have guessed Miroku could be such a gentleman? Happy as she was for her friend, her heart couldn’t help but pang a little as she compared Sango’s romantic situation to her own.
After tucking in the kids and Kirara, Sango turned warmly to Kagome. “Would you like to spend the night, Kagome-chan? There’s plenty of space here.” Her blush returned. “And I still feel like we have some catching up to do.”
Kagome grinned, her heart lifting at the thought of not having to sleep alone in her own hut tonight. “Yeah, I’d say so…Let me just grab a few things, okay?”
Hitching a ride from Entei, Kagome made it to her home at the edge of the village in a minute flat. Things had gotten a little dusty in the week or so since she’d been gone. Airing out a pillow and blanket, she was just turning to leave again when strong arms wrapped around her from behind.
Kagome tensed, her hands throttling the bedding she held. Just like the night before, clawed fingers brushed her hair back from her neck, warm breath flowing over her exposed, delicate skin.
“Did I frighten you?” Sesshoumaru asked as he drew her back against his chest.
“A bit, yeah,” Kagome answered faintly, her heart pounding as she stared down at her twisted pillow.
If she’d had any doubt before that he enjoyed putting her on edge, she was certain of it now. Smirking, his lips grazed the side of her throat, the points of his fangs denting her skin.
“My Kagome,” he rumbled in unmistakable lust, her clutch on the plushy fabric becoming a death grip.
One hand slipped beneath the neck of her haori to grasp her bare shoulder. When the other slid down from her waist and cupped her possessively between the thighs, she went rigid.
His lips thinned against her throat. Prising the mangled bedding from her hold, Sesshoumaru turned her stiff body around completely. In the near dark, the glow of his preternatural eyes made her shiver as they appraised her slowly.
“You are still hurt from last night,” he stated after a while.
Kagome glanced away, clasping her trembling hands to her chest to still them. It was true, in a sense, but how to say it…
Taking her wavering silence as confirmation, Sesshoumaru released her and stepped back. “Rest,” he said as he turned and walked soundlessly to the door. “I will return in a few days.”
Before Kagome could ask him where he was going, he was gone.
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
ugh this chapter is sloppy..sorry – will try to polish it up first thing tomorrow!
Ohhh dang it. Sesshoumaru is being as considerate as he can but…my man! The hurt is not in the vagina as much as it is in her heart! Now choosing to leave a few days instead of staying while she rested is definitely going to confirm her beliefs too.
Throttles the two of them. Admittedly though, at the moment, Sesshoumaru is communicating more than Kagome is, too so…I wonder when he’ll pick up on the subtle signs that she’s closed herself off.
“The hurt is not in the vagina as much as it is in her heart!” – hahaha so true, so true XD
oh man, i absolutely love hearing your take on these events!! thanks a million for sharing, Mimo! <3
Best quote ever. XD
lol!
Sesshoumaru thinks like a caveman. Mine. Mine. This my pussy (grabs).
I don’t think he will accept the: “Not tonight, honey. I have a headache.” Like a lot of guys, he is letting the second head do the thinking for him.
To be fair though, Kagome needs to convey to him that she wants more than just sex. She needs to talk to him or show him somehow.
Of course, Mr. Sealed Lips is too busy making plans for both of them in his head without telling her. I think if Kagome hears from him that he wants a future with her after they finish off Naraku, she wouldn’t be so despondent. Of course that future for him includes a lot of smexy time with Kagome.
Physical affection, aka sex, seems to be very important to Sesshoumaru. I suppose because it involves all the senses. Her shying away from him might come as a shock and disappointment to Lord Fluffy Ass. I’m not saying she should withhold the vajayjay, she did agree to let him do whatever he wants with her in exchange for his help in killing Naraku and getting rid of the jewel.
I suppose she did not intend on falling for him.
I do have questions. She thought earlier that the most she expected of him was not to hate her. So why is she now expecting him to return her love? She knows he was obsessed with her before they went all the way. Why is she expecting more from him? Is it because she loves him now? But just because you feel that way about someone doesn’t mean they will feel the same way about you.
It’s great if the person you love also loves you. But you won’t know if you don’t ask.
Kagome needs to understand that her guy has very archaic ideas when it comes to relationships. Why doesn’t she talk about relationships in her era and what she wants in a partner? It can’t hurt to try.
Yep, yep – I would definitely agree that there are faults/mistakes on both sides! 🙂 Physical affection is very important in a relationship, but I think it means more to guys than girls, in general. And this can be one of many potential sources of discord for couples…
As usual, you raise a lot of excellent points, Doug!! 🙂
“Mr. Sealed Lips” – haha i love this title XD just had to say!
And great questions, by the way – Kagome does seem to be contradicting herself somewhat, doesn’t she? 😉
hope you enjoy the future updates! thanks so much as always for sharing such awesome insights!! <3 🙂