Under the Covers by Sereia

Chapter 1

Kagome never regretted her decision to return to the past, but it didn't take long for the village near the well to become stifling.

She'd thought she'd just needed a change of pace, a change of scenery, but she soon found herself travelling further and further away from the confines of the place she'd expected to call home, the time it took her to return increasing with each trip.

Happening across Sesshoumaru had been an accident, as welcome as it had been. Kagome didn't mind travelling by herself, and the daiyoukai was far from the conversationalist she was used to with the rest of her friends, past or future, but his presence was comforting, even in the silence.

"Do you think we'll reach the mountains before nightfall?" she asked, casting a sideways glance at Jaken.

"Do you doubt my lord's sense of direction? You are lucky to even be—"

"Jaken."

The toad blanched. "Yes, my lord?"

"You will venture into the nearest village and procure lodgings. For everyone," he added, the expression on Jaken's face telling everyone the extra instruction was necessary.

"Thanks," she said once his vassal was out of view. "I'm sure it would be easier if I weren't around."

Sesshoumaru responded with a casual shrug of his shoulder, his armour not even moving. "It is of little consequence, miko. Resting within an enclosed space heightens the safety of the pack."

Considering 'the pack' currently consisted of the two of them, Jaken, Ah-Un, and his mate, she doubted anyone besides herself needed an actual bed, but she was grateful all the same.

They came upon the village within the hour, Jaken standing proudly next to the feudal equivalent of a hotel, the owner bowing low as he thanked Sesshoumaru for his patronage. "It is not so often we entertain a guest as well-known as the Lord of the West," he said.

Kagome could sense Sesshoumaru was about to brush him off, so she interjected. "Thank you so much for your hospitality. We really appreciate it, especially on such short notice."

"You have but to ask, Shikon Miko," he replied, keeping his head bowed. Kagome sighed but didn't argue, following their host as he showed them to their rooms.

"You are unhappy." The statement was said without emotion, but Sesshoumaru's head tilted in curiosity as soon as the innkeeper left.

"I'm not," she replied, giving him a slight smile when he raised an eyebrow. "It's nothing. I'm just being stupid."

"If anyone has caused you offence, I will be sure to make them regret it."

Her smile turned into a chuckle, because she knew he was being serious, and she patted his arm as she passed by. "I know. I just wish people saw me for me and not my title."

"It is a part of you," he said with a frown. "A way to showcase your accomplishments to those who did not witness it firsthand."

"There's no individuality to it, though. Kikyou was the Shikon Miko, and so was Midoriko. I just want to be Kagome." Sesshoumaru continued to frown as she laid her pack on the floor, searching through it to find her bath supplies.

"A title holds power," he persisted, and Kagome straightened, unable to stifle her snort.

"Then why haven't you taken up the mantle of Inu no Taisho?" she countered. The tightening of his jaw proved he finally understood, even if he deemed to give her a slight nod as well.

"Don't worry, I'll always see you as Sesshoumaru, even if you do." Finding what she was looking for, she opened the bedroom door. "You're more than your title as—" Kagome stared at the bedroom, then cursed under her breath, vowing to give Jaken more than just a bump on his head.

"Is the room not to your liking?"

She pointed to the bed in the next room—the only bed.

Sesshoumaru gave her a bland look. "It is a bed. You have slept on less."

"There's only one!" She knew Jaken had done it on purpose, assuming that Sesshoumaru would either claim for himself or that her sensitive female nature, which the little toad had mentioned several times, would force her from the room, and possibly Sesshoumaru's company.

She'd show him.

"I do not see the issue," the daiyoukai said, looking around the room. "If you require extra blankets, the innkeeper will surely—"

"You can have the left side," she said, stomping into the room before dropping her pack at the foot of the bed.

"The left of what?"

Kagome felt her face flush as she waved towards the bed. "I don't move around much, so it should be fine as long as we stay at either end. And maybe we can bunch up the blanket in a line down the middle."

"You wish to share?"

"We don't have much choice. There's only one, and we both need sleep." She avoided his gaze, heading back towards the door. "I'm going to bathe. Make yourself comfortable."

"Do as you please," came his soft reply.

..::**::..

It was a terrible sleep.

Kagome kept worrying about taking up too much room or touching him, the hours ticking by before exhaustion finally claimed her.

Her limbs were stiff when she woke, and she tried to catch her bearings before realizing she was plastered against Sesshoumaru's side. She wasn't even holding onto his clothes, her hand having slipped under the collar of his haori sometime during the night.

How was she still alive?

Not even Rin got close; there was no way she'd get away from practically lying on top of him. Taking a deep breath, she braced herself against his chest, arm muscles tensing as she tried to ease herself away from him, only for his to tighten around her.

"The sun has yet to rise."

Kagome's head whipped up, Sesshoumaru looking down at her with his usual placid expression. Except, his usual expression wasn't normally placid, and she had to wonder why he seemed so at ease.

His chin was resting in his palm, his other arm draped over her waist, golden eyes contemplative as he watched her.

"I'm sorry," she blurted.

A pale eyebrow raised.

Kagome felt her cheeks heat. "I must've moved in my sleep. I was just trying to get back to my side—"

"It is of no consequence, miko."

Her mouth dropped open. "Isn't it?"

"Do you wish it to be?" Why wasn't he bearing his claws? Or threatening to remove a limb?

"It can't be comfortable," she said, grasping at straws. "Like you said, it's still early, so we can get a few more hours before we need to leave."

"I do not require sleep."

Maybe it was good that she was lying down because she was confident she would've fallen over if she'd actually been standing. "What? Since when?"

There was barely a shrug. "Youkai can go several days without it." His arm was still resting on her side, the heat of his palm burning through the thin fabric of her yukata at the small of her back.

"Then why did we bother with finding shelter?" she sputtered, still trying to find solid ground. He was too close. Why was he so close?

"For you."

"Me?" she squeaked.

"You often complained about the lack of bedding during your hunt with the spider." It was like they were discussing the weather. His voice was calm and collected, though something in his eyes pointed to something else, something potent, and Kagome found she couldn't look away.

A different heat crept into her face, one that had her skin tingling, and she bit her lip, breath stilling when his eyes followed the movement. His hand was still on her back, but she swore he'd pulled her closer than she'd been when she first woke up. Her knees brushed his, and she suddenly realized he wasn't wearing his armour.

"Why did you agree to share the bed if you didn't need it?" she whispered, mind dizzy at the possibility of his answer—and his proximity. Had she never been close enough to notice the scent of a summer storm that wafted off his skin?

"If it is not obvious, then I am remiss in my communication," he said.

"You are remiss! Everything about this is remiss! You never said anything—" Her tirade was cut short as his lips brushed against hers, all the air leaving her lungs in one breath.

"It is not the youkai way," he murmured, eyes searching as he pulled back.

Kagome's confusion and agitation only fueled the fire of her temper, and she grabbed a fist full of his haori. "Well, it's not the human way, so spell it out for me."

He released her, and she was worried she'd crossed a line, but he simply tucked a wayward lock of hair behind her ear. "I wish to court you."

The heat returned, and she nodded stiffly. "Good. Glad we're on the same page. Now kiss me again. Properly this time."

His mask finally cracked, eyebrows lifting under pale bangs, but she didn't let him think too long, pulling him closer to claim the kiss for herself. His arm tightened around her, claws pressing into her back, smiling as she slanted her head.

Their clothes stayed on, barely, but Sesshoumaru made sure his intentions were not 'remiss' from that point on, his scent mingling with hers when he tied his obi around her.

A blatant claim. One even Jaken couldn't deny, especially when Sesshoumaru's fingers intertwined with hers as they walked away from the inn. It was likely they wouldn't stop in another village for a while, but Kagome looked forward to sleeping next to him all the same.

If she had her way, they'd never need more than one bed again.