Choices and Changes by Danyealle-sama

Choices and Changes

Choices and Changes

By Danyealle

Chapter 1

A clap of thunder broke the silence, making her jump a bit, then the rain which had been slacking off began to once more pour down, drenching her yet again.  Her rain coat helped to keep her upper half dry, but her jeans and feet were soaked and she was beginning to shiver as the cold wind driving the rain picked up, cutting through the wet fabric like an icy knife.  Tugging her hat down further over her eyes, she then hugged herself, trying to stop the shivers.  “I hate the rainy season!”  She muttered darkly to herself.

For probably the 100th time in the last 10 minutes, she looked around then sighed deeply when she saw no trace of anyone.  ‘Did you really expect him to come?’ she mentally chided herself.  ‘He has no intention of showing up, you baka,’ that cruel inner voice said snidely.

Shaking her head, she attempted to rid herself of doubt and eliminate that voice.  The part of her which brought her out to this clearing in the middle of the pouring rain this late at night reminded her he does indeed have some bad qualities, but being a liar wasn’t one of them.  In fact, he was always bluntly truthful, no matter how much that truth may hurt.

When the alarm on her watch beeped, she pulled up her sleeve and looked at the time even though she knew it was now 11:00 PM right on the nose.  Shuddering violently, not all from the cold wind or rain either, she shut her eyes and hoped like hell this wasn’t some kind of mean trick or a way to torment her.

As the last of the beeping from the alarm faded out she felt something stir behind her and a familiar powerful aura wash over her, like something warm and soothing enveloping her.  Spinning around, almost losing her footing in the slick mud, she saw him standing there looking like some kind of glowing apparition in white, contrasting with the dark, rainy gloom.  Though the sharp wind was blowing his silvery, moonlight colored hair and making his clothes ruffle, billowing out slightly, he looked just as neat and well groomed as he always did, like he was freshly dressed for the day, not standing in the middle of a torrential downpour.

Though his face was the passive, emotionless mask it always was, there appeared to be a glint in his golden, honey-colored eyes that seemed to show he was happy.  “Kagome…” he said softly, making her shiver at the way her name sounded coming from his deep, sensual voice like it always did. “You came.”

She smiled a bit, “Yes, I don’t think I could have stopped myself.”  She said softly.

Stepping closer, he held out his hand to her, “Come, Kagome.”

He was only a couple steps away from her, but in her mind it was like a chasm the size of the Grand Canyon.  Though she desperately wanted to, she knew the couple of steps she would take to put her hand in his would change her life forever.

Looking at his hand, she then glanced back in the direction of the campsite her friends were at, asleep and oblivious to her turmoil.  Then she looked up into his eyes again, swallowing thickly.  Like what had happened every time she gazed into his eyes for the last six months, any doubts or concerns about him and what she was doing were pushed aside or buried and she succumbed to what she wanted and felt for the deadly daiyoukai.

Bending down, she grabbed her pack and stepped closer, taking his hand then gazed up into his eyes, a soft smile appearing.

Chapter 2

A jolt of something close to pure happiness shot through his body when she put her small hand in his.  Instinctively, his large one closed around it and he rubbed the back with his thumb.  Looking down into her upturned face, he wanted to grin like an idiot but didn’t.

When he had stepped into the clearing he had picked up on her anxiety, fear, indecision and all the rest of the emotions she had felt.  Despite not wanting to admit it, even to himself, he had felt the same way.  As he made his way to the assigned meeting place he had been convinced that her attachment and loyalty to the hanyou would override everything and she wouldn’t show.  But when he felt her aura he had been elated.

There had been the anxious moments waiting for her to take his hand as well.  When she glanced in the direction her friends were camped his heart skipped a couple of beats.  He had to fight to make himself hold still and not go to her.  The whole thing had to be her decision and hers alone.  If she couldn’t decide to willingly give up the baka half-breed then there would be problems.  So, as bad as he had wanted to go to her he didn’t.  But she had come to him, choosing him over Inuyasha.

Pulling her close to his chest, he wrapped one arm around her and held her close.  Feeling her tremble, he rubbed her back softly then said, voice a calming, smooth ribbon of silk, “Know this Kagome—I will not hurt you in any way.  You have my word.  I will never break the trust you have in me either.”

He could feel one of her arms slide around his waist and give him a small squeeze.  A smile on her face, she looked up into his eyes and said, softly, “Thank you, Sesshomaru.”

For a minute, he lost himself his soft, brown eyes then a loud clap of thunder brought him back.  Though she was wearing that ugly coat which helped keep her dry when it rained, her pants were soaked up to the knees and the hair that hung out the back of her hat was streaming water.  He had to get her out of the downpour before she caught sick.  Reaching out, he grabbed her pack and shouldered it then scooped her into his arms, cradling her to his chest.  When she wrapped her arms around his neck he leaned down and kissed her softly.  Then his light formed around them and they were off, moving like an earth-bound comet, headed west.

Though he didn’t like the idea of hiding away with her and felt that he should be able to court her in the open like any other male, ningen or youkai, Inuyasha would make that all but impossible.  Not only would the loud-mouthed hanyou drive him insane with his foul mouth and stupidity, he was well aware of how rough he would make things for Kagome.  Though a strong willed and minded woman, Inuyasha had a way of wearing her down and getting her to cave into him, even if she didn’t want to.  He also had a dark suspicion that there were other methods used, but had no proof of it.

So, unlike what he was used to doing, he had to flirt and court her privately then be forced to sneak away like a thief in the night to spend time alone with her.  It rankled and he felt it was beneath his station, but he had done it.  Kagome, he knew, was well worth it.

Chapter 3

Within a minute he had landed in a small clearing at the base of a craggy cliff.  There was a small hut, much like those in Edo, built flush to it.  The hut was dilapidated with large holes in the roof and battered fabric covering the door.  Putting her down, he then took her hand and led her inside.  Thick layers of dust covered everything and what furniture there was had been broken long ago.  She wrinkled her nose but said nothing. Seeing her expression, he smirked a bit.  When he reached the back wall he kept right on walking and they passed through it into a large, fire-lit cave.

Gasping, she looked around.  It was clean and dry inside, the fire taking the chill out of the air but not fully warming the place.  There were mats scattered about and a small table near the fire pit.  Off in the corner by the back wall was a thick pallet covered with furs.  A doorway leading to another part of the cave, she assumed, was hidden by a folding screen.

Looking down at her, he smirked a bit, “Do you like it?”

“Wow!”  Was all she could say, breathlessly, looking around.

“Hn…” He said, chest puffing out a bit.  Though he wanted to hold her close and cuddle, he knew she needed to get out of her wet clothes.  Easing her hat and jacket off, he hung them up on some pegs embedded in the wall so they could dry. He then led her behind the screen into a small adjoining cave, one not much bigger than her bathroom at home, so she could change and clean up, then left her alone.  After that, he went to stoke the fire to try to get it to warm up faster.  Eventually the cave would be a comfortable temperature, but now it was still chilly.

Within 10 minutes she was back, changed into the clothes she wore to bed.  After hanging up her wet clothes, she plopped down by the fire to warm up.

Grabbing a robe of white fur that hung on a peg by the bed, he walked over to her and said, “Put this on until it gets warmed enough.  This way you won’t get chilled.”

Standing up, he helped her into it.  Miles too big for her, he rolled up the sleeves then wrapped it tightly around her before tying the belt around her waist.  Gathering her in his arms, he sat down by the fire with her in his lap, holding her.

Snuggling against his chest, she burrowed deep in the warm fur and sighed contentedly.  It must be his robe because it smelled like him.

One of the things she found surprising about him was when they were alone he was quite affectionate and actually liked to cuddle.  She would have never thought that of the stoic, cold Lord of the West.  When she asked him about it, he explained inus were naturally affectionate with their intendeds or mates.  Though he had his cold, stoic public persona, which would always be there, alone he wasn’t afraid to cuddle or snuggle with her, something she adored.  Also, unlike what most people would think, he was very tender and gentle, always making sure she was comfortable and that he didn’t hurt her.  Much to her surprise she also found he liked to be touched and caressed.  Because of what he had always been like she had been afraid to, but when they were alone, when she would gently touch his face, give his arm an affectionate squeeze or hug him, a deep, contented rumble in his chest would begin, a sound she found to be quite appealing.  It was like she was seeing a side of him no one else ever had.  Quite frankly, she loved it!

At first, when he joined up with them to go after Naraku, they found they liked talking to each other about things they had a mutual interest in.  Then, when he found out about her love of reading, they discussed books and poetry.  She eventually found herself bringing him books in areas he had an interest in.  When he was finished reading they would sit and discuss them.  It was the books, and those discussions, which was the cause for Inuyasha to eventually leave them alone and allow what had come to bloom.

It was a subtle change at first, she hadn’t noticed it when it started and he confessed later that he hadn’t either.  They would sit close together when they talked and, gradually, they began to spend more and more time together, sometimes talking late into the night, long after everyone else had gone to bed.  Before she knew it, she trusted him like she did the others she had traveled with for years.  He actually was a better protector than Inuyasha.  If she and Sango wanted a bath, he escorted them to the hot springs and back.  While they soaked he stayed midway between camp and the springs so if there was a problem in either place he could be there quickly.  If she had to go collect herbs, firewood, whatever, he made sure that he or someone else went with her.  When she went home, he made sure she didn’t go alone.  When she came back, someone, usually him, was waiting there for her.

Just before Christmas, when he had been traveling with them for a few months, he escorted her to the well.  It had snowed and was cold, but the forests had been so beautiful, like a painting of a pristine winter wonderland, so she had wanted to walk.  When they reached the well she had teased him like she always did, telling to make sure he was careful and not to get hurt, something that had become a running joke between them.  Rather than his usual flat look or a ‘hn’ he had softly said, “I will Kagome.  You be careful as well.”  Before she could react, being a bit thrown off by what he said, he had kissed her.  It was a soft, warm, passionate kiss that stole her breath and made her heart skip a beat then race.  After he broke it off, he held her to his chest and nuzzled his face into her hair.  She had wrapped her arms around him and sighed happily.

When he broke away, he looked down at her and had softly said, “Hurry back”

Smiling, she had nodded and replied, “I will,” softly before hopping into the well.

For the first time since her dual life had begun, she had decided to spend Christmas with her friends in the feudal era.  She had explained the holiday and its secular meaning the best she could to them as well as the traditions of giving presents.  When she materialized at the bottom of the well in the feudal era with several heavy bags he was already there, leaning over the lip of the well with something like a smile on his face.  Giggling, she waved up at him then asked if he could give her a hand.  

Hopping down, he pulled her into a hug and kissed her softly.  After breaking off the kiss he softly caressed the side of her face with the backs of his fingers then said, very quietly, “I missed you, Kagome, and thought about you while you were away.”

Smiling, she reached up and cupped one of his cheeks with a hand then replied, eyes sparkling, “Same here, Sesshomaru.”

That time he did smile then kissed her again.  When he broke it off he looked at all the bags and arched an eyebrow, “Woman, what is all this?  What have you brought?”

Giggling, she shouldered her pack and grabbed a couple of bags.  “Christmas presents!”  She exclaimed happily.

“Hn…”  He said, as though unimpressed but there was a bit of a sparkle in his eyes.  Grabbing the rest of the bags he then wrapped an arm around her and hopped effortlessly out of the well.  His cloud formed under them and they were whisked away to Edo. 

As it turned out, that had been the most enjoyable Christmas she’d had in years.

Once the holiday was over they began the spider hunt again.  On the road once again, they began sneaking away and spending as much time together as they could.  By the six month mark Kagome was head over heels in love with the deadly daiyoukai.

Sitting by the fire, Sesshomaru held her close while she was curled up in his lap.  He loved it as she sighed contentedly while he stroked her back.  His beast growled contentedly as their chosen pressed close.

In a moment of detached irony, he was sure that his father, wherever he was, was having a good laugh at his expense and there was a knowing smirk on his face because he finally understood.  Yes, he, Sesshomaru, Western Lord, had fallen hard for a human.  A human miko no less.  The sworn enemy!  Even if he could, he wouldn’t change it.

When he started traveling with Inuyasha’ pack he began to understand why the hanyou and the others were so fiercely protective of Kagome.  It wasn’t because she was a miko or could detect jewel shards, but because she was fiercely loyal and cared about all of them.  When he joined up with them she treated him, Rin and Jaken the same way.  Rin was treated just like her adopted kit was and she brought her presents and treats the same way she did Shippo.  When she found out he and Jaken liked the chocolate and fresh fruits she brought she brought extra of the kind he liked best.  She even brought treats for Au-Uh, who seemed to adore her.

When she found out he liked to read she brought him books on topics he enjoyed. She would even sit with him to explain the best she could things he wasn’t familiar with and terminology he didn’t understand.

That’s when his true fascination started.  He found out quickly she was highly educated and very intelligent.  She could talk about many topics knowledgeably.  Most certainly she wasn’t as stupid or foolish as he had first thought.  Of course she was careful about what she talked about because she was worried about changing the future.

Like Inuyasha, she made sure to take care of any wounds he received if he was injured even though he would heal quickly.  Not because of any other reason, such as obligation, but because she cared and it was the right thing to do.

Yes, she still had screaming arguments with Inuyasha, but being on the inside now, he could understand why.  The hanyous’ behavior and the disrespect he treated her with was something she could only take for so long before she would cut loose with her infamous temper.  Quite frankly, she took a lot more than he would have.  Yet her loyalty never wavered.

He was big enough to admit that when he kissed her the first time he had already fallen for her.  So had his beast.  It was already demanding that he claim her.  By the time of that kiss he had decided that she would be his but he wanted to take it slow, if for no other reason than her feelings for Inuyasha. As he found out over the next couple months, her feelings for the hanyou weren’t what people thought they were. She, as it turned out, didn’t give a damn what he did or if he was with Kikyo every night.  All she was doing was letting people think what they wanted.  Any romantic interest in Inuyasha had been gone for a long time.  Not because of Kikyo, but because she had ‘outgrown’ his immaturity and moved on.  He was still her best friend and like family, but anything else wasn’t to be.  The only thing that caused the arguments was she worried about him when he was with the dead miko.  She had already hurt and betrayed the hanyou in so many ways Kagome feared what she may do to him next, the same way she feared for her other friends.  She wasn’t angry with him when she felt that kind of fear, she got angry is all.  Nor did she hate Kikyo; in fact, he had a sneaking suspicion that she actually felt sorry for the dead miko.

When he came to that realization both he and his beast puffed up with pride.  Indeed, if she was that loyal to a friend then there would be no question about her loyalty to him as a mate.  In fact, she had already proven it to him by standing up to Inuyasha when he would more than just snipe and sneer, trying to pick a fight with him.  No, he didn’t need her to stand up for him, but what she did was different than what she normally did for those she considered a friend, such as Kouga.  Yes, that became a bit more rabid as their relationship developed, but it wasn’t odd behavior for her.

He did have one worry about their relationship though, just not about her.  That worry had a name: Inuyasha.  No, he had never liked his half-brother, but this worry had nothing to do with their past or his behavior then.  It had to do with something he only noticed after he began traveling with his pack.  It appeared the half-breed didn’t see the little miko as a friend or as a being that cared for him but as his possession.  She was his and he could do with her what he wanted, seeming to feel that she should be happy with that and not complain.  The first time he had seen evidence of this he had been thoroughly disgusted. 

The boy had spent the night away from camp with the dead miko.  He had come back reeking of graveyard soil.  It had even been on his face and breath.  To say he had been disgusted was an understatement.  The mere thought of what the hanyou had been doing with what was essentially a dead body made his stomach lurch.  He had come back just before dawn. When Kagome had awakened he had shot her the usual look that told of an unpleasant day for all if she even brought up the topic.  Like always, the miko said nothing and just ignored him all morning. 

About noon the ookami prince, Kouga, had shown up.  He had started his usual rant about her being ‘his woman’ then Inuyasha had gotten mad, informing said ookami that she wasn’t his woman and he needed to get lost.  He had just watched the exchange, shaking his head.  The boy had an arrogance and streak of self-entitlement he couldn’t believe, nor that was earned.  It had disgusted him to no end and he privately let the hanyou know.  Though he had vigorously denied the accusations he had treated Kagome better for a couple of days. It ended the next time he saw Kikyo’s soul collectors.

 Chapter 5

Feeling his mood darken as he thought about his baka half-brother, he pulled himself back to the present.  Looking down at the beautiful woman curled up in his arms, his mood instantly began to lift.  She was staring into the fire, almost hypnotically.  He could easily sense a bit of anxiety surrounding her, but more so exhaustion.  Of course it made a great deal of sense.  It had probably been one of the most stressful days of her life; she was bound to be dead tired.  Stroking her back, he said her name softly.

Immediately, she pulled her gaze away from the fire and looked up at him, smiling, “Yes, Sesshomaru?”

“You’re tired little one, I can tell.”  He said, voice soft.

Nodding, she leaned her head on his shoulder, “Yes, it’s been a very long day.”  She admitted.

“If I may, would you allow me an indulgence?”

“What’s that?”

“I would like to sleep with you.  No, I don’t mean anything sexual in nature, just to hold you all night.”

Looking up into his face, she chewed her bottom lip nervously.  Realistically, she knew this time with him was to that they could become mates.  Mating involved sex.  That was going to happen at some point.  He wasn’t asking for sex, he was asking to sleep with and hold her.  That idea held a great allure to her.  The thought of being held by him all night was something she wanted.  Smiling, she nodded, “I would like that a lot.”  She said, reaching up and stroking his cheek. 

His beast all but purred when she touched him.  Holding her close, he kissed her on the top of the head and said, something like a smile on his face, “Thank you, Kagome.”

Quickly, he slid the robe off of her then carried her to the pallet and slipped them under the warm furs.  She curled up to him, laying her head on his chest.  Within a half hours time, she was out cold.

Lying there, he held her to him, rubbing her back.  There was a deep, thrumming rumble in his chest, signaling his beast’s contentment with the situation.  That rumble also seemed to help sooth her as well.  When it started, she sighed in her sleep and seemed to take comfort in it, relaxing more. 

As he held her, he couldn’t remember ever being this contented before in his life.  It was strange, because all his life he had considered all humans little better than insects, beneath contempt.  He wouldn’t even have considered a human female as a mate.  Yet every demoness he had considered hadn’t wanted him for himself, but for what he could give them or would benefit them.  Now, in his arms, was a human female, someone he should looked down on, who didn’t give a damn about his wealth, power, title, etc and only cared about him.  How strange was that?  Add to it the fact she genuinely cared about his welfare, something no one else besides Rin had done before.  It was a strange feeling, but one he liked, a lot.

Shifting around in her sleep, she draped an arm over his side and gave him a bit of a squeeze before settling back down but her arm remained.  Kissing the top of her head, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly in a smile.

Quite honestly, he didn’t know how this young onna had so captured his attention, but he was glad she did.  The last six months had been the happiest he had ever been in his entire life.

Looking down into her beautiful, sleeping face, he gave a contented sigh and brushed a stray lock of hair off her forehead.

Shutting his eyes, he rested his cheek on the top of her head.  Her almost intoxicating smell, a mixture of vanilla and a sweet musk, seemed to swirl around him, making him relax, soon dozing off.

Chapter 6

When she woke up the next morning, he was already awake.  He was just lying beside her, holding her close.  Outside she could hear the steady staccato beat of the rain hitting the ground.  Sighing, she snuggled closer to his warmth.

“Good morning, Kagome.”  He said, looking at her, when he felt her stir around. 

“Good morning, Sesshomaru.”  She replied, then yawned and stretched.

After crawling out from under the nice, warm furs, they shared a breakfast of fruits Kagome had in her pack.  She had brought oranges, a fruit he had found he loved.  Not only was the smell of them pleasing, the tangy, sweet taste was as well.  After eating they spent much of the day talking.  Well, as normal, she did most of the talking and he listened.  But, unlike with most beings, he was actually listening.  He found most topics she talked about were fascinating.  Usually, he would ask a few questions here and there then let her go, enjoying what she was saying.

As dusk fell, she was quiet.  Ensconced in his lap, she was curled up to his chest, watching the flames dance.

Running his claws through her hair, he watched her face.  It was obvious there was something on her mind.  Nuzzling her gently, he asked, “Is there something wrong, Kagome?”

Pulling her eyes away from the fire, she looked up at him, smiling.  “Nothing’s wrong.”  She said, reaching up to stroke the side of his face.  “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything you wish.”  He replied, nuzzling her hair softly.

“Well…  Once we are mated, would you be willing to go meet my family?  I think they would like to meet the man I fell in love with and who would be considered my husband.”  She said, nervously.

Giving her a reassuring squeeze, he then looked down at her.  Seeing her nervous expression and how she was chewing her bottom lip, he smiled just a little, “Kagome, I would be honored to meet your family.”  Since he had been traveling with his half-brothers pack, he had often heard her talk about them.  It was obvious she loved them very much and that they were close.

Sighing, she relaxed, “Thanks, Sesshomaru.”  She said, leaning up and giving him a soft kiss.

“You’re most welcome.”  He replied, giving her a bit of a squeeze.  “So… tell me about them.”  Rather than just listen and shake his head at some of the funny stories she told, he paid closer attention to what she said about them so he could better understand their personalities and would be prepared when he met them.  Just like he would with an enemy, he liked to know as much as he could beforehand.

When he got as much information as he could about her family, he began to ask questions about what it was like in her time and things to expect.  Again, he wanted as much forehand knowledge as he could get so that he wouldn’t be caught completely off guard.  While he received that information, he also started to understand things about Kagome and why she could/couldn’t do things as well.  Things that most beings in this time grew up learning, such as how to start a fire, fish, clean animals to eat, etc weren’t skills taught or needed in her time.  Fire, if needed and it generally wasn’t because there was no need for it to cook or for heat, could be had a click or one strike.  She didn’t need to know how to catch or clean food because everything they ate was bought somewhere.  In her time youkai and hanyous were thought of as nothing but a myth or fairy tale, she hadn’t ever encountered any until she fell through the well.  For the first time he had a bit of an understanding of how terrifying ‘his world’ must have been for her on that first trip.

On the other hand, she knew things he didn’t.  He wouldn’t know what a quadratic equation was if it came up and bit him on the nose, yet she could work with them.  She knew anatomy and the basics of how the body and organs functioned, he didn’t, something which would have come in handy at times with Rin.  For a long time, he thought she was as clean as she was just to smell nice, but he learned why humans should be clean for health reasons.  Fascinating and educational!

When he ran out of questions for her he was surprised to find it was now dark outside.  They had been talking for hours when it sure didn’t seem to have been that long.  A swell of pride at his chosen’s intelligence bloomed inside of him.  After a moment to bask in it, he showed her where the hot springs was in the back cavern so she could bathe while he went out to hunt for their dinner.

As he was putting a cleaned rabbit on a spit over the fire, she was just coming out of the back cavern, drying her hair and carrying her supplies.  Wrapped up in his robe, she sat down by the fire to brush out her hair.  Like before, they soon found themselves once again lost in conversation as time flew by.

Chapter 7

When it got late they began to get ready for bed.  Grabbing her pajamas and toothpaste out of her pack, she was preparing to go take care of the usual before bed time cleanings. 

As she knelt, he could see the robe gape open slightly and part of a long, bare leg show.  Of course, it made him curious as to what she was/wasn’t wearing under it. 

Before she could leave the room he caught her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against him.  Nuzzling her head, he gave a soft growl then asked, “What are you wearing under that robe?”

Blushing beet red, she shivered but managed to stammer out a soft, “Nothing.”

Growling softly, something immediately sprang to life and began to stiffen.  Kissing her on top of the head, he said, “Come to bed like that.”

Blush deepening, she began to shake a bit but nodded and managed to stammer out a soft, “Okay.”

Giving her a soft kiss, he then let her loose to take care of what she needed.  Once she was out of the room he put more wood on the fire.  Then he stripped out of his own clothes and slid under the furs.

While she was brushing her teeth, she willed herself to calm down.  The thought of sleeping, naked, next to him both scared and excited her.  Yes, she wanted him as much as he wanted her.  He actually sexually excited her more than any other man ever had in her life.  She could feel her whole face and neck flush hot as the thought about how many times she had masturbated while thinking about him. 

Doing a more thorough job on her teeth than normal and brushing out her hair, she made sure she was as calm as she would get, although the butterflies in her stomach wouldn’t stop fluttering. 

Gathering her stuff, she nervously made her way back into the other room.  Noticing he was already in bed, the fluttering in her stomach intensified, but she managed to put everything back in her bag without shaking too much.  Walking over to the pallet, she pulled her slippers off.  Then, taking a deep breath and beginning to shake harder, she slid the robe off and slid under the furs, face flaming.

Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her to his chest.  Feeling her shake, he kissed her softly and stroked her back, starting that soft rumble in his chest that always seemed to soothe and calm her.  He didn’t say anything, knowing it really wouldn’t do much good so he just held her until he could feel her stop shaking.

When she seemed to have calmed a bit, he kissed her tenderly then said, quietly, “I won’t hurt you, Kagome.”

Nodding, she replied, “I know, I’m just nervous and a bit scared is all.”  Her voice was uneven and shaking slightly but she didn’t try to pull away from him.

“I understand.”  He soothed.  “I won’t do anything you don’t want.  If you say stop, I will.”

Draping an arm over his side, she relaxed in his arms a bit then said, quietly, “Thank you.”

Kissing her again, he nuzzled her softly. Hoping to get her to relax a bit more he tied to find out what was making her the most nervous.  If he knew what it was he could dispel her fears or at least calm them somewhat.  “What is frightening you the most, little one?  Tell me and maybe I can put it to rest.”

Burying her face in his chest so she didn’t have to look at him, she muttered, “I’ve never done anything like this before.”

Stroking her back, he nuzzled her gently.  He knew she was a virgin, her scent told him so, but he wasn’t sure how much she had done or how far she had gone with anyone before, so he wasn’t sure what she meant.  “Haven’t done what, Kagome?  What do you mean?”

Letting out a ragged breath, she blushed then said, quietly, “Any of it.  Before you no man had even really kissed me other than a peck on the cheek.”  Shutting her eyes, she waited for his response, not sure what it would be.  All she hoped was that he wouldn’t laugh at her.

Feeling her start to shake again, he held her tighter and kissed her on the temple. He could sense her anxiety about her admission and was pretty sure she was afraid of his reaction.  Although he had a brief thought about how much of a fool both Inuyasha and Kouga were for not even kissing the girl and, in his half-brothers case, preferring something made of graveyard soil over what he was holding, the reaction of both himself and his beast was the same: pride and happiness.  He would be her first and the only one she would ever know.  His and his alone.  Trying to soothe her, he said, voice soft and even, “There is nothing wrong with that, Kagome.  In fact I’m pleased and honored that I’m your first for so much.”

Letting out the breath that she didn’t realize she was holding, she relaxed a bit.

OK, he now had a jumping off point to work with.  Now he just needed to know a few other things.  “How much do you know about sex?”  His assumption was that as intelligent and schooled as she was, she knew quite a bit, but wanted to make sure.

Glad not to be looking at him or that he could see her face, she turned beet red again then stammered out a soft, “A lot,” before giving him the briefest of rundowns about sex-ed, what she had learned from books and talks with her friends.

Relief washed over him.  At least she knew the ‘basics’ and probably quite a bit more considering how advanced her society was.  That also probably explained part of her fear.  Unlike the undereducated she was probably well aware it could be painful the first time.  “Are you afraid it’s going to hurt the first time?”

When he felt her nod vigorously he moved his hand to the back of her neck and began to massage it softly, trying to relax her.  “I will be honest with you, Kagome; the first time will most likely hurt.  But how much will depend on a lot of things.  It will never be my intent to hurt you, only to give you pleasure, so I will do everything I can to make sure it hurts as little as possible.”

Nodding, she said, “Thanks,” softly.

For several minutes, he just held her close and let her relax, so she could calm down more.  Like everyone who knew her, he was well aware how modest and easily embarrassed she was.  The next topic he was going to breach would most certainly do that so he wanted her as calm as he could get her before he went there.

Chapter 8

Putting a finger under her chin, he tilted her head up.  When she was looking up at him he leaned down and captured her lips with his.  Pulling her tighter to his body, he let one calloused hand drag softly over her pleasant curves, marveling at how silky smooth her skin was.

Releasing her mouth, hearing her pant heavily, he bit, sucked and nibbled his way down her neck to her shoulder.

Shutting her eyes, she moaned softly, fingers of one hand entwining in his hair, the other hand clutching onto his back, her nails digging into his skin.  When his hands cupped a breast, fingers lightly grazing over the stiffened nipple, she gasped and started to shake but made no effort to pull away from him. 

After lavishing the same attention on its’ twin, he let his hand softly drag down over her belly to the soft, sparse curls just at the top of her crotch.  Despite wanting to delve further down and play there, he moved his hand to her hip and rested it there, giving it a soft squeeze.

Kissing back up her neck, he then ran his tongue over the outside ridge of her ear.  He asked, voice a soft growl, “Do you like this Kagome?  Does it feel good when I touch you?”

“Yes, Sesshomaru!”  She moaned, shaking.

Pressing tighter to her body, knowing full well she could feel his erection against her, “Do you feel what you do to me?” He growled huskily.

Moaning softly, she nodded.  Yes, the size of him intimidated her, he felt huge, but feeling how excited he was fueled her own.

It wasn’t hard to smell her arousal.  The heady, sweet musk that was the tell-tale sign was thickening by the minute.  As much as he wanted to crawl between her legs and take her, he restrained himself.  Growling softly, he moaned her name.

Whimpering, she let out a ragged breath.  Yes, she was still nervous and there was a touch of fear mixed in with it but it was stirred in with equal part of arousal and want. She was also pretty sure that the latter two were going to win over the former

.

“Kagome…”  He moaned softly in her ear, holding her close.  Willing himself to calm down, he was making sure he had himself under control before he continued.

Shivering slightly, she moaned as she felt his breath tickle across her ear and down her neck.

Once he was sure he had everything clamped tightly under control he nibbled on her earlobe and licked over the ridge of her ear again then asked quietly, voice a soft rumble, “Have you ever pleasured yourself Kagome?” 

Before he asked the question he had a pretty good idea what her reaction would be so he held her close and continued stroking her softly.

As expected, he felt her stiffen up and whimper.  He didn’t have to see her face to know she was blushing brightly.  He could feel the heat flush her face and spread down her chest but he heard her say a soft, “yes.”

Putting a hand on the back of her neck, he rubbed it softly, trying to soothe her.  He also had to bite back a lustful growl at the vision of her on her back, legs spread, playing with herself that flashed through his mind.  But that answered his question about whether or not she’d had an orgasm before.  Gently, he pushed her onto her back and his mouth found hers once again.

When his tongue slipped past her lips to dance with hers, he grabbed her dominant hand and led it between her legs, keeping his hand over hers.  Breaking off the kiss, he whispered, voice a bit deeper and rougher, yet still gentle, “Touch yourself so that I know what you like and how best to pleasure you.”

Though embarrassed and blushing red as a tomato, she understood what he wanted and let her fingers begin their very familiar dance.  With a practiced ease, a finger found her clit and began to rub up and down along the underside of it slowly.

Breaking off the kiss, he looked down at her face.  Her eyes had slid shut and she had bitten her bottom lip but he could still hear soft whimpers escaping.  There was a bit of a soft blush on her cheeks but it was quickly fading into the flush that was slowly spreading over her.   Though he could feel how she was working on that little bundle of nerves, he wanted to see it.  Yes, part of it was to fully understand what she was doing but the other part was to watch and enjoy it.  To watch her touch herself in such an intimate way was something he was longing to see.

Nibbling on her neck, he reached down and flipped the furs off both of them.  Immediately, his eyes raked down her naked flesh, taking in her tanned curves and memorizing them.  But, quickly, his eyes were drawn to where their hands were.  Moving his away, he watched the movement of her fingers against that sensitive nub.  From the position he was in he really couldn’t see much more than her hand moving so he propped himself up on an elbow to get a better view.

When she felt the furs pulled off and her body being exposed to the air she had wanted desperately to pull her hand away and cover herself but she fought off the urge.  Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she bit her bottom lip and forced herself to concentrate on the feelings her fingers were producing.  Honestly, after a few minutes she really didn’t care anymore that he was watching, only about the delicious heat that was building throughout her body.  Moaning and gasping, her finger began to work faster and her hips began to thrust slightly. 

Seeing her start to lose herself made him groan softly and his already aching cock begin to twitch, the head of it wet with pre-cum.  Reaching down, he grabbed his turgid length and began to stroke it.  Pressing tightly to her side, he growled softly in her ear, feeling her shiver and eliciting a moan from her.  Nibbling gently on her ear, he looked down at what she was doing, enjoying the sight of her legs spreading further apart, her back arched slightly and her hips pumping a bit to thrust against her fingers.  Growling softly again, he asked, “Do you think of me when you touch yourself, Kagome?”

Nodding, she rasped out a soft, “yes,” as her body tingled and jolted from the sensations her fingers were producing.

Groaning, his cock twitching in his hand, he hissed, “Yes!” through clenched teeth.  “Did you think of me before we were together?”  He asked, voice a low, husky growl.

Nodding, she whimpered out a barely audible, panting affirmative.

“Do you think about me touching you?  My body pressed against yours?  Me taking you?  Making you mine?”  He queried, panting heavily.

“Yes, Sesshomaru!”  She moaned loudly, finger working faster, body covered with a slick sheen of sweat.  That prim, proper, modest side of herself had been bound, gagged and tossed aside, making way for the side of her that screamed for him and release.  At this moment she didn’t care what he saw or heard, just so she could achieve orgasm. 

Watching her lose her inhibitions fueled his lust higher.  Panting in her ear, he asked, eyes glued to the expression on her face, “Have you thought how it would feel for me to slide between your legs and taste you?”

Brow furrowing, not really sure what he was talking about, she shook her head.

“You’ve never thought about me pleasuring you with my mouth?”  He asked, a bit surprised.

Shaking her head, body shivering as it began to climb towards its release, she managed to gasp out an almost breathless, “No.”

“Hn…  That is a pleasure I will have to introduce you to very soon.”  He all but purred in her ear.  Smelling her arousal spiking and soaring he pulled his hand off his cock and pushed her hand aside then began to rub the throbbing nub with one of his fingers.  Before he could say anything he felt her tiny hand wrap around his member, giving it a tentative squeeze.  Growling louder, he thrust his hips a bit to give her a hint as to what he wanted.  Through clenched teeth, he hissed, “Yes!  That’s it Kagome!”  Unable to stop himself, his hips began to thrust.  Panting almost as heavily as she was, voice becoming a raspy growl, he asked, “Do you think about taking me in your mouth and sucking on it?”

“Yes!”  She moaned, arching up and pressing herself harder on his finger.

Oh yes, he thought as he began to climb towards his own orgasm, that was something he would most certainly let her do!  Feeling her grind on his finger and hearing her moans getting louder he pressed on, knowing she was close, “How about me sliding into your back passage?”  He growled lustfully.

“No!”  She gasped.  But the image of what he was talking about sent enough of a lustful jolt through her that she arched up onto his hand more, letting out a loud cry then her orgasm flooded over her, making her whole body quake.

As she bucked and writhed against his finger, her hand tightened on his hard flesh and jerked a bit spasmodically.  Just as she was coming down from her high he thrust into her hand harder then let out a snarl and found his own peak.

Afterwards, he held the very tuckered out miko to his chest and showered her with affection, trying to soothe some of the embarrassment he knew the modest girl had to be feeling after what they had done. 

Snuggled to his chest, she strangled the mortified proper side of herself and kicked it aside, unwilling to let go of the delicious afterglow.  Soon, her eyes slid shut and she slipped towards sleep, clinging tightly to him.

Chapter 9

Several hours later a clap of thunder loud enough that it seemed to vibrate everything woke her.  Disoriented for a couple of moments, she then remembered where she was and muttered, “Stupid rainy season.”  Not feeling him behind her, she sat up, clutching the furs to her chest and looked around.

He was tossing some more wood on the fire when he heard her stir around then her pack unzip.  Brushing his hands off, he sat down by her as she took a drink from a bottle of water.  Giving her a kiss on the temple, one hand found her bare back and rubbed the still sleep-warmed flesh softly, “You are fine, are you not?”

She nodded and screwed the lid back on the bottle, “I’m fine.  The thunder woke me is all.”

Nuzzling her softly, he stood and slid the robe he was wearing off then once again got into bed behind her.

Flopping back down, she burrowed under the furs and curled back up to his chest.  Draping an arm over his side, she sighed contentedly.

Automatically, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer, kissing her on top of the head.  “Do you like being held like this, Kagome?”

Giving his side a squeeze, she smiled, “Yes, a lot.”  She said, nuzzling his chest softly.  “I love it when you hold me.”

Nuzzling her again, he sighed softly and shut his eyes.  “I enjoy it as well.”  Actually, enjoy was too mild a word for it.  He loved holding her and her arms around him as much as she did.  Within minutes, her breathing became deeper and more even, telling him she was once again headed towards sleep.

As she slid fully back to sleep he thought about the irony of the situation.  It was odd that the only two beings in the world that seemed to take comfort in his touch were two human females; Rin and Kagome.  They were also the only two beings who really had never feared him either.  It was ironic they were human, a species that was supposedly far inferior to youkai, and female, again supposedly inferior to males.  Yet neither had ever shown any kind of fear of him.  Hell, he had even tried to kill Kagome and she still stood up to him.

Smiling, a low rumble of appreciation started in his chest and he actually smiled when he thought about Kagome and how much she adored his touch.  No, he wasn’t the affectionate type, not even with Rin, but something about the little miko brought that out in him.  Sure, inus’ were naturally affectionate with their partners but that didn’t account for all of it.  It was just her and something about her that made him want to touch, hold and cuddle her.

Somewhere in her sleep-fogged mind she must have registered the contented rumble because she sighed and a soft smile crossed her lips.  Giving him a bit of a squeeze she muttered a slurred, “I love you, Sess’maru.”

“I love you as well, Kagome.”  He replied, stroking her hair.  No, this wasn’t the first time she had said it, in fact she told him at least once a day, but it still elicited the same reaction each time; it sent warm, pleasant tingles down his spine and made his beast all but purr and jump around in happy circles chanting “Ours!”

But then that smile slipped away as his thoughts turned to a darker topic: Inuyasha.  Groaning, he shut his eyes as he contemplated what his reaction was going to be when they turned back up and Kagome was wearing his mark.  There was going to be no way to hide the scent from the half-breed.

No, he wasn’t worried about what the fool might say or try with him; he was more than a match for anything the hanyou might toss in his direction.  But he was worried about Kagome.  Yes, she gave it back to Inuyasha as good as he gave it and would ‘sit’ him into a crater if needed, but none of that had actually put an end to behavior that could and should be termed abusive.

Sighing, he shut his eyes as his beast reminded him of some darker suspicions he had for a while now.  As if he were trying to banish the thoughts and protect her from them, he nuzzled her softly. But, as he did that, he slid the blanket off her shoulder.  Opening his eyes, he looked at the puncture scars on her upper arm, knowing she had an identical set on the other arm.  Tracing a finger over them he knew what they appeared to be, the marks that would be left if someone grabbed you by the upper arms, maybe to shake or hold you, digging their claws in.  He had seen enough claw marks to identify that they were canine-based youkai marks.  Of course his first thought had been Inuyasha.  Yes, she had scars from battle injuries but that didn’t explain all the scars she had.

That raised some serious questions about protecting her.  Yes, he would be around most of the time but there would be times he couldn’t be.  He understood her obligation to the jewel and wouldn’t force her to give up the hunt just because he had to go do something.  Sure, he could leave Jaken, but he was pretty certain he would be next to useless and Kagome would end up beating the kappa with his own staff for irritating her.  Not to mention what the others in the pack would end up doing to the irritating creature.  He had a couple other ideas he would have to ponder over and see what he could come up with in the way of protection.

Feeling her shift around, he looked down at her and smiled.  As complicated as she was going to make his life she would be well worth it!  Leaning down, he kissed her on the forehead.  His Kagome!  Just the thought of that made him grin.  Burying his face in her hair, he let that wonderful vanilla smell from the soap she used surround him then shut his eyes and started to drift off to sleep.

Chapter 10

When she awoke the next morning it wasn’t raining but the sky was grey and ominous, looking as though it could cut loose at any time.  After looking around for the daiyoukai and seeing he wasn’t there, she slipped into the robe and went to take care of her usual morning routine.

When she returned he was there, putting a couple cleaned rabbits on the spit and adding more wood to the fire.  She went over and sat down behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her cheek against the back of his shoulder.

Tossing the rest of the wood on the fire, he then grabbed her hand and pulled her around and had her sit between his legs.  Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her softly then just held her close.

Sighing contentedly, she snuggled up to his chest and wrapped one arm around his waist, her head resting against his shoulder.

Leaning down, he captured her lips is his and kissed her passionately.  While their tongues danced his hands slid down her front and he untied her robe then pulled it open. 

Although she stiffened up when exposed she made no move to pull away or cover herself.

Holding her, with one arm wrapped around her waist, his other hand slowly explored her exposed flesh.  While it paused briefly to cup and massage each breast, his hand slid down between her legs.  Gently, with a soft touch, one finger slid up and down her nether lips.  Within a few strokes they had thickened, parted slightly and his finger was coated with the first of her juices.

When his finger was slick and she was shaking violently, he slid his finger to her clit then began to rub.  Breaking off the kiss, he watched her eyes roll back in her head then flutter shut.  Biting her bottom lip, she moaned.

Leaning down, he nipped at her ear then purred, “No need to stay quiet Kagome, no one can hear you.  Moan and cry out as loud as you like.”

Licking her lips, she whimpered loudly and shook, gasping his name.

Once his finger found the exact rhythm she liked it didn’t take him long to bring her to a screaming orgasm that seemed to last for several minutes.

                                                                        ~@~

As she came back down to earth from the euphoric high, panting and shivering violently, she was curled up to his chest with his arms wrapped around her.  She could feel his ‘enthusiasm’ for what had happened pressed against her.

Smiling, and a bit nervous, she reached down and let her fingers trace lightly over his erection through the soft silk.  His soft growls and moans told her that he liked her touch.  Pulling away and sitting up, she fumbled inexpertly with the ties on his clothes, trying to get them undone with shaking hands. 

Feeling her shaking fumbling, he pulled away then divested himself of his clothes, tossing them aside.  Sitting back down, legs spread with her between them, fully naked, he pulled her into another deep, passionate kiss.

It was her that broke it off that time.  Shifting around onto her knees between his spread legs, she kissed him tenderly, letting one hand tentatively run down his muscular chest and stomach.  

Growling softly in her mouth, he put a hand on her back and gently stroked it.  Her soft, gentle touch and exploration made him tingle and a fiery dagger of lust shoot through him.  His already hard cock began to twitch slightly and pre-cum was starting to weep from the head in a steady stream.

Pulling her mouth away from his, she kissed her way down his neck.  When she reached his chest she began to kiss and nibble here and there on it, eliciting a low, lustful groan from him.  While her mouth was busy, she let her hand stray lower until she was touching his impressive shaft.  A bit trepidatiously, her fingers began to trace over it, from the slick, engorged head to the heavy sacs, with a feather-light, almost-not-there touch as though she feared he wouldn’t like it. 

Letting his head fall back, his eyes slid shut and he began to shake slightly.  “Ka…go...me…” he moaned, voice a thick growl.  Although her touch was inexperienced it seemed to set his blood on fire.  He could feel his heavy erection twitch more as his whole body seemed to throb.  The urge to throw her on the pallet and ravage her was strong as was his beasts demand to take her but he held both of them at bay.  He wanted her to get comfortable with him and to know his body intimately.  Reaching up, he ran his claws through her silken, ebony locks, loving the feel of her hair.

As she kissed her way down his hard stomach, she grew bolder, wrapping her hand around his heavy, throbbing erection and giving it a soft squeeze.  That action elicited a deep growl from him that she found quite appealing.  Emboldened, she pulled her moth away from his abs.  Kneeling on all fours, she looked down at his impressive erection.  The deep red head was glistening from the pre-cum and she could see it twitch a bit.  Curious, she lowered her head and let tongue drag lightly over the slit, tasting the juices collected there.  It wasn’t the horrid taste she had always heard it was and it wasn’t exactly good either, but she could deal with it.  Wrapping her hand around the shaft, she pulled the foreskin back then took the head in her mouth and sucked on it softly.

Unable to stop it, he whined loudly and his hips began to jerk upwards a bit, thrusting slightly.  Her wet mouth and exploring tongue, though inexpert and obviously novice at the act, felt better than anything anyone else had ever done.  Though his fingers were entangled in her hair he didn’t try to guide her in any way.

Quickly, she lowered her mouth down further then found a rhythm that he seemed to like.  Reaching down, she gently cupped and rubbed his heavy sacs, feeling them seemingly grow heavier. 

Panting heavily, his hips began to thrust more of their own accord.  Though he wanted to just keep his eyes shut and lose himself in the sensations, he didn’t.  Opening his eyes, he watched the beautiful young woman suck on him.  Pulling her hair away, he flipped it over her shoulder so his view was unobstructed.  The sight of her sweet mouth wrapped around his turgid flesh sent him skyrocketing towards his orgasm.  Unable to stop himself, he began to thrust himself deep into her mouth.  Emitting a sound that was half snarl, half yell, he came, flooding her mouth.

Surprised by the sheer volume of what he was shooting, she was momentarily startled but quickly adjusted and swallowed it all.  When he was done, she pulled her mouth off and started to lick him clean.

Groaning as her tongue bathed his tingling, overly-sensitive flesh, he let her continue for a couple minutes then sat up and pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her.  Kissing her passionately, he held her tightly.

Breaking off the kiss, he held her tightly as he relaxed.  Once more, he began to run his claws through her hair then sighed happily before whispering “I love you,” in her ear.

Holding him, she gave him a squeeze then replied, “I love you too.”

Chapter 11

After she ate they went and took a bath together.  Kagome had produced a deflated beach ball from her pack and blew it up then was able to cajole him into a game of volleyball.

Much to his surprise, he found the game enjoyable.  Being in the water, and how that negated much of his physical prowess, they were fairly evenly matched.  Unexpectedly, the game had some merits beyond the game itself.  He found he quite enjoyed it when she jumped out of the water, her naked, wet breasts would bounce around, giving him quite an eyeful.  Of course, he found himself hitting the flimsy, inflatable ball in such a way to elicit that action.  Astute as always, Kagome called him a hentai then stuck her tongue out at him but giggled and didn’t stop playing.

After they were sufficiently pruned, he spread one of the furs from the pallet in front of the fire pit and they sprawled out on it to play a couple card games.  Of course, those weren’t nearly as much fun as the volleyball game had been and it soon morphed into a wrestling/tickling match.  The end result of it came as Kagome, who was quite ticklish all over, was flat on her back shrieking in laughter while he tickled her mercilessly.

Much to his surprise, and delight, that ended in quite an unusual way.  As his claws danced up and down her ultra-ticklish ribs she grabbed his head and pulled him down into a passionate kiss.

Of course, he gave up the game and whole-heartedly threw himself into the new activity with tremendous zeal.  Soon, what clothes they had on were flung across the room carelessly and they were in a passionate embrace with lips locked.

After a long bout of passionate kissing that had both of them flushed and panting, he thought he was about to explode and was going to take it to the next level she broke off the kiss.  Growling softly, a noise that sounded similar to a lustful purr, he was about to recapture her lips when she nuzzled his cheek then, in a breathless and uneven voice, whispered in his ear, “Please, Sesshomaru, make love to me.”

“Yes Kagome!”  He growled out before recapturing her lips.  While his mouth was again on hers and their tongues resumed their dance, he gently eased her into the position on her back he wanted then slid himself between her now spread thighs.

Keeping his mouth locked on hers, he let one hand wander down between her legs so his fingers could lightly stroke her sensitive little nub.  He continued stroking it until he could feel her juices begin to flow and she was clutching onto him tightly, shaking and moaning his name over and over.

Shifting around a bit, sliding an arm under her neck so he could hold he close, he let his finger drift away from her clit to be replaced by his thumb as he slid one long digit into her slick tunnel. 

Moaning, she shook all over, clutching onto him.  Honestly, she didn’t know where her request had come from but she wasn’t having second thoughts or regretting it.  The sensations his fingers were producing were almost like an exquisite form of torture, so pleasurable that she thought that they couldn’t be real, that it was all a dream.

By the time he was able to slide a third finger into her she was shaking violently and calling out half-formed versions of his name, clinging to him.  Sure she was in her own personal nirvana and not paying too much attention to anything else, he shifted around a bit to position himself at her entrance but continued to work on her clit.

Finally, when she arched up and screamed his name as her orgasm rocked her body, he slid himself all the way into her tight sheath, groaning as her walls spasmed around his rock hard manhood.

Screaming loudly as her orgasm cascaded over her, tears stung her eyes as well when she felt herself being stretched in all new ways by his thick manhood.  She felt so full and stretched that she was sure she was being pushed apart but the pain was quickly forgotten because of the mind-numbing orgasm that continued to hold her tightly in its grip.

With his eyes shut and head thrown back, he desperately tried to hold onto his self control as her tunnel rippled and spasmed around his hard flesh.  To him, it seemed as though her body was trying to coax out his own peak while she was in the throes of hers.  It took everything he had not to succumb. 

Finally, her body unseized and she lay limp under him, panting heavily, shivering and clutching onto him.  She held on tightly as the deep, aching throb in her nether regions from his penetration began to slowly subside.  When his mouth found hers again she kissed him back with equal fervor, moaning softly.

As that kiss became more passionate, any pain she felt ebbed away as her arousal level once again soared.  As her desire skyrocketed, her body contracted around the intruder buried deep inside her.

Moaning into her mouth as he felt her body squeeze him, he had to fight to not move.  All he wanted to do was plunge into her full force until they both came but he didn’t.  Mouth devouring hers, he waited for her to do it again.

Her want for him climbing by the second, she clung to him.  Yes there was still a bit of an achy, raw feeling in her sheath but feeling him buried in her made her want what he could give more than she cared about the ache.  Digging her nails into his back, she rocked her hips upwards a bit, thrusting onto him. 

Feeling her move again, he grunted softly.  Finally, she was ready.  His mouth still plundering hers, he slipped his free hand under the small of her back.  Lifting slightly, he was able to tilt her hips as he began to slowly make love to her in long, deep strokes, making sure that he brushed across her clit each time.  Unable to stop himself, he was moaning softly as he plunged into her.  The tightness of her sheath was one of the most exquisitely pleasurable things he had ever felt in his entire life.

As she began to once again climb towards release, he started to thrust at demonic speed.  Her cries of pleasure gradually became a long, loud single scream of pure ecstasy.  Finally, she slammed onto him and came, shouting his name as loud as she could.

As he felt her release come, he leaned over her body and found the place he was going to mark, sucking and licking it softly.  Finally, her spasming sheath coaxed him over the edge.  With a loud snarl he thrust into her all the way then let his own release come, sinking his elongated fangs into her shoulder.

As his poison began to flow through her body and started clashing with her miko powers she screamed in agony, tears welling up in her eyes.  Shaking violently, she found the pain made it hard to catch her breath.

Removing his fangs, he licked his mark.  Letting his deflating member slide out of her, he picked her up and shifted around until she was sitting on his lap.  Holding her close, he rocked her a bit and nuzzled her softly, “Just relax, Kagome.”  He told her softly.  “Relax and don’t fight it.  Let it happen and the pain will stop.”  He soothed, holding her close.

Sobbing softly, she tried to calm down and stop her powers from flaring.  The more her powers backed off the more the pain ebbed. 

Feeling her relax, he kissed her tenderly and murmured about how he was sorry for hurting her.  Licking and softly nuzzling his mark, he held her while the process ran its course.

After it was finished, he held her in his lap, unwilling to let her go, caressing her softly.

As he began to once again get more passionate, she looked up at him, giggling. “Horn dog!”  She chided mockingly.

“Hn…”  He smirked.  “I’ve waited how long for this?  Did you really expect it to only take a short time?  Expect to be ravished for hours, woman!”  He growled lustily. 

Chapter 12

Sitting in the doorway of the hut the shard hunting pack shared when in Edo, Inuyasha glared outside at the rain.  They couldn’t hunt shards or Naraku in weather like this.  Not that they could do much anyway with Kagome gone.  Growling softly, he thought about her note saying she would be gone for a week. 

He hated it when she left anyway but lately she wouldn’t even tell him in person that she was going, she would just leave a note then go.  That pissed him off!  Sure, he knew he made it unpleasant for her to go, but at least he got a chance to try to talk her out of it.  This way it was like he had no say in the matter and she was ignoring him.  He hated it!  He was their packs’ leader after all.

Yes, he understood they needed supplies more often now because of the three extra people traveling with them, but she should at least have the guts to tell him she was going to his face!  While the night she left he hadn’t been in camp, but she should have waited until morning then.

Huffing, he growled and glared harder at the rain, as though his malevolent stare would stop the drops before once again retreating back to his thoughts.

Of course, as usual, Miroku and Sango had taken her side, saying that the note was a much easier way to deal with a situation that always ended up unpleasant.  That she had a right to go home once in a while and shouldn’t have to argue with him about it.

Sango, of course, had also taken the opportunity to point out that if he had stayed in camp and kept an eye on them like he was supposed to then she could have told him, but he had taken the opportunity to slip away to spend time with Kikyo. As much as he wanted to argue about that statement with the slayer, he didn’t. 

Lately, every time he and Sango broached the topic of Kikyo, the arguments had become downright vicious.  The last one resulted in her almost embedding her weapon in his head.  He had ended up with a headache which wouldn’t go away for several days.   He didn’t even want to think about the row they all had when he mentioned, in passing, the idea of Kikyo joining them.  Kagome hadn’t been there, thankfully, but Miroku and Sango had more than made up for her presence because it quickly escalated into a screaming match that resulted in a promise from both that they would leave the group and take Kagome with them if it happened.  Of course, he backed away and dropped the topic quickly. He couldn’t do this alone and he knew it. 

Without Kagome there was no way of finding shards.  Ningens were less likely to give him information about Naraku without his companions.  Realistically, he was well aware of the fact that he wouldn’t be able to take the arachnid hanyou out on his own, he would need his pack and probably his baka half-brother to manage.  So them leaving wasn’t something he could or would let happen.

As the visage of his half-brother flickered through his mind, he scowled.  Yes, he had accepted that the ice lord was traveling with them and would be needed, but that didn’t mean he had to like it!  Sesshomaru had a way of making him feel like a complete and utter failure, giving him a look which told him that on a regular basis.  It seemed every time he made a mistake, the baka was watching.  For every misstep, he was there to point it out.  If he snuck out of camp, Sesshomaru saw it and was awake when he came back.  No, the stoic ice lord never lost his placid, emotionless mask, but the flicker of emotion that occasionally flitted across his eyes made him feel like an incompetent child.  Every time the asshole saved or prevented something nasty from happening to one of his pack members it was as though he was pointing out his failure as an alpha.  Despite everything, he tried to stop his mistakes it was almost a sure-fire guarantee that if his brother was around mistakes would be made.

However, there was something else about the ice prick that was bothering him even more.  For a daiyoukai that had repeatedly professed to hate humans, he had taken more than just a passing interest in Kagome.  Sure, since he had started traveling with them he had developed a decent enough relationship with the humans in his pack and treated them with respect, but it seemed that the futuristic little miko had been singled out for special attention.  At first he had thought it was because she was the Shikon miko and needed the most protection.  Then it was because they had some mutual interests that they would talk about.  Now he wasn’t so sure and it was bothering him. 

Miroku always had some perverted thought about who was doing what with whom and when he suggested that there was something going on between the two, he had ignored him.  Later on, though, when Sango had mentioned how well the two were getting along, he had begun to reconsider what the monk had said and kept a closer eye on the two.

Unlike most beings that would have the smell of another on them if more than casual contact had gone on, Kagome wasn’t that way.  It seemed that her miko powers neutralized any kind of demonic smell on her.  It also eliminated most human smells as well.  So it was virtually impossible to detect anything in that area.

No, they weren’t acting any different than they had since they had begun their boring ass discussions about books and poetry, but he thought he could detect something in their eyes now when they looked at each other.  That bothered him because he couldn’t be sure.  Half the time he was convinced there was nothing there and that he was jumping to conclusions.  But the other half he was sure there was something going on.  It was driving him mad!

When he thought about a possible relationship between the two, he saw red. Sure, part of it was because it was Sesshomaru.  His connection anywhere to Kagome would do that.  But there were other reasons as well.  If there was something going on between them, it was as though the alpha female of his pack was saying he was a failure in certain areas so she was looking for someone else and giving up on him.  The thought of failing at anything with his pack always set his teeth on edge.  To have the being that really was the glue that held them all together all but out and out say he failed made him angry as well.

The other part of it was that Kagome was ‘his woman’, as that flea-bitten wolf Kouga put it.  Since they had met she had been his, that hadn’t changed at all.  Yes, now she was on hold because of Kikyo, but that didn’t change the fact she was his.  Despite what people may think, he did indeed love Kagome with all his heart and fully intended to make her his mate once Kikyo was gone.  Kagome had proven many, many times in the past her loyalty to him and if there was another man who would destroy it.  However, the rage he felt at the mere thought of that kind of betrayal was actually frightening to him.

Pondering the situation also made him quite uncomfortable because it always left him with something he wasn’t used to: self doubt.  If the worst was true could he blame the whole thing on the other two or did he hold some of that blame himself?  It was a question he didn’t like.  He didn’t like looking at himself to see his faults then examine them.  That made him sweat a bit and nervous.  When it came to this area of his life he really didn’t like it! 

The original situation with Kikyo caused him to do that after she was revived.  When Kouga had ‘claimed’ Kagome and declared she was ‘his’ he had to do it again.  Lucky for him Kagome had made it fairly clear the ookami was mistaken in that declaration.  Well, she did to everyone but Kouga, he hadn’t listened to her no matter how or how many times she said it.  If that came up again with anyone else he wasn’t sure how well he would handle it.  Each time he had to go through it, it got harder.

Honestly though, he was already starting to do that.  Just the thought of her looking elsewhere for companionship had him re-evaluating his relationship with her.  It had been six years since she had first come through the well and they had done nothing more than hold hands.  Nor had he really defined their relationship even though she had pushed him to do so a few times.  Though he hadn’t, he was pretty sure she knew how he felt about her and what their relationship was.  He was also fairly certain she knew that once Kikyo was gone things would change for the better.  She was just going to have to wait was all.  Knowing her the way he did, he was sure she understood and knew that already.  After all, she had waited this long, what was a little longer? 

Sighing heavily, he felt his mood resemble the gray gloom outside.  There was also a sick knot in his stomach.  Somehow he knew something was very wrong, he just didn’t know what it was.  He had a bad feeling about something, that was for sure

He let himself remain in the funk until he caught a glimpse of a few of Kikyo’s soul collectors flit by then all thoughts were banished and he took off. 

Chapter 13

Sesshomaru woke the following morning with a start.  Unsure what roused him, he quickly scanned the area for any other presences.  Finding nothing, he shifted around, holding Kagome closer.  That’s when he felt her shaking.  Opening his eyes, he looked down at her then felt the wind.  Sometime during the night the wind had picked up and changed direction.  Now there was an icy wind that seemed to cut right through you like a knife and it was blowing straight in the door.  His barrier could stop a lot of things, but wind wasn’t one of them.  Quickly, he held onto her then rolled them both over, leaving his back to the doorway, blocking some of the wind with his body.  Tucking the blankets tightly around her, he made sure she was pressed up against his chest to warm her with his body heat.  The cold didn’t bother him but humans couldn’t withstand it for long. 

Sighing, he came to the inevitable conclusion.  If the wind didn’t let up soon they would have to leave.  Sure, he had other places like this on his land and could easily move to one of those but he felt the best course of action would be to bump up their trip to her time by a day.  Though it would cut the time alone short, something he most certainly didn’t want, he was sure that she would be thrilled that she was going to get to spend some extra time with her family.  However, he would wait for her to warm up and wake on her own before he would start with preparations to leave. 

 A couple of hours later she finally woke.  Though she was still warm, snuggled up to his chest his body heat keeping her comfortable but there was an icy chill in the air that seemed to permeate the thick furs.  She was shivering slightly as a strong wind blew through the doorway. 

Stroking her back, he kissed her on top of the head.  “Good morning, Kagome.”

Smiling, she kissed him back softly, “Good morning, Sesshomaru.”  Shivering again, she tried to pull the furs tighter around herself, “It’s cold this morning!”

Sighing, he nodded, “Yes.  The wind picked up and I don’t have any way of blocking it like I can other things. We aren’t going to be able to stay here; it’ll be too cold for you.  So, once we take a bath and such we’ll head to the well and go to your time a day early.  Is that acceptable?”

Hugging him, she smiled, “That’s fine.  As long as I’m with you I don’t care where we are.” 

Nuzzling her head with his, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly and he gave her an affectionate squeeze.  As much as he wanted to ravage her once more, his practical side kicked in.  It was time to get moving.

Despite her half-hearted protests and some groaning, she pulled herself out of bed, grabbed her pack and headed for the spring.  While she bathed, he cleaned up, dousing the fire then made sure all their gear was gathered. 

When she came back to the main room she was all dressed, carrying her pack and his robe.  Putting the pack by the entrance, she then walked over to him.

Kissing her, he then told her she could hang it up by the bed.

Not moving, she looked up at him, blushing slightly, “Umm—can I keep it please?”

Giving her a puzzled look, he asked, “Why?  If you want something similar I can get you one, Kagome.”

“Umm—well…” she stuttered.  “It’s yours and smells like you.  I assume that there will be times when you can’t be with me, so if I have something like this it will feel like I’m having at least a part of you with me.  Does that make sense?”  She asked, looking up at him through her raven-colored bangs, color a bit high. 

This time a true smile crossed his face.  Yes, he understood perfectly.  She wanted something of his with her at all times like a tool to comfort her with when he wasn’t there.  “Of course you can keep it and I’m honored that you take that much comfort from me.”

Standing up on her tip-toes, she kissed him tenderly, “Thanks.”  She muttered then went over and put it in her pack.

After making sure she had everything, she donned her coat and shouldered the pack.  Taking her hand, he led her outside then picked her up.  Cradling her to his chest, he kissed her deeply then his light formed around them and they streaked off to the Bone Eaters well.

From the safety of his hidden castle, Naraku watched the Daiyoukai and miko kiss in Kanna’s mirror, a grin on his face.  When the couple streaked away, he waved Kanna off then laughed.  “Beautiful.  Just beautiful.  Don’t you think so, Kagura?”

The wind witch just grunted and narrowed her eyes, glaring at her master/tormentor.

“I couldn’t have plotted this better myself!”  He said, his dark laughter filling the room.  “With an opening like that one I have to take it!”

Standing, he began to stride purposefully around the room.  There was so much to do, so many things that had to be put in motion that he barely knew where to start.

“Come, Kagura!”  He growled as he swept out of the room.

Chapter 14

When they arrived at the well she reiterated that her time was going to be loud and smell bad. Nodding, he steeled himself for the unknown. Picking her up, he clutched her a bit tighter to his chest than normal then jumped into the well. The tell-tale blue light flashed as they passed through the time rift.

On the other side, his feet had barely touched the ground in her era when he leaped out of the well. Standing there, he put her down as he tried to not be overwhelmed by the sudden auditory and olfactory assault of many unfamiliar things.

Clutching his arm, she looked up at him, concerned, “You okay?” She asked quietly.

After adjusting his senses a bit lower, he nodded, looking at her, “Yes, It was just slightly overwhelming at first.”

Giving his arm a reassuring squeeze, she smiled, “I understand.” Breaking into a big smile, she looped her arm through his and tugged on it, “C’mon! Let’s go meet my family!” She exclaimed excitedly.

As they walked the short distance from the well to what she called a house, he observed many things he had never seen before. Making mental notes of them, he would ask her about them later.

When they walked into the house, she was greeted by everyone with their usual enthusiasm. Once hugs were dispensed and everyone sat down to their breakfast they eyed the being with her, who was, from the look on his face, enjoying a glass of orange juice Kagome had poured him.

After offering some of what they were having, to have him decline, her mother said, “Well, Kagome, introduce us to your friend please.”

Sitting by him, she put her chopsticks down and beamed, “This is Lord Sesshomaru, Inuyasha’s half-brother.”

None of those seated around the table really knew what to say beyond greeting him by his name and title. Indeed, they had all heard about him from both Kagome and Inuyasha. The thing which stood out in their minds was how he had tried to kill them both on a few occasions. Also, that he was a full youkai, not hanyou like Inuyasha.

Before the awkward silence that was starting could take root and grow, Kagome pressed on, giggling, knowing what they all were thinking. “Yes, he’s the one that has tried to kill both me and Inuyasha before, but things have changed a lot since then. You also have to remember that Inuyasha tried to kill me when he met me, too. Kouga kidnapped me. Both Sango and Miroku tried killing Inuyasha. Shippo tried stealing our jewel shards. So you learn to not take attempted murder too personally!” She said, grinning.

Ignoring the looks and arched eyebrows, she pressed on, grinning from ear to ear, “I brought him along so that you could meet my mate, the equivalent of the human word husband.”

When the term husband came out of her mouth, Grandpas’ jaw dropped to the floor. The old man was clearly shocked. Souta grinned from ear to ear, muttering the word, “Awesome!” quietly.

Eyes wide as dinner plates, Mrs. Higurashi just stared at the two of them, her hands pressed over her mouth. Once the words fully sank in, she embraced her daughter then burst into tears.

Once the waterworks subsided and everyone had calmed down enough to begin the meal again, there were a lot of questions tossed at the two. Although everyone was dying to ask about what happened with Inuyasha, that question stayed unasked. Kagome was the one that answered most of them but the daiyoukai also chimed in as well when she looked at him for help in explaining something.

While sitting at the table, Sesshomaru was still a bit overwhelmed by all the new sensory input he was getting. Kagome’s time was so much different than his own that it didn’t seem to be ‘real’.

Never much of a talker with anyone, he listened to the questions everyone had asked them, but let Kagome, for the most part, field them. By the time the meal was over he had started to relax a bit. The atmosphere in the kitchen was a soothing, friendly one, putting him a bit at ease.

By the meals end it had also became apparent, to a degree anyway, where the little miko had acquired some of her traits and personality. Within minutes of coming through the door and announcing they were mates, her family had fully accepted him and he seemed to be part of the family unit. The mentality seemed to be that if Kagome accepted him, then it was good enough for them.

Although her grandfather kept shooting him wary looks, the kind that seemed to be sizing him up. Since the old priest had very little spiritual power, at least that he could detect, he wasn’t real worried about him. At first Souta seemed to be leery of him, staying quiet but watching out of the corner of his eyes. By the time the meal ended he, too, had warmed up a bit. He even asked him to play video games, whatever those were, with him when he got home from school. Kagome’s mother was quite friendly, talking to him as though he were an old family friend. She offered to make him something to eat when he declined what they were having, saying it wasn’t a bother. When he seemed perplexed by something, she explained it to him quickly and simply.

After the meal, Souta headed off to school, the priest to the shrine and her mother to do some shopping. She had taken some measurements of him so she could by a couple sets of ‘modern clothes’ for him so he wouldn’t look odd if he and Kagome went somewhere.

When they were finally left alone, she gave him a tour of the house and showed him how to work things he would be in contact with. When they finally reached her bedroom, his head was spinning. There were so many fascinating things!

After dumping her pack on the bed, she went over to the window. Locking it, she then drew both the blinds and the curtains. When she turned back around, she could see a puzzled look on his face. Hitching a deep sigh, she explained, “Inuyasha doesn’t come through the front door when he decides to show up, he always climbs through my window. Since he does tend to show up at odd times when I’m home and you can’t predict when, I don’t think him climbing through the window and seeing us together when we’ve had no warning would be a good thing. All hell would break loose.”

“Yes, taking precautions against an intrusion such as that is wise, Kagome.” He said. The thought of waking up to the baka half-breed looming over them in a rage wasn’t something he wanted to experience.

When her mother had come home, she had brought him some clothes she called jeans, he had seen Kagome wear them before, and some shirts. His own boots would be fine to wear and not too out of place. While she helped the old man out at the shrine, Kagome took Sesshomaru for a walk to places nearby. If he thought her house, and all the odd things in it, where overwhelming it wasn’t anything compared to being out on the busy streets! The smells and the noise were bad. But he did learn quickly that her manner of dress and that old green skirt she wore that he had always considered almost lewd because of how short it was would be considered conservative compared to the clothes some women wore! Some of them left little to almost nothing to the imagination!

While her intent was to show him around a bit she did stop to pick up some movies for him to watch. She had, several times, told him stories that were plotlines to movies and thought he might like to see them brought to life, so-to-speak.

On the way back from that store, he had stopped cold in front of place that seemed to be an eatery of some kind. A tantalizing smell was coming out of it and he was curious. Grinning when she saw what the place was, she asked, “You like the smell, Sesshomaru?”

“Indeed. It is very aromatic and quite pleasant. What is it?” He asked, looking at the signs in the window and trying to understand their meaning.

“Pizza!” She laughed. Quickly, she gave a brief rundown of what it was. When he still seemed interested she asked, “Would you like to try some?”

Intrigued, he nodded then followed her when she led him inside. Sitting in one of the booths, she ordered him your basic pepperoni pizza, some breadsticks and soda.

From his first bite of the hot Italian delicacy he decided there were some kinds of ‘human food’ he did like because it was delicious! Kagome giggled as he ate almost the whole extra large pie himself.

The movies, Star Wars-which he remembered her telling Rin the story of, were something he enjoyed. After that he had even played a couple of video games with Souta, something he enjoyed as well. When everyone began going to bed they headed to Kagome’s room. Good to her word, she explained, to the best of her ability, the things he asked about. When they were over her head she turned on the computer and was able to access websites that explained what she couldn’t in easy to understand ways.

Of course, one can’t access the internet and do a search on a major search engine without encountering porn, it must be a law somewhere she groused. After stumbling across one site he was most interested so she pulled up a site she knew was safe and let him roam. Of course, this led to a very animalistic bout of sex that exhausted her.

When it came time for them to return to the feudal era, Sesshomaru had grown accustomed to ‘her time’ and actually found there where things he liked about it. He had also found the acceptance of him into her family was something he liked as well. Never before in his life had anyone so fully accepted him for who and what he was.

While they were gathering their supplies and making preparations for the return trip, the topic that they had both been avoiding was raised: Inuyasha. He was going to have to be told, and with his temperament and personality it was a fairly certain bet that he wasn’t going to take it well. In the end it was the blunt, to the point approach that would be used. Anything that came after that would be dealt with accordingly.

At about noon, after saying their goodbyes, the two jumped back into the well. That familiar blue flash told them that they were once again in the feudal era.

Chapter 15

After hopping out of the well they headed towards Edo. Usually, Kagome would have talked to him the whole way but this time she was quiet.  She was anxious and more than a little bit worried about what the reaction of those who were close to her would be.

When they got their first glimpse of the village he stopped then pulled her into a tight hug.  After loosening his grip he kissed her tenderly then said softly “Don’t let the half-breed or your friends upset you. Kagome.  It they don’t like it or are upset that’s their problem, not ours.”

Nodding, she sighed, “I’ll try not to, but it won’t be easy. Plus, no matter how we go about telling them, it’s not going to end well.”

“I agree.  It will probably become an ugly situation very quickly.” Ugly was probably far too nice of a word to describe what Inuyasha’s reaction was going to be was his thought on the matter. 

In a resigned voice, she said, “We might as well get this over with.” Then started towards the village again.

By the time they reached Kaede’s small hut, her stomach was tied up in knots.

“Kagome!” Shippo yelled then bounded towards her.

Picking the kit up, she hugged him tightly and smiled.  Just as she was preparing to put him down a familiar voice gave her a start. Turning around, she saw Inuyasha standing a couple feet outside the door to the hut.

“Wench!  It’s about…” Stopping, Inuyasha’s eyes narrowed to slits.  Unsure about the mixture of smells on her he took a couple of steps closer then sniffed.  Growling, he spat out “What have you done Kagome?”

Eyes widening, Kagome looked at him, but said nothing. Putting Shippo down, she told him to go to Sango. 

Picking up the kit, Sango watched the trio with a very avid interest. Even Kaede and Miroku observed, curious.  Something had happened, they could tell from the hanyous body language but didn’t know what.

Face tightening, Inuyasha’s hands balled up into fists and he bared his fangs, obviously pissed. “You betrayed me Kagome!”  He bellowed, stepping closer to her, completely ignoring Sesshomaru’s warning growl.  

“Tell me Inuyasha, just how did she betray you?” Sesshomaru asked, voice a steel dagger.  There was no way he was about to let the baka take his temper out on Kagome. 

Snarling, Inuyasha faced the Western Lord then snapped, “First you tried to take Tetsusaiga.  Now it’s Kagome.  Why don’t go get your own shit and leave mine alone?”

“Enough, half-breed!”  Sesshomaru barked, fixing him with a stare that should have melted him on contact or at least scared him a bit.

“Fuck you!”  The hanyou shouted then said, “Oh, I’m sorry, that’s Kagome’s job now, isn’t it?”

That insult ignited Kagome’s infamous temper.  “That’s enough, Inuyasha!  Just shut up!” She yelled, stomping her foot.

Rounding on her, the hanyou snapped, “Why did you betray me?  You were mine!”

“You baka!  I’m not a piece of property you own.  I never ‘belonged’ to you!  Just because I became Sesshomaru’s mate doesn’t mean I betrayed you in any way.”

“Bullshit!  We had a relationship and it’s now obvious that you snuck around behind my back with him.  That’s an out and out betrayal!”

“What relationship Inuyasha?”  She asked, fixing him with an angry glare.  “There wasn’t one between us beyond being good friends. I don’t know what you may have thought was happening between us but I gave up on a romantic relationship with you a few years ago and moved on.  Just because you didn’t see any of the changes and you were taken by surprise doesn’t make it a betrayal.”

Taking a step back, Inuyasha looked at her, “What?” he said softly, bewildered.

Sighing, she shook her head.  “It’s been six years, Inuyasha.  Six years and the most you’ve done to show any kind of affection or something that would indicate that we were more than ‘just friends’ was hold my hand. What was I suppose to think, Inuyasha?”

Feeling his own temper shooting skyward he snapped, “What?  You can’t get my attention so you throw yourself at him?” He snarled, pointing to Sesshomaru.

Eyes narrowing and starting to flash, a sure-fire sign that she was about to unload on him, Kagome hissed, “Even if I did it would still be a far sight better than chasing after a walking corpse made of clay and graveyard soil.” 

Snarling, he glared at her but she pressed on.

Rolling her eyes again, she said, “Do you really think that all of us are so dumb that we didn’t know what was going on?  We’ve all noticed that the minute you see her soul collectors floating around you’re gone, out looking for her once again.  You tried to hide it and thought we didn’t know, but we did.”

Both Sango and Miroku’s eyes were bulging at the well-aimed blows Kagome was spearing the hanyou with. 

With his arms crossed, Sesshomaru smirked as the half-breeds jaw dropped.  He was also enjoying his mates passion and fire. 

Shippo hid behind Sango’s legs, covering his eyes.

Recovering quickly, his temper still flaring, Inuyasha shot back at her, “I knew it!  You did this because of Kikyo.  You’re jealous of her!”

“Oh puh-LEASE, Inuyasha!”  She snorted.  “Jealous of that thing?  I don’t think so.  If I were jealous I would have taken back the part of my soul that she has and sent her onto the next life or left her to her own devices rather than save her the way I have a few times. I can assure you that there is nothing that being has or is that I’m jealous of.”

“There’s no way that you are strong enough to get that small piece of your soul back.”  He sneered, glaring at her.  “Face the facts Kagome, you will never be as strong as Kikyo nor can you ever master doing some of what she did, like using that bow.”  He said, raising his chin, a smug look on his face.  There was no way he was going to let her fob off her betrayal on him.  He was the wronged party in the situation.  So, if she wanted to play that game he could and would give back just as good as she gave it.

“That’s where you’re wrong, dog-boy!” She replied, grinning like a shark about to launch itself at a seal.  “You don’t pay enough attention to what I’m doing to know what I’m capable of.  I can guarantee that I can do a whole lot more than just detect jewel shards, but you’ve never paid attention long enough to see it.”

“Keh…”  He snorted, shaking his head.  “Whatever, Kagome.  You’ll never be what Kikyo was and won’t be able to measure up to her.  All you’ll ever be is an inferior copy.  Nothing more.  You just can’t accept that.”

“If you think so Inuyasha.”  She said in a smooth, soft voice, “If that’s the case then I’ll tell you what—Let Kikyo help you from now on.  I’m going to take my shard-detecting self elsewhere with my mate.  Anyone who decides to come along with us will be more than welcome.” 

Linking her arm through Sesshomaru’s she smiled up at him “Is that alright with you, Sesshomaru?”

“Hn…”  He looked down at her then said, “That’s acceptable.”  Looking at the now red-faced hanyou, he smirked.  Normally, he would have wanted to be the one that put the boy in his place but Kagome had done an excellent job of it.  It was quite fun to watch her put the arrogant whelp in his place.

A look of disbelief on his face, all Inuyasha could do was stare at her.  It was becoming apparent that not only had he lost her to his brother he was also in danger of losing her special abilities that were the thing that gave them a bit of an edge over Naraku.  He was also pretty sure that Sango and Miroku would chose to go with Kagome.  They had voiced their dislike for Kikyo many times and said that if she were to join the pack they would leave.  No way in hell was he going to let that happen!  He had no chance of defeating Naraku alone and knew it.  It was going to take all of them if they want to succeed.

Suddenly, out of the blue, his back began to sting, a sensation like sweat getting into an open wound.  Then he could feel his demon blood begin to rise, wanting to be set loose.  Horrified, knowing what could happen if it managed to get free, he fought it.  He gripped Tetsusaiga tightly, trying to make sure it didn’t escalate. 

Seeing his brother struggling to control the demon, Sesshomaru stood in front of Kagome with his hand on Tokijin, waiting.  There was something that just didn’t seem right about the situation.  The hanyous demon blood would take him over when his life was in danger, not when he was angry.  At least that’s how it always had been in the past with him.  Also, Tetsusaiga was supposed to help him control it yet, even as he had a death grip on it, he was still struggling.  Another thing that was odd was it seemed that the more he struggled to maintain control an acrid smell seemed to be coming from him.

After several minutes, when he was pretty sure the demon was going to end up winning, he finally made it retreat.  Sighing in relief, his shoulders slumped, he looked over at Kagome who was peeking out at him from behind Sesshomaru, eyes wide.  Giving another sigh, he said, “I shouldn’t have said those things to you, Kagome.  I’m sorry.  I’m asking you to please stay.  I don’t want you to leave.”

Confused, she looked at him then up at Sesshomaru before nodding, “Okay, Inuyasha, I’ll stay.”

Turning his back on everyone, he walked away to collect himself and try to figure out what just happened.

Watching him carefully, Sesshomaru was a bit wary. Something was wrong with the hanyou, but he didn’t know what. However, it did re-enforce his belief that he didn’t want to leave Kagome alone with the hanyou when he was away.

Chapter 16

Shutting his eyes, Inuyasha fought the urge to beat his head against the tree he was sitting in.  The sounds of Kagome calling his brother’s name over and over as they had sex was driving him insane!  Sure, they were at the hot springs quite a ways away and most certainly weren’t intending for him to hear, but he could and it was making him nuts.

If that wasn’t enough to drive him crazy that mangy wolf and his side kicks had begun to travel with them.  At Sesshomaru’s insistence no less!  Gah!  Could his life get any worse?  After a long, drawn out scream of his brother’s name from Kagome, he decided it wasn’t a good idea to tempt the fates with a question like that because they could make it worse if they wanted to.

He didn’t have to look down at the group seated around the fire to know Kouga was casting glances in his direction now and then.  That flea-bitten wolf was actually keeping an eye on him.  He was pretty sure that it was at his brother’s insistence.  Gah!  He understood Sesshomaru’s protective streak with those in his life that he felt fell in the realm of his protection, and as his mate, Kagome fell in that category. Since it was a matter of honor and the baka obviously cared for her he could understand how he would want to ensure Kagome’s safety, but she had traveled with him for years!  Between him, Sango and Miroku they could protect the miko just fine.  They didn’t need that stupid wolf and his cohorts to help!

When Sesshomaru had told him Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku would be joining up with them, that he had cut a deal with Kouga, he had said it was to help protect Kagome when he wasn’t around.  Though he had grumbled, growled and groused, more for show than anything else, he had understood his reasoning.  It wasn’t until a bit of time had passed that he began to get the sneaking suspicion that one of the things Kouga was helping to protect her from was him.  Like Kagome needed to be protected from him! 

Sighing, he shook his head.  He would never willingly hurt her and Sesshomaru should know that.  Yes, he had done it on accident in the past but that’s the only reason.  He also found it ironic that Sesshomaru felt that she needed protection from him when he, himself, had tried to kill her on more than one occasion.

Shifting around on the branch he was perched in, he sighed heavily.  At least there was a bit of light in the gloom.  Lord Stick-Up-The-Ass had something to attend to and would be away for a few days.  The way he saw it was that with him away things could relax and go back to the way they used to be.

With his back against one of the trees that was along the edge of the camp, his eyes shut, Sesshomaru had one arm wrapped around his sleeping mate and his other hand was stroking her back softly.  She was curled up between his long legs, head resting on his stomach, fast asleep.

While his touch soothed her, even while she was sleeping, he was far from relaxed.  In fact, he was distinctly uneasy about leaving her to attend to some business.  Yes, he understood she had traveled with Inuyasha for years and trusted him, but that didn’t dispel the uneasiness he was feeling.  Something in his gut was telling him there was something wrong.

Sighing heavily, he looked down at the beautiful young woman curled up to him.  His sweet, beautiful mate.  It still surprised him how much he could feel for her and how deep those feelings went, but he wouldn’t change it for anything.

Even as strong and independent as she was, something he wouldn’t change for the world, as her mate he had a responsibility to protect and keep her safe. Of course, that was expected of him as part of being her mate but he would have anyway because he cared about her and didn’t want anything to happen to her.  When he wasn’t able to be with her he felt he wasn’t being responsible or lapsed in his duties.

He understood the quest she had to follow and why she felt she had to do it, so that wasn’t a problem.  In fact, it illustrated quite well her sense of honor.  Understanding and allowing her to continue on with it didn’t mean he could be lax in his responsibilities to her.  Now, the way he saw it, the safety of her and Rin were his top priorities; before Naraku or anything else.  Rin’s safety was easier.  If he felt that the danger was too great he could and would send her to the Western Fortress.  She wouldn’t argue or complain.  With Kagome he couldn’t do that, even though that was his first instinct.  There was no real way to ensure her quest was safe and no harm would come to her.  When he was around he could ensure it to the best of his ability.  It became more complex when he couldn’t be there.  Since he couldn’t secure her away from the danger, he would have to find other ways.

Despite what people may have thought, he was well aware how good Inuyasha’s fighting skills were.  The hanyou was very good and would put his own life on the line to protect the members of his pack.  The problem was the boy could be very reckless, rushing into situations before assessing things.  Rather than try to think things out he tended to jump into battle with both feel.  He also had more than just Kagome to worry about.  So, as her mate, he took it upon himself to take steps to ensure her safety when he couldn’t be around.

The first thing he did was start to work with her on her archery and fighting skills.  By her being able to better able to defend herself the less danger she would be in.  He had also cut a deal with the ookami prince, Kouga.  By giving his pack the right to hunt on the Western lands, he would travel with the half-breeds pack and protect Kagome when he wasn’t around.  Of course, the wolf-demon had agreed.  Even though he had been a bit crushed that ‘his woman’ had mated with someone else, he was still a good friend to her and was more than willing to take on the responsibility of her safety.

After cutting the deal, he had then shared a few of his concerns about Inuyasha with the ookami.  Kouga had mirrored his concern about the hanyou and agreed to keep a close eye on him as well.

Eventually he was jarred out of his thoughts by Kagome stirring in her sleep.  She had shifted around a bit and the blanket covering her had slid down on her torso, making her shiver.  Grabbing the blanket, he covered her again and tucked it in around her.  Sighing contentedly, she gave him a bit of a squeeze then drifted back down into the darker recesses of sleep.

Chapter 17

As he sat listening to reports from his generals, Sesshomaru found his mind kept wandering to Kagome.  No matter what he did, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.  Nor could he place what that ‘something’ might be.

Before he had left that morning, he had tried to persuade her to come with him but she had declined.  They had a couple good, solid clues about Naraku and shards, the first they had in a while, so they had to check them out.  Although he understood, it did nothing to alleviate his anxiety.  By the time he had left the group he had done everything he could to ensure her safety but that didn’t dispel his anxiety. 

As his meeting was beginning to move towards an end he decided that trying to go through what seemed liked hundreds of scrolls on his desk that needed his attention would be a worthless endeavor.  Instead, he was going to go check on Kagome and once more try to persuade her to come with him.  If she were anyone else, he would just flat out order her but he couldn’t do that with her.  She was as stubborn as he was and would refuse, resulting in an argument.  Normally, his nature was to order and not argue, but mating was a partnership, which meant give and take on both partners end.  He also wasn’t sure if an argument over nothing more than a feeling was worth it.

It seemed that the longer the meeting dragged on, the more agitated he became.  As time ticked by that feeling grew.  He knew deep in his gut Kagome was in danger.  No, he had no ‘proof’ of it but he knew.

Just as he was about to dismiss them he heard her screaming for him in his head.  That was no trick of his mind.  Between his mark and her miko powers she was able to get through to him if she had to.  He could feel her fear and pain; it was almost too much for him to take.  Telling his generals to get some men and follow him, his ball of light formed and he streaked off towards where he felt she was.

The other battered members were tending to the little mikos’ injuries when Sesshomaru showed up.  No one had to even look at him to tell how angry he was, they could feel it in his aura.

When he walked to where she was laying, all he had eyes for was her, but the closer he got he noticed all the others were bruised and battered as well, looking as though they had been in a fight.  Though Kagome did appear to be in the worst shape.

He waited until the slayer finished bandaging the worst of her wounds then he gently picked her up.  When he looked at her battered face he felt his heart break a little.  He had failed her and she had gotten hurt. 

Looking at Kouga, whose handsome face was all but unrecognizable from the bruises and blood, he asked, voice a dangerous growl, “Who did this?”

“Inuyasha.”  Came the reply, followed by a feral growl from the ookami who was cracking his knuckles.  “Since you’re here I’m going to go find the fucker.”  He snarled.

“Bring him to the Western Fortress—alive.”  Sesshomaru said then motioned for his men to follow the wolf demon.

Turning to the slayer and monk, he asked gruffly, “Can you get to the fortress on your own?”

Both nodded then the slayer stepped forward holding the fox kit.  “You may want to take Shippo with you though.  He’s hurt fairly badly.”

One look at the kit that his mate saw as a son told him why.  He was battered almost as bad as Kagome was.  Looking at the slayer, his eyebrow was arched in an unspoken question.

Shaking her head, she replied softly, “He tried to protect her.”

That was all he needed to hear.  “Lay him on her chest.”  He said gruffly. The young kit had tried to protect what was his and had been badly hurt in the process.  His honor wouldn’t allow him to ignore that.

Backing up, he looked at the two humans.  “Get to the fortress as fast as you can.”  Then his light formed around him and he streaked off to the west.

The second he stepped into the front door of his ancestral home, he began barking orders.  Shippo was quickly taken by one of the healers.  He was to be put in the room next to Rin’s.  Kagome’s room, the one right next to his, wasn’t finished being decorated yet, so she was to be put in his chambers.  He waited in the hall while the healers saw to her and she was cleaned up.

Pacing the hallway, he did his best to placate his enraged beast over the abuse of their mate.  While he paced he ran a litany of what he planned to do to the half-breed once he was in his grasp.

Finally, the healers were done.  Her injuries looked worse than what they were, but she was bruised pretty good and did have a broken arm.

Slipping into the room, he walked over to the bed.  Her face was bruised and there were some scratches on it but it wasn’t as bad as he had first thought.  Easing himself onto the side of the bed, he gently ran his claws through her hair.

Stirring around, she asked in a slightly slurred voice, eyes, slowly opening, “Sessho’ru?”

Sliding closer, he rubbed her head softly, “Yes Kagome.  It’s me.”  He said, voice soft.

“Inuyasha?”  She asked, body tense.

“He will pay for what he’s done to you.”  He told her in a firm voice.

“Something is wrong with him.  Smells funny…”  She said, looking up at him.  “Please promise you’ll look into it before you do anything.”

Looking down into those beautiful big eyes of hers, he nodded.  “I promise, Kagome.  I will make sure I know what went on.”

“Thank you.”  She mumbled softly, giving his hand a squeeze.  She wanted to go back to sleep but forced herself to keep her eyes open.  “Shippo?”  She asked, knowing the kit had been hurt.

“Your pup is fine, Kagome.  His injuries have been seen to and he is resting comfortably.”

“Thank you.”  She said again, holding onto his hand tightly.

Sliding closer, he put his arm around her gently.  Her head rested on his chest and he growled softly, soothing her as she drifted towards sleep again.

He stayed with her until Jaken poked his head in to tell him that Miroku and Sango had arrived.

Chapter 18

While the monk and slayer were being attended to then settled into their rooms, his men and Kouga, with his two underlings, arrived with one very unconscious Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru had to actually fight to not grab the hanyou and kill him on the spot. Instead, he gave orders for him to be taken to the dungeon until he decided what he was going to do with him. Sending Kouga and his men to be attended to, he then wanted them, Sango and Miroku in his study to hear from them just what had happened.

When Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku showed up in the study it was obvious they had been in a battle with Inuyasha. Miroku, clean and bandaged up, arrived shortly afterward. Sango, he said, was going to see Kagome and give her the pack she always carried before coming.

Knowing how close his mate and the slayer were, Sesshomaru expected that and said nothing. While waiting, Sesshomaru sent word to the kitchen for some dinner for his guests. Then, while waiting, was given a rundown of what had happened.

After making camp for the night, and while dinner was cooking, they had begun to notice a foul odor that seemed to permeate the camp. It was an acrid smell, like some kind of a chemical. At that point, was they noticed it seemed to be coming from Inuyasha, who was battling his demon side. By that point the hanyou had a death grip on Tetsusaiga with both hands and was telling Kagome to subdue him. Both things were known to work to reverse the change in him.

While they initially worked, Inuyasha would then scream in pain, that smell would grow thicker and once again he would begin to battle his demon blood.

Apparently, he had enough of himself there to tell Kagome to run and get away before he began to lose the battle with his other half. She was no fool and knew to get away, so she grabbed Shippo and was heading for Kirara to make her way to the Western Fortress while everyone else battled Inuyasha. But the hanyou was too strong and was able to get through everyone and headed towards Kagome before she could get to the fire cat. Both Shippo and Kirara tried to run interference, but he was able to get through them quickly then pounced on her. She tried everything she could to stop him. Though the demon was in control and could have easily killed her, enough of Inuyasha was left that it didn’t. Before the demon could do any more damage, Inuyasha took off into the woods to try and get away before she could be hurt worse.

Looking at those seated, Sesshomaru kept his placid mask, but his mind was working quickly trying to sort through the information he had been given.

After a few minutes, he was jarred back to the present by a soft knock on the door. Telling whoever it was to enter, Sango, wearing her poison mask, poked her head in and told everyone to cover their noses. When the bewildered group complied, she stepped into the study carrying something wrapped in a towel.

Immediately, all those in the room were gagging at the thick, acrid, chemical smell. Sesshomaru opened the windows in hopes the fresh air would dissipate some of the stink. “What do you have that’s making that retched stench, slayer?” He said trying not to gag or to show how disgusted he was by the smell.

Putting the towel on the desk, she unfolded it and revealed what looked very much like one of Naraku’s saimyosho, only mutated. “Do you recognize the smell?” She asked, looking around at everyone.

“It’s stronger, but that’s what Inuyasha smelled like.” A very green Kouga said quietly.

Looking down at the creature that looked like a mutant bee of some kind, Sesshomaru examined it closely. It was obviously one of Naraku’s poisonous insects, but it had been messed with. It was much larger, greenish in color and had a stinger as long as his hand with a barbed hook on the end of it. Picking up a knife off the food tray, he poked it a couple of times and a green liquid of some kind oozed out of the stinger. Looking over at Sango, he asked, “Where was this thing?”

“It was in Kagome’s pack. I was pulling out her clothes so they could be washed and I found it. It must have gotten in there at some point and was caught then died.” She explained.

Looking down at the bug, Sesshomaru’s mind turned the information over and over. If Naraku was involved in this then Inuyasha may well have been targeted. If he could do something to push the boys demon blood to the forefront then he could easily turn the hanyou into a killing machine.

Calling the healer in, he had her take the insect to see if she could determine what the poison did then had her agree to meet him down in the dungeon. After excusing himself, he headed to talk to Inuyasha.

As much as he disliked his half-brother and the way the hanyou did things, he wasn’t about to do something rash if it was set up by Naraku. He refused to play by Naraku’s rules and let the spider bait him.

When he walked into the cell he found the boy seated on the floor, arms folded on his bent knees, head buried in his arms. Without moving or raising his head, he asked, voice quiet, “Is Kagome okay?”

“She’s fine, half-breed.” Sesshomaru answered coldly.

“I’m sorry.” Inuyasha said in a small voice, “I didn’t mean it and I couldn’t stop it.”

“Hn…” Sesshomaru said, trying to keep his own anger under control to find out what happened. If it was the hanyous fault he would make him pay but if it wasn’t then he would find the responsible party and make them pay. “Tell me what happened, Inuyasha. Everything you remember.”

Without trying to negate any of his responsibility, Inuyasha told what he could remember of the incident.

It mirrored what everyone else had said. “Tell me what happened right before your demon blood tried to take over.”

Sighing, Inuyasha related about his stinging back then the rage that came over him.

“Hn… Did you get stung on the back by any insects?”

Giving the Daiyoukai a weird look, Inuyasha said, “Yes. But I get stung all the time. What does that have to do with anything?”

Without answering, Sesshomaru called in his healer to have at look at him. Immediately, the rat youkai started pulling the barbed stingers of the mutant insects out of his back. Though he tried to stay quiet, Inuyasha couldn’t help grunting and shaking as the long, barbed stingers were pulled from his skin.

The final count was 63 of them. Sesshomaru just looked down at the hanyou, unable to speak.

After the barbs were removed Inuyasha looked up at his half-brother and said, voice quiet, “Just kill me. I never want to go through that rage again.”

Without a word, the Daiyoukai turned and left.

Chapter 19

After the cell door shut, Sesshomaru walked down the hall.  When he was sure Inuyasha couldn’t hear, he stopped and looked at the rat youkai, “Could the venom have caused what he described?”

Nodding, the healer said quietly, “Yes.  From what I’ve seen of it so far it’s intended to fuel the youkai and cause it to over-ride everything else.”

“Lord Inuyasha took in enough venom to force me and most other youkai to give in to their beast.  I don’t know how he fought it off for as long as he did.”

Looking over his shoulder at the guards, he said, “Take him up to the room next to mine.  Make sure he gets cleaned up then take him to my study and tell the kitchen to get him something to eat.” 

With that Sesshomaru walked away and headed upstairs.

Quietly, he let himself into his chambers then slid into bed behind Kagome. 

Looking down at her beautiful, peaceful face he felt his cold heart thaw a bit as it always seemed to when he was with her.  His mate, his beautiful, loving mate.

At this point, he had heard everyone’s version of what happened but hers.  By now he was sure Inuyasha wasn’t responsible for what happened, but Naraku was. He had targeted the hanyou knowing full well that he would tend to go after him and kill before trying to figure out why if it had something to do with Kagome.  It was sheer luck and Kagome making him promise to look into it that had stopped him.  

“Sesshomaru?”  She asked quietly as she started waking.

“Yes, Kagome.”  He said, kissing her on top of the head.

Turning over, she curled up to his chest.

Stroking her back softly, being mindful of her injuries, he held her.  “Kagome, tell me what happened when Inuyasha attacked.”

Hitching a deep sigh, she slowly told him everything she saw in the greatest detail she could, knowing full well even the most minor details could be of vital importance.

Listening, he heard her re-iterate much the same story as everyone else.  Knowing her the way he did, he knew she didn’t care about herself or her injuries, but was worried about her friends and, probably mostly, about Inuyasha.

When she finished, he nuzzled her head softly.  Before she could say anything else, he jumped in.  “You were right, there was something wrong with the half-breed and it wasn’t his fault.”  Slowly, he walked her though what they knew and had found out.

When he finished, she buried her face in his chest and began to cry softly.  Women’s tears for him, like most men, were a foreign thing that left him feeling like a fool because he wasn’t sure how to deal with them but he understood these.  She was crying for all the pain her best friend had to suffer through because of Naraku.  Holding her, he just stroked her back softly until she ceased crying. Yet again, his heart swelled a bit more in pride over his wonderful, caring mate.

When her tears dried up, he slid out of bed.  Grabbing his robe, he wrapped it around her then picked her up and carried her down to his study.

His ass hadn’t hit the seat of his chair when Inuyasha threw himself on them and buried his face in Kagome’s stomach, apologizing over and over for what had happened.

Wrapping her arms around his head, she stroked his hair as she felt his tears dripping onto her.  Soothingly, she just kept telling him it was alright, that it wasn’t his fault.

Though he was sure the ookami could smell the tears, no one else could see or hear him crying.  So that no one else could see, Sesshomaru reached down and rubbed the boys back a couple times to let him know he wasn’t mad.

When Inuyasha calmed down, he sat back down and they began to discuss how to combat Naraku’s latest threat and what to do if it happened again.  While talking, Kagome curled up to Sesshomaru then slowly drifted back to sleep.

Feeling her slowly slide back to the realm of dreams, he held her close and started that soothing rumble in his chest that she liked so much.  Looking down at her, he lost track of the conversation and just looked at her.

His mate.

His Kagome…

When he finished, she buried her face in his chest and began to cry softly.  Women’s tears for him, like most men, were a foreign thing that left him feeling like a fool because he wasn’t sure how to deal with them but he understood these.  She was crying for all the pain her best friend had to suffer through because of Naraku.  Holding her, he just stroked her back softly until she ceased crying. Yet again, his heart swelled a bit more in pride over his wonderful, caring mate.

When her tears dried up, he slid out of bed.  Grabbing his robe, he wrapped it around her then picked her up and carried her down to his study.

His ass hadn’t hit the seat of his chair when Inuyasha threw himself on them and buried his face in Kagome’s stomach, apologizing over and over for what had happened.

Wrapping her arms around his head, she stroked his hair as she felt his tears dripping onto her.  Soothingly, she just kept telling him it was alright, that it wasn’t his fault.

Though he was sure the ookami could smell the tears, no one else could see or hear him crying.  So that no one else could see, Sesshomaru reached down and rubbed the boys back a couple times to let him know he wasn’t mad.

When Inuyasha calmed down, he sat back down and they began to discuss how to combat Naraku’s latest threat and what to do if it happened again.  While talking, Kagome curled up to Sesshomaru then slowly drifted back to sleep.

Feeling her slowly slide back to the realm of dreams, he held her close and started that soothing rumble in his chest that she liked so much.  Looking down at her, he lost track of the conversation and just looked at her.

His mate.

His Kagome…