That's the Way Love Goes: IV

IMPORTANT!!!!! There is a lemon near the end. If you are reading this on PaperDemon, deviantART, or FanFiction, this lemon will be edited out. If you would like to read the story in its' unedited format, please visit MediaMiner, The Red Curtain (PaperDemon), InuYashaFanFiction, or A Single Spark. Thanks.

Thanks:

FanFiction - kittyb78, flirtymiyu, MoonDust369, darknessofmyheart, kyo12591, sessysgurlapril13, chibi strawberry neko

PaperDemon - jns3372, Lady Battousai

deviantART - Katevan, lonelygirl818, Cali2007, TAngelCreations, Kohiiko, luvtodraw

Replies:

MediaMiner - brainshake: Ah, I'm sorry I didn't update sooner! I just have a lot on my plate right now, and I have an older story that I'm working on (Choices) that has some rabid fans I couldn't ignore. I happened to be updating that story, and didn't get around to this one until now. I'm glad you like my interpretation of Sesshoumaru's life. I don't really enjoy the `castle' theme either - I think his mother may have one, but not him; he's a bit of a wanderer. And yes, it's going to be… uh… different when he gets his memory back. I hope you all like what I do to his character, although some may hate me. Like I've said, this `sweet Sesshoumaru' is a product of his amnesia, and is not a complete character change. He's OOC because, well, he's not himself! LOL

buzzk97: I'm so glad you enjoyed it! ^_^ Yes, everyone's question is `What will he be like when he's back to normal?' Well, I'll be answering that eventually, but poor Sesshoumaru, he'll have to be an amnesiac for just a little longer. Maybe in chapter 5 or so…

redrose: Thanks! The only reason I don't put a `dictionary' in the beginning is because people tend to not read what I write - they go straight to the story anyways. I had put one at the end of Chapter 1, but I still had people asking me “What's this mean?” LOL Oh well, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink. If you have a list of words you want to know the meaning of, don't hesitate to contact me though my email (it should be in my profile). That actually goes for everyone - I love when you guys email me, although I still love the reviews. ^_^

ASingleSpark - swasdiva: Have I told you how much I love your long reviews?! I squee with delight when I see a review from you! Thank you SO, SO much for the great compliments! I, too, feel for Kagome. I love SessKag, but I often feel bad for both Inuyasha and Kagome when I write for them. I guess there's no winning, huh? And I adore that you understand Sesshoumaru as I do. I've gotten some not-so-much-compliments about him being OOC, but I keep trying to explain that it's because he's NOT in-character right now… it's all in vain. Besides, like you, I feel like he was probably trained to suppress emotion, since he grew up a warrior. Perhaps this is his true self. ^_^ And don't worry about your thesis - I wish I had a thesis from everyone that reviewed, or even read! XD If you ever feel extra-emotional, you can always email me!

And a BIG thanks to Quimera-chan for sending me the loveliest review - straight to my personal email - and for all the support! I'm not sure where you read this story, but I thank you for letting me know how much you like it!

A/N: (***) is going to denote a dream sequence. Thank you for all the love and support for this story. I've gotten many lovely reviews, mostly from fellow SessKag lovers. I've wanted to do a SessKag for some time now, and I'm glad that my first one is so well-liked. I told you I wasn't abandoning this story - I was just really on a roll with Choices, Choices… (my AU) ^_^ Wild horses couldn't drag the SessKag from my soul. P.S. Longest. Chapter. EVER. I hate the end.

“So baby I will wait for you,

`Cause I don't know what else I can do.

Don't tell me I ran out of time,

If it takes the rest of my life…

Baby I will wait for you,

If you think I'm fine it just ain't true.

I really need you in my life,

No matter what I have to do I'll wait for you”. - Elliot Yamin, `Wait For You'

Chapter IV

Kagome could get used to this.

After all, it was one thing to be carried around on someone's back, but it was quite another to be carried in someone's arms. Especially the strong arms of a Taiyoukai. And being that said youkai was extremely handsome, kind, and caring… Well, she could get used to it. In fact, she may already be used to it.

She had felt uneasy earlier, not really able to sort out her feelings. But after her bath, Sesshoumaru had joined her to change the bandages that protected her wound. She had forgotten all about whatever she had been thinking of, and only knew the hot, trailing, fluttering feeling of Sesshoumaru's fingers as they wrapped the gauze around her. She had been in a daze by the time he had finished, and he left her quickly, although she had seen the burning passion in his eyes. When she joined Rin for breakfast, they chatted happily and Sesshoumaru acted as though nothing had happened. She assumed he was just displeased that she was leaving, and didn't speak of it.

When everything had been packed and they were ready to leave, Kagome realized that Sesshoumaru was hesitating. Again, she thought that this was due to the fact that she was going home, but it dawned on her suddenly that he didn't know where the well was. And Rin and Jaken didn't know that he didn't know. Or at least they didn't let on that they knew for fear of retribution. So… how to get them to lead the way? She certainly had no idea how to get there from here, because she had no idea where `here' was.

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru scooped her into his arms, and began to walk. Stunned, Kagome blushed and tried to get down. He had silenced her by giving her a stern look and telling her that she was still injured, and her wounds may reopen if she strained herself. Of course, this was not the whole truth, as Sesshoumaru simply wanted to hold her, and she was not going to comply unless given a good reason. His fingers burned to touch her, and he was only content once they were resting against her flesh.

Kagome didn't recognize any of the fields, woods, or rivers as they travelled, and she realized it was because she had been unconscious. And then she realized that Sesshoumaru had carried her through here already, and must remember this part at least. He was simply going back the way they had come. So she stayed silent, and they traveled until just past noontime, when he stopped to allow his followers to rest.

They resumed, and when the sun was low in the sky, they stopped amongst some trees next to a brook. Sesshoumaru left to hunt, and the girls travelled upstream to bathe in privacy. The water was cool, so they returned quickly. After dinner, Sesshoumaru led Kagome downstream and helped change her bandages. He didn't try anything and barely spoke, which both confused and disconcerted the woman. Back at the campsite, Kagome purposefully waited for the youkai to settle down first. When he was sitting up against the tree, she sat next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. She craved contact, she told herself. Although a sneaky part of her subconscious reminded her that she had been in his arms all day. Soon, she was asleep.

Sesshoumaru listened to her breathe and was beginning to slip into slumber himself when he felt her weight increase, and cracked an eye to find her slumped into his lap. He adjusted her so she would be comfortable and closed his eyes once again.

~~~~~()~~@

They had had no choice but to tell him. In fact, Kaede had told them that the angrier he became, the faster and more thoroughly the herbs would be distributed, making him fall asleep much quicker. So when he had questions, they told him. After he had eaten, of course. And poor Inuyasha, he never figured out that they were drugging him. Or that it came from his food. He only knew two things: That his `friends' had lied to him and Kagome was not, as they had originally said, safe in her own time. And that he just couldn't seem to get enough sleep nowadays.

~~~~~()~~@

When Kagome awoke in the morning, she felt very rested. Of course, it had more to do with the fact that she had a very comfy pillow - mainly the thigh of a certain youkai lord - but she figured it was because she had healed very well in the past few days. Good genes, or good hygiene. Something of that sort. Nevertheless, she could only smile as she looked up to find Sesshoumaru snoozing with his head cocked slightly to the side and pushed back against the trunk of the tree. She thought it must not be very comfortable, and here she was, enjoying a good nights' rest on his lap.

But if anything, it was comforting to see Sesshoumaru like this. Who knew this powerful, intimidating, menacing demon would do something so boring as sleep? He didn't look like such a threat like this; he looked peaceful, even. Kagome reached up and moved his bangs away from his forehead. She loved his markings; they made him seem even more regal. When the crescent was revealed, she realized that she never really thought of him as beautiful. Dangerous, yes. A pain-in-the-ass, even. And resilient. And tenacious. At times, she had thought he was handsome. But here, in the light of the rising sun, he looked… beautiful. He was quite the beautiful creature. She traced one of the stripes on his cheek. Before she had gotten to the tip, she felt a finger on her own cheek and realized that she had woken him up.

“I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-” A finger on her lips silenced her effectively.

“Don't worry yourself over it. I was waking up anyway,” he told her. In truth, he was waking up from a dream he had been having.

***

Sesshoumaru found himself in a dark, dank place that smelled heavily of miasma. Everything was so… gooey. He felt himself scowling. He was here to retrieve something… no, someone. But whom? Regardless, he began walking. And then he smelled… her. Walking quickly, he soon came upon the form of Kagome, looking much younger. She was in clothes similar to the ones he had found her in, but they were of a different color. And she was bleeding from her upper arm and unconscious. Alarmed, he wanted to run to her. But something kept him at a distance.

Instead, he found himself killing several eel-like demons that were coming after her. At some point, she woke up and let her pain be voiced. And then…

“You were… driving away the youkai?”

Why is she surprised that I would keep her safe? It is absurd that I would leave her there for the youkai to have… He wanted to reassure her, wanted to hold her and wrap her wound, but he did not move except to kill more of the youkai that floated towards them. His mind supplied that they were not unlike the shinidamachuu that followed Kikyou around. Surprised that he even knew that, he heard himself speak.

“That wound…”

He looked over his shoulder at her, and saw her clutch at the bloody spot.

“It was caused by Inuyasha's claws, wasn't it?”

She remained silent, her expression confused and hurt.

“So,” he said, trying to keep the words in while they rolled off his tongue, “the hanyou has been consumed by Naraku's darkness…”

Sesshoumaru was appalled with himself. How could he be so heartless? Granted, he was jealous of the brother he didn't really know, but that was no reason to say that to her. Sesshoumaru balked at himself inside the confines of his mind. He sounded so… haughty. And what was this about his brother doing this? Weren't they in love? If so, why would he do this to the one he loved?

“Y-you're wrong…” he heard Kagome say, as she held her arm, wincing. “Inuyasha is…”

To his horror, Sesshoumaru's body still refused to obey him and he turned and walked away, not waiting for her to finish. Angry with himself, he moved on to other thoughts. Ah, that's the Kagome I know. Somewhere deep down, Sesshoumaru knew that it was indeed his brother that had made her bleed, yet she was defending him.

“Oh… Ah! Wait!” she cried as she watched him walk away, knowing her only chance of survival was to stick with the youkai.

He could hear Kagome scrambling to catch up, an occasional hiss of pain escaping her lips as she stumbled after him. No, turn around! She needs medical attention. What am I doing? Why is my body not doing as I instruct it to? And why do I sound so… cold? Sesshoumaru was still yelling at himself within his mind when something drew him into blackness.

***

He had slipped into the world of consciousness and kept his eyes closed, feeling the tiny finger caressing him. This was becoming habitual; it wasn't the first time she had done this. Thinking about the disturbing dream he had had, Sesshoumaru remembered how vivid it was. Was it a premonition of what was to come? He didn't like the thought of himself being so cruel to the woman he cherished. He brought a hand up and caressed her cheek.

She was obviously embarrassed at her own actions. She tried to apologize, and he comforted her. Besides, he enjoyed it. He looked down at Kagome, and she was still pink-cheeked.

Kagome could feel his gaze and looked up at him. But gone was the peaceful, content expression she had seen. Now, he looked concerned or upset. Not sure if he would tell her what was bothering him, she chanced asking him.

“Sesshoumaru? What's bothering you?”

He was surprised that she had noticed, but he wasn't sure she needed to worry about what he had seen. “It is nothing you need to worry about,” he told her. He winced, feeling that the `him' from his dream had seeped into his vocabulary. He saw her frown, not taking that for an answer.

“I know I don't need to, but I would like to know,” she informed him angrily.

With a little sigh, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes for a moment. Kagome thought he was going to ignore her, but he quickly opened his eyes again. When he did, his gaze burned her to her very core. It was very intense, but not in a lustful way. It was more like… regret. Like he was remorseful for something he had done to her. Was this about the kiss?

“Look, Sesshoumaru, if this is about…”

“I had a dream,” he interrupted.

“A dream?” she repeated intelligently, a little confused.

An eyebrow arched as Sesshoumaru wondered just how awake she was. He sighed, and began to tell her about what he had seen. But it was evident, only a few sentences into the details, that this had happened in the past. Kagome looked at him wide-eyed. He finished his recollection of the dream and waited for her to say something.

“Well, I guess you're getting your memory back,” she said a little warmly, although he could tell that she was smiling only for his benefit. He wondered why. “That happened to us in our last battle with Naraku. Inuyasha… He turned youkai and hurt me. But he also pushed me out of the way of himself. You found me and knew. But you saved me from the other youkai,” she told him.

“I see,” he said. Her smile had changed, but it was real now.

Kagome was a little panicked. He was getting his memory back in his dreams? Well, it was good in the way that his memories did belong to him. But… That would also mean that this… well, whatever this was, wasn't going to last. When he regained his memories, Sesshoumaru would return to his ruthless self and forget whatever feelings he had for her. Hold on just a damned second! What is going on here? Kagome mentally berated herself. It was a good thing that he would be healed, and if he went back to his old self, what would it matter? She was going back to her old self, wasn't she?

“Perhaps we should begin our day.”

The deep voice that was Sesshoumaru startled Kagome out of her reverie, and she nodded her agreement.

~~~~~()~~@

“I wonder how much longer we have to travel,” Kagome asked no one in particular.

“I, for one, don't know,” Sesshoumaru told her as quietly as he could. “But if I were you, I wouldn't complain, seeing that you're not walking.”

Kagome had the decency to feel sheepish. “I know, I know. I'm just anxious to see…” Here, she paused. She knew the topic of Inuyasha was sore, even more so now that he felt… something for the miko. “…my mom. And my little brother, too,” she added.

Sesshoumaru made an agreeable noise and Kagome felt relieved. In reality, she was excited to see everyone. But she felt that if she had told him she wanted to see her friends, he would take it to include Inuyasha. Technically, that was correct. But she felt safer this way.

After about another hour of walking, they stopped for a rest. Rin decided to walk the dragon youkai to a stream to drink, and Jaken went along for protection, squawking about young ladies and roving bandits.

Kagome and Sesshoumaru sat in companionable silence for a few minutes; Kagome thinking of how she was going to explain everything to Inuyasha, and Sesshoumaru contemplated the memory-dream and wondered if he would have more.

He's going to kill me. `Hi, Inuyasha! I'm back! I know I've been gone for a while, but everything's okay. You see, I made Sesshoumaru lose his memory and when I healed him I became unconscious. He thought we were lovers so he took me into the Western lands. And I've been there, splashing around in a lake with Rin and kissing Sesshoumaru. Oh, and healing, too. See, I've got this huge gash in my side where the Ogre you didn't kill got me. But we're okay now, and I'm gonna go home to see a psychiatrist, all right? Because even I don't believe this crock of shit…'. Kagome giggled to herself, attempting to relieve some of the tension the upcoming argument was causing in her body.

Sesshoumaru could sense that the girl was nervous. She had told him that her friends had no idea what happened to her, and in the dream, Inuyasha had harmed her. Perhaps she was nervous he would do so again?

“Kagome, do you wish for me to stay until everything is sorted out once we are in your village?” he asked her suddenly.

Kagome was still hysterical from her imaginary conversations, so she had no idea what to think of this.

“Eh?” she said intelligently.

Sesshoumaru sighed, exasperated. “When we arrive, you will have to explain things, ne? Would you like me to stay?”

Kagome could only stare at him, dumbfounded. He was offering to stay? Why? It's not like Inuyasha is going to really kill her… Oh. He thinks Inuyasha is going to harm me.

“You don't have to, Sesshoumaru. But if it pleases you to do so, I don't mind. It's not like anything is going to happen,” she reassured him.

“Hn.”

“So… are you going to stay?” she asked. A part of her really wanted him to, for the comfort. But another part of her knew it would make things worse.

“I will,” he told her. It wasn't that he didn't believe her, but he still wanted to make sure she was okay. On top of that, he hoped seeing his brother would bring back more of his memory.

After a few moments, she spoke again. “Sesshoumaru?”

The youkai looked at her, the only acknowledgement he gave.

“What will you do when I'm gone?” she asked.

Sesshoumaru pondered her question for a moment, turning it over inside his mind for the hidden meaning behind the question. He closed his eyes.

Kagome, for the fiftieth time, thought he wasn't actually going to answer this time. But when she turned away to watch a butterfly, he answered her.

“I will remember the time we spent together,” she heard him say.

Kagome's eyes went wide and her lips parted. Her heart was pounding in her chest like thunder, and her mouth went dry. She didn't know what to say to that, and she didn't know why she suddenly felt so warm and muzzy.

“Um…” she said, her thoughts a little fuzzy, “will I… I mean, are you going to…”

Sesshoumaru looked at her questioningly. Her behavior seemed odd.

“… When I come back, will I see you?” she asked so quietly it was almost a whisper.

Understanding, Sesshoumaru chuckled. “Would it please you to see me then?” he asked, leaning close to her so that their noses were only a few inches from each other.

“I um, that is… er, I…” she fumbled around for words, but they were as incoherent as her thoughts were.

Sesshoumaru leaned closer, and Kagome felt her blood boil. He was going to kiss her, and she didn't feel like turning away.

“Kagome, you have not answered my question,” he informed her in a deep, husky voice.

“I, uh… yeah. What I mean is, yes. I would like to see you when I get back,” she managed.

Sesshoumaru, at the last moment, slid his face to the side, his lips brushing her cheek. They rested near her ear, so she could hear him. “Then I will wait for you,” he whispered. He leaned back to the position he was originally in, leaving Kagome gasping for air and leaning towards him, looking very silly.

Kagome wanted to ask him so many questions, but it didn't feel right. What were his intentions? What did he feel for her? And then there were her morals. Was it right to have this kind of relationship with him when she claimed to love his brother? And Sesshoumaru still wasn't back to normal. Would he still have feelings for her when he regained his memory? And then there were his last words… `Then I will wait for you…'

What did that mean? Was he promising her that he would stick around until she came back, or did it have another, deeper meaning? Knowing Sesshoumaru, it very well could mean both.

Sighing, Kagome closed her eyes, leaned back against the tree, and waited for the rest of their party to return.

~~~~~()~~@

“Inuyasha, I swear, it wasn't like that. Miroku couldn't walk on his own, and Kirara had to carry you. What else was I supposed to do?” Sango pleaded from outside.

“I don't know!” Inuyasha cried. “But if it had been any one of you and I was unharmed, I wouldn't have left you!”

Sango begin to sob, and she cried on Miroku's shoulder.

“Inuyasha, put yourself in Sango's shoes. If Kagome was hurt, and I was missing, would you have stayed to make sure Kagome was safe, or would you have left Kagome with an unconscious Sango to look for me?” the monk asked.

They heard nothing but Sango's weeping, and Kaede assumed the point had been made.

With a collective sigh, they all waited for the tranquility herbs to take effect.

~~~~~()~~@

When Rin, Jaken, and Ah-Un had returned, Kagome pretended to busy around in her pack and asked Rin and Jaken to go ahead - she and Sesshoumaru would be right behind them. The Taiyoukai had confided that from here, he had no idea how to get to her village. So the girl and the youkai jumped on the dragon's back and took to the sky.

“Thank you for doing all this,” Sesshoumaru said.

“Please,” Kagome said. “It's not hard to pretend like you know everything.” Immediately, Kagome felt bad. “I-I'm sorry. That was rude. I didn't mean-”

“Don't trouble yourself, Kagome. It's not your fault. I… was a monster.”

Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Sesshoumaru looked away, and the miko came over to him and put a hand on his arm. “Sesshoumaru?”

“That dream I had… my… memory? I felt how I was. I was… coldhearted. Is that correct?”

Kagome looked away. She couldn't answer…

“Please, Kagome. What was I like before my memory loss? Everyone has hinted that my brother and I don't get along…”

“Understatement of the Era,” Kagome interjected.

“What?” Sesshoumaru asked.

“Nothing. It's just that…” Kagome sighed. If she told him, would he revert back to the cruel, heartless Sesshoumaru they all knew?

Sesshoumaru could sense her hesitation, but didn't push her further. But it didn't look good for him either way. If she didn't tell him, that meant there was nothing good to tell. If she told him… well, who knows what he might learn about himself?

She collected a breath. “Okay. The first time I saw you, you played a very bad trick on Inuyasha. You… you used a demon to act as Inuyasha's dead mother. You were using her to find out where your father's grave was,” she said sadly.

“To find Tessaiga,” Sesshoumaru added.

“Mm-hm,” Kagome nodded. He knew the story from there - Kagome had told him a few days ago how he had lost his arm and regained it.

“Then, you met Naraku. He persuaded you to take a human arm embedded with a shard of the Shikon no Tama so that you could wield Tessaiga. He also gave you a nest of Saimiyoshou, to take care of Miroku,” she explained.

“The monk. What were the Saimiyoshou for?” the demon asked.

Kagome smiled sadly. “Saimiyoshou were poisonous. They were-”

“To poison the monk. He used me, but I did it anyway, didn't I?” Sesshoumaru said through gritted teeth, as if all the hatred he had for Naraku had resurfaced.

Kagome was surprised at how angry he was at his former self. The old him probably hadn't given the houshi a second thought. “Yes. Miroku was poisoned, but I was able to help him. As for Inuyasha… You easily took Tessaiga away from him, and you tried to kill me. Inuyasha was worried for me, so when I got hurt-”

“I hurt you?” he asked, concerned and livid with his younger self.

“Well… sorta. You threw him into me, and I was knocked silly. Inuyasha made Miroku take me away, and you put your arm through Inuyasha. But he did it on purpose, and regained Tessaiga. You left after that,” Kagome explained.

Sesshoumaru shook his head slightly. “I was so awful. No wonder he hates me,” he said.

“No, no,” Kagome answered. “He doesn't hate you. He knows you were being manipulated. And eventually, you overcame your desire to posses Tessaiga. He actually… looks up to you, Sesshoumaru. All he's ever wanted was for you to just be brothers. For you to accept him.”

“But I never did,” Sesshoumaru said angrily, although it was aimed at himself.

“There's always time,” Kagome said, smiling gently at the handsome, expressive man before her. She opened her mouth to say more, but Sesshoumaru held up a hand.

“I… I don't want to hear any more,” he said softly.

Kagome nodded and waited for him to sort through his thoughts. After a few moments, he sighed, picked Kagome up, and sped through the valley, quickly catching up to the rest of their little group.

When Ah-Un finally slowed, Kagome knew where she was. Well, she had for a little bit, but now she could get back to Kaede's with her eyes closed. She looked up at Sesshoumaru, who set her down on her feet. She still looked at him, though, and he nodded. She smiled, and they set off to walk into the village.

~~~~~()~~@

“Miroku!” the taijiya hissed.

“Yes, I feel it too, Sango,” the monk replied in a low voice.

“Yes, my friends,” Kaede added, “there is a powerful youkai coming towards us. What do you want to do?”

Sango grabbed Hiraikotsu, and that was answer enough for her companions. They began to walk to the outskirts of the village, but ran into Shippou.

“Hey, did you guys feel that?” said laughing green eyes with a face that, over the past few years, had begun to elongate. Sango found herself wondering how she had missed seeing Shippou grow up.

“We did. We're going to see if it's a threat,” the houshi answered.

Shippou laughed, and they looked at him strangely. “I'll say,” he said.

Their looks became more curious, and he explained. “That's Sesshoumaru's youki. I feel Jaken, too.”

More stunned then ever, Sango felt sad pangs of guilt. He knew Sesshoumaru's aura? When had he gotten older? Of course, Sango had been busy with her own life. Shippou lived with Kagome, so she hadn't paid him much attention. But now, she noticed exactly how much she missed.

“Hey, do you guys feel that aura?” they heard from the row of buildings next to them.

Sango's eyes lit up, recognizing the voice. “Kohaku!” She launched herself in the direction of the young man that was jogging towards them.

The siblings laughed as they embraced, and the rest of the group came to them.

“Kohaku, you look well,” Miroku said happily. “How was your work?”

Kohaku skipped over the details of the past two weeks in a neighboring town where he was apprenticing under a farmer. Sango had arranged for him to live and learn with the man; he was to teach Kohaku while providing him with food and shelter, and Kohaku would work for free. It had been Kohaku's idea - he had never liked the life of a taijiya - and his family supported him wholeheartedly.

“So, it's just my luck that I get here right when a powerful demon shows up,” the boy laughed.

Sango noticed that his face was elongating too; Shippou, as a demon, was growing quicker, but Kohaku had the appearance of a fourteen year old, whereas Shippou now looked like he was nine. “Actually, dear brother, Shippou has just informed us that the youkai in question is none other than Sesshoumaru.”

Kohaku looked amusedly taken aback. “Wow. Uncle Inuyasha is going to love that, huh?” he laughed.

The three adults seemed to all look at each other in astonishment. In their haste, they had forgotten about Inuyasha. And if he woke up and sensed Sesshoumaru, he was undoubtedly going to get his wounds reopened. Miroku sighed, Sango shook her head, and Kaede looked towards the home that she definitely didn't want torn to pieces. They knew from experience that he usually slept for about four hours, and half that time had already passed. Assuming they had enough time, they decided to meet with Sesshoumaru.

Walking along the dirt road that led into a forest, they headed up a hill towards Sesshoumaru and, apparently, Jaken.

“Ah-Un must be with them,” Shippou said as he sniffed. “Rin, too,” he added.

They walked a few more yards when they noticed that the kitsune had stopped dead in his tracks, a haunted expression on his face. Kaede was about to ask him what he sensed when he answered the unasked question.

“And Kagome.”

Sango was only shocked for a second before instinct kicked in. Grown or not, the boy knew Kagome when he scented her. So there was no reason to second-guess him. She ran in the direction they had been travelling and as she came to the top of the hill, she could see the small party of Rin and Jaken atop the dragon. A few paces behind was Sesshoumaru walking next to Kagome. They seemed to be chatting. Tears came to her eyes, and a strangled sound came from her throat as she ran as fast as her kimono allowed down the hill.

Sesshoumaru, sensing a stranger, growled and Kagome looked up at him. She followed his line of sight and found Sango barreling towards her. Seeing her friend crying and running towards her flipped a switch inside Kagome. Forgetting everything, Kagome began to tear as well, and ran towards her sister.

When they embraced, Kagome cried out, for the impact jarred her wound. Sesshoumaru was next to her in an instant, growling. He only refrained because this person was obviously the taijiya Kagome constantly spoke of. He could sense her strength, and could smell different concoctions on her that were meant to battle lesser youkai. Sango was alarmed that the Taiyoukai was suddenly so close and reached behind her back to reveal her boomerang. But Kagome held her arm, stilling it. The demonslayer looked at her friend questioningly, but Kagome only smiled.

“It's a long story, Sango. But I'll tell you later. Right now, I'm just really glad to see you, and glad to be back,” she told the other woman.

Sango accepted it and hugged her friend again. “Kagome, I was so worried,” she sobbed into her sister's… kimono?

Sango pulled away to get a better look at Kagome and noticed the drastic change in clothing choice. She hadn't noticed before because her grief and happiness had taken over; later, she also mused that it was the same length and shape as her usual outfits, so it hadn't seemed odd at the time.

“K-kagome?”

“Er, I can explain…” Kagome said sheepishly.

“That won't be necessary,” Sesshoumaru said to her. Then he turned to Sango. “Her clothes were ruined, therefore I offered my kimono.” Then he fell silent and returned to the background.

Sango was shocked that he would speak for Kagome, but it made sense and she didn't pursue it. She had a million questions for her friend, but before she could ask even one, a high-pitched voice rang through the air, making the other demons cringe.

“KA-GO-MEEEEEE!”

Kagome braced herself for the orange missile that was Shippou, but it never came. When she opened her eyes, Shippou was scowling several inches from her face. Further inspection proved to have the kit suspended in the air by his tail, caught by Sesshoumaru.

“Shippou, she is hurt,” he said calmly.

Kagome was proud that not only did he know who Shippou was, but that he didn't act angry, only concerned. But there was no time. Suddenly, there was a flurry of activity.

“You're hurt?” Shippou squeaked as Sango stared at her, wide-eyed.

Then Miroku, Kaede, and even Kohaku were there, and everyone was talking at once. Kagome felt overwhelmed. She felt like the joy of her reunion was being sucked away from the event.

Sesshoumaru could feel Kagome struggling. He looked at her to find that she looked distressed. He tugged on her arm, pulling her back from the half-frantic, half-quarreling mob before them. She silently thanked him, and he nodded. Miroku was the one who noticed. Oddly, he found himself admiring the Taiyoukai. He had a great body, and probably didn't work half as hard to maintain it. Damned youkai and their genes. He wondered if the story about Kagome's clothes were true. Sango had repeated the explanation several times, but a half-naked Kagome and half-naked Sesshoumaru? Could there be more to the story? For now, he pushed the thoughts aside.

“Kagome, is it true that you're injured?” It was Kohaku that spoke. He was the only one that hadn't gone crazy with questions.

They all turned to look at her. She was standing next to Sesshoumaru, her hands clasped together in front of her and her arms locked straight. She felt like she had been suddenly tossed into the spotlight. Without knowing it, she leaned in towards Sesshoumaru until her weight rested against him. He did not uncover it, just allowed her to use him as a support.

“Y-yes. I was attacked by the Ogre…” she started shyly.

“The same one?” Shippou practically screeched.

She smiled. “Yep. The same one. But Sesshoumaru rescued me. He took care of me until now, but I had to come back. I have school tomorrow,” she told them.

During her explanation, Miroku watched the demons' expression. Usually, he was stoic, proud, and without emotion. But now, as Kagome talked, he noticed that not only was he allowing Kagome to lean on him, but he looked… upset when she told them that he saved her. Could she be lying?

Sango seemed shocked, but in the end, she was simply grateful that her friend was back. She glanced over at her brother, but was surprised that he was stealing looks at Sesshoumaru's young ward, Rin. Off-handedly, she noticed how much Rin had grown since she last saw her. What was with all these kids growing up? She felt a little anger and jealousy, but shook it off. Her brother would have to marry someday - that was part of the reason he was sent away to learn a new trade - and who better than the sweet, beautiful, cheerful Rin? Quickly changing her mind as she watched Kohaku watch an unknowing Rin, Sango turned her attention back to her sister.

Kaede, feeling old and tired, decided that someone was going to have to get back to Inuyasha. With no youkai threat, and Kagome found safe and sound, she silently turned away to head back to her home.

Within a few minutes, Kagome was feeling drained and wanted to go. Sango thought it was odd that she hadn't once mentioned Inuyasha, but she guessed that had something to do with fatigue. But she would usually have at least asked about him…

“I think I'll go back with Kaede and start dinner. You are NOT cooking tonight,” Sango laughed.

“Oh, Sango. I… I want to go… home. For dinner. I'm sorry. I've missed you all, but I want to see my family, too,” Kagome told her friend sadly.

She could tell that even though Sango was smiling, it was fake. She didn't blame her.

Sango decided to catch up to Kaede anyways, Kirara and Miroku followed.

In the end, as they walked back to the village, they were back to their old group. Well, almost. Kohaku had struck up a conversation with Rin, and they had been chatting while Jaken yelled at them and tried to keep them apart.

Kagome walked beside the mighty youkai, but both were silent. Kagome thought back to the promises they made each other. Did that really happen? Did she just imagine that? `What will you do when I'm gone?' `I will remember the time we spent together.' `Would it please you to see me then?' `I would like to see you when I get back.' `Then I will wait for you.'Was it real?

Shaking the thoughts from her head, Kagome walked on. She looked up at Sesshoumaru to find him studying her intently. She blushed under his scrutiny.

“W-what?” she squeaked.

“What is on your mind?” he asked. It did not go unnoticed by Sesshoumaru that the miko had not mentioned or asked for his hanyou brother.

Kagome smiled up at him. “I was just wondering if you're real,” she said before skipping ahead.

Sesshoumaru smirked as he watched her.

Several minutes later, the little group's happy moment was interrupted by a panicked Sango atop Kirara, flying at them as fast as her flaming legs could carry her. “Kagome, go back! Run!”

“What's wrong, Sango? Is something attacking the village?” she cried. She heard Sesshoumaru begin to unsheathe Bakusaiga.

“Worse. Inuyasha is out and he knows Sesshoumaru is here. He smells your blood, Kagome!”

Kagome didn't just hear, but felt Sesshoumaru growl, even though they were standing a good foot apart. He had rushed to her side at the sight of the frantic demonslayer.

“He will not harm Kagome,” the Taiyoukai seethed, fastening his sword back into place.

Kagome looked worriedly at him, hoping the `family feud' wasn't about to continue.

“Sesshoumaru, I understand that for whatever reason, you want to protect Kagome. But Inuyasha thinks you're responsible and won't listen to reason-”

At that moment, the hanyou in question came into sight.

“RAAAAAWRRRRRR!! SESSHOUMARU! WHAT DID YOU DO TO KAGOME?!?!”

Kagome sighed. Obviously, there would be no reasoning with him. It was then that Kagome noticed that like Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha was top-less. And there was a large, healing wound in his stomach. She gasped, feeling déjà vu hit her.

Inuyasha was leaping towards them at full speed, and the little miko was about to shout the words that would both save and harm the hanyou when she heard that deep voice - located slightly to the left and behind her - speak.

“Brother, I do not wish to fight you.”

Kagome was shocked that it actually had the effect that he had intended. Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks. Kagome mused that it was probably more of the usage of the term `brother' than actually telling him he didn't want to fight. Inuyasha looked at him curiously from several yards away with suspicion in his eyes. Kagome didn't seem to be harmed, and she wasn't frightened. But, something was… different. She looked more… recent. Only when he turned his attention back to Sesshoumaru did he also notice something was… off.

Sesshoumaru knew it was coming. Very softly, he informed Kagome that he was about to notice their change in apparel. Kagome huffed indignantly, not caring what the hanyou thought. Sesshoumaru smiled to himself, enjoying her anger with the hanyou.

Kagome burned lasers into Inuyasha's bare chest as he looked at the two of them. And the tiniest bit of fear skated up her spine when she saw her friends' eyes open wide in realization. Well, Sesshoumaru had warned her for a reason.

“YOU!” he cried, pointing an accusing finger at Kagome, making her forget her anxiety as she scowled at him once again. “Why the HELL are you wearing HIS clothes?”

She scowled harder, if that was possible, as the half-demon raged towards them, stomping. She could practically feel Sesshoumaru's anger rolling off of him in crimson waves, and she steeled herself.

“Inuyasha,” she began through ground teeth, “I have no clothes. If you would prefer me to prance around naked, I'll give Sesshoumaru his kimono back.” She enjoyed his reaction as the hanyou stopped in his tracks once again and blushed, obviously trying to picture it.

She also heard Sesshoumaru snort a tiny laugh, probably a combination of his brothers' reaction and the thought of Kagome walking around with only those articles of clothing that covered her most intimate of parts.

He couldn't help himself. It was great bait, and he had the upper hand. What would you have done?

“Don't worry, little brother,” he began.

Kagome, suddenly worried for whatever Sesshoumaru had to say in that condescending tone, turned to look at him with fear in her eyes, but Sesshoumaru ignored her, focused on the half-demon.

“She will not be completely naked. She has clothing that covers those parts,” he said snidely.

Every girl in the vicinity - Rin, Sango, and Kagome - as well as a few boys - Inuyasha and Kohaku - blushed bright red as they all knew exactly what Sesshoumaru was saying. It hadn't been what he said. But the way he said it implied that he'd seen her like that, and perhaps without the coverings as well.

Kagome looked up at Sesshoumaru angrily, and he looked at her finally. He realized that what he said had hurt her when he saw the heated look she wore. Attempting to rectify, he spoke again.

“But she will not be allowed to travel like that,” he said seriously. “She will wear my kimono until she has more appropriate clothing.”

The more mature people in their group and those that knew Sesshoumaru - Kohaku, Rin, Kagome, Miroku, Sango - realized that this was merely a joke; it was Sesshoumaru's way of teasing Inuyasha. But Inuyasha did not see this. He only saw red, and only wanted to see red. The red of his brothers' blood.

“How dare you speak about Kagome like that?” he growled.

“I did not impugn her honor, Inuyasha. Forget it, and let's get back to your village before either of you becomes more harmed,” he told the hanyou.

Kagome was surprised that the youkai was thinking of his brothers' health as well. Inuyasha didn't care what the demon said. He wanted youkai blood on his claws. He only felt sorry that he had left Tessaiga in Kaede's hut. With a mighty leap, Inuyasha cleared the distance between them.

Sesshoumaru instantly put himself in front of Kagome, shielding her. She tried to protest, telling him that Inuyasha wouldn't harm her, but he merely made an agreeing sound. Inuyasha raised a hand, ready to slash at Sesshoumaru. But the elder brother was quick and held the arm in the air. The left arm of Inuyasha came from the side, and Sesshoumaru stopped that one as well.

“Why aren't you fighting back, you bastard?” Inuyasha cried.

Sesshoumaru sighed in exasperation, and Kagome cringed. He usually only sighed like that for her. Was that what it sounded like? She almost giggled.

“You don't listen very well, brother. I told you, I don't wish to fight.” With that, Sesshoumaru - because he had forgotten how brash and tenacious his little brother could be - let go of the hanyou's arms.

And Inuyasha brought his right hand down with all his strength upon Sesshoumaru.

Kagome didn't remember screaming, but her throat was scratchy afterwards. Rin and Kohaku cried out for the youkai as well, but they were too far to do anything. Jaken waved his staff angrily and shouted at the hanyou, but everyone ignored him.

When the fog had cleared from everyone's mind, Sesshoumaru was standing in front of Inuyasha, who was holding his blood-soaked fingers up menacingly. Kagome had run around the Taiyoukai and was now in front of him, her back to the hanyou and blocking Inuyasha from harming the youkai any more.

Sesshoumaru was not happy. Here he was, trying to keep peace with his brother, and this was how he treated him? No wonder they always fought, as Kagome had told him numerous times. And now he watched as rivulets of blood were trickling on to Kagome's delicate hands. Undoubtedly, his hakama were probably being stained as well, and that made him even angrier.

But the worst part - the wounds didn't really hurt, after all. They weren't too deep and he would heal soon, especially after a meal - was Kagome's expression. She was crying, and even now she sought to protect him, even though it would take much more than a few claw marks down his chest to hurt him. And she was so frail… As a human, this could have killed her. Her life was so fragile that the tiniest thing could snuff out the flame that was her being.

Now, Sesshoumaru was angry.

“You fool!” he growled, punching Inuyasha square in the jaw. The shocked hanyou reached up to place a hand over the pain. “You could have hurt Kagome! What are you thinking? Attempt to use that tiny brain before you go swinging your claws around,” he told his brother.

The outsiders of the arguing trio were shocked at both Sesshoumaru's way of speaking and his show of emotion. Sango had never seen him change his mood so quickly, nor had she ever seen him allow Inuyasha to hurt him. Kohaku, who hadn't seen Sesshoumaru in quite some time, noticed that his speech was much rougher; the Taiyoukai he knew spoke as if you were undeserving of his words. Rin and Jaken were still in shock that Sesshoumaru was openly bleeding. But neither dared approach. Rin knew this was between the adults, and Jaken seemed to feel how angry his master was.

Inuyasha had been shocked of his brothers' words for a moment, but now he regained his thoughts and smiled wickedly as he jumped backwards a few feet. He was livid, watching Kagome cling to his bastard of a brother. She had all of his blood on her tiny fingers. This was all wrong!

“What's the matter, Sesshoumaru? Have you slowed down in your-”

Kagome had had enough. “Inuyasha. OSUWARI!” she cried, sending the hanyou crashing into the grass face-first.

Sesshoumaru, seeing this for the first time - at least since his memory vanished - thought it was quite humorous. It lifted his mood, even. Not only had it harmed the half-demon's dignity, but it had kept the boy from harming Sesshoumaru's dignity. And it was all due to the tiny, fragile, human miko that was still clinging to him in a most delectable way. He smiled to himself.

Now, Sango came close. She attempted to lift Inuyasha onto Kirara's back, and they flew back to the village. The hanyou went without protest. His Kagome had defended Sesshoumaru, and he had made a royal jackass of himself.

Kohaku silently asked Rin to follow him; she knew the way to the village, but she was willing to allow him to lead her. She rode on Ah-Un with Jaken as the former taijiya took the dragons' reins and walked to the village.

Only Sesshoumaru and Kagome remained. She still had tears streaming down her cheeks and blood flowing over her hands. Sesshoumaru watched her interestingly. “Kagome,” he said sternly, asking her to look at him without actually doing so.

She hesitated for a moment, but eventually looked into his amber eyes.

The smallest of smiles playing on his lips, he tried to reassure her. “Surely you know that something like this could not harm me,” he said.

This only made Kagome cry harder. Puzzled, he tried to hold her, since she was already so close, but she pushed away at his shoulders.

“N-no, I don't want to get blood on your kimono,” she said sadly.

“Kagome, I'm serious. Why are you so upset?”

She didn't seem to want to answer. But if anything, Sesshoumaru was a patient demon. He would wait.

When Kagome saw that he was resolved to wait for an answer, tears began to fall again. She sniffed; thought about the real reason. Attempting to wipe her face of the seemingly endless stream of tears, she inhaled deeply through her mouth, preparing to speak. As she did so, some of the blood from Sesshoumaru's wound smeared her mouth.

”Sesshoumaru, I…” Somehow at a loss for words, she licked her lips.

Sesshoumaru watched in wonder as she gasped.

Just from licking her dry lips, Kagome had felt a small shock - almost like being electrified. She had felt something like it once when she was young; she had pressed her tongue to the negative and positive parts of a nine-volt battery. It had given her the tiniest of shocks. She had giggled, but never done it again. Now, she felt it again, but there were no batteries in the Sengoku Jidai. And what's more, she had also felt a corresponding heat inside her.

Sesshoumaru felt it, but couldn't explain what was happening. When she had been jolted, so had he. He felt the same tingle that she had, and continued to examine her as she searched for the reason for this odd feeling. He had no idea as to what had caused it, but he found that he couldn't take his eyes off the blood on her mouth - his blood.

Perplexed, Kagome licked her lips again, a little more slowly. As her tongue dragged against the drying blood, the warmth inside her spread, and she felt weak-kneed. She was gasping for breath, her blood rushing through her body. This time, she had tasted the tiniest amount of rust - signaling blood; it hadn't been the fist time she had tasted blood, with all the demons they had fought. She looked down at her hands.

Oh. She slowly put together that she had wiped the blood on her hands onto her mouth, ingesting it as she licked her lips. But why did it have this effect on her? Oh. For the second time in a few seconds, Kagome felt that she was becoming more stupid. Sesshoumaru's blood. Forgetting the Taiyoukai in front of her, she now looked up into his crimson eyes…

Wait… crimson?

Now, she really noticed him. His eyes were crimson - she had only seen that before he turned into his true form - and his chest was heaving as he struggled for breath. He also seemed to be trembling. Was he hurt? Was he finally feeling the effects of the wounds? Kagome took a step forward, attempting to reach for him. He watched her movement, but he didn't stray from his spot. She touched his chest once more, and he shook under her touch. What was happening? Her worry grew, and soon, she was more concerned for him than about what had happened a mere minute ago.

“S-Sesshoumaru?”

Her voice was thick with anxiety.

Practically snapping to attention, Sesshoumaru focused on her eyes, but his remained the deep red color.

She had never seen the youkai like this, and it unnerved her. Why was he so affected? It was she that had felt the electricity, not him. She laid her hands on his heaving chest as she had when he had first been wounded. The gashes were trickling blood, no longer flowing as they had. She wondered if perhaps the loss of blood was causing this reaction in him; every time she had seen him badly hurt, he had disappeared, so she knew nothing about what he looked like after a fight. Even after they defeated Naraku…

“Sesshoumaru, are you all right?” she asked, her voice shaking as much as his hands were.

Sesshoumaru hadn't known what was going to happen when she tasted his blood. All he knew was that the first time she had done it, it had been an accident, and it was only a small jolt. But the second time, she had done it purposefully, and dragged out the feeling. It was a foreign reaction, yet it felt so right. But it was what came with it - Kagome's reaction - that left him trembling.

He felt the shocks numb the second time; they hadn't been as strong as the first. But other sensations had come with it, and he was positive she felt them too. And the delicious way she had moaned, the way her back had arched in response, the way she swayed… It was too much. But then, her scent changed, and he couldn't move. He could do nothing but stare and inhale the scent that called to him - her arousal. It had been accidental, yes. But for some reason, the fact that she had taken some of his blood had sparked a reaction in both of them, and now she was aching for him. He could practically feel the waves of lust rolling off of her.

Unfortunately, her distress over him had ruined the effect.

Sesshoumaru willed himself to calm, although deep inside, he wanted no more than to act upon his wish to take the miko as his own. But he also knew that this woman was not one that could be toyed with - she was delicate yet strong, weak yet resilient. And… she loved his brother.

And yet… she was here, with him, instead of with said hanyou.

Kagome felt slightly better as she watched his eyes fade back to the brilliant autumn sun color that they normally were. She had seen him work things through in his mind, trying to still himself and be calm. But what had caused such a reaction in the first place?

A tear slid down her cheek. “I'm so sorry, Sesshoumaru. I should have protected you from him. He goes crazy when-”

He snickered. “Protect me from him? Kagome, I don't wish to fight my brother. That is why he remains unharmed. He could not hurt me. I only wish to protect you,” he told her evenly.

“But you're bleeding, and you were shaking and all weird and stuff…” she whined to his amusement.

So, she thought his reaction was because he had been hurt? “I'm fine,” he soothed, placing a hand over one of the ones that still lay on his bare chest.

They stood like that for a moment, but something strange happened. To this day, Kagome wondered if it had been her powers reacting to a demon's blood, or if his blood was trying to bond to her skin - no one knew the answer. But in the quiet moment they shared, suddenly, Kagome's fingers started to burn so hot that she gasped in pain and took a finger into her mouth and sucked at it, not realizing it was still coated in the demon's blood. When she did, a fire started to burn deep within her, and she moaned from both the pleasure and pain of it.

Sesshoumaru felt it as well, and he tried to fight it, but to no avail. He barely managed to move to catch the miko as she trembled and her legs gave out, sending her nearly tumbling to the ground. In his arms, the smell of her arousal was too much, and he ravished her lips. She didn't fight back; it seemed as if she had been expecting it - like she needed it. He kissed her hard; days of pent up frustration at their situation tugging at his lips.

Kagome's mind went blank. It felt so right that she should be in his arms, and her arms went around his neck as he devoured her. She melded into him, and she could feel his desire for her through the thin hakama. On instinct, she ground her hips into him, and she shivered with delight when he responded with a hiss. This encouraged her already boiling blood, and she did it again, hoping for the same effect. It was not what she got. When she moved to press herself into him, he did the same, and their lips parted with their mutual groan. Kagome tried to take a second to clear her fuzzy mind, but Sesshoumaru was wild with passion.

He bent his head, placing his lips on her neck. A few layers of flesh, and there was the jugular, the channel in which her life's essence travelled. Now, it fueled her lust. It would only take a small prick of his fangs… He mentally grasped hold of himself. What was he thinking? Instead, he suckled gently where the artery throbbed, and she arched her back appreciatively, giving him a splendid view of her perky, full breasts under the thin fabric of his kimono.

Yes, that was his kimono she was wearing. Like a badge of honor, he suddenly swelled with pride, and took it out on her by grasping a nipple between two teeth. She cried out in pleasure, and he was enticed to go further. He roughly pushed his clothing away from her body, exposing her to him. She gasped, half in modesty, half in excitement. But it turned into a whimper when he took the nipple into his mouth again; this time, no barrier existed.

Kagome was in ecstasy. Who knew attention from a man could feel this good? She hadn't thought it possible, but this amazing creature in front of her wanted to please her, and she was willing to give it a try. In a deep, far corner of her mind, a dark, black voice whispered to her `since no one else seems to want you…'

Pushing all thoughts away, she concentrated on Sesshoumaru's heavenly tongue and the movements it was making. When he stopped, she had to keep herself from scowling at him. But when she looked up at him, she found the oddest expression on his face. He was mixed with lust, excitement, and pride. But it was there… apprehension. It was as if he was asking her permission - was she sure she wanted to do this? Smiling, Kagome licked one of the fingers that were coated in his blood. Both of them felt a surge of heat, sending them reeling. Like before, the little jolt of electricity was smaller, barely noticeable now. But the other effects were not so easily ignored. Kagome was trembling as if she was afraid, but that was furthest from the truth. Sesshoumaru had been brought to his knees by the overwhelming surge of lust that washed over him.

Seeing him kneeling on the ground, Kagome joined him. Before he could move, she was running her hands over his supple chest, not even noticing that his wounds had closed. She licked his skin, tasting more of his blood and sending them into a frenzy. Sesshoumaru forced himself to stay upright, but Kagome was having trouble. She was bent over, and suddenly, it was staring her in the face. Literally. Tempted, Kagome reached out and grabbed his length in her tiny hand. She marveled at its' size compared to her hand, and she stroked it through the hakama. He groaned, and he was brought down, resting on his hands.

Kagome almost laughed. The great Taiyoukai, Sesshoumaru, brought down by a human girl. How silly. She stroked again, and kept going until she had the feel for it.

“S-stop…” she heard him groan.

She was alarmed at first and stopped. Had she hurt him? Had she done it wrong? Was it not pleasurable?

“You're… you're going to make me explode, Kagome. Let me… take care of you first,” he drawled.

Realization dawned, and Kagome smiled. Really, sometimes, this beautiful demon was too much. She let go, and a wicked grin spread across her features. She pushed him until he lay flat on his back and loomed over him, drunk with power and passion. Briefly, she thought she saw the slightest hint of vulnerability in his eyes, but thought she was seeing things. She straddled him, making sure there was plenty of contact between both of their intimate parts. Sesshoumaru struggled beneath her; he wasn't trying to get away, but it seemed he was fighting something. His eyes were closed, and he growled softly. Kagome rubbed against him, sending little shivers of pleasure skittering up both their spines.

He seemed to be… holding back. Like he was afraid to touch her. Yet he wanted to very badly. So he fought himself; fought for control, fought to keep still, fought to think about anything besides the delectable way her curvy hips moved against his hard length…

Upset that the object of her affection wasn't being as attentive as he should be, Kagome stopped and lifted herself up. Lucky for her, she had run out of underwear and resorted to going `commando' today, since she assumed she would be home tonight anyways. But her partner… well, he should be relieved of clothing. Her passion making her bold, she grabbed the front of Sesshoumaru's hakama and pulled down. She exposed him, and she gasped when she saw it. She was amazed by it; she had never seen one before, and it overwhelmed her. Uh… that huge thing is going where? She thought through the fuzzy depths of her mind. As if that wasn't enough, as she watched, it twitched, as if begging to be touched. Mesmerized, she grasped it, giving it a quick stroke.

Sesshoumaru arched slightly, encouraging her and giving her courage to do what she was about to do. She knew it would hurt, but it felt so right now that she knew it would be okay. Inhaling deeply, Kagome held him as she positioned herself and lowered herself. It felt so… odd to be doing it, but she felt apprehension creep up her spine as the head sat at her moist opening. Could she do it right? She didn't know what she was doing… She pressed down, allowing the head to push slowly into her. It felt so good, and she wanted to keep going, but thunder stopped her.

No, not real thunder. But it could have been. It originated in Sesshoumaru's chest - a rumble so deep that it could have came from the heavens themselves. As it got louder, Kagome watched in fascination as Sesshoumaru finally snapped his eyes open. They were a fiery red, and they bored into her. She felt that electricity again, although she was sure she hadn't tasted any of his blood. This was something else - pure want. With a feral snarl, Sesshoumaru had flipped their positions. Now it was he who loomed over her supple body. He bent to capture her lips, and they kissed furiously; hands were in hair, on skin, under clothes… Then he positioned himself at her entrance again.

She seemed to be trying to make him hurry, but he wanted to remember this - he had lost so many parts of his memory, and he would be glad to let them stay away if he only remembered this moment: the way she smiled at him, the way she smelled, the way she felt.

She arched her hips, making the head gain entrance again, and he hissed. She whimpered as well, and clawed at his back, trying to draw him in. Finally, Sesshoumaru leaned close to her ear and whispered:

“This is going to hurt either way, so I'm going to make it quick. If you have to, bite, scratch, do whatever you must,” he told her before he captured her lips again, not allowing fear to settle in her mind.

She whimpered again, but she pushed up slightly to tell him he should continue. He still had his doubts, but they had come so far… With a grunt, Sesshoumaru trust deep, breaking the thin membrane that kept her virginity. Kagome sobbed, but it was swallowed by her partner, who was trying to ease her into the pain. He stayed perfectly still, despite the fact that his body was screaming for him to continue. He felt remorse as he smelled the salt of her tears.

He continued to lavish her with kisses, biting and sucking gently on her lips, neck, and ears. Slowly, she began to respond. When she moved a little to adjust herself, she felt a stinging sensation, but there was also… something else. Something that felt primal and wonderful. She tried to repeat it, but she didn't always get it. Only if she moved a certain way. Sesshoumaru watched her trying to figure out her body, and he wondered about the marvel that was Kagome. He wondered when he had fallen head over tail for this human woman.

Finally satisfied that the pain was not going to hinder her experience, Kagome reached up to capture Sesshoumaru's cheek with her hand. He seemed worried, and even a little frightened. She giggled lightly, and caressed his face. He seemed at ease suddenly, and he bent to capture her lips once more. Then, as he lay above her, bracing himself up with his arms, he thrust slowly into her. She moaned into his mouth, encouraging him.

After the third thrust, Kagome decided she could live with this. After the twenty-third thrust, Kagome decided she couldn't live without this.

Emboldened by her mewling sounds, Sesshoumaru sped up slightly, allowing himself to go deeper. This caused Kagome to gasp and dig her nails into his arms and back. Her hair, misted with her sweat, stuck to her body and his long, beautiful hair mixed with it with every movement. Sesshoumaru couldn't believe how good this felt, and wondered if he had had sex before. Most likely, yes. He had seemed to know what he was doing, although not really remembering doing it. He thought about the fact that it meant he had been with women who were not Kagome, and it produced a deep growl that escaped, causing Kagome to look up at him. With the eye contact, Sesshoumaru felt his fire burn brighter. He kept his eyes trained on hers, thrusting harder until she had to close her eyes from the intense pleasure. He reveled in her movements, her sounds. She tossed her head from side to side wildly, and moaned in the most delicious way. And every once in a while, she dragged her little claws across his back, or down his arm. He kept his pace, trying to decipher what gave her the most pleasure.

And they never noticed the heavens open up as a rainstorm filled the sky. When Kagome felt the first drop, she opened her eyes, thinking that perhaps Sesshoumaru was sweating on her. But although he was glistening with sweat, it hadn't come from him. He almost stopped, puzzled by her sudden inattentiveness. But in moments, he felt a few drops of water, and wondered how he hadn't noticed the clouds gather. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered, except Kagome.

He bent, not for the last time, to kiss her. As he did so, the clouds, heavy with moisture, let go. It wasn't a cold rain, so they didn't mind. In fact, Kagome thought it was so exciting to be making love outdoors in the middle of a rainstorm. She giggled as Sesshoumaru teased her with little thrusts. She had begun to feel a slow burn inside her, but with the sudden rainstorm it had all but disappeared. Now, Sesshoumaru sought to correct that. He worked at pleasing her, moving his hips this way and that, trying different speeds and force. Soon, she was panting with excitement. The slow, steady burn was killing her. She needed something, although she was unsure of what.

Sesshoumaru could feel her tightening; it was only a matter of time. He could only do so much… He sucked a nipple into his mouth, thrusting into her as she arched her back from the pleasure. She had been making little `oh's and `yes's for the past thirty seconds, and knew she was close. He began to suckle harder, thrust his hips upward.

Feeling her end, he captured her lips, allowing her cries to be drowned out by the rain and muffled by his mouth. As she gasped for air and kept praising him to the gods, he kept his pace, finally letting go of the short leash he kept on his control. Within a few short thrusts, he followed her into bliss and roared, and lay atop her gasping for air.

Since she had already calmed a little, Kagome marveled at the beautiful demon above her. She soothed him with little touches. She moved his already-soaked hair from his face and watched him pant, his eyes closed. When he finally opened them, he was graced by the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. He lovingly reached for her face, kissing her softly. She hummed softly, and he nuzzled her, breathing in the scent of her. She smelled like him, and that was they way he liked it. He was amazed that he wouldn't know this pleasure if she hadn't been wounded and he had to…

Like lightning, Sesshoumaru jumped up, extreme worry played over his features. Even his shoulders were bunched with tension.

At first, Kagome didn't realize what was wrong, so she just mewled her displeasure at the loss of his touch. He searched her body with his hands, looking for the wound. Pushing the damp kimono further from her body, he looked for the gashes the Oni had made.

Kagome, suddenly both frightened by his behavior and shy from his boldness, tried to pry the kimono closed.

He growled at her. “Woman,” he rumbled.

She stilled. He finally was able to get to the bandaging, and sliced through it neatly. Kagome finally realized. Then, she wondered as well why her wounds hadn't been hurting and looked on as he removed the gauze.

They had both been shocked when he lifted off the now-soggy medical gauze and there in front of them was…

Nothing. Well, there were remnants of scars, like a freshly closed wound. But just a few hours ago, those wounds had been open, painful gashes! They looked at each other, then back to her skin, and back at each other again.

“Perhaps…” Sesshoumaru began, “in our passion, your body healed itself?”

Kagome thought about this, but tossed it aside. “I don't think so. I think I would have felt it. It drains me to heal, and I've never really healed myself. I just… I don't know,” she said almost sad to not know what happened.

Sesshoumaru grasped her chin, turning her face up to look at him. “This is wonderful, Kagome. I'm glad you've healed. I have been worried,” he told her before embracing her.

Kagome couldn't help but feel good. He was just so sweet sometimes. She kissed his shoulder. He let her go, and pulled the soaked kimono closed. He told her that they should be getting back. She nodded, noting that his own wounds were closed now. She wondered if her healed cuts had anything to do with his blood? After all, it had created such emotion in both of them. And he healed quickly, so would his blood make her heal quickly as well? Kagome didn't get a chance to voice her concerns. Soon, they heard a female voice calling out to them.

Sesshoumaru watched as Kagome seemed to panic, afraid that her friends would find out. His pride stung, a little sore that she would want to hide this. But then again, there was Inuyasha. So until she was ready, he would support her. She seemed to be looking around for something - anything - and he stilled her hand. He lifted them both off the ground, adjusting his hakama and the kimono. He smirked when he noticed that either way, you could practically see through the clothing. Sesshoumaru was not one to be modest, and he usually had the sense to stay out of the rain, so the white clothing had never been a problem. But now, he scowled, thinking a change to a darker color might suit him better. Or perhaps the royal purple symbols could be placed in more strategic areas…

Kagome had picked up her pack, a little calmed by Sesshoumaru's stoicism. They had only walked a few feet when Sango, Miroku, and Kirara bounded over the top of the hill, barreling towards her. They stopped nearby, and the humans got off the huge nekomata.

“Oh, Kagome! We were so worried! Kami, what took you?” Sango asked, approaching her.

Kagome was at a loss for words, but Sesshoumaru stepped up. “She was worried about my wounds, and she attempted to heal me,” he told them.

The married couple seemed taken aback, but they clearly remembered the deep scratches in his chest left by Inuyasha. And now they were gone.

“Kagome-sama, that's great! You are honing your healing abilities!” Miroku said, trying to get a hug from the priestess.

A thunderous warning growl rang through the air, and the monk stopped dead in his tracks. Smiling sheepishly, he returned to his place at Sango's side. Sango wore an expression of shock - did the Taiyoukai just growl at Miroku for wanting to hug Kagome? In all honesty, she wanted to whack him over the head with Hiraikotsu. But there had been no need; he had been put in his place by the demon acting as body guard. Perhaps he had grown attached to Kagome, and felt a need to protect her? Was Sesshoumaru capable of such feelings? Shaking her head and dislodging quite a bit of water from her hair, Sango turned to Kagome.

“We'd better get you indoors before you catch a cold, Kagome,” she said to her friend.

Kagome nodded, and Sesshoumaru walked quietly next to her back to the village. When they arrived - soaked to the bone - Kaede ushered them all in. Inuyasha growled, attempting to show Sesshoumaru that his presence was not needed. The youkai ignored him, only kept his eyes glued to the young miko. Almost everyone noticed; only Inuyasha remained oblivious. When she talked, he listened intently. When she moved, his eyes never left her form.

Miroku and Sango exchanged looks. They knew that kind of devotion. But this was Sesshoumaru, the cruel, heartless Lord of the Western Lands. They had never seen him look like this. Even Inuyasha didn't devote himself to her so thoroughly. And Kagome seemed unfazed by it. Every now and then, she would glance over at him and smile. The warmth of their exchanged glances heated the room. Shippou began to ask about it, but Miroku clapped a hand over the kitsune's mouth, effectively hushing him.

Jaken and Rin sat by, listening to everyone speak. They were happy with their master's decision of a mate; they weren't blind. They knew what was going on, but they would not offer an opinion to their lord unless he asked. Kagome told her story - the edited version - and answered questions. Kaede and Sango cooked, and Shippou played with some toys Kagome had brought from her time; he had grown a lot in two years and was no longer interested in crayons.

Kohaku sat with Rin; they exchanged glances almost as often as Kagome and Sesshoumaru did. Kirara and Ah-Un sat in the furthest corner, watching the humans. And finally, Miroku sat with a pouting Inuyasha, attempting to keep him calm and quiet. When the discussions had cooled, and they began to tell stories as entertainment, Kagome stood. She hugged Inuyasha, but he only `keh'd. She made her way to Sango, Miroku, Kohaku, and Kaede. She hugged Rin, and even Jaken, who pretended not to enjoy it. When she pulled the flap away from the entrance, Miroku asked her if she needed an escort, since it was getting dark. She shook her head; Sesshoumaru would take her to the well. After all, Inuyasha needed rest.

When the two had left, the three adults looked at each other again, concern playing across their features. Inuyasha watched them leave, a look of longing on his face.

The moonlight was strong, despite it not being very late. They walked in silence for a while, until Kagome looked up at the sky. She stopped, gazing up at the stars. As she did, she was bathed in moonlight. Sesshoumaru almost gasped. She looked so ethereal. When she finally looked to him, she blushed under his intense gaze.

“S-Sesshoumaru…”

“Kagome, when will you be back?”

Kagome was a little stunned - she thought she would have told him.

“In five days' time. I'm not sure if I'll be back in the afternoon or at night, but I'll be back. Why?” she asked.

“Am I not allowed to see you?” he asked mischievously.

“No, I mean… yes. I mean…” She punched him in the arm. “Don't mess with me!”

He chuckled. “My little miko, you attempt to harm me?”

Kagome smirked. “My Lord,” she said with a faux curtsey, “I couldn't harm you if I tried. Except, maybe, your dignity.”

Sesshoumaru pretended to be offended. “Well, perhaps, then, I shouldn't do this…” He swept her up quickly, kissing her so passionately she thought she would faint.

She whined at the loss when he pulled away, placing her back on her feet.

“No, no… you can do that all you want,” she said, only half-joking.

Sesshoumaru smirked, and she began walking towards the well once again. Within a few minutes, they were there. Sesshoumaru had been mapping the route; he didn't want to forget the way to this woman. Kagome dropped her pack on the ground and sat on the edge of the rim. The youkai looked down into it; he wondered briefly if he should try to jump into it. Kagome had told him that no one else had tried, except the kitsune, and he had failed. For whatever reason, his brother was the only other besides the miko that could pass through.

As if she could read his thoughts, Kagome placed a hand on his shoulder. “You shouldn't try. It won't work. It just wasn't made for anyone else except Inuyasha,” she said with a sad smile.

He scowled at the well, as if his fierceness could force the well to allow him to pass.

While he still thought of the chances of passing to Kagome's time, she watched his expressions. For no reason at all, Kagome suddenly looked at her hand, still resting on his bare skin.

“Uh… Sesshoumaru?”

He looked at her, wiping the glare from his face.

“I'm still wearing your kimono.”

He seemed mildly surprised. Already, it had seemed so natural, walking around bare-chested while she wore his clothing. But he smiled at her.

“Hold on to it. I'll get it from you when you come back,” he said.

“So… I'll definitely see you?” she said, a little unsure.

“Nothing could keep me from seeing you when you return,” he said as he embraced her one last time.

They molded to each other, seeking the others' warmth, their touch. It was Kagome that pulled away first.

“I'll see you when I get back,” she said.

He dipped forward, capturing her lips in a slow, heated kiss.

“I told you. I will wait for you,” he told her. Then he turned quickly and leapt towards the village, eager to leave the scrutinizing eyes behind. He was going to fetch his retainers, and wander for the days that Kagome was in her time.

Kagome watched him leave, and then picked up her pack. She glanced towards the village one last time, then swung her legs over the rim of the well and jumped.