InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fuyu no Shimekiri ❯ Sesshoumaru's Heart ( Chapter 8 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 8: Sesshoumaru's Heart

Kagome moved through the halls of the shiro absently. Today, for the first time since she had woken, she was alone for a few hours. He had that meeting with Koga, and so, not looking forward to sitting for several hours, she'd chosen to go off on her own. While he was not happy about being without her, she was actually glad for a few hours to herself. She needed to think.

They had spoken quite a bit yesterday after Koga left them... and it was time she had enjoyed, just getting to know him, learning what made him who he is today.

Sesshoumaru was nothing like she'd always thought he was. Well, okay, maybe he was in some ways... that arrogant streak was definitely the same as it had always been, but he wasn't as cold, nor as violent as she'd believed in her younger days. True, he had no problem with killing at all, but he didn't go out of his way to take lives.

He was also very obviously quite capable of being totally devoted to whatever or whoever he chose - as evidenced by his behavior towards her. He had freely admitted that it had taken some years to come to terms with his feelings for her, because she was human, but that by the time she had tried to die, he had - mostly - accepted it.

She had been surprised to find that the biggest thing about her humanity that bothered him, was the thought of her limited life-span. He didn't want to lose her, so of course, when he'd found that she was now pretty much as immortal as he himself was, he was thrilled, and any hard feelings about her status as a ningen were now gone.

Kagome was also honest enough with herself to admit that she was enjoying the attention he was giving her - immensely. Who wouldn't? After everything she'd been through with Inuyasha and Kikyo, she knew she couldn't handle another situation like that, so she was ecstatic that she had no competition... at least not from his side of things, anyway. She wasn't fool enough to think that there weren't any other females out there that would want him, he was just too beautiful for that, but at least he was only focused on her.

Breaking from her thoughts, she looked around and noticed that she was nearing the small building that she had woken up in, and curious, she walked closer. It was definitely a handsome building, and she smiled at the youkai working in the garden as she approached. "Ohayo! It's a beautiful day, is it not?"

The male stood and smiled back, bowing as he did so. "Hai, my Lady, it is. Is there something I can help you with?"

She nodded, gesturing at the building behind him. "What is this? It looks like a shrine, but... I don't know, Sesshoumaru somehow doesn't strike me as the religious type."

"You are correct, my Lady, he isn't, but this shrine wasn't built for the kami, or the buddha. It was built for you."

Kagome's mouth opened in surprise, and she blushed. "What?"

The gardener smiled at her. "My Lady, when you fell asleep, my Lord had this shrine built for you, then brought your body here to be housed inside. He spent a great deal of time here over the years, you know." The male gestured around himself at the lovely gardens surrounding them. "He even had these gardens planted, and brought me here to care for them... it is my only job."

Kagome shook her head, her heart softening at the knowledge of what he'd done for her. How could you not fall in love with a man like that? "Why me?"

The youkai laughed. "My Lady, I once heard one of my Lords' General's question that same thing. Do you know what he said? He said because you were the only one that even he was not worthy of. When the General asked him what good those feelings would do since you were dead, he said that he would find you again someday in another life." He bowed again, then straightened and moved to the front of the building. Motioning for her to follow, he reached the doors and pointed at them.

"Do you see these doors, my Lady? Lord Sesshoumaru painted these with his own hand. See how beautiful you are? That is truly how he sees you. To him, you are everything."

By now, Kagome was flushed, tears running down her cheeks, and she reached out a tentative finger and brushed it against the door. "I honestly don't see it... I'm only an ordinary woman, there's nothing special about me - and I certainly don't look like that!" The glowingly beautiful woman painted on the door bore no relation to her humble self, at least in her opinion.

"That is because he sees you through the eyes of love, Lady Kagome. To him, you do look like that. Think about it, my Lady. He has loved you for more than a hundred and forty years, and he will continue to do so as long as he draws breath." The man smiled, bowed again, and moved away, calling over his shoulder, "Go inside and look around. It is a sight to see... he spared no expense in the building of this place - and all for your sake."

Kagome slid the doors open tenderly, sighing softly, she took a tentative step inside, and slid them closed behind her. It was quiet, and a peaceful feeling stole over her as she looked around. There were ornate, carved pillars lining the walkway to the front of the room, where the polished stone slab she'd laid on for a hundred years sat in solitary splendor, a gold cloth lying haphazardly over it. When she'd first woken up, she'd been too fixed on Sesshoumaru to really take note of her surroundings - and now, as she looked around, she found herself awed...

He'd obviously chosen everything with care, there was not one thing in the room that showed shoddy goods or poor workmanship. Everything in here was of the highest quality - and it showed. She trailed a hand down a pillar as she passed, noting that each pillar lining the walkway had the kanji for her name inscribed on it, along with carvings of different scenes from the battle with Naraku, or even, she noticed on one, a tiny, exquisite picture of her pulling Tessaiga from the stone in his father's grave. It was perfectly detailed... even down to the outfit she'd been wearing that fateful day. He had to have drawn it for the artist who carved this... and the fact that he still remembered what she'd worn all those years ago hit her square in the heart.

She turned as she heard the doors slide open again, surprised to see the object of her thoughts entering the room. Drying her eyes hastily, she smiled up at him. "Finished already, Sesshoumaru?"

He waved her question off, following with one of his own. "What is wrong, Kagome? Have I done something to upset you?"

She threw herself into his arms with a sob. "No! Never, Sesshoumaru. I'm not unhappy - I just, I feel unworthy of you..." she pulled her face out of his chest and looked up at him with drowned blue eyes, "I don't deserve all that you've done for me! I'm just ordinary, and I'm afraid I'll end up disappointing you," she finished quietly, as she looked down at her hands in shame.

He captured her chin in his hand and tilted her head back to look at him. "No, koi. Never say such things again. The things I do for you, I do because I want to." He sighed, a smile touching the corners of his lips as he gazed at her. "I have not said the words, have I? Aishiteru, Kagome. I have for a long, long time, in fact, I almost cannot remember a time when I didn't... nor do I want to."

He watched as a hesitant smile touched her lips, eyes still shimmering with tears, and with a groan, he gave in to temptation. He couldn 't resist her any longer, and he refused to try anymore. Bending, he pulled her forward with the hand under her chin, and sealed her lips with his own.

She gasped in surprise as she felt his tongue run along her bottom lip, and he took full advantage, deepening the kiss immediately. She moaned into his mouth as desire swept through her like a wildfire, her hands fisting in his haori as her knees weakened.

Kami! Sesshoumaru's mind shut down the moment he caught her taste on his tongue, finding her completely irresistable, he groaned as he fought her for dominance.

There has never, in all my days, been anything like... this!

Finally, he pulled back, dazed, as he stared into her wide eyes. It was taking all his concentration just to breathe, and he shook his head to clear it, a satisfied smile washing across his face as he realized that she was just as affected as he was. Good. I would hate to think the attraction was one-sided.

"Never think you are not worthy, Kagome. You are my equal because I say you are. Who will dare to question me?" He let his usal calm expression filter back onto his face, and took her arm to lead her from the room.

"Now this is the Sesshoumaru I remember. Stoic, convinced of his own perfection, and powerful enough to get away with his high opinions of himself." She smiled breathlessly up at him as they walked across wide lawns towards an area she had not yet seen.

"Ah, but we were not discussing my opinion of myself, Kagome, we were discussing my opinion of you. You are my future mate, and as such, are superior to every other being. To acknowledge my power, as you do, and yet, not fear me, is the mark of someone equally powerful in their own right... you must understand, koi - you are the single most powerful female, youkai or ningen, in existance. It is only right that you become the mate of this Sesshoumaru, because there is no other male that would be your equal." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye - he was curious to see what her reaction to that little speech would be.

Her eyes opened wide and her jaw dropped. "Me!? You think I'm the most powerful female around? Uh, Sesshoumaru, are you sure you didn't fall and hit your head at some point while I was asleep?"

He chuckled slightly as her words washed over him. She was certainly an original, and one thing he was sure of - his life would never be boring again with her in it. "I am sure, Kagome. This Sesshoumaru does not 'fall and hit his head'. How could you even ask me such a thing?"

Shaking her head, she sighed with mock sadness. "It is no wonder you don't care about anyone else's opinions of you, Sesshoumaru. You think so highly of yourself that no one else could possibly have one any higher."

"Very true, Kagome. But nonetheless, this Sesshoumaru would honor you above all others." He caught her gaze and held it, all seriousness now.

"He would honor you even above himself."