InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mood Swings ❯ An Offer of Assistance ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi.  I do not profit from these fics.

 

Chapter 2 - An Offer of Assistance (orange)

 

Kagome was bored out of her mind. They'd been walking for days and days with not even a hint of a jewel shard and no demon activity to speak of either. It was mind numbing, tromping along in silence because nobody wanted to be the first to talk.

 

The merging of Sesshoumaru's little group of travelers with their own had messed up their usual friendly banter, the tension between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru tangible in the air. Sure, several months had passed since it first happened, since the taiyoukai had approached out of nowhere with the suggestion to pool their knowledge and resources, but no one had grown comfortable again. The hanyou did his best to make sure it stayed that way too, his attitude ensuring everyone remembered where he stood on the whole thing.

 

Inuyasha was his customary ten feet in front of the group, intent on making it very obvious to everyone who their leader was, when he veered off the road and into the trees in search of a place to camp. He could tell from the little sighing sounds Kagome was making that she would soon demand they stop for the day and he knew by now that it was easier to beat her to it, especially since he hated looking like he was bending to her will.

 

He couldn't blame her. He was itching for something to do besides walking aimlessly and decided that he would find a demon to fight, even if it took him all night. Choosing a suitable clearing, the hanyou announced that they were finished traveling for the day and that he'd be back later before disappearing into the forest.

 

“What's with him?” Sango asked while propping her Hiraikotsu against a tree and rubbing her sore shoulder.

 

“He's restless,” Kagome answered absently while digging through her bag in search of something to do. “We're lucky he left instead of trying to pick a fight here,” she said with a nod towards Sesshoumaru. “He'll be back once he's worked out some aggression.” The miko let out a disappointed sigh as her search came up empty and found a fairly comfortable place to sit, deciding to watch Shippo and Rin play since she couldn't find anything better to do.

 

Sesshoumaru settled himself a short distance away where he too could supervise the children, though that wasn't the major selling point of the location. No, he'd chosen it because it was perfect for watching Kagome with his peripheral vision so she wouldn't notice his staring. Yes, he knew he was staring but the girl was driving him crazy.

 

Never had a female caught and held his attention so effectively. Never had a human demanded and even earned his respect. Never had any creature been able to occupy his thoughts so completely. Never had anything ever confused him so much in all his long life as this little puzzle of a miko, a puzzle he was intent on solving.

 

What he would do with her once he figured her out he hadn't a clue but at the moment it didn't matter since he was no closer to accomplishing his goal than he'd been when he first laid eyes on her. The ring hadn't been doing him much good over the last few days. She'd been keeping her hands in her pockets more than he'd ever observed before and it was beginning to annoy him. When her hands weren't in her pockets, she was absently spinning the ring on her finger, often stopping with the gem facing in which made using the ring's color to figure her out impossible since he couldn't even see it!

 

Glancing to the side, Sesshoumaru noticed that she had her hand resting on her knee and for once the ring was actually on her finger the right way! He studied the orange stone while trying to remember what the color meant without pulling out the scroll. He certainly didn't want her noticing and asking him about it. She could be a nosy little thing at times and while he secretly enjoyed it when she paid attention to him he couldn't very well explain that to her.

 

Finding his memory lacking, he shifted where he sat, turning away from the miko in hopes of concealing his actions before pulling out the scroll and skimming it for the answer he was looking for. `Orange… aroused… sensual… in love? But who could she be…' His expression darkened as a face appeared in his mind as if in reply to his unspoken question. `The hanyou.'

 

Refusing to acknowledge that the emotion he was currently experiencing was actual jealousy, he rather roughly returned the scroll to his sleeve and shifted back to study the girl. The conclusion that she had to be thinking about his half-breed half-brother and that her thoughts were either of a loving or an erotic nature upset him in ways he couldn't even begin to understand and for once he actually wished his brother was around. Then he would have an outlet for his growing rage.

 

Sesshoumaru knew that at one point Kagome had suffered from an attraction to the whelp but he'd been certain she'd finally successfully rid herself of it. He didn't like the idea of the miko still lusting over his half-brother, not when at least part of him wanted her to be lusting over him! He was ripped from his private session of angry pouting by the slayer's voice.

 

“Do you think Inuyasha will be back in time for dinner?” Sango asked, getting ready to set out in search of some protein to add to their instant noodle diet.

 

Kagome looked up with a rather `duh' expression on her face before her brain registered what she'd been asked. “Eh? Who cares? If he does, he can have ramen. Don't worry about getting enough for him. I doubt we'll see him before morning anyway.”

 

Suddenly he was seeing things in a different light. Sesshoumaru watched as the perverted monk followed the slayer out of camp, noticing how Kagome's eyes seemed focused on the clouds slowly passing overhead. She certainly didn't seem to be thinking about Inuyasha and she obviously held no interest in the monk.

 

Was it possible the ring was wrong? He hadn't picked up the scent of arousal on her, but she was a miko and from the future and he didn't doubt she had tricks he had yet to see. Perhaps she was somehow masking her scent. He had no reason to doubt the accuracy of the ring. He had it made by the most talented witch he could find using the best ingredients possible.

 

If the ring was correct, then just what was going on in that pretty little head of hers? Was it possible that she was thinking about him? A smug smirk pulled at the arrogant taiyoukai's lips as he rose to cross the distance between them.

 

Kagome looked over in surprise when he lowered himself to sit beside her, much closer than expected. She graced him with a small smile before returning to her task of cloud identifying. “Is there something you want?” she asked absently.

 

`Oh, there is definitely something this Sesshoumaru wants,' he thought to himself.

 

“This Sesshoumaru has noticed your little `problem',” he practically purred at her in a very seductive tone, “and I have come to offer to assist you in solving it.”

 

She gave him an odd, confused look for a moment as her mind swirled with a mess of thoughts. What in the world was he talking about? Problem? His assistance? A smile spread across her face as something dawned on her. The ring was orange because she was bored but he didn't know that. No, he thought that orange meant something else entirely.

 

Remembering what she changed it to made a blush rise on her cheeks and she found herself momentarily fighting down actual arousal. He was offering to help her with that problem? Well, she certainly hadn't expected that out of the Ice Prince. Now Kagome was thoroughly confused as to the taiyoukai's intentions. What was he thinking? What was he planning? What the hell was she supposed to say now?!

 

Sesshoumaru couldn't help smirking at her expression. She certainly didn't seem to be against the idea; that was for sure. Maybe she just needed a little nudge in the right direction. He leaned closer, letting his breath brush against her cheek as he spoke. “I promise it will be fun.”

 

His proximity made her shiver but his words gave her the perfect idea. “Really? Alright, just hang on a second. I need to grab something and then we can go find a nice quiet place, okay?”

 

He hadn't expected it to be so easy! In seconds he was on his feet instructing Jaken to care for the children in their absence while threatening the toad's life if he allowed any kind of interruption to ruin what was coming. He turned to look at the miko, a low growl rumbling in his throat at the sight of her ass in the air as she bent over her backpack in search of something. He wondered for a moment what she thought they could possibly need but decided it didn't matter. The view was extraordinary and he was going to enjoy it every second it was available to him.

 

His enjoyment was cut short as he realized that she was no longer the only one aroused. He ripped his eyes from her body and used every bit of his iron will to force his erection down. He didn't want to frighten her away before they even got started.

 

While he was otherwise occupied, Sesshoumaru missed it as Kagome slipped something into her pocket. When she returned to his side she had her hands in her pockets again, but this time he didn't mind. He was very aware of what was going on at the moment, and besides, she wouldn't be able to put her hands in her pockets once he got her pants off!

 

Kagome tried and failed to keep the grin off her face but, thankfully, the taiyoukai misinterpreted it as he led her through the forest to a place he knew of that would ensure their privacy. They sat facing each other, both somewhat nervous but for entirely different reasons. Finally she called up her nerve and spoke.

 

“I… I guess we should get started. First, though, thanks Sesshoumaru. Thanks for your offer, I mean.”

 

The heat in his eyes was incredible as he studied her. “The pleasure is mine,” he drawled out in a tone that again had her shivering, making it difficult to follow through with her plan. Still, he more than deserved it for his underhandedness.

 

She shifted to her knees and pulled something out of her pocket. “I'm glad. I think this will be a lot of fun… for both of us. So, do you know how to play `Go Fish'?” she asked while shuffling the deck of cards in her hands.

 

Sesshoumaru was speechless as he listened to her rattle off the rules. This was not at all what he had in mind.