InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Quadrangle ❯ The Request ( Chapter 3 )

A/N: It's official - FFnet does not allow review responses posted in chapters. Personally, I think that sucks, but apparently, no one asked me. So, I will be responding to questions using their new system. Or, feel free to email me - the address is on my profile.

 

Thanks to all for reading and reviewing!

 

Disclaimer: I do not own any character created by Rumiko Takahashi.

 

Chapter 3 - The Request

 

Kagome eyed the bottle in her hand… or was it two bottles? She couldn't be certain; the thing kept blurring and doubling in an almost alarming manner. She did know that it wasn't typical behavior for a bottle of sake. Did Miroku and Sango know that they left her with possessed wine? Where were they, anyway?

 

She lifted it to her lips and took another long drink, smiling as warmth filled her gut and then abandoning the empty bottle as she tried to stand. It didn't taste possessed; in fact, the more she drank the better it tasted. She'd never really liked sake before, but this stuff was pretty darn good!

 

The sounds of drums floated up to her on the night air, reminding her of why she was alone on a hill drinking sake in the first place. She had been standing on the fringes of the party when a village boy had swept her into a dance. Reluctant at first, she'd found herself laughing as she stumbled through the moves, learning quickly the intricate steps then exchanging partners with the girl to her right. The women had formed an inner ring, the men encircling them. The circles wove in and out of each other, and then shifted so that everyone had a new dance partner. It was the most fun Kagome had had in a long time until she was unceremoniously yanked out of the arms of a burly young man and against the hard chest of a demon.

 

“What the hell do you think you're doing?” his eyes had blazed down at her, bleeding red as he pulled her away from the revelry.

 

Already beating hard from her exertion, Kagome's heart had pounded against her chest. “Inuyasha, I was only dancing!”

 

He'd spun her around, snarling as he'd… sniffed her? His silver hair had brushed against her cheek as he'd scented her skin, his nose dangerously close to her neck. Her eyes had fluttered closed as his breath had tickled her ear, sending tingles spreading through her body. Heat had radiated off of his skin, bathing her face in warmth as his eyelashes danced across her temple.

 

“Oi, wench, what's wrong with you?” Kagome was snapped out of her daydream as a hand steadied her under her elbow. “Where are Miroku and Sango?” He sniffed at her, “You been drinking?”

 

“Uhh… they left…” Kagome was having difficulty keeping her balance, especially with Inuyasha so near. Her face exploded into a blush as she staggered against his side. Had he almost kissed her back at the village? The question pounded in her head to the rhythm of her heart.

 

“Figures. I'll take you back to the village,” he glanced down at the top of her dark head, wondering why she was so agitated. Feeling his eyes on her, she let her head fall back, meeting his sunset gaze.

 

“Inuyasha,” she started, wanting to ask him if he'd meant to kiss her when Miroku and Sango had found them. The issue was rapidly becoming an obsession to her, fueled by four years of unrequited love and too much sake.

 

The smell of her sweat, the high flush of her face was driving him mad, even worse than earlier this evening, when Miroku and Sango had walked in on them. He'd fled, afraid and embarrassed of what he'd been about to do. His instincts had screamed at him to show that impudent village whelp that this female belonged to him and it had taken all of his self-control to not bury his teeth in her neck where his claim could easily be seen and smelled.

 

Her lips parted slightly as she caught her breath and he tightened his grip on her arm, flaring his nostrils as he inhaled her chamomile scent, tainted with alcohol. The stars reflected in her luminous eyes and he was trapped, just as surely as if he were bound with chains. He could only stand still as she wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling his head to her and pressing her lips against his. He growled against her mouth, tasting sake on her breath. Her body molded against him and he caught her around the waist, pressing her to him as he grazed fangs over her bottom lip, teasing it to part further. She complied with a moan, opening her mouth to allow his exploring tongue, her body wracked with new sensations and a deep, untouchable ache. Thoughts scattered to the wind as his lips moved against her with bruising force.

 

Nibbling down her jaw to the soft spot on her neck where her blood pounded against his lips, he suckled the tender skin, feeling her shudder against him. His fangs extended, pressing against the flesh he had captured in his mouth. The first drop of her blood sent a jolt through his system and he reared back, despite the urge to drive his teeth further into his neck. She staggered backward, falling heavily now that her support had been removed, her eyes brimming with tears and hurt.

 

“Wh-what's wrong?” she asked, her voice quavering.

 

He crouched in front of her, extending his hand toward her but afraid to touch her. He'd made her bleed; how could he have hurt her like that? He'd made it his life's task to protect her but he'd started to bite her! “Kagome, I-,” he whispered as his fingertips brushed her neck, capturing the drop of blood that oozed from the tiny puncture.

 

Her eyes wove to the smear of scarlet, then to his lips, also stained red. “You bit me?” she was having trouble focusing on him, the moon on his forehead blurring and doubling. Sudden confusion hit her and she shook her head frantically. Moon? Had she been kissing Sesshomaru? No, those were Inuyasha's eyes…

 

He caught her flailing hands against his chest, breathing a sigh of relief when recognition flooded her face. Leaning forward, he kissed her lightly, chastely, and pulled her to her feet. “Come on, wench, let's put you to bed.” He blushed furiously, realizing what he'd just said, but Kagome didn't seem to notice. She was leaning against his side, letting him hold her up, eyes drifting closed as she stumbled forward.

 

XxxxxxxxX

 

Twilight washed the sky with violet and indigo, the last rays of the setting sun glowing on the underside of distant clouds and setting them ablaze. The dark, glassy surface of a small lake was occasionally broken by fish as they leapt out of the water, snapping at low-flying insects. Crickets tuned their discordant fiddles in the lush grasses; oblivious to the still figure perched on the slight rise overlooking the water.

 

Sitting as far away from the cheerful group as he could possibly get without prompting a search party, Sesshomaru silently listed the indignities that had been performed on his person in last the week, growling softly in his throat as each replayed in his mind. So far, he had fought along side his brother, been turned into a hanyou, touched by a human, subdued by a human… several times… now, he was a human.

 

Fortunately for him, his brother's hanyou blood was strong (he had to admit this now because to do otherwise would be to say that this Sesshomaru was weak, and that Would Not Do), so his somewhat dulled senses were not too much of an inconvenience. However, as a human, his head felt like it was wrapped with cotton. His nose was stopped, his eyes blurred and darkened, his limbs felt like dead weights… now he knew why his brother had squalled as an infant when his human nights had come over him. This was miserable.

 

His few consolations were that the group had left that filthy human village this morning, his brother had wandered off, and Jaken had returned to the Western Lands to keep things in order while he was gone. Mainly, his purpose was to squelch any rumors he might hear about his lord's predicament. The fewer people who saw him like this, the better.

 

“Sesshomaru-sama? Are you okay?” Kagome called softly, watching his black hair flutter in the light of the stars.

 

The demon lord turned hanyou turned human kept his back to her. “Leave me be, human.”

 

“I just thought you might be hungry…” she walked up to his back, then tucked her skirt under her legs and sat next to him.

 

The smell of salty broth hit his weak human nose and his stomach growled in response. Damn this human body and its needs. Without his permission, his eyes slid toward her, locking on the strange container full of noodles.

 

“Come on, you have to eat something. Just try it?” she coaxed him sweetly, nudging one of his hands with the cup. His stomach rumbled again and she gave him a knowing smile.

 

Sesshomaru weighed his options carefully. He could either continue to refuse the repelling human food or eat it and assuage the gnawing pit in his stomach. Neither option was very good, but the longer he stared at the noodles the more savory they smelled. Kagome dug a big bite out of the cup with a pair of chopsticks and waggled it at him as if he were a pup. That was the last straw. Snatching the cup and sticks out of her hand, he crammed the wad of noodles into his mouth. He hardly tasted the first bite; he'd swallowed it so fast. By the third bite, he'd decided that it wasn't bad for human food and it felt wonderful in his stomach. It wasn't until he was slurping down the dregs, having abandoned the chopstick as a hindrance to getting the food in his mouth, that he realized the girl was still sitting next to him and watching him intently. He lowered the cup and stared back.

 

“Umm…are you still hungry? I've got potato chips and Pocky in my bag…”

 

He nodded curtly and she grinned, hopping to her feet and rushing off. He didn't know what either of those two things was, but if they were anything like those noodles, then he would eat them. She returned moments later and unceremoniously plopped down next to him, her cheeks flushed with exertion.

 

“The last bag of garlic flavored potato chips, and these are Shippo's favorite!” she exclaimed triumphantly, ripping into a brightly decorated bag. She thrust it into his hands, and then opened a small red box. “Oh, and I brought you some soda.” Placing the tip of a transparent container under her shirt, she twisted the top, extending it to him when she had finished. He sniffed at it, surprised when tiny drops of moisture shot out of the top and onto his nose.

 

“Watch,” she said, and then tipped the thing to her lips, baring the creamy expanse of her throat for a long moment. Sesshomaru's gaze was locked onto her pulse point and he cursed the new moon that had taken away his ability to hear her heart beat, smell her blood through her skin. Did she even know what she was doing? That such a simple gesture was an invitation to one of his kind? A tiny puncture marred the perfect skin of her throat and his eyes widened. Had his brother tried to scent-mark her? The stupid fool probably hadn't realized what he was doing; he obviously hadn't succeeded. A tiny spark of satisfaction lit in the pit of his stomach at the thought, but he was too distracted to analyze it.

 

Her face swam into focus and he realized he'd been staring, and at a human, no less. He took the proffered bottle and set it next to him, directing his gaze toward the dark lake at the bottom of the hill on which he sat.

 

“Uh, Sesshomaru-sama?” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “You've got something on your…” she tapped the side of her mouth with a long finger. Cocking his head, he wondered what on earth she was doing. “Here, let me.” She gently brushed his cheek with her fingers, then grinned and stood up. With a small wave, she walked back to the small campfire and her friends.

 

Too surprised to move, he sat frozen in place, the ghost of her fingers still tickling his cheek. A human girl had touched the face of Sesshomaru, Lord of the West, and he… had let her.

 

XxxxxxxxX

 

Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder, nervously. `You're not doing anything wrong,' he told himself. Then why did he feel so guilty? `It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that you just lied to Kagome about where you were going,' he thought. But there was no way he was going to tell her that he was meeting Kikyou, not after what they'd share the night before. He could still taste her blood on her lips and as much as it terrified him, he wanted more.

 

“Inuyasha,” Kikyou voice drifted to him as she materialized, wrapped in her soul collectors.

 

Thoughts of Kagome fled as the undead miko glimmered in the twilight, the pale, limpid shine of her demon familiars casting her beauty in an ethereal glow. Untouched by the breeze, her straight black hair hung down her back in a neat tail, contrasting against the snowy white of her haori and crimson of her hakama. Even dressed in miko's clothes, Kagome had never possessed this grace or elegance.

 

“Inuyasha,” she repeated, tired of his staring. He shook himself and walked forward, wrapping his arm around her back and crushing her to him. She adjusted in his embrace to avoid the spikes of his armor, stroking his back with her fingertips. “I have found a way to return you to your body and give you what you really want,” she spoke quietly against the smooth silk of his haori. His arm tensed and his breath washed over her face as he pulled away to look down at her questioningly.

 

She nodded, a soft smile curving her lips. “But you must bring me the jewel.”

 

His eyes widened as his mouth dropped open. “I don't know, Kikyou…”

 

“Do you want to stay like that forever?” she asked harshly, her dark eyes narrowing at his hesitation, her palms pressing against his chest.

 

“No, but Kaede mentioned that the Yama-dera monastery might help, and she said that the jewel was too dangerous to use.”

 

“Of course she would,” she scoffed. “No one understands the true power of the jewel except for myself and Naraku, and even he did not use it to its fullest extent. And as for the monastery… the monks are not know for their tolerance of youkai. They would sooner shoot you than help you.”

 

“Kagome still has the jewel. Maybe you should explain this to her and ask her for it?” Inuyasha suggested hopefully, almost whining when Kikyou pulled away from him.

 

“Inuyasha, you know how she begrudges me your love. Do you really think she would give it to me? But she would give it to you…”

 

He stared at her pleadingly, knowing the truth in his heart. Yes, Kagome resented the undead priestess. Naraku's infant had used that very resentment against her, years ago. He'd tried to twist it into hatred for Kikyou, though Kagome's pure heart had resisted. It had been the day that he'd found out for sure: I'm in love with Inuyasha, she'd screamed, as he'd burst through the wall to rescue her. He'd never acknowledged that desperate cry but had held it close to his heart nonetheless.

 

The problem was, he loved both women. Just as he'd told Kagome long ago, he would never be able to forget Kikyou or the love they had shared - still shared.

 

Kikyou watched the emotions flit across his crested face. If events occurred according to her plan, that face would be answer to her tired heart's desires. Inuyasha would be upset, of course, but he loved her, first and foremost. He would forgive her, just as he had forgiven her previous betrayals.

 

He sighed heavily, dropping his chin to his chest. If he'd had his hanyou ears, they would have drooped morosely. “There's no other way?”

 

Cool fingertips brushed the stripes on his cheeks, raising the fine hairs on his neck. Curling his fingers around her hand, he pressed her palm to his cheek. “No, this is the only way.”

 

XxxxxxxxX

 

Kagome stirred restlessly in her sleep as Inuyasha glided into the ring of firelight cast by the dieing campfire. He froze mid-step, his amber gaze locked on her face as it contorted in the throws of some dreadful dream. Shippo whimpered and snuggled closer under her chin, instinctively trying to offer what comfort he could, even in his sleep. The scent of her fear spiked just before she bolted awake, blinking up at him with wide, glazed eyes.

 

“Inuyasha, you're here,” she said breathlessly, as if he would evaporate with the dregs of her dream.

 

“Keh. Where else would I be, wench?” he asked gruffly, pushing away the little voice that reminded him exactly where he had been.

 

She shook her head, casting away the shadows and doubts instilled by her recurring nightmare. He had promised to protect her, right? She twined her fingers together, letting her frustration strain the joints of each slender digit. “Of course, I'm sorry.”

 

Inuyasha's eyes darkened for a moment; it was not she who should be apologizing. He covered the knot of her fingers with a striped hand, pulling her wrists apart and saving her fingers from distress. “Go back to sleep,” he mumbled.

 

He grunted in surprise as her wrist was wrenched out of his grasp and she flung herself against his chest, pressing her face against the silk of his white haori. He settled his arm around her back, holding her close as he inhaled the fragrance of her hair. Kagome was so precious to him; somehow, being with Kikyou made him forget that, even if just a little.

 

The jewel poked into his chest uncomfortably and he sighed, knowing that he had to get it from her somehow. He could ask her for it, but she'd want to know why he wanted it, especially after Kaede's warnings. He'd have to lie about bringing it to Kikyou or explain that he'd been meeting Kikyou in secret, neither of which appealed to him. He could take it, but it would shatter her trust in him. Did Kikyou realize what she was asking of him?

 

This is the only way, Kikyou had said. Maybe… maybe he could wait a while, see if the monks would help them first. If that plan failed, then he would have to get the jewel and Kagome would have to know why, but she would understand.

 

She relaxed against him, sighing softly as she dozed off. Gently, he settled her back into her sleeping bag, pulling the top under her chin to ward of the night's chill. Two gleaming eyes peered at him over her shoulder, accusation and disappointment shining in their green depths. He scowled at the kit, silently threatening to haul him away from her, and the eyes disappeared into the sleeping bag. Irritated, Inuyasha considered going after him, but that would wake Kagome and lead to questions he didn't want to answer and from the stare the fox child had given him, Inuyasha was fairly sure that he wouldn't have any qualms tattling on him.

 

With a growl, he sat with his back against the tree closest to Kagome's sleeping form. Glancing over the rest of the campsite, he realized that there was an extra human in their midst leaning against a tree next to Rin… no, it was his brother in human form. How could he have forgotten? Inuyasha grinned, `I hope that bastard is enjoying himself.'

 

As if sensing his scrutiny, Sesshomaru's brown eyes slid open and stared back with disgust. Inuyasha snarled, showing a bit of fang, half hoping that he'd challenge him and he could end his miserable life. Of course, he'd be killing his own body, Inuyasha remembered belatedly, which increased his irritation tenfold. Stupid fucking wish.

 

Sesshomaru continued to stare at him, recrimination weighting his gaze to the point that Inuyasha became uncomfortable. `Now what's his problem? Is everyone against me tonight?' Inuyasha shifted, refusing to break eye contact first but wishing he'd go the hell away.