InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Flower Girl ❯ Let's Get Together Part Two ( Chapter 55 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

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Kagome was leaned against Sesshoumaru's chest, warm, comfortable, and happy. After he'd pretty much kissed her senseless, he'd let her curl up and fall asleep in his arms.

She'd thought it odd that he would allow such a thing when she woke, and he'd been surprised that she found it strange. According to him, inuyoukai were very affectionate with their wives... once they chose a female, that was it. Even he, who was more formal and stoic than most, had no problem with showing the world what she was to him - if her friends did not like it, that was too bad.

"But I'm not your wife..." she started, and he cut her off firmly.

"Yet."

Nuzzling into her neck, he inhaled her scent, then pulled away, and met her gaze. "That was also part of why I wanted to be alone with you today, Kagome." Holding her gaze, his own serious, he asked, "This one would know if you would consent to be his wife. Courting aside, I..." he paused, letting her see his feelings again, "am... sure, that you are what I want."

Kagome's eyes filled with tears, but she smiled through them brilliantly, almost blinding him with the surge of pure love that existed within her for him. She nodded almost frantically.

"Hai... I would love to be your wife, Sesshoumaru..." she was stopped as he kissed her again, arms tightening around her, holding her to him as though he would never let go.

For long minutes after her acceptance of his proposal, silence reigned, as he once again kissed her breathless.

After a time, he settled back with her once more curled up in his lap almost sleepily.

Then she chuckled.

He quirked a brow at her, a flicker of amusement in the depths of his eyes.

"What do you laugh at, miko?"

Kagome giggled again at his question. For some reason, Kagura/Naraku had come into her mind as she'd started to doze off, warm and safe and happy in the big daiyoukai's arms. Particularly the last time she'd seen them - in Rin's nightmares.

Pressing a hand to her mouth, she glanced up at him, her eyes twinkling merrily as she tried to stop herself from laughing, and once she felt able to control herself, she answered him.

"Remember those nightmares that Rin was having?"

Sesshoumaru tilted his head and looked at her uncertainly. "Hai," he said slowly. She is laughing about nightmares?

"Well, they were being sent by Naraku. He was angry that I wasn't bothered by his hatred and decided to try to attack me through those I care for." As Sesshoumaru began to scowl, she laughed. "I took care of that, though. He won't try that again, I can just bet. That's why he's been so scarce, lately. What I did to him in the dream left him in a world of hurt."

The youkai Lord stared down at her, not at all happy to know that something like this had happened, and his miko had not told him - not only that, but she had faced Naraku alone... even if it was in a dream.

This could not be allowed - she was his to protect.

"This one is not pleased, miko, that Naraku attacked, and yet, you did not tell him. And you fought the spider alone - this is not acceptable. It is my honor to protect you - it is not proper for you to have to defend yourself."

Kagome's eyes softened at that, and she ran a finger along one cheek stripe gently. "Sesshoumaru, koi... how do you think you were going to fight him off... in a dream? It was something only I could do - and while I am yours, forever, and not just to protect," she blushed, "the children are also mine to protect in the same way as I am yours to protect."

He sat there, contemplating what she had said for a long while, finally admitting that she was correct... but that did not mean that he liked it.

Because he did not.

With a sigh, he looked at her, brow furrowed. "Just what did you do to him, miko?" he asked, curiosity rampant in his voice.

She giggled again. "What do you do to a regular old spider you see on the ground, Sesshoumaru?" As his expression fell into something that could only be termed disbelief, she laughed, and nodded. "Yup. You guessed it. I simply stomped on him. Goodbye, Naraku! Rin certainly got a kick out of it."

Sesshoumaru stared at her for a moment, and finally shook his head. What else could he do? "So that is why we have not seen them lately," he mused aloud. "I had wondered."

He sat quietly for a few minutes, obviously thinking, and then he looked at her again, catching her in his gaze. It is time to tell her of the marking...

"There is a mark that I must place on you, miko, but it is done in two parts." He watched as she tilted her head in curiosity, and a smile lit his eyes. "The first, that I place now, is my personal mark," he took her left hand and turned it over, showing her wrist, and he rubbed his thumb over the delicate flesh, "here. And then, when we actually wed, the mark of my house, the sakura blossom, will also be placed."

Kagome held his gaze for a moment, then looked down to where his thumb still rubbed her wrist. "Why there?"

"It shows your trust. This is a very vulnerable area, with all the blood that pools here. If I chose to rip downward instead of mark, it would kill you. By letting me mark you there, it shows ultimate trust."

She nodded, then looked up. "So what's your personal mark? And how do you do it?"
"My personal mark is the crescent, in the same blue that mine is... once it is placed all will know that you belong to me, personally, and then when we wed, they will see the mark of my House as well, denoting you belong to both me and the House of the West. As for how it will be done," he held up his index finger and a small amount of his poison glowed on the tip of his claw, "that is what this particular poison is for. Marking only."

She flinched, then sighed. "I bet that's gonna hurt," she said, clenching her eyes shut tightly, then held her wrist out to him. "Let's get it done, then."

He cocked a brow at her, then chuckled lightly. "Very well, miko. Brave, are you not? But it will not hurt so much as you think, it will be a minor sting, nothing more."

With that, he began the marking, and while she did hiss a bit when he started, she didn't find it as painful as she thought, noting that he was correct - it merely stung. When it was over, she had a pretty little crescent moon, in the same color as his, on the inside of her wrist...

And she'd never been happier.

It was in that moment that she knew she had nothing further to fear - now that she was marked as she was, he would not change his mind - he was sure...

He had claimed her. She belonged to him.

And she always would.

---oOo---

A/N: And now... on with the Kagura/Naraku hunt!

Amber