Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Shadows
By : Mischief
Category: InuYasha > General
Views: 1068 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.
Chapter List
- 1-Shadows
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Disclaimer : still applies, don't own Inuyasha

Six weeks after Sesshoumaru found Arisa.

Chapter 8

"You can't go back now!! Naraku's too damn close to completing the Jewel!!" Inuyasha screeched at Kagome. Kagome glared back, firmly planting her hands on her hips.

"Inuyasha, I have a very, VERY important test tomorrow!! I have to go back!!", she yelled right back at him. Then, in a calmer tone, added, "It's just for tomorrow. I'll come back right after school."

Inuyasha bit his tongue before the nasty retort he really wanted to say left his mouth. He'd probably, once again, end up with his face in the dirt. He spun around on his heal, giving her his back.

"Fine, whatever.", he threw over his shoulder at her. "Just make sure you're back.....BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON!!" He was already in the air as the last syllable left his mouth, out of sight in an instant through the thick forest line. Kagome sighed, and turned to look at her friends, a forlorn smile on her face.

"I'll be back tomorrow right after school." she said, picking Shippou up to give him an affectionate hug. "And I'll bring you all back something." She set Shippou down, and sat on the edge of the well, swinging her legs over to dangle inside. Kagome gave one more sad smile, then she was gone.

"I sure hope she comes back soon." Shippou whined, sadly. "Inuyasha's such a grouch when she's gone." Kirara gave a soft mew of agreement, curling up into a ball next to the well for an afternoon nap. Shippou slid down beside her, and was asleep in a heartbeat, using Kirara as a pillow. Sango smiled at the pair. They were so cute like that.

"Kirara's been sleeping alot lately." Miroku said, breaking into Sango's thoughts. "Is she alright?"

"Yes, she's fine. Just coming into her fertility cycle is all. She'll be back to normal in a couple of days."

"How often does this happen?" Miroku asked, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Firecats only come into heat every five years or so. That's why there aren't too many of them left."

"Five years?!" Miroku said, looking nicely horrified. "You mean they go five years without....."

"Yes, hoshii! Now quiet your voice or you'll wake them up." Sango whispered fiercely, interrupting him before he could take that last thought any farther.

"I think I'd rather face Naraku alone then go five years..."

"Hosh-sama!" Sango interrupted again. "Is that all you ever think about?"

"On"Only around you.", he said, never taking his eyes from hers. Miroku watched, amused, as a raging blush crept up Sango's face, going all the way to her hairline. She, after a few moments, turned away. His gaze was too intense, too honest.

"Well..." Sango said softly, trying to break some of the tension. "What do you want to do until tomorrow aftern...." A warm pressure cupped her bottom, catching her breath in her throat. She didn't even stop to think. She spun around to face him, her hand connecting with the side of his handsome face with a high pitched crack. He didn't even flinch, just closed his eyes and sighed, feeling the all to familiar sting spread across his cheek. Maybe it was the stress they'd all been going through, or perhaps his own sexual frustration, or maybe he was just feeling a little suicidal today. Whatever the reason, he took the game one step further.

Sango could only watch, frozen to the spot, as Miroku's face got closer and closer. His warm, full mouth brushed across hers, ever so slowly. A tingling rush burst from her mid-section to the very tips of all her limbs. She stared, in a complete daze, as he pulled back. He had a look she'd never seen on him before. It wasn't his usual mischiefous lecher personna. The weight of his gaze made her body flush with heat, and tightened her most secret of places.

Miroku was in complete shock that his head was still attached to his body. He watched, fascinated, as her breathing sped up a bit, and a flush spread across her face. Was he imagining this, or was she actually responding this passionatly to a simple, very chaste kiss? A whole tirade of dirty thoughts pounded through his head, making his hands itch to grab her and pull her to him. He tightened them into fists at his side, trying to force a bit of logic into his lust-addled brain. Miroku was pretty sure he'd be in for it when she finally came to her senses.

Before her foggy mind could clear, Miroku sat quickly in the grass next to the well, using it as a back rest, and pulled Sango down next to him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, hugging her to him. They sat like that for a long while, not needing to say anything. Simply enjoying each others presence, and the rare bit of peace they were afforded for a little while. Miroku squeezed her a little tighter, not wanting this moment to ever end. He needed her. Her strength. Her patience, and wisdom. Her love. He wanted to marry her, when this was all over with Naraku. He squeezed his right hand into a fist, a wave of sadness washing over him. He wasn't so much worried for himself. He'd accepted the possibility of a short life and a quick, violent death, by his own hand, a long time ago. But.....Sango? Miroku knew she loved him as much as he loved her. It'd kill her if something happened to him, and what of her? She was itching, just as bad as he, to get her hands on Naraku. If something should happen to her......he couldn't fathom a life without her. He sighed, thinking on all the obstacles that had been thrown inbetween them. He closed his eyes, laying his cheek on her head, letting her scent, the warmth of her body next to his, and her arms wrapped around his waist help chase away the dark thoughts. For now, there was only this. Sango yawned next to Miroku, the extreme heat of the afternoon making her very sleepy. Feeling Sango's breathing even out, signaling she was asleep, he tenderly kissed the top of her head. He, too, then succumbed to his own fatigue.

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Inuyasha lept from tree to tree, the wind whipping the hair from his face. After covering quite a bit of distance through the tree tops, he hit the forest floor at a full out ruushiushing himself as hard as he could, trying to burn off some of his frustration. He was going so fast, the trees seemed to be a solid line on either side of him. After quite a long while, he began to calm down a bit, not having the energy to be upset anymore. He came to a stop by a crystal clear lake, in much need of a bath now. He undressed, setting Tetssusaiga on a nearby rock, and throwing all his grungy clothing into the lake. He scrubbed them as clean as he could without Kagome's 'detergent' stuff, then, hanging them over branches to dry, he lept high into the air, plunging under the surface of the cool water with a loud splash. He stayed under for a long time, surfacing somewhere near the center of the lake. He turned over to float on his back, letting the refreshing water wash away the dirt, grime, and sweat.

He thought back to this afternoon, and what he had almost done. He'd almost kissed her. She'd been so close, but he'd been so afraid. How many times had he left to find Kikyo, left her alone. He had felt the hurt and heartbreak radiating off her in waves, yet he'd still gone. What would happen if he tried to show her how he really felt now? Would she push him away? After all the pain he had caused her, did she still have feelings for him? And what of Kikyo? Kikyo seemed so...distant compared to Kagome. He knew he'd loved her once, but that was long ago. He just felt protective of Kikyo, now. It hadn't been either of their fault, what had happened, but that didn't change the fact that it had happened. His promise to Kikyo was born of desperation to hold on to something that was already gone. Dead and gone 50 years ago. But Kikyo held part of Kagome's soul.

Kagome......

Kagome had been withdrawing into herself more and more lately, and he knew it was because of him. Her easy smiles were shallow, not so full of life anymore. She was often lost in thought, not nearly as talkative as she'd been when he'd first met her. What had he done? How could he have done this to someone he loved so much? But how do you stop it? How do you heal a heart you've broken so many times? He had to try. Kagome didn't deserve this, any of it. She deserved to be loved, and cared for. She deserved a good husband, a nice home, and healthy, happy children running around her. She would make such a good mother.

She deserved a lot more than him.

Should he let her go? Could he? His throat clenched tight at the thought of never seeing her again. Never hearing her voice, smelling her sweet scent so close, feeling her hand in his. It almost ripped him in two just thinking about it, and he knew, then, he could never let her go. He was angry with himself now. Angry for being so selfish when it came to her. Without him around, she would have a chance at finding someone else, someone who would love her without hurting her so much. She could be happy. Someone else to hold her, and kiss her, and touch her.....the thought sent him into a fine rage. He would kill anyone who so much as looked at her in that way. So, if that be the case, and he woult let let her go, he had to start treating her better. He had to tell her and show her how he really felt. It was so easy to think aboutng ing it, but actually doing it was another matter entirely. He was so scared. What if she rejected him? It was a chance he had to take.

He began swimming back to shore, his mind firmly on what he was going to start doing, when another thought occurred to him. What about the well, and their different time periods? There was a good possibility that once the Shikon was completed, and a wish was made, the well might stop working, either trapping her in his time period, or trapping him in hers. If she decided to stay in this time, with him, things would be simple. He knew he could support her and care for her here, but he was pretty sure she'd want to live in her own era, with her family. He'd have no problem living in her time, having grown accustomed to the sights, smells and noise. Supporting her and a family would be an entirely different matter, though. Very few people made a living as simple farmers, and he highly doubted she'd leave her family shrine to move outside the city anyway. To properly support a family in her time, you had to have money, and to get money, you needed a good 'career', and for that you needed to be educated. And there-in lie his problem. He could barely read, let alone write, or figure out all the complex crap in her 'text books' that she had tried to explain to him so many times. Well, he would just have to learn, then. If Kagome could keep it quiet, he'd ask her to teach him. The only other person he knew that could read and write with some proficiency was Miroku, and he certainly wasn't going to ask him. Inuyasha'd never hear the end of it.

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Somewhere in the Western Lands

Afternoon dulled to evening, starting to chase away some of the dreadful heat. Sesshoumaru had, thankfully, stuck to the forest interior today, and the shelter from the blazing sun the thick canopy of trees provided. Rin was babbling away at Arisa, asking her all kinds of questions about every subject she could think of. From 'what was Arisa's favorite flower' to 'what does it feel like to have breasts'. That last question made Arisa blush with embarrassment, knowing full well that Sesshoumaru had heard. She looked up at his back, walking just a short distance in front of them. Sure enough, he'd been listening. His head was turned, oh so subtly, to his left, his ear inclined slightly in their direction. Arisa turned an even deeper shade of red.

"You'll find out soon enough." Arisa mumbled. Rin covered her mouth to stifle her giggles.

"Do you need a drink of water? You're awefully red." Rin said. Arisa took a deep breath, trying hard to compose herself so her voice would be steady.

"I am pretty hot." Why had talking about her body made her so embarrassed around Sesshoumaru? It wasn't as if he were interested.

Arisa watched him as he walked. He was a complete riddle. She'd always prided herself on her ability to read peoples moods by the expressions on their faces, or their body language. She'd always been very sensitive to those things, but Sesshoumaru was like a blank slate. The only expressions she'd seen cross his features were mild annoyance, and anger. Just a slight tighteneing around his eyes. It was reasonable, she assumed, to gain that kind of control after having lived so long. But there was something else. He was too controlled, almost as if he'd shut himself up. She hesitated in calling him cold. There was so much she didn't know about him, it would be an unfair assessment. Still, any intelligent being smiled on occasion. She had yet to see him smile. Oh, what a wonderful challenge.

Arisa stopped short at seeing the small stream in front of her. She'd been so lost in thought, she hadn't even heard it gurgling over the large stones that made up it's bottom. She knelt down next to Rin and Ah-Un, who were already gorging themselves on the cool, clear water. Arisa dunked her entire face underwater, soothing her heat flushed skin, and took a long drink. She pulled her face up, eyes closed, feeling the fingers of water run underneath her clothing, further refreshing her. Suddenly, a large amount of water was dumped over her head, and she shrieked and jumped to her feet, her eyes flying open. All she saw was Ah-Un's tail as he took to flight, quickly escaping. Another, smaller splash of water sprinkled across the front of Arisa's yukata, turning her attention from the mischievous dragon. She looked at a now giggling Rin who was trying to run away before Arisa caught her.

"Oh no you don't!" Arisa yelled, reaching out to snatch the girl up. She carried Rin, who was now screaming in mock terror, to the deepest part of the stream. It only came up to Arisa's knees, but it would do nicely. "You better hold your breath!" She dunked Rin completely under the water, soaking her thoroughly. Rin sputtered as Arisa brought her back out of the water. She started laughing, seeing a very indignant and sodden Rin giving her a nine year old version of the evil eye. She heard Ah-Un only a split second before Rin was snatched out of her grasp and whisked high up into the sky. Arisa started laughing even harder when Rin stuck her tongue out and blew her a very wet sounding rasberry.

It took awhile for the excitement to die down, having several more instances of someone throwing water on someone else. Jakken started the campfire and cleaned and spitted the fish Arisa had caught earlier, grumbling the entire time about 'ridiculous human play'. Which, of course, earned him a thorough dousing of his own. After that, Jakken refused to do anything more. He sought out a nearby tree, and sat propped up next to it, mumbling some choice obsenities under his breath, very wet and very miserable.

Sesshoumaru watched all this from his positagaiagainst another tree, quite amused with all their antics. He'd even, for a very brief instant, seen the look that had passed over Arisa's delicate features as she'd glanced at him earlier. She'd actually entertained the notion of dousing him with water. The look had quickly fled though, along with the idea. He had to wonder, now, what his reaction would have been. He mentally shook off that ridiculous notion, and contented himself with watching her tuck a blanket around Rin, who had just succumbed to sleep. She, then, pawed through Ah-Un's saddlebags, pulling out a drying cloth, her sleeping set, and soap. She rolled it all in a ball, and walked over to stand in front of him.

"I need a bath. Did you spot a deeper part in the river?" He stood, towering over her by a full head.

"The river is fed by a small lake." he answered blandly. "It is not far up stream."

"Just point me in the right direction. I'll call if I get lost."

"You will not wander alone." Her eyes narrowed dangerously, but before she could open her mouth, he added, "I'll accompany you."

She shook her head, sadly, and sighed, knowing she couldn't dissuade him once he'd spoken. What he did next truely amazed her. She watched, as he rifled through Ah-Un's saddlebags, and extricated a drying cloth, presumedly for himself.

"Are you going to bathe, too?" Arisa asked shyly.

"Yes" he said, simply.

"I didn't know you bathed. Do you do it often?"

"When the opportunity presents itself."

Sesshoumaru turned, heading toward the small lake he'd spied earlier. He heard Arisa scramble a bit to catch up, walking by his side. He had been shocked the first time she'd walked beside him like this, as a companion would. None had ever dared presume themselves to be an equal to himself, as she had, but, amazingly, he hadn't reprimanded her or dissuaded her from doing so. He found her company to be pleasently tolerable. Above the fact that he was physically attracted to her, other, much more disturbing emotions were becoming apparent. She had cut herself on a sharp branch while walking through a particularly dense part of the forest two days past. She had bled quite a bit from the small wound. Upon seeing it, he had felt.......concern for her well-being. He did not like the fact that she could be in pain, however slight. He did have concerns for Rin, of course, but they differed from what he felt for Arisa. When Rin became injured, he would examine it, and upon disscerning that it was not life threatening, he would think on it no longer. Arisa's small injury had affected him much more profoundly. He found himself, even now, wondering if it still pained her.

"Does your ankle still cause you pain?" He as bre breaking the silence between them.

"Huh? Oh. No. It's fine, thanks."

Arisa had been completely lost in her own thoughts when his voice broke through. He was going to bathe? Right next to her!? Her mind was going nuts. She couldn't seem to focus on one thought at a time, and to make things worse, her body was reacting to the thought that she was going to get to see him naked. She flushed a deep red at the thought that she wanted to see him. She'd never seen a man completely undressed before, and, though she was curious, she knew it was more than that.

"If you are not aware, you need know I can scent your arousal toward me."

"What!?!" She shrieked, horrified. He could scent her arousal? Did this mean that the entire two months they'd been traveling, he'd known she was attracted to him? "Oh, God." Arisa said softly, but with much feeling. She looked around for a nice little hole she could just crawl in and disappear.

"Does this disturb you?" He asked calmly.

"Embarass is more like it." Arisa mumbled under her breath. How could she ever look him in the eye again knowing that he knew?

The silence stretched out between them. The crunching noises their feet made as they trudged their way through the forest were deafening. What would happen now? She knew how much he hated humans. he he insulted? Or even more degradin her her, was he sickened by her? Did he find her obvious attraction to him repulsive? She hung her head, feeling her heart break. He would probably get rid of her now.

"Arisa.", he said, softly. He placed a soft touch on her shoulder, stopping her as he stopped, and turned to face her. When she just continued looking at the ground, he placed his fingers under her chin, and gently turned her to face him. "You need not be embarassed when your desires are reciprocated." When the shocked look of understanding spread across her features, he continued. "This Sesshoumaru would like the mutual exploration of our shared desires. I would like to court you."

Arisa was reeling with shock and uncertainty. Had he just said shared desires? I would like to court you? Was that like the medievel way of asking her to be his girlfriend? But....

"Why?", she asked, softly, making her more aware of his fingers on her chin. "I thought you hated humans? I don't understand."

"Nor do I." he said, never breaking eye contact. "Were you not aware of my interest in you?"

"No. Not even in the slightest. You're very hard to read."

"I will be more obvious in the future."

"But I still don't understand."

"And as I have already stated, nor do I. Will you allow me to court you?" Arisa's beautiful features were distorted. He could see the struggle she was going through as she tried to understand.

"Can I ask you some questions first?"

"Whatever will ease your thoughts."

"Are you just attracted to my body, "she flushed a deep red saying this so bluntly to him, "or is there something more?"

"There is much more." he said evenly, dropping his hand from her chin.

Arisa wanted to look away. His golden gaze was almost too much, but he was being honest, and if she did look away, it would be like throwing his declarations of feelings for her right back in his face.

"Are you in love with me?" she whispered, but now that she'd asked, she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

"I am....unsure of the depth of my feelings toward you. It has been several centuries since I've dealt with emotions such as these."

"So, it's more then just....sex?" she was completely mortified at what she was saying, but she knew he would be honest if she asked outright.

"An occasional bedding is not my intention toward you." He wanted to reach out to her, to touch and comfort, but he did not want to frighten her by being too forward, too soon.

"O.K., then. I'll allow you to court me, but I have no idea what's expected of me."

"Nothing is necessarily expected of you. We wbecobecome better aquainted, foremost."

"How do we do that?" She asked, innocently.

"There are many ways." The implications of his words hit her like a truck, tightening things low in her body before she could stop it. He inhaled loud enough to make her fully aware that he had caught the scent. "Come. Let us attend to our baths." He turned, heading towards the lake once more, placing much needed distance between himself and the intoxicating smell of her arousal.

Arisa watched his retreatinck fck for a moment more before finally snapping out of it and jogging a bit to catch up to him. Her boyfriend. She was pretty sure that wasn't the proper term for their relationship in this time period, but she liked the way it sounded. Lord Sesshoumaru. The Great Lord Demon of the Western Lands.

Her boyfriend.

A/N Thanks for all the great reviews!
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Shadows	By : Mischief Category: InuYasha > General Views: 1068 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Shadows