Inuyasha, "A Reason to Return" Kikyou/Sesshoumaru, rated PG-13
Fandom: Inuyasha
Title: A Reason to Return
Genre: Drama/Romance
Pairings: Kikyou/Sesshoumaru
Rating: PG-13
Type: Alternate Reality. Oneshot.
Summary: She almost was distracted by the unusual markings on his skin, but then she became focused on the golden eyes that glared at her.
Links: AO3
A Reason to Return
He stared down the end of a pink flashing arrow aiming for him. Hard eyes glared at him on the other side of that arrow, and he almost laughed that a human woman would even dare challenge him.
It mattered not that she was a miko; she was still a human. He didn’t care how powerful she was, and he would have just killed her, but he needed answers.
“You killed my servant,” he said bluntly. He drew his sword, a regular sword that was finely crafted, but not nearly as intriguing as his father’s lost weapon. Still, it was good enough to kill this simple human.
“He craved the Shikon no Tama, and I am its protector. All fools who crave the power of the jewel die by my hands.”
Sesshoumaru said nothing in response. He scrutinized her, trying to see if she was lying or not. The miko stood her ground with much fortitude. He gave her credit for not fearing him and standing up for herself, as foolish as it was.
“Why would he need such a thing?” He asked. He wanted to know the nature of this jewel, and why his subordinate had left his side in battle to obtain it. He had to protect his lands from many demons, and he needed all the valuable help he could get. It was true he was angry with his servant for leaving, but when he found news that a mere human had killed him, and then he wanted answers.
“Because he craved more power. All demons that come for the jewel wish to be stronger and more powerful, but they do not know the true nature of the jewel. They are blind to their cravings, and with weak minds, most demons lose themselves to the power of the jewel and become insane,” she paused and cocked her had at him. “I take it your are a powerful lord? Well, then you should be happy I killed him for you.”
“And why is that, miko?” He asked calmly, but this woman was getting on his nerves.
“Because he would have betrayed you, and you would have killed him anyway.” She said simply.
“How dare you…”
“Are you here for the jewel, demon?” She interrupted.
No one ever dared interrupt him.
“I am not,” he seethed, his hand clutching his sword fiercely. His muscles tensed and began to shake for the taste of this cocky woman’s blood.
“Then I have no business with you,” she said, dropping her weapon and placing her arrow back into storage over her shoulder. She turned to walk away from him, and then she heard him growl in frustration.
“I am not finished with you, miko.” He said in a dangerous voice. She turned slowly to look at him. Her eyes did not hold fear. They felt solemn, yet strong.
“Oh? Are you going to kill me, my lord?” Kikyo asked. He could have sworn that she was half hoping for it.
But he didn’t answer her because he could not find the words. He didn’t want to plainly say, “yes,” yet something else was wrong too, but he couldn’t pinpoint the source.
“Well,” she continued. “If you are going to kill me, I beg that you do not do it in front of my little sister.” Kikyo turned her head to the bushes, and he heard some branches rustle. He watched as a young girl came rushing out of the bushes and latching onto her sister’s bottom garments.
“Sister, are you alright?” The young girl asked, looking up at her sister and the back to him with terrified eyes.
To see such a frightened child caused him a small discomfort in his gut. He slowly sheathed his sword, still glaring at the confident miko.
Then he saw the young girl look up and plead with her sister, “He’s not going to kill you, is he, sister? Who would protect us from the demons? Who would protect the Shikon no Tama? I can’t do it yet! I’m still learning!”
“Shhh…” Kikyo said, ruffling the top of her sister’s hair. “Now, Kaede, which fate do you think is worse, being killed by a demon or protecting the jewel for the rest of my solitary life?”
His ears had twitched at this, feeling the sorrow in the miko’s voice. He didn’t want to be another added reason to this family’s sorrow. He did not want to concern himself with her troubles. They were irrelevant.
He was ready to leave them, turning his back and speaking no more words to the miko. She didn’t even notice he was leaving as she smiled at her sister and soothed her from her fears.
Then he caught wind of something unpleasant. Automatically, he clutched his sword. He turned around when he heard the miko draw her bow again.
A demon was here and Sesshoumaru knew him.
“Kaede,” Kikyo said calmly, inhaling a breath of courage before taking up her role again. “Please hide. There is another demon.”
“Wait,” Sesshoumaru growled. Kikyo looked at him with mild shock. Sesshoumaru gave her a hard glare and said, “This one is mine.”
“Do you know it?” Kikyo said, wondering if it was a stronger enemy than him. She feared that she would not be able to take on a demon that this lord had already known. In a way, if this silver haired demon killed it in her stead, it would be less work for her. Though, as nice as that would be, she still didn’t trust him and she kept her weapon ready.
He sniffed lightly again, and when he realized who it was, he felt as though he was going to be sick. “I do.” She didn’t need to know more than that. She was no longer his concern, and he had a new prey now, and the situation had hit closer to home.
Kikyo backed away from him slowly, looking around the forest finding nothing. She could still sense it though.
“It is not very powerful,” she said, and her comment made him smirk. Even this human woman knew the truth of this demon’s lack of power.
“You are correct,” he said, “He is a hanyou.”
Kikyo looked at the forest with her eyes focusing on the source of the demonic aura. The demon was hiding, standing perfectly still without taking a breath. He was watching them. The demon lord in front of her seemed to concentrate greatly on their new visitor. She then saw him put his sword away for the second time. Then he laughed lightly.
She saw him flex his claws, hearing the cracking sounds between his joints and muscles. “I do not need a sword to defeat this one.” And before he could act, Kikyo felt the aura bound away, farther from her position. She saw the demon lord’s muscles tense, ready to spring into action, but then finally relax.
“Humph, pitiful coward,” he said. He looked over at the miko. His facial expression was no longer calm, but flickering with anticipation and malice. He seemed viciously content.
“We will meet again. If he comes here again, I am sure to catch him,” he said. She looked at him with curiosity, yet he could tell that mention of his return unsettled her. Finally, he could smell her fear. This pleased him even more.
“I hope he does not come here then,” she said in a small voice, and then turned away and walked toward the village. Her sister appeared again by her side. “If he returns seeking the jewel, I will be the one to kill him. Do not trouble yourself.”
And in a flash he was in front of her. Kaede fell backward in shock and fear. Kikyo looked up at him, her nose inches from his pristine face. She almost was distracted by the unusual markings on his skin, but then she became focused on the golden eyes that glared at her.
“You will do no such thing. He has something that belongs to me, and I will be the one to kill him for it,” he said in a low voice. He sniffed as a pleasant scent filled his senses, only to realize the scent was coming from her. He slightly backed away from her still maintaining his stern resolve.
“Ah, that is so materialistic,” she said, and he stood in place with his irritation rising again, though he did not move to stop her when she passed him on the right.
He growled and then let her leave while the child and her own misery clung to her. She was obstinate and could not fully understand his reasons. She didn’t even know him.
~*~
He had patrolled her village several times, only picking up a faint trace of his prey’s scent. There was no doubt about it now; the scent had belonged to his cursed half brother. And he was beginning to realize why his brother came to this village.
He came to seek the jewel, and that much was obvious since his brother was so weak.
“Fool,” Sesshoumaru said aloud once after a great deal of pondering. The miko had said that demons with weak minds are tantalized by the jewel, only to become insane from his power. He had no doubt that if his brother were to get the jewel that would be his fate.
But he did smell less and less of his brother as he started to watch the miko’s village. The miko knew he was there too, and although they never spoke to one another, they would occasionally lock gazes, as if to understand each other’s presence.
He was able to learn more about the miko, since he was mostly bored wandering around trying to find his brother’s scent. He almost gave up waiting for him, but he didn’t want the fool to get the jewel.
He wasn’t sure if the miko would survive an encounter with his brother. But he hated the idea of his brother running rampant and insane in a human village, killing off everyone and anything. His existence tainted their family name already, so Sesshoumaru didn’t want his actions to reflect upon his blood as well.
As he sat in a tree, trying to stay alert while warm sunlight began to daze him, he heard laughter break his reverie. He looked down, only to see the miko playing with a number of village children. They played and laughed as if there was no danger, nothing at all lurking in the shadows to harm them.
But here he was.
“Lady Kikyo, are there any more demons coming to the village today?” A girl asked, her legs shaking with worry.
Kikyo raised her head and looked in Sesshoumaru’s direction. She knew he was there staring at her. He was too far away to make eye contact, but the acknowledgment of each other’s presences connected them.
“Not today, Keiko. You are safe,” she said confidently, and the young child beamed with a bright smile.
As the children headed to the village on their own, Kikyo remained behind. She looked up at Sesshoumaru’s direction, waiting for him.
“You never told me your name,” she said, addressing him. He didn’t answer her at first, and he continued to make her wait. After several minutes, she sighed, and then turned her heel to head back home.
She heard a rustle of leaves, and then a sound of feet hitting the ground. She turned around and he swore he saw a small smile appear on her face. She wasn’t mocking him, but she was pleased that he responded.
“Lord Sesshoumaru,” he said, maintaining his stoic face. He didn’t know why he answered her. He was not inclined to.
“I am Kikyo,” she said. He continued to watch her without a response.
“Are you coming tomorrow?” She asked conversationally.
He nodded lightly.
“Then goodnight, Lord Sesshoumaru. Until tomorrow,” she said, smiling and then bowing in respect to him.
He watched her leave with his mind in confusion at her actions. Why would a miko be so gracious to him, a demon? Why would she anticipate his presence any longer? Why did he care how she acted toward him?
Then, after musing in silence all day long, his ears strangely craved the sound of her voice again.
He shook his head. ‘Humph, I must be tired.’ And then he retreated back into the forest, desperate for a scent of his brother to keep his mind away from drifting back to the enigmatic miko.
~*~
The next time he came, he jumped from the trees in a flash and stalked around the clearing. She jumped up as well, drawing her bow and darting her eyes around the forest.
“He’s back.” She said, and he nodded.
“He didn’t expect me to return,” he said in an amused voice. “He is still hiding.” And for a moment, they stood still, the wind becoming the only break in silence. “He can hear us as well. I’m surprised he hasn’t come out to challenge me.”
“Why would he do that? You’re much too strong,” she said, inching closer to him as she spoke to him, her body still ready to strike.
“Because he wants your jewel, and if he can get it from you, then maybe he can defeat me,” he said, his eyes glaring in one particular direction. Their visitor was standing still again, watching them. “He will not get it. It ends today!” He jetted off in a streak, and when she blinked he was already gone within the forest. She felt the other presence dart off away from Sesshoumaru’s pursuit. She concentrated hard; hearing only slashed branches and foliage from within the forest. Then she heard nothing, and felt neither of their presences.
And by late afternoon, Sesshoumaru had returned, and Kikyo was still sitting in the clearing waiting.
“Did you get him?” She didn’t even look at the blood on his hands.
“Almost,” he said, and she could hear the disappointment in his voice. She turned around, only to see that he was clutching his right arm, or what was left of it. He was panting, and his legs were almost giving way. She stood up and ran to him, catching him before he fell.
“What happened?” Sesshoumaru noticed her horrified expression, and he could not help feel strange as she held him tenderly in her arms.
“He had help. The item that belonged to me had suddenly appeared, and he used it against me. I don’t know how, but it appeared when he tried to protect a woman who was caring for him.”
“Protect her from whom?” Kikyo asked, not sure if he was making any sense. His wound may have been making him delirious.
“From me. She was a miko like you, but with a scar over her eye. She pulled the sword from its rest and gave it to him. I think...he cared about her, so he used it to protect her.” He groaned in pain. He watched as Kikyo tore her robes so she could bandage his wounds. He growled at the memory of the fight, trying to deny how good it felt to be treated by her, “I barely escaped with my life.”
Kikyo was silent. He was starting to make some sense, but there was still much he had to tell her. She knew of only one miko with a scarred eye that would help an enemy of hers, especially someone after the jewel. It was just as well that Sesshoumaru attack her.
“I’m glad you are safe,” Kikyo said softly into his ear. And as he closed his eyes, she rested his head on her lap, moving the hair from his eyes and tracing her fingers around his unusual markings. Though the news of her rival miko teaming up with a demon troubled her, and she couldn’t imagine the future troubles she would encounter.
“Why did you come to me?” she asked, knowing he was not yet asleep.
He struggled with the pain, but managed to answer her. “I do not know. But whatever my brother is planning with that woman, I didn’t want to involve you. I came to warn you. I will leave as soon as I have healed.”
“Let me help you.”
“No.”
“Please...”
He didn’t feel like arguing. He had lost too much blood, and his energy was waning. He didn’t know how much longer he could stay awake. He feared sleeping and leaving her unprotected. And it didn’t help that her scent was so inviting, and he felt so comfortable in her lap.
“Do as you wish,” he finally said, and he let the miko take care of him.
~*~
“He will come back,” he said, a week after the incident and when his injuries had finally healed. She saw that his vigor had returned, but she could also feel that he was annoyed by the loss of his arm.
“If you must go, I can manage both of them. I know of this miko that has helped him. I have defeated her once before,” she said, though she didn’t really want him to go.
“No, if you know this woman, then your knowledge will help me to defeat them myself,” he said gruffly.
“You really don’t like to work with others, do you?” She asked, but he saw a smile tugging at her lips.
“I do not need others.”
She only nodded, smiling when she realized he was returning to his normal self.
He walked out the door, leaving the hut that had been his shelter as she cared for him. He stopped outside the doorway. She watched his shadow under the grass cover door, and saw that he was not moving.
“Are you coming?” He asked simply, trying to hide the expectation in his voice.
She nodded, grabbing her weapons and coming out to stand beside him. “Lead the way.”
He did, and she followed him at his heels, feeling oddly relaxed as the two of them walked onward to an impending confrontation with their foes.
“When we have beaten them, will you return to the village?” She asked, and he smirked at her confidence.
“I do not know.” He said, and he turned around. She stopped, slightly stunned that he had halted and then looked at her intensely. “I may, if I have a reason to.”
She tried desperately not to smile, but she couldn’t hold it back. She wanted him to return, and even though she knew her growing feelings for this demon was wrong, she felt strangely comforted from her usual loneliness.
She only wondered if he would find a reason to return, and she wished that SHE would be that reason.
END
Title: A Reason to Return
Genre: Drama/Romance
Pairings: Kikyou/Sesshoumaru
Rating: PG-13
Type: Alternate Reality. Oneshot.
Summary: She almost was distracted by the unusual markings on his skin, but then she became focused on the golden eyes that glared at her.
Links: AO3
A Reason to Return
He stared down the end of a pink flashing arrow aiming for him. Hard eyes glared at him on the other side of that arrow, and he almost laughed that a human woman would even dare challenge him.
It mattered not that she was a miko; she was still a human. He didn’t care how powerful she was, and he would have just killed her, but he needed answers.
“You killed my servant,” he said bluntly. He drew his sword, a regular sword that was finely crafted, but not nearly as intriguing as his father’s lost weapon. Still, it was good enough to kill this simple human.
“He craved the Shikon no Tama, and I am its protector. All fools who crave the power of the jewel die by my hands.”
Sesshoumaru said nothing in response. He scrutinized her, trying to see if she was lying or not. The miko stood her ground with much fortitude. He gave her credit for not fearing him and standing up for herself, as foolish as it was.
“Why would he need such a thing?” He asked. He wanted to know the nature of this jewel, and why his subordinate had left his side in battle to obtain it. He had to protect his lands from many demons, and he needed all the valuable help he could get. It was true he was angry with his servant for leaving, but when he found news that a mere human had killed him, and then he wanted answers.
“Because he craved more power. All demons that come for the jewel wish to be stronger and more powerful, but they do not know the true nature of the jewel. They are blind to their cravings, and with weak minds, most demons lose themselves to the power of the jewel and become insane,” she paused and cocked her had at him. “I take it your are a powerful lord? Well, then you should be happy I killed him for you.”
“And why is that, miko?” He asked calmly, but this woman was getting on his nerves.
“Because he would have betrayed you, and you would have killed him anyway.” She said simply.
“How dare you…”
“Are you here for the jewel, demon?” She interrupted.
No one ever dared interrupt him.
“I am not,” he seethed, his hand clutching his sword fiercely. His muscles tensed and began to shake for the taste of this cocky woman’s blood.
“Then I have no business with you,” she said, dropping her weapon and placing her arrow back into storage over her shoulder. She turned to walk away from him, and then she heard him growl in frustration.
“I am not finished with you, miko.” He said in a dangerous voice. She turned slowly to look at him. Her eyes did not hold fear. They felt solemn, yet strong.
“Oh? Are you going to kill me, my lord?” Kikyo asked. He could have sworn that she was half hoping for it.
But he didn’t answer her because he could not find the words. He didn’t want to plainly say, “yes,” yet something else was wrong too, but he couldn’t pinpoint the source.
“Well,” she continued. “If you are going to kill me, I beg that you do not do it in front of my little sister.” Kikyo turned her head to the bushes, and he heard some branches rustle. He watched as a young girl came rushing out of the bushes and latching onto her sister’s bottom garments.
“Sister, are you alright?” The young girl asked, looking up at her sister and the back to him with terrified eyes.
To see such a frightened child caused him a small discomfort in his gut. He slowly sheathed his sword, still glaring at the confident miko.
Then he saw the young girl look up and plead with her sister, “He’s not going to kill you, is he, sister? Who would protect us from the demons? Who would protect the Shikon no Tama? I can’t do it yet! I’m still learning!”
“Shhh…” Kikyo said, ruffling the top of her sister’s hair. “Now, Kaede, which fate do you think is worse, being killed by a demon or protecting the jewel for the rest of my solitary life?”
His ears had twitched at this, feeling the sorrow in the miko’s voice. He didn’t want to be another added reason to this family’s sorrow. He did not want to concern himself with her troubles. They were irrelevant.
He was ready to leave them, turning his back and speaking no more words to the miko. She didn’t even notice he was leaving as she smiled at her sister and soothed her from her fears.
Then he caught wind of something unpleasant. Automatically, he clutched his sword. He turned around when he heard the miko draw her bow again.
A demon was here and Sesshoumaru knew him.
“Kaede,” Kikyo said calmly, inhaling a breath of courage before taking up her role again. “Please hide. There is another demon.”
“Wait,” Sesshoumaru growled. Kikyo looked at him with mild shock. Sesshoumaru gave her a hard glare and said, “This one is mine.”
“Do you know it?” Kikyo said, wondering if it was a stronger enemy than him. She feared that she would not be able to take on a demon that this lord had already known. In a way, if this silver haired demon killed it in her stead, it would be less work for her. Though, as nice as that would be, she still didn’t trust him and she kept her weapon ready.
He sniffed lightly again, and when he realized who it was, he felt as though he was going to be sick. “I do.” She didn’t need to know more than that. She was no longer his concern, and he had a new prey now, and the situation had hit closer to home.
Kikyo backed away from him slowly, looking around the forest finding nothing. She could still sense it though.
“It is not very powerful,” she said, and her comment made him smirk. Even this human woman knew the truth of this demon’s lack of power.
“You are correct,” he said, “He is a hanyou.”
Kikyo looked at the forest with her eyes focusing on the source of the demonic aura. The demon was hiding, standing perfectly still without taking a breath. He was watching them. The demon lord in front of her seemed to concentrate greatly on their new visitor. She then saw him put his sword away for the second time. Then he laughed lightly.
She saw him flex his claws, hearing the cracking sounds between his joints and muscles. “I do not need a sword to defeat this one.” And before he could act, Kikyo felt the aura bound away, farther from her position. She saw the demon lord’s muscles tense, ready to spring into action, but then finally relax.
“Humph, pitiful coward,” he said. He looked over at the miko. His facial expression was no longer calm, but flickering with anticipation and malice. He seemed viciously content.
“We will meet again. If he comes here again, I am sure to catch him,” he said. She looked at him with curiosity, yet he could tell that mention of his return unsettled her. Finally, he could smell her fear. This pleased him even more.
“I hope he does not come here then,” she said in a small voice, and then turned away and walked toward the village. Her sister appeared again by her side. “If he returns seeking the jewel, I will be the one to kill him. Do not trouble yourself.”
And in a flash he was in front of her. Kaede fell backward in shock and fear. Kikyo looked up at him, her nose inches from his pristine face. She almost was distracted by the unusual markings on his skin, but then she became focused on the golden eyes that glared at her.
“You will do no such thing. He has something that belongs to me, and I will be the one to kill him for it,” he said in a low voice. He sniffed as a pleasant scent filled his senses, only to realize the scent was coming from her. He slightly backed away from her still maintaining his stern resolve.
“Ah, that is so materialistic,” she said, and he stood in place with his irritation rising again, though he did not move to stop her when she passed him on the right.
He growled and then let her leave while the child and her own misery clung to her. She was obstinate and could not fully understand his reasons. She didn’t even know him.
~*~
He had patrolled her village several times, only picking up a faint trace of his prey’s scent. There was no doubt about it now; the scent had belonged to his cursed half brother. And he was beginning to realize why his brother came to this village.
He came to seek the jewel, and that much was obvious since his brother was so weak.
“Fool,” Sesshoumaru said aloud once after a great deal of pondering. The miko had said that demons with weak minds are tantalized by the jewel, only to become insane from his power. He had no doubt that if his brother were to get the jewel that would be his fate.
But he did smell less and less of his brother as he started to watch the miko’s village. The miko knew he was there too, and although they never spoke to one another, they would occasionally lock gazes, as if to understand each other’s presence.
He was able to learn more about the miko, since he was mostly bored wandering around trying to find his brother’s scent. He almost gave up waiting for him, but he didn’t want the fool to get the jewel.
He wasn’t sure if the miko would survive an encounter with his brother. But he hated the idea of his brother running rampant and insane in a human village, killing off everyone and anything. His existence tainted their family name already, so Sesshoumaru didn’t want his actions to reflect upon his blood as well.
As he sat in a tree, trying to stay alert while warm sunlight began to daze him, he heard laughter break his reverie. He looked down, only to see the miko playing with a number of village children. They played and laughed as if there was no danger, nothing at all lurking in the shadows to harm them.
But here he was.
“Lady Kikyo, are there any more demons coming to the village today?” A girl asked, her legs shaking with worry.
Kikyo raised her head and looked in Sesshoumaru’s direction. She knew he was there staring at her. He was too far away to make eye contact, but the acknowledgment of each other’s presences connected them.
“Not today, Keiko. You are safe,” she said confidently, and the young child beamed with a bright smile.
As the children headed to the village on their own, Kikyo remained behind. She looked up at Sesshoumaru’s direction, waiting for him.
“You never told me your name,” she said, addressing him. He didn’t answer her at first, and he continued to make her wait. After several minutes, she sighed, and then turned her heel to head back home.
She heard a rustle of leaves, and then a sound of feet hitting the ground. She turned around and he swore he saw a small smile appear on her face. She wasn’t mocking him, but she was pleased that he responded.
“Lord Sesshoumaru,” he said, maintaining his stoic face. He didn’t know why he answered her. He was not inclined to.
“I am Kikyo,” she said. He continued to watch her without a response.
“Are you coming tomorrow?” She asked conversationally.
He nodded lightly.
“Then goodnight, Lord Sesshoumaru. Until tomorrow,” she said, smiling and then bowing in respect to him.
He watched her leave with his mind in confusion at her actions. Why would a miko be so gracious to him, a demon? Why would she anticipate his presence any longer? Why did he care how she acted toward him?
Then, after musing in silence all day long, his ears strangely craved the sound of her voice again.
He shook his head. ‘Humph, I must be tired.’ And then he retreated back into the forest, desperate for a scent of his brother to keep his mind away from drifting back to the enigmatic miko.
~*~
The next time he came, he jumped from the trees in a flash and stalked around the clearing. She jumped up as well, drawing her bow and darting her eyes around the forest.
“He’s back.” She said, and he nodded.
“He didn’t expect me to return,” he said in an amused voice. “He is still hiding.” And for a moment, they stood still, the wind becoming the only break in silence. “He can hear us as well. I’m surprised he hasn’t come out to challenge me.”
“Why would he do that? You’re much too strong,” she said, inching closer to him as she spoke to him, her body still ready to strike.
“Because he wants your jewel, and if he can get it from you, then maybe he can defeat me,” he said, his eyes glaring in one particular direction. Their visitor was standing still again, watching them. “He will not get it. It ends today!” He jetted off in a streak, and when she blinked he was already gone within the forest. She felt the other presence dart off away from Sesshoumaru’s pursuit. She concentrated hard; hearing only slashed branches and foliage from within the forest. Then she heard nothing, and felt neither of their presences.
And by late afternoon, Sesshoumaru had returned, and Kikyo was still sitting in the clearing waiting.
“Did you get him?” She didn’t even look at the blood on his hands.
“Almost,” he said, and she could hear the disappointment in his voice. She turned around, only to see that he was clutching his right arm, or what was left of it. He was panting, and his legs were almost giving way. She stood up and ran to him, catching him before he fell.
“What happened?” Sesshoumaru noticed her horrified expression, and he could not help feel strange as she held him tenderly in her arms.
“He had help. The item that belonged to me had suddenly appeared, and he used it against me. I don’t know how, but it appeared when he tried to protect a woman who was caring for him.”
“Protect her from whom?” Kikyo asked, not sure if he was making any sense. His wound may have been making him delirious.
“From me. She was a miko like you, but with a scar over her eye. She pulled the sword from its rest and gave it to him. I think...he cared about her, so he used it to protect her.” He groaned in pain. He watched as Kikyo tore her robes so she could bandage his wounds. He growled at the memory of the fight, trying to deny how good it felt to be treated by her, “I barely escaped with my life.”
Kikyo was silent. He was starting to make some sense, but there was still much he had to tell her. She knew of only one miko with a scarred eye that would help an enemy of hers, especially someone after the jewel. It was just as well that Sesshoumaru attack her.
“I’m glad you are safe,” Kikyo said softly into his ear. And as he closed his eyes, she rested his head on her lap, moving the hair from his eyes and tracing her fingers around his unusual markings. Though the news of her rival miko teaming up with a demon troubled her, and she couldn’t imagine the future troubles she would encounter.
“Why did you come to me?” she asked, knowing he was not yet asleep.
He struggled with the pain, but managed to answer her. “I do not know. But whatever my brother is planning with that woman, I didn’t want to involve you. I came to warn you. I will leave as soon as I have healed.”
“Let me help you.”
“No.”
“Please...”
He didn’t feel like arguing. He had lost too much blood, and his energy was waning. He didn’t know how much longer he could stay awake. He feared sleeping and leaving her unprotected. And it didn’t help that her scent was so inviting, and he felt so comfortable in her lap.
“Do as you wish,” he finally said, and he let the miko take care of him.
~*~
“He will come back,” he said, a week after the incident and when his injuries had finally healed. She saw that his vigor had returned, but she could also feel that he was annoyed by the loss of his arm.
“If you must go, I can manage both of them. I know of this miko that has helped him. I have defeated her once before,” she said, though she didn’t really want him to go.
“No, if you know this woman, then your knowledge will help me to defeat them myself,” he said gruffly.
“You really don’t like to work with others, do you?” She asked, but he saw a smile tugging at her lips.
“I do not need others.”
She only nodded, smiling when she realized he was returning to his normal self.
He walked out the door, leaving the hut that had been his shelter as she cared for him. He stopped outside the doorway. She watched his shadow under the grass cover door, and saw that he was not moving.
“Are you coming?” He asked simply, trying to hide the expectation in his voice.
She nodded, grabbing her weapons and coming out to stand beside him. “Lead the way.”
He did, and she followed him at his heels, feeling oddly relaxed as the two of them walked onward to an impending confrontation with their foes.
“When we have beaten them, will you return to the village?” She asked, and he smirked at her confidence.
“I do not know.” He said, and he turned around. She stopped, slightly stunned that he had halted and then looked at her intensely. “I may, if I have a reason to.”
She tried desperately not to smile, but she couldn’t hold it back. She wanted him to return, and even though she knew her growing feelings for this demon was wrong, she felt strangely comforted from her usual loneliness.
She only wondered if he would find a reason to return, and she wished that SHE would be that reason.
END