Chapter Twenty-Five – Promise

Human military officers joined the Zero Division in a meeting to discuss future plans. It seemed the threat from the demon of mass destruction had forced humans to accept youkai into their society. Though the balance was still off, humans did not oppose to the existence of youkai. The media portrayed the youkai as a race who had stopped the demon of mass destruction from chaos. Youkai have become hero's in the eyes of the world.

Officers sat in silence with a visible tension. The air grew heavy as the Commissioner, Saito, wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead with a handkerchief. Their General sat at the front of the table and gave off a cold aura causing everyone else in the room to shrink back a little.

His eyes were blank as he gazed past the table of officers. His head was not focused on the meeting. His ears heard nothing from the humans who spoke.

It had been a month since she left him.

Clawed hands clenched the arm rest of the chair.

She did not want to see him.

Crack.

The tension of the room was too much. Saito clenched his hold on the handkerchief and stuttered, "P-Perhaps we-we can post-p-pone our meeting f-for a later date?"

Silence.

Suddenly, Sesshomaru stood from his seat causing officers to flinch. He walked out of the room which concluded the meeting.

Within the walls of his office, he closed his eyes. Releasing a silent sigh, he hoped the grip around his chest would loosen. He wanted to see her. Countless times he had caught himself at the shrine prepared to take her back and lock her up within his home. Countless times he had to restrain himself from visiting her.

He knew he couldn't see her until she was ready.

The memory of her ghostly white skin, her deathly thin body, her exhausted expression, it stopped him. She wasn't doing well in his care. He was one of the reasons why she wasn't doing well.

A pang of pain throbbed against his chest at the thought.

It was only through her family that she was getting better. Through Mrs. Higurashi's updates of Kagome, it kept him sane.

A scoff exited his lips.

Since when had a month felt so long to him?

The silence was interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing. Picking up the phone, he knew who had called. Placing the phone to his ear, he heard the familiar voice of Mrs. Higurashi.

"Sesshomaru."

It became a daily habit to hear her voice inform him how Kagome was doing.

"She wants to see you."

His body tensed at the sentence.

He should feel relieved.

Pause.

His brow furrowed in a state of confusion.

Why then? Why did he feel a sense of dread?

"Come over when you can," Mrs. Higurashi said softly before the sound of the line ending echoed through the phone.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Click.

The blood running through his veins went cold.

What was he so afraid of?

Perhaps being told that his love would forever be one-sided.

The pain in his chest grew unbearable. Grasping for a distraction, a clawed hand slammed against the desk as it dug into the wood. Thorns pricked into his hand drawing blood.

No, he wouldn't let that happen. Even though he knew it wasn't a possibility, his heart did not listen to logic.

A hiss slipped past his lips as he tried to control the pain that cracked past his stoic mask. He panted, almost trying to rid the pain in his chest.

He couldn't breath still.

##

A knock at the door reached her ear.

He was here.

Taking a deep breath, she walked towards the entrance and slowly opened the door. A breeze escaped through the opening as silver strands of hair trailed along in the wind. The white silk fabric of his haori fluttered in the air while both hands remained in his sleeve. She saw the hesitance in his eyes before he returned her gaze. A glint of relief cracked onto his face as he saw her standing before him healthy once again. Grabbing a cardigan, she closed the door behind her and walked towards the shrine.

In silence they walked and reached the Goshinboku. Thick branches appeared to reach to the heavens as leaves swayed to the direction the wind blew. Some leaves were captured by the strong breeze and fluttered wildly until it reached the shrine grounds. Her finger tucked ebony locks of hair behind her ears as she stood before him. Her lowered eyes slowly trailed up to look at him. She saw his gaze staring at the Goshinboku tree with a hint of sorrow. His aura shifted, slowly bearing his thoughts and emotions to only her. Slowly, his shoulders slumped a bit as his lips tilted downwards.

She never wanted to be the reason he would make such an expression. Biting down on her lips, she didn't know what to say anymore.

"I'm sorry."

She was sorry? She was sorry for giving him hope? His eyes grew blank followed by her words. Unable to process the overwhelming waves of emotions that attacked his heart, he shut down. He didn't know what he would do if she was here to reject him.

"Sesshomaru?" He was distancing himself away from her. Why? The empty expression of his caused her heart to ache. Closing the distance between them, she carefully placed a hand on his cold cheeks.

His ears drowned out the surrounding sounds as it clung to every word she said.

He etched the memory of her hand against his cheek.

"Sesshomaru," she called out lovingly to the one who looked at her with hollowness.

He braced himself for the fall.

"I was so scared that you would end up like Shippo once I died. I told myself that I should just try to give you up before it led to that…." Her voice wavered as she carried her sorrow. His golden eyes stared back at her with such agony. Her fingers brushed along his jaw line, tenderly wiping away a tear drop. She whispered sadly, "How could I make you have such an expression even while I am alive?"

The emotions broke him. He grasped her hand that touched his cheek. Clenching his eyes shut, he brought her hand to his lips. He already couldn't bear to part from her.

Her voice trembled as she confessed, "I promise to make you happy, Sesshomaru."

His eyes snapped open in shock.

His heart skipped a beat.

"I promise that even after I leave, all the memories I've left behind will want to make you stay alive," the warmth in her voice healed his aching heart.

"I'm sorry for being so selfish, Sesshomaru," a sad smile rested on her lips.

No, if anyone, it was him who was selfish. Resting his forehead against her's, he felt her breath brush against his cheeks. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pressed her closer to his body. Inches away from touching her lips, he said, "You're mine….forever."

Sealing the deal, he pressed his lips against her's.

He would never let her go.

Not even after death.

##

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