A/N: Well, guys...I have been working on chapter 14...the final chapter of Soulmate...for about a month now, and I decided to take a mini-break so that I didn't get writer's block again...if I work on something for too long, that's exactly what happens. And then it takes me longer to write. Not to mention the fact that my dad had his leg amputated in April, and since I'm the only child and my mom works, I have tostay home and take care of him during the day...it isn't pretty. I spent my 19thbirthday with bronchitis and takingcare of my dad. It sucked. Horribly. I've been reading a lot of fanfics lately.This kind of popped into my head...and it's probably all too common, the situation that Kagome finds herself in, but I really like how this is turning out so far. So I askyou...please just be patient for a little bit longer, and I promise your patience won't go unrewarded...I can guarantee that chapter 14 is going to be a loooooong chapter, enough to satisfy your tastes. Lol. And Youkai Masquerade will be updated afterI finish Soulmate. There's some good stuff coming your way, I promise! Enjoy this first chapter!
Chapter One
"Inuyasha, why don't you cook the ramen this time? You've watched me enough...you ought to know how by now. Sango and I need to bathe before it gets too dark."
Inuyasha looked at her as if she had lost her mind.
"Feh. Like I would ever do a woman's work."
"Excuse me, Inuyasha?"
"Cookin' an stuff's for women. Not us guys. Right, Miroku?"
Kagome glared at Inuyasha threateningly. Miroku shrank back, knowing that an argument was about to ensue. And he wanted no part in it. But he decided to speak anyhow.
"I believe that Kagome has a point, Inuyasha. You could share in the cooking duties."
"Feh. Yeah right."
"You...jerk! What the heck do you mean by women's work! How dare you! After everything I've done for you...and I'm always cooking your meals...the one time I need to actually do something, you aren't willing to help me! I just want to take a bath, and I thought it would be nice if you could make the ramen so that everyone didn't have to wait until Sango and I were done bathing to eat!"
"You can wait until after to take a bath, can't you? You've done it in the dark before..."
Kagome's eye twitched in annoyance.
"That's it. Inuyasha..."
As if knowing what was coming next, Inuyasha opened his mouth and began to beg Kagome not to...
"SIT! SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT!"
SMACK! SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK!
A large crater was left in the ground, with Inuyasha moaning in agony in its depths.
"Miroku, do you think you could fix dinner?"
"Certainly, Kagome. I would be happy to. You and Sango take all the time you want."
"Thank you!" Kagome smiled happily as she and Sango left for the springs.
Shippo sat next to Miroku and shook his head.
"He won't ever learn, will he, Miroku?"
"Shippo, I'm afraid not."
Out of the crater...
"Owwwww...Kagome, you..."
A voice from in the woods...
"SIT!"
"OW!"
"Kagome, I'm sorry Inuyasha wouldn't help you. He is so stubborn."
"I know. I should have expected it. You would think I would have learned by now that he's an asshole...but I guess I forget sometimes."
Sango laughed slightly.
"Well, this ought to take your mind off of things for a little while, at least. Look at this spring...!"
Kagome pushed some branches out of the way and began to undress. Sango was right...the spring was amazing. It was absolutely breathtaking. There was a small waterfall, and heat was rising off of the water, so it was guaranteed to be a warm bath.
"Wow. What luck we have, Sango! This is really nice!"
Kagome set her clothes down and grabbed a towel and her soap and shampoo. She set her towel and supplies on a nearby rock and slowly entered the water, relishing the feeling of its warmth on her sore muscles. They had just battled a powerful youkai that day, and she hadn't had a chance to relax until that moment.
"Ooooh...I don't think I ever want to leave here. I don't care if I do shrivel up like a prune. It's a small price to pay..."
"Yeah, I agree. Let's not tell the guys about this!" Sango smiled as she stepped into the deep end of the spring.
"I can't believe this day is finally over. I thought that we would never beat that dragon youkai."
"I know. He was really powerful. I've noticed...the more demons we battle, the more powerful they get. I mean, that one today had two jewel shards." Kagome shook her head.
"Well you don't have to worry about that right now. You did good work today, Kagome. Just relax."
"Yeah, you're right. I think I will."
Kagome sighed and leaned back against a rock, closing her eyes.
But she couldn't have had any idea that she was being watched.
Sesshomaru sat in the branches of a tree, watching below him and listening as the two human women discussed their day. He scowled. Inuyasha was a moron. He was never one to offer his assistance to anyone in need. Unless it was his dead clay lover. He hadn't intended on following them, but since he was observing the group, he decided to let his curiousity get the best of him. He had always wondered what the two women went off to do when they left the group. Inuyasha hadn't known, but Sesshomaru had been observing the group for a good month to try and find a way to get to the Tetsusaiga, and he had always tried to mask his scent just enough so that the hanyou could not pick it up. So far, he had been successful. And the kit's sense of smell had not developed enough to reach out and find intruders. The fire cat was healing from battle wounds and was too weak to use her demonic powers. What he couldn't understand was why the taijiya nor the monk had picked anything up. Perhaps it was because they were too preoccupied with their daily lives to notice him. He did not know the reason. He continued to watch, nonetheless. The human woman Ka-go-me intregued him slightly. She was very defiant and fiery. Not to mention the fact that she was a miko with untapped powers. And she was in love with his hanyou brother. Which was what intregued him the most. How could someone like her ever fall for such an imbecile? What did she see in him that made him so irresistible? He could sense the arousal coming off of her in waves when she was around Inuyasha, and the stupid hanyou never even noticed. He was so inferior. His train of thought was interrupted when he heard thetaijiya speak.
"Hey, Kagome, I'm done taking my bath. Do you want me to stay here until you get finished?" The taijiya finished dressing herself and turned to Kagome.
"No, it's okay. You can go on back to camp and eat; I think I want to stay here for a few more minutes and just enjoy how nice this feels. I'm not really that hungry, anyhow."
"Are you sure you're going to be okay here by yourself?"
"Yeah. It isn't that far from camp. It's not even that dark yet. And I brought my backpack...I'll be fine."
"Alright. I'll see you when you get back!" Sango smiled and headed back in the direction of the camp.
Kagome sunk underwater to get her hair wet and surfaced again, spewing water from her mouth.
"Ah...some alone time. Well, I guess I'd better wash my hair!" She turned around and grabbed her shampoo from the rock behind her and opened it, pouring a luxurious amount into her palm before closing the bottle once more, setting it down, and rubbing the substance between her fingers.
'This smells so nice. It's like cherry blossoms and berries. I'm glad Mom bought this for me.' Kagome thought happily.
Meanwhile, the smell of the shampoo hit Sesshomaru's nose above the spring, and he inhaled deeply. It was such a sweet smell, and as he inhaled deeper, he found that as she rubbed whatever it was...this...sham-poo into her hair...that it mixed with her natural scent, which, even in the spring, it should have stunk. Surprisingly, he noted that a hint of vanilla laced her scent, along with sage and the mixture that was in her hair. Interesting. For a human, her smell wasn't unpleasant.
Kagome began to hum to herself as she washed her hair, and smiled to herself as she thought of what had happened earlier with Inuyasha. Sometimes, he was so stubborn...but that was what she loved about him. Yes, he could be a stubborn jackass...but he had his sweet side, too. He just didn't show it very often.
As Sesshomaru watched the strange human woman, he sensed yet another wave of arousal bouncing off of her.
'She must be thinking of the hanyou,' He thought, disgusted.
Though he knew Inuyasha would never admit it, he did have feelings for the miko. But nothing could replace his dead clay lover. Even as Inuyasha cared for her reincarnation, he rutted with the vile creature at least twice a week while the woman who loved him slept peacefully, unaware of what was occurring just a few yards away in the woods.
A scowl once more marred his graceful features.
Inuyasha didn't deserve Ka-go-me. He didn't deserve Tetsusaiga, either. But Sesshomaru's attempts to retrieve his father's fang proved unsuccessful, and he lost an arm in the process. Fortunately for him, he found a demon who helped regenerate it. But it was a slow and painful process, and he went through months of agony before it was finally complete.
This Ka-go-me was powerful...she, with the help of the powers from the Tetsusaiga, had withstood his poisoned acid and miasma...something no human should have lived through. She had conquered many demons, though her comrades assisted her. But what was more impressive was that she was the keeper of the Shikon Jewel. It wouldn't just be left with anyone.
'She has immense power, and she doesn't even know it. Inuyasha would not do well to lose such a treasure.' Sesshomaru thought. And then, a flame ignited itself in his mind.
'Yes. He would not do well to lose her. For she might prove even more useful to him than Father's fang at this point in time. Without her, he cannot locate the jewel shards, which he is trying so desperately to collect so that he might become a full-blooded youkai. The fool. But...what if he were to lose her? He might be willing to bargain with the Tetsusaiga. Better yet, what if she did not wish to return to him? Yes...this plan could have its merits.'
He could hit Inuyasha where it hurt the most. Take from him what is most important.
Without another thought, Sesshomaru leapt from the branches of the tree he had been perched in, and landed softly, without a sound, on the forest floor.
The woman was still washing her hair, humming to a tune only she knew, and he waited. Just watched, and waited.
Kagome finally finished washing her hair. She dove underwater and rinsed her hair out before coming back up for air. The water was in her eyes, and the remnants of shampoo made it hard for her to open her eyes and look for her towel.
"It's got to be around here somewhere...damn it...where's that rock?"
She felt around for the rock which she laid her supplies on, and when she could not find it, she stumbled blindly in the direction in which she believed it to be.
After a few moments, she finally felt the towel. But not the rock. Confused, she felt around for what the towel was on. A hand was holding it. A clawed hand. Surprised and embarrassed, she shrieked.
"Inuyasha! Why are you here? I can't believe you would spy on me like this!" Kagome grabbed the towel and turned around, wiping her face quickly before running out of the spring, her backside to the intruder, hurriedly drying herself off and wrapping the towel around her body.
"How dare you? And after..."
She whirled around, half expecting Inuyasha to have a smirk on his face, and was prepared to "sit" him, when she came face to face with a broad chest clothed in armor and white silk.
Slowly, Kagome looked up. Golden eyes glared back at her.
"Sesshomaru!" She exclaimed.
'Oh my God...he's going to kill me! I should have told Sango to stay...I can't believe I'm so stupid...I don't stand a chance!'
"I have been following your group for months, miko. And...you are foolish to leave yourself so...exposed..."
She noticed that his eyes were no longer focused on her face, but were eyeing her body, up and down, slowly.
"Hey! My eyes are up here!" She snapped, her hands trying desperately to cover up what little exposed flesh she had.
"Wench. You would do well to shut your mouth."
She backed away from him slowly.
"Do not think for a moment that you can escape me, little miko. You can run, but I will find you."
"What...what do you want from me..."
A malicious smirk worked its way across Sesshomaru's lips, causing Kagome to shiver with fright. She shrank back even more, which only caused Sesshomaru to move closer to her.
"Inuyasha does not even know that I am here right now. He doesn't suspect a thing."
"I'll scream for him..."
"And I'll rip your throat out before you even make a sound."
Her eyes widened at the threat.
"I'll give you whatever you want...just please...let me go."
"Little miko, you have nothing I want. It isn't what you can give me that I am interested in."
Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"I want the Tetsusaiga. You cannot offer that to me. And Inuyasha is not willing to hand it over. However, you, on the other hand...are something he wants. And needs...to retrieve the shards of the Shikon Jewel. I have no interest in that foolish stone. All I want is my father's fang. And you will help me get it."
"Never! You bastard...Inuyasha won't EVER hand it over to you! You might as well give it up!"
"That is where you are sorely mistaken. If he wants you back, he must give me the Tetsusaiga. And I am sure he will not risk your life for some petty sword. Or will he...? You had better hope he truly loves you, little miko. Or you will die. Your life is certainly worth nothing to me."
"If he wants me...back..."
With one fluid movement, Kagome had turned around and began to run with only one thing in mind: Get to Inuyasha.
'Sesshomaru is going to kidnap you! You have to get to Inuyasha!'
Sesshomaru stood for a moment, amused and slightly annoyed that the human woman would think she could get away from him. He was a youkai, and she was a mere human woman with miko powers...that she couldn't even control. It was then that he smirked. Why not give her a head start? She was headed in the wrong direction, after all. He always did like a chase.