The Sins of the Father

~Tokyo, 2012~

As the afternoon went by, Kagome began the preparations for her upcoming trip down the well. Already she had packed several days worth of ramen into a large, camouflaged backpack, and her heart was hurting at the simple act. She pursed her lips into a thin line and shook her head, in her desperate attempts to clear it from thoughts of beautiful golden eyes and soft, velvety ears.

After her bag was packed, she went into the laundry room and removed Kenshin’s clothes from the dryer. They looked worn, but thankfully most of the blood stains had been removed. Hopefully he won’t look too suspicious when they go through the well. It wouldn’t do for him to be arrested for his crimes; not when they have an enemy to confront.

Still, there was the small matter of his distinctive looks. Could Shippo teach him how to use a glamour to camouflage himself? He was a hanyou, true, but even hanyou have some youkai skills, and if she remembered correctly, illusionary magics were almost second nature to a kitsune. Perhaps Kenshin could manage them as well. She made a mental note to bring it up to Shippo.

Kenshin.

She still did not know how to take him.

She didn’t know if it was a result of the blood bond or the mating mark, but every time he approached her, her blood began to rush and she felt the beginnings of arousal just from his proximity.

She highly suspected that he had similar feelings towards her. After all, there was no shortage of affectionate looks towards her when he didn’t think she was watching. There also was the small matter of the comfort he had offered her when she broke down in the kitchen. Not to mention that even though she knew he was just as conflicted as she was, he seemed to brush up against her far too often for the touches to be purely accidental.

She had cornered Shippo and asked him if this was normal kitsune-hanyou behavior, but her old friend had suddenly found the floor very interesting and refused to answer her question.

Baka no kitsune.

Kagome frowned as her mind continued to try to make sense of the situation. She knew that she and Kenshin were now mates, and her cheeks reddened at the thought. Does he hate her for it? She didn’t know, and wasn’t entirely sure if she wanted to find out They were both grieving, and although his was a much fresher grief than hers, she knew it wasn’t of the same intensity. He may have had some feelings for this ‘Kaoru’ person, but when Inuyasha had died, it was as if half of her had died with him.

Kagome swallowed the lump that suddenly appeared in her throat.

She glanced over at Kenshin who was looking at her somewhat longingly, and a traitorous part of her mind whispered that perhaps he could be the one to bring her back to life.

~~~

Kenshin watched Kagome flutter about the house, as she began the necessary preparations to accompany them back to his time.

It was all so very confusing. His head was spinning, and he did not know how he felt about any of this. He accepted the fact that he was a hanyou. He had always known that there was a dangerous side to him that could take over at any given moment, if his life or the ones under his protection were at risk. The fact that he was part demon explained both his speed and the slight physical changes that would come over his body, when the Battousai took control. He also accepted Shippo as his father, although it would be a long time coming before he would refer to him as such.

He understood the reasons why he was basically abandoned, yet there was a part of him that wondered if he would have suffered so much pain had his father stayed by his side. Would his hands be as stained with blood as they were now? He did not know.

And now his father had roped him into some sort of twisted relationship with this Kagome woman. He didn’t know how he felt about that. He had no time to even grieve for Kaoru, whom he had thought he desired, but now was not so sure if the love he had felt for her was more orientated in friendship.

Of course, now he would never know for sure. She had been so young, so innocent, so beautiful. So undeserving of the fate that she met, and it stung him that he was not able to prevent it.

‘Oh Kaoru, I have failed you, that I have.’

He briefly thought of how the others were faring. Surely Sano and Megumi had returned by now, and he was near positive that his demon had seen Yahiko before Shippo caught up to him.

His breath caught in his throat as he fought to recover the memory. Oh Kami, had he hurt Yahiko? He doubted he could ever forgive himself if he had; demon or no demon. He was having a hard enough time dealing with the fact that he had apparently slaughtered several officers in his rage. Innocent men that sought only to restrain and question him, and yet his hands tore them apart one by one as if they were paper.

Suddenly he felt violently ill.

It must have showed, because he felt a soft hand on his shoulder, and was instantly taken aback at the amount of comfort he felt at her mere touch.

“It is not your fault, you know. Don’t blame yourself,” Kagome said to him, her voice filled with compassion, and he wondered how after such a short amount of time that she could read him well enough to know his thoughts.

He grabbed her hand, ignoring the slight tingle that went through him at the touch, and offered her a small smile.

Her eyes softened, and on impulse he leaned forward and nuzzled his nose against the wound on the side of her neck. Breathing in their combined scent calmed him greatly, and while he did not understand it, he would not pretend that the connection was not there.

Her ki suddenly spiked, and he smiled; reassured that she was not unaffected by him either.

After a moment, she pulled away from him, blushing fiercely. Kenshin could tell that she was just as confused as he was about whatever lay between them, so he did not question her reticence, even though he immediately felt a sense of loss once the contact between them was severed.

She went back to whatever it was she was doing, and he continued to watch her, somewhat predatorily.

Kami, how he desired her.

It made absolutely no sense – no sense at all.

Not that he had much experience in these matters. What experience he did have was brief and from over a decade ago. The interludes with Tomoe, while enjoyable at the time, in retrospect lacked the passion and intensity that he now knew was possible. They had been fumbling, awkward and unsure of themselves. It was sweet, but nothing like what his demon had experienced with Kagome. He had but the memory of a dream to remind him of the event, but what a dream it was. He felt himself harden at the mere thought, as breathing suddenly became more difficult.

Never had his body reacted to Tomoe the way it did to Kagome. No one, not even Kaoru had ever stirred his lust to this extent. The thought was as uncomfortable as it was intriguing.

It wasn’t something he blamed her for, although his rational mind knew that it was most likely a result of the ‘bonding’. But he did not blame her for it at all. Because the truth was that had he met her under normal circumstances, she would have haunted him to no end. She was beautiful, spirited, strong, captivating… and accepting.

She also had such a bright ki that it was almost blinding. He wondered on that for a moment. He always thought that purity was something associated with the body, but Kagome was physical proof that it was not so. He blushed to himself at the flashes of recollection that stray thought invoked. No, Kagome was no virgin, and yet there was no doubt that she was pure. It was almost contradictory, until he considered her heart and nature.

For even in her grief, she had been open and accepting of him, and willing to do whatever it took to help him, no matter the cost.

Perhaps purity was not something measured by the body, but something measured by the soul.

He smiled at her as she handed him his clothes, freshly laundered and folded. Her hand brushed against his briefly, and his skin flushed at the brief spark of arousal that occurred from such a small contact.

Something in him snapped, and he was only half aware of his actions as he pulled her to him and caught her lips with his.

Heaven, it was absolute heaven to taste her like this, and he made an inarticulate sound in his throat when she all but melted against him. He parted her lips with his and delved his tongue inside of her mouth, sweeping against her own as he pressed his body against hers, wanting to completely absorb her into him.

He didn’t know how long he stood there kissing her, but when Shippo entered the room and cleared his throat, he was suddenly and violently pushed away by a stinging pink energy that he could only assume came from Kagome.

“Don’t… don’t do that,” she rasped, as she stood there regaining her breath.

As far as Kenshin was concerned, he did not know what came over him. He was still highly aroused, but the mortification he was beginning to feel was definitely having a beneficial affect.

“Gomen Nasai, Kagome-sama,” he said contritely, as he bowed his head in remorse. What the hell was wrong with him anyway?

“It’s okay… just… just don’t do it again,” she said, before quickly exiting the room. He watched her leave, sadly, before turning narrow eyes to the other occupant of the room.

“Tell me what just happened, Shippo-san. For I have never done anything like that in all of my life, that I have not,” he demanded. He could feel the Battousai trying to gain control, and he balled his hands into fists.

Shippo sighed.

“You’re a kitsune-hanyou. Kitsunes… depend on the touch of their mate to give them strength. We are very sensual creatures, and once we take a mate, our instincts guide us to keep them very, very close. Our energies become tied up with theirs, and if the bond is not renewed and often, we suffer because of it. It is the reason that kitsunes often play, and rarely take a life mate. For once we take a life mate, we become vulnerable,” Shippo answered, shuddering almost imperceptively. It had been almost thirty years since his mate had died, and he still felt weakened by her loss.

Kenshin’s eyes widened as the true meaning of his words set in.

“You better get used to it, because it’s only going to get worse, Shinta.”

“Kenshin,” he said through gritted teeth, as he glared at his father.

“Kenshin, then,” corrected Shippo, somewhat sadly.

“But… but I had a wife,” Kenshin argued. He had gone from surprise to anger, and now was in denial.

Shippo sighed again.

“No, Kenshin… you had a plaything. Don’t growl at me, I only speak the truth. Had she been your true mate, your demon would have taken over and you would have marked her. You would have had no conscious control over it.

“But…”

“Listen kid, you can argue with me to your hearts content but it’s going to change nothing. Kagome and you are mated and will be for the rest of your very long natural life. Oh yeah, that’s another thing. Your life will span centuries, kid. And as long as your energies are tied up with each other, so will hers. You’re going to have to face up to that fact, Kenshin, and the sooner you do, the better.” Shippo said, determined to drive the point home with his stubborn kit. He was a youkai, and therefore didn’t completely understand his kit’s problem. If anything, he thought Kenshin exceptionally lucky for bonding with a woman as great and powerful as Kagome. His reluctance to accept their relationship confused him, but he figured it had something to do with his humanity.

Whatever the case may be, the two of them better figure things out before they jump back down into the well. If there is unresolved tension of any sort within the group, Kohaku and his goons will only exploit it.

~~~

Yuki’s day had gone from bad to worse, and she scowled as she began the short walk from the school to the shrine; her bag haphazardly thrown over her shoulder. She had been in a bad mood since the confrontation with Kenshin, and it only took one stray comment about the state of her hair by one of her unfortunate classmates for Yuki to totally blow her top. Admittedly, putting her fist in the poor girls face was not perhaps the best choice of actions, but it had felt damned good to do so.

Unforunately, it also earned her a three day suspension.

She continued to scowl as she heard the heavy footsteps approaching, and her scowl only deepened as she glanced over her shoulder and saw who it was.

His name was Watanabe Hideo, and he was nothing but bad news. For one, he was two years older than the rest of her class and still failing, and for two, he was rumored to be the son of a high ranking member of the Yakuza. He smirked at her, and she winced. She did not know what she did to earn his attentions, but she made a mental note never to repeat it.

When he noticed her looking at him, he picked up his pace until he caught up with her.

“That was a wicked blow you landed on that chick, Higurashi. I never knew you had it in you.”

Ah, the fight. She should have known.

Yuki shot him a dirty look, and didn’t respond to his comment. Unfortunately, he still continued to grin at her and walk by her side.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, and Yuki breathed a sigh of relief when the bottom of the shrine steps came into view.

“You can buzz off now, Watanabe.”

“Whoa, what’s with the hostility Higurashi? I was only trying to commend you and give you some moral support.”

“I don’t need your kind of support.”

Watanabe only laughed.

“You know what? I like you, kid. You got spirit. But you seriously need to chill. Tell you what, Higurashi. I’m going to do you a favor.”

Yuki continued to look at him warily as the older boy searched the pockets of his coat. He winked at her and pressed a small plastic packet into her unresisting hand.

Her mind didn’t completely process what it was that he was giving her, so she gave him a quizzical look.

“Heh, trust me. That stuff is the best – it will completely blow your mind. Whatever’s bugging you will be no big deal, I promise you. And when you want more, you know where to come.”

She stood, shocked and somewhat numb as the boy abruptly turned on his heel and walked the other way. Yuki knew she should just throw the packet back at him. She knew she should just tell him to go to hell. But she didn’t. Instead, she stuffed the small packet into a side pocket of her backpack and began the long walk up the shrine steps.

~~

A/N: Thanks for all your reviews! As far as Myouga is concerned, I’m considering bringing him in (as well as kirara), but I have yet to figure out how to do so. This fic is quickly becoming a leviathan, and if I am not careful, I can see it spiraling out of control. So if I choose to leave out the flea and the firecat, assume that they’re wherever all the rest of the youkai went.

In this chapter, I wanted to kind of portray more of the conflicting emotions that both Kenshin and Kagome have, as well as set up another minor plot point that will become important in future chapters. I think that Kenshin is feeling somewhat manipulated, but his demon has him all lusting after Kagome, so he’s not really thinking about that right now. I’m treading a fine line with the premise I set up and I don’t want to make it too angsty, otherwise I couldn’t see a romance happening.

**Warning, unimportant and unrelated rant to follow. Feel free to skip this part**

On another note, I’m absolutely fuming over an email I received on my other story ‘The Guardian’. Yeah, I shouldn’t rant about it here, but I can’t help it. I was completely and utterly cut down by a reader simply because I chose a pairing he/she/it couldn’t accept. Not cool, not cool at all. Hell, if I decide to pair Kagome with Kikyo it is my choice and my fanfic damnit…

Grrr…

**Rant over**

At any rate, reviews are appreciated and rewarded with virtual chocolate chip cookies ;). Ta for now.

Japanese Words:

Youkai – demon
Kitsune – fox
Hanyou – half demon
Baka – idiot; fool
Kami – god; gods
Ki – life force; energy
Gomen nasai – I’m sorry
Yakuza – Japanese Mafia