Miko... Kitsune?

Disclaimer: Nope not the owner here!

Chapter 2: Sanctuary

The perception that his younger sibling held upon him was utterly false. A lie, planted by his manipulative whore of a mother. He was not unemotional, such a state would be impossible, for all creatures, youkai and human alike, had emotions. He was just… controlled. His emotions could be used against him by the other youkai lords of the land, therefore, it was far better to show nothing than to allow them to see anything that could be perceived as weakness. It was a logical conclusion, for his father had been destroyed by his emotions.

It wasn’t as though he gave the whelp’s opinion much thought. He just, didn’t like the image that InuYasha projected of him. He was not heartless, or bloodthirsty. He could hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat at this very moment, and his control would be naught but an oxymoron if he was bloodthirsty.

Another thing was, he did not hate humans. He just, paid them no mind. He had yet to find one that did not reek of sweat and filth, or possess any semblance of intelligent thought yet. When he found such a human, he would pay attention. At the moment, he was attempting to create such a human through his ward, Rin; although, he had a fear that by over training the young one, she may lose that carefree attitude that had drawn him so to her in the first place. He himself could not recall such a state of mind, having been trained out of such a concept early one. This was perhaps why he allowed the child such freedoms. He did not want any child under his care to experience such a life.

He could smell his brother’s age age nearby. Honestly, did the mongrel not bathe? The reek of death and earth, along with the scent of sex, clung to him like that disgusting red outfit he’d always worn. It was disgusting how he emulated the humans he shared blood with. But tonight, it was not he that he sought out. It was his miko. This strange female had peaked his curiosity.

She was sitting beside the river again, in the damnedable, thin yukata. Had she been youkai, he would not be able to resist her. Luckily, she was human and his control could most definitely resist a human, no matter how strange the sensation she gave him.

She moved not. She merely sat in wait. They had been visiting with one another for three months now. Some nights they would talk, others they would just sit in companionable silence as they did now. But, nonetheless, he still thought her nothing but a human female.

Tonight, though, she appeared to be sad. It was something that he had yet to see in her, and had almost believed that she never experienced such an emotion. “You are crying,” he said in his usual deadpan.

Kagome turned to him, her gem colored eyes shimmering with tears. They no longer appeared lavender, no, that color seemed to resemble the strange streak in her hair. No, her eyes were now a luminous silver. What was happening to her, he did not know, but with each day he could see that she was changing. Even more so now that the moon was new, but he never commented on it.

“You can smell him, can’t you? With her,” she spat the word out as though it were bitter.

“Hai,” he answered.

“He knows… he knows that she hates him! That she wants to kill him, and yet he’s-“

“I have always said that he is a fool.”

Kagome smiled to the taiyoukai. He himself seemed shocked that he had said such a comforting thing to her. “I do believe that you just comforted me.”

Sesshomaru made a noise that resembled an indignant snort. “This Sesshomaru did no such thing.”

Kagome laughed shortly to the taiyoukai. “How is Rin?” she asked.

“She is well, and being watched by Jaken.”

“And we both know how reliable he is with that,” she joked. Rin had followed Sesshomaru to one of their nightly meetings, followed by the worried and exhausted Jaken.

Sesshomaru seemed to shrug, not that he would admit to such familiar gestures. “She is at the castle. My other servants can tend to her with Jaken.”

Kagome smiled. “You’re talkative tonight,” she commented.

“I suppose.”

“Anything on your mind in particular?” she asked.

“Why do you not fear me?” he asked.

Kagome smiled again. “Ah, so that is what is on your mind.”

“It is most illogical and has caught this Sesshomaru’s curiosity.”

Kagome sighed and lay back on the grass. “Do you want me to fear you?” she asked.

Sesshomaru paused. ‘Do I?’ he asked himself.

*She’s human, of course you do,* his youkai instinct responded.

‘She is not human,’ he stated. ‘I just have yet to figure out what she is.’

He then sighed and shook his head. “This Sesshomaru does not know.”

Kagome stared at Sesshomaru with wide eyes. “So, you don’t know if you want me to fear you or not? That’s so indecisive, Sesshomaru-sama.”

“This, I know. It is most frustrating.”

Kagome placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled softly as he turned to her. When did she no longer see him as anything but Sesshomaru? When did it become so easy for her to feel safe around him? She didn’t know the answers to these questions, but she did know that in this time of youkai and irritating hanyous, she had found someone that understood her burdens, someone that didn’t see her as Kikyo’s replacement, or a shard detector, someone that just saw her as a person, as Kagome.

“You know, you don’t have to be a taiyoukai here,” she said. She then felt shocked as she heard herself. She didn’t need to say that, she probably just received a death sentence.

Sesshomaru stared at her for a moment and then nodded. “And you do not need to be the miko.”

Kagome smiled to the taiyoukai and then laughed. Sesshomaru merely watched in silent wonder. He could feel a strange tightness in his chest when she laughed, not to mention the urge to mate with her. He continued to tell himself that she was a mere human and watched as she then laid her head against his shoulder and gazed out over the river.

“These times will be our sanctuary from the outside world. We won’t be anything but Sesshomaru and Kagome here. Not the taiyoukai, or the half-brother, nor the miko or the shard detector. We’ll leave all responsibility outside of here. Just like we leave our friendship here. Out there we will be enemies or temporary allies, never really friends. Not until InuYasha grows a brain,” Kagome grumbled the last part.

Sesshomaru nodded in agreement. This place would be their escape from their outside lives. A place where time does not exist. Where InuYasha and Narkau do not exist. He watched as Kagome lifted her head and stared into his eyes, a hopeful smile on her face. He then felt his lips twitch as a small smile appeared across his face and a low laughter bubbled forth.

Kagome’s eyes widened as she watched the usually stoic taiyoukai chuckle and smile slightly. “Sesshomaru are you laughing? And smiling!”

Sesshomaru paused and nodded. “We need no masks here, yes?”

Kagome nodded. “It’s just. I didn’t even think you could do those things. Do you need to lie down? I know it hurts after the first time,” she teased.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at the miko. “I have laughed before. Contrary to what my brother says.”

Kagome nodded and then began to giggle.

“What are you laughing at?” he asked.

Kagome shook her head and then waited to catch her breath. “Not at you. Its just… you should see what I see. “

“What does the pup say about me?” he asked.

Kagome smiled to him. “Nothing that you haven’t heard before, I’m sure.”

“Let me guess: He’s a cold hearted, bloodthirsty, self centered, bastard that will kill you as soon as he sees you?” he asked.

Kagome nodded. “Yup, that’s about it.”

Sesshomaru shook his head. “Of course he would.”

~*~*~*~

Levii: Awww, ain't that cute!
Sess: Woman...
Levii: Hey! I made yct act as in character as possible! I mean, honestly. If this is a place where you don't have to act unemotional and cold, wouldn't it be logical that you'd act a little different there?
Sess: Possible.
Levii: See? I win. Now, you people better not flame me! I tried to keep him as in character as possible! Things will start to make sense soon, don't worry, if you're a bit confused as to the relevance of it all. I also need suggestions for who to pair my dear Sango and Miroku with, seeing as how I'm not placing them together. Oh, and InuYasha needs somebody!
Inu: Wait a minute! You lazy....
Levii: Don't finish that, dog-boy.
Miroku: You haven't decided yet?
Sango: That's really disorganized.
Levii: So, I'm disorganized, so what? Anyways, review and tell me what you guys think of this one!