Blood Stained

A/N: Before you say, like… why would a TV in Australia would play a Japanese movie, I'll say… well it had English subtitles.. and it was like… one of those channels that plays foreign movies. We all have them if we have cable .



And I know a few theatres which play foreign movies, and what not. I have like three in my hometown. THE ACTIVITIES SIMILARITIES IS ON PURPOSE, I'm trying to do a contrast Kagome/Kouga, and Kagome/Sesshomaru.



Thanks Eve for Beta-Reading



Blood Stained



Chapter 40: Transition



The gentle ray of the sunlight hit Kagome's face, bringing her out of her slumber. She blinked a few times, trying to bring herself out of her unconscious state, but every time, her heavy eyelids kept closing. Her eyes still closed, she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing her bangs out of the way. Finally, she opened her grey eyes widely, only to be graced with an unexpected sight.



Right in front of her was a tray filled with food. Pancakes drowning in syrup, bacon almost still sizzling and a glass of orange juice lay on the tray. Kagome raised her head, expecting not to see Sesshomaru, but there he was. He was lying on the bed, reading one of his books, completely engulfed. Usually he left in the mornings, or at least he'd only come back when she was awake.



She noticed his attire, which was a black suit with a deep red shirt and his shoes caught her eyes. Shoes? Had he gone out already? Not that it was really any of her business.



As if he had felt her eyes on him, he turned his head to the side and their eyes met. He slowly nodded at her, before resuming his readings. It was when she looked into his eyes that she noticed something was off. She saw an unfamiliar rage inside of him. Even if the situation from yesterday should have made him experience a fury, he remained quite collected. It was strange to see him so infuriated though. His expression didn't give away what his eyes were saying.



Perhaps she was reading too much into this.



"Thank you," she said barely audible, before sitting up in the bed and moving the tray upon her lap.



Sesshomaru did not move, as he held tightly –way too tightly to his book. He didn't want to look at her right now. Sesshomaru was still greatly annoyed, for an inexplicable reason, by his meeting with the Wolf.



While she had still been asleep he had shown up. But he hadn't wanted to speak with the Miko, no he had wished to talk to him. Since Sesshomaru didn't want to disturb her, they had left the hotel rooms and gone to the restaurant on the first floor.



It had been an interesting meeting.



"I would have thought that you out of all people would be able to control yourself," said Kouga, a hint of rage in his voice.



Although he understood, more than Inuyasha and Kagome, what it was like to have your beast rage up inside of you, it still didn't change the fact that it was his Kagome who was hurt during this.



"Is this the reason of your visit?" asked Sesshomaru, his tone cold.



He had no intention of justifying, nor explaining himself to the Wolf. What happened between him and the Miko was not his to know, or to judge. If he wished to know certain things, he could ask the Miko and she would choose what she wanted to say or not say.



Kouga scoffed. He didn't particularly like Sesshomaru, but he did not despise him either. The only thing he had against him right now was that Kagome was his mate. She was not with the right person.



"I want her."



If it hadn't been so undignified, Sesshomaru would have rolled his eyes. As if there was anything more obvious than that statement. But, he wondered why Kouga was telling him.



It was none of his concern.



"The Miko is not mine."



Although they were mated Kouga understood what Sesshomaru's statement meant. Kagome was free for the taking. Kouga couldn't help but chuckle, which caused Sesshomaru to arch his eyebrow.



"You really are Inuyasha's brother."



"Half," immediately corrected Sesshomaru, perhaps out of habit.



Sesshomaru didn't understand how what he said made him like Inuyasha, but instead of asking, he waited for the Wolf to provide him with an explanation.



"I watched that mutt hurt her so many times, if she hadn't been so devoted, he would have let her slip through his fingers. He never wanted her. Well not only her."



Kouga could still remember how hard he had tried to take her away from Inuyasha, but every time, she remained by the mutt's side.



"You're doing the exact same thing." He took his drink in his hands. "Guess you only want what you can't have." He took a gulp. "But I'm about to change that."



He had it all worked out last night. He knew Kagome would say yes, how could she not? After having to be with Sesshomaru for so long, she was probably dying for a friendlier presence.



"I'll talk to Kagome about joining you guys."



For a brief instant, Sesshomaru felt his whole body tense. The thought of him being there all the time didn't sit well with him. As a swirl of fury began to immerge from within him, he reminded himself that this was not about him.



It was about her.



If it made it easier on her, if she wanted this, he could only allow it.



"Can you afford traveling?"



Kouga smirked. "For her I can afford anything."



How cheesy. Sesshomaru had been in his presence for five minutes, and already he could not stand him. He was arrogant, and annoying. He also didn't fail to notice the possessiveness Kouga held for the Miko.



Kouga carefully watched Sesshomaru's expression, waiting to see a crack in his mask. How was he so ok with all of this? Not that it didn't please him of course, but if Sesshomaru's beast had picked Kagome, it had to be for a very good reason. So why was he letting her go so easily? Perhaps he still had yet to understand why the beast thought she was perfect for him. Not that Kouga would point him in the right direction or give him enough time to find out.



Kagome would never be happy with him anyway.



Dogs were so foolish.



Sesshomaru didn't fail to notice the smirk upon Kouga's lips, as if he had a wicked plan and that he was snatching something right from under his nose. His irritation and lack of patience towards him simply increased. He despised him and found him extremely annoying.



He had no manners as well.



Though the Miko's personal life was none of his concern, Sesshomaru decided she could do better. Of course what he thought the previous day was still present. Kouga did know the whole story and perhaps could offer her the support she required but…



He was a complete idiot and reckless as well.



It was obvious that he made decisions on the spot. That he never thought them through. Such behavior could reveal to be harmful, especially during delicate situations.



Kouga finished his drink, before putting it down on the table.



"I'll come back in a few hours when she'll be awake."



Especially in her state, his Kagome needed all the rest she could get. He was dying to let her know his proposition. Kouga had no doubt that she would accept it. Why wouldn't she? She had said yes to Sesshomaru after all.



Kouga rose from his seat and glanced in Sesshomaru's direction for a brief second before leaving.



Sesshomaru never looked in his direction, instead he had his eyes fixed on the empty glass in front of him. He wasn't one to drink, even when idiots annoyed him to no end. A subtle sigh escaped his lips, before he stood up.



As he was about to exit the area of the restaurant, he changed his mind. He backtracked and decided to order a breakfast for the Miko. She would most probably be starving once she woke up.



Ever since that meeting, Sesshomaru felt as if his patience had run short. He had been waiting for the Wolf to come back and knock on that door, but he hadn't yet. Which was a good thing considering that the Miko had just awoken and was now eating.



As she began eating, he found himself glancing in her direction. He couldn't get Kouga's words out of his mind. He was letting her slip through his fingers. What did that even mean?



He didn't have her to begin with, how could he lose her?



And why did it even matter if he did?



Sesshomaru could also remember what Kagome had said the previous night. He's just a friend. Why had she said that? Obviously the last thing she would ever try to do was to spare his feelings. Not that she needed to in this case.



Once again, he gazed in her direction.



She had one hand on her stomach, while using the other to eat. Her attention was focused on her current task and she seemed relaxed. He couldn't feel nervousness coming from her like in the beginning.



Had she grown somewhat accustomed to his presence? Had she really allow herself to drop her guard while being around him?



And then he was caught. Kagome raised her head, had glanced in his direction, their eyes meeting once again. Sesshomaru knew he'd looked guilty if he looked away. So he kept staring.



"The W- Kouga, will be coming later."



Kagome frowned. Already? She glanced at the clock, which indicated 8am. Why was he up so early and why did Sesshomaru know about it. Then she began putting some pieces together.



Well, it explained why he was wearing his shoes.



"Why?" she asked, finishing up her pancake.



Sesshomaru gazed away. It was his business to tell her what it was for, but he could still answer her.



"He has a proposition for you," he said before flipping a page in his book.



He wanted to go with them. Kagome didn't need to hear what he had to say, because she knew. You didn't need to be a genius to figure it out. She had thought about it during the previous night, thinking it over.



Although it would be nice to have a friend around, she wasn't sure it was the best idea. It wasn't that she didn't like Kouga, but she could see various scenarios happening. None of them ended in a good way.



First, there would be a point where they would end up fighting. Second, she didn't want to think about what would happen if at any moment, Sesshomaru needed to use his beast. One thing for sure, Kouga would not be spared.



Obviously, she couldn't travel on her own with Kouga. She knew he'd protect her, but somehow he wouldn't be the best traveling companion. Especially since she was afraid he would be expecting too much of her.



Sesshomaru didn't want that kind of relationship with her, but Kouga most probably did. Kagome was not ready to cross that bridge and she knew it. The fact of it being it would be a long time before she would want to be crossing it.



Or, would she ever?



Right now, she didn't want to deal with having to reject Kouga. It might have been easier in the past, but her life was much more complicated now. Even if Sesshomaru was with them, he might still attempt.



He did it with Inuyasha.



She exhaled deeply. "It wouldn't be a good idea."



A little surprised, Sesshomaru pulled his attention away from his book. She knew what the Wolf was going to ask? Then again, he was quite predictable.



"It would be too complicated."



He didn't want to share what he had on his mind, but perhaps, it would be better for her. He didn't like Kouga, but he felt he had to offer her another opinion on the matter. A neutral one. After all, he was the only one she could seek advice from at the moment. She wouldn't ask him for obvious reasons, but he still wanted to say something.



Sesshomaru put his book down and shifted his body position slightly.



"He could be acceptable for you." Kagome's eyes flickered in his direction. "Considering everything."



A tiny ghost of a smile appeared on her face.



"Kouga is sweet and I know he claims I'm his woman, but… He never really knew me when he said he loved me." It was, although quite nice to hear a declaration for the first time.



"He's in love with the thought of loving me. Not with me." She bit on her bottom lip. "If he wasn't right for me five hundred years ago, he still isn't."



Kagome put down her fork and pushed the plate away from her, before moving herself so that she was on the edge of the bed. She struggled to get herself on two feet and when she did, she walked in the direction of the bathroom, ending their conversation.



As Kagome walked past him, he found himself staring at her changing form. Her stomach was expanding with each passing day and he noticed she struggled more and more with every day tasks.



Was he pushing her too much too far along in her pregnancy?



Perhaps they could take a break between now and the next shard. Although she had at least 3 months go before it was time for her to give birth, something inside of him was screaming that it would be sooner than that.



She was almost at four months.



They would have to wait and see.



-B-



Kagome had been drying her hair with a towel in the bathroom when she heard the knock on the door of their room. She knew who it was and to prevent Sesshomaru from opening the door, she rushed out and went to open it.



As soon as she opened the door, Kouga graced her with a smile.



"You look great, Kagome," he said, before pulling her in a hug.



She smiled at him and returned the gesture. It made her feel a little bad that she would need to turn down his offer, but it had to be done.



Before Kouga could say anything, she spoke.



"I'll get my purse," she said, knowing she wouldn't go anywhere without it. Not that she didn't trust leaving it because Sesshomaru was there, but she only trusted herself to be with it.



And even that was far-fetched.



Kouga allowed himself to glance around the room and spotted Sesshomaru. He never once looked at him. Instead he kept on reading his book. Kouga decided to stop wasting his time on him and re-focused his attention on Kagome.



She looked glowing in her pink maternity dress, which ended right under knees. He could feel her light shining through as if no matter what had happened, she held on to it tightly.



"Ready?" he asked when she appeared near him again.



Kagome nodded and Kouga began leading the way.



Before she closed the door behind her, she found herself looking at Sesshomaru. His eyes were still on his book and he was not looking at her. She lingered a few more seconds, but he never did, so she closed the door.



Sesshomaru raised his eyes slightly and with a sigh, put his book down.



He was bothered.



Meanwhile, Kouga had a huge grin on his face, while her and Kouga emerged from the hotel. The sun was high and bright, it was a beautiful day. Today he felt as if he was lucky, he knew things would go well.



He hadn't planned to stay in her hotel room, but he wasn't sure what he wanted to do either. Before they got to business, he knew he wanted to spend some time with her and do some activities.



"Would you like to go see a movie?"



Kagome was almost nervous. She couldn't remember the last time she had done something normal and there he was proposing a friendly outing. She could hardly refuse it.



"Sure," she said, offering him a smile. "But, I mean, my English isn't great."



Especially considering the fact she had neglected it during the many years she had traveled back and forth.



He shook his head. "Don't worry. They have a few theatres where they play foreign movies."



She nodded. "Alright then."



Delighted by her answer, he unconsciously grabbed her hand like he had done many times in the past and walked beside her. Against her will, Kagome found herself slightly stiff under the new touch.



Why was she like this?



They had hugged before and it hadn't caused her to give this reaction. Usually the only time she stiffened was when Sesshomaru touched her. Even now, basic contacts were fine.



Was it because for her the hug was a friendly gesture, but the way he held her hand was more romantic because she knew what he wanted in the end?



She found herself slightly troubled and it was a good thing Kouga was oblivious to it.



For the longest time, Kagome found herself thinking that the reaction she had to the now Sesshomaru touching her was reserved for him because of what he had done. Apparently, she had been wrong.



Kouga had never harmed her, nor done anything wrong and there she was uncomfortable at the first sign of real closeness. Her fear wasn't reserved to Sesshomaru, it was equal for everyone it would seem.



Did it mean that no matter whom she would get into a relationship with, she would have trouble? She would need to work on herself so she could be with someone, even if that person wasn't Sesshomaru?



As she found herself in a small panic, she didn't notice that they had stopped walking. It was only when Kouga pulled his hand away from hers that she snapped back to reality.



"I'll go see what they have," he said, his hand already missing the warmth from hers.



It was strange to think that Sesshomaru could be equal to any other men. She would fear him as much as any other. She almost felt like laughing because of the situation. Was she really that damaged?



Her desire to overcome the events was now stronger than ever. She couldn't let one horrible chunk of her life ruin her forever. It was horrifying and it had been hell, but if she wanted to escape that darkness, she really needed to wake up.



As if it was a nightmare.



Plus, they were making small progress right now. She had a normal conversation with him this morning, as if he was anyone else. She hadn't even noticed that she had done it.



She had agreed to give him a second chance and so far, things were not bad. Granted they were not, nor would be best friends, but she did notice that she was not nearly as tense or stressed all the time.



"Comedy," said Kouga, bringing her out of her thoughts.



She offered him a weak smile, before apologizing.



"I'm just a little out of it today," she said, before following him inside.



Why was it that even when Sesshomaru was far from her, he occupied her mind? Was he just that engrained in her memory? A tiny sigh escaped her lips before, she followed Kouga inside.



This time, she had to clear her mind. This was about being normal for a while.



Then she'd have to break the illusion and she wasn't only referring to hers.



-B-



She was avoiding him.



At least, it was the impression Kouga was getting. Ever since they had begun walking again, she was keeping her hands away from him and out of reach. Had he perhaps gone too far too fast?



Kagome could feel him glancing her way every few seconds and she knew it was time for her to explain things to him, before he started his own speech. She didn't want to hurt him, but she wanted to be clear enough.



"Kouga, I'm really glad to see you again," she started, before gazing his way. "And I appreciate your help and the way you're my friend." She licked her dry lips. "I really needed that. I needed someone."



Kouga felt his chest swell with happiness.



"But, I don't think it's a good idea for you to come collect the last shard with us."



He couldn't help but stop walking.



"How do you know? Did Sesshomaru tell you?"



She shook her head. Well he did tell her he had a proposition for her, but he didn't say what. Plus, she had already figured that he would like to join them.



"I kinda figured it out."



He nodded.



"You're a very good friend Kouga and I have no doubt that you want to do this for the right reasons, but," she paused to move in front of him.



"I need to do this with him. I need to move on, forget what happened in the past, Kouga. If you're there, it'll just make it harder for me to do that."



Trying to bring him comfort, because she had no intention to hurt him, she reached out for his hands. She didn't flinch as she took them in hers and squeezed.



Kouga looked down at their joined hands, trying to process what she was saying. She didn't want him to be there because she wanted to forget what happened with Sesshomaru?



Although it made him rage from the inside, he somewhat understood. But he wanted to be there with her, for her. He didn't want another male taking the job of protecting her.



But at least she never said they couldn't be together, or that she didn't want to see him again. She just wanted to finish the jewel hunt first. Though it was killing him inside, Kouga knew it was the best thing to do. He had to let her go for now.



He didn't want to, he wanted to hold on, but he couldn't. He waited 500 years, thinking she was no longer of this world. Now that he knew she was alive, he could wait a little more.



Kouga sighed before nodding. He released his hands from her hold and pulled her into a tight hold.



"I'll always be there when you need me, Kagome."



He wanted her to know that as long as she breathed, he wouldn't give up. He would always be present, he could be the man she wanted, the one she needed. She just had to give him the opportunity.



"I know," she said, her voice barely audible.



Kouga kept her in an embrace for a little while longer, before pulling away.



"Keep my number. Anytime, anywhere, you can call me and I'll pick up."



It was so hard to watch her go again. He was willing to give up so much for her, but she wasn't ready to see it. After everything that had happened to her, he couldn't blame her.



"When you're done, give me a call." He smiled slightly. "Who knows, I might just come to Japan to see you."



She knew he would.



"I will." He deserved at least that. They might never be destined to be together, but they could be great friends. And once Kouga would let go of the illusion of love he had for her, he would see it as well.



As if they both knew, they began heading back towards Kagome's hotel, Kouga's heart a little heavy. He thought he had gotten over her when he had assumed she was dead, but to see her alive again… all of his feelings had rushed back to the surface.



He had been so addicted to her. Many times she had gently rejected him, but never had he given up. He had always thought that one day she would realize that she was the one for him.



That day never came, or so he thought. But perhaps he had been foolish to give up. If he gave her time now, she might just become his. So Kouga would give her all the time, all the space she needed. Because it was worth it, she was worth it.



Nearly half an hour later, they arrived in front of the hotel and Kouga felt a pain in his heart when he thought about leaving her there with him. It wasn't fair, but life wasn't fair to begin with.



Once again, he hugged her, as tightly as he could without hurting her. He prayed with his soul, that one day she would finally be his.



"Goodbye Kouga," said Kagome as she pulled away from the embrace.



He might not be getting what he wanted, but he did her a world of good. To get out of the jewel routine, to see a familiar friendly face had lifted her spirits. She might not return his romantic feelings, but he was her friend.



It was nice to know that after being missing from this era for so long she could still find people she could call as such and mean it. Today, Kagome had felt alive.



"I'll see you later," he said, not wanting to say those other, to final of words.



She smiled, he nodded, before he began walking away from her. The whole time, she watched him. When he was out of sight, she made her way inside. She still had a hard time believing she had done such an every day activity like going to the movies.



Had it really been that long since she had been normal?



Even when she had been traveling between this era and the other, she hadn't done things like this. Maybe she was in dire need of a vacation and only now did she realize it.



But it would have to wait until her task was completed. Just like everything else.



Slowly, she made her way up the stairs. Considering her current state it might have been a better idea to take the elevator, but she trusted the stairs more. It might feel like a silly fear, but she couldn't help herself.



Plus a little hard work never killed anyone.



A few minutes later, she reached her floor. Kagome was semi-dragging her feet as she arrived in front of her bedroom's door. She slowly opened it, only to reveal an empty room.



She quickly assumed he had left to do his own thing, after all, it was what she had just done. She closed the door behind herself, as she walked further inside the bedroom, before sitting on a chair near the TV.



It was official, her feet were killing her. Before her pregnancy, she used to be able to walk for miles, but now, she couldn't walk past the door before she was in pain. Good thing they mostly traveled in cars and planes.



All of the sudden, she heard a door open and she raised her head, staring at the bathroom door. To her surprise, Sesshomaru came in sight, wearing nothing but a white towel around his waist.



His short hair was damp and clinging to his neck, as he ran his fingers through his bangs, moving them out of the way. Then he felt eyes upon his person. Sesshomaru quickly looked, only to notice Kagome sitting a few feet from him.



Awkwardness was a word that could describe the situation.



Kagome was the first one to break the eye contact by looking away. She already knew what his body looked like since she had been in more than one situation where all she could see was that, but it didn't mean she was comfortable with it.



Out of her discomfort, a slight blush appeared on her cheeks and she felt out of place. The situation did not put her at ease. And if she had been able to look at Sesshomaru, she would have been able to tell the same thoughts ran thru his mind about it.



The Miko had come back way sooner than he had expected. He thought she'd be gone for most of the day, yet there she was barely two, nearly three hours later. If he had known…



"I apologize. I did not expect you back so soon." he said breaking the silence.



Next time, he would be more careful, even though he might be alone again, he'd make sure he had the proper attire to dress himself inside the washroom.



She shook her head. "It's okay." Nothing she hadn't seen before.



Kagome was about to let the little incident take away her mood, but she stopped herself. All she had been trying to do lately was progress. She wouldn't let this set her back.



They had done a normal conversation this morning, why shouldn't they be able to do it again? They might have a few restrictions when it came to topics, since they didn't want to end up on an uncomfortable subject, but there were plenty of things they could talk about. Like the weather…



She glanced his way, only to see him disappear back into the washroom. Perhaps no conversation at all was better for the moment.



Kagome took a deep breath in before turning her attention to the TV, which was on but on mute. Immediately she recognized the movie that was playing on the TV. Dare mo shiranai. With her current state of mind and how emotional she could be, she wasn't sure if it was the right movie for her to watch.



Nonetheless, she couldn't stop herself from taking the remote and raising the volume. To be more comfortable and where she could lay down, Kagome moved to her bed, her eyes still on the screen.



This would be emotionally difficult.



As she began to get engross in the movie, Sesshomaru came out of the bathroom, completely dress. He was wearing a pair of clean black pants and a simple white shirt.



The sound coming from the television immediately attracted his attention. He observed for a few minutes, but did not recognize the movie. It was when he moved to his bed, that Kagome seemed to notice his presence.



"Dare mo shiranai. Nobody knows."



He had never seen nor heard of the movie, but then again, he wasn't one to go out much, or spend his days in front of the television. Outside of this, he was quite a busy man with his business. Even now, he had hired at least three more people to overlook his work while he was gone on this trip with her.



Of course she wouldn't know that. Nor should she have had knowledge of it. They barely discussed when they did, such things were trivial. They had more important things to focus on.



Sesshomaru quickly noticed that she was engrossed in the movie and he decided that he might as well take a look at it, since she seemed to deem it worthy of interest.



Of course the angle at which he was sitting at, was not the best. The television was more centered for her bed than it was for his. Since he didn't watch TV, it had never really mattered but now, it was causing him to put his neck in somewhat of an uncomfortable position.



As he shifted around, Kagome glanced in his direction. It didn't take her too long to figure out what was going on. A solution crossed her mind, but she felt a small fear at the idea of voicing it out.



They would be extremely close.



She reminded herself that Sesshomaru hadn't done anything improper since this situation had begun. He wouldn't start now, especially not during a movie. Plus, they were trying.



"You can sit here if you want," she proposed, her voice slightly trembling.



Sesshomaru's eyes slightly widened as he gazed in her direction to make sure she was referring to what he thought she was. Was she really proposing for him to share her bed with him? During the movie that was.



Since she wasn't usually one for this kind of situation, Sesshomaru felt as if no would not be a correct answer to give her at the moment. Plus, he had no problems with this.



Slowly, he rose to his feet, before heading in her direction. Her eyes were half watching him, half watching the movie, as he spotted a certain, nervousness in them, which was understandable.



The times they had been together in a bed didn't hold happy memories for her. Though he was pleasantly surprised, she trusted him and knew he wouldn't make any inappropriate behavior.



He took his time as he lay beside her, remaining somewhat on the edge, just like she was, meaning there was room for a third person between them.



At first both of them were a little tense as they began to watch the movie, but as more and more time passed, they relaxed. There were certain moments were Kagome was so into the movie, especially emotionally, that his presence was forgotten.



Sesshomaru didn't watch the movie as much as he should have. Quite often, he found himself staring at her instead of the TV. And, it was not her he was looking at but her swelling stomach.



Perhaps he did have some urges. The urges to trail his fingers upon her belly, feeling as his son kicked and grew inside of her.



But as quickly as they came, he chased them away. Not only would he never do that, but also, he couldn't explain why he was having these thoughts. This whole time, he had been fine, so why now? Could it be blamed on their weakened mating bond, trying to survive?



Whatever it was, it was making him somewhat uncomfortable in her presence. He knew he wouldn't jump her, he didn't wish to have these thoughts, especially when she seemed to trust him a little more.



To distract himself, he often attempted to focus himself on the movie, but it was hard. Nonetheless, he would stay there until the end. After all, she had invited him to join her.



The hours passed and he had observed as she shed tears during the movie. He understood it to be very emotional, but it didn't have that impact on him, most probably because he hadn't paid much attention to the movie to begin with.



As the time had passed, the distance between them had not been as large. They were not touching or close, but it was as if they had grown more accustomed to the other's presence nearby.



When the movie ended Kagome reached out for a few tissues and she dried her damp eyes, feeling like an idiot. She knew she was going to cry and feel like this, so why did she watch it?



And with Sesshomaru of all people.



Of course he did not comment on her current state, instead, he stood up and made his way to his own bed, not wanting to take any more advantage of her moment of trust.



Sesshomaru laid on top of his blankets, knowing that since he had recently slept – a lot more than required – he would spend the night awake. So, he silently watched the Miko get under the blankets, while he held his book.



She was still sniffling from her tears, but he was glad to know that for once, it wasn't because of something that happened between them. And now that he thought about it, this was the only time they ever really spent time together.



All the previous times were façades, were faked, or forced. But not this time around. She had offered because she had wanted it and he had accepted, because he had found it completely impossible to say no.



And deep inside, it brought a new feeling.



Kagome was shocked that it was that easy. Granted it was a little step, but every single one of them counted. She had just spent hours lying beside Sesshomaru and except for the first half an hour, she had been quite relaxed.



Never had she thought this would be possible.



It gave her hope that she could do this, as if it were a little push in the right direction. It was the moment she had been waiting for.



If someone had told her five hundred years ago that it would be easy to be around Sesshomaru she wouldn't have believed them. But, when the memories were pushed aside and she was pre-occupied enough, she would actually drop her guard.



Although, she had quickly realized that it was only fair. Since when had he touched her when she had said no? The beast might have, but Sesshomaru never did. It was only fair that she trust him in that department.



Kagome finally turned her head and glanced at him. His eyes were on his book, like they had been many times for the past few days. It almost made her want to read the book that had hypnotized him so much.



She wanted to say it, but she feared it at the same time. Would it be acting too casual? There was technically nothing wrong with that. Wasn't it what they were trying for?



Which reminded her that they did not try to form a connection yet today, they hadn't keep up with their routine. She did find herself wondering if spending time together had some sort of effect.



She exhaled deeply, before re-focusing herself. It was only two words. Three at the most.



"Sesshomaru" she inquired, breaking the silence.



He didn't lift his eyes from his book.



"Good night."



Sesshomaru tilted his head to the side, but it was too late. She had already turned around, and all he could see was her back. Nonetheless, he felt lighter inside.



"Good night Miko."



-B-