Chapter 12: Family Tradition

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Chapter 12: Family Tradition

The Once and Future Taiyoukai

Chapter 12: Family Tradition

He leaned over her, holding his breath. Her silken black hair flowed over the soft furs, tempting him to bury his fingers into it as he kissed her. Kami, did he want to kiss her. In her sleep, she licked her lips and turned towards him, sending her intoxicating scent of ginger and oranges to his nose. And it certainly didn't help that her kimono was sliding down her shoulder and revealing some of what promised to be a perfect chest.

With a tremendous effort, he gently pulled the kimono back up to a decent place and turned away. As he reached for his own haori he realized that he was shaking. He sighed.

This was getting ridiculous. She was angry with him and rightly so. Any kindness she had shown him since their fight was only the result of Kagome being Kagome. And even if she wasn't angry with him anymore and by some miracle forgave him for his cruel words, his purpose had not changed. He could not love her. She could not love him. They both had their own responsibilities.

He looked at her sleeping form again. She was very beautiful. She would have no trouble finding another male, and one that would probably do more for her than a taiyoukai could ever do.

He shook his head. No, he would be willing to do anything for her. He would take her as his mate, give her as many hanyou children as she wanted and yes, he would love her. Why should he not admit it? He was a taiyoukai! If he could not admit to himself that he could do something so simple as love a human, he was a coward.

But he didn't love her. He wouldn't have the chance. There was no point in thinking about it.

He sighed again. "Kagome."

Brown eyes fluttered open and she frowned. "What?" she muttered.

"It is time to go," he said, standing up. "Get up."

She moaned and pulled the fur coverlet up to her nose. "It's too early."

He arched an eyebrow. "Get up so that we may get out of this wretched cave. If necessary, I will carry you so that you may sleep. But only after we have announced our departure." He cursed himself silently for the offer as soon as he made it. Hours of her on his back, her breasts pressed against him, her breath on his neck? Gods, he was asking for it.

With a soft sound of resignation, Kagome flipped back the cover and pushed herself up to a sitting position as her long, slim legs moved to the floor. Sesshoumaru swallowed hard and looked away as she repositioned her under-kimono to cover herself better. "When do you think they'll start the funeral?" she asked.

"Soon. I can hear their preparations," he replied. "Join me outside when you are ready."

"Yeah, sure."

He wandered through the inner tunnels of the cavern until he finally stepped out into the morning sunshine. Around him, wolves were exiting the cave and taking the path to the top of the cliff. Already he could hear a few of them howling their grief for their lost leader.

"Good morning, my lord," greeted Tomi, appearing at his elbow.

"Good morning," Sesshoumaru replied shortly, remembering Kagome's warmth towards the wolf the previous night.

"Your father sent my brother and sister-in-law's remains this morning. The small bits he could find anyway," he said with a sigh. "Please give him my sincere thanks."

The taiyoukai nodded. "I will."

Tomi shifted his feet. "Is Lady Kagome waking soon?"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "She will be out in a moment," he replied. "Why?"

"Well, my lord," the wolf said, lowering his voice and stepping closer, "I thought that I might ask about the exact nature of your relationship with Lady Kagome. You did not contradict my brother last night when he called her your mate, but Lady Kagome said nothing about that on the way back from yesterday's battle." He gave the dog demon a hopeful glance.

Sesshoumaru's jaw tightened. "Why should it matter to you?"

Tomi turned to watch the wolves in their processional up the path to the top of the cliff. "She is very beautiful," he said. "Surely you have noticed, my lord."

"She is human," the taiyoukai replied.

"But she is not weak," Tomi replied quickly.

"No," admitted Sesshoumaru. "She could kill any of us at any time." He rubbed a hand across his chest, feeling the new skin underneath his kimono where Kagome had burned him.

Tomi laughed softly. "I kind of like that about her. She's got fire in her."

The taiyoukai scowled. "She has many obligations," he muttered.

"Those must end sometime," Tomi said, his eyes again on his tribesmen. "I was going to invite her back here, once she has completed her responsibilities and when the tribe has recovered from the loss of my brother."

Sesshoumaru hesitated. He wanted to claim her as his own, to demand that the wolf stay away from her. But to claim a mate, even in front of an inferior lord, had political repercussions. And although the very idea was repellant to him, Sesshoumaru realized that Kagome might actually be interested in the uncivilized mutt before him. "She has no ties to me. You will have to ask her," he said flatly.

Tomi smiled. "I will. Thank you, my lord."

He wanted to throttle him, but settled for crossing his arms and looking away. He could hear Kagome's soft footfalls and her scent was approaching. She held Koga in her arms and was listening as the little wolf talked continually.

"And I can show you everything that Uncle Tomi teaches me," he was saying. "I'll be real strong, Kagome. You'll see."

"I'm sure," she said, laughing softly.

"Will you be back soon?" Koga asked.

Sesshoumaru and Tomi both turned to look at her. Kagome bit her lip. "I promise we'll see each other again," she said after a moment. "But I don't know when."

Both of the wolves' faces fell. "Please, Kagome?" the boy begged, tugging at her collar. "Please come back soon."

She smiled and pressed a kiss to his forehead before setting him down on the ground. "You won't even miss me, Koga. You have so much to do and then one day, I'll be there again. You'll see. Don't worry about it, okay?"

The child nodded as Tomi stepped forward. As Kagome smiled at the elder wolf, Sesshoumaru was struck by how familial they looked. There was familiar warmth in Kagome's eyes as she looked at Tomi. And now he knew that the young lord returned those feelings. The taiyoukai turned away again, disgusted.

"Must you leave so soon, my lady?" asked Tomi. "You are welcome to remain for the funeral."

"Oh. No, Tomi-san, thank you. I know that this is a very private matter for wolves."

"I don't mind. You would be welcome."

Kagome smiled softly. "We really have to go, Tomi-san. Sesshoumaru is probably eager to return to his home and I can't delay him any longer. I have my own pressing responsibilities as well."

"Yes, I know," replied Tomi with a nod. He paused only for a moment before pressing on in earnest. "I thought, however, that you might want to come back? After you were done with everything?"

"Kagome said she was going to come back for me," Koga said, frowning at his uncle.

Tomi laughed and ruffled the boy's hair. "So she did," he said. He gave the girl a meaningful glance. "I thought that Lady Kagome might come back for more than just you." Behind him, Sesshoumaru's shoulders tensed.

Kagome lowered her eyes, color spreading across her cheeks. "That's very sweet of you, Tomi," she began.

"So you will?" asked the wolf with a grin.

She smiled in return. "You barely know me," she said.

"It doesn't take wolves very long to know when they've found the right female," he replied.

No kidding, she thought silently. That, or this was a family trait. "I'm sure," she said aloud, "but... my responsibilities will probably not allow me to return. Not for a very long time."

"I'll wait," Tomi said, his grin fading slightly. "I'm not getting any older. Not by much anyway."

Kagome glanced at Sesshoumaru and her heart clenched within her chest. His jaw was tightly clenched, and his eyes were flat and dull. How could someone look so angry and miserable at once? She sighed inwardly and looked back to Tomi. She reached forward and pressed her lips against his cheek. "Thank you," she murmured, pulling away. "But I have to hope that I can't. If I am able to come back as you wish, that means I have failed in my duty."

The wolf let out a breath. "Figures," he muttered with a smirk. "Very well, my lady, I will wish for your success. As long as you allow me a few selfish moments each day where I will wish for your failure."

She smiled. "I think I can allow that."

Sesshoumaru roused himself from his dark thoughts. "We need to leave," he said.

Kagome bit her lip. "Alright. I left my bag... Well, I'll be right back," she murmured, disappearing back into the cave.

Tomi turned to look at the taiyoukai as soon as she was out of sight. "You are very fortunate, my lord. To have a heart as big as hers loving you entirely... that's something I envy. I was hoping... Well, let's just say it's obvious that if she comes back, it won't be for me. It's good to know these things before you invest yourself too deeply." He grinned and hoisted Koga up into his arms as Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. "Will you tell her goodbye for the two of us? I should get to the top of the cliff before Mizu starts foaming at the mouth."

The dog demon nodded mutely.

The wolf bowed. "Thank you, my lord. Have a safe trip. Long live the Western Lands."

"And to all those that are under its protection," Sesshoumaru replied automatically, as tradition and manners dictated.

Tomi nodded and began to walk up the path, leading to the funeral. Koga waved over his uncle's shoulder. The rocks soon obscured him and the boy from sight. Kagome reemerged only moments later. "Where did they go?" she asked, shouldering her bag.

"The funeral is starting. They said goodbye," he murmured.

She gave a small smile. "Oh. Okay. I wish I could have said goodbye to them," she replied. She gave a half-hearted shrug. "Should we go then?"

"There is nothing else to stop us," he said, starting down the path in the opposite direction as Tomi had gone. Kagome followed in silence.

The wolf was an idiot, he realized. The scent of sadness coming from the girl was bleak and thick. She cared for the wolf after all. She kissed him. She promised the child she would return.

And she had the scent of hope when Tomi said that he would wish for her failure. She wanted to stay for the wolf. Tomi had read her scent, her eyes, and her expression incorrectly. But a taiyoukai had a flawless skill of observation. Kagome would rather have that wretched wolf than a civilized taiyoukai. Sesshoumaru clenched his hands, feeling his claws biting into his palms.

Not that any of it mattered, he told himself, trying to relax. She could have the flea-bitten creature.

They wended their way down the cliff face in silence. A dark forest stood quietly at the base of the rocks. Thick undergrowth curled around the tree trunks. Their path lay directly through the widest part of this forest.

"Stay close," he said, turning so that he caught a glimpse of her. "There are many youkai in here."

"How long will it take us to get through?" she asked, quickening her pace slightly so that she was beside him.

"All day," he replied.

Kagome took a breath. "Alright," she said, fixing an apprehensive eye on the forbidding forest.

He sighed inwardly. "I will protect you. Unless you would prefer the wolf?"

She glared. "Shut up. He's a nice guy."

"'Nice' will not protect you," commented Sesshoumaru, moving towards the trees. "If it did, you would have asked him to accompany you. He would have skipped his own brother's funeral too."

"Are you trying to be clever? You're not doing a very good job," she said, still glowering. "In case you didn't notice, I turned him down."

"You did kiss him." Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow as she made a soft sound of indignation. "I am merely observing."

"Yeah. Right," muttered Kagome. "You seem awfully interested to just be observing."

His golden eyes turned onto her. "Are insinuating that I am jealous?"

Kagome shrugged and gave him an arrogant grin. "You said it, not me."

He scoffed and entered the forest. "Woman, you are delusional. I think I have made it abundantly clear that I am not interested in you. Or have you forgotten the reason why you are irritated with me?"

"Angry, more like it," she spit back immediately. "I haven't forgotten."

"I was unsure," he replied. "You cried for me just yesterday." He smirked, trying to throw her off, just as she had almost done to him.

Kagome was unfazed. "I thought I'd killed you. Don't think that almost dying by my hand means that I forgive you."

Sesshoumaru set his jaw. She would not win this. "And I would not have you think..."

"Why don't I tell you what I think, instead of you assuming you know?" she interrupted. She watched with satisfaction as he shut his mouth and gave her a furious scowl. "I think that you're afraid of actually talking about what you said to me that morning. You're trying to pick a fight to avoid it. And you're being positively juvenile."

"This Sesshoumaru is afraid of nothing," he snapped. "And certainly not juvenile!"

Kagome gave him a serene glance and brushed past him, taking the lead through the trees. "Perhaps, but did you really want to talk about it this way? Didn't you go to sleep last night with every intention to speak to me civilly? And then this morning you start in on me about an innocent kiss." She looked over her shoulder. "So you're either jealous or afraid. Maybe both."

"You are judging me as you would judge a human," he growled. "But I am not human."

"Oh, really?" She rolled her eyes. "Believe me, I'm an expert in demon jealousy. You were jealous. Still are, which is stupid. I have no interest in Tomi. Not like that."

Sesshoumaru's lip lifted in a silent snarl. "I dislike the wolf. I do not dislike you. Although I might in a few moments if you continue speaking."

"Alright, I'll be quiet," she said, turning around to face him. He frowned down at her as she stretched out her hands and held his wrists. Her brown eyes flickered up to his face.

"What are you...?"

Her lips were against his and gone again so quickly that he wasn't certain what had happened. His wrists were released and she stepped back with a solemn look on her face.

His mouth moved and he realized that he could taste her. Ginger and citrus. After a moment, he could speak. "Why did you do that?" he asked angrily. He sighed inwardly when she remained silent. "You may speak. I will not dislike you the more for it, despite what I said." I will only dislike every female that touches me for the rest of my interminable life, he thought miserably.

"I did it so you have nothing to be jealous of. And now I've done something potentially humiliating, so the least you can do is get over your fears and apologize," she said. She was flushed, but held his gaze. "So that's done. Can we talk seriously now?"

He nodded.

"Good." She began to walk again. This time, he walked beside her. "You may start."

"Do you intend that I immediately begin to grovel at your feet?" he scoffed. "We would have to pause for a few moments. It's difficult to do while moving."

"As much as I would enjoy that," Kagome replied, a wry grin spreading across her face, "it's not necessary."

"I wouldn't have done it anyway," he grumbled.

She gave him a sidelong glance. "You said you'd talk seriously, Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru sighed. He was still shaken by... by what Kagome just did. He wasn't sure he had the mental abilities to talk seriously yet. But she was looking at him anxiously now and he realized that his lengthy apology was at hand. His jaw clenched. "What exactly did you take offense...?"

"Never mind," she muttered, quickening her step so that he fell behind. She soon spun around to face him again, however, and Sesshoumaru had the distinct impression that she was not about to kiss him again. "I understand that this is hard for you. You're the great taiyoukai. But there isn't anyone here, Sesshoumaru. I won't tell a soul that you actually said that you were sorry. And you should be, you know? I felt so worthless after what you said to me. Worse than that, I felt like a whore."

Sesshoumaru frowned, wondering why she would feel that way. Oh, the comment about her staying in her own bed. He certainly couldn't tell her that was for her own sake, that if she ever slept in his arms again, she would be committing herself to him forever. No, he really couldn't say that.

Kagome stared at him furiously for a few moments before turning her back on him again. "Never mind," she said again. "I might understand, but you don't." She began to walk.

"No, I don't," he admitted, making her pause in her steps. "I cannot understand because no one has dared to insult me as I insulted you. But although I do not understand your injury, I know that you have one and I caused it. And for that, I apologize, Kagome."

He could see her chest moving rapidly and smell the salt of her tears, but she didn't look at him. "Really?" she asked, her voice small and heartbreakingly hopeful.

He could not hesitate, he realized. Her body was still tense, ready to walk away. Any untruth would undo everything. "I didn't mean it. Any of it," he said.

Now she turned, looking at him with wide eyes. "You didn't have to..."

"Why should I not say it if it is the truth?" he demanded. "I lied then and as you reminded me, I do not lie. I am correcting my mistake. What did you expect me to say?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I didn't expect you to take it all back. I guess I expected you to say that you were sorry, but that you had been speaking the truth."

He suddenly saw the danger in his words. He was at a crossroads and he was not prepared to decide on which path to take. To admit his growing feelings for this human woman would probably only result in those feelings taking total control of his unused heart. And even then, he would have to deny her and she him. They had their own responsibilities, just as he told the wolf and just as he had reminded himself that very morning.

On the other hand, he did not know what she would do if he maintained that he had been speaking only generally and was apologizing only for the harsh effect of his words and not for the meaning of those words.

Kagome saved him, however. "All I wanted you to admit is that it's not impossible for you to love your mate and that she could be human. Is that what you meant?" she asked, smiling gently.

She was giving him a way out. She was equally unprepared to hear his words as he was unprepared to say them. "Yes," he said. "And that I do not think you are anything but chaste."

Her cheeks colored. "Thank you," she murmured.

"Then we are friends again?" he asked. He had expected more begging. More crying. More of anything except the shift of her scent into pure happiness.

This time she laughed. "Yes. I never stopped being your friend though, Sesshoumaru. Not just because of an argument." She reached out and their fingers entwined. They began to walk together. "I forgive you. I forgave you a long time ago."

Sesshoumaru turned his head and frowned at her. "Then why..."

"That doesn't mean that you had any less obligation to apologize," she said, smiling faintly. "And besides, I forgave you, but that doesn't mean I knew it before just now."

The taiyoukai scowled. "You are an exceedingly perplexing woman."

"Some would just call me 'deep' and 'complex'," she said, her smile broadening.

"Frustrating. Vexing," suggested Sesshoumaru, his scowl turning to a smirk. How quickly she changed her mood! And to think, he was the cause of it all. The smile made up for everything. He had to resist smiling back at her. "Impossible."

She gave him a half-hearted glare. "Alright. That's enough."

"As you wish."

"You don't really think I'm impossible, do you?" she asked, turning her brown eyes up to him.

He rolled his eyes. "Don't be tiresome, Kagome. You know that I do not. You're angling for compliments."

Kagome huffed in annoyance. She was caught. "Fine. But I think that I deserve a few."

"No, my penance is over," he observed.

"Fair enough," she conceded.

They walked in companionable silence for a time. Their nervousness from possible confessions was fading. They still held hands, but it was all very comfortable. Kagome began humming tunelessly. Sesshoumaru looked up to the few patches of the sky that could be seen through the treetops. "We might be in this forest overnight."

She arched an eyebrow and followed his gaze. "Are we? How can you tell?"

"Because it has been a very long time since I passed through this forest and I have forgotten. Also, something is following us and after we kill it, there might not be time to escape from these trees."

Kagome turned. "Again? Didn't you say something was following us earlier? Right before those men stabbed me?"

His hand reflexively tightened around hers. "Yes. It might be the same thing. I will not leave you this time, however. But I would like you remain awake for as long as possible tonight. I would like to give whatever it is as little opportunity to attack as possible," he said.

"You'll hear it coming," she replied with confidence. She had slept so badly the previous two nights. She didn't really want to give up another night.

He glanced at her. In the shadows of the trees, it was easy to remember her as she was that night – in pain and in fear, calling out for him as she died. "I hope I will."

"I'll stay up. As long as I can. To keep you company," she said, seeing the faint glimmer of concern in his eyes. "Do you know how to dance?" she asked suddenly.

The taiyoukai was thrown for a moment. She had such random thoughts. "As much as necessary," he muttered.

"So, not a lot," she laughed.

"No," he admitted. He gave her a suspicious look. "Why?"

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He trudged up the last few stairs, groaning softly. He thought of his bed. He thought of his food. Then, he thought of all the homework he had.

"Mom?" he called, dropping his bag in the entryway.

"Oh hello, Sota," Mrs. Higurashi answered from the kitchen. "How was school?"

"A battle without the glory," muttered the boy. "Got anything to eat?"

His mother nodded. "I was just preparing an early dinner for us. I thought you would be hungry. It'll be a few more minutes though. Will you go check on the well house?"

Sota shook himself out of his stupor. "Yeah. Why? Did you hear Kagome?" he asked, heading back towards the door.

"I heard something," she replied. "Go check."

The teenager obediently left the house and crossed the courtyard. The Goshinboku was shedding colored leaves all over the yard, crunching underfoot. Kagome would have to come back soon if she was going to make it in time for the winter carnival, Sota realized. But she wasn't coming out the well house yet and Kagome rarely hovered when she came home.

"Kagome?" he called, stepping up to the door and opening it.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but he still could not see the well. He frowned and pushed the doors wide.

Heavy black smoke was running over the sides of the well as if it were full of dry ice. Sota frowned. It didn't smell like fire and no one had been out here since Kagome had left days and days ago.

Still, it was menacing. He backed away. "Mom!" he called. "Mom! Get out here!"

A door opened behind him and he heard two pairs of feet coming towards him. "What is it, Sota?"

"Is it Kagome?" asked Grandpa.

The boy shook his head. "It's... something. I don't think it's a good thing."

They all peered into the well house. Its floor was almost covered with the smoke now. Mrs. Higurashi frowned. "How will Kagome get home?"

"Something tells me this has something to do with her," said Sota, rolling his eyes.

His mother studied the smoke. "It probably does. We can't do anything about it if it does have something to do with her though. Not until she comes back. If she can come back." Her mouth turned down.

"Don't worry, Mom. Kagome will get back. She's too stubborn to do anything but what she wants to do," Sota replied with a wry grin. "She'll be back."

"And what do we do with this until then?" asked Grandpa, gesturing towards the smoke, which was now creeping up the stairs.

Sota and his mother exchanged a look. "We should board it up," said Mrs. Higurashi. "Make sure none of this stuff gets out."

"And I'll put some of my sutras on it," Grandpa said, pulling the slips of paper from his haori. "That would stop it!"

The teenager sighed. "Sure, Grandpa. But just in case, I'll get the wood and nails from the shed."

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A/N: About 50 of my reviews say that Kagome and Sesshoumaru are already obviously in love, while the other 50 thanks me for not rushing them into love. Well, you're all right. One reviewer, khinei, said it very well – a lot of the focus of this story is just as much on figuring out they love one another as on whether they're right for each other.

Writing this chapter was difficult though, for just that reason. Originally, I wanted them to have a blazing row before Sesshoumaru begged for forgiveness. Then I realized that Kagome was just as eager to hear an apology as he was to give it. I hope that makes sense for all those who just love their tiffs. Don't worry – they're still going to fight like cats and dogs at times.

I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. I apologize for any typos as I've not been sleeping very well – I am officially in the midst of finals. I'm only posting this because I've been sitting on the finished version for days, being totally unsure of whether it's actually finished. I decided to suck it up and see how you guys felt about it. The next chapter might take a little bit, but I hope not too much longer than usual. We'll see! Please review!