The Darkness That Bind’s by Reverent Moonlight

The Darkness That Urge’s

AN: This is a series of interrelated one shots that will be posted randomly, and as the prompts hit me. Just a bit of wickedness to soothe those of you who are waiting in-between updates on my other two fic's, and something new readers can enjoy. 

 xXx

"Kagome, please. I- I love you."

She stared at her hanyou. 

No. 

Not her's. Not anymore. Not ever.

His hand tightening around the arm he had grabbed to halt her of her progress as she left the village. 

As she left him.

"No. You don't. Not really."

"Look, I know it's been difficult, and I'm trying damnit! I really am. Can't you see that? If you'd just give me more time -"

She glared, and jerked her arm from his grasp. Thin lines of blood appearing from where his claws had grazed her skin. 

"I have given you time. For kamisake, Inuyasha, I've given you ten years!"

His ears flipped back on his head as he scowled. 

"Well, yeah, but ten years isn't really that much time now is it? Where either one of us is concerned."

Her glare turned murderous. Of course he would fall back on that. Their near immortality. His from his blood, and hers from a jewel. 

"Maybe not, but it's sure as heck of a lot of time when you consider that the majority of it has been spent in utter misery!"

For a second she almost regretted her words. The way his head jerked as though she had struck him nearly made her pause. 

Nearly. 

"I can't do this anymore. I can't keep tiptoeing around you, and worrying about how much it's going to upset you if I do or say the wrong thing. I can't handle you constantly looking and searching my face for her's."

Her hand reached up, and she cupped his cheek. Voice gentling as the reality of what was happening slammed into her. Into both of them. 

"I can't handle this. Not anymore. You need something different. Different from me. From her." 

Her voice cracked as she pushed forward. 

"And I need something different from you."

A low whine built in his chest as he stared at her, and she could feel the tears pooling and burning at her eyes. 

"'Gome," he whispered, "please."

She shook her head, and stepped back. Her heart tearing as she ripped it out of his hands, and put it back in her chest. 

"Goodbye, Inuyasha."

She turned and ran. Ignored the pain that urged her to turn around and forgive and forget and repeat over and over until she was nothing but ashes on the ground. 

She couldn't do it anymore. She wouldn't. She deserved better, and for all his brashness so did he. 

They had tried so hard to be perfect for each other, to force pieces, that were so close to fitting, to slam and merge with all their might. 

Tears blurred her eyes, but she kept going. The pathway barely visible through the watery haze as she urged her feet further and faster. 

Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to blink away the tears, to clear her vision so she could see her path, her new path, with clear eyes. 

It was depressing as it was elating. 

Opening her eyes, she skidded to a stop. Arms flailing a bit to keep her upright as the weight of her pack threatened to topple her face first in front of the individual that stood not five feet from her. 

Her breathing was slightly labored as she looked at the pristine silks and burning amber eyes. 

"Sesshomaru."

She watched as he stared at her. Head lifting slightly as he scented the air around her. 

"You are alone."

"Uh - yeah. I left. The village that is."

She didn't care if she sounded like an ingrate. Her emotional state was a wreck, and she needed to keep going. She could still feel the pull to turn around. 

"Rin was with Kaede. Well, she was before I left, so I guess she could be anywhere now."

"And the hanyou?"

Pain shot through her heart all the way to her stomach, and she fought to remain neutral in the face of his scrutiny. Though she highly doubted he was unable to scent her anguish. 

"He's back at the village too."

"Hn."

Sesshomaru took a step toward, and she fought to keep her feet rooted to the spot. The inherent urge to step back from the predator before her seemed to scream in her mind. He wouldn't hurt her. Not physically anyway. 

They had been allies for far to long for him to just outright kill her, though she didn't put ushering debilitating havoc on her very soul above him either. He was the epitome of youkai. 

His sheer ethereal beauty called to her on a superficial level, her reiki urging her to dance with the devil. He was the darkness that tainted the light. The voice that urged and pulled and taunted you to stay for just a little longer, and when you felt most comfortable, it would wreck you so thoroughly you never saw it coming. 

"You fear me."

His head tilted to the side in what appeared to be a mixture of curiosity and shock. 

Kagome shook her head. 

"Not you."

"What I am, then."

"Not that either."

He took another step, and her spine stiffened. 

"Hn. Perhaps you do not fear This One at all."

Faster than she could keep up with, he blurred until he stood right before her, clawed hand raised in what appeared threateningly, but his aura held no traces of killing intent. She stood firm, her legs rooted and steadier than what her heart and mind currently was. 

Tilting her head up, she peered into guarded eyes that held no hint as to what he was thinking. She sometimes wished she could be like that. 

With more bravado than she actually held, she narrowed her own cerulean gaze.

"Are you done?"

His brow rose, and he slowly lowered his hand back down. 

"You are foolish, miko. To not raise a hand or arrow to defend yourself against one such as I."

"Not foolish."

He stared at her, the unspoken question floating between them. 

"I can read auras too, you know."

Slitted pupils framed in gold narrowed as he looked upon her. 

"Did you not consider there did not have to be intent to kill for the act to take place?"

"Well, no. But my mind doesn't work that fast."

She pointed to herself, "human remember?"

Sesshomaru's nostrils flared ever so slightly, and he raised a clawed hand once more to graze the razor sharp edge down her cheek in a caress that was more of a warning. 

"Indeed. Though not quite. Your immortality floats around you from the blood still seeping from you wound."

His hand darted to grab her wrist, and lift her arm up high enough that the sleeve of her miko robes slid down to reveal the slices from Inuyasha's claws. 

"It would seem my father's fool heartedness bred through to the hanyou."

His eyes raked her form, as he released her hand and stepped back. It gave her the odd urge to cover herself as though he could see what lay beneath. 

Not her body, but the torment that lay within her heart.

"I never met him, so I really can't say."

"Hn. He was much like the hanyou. Though, he ultimately learned to center his unruly demeanor in a more appropriate manner."

She fidgeted as he spoke. She didn't want to be rude, and to be perfectly honest he had spoken more words to her in the last few moments than she had ever heard from him, but she was already fighting to not look over her shoulder, to not make her way back just to see if he was alright. 

"You are distraught."

Her eyes focused on Sesshomaru. Locking on him to keep her grounded in her spot. 

"Yes."

He watched her, and her heart picked up as he seemed to piece it all together. 

"You are leaving."

She nodded her head. 

"The hanyou. Not the village."

"They are one and the same. To me anyway."

His expression turned into one of consideration - she thought anyway. She had never been around him enough to read any of his silent cues, but she was fairly certain given the thrumming of his aura he was devising some sort of plan. 

"Where shall you go?"

She startled at the question, frowning as her dipped in thought. She hadn't really thought of where she would go. Anywhere had been the main objective. 

"I haven't decided. I suppose I could wonder for some time. At least until I found a place I enjoyed and could contribute too. Honestly, I hadn't even considered what I would do afterword. I just needed to - to go."

Swallowing thickly she peered up at him.

"It is not surprising you would be ill prepared. The halfbreed has passed unsatisfactory judgement abilities to you, miko."

"Hey!"

Anger flashed in her eyes as she ground her teeth. 

"Just so you know, my inability to plan accordingly to the situation was something I had before I met, Inuyasha! So, it's my own quirk, not his!"

Triumph reigned for a moment before a deep seated blush rose in her face. She could have smacked herself. Not only had she inadvertently defended Inuyasha, but she had made sure to demean herself in the process. 

Kagome sighed. 

This wasn't going well. 

Giving up on the situation while her resolution remained firm, she stepped back and bowed at the waist to The Western Lord. 

"If you'll pardon me, Sesshomaru. I really need to be going. I hope you have a wonderful visit with Rin."

Righting herself, she reached a hand up to grip the strap of her bag to center it on her back once more, and began to walk around Sesshomaru. 

She had barely made it three steps before he flashed in front of her. This time, instead of catching herself, she yelped and stopped so abruptly she started to fall backwards. 

Faster than the eye could see, Sesshomaru's hand darted out to grab her arm and right her, pulling back as soon she was righted. 

The whole event lasted maybe a second, but she was left feeling disoriented. 

"Whoa. Sorry, but - hey! You can't just do that! You about gave me a heart attack!"

"You will come with This One."

She blinked, and looked up at him in shock.

"Uh, what?"

His eyes narrowed at her question. 

"I do not repeat myself, miko."

"Oh, I mean, I heard you, but - what? Why would you want me to come with you?"

Something akin to a snort came from the youkai. 

"It is not want, but duty. You are unprepared for any sort of long term journey, and have been an - ally - for quite sometime. It would be remiss of me to not honor our agreement."

Understanding flashed in her mind. 

"Oh! No, I mean - that's nice of you and all, but I don't want to bother you. I can manage on my own for a few days anyway."

"That remains to be seen."

Sesshomaru reached out and grasped her arms, pulling her close to him. Her eyes widened, and a gasp escaped. 

"What are you -"

"You see, miko. If I wished, at this very moment, you would be dead. You are not equipped to handle close quarters combat, and you do not have the strength or speed to handle a youkai beyond the basic needs of 'feed' and 'rest'."

One hand rose and for the second time in a matter of minutes she felt the razor edge of claws as they grazed her throat just above her pulse point. Her breath shuddered. 

Not in fear. Never fear. But something else.

"Hn. Youkai with cognitive abilities, beyond the necessary functions to sustain their existence, would devour you before your feeble mind even realized they were near."

His head dipped until she could feel his hot breath caressing her ear. Something in the back of her mind whispering that it was sinfully delicious while the other part yelled she was acting like a no good whore. 

"My offer is a generous one, Ka-go-me."

She nearly shivered. The urge to stay, to indulge, to let her reiki out to play was overwhelming. 

He was sinfully wrapped and packaged with dark promises and sweet nothings whispered between silk sheets. She could almost picture it.

His body above hers, his mouth at her neck while rocked into her over and over while she screamed in elation and for more. 

She shook herself. Her eyes clearing as she jerked herself away. 

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm fine. Honest."

He blinked languidly as he righted himself, and folded his hands in his haori. However, she didn't miss the way his head lifted, or the way his nostrils flared as he scented the air. 

Something flashed in the golden depths of his eyes, and her heart squeezed at the familiar color while shame filtered through her mind. 

"We shall see, miko,"

He was gone between one blink and the next. Leaving her standing in the middle of the worn pathway all alone. 

Kagome heaved a heavy sigh in the wake of his departure, shoulders slumping while her heart and breath skyrocketed to new heights. 

She had nearly forgotten how utterly lethal he was, and she didn't doubt his ability to hold that term to himself in every aspect of his life. It would have been so easy to step away with him. To let him whisk her away, and let herself fall into the hands of another Inu that would no doubt leave her more wrecked than the one currently behind her. 

Tightness gripped her chest in a way that had her hand lifting and rubbing her sternum as though it would soothe the pain. With a quick glance over her shoulder, she righted herself, and took off once more. 

Walking away from Edo. From her friends. Her love. And the strange youkai lord that whispered secret promises she had no right in accepting.