The shrine was quiet. Downstairs, the lights were off; the kitchen was dark, as was the living room, and - from what he could see - the elder members of clan Higurashi were happily snoring away in the two bedrooms on the eastern side of the house. In the front-facing room, there was no light - but there was the flickering of a TV screen, and the faint noise of Souta's snickering and the tinny audio of a video game.
Sesshoumaru blinked, and thought back to a warm morning, sitting with Kagome beneath the trees and listening to her babble about her brother, his idolization of Inuyasha and love for killing monsters that appeared on his talking box. When he told her that he found her brother's method of training interesting, she had smiled, happiness dancing around the corners of her mouth and totally at odds with the faraway look in those captivating blue eyes.
Had that moment happened for her yet? It was very easy to lose track, when you were reliving your life from a different perspective. And her perspective was possibly the most confusing of them all. First Inuyasha, then Inuyasha and Kikyou, and then him. So many events, so much time. So infuriating.
Watching Souta destroying aliens eventually grew boring, and his eyes travelled easily from the front of the house to the western side, nearest to the well-house and the Goshinboku. The ancient tree stood tall over the shrine like a silent protector, its branches reaching high towards the crescent moon, hanging heavy and bloated in the sky. Sesshoumaru smirked wryly. They were looking in the wrong direction, if they were searching for the true guardian of the Higurashi line. But he hadn't watched their family for centuries simply for the recognition, and being a god or a spirit really didn't suit his intention.
His thoughts were interrupted by a creak.
Ah, there was his 'intention'. She came to the window, twisting the locks and swinging open the wooden frames - they gave with little protest. Kagome sighed, running both hands through her hair and taking a deep breath of the cool night air. Her scent wafted over to him, the breeze toying with his control and urging him to leave his vantage point and go over to the window, where she was waiting.
'Her surprised eyes would be worth it...'
The wind turned cold, and brought him back to reality.
She wasn't waiting for him.
He was an enemy. A killer. The evil, ruthless brother of Inuyasha. She didn't know him as Sesshoumaru; she only knew him as the Lord of the Western Lands, hiding behind a mask of power and death and hatred.
'And now, my past actions come back to haunt me. If this is karma, it will fall at my claws. It is more like a bitch than my mother.'
The stars twinkled. Kagome smiled. Sesshoumaru clenched his fists, turned on his heel, and left.