Tumblr prompt: "You shoot, I'll distract.*
Warning: some dub/con elements will be in the second chapter. Part two will feature smut. This one is more Friends to Enemies to Lovers.
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A somnolent summer haze had settled over Kaede's village by the time sunset arrived that long and tiresome day.
Kagome sighed, smiling despite the ache in her muscles. She'd be sore tomorrow after working so hard. Asking Sesshoumaru to train her in combat might've seemed a little pointless since Naraku had been defeated around four years ago, but she was glad for the distraction. Any new skills and strength gained would come in handy if she was attacked during her brief travels to other villages, acting as a priestess in training.
Sneaking her companion a side-glance, Kagome jolted when she found golden eyes already fixed onto her face.
"W-what?"
"You were smiling."
Crimson dusted her cheeks. Kagome tried to mask the heat burning on her face with a cough. "Well, I'm happy. We've come a long way since you first started training me. It's not weird to smile about progress, is it?"
Sesshoumaru's lips curved in that faint teasing manner Kagome had become accustomed to during their time together. It softened his face in such a minuscule way and yet transformed the air around him into something fond and teasing. The golden hue of his eyes caught the light of the sun, flashing white for a moment before blazing brighter.
"Hn, so it was just concerning the training…"
Kagome blinked, tilting her head slightly. Why else would she be happy?
"You're smiling too," she pointed out with a smirk.
Sesshoumaru walked her the remaining short distance to her hut before stopping and levelling a direct, intent stare towards her that briefly stole Kagome's breath.
"I suppose I am," a low rumble caressed her hearing, "but the reasoning behind it is entirely to do with the company."
Kagome stiffened, heart fluttering. Ah, there it was again. The precipice of something she'd been glimpsing in his eyes for a little while now. It echoed a warmth that had taken root inside her heart. How much longer could she leave it unnamed?
Sesshoumaru searched her face, before inclining his head and drawing away, walking down the road that would lead him from the village.
Kagome scrambled for a response, quickly calling; "m-me too!" she yelled after him, blushing wildly. "See you tomorrow?"
The Daiyoukai halted briefly, shadows of nearby trees throwing his pale profile in shade. Dappled sunlight played over his hair and handsome face.
In that moment, Kagome felt herself stumble and fall over the precipice of that 'something' between them. She'd been ignoring it. Repressing it. Having feelings for her ex's brother was inappropriate.
But it couldn't be denied anymore.
Sesshoumaru offered a faint smile, silently signalling he'd be there.
She watched as he left, body aglow with strong sensations.
---
After spending the evening with Sango, Miroku and their three children before going to bed, Kagome tossed and turned that night.
Giddy with excitement about what their situation could turn into, Kagome dreamed of Sesshoumaru, recalling a memory that turned her insides to mush and set her heart aglow.
“You shoot, I’ll distract.”
“Got it.”
They’d been travelling together through a glade of yellow-tinged grass. The flat wilds were littered with boulders and broken rocks, overcast skies looming overhead. From out of the ground crawled countless demons- large inhuman insects reminiscent of ants mixed with scorpions. Sesshoumaru hadn’t seemed particularly worried- calmly letting her take the lead, she supposed as a means of helping her grow.
Kagome aimed her bow, shooting while Sesshoumaru flew around the hoard, releasing acid from his claws in order to keep them at bay, drawing their attention.
They worked in sync, moving as a unit.
Sesshoumaru let one demon slip by- and Kagome immediately shot it before its razor-sharp arm could reach her.
She raised fierce blue eyes- meeting the Daiyoukai’s glittering gaze. Pride. He looked proud of her progress.
His expression changed half a second later, form blurring over. His arm snatched around her waist and dragged her out of range from another deadly swipe aimed at the miko’s back. Kagome twisted in his grip and shot, reducing their enemy to ashes.
At that moment, pressed so close- Kagome felt something stir. His study arms encircling her waist felt right, their bodies aligning perfectly. The platonic friendship they’d grown over the space of a year broke away like a crumbling shell, revealing a fragile, hopeful, burgeoning warmth.
His dark, velvety voice purred directly into her ear. “That was careless, miko. Should I punish you?” he teased.
“It was one mistake!” Kagome laughed.
“Hn,” his eyes smiled, and she lit up from the action- which was more than enough evidence for her to know that she was in danger of falling in love with this demon. “In light of how amusing you have been, this one shall be magnanimous,” he allowed, white bangs dancing in the breeze.
---
She woke early to attend to her chores. She helped Kaede in the vegetable garden, babysat Rin and Shippo for a while, soon moving on to visiting a first-time pregnant woman in the village. Although she’d kept herself busy, Kagome’s mind buzzed with growing anticipation for the days training session.
Speaking of, I better get going.
Grabbing her modest training sword and securing it to her hip, she shouldered her bow and quiver of arrows out of habit. Kagome then set out from the village along the dusty road, wind at her back and a spring in her step.
Inuyasha greeted her in passing, walking the opposite way with a merchant. Recently he'd been hired quite often to act as a travelling bodyguard. Kagome somewhat envied him, glancing down at her miko robes.
Despite choosing to stay in the past regardless of a lack of romantic attachment, she still felt a little… undefined. For a while she'd been considering setting out on her own to help people across Japan. Becoming a miko felt like a default choice, but not necessarily a permanent one for her. Sesshoumaru's training lessons were helping to give her more options by the day- and he never asked for payment, strangely enough.
She brought along some small packages of different blends of tea regardless; something she'd come to learn he appreciated.
He’s practically a tea connoisseur. What a nerd, she thought affectionately, sandals crunching on dead leaves as she wandered into the forest.
Moving ever closer to her destination (a meetup point beside a towering waterfall) the happy anticipation in her gut gradually became replaced with mounting unease. Instincts raised the hair at the back of her neck. Sweat dotted her brow, heartbeat thundering.
The sensation of being watched insidiously slid over her.
Kagome kept her expression outwardly placid. Tension lined her shoulders, becoming strung tight.
She couldn't sense anything with her aura. The complete silence even while she walked became telling. She relied on sound, taking Sesshoumaru's teaching on board. A human stalking her would need to move and create noise, and a lower demon would've been detected by her powers.
So I'm dealing with a strong demon.
The type that could conceal themselves completely. Judging by the lack of sound, they were fast moving or capable of flight.
Kagome frowned, soon blinking. The palpable danger eased from the situation.
Oh. It's Sesshoumaru, she realised without sensing him, resisting the urge to smile.
All the little tells were there.
Kagome carefully set down the packages of tea. She then gripped her bow and removed it from her shoulder, nocking an arrow and firing at the trees above. She kept up this barrage of attacks- bolts of glowing pink orbs shooting into branches hanging overhead until one large white ball of energy came speeding down towards her.
Kagome tossed her bow aside and unsheathed the sword at her side, bringing the blade up just in time to meet slashing claws.
What?
The attack was hard- much more hard hitting than usual. It threw her back, sending her down and rolling over the ground, kicking up leaves.
Kagome groaned when she halted, head spinning. She shakily eased herself up on her elbows. Sesshoumaru always met sword with sword. What was going on?
Footsteps could be heard, black boots stopping in front of her position. Kagome raised blinking blue eyes up, travelling along the familiar clothes and armour before settling on Sesshoumaru's face.
She stiffened.
His eyes are cold, was her first thought.
This was seconds before he raised his knee- planting a boot atop her head and forcing it down.
Kagome yelped, reeling. "S-sesshoumaru?"
His measured, velvety tone held a ridged undercurrent of ice. A bite. "You almost seemed to let down your guard for a moment. How strange. I cannot say I am shocked though. You remain naïve and in need of a protector, do you not, wench?"
This wasn't like him. Their training was punctuated with teasing and instruction, not... this.
Was he trying something rougher? A new method with scare tactics? Kagome opened her mouth to reply but cut off into a squeak, feeling pressure against her skull.
"Unfortunately for you, my filthy half-brother seems to be absent. After waking today and finding that my arm has surprisingly reformed much quicker than anticipated, I knew the first thing I wanted to do was soak the ground with his blood," he purred, easing the press of his heel against her head, before baring his weight down harder and eliciting a gasp. "You will do nicely in his place. The girl who assisted him."
Having had enough of being used as a foot-stool, Kagome snarled, lifting a hand and pouring all reiki into her palm, aiming for his ankle.
The pressure disappeared from her head, and Kagome quickly sat up and shakily stood, vision briefly swaying with the rush.
Sesshoumaru stood a slight distance away, beginning to circle her. Fierce golden eyes, hard and unyielding, swept her body from head to toe.
"Sesshoumaru, t-thats enough. I'm not into this training method. You can be rougher without humiliating me like that," she seethed, nerves strung out. Something was seriously off.
What had he been talking about?
"Training? I do not know of what you speak. I have no intention of that… but the prospect of playing with you is starting to seem attractive," he sneered, exposing pearly white canines with a smirk.
Kagome backed up, quickly grabbing her fallen sword and blocking another sudden attack- claws clanging against metal.
With a growl, she swung, stumbling backwards and raising a glowing shield around her just as green acid sprayed out.
Blue eyes widened, watching the substance leak down the pink aura that enclosed protectively around her.
She then stared into bright golden eyes, slit pupils dilating. Smirk curving a cruel mouth.
He just tried to kill me.
Realisation dawned, cloying and sickly, making her feel weak in the knees. No, if he'd been trying to kill her, she'd likely be dead.
He was doing as he'd said. Playing. Toying with her life.
This man, this demon, was not the same Sesshoumaru she'd come to know.
"Who- who the hell are you?" she rasped, hurrying backwards to try and put distance between them.
He arched a pale brow. "You called me by name just moments ago. Are you that dim-witted that you have forgotten, girl?"
"You're not Sesshoumaru," she hissed. "The Sesshoumaru I know is a damn sight more considerate than you. He'd never try to kill me or disrespect me like you just di-"
The words disappeared from her tongue. He had. A couple of times in what felt like the distant past. He'd tried to harm her during their first few encounters, during those early days in the Feudal era so very long ago.
He'd mentioned his arm. Why would he be bothered by it when he'd regained it along with a new sword four years prior?
Sesshoumaru hummed, continuing to stalk around her in a predatory manner. His gaze was back on her body, lingering around her waist and backside, making her skin heat.
"You seem to have aged since our last encounter," he uttered, eyes narrowing briefly with thought.
"I-" Kagome sucked in a sharp breath. She couldn't believe what she was thinking, but it was the only explanation that came to mind if he wasn't an imposter. "Sesshoumaru, what do you last remember?"
"Are you mocking me?" he asked silkily, raising a clawed hand and flexing sharpening fingers. "No matter. This one will soon put an end to your impertinence. I recall my left arm being cleaved off with my birthright. I remember the wild, disgraceful swinging of my sibling as he wielded a sword he was unworthy of," that debonair voice deepened into a deceptively soft, dangerous baritone. “And I vividly picture the face of his whore, watching me. Cheering him on like a faithful little lover."
Kagome's breath halted. He'd forgotten. Everything that had come after their first encounter had been lost to the breeze. She didn't know how it had happened, or when. If a spell or head injury impaired his memory. The reality was what stood before her now. An enemy wearing the face and skin of her dear friend.
The second her glowing barrier wavered- he struck his talons through her shield, shattering it and snatching Kagome by the throat. She gasped, clutching at his wrist as he raised her slightly off the ground, forcing her to scramble on tiptoe.
His face loomed close, nose brushing along hers. He smelled so familiar; spicy smoke, masculine, with a hint of forest. It put her heart at ease, clashing with the situation.
"Interesting that I sense your maidenhead remains, girl," he said quietly into the hush between them. "Did my brother not revel in his victory with you?"
Kagome gasped, feeling his thumb lift slightly from her windpipe. She growled, swinging her legs to try and kick free. He evaded them- until she managed to slam a foot into his thigh. He snarled- suddenly crushing her back against a tree.
Kagome wheezed, feeling the unforgiving press of armour against her chest and stomach.
"Listen to me-!" she gritted out. "Y-you said it yourself. I've aged. It's been years since your last memory, Sesshoumaru," she gazed at him pleadingly. "Please believe me. We put all that behind us. We're friends now. We defeated an awful foe together, and you protected a little girl called Rin. Gradually, we've warmed to each other. Nothing is the same as it used to be."
His icy expression did not thaw, though he looked briefly considering. That terrifyingly apathetic gaze which hinted at his penchant for swift, merciless killing roved over her face.
Kagome flinched as he brushed a palm through her hair, grazing down to linger on her cheek, running a thumb over parted lips. She inwardly purred, something unwanted stirring low in her abdomen. His nostrils flared.
"I sense no lies from you, and yet I refuse to believe this tale you are spinning. Perhaps you have fallen under some sort of enchantment. The fact remains that I could never befriend a lowly human," the edge of his claw bit down slightly into her plump bottom lip. She hissed as blood pooled. Sesshoumaru raised the digit to his lips, tongue winding around it to lap up the crimson substance in a languid drag. His eyes gleamed.
"I think… “ he began softly, the following words breaking the remainder of her composure, eyes widening. “In light of how amusing you have been, this one shall be magnanimous. I will ruin you instead of killing you," he promised in a rich cadence. "I will dirty you from head to toe. Your beloved Inuyasha will never stomach the sight or smell of you again. He will know his brother took all of your firsts."
Kagome's heart dropped with horror even while her lower stomach flipped.