A Spring Morning by StormieLikeWeather

A Spring Morning

A Spring Morning

Written for the Big Bang Challenge 2020

Theme was Caress

Art partner link to be added 

As the aura of her waiting companion hit her senses, Kagome’s heavy steps grew lighter. The exhaustion of the week whisked away by the warm breeze as she made it to the top of the hill and waved. “Ohayo, Onii-san!”

Both arms were crossed over his chest with his long sleeves pulled back, revealing muscular forearms and the stripes on his right wrist. His swords were laying on the ground beside him as he let the sun's rays soak into his clean shaven face. Long silver hair pooled down his back to a glistening puddle on the ground. The pale pallor of his skin had begun to tan.

She took the spot beside him at the base of the Bone Eater’s Well. 

One lazy brow cocked as his amber eyes opened a slit just to glare at her, “Must you continue with that nonsense?” 

In the past she might have felt deterred, but he’d given up too much of his true nature. They’d spent too much time together. Too many long conversations into the night and too many comfortable silences. 

Cheshire, her grin had him gently shaking his head as his pink lined eyelids slid back closed. 

She crossed her legs and leaned against the cool stone. The sun felt good on her face. How long would she need to rest there to tan a pretty caramel? She rolled her shoulders, further relaxing as she settled in for a long sun bath. 

His smooth baritone only furthered her serenity, “Will you be returning to your family today?”

“I am.” Heavy, she closed her eyes.

“When will you return home?”

Home. The question brought a gentle smile to her lips. For so long she’d felt torn between the two times. It felt good to know where she belonged. The future no longer gave her any semblance of peace. 

Going through the well meant visiting her Mother, Grandfather, Brother, and, for the first time, his new wife. There was nothing left for her there, and that was okay.

She crossed her ankles, “It will be a few weeks. My little brother has gotten married, I’d like to get to know his wife.” 

Petite hands ran through raven locks. She stretched and yawned.

As her breathing slowed, Sesshomaru felt a weight settle on his shoulder and a strange flutter disrupted the beating of his heart. 

The scent of her overwhelmed the smell of early spring. 

He took a deep breath as his gaze opened to look at the priestess on his shoulder. 

Soft warm steady breaths. She looked peaceful on his arm. Trusting. 

The weight felt comfortable, like a well worn armor.

He took in another deep breath of her scent. The smell of her had become like a familiar blanket to him. As welcome as the new season. 

He couldn’t pinpoint the moment that made them trust one another. The lack of ire at her antics didn’t suit him, and yet he found himself drawn to her foolish teasing.

As he let the shape of her sleeping face commit to memory, he watched the wind pick up stray strands of her hair. 

They fell over smooth skin and her pouty lips twitched. Her nose scrunched. 

A huffy sigh slipped from her mouth. 

Clearly it wasn’t annoying enough to wake her, but the thought that she needed assistance flitted through his mind. 

Reaching out, he brushed the silky strands away and managed to caress her cheek in the process. His fingers stilled there at contact. Warm. Soft. He swallowed over a dry throat. Soaking in the touch, he slid his fingers over her skin and tucked the stray hair behind her rounded ear. 

The curve was firm and the lobe felt silken with fine hair. Her jaw tempted his curiosity and he stroked the line of it with his index finger. He ran his knuckles over the side of her face. He wondered if the rest of her felt so smooth. If her shoulders and arms would be firm with muscle, or pliable. Her chest. Stomach. Navel. 

With the thoughts in his mind, he pulled his hand back. 

Suddenly her lips parted and she nuzzled closer, “Don’t stop, it’s kind of relaxing.”

She didn’t mind...

Without a word, he slowly stroked down the bridge of her nose, and froze.

Featherlight, fingertips skimmed the side of his face. 

Hot breath puffed out against her palm as she slowly drew her index finger over his skin. “See...” Pulling back, she settled her hand into her lap, “...relaxing.”

Relaxing wasn’t the word that came to his mind. A complex plethora of thoughts suddenly plagued him. He let his hand fall and settled back against the well. 

His own roughly beating heart ruined the calm quiet. Allowing his eyes to drift and linger on the priestess's lithe neck as the sun soaked into her serene looking face, he reminded himself that she could not hear the erratic tempo within his chest. 

Her heart resounded at its usual calm and steady beat. 

For a short moment he wondered perhaps if something could be wrong with him. If she remained so calm, could it have been that it was something that only affected youkai?

He’d never experienced any sort of ailment save for loss of limb and injury. 

The moment he closed his eyes, he heard it. The race of her heart as she not so subtly scooted her thigh closer. 

Somehow the anxious thrum calmed his own. 

Smooth fingers brushed his knuckles in the tiny bit of grass between them, a tentative stroke. 

Keeping his eyes closed, he answered by holding her hand.

Warmth seeped between their palms. 

The small wind washed through their hair, it fell back down in a twist of silver and black.   

As his heart calmed, so did hers. The soft pulses joined in a gentle cadence of twittering birds and the faint sound of the river as it soaked the shore near the village of Edo. He listened to the thwack of metal as it hit the ground. Farmers were preparing for planting. 

The chorus of life soothed. 

Things had grown boring quickly after completion of the jewel. They didn’t become interesting again until Kagome reappeared from the very well they sat against. 

Even on the slowest of days her light conversation replaced a need he hadn’t himself realized until this moment. 

Listening to their hearts rhythmically beat as one, he held her hand a little tighter. Like many times in the past, he didn’t want their frequent visits to take a pause for her to depart through the well. However, for the first time, the thought of her becoming lost to the future once again caused a pain to settle within his chest.

“Kagome.” 

“Hmm?”

“I wish to know how many days you will be gone.”

Her surprised laughter bubbled forth, “Are you going to come meet me?” Blue eyes opened to catch a serious gaze, just inches from her own. Laughter died, and her pulse raced once again. She stared back at him, searching his face, “Thirty days?”

He gave nothing away, but the way his fingers stroked her palm made her swallow over a dry throat. “I will be here thirty days from today.”

There was something in his gaze. Unable to pinpoint the emotion peering into her, she blinked back at him and sucked in a small breath. Suddenly the air felt thin. She turned her gaze forward. Looking straight ahead at the little flowers that dotted the hill, she gave a small anxious nod. “Okay.”

Days into her visit to the future, Kagome laid awake in her childhood bedroom. A cool breeze came in through the open window. The loud rush of cars on the highway obscured the chirping of crickets. 

She yawned. The squiggly patterns on the ceiling tiles bled together the longer she scrutinized them. 

Whether she closed her eyes or not, she kept thinking of the way Sesshomaru had looked at her just before she’d left the past. 

As she stood on the lip of the well, every muscle in his face looked tense. Often, he helped her up. This time was no exception, but he didn't usually look so tense. Still holding onto her hand. Rich dark amber eyes peered back at her, filled with something she couldn't put a name on. Worry? She bit her lip.

His lips just barely parted before he closed his mouth in a thin line and gave her a weirdly curt nod. 

Her usual goodbye felt hollow on her tongue. Not enough. Suddenly she realized the curl of unwarranted anxiety in the pit of her stomach.

Gnawing. She didn't want to leave him there. For a moment she thought of pulling him through time, bringing him to the future. A selfish desire to keep him close. 

Weirdly possessive for a friend, she chidded herself internally.

With a small disappointed smile, and a “Take care,"  warmth left her fingers. Claws slid across her palm as she took the plunge into the glittery pool of time. 

As the magic took hold, she watched the slight frown appear on his face just before it swallowed her up and spit her out in the future.

Hearing the clatter of her mother downstairs in the kitchen, Kagome crawled out of bed. Soft humming whispered up the stairs. Rounding the corner, Kagome paused in the entryway. She crossed her arms and watched. 

In an old robe, her mother had her back to her. Slowly wiping down counters, she gently swayed to the song on her lips. It’d been her father’s favorite. The soft melody, he’d hum it throughout the day, everyday. 

Though he’d died over a decade in the past, her mother still seemed just as in love with him as she had been when he was alive. 

Not wanting to interrupt, Kagome slipped on her shoes and went out onto the porch. Both the cars and crickets were louder now. The air chillier. Gentle raindrops pattered the wooden rail. She ran her fingers through the cool wet.

Wind picked up. It tossed around long strands of her hair and brought with it the sound of giggling. 

Footsteps. Laughter grew just loud enough for her to recognize the goofy baritone. Her brother, and presumably, her sister in law. As if on cue, they ran right past the house, stark naked. 

Immediately her eyes snapped shut, and a laugh bubbled up from her chest. 

“Shh, Souta!” His wife hissed. 

He chuckled, “What?”

“Stop it,” A light wet slap resounded in the rain. “Someone else is out here!”

Covering her mouth, Kagome turned on her heel. The love birds deserved some privacy.  

The well house door creaked. 

She stilled. 

An ominous shadow curled up from the grounds, tapping on her shoulder. It held all the promise of disaster, and Kagome had to question, “What if one of them falls into the well?” Maybe it was paranoia, but the uneasy feeling took hold. 

In an instant thunder and lightning launched through the sky and the sprinkling rain turned into a downpour. Her slippers were soaked by the time she’d made it to the well house door. 

As her fingers curled around the handle, a shrill cry pierced the sudden storm. 

The doors swung inward and she searched for her brother and his wife. 

Unbalanced on the splintered lip, dripping wet, his wife teetered toward the pitch black hole.  Souta had his fingers around her wrist. Kagome had never seen such intensity in his brown eyes. Face tense. His fingers slipped from his wife’s hand and her lithe body fell back.

“Nope!” Kagome shouted as she caught the woman’s arm. “Not today!”

Kagome helped Souta pull her back on solid ground. 

Once back inside, dry, and fully clothed, Kagome sat at the kitchen table in front of a steaming cup of green tea.

“Well,” Her Mother came back into the room, “She’s had quite a shock, but Souta is calming her down.” She pulled out a chair and took a seat in front of her own cup, “Are you okay, Kagome?”

“Mhm.” She nodded, looking into the loose leaves as they swam in the light green liquid, “How’s Souta?”

“He seems a bit upset, no doubt worried she’d be transported through time, or worse.” 

Transported through time... “I’d have gone through for her, it would have been fine.” 

“It may have been.” Her Mother took a long drink, “There’s no telling when one jump could be the last.”

Attention caught, Kagome’s blue eyes looked from her tea to her Mother’s solemn blue gaze. There was a small sad smile on her lips. “You think the well will close again?”

The melancholy smile deepened, “The possibility must have crossed your mind.”

Of course it had. 

“When you decide the risk isn’t worth it, at least I’ll know that you are safe.” The words came quickly, however her smile looked much brighter than it had only a moment before. 

Heart aching, Kagome pushed away from her chair and flung her arms around her Mother’s shoulders, “I love you, Mama.” 

"I love you, Kagome, but more importantly," Her mother's warm hands slid back and she looked into her blue eyes, "I'm proud of you. Now." She patted the side of her butt, “Get to bed.

“Okay.” She bit her lip and wiped the tears that were threatening to fall. “Night, Mama.”

Once her foot hit the bottom step of the staircase, she heard the humming once again. Turning her head, she could see a sliver of the kitchen through the entryway. Wiping down the table and swaying her hips to her own tune, her Mother looked just as content as she had earlier in the day. 

Elusive sleep had Kagome's mind wandering. No matter how many things she had to consider, her brain kept going to Sesshomaru. She sighed, rubbing her face. Feelings had slowly crept up on her, taking hold. He’d become an obsession. It didn’t feel healthy.

Inuyasha hadn’t stuck on her mind quite so strongly. 

The next few days went by, each adding another shade to the dark circles under her eyes. Standing in a room with extended family, while they chatted about the good fortune of her brother and his wife, she rubbed her arms feeling out of place. Cooped up in the small house, she quietly excused herself. 

Her steps paused as she opened the door. 

Holding hands in the grass at the base of the goshinboku sat Souta and his wife. Soft smiles, and bedroom eyes. He gently tucked stray strands of hair behind her ear.

Kagome ran her fingers over her cheek. The memory of Sesshomaru’s claws grazing her skin brought a smile to her lips and butterflies to her stomach. Not wanting to intrude on the newlyweds a second time, Kagome turned around and went back to the party. 

Watching the chatter go on, Kagome leaned back against the wall and slowly ate a slice of celebration cake.

Watching life go on around her, being there felt like the pause button on her own. 

As the sickeningly sweet icing melted on her tongue, she found herself missing bean paste. Fresh air and bean paste. Sesshomaru. 

She bit the back of her fork. Three things she found herself missing.

All three were waiting for her five hundred years in the past. Two for sure. One maybe.

He had said that he would be there.

As promised, thirty days later, Kagome swam through time to arrive in the pit of the Bone Eater’s Well. 

The moment the magic settled around her, her vision became blurred by white silk and silver hair. 

Ensconced in heat. The familiar aura grazed her skin, lapping against her reiki and causing it to bubble up beneath the surface. She relaxed in large hands, against a firm chest. Her nose and lips nuzzled against his fluffy boa as she breathed in the nuances of him. Claws ran through her hair and down along her jaw. He tilted her chin, forcing her eyes to his face. 

He’d never done that before. "Ohayo, Onii-san....” He’d never done anything like that before. 

Her cheeks felt hot as his amber eyes ignited with gold, “Must you insist to call I, Sesshomaru, such nonsense?” The rough pad of a swordsman's thumb grazed her blush. 

“I’m inclined to.” The teasing whisper left her without a thought. Her eyes were on his lips, acutely aware of how close they were. "I'm glad you came."

As new as the way he held her was, it felt nothing but right in his arms. 

Hot breath fanned her mouth. 

Her heart pounded. 

A drum.

Their hair swept together, the image of yin yang. Dualism. Quite possibly a perfectly balanced match. Sesshomaru closed his eyes, letting instinct pull them together. It guided his hands. His mouth. 

An unfamiliar rush welled up in his chest. 

Just shy of her lips, he paused. Opening his eyes, he watched in awe as thick dark lashes fluttered up over gleaming blue irises.

Her breath came out in a slow pant. 

He could feel the racing of her pulse in tandem with his own. 

“Are you waiting because the well may close again?” The whisper burned in his ears. It seared open his hesitation. 

Without a second thought, he brushed his thumb over her bottom lip, “I do not trust the time stream, however I will not ask that you not visit your family. I will be here upon your return, every return.” 

Warmth poured between them, their auras tangling up as if it'd been waiting for the chance.

Devotion filled his passionate gaze and she had to remember to take a breath. All consuming, she wasn't used to being looked at with passion. 

With a shy grin, she licked her lips.

Her fingers curled into his haori. Smooth silk bunched against her palms. She leaned in a little closer, on her tippitoes, heart like a hummingbird, "Sesshomaru, I'm not going back." Lips just a breath away, her cheeks felt hot with the thought of closing the distance.

Red tinged face, hair tousled by the trip through time, blue eyes gleaming with affection, Sesshomaru couldn't help but find her ravishing.

Claws slipped through silky black tresses. She tilted her chin, softly smiling. Hot breath teased. 

The tips of their noses kissed.