Hand Holding by Ren

Together

A/N Well here's another oneshot. Hope you enjoy. I stayed up late and rushed alot at the end but this was the best idea I could come up with. I know that I might not be the best writing, but I hope to get better, so please review and enjoy my writing. If you like this story, please feel free to read my other one shot, 'Remembering Her.' Any reviews concerning my syntax or diction would be lovely.

I don't own anything.

xxx

Hand Holding

Xxx

They held each other's hands. He had grown increasingly fond of this action. It was just the simple act of entangling their fingers together, yet it promised security. He was unable to explain what kind of security, but he didn't care. His hand engulfed her smaller ones, shielding it away from anyone else and protecting her. It was an act that defiantly stood out and labeled them as together, as a unity.

It was silly, but out of all the things they did together, he loved holding her hands while they walked home the best.

"Goodnight, Sesshomaru." Kagome beamed as she leaned in for a kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hn." He replied. He pecked her on the cheek. God, he loved how she kissed so lightly. Her soft lips would brush ever so slightly against his thinner ones. However he could taste the wetness her freshly licked lips. It drove him mad.

And with that, they departed. As the two split ways, the coldness of the night became abruptly noticeable. Kagome's warmth was gone and left nothing but her dissolving scent. His emotionless façade remained frozen on his face, but the light in his eyes dimmed a bit. This powerfully feeling...it consumed him. Has this gone to far?

He has to tell her.

Xxxxxx

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha exploded. "Get out of the family library! You're making a mess!" He pounded at the door, hacking away with it, using his fists.

"Silence!" Sesshomaru commanded.

Inuyasha sharply inhaled. Sesshomaru usually never yells. Of course, Sesshomaru gets fed up with him a lot, but he had never used his voice as a weapon. Sesshomaru frequently used cruel logic, to which, Inuyasha had never won over.

"Why are you in there anyways? Get the hell out!" Inuyasha screamed.

In one blur of a moment, the door slammed open and slid aside. "Listen, you piece of filth. This Sesshomaru needs an adequate amount of time to figure out the problem at hand. Your lack of comprehension is most annoying and will hamper my studies. Now, as I have said before. Silence."

With that, he shut the door and disappeared in the abyss of the Taisho Library.

Inuyasha sighed. He understood perfectly. He knew what Sesshomaru was trying to do and it wasn't going to work. He disliked his brother. He was an asshole, simple as that. Sesshomaru was his rival the day Inuyasha was born and Sesshomaru was acutely aware of it. However, Sesshomaru, being the elder, seemed to have everything. it was as if fate had a cruel sense of justice. Inuyasha was jealous of his brother, but that's just it. That sentence still had the word "brother" in it.

"Listen. I know what you're trying to do." Inuyasha whispered. He knew Sesshomaru could hear him. "It is best if you just break it off with her. There is no cure."

Inuyasha was greeted by silence. The quietness soon distorted into awkwardness. Slowly, Inuyasha turned and walked back to his room. He didn't hear it, but it was said, nonetheless.

"I know." Sesshomaru said.

Xxxx

"Did you finish your homework?" Sesshomaru asked as he walked into Kagome's room.

She turned around to face him, smiled and said "Yes!" and to further stretch it out: "Yes I did."

She then resumed her Nintendo DS which was so inconspicuously hidden.

He closed the distance between him and the petite woman. A raw urge over came him and he kissed her. He would miss this. "You are a horrible liar, Kagome." Sesshomaru said. "You should take your work seriously. College is of great significance. If this one sees your attention meander to something as trivial as this 'Pokémon' you describe, I will be forced to take action."

"Ppsshhh," Kagome taunted. She jerked her DS away from him. "What're you going to do? Kiss me to death?"

Oh, he didn't expect that. Well, now he had to take her on. Immediately, Sesshomaru forgot about his original quest. "I accept your challenge." He grabbed her wrist and pinned her to the soft rug. He came down fast and, like a hawk hunting its prey, he swooped down and crashed his mouth with hers. His tongue poked out, asking for entrance. It was granted. He pressed his body with her small frame. The warmth that he was so accustomed to returned with even more potent emotions.

Sesshomaru felt himself melting on top of her. Only one word kept replaying in his mind: more. He wanted more from kagome. How did it come to this? After all these years, he crumbled under one small female. The things she did to him forced him to react so strongly yet, she would never know. Oh, how he wish he could convey his passion. If only he could pour his raw emotions in one consecrated area and shower her with it.

Sesshomaru rose. He was still on top of her but he was staring into her eyes now. He pondered to himself.

What had him so magnetically attracted to her? What unnamable force pulled him to kiss her, touch her, and please her? He knew the sins and the oncoming reprimands, yet his desire knew no bounds, even with his dark secret constantly hovering above him, he had refused to let her go. Had. He grew confident. He could do this. After all, it was just one girl. Another shirt in the closet, right? His lips thinned. A part of him disagreed.

He brushed it off. Such maudlin feelings were not fitting for him.

Kagome stiffened. The one second he stared at her seemed to stretch into hours. He looked at her with such intensity, with such emotion and passion, that it scared her. She wanted to embrace it, but at the same time, run away. The mixture of feelings gathered in her stomach and stirred her emotions. She just knew that this was going to be something bad.

He got off of her.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome piped up. "Are you okay?"

He stared blankly at the wall for a minute. Was he really going to do this? Silent shock suddenly over took him. What would he say? How is going to live without her? Sesshomaru flinched a bit. It was as if his attachment to her became lucid to him. Is this what he had come to? Disgusted with how he had grown so attached, he turned away from Kagome's prying eyes.

"Kagome," He started. His voice diminished but it was still deep and baritone. He found himself unable to finish. A foreign lump prevented any words from escaping out. Why did he hesitate so? What blockaded him from speaking? He felt it….fear? Fear of letting her go?

weak.

She made him unbelievably weak.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked. "Please. Tell me." She looked at him with genuine concern.

Something poured out of him. It was overwhelming, even though he didn't quite comprehend it. Was it just attachment or lust /or perhaps...something else? No matter, he acted.

He brought his large hand up, with one hooked finger and lifted her chin to him gently. He leaned in and their lips brushed against each other, barely skimming the surface. Kagome gladly leaned in and reciprocated his actions. No, she did much more. The way she kissed was full of love. Both of them were under what seemed like a hypnotic spell.

Kagome slowly, and, for a reason that wasn't clear to even her, cautiously placed her small hands on his bigger ones.

The trance was shattered. The warmth of her hands stole him back into reality and revelation hit him.

He let himself love her. This has gone too far.

Sesshomaru stood and left, leaving behind a confused Kagome.

"Wait, Sesshomaru!" Kagome shouted. It was too late, Sesshomaru was already out the door. Kagome chased after the lean man, but he only got farther and farther. Kagome ran, but Sesshomaru was godly fast. Soon, he became nothing but a dot in her vision. Then a speck. Then, he was gone. She had to find him.

xxx

Crowds of people began to dissolve into a blur as Sesshomaru walked faster and faster. He was wearing nothing but a suit for work. It covered him well and boasted his good looks; however, it did not do a good job of shielding him from the snow. It mercilessly piled on top of him.

Winter had arrived and with it, came a myriad of snow. The cold bit at Sesshomaru's skin but the man kept his pace, as if the frost had no effect on him. He monstrously paced down the lane, devouring the distance hungrily. It seemed almost beastly.

Upon his arrival, he slammed the door open.

"Jesus!" Inuyasha shot up. He glared behind him, only to see a very serious Sesshomaru. "What the hell are you doing? And shut the door! It's freaking negative five billion degrees out there!"

Sesshomaru's lips thinned. Then, with no warning to the frame of the door, he threw it closed. The force was so powerful that even Inuyasha thought that Sesshomaru might've shattered the door like a glass vase.

Ignoring the ruckus he caused, Sesshomaru faced Inuyasha (on the living room, watching t.v) and sternly demanded, "Where is father?"

"He just got home! You don't have to rush in like that, you asshole!" Inuyasha bit out. "Get the hell upstairs and get away from me. You're dad's headache now."

"Refrain from using such language around me." He snarled. Sesshomaru was not having a good day and he didn't need Inuyasha's prattling to be added to his stack of grievances.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha screamed as he grabbed his jacket. "Jesus! I hate it when your home. I'm going out to get some beer. Lock the door behind me!" He left in a huff. God, he hated being around his brother.

Sesshomaru quickly walked upstairs and pivoted to his father's bedroom. The elder lean male was stripping his tie, leaving his chest with only the collard snow shirt. Sesshomaru barged in.

His curiosity and desire overwhelmed him. He had never before been so consumed by an emotion. Reasoning and calm thought always guided him, with logic as their sidekick. But no. Not this time...not when it comes to Kagome.

"Sesshomaru!" Touga said, with genuine shock in his voice. "Is something the matter? You seem...troubled."

Sesshomaru's expressionless mask held on strong. He nodded. "Father, I need a cure for this..." He paused, looking for the perfect word, "Dilemma."

Touga stood in silent shock. Sesshomaru had never once asked for this. In, he even seemed to be of fond of their 'disease', yet here he was before him, asking for freedom. Sesshomaru was unchanging for so many years, so why now? Touga stared straight into Sesshomaru's eyes. What sparked this radical change?

"You never saw it as a chain before." Toga said. "But nevertheless, there is no cure."

"Father, are you absolutely sure?" Sesshomaru asked. His eyes narrowed.

"Of course." He replied smoothly. "Son, may I ask why you want this?"

"That is of no concern."

Touga paused. He considered the factors in Sesshomaru life. "Does this have anything to do with that Kagome girl?"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. "No." He lied.

"Don't lie to your father." Touga said. "What are you planning to do about this?" He suddenly panicked. What happens if Sesshomaru would go so far as to tell that woman about their family? He couldn't possibly dispel that. There is no telling what she would do with that information. This was bad.

There was no arguing with his father. Somehow, after all these years, Touga just knew everything. Sesshomaru's lips thinned. Hesitation was foreign to him. Dammit, Kagome had sparked too many changes. He thought differently, he felt differently and his perspective in every factor in life became slanted. Sesshomaru spoke.

"I have no other option. I will inform her of our problem."

They both looked at each other for a moment. Sesshomaru was as shocked as his own father. He admired his father and always listened to him. He has never been so saturated with his obsessions to ignore his father. But it was different now. Kagome was in the picture. No matter how hard he tried, Sesshomaru couldn't let that go.

"Son," Touga started. "Rethink this. What would she think?"

Sesshomaru looked away, his expression blank. "Come what may. I choose this."

"Think about the family, Sesshomaru!" Touga abruptly shrieked. Sesshomaru couldn't do this! He would ruin them if anything went out of hand. In fact, Sesshomaru might even hurt himself because of this. "When did I raise a son so disobedient? I will not allow you to divulge any information!"

He grimaced. "This Sesshomaru can make his own choices."

"Do not act like a child, Sesshomaru! What about Inuyasha and me?" Touga shouted. His volume started to rise like steps on stairs. It got louder and louder. "This is inconsiderate! I will not allow this! Are you going to choose a girl over your own family? Know where your loyalties lie!"

"I know perfectly where my loyalties lie!" Sesshomaru bellowed, suddenly. "Perhaps this is a selfish decision, yes, but I am not a child! I will honor my responsibilities and handle what may come!" Fury built up in Sesshomaru, but he had to push it down. He dammed his hatred as well as he could. He must control himself.

"You fool!" Touga screeched. The pure rage that was confined in the man spilled fourth. All of a sudden, without thinking, he said the first thing that came into mind. "All of this for, Kagome? She isn't worth your time! There are 50 other women just like her outside in the streets of Tokyo!"

And with that, the dam ruptured. Sesshomaru's eyes bled crimson. Red consumed his eyes, and left his pupils blue. How dare he? How dare he say that about Kagome! The insult that was thrown not only offended her, but also offended him. Raw emotion devoured Sesshomaru. He had always boasted about his self control, yet here he was, losing to….his disease. No, he can't give in. But god, he was furious. His rage spiraled out of the bounds of his control.

It was slipping. The last shred of his sanity was starting to fade. No! He couldn't transform here! People would see! They would know about his 'disease'!

Too late. His elegant nails sharpened into claws. Fangs exploded out his mouth. White fur proliferated among his body, distorting him to beastly proportion. One thought still ringed loudly and lucidly transparent, despite his loosening sanity.

"How dare you!" He roared.

With that, Sesshomaru's transformation finished. He snarled loudly at his father, who stood in shock. He did not expect this. It was an accident, a slip of the tongue. He didn't mean to say such spiteful words. Realization dawned upon him. So this was how much Kagome meant to Sesshomaru. He had no idea that Sesshomaru's feelings were so powerful. He never knew that such a wonderful emotion can turn into something this raw and frightening.

"S-sessho-kun?"

Both males turned around, and there, at the door frame, stood a very scared Kagome.

Xxx

Fear was brought to life within the small girl's body. Kagome could only stare at Sesshomaru, well, what was supposed to be Sesshomaru, but in front of her stood a beast. Her eyes became as big as saucers. Was this really Sesshomaru? The man that she has grown to love so much?

Touga wasted no time in pinning the monstrous dog down. He held Sesshomaru down with one palm, as if holding down a bee's wing. Sesshomaru faught back. He squirmed and howled at the top of his lungs, battling for freedom. As soon as he gets free, he would destroy everything. He snarled angrily. Venomous drool stained the walls and funiture.

"Calm yourself!"Touga screamed. He jammed his arm forward and kept Sesshomaru from failing around so much.

Sesshomaru had never felt so powerless before. He screeched under his father's iron tight grip.

Bits of Toga's furniture began to disintegrate under the acidic contents of Sesshomaru's poison. Sesshomaru kicked and howled. But he went down. He went down like a huge ship, sinking as it hit the bottom of the sea floor. He went down like the crash of a great wave after a tsunami. The crash of his huge body caused the floors to shatter.

Kagome, all of a sudden, felt weak. She brought her hand in front of her, covering her mouth which had opened to a small oval. She stumbled backwards, only to fall on her butt. Speechless, she stared at Sesshomaru, unsure what to do.

What about Toga? He valiantly kept his strength, but Sesshomaru refused to give up. His crimson eyes burned with rage. Touga had no choice but to take Sesshomaru down. With one quick swoop, Toga sent a punch right to Sesshomaru's jaw. The mighty animal howled and rolled over, unconscious.

Toga's heavy breathing bounced off the room.

Kagome sat, horrified.

"W-What is this?" Kagome stuttered.

Toga looked away. She shouldn't be here. She didn't deserve this. He didn't have a choice anymore, so he might as well tell her. He released a deep sigh. "This is…a family issue."

Toga still looked away, refusing to see the fear in her eyes. It was fear and disgust of them. Not only Sesshomaru, but him as well. Even though he didn't know her, any rejection was quite painful.

"Long ago, my father angered a witch, who then casted a spell upon us. The family was subjected to this curse, generation by generation, as told by the witch. The first born child would be born ivory, with demonic like powers." Toga explained. " The second child would be very like the first born, except that child will seem much more human. We could only assume that the child was born with half the disease."

He looked at his son. The great sleeping beasts lie on his ruined floor, with snake like lines of drool collecting at his feet. Any human would find it repulsive.

"We are…" Toga muttered. "Truly cursed. There is no cure, nor will there ever be." He stared at his hand. He lowered his guard. He blinked and the mirage fell. His bland black hair turned into a shiny silver. His fingernails extended into claws and his markings crawled onto his face.

Kagome sat in silent shock. She didn't know what to say or how to respond. She stared at Toga, surprised to see him as well. A long silence passed by, mixed in with the sound of Sesshomaru's heavy breathing. Disappointment flickered in his eyes. He looked down. So this was how it's going to be, huh? Rejection from her. He knew it. He shouldn't have expected anything to be different.

"I can understand if you no longer wish to see my son, howe-" He was cut off short by the sound of Kagome's footsteps.

She bravely stood, her body still trembling. Her boots clacked on the wood floor. She inched towards the silver dog, still biting her lip. Her sapphire eyes hid nothing. She was absolutely terrified. She was scared of Sesshomaru and Toga. But she did something strange.

She walked forward.

She wasn't in a trance or hypnotized. Her senses were completely conscious and aware. She continued forward. She didn't know what was going happen. Kagome had no idea what ramifications were waiting for her if she went closer. She did know one thing though. She loved him. She adored Sesshomaru.

Shivering, she held onto his nose, both arms wrapped around him. She could feel his hot heavy breathe in the air. She was careful not to touch his acidic drool.

"I-I'm scared." She wimpered. "I don't know what's going to happen now. I don't know what to do."

She still didn't let go.

Sesshomaru opened his eyes. She was not leaving? She didn't run. His huge crimson eyes widened. She stayed with him. Shock coursed through his body. He found himself overcome with a warm feeling. He couldn't quite describe it, but he could feel it. She stayed. She was deathly afraid right now, he knew that, yet out of her compassion and love for him, she was here. He had never felt so precious.

"I…"Kagome struggled with her words. "won't leave you. I know how hard it is, being you, I mean, Sesshomaru. I would never reject you, no matter what." fat tears started to drip down her chin. "We've always been together haven't we? I want to continue that. I want to have couples fights, go to the mall, watch movies, go on picnics, and buy each other gifts. Everything."

Kagome buried her face in his soft fur. Her tears stained his hair, but he somehow found it comforting. She was crying for him. He had grown so accustomed to her warmth, but he has never felt her naked emotion. It felt so warm and kind. Even after seeing his monstrous form, here she was, ready to stay with him.

"There are so many things I want to do with you." She whispered. "I'm scared but I know that if I run away now….You'll never forgive me for it. I'll stay. I'll always stay."

And with that, he transformed back.

Toga stared in silent shock at the two tender lovers.

Sesshomaru returned to his humanoid form. His long ivory hair pooled at the floor, forming a silver hood around him. His eyes were no longer black, but a bright shade of gold. His markings remain.

"You mean this?" He asked, still laying back. He brought up his hand up to cover her cheek. She overlapped her own hands on top of his. She nodded. She then grew bold and tilted her head a little so that she was kissing his palm.

Frozen, Sesshomaru stared at her. He had nothing to say. He never could say anything, for he was a man of few words. Sesshomaru knew though, that words meant were a perfect tool to convey his actions. It wasn't up until now that he realized that. He did not understand how he felt about her, so he carelessly catogorized it under 'lust'. He, the great Sesshomaru, was wrong. It was so much more. It was an immense and exponentially growing attraction and adoration that he was unable to contain. He understood now.

He gave himself into this feeling.

He pulled the kagome as close to him as possible and nuzzled her cheek and licked her tears away. Kagome filled all of his senses and took over his whole body. He tasted her soft skin on his tongue; it was like the inside of a rose petal. He gripped onto her back, while his other hand ran through her hair. What was this emotion? It was so potent and utterly uncontrollable. This was not compassion, nor was it empathy...it was much much more. He found himself liking it. It was love.

Consummation at last.

"Always together." He whispered.

xxx

They held each other's hands. He had grown increasingly fond of this action. It was just the simple act of entangling their fingers together, yet it promised security. This sanctuary that was built by kagome for him was to help him feel accepted and loved. There would be someone to miss him when he was gone. There was comfort in that, to know that there is a beautiful human being out there that's thinking about him. He always thought that he was protecting her, but he sees now.

He tightened his grip on her hands.

They were protecting each other.

Xxx

Owari

xxx

Well there it is. Cute isnt it? I wanted to make something happier, since my other story made people cry. Depending on the amount of reviews or hits I get on a story, I will write chapters or continue it. Thank you very much for taking your time to read it.