I Am Me; No One Else

Chapter 15: A Day to Remember Always

Kagome spent most of the day with her new classmates in the temple near the student area and her new bedroom while getting to know them. The newest miko there had allowed the girls to play dress-up with her clothes and experience the fine silks for themselves. They all laughed, shared smiles, and joked as if they had done this forever.

Though Kagome internally wondered if her power and presence had somehow altered their behaviors; as many of them hadn't seemed fond to see her arrive when in the hall. She would only become more concerned over it later if that proved to be true.

Several of the instructors who had come to check on them and ensure they had all gotten along had been very surprised to find that the other girls had actually gravitated towards Kagome than to single her out. They had found out that Kagome had shared with them some of her story and it had humbled them somehow.

Close to dinner though, most of the other instructors were eager to meet the girl and had left for the temple hall to prepare for the last meal of the day. Kagome, Aki, and Kukiko had chosen to sit and talk of more girly things than when in company of the slightly younger girls though they knew some had been keen to try and join the conversation.

"So Kagome?" Aki said shyly, "Do you like Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Kagome paused and feigned as if she didn't understand the question. She was well aware that the Inu Lord was still lurking nearby and likely could hear them.

She smiled simply, "Of course I do; he's my friend and has protected me, so why wouldn't I?"

Kagome then felt the slight change of the demon's demeanor; panged with hurt though covered by his hidden mask of emotions.

Kukiko giggled then as Aki made a face at her, "Oh come on Kagome, don't be dense. You know what Aki meant!"

The miko then smirked to them as the demon lord watched this with great interest. The two girls wondered if they should not have asked her about this.

"Well, since you are just dying to know and apparently will not drop the subject until I answer...Yes, I love Sesshoumaru very much, and I know he returns that affection to me. We actually share a true-bond together. However, we are not together as in the coupled kind-of way, as I wanted to complete my training here first and to go about the proper protocol for the courting."

Kukiko and Aki nodded; that seemed logical to them but then rose a brow as Kagome still had a smirk to her face.

"But I won't say that doesn't mean we haven't been intimate either, since I'd be lying to you both." She told them with a deceptive smile

Kukiko and Aki's eyes popped as the demon lord's pride was being caressed with a sense of satisfaction as his emotions changed slightly happier now, "You've been intimate with Lord Sesshoumaru? The Ice Prince of the West? The demon lord known as the Killing Perfection and is a rather notorious as a highly lethal assassin?"

Sesshoumaru wondered how these girls knew all of that. It seemed his reputation had reached even them. He wondered how his future mate would answer. Kagome merely smiled with reassurances to them, "He's not exactly an assassin anymore, not like he was; and just when he has to or needs to be. I have been intimate with him yes, but not in the way you are thinking and saying as we have not mated fully and have never had sex in that manner."

Her face flushed slightly as did the two others at such a topic, "I know that both of us have come to understand the other on a level that so many others will never relate to. That we both desire for this bond to be able to work out; though there are many who don't want it to.

Some of that is because I have not been officially announced to the Western Court as his intended in order to safe-guard me. And even then, us having a true-bond won't realistically go over well. One hasn't been seen in centuries.