Somewhere in Time

Lullaby

Kagome sat absently in the passenger's seat of Mama's car. They were coming home from the hospital. It had been a truly embarrassing experience—the doctors were puzzled at the residues of poison in her bloodstream. Of course, she couldn't tell them that it was from a toxic mist surrounding a place called Hill of Bones in the feudal era. Fortunately, the herbs used to heal her actually worked miracles. Her shoulder wound was finaly mending and the bruises all over her body were beginning to fade.

The daiyoukai had agreed to remain in the house with Souta and Grandpa after so many reassurances that Kagome and her mother would be safe. After all, she was under his protection now and maybe he took such oath very seriously. Just look at how protective he was of Rin. His sense of responsibility impressed her. If only Inuyasha...

She shook her head and pushed the thought away. It won't be good to think about him after what he'd done.

"Kagome," Mama said softly. The priestess looked at the older woman curiously. "What happens with Inuyasha now?"

"I won't be traveling with Inuyasha for a while, Mama," she replied quietly, refusing to look her mother in the eyes. She didn't want to relive that nightmare. Her heart wasn't ready to deal with the hanyou yet. The trauma he had caused was too deep, too tormenting, and any mention of him gave her anxiety. She tried to change the subject. "Besides, Sesshomaru has offered a place for me if I wanted to travel with him."

The older woman smiled. "Sesshomaru-sama is... quite different from his half-brother, I noticed. Come to think of it, they're the complete opposite. He seems more reserved compared to Inuyasha's brash personality. Do they get along well?"

"Their relationship is..." Kagome paused to think of an appropriate word, "complicated."

Mama considered this and looked at her with concern. "Will there be a problem then if Inuyasha finds out you will be staying with Sesshomaru-sama?"

Kagome sighed. "It's not his decision whether I stay with Sesshomaru or not."

"Well, as long as you are comfortable being with the feudal lord, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't."

The miko brightened up. "He's traveling with a child and a loyal friend. He doesn't always show his emotions, but he deeply cares about them."

"He does seem to care about you too."

Kagome let out an incredulous laugh. "Mama, Sesshomaru isn't the romantic type. He's many things, but he will never chase a woman for love."

"Well, he looks at you differently than Inuyasha does. With Inuyasha, it's as if he sees someone else."

The smile on her face disappeared, but she managed a sad reply. "I know."

She'd never told Mama about Kikyo. That was best left in the Sengoku Jidai. And honestly, now that Kagome had been shown her real place in Inuyasha's life, she realized she had been trying to fill a hole that was never there. Kikyo will always be his one true love. There was no changing that.

Somehow, it hurt a little less.

Somehow, the thought of it no longer broke what was left of her heart.

Her mind wandered to their daiyoukai guest.

Sesshomaru was complicated. While she was glad that he saved her life, she could not fathom his reasons for doing so. He was very cryptic about it. She knew the feudal lord did whatever he wanted, but why was he so uncharacteristically warmhearted around her?

Anticipation made her heart flutter when she saw the torii of the Higurashi shrine in the distance. What was Sesshomaru doing right now? Will he still be there when she came home? She couldn't help but smile inwardly.

Kagome, what are you thinking? Are you seriously getting butterflies because of Sesshomaru?

As soon as Mama's car stopped at the torii, the miko hopped out and ran up the long flight of stairs towards the shrine and to their house. She found Souta and grandpa in the living room watching TV.

"Nee-chan!" the little boy greeted, darting forward to give her a quick hug.

"Good evening, Souta, grandpa." She looked around. The daiyoukai wasn't in sight. "Where's Sesshomaru?"

The boy shrugged. "He went upstairs halfway of the movie. I think he got tired from helping grandpa clean the storage room."

Kagome's eyes widened in shock. "He did what?! Grandpa, why did you bully Sesshomaru into helping you? He's the Lord of the Western Lands!"

"He offered to help!" the old man squawked.

She groaned and hastily tiptoed across the stairs to her bedroom. Sesshomaru did not tire easily, so that must not be the reason why he went upstairs. Was he annoyed that a human made him do household chores? His pride as a daiyoukai was something he always held in high regard. Grandpa was lucky he was still alive.

Kagome slowly opened the door, expecting to see a very angry inu-youkai, but what she saw caught her off guard. The tenseiga and the tokijin were still set against the nightstand, beside them was the spiky armor that Sesshomaru always wore over his kimono. His boots were neatly set near his other effects.

The proud Western Lord was curled up on the pink bed, his long silver hair all over the pillow, his face a tranquil mask as he slumbered deeply.

The miko approached the sleeping daiyoukai breathlessly, her heart wild against her ribcage. She'd never seen Sesshomaru like this. Always, always he stood guard over Rin and Jaken, constantly vigilant and alert of any danger that might harm those he cared about. But now that he was in the future, perhaps this was the only time he could fully relax without having to worry about the safety of others.

She sat on the floor and stared at his handsome features.

Up close, he was really captivating. His youkai marks made him even more dangerously attractive. The way his sharp features made up for his almost-feminine look was a complete mystery. Tentatively, Kagome raised her right hand and brushed his silky fringes, revealing the indigo crescent moon that she always had dreams about. She heard a deep, guttural sound from Sesshomaru's slightly open mouth.

Did I wake him? When he didn't open his eyes, she began to lightly trace the magenta stripes on his face, starting from the ones on his eyelids and then those on his cheeks. Kagome placed her left arm on the bed and rested her chin on it, all the while stroking Sesshomaru's face and running her fingers through his silky hair. She let her breathing match his own pace, until they were perfectly synchronized like a lullaby. Before she knew it, she was falling deep into unconsciousness, her right hand delicately placed over Sesshomaru's cheek.