On his youki cloud, Sesshoumaru spirited Kagome and Shin away to the snowy mountain valley far below the castle. The dinosaur-sized snowflakes had stopped falling for the moment. Bundled up with Shin in Sesshoumaru’s dense fur, Kagome barely felt the winter chill. The air here was brisk but still. It smelled faintly of pine and some other bright, clear note Kagome couldn’t place, yet filled her with nostalgia.
Shin wriggled in excitement as they touched down in a snow-blanketed clearing. The moment Kagome set her son on the ground, he transformed in a rush. With youki sparking around him, he dashed four-legged through the forest of dense frosted trees, toward one of the glassy lakes that glimmered in the distance. Kagome smiled after him.
“He’s so excited to run around here. Must be the magic in the air.”
“These are our ancestral lands.”
“Oh.” Kagome faltered. “He can tell that?”
“It’s a matter of scent,” Sesshoumaru replied, “and instinct.”
“I see,” Kagome said, even though she really didn’t. She turned and squinted after her son, but he was invisible to her now, a white blur against the white backdrop surrounding them. “Well, that would explain it then, I guess.” Biting her lip, she turned back to Sesshoumaru. “Am I depriving him somehow, by raising him among ordinary humans?”
“He doesn’t seem deprived to me,” Sesshoumaru replied, and Kagome could tell by following his line of sight that he could track Shin easily enough from here. Dryly, the demon lord looked to her. “It’s not as though your friends are exclusively human, nor ‘ordinary’ at any rate.”
Kagome crooked a smile. “That’s true.”
An errant breeze rustled through the snow-laced trees around them. Kagome flinched as a drift of icy flakes fell squarely on her head. She was brushing the snow from her bangs when she felt Sesshoumaru pull her to him.
His claws carded through her hair. Whatever bits of snow he didn’t flick away, his youki vaporized. His hand fell to the snow melting on her cheek. He let his thumb rest there against her skin, turning the chill dampness to balmy warmth.
“Even still,” he said, meeting her eye, “I’m glad you are here. Both of you.”
Kagome blushed. “I…yeah, me too.”
Shin came tearing through the trees, exuberant. Sprinting up to Kagome, he rose on his hind legs and smacked his forepaws to her chest, nearly bowling her over. Kagome laughed a little, staggering under the bulk of him. But then abruptly Shin backed off. His pointed ears dipped as he dropped to all fours, side-eyeing Sesshoumaru.
Swiftly, Shin returned to his human self. He sat on his little rump in the snow, reaching for Kagome with his wide blue eyes shining. She picked him up at once, a little unnerved by how intently he continued to peer at her, as if trying to communicate telepathically. After a solid minute of his unblinking stare, he started to whine.
“What is it, baby? What’s wrong?”
In her arms Shin squirmed, whining still. Kagome picked up on his frustration, but she didn’t know what to do about it, other than to cuddle him and coo to him. Just when she was starting to feel desperate, he reeled from her. Springboarding from her chest toward Sesshoumaru, Shin transformed as he did.
It reminded Kagome disturbingly of the movie The Exorcist, the way Shin in his humanoid demonic form latched to Sesshoumaru and crawled over him like an ant on a wall. But Sesshoumaru seemed unfazed. Circling around him a few times, Shin settled a hairsbreadth from Sesshoumaru’s face, using his tiny coiled fur to bolster himself upright in midair.
Golden eyes peered into golden eyes. Although Kagome was totally clueless about what was happening between them, she could sense her son’s frustrated aura calming. Sesshoumaru’s eyes flicked to hers then.
“He saw a spirit in the frozen lake,” the demon lord explained. “He gave chase, but he wasn’t able to catch her, of course.”
“That’s so neat, baby!” Kagome gushed.
Shin didn’t even so much as glance at her. His eyes remained trained on Sesshoumaru. Kagome’s beaming smile slipped ruefully.
“Geez, what am I now, chopped liver?”
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
I love this story
Thank you, Katherine!! That makes me so happy to hear! Happy Holidays!! 💕
I was sitting here re-reading earlier chapters when I hit next chapter and there was a 126 instead of 125. I have never clicked anything so fast in my life lmao. And I’m glad I did. This was one of my favorite chapters so far, especially after re-reading the beginning of the story and really picking up on how desperately attached to kagome that Sesshomaru is in this story. Reading it again made me really, really want to hear his perspective of the beginning-what he was feeling when finally being with her and the ache he must have felt with her denial and flil-flopping. The part of this story that broke my heart the most so far was the part I just stopped reading to read the update instead- when Sesshomaru realizes that Kagome is going back to Inuyasha after spending a week with her as his, thinking that she sould stay with him. His sad little “we will leave, then.” When she says she can’t stay there anymore… Ugh. You’re a master of angst and conveying emotion. I love Sesshomaru in this story and how you’ve written him so utterly and completely stoic and guarded, but give us these little glimpses into the deep, complex well of what he’s feeling. This entire thing from Sesshōmaru’s perspective would be fascinating. It’s a really beautiful character study of him, honestly, and I like the direction you take with his personality. It has its canon elements but also an expansion and exploration and I really think that’s the biggest draw to this story for me.
This chapter is beautiful and honestly I’m so, so glad I re-read the beginning before reading this update because it really just highlights the journey of this story. Kagome has been a hot mess this entire time but the pain that Sesshomaru has been enduring. He’s finally got the woman he loves and their child *home* here. I can’t even imagine how peaceful that would be and the atmosphere really just embraced that. You’re such a goddamned talented writer, Char. I haven’t had the privilege of reading your original works yet but I can imagine that you’re going to be a success in anything you endeavor to do. I love your brain. Anyways, thanks for sharing. It’s really an honor to read something so spectacularly creative, well-written, and clearly very, very well planned. I can see things clicking and forming that you’ve been setting up and I’m so eager to see where this goes.
Ahh Uissuteffu!! 😭😭😭 You’re the best!
“I love Sesshomaru in this story and how you’ve written him so utterly and completely stoic and guarded, but give us these little glimpses into the deep, complex well of what he’s feeling. ” – ugh that is just the highest praise! ❤ He’s our boy! So glad to hear I’ve done him justice!
Thank you for all the kind words and encouragement! Means so much more than I can say ❤ Thanks so much for taking the time to lay out all your thoughts after re-reading! So happy you enjoyed the chapter so much! Thanks again & happy holidays, friend! 💕
Oh wow, this made me realise that kagome told herself she was going to go “home” and packed up to go “home” to her mother… Only to go to seshoumaru instead. Ahhhhh it’s the little things like this that make me read these stories over and over again.
I just hope Inuyasha somehow goes looking for them. I hope Sesshoumaru gets to finally put Kagome on the spot and Inuyasha finally realizes what’s happening. I feel like Inuyasha is up to no good as well. Inuyasha is really self absorbed.
“I just hope Inuyasha somehow goes looking for them” – it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility 😉
Thanks, Redwolf, & happy holidays!! 💕
Aw Kagome! Don’t be like that! Shin is just bonding with his daddy! I love this chapter, it’s nice Sesshoumaru gets to bond with his child and his stubborn wife. His control is impeccable, cause I think the majority of us have lost patience with Kagome 😅
Hahaha yeah she’s pushed it pretty far XD
So glad you enjoyed the bonding in this chapter, Maya! Thanks so much for sharing! Happy Holidays!! 💕
Look at baby boy flexing his shapeshifting mastery. Impeccable 💯🏆
“Geez, what am I now, chopped liver?”
Shhhhhhhh it’s an ancient conversation between MEN, Kagome. DEMON MEN. YOU SHALL NEVER UNDERSTAND 😩
XDD yeah it’s a lost cause for her!
Thanks for pointing out that line!! So glad you liked it! Happy Holidays, Inupapa Claws!! 💕
My first reaction after reading this chapter was, “OH MY GOD, THIS IS MY FAVORITE STORY I HAVE EVER READ” (FIC AND PUBLISHED NOVEL). I can’t give you enough compliments, Char! Like holy crap. HOW ARE YOU REAL? HOW ARE YOU THIS TALENTED?
I love Sesshomaru and Kagome together sm. And I love when he voices his feelings to her. “I am glad you are here. Both of you” sjdgdsgjds SESSH IK YOU ARE! This man has played the long game and I’m glad he’s finally seeing it come to fruition.
Shin, oh my days, Shin! You cutie patootie. Realizing Kagome couldn’t understand him and running straight to daddy– Ahhhh, too freaking cute! And his mom’s reaction to it “Geez, what am I now, chopped liver?” Hahaha so in-character.
LOVE THIS SM <3
“OH MY GOD, THIS IS MY FAVORITE STORY I HAVE EVER READ” (FIC AND PUBLISHED NOVEL)” – 😭😭 I’m floored, bella! Thank you so much!! 🙏🙏
So thrilled you enjoyed the scene, and Sesshoumaru’s admission of his feelings! It’s those little glimpses from him that I love so much, so it’s awesome to hear how much you enjoyed that part! (And Shin’s cute little butt of course! XD)
Thanks a million for the kind words! So appreciated! Happy Holidays, friend!! 💕
Ahhaa, poor Kagome. I bet she can’t compete with telepathy between father and son. And, to be honest, Sesshomaru never shirked his duties as a father, given he’s always there to make sure they are both alright.
That was a beautiful -and meaningful – chapter, thank you.
I do wonder how Kagome is going to be able to return to her old life after this interlude.
Thank you, delfyne!! So glad you enjoyed the chapter 💕
Sess is being so reliable here. He’s giving me a case of the Doki-Doki’s ❤️🥰😘
This reminds me that Transgressions!Kagome must also have three giant puffballs stampeding down the stairs every morning 🤣
Hahaha true – those inuyoukai triplets! XD
Thanks for sharing, hanayome!! 💕
sess is being so ~H u s b a n d~ here 🥺💕
💕💕