His Milestones- Chapter Six

Chapter Six – Don't Hurt

The blasting sound of the ship's horn sent vibrations along the platform. The smell of salt water drenched the moist air. A chilling wind blew in swirls of chaos, coming from all directions. As powerful waves clashed against the base of the ship, the floors swayed rhythmically as if lulling the passengers to sleep.

Kagome dangerously balanced over the railings. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the fresh scent and basked in the damp texture of the wind. Deep blue stretched before her like a never ending path. Faint shadows of water creatures grew visible while they swam by. Engulfed by this new world of the ocean, Kagome barely noticed Sesshomaru's presence.

"So? After randomly ordering me to follow and lead me onto a ship to China, when do you plan to tell me what is going on?" Kagome said in annoyance.

Pulling out a letter from his inner pocket, he handed it to her. He then leaned against the railing beside her and waited until she finished reading.

A few days after the letter of alliance was sent to China, they received an immediate response. China showed great interest in working alongside with the Youkai Military Base in Japan. And so, they invited Sesshomaru to come visit them in China to finalize the alliance.

"Yes!" Kagome squealed with excitement. Holding the letter close to her heart, she yelled out, "They accepted! They want an alliance!"

Unconsciously grasping Sesshomaru's arm, she exclaimed, "Do you know what this means!? China is well acquainted with western countries through trade! With China as an ally, we can easily create ties with them!"

Though he understood everything she said, Sesshomaru was more conscious of her closeness as she spoke and the hand on his arm.

Her excitement paused and replaced with confusion. Kagome asked, "But why am I coming with you?"

"I believe a certain Miko complained to be 'dying of boredom' for the past few days," he said sarcastically.

Kagome let out a nervous laugh and sent him an apologetic smile. Sensing a presence approach, she heard, "Taisho-sama, your rooms are prepared."

Sesshomaru moved to follow the gentleman, causing her hand to fall away from his left arm. Closely trailing behind him, she could tell they were headed towards the best rooms available.

'VIP treatment,' she thought to herself in awe.

"The Lady's suite," the gentleman informed with a bow, "and the suite next door belongs to Taisho-sama."

Sesshomaru gave a stiff nod before disappearing into his room. Although she found his curt behavior odd, she shrugged it off and wandered into her own room with excitement.

Click.

The sound of her door close reached his ears. In that moment, a troubled expression appeared on his face. His right hand instantly clenched over his left arm. A burning sensation pulsed from the area she had touched. Unable to stop the feeling, he gripped his arm tighter.

What was she doing to him?

The image of her slender figure shaped beautifully in the deep crimson western dress burned into his mind.

His throat dried. The heat around his left arm intensified and slowly reached his chest.

"But why am I coming with you?"

There were other reasons to why he brought her with him.

Sliding a hand through his hair, a tired sigh released.

What was he doing?

##

The morning shine sneaked through the curtained window. The excitement to explore the ship had woken her early. Kagome smoothed the wrinkles from her dark blue dress. Lace delicately designed in a V shape around her neck and trailed down to her waist. Picking up the bonnet that matched the dress, she glanced at the hat in annoyance. Kagome tossed it onto her bed and headed for the door.

She was well aware that the fashion during the Meiji period required a bonnet and the hair tied up. But, she didn't care how people thought of her. She allowed her waist long ebony hair to flow down and twist into natural curls.

A burst of clean air washed over her as she opened her room door. Shades of orange vanished as the sun rose higher into the sky. Kagome glanced at Sesshomaru's room door and wondered if he would have breakfast with her. Cautiously, she stood in front of his door with a hand hesitant to knock.

She hardly understood why she was feeling so nervous all of a sudden. But noticing his door open, her eyes met with his and froze. She unknowingly breathed in the faint whiff of his scent. With him standing so close to her and wearing his uniform, her mind blanked.

"What is it, Kagome?" Having gone through paperwork all night, his unused voice came out husky.

She mentally pinched herself when she caught the tired look in his eyes. She was well informed by Shippo that Sesshomaru hadn't been sleeping at all since her arrival.

"Breakfast, let's go have some. You need energy to work, Sesshomaru!"

Affection sparked past his weariness.

"- Taisho-sama, a telegram has just arrived from the headquarters." Golden eyes flickered back stoic and read the note handed to him. Sesshomaru snapped, "Bring me to the transmission lines."

She noticed him hesitantly glance back at her. So, holding in the disappointment, Kagome waved for him to go. Shippo had told her that Sesshomaru had always been this busy. Watching him turn at the corner, she dropped her waving hand. Concern consumed her. Even on a ship, he was busy. From the looks of his schedule so far, it was most likely that he hardly had the chance to rest.

Entering a room filled with wires and cables, Sesshomaru snapped impatiently, "Out."

The Navy officers at the transmission desk scrambled to heed his orders. He grabbed the headset and started connecting to the headquarters for further information on the current issue. Frustration fogged his concentration. He never minded the heavy loads of work. However, he was tempted to abandon his duties during the days she was with him.

His fingers skipped a beat on the telegram being sent.

The days were too short with her.

##

Spending hours communicating with the fools that messed up, the sun had already set. Electricity lite the room while the sky reflected the color of the ocean. He took off the headset and left in search of her. Walking through the hallways, he reached the open deck. There were crowds of people present, but he immediately knew she was not amongst them. Many women dressed in western clothing passed him, yet he would never mistake them as her.

Following the trail of her scent she left behind, he reached a door that read 'do not enter'. Of course she would be here, he thought with amusement. Passing through the door, the narrow hallway led to a private deck.

There, he saw her sitting on the edge of the railing. Her pale hands gripped the sides in balance. A faint tune hummed past her lips as her feet swung to the beat. Her body moved along with the sway of the ship. Long natural curls formed in the breeze, while her ebony strands blended in the colour of the night sky. With her attention towards the heavens, her mauve eyes glowed in the moonlight.

He could never mistake anyone for her.

Such a wild and alluring image she captured at that moment proved his point.

Her melody quietened as she turned to face him with a bright smile. Kagome quickly jumped down from the railing and said, "You are finally done!"

"What are you doing here?" he said in a gentle tone, used when they were alone.

"I was waiting for you," she answered. Kagome sat at the bench against the wall and patted the seat beside her. "I know you do not like crowded places, so I thought this would be the perfect place."

Warmth spread in his chest knowing she had waited for him.

"I met so many people while exploring the ship," she said. Kagome knew asking about work would only tire him more.

He sat by her side and steadily closed his eyes as he listened to her. Strangely, the stress that stiffened his shoulders relaxed. He heard her retell the story of an ex-samurai she met who was on his way to reunite with his lover. The throbbing pulse against his temple slowly faded. Her light laughter eased his senses while she told him the funny encounter she had today. The calm sound of her heart beat soothed his ears. Her sweet scent blanked his mind from the thoughts of work. .

And so, for the first time, the inuyoukai slept in the presence of another.

Finally, even the cold-blooded youkai understood what peace was.

This peace only lasted until dawn. But it was enough for him, hopefully enough until the next time she reappeared from the well. She just didn't understand that during the decades without her he remained unaffected. Yet, when she was at his side...his heart learns to respond.

He did not know the reason, he simply accepted the facts.

The ship's horn echoed loudly, wakening Sesshomaru as his eyes fluttered wide open. Darkness still clouded the sky, even though they had arrived in China. He felt a heavy weight on his shoulder and turned to see Kagome curled up beside him.

A light snore escaped her lips. Her hair no longer in place.

Careful not to wake her, he reached out to brush the wandering locks away. Soon, her face was visible. A small smile formed on his lips. He moved to caress her cheeks when another loud moan of the ship's horn wailed causing Kagome to flinch. Sesshomaru pulled his hand away as she groggily awoke.

"We have arrived," he told her softly.

She glanced up at the dark sky and murmured a few curses beneath her breath. It was way too early in the morning to function. Unaware that she had slept on Sesshomaru's shoulder the entire night, she stood up and stretched her stiff back.

Still half-asleep, Sesshomaru managed to lead her back to her room and grab her materials. He quickly gathered his belongings and headed towards the exit. By the time they were on land, Kagome was wide awake and busily observing the architecture in the surrounding.

"Welcome, I believe you are the honored guests from the youkai military base in Japan?" a neko youkai in traditional Chinese clothing said in fluent Japanese.

Sesshomaru gave a curt nod. The neko youkai bowed and pointed towards the carriage waiting for them. But before Sesshomaru stepped into the carriage, he caught the whiff of a familiar scent. Golden eyes darkened while maintaining a stoic façade. They were being followed. Appearing unaware of this, he sat in front of Kagome and the carriage began to move.

Excitement shinned through her eyes as she watched everything that passed by in great detail. The sky was still dark, but she could make out the buildings and lightened shops that were preparing for business. But, while they passed an alley, the flicker of something shiny caught her eye. Quickly recognizing what it was, Kagome moved away from the carriage window and nonchalantly turned to stare at Sesshomaru. She knew exactly what was going on the moment she saw his eyes.

His expression was calm, but his eyes steeled with warning. Sensitive of the slightest sound made, he was fully alert.

Suddenly, the sound of the horses neigh followed with the harsh halt of the carriage. Timed perfectly, Sesshomaru blocked a sword that stabbed through the window while Kagome erected a barrier to protect the shocked neko youkai. Ignoring the cries of the confused neko youkai, Kagome rushed out of the carriage after Sesshomaru. There, in the middle of the deserted streets of China, youkai's dressed in ragged clothing pointed their deadly weapons at the two.

'We're surrounded,' she scanned the area. In a hushed voice she asked, "Mind telling me what's going on?"

"They are the criminals that escaped the borders of Japan," Sesshomaru said in displeasure. They were obviously outnumbered, but their opponents were weak.

"All of them!? You said none had yet to escape by you!"

He scoffed, "These ones escaped from the incompetent workers."

"Well, well, it seems I've dirtied your clean record then, Sesshomaru-sama," a rough voice sounded from the crowd of criminals.

Kagome immediately recognized the reptile youkai. He had been the one the officers were discussing about when she first visited the headquarters.

"Were you wondering how we found out Sesshomaru-sama was gracing China with his presence?" Sarcasm deeply embedded as he spoke.

Kagome stayed quiet, wanting to hear the answer. She doubted the Chinese Generals leaked the information.

"The Chinese General alerted us of your visit. He ordered us to ambush you of course," a sly voice reported.

She knew this could lead to war between the youkai's of China and Japan. But, she knew there was something off about the information given. There was no way the Chinese General would send such weak youkai's as ambush. The image of Sesshomaru receiving a telegram the other morning flashed through her mind.

"Sesshomaru, he's lying!" Kagome yelled. Pointing a finger at the reptile, she exclaimed, "You used the general transmission lines, and those can easily be hacked. You probably traced the telegram from the headquarters to the ship we were on."

"Y-YOU HUMAN!"

Sesshomaru had assumed Kagome's suggestion, but the response confirmed it. His clawed hand inched towards the Bakusaiga. This encounter was becoming a waste of time.

As if she read his mind, the buzz of purification powers flickered in the air.

"She's a miko!" a youkai yelled in panic.

"Stand your ground!" the threatening orders of the leaders roared.

The deadly ring of metal sliding out of its hilt resonated. Eyes focused on his prey, Sesshomaru waited for their first move.

"URRRRAAAAHHHHHH!" The booming roars of their voices shrilled as they all moved to attack the miko and inuyoukai altogether.

The gruesome sound of metal slicing through flesh continued. Aiming for the heart, Bakusaiga pierced through the chest. Just like a graceful dance, his heels made a sharp turn to swing his sword across another youkai's chest. As criminals pounced towards him at once, a flash of glowing green striked them all down, immediate death. Without missing a beat, all who attacked him lay scattered on the floor with no pulse. Blood dyed the floors, yet his uniform remained stainless of crimson.

"Damn dress," Kagome cursed as she sent another blast of power. Sweat trailed down her forehead while she heaved for air. The corset constricted her of fighting…period. She noticed that more youkais were aiming at Sesshomaru than her. Feeling helpless, she tried to purify as many youkais as she could.

Wait.

Erecting a barrier around her, she scanned the situation. She was certain their opponents should have all been defeated by now. Instead, the numbers had suddenly increased. Suddenly, she saw many youkais appearing from the ground.

'Underground helpers!' her thoughts rang in alert. She knew they had the ability to open entrances. No wonder the numbers of youkais hadn't decreased.

She needed to warn Sesshomaru!

Quickly searching for Sesshomaru, her voice stifled in shock. The passage underground had opened in not just one…but in several more places. The thundering tremors of hundreds of youkais marching towards them threw her into fear. An endless number of youkais spilled out from the open tunnel.

Horror widened her eyes as she numbly watched Sesshomaru cutting down youkai's. But with the numbers surrounding him increasing, it finally happened. One youkai managed to injure him.

The traumatizing memory of Yamamoto's sword stab through his chest flared to life. She could feel the hot liquid of his blood oozing down her face.

"NO!" she screamed, just like that time. Desperate, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her towards him.

He caught a distant figure running towards him. Kagome. A glow surrounded her as his eyes remained transfixed upon her every movement. That expression. He had seen it before during the fight with the rebels. She looked so desperate. Not caring for the disheveled state she was in, her eyes only focused on him.

Killing in cold blood always froze his emotions.

But, how was it…that she knew just what to do to make him feel.

Her outstretched arms alone reached his heart…changing his ruthless, merciless intentions.

Snap.

Something burst within her. The fearful sensation devoured by a strong will of protection. A painful heat consumed her as she clenched her eyes shut to rid the wretched memory.

A loud rumble shook the grounds, forcing all the youkais to fall to their knees. The sound of metal weapons falling onto the paved street echoed. The ground illuminated pink as a strong wave of power purified them.

Tortured howls ceased the moment the light faded.

A mist of smoke escaped towards the sky while the smell of burnt flesh stained the air.

Silence.

Sesshomaru watched in surprise at the sight of black charde markings on the ground. He could neither feel the presence of a single youkai. Glancing down, Kagome lay embraced in his arms. Overwhelming tears spilled from her eyes. Harsh sobs shook her body uncontrollably.

"Don't hurt," she repeated over and over.

Golden eyes widened a fraction before softening. A soothing growl hushed from his lips, comforting her, reassuring her. He hadn't the faintest idea how she grew so strong, but he whispered in concern, "That was reckless of you, Kagome."

"I don't want you to get hurt," she pleaded. Burying her face deeper into his chest, she gave into the darkness.

Catching her weight, he panicked.

Pulse pulse pulse.

The calm beat of her heart assured she was just unconscious. Shifting her closer to him, he knew it would take a while before the panic ceased. He gazed at her in blame.

"…don.. hurt…" a soft murmur slipped past her lips.

It grew harder for him to breath. His heart beat no longer stable. Leaning towards her, he gently placed his forehead against hers. Clenching his eyes shut, he paused.

'What will I do with you?'

Though the scent of blood was thick, she had warmed his heart to forget where they stood.

"I never want to see you in pain."

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