"I'm glad to see that you are all right, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken was quite relieved. Sesshoumaru-sama did not act as if anything were different. He only seemed a bit pre-occupied.
They were in mid-air, traveling back to the Western Lands, and Jaken for one would be glad to get there. He'd be even glad to see that brat, Rin.
"Jaken." Sesshoumaru said quietly. "What is that stench?"
"Er - stench, Sesshoumaru-sama? I smell no stench!" Jaken tried to hide his nervousness.
A small little smile crossed Sesshoumaru's lips which caused Jaken to rear back his head in alarm. Sesshoumaru smiling? Oh oh! That meant that he was gonna die!
Immediately Jaken did the only thing he could do - grovel and beg.
"Please Sesshoumaru-sama! I don't know what came over me! It wasn't MY fault, it was - it was HER fault. She was a witch or something. Your poor Jaken would never consort with ugly tall humans with breasts like rotten melons!"
Sesshoumaru chuckled, resisting the urge to laugh - a feat that seemed to be too easy to give into now. Besides he was sure it would cause Jaken to keel over in shock. He lifted up his hapless retainer and said coolly, "Go take a bath, Jaken."
"Bath? Bath? But we're up - here?"
"EEEEEEYYYYYAAAAA!!" Jaken screamed as Sesshoumaru let him fall into the lake that they were passing over. He plunged into the icy cold waters with a resounding splash. Sesshoumaru peered over to see if Jaken had surfaced which he did.
"Once you're clean you will come back to the castle, Jaken." Sesshoumaru knew that Jaken could hear him despite the distance.
"H - hai, Sesshoumaru-sama.." Jaken crawled on the bank, looking like the world's most miserable youkai. All this because he fell in love...Pah!
Sesshoumaru finally gave into his laughter and then he floated away, letting his thought wander to the wench, Kagome. He had no doubt that he would see her again, since he knew his hanyou brother was an idiot and wouldn't appreciate her at all.
He sighed, thinking about what Sahika had asked him about fools in love. She probably had something to do with the whole thing. Ah well, it was done and he had not the heart to kill her for it.
The youkai-lord headed for home, still thinking about Kagome.
~*~*~*~
When she reached the village, Kagome went straight to Kaede's house, where she was surprised to see not only Kaede seated in the hut but also Sango sitting in a wooden bathtub, scrubbing herself furiously. Sango shrieked and yelled for Kagome to shut the door.
"Ah, Kagome, I see that Sesshoumaru did not hurt you." Kaede said.
"No, no he didn't but - what happened?" She was looking at Sango still rubbing furiously at herself with some home-made soap.
"Jaken!" Sango shuddered.
"Jaken?" Kagome frowned. What did that toad-youkai have to do with anything?
"He - he - oooh! When I see him I will KILL him!"
"Er - what did he do Sango?" Kagome had the feeling that she didn't want to know.
"He chased me around! Said that he was in love with me!" Sango dipped herself under the water and resurfaced.
"Jaken?" Kagome made a disgusted face.
"And he GROPED me! That hentai little green slimy BAKA!" Sango started to scrub at her skin again.
"Euwww.." Kagome said. She had seen Naraku briefly chasing Inuyasha but not Jaken chasing Sango!
"Yes!" Sango grimaced with a shudder. "He said I had breasts like rotten fruit!" She wailed.
"Uh, I guess to him it's a compliment?" Kagome ventured.
"*I* don't think they're rotten at all.." A voice from outside the hut said.
"MIROKU! DON'T YOU DARE!!" Sango yelled.
"Priest, go AWAY!" Kaede added.
Kagome shook her head. Today had to have been the weirdest Valentine's day EVER!
"I want to see Kagome!" Shippou wailed from outside.
"Sango's taking a bath.." They heard Miroku say.
"That's RIGHT! So GO AWAY!" Sango's nerves were on edge.
"You obviously need calming after your encounter with Jaken.." Miroku said smoothly. "If everyone would leave the house, then perhaps I could - "
CLUNK! Sango had gotten up and quite accurately chunked the bar of soap at Miroku's head - without exposing herself to his gaze.
"Hentai.." Sango glowered as she got back into the bath.
Kagome noticed how red her skin was and said, "Sango, if you keep scrubbing, you'll scrub your skin off! I have some stuff that really smells good and I bet that'll help."
"Oh would you, Kagome?" Sango looked relieved. Everything from her world always seemed to do things that were not possible here. If she had something that would take the smell of Jaken away from her, she knew it would work.
"Sure!" Kagome smiled, happy to help Sango. "I have some body lotion - it's um vanilla and peaches. It smells very good and it's good for your skin!"
"Thank you, Kagome..you're so nice." Sango got up and took the makeshift towel that Kaede handed her.
"Oh no problem, Sango. I'm glad to do it."
Sango sighed as she wrapped herself in the towel. "The only good thing about all that weirdness was that Miroku and I - well it was wonderful."
"You - didn't?" Kagome was shocked.
"Oh not that!" Sango blushed. "But it was like we loved each other very much. And he didn't grope me once!"
"Wow, that IS love." Kagome shook her head.
"I kind of miss that feeling.." Sango sighed.
"Well, maybe it's there. I've seen him look at you sometimes when you're not looking, and it's not one of those nasty looks either."
"You think?" Sango looked surprised.
"I think so!" Kagome was happy to see that Sango was calm once more. "Let me get you that body lotion."
~*~*~*~
Kagome found her bag right where she left it but unfortunately she found a certain hanyou digging through the contents again.
"Inuyasha! What are you doing!" Kagome put her hands on her hips.
Suddenly the hanyou leaped up, a victorious smile on his face. "Ah ha!"
And then started to spray himself all over with the aerosol can he had found in her bag.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Kagome exclaimed.
"Feh! You don't have Naraku all over you!" Inuyasha tried NOT to think about Kaogme and his brother." I bathed in the river and I can still smell him so I'm using your - " He tried to remember the word, "De - odor- rant."
Kagome started to giggle.
"WHAT?" Inuyasha looked annoyed.
"That's not - not deodorant!" Kagome watched Inuyasha's hair curl up a little and stick up.
"Wha - ?" Inuyasha looked at the now empty can.
"It's extra hold curling hair spray!" Kagome giggled as she saw Inuyasha squirm at the stickiness of the spray.
"GAAAAAHHHHH!!" Inuyasha abruptly threw the can down. His legs! The hair on his legs and his armpits and -
"EEEYYYIII!!" Inuyasha ran screaming back to the river.
Kagome collapsed with hysterical giggles, kneeling down to collect everything in her bag. Serves him right for going through her stuff again! She briefly thought of Sesshoumaru and how different the two brothers were from each other. Her giggles died down somewhat and she sighed dreamily, wondering if his promise to come for her was indeed true. Thinking about it sent delicious shivers down her spine as she put his sash deep into the recesses of his bag. She took her bag and went back to Kaede's hut, smiling at Shippou and Miroku as she passed by.
"Adults are WEIRD!" The little kitsume shook his head.
"Ugh.." Miroku groaned. That soap was HARD!
~*~*~*~
Naraku was alone in his palace of shadows, thinking..thinking of Inuyasha. He scowled. It was bad enough he had to contend with Onigumo's weak human heart regarding that miko, Kikyou, but this?
Still it wasn't like he didn't indulge in appetites, now did he?
Naraku smirked. Inuyasha WAS a cute doggy-boy, and not aloof like his brother Sesshoumaru.
Who knows? Perhaps..
Naraku chuckled evily to himself, his thoughts best left unread by any mortal soul..
~*~*~*~
Kikyou was furious. Well she was usually furious when she thought of Inuyasha. But the fact was that for one short period of time, her soul was not consumed by hate. It puzzled her. Did she still really love Inuyasha?
No!
Yes!
No!
Yes!
Uh - maybe?
The miko grumbled to herself as her soul-stealing youkai bore her along in the air - and smacked her into a tree..
"OW!"
Chapter End Notes:
(a/n: I could NOT resist that! Literal Kikyou bashing! ^_~)