The Lighthouse Keeper by Inumaru_Rapture

The Lighthouse Keeper

This story is written in a different time and place than the original is written. Our characters are out of character. This idea struck me while listening to "The Lighthouse's Story" by Nickle Creek. The lyrics are included at the conclusion of this story.

 **<3<3**

He was a simple man from a simple time. His home was attached to a large white light house perched on the craggy cliffs jetting out onto the ocean. He was miles from town, but that suited him just fine. Each morning and evening, he would climb the lighthouse's many steps and would refill the oil, making sure the light was always lit. From the top of the lighthouse, he could look in all directions, seeing the vast green of the prairie, and the trees just beyond that. Along the coastline, he could just make out the village on the other side of the bay.

He was unmarried and still young enough. He had been engaged once, but the woman turned out to be simple in mind as well as origin. How could he stand to have a wife who would not be able to fill the lonely nights with intelligent banter?

His home was simple, but books and papers lined the walls. His interests were as vast and numerous as the ocean horizon. His wife should have the intelligence and inspiration to match his own. Even if he was a simple caretaker of the lighthouse.

 **<3<3**

One day, the man went to town to gather the essentials; food, oils, fabric, and seeds. He hitched up the old dapple mare to the wagon and, after making sure the lamp was well fed, made the trip to town. Along the way, he passed a couple of farms. At the second farm from his lighthouse, he saw a young woman waiting at the fencepost, her black hair partially hidden by a straw sun hat. He pulled on the reigns with a gentle "woah" to ease the old mare to a halt.

"Morning, Mr. Sesshoumaru," she stated gently, her slender hand holding the hat to her head.

"G'morning, Miss. Were you waiting for me?"

"I was hoping to catch a ride to town. My mule's sick, and the walk is too far to make the trip in one day."

"Of course, ma'am," he replied, moving over to allow for her to climb into the wagon seat next to him. His strong hand reached for her soft slender one as he helped her into the wagon. She sat beside him with a gentle huff and smiled a radiant smile at him.

"I appreciate it, Mr. Sesshoumaru," she responded, as he clicked his tongue and urged the mare on her way. The wagon creaked to a start and rolled along the dirt road towards town. Another four miles to go.

"You seem to know my name," Sesshoumaru stated after a few minutes of silence, "but I have yet to know yours."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the woman responded, flashing him that radiant smile again. "My name is Kagome. We met once, very briefly, about two years ago at the market. I had accidentally run into your cart while playing with my friends." He regarded her for a moment, wondering if the pretty young woman beside him was really the girl with a muddy face and straw hanging from her hair. She was taller and more slender now, from what he could remember.

"I remember now," he stated, clicking his tongue at the mare, who had slowed to sniff some barley. "Two years makes a man's memory slow," he added, clicking the reigns again, the mare setting a disgruntled look back at him, but continuing on her way. "C'mon, old girl. There's plenty of barley in it for you at the market," he called to the mare, who huffed in response. Kagome giggled next to him.

"Why is it that the older the animal, the more grumpy they become?" She asked, her hand going to her hat as a gust of wind blew by. Flower petals from a grove of apple trees landed in her lap and stuck in her hair. She smiled as she gently took the petals from her hair.

"It's the same for any one," he responded, turning the mare towards the town, although she had already begun to turn that way. "They've had long lives and wish for the comforts of being lethargic. Once that relaxation is cut off by more work, they sour." Kagome laughed.

"You must know my grandfather then! He's as sour as an old grape!" She exclaimed, laughing. "The townspeople refer to him as Old Man Grey," she continued, "because his hair's been gray since he was 35."

"Mr. Grey is your grandfather?" Sesshoumaru asked, turning to look at her. "He's been a frequent visitor at the lighthouse. He brings me books to read and tells stories from the pub."

"Yeah, when I was little, I used to go with to bring books and fresh bread to the lighthouse keeper. Your mentor, Mr. Finnegan, was a good friend."

"He was a good man. He gave me a job after I found out I didn't have the sea-legs of my father," Sesshoumaru stated. They continued to talk about random things, Sesshoumaru enjoying the company. They pulled into town not much later.

"Do you require a ride back?" He asked as he helped her down from the wagon. She smiled up at him, her cheeks red. She nodded, unable to speak for a moment.

"Yes, please," she said finally, blushing. She released his hand and waved good-bye and hurried up the street towards the baker's.

"Oi, Sesshoumaru!" A crass voice called from beside the stall he had stopped by. He glanced down at the grinning, balding man.

"Jakken," he greeted, stepping from the wagon and moving to unhitch the mare. "Come on, Rin," he stated in a soothing voice as he rubbed her down. She snorted, sniffing for barley or sugar or some sort of treat. Sesshoumaru chuckled as he held out a sugar cube for her. Rin ate it up in a moment, then nuzzled her tall owner. He lead her to Jakken, the blacksmith.

"Can you re-shod her? I think her right front is a little uncomfortable," he asked, handing the reins to the balding man.

"Only if you tell me why you rode in with the finest filly in town!" Jakken responded, a rough laugh echoing from him.

"Rin is too old to be a filly," he responded, patting the horse's flank.

"No, no, Man. Miss. Kagome! She's been of age for almost a year, and still unmarried. She's one of the most beautiful women in town!"

"If I didn't know you already, Jakken, I'd sock you one for being rude. The lady needed a ride to town, her mule's sick."

"Sick, huh? That mule was in here just last week, damn near took my hand off. No, that mule ain't sick. I think that was just a ploy to get a ride with you, son." Jakken laughed as he took Rin's reigns and brought her into the stable to give her new shoes. Sesshoumaru stood there for a moment longer, contemplating what the balding man had said. He shook his head and continued on his way, leaving the cart out in front of Jakken's shop until he needed it.

 **<3<3**

"He's been this town's most eligible bachelor for damn near 15 years!" The woman laughed, measuring Kagome for the yellow fabric that she would be making a dress from. Kagome blushed.

"Ever since I saw him when I was 15, I knew he was the one for me. I never even realized who he was until Mellie told me," Kagome blushed harder, her hand to her face.

"I still don't understand how he isn't married by now. He's such a catch, even if he's not rich." The lady laughed at how Kagome's face turned even redder. She moved to measure Kagome's waist as Kagome lost herself in thought. When she had been stepping down from the wagon, the sun had been right behind Sesshoumaru's head, giving him an unearthly glow that made him look like a god. She had lost all words and just stared at him. When she realized she hadn't said anything in response to his question, she had blushed really hard and answered in the affirmative. She hoped that she could get to know him more on their way back, as she thought, from what she'd heard from the townspeople, that he was the perfect match for herself.

"There you go, dear," the woman said, breaking her concentration, and handing her a bundle of yellow cotton fabric.

"Wonderful, thank you, Kaede. How much do I owe you?"

"If you marry this man, nothing," Kaede replied, laughing.

 **<3<3**

Sesshoumaru carried the bundles of food and seeds back to his wagon, setting it in the seat until he could put the vats of oil in it. He re-harnessed Rin, newly shod, and lead her down the crowded pathway to the oil warehouse at the far end of town. He passed many women who gazed lovingly at him, some whispering, others waving. Being a polite gentleman, he nodded his head in greeting and ignored the giggling and blushing from the women. The other men had once been haughty about the attention Sesshoumaru received from the women, but when Sesshoumaru never once made a move at any of them, most of the men relaxed and pitied the poor man.

"You know, if he wasn't so hell-bent on an intelligent women, he could have any one of these giggling pigs each night of the week," the butcher stated to the candlestick maker. They both laughed heartily.

Sesshoumaru pulled Rin up to a halt in front of the oil warehouse and left her tied to a post out front. He went inside and, with the help of two other men, carried vat after vat of oil to his wagon. The wood creaked with the weight, causing Rin to glare at the men as they moved past.

"Here you go, girl," a sweet voice said from beside the wagon. Sesshoumaru glanced over the vat of oil to see Kagome feeding Rin some hay and barley. The horse nickered and gently took the food from the girl's hand. Sesshoumaru felt a small smile tug at the corners of his lips, but then tug down into a frown as Jakken's words encircled his head. He shook his head, his platinum blond locks swaying to and fro. His hazel eyes locked onto her brown ones, and she smiled sheepishly as the horse tried to eat her hair.

"That's not hay, hunny!" Kagome laughed, petting Rin's nose. Sesshoumaru turned and made his way back inside the warehouse to pay for his goods.

When he came out, he saw that Kagome had attached all of his food and seeds into the wagon between the seat and a vat of oil. She was setting a paper wrap with yellow fabric next to it, and a basket of fruits and bread on top of it. She then helped him attach rope to the wagon to make sure the vats didn't tip or move around on the trip back. Kagome walked along beside him as they made their way out of town.

"Oh, please wait one more minute," Kagome suddenly said, turning and jogging into the paper and ink shop. Sesshoumaru paused, patting Rin's nose and stroking her mane until Kagome rejoined them. She was carrying two books and a fabric bundle that clinked the sound of full ink bottles. Sesshoumaru's eyebrow rose.

"You write?" He asked as they continued on their way out of town. There were too many people about to simply ride away. Kagome blushed.

"Yes," she whispered, knowing full-well how most men regarded educated women (especially when they weren't educated).

"What do you write?" He asked, his hazel eyes burning like amber in the sunlight. Kagome pulled her hat onto her head and brushed her black hair from her face.

"My mother taught me poetry, and my grandfather taught me history. I can write the alphabet and do simple mathematical equations. My mother was worried that I wouldn't be eligible for a husband, being educated as I was, but my father and grandfather insisted upon it." Kagome blushed so red, she looked like she had gotten sunburned in an instant. They didn't speak again until they had left the boundaries of town and seated themselves back in the wagon.

"What kind of poetry?" Sesshoumaru finally asked, having waited to ask until they were out of earshot so as not to embarrass her. Kagome looked at him in surprise for a moment, her mind having been filled with self- convicting thoughts of "Stupid, you had to open your mouth. He'll never want you as his wife now!"

"Uh," she replied most intelligently. She thought for a moment. "My mother's favorite were poems about nature and weather, but mine were about people." She went on to recite a few poems from memory.

**<3<3**

"You know that one?" She asked, surprised as he finished the last poem. He nodded.

"It was my favorite growing up," he replied, shifting the reigns to turn Rin towards the path that lead to their respective homes.

"Mine too," Kagome whispered, looking at him with an curious expression. "I never thought you would have read poetry," she stated a few minutes later.

"Read and written. It's a good time consumer when you're sitting in the cold salt breeze making sure the light doesn't go out."

"I never thought of that," she replied. "What do you do for heat in the winter?"

"Normally, a couple of blankets and the flame of the light are enough. When it's really cold, I try to do exercises to keep up my body temperature."

"Oh. I guess that's a good idea. I would have thought you may have made a second fire or something."

"You've never been to the top of the light house, have you?" He asked, smirking over at her. She blushed.

"No. I've only seen it from the bottom."

"If you stop by, I'll take you to the top. Then you'll understand why a second fire really isn't necessary." Kagome blushed and nodded.

"I'll stop by, then." She stated. Sesshoumaru smirked as he gently pulled the reigns.

"Woah, Rin. There's a girl." Rin snorted, sweat glistening on her back, grateful for the break.

"Thank you for the ride, Mr. Sesshoumaru," Kagome said, stepping down from the wagon. She smiled her radiant smile as he handed her the basket and the cloth.

"What're you making?" He asked.

"A dress. The harvest festival is the only time I get to really dress up nicely. I wanted a new one for this year. Grandfather says it is going to be a good harvest." Sesshoumaru smiled.

"I am sure it will turn out beautiful," he complemented. Kagome blushed before waving good-bye. Sesshoumaru snapped the reigns and Rin was off, bringing them the last couple of miles to their home.

 **<3<3**

A few days later, Kagome stopped by with two loaves of freshly baked bread and a jar of honey. Sesshoumaru greeted her and invited her into his home. Kagome followed him into the atrium and past the parlor into the immaculate kitchen where he stored the bread in a cedar box and the honey in a stone container.

"To keep the bees out," he replied when he noticed her odd look. She smiled.

"Clever," she simply said. Sesshoumaru took her out the kitchen door to the back of the house. Kagome smiled at the vastness of his garden, the bright sunny colors of flowers, and the powerful salt smell that made her feel so at home. She followed him to a side door of the light house tower and shut the oak door behind her. A simple candle burned at the bottom of the stairs, giving enough light to start the journey upwards. They made idle chitchat as they made their way up the many steps. Kagome had to remember to breathe when she emerged from the top of the stairs. The flame took up most of the floor, save a path around it large enough to walk, and another path around that that held empty oil vats. The entire room was sweltering with heat, even with all the windows open to the balcony that encircled the tower.

"Come, take a look," Sesshoumaru stated, holding his hand out to her. She took it with ease, her cheeks reddening, as she followed his steady grip to the door leading onto the balcony. This time, she really forgot to breathe as she looked out over the ocean. She was engulfed the sound of the waves crashing into the crags, the gentle rise and fall of the water, the slight twitter of the birds as they flew by, and the humorous crackle of the fire in the room behind them.

"Oh my," she whispered, leaning on the iron railing, looking all around. She bent over the railing to look straight down, then slowly made her way around the balcony. She was so engrossed in looking and listening, she didn't even notice Sesshoumaru studying her.

'She has no fear of heights. There is a love of nature's simplest and greatest things in her that make her eyes shine,' Sesshoumaru thought as she flashed her brilliant brown eyes to him.

"This is amazing! How can you stand to not lose yourself to this beauty?"

"I have my entire life to look at it," he replied, his large hand sweeping out over the railing. "This beauty changes with each day, each season. There is enough to be satisfied watching it everyday without losing myself to it."

"I see," she whispered, gazing lovingly out over the ocean. "I have always wanted to travel the seas," she murmured. Sesshoumaru stood beside her, his hazel eyes fixated on the jet of water sprayed from the back of a whale.

"I do not have what it takes to travel the sea, though I have always had a bond with it. From here, I can see the furthest horizon. I can watch whales and dolphins. I can see the ships come and go, and I protect them from these rocky shores. I can wish for no better involvement with this ocean than if I were a fish swimming within it."

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome whispered, her brown eyes shining like stars. Sesshoumaru smiled to her and patted her hand.

"Stay as long as you like. I will be down in my study."

 **<3<3**

The sun was just beginning to set when a gentle knock came through the oak of his study door. He glanced up to the slender woman who opened the door.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice thick. He wondered if she had been weeping. "This has been the most wonderful day of my life." Sesshoumaru set down the book he was reading and stood.

"I am glad you enjoyed it. You are welcome to come back again, so long as you can afford the time," he moved to her, trying to usher her out of the crowded study where the books and papers threatened to fall off the shelves, were they not so tightly cramped together.

"You have this many books?" Kagome asked, seeing the room for the first time as he moved to shut the door.

"As I said before, there is much time during the winter and nights when no chores are left to be done," he stated as he shut the door. Kagome looked up into his tanned face and wondered why he shut the door, but instead of asking, she smiled.

"Thank you again," she stated, making her way to the door. A cool breeze cut through the house as she opened the door. She shivered.

"It's a two mile walk," he observed, moving to a wooden chest. He propped it open and pulled out a woven shawl. "Take this with you. It will protect you from the bite of the wind." He handed the brown shawl to her, and watched her tie it around her shoulders. The brown matched her eyes. She smiled to him, her cheeks red.

"Thank you, Mr. Sesshoumaru. You are much too kind," she nodded to him and walked out of his house, the setting sun still visible above the trees. "Goodnight," she called from his gate.

"Goodnight," he replied, watching her disappear down the dirt path. He placed a hand to his forehead, wondering if he had a fever for the heat that rushed through his body at the sight of her smile.

 **<3<3**

The summer's heat sweltered mixed with the heat of the lamp as he filled the oil from underneath the floor. He was perched against the railing, hanging over the empty void leading down to the ground below, when he heard a small voice calling out. He couldn't stop the smile from spreading over his face as he hooked his leg through the railing and leaned further to dump the rest of the oil into the lamp's feeder.

"Oh my! You'll fall!" Kagome's voice drifted up from directly below.

"Move aside, you may get oil dripping on you," he warned, tilting the vat further. He knew she was watching with her wide brown eyes, the golden specks within them sparkling in worry. He knew she would chastise him for being so reckless, and for worrying her. He knew her nose would wrinkle ever so slightly in her distress, and she would raise her left eyebrow, as if to dare him to contradict her worries. He knew so many little movements of her face and body, he knew what to expect and when. Watching her was more intoxicating than watching the sunset from the balcony or seeing a rainbow following a ferocious storm over the ocean with dolphins leaping through the colors. Nothing in nature could compare to her beauty and nothing was so perfect than watching her face light up at her slightest pleasure or her nose wrinkle at the slightest displeasure. He felt drunk in her presence just by watching her.

"Please tell me you're coming down now," her voice begged up to him. He smiled, pulling the vat to his chest and unhooking his leg from the railing. With slick, graceful movements, he was on correct side of the railing and moving up the stairs to put the jar within the sweltering heat of the lamp room. He was rubbing the oil from his hands when her gentle fingers caressed the skin of his arm. He jumped slightly.

"You're bleeding," she stated, as if it was the most obvious thing. He looked down to his arm and saw that he was, indeed, bleeding from a long scratch from this elbow to his wrist. It wasn't deep, nor was it bleeding much. But the feel of her skin on his arm had his hairs tingling and goosebumps running along the tanned flesh.

She didn't seem to notice as she mopped at his arm with a handkerchief. She had one arm wrapped around his, cradling it to her chest, as if he were going to pull away and hurt himself more. He chuckled.

"I am not going to jerk from you," he reassured her, only to see her blush and release his arm. He was suddenly upset with himself to have caused her to release his person.

"Come downstairs, I will wash it for you," Kagome said softly, leading him by the hand down the stairs. Over the last few months, she had come once a week, twice if she could spare it, and already knew the routine of the lighthouse and the layout of the entire property. She knew that the property ended with the string of giant oaks to the north and the border of the prairie in the west. She had walked along the cliff edge that signified the south property line and passed the gate that ended the property to the east every time she came and went.

Inside, she knew that the kitchen was always immaculately clean, even while he was cooking, but the bed chambers were always a mess. She knew that the study was for reading or writing only, and was not home to flowers or trinkets that would make it 'homey'. She knew his greatest comfort was to take a book to the balcony, sitting above his garden with his legs hanging down, and read until the moon was high in the sky and the night flush against his skin. She knew he loved the night more than the day, and that he normally slept during the day rather than the other way around. She knew that he loved his work more than she had ever loved milking cows and feeding chickens. She knew that he dreamed for a greater world, but was content to the worlds contained within the books he read.

She knew that the more she spent time with him, the more she loved him. She didn't know, however, if he felt the same way. At times, he would regard her with little more than courteous manners, but at others, he would laugh and joke with her as if they were engaged. It was confusing, but she did not mention her worries or thoughts. The last time she really worried about what he thought of her, it turned out that he had just stayed quiet to conserve her modesty.

As she drew water to clean his wound, she wondered if she should wear the yellow dress she had finished for the harvest festival, or to wear it the next time she came to visit. She wanted to look beautiful for him. But she wasn't sure if she should spoil the surprise or not. The harvest festival was only about a month away, so maybe she could wait.

"Hold still," she instructed as she cleaned the wound. Sesshoumaru chuckled and wiggled his arm playfully.

 **<3<3**

"So you'll come?" Kagome asked, sun hat tied to her head with a pretty red scarf to combat the late autumn winds. He nodded.

"Rin and I will be by in the wagon so Mr. Grey can join us. I know he was looking forwards to it." Sesshoumaru smiled at her happy grin. Her brown eyes sparkled like gold at the bottom of a river bed. He loved her eyes more than anything. He wanted to bring her grandfather along, since her father was across the ocean and had not yet replied to his letter, and ask for his permission to court Kagome. He wanted to woo her and make her his wife. Only, he sighed slightly as his thoughts wandered from her excited chatter about what kind of dances there would be at the festival, Only he had nothing to offer to take her as his wife. A lighthouse keeper had naught but a steady stable job paid by the townspeople's taxes, the lighthouse, and the horse and wagon. He had no cow or pig to offer, nor did he have any money. Any milk or cheese he wanted, he got from Mr. Cowherd, and any meat or pork he got either from the butcher in town or his wife, Sango. He had only two chickens that gave him eggs on occasion and a nasty rooster named Bert that kept clucking around his bedroom window when he slept. In all reality, he had nothing to offer a wife's family other than his word as a man to keep her happy and healthy and well-provided for. Any children would be under that same oath.

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked, waving a hand before his eyes. He blinked and looked down at her.

"Hn?"

"You left me for a moment there. What were you thinking about?" She asked, her head dropping to the side in innocent curiosity.

"Uh, nothing much. Just wondering if I have enough oil to last the entire day. I shouldn't have a problem," he smiled to her, trying to cover his thoughts with the action. She watched him for a moment before giving him a small smile in response.

"Then I'll see you Sunday?" She asked, pulling the red scarf tighter to her head. He nodded.

"Sunday it is."

 **<3<3**

The wagon wheels rocked and rolled over the dirty roads, the empty fields around them looking oddly barren. Up ahead, a family of four stood waiting at the fence post. He smiled as he gently halted the dressed up Rin.

"Rin! You look beautiful!" Kagome said happily, the old mare tossing her head proudly. Sesshoumaru had woven a garland of flowers around her neck and braided water lilies into her mane and tail. The wagon was freshly painted and all of her leather reigns and harness were freshly buffed and shined. Kagome smiled up to the tall tan man in the wagon as he helped her mother into the wagon. He was dressed in a starched white tunic and brown pants. His blond hair was devoid of a single flaw and his hazel eyes danced in happiness as they locked with her brown ones.

"Thank you, young man," Mr. Grey said as Sesshoumaru helped him into the cart. Kagome's little brother was already sitting off the back corner with his leg hanging down past the wheel.

"Your horse is beautifully done up. I'm sure she'll be the belle of the ball," Kagome's mother said as Sesshoumaru turned his hand to help Kagome into the wagon. He paused, taking in her beauty for the first time. The creamy yellow dress that she had made fell past her knees and ruffled about. Her shoulders were bare, the sleeves enclosing her arms in ruffled yellow fabric. Sesshoumaru's face relaxed at seeing her, the relief that he would be with her tonight showing plainly through his eyes.

He took her hand and gently pulled her up into the wagon. She stepped over the front seat to sit with her mother behind them in the second bench he had installed for this day. He sat beside Mr. Grey, who was already telling him about his latest run-in at the pub and clicked the reigns. Rin snorted happily and trotted towards town, eager to show off her attire.

 **<3<3**

"Oh my!"

"Are they engaged?"

"Why wasn't I informed?" The women clustered together around the square, the music playing loudly in the background as people danced, enjoying the festival. The ripe smells of cooking corn and meat filled the square and beyond as salivating people came from all over the county for the harvest festival. The gossiping women were glaring at the wagon being parked beside the blacksmith's and the tall handsome man whom was helping a young woman in a creamy yellow dress from the wagon.

"Why wasn't it me?" one of them complained. "I live between the lighthouse and the town! He could've driven me!" The others clucked at her to quit complaining as they gossiped about the new events.

Sesshoumaru helped Kagome's mother from the wagon, and then Mr. Grey, who insisted on dragging him with to visit some of his pub buddies. Sesshoumaru unhitched Rin and lead her to the fenced in play area where she could enjoy being pet and cooed over by the children and women. Rin tossed her head happily as she was greeted with many coos and awes, many women rushing to pet her mane and gush about how beautiful the old mare was. Sesshoumaru smiled to them, telling them not to give her too big of a head, and followed Mr. Grey to the side of the square to visit with friends.

Kagome watched them go, but was suddenly engulfed by her friends and other females of the village demanding to know what was going on between her and the handsome lighthouse keeper. Kagome laughed, telling them he had offered to give them a ride, since their wagon spoke had broken and they hadn't gotten it fixed yet. They continued to hound her about how well the two of them knew each other, Millie standing up for her friend and leading her away before the ravenous women could sink their teeth in.

 **<3<3**

The sun was setting by the time Sesshoumaru had been able to talk to Mr. Grey by himself and ask for his permission to court Kagome.

"My dear boy, I thought you were already!" Mr. Grey said, laughing and drinking from a pint of ale. Sesshoumaru colored.

"I had wanted to go about the courting in the traditional sense, but her company was too pleasing to refuse. I should have insisted upon a chaperon, but I had no desire to draw anyone from their duties."

"Please, my boy, you are too traditional! I received word from the girl's father that he was pleased with the match. He enjoyed your letter and will be returning from his escapades for the wedding, whenever it will be announced." Mr. Grey drained the remainder of his pint and huffed a happy huff. He patted a wrinkled hand on the tall man's strong shoulder.

"I..." Sesshoumaru stated, his face coloring.

"What is it, man? Spit it out!" Mr. Grey insisted, shaking his tankard to the waitress to bring more.

"I do not have anything to offer for her hand, but my word she will be loved and provided for," Sesshoumaru stated, then paused, considering his next words carefully. He had thought of it when he saw her in the yellow dress, and knew in an instant what to offer. "I have naught but an old mare, wagon, two chickens, and a garden that grows enough for one. That is nothing in comparison to what Miss. Kagome would bring to my life. Therefore," he paused again, hardening his resolve, "I will give you the deed to my lighthouse."

Mr. Grey paused with the pint halfway to his lips. The ale sloshed over the side and dropped forgotten to his feet. Mr. Grey's hard black eyes stared into the resolute hazel of the man before him.

"Your...What? That's..." He stopped, staring at him. He set the pint onto the table beside them. "You would give up the right to your home for her?"

"I would."

Mr. Grey contemplated for a moment before he smiled gently.

"I don't know if we could accept something so large," he stated, turning slightly to a couple of men who had slid over.

"My boy," Mr. Grey said, clasping a hand onto Sesshoumaru's shoulder. "Go dance with her, and we'll talk later. This is something that would have to be discussed with her father as well." Sesshoumaru nodded before excusing himself to go find Kagome.

 **<3<3**

The ride home was silent as Kagome and her mother fought to stay awake. Her younger brother was sprawled out in the bed of the wagon, and Mr. Grey was slumped in the seat next to Sesshoumaru. Rin trotted along with a happy jingle to her step. She had new ribbons and bows tied to her harness and woven into her mane and tail. She thought herself the prettiest horse in all the land. She wished it were light forever so everyone could see her.

"C'mon pretty girl, just a little bit more," Sesshoumaru stated as she turned towards their homes.

"I will send word for her father to return, and we will talk more then," Mr. Grey said suddenly. Sesshoumaru glanced at him. "A poorer man would have never balked at such an offer, however, poor as we are, we are people of morale. We will let you know when we've made our decision."

Sesshoumaru nodded as Rin pulled to a stop at their home. With a gentle hand, he roused Kagome and her mother and picked up the still sleeping brother from the wagon and carried him from the bed. Sesshoumaru set him on his feet, his hand clasped on the boy's shoulder until he had rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Thanks for the ride," the boy said through a yawn as he walked to his mother, who put an arm around him and made their way up the path to their farm. Mr. Grey shook hands with Sesshoumaru and bid him farewell until next time and followed, hobbling, behind. Kagome stood beside Sesshoumaru, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

"Thank you for the dances," she whispered. He knew she was blushing.

"It was my pleasure."

"Thank you for the ride as well. You've made this evening the most enjoyable I can remember."

"Miss. Kagome, you've by far paid for anything I can give you by your kindness, intellect, and beauty. Please allow me to thank you." He took her hand and kissed it gently. He could almost feel the heat radiate off her.

"Sesshoumaru," she whispered.

"Kagome, hurry up," Mr. Grey called from up ahead. Hesitatingly, their hands parted. Sesshoumaru watched her hurry up the path, his eyes sad. He wished he had the alloted items of marriage that their town traditionally offered. He wished Mr. Grey's response hadn't been so ...well... so unwelcoming. He sighed as he climbed back into the wagon and urged Rin to take them home. He slumped in the seat, thinking, not for the first time, that all that he had to offer was not good enough for that wonderful woman.

 **<3<3**

He received a letter a week later from Kagome's mother, wishing to schedule a talk with him in two weeks when Kagome's father would return to the village. Sesshoumaru blinked in surprise, since he had no news from them at all in the week since the harvest festival, he was sure his request was denied. He climbed the steps to the top of the tower with a lighter step that day and wove flowers into Rin's mane again. The old mare stuck her chest out proudly when he was finished, and nuzzled him like a filly.

"Jakken was right, you are the finest looking filly in all these lands," Sesshoumaru stated, laughing softly.

 **<3<3**

"So what is your proposal?" Kagome's father asked after the pleasantries had ceased and the tea had been served. The crisp October breeze blew through the open window, cooling the occupants from the still hot sun.

"My proposal is to court your daughter to become my wife. According to the tradition of our town, therefore, I must present you with two milk producing cow and six pigs-four sow and two male. However, I do not have these things to offer. Instead, I offer the deed to my lighthouse so that you may own the land and the lighthouse, and whatever else may be of value upon it." Sesshoumaru took in a shallow breath.

"Hm. The deed to your property in exchange for my daughter. Would you then move off of the land?" Sesshoumaru nodded.

"If it is as you see fit. I will take up work with my brother and father on the ocean."

"I thought you were unfit for ocean work," Mr. Grey stated.

"I am, but I will manage."

"You would give up all that you love in life for my daughter?" Kagome's mother asked.

"I would. All that I love in life does not compare to how I love your daughter."

"I see." There was silence as the three family members exchanged significant looks before Kagome's father looked Sesshoumaru in the eye.

"We will propose this to you: You will hand over the deed to the land, but you will not move from it, ever. You will continue to do what you do and live your life as you have been. You will devote yourself to my daughter as diligently as you devote yourself to that lamp." Kagome's father's brown eyes took on a hard sheen. Sesshoumaru noticed, in that one instance, exactly where Kagome's eyes had come from. "Any children born of the two of you would have mandatory visitation at our farm, and our ministrations to visit you and them would be welcome at all times, should we wish it. Do you agree to these adjustments?" Sesshoumaru felt the relief pump through his veins, and he couldn't stop the smile from ghosting across his face.

"I do."

"Then why don't you go see if my daughter wants you as a husband before we sign the deal? I won't have an unhappy daughter," Kagome's mother stated, pointing towards the garden out the back of the house. Sesshoumaru nodded, and exited the house. Dressed in a dusty jumper and faded navy blue tunic, Kagome was working hard turning over the soil to allow for it to rest for the winter. She jumped when she saw him approach and flushed red, wiping the sweat from her glistening, dusty brow.

"Mr. Sesshoumaru," she whispered, trying to straighten her hair.

"You have not come to visit me in three weeks," he stated. She blushed harder.

"Forgive me, I was not allowed. My mother and grandfather forbade it." Kagome drew a handkerchief from her pocket and Sesshoumaru realized it as the one she had used to mop up his wounded arm.

"Miss. Kagome," he stated, his voice unbearably formal. Kagome stared at him with a look of hurt across her brow. He knelt before her in the mud and dirt, his clean and ironed slacks becoming dirty in an instance. Kagome's hand flew to her lips and she dropped the hoe she had been using. "I come here to ask if you would take me as your husband and forever cheer the gloom of the night with your laughter. I ask if you would take my lamp and oil and self-conscious mare as your own. I ask if you would love me as much as I love you." Kagome stared at him, trembling. She held both hands to her mouth, her cheeks and eyes crinkling with a smile before she burst out laughing and fell into his arms crying "Yes!"

He stood swiftly, hugging her tightly, and spun her around once before setting her back on her feet. Their embrace was cut short by a sharp cough.

"Alright then, I'll take it as she wants to be your husband. If you'll just come back in, you can sign the paperwork, and we can set a date!" Mr. Grey said, overly blunt. Sesshoumaru nodded, holding onto her hand.

"I'll be just a moment. Why don't you join us? We can pick a date."

"Sesshoumaru," she murmured, "I'm a mess. It'll take me an hour to clean all this dirt off me."

"What dirt? You look more beautiful than I've ever seen you," Sesshoumaru smiled to her, his hand on her cheek.

 **<3<3**

Sesshoumaru lead the way across the multi-colored leave strewn path.

"It's just a little father," he said, laughing at the look on her face. She was blind folded for the surprise he wouldn't tell her. It was three weeks after their engagement was notarized and the town notified. He had allowed Kagome's brother to remain in control of the lamp while he whisked her away on a surprise venture. He walked along the edge of the cliff before finding the two rocks he had been looking for. With a victorious noise, he lead her to it.

"Do you trust me?" He asked the same question he had asked her before he had blind folded her.

"I still do, Sesshoumaru," she whispered, her hand clenching his. He took her other one.

"Follow my instructions," he insisted as he lead her to the edge. "Step down," he instructed. She took a hesitant step forward and found a stone stair in the side of the cliff. He told her where each step, each slight turn, each grove or dent was. They walked down the steep staircase to the bottom of the cliff where a small expanse of golden sand lay nestled against the brown rock. There, in the middle of it all, lay a plain red blanket and a picnic basket.

"You may remove your blind fold," he told her. She obliged and looked around, her mouth forming a surprised 'o'.

"How did we find sand?" She asked, looking behind her. She squeaked in fear at the jets of rock and slime that covered the wall all the way to the top.

"This is the end of my property, although, I am not sure any have traveled down here since they carved the staircase from the rock. I had cleaned it and taken care of it since I came here to work as a young man. This is my gift to you, should you care to use it, as your sanctuary and place of peace." Kagome looked out to the ocean and saw that the rocky out shoots of rock were perfectly placed so that only a gentle currant ran between the harsh ocean waves crashing into the rocks to the sandy beach.

"This is amazing, Sesshoumaru," she whispered, turning to him and embracing him.

 **<3<3**

Kagome walked with her brother through the snow to visit Sesshoumaru. Winter was almost out, and the ice had begun to crack along the coast. Their wedding was to be held in the spring as the flowers were blooming, the day before the Spring Equinox. She carried a large basket of bread, soups, and meat, while her brother carried a box with candlesticks and a newly woven blanket. Around her shoulders was the shawl Sesshoumaru had given to her the very first time she had been to his home.

Sesshoumaru's breath huffed out before him as he rolled the warm oil to the stairs and poured it into the vat. The fire had to keep going, and the oil had to stay thawed. It was a busy schedule to keep checking everything, and he sometimes forgot to eat or sleep during the winter. If it wasn't for Kagome, this winter would have been the death of him. The cold was constantly a bitter cold that hurt the nostrils or lungs to breath it, and the snow fell more often that it was a clear day. Poor Rin had come down with a cold and he had to keep returning to the stable to feed the fire in the fireplace for her there. Many times, he would return to his room to sleep, only to find the fire almost dead and the chill of the winter creeping through the walls.

Kagome had come as often as three times a week, always with her brother, who was eager to learn the lighthouse keeper trade, as he did not find any other apprenticeships in town to be appealing. He was an intelligent young man and made for interesting conversation, but he was also a hard worker. Sesshoumaru wondered if he should take the young boy as an apprentice or not, but for the meantime, continued to teach him all he knew. While the boys were 'playing in oil', as Kagome would put it, she would cook warm meals and prepare other stews and soups for him to reheat and store them in the snow of the garden. She would feed the fires and restocked his linens, creating him and Rin new blankets to keep them warm. The sweater he was wearing now was a pre-wedding gift from his bride-to-be. Sure, there were flaws in the knitting, and it would never pass as a professionally created garment, but he wore the clothes she made him with pride.

Today, they brought necessities and luxuries, the fresh bread and blanket were things he wouldn't have time to make. He greeted them happily and welcomed them into his warm kitchen where one of Kagome's premade stews was bubbling in the pot. Kagome beamed at him, and asked him, in a playful voice, how he ever got along without her.

"Neither this healthy nor this warm," he commented, tearing off a hunk of bread to soak in the stew.

 **<3<3**

A month before their wedding, and Kagome ran through the gate, calling for Sesshoumaru. Tears streaked down her face. Sesshoumaru leap down the stairs of the lighthouse and out the door to her. He took her into his arms and begged her to tell him what was the matter.

"It's grandfather! He's so sick! The only way to get him better is to get medicine from the big city down the coast. Father's back is still sore from the fall during the winter, so he asked if I could go. Oh, Sesshoumaru, I don't want to leave now!" She sobbed into his chest, covering his sweater with her tears. He held her tightly. He waited until her sobs had quieted before softly talking.

"If you go by ship, you can make the trip in a week. My brother has a fast merchant ship that could take you. He's been making weekly trips to buy seeds and supplies for the coming planting season." Sesshoumaru stroked her hair in a reassuring way. She was silent for a moment.

"Horseback is safer, but it would take a month," she whispered. Would she risk it? "If I go by horseback, we would have to push the wedding off for another month." She was silent again. "I don't want to do that. I will go by ship." Sesshoumaru kissed the top of her head and brought her inside to make some cider and write a note to his brother requesting assistance.

 **<3<3**

The day she left, he diligently stayed beside the lamp, vowing not to move for anything until she returned. He sat on the balcony, the harsh winter wind beating at his face. He was wrapped in a thick, bulky sweater, two pairs of socks, and three blankets-all things she had made for him. He held onto the book that she had penned their favorite poems into and read and reread them as he waited. He watched the ship set sail from the town's dock and slowly make it's way through the bay to the thin strait that lead to the ocean. In the distance, thunder rumbled, and fear grasped Sesshoumaru's heart. Coming right for the land was a marvelous pack of menacing looking black clouds.

Sesshoumaru stood, grabbing up the panel he used to signal the ships and tried to tell them to turn back, but they had rounded the end of the strait into the angry waves. The sky turned black, and was only lit by the lightening as he watched the ship fight against the waves.

He stood, petrified and pleading for everything to be just fine. Hours passed, and he slid and ran down the steps to refill the oil vat, praying nothing would happen while he was busy. He shivered and shook like a frightened hare as he fumbled with the vat and slopped oil all over the staircase. He poured it in, his hands and arms covered in oil. The vat, a fourth full, slipped from his grip and shattered on the ground below. He cursed and slipped and fell up the stairs, smacking his knees and shins on the hard metal. He slid on the rainwater and begged for a flash of lightening to see where the ship was. A moment later, a particularly large bolt lit up the sky, and his eyes realized that they were too close to the rocks. He watched as the ship fought, in vain, against the howling winds and crushing force of the waves. He could have sworn that he heard a woman's scream as the ship smashed into the rocks, the splintering sound carrying on the howl of the wind, whipping past his ears to the world beyond. He stared at the spot at thunder rumbled and the rain thickened. He stared at the spot willing lightning to once again light up the night and show the ship safely floating in the black water. He stared at the spot and beat his head with his hands that he had even suggested her go by ship.

"I would have waited," he screamed in the howling night. "I should have waited for her to take the safest trip," he howled, his words lost to the wind.

 **<3<3**

The next morning, the sun rose to a calm horizon and water dripping off the leaves with gentle 'plunk' sounds. A man stood, petrified, dripping with water, his shivering had stopped long ago. He was deathly pale as he suddenly turned and walked back into the room, past the lamp, and down the stairs. He slid on the oil at the bottom and cut his chin as he fell. He picked himself up, bleeding down his neck, his pants and shoes already stained with his blood.

He walked through the mud and puddles towards the edge of the cliff, walking along it until he came to two rocks. He moved between the two of them, whispering, his words lost on the wind,

"Do you trust me?"

The climb down seemed to take an eternity, and he realized that he couldn't walk fast as the numbness in his legs made him feel like he was going to fall down them all. He could see the debris of the ship strewn along the rocks and sand. His heart was beating so fast, and he couldn't understand why. He stopped as his feet met the sand and he removed his shoes and socks, leaving them beside the last stone stair. He could almost imagine her shoes laying innocently beside his.

He turned and slowly made his way across the sand. He first walked along the water's edge, staring at the water. He stopped in the place he knew he could see the top of the lighthouse. He craned his neck back and gazed at the white painted tiny lighthouse, wondering briefly if it knew what was going on. He looked down to his feet and found the body of his beloved Kagome with her face down in the sand. He knelt beside her, turning her to face him. Droplets fell onto her pale face and washed the sand from her cheeks. He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her cold forehead. With a soft grunt, he picked her up in his arms and carried her further up the beach. He sat her on the sand and ran his hands over her face.

"We'll be together soon," he swore. He pulled at the sand, digging with a shovel he had left against the rocks for digging fire pits. He worked until he was dizzy with exhaustion and blood loss, the golden sand dotted with his blood as he stood above her grave. He picked up the body of his bride-to-be and love of his life and gently set her into the sandy tomb. He kissed her cold lips, the hot tears running down his face as he gazed lovingly at her face, remembering each feature, each little wrinkle her nose would make, and the way her cheeks would bunch up when she smiled.

A soft sob left him as he kissed her again and buried her in the sand. He carved her name into a rock and left it above her head. It read: Kagome Keeper.

"We'll be together soon," he promised again, "You can trust me on that."

He climbed the stairs, forgetting his shoes and socks at the bottom. The rock cut into his feet, leaving more blood in his wake. The scabbed over wounds itched on his chin and shins, but he ignored it in favor of the stabbing pain in his feet. He stepped onto the cool grass, the sun high in the sky. He stepped past the house, Rin's head sticking out from the stable. She whinnied to him, as if she knew what he was about to do. He did not even look in her direction as he stepped over the broken oil vat and up the iron stairs to the top of the lighthouse. At the top, he paused, looking at the book she had written by her hand and flipped open the cover. With a quick script he wrote two sentences on the inside of the cover and left it sitting open where someone would find it.

With one last look at her penmanship, he stepped over the book and walked along the edge of the balcony. He ran his strong hand over the iron railing, thinking of how helpless the railing had made him feel as he watched the ship dashed against the rocks. With a shaking sob, he took a running start, jumped up onto the railing and pushed himself out over empty space.  Below him, the waves crashed against the rocks.

 **<3<3**

The waves crashed around the rocks with a venomous force as Kagome's brother stepped to the house, his eyes wet with tears. He didn't want to be the one to break the news to his would-be brother-in-law, but no others would dare volunteer to comfort the soon-grieving man. Souta stopped by Rin, filling her feed and water before moving towards the house with a hesitant 'hello?'

The house was eerily quiet. The crashing of the waves and the whistle of the wind were the only things he could hear. He stepped into the house and saw the fire dead, the bed unmade, and the kitchen fire cold, as if it hadn't been started in over a day. He walked out into the garden and stopped to see the door to the lighthouse swinging on it's hinges. He hurried forward, stopping abruptly at the sight of the precious oil dried on the ground and the clay vat broken on the stone, drops of dark red, dried blood marring the orange clay.

Fear clenched his lungs as he lunged up the stairs, slipping only once on the oil spilled along the stairs near the top. The oil vat was nearly empty and the flame was weak.

"Sesshoumaru?" He called as he reached the top. He expected to see a dead body, but saw nothing. He stepped out onto the balcony and looked around, stopping only when his foot brushed a book lying open in the sun. He stooped and picked it up. On the front page, his sister had written:

"My Sanctuary and Place of Peace, whether it be by your side or on our beach, to You, Sesshoumaru."

On the adjacent page, written in a graceful curve but dotted with a single tear drop read:

"She is dead. So am I."

 **<3<3****<3<3****<3<3**

Please Review.

"The Lighthouse's Tale" Nickel Creek. 'Nickel Creek' album released in 2000

I am a lighthouse worn by the weather and the waves
I keep my lamp lit to warn the sailors on their way
I'll tell a story, paint you a picture from my past
I was so happy but joy in this life seldom lasts

I had a keeper, he helped me warn the ships at sea
We had grown closer 'til his joy meant everything to me
And he was to marry a girl who shown with beauty and light
They loved each other, and with me watched the sunsets into nights

And the waves crashing around me
The sand slips out to sea
And the winds that blow remind me
Of what has been and what can never be

She'd had to leave us; my keeper, he prayed for a safe return
But when the night came, the weather to a raging storm had turned
He watched her ship fight, but in vain against the wild and terrible wind
And me so helpless, as dashed against the rocks she met her end

And the waves crashing around me
The sand slips out to sea
And the winds that blow remind me
Of what has been and what can never be

Then on the next day, my keeper found her washed up on the shore
He kissed her cold face, and that they'd be together soon he swore
I saw him crying, watched as he buried her in the sand
Then he climbed my tower, and off the edge of me he ran

And the waves crashing around me
The sand slips out to sea
And the winds that blow remind me
Of what has been and what can never be

I am a lighthouse worn by the weather and the waves
And though I'm empty I still warn the sailors on their way