Courtship by hopeis4ever

Courtship

A/N: Another little ficlet. Not sure if it's any good, but here it is.

As for making My Mortal Goddess into a full-fledged fanfic...well, I'll think about it. Right now I have obligations elsewhere, but if I can find the time, then I most certainly will.

Oh, and if you give me a bad rating (a 9 or below), then please leave a review telling me why. I would like to be able to fix what is wrong. AND if you don't want to leave a review, DON'T RATE ME.

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Courtship

She hadn't known that Sesshoumaru had been seducing her until it was too late. Heck, she hadn't even known that he knew the art of seduction! So how was she, a virgin teenage girl from the future, supposed to have known? How?!

She wasn't, and she'd had no defense against it, against him.

He'd joined her group in the search and destroy mission for Naraku, so close contact had been a necessity if they all were to join in the final battle.

And by the time she'd figured it out, he'd already had her in his clever net. Oh, yes. He'd been very smart about the whole thing.

He'd started with blatant and uncomfortable stares...directed right at her.

She'd thought that he'd had a blinking problem. How often had she actually seen him blink, anyway?

Then there had been the subtle, lingering caresses to his Mokomoko-sama. She'd watched those long, claw-tipped fingers curl in the soft, white fluff, then slowly, languorously slide down from shoulder to thigh.

That was one long piece of fur.

He'd gotten more daring after that, once he'd known that he'd caught her attention.

The youkai had had the audacity to sit nearby when she bathed. Sure, it doesn't sound like much. He'd never positioned himself within sight of the spring or creek, or wherever they could bathe. Or, at least not within a human's eyesight. His, she wasn't so sure of. But his power, red and strong, was always within sensing range by her youkai detecting radar.

And the worst part was that he'd gotten progressively closer. Every bath his youki had crept closer, narrowing the distance between himself and her.

When she'd first realized this, Kagome had frozen in the middle of a game of who-could-splash who-the-most with Rin and Shippo, with Sango looking on. She'd ended up with a mouthful of spring water. She'd been so surprised that her jaw had become unhinged.

The kids had stopped their play and looked on with worried faces as she choked. She'd waved it off, telling them that it was nothing.

But Kagome had watched Sesshoumaru after that, or at least his aura.

But then he'd thrown her for a loop when, during a particularly difficult battle involving a giant slug youkai, instead of her knight in a red haori, it had been Sesshoumaru, in all his spikey armor, that had saved her from a painful and ugly death by slug goo which just so happened to be highly poisonous.

He'd practically crushed her to him as he moved them both out of harm's way and into the air on his cloud. With a cool "hold on" he'd let go of her as he used his poison whip and killed the creature.

Then the Lord had closed his arm around her waist again, closing the distance she'd formed between them. After they'd landed, Kagome had pushed against his chest. which she'd noticed was very muscled, but he'd bent his beautiful head and growled low in her ear.

With her body pressed up to his chest, she'd felt every vibration against her own. It had sent a tingling sensation from her nipples down to her core.

When he'd pulled away, she'd seen a pleased look in his bright eyes.

Kagome had been very careful not to touch him, or let him touch her, after that.

Not that that had been an easy task. It seemed like overnight he'd changed from a cold, merciless Lord to an affectionate, touch-starved male. He would brush against her at every available opportunity.

Finally, she could take it no longer. Kagome, the girl with the heart of gold and the patience of a bomb with a small fuse, exploded at him. He'd been standing beside her, occasionally rubbing his body against hers. That had been the last straw.

She'd whirled around and promptly smacked him in the face. The teenager could have sworn that the sound echoed for miles around, the air was so quiet. Even her usually loud companions had completely stopped and stared at the two of them.

She was sure that they'd been thinking the same thing she'd been. Any second her shoulders would no longer have to carry the burden of her head and that her body would be torn to shreds and fed to Ah-Un.

But, and this was a heart-stopper, he done none of those things! Instead he'd thrown back his head and laughed, loud and deep. Laughed!

Kagome had wondered if she'd knocked a few brain cells loose or if this was a new form of torture. Yeah. Let them think that they're going to live by laughing and then slice them to little pieces, letting your laughter be the last thing they ever hear. At the time it had seemed plausible.

Instead he'd quieted down, after what seemed to her a long time, his laughter turning into chuckles until he'd stopped altogether. That was when Kagome and everyone else had tensed, expecting to have to fight the taiyoukai.

Then he'd given her the warmest look of tenderness and admiration anyone had ever bestowed upon her.

Her look had been one of comical confusion; eyes bugging out of their sockets and mouth open wide enough to fit a snow cone through. She'd stared at him as if he'd lost his mind.

He'd simply smirked and walked past her. She'd turned and watched him go, as did the rest of the party. And just when he was disappearing into the distance, Inuyasha, coming out of his own trance, yelled at him, "What the HELL was that, asshole?!"

When said asshole hadn't answered, he'd whirled on Kagome, voicing the same question to her. She'd shrugged and the group had followed after Sesshoumaru in a dazed silence.

Later that night, as they had settled into their campsite, Inuyasha unleashed his anger and confusion on Sesshoumaru yet again. Instead of acknowledging his questions, the youkai lord had walked into the dark wood, ignoring the hanyou. The half-breed had reacted with his usual brashness and followed after him.

They didn't return until late, when everyone had already fallen asleep. Everyone, that is, except for a very worried Kagome. Laying in her sleeping bag, she'd feigned sleep as the two brothers stepped into camp, first Inuyasha and then Sesshoumaru right behind him.

The time traveler hadn't seen her friend so depressed since the last time they'd seen Kikyou. His ears had been flattened against his skull and his shoulders drooped as if a heavy weight had been upon them. Sesshoumaru'd had an air of one who was right about something but did not wish to know the answer in the first place.

The younger brother had seated himself against a tree, hands in his sleeves and eyes trained on the ground. Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, walked right up to her and stopped, staring down at her. She had shut her eyes and tried to regulate her breathing.

But, and damn his dog-hearing anyway!, he had already seen through her deception. He'd bent down and with his only arm, lifted her out of her sleeping bag and against his side. Before she could even scream, they were off into the night sky, quickly leaving the camp behind.

When she'd found her voice, she'd yelled at him, "What do you think you're doing?! Let me go!"

He'd ignored her and, thankfully, the last part of her words. She'd silently fumed after that, waiting for the time when he would put her down and she could really give it to him. You just didn't carry people off like that!

When he did land, she'd wiggled and he'd let her go. She had stepped away from him, steam practically coming out of her ears. "Why you pompous ass! Who do you think you are, taking off with me like that?! And taking me from my friends and bringing me here with . . . you . . . " Her brain had halted her tirade and had taken a mental step back. She'd been alone, with him.

Oooooh. Feral grin. That had definitely not been a good sign.

"Now hold it right there, mister!" she'd called out to him as he'd stepped toward her, a gleam coming into his eyes. Kagome had held up her arms in a pathetic attempt to ward him off and had yelled the first thing that came to mind, "I . . . I'll call Inuyasha!"

At that he'd stopped and the grin had disappeared. "There is no need for that, miko. He will not come, anyway."

"Eh?" Not one of her more intelligent responses.

"The half-breed and I have already discussed the matter and he has realized the truth."

"The truth?" she'd asked, completely puzzled. Her arms had fallen limply to her sides.

He'd eyed her, nonplused by her ignorance. "Yes. He now knows that you belong to me."

"What?!"

The youkai had glared at her and she'd shut her mouth with a click. "Fool though he is," Sesshoumaru had continued, "even my half-brother was able to grasp the situation. He knows, as you do as well, that he is promised to the other one."

"Yeah, but . . . " Kagome trailed off as she had tried to grasp exactly what had been going on. She'd known that her relationship with Inuyasha had become only a platonic one, but to have had Sesshoumaru of all people telling her that, and other things, had been mind boggling.

"Is it so hard to believe?" he had asked, as if he'd been reading her mind.

"Yes!"

He had slowly walked toward her as he continued to talk. "Really? Then you are not as observant as I had thought." He had almost been upon her. "Did you really think that I spared the half-breed all those times for his own sake? Or your life, for that matter?"

"I don't know . . . " Warning bells had been going off in her head. Too close! He was much too close!

"Then let me tell you now, my little miko, that this Sesshoumaru only did so because he has craved your power, your body, and now . . . "

He had been right in front of her, his hot breath puffing across her upturned face. She'd been speechless and her body had been shaking with something other than fear.

"Now I will have your heart and mind as well."

With that he'd dipped his head and their lips had connected in a passionate embrace. He'd been hungry and demanding, devouring her soft flesh.

When he'd finally pulled away, giving her bruised lips a little lick, she'd stood there in shock, feeling light-headed.

"And what if I don't agree?" she'd breathed.

His eyes had flared at that challenge.

"Then I shall have to convince you."

His arm had wrapped around her and drawn her to him. His larger body had curved around hers, enveloping her in a warm and seductive embrace.

Those golden eyes had glowed and she had found herself drawn into his gaze. Slowly he'd lowered is head and touched his lips her his. She'd sighed against him and in return he'd surged against her.

The rest of the night had been a whirlwind of passion and desire. Her moans, his low, bestial growls and the sound of skin slapping against skin had echoed through the long night.

In the morning she would have been more than content to sleep upon his fur and clothes for the rest of the day. That, and the young woman had known that she would have to face her friends and tell them about her new relationship with Sesshoumaru. But he had other plans.

After nudging her awake with his nose, he'd had her dress and return to her friends.

Sango and Shippo had been very relieved when she'd walked into the clearing. The little kit had jumped into her arms and hugged her as if she'd been gone for years rather than a few hours. The monk had simply sat next to the small campfire, a knowing grin on his face. Kagome's cheeks had shot up in flames. Inuyasha had sat against a tree on the other side of the fire, watching the couple with a bittersweet gaze.

The long, clawed arm around her waist had tightened fractionally, giving her the support to face her friends.

"Um...guys?" The teen began hesitantly.

"What is it, Kagome?" Miroku inquired, eyeing her with his wise and piercing gaze.

Everyone else was looking at her as well and only the Sesshoumaru's presence beside her kept her from rambling incoherently.

"Well, Sesshoumaru and I...You see we..." She just couldn't say it! How could Kagome tell her friends that she now belonged to the Taiyoukai of the West?

"We are now mates."

The young woman moved to look at him in mild surprise and for than a little thankfulness.

In her arms Shippo's eyes were wide. Sango was the most shocked and had sat by the fire in numb silence. Miroku merely raised his eyebrows and given the Lord a little nod, as if the youkai had just accomplished some great deed. Amazingly enough, Sesshoumaru returned his gesture.

Kagome chose to ignore the smug smirk on her youkai's face.

From across the fire came a quiet and sincere voice, "Congratulations. Both of you."

It was the hanyou who was saying such kind words and Kagome felt tears come to her eyes. He was being such a good sport with all of this. His understanding touched her deeply and, pulling away from Sesshoumaru and walking around the fire, she embraced him in a tight hug.

"Thank you," she whispered brokenly into his cute ears.

"Keh."

She smiled through her tears. Typical Inuyasha.

The teenager felt her mate's aura flare up and she knew that he was getting jealous of her hugging her best friend.

Giggling, feeling happier than she could ever remember being, she stood and faced her Lord.

The wind gently blew his silver hair and she knew in that moment that everything would be alright. Together with her mate and friends they would overcome anything.

Not Naraku or any of his tricks; nothing would stop them from succeeding and gaining the happy endings they so deserved.