A Thorny Rose by Stella Mira

A Thorny Rose

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. All credit belongs to Takahashi, Rumiko-sensei.

A/N: This one-shot was made for the lovely Lady Kirara for her wonderful contribution and support to Dokuga. I wish to personally thank her for giving me a chance to contribute as well in a small way and dedicate this story to her! I really hope you’ll enjoy this, Lady K! Also, congratulations on your nominations! They are well deserved ^^

Tonight had to be the worst day of Higurashi, Kagome’s entire month. She was working the double shift at the hospital and was practically swaying on her feet from exhaustion after almost fifteen hours of hard work. If that wasn’t enough, some of her assigned patients proved either difficult or caused her heart much sorrow. She had been forced to strap down a rather violent patient in order to get his blood test, an elder lady had interrogated her for a whole hour on her love life or lack thereof, trying to convince her that a man was the solution to all her problems, and her favorite patient, a little angel with stage 4 lung cancer had had a really rough night where he had crashed twice. The parents had signed a DNR and she was fighting back tears as they all waited for the horrible moment to happen anytime now.

The life of a nurse really was not something to be envied of at days like these. If someone had told her that the day would get infinitely worse in a couple minutes, she would have laughed in his face for spewing such nonsense. Surely, nothing could beat all the troubles she had been stuck with up until now. She couldn’t have been more wrong. The absolutely worst thing that could happen to her had been reeled in on a stretcher shortly after. It had been a slightly disgruntled male body belonging to the most insufferable, arrogant, uncooperative patient she would ever have the ‘pleasure’ of treating.

“Male, early thirties, has minor lacerations and bruising, but he might have suffered a concussion as well! He was involved in a car accident!” the paramedic yelled, as he pushed in a gurney with a man strapped securely on it and provided Kagome with the makeshift chart he had made on the spot. She quickly scanned the information and thanked the medic as she called for the attending trauma surgeon. You could never be too careful with these cases. There could have been some major internal bleeding despite no obvious trauma showing.

“Sir, can you hear me? Can you tell me your name?” Kagome asked in an attempt to gouge his level of consciousness and if there was indeed fear of a concussion as she waited for the doctor in an empty examination room.

“Indeed, I can hear you perfectly well, Miss. My injuries pertain to cuts and bruises, not a perforated eardrum,” a rich baritone replied in a mocking tone, making her whip her head away from the chart to stare incredulously at his unmoving form.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she took in the handsome, slightly battered up man lying immobile on the bed. He was truly a delightful sight for her tired eyes; tall and lean with well toned muscles the – now ruined - expensive black suit he wore only served to enhance not conceal. Then her gaze traveled upwards to focus on his beautiful features; soft ebony locks framed an angular face, obsidian intense pools filled with contempt, perfect lips drawn in a disapproving tight line towards her. That succeeded in reminding her of his rude attitude immediately. This delectable man might have been the epitome of male physic, but his acidic character was far from being desirable.

“You might have suffered internal injuries we are unaware of at the moment, Sir. Can you please answer my questions, so the attending physician can have a completed profile of your medical history when he arrives? It will prove to hasten your examination. I am sure you would appreciate that as well," Kagome explained in a clipped tone, gracing him with a condescending glance that clearly stated she did not appreciate his attitude.

“Very well then, Miss. If it will accelerate the procedure, I will comply. Make your queries,” he conceded in a flat voice, unperturbed by her displeased glare.

“Thank you for your cooperation. Please state your full name and how you acquired these injuries,” Kagome smiled at him sweetly, smothering the rising urge to add more injuries to the man for making the last hour of her shift a living hell.

“Takahashi, Sesshoumaru. I believe the paramedic already provided the information regarding my accident,” he answered truthfully in a bland undertone in his deep baritone.

“I am aware that he did, but I will need more details to ascertain possible injuries, Takahashi-san. Could you please elaborate on the specifics of your accident?” Kagome bit out through gritted teeth, her lips still curved in a pleasant smile, fighting really hard to squash any thoughts of subjecting the man to a series of several uncomfortable examinations just to spite him.

“I was exiting the building of the company I work for when I noticed a child was ready to cross the street in a red light for pedestrians. I rushed to ensure the safety of the child, but as I pushed him out of the way, I lost my balance and ended up on the street instead. An oncoming vehicle did not have time to slow down and you can guess what happened next,” Sesshoumaru revealed in a serious voice, finally showing some signs of slight cooperation.

“You rescued a child? Is he okay?” Kagome asked impressed as her eyes softened instantly at his explanation. He might not be that bad after all if he saved a child from mortal danger.

“Of course the child is okay, Miss. If he had suffered any injuries, the paramedics would have brought him in alongside me. Can you not deduct this on your own? How long have you been in this occupation?” Sesshoumaru promptly shot down her new found opinion of him. The man was plain rude and impossible to handle.

“It was a brave thing what you did. I’m glad the boy is well and unhurt. Can you tell me if you are allergic to any substances and if you have suffered from any injuries or illnesses prior to this I should take into account?” Kagome complimented his action out of pure courtesy, refusing to stoop to his level and forget her good manners.

“None that I know of. I have never had an allergic reaction to anything and I have never been involved in another accident. Other than the common flu, I have not been afflicted with a serious disease in my whole life,” he remarked and Kagome marveled at his perfect health record.

“In a scale from one to ten can you describe your current level of pain and if it’s intermittent or constant?” she asked lastly, but judging by his quick reaction time on her questions and the obvious clarity he had, the man must have had nerves of steel. She had rarely seen such a composed patient even after the paramedics had given a mild sedative for the pain.

“It is barely a 3 right now and constant. Would you like me to state the level of pain for the oncoming headache I am developing as well?” Sesshoumaru stated regally, pinning her with a challenging stare.

“No, that will not be necessary. If you are not experiencing a headache at the moment, refrain from taking inaccurate guesses,” Kagome shot back in a stern expression, peeved by his taunting manner.

"Alright, thank you for your cooperation, Takahashi-san. A resident will be here shortly to examine your case and order the appropriate tests,” Kagome informed him with a small smile, realizing there was really no need for an attending to be involved here as she secured the completed chart on the end of the bed and took her leave, closing the curtain behind her. She simply refused to spend another second with this obnoxious patient. He had managed to perfectly turn all her good intentions into murderous thoughts in a matter of minutes.

Unfortunately, she was obligated to spend more quality time with him as the resident physician assigned her to be his personal nurse and ordered the standard tests – X-rays, CAT scan, blood cultures - to be done promptly a few minutes later despite her shift coming to an end soon. Thanks to this aggravating patient, she would be working overtime as well to top it all of. This day could not have been worse for her tethered nerves.

“I will be taking a blood sample now, Takahashi-san. You might feel a slight sting, but please bear with me,” she smiled reassuringly as she began the procedure. He merely gave an imperceptible nod as if all this was tedious and unnecessary in his opinion, making her sigh deeply.

After an hour of pushing his gurney all over the hospital departments for the requested tests in absolute silence, she finally arrived back into the assigned room for his use. Apparently, the man must have been well off since he could afford a single room in this hospital. She slipped all the test results into the folder at the end of the bed and completed his chart with the latest stats for the doctor to see in his next visit on his incoming rounds shortly.

Thankfully, the resident arrived soon and spared her of the torture to keep this man verbal company as he proceeded to stitch the only large cut he had suffered on his leg. She stood at the side, following the doctor’s precise instructions as Sesshoumaru never batted an eyelash or showed any discomfort while it lasted. She had to give him credit for that. Maybe all of his money had come from gambling as he sure could pull off an excellent poker face. The resident finished his work and assured the patient there was nothing worrying over his case as he left to continue his rounds and examinations.

“Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable, Takahashi-san?” Kagome offered smiling at the man, dressed in the hospital gown now, reclining languidly over the white linen sheets.

“Yes, you could discharge me. I do not have time to waste here. I can resume my recovery at home,” Sesshoumaru replied coldly, pinning her with a frozen stare.

“I am afraid that is not my decision to make. The doctor decreed you would be hospitalized for three days to monitor your condition since there were some abnormalities in your blood works, so you could use this chance to take a break and relax for the time being. You do look awfully stressed. This accident might have been fortuitous for your mental state, Sesshoumaru-san,” she countered with a lopsided grin, using his given name on purpose to aggravate him even more. Her control was slipping as her inner ‘cynic’ surfaced after his demand. If she was going to spend three whole days catering to his needs, he should learn now that she was not a woman he could mess with easily.

“My mental state is irrelevant to my injuries and certainly in a better condition than yours, Kagome-san,” he returned in a sinful timbre with the faint ghost of a smirk on his elegant features as his dark eyes shimmered with intrigue at her sudden display of bite, reciting the name that was written on her uniform tag. If he wished to be honest, he had been trying to rile up the gorgeous woman since the time he had been admitted to this hospital. Not many people could withstand his blunt manner of speech and wry remarks, but she had shown remarkable patience and professionalism up until now; which had caught his immediate interest in her. Perhaps, his stay at the hospital would not be as boring as he had originally expected, he thought dragging his eyes all over her curvy figure now that he was given the time to peruse her undisturbed by outside disruptions.

She was dressed in a fitted knee high uniform for a nurse, hugging her lovely body sensually to accent on her soft curves in a highly provocative manner in his opinion. She wore a loose bun at the nape of her neck with a few silken raven locks falling teasingly over her cheeks from her temples. Dark chocolate orbs were staring at him with veiled animosity as her luscious, plump lips were pursed in a displeased expression. She was indeed a beautiful woman whom he enjoyed making flush lightly with anger quite a lot to his surprise.

Kagome was stunned into silence at his intense perusal of her person and the faint smirk she could vaguely discern upon his masculine features. She squirmed uncomfortably, feeling a wholly different sensation than irritation overcoming her now at his heated gaze and utterly entrancing expression. She had no idea what had caused this sudden change in his behavior, but she almost prayed he would revert back to his previous infuriating attitude. She could handle his curt replies and rude comments a lot better than these seductive glances and husky remarks. Dallying with patients was strictly prohibited and unethical in her book no matter what the other nurses claimed. This was bad, very bad…

“If you need anything during the night, press the button to your left and a nurse will respond promptly. I will see you again in the morning, Sesshoumaru-san,” Kagome replied quickly while cursing herself for having used his given name earlier in a way to taunt him. It rolled off her tongue in a sensuous whisper much to her dismay without her permission. She bowed curtly and made a hasty exit before he had the chance to mess with her head or libido even more; thus, missing the wicked grin that curved the corners of his lips slowly at her evident retreat.

The next morning Kagome entered the hospital with measured steps, greeting her coworkers at the nurse station with an open smile.

“Good morning, girls! Busy night, Sango-chan?” she asked, accepting a mocha latte gratefully from a tall dark haired woman.

“Why did you keep the patient in 301 a secret, you sneaky minx? Damn, that man is mighty fine! I nearly had a heart attack when I walked into his room last night to check on his temperature and replace the saline…” Sango exclaimed giggling as Kagome motioned for her to be quiet, raising a finger to her lips. If the whole nursing staff learned of the hunk currently hospitalized here, there would be a horde of women stalking his room day and night without reprieve. She was certain the uptight man would not take kindly to that and might even demand to be discharged without the doctor’s approval, taking full responsibility for his injuries. She hadn’t gone in such lengths to keep this information from him only for some sex crazed nurses to ruin it now.

“Jeez, Sango-chan! Why don’t you shout it louder? I don’t think the cafeteria staff heard you yet! Besides, you already have a hot piece of man at home, haven’t you? Why would you bother with my patient no matter how scrumptious he looked?” Kagome chastised her friend in a hushed voice, playing the boyfriend card to avert her interest from Sesshoumaru.

“Just because I have Miroku doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a handsome man when I see one…and than man is every woman’s wet dream, girl! You’ve said it yourself, so don’t give me that bullshit. Buuut, do I detect a slight possessiveness here? And you claim to be above such petty things as ogling a patient…” Sango countered laughing mischievously as she caught her friend’s slip up easily.

Kagome was very tempted to release a barrage of very unflattering epithets in regards to the other nurse, but refrained in favor of keeping her cool. She would need all of her mental reserves when she entered Sesshoumaru’s room in a few minutes, so it wouldn’t do to waste them on Sango now.

“Don’t be such a tease…you know I don’t dabble with my patients. I’m late for my rounds, so see you later during lunch?” she waved towards the smirking nurse as she walked away.

“This isn’t over, you know! You’ve got to give me all the juicy details later!” Sango yelled after her, totally ignoring her plea for subtlety and Kagome sighed, shaking her head at her friend’s insistence.

“Good morning, Sesshoumaru-san. Did you have a pleasant rest? Your tests results came back,” Kagome announced with a radiant smile as she entered the single room, but a sour expression quickly appeared on her delicate features when she caught sight of the laptop on his lap. Unbelievable! Just yesterday she had warned him to take it easy and not a day later he had blatantly ignored her advice. This man had an uncanny ability of rubbing her the wrong way without even trying.

“Is your purpose in life making my work difficult? Where did you get this laptop? I left you alone for only five hours for crying out loud!” she exploded in an exasperated voice, forgetting all about being civil and not letting him get under her skin.

“A work associate visited this morning after I called to have my laptop delivered to me. I am in charge of an important project at this moment and I cannot leave my subordinates without proper guidance. They are capable, but none of them are me,” Sesshoumaru explained in a smooth voice leisurely, gracing her with a challenging stare that dared her to defy him. She was enticing in her obvious outrage at his behavior, which had been his purpose all along when he had called Jaken to bring him the laptop. Of course, his team could handle a few days without him, but she didn’t have to know that, he thought amused.

“Well, I’m certain you are very capable at your work, but your subordinates will survive a couple days without you there to hold their hands. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be part of your team, correct? I’m sensing you are the perfectionist workaholic type. Well, you are very lucky I was assigned as your nurse. Your addiction ends today!” Kagome huffed with a superior glance, accepting the challenge as she approached him and snatched the laptop from his lap while he raised an elegant arched brow in question at her antics.

“I’m confiscating this until you are discharged. Your tests showed very low red blood cell count, your hematocrit is lower than the level it should be and you have major iron deficiency. All these facts point to a severe case of anemia. Furthermore, you are showing signs of malnutrition and slight dehydration. Basically, you have overworked your body to the limits, so we’re keeping you here to raise all of your stats and you’re taking home a strict diet, mister! Now, behave like a proper patient or I will be forced to employ some unconventional means in my disposal which, I assure you, you will not enjoy!” she threatened with a pointed glare sternly.

However, her indignation was soon replaced by utter shock when she heard a deep, masculine laughter erupting from his throat. Her lips slightly parted, forming a small ‘o’ at the captivating sound of his addictive laughter as her eyes widened in appreciation. Damn, she had thought that man could not get any more attractive, but she had been proved wrong once again.

She quickly turned to leave his room all the while mumbling between her teeth about stubborn men as the alluring sound of his laughter echoed through her mind for the rest of her shift much to her consternation.

Kagome was liable to commit murder when she arrived at the hospital the next day. She had woken up this morning drenched in sweat between matted sheets while breathing heavily from a highly erotic dream. She had felt a sweet throbbing sensation in her nether regions that refused to disappear until she had decided to indulge her body’s demands in the shower. She wouldn’t have been so perturbed by this if the one acting in her shameful, arousing fantasies, whether she was asleep or awake, had been anyone else but the damned patient in room 301. It had been a long time since she had been attracted this strongly towards a member of the opposite sex and she did not appreciate this one bit.

“Well, good morning, sunshine! What’s with the dark vibes so early in the morning? You’re usually more cheery than this…” Sango commented with slight confusion when she spotted her friend’s surly expression.

“I really don’t want to talk about it! Did Sesshoumaru call for anything during the night?” Kagome asked, refusing to discuss the matter in depth lest the cursed memories resurfaced.

“Oohhh…already on a first name basis…and without even a proper suffix…hmm…I seeee…” Sango dragged out her remark with a sly smirk on her intrigued face as Kagome slapped herself mentally for this blunder. It appears her dream had affected her in a deeper level than she had originally thought if she was now referring to him by fist name without a suffix. An unwanted scene replayed in her mind without her consent where she had been screaming his name in wild abandon as he…Damnit, she was slipping here. This had to stop soon before she went crazy from sexual frustration.

“You’re incorrigible…I don’t have time for this. I have patients to take care of!” Kagome argued as she ran away from her friend’s inquisitive gaze.

“Yeah, one of them is in need of some lovin’ from a pretty nurse…have fun, hon!” Sango shouted after her, making Kagome cringe in mortification as many curious glances were focused on her after that comment.

Composing herself outside his room, she exhaled a long breath steeling her nerves for the confrontation that was about to occur. If she knew her patient well enough – which she was sure by now that she did – she was in for a wild ride again today; and not the kind she had experienced in her dream. Bad, very bad thoughts…

“Good morning, Sesshoumaru-san,” Kagome greeted him, plastering on a pleasant smile as she approached to examine the medical chart. He merely nodded his greeting, sparing her thankfully the sweet torture of his enthralling voice. However, she practically groaned aloud when she read what was expected of her today. She needed to do an auscultation examination which would require him exposing his – no doubt – utterly lickable, muscled torso. She mentally cursed the resident who had burdened her with this task. He had a bad case of anemia…why the hell did she need to check his lungs?

“I need to perform an auscultation examination. Could you please lean forward so I can untie the hospital gown?” she informed him with a neutral expression, assuming the face she had practiced for such occasions. He would not get a reaction out of her all deities be damned.

The corners of his lips turned upwards in a slow, inviting tight lipped smirk as he obliged her request and she refrained hard from moaning at the sinful sight. If this could cause her such unrest, she really needed to be prepared for what was going to happen next. She untied the strings holding the gown together and proceeded to slide the fabric down to his narrow waist all the while being careful not to have more contact than necessary with his tempting skin. Tight muscles clenched as he shivered lightly when the cool air caressed his pale flesh, causing some other muscles in her lower stomach to clench internally at that.

“This might feel a little cold. I need you to sit up straight. Take a deep breath only through your nose and exhale after two seconds each time I tell you,” Kagome ordered in what she hoped was a steady voice before she placed the chest piece on his clavicle starting from the left side. She needed to repeat this six times on each side with great concentration and she prayed really hard for the gods, she had cursed previously, to forget her indiscretion and gift her with restraint.

Each time he inhaled slowly, his lean stomach hollowed, making her hungry gaze glue on the damnably erotic thin line of soft hair trailing down lower to a very forbidden area as if paving the way for her shamelessly. She, also, couldn’t close her eyes as she needed to reposition the chest piece carefully to the correct areas. She was doomed to suffer a slow, agonizing torture for two whole minutes that felt like an eternity. Finally, she completed the examination without any complications and straightened up to nod at him reassuringly.

“I did not hear any abnormalities. You are indeed in perfect shape if you exclude the anemia. I will help you redress now if you lean forward please,” Kagome revealed in a slightly breathy voice this time with darkened russet eyes, burning desire shimmering in their depths as he locked smoky coal pools to trap her even deeper in this insanity. Then he did something that shocked the hell out of her and made her exhale a long shuddering breath this time.

He gently but strongly captured her slender hands into his own and pressed them on the gown pulled around his hips to clutch at the fabric tensely. His thumbs caressed the back of her hands lightly as he guided their entwined hands over his naked torso sensually to lift the fabric around his shoulders, causing her to lean towards him heavily. He released them then in favor of placing his hands on the sides of her dainty waist, caressing her in slow motions as he buried his face in her neck, inhaling deeply of her velvet lavender scent while she tried to tie the knots behind his back with trembling fingers.

When she finally managed to complete this simple yet now extremely difficult task, she languidly started to lean backwards, her warm cheek grazing his accidentally as she moved away from this close contact of their bodies. His hands that had lowered to her supple hips now tightened around her, stopping her retreat when their faces were barely touching as their breaths mingled together pleasurably between their parted lips. Her heavy lidded dazed eyes darted upwards connecting with his passionate black orbs filled with evident need for her.

A shrill sound coming from outside broke this lust induced haze that had sucked them right in and she straightened up fast, running out of the room without a look back to see what had happened and escape from the seductive glint in his ensnaring eyes. Yet once again, she spent the rest of the day lost in deep thought of him; only now she knew how his sleek skin felt under her touch.

This night Kagome didn’t have to worry her sleep would be infested with sexually charged dreams as she simply couldn’t rest even for a few minutes. Each time she closed her eyes to try, willing her body to surrender to the sweet beckoning of her bed, he was there; tempting her with the sultry promise of his body and more. She realized this intense pull she felt towards Sesshoumaru did not restrict to carnal urges. She wanted him with his cynic remarks, the aloof stares, the sexy eyebrow raising, the challenging attitude, the hot desire. She ascertained this when her heart filled with despair at the thought of his discharge today and the fear that settled deep into her heart when she realized she might never see him again.

“Wow, if I thought that yesterday you seemed down, today you look awful! What happened, Kagome-chan? I’m not making lame jokes this time. If something is troubling you like this, I’m here to listen,” Sango offered with a concerned expression full of sympathy for her friend’s dejected appearance.

“Thank you, Sango-chan. I think I’ll take up on your offer tomorrow, though. I-I can’t talk about it today…” Kagome replied with a sad smile, feeling thankful for her loyal friend always being there for her when she actually needed her.

“Alright, I’ll wait till you’re ready. Be warned, though, if this gloom continues after a week, I’m going to make you tell me whether you want it or not!” Sango promised with a determined look in her lovely features as Kagome waved back, a short laugh escaping her lips at her friend’s familiar scolding method.

“Good morning, Sesshoumaru-san. You are finally getting discharged today! Although, you will have to come back in a month to monitor your red blood cells, hematocrit and iron levels, so you can’t escape me that easily yet. How are you feeling? Any discomfort?” Kagome jested in a fake merry laughter, her heart clenching tightly at the sight of his usual serene expression and calm demeanor.

“I would not dream of such an occurrence,” Sesshoumaru replied in a taunting manner despite the words being deceptively sweet with a slight curving of his mouth. He really admired this amazing woman who could act so nonchalantly after their last encounter without making demands or asking for explanations. It showed great strength of character and he always respected that in a person; be it a man or a woman.

“You must be feeling well if you can make insulting jokes like that,” she countered with a slight disapproving peer over the chart she was looking at intently and shook her head at his usual dry humor.

“Well, then, I hope you have a swift and uncomplicated recovery. I’ll see you in a month for your check up. White really isn’t your color…” Kagome laughed in a lyrical, crystal sound with mirth, pointing at the white hospital gown which caused a genuine, rare smile to appear in his face as well unwittingly. This woman…she had a way of eliciting strange sensations within him without even meaning to do it.

She lingered on for a few seconds, her warm chocolate eyes drinking him in as she marveled at the dazzling smile she had never seen on his face before; a breath taking man any woman would be lucky to have indeed. Maybe one already had that privilege…

She turned to leave the room with such despondent thoughts plaguing her mind, foolishly clinging to the hope she might see him again in a month even for a second; a second that would never be enough for her now…

Kagome spent the rest of her shift busying herself with filling charts and caring for patients in a futile attempt to distract her mind from the man in 301. She deliberately avoided the lobby in the afternoon, knowing full well that was the time the resident doctor would sign the discharge papers and he would be free to leave from the hospital…leaving her alone. She did not think she could handle this, so she wisely stayed away.

Late at night she exited the clinic’s doors after having stayed a few more hours on purpose to exhaust her body and mind in hopes of falling in a dreamless sleep when she got home tonight. She walked in the parking lot towards her car, fumbling inside her purse for the keys. She was still searching for the elusive keys when she finally reached the car, so she didn’t notice a tall figure standing next to the vehicle, until she heard a deep, sensuous baritone filling the silent space.

“Miss, I am in need of assistance. It appears I have a bleeding wound that might get infected and cost me a limb. You are a nurse, correct?” the man called with clear amusement lacing his rich timbre as she raised wide eyes to stare at him incredulously, recognizing the erotic voice easily.

 “S-Sesshoumaru-san? What are you doing here? You must have been discharged hours ago! Don’t tell me you waited all this time to get treated? What happened? Did you fall and hurt yourself because you were too proud to take a cab? I told you to be careful, you aggravating man!” Kagome ranted breathlessly with anger coating her inner panic at his injury as she ran towards him fast.

A gorgeous smile graced his lips as he raised his hand towards her when she reached him, a single scarlet rose between his grasp. She stopped with a quizzical expression, inspecting his elegant hand carefully, seeing that a thorn had indeed managed to prick lightly at his pale skin, a thin red rivulet coating his fingers. Still, it was a shallow wound, nothing serious for her to worry and she exhaled a long breath of relief. Then blazingly hot anger resurfaced within her at his cruel joke and she banged her fists against his chest.

“Y-you devious, inconsiderate, impossible man! Are you trying to act like a jerk or does it come as naturally as breathing to you!?” she accused him with scorching dark pools, miffed at his infuriating attitude.

“This is a grave injury, Miss. I was wounded by a thorny rose three days ago and the pain cannot subside. Tell me is there a cure for this?” Sesshoumaru confessed in a low, husky voice, caressing her cheek with the rose’s petals gently and her eyes widened in mute shock at his revelation. Her insides melted at his heartfelt admission as the beseeching expression in his dark gaze took her breath away and she flung herself into his arms, laughing and crying at the same time.

“There is a cure for this, but the nurse who administers it can be very bossy,” Kagome sniffed between laughter as she nuzzled his neck and kissed his jaw softly.

“Then I guess I will have to suffer through her rough treatment,” Sesshoumaru sighed deeply, his eyes twinkling with amusement, before he captured her lips in a slow, passionate kiss that made her shiver and tingle all over with want.

~Fin~