Lord Sesshomaru's Shocking Case of Obsession by Rinseternalsoul

Chapter 1 - Tracking His Obsession

Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Land sat crouched, high in a tree, watching. He chastised himself for the thousandth time for doing so, but still his legs refused to take him away. Obsessed. He was obsessed. It took him a very long time to admit this to himself, and still he was loath to give in. Several years ago he had been slightly interested, later he termed it as 'intrigued'. Now he knew this was far beyond intrigued. After bashing himself, bashing other's, fleeing, and fighting, he finally gave in. At any rate, there was no rest to be had for him, so why fight it anymore? He knew he was obsessed, Oh yes... he knew. He was sitting in a tree for Kami's sake, hiding himself like a thief! Even holding his breath at one point, trying to evade detection.

The thing about obsession is that once it gets started, it's unbelievably hard to stop. Yes... even for a taiyoukai. The small seed of obsession grows faintly at first, barely noticeable, until one day you look at yourself and think...'what the hell am I doing?' You know it's an obsession, but still you follow its lead. Things that were once important to you begin to loose the attention that they deserve. Obligations tend to go unattended. You loose sight of everything. Simple thoughts are replaced by the invading object of one's obsession. Time is devoted to fulfilling the awesome need to bask in it. Finally one's mind begins to feel as if it were losing touch with reality. The world around you that was so steady and sure, becomes a daily devotion to the cursed object of one's obsession. Even in sleep the obsession rules the mind, pulling what small amount of peace that could be found in darkness, once more back to the horrid focus of the obsession.

"Inuyasha, I'm going to the stream to wash up before we leave," Kagome called to the hanyou. She looked around to Sango, who shook her head. "No? Ok. I'll be back in a few minutes, then."

He had been stalking this group for a week. Their constant antics were quite amusing, to say the least, but that was not why he was here. He knew that the perfect opportunity would eventually present itself. All he had to do was be patient. Not really one of his strong suits, but considering the stakes, he would adjust. When the girl disappeared into the bush, he began to follow.

The miko, named Kagome, walked to the nearby stream, carrying various articles in her arm. He watched her delicate steps through the rough underbrush. He smiled a little. This could be the moment.

When she reached her destination, she carefully sat down her armload of bottles and such. The youkai lord watched as she kneeled beside the water's edge, scooping up handfuls of the cool liquid to splash on her face. He could smell her scent so clearly now that she was alone. It seemed to permeate the very air around him making him feel a sense of peace.

He studied her every movement as though his very life depended on the knowledge that he may gain. The shining water droplets ran down her rosy cheeks. Across her full pink lips. Her ebony hair, damp around her angelic face, begged for his touch. Just watching her doing this simple thing made his heart pound and his loins burn with need. His obsession. His unwilling obsession.

The girl had no idea he watched her. He was a strong demon, and it was a simple task to mask his presence from her. No doubt anything she felt of him would be attributed to the neko or kitsune youkai she traveled with. A man of action, Sesshomaru found it incredibly hard to sit by calmly, only watching. He wanted to feel her eyes on him. He wanted her to know what torment she unknowingly put him through. But alas, to make his presence known to her would only prove to bring his annoying little brother running to her side.

When Kagome finished her cleansing, she stood to leave. As she dropped a small container, she lost her footing and began to fall. He could not watch her fall, and before he had time to think out his actions he stood beside of her holding her arm. She looked up, quite shocked that someone had rescued her from her mishap. When recognition hit, her eyes grew wide. "Ses... Sesshomaru?"

He had expected her to scream. At the least he had expected her to run. He had not, however expected the calm whisper of his name. It sounded so very sweet on her lips.

"Ohayoo, Kagome," Sesshomaru breathed softly. He seen her glancing around a bit nervously, but still she made no move to escape or call for help. If anything she seemed a little shocked, maybe preoccupied, with the fact that he knew her name. Much to his amazement, her fair skin blushed at his words. 'Oh tender torture,' he thought.

"Kagome! Are you coming or not?!" Inuyasha called through the forest.

Sesshomaru glance in the direction of the hanyou, but quickly turned to face the miko once more. He looked deeply into her big beautiful eyes. He could read her every thought, it seemed, in their bottomless depths. How he wished to stay with her, if only for a little while, but that could not be... not yet.

He released her arm, reluctantly, and slowly backed away, never removing his gaze from hers. Until finally, at the forests edge, he turned. He stopped briefly, as he heard her whisper softly, "Arigato, Sesshomaru-sama." He nodded slightly, and disappeared from her sight.

~~**~~

Three days later, he now watched his over eager, baka, of a half-demon, half-brother, make a grave mistake. The fool had rushed into a fight with a den of bear youkai. The fool engaged in battle against one, unaware that there was a den nearby. Now Sesshomaru watched as the rag-tag group battled the lesser demons, which towered above them with huge claws dipping through the air, hell bent on destroying the danger to their cubs. He swiftly counted five adults, two juveniles, and several cubs. The cubs remained unseen to the group below. He knew the group could handle the bears, but it frustrated him to no end that Inuyasha had placed her life in danger with his rambunctious attitude.

Sesshomaru chose to stay out of sight, and watched as the exterminator took out her prey. As she did, its mate flew into a rage and crashed towards the miko, and her kit. There was no time to loose, as he could not depend on one of her friends to save her. He would not risk their failure.

Inuyasha screamed for Kagome to run. He seen the huge bear heading straight at her, but was afraid he couldn't make it in time. When his eyes caught sight of a flash of white, he at first thought it was another attacking youkai. That idea was thrown aside, when he watched his brother fly up to the beast and slash it to bits with his youki whip. Inuyasha then turned back to the bear on his heels and leapt to slice its throat. It fell with a huge thud. He glanced around quickly and seen that the other two adult youkai fleeing into the dense forest.

Inuyasha turned swiftly back to Sesshomaru, who stood grasping Kagome's hand in front of him. This was unacceptable. "Sesshomaru! Get the Hell away from Kagome!" He shouted as he ran forward.

Sesshomaru heard his irritating half brother, and reluctantly released the soft, tiny hand of the little miko. He sighed his frustration, slightly rolling his eyes at the annoyance that was Inuyasha.

"Little Brother. As much as it would have pleased me to watch you take a beating by those bears for your shear stupidity, I must insist that you stop swinging blindly into situations, which could get Kagome killed." He sent Inuyasha his most venomous gaze with his words. Before the baka could respond, Sesshomaru did a 180, and faced Kagome once more. "Until we meet again, Kagome." He pulled her hand to his lips and placed a chaste kiss there, just before taking his leave.

Inuyasha tried to take all of this in, but he wasn't quite sure what the hell he'd just seen. Had his ominous brother, just saved Kagome, then kissed her hand? Geez, the world was going crazy! He ran up to Kagome, standing much in the same place that Sesshomaru had been. "Kagome, are you all right? What in the seven Hells did Sesshomaru want?"

Kagome looked just as puzzled herself. "I... I don't know Inuyasha. One minute that bear youkai was charging at me, and the next Sesshomaru appeared and killed it." She looked over to the heaping pile of unrecognizable bear flesh, "...mutilated it actually."

Sango ran to Inuyasha's side, as well as Miroku and Kirara. Sango looked at Inuyasha then back to Kagome. "That's twice, now."

Inuyasha looked to the demon slayer, "What do you mean twice, now?"

Sango grimaced as Kagome shot her a look that said she was gonna get it later. Sango sent her own look back that said 'too late now'. "Well, not to this scale, but he saved Kagome from a little fall just a few days ago."

Inuyasha turned to Kagome, shooting daggers of anger at her, "And why didn't you tell me about this, Kagome?"

"I... well, I didn't think it was important, that's why. All he did was grab my arm when I almost slipped near a stream." Kagome glared back at Inuyasha. He could make the biggest deal out of the silliest things.

"Well Kagome, don't you think it's just a little strange that Sesshomaru, of all people, has just taken it upon himself to save you! For Kami's sake you idiot! He doesn't help people for no reason!"

Now his attitude succeeded in making her mad. "I am not an idiot, Inuyasha, and I am getting really sick of you calling me that!"

"Fine then, you're a moron!" Inuyasha shouted.

Kagome's face took on a sinister look as she turned her back on the hanyou, "Sit Boy!" When she heard his face hit the dirt, Kagome strolled off in the direction the group had been headed before the bears. Sango and Kirara ran and took up pace next to their fuming friend. In the distance behind them, they could hear Inuyasha's muffled curses, and Miroku shouting 'Wind Tunnel' as he cleaned up the dead carcasses.

In a tree, just out of sensory range from the cursing hanyou, sat a proud taiyoukai, who had witnessed the entire scene. 'I never get tired of watching her do that,' he thought . After the hanyou began to pull his mouth out of the filth, Sesshomaru turned away, intent on keeping an eye on his quarry.