Anthropological Purposes by ProudHanyou

Chapter 1

Sesshomaru was never too curious for his own good.

Some things interested him, some things dared to linger a little longer in his thoughts until eventually they left unnoticed never to return.

But rarely, some things stuck around a little too long, if you ask him.

Like a certain well with a strange scent of smoke and things he never seemed to identify.

Like a certain priestess with an otherworldly short garment. 

He watched time and time again as she slipped from the wooden edge to be swallowed by an odd rosy light, the aura so ancient it made him feel like an infant.

Sesshomaru was never too curious for his own good, but that, that made his skin itch with curiosity.

So he observed concealed, his gaze followed her as she stepped in the clearing facing the well, her eyes searched the area, like she was about to do something completely immoral. The blue irises scanned the forest and stopped a little longer where he was, after what it looked like some consideration, the miko shrugged and lipped into the light.

So he waited.

For anthropological purposes only.

Sometimes it took days, sometimes a few hours. She never seemed any different aside from the smoked steel odour that lingered on her and her stuffed yellow bag that always looked like it was about to give out at any moment.

Sometimes her hair was moist and he could smell her characteristic aroma better even from afar. It made some little buried up part of him hope for rainy days.

Sometimes she had bruises and bloodied scratches on her legs, it didn’t surprise him, the hanyou could not protect his own rear from a fall. Ridiculous.

The sight of the harm done to her bothered him somehow. Sesshomaru told himself he was just dumbfounded by his brother’s incapacity, she was only one tiny human after all, this could not be that hard.

Slowly, the curiosity about the well was transferred to her. Questions annoyed him, uninvited and more urgent everytime. To his ultimate dismay, no one seemed to know the answers, not someone he was willing to ask to anyway.

Day after day, the mystery of her unfurled a fraction. The only thing he knew for certain was that she wasn’t from this world as she had told him already, many moons ago in a silent cave.

Memories of her flushed nose and eerily clear eyes seemed to tug in the far corner of his brain, the light that entered the cave appeared to be there only for her benefit, so her blue irises could consider him, make him feel like he was the one being questioned.

-

Her midnight lashes danced above her darkened cheekbones as she lowered her eyes, looking at something he was too distracted by her soft lips to care about.

“Why do you care?” She had asked, looking away. “Don’t you have better things to do?”

She seemed to be asking about something else entirely, he noticed the informal tone with a renewed curiosity. Why would Sesshomaru allow such behaviour was beyond him, still he did.

Still he craved it. He knew by observation she only did that to those close to her.

And how he wanted to be close, the closest one. For anthropological purposes, of course.

“I do.” He answered simply, “But I also do as I please.” His gaze swiped through her freckles, taking in the many different sizes and shades of brown.

“And being here pleases you?” The miko questioned in an incredulous tone, crossing her arms.

Before Sesshomaru could watch his words and carefully calculate the meaning, they were out.

“Very much.” He observed her eyes wide and her flush get a little darker.

Even though his filtered sentences failed him, her reaction was an unexpected prize.

How he marvelled at the effect his words had on her, like it was a special secret, like it was a trick only Sesshomaru could perform.

For reasons unclear even for himself he gave a step forward, musing the way she held her ground, one of the many pleasant surprises that seem to appear with any interaction they had. After so many centuries of inspiring fear and relishing in it, the scent became dull and flavourless, of course he realised that much too late and he was a well known figure by then, everyone seemed to reek of panic when in his presence, everyone but her.

Her arms were still crossed in a defensive manner, not in a protective way, but as to remind him of her eternally stubborn nature. He adored it.

-

Sesshomaru never got the answers he needed but that was of no consequence, he knew now it was not about old magic and wooden structures, but about blue eyes and smile inducing laughs.

The demon began following his point of interest then, always making sure to tell himself it was only just that, a point of interest.

He just switched study objects.

Kagome always seemed to notice something was off, she would look in his direction when he was hidden, even though he kept his youki tightly concealed, she would consistently make him feel like he was shaking his arms while standing on an open field, vulnerable, stupid and not at all the apex predator he was.

The damned woman, what kind of powers did she hide? For someone so soft to the touch, Kagome sure looked like she could knock him off his feet with sheer confidence.

It was maddening to think of her and know only what she chose to show, he wanted to know it all. What made her sweat with anxiety, what made her restless in the dark of the night and what exactly made her laugh in such a melodic way.

He needed to know.

As he observed her tending to her herbal garden, her hands so careful, her back suddenly straightened. Kagome turned in his direction, locking those always glistening eyes on his now unconcealed form through the open field ahead. Vulnerable and stupid.

He would know.

For the sake of his curiosity.