Strawberry Shortcake by sesshomarusama33

Asking Forgiveness

Strawberry Shortcake

Chapter 32

Prompt: Stella's Soundtrack Challenge, "The Place of Hope." 

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The night came too quickly, she decided, as she looked to her essay and to the outfit that lay next  to her bed. With permission from her mother, she would stay the night at Sesshomaru’s, and he would take her to class tomorrow to perform their assignment. She, out of respect of her wishes, requested to sleep separate from him; they were only just dating, after all, and she only had a few weeks until her eighteenth birthday.

As she turn restlessly in her bed, though, she heard the soft sniffles of someone crying. Curiously, she arose from her bed, following the sound to a room three doors away from hers.

The sight that greeted her, though, made her heart clench in pure empathy.

“Kikyo…” Inuyasha sat on the ground, his concealment charm gone, showing his silver hair and dog ears that she had only ever seen before in photos. He held in his palm a tiny shell compact, a painting on the wall above him of a woman dressed in priestess garb.

‘Kikyo… that name sounds so familiar…’ she thought, wracking her brain for the memory of that name. When it hit her, she almost gasped in surprise.

“I’ve heard the stories of Midoriko-sama and of her descendants.”

Her descendants… Could Kikyo have been a descendant of Midoriko? Was that why Sesshomaru knew of her and her shrine? Why he and Inuyasha hated each other?

She crept away from his door, looking to the door that Sesshomaru said he would be in if she needed anything. She crept silently towards it, knocking gently.

“Come in,” she heard him call, and opened the door slowly, her eyes to the floor.

“May I come in?” She asked. She looked up, her eyes widening as she saw he had been lounging on his futon, wearing a blue yukata with the lapels revealing his pale, chiseled chest. In one hand he held a cup, the other was on a scroll that he had been viewing. His human disguise, long shed after arriving to his home, only added to the tranquil beauty that he naturally emanated.

“Of course.” He said, taking one last drink from his cup, placing it down on the floor in front of him. “Have a seat,” he said, patting the mat next to him.

She thanked him, doing as he suggested, and held her yukata close to her. He had given her one that his mother had left there, and he couldn’t help but admire how wonderful she looked in traditional clothing. “It really does suit you,” he complimented.

She blushed, thanking him, as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “T-thank you.”

He noticed she looked melancholic, and frowned, placing a hand to her cheek. “Something ails you?”

She nodded, sighing as she leaned her head into his palm. “Why don’t you and Inuyasha get along?” She asked, stunning him into silence. When he didn’t respond, she looked up to him, her eyes showing deep sympathy. “Tell me… did you know of my shrine because of Inuyasha?”

He was silent for a few moments, unsure of how to answer her question. He deemed honesty would be the best policy and sat up, ignoring her shriek of protest when he lifted her, placing her in his lap.

“I once told Inuyasha that love with a mortal was foolish.” He admitted, resting his chin against the top of her head. “This, of course, was before our encounter.”

“I see,” She said, frowning. “And Kikyo… is she descendant of Midoriko?”

“She was.” He said, “She was selected to be the jewel’s next protector.”

Suddenly, it all made sense to Kagome. The reason they hated each other… why Inuyasha was always rude to her…

“What happened to her?” Kagome asked, tears welling in her eyes. Poor Inuyasha, she thought, his one true love…

“She died. I refused to revive her.” Sesshomaru looked as if he was grieving himself, sighing softly. “It did not benefit me. I was wrong in my decision.”

Kagome nodded, knowing this must have been hard for him to admit. She stroked his cheek lovingly, smiling sweetly as she reached up to wrap him in a warm embrace. “I’m not mad, Sesshomaru… we all made mistakes. You didn’t know.”

He relished the warmth she provided him, wrapping his arms around her small frame as he pressed his nose into her neck, reveling in her scent. “He will never forgive me,”

She pulled away from him, looking into his eyes with a fierceness he had never seen before. “Have you ever asked for his forgiveness?”

She almost fainted at the slight blush that tinted his cheeks. “No.”

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A/N: Next chapter… will be the end! Stay tuned!