The Snow Angel by SunsetMiko

The Soak

Chapter 221 - The Soak

Sanna - a mocking grimace (Stella's Latin Challenge)

When Sesshoumaru waltzed into the campsite and pulled Kagome into his arms, the miko groaned and made a face. "Ugh, Sesshoumaru, I'm not in the mood. I'm filthy, and I smell like death, literally."

"That is not what I intended," he said smoothly. "I merely thought that you might desire a warm bath."

"I thought you said there wasn't a hot spring nearby." She had inquired earlier, but the only source of water in the area was a very cold and rather shallow stream passing near the village they just left. She felt absolutely disgusting, but it was too cold out to bathe in icy water, and so she had been stuck as she was, covered in dirt and fluids from decaying corpses.

She scrubbed her hands and face in the cold stream, but the rest of her still stunk, and she was dying to wash it away. She never wanted to have to bury someone again, especially not a whole village of people who had been left for God knows how long to rot. Kagome prayed that she never would have to do such a horrifying task again. Now that Naraku was gone, she was relieved that he could never massacre an entire village just for a good hiding spot again.

"There isn't one within walking distance, but I located the closest one and will take you there, if you desire."

"You found me a hot spring?! So, that's where you wandered off to. I was wondering." When he gave her a questioning look, Kagome rolled her eyes. "Of course, I want a bath! Just let me grab my things."

The miko quickly gathered her bathing supplies and clean dry clothing before allowing Sesshoumaru to pull her close once more. She waved to Inuyasha and Kagura, who she felt a little guilty about leaving behind. The wind witch could easily find the spring on her own once they were finished, though, and Inuyasha had scrubbed himself raw in the stream, since he was mostly immune to the cold. His clothing was still filthy and stinky, but at least his body was clean underneath. Once they arrived at the palace he would have to find something else to wear so his fire rat could be washed.

Oestrus - the gadfly, horsefly, inspiration, frenzy (Stella's Latin Challenge)

When they arrived at the spring, Sesshoumaru warned her, "It is not as hot as some of the other springs you have used, but it is warm enough."

"Warm is better than nothing," Kagome exclaimed, whipping her clothing off in a frenzy, eager to get in the water. Sesshoumaru removed his clothing in a much more dignified manner, smirking at Kagome's excitement. She practically dove into the water and immediately began scrubbing her body. She did so for several minutes before moving on to her hair. "I'm going to have to wash my hair a couple of times just to get the smell out," she declared. "Is there a place to sit in here?"

Sesshoumaru walked the entirety of the spring, finding nowhere for Kagome to rest. "Come here," he said, scooping her up in his arms while still holding her body beneath the surface of the warm water. His erection brushed up against the curve of her ass, and she shot him a look.

"I'm serious. I'm not in the mood."

"Just because I am aroused does not mean that I expect us to have sex. I understand that you are tired and sore. I simply cannot help being turned on by the sight of you in the nude, even if you are washing the scent of death off of you."

Kagome laughed. "Okay, you just keep that thing to yourself. All I want to do is get clean and go to sleep."

"A short soak will help ease the pain in your muscles. Just rest, Kagome. I will hold you."

The miko smiled up at the taiyoukai cradling her in his arms like a child. "I love you," she whispered. The miko scrubbed at her hair for several minutes before making him release her so she could rinse. She gave her black locks the sniff test before asking him to do the same. "Does my hair still smell like rotting corpses?"

"No, it smells only of your shampoo."

Kagome sighed in relief and added the conditioner to her hair before allowing him to scoop her up once again. She relaxed in his arms, so much so that she almost fell asleep. As her head began to lull backwards, she jerked awake and decided she needed to finish up and get out. She rinsed the conditioner from her hair, feeling Sesshoumaru's eyes on her body all the while.

She loved that he was so attracted to her, even when she was stinky and gross, and she wished she had the energy to have sex with him. As it was, she was glad he was going to fly them back to camp because she was on the verge of passing out cold. They worked so hard for two whole days, first fighting Naraku and then cleaning up his mess, and she hadn't slept well the night before, nightmares of Naraku returning haunting her.

In the end, he had looked so weak and pathetic that it almost seemed as if they killed someone else. She had no idea just how much the jewel was doing to keep his mish-mashed body together. She hadn't expected simply taking it away to be enough to kill him, but then he had been using it for so long, depending so much on its power, that she wasn't surprised. In doing so, thinking he was making himself stronger, he actually made himself weaker, until he couldn't survive without the power of the Shikon. Just as Kohaku had been kept alive solely through the power of the shard, so had Naraku.

Sesshoumaru climbed out of the spring before helping Kagome out, as well. He watched as she dried herself, simply holding the towel she had given him until she began to dress. Then he dried and dressed as well, ready to take her back to camp to sleep. How he wished he could lay beside her and hold her in his arms, but his instincts demanded that he stay alert and protect his mate when they were sleeping out in the open. Even with Inuyasha and Kagura there, he could not rest. Once they returned to the palace, he would hold her every moment she allowed it, but now he simply could not. Instead, she slept with her head resting on his thigh as he sat up, leaned against a tree trunk constantly scanning their surroundings.

Tomorrow they would begin traveling, and if he had his way, they would not be walking. He needed to get Kagome back to the palace where she was safe, where she would be warm and well fed. They needed to get back to the children, who he was sure would be worried. They needed to get home, because he, the great taiyoukai, was tired.