To Die For by Sereia

Chapter 1

Sequel to: If I Die Young

It had taken some time to get used to it, considering she'd been unconscious when their souls had been bonded.

Sesshoumaru had mentioned that they would be required to stay close to each other, but Kagome hadn't realized it would mean physical as well. She thought she'd pushed her luck when she'd wanted to hold his hand, especially considering it was Sesshoumaru, but he'd never refused, always welcoming her slight touches whenever her body moved of its own volition.

Which happened a lot.

It had been a week before she'd been able to leave her hut, and the number of times she'd ended up curled around him when she woke had been embarrassing. But Sesshoumaru took it all in stride, informing her that it was typical behaviour of a newly mated couple.

His complete nonchalance only made it worse.

Kagome was used to being affectionate with people; Shippou and Rin thrived on the positive reinforcement and praise that came hand in hand with soft touches and hugs. But Sesshoumaru was a fully grown daiyoukai capable of beheading her without notice. Yet he secretly seemed pleased with how she couldn't resist re-establishing their connection, even in her sleep.

She blushed just thinking about it.

He hadn't gone into detail about that night, just that she'd been close to death, and it was the only way to save her. But his words about not being ready to live without her rolled around in her mind, resurfacing every time she caught him looking at her or woke up tucked against his side.

What had he meant by that? Was there a debt he felt he needed to repay, or could she dare to hope it was something more?

It certainly felt that way.

There'd been no indication he felt anything other than mild tolerance beforehand, so the fact he'd tied himself to her in such a permanent way still had her reeling. Even Inuyasha had been surprised, though he'd said he didn't care how she'd been saved as long as she was okay with it.

Which brought her full circle. Was she okay with it? She certainly wasn't not okay with it, especially since Sesshoumaru seemed okay with it. Kagome groaned, rubbing her temples. It would be much easier if she could just ask him about it. But she always ended up distracted in his presence.

Damn, attractive, elusive youkai.

"You should not be so far from the village." And just like that, she lost her train of thought, a shiver creeping up her spine as his voice vibrated through her body.

"I checked the area before I left," she said.

"You are still not at full strength—"

"It's been over a month, Sesshoumaru," she retorted, finally turning around. "You can't coddle me forever." His raised eyebrow said he believed otherwise, and she might've laughed if she hadn't already been on edge about his recent change in behaviour. "You can't. I was strong before—"

"I am fully aware of your abilities." His fingers brushed a lock of hair away from her face, and she automatically leaned into the touch.

"Are you saying you followed me out here just because you were worried about me?"

He continued to cup her face, thumb tracing her bottom lip. "Is that so hard to believe?"

She blushed, managing to keep her tongue from flicking out. "Sometimes." His gaze slid to her mouth, and she was sure he planned on kissing her, blood heating at the thought, but he slowly pulled away, giving her space she hadn't asked for.

"I would not have bound our souls if your well-being was not of utmost priority," he said, fingers flexing.

It was a funny way of saying he cared, but Kagome didn't push it. She wasn't sure if she wanted to hear the real reason behind his seemingly altruistic rescue attempt. Looking around for something safer to talk about, her eyes landed on the well, and she smiled. "Has anyone else told you about this?" She sat on the edge, the familiar power pulsing under her fingers.

"I know it holds a secret that Rin has yet to uncover," he mused, gazing back toward the village. "She enjoys coming up with a new one each time I visit."

Kagome chuckled. "I know. The one about the underground troll city is my favourite."

"She has an overactive imagination."

"Which you encourage by listening to every word," she countered, smile widening. "Especially since you gave her that paint set for her birthday."

Sesshoumaru flicked his hair over his shoulder. "The details of her stories kept changing. It was merely a means to keep them on track."

She leaned back on the lip of the well, expression softening. "You know, people wouldn't be so scared of you if you spent more of your time showing off that side of you." The look he gave her was intense, though she couldn't be sure why.

"Do you wish to see that side of me?"

"Maybe," she admitted, then shrugged to alleviate the tension that one word created. "But I've never been afraid of you, so it doesn't really matter." He stepped closer, towering over her now that she was sitting down. As always, she ached to touch him, if only to hold his hand, but she stopped herself.

She wasn't sure what their relationship was. They were bonded like mates, but that was just to save her life, right? Even though he'd told her that he'd never need to find another one.

"You continue to fight it," he said, and she jerked at the disappointment underlying his usual expressionless tone.

"I'm not fighting anything." His disappointment grew, only furthering her agitation. "I'm trying to tell you about the well." Sesshoumaru stepped back, the cool air blowing between them doing nothing to help her mood.

"Do you intend on continuing Rin's tradition of fanciful tales?" There was a bite to his tone that hadn't been there before, and Kagome counted to ten before answering.

"No. I'm going to tell you the truth."

He raised an eyebrow, gaze skeptical as it shifted to the wood she was sitting on. "It is a well."

"It's a portal," she said, feeling slightly smug when both his eyebrows raised. It didn't last very long, though, as he sighed, then motioned towards the village.

"I think you have had too much sun. We should return to—"

Kagome jumped to her feet, incensed. "It's true! It's a gateway to the future. Your future, but my present. It's why I was always so 'strangely dressed' during the fight against Naraku!"

"The well is where you keep your seamstress, then."

Something between a laugh and a groan escaped her lips as she dragged her hands down her face. "If I was going to make something up, don't you think I'd go for something more original than time travel?"

"You are also known for your overactive imagination, miko." The title sounded strange, like he'd planned on calling her something else, but he held fast, and she brushed it off.

"Not for something like this," she said, voice hushed. "Not to you." There was something about the way he presented himself that bade her to be honest with him, to reveal any and all secrets, their past be damned.

She wanted a fresh start.

"You will forgive me if I am still skeptical," he mused.

"Even though you're a powerful daiyoukai who can fly and shoot light whips out of your fingers?" She grinned, the tension dissipating slightly.

"That is the norm here."

"Not in the future."

"So you keep saying."

Kagome pursed her lips, fingers tapping. With all the wonders the feudal era had shown her, this was where he drew the line? "You know I'm not lying. You can sense it, right?" That gave him pause, head cocking to the side momentarily as his nostrils flared. Sighing softly, she glanced down into the murky depths of the well, the answer being so glaringly obvious that she almost winced. "Guess I'll have to show you then."

"How do you expect to prove—" His eyes widened as she swung her legs over the edge, muscles clenching as she readied herself to jump, body jerking when Sesshoumaru grabbed her arm.

"You will injure yourself," he said.

She lay her hand over hers, patting it softly. "Do you trust me?" His scowl was so dark she laughed.

"You wish to use blackmail?"

She squeezed his hand. "If you see it that way, it means you do. So just let me show you this one thing, and then we can go back. It's the only secret I have."

His gaze switched from her to the well, but he eventually relented. "If you end up with a broken leg, you will endure my comments of being right." The pressure in Kagome's chest lessened slightly—he'd said 'if' instead of 'when'.

It was a start.

She patted his hand again, then pulled it away, giving him a slight smile as she pushed off the ledge. Power engulfed her before her feet touched the ground, and she thought he heard a howl, but it was faint, dulled by the lightning that shot through her as she hit bottom.

..::**::..

Inuyasha had been halfway between Kaede's hut and his own when the ground shook. His lungs seized as a tsunami of youki pressed down on him, forcing him to one knee. Cursing, his hand immediately went to the hilt of Tessaiga, the flow of the sword's power relieving the tension between his shoulders..

Miroku staggered out of his hut, gripping the doorway. "What's going on?"

Inuyasha shook his head, Tessaiga transforming as he managed to get to his feet. "It's coming from the well," he said, eyes darting around the village before blood drained from his face. "Where's K'gome?"

Sango appeared beside Miroku. "She went for a walk. Said something about cabin fever."

"And I suppose Sesshoumaru followed her?" His two friends looked at each other in confusion, still holding onto the doorway for support before another tremor sent them sprawling.

"He hasn't let her out of his sight since that night," Sango hedged, holding her head.

Inuyasha cursed again, then dug his feet into the dirt. "Miroku put up a barrier around the village just in case."

"Why?"

"She's done something stupid, and if we don't fix it, there won't be anything left." Kagome was probably still out of sorts from the bond and wanting to prove herself worthy of being saved by clearing the air between them. Inuyasha couldn't fault her for that, but there was one major difference between all those trips to her time during their fight against Naraku and now.

She was mated to Sesshoumaru.

When she'd jumped through the well, she'd ceased to exist in this time, and now the bastard was trying to level everything in a ten-kilometre radius—even if he didn't know it.

As soon as he reached the outskirts of the village, he felt Miroku's barrier go up. At least they'd be safe. Now he just had to convince Sesshoumaru his mate wasn't actually dead.

By the time he'd reached the well, Sesshoumaru had already transformed, the marks on his face slashed across his fur like they'd been cut into his skin. His normally turquoise pupils were missing, and he clawed at the ground like a creature blind, snarls echoing through the trees.

"Sesshoumaru! She's fine! She just went home!" Inuyasha jumped out of the way seconds before a large paw slammed into the ground, dirt flying. Cursing, he ducked between Sesshoumaru's legs, his own youki swirling around Tessaiga as he tried to get him away from the well. If he destroyed it, nothing could stop his rampage.

Raising his sword, he slashed the air, sending diamond fragments into the ground at the beast's feet and forcing him back. Inuyasha sent out another round, creating a line of shards between his brother and the well.

He wasn't sure how long Kagome planned on being gone, but every second that ticked by increased the likelihood of someone getting seriously hurt.

He had to bring her back.

Gripping the hilt of Tessaiga, he slammed it into the ground, splitting the earth as more shards shot up, cutting off any escape route. "Try not to break anything!" he yelled, then leaped into the well, the familiar spark of power tickling his senses before he landed on solid ground—and nearly tripped over Kagome.

She whimpered from the ground, the scent of blood hitting Inuyasha's nose. "H-Help—"

"Fuck, K'gome. Don't ya know anything about mating bonds?" He gathered her into his arms, doing his best not to jostle her. "Ya can't just disappear. Especially with how new it is. Sesshoumaru is tearing up the—"

Her hand came up to grip the collar of his haori, her reiki so weak, he could barely feel it. "Take me back."

His ears flattened against his head as he leapt up into her well house. "Keh, like ya hafta ask." His feet had barely touched the ground before he jumped back down, trying to ignore how much of her blood was soaking into his clothes.

He was torn between holding her close and not wanting to exacerbate her wounds. A mating bond was both resilient and delicate. He'd heard of youkai travelling great distances away from each other and slowly slipping into madness before realizing what was truly wrong. His mother had been spared that because his father had already been mated to Sesshoumaru's mother. Inuyasha had been bitter about it initially, but after he learned about the nuances of what a bond entailed, he was grateful they'd never been able to complete it.

She wouldn't have survived his death otherwise.

"What…happened…" Kagome croaked once the pollution of her time was chased away by the clear air of the feudal era, Sesshoumaru's youki once again weighing down on them.

"You jumped through the well and ceased to exist," Inuyasha said, making sure to jump out on the opposite side, just in case Sesshoumaru had broken through his makeshift barrier. "You broke him."

"I didn't mean t-to. I was just trying…I was going to come right back," she trembled, salt mixing in with the coppery scent of her blood.

"Instincts took over. Even beatin' his ass won't do anything. You have to fix it. Ya gotta calm him down." Silence descended onto the glade before being replaced with a low, menacing growl.

"Take me to him. He's hurt."

Inuyasha shook his head. "He ain't right in the head right now. If I get close, especially with ya being hurt, he'll tear me to pieces." Even as he spoke, Sesshoumaru's pupils slowly came into focus, large paws stepping around the barricade of shards. There was nothing between them now, and Inuyasha sucked in a breath, then set Kagome down on the ground.

"He just wants to make sure you're okay," he assured her, wincing as she struggled to sit up. "Don't force it. He'll do everything for you."

"Is he okay?" she whispered, not taking her eyes off the beast stalking toward her.

"You'll have to be the judge of that." Inuyasha ran back to Tessaiga, pulling it out of the ground before sliding it into the sheath at his waist. He watched as Sesshoumaru lowered his muzzle into her waiting arms, whining softly before sitting down next to her.

Sighing, and grumbling about them both being idiots, he bounded back toward the village, hoping there hadn't been any real damage.

..::**::..

The haze slowly faded, instincts settling as the miko ran her hands through his fur. A soft sigh rumbled through him as the pieces of their bond started to fall back into place.

The moment the miko had disappeared, the hold on his youki had shattered. He prided himself on his control, on his ability to remain above the baser creatures in order to secure victory.

There had been no victor here.

And the battle had been one he hadn't even seen coming.

When she'd spoken of traversing time, he'd scoffed at the notion. Magic existed, he had seen both the good and the evil that had come out of it, but the concept of time was different. Elusive. Yet it seemed the miko had conquered it along with her other triumphs.

He would never doubt her again.

Tilting his head to the side, he pressed his nose against her chest; both sides of the hourglass were depleted, and he was loathed to admit weakness to anyone, but his true form required less power to sustain.

"I'm sorry."

Sesshoumaru whined again, curling himself around her. She was not at fault. She hadn't known. He should've confided in her more—

She placed a kiss on his nose, the soft touch halting his downward spiral. Her hands were still clutching his muzzle, using her grip to pull herself upright, wincing as she did so, and Sesshoumaru's senses were assaulted with the scent of blood.

Her blood.

Muscles rolled as he shifted, tugging at her robes with his teeth. He could sense her confusion, but she was too weak to protest, sliding her arms out of the sleeves. Her chest was bound, but the wounds were clearly visible, and shame had never tasted so bitter on his tongue.

His markings had been cut out of her body.

Ragged gauges adorned her shoulders, ribs, and wrists, her skin split and raw. The longer he stared, the more his fur stood on end. Her strength was unparalleled, the fact that the imps of the underworld had been unable to pull her soul from her body proved that, but he often forgot she was still human.

She didn't heal as quickly as he did, regardless of how long her life would be now that their lifespans were linked. Nudging her arms out of the way, he dragged his tongue across her shoulders, the miko letting out a ragged hiss as his saliva made contact with her wounds.

He would heal her.

"Sesshoumaru…" Her voice was breathy as the large appendage slid over her skin, washing away the blood as best he could. The wounds were limited to her upper body, and he would be forever grateful his brother had been near enough to fetch her—to save her when he could not.

Kagome hummed softly, sensing his disquiet. What little reiki she had slid over his fur, rippling in a soft caress, and he nearly snarled in protest. Did her selflessness know no bounds?

The hourglass filled enough to allow him to return to his humanoid form, arms wrapped around her once he'd transformed. Unable to look her in the eyes, he tucked her head under his chin, taking care not to touch any places where she'd been cut. "You need to focus on replenishing yourself," he chastised.

"But you—"

"—will survive," he cut in, bringing her wrist to his lips. The marks were subtle, but only time would tell if the scars would fade completely. Perhaps in that time, she would be able to forgive him. A featherlight touch against the underside of his jaw scattered his self-deprecating thoughts, and he stared at her in shock.

"I can feel you blaming yourself," she said. "Stop it." His retort was on the tip of his tongue, but one of her hands slipped into the folds of his haori, settling over his heart as she leaned against him. "We should've talked about this before I tried to show off."

"If I had believed you, you would not have needed to."

She shook her head. "It's not something you've seen before. It took Inuyasha actually going there to believe me. And even then, it took him a while."

"Trust between mates should be—" Sesshoumaru pursed his lips. She was not ready.

She tapped a finger against his chest. "Do you want to call me that?"

He couldn't have hidden his reaction to her if he'd tried, automatically covering her hand with his own. "I would not have been so desperate to save you had I not." The smile she gave him was weak but warm, and she pulled him down, brushing her lips across his this time, unable to do much else. His arm tightened around her, power flaring on both sides of the hourglass.

"Is this what you meant," she said when she eventually pulled back, "about not accepting it?"

Sesshoumaru inclined his head. "You were still wary of the bond. Of me."

"I passed out after fighting a dragon and woke up mated to you. It was a little jarring."

"I apologize—" Her kiss was a little more forceful this time, stealing the rest of his retort.

"Don't. It's fine. I'm fine. We're going to be fine." She hadn't moved from her position, taking solace and comfort from his embrace, and Sesshoumaru felt his heart swell with hope for the future. The sensation filtered through the bond and widened her smile. "See?"

He pursed his lips, gazing over her head. "If you had listened to reason and remained inside the village, this would not have happened."

"If you'd told me exactly what the bond entailed and let on that you were open to snuggles, I wouldn't have jumped," she countered, expression smug as he scowled at her.

"Do you intend to win every argument between us?"

She had the audacity to snort. "Obviously."

"Miko."

"Mate."

It had the desired effect, pupils dilating as heat coursed through his body. "You fight dirty."

"I fight to win," she said, the grin never leaving her face. "Now, are you strong enough to carry home, or are we just going to snuggle here?"

The sudden reminder of why they were out in the open in the first place cooled his blood, and he raised his eyes to the well. "You will not be able to return."

She followed his gaze, her own sombre. "Mama knew I'd be staying. And Inuyasha can tell her what happened." She gave him a reassuring squeeze. "Who knows? Maybe you just have to jump with me next time."

The notion intrigued him, but he had no time to think about it, Kagome cupping his face and pulling him down into another kiss. If she knew he feigned weakness just to keep her in his arms a little longer, she never let on.