To Again Remember by LadySafire

To Again Rememeber

TO AGAIN REMEMBER

By LadySafire

This is the combined story of To Remember and To Remember Again. I combined them so you could read the whole thing together. I hope you enjoy.

She was lost, there was no doubt about it.

"Maybe if I turn here I can find the bathing room.." she thought as she turned down another seemingly endless hallway. "I swear the next time Sesshomaru has us come here I am going to make him draw a map of this place."

Coming to a large sliding panel she slowly pushed it over and stepped through. Catching her breath, she gazed at what she found. Wall hangings, screens and pictures depicting scenes of past Inuyouki. They had been done in a myriad color of silken threads all depicting Inu's in their Demon dog form looking fierce, their white fur curling around their huge forms. Admiring them all she came to stand before what looked to be the three most recent ones.

As she examined them she could only guess the first was InuYasha's and Sesshomaru's father, the second Sesshomaru in his true form but the third had her confused.

She examined it closer when it hit her. The third was also Sesshomaru, but done with a limb missing.

"Have you seen enough?" came a smooth low timbered voice.

She fought to keep from jumping guiltily. "I'm sorry. I got lost while trying find the bathing room."

"You should have turned down the other way.' said Sesshomaru as he moved to her side with a slight swish of white silk.

They both gazed at the silk picture of his legless Inu Dog form.

"Why did you have your picture done like this?" Kagome quietly asked the silent demon beside her.

He turned his golden eyes to her, his face like carved marble. "To remind myself of when my life changed."

He turned his face away, "If you go out and turn left and keep going straight you will find the bathing room."

Sensing that he was done talking with her, she quickly left.

Unknown to her, after Kagome had vacated the room, the Western Lord moved to a screen the young miko hadn't noticed, protectively covered by a silk sheet. He threw back the cover to gaze at the visage he'd painted there himself. Reaching out he caressed the painted blue eyes, pink full lips and curling black hair.

Pulling the cover back down, he whispered to himself.

"Yes, Kagome, to remind myself of when my life changed."

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She crept quietly down the hallway, trying to maintain silence in the now sleeping palace of Sesshomaru. Irritation marred her beautiful face as she recalled just why she was walking these chilly and dark halls. It was times like these she missed modern lighting and central heat.

She had been so distracted by the portraits she found earlier that evening she'd forgotten her hairbrush at the bathing spring.

Drat it! There was no excuse for letting her attention wander like that. She shivered slightly and pulled her short robe closer. She should know better than to roam a drafty palace wearing nothing but a tank tops, brief shorts and a short thin robe.

Suddenly she stopped, peering about with growing annoyance. Surely she'd seen that statue before? Lovely, she was lost again.

She decided to continue forward sure she would find something familiar soon.

As she moved along, she thought she could catch the taint of acrid taint of paint fumes. She sighed happily when she realized she could see the flickering of candles.

'Oh good,' she thought 'someone is still awake. Maybe whoever it is can take me to get my brush and show me back to me room.'

Putting on her best pleading face she slowly stepped around the shoji screen and bit her lip to keep from gasping out in surprise. She was back in the room of portraits, Inu shoji screens and tapestries.

But that wasn't what surprised her, for standing before her was none other than the Western Lord himself stripped to the waist, his decadently long white hair tied back with a leather thong, barefoot and wearing nothing but a snug pair of black hakamas splattered with drops of paint, old and new.

'He's an artist?' she silently mouthed as she watched him carefully daub color on the canvas in front him. She stood there, just watching him her eyes running caressingly over the muscles that rippled under his moon pale skin. Her fingers itched to stroke over his heritage markings, wondering briefly if they would be soft or have a different texture.

It was all her secret fantasies rolled into one. All her deeply hidden wants and desires of this male struggled to break free.

She continued to peruse his body hungrily when her attention was drawn to the painting he worked so tenderly on.

When he stepped to the side to get a different brush, she gave an audible gasp.

The canvas was an eye-opener because it was of her.

Sesshomaru spun at the sound she had inadvertently made, then quickly grabbed the cover and made as if to cover it.

"Miko, what are you doing here?" he snapped, anger coloring his voice.

"NO! Don't!" She cried as she dashed over to stay his hand. She pulled the cover and his warm hand away, stopping him from hiding his work from view and threaded her fingers with his, gently tugging him before the painting.

The work was amazing. He had painted her sitting in a garden at night, a full moon in the background, her curling black hair cascading down her back and over one shoulder. The edge of the blue kimono he'd painted her in had slipped to the side exposing the other, a creamy expanse of skin seemed to glow giving her a sultry, yet still innocent look.

The woman in the picture wore a soft, secret smile, as if gazing at her lover, who seemed to be just out range of the picture and her sapphire eyes burned with an inner fire, her desire exposed for only him.

Kagome became aware of him staring at her face, looking as if he expected her to suddenly be angry at what he done. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and was surprised to feel him hesitantly squeeze back.

"It's stunning, Sesshomaru. But why? And why did you paint me beautiful? I pale in comparison to her." She turned to look him in full in the face. "Please, tell me why you painted this, Sesshomaru?"

A small bit of hope began to glow deep within Kagome.

The pale demon released her hand, lifting a long slender finger out to gently brush an ebony tress away from a soft cheek.

"Can you not guess why?" he asked, his voice low. "You asked before why I had my Inu form painted with only three legs, did you not?"

At her small nod, he continued, shifting his body closer until their skin just barley brushed together. "I told you it was to remind me when my life changed. Kagome, you also made my life change." He leaned forward to gently press his lips against her temple. Kagome's eyes drifted closed in pleasure.

"Every time we meet something in me is altered. You made me want to better myself. You made me feel so much that I fell in love with you, my miko."

The young woman leaned further into his body, savoring the smell of his warm skin, the feel of his mouth as it made its way to her ear. "And as to why I painted you beautiful, Kagome, you are beautiful. Do not ever let anyone tell you different."

He lifted his hands to her back, gently stroking down her spine, making her shiver at his touch.

She lifted her head to look into his glowing golden eyes. "I have been too afraid to even hope you may love me, Sesshomaru. I still can't believe you do."

She raised a soft hand to gently stroke a single magenta stripe. He hissed slightly in reaction as she did so, a convulsive shudder racing through his hard muscled body.

"Believe this Sesshomaru when he says he loves you Kagome." He leaned forward and gently claimed her soft lips, his strong hands pulling her ever closer.

Kagome looped her hands around his neck, passionately tangling her fingers into his hair.

She smiled against his warm mouth. Maybe she should get lost more often, for look what she had found.

A lover.

This was also done for an ebony_silks challenge. I got a third place for it. Yay me!!! LOL

I will be posting my small bits here. I hope you like them al.

LadySafire