Wounded

by

Kuro

Chapter 10

The setting sun cast beautiful colors across the sky. Karappo stared up, wishing she could truly absorb what a beautiful sight it was but she couldn’t find in her. That was one of the many things she missed about feeling. She missed feeling amazement when she saw something beautiful, like the sky at sunset. She brought her gaze down to the clearing her and Sesshomaru had chosen to camp in that night. She gazed at the forest around her. She knew it was beautiful but she couldn’t feel it was beautiful. She sighed heavily as her gazed traveled around the clearing. She felt hollow, empty, but she was supposed to feel that way. After all, her name did mean hollow. She sighed again as her gaze fell upon her traveling partner.

Something inside her hollow body burned when she gazed at him. He sat against a tree, his arm hung loosely upon his bent leg while his other leg sat lazily on the ground. His hair cascaded down his straight back and laid loosely on the ground, shinning in the setting sun. His regal face was beautiful in this light. It looked as if it were carved by the gods themselves. His pale skin looked golden in the light and his markings showed brightly, like they had lives of their own. His golden eyes were shut, as though he was sleeping, but he wasn’t. His lips were sealed shut and his breathing was steady. Karappo wondered to herself what it would be like to touch his angelic face when a breeze flowed through the clearing. She watched as it blew his shining hair everywhere. His sliver bangs flew over his face, making it shine with their glow. Karappo was awestruck. He was just too beautiful for words to describe.

As she continued to stare at him, his golden eyes opened and gazed back at her. They stayed that way for what seemed like an eternity. It was as if time itself had stopped. All that disturbed them was a slight breeze. The sun set behind them and brought night in its place. They continued to gaze at one another well after the fire went out and darkness blinded their eyes. They could still see though, their eyes allowed them to see one another in the dark.

Karappo released a heavy sigh as she laid down on the ground and fell to sleep. After her breathing went steady, Sesshomaru started the fire again. He sat back against the tree, staring at the dancing flames. His thoughts swam through his head, like a school of fish. He couldn’t think of one thing to think about. Then and image of Karappo appeared in his minds eye. He knew he was attracted to her but that was all, right? Sure, she was the most beautiful and mysterious demoness he had ever met but that didn’t mean anything, right? He knew he was lying to himself when he said no.

Sesshomaru looked over at the woman who clouded his mind with the slightest hint of lust. He watched in amazement as the flames cast shadows along her dark body. Her curves were clearly visible in the dark light and through her dark cloths. Her face had a calm expression upon it, making her even more beautiful. Her paper white skin glowed in the light. Her ebony hair shimmered as it lay, fanned out around her body. Her bangs had fallen away to reveal her entire face to his loving eyes. To him, there was no one else who could compete with her beauty. No one else could have her white skin, her muscle bound curves, her delicate facial features, her long ebony hair and her glacial eyes.

To him, her eyes are what truly made her beautiful. They were the darkest shade of black known to both demon and human. They shimmered with so much emotion, it warmed his heart. Sure, they were nothing but hollow depths but they told him so much about who they belonged to. They told him her story and how she transformed into the gorgeous creature that lay only feet away form him. He sighed as he remembered that he could never have her, for she felt nothing toward him. This was the first time he didn’t get the woman he wanted. He was so used to have every woman he came across fainting at his feet and pleading that he would choose them, but here was the one he desired and she wanted nothing to do with him. Little did he know, he was wrong.

Karappo stirred awake when she felt someone staring at her. She opened her eyes and lifted her body onto one elbow as she stared back at Sesshomaru. As she stared, she felt that same burning from before. She didn’t understand how just looking at him could make her feel. She felt warmth from his gaze. She didn’t understand why he was staring at her with loving eyes. It didn’t make sense. He was emotionless, cold and heartless, how could he feel love? That was another question she couldn’t answer. It was just like her own problem. She knew that the answers she seeked would never be answered.

“Sesshomaru, why are you staring at me?”

Sesshomaru came out of his world of thoughts at her words. He was glad to hear her voice, it was soft and low. It hit something deep inside of his heart. He turned his gaze to the fire as he thought of an answer to her question. He couldn’t tell her he was thinking of her, no, that would ruin him. He couldn’t say that there was something behind her for the reason she would have sensed it. What could he say?

“I was just lost in thought.”

Karappo looked at Sesshomaru as he stared at the fire. She sat up, sitting Indian style as she too watched the flames dance. She sighed heavily as she stood and walked over to where SesshoMaru was sitting. She sat down next to the Taiyoukai and stared at the flames with him. Her eyelids became very heavy as she watched. She unconsciously leaned against Sesshomaru as she closed her eyes. She adjusted her angle so she was leaning comfortably against his tall, muscular frame. When she had finally settled on a position and fell asleep, her head rested on the bridge of his neck, shoulder and chest, right on his fluffy boa. Her frame rested against his as she supported her weight on him. She unconsciously rested a hand upon his leg that rested upon the ground. He stiffened at this simple action.

He mentally went into shock when he realized the woman he had become obsessed with was sleeping on his shoulder and touching him. He didn’t know what to do. He had never been in this position before. He carefully, so not to wake her, put his arm around her and shifted so she, as well as he, would be more comfortable. Once he too was settled, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to lay against his chest. Upon doing this, she immediately wrapped her arms around him. Now more than ever, he wished he had both arms, so he could hold her like he wanted to. It was all Inuyasha’s fault. He was the reason he didn’t have one arm. He was the reason Kagome turned into Karappo. He was also the reason Karappo was sleeping so soundly in his arm at that moment. He silently thanked his hanyou brother for his stupidity.

Sesshomaru silently thanked all the gods that would listen to him as he cuddled with his love. He watched the fire go out and the air get colder but he didn’t care. He was getting one of his many wishes granted, he didn’t care about the cold that much. He nuzzled her ebony hair, enjoying its fragrance. The feeling of her body against his was just too much for him to handle but he knew he would survive the fire burning downstairs as sleep called to him. He laid his head against the tree and held Karappo close as he too entered the world of dreams, where his desires for her were very well sated.