Flight of Love

Chapter 2: A Blank Slate

"What the hell are you playing at?" Inuyasha growled, baring his canines at his elder half-brother.

Ignoring him, Sesshoumaru continued to mentally roll the name around his tongue. It was familiar but foreign all the same. He didn't seem to realize; however, that he was still laying atop a very naked, very flustered, and very confused miko.

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome whimpered again, wanting to just push him off of her but too afraid to do so.

At the sound of his name, he diverted his attention to her. Almost immediately, he could smell the scent of her steadily rising fear in strong waves. His eyes widened marginally and he made a move to push himself up.

It was the wrong move and he knew it the moment his hands brushed against the sides of her pert breast. Both of them froze, the focus of their gaze upon the portion of his clawed fingers splayed on her bare skin.

Kagome gulped audibly, aware that Inuyasha was still in the background with a clear view of everything. Her modesty had been shot to Hell. She had exposed her body for not one, but two, people; a Daiyoukai and a Hanyou. It hadn't been intentional, of course, but it wasn't something that could be reversed. She would have to live with the mortification.

Then, the impossible happened.

With slow movements, Sesshoumaru's claws trailed down and off her body. She thought he was still aiming to remove himself from her, but she was wrong. With a strange warmth in his movements, he gracefully grasped a corner of her towel and pulled it over her taut body.

He could hear the palpitation of her heartbeat increasing with each swift tug of her white towel. Silently, he continued his task until her nudity was protected under her fabric barrier and away from Inuyasha's intense glare.

As soon as Sesshoumaru stood, Kagome grasped the top of her towel tightly in one fisted palm as if she were afraid it was going to fall apart once more. Quick as lightening, she sat up and tilted her face up to see Sesshoumaru, only to find that he was looking down upon her as well.

If Sesshoumaru caring about her modesty hadn't sent her into cardiac arrest, his next move would have.

He held out a hand to her, waiting patiently for her to take it so that he may help her to her feet. Kagome felt her jaw dropping open as she stared at his deadly claws that no longer seemed so terrifying. It didn't seem possible at first, but perhaps he really did have a case of amnesia.

How, though, was still a deep, dark mystery.

Hesitantly, Kagome lifted her dainty hand upwards towards his waiting open palm. She was half afraid Sesshoumaru would suddenly snap out of his odd daze and slice her arm right off for daring to touch him. The other half was afraid that the strong and almighty Sesshoumaru truly did not remember who he was and all that he was.

What would happen to the Western lands and to all the demons that served beneath him? What would happen to the endearing human girl that faithfully followed behind him? Surely he couldn't rule if he couldn't recall any semblance of the aristocrat that he was.

Finally, her fingertips caressed the center of his palm gently. She closed her eyes, waiting for the moment in which Sesshoumaru would roar to life. Instead, he simply wrapped his claws around her human fingers and pulled her up in one swift movement.

He; however, underestimated his strength and Kagome ended up being tugged straight into his hard chest. She splayed both her hands upon his chest as their body met intimately once more. Her soft curves molded into his hard planes in all the right places. They were two perfect pieces to a puzzle. Sesshoumaru's reflexes resorted to having his hand wrapped firmly around her hip in an attempt to steady her.

Tomato red in the face, Kagome pulled back as if she had been burned. She could hear Inuyasha's low growls, but it hadn't been an intentional action. In fact, there were all too many events that had been unintentional. She wished she could start the day over again, then she could have avoided this dreadfully embarrassing situation altogether.

As if it weren't bad enough, as soon as Kagome stepped back, her towel fell slightly from the brief jostle of her contact with Sesshoumaru. It would have fallen completely, but thankfully, the jut of her breasts held it up precariously until Kagome was able to snatch it back up into its rightful position.

"Thank you," she murmured to Sesshoumaru, almost shyly. She flickered her lash framed eyes up to meet his, her cheeks still tinged a bright pink.

"Hn," he responded casually, his golden eyes held no traces of his inner turmoil or any betrayal of his emotions.

Ah, there was that hint of the true Sesshoumaru.

But once again, that image was shattered the very moment it had been created.

"And you are?" he asked her, lifting up an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Alright. That's enough. I'm sick of this act," Inuyasha snapped, storming forward to stand protectively beside Kagome. "I don't know what kind of game you're playing, Sesshoumaru, but we're not going to fall for it."

He glared his hatred for his elder brother before turning his attention to Kagome, who was still staring at Sesshoumaru in an attempt to figure him out.

"Let's go, wench," he ordered her, his voice slightly gruff from his agitation.

When Kagome refused to budge, he grasped a small wrist in his large hand and proceeded to tug her away from the enigma that was the Western lord.

"Wait," she suddenly called out, shrugging herself out of Inuyasha's firm hold. "If he really doesn't recall anything, he's going to need our help."

"I ain't helping him," Inuyasha stated flatly, crossing his arms over his chest, "no matter what his problem is."

"But Inuyasha, we can't leave him here. What if he's defenseless?"

At that, he guffawed loudly, almost as if he had intentionally been exaggerating. "Sesshoumaru? Defenseless? Then the world must really be ending. Those two words don't even belong in the same sentence."

Kagome pursed her lips unhappily and stared him down, mentally willing him to give in.

"No," Inuyasha snapped, "No way in hell. It ain't happening, wench, so don't even try it."

"Inuyasha," Kagome said, a threatening undertone in her voice. It was the first sign that she was about to use the subjugation beads to get what she wanted.

His ears flattened upon his skull but he still refused to give in.

"I'll do it," she assured him, a wicked smirk appearing upon her face.

He turned his head away from her defiantly.

"I swear I'll say it," she promised, a wispy singsong pitch laced in her light tone.

"Fine!" he growled as he gave in.

He didn't want to eat dirt, especially in front of his elder brother.

"But if he kills you and the rest of the group, don't come crying to me about it," he added with a scowl.

"Thank you," Kagome beamed happily before walking back over to where Sesshoumaru still continued to stand, still keeping a firm hold upon her towel.

"Keh," Inuyasha muttered before leaving the secluded area angrily, pushing branches and leaves out of his way as he went.

"Sesshoumaru, I think you should stay with me and my group," Kagome informed him, "I think that's the best way to bring your memory back and figure out how you lost them to begin with."

"This Sesshoumaru will join your pack?"

She gave him a firm nod and a reassuring smile.

He appeared to be weighing the pros and cons of the invitation and Kagome waited patiently while he pondered. "I am unwilling to become a burden for your pack."

"It wouldn't be a burden at all," she rushed out, dashing that notion as quickly as possible. "You may not be aware, Sesshoumaru, but you're the Lord of the Western Lands. We need you to regain your memories and resume that position. You are a strong Daiyoukai and that certainly has its benefits. If anyone were to learn of your amnesia, I'm fairly certain chaos would ensue and your lands would be in danger."

He nodded in response, knowing that she had a very valid point.

"In fact, it's not only your lands, but your soldiers and your retainer. Most importantly, Rin, your ward, will also be in danger and she is but a harmless human child. She will need your guidance."

At the mention of Rin, his eyes widened dramatically. He couldn't risk the lives of so many people because of his bout with memory loss. It would be too much for his conscious to take.

With the final decision lingering in his mind, he gave her an unyielding nod. What she said made perfect sense and despite his lack of memory, he was no fool.

"Then I shall join your pack."

A/N: I love my readers! I got an astonishing 24 reviews for the first chapter! Please make me as happy as I was when I saw that by leaving me just as much, if not more, for this chapter! lol. Well, one can hope, right?