Taking Over Me by Tiegrsi

Verse I

Preface: I don't usually write songfics, but I was listening to this song yesterday and couldn't help but see a storyline that would work for Kagome and Sesshoumaru. If you haven't heard this song, I suggest you give it a listen BEFORE you read this story, then again afterward. I do suggest you listen to the song without viewing a video at first because it might skew your perception of my storyline. If you cannot find just the music, put the video on but don't look at the screen or something, hahah! Each chapter will be one verse of the song (which will be bolded at the top), but the chapters will vary greatly in length.

Thanks for reading!!

The song: TAKING OVER ME, by EVANESCENCE

The story: Taking over me, by Tiegrsi

The characters: property of Takahashi Rumiko

You don't remember me but I remember you

I lie awake and try so hard not to think of you

But who can decide what they dream?

And dream I do...

Higurashi Kagome was just closing up the doors to the old wellhouse on her family's ancestral property. It had taken years for her to get to the point where she could close those doors without shedding a tear, nearly four years, to be precise. Now, at the age of 36, she rarely ever thought about her tragic loss as she swept the crumbling floorboards inside the old building or barred the doors for the evening. Finished with her daily care taking of the property, Kagome placed the tattered broom near the edge of her front porch and toed off her shoes as she stepped into the house. It had been a long day dealing with tourists, her family's only source of revenue now, and she was ready for a hot bath and a cool pillow.

After soaking until the water was icy and her fingers resembled raisens, Kagome climbed from her clawfoot tub and pulled the rubber stopper to drain the water. She barely even looked in the mirror as she brushed and braided her hair for the evening, then turned quietly from the room and tucked herself into bed. She didn't bother with an evening prayer anymore, but her last thoughts before sleep claimed her were a memory of a time long passed.

......................

"Kagome," someone whispered in her ear. "Are you going to wish for me to marry you now or at the celebration?"

The nearly 19 year old girl giggled and shook her head as she stepped away. "Miroku, are you trying to suggest I should wish for your everlasting love?"

The monk smiled coyly and waggled his eyebrows at his young friend. "I would never-" he began, but the miko slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

"You will never mature, monk," she laughed. "I plan to make the wish in Edo, when the townspeople raise the bonfire on the evening of our party. When the fires blaze, I should be able to cremate the stone after the wish - assuming it does not vanish by itself."

Miroku winked at her. "Such a wise priestess!" He hailed in a somewhat mocking fashion. He bowed lowly as if he was unworthy of her favor. "Please gift me with your OOMPH!"

Sango laughed silently as she dug her heel just slightly into the back of the bowing monk's neck, just enough to knock him off balance and plant his face in the dust of the old road they were following back to Edo. "You've already decided?" She queried as she released her shame-faced fiance from his prone position.

"Yes, but you won't hear a peep out of me about what it is, so DON'T ASK!" The priestess made her last two words a command even the hanyou knew not to disobey. Inuyasha was far down the road, a pint-sized fox demon perched on his shoulder, but he had not missed the conversation. "Nobody cares, anyway!" He shouted back to the stragglers. "C'mon! The way you humans walk, we wont get back to Edo until next year!"

Kagome giggled as Sango and Miroku worked together to dust off the dirt from the monk's robes before all three of them hurried to catch up with their hanyou leader.

.......................

Kagome mumbled at Inuyasha as she drifted to sleep, but it was the hanyou's brother that consumed her dreams.

"What will you do, miko, now that the jewel has been completed?"

Said miko ran her fingers unthinkingly through her wavy tresses as she gave the question thought. "I suppose I will have to find my 'Happily Ever After'," she replied, purposely looking away from the depth of Sesshomaru's eyes. Although their mere acknowledgement of each other had grown over the course of four years into a begrudging respect, a silent trust, a quiet friendship and now, on her part, a secret love, Kagome would never let the demon lord know her true feelings. It pained her to know that he would likely accept her devotion as he did that of his adopted daughter or his amphibious retainer, although he would never return it. There was only one way she would find her story's happy end, and that would be with a wish.

A wish she was afraid to make. She was unsure if the magics of the Shikon no Tama would accept or reject such a request, and unsure that her demon companion would be so kind as to not remove her head when he learned of it. She only wished to stay, to have more time with him, despite knowing that her love would never be returned in the way she really wanted. If the Tama would allow her to stay in the past, she could choose to remain by Sesshomaru's side. She could be his liaison with humans, his retainer or his advisor, whatever role he would chose for her so long as she remained with him. She wanted desperately to be the one to see each outburst of his blossoming emotions, to nurture his 'softer side' as it were. He was a demon capable of great things, and she believed that he could do much to benefit both demon and human kind if he were guided to the path to do so.

Sesshomaru shifted his weight so that he was leaning closer to the miko. He reached out with a gentle hand to turn her face back towards himself, and she gasped lightly before allowing him to guide her eyes back to his inquisitive expression. He pulled his fingers away quickly as she turned, his hand dropping once more to his side. His lips parted slightly to begin a question, and Kagome's eyes fell to them as they moved apart. "Happily Ever After?"

Kagome dropped her gaze and unconsciously licked her lips, unknowingly drawing the demon's attention to her mouth. "Nevermind!" She blurted as she moved to stand.

Sesshomaru allowed the question to go unanswered as he stood and offered Kagome his hand to help her rise. She looked up, surprised as always at his speed, and smiled as he easily pulled her up. She tugged her hand out of his grasp quickly, blushing as she did so, and turned to walk back toward her group's camp. "See you," she called out as she walked away. She never looked back to see the small frown of frustration on his face.

Kagome woke up, gasping at the sudden emotions she had felt from her dream when she realised that frown was on his face, although she had never turned to see it. The dream had been a near perfect re-creation of the last night she had seen the demon lord before being dragged back through time. She wondered if it was really possible that he had frowned on the mimicked occasion. She sighed and tried to get comfortable again in her bed as she attempted and failed to go back to sleep. Visions of Sesshomaru were vivid in her head each time she closed her eyes. After several minutes she gave up on sleep altogether in favor of allowing herself a good cry. She once again felt her loss acutely, as she hadn't in months. She let the memories wash over her, wave after wave in a rising ocean tide. Sesshomaru helping her over some rocks to cross a stream. The way his eyes looked when he was curious, or pleased, or wrathful. She shivered and cried out at the memory of him trying to dissolve her with his poison, and laughed at the day she had found Rin braiding flowers into his hair. She smiled sadly at his whispered "goodbye, miko"s and finally sobbed for the loss of his rare, gentle touches.

The light of day was just breaking over the horizon when the miko's tears finally abated. She hugged herself and rocked a few moments before deciding she might as well clean herself up and start her day a bit earlier than usual.